iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- After five days, one of the most wanted men in Pennsylvania was finally arrested in Hazelwood. Rahmael Sal Holt, 29, is in custody and facing murder charges for allegedly fatally shooting rookie New Kensington Police Officer Brian Shaw during a traffic stop inside the parking lot of the Assemblies of God Church. Authorities said Tavon Jamere Harper was behind the wheel of the SUV that blew a stop sign and that's when Shaw, 25, allegedly attempted to pull over him and his passenger Holt on Leishman Avenue. The Pennsylvania State Police announced the arrest of Holt Tuesday morning after offering a reward of up to $55,000 for information leading to his apprehension. According to the affidavit of probable cause, Shaw was able to relay to dispatch the Pennsylvania registration of the SUV he was detaining. Instantly, "shots had been fired" the document states and Shaw pursued Holt by foot. Harper, according to the affidavit, drove away. The police officer encountered an alley between Leishman and Victoria Avenues and based on surveillance footage, the document states, "[i] shows the actor discharge a firearm striking the officer." On Tuesday, Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck said that "several shots were fired at Officer Shaw that evening ... We estimate at least six shots were fired." The police officer with only six months on the force was unable to draw his own weapon and fire back, the prosecutor confirmed. "It doesn't appear he returned fire," he said. A day following Shaws fatal shooting, police, according to the affidavit of probable cause, found two bundles of stamp bags of suspected heroin in the second floor bedroom where Harper lived. They also found $2,500 in cash. When questioned, according to the affidavit, Harper told cops he delivered a quantity of marijuana to Rahmael Holt in the City of Arnold. Holt faces charges of murder of a police officer. His mother, Sherry Holt, told a local news outlet Monday that her son wished to turn himself in, but he wanted to ensure his that his surrender would be a peaceful one. She along with other family members that include a cousin and a cousin's girlfriend were also arrested Tuesday from hiding Holt from facing justice. "These individuals were not cooperating or hinderin the arrest and that led to the arrest of some individuals," Peck said. It appears Holt's capture was credited in large part to various informants offering tips. "We had information from informants," Peck said. "That information, pieced together with other capabilities that agencies have -- they were able to locate Mr. Holt at that home." The investigators were also seeking a warrant to be able to locate the possible murder weapon that killed Shaw. The emotions were visible on the prosecutor's face who called the killing "one of the most violent and senseless actions." Holding back tears was New Kensington Police Chief Jim Klein who said that he and his fellow police department "will be able to start to grieve." He said that grief counselors were coming to help the staff heal and that afterward the police will be back in full force. "Our officers are dedicated to providing the best possible service to protect you and keep you safe," he said. "There is no better example than Brian Shaw who gave his life serving the community. I promise you our officers will continue to serve with the same honor that Brian did." Shaw, a native of Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, graduated from Burrell High School in 2010 and went on to graduate from Slippery Rock University with a degree in criminal justice, according to his obituary. After graduating from Allegheny County Police Academy, Shaw became a part-time police officer with several departments. "Officer Brian Shaw, you were taken from us too soon. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Your life mattered and you will be missed," the Allegheny Police Department wrote on its Facebook page. Shaw's funeral mass is set to be held at Mount Saint Peter Roman Catholic Church in New Kensington. Officers from surrounding towns and municipalities had been helping with the manhunt, which spanned five days, in order to let town's police department grieve Shaw, New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo said. "The outpouring of support from the officers from all over western Pennsylvania has been extraordinary," Guzzo told local reporters. "We could not be doing this without them." Editors note: An earlier version of this story misidentified police officer Brian Shaws affiliation and misstated the name of the shooting suspects mother. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. A new update to Googles default SMS application Android Messages Is now rolling out to all users. This update brings the Android Messages app from version 2.5 to version 2.7. While there arent any significant changes to the interface, the APK did get a size reduction as well as two new features integrated into the app. The first feature, which weve heard about in the past, is Duo calling integration. Duo is Androids default video calling app, and placing a video calling icon right in the SMS conversation window is a great way to get more folks using the free service. Duo calling button Also new to the Android messages app is a method of sending or requesting payments from friends. The service is provided by Google Wallet, which was among the first NFC payment services in the US before Google phased it into Android Pay. Google Wallet also had its own debit card, but it has also been phased out. Requesting money According to an APK teardown by Android Police, the app is also getting ready to streamline the notification indicator. Rather than displaying New messages below in the SMS conversation, it would say X new message(s) where X is the number of new messages below. However, a more noteworthy feature is RCS support for dualSIM smartphones. RCS stands for Rich Communication Services and offers larger attachment allowances, read receipts, and lets you know when the recipient is typing. The update supports RCS features on smartphones with two active lines. Via Honor 7X is on its way to the US with 18:9 screen and affordable price Last month Huawei's online-only sub-brand Honor launched a new device in China - incidentally, its first to sport the ever-so-trendy 18:9 'tall' screen aspect ratio. It's the Honor 7X, and it comes with decent mid-range specs and a starting price of around $200 in China. Today the company has revealed that it's getting ready to release the Honor 7X in other markets too, including the US and the UK. More information about the handset's international availability and pricing will arrive on December 5 at Honor's big event in London. So basically it's already confirming that one of the devices we'll see on that occasion is the Honor 7X. The Honor 7X has a 5.93" 1,080x2,160 IPS touchscreen, the Kirin 659 chipset at the helm (with a 2.36 GHz octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU), 4GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, a dual 16 MP + 2 MP rear camera setup with LED flash, an 8 MP selfie shooter, and a 3,340 mAh battery. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat with EMUI 5.1 on top. Source The LG V30+ has arrived in Japan thanks to carrier KDDI. The phone supports 4G LTE connectivity as well as WiMAX 2+ to work better with the carriers network. It also supports 1seg wireless TV. Other than the connectivity changes, the phone is the familiar V30. To make up for its delayed launch, it will come with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. Youll have a choice of Aura Black, Cloud Silver and Moroccan Blue colors. In the box youll get a pair of B&O Play headphones to use in combination with the phones QuadDAC. You can find additional accessories at au.com. Note that somewhat confusingly the LG V30+ is also known as LG V35. That's so it's not confused with the LG V34, which was a mini version of the V20 (known as the LG Q8 in the West). Source 1 | Source 2 (in Japanese) These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. In an interview with The Indian Express, the General Manager of OnePlus India Vikas Aggarwal offers insight on what will happen to the OnePlus 5 and why the company released the 5T so soon. If you look at our previous phone, the OnePlus 3T the last batch was sold out during Diwali and now the product will be discontinued. The same goes for the OnePlus 5, which will also be sold out in sometime, and well have only one product - OnePlus 5T - in the market. Aggarwal says the changes on the OnePlus 5T are not significant enough to classify as a whole new product. Instead, the OnePlus 5T is a variant that offers a better display for improving the overall experience. He also notes that the premium segment is difficult to compete in since there are so many other phones that compete for the top spot. On top of that, he also confirms the OnePlus 5s fate to be the same as the OnePlus 3s: discontinuation. OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T So as a company which focuses on premium segment, we need to make sure our phones compete with the current available flagships in the market. The OnePlus 5T will do just that, and given this is an extension of the current product line, there was no need for us to raise the price. OnePlus appears to have a very interesting strategy, one that weve already seen happen in two consecutive years: The new-generation flagship model is released: (OnePlus 3/5). Then, about halfway into the product cycle, the phone maker launches a new model with a minor update over the initial launch in both cases, a T is added to the end of the name: OnePlus 3T/5T. OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T This is a strategy that other phone makers already use. Samsung and LG have two phone releases that stagger the other. Samsung released its Galaxy S in the spring and then its Galaxy Note in the fall. LG releases the G flagship in the spring and then the V flagship in the fall. The strategy of staggering the releases is one that keeps the company's smartphones relevant in an industry where things get forgotten after a few months. Check out the full interview, where Aggarwal discusses OnePlus ongoing presence in India, as well as the companys future in the mid-range segment We are not looking to launch a mid-range device just to expand the market share, but concentrating on the premium end market. Source Samsung Mexico announced today the arrival of the company's Pay solution to the Latin country, making it the 20th market to get the service. Samsung Pay is currently offered to customers of American Express, Banorte, BanRegio, and HSBC banks with supported credit or debit cards. Compatibility of devices is also limited, with Gear smartwatches being left out. The full list can be seen in the source link, but if you have a newer mid-range or flagship Galaxy phone, youre in the clear. Source (in Spanish) Coast Guard Medevacs Man from Cruise Ship Off Oregon Inlet The Coast Guard medevaced an ailing man from a cruise ship about 55 miles off Oregon Inlet Monday.. Watchstanders in the 5th District Command Center in Portsmouth received a call from the 958-foot, Nassau, Bahamas-flagged Norwegian Dawn at about 6:15 a.m., requesting a medevac for a 56-year-old male passenger experiencing stroke-like symptoms. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew launched from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and arrived at the cruise ship about 55 miles east of Oregon Inlet. The crew hoisted the patient, along with his fiance and a nurse, and brought them to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk. This was our second medevac from this cruise ship in the past two weeks, said Chief Petty Officer Shannon Brugh, aviation survival technician for the case. We conducted three hoists in some very challenging winds today. It was a beautiful example of teamwork, coordination and communication among Coast Guard units several hundred miles apart and the crew of the cruise ship to make this happen. Roundabout opponents plant their opinion on the roadside Businesses and residents along U.S. 64 are increasing the visibility of their opposition to a widening plan that includes a divided highway with roundabouts. Related Stories Before it was pulled from the councils agenda, the council was scheduled to take up an application for the Arcadia Views development on U.S. 64 across from Hunters Crossing. The developer asked the council to table the application to give engineers more time to study an NCDOT traffic study, said Town Manager Alison Alexander. The Town Council voted earlier this year to endorse the NCDOT plan after engineers made changes the council sought. Theres nothing for the council to do, Alexander said. Oct. 26 was the deadline for comment to the DOT. A large crowd was expected at Tuesdays meeting for the Arcadia project and the U.S. 64 widening. People are conflating those two projects but theyre really not related, Alexander said. New signs popped up over the weekend declaring opposition to the U.S. 64 project from Blythe Street to White Pine Drive. The NCDOT has proposed a highway improvement that includes a two-lane divided roadway with a 17 grassy median, 12-foot travel lanes, 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks. As designed, the project would add roundabouts at Glasgow Lane, Pisgah Drive and White Pine Drive. U.S. 64 through Laurel Park carries 13,000 to 16,000 vehicles per day now and will grow to 16,300 to 19,600 by 2040, the NCDOT says, raising the need for upgrades to improve traffic flow. The project, like three others in the pipeline around the county, has provoked strong opposition. Laurel Park businesses and homeowners in the immediate area oppose the roundabouts and the divided highway and are asking instead for a center turn lane. Dozens of yellow-and-black signs that say 3 Lanes, NOT Roundabouts line the road. The Laurel Park Town Council meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The council moved the meeting to the First Congregational Church because, before the Arcadia Views rezoning case was pulled, it expected a large crowd. We recognize the need for improvements to the road but were disappointed at the impact it would have on our property, said Bill McKibbin, owner of Henderson Oil, which operates an Energy Mart store in the path of the U.S. 64 widening. We would lose the gas pumps. Its a gas station-convenience store so we would have to look for some other use for the property. McKibbin said he had been in contact with Division 14 Engineer Brian Burch about changes that might spare the property. Laura Gourlay, the property manager for the Laurel Park Village Shopping Center, said the owners are closely following the issue and have attended several meetings on it. She provided a statement from the owners. The owners of the Laurel Park Village Shopping Center support a DOT plan that takes into consideration the concerns of Laurel Park residents and ensures that the ingress and egress to the shopping center is most importantly safe and efficient for both tenants and shoppers, it said. Dixie Diner owner Vickie Olek said she would have to shut down the business because the widening would take her parking lot. Post office confirms move to Blue Ridge Mall The Hendersonville post office will move into the Sears space at the Blue Ridge Mall in the spring of 2018. Related Stories The main Hendersonville post office will move next spring to the Blue Ridge Mall, a U.S. Postal Service official confirmed. The postal service will occupy the Sears space, offering post office box holders and other customers access from inside and outside the mall. Sears plans to move within the mall to a different location. The Postal Service is excited to have secured a new location for the Hendersonville Post Office, Phillip J. Bogenberger, the Postal Services spokesman for North Carolina, said in a statement. The 10-year lease to occupy the former Sears space with approximately 7,000 square feet will meet the needs of our customers and accommodate the growth of the community. We plan to move into the new location in 2018 and offer the same services that were available at the former location on Fifth Avenue West. There will be entrances to the Post Office from the mall and the parking lot. Hendersonvilles main postal facility has been in its current building since it was built in 1966. In July of 2016, the First Baptist Church of Hendersonville purchased the property from owners Larry and Elizabeth Hinkle for additional church parking. The church then leased the property back to the post office to allow the postal service time to secure another site. The search took longer than anticipated and the lease was extended through the end of March 2018, church officials said. It is unknown at this time if the contract post office at Four Seasons Mall across U.S. 64 from the Blue Ridge Mall will close or possibly relocate to a more central downtown location. Last year, Hendersonville officials urged the postal service to keep the post office downtown and, barring that, to open a small retail office in the central business district. We have many citizens who walk, bicycle, or use public transportation for work or to run errands, including to the current post office, Mayor Barbara Volk said in a letter to Richard Hancock, the postal service real estate specialist from Greensboro who was assigned to find the new site. Moving the facility to the outskirts of town would place a heavy burden on these citizens as well as those who wish to drive only short distances. Many post office box holders who visit the facility daily had feared a move to an even more out-of-the-way location the post office annex on Lakewood Road near the Sam's Club. On Monday City Manager John Connet issued a glass-half-full reaction to the move, which keeps the facility on the city side of I-26. The City of Henderson appreciates the U.S. Postal Services deliberate and thoughtful process in finding a new location for the Hendersonville Post Office," he said. "While a downtown location was preferred, we are happy that the Postal Service will utilize available space at the Blue Ridge Mall. This location will provide adequate parking for Post Office customers and bring potential new customers to the variety of retail stores at the mall." The rear access to the post office would need to be renovated to provide a public entrance. U.S. Postal Service officials have not provided details of that work.The early reaction about the move from postal facility users was mixed. Thats ridiculous, said Marilyn Bliss, who lives in Hendersonville. Theyve had plenty of time to find a better location and there are a lot of elderly people who wont go to the mall. Why not build a new building? Ben Balentine, who lives in Hendersonville, said he will probably give up his P.O. box rather than drive further into heavy traffic. Its a matter of convenience, he said. People dont want to get into high volume commercial traffic, added Lori Fothergill. Ill go to the post office in East Flat Rock where its less congested. Steve Franks, whose law office is across the street from the Fifth Avenue West facility, is unwilling to make a daily trek to the mall. I might just give up my P.O. box and have my mail delivered to my front door, he said. I can save some money. One Hendersonville native didnt like the idea of the mall location for another reason. I just dont associate the post office with a mall, said Charlene Varnes. It should be a stand-alone building. Also a post office box holder, Varnes had concerns about accessing the facility after dark. Mary Stroman said the new location would be an improvement over the 51-year-old building the postal service currently occupies. Anything is better than this, said Stroman, adding that the mall needs a shot in the arm. Her friend Kathy Papes agreed. Yes, parking is probably better at the mall, she said. Pam Hedstrom, who operates the Flower Market a block east of the Fifth Avenue facility, thinks the new location is a good choice. It will encourage more people to go to the mall and they dont need to build a new building, she said. Mall walker Vann Trapp said he had heard about the move because he attends First Baptist Church. The (mall) parking lot is filled up only around Christmas, Trapp said. In the six years hes been doing laps at the mall, he said, hes observed a drop in the number of shoppers. The increased foot traffic should help the mall stores, he said. Another mall walker, Kim Corn, said as a driver shed welcome the move. I never did go down to the one in that neighborhood because its so hard to get in and out, she said. I think its good to have the (mall) spaces occupied for sure. The Hull Property Group, the Augusta, Ga.-based mall owner, has not disclosed where the Sears store will relocate. Marketing officials at Hull did not respond to the Lightnings request for comment. A Sears employee said store workers were told theyd find out on Monday evening where the store would move. Sears moved to its present location several years ago after many years occupying the storefront next to the old K-Mart store. Trapp and Corn said they had heard on Monday that Sears would relocate to the space next to Belk last occupied by the Pardee Signature Care Center. * * * * * Editor Bill Moss contributed reporting. Meth dealer sent to prison Related Stories A Hendersonville man was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was convicted of trafficking in methamphetamine, District Attorney Greg Newman announced. Judge Tommy Davis sentenced Alvin Miller of 307 Substation Street in Hendersonville during a recent term of Superior Court in Henderson County. The sentence was enhanced based on three prior felony drug convictions in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Judge Davis also imposed a $50,000 fine. On Feb. 9, Millers probation officer and members of Henderson Countys Direct Enforcement Team (DET) performed an unannounced search of Millers home. DET officers located at least 35 grams of methamphetamine on Millers person. Also, Miller had 3 wallets in different pockets with $1,328 in cash. Inside the defendants bedroom, the officers discovered digital scales, plastic bags, glass pipes, syringes, as well as pills and weight scale calibrators. Miller was immediately arrested and taken to the Henderson County jail. Once in custody, Miller admitted to officers that he was a consumer of methamphetamine and had been selling the illegal drug on and off for about 10 years. Miller said that he obtained an ounce every other day to sell. Following an evidentiary hearing where Millers lawyer unsuccessfully challenged the legality of the search, Miller plead guilty and was sentenced. Miller is the kind of person that needs to be out of our community," Newman said. "Miller and people like him who sell methamphetamine are only concerned about the money and have no regard for the ruined lives resulting from their actions. I have no patience for those supplying drugs in our area." In addition to Miller, the following people were convicted in Henderson County Superior Court within the last two weeks: -- Edward Dornan, 125 Greenfield Lane, Hendersonville, 57 months active for Third Degree Exploitation of a Minor (Possession of Child Pornography); -- Alexis Alvarez, 806 7th Avenue East, Hendersonville, 17 months active for Breaking and Entering and Larceny of a Firearm; -- Scott Brown, 908 Magnolia Spring Place, Hendersonville, 150 days active for Assault; -- Philip Estes, 278 Duncan Creek Road, Fletcher, 60 months active for Breaking and Entering and Larceny; -- Karina Ferrera, 1093 Holly Circle, Forest Park, GA, 17 months active for Possession with the Intent to Sell or Deliver Methamphetamine; -- Henry Hutchinson, no known address, 105 months active for Attempted Common Law Robbery; -- Edward Russell, 32 Knox Road, Ridgecrest, NC, 136 months active for Larceny, Obtaining Property by a False Pretense, Habitual Felon; -- Courtney Smith, 110 London Berry Lane, Lake Lure, NC, 99 months active for Possession with the Intent to Sell of Deliver Methamphetamine and Habitual Felon; -- John Stinson, 39 Logan Lane, Fletcher, NC, 19 months active for Conspiracy to Commit Common Law Robbery and Resisting a Police Officer; -- Jessica Vasquez, 742 N. Grove Street, Hendersonville 19 months active for Felony Larceny. In Polk County, Dan Brady, of 567 Will Green Road, Tryon, was sentenced to five years in prison active for taking indecent liberties with a minor. Gardai were last night investigating whether two men they arrested after an armed robbery at a Dublin 4 hotel are responsible for a spate of robberies at upmarket pubs in south Dublin this year. At least five pubs in south Dublin have been targeted in the past six months. Officers finally made arrests after a violent armed robbery at The Schoolhouse Hotel, on Northumberland Road, at 3.10am yesterday. Confronted The duo are aged 27 and 26 and from the south inner city and Drimnagh areas respectively. They were still being held at Irishtown Garda Station last night after being arrested in Henry Street on the capital's northside at around 4am. It is understood that a night porter was confronted at the hotel and savagely beaten before being forced into a back office. A sum of money, believed to be around 400, was taken. Criminal damage was also caused to the hotel in the mayhem before the raiders escaped. However, gardai picked them up less than an hour later on the northside and sources say that officers are investigating whether the duo are linked to a number of similar robberies this year. One of the thugs was previously given a lengthy jail sentence for unlawfully seizing a car and producing an imitation firearm. His companion is a well-known burglar, who has connections to the 'Fat Andy' Connors gang, which has been involved in a campaign of terror against rural communities for years. Gardai are investigating whether the duo robbed the Brickyard Gastropub in Dundrum last month, where 3,000 was stolen in an armed raid. Spree The crime spree is being linked to the same brazen gang which robbed three south Dublin pubs in the space of just 13 days in May of this year. At 1am on May 15, around 8,000 was stolen from the nearby Willows pub in Dundrum. That raid happened only three nights after a botched robbery at Ashtons pub, on Clonskeagh Road. The methods used in these two raids bear striking similarities to an armed robbery at Bar 51 on Haddington Road, Ballsbridge, on May 3. The Bar 51 raid led to the criminals escaping with 2,500 after staff members were tied up. Csaba Orsos, who was murdered in Co Wicklow in 2013. Photo: Provided by family Csaba Orsos, who was murdered in Co Wicklow in 2013. Photo: Provided by family The brother of a man who drowned after the woman he loved drove off a pier and into a harbour has said his killer deserves to spend the rest of her life behind bars. Csaba Orsos' brother, Zoltan Sandor, also told the Herald that he will never forget identifying his brother's body in a body bag in a lifeboat house and how "part of me died" the day his brother was murdered. Marta Herda (30) was handed a life sentence in July last year after being convicted of the murder of Hungarian national Mr Orsos (31). Herda, from Poland, drove her Volkswagen Passat through the crash barriers at South Quay, Arklow, Co Wicklow, shortly before 6am on March 26, 2013. She managed to swim to safety, but Mr Orsos did not make it out of the water. Evidence heard during the trial revealed that Mr Orsos could not swim and this was known by Herda. Escaped The trial heard that the handbrake had been applied before the car entered the water and that the only open window was the driver's, through which Herda escaped. Mr Orsos' body washed up on a beach further down the coast later that day and was later identified by his distressed brother at the lifeboat house in Arklow. A post-mortem later revealed that Mr Orsos died from drowning and not from injuries related to the crash. The badly-damaged car was removed from the harbour by crane on the day of the crash. Herda, of Pairc Na Saile, Emoclew Road, Arklow, had pleaded not guilty to murder but was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court and sentenced to life. She appealed her conviction on 17 grounds. However, Mr Justice Alan Mahon last month said all grounds of appeal were rejected. Herda began sobbing and embraced a number of family members and friends after the judgment was delivered. Speaking outside court, her family indicated that an appeal to the Supreme Court was now likely. Mr Orsos' brother has told the Herald that he always had faith in the judges of the appeal court. "My reaction to her losing the appeal was normal enough because I believed in the judges," he said. "I hoped they could handle this appeal properly and they would send her back to prison because a murderer should have to sit for life in jail." Speaking about his family's loss, Zoltan said they still found it hard to believe what happened to Csaba. "My brother is dead. He won't have any chance for a life, to take air, walk or have a family," he said. "Four years is so long without him and it is so hard to understand what happened to him. "I will never forget when I had to see and identify my brother in a body bag in the lifeboat house. On the day when he died, my heart died as well." During Herda's trial, it was heard that Mr Orsos was in love with Herda, but she did not share the same feelings for him. Zoltan tried to explain to the Herald how his brother had loved Herda. Love "He asked me many times what to do, fight for the love or not?" he said. "The first time I said, yes, why not?" Zoltan said he saw how she would act around Csaba, giving him the impression that there was hope for a future for them. "It was her who would rub his shoulder and say 'hi, Csaba, how are you?' and I think she wanted to show him that maybe they had a small chance, and maybe my brother believed that as well," said Zoltan. "I told my brother to leave it alone, to stop believing it, but he was in love with her. "My brother was the person who just wanted to come to Ireland, make some money and buy his own house - he wanted a normal life and family. "But he met with her and we don't know what happened and we don't know now what the future was for Csaba. "We will never forget him." Motorists were hit with fines totalling more than 130,000 yesterday for dodging M50 tolls. A taxi driver, a milkman and other commercial and private road users were among 11 cases in which hefty fines, ranging from 12,000 to 17,000, were handed down by Judge John Brennan, at Dublin District Court. None of the defendants attended the hearing or co-operated with the National Roads Authority (NRA), which the judge described as an aggravating factor. Each case featured five sample counts, and downloaded images were furnished to the court by NRA official Sarah Kavanagh. On top of the fines, Judge Brennan ordered them each to pay 750 in prosecution costs. Alan Downey, from The Elms, Newbridge, Co Kildare, was fined 13,500. Some 236 passages had been made by his car and no repayments made. Andrius Pagojus, of Verdemont, Snugborough Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin, was fined 13,500. There had been 196 unpaid journeys made by his car. Journeys Milk-van owner Brian Fortune, from Glenhill Drive, Finglas East, Dublin, was fined 16,000. His van had made 350 passages, and just two of the tolls had been paid in April. Florin Paun, of Rose Vale, Blakestown, Dublin, paid 11 tolls out of 196 journeys on the motorway, and was fined 13,500. Gheorge Miron, from The Boulevard, French Park, Tyrellstown, Dublin, made 140 passages, and no payments had been received. He was fined 12,000. Taxi owner Maria Cahill, from Dromheath Avenue, Mulhuddart, Blanchardstown, Dublin, had done 263 journeys. There had been no repayments and she was fined 15,000. Martin McDonagh Jnr, from Cara Park, Coolock, Dublin, was fined 13,500. He had 196 passages, but only five payments. Shane Lambert, from Earlsfort Avenue, Lucan, Co Dublin, was fined 17,000. He had 232 passages, but only eight payments. Sorin Chiciu, of Riverwood Green, Castleknock, Dublin, was fined 15,000. He had made 305 journeys and had not paid any tolls. Heavy goods vehicle owner Thomas Clancy, from Seaview Heights, Rathnew, Wicklow, was fined 13,500. His vehicle had a history of 159 passages with no payments. Another goods vehicle owner was also fined 13,500. A 54-year-old Italian national was stabbed to death by a juvenile following an apparent domestic dispute, gardai believe. The victim, named locally as Bruno Rolandi, was discovered with a number of serious knife wounds at a house on Sunday night. It is suspected that he suffered at least two stab wounds at the home he shared with his partner in the Ballyfore area of Edenderry, Co Offaly. Last night, detectives were continuing to question a 17-year-old male in relation to the father-of-two's death. Gardai are probing if the suspect acted in self-defence during a domestic dispute at the home. In total, four people are understood to have been in the property at the time of the killing, including the victim and the arrested youth. Mr Rolandi is originally from the Monza region of Italy but had been living in Edenderry for some time. Tragedy Investigating officers were yesterday informing his relatives in Italy of the tragedy. A garda spokesman said emergency services were alerted to the incident at 7.48pm, and discovered the victim with knife wounds. "Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the man in his 50s was pronounced dead at the scene," the spokesman said. "A juvenile male was arrested in relation to the incident and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Tullamore Garda Station." Gardai are currently not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident. An incident room has been established at Tullamore Garda Station, from where the probe is being co-ordinated. Locals yesterday expressed shock after news of the killing emerged. "Everyone is in total shock. The family would be well known in the area," said Independent councillor Noel Cribbin. "It is a very quiet area. It is a real tragedy." How good are these two guys, Penn State fans? It may surprise you ... football Montage Hotels & Resorts has announced the appointment of Anne-Marie Houston as resort manager of Montage Laguna Beach. With international hospitality experience across four continents, Houston will oversee all daily operations at Montage Laguna Beach. Houston joins Montage Laguna Beach from Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spas in Bangkok, Thailand, where she served as the corporate director of operations. Preceding her time at Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spas, Houston was the general manager for two Madinat Jumeirah properties in Dubai, Al Qasr, Dar Al Masyaf and Malakiya Villas. She also held director and managerial roles at The Peninsula and The Sukhothai in Bangkok, Thailand, as well as Brown's Hotel, part of Rocce Forte Hotels, and The Savoy Hotel in London, UK. Houston graduated from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland with a degree in hospitality management and industrial studies. BENCHMARK, a global hospitality company, has named Stacy T. Martin managing director of Delta Hotels - Marriott Dallas Allen & Watters Creek Convention Center, a Benchmark Resorts & Hotels property currently being constructed in the city of Allen, Texas, north of Dallas. The Four Star, full-service hotel and convention center is scheduled to open in January of 2019. Greg Champion, Benchmarks chief operating officer, announced the appointment, which represented a promotion for Ms. Martin. Stacy Martin was previously Benchmarks general manager for The Heldrich, a hotel and conference center located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Prior to joining Benchmark, Ms. Martin served as general manager of The Ellis Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. She has held senior leadership positions for a number of hotels in markets across the country, including Daytona Beach, Naples, Seattle, Dallas, and Boston. Ms. Martin earned her Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration degree from Whittemore School of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. She also attended Cornell University. Martin is the recipient of numerous awards of excellence during her career. She is relocating to Wylie, Texas. With 30 years of global business experience and public & private sector expertise in corporate finance & privatization with Credit Lyonnais and World Bank/UNOPS, Alvaro Hidalgo moved towards the hospitality industry, leading large resort & transformation projects in Morocco and Brazil. As Managing Partner of FIRST LOGIC Consulting, his firm provides strategic and financial advisory to the hospitality industry in market entry and greenfield projects, as well as restructuring & turnarounds. His expertise in the implementation of traceability processes led him to identification and identity projects and thus to the application of the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Alvaro is now CFO & member of the Advisory Board of Biocryptology, a start-up deploying a Universal Identity platform. He also contributes to HFTP and, as Chair of its task force on the GDPR and the Hospitality DPO, he leads the HFTPs project to guide the industry through its adaptation to the new legal framework. Alvaro also collaborates with Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, teaching in its Postgraduate and Executive Programs. London UK/Spokane WA At Magnuson Worldwide, America's fastest growing hotel brand, we are proud to announce the branding of the Magnuson Hotel Fort Wayne North. The Magnuson Hotel Fort Wayne North is near the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum giving patrons easy access to a number of concerts and events. Plus shopping and dining options are numerous, with both the Northcrest Shopping Center and Glenbrook Square Shopping Mall a short walk away. And for families and students Indiana University Purdue and Fort Wayne Zoo are less than 2 miles from this Magnuson Hotel property. Formerly a Howard Johnson, the Magnuson Hotel Fort Wayne North will upgrade its market position to attract travelers via an affiliation with Magnuson Worldwide's international portfolio of over 1,000 hotels and state-of-the-art, global distribution platform. Thomas Magnuson, CEO of Magnuson Worldwide says: "We are delighted to be welcoming the full team at the Magnuson Hotel Fort Wayne North to the Magnuson family." About Magnuson Hotels Founded in 2003 as the world's first independent hotel chain, today hotel owners can affiliate with Magnuson as an independent or a franchised brand. With a footprint that includes North America and Europe, the company remains true to the original ethos; providing comprehensive personalised support and customised technology for hotel owners to succeed in their local markets without typical corporate franchise expense or requirements. For more info: https://magnusonhotelsworldwide.com/. Alysha Smith VP of Operations & Development 8000148132 Magnuson Hotels A panel of industry experts awarded ALICE the top honor at the third annual HX TECHPitch - a tech innovation competition held during HX: The Hotel Experience - here in New York City last week, November 12-13. Deanna Ting, Hospitality Editor at Skift, Vijay Dandapani, President and CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City, and Valerie Ferguson, Director, Experience Planning and Integration, Hotels & Resorts at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts judged the competition. ALICE faced some hot competition for the award. Finalists included Maidbot, makers of a housekeeping robot, Openkey, providers of mobile keyless hotel access, Remi, a smart mirror from Mirror Image and KEYPR, VDroom, a direct marketing platform that enables the creation of virtual reality websites for hotels, and Verdant, an energy management system. In his pitch for ALICE's ability to help staff forge meaningful relationships with guests, company Co-Founder and President Alex Shashou set the stage by pointing out that, despite our best attempts, we're failing as an industry when it comes to delivering hospitality in today's digital age. He showed the audience a recent overview of customer satisfaction benchmarks by industry, which revealed that the hotel industry ranks behind banks, behind supermarkets, and even behind phone companies, when it comes to customer satisfaction! "By knowing your name, an Uber driver knows more about you than most hotel staff. Domino's delivers pizza with more transparency than room service. Siri fulfills more of your local queries than your concierge." The list goes on, Alex explained. We should all take inspiration, he said, from one hotel group that was willing to take a risk to improve guest engagement. "They played to win, instead of playing not to lose," he said, "This group came to us and said, 'What if we could take our guest app, that doesn't work as well as we want it to, and connect it to your staff platform?' We said yes. So, they took our Guest API and our staff platform and had their own developers build our messaging tools and our services into their guest app. They then launched ALICE at their hotels and let their front desk respond in any way they wanted. Of course, we thought this would be risky - no one knew what would happen, but the best thing possible occurred - guests and staff loved it, and started conversing. And true moments of hospitality started to happen." Despite the optimistic message, Alex was surprised by the win: "When staff operations technology competes against robots, the robots usually win. This award is an important endorsement from the industry that platform technology that streamlines staff communication and task management is a valuable technology breakthrough that can make a big impact on the guest experience. We thank the judges, and look forward to reconnecting with everyone again at HX 2018." ABOUT ALICE: ALICE has created the first complete communication, cost savings and revenue generation operations platform for hotels, which enhances the guest experience and connects all points within the hotel to simplify guest service - and make it more cost-effective. Since the company was founded in 2013, ALICE has gained serious traction in the industry working many of the world's leading hotel brands, including Two Roads Hospitality, Dream Hotel Group, Grupo Posadas, SIXTY Hotels, NYLO Hotels, and Leading Hotels of the World. ALICE was founded by Dmitry Koltunov, Justin Effron, and Alex Shashou, and has raised $39M to date. The company acquired concierge technology provider GoConcierge in 2017. For more information, visit https://info.aliceapp.com. Lola Feiger Digital Marketing For its young brand niu, NOVUM Hospitality is focussing on socio-cultural collaboration by teaming up with the non-profit Hamburg-based Association Viva con Agua de Sankt Pauli e.V. As part of its partnership with niu hotels, a select group of artists collaborating as part of Viva con Agua Arts and Millerntor Gallery have decorated the hotel walls in the artistic and urban "good Swag" style. Proceeds of the collaboration between Viva con Agua Arts GmbH, Millerntor Gallery will go to water and sanitation projects sponsored by the Water Initiative. Initially, the focus will be on the current Viva con Agua Project in Uganda. Lastly, the partnership also includes the sales of merchandise and drinks from Viva con Agua in the niu shops as well as all niu restaurants, bars and bistros. Future projects are already in the pipeline. From the street to the hotel lobby: Urban Art goes niu The reason for this collaboration is obvious: each niu hotel offers a sustainable, innovative and urban meeting place with an individual, location-inspired feel. Likewise, the artists of the Millerntor Gallery all have their own individual, yet they all have one thing in common: contemporary urban art, which is a perfect fit with niu's sustainable urban hotel concept. "Our brand values and vision are in perfect harmony with those of Viva con Agua. This collaboration has allowed us to give our hotels an authentic design, which in turn ensures that our guests can experience our sustainable and unique brand identity," explains David Etmenan, Chief Executive Officer and owner of NOVUM Hospitality. It is not just this unique style of art that convinced NOVUM Hospitality from the very beginning. It is also about the social-cultural commitment, which is a matter PRESS RELEASE truly dear to the hearts of both partners. The art investment made by NOVUM Hospitality will amount to over 1.3 million euros in the coming years. #Wildlife: niu Cobbles goes is truly wild The first artist who has been given free rein in his creative work at the niu Cobbles hotel in Essen is Bjorn Holzweg. There are no restrictions for the artists, as they are free to develop the character of each niu hotel. The history of the former coal-mining area can be seen in the industrial colliery design throughout the entire Cobbles nui hotel, which includes striking contrasts and fragmentation. Bjorn Holzweg has immortalized his work to match the brand, giving the niu Cobbles a strong character by portraying animal heads in urbanpolygonal style, integrating colours from the world of industrial design. Whether it is the geometric lion on the lobby floor or abstract art at the bar niu hotels invite, no urge you to explore and take selfies and photos with your friends! Initial art projects at the niu Hotels: niu Cobbles Essen: Bjorn Holzweg https://www.instagram.com/bjoern_holzweg/ niu Saddle Furth:Zezao https://www.instagram.com/zezao_sp/ niu Franz Wien: Maximilian Magnus https://www.instagram.com/maximilianmagnus/ niu Dairy Haarlem: 1010 https://www.instagram.com/1010zzz/ niu Rig Lubeck: Rebelzer https://www.instagram.com/rebelzer_freaks/?hl=de niu Welly Kiel: Zezao https://www.instagram.com/zezao_sp/ niu Keg Hamburg: Mittenimwald http://mittenimwald.blogspot.de/ niu Hide Berlin: Low bros https://www.instagram.com/low_bros/?hl=de niu Square Mannheim: Queen Kong http://www.queenkong.ch/ niu Charly Frankfurt: Nils Kasiske https://www.instagram.com/nilskasiske/ About the NOVUM Hospitality With currently 151 hotels and over 17,000 hotel rooms at over 65 locations in Europe, the family-managed NOVUM Hospitality is one of the largest hotel groups in Germany. Founded in 1988 and on a steady growth curve since 2004, NOVUM Hospitality under the management of CEO David Etmenan is extraordinarily dynamic. The hotel portfolio comprises three and four-star hotels, all in central locations, which are run under the brands NOVUM Hotels, Select Hotels and niu. In addition, NOVUM Hospitality operates as a franchisee of the InterContinental Hotels Group, AccorHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts und Choice Hotels. Carmen Majewski NOVUM Hospitality +49 40 600 808 336 NOVUM Hospitality PORTSMOUTH, NH According to Lodging Econometrics (LE), the total Construction Pipeline in Canada currently has 228 Projects/30,875 Rooms, up 11% by projects Year-Over-Year (YOY). There are 80 Projects/11,076 Rooms Under Construction, up 13% by projects YOY. Projects Scheduled to Start Construction in the Next 12 Months are at 87 Projects/10,215 Rooms, up 26%, while those in Early Planning are at 61 Projects/9,584 Rooms, down 8%. The top hotel companies in Canada's Construction Pipeline by projects are: Marriott with 47 Projects/7,121 Rooms, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) with 35 Projects/3,644 Rooms, and Hilton with 32 Projects/3,705 Rooms. The largest brands in the Pipeline for each of these companies are: Courtyard by Marriott with 10 Projects/1,468 Rooms, IHG's Holiday Inn Express with 23 Projects/2,402 Rooms and Hilton's Hampton Inn & Suites with 10 Projects/1,058 Rooms. Cities in Canada with the largest pipelines are: Toronto with 31 Projects/4,492 Rooms, Calgary with 14 Projects/2,206 Rooms and Edmonton with 12 Projects/1,825 Rooms. About Lodging Econometrics (LE) For nearly 25 years, Lodging Econometrics (LE) has been the industry-leading provider of global hotel intelligence and decision-maker contact information. LE custom-builds business development database programs for hotel franchise companies looking to accelerate their brand growth, hotel ownership and management companies seeking to expand their real estate portfolios, and lodging industry vendors interested in increasing their sales. To learn more about our business development programs, contact us: +1 603.431.8740 or [email protected]lodgingeconometrics.com. Emily Dennison Lodging Econometrics Accorhotels Group, Rosewood Hotel Group and Two Roads Hospitality require HFTP certification among staff Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) offers two certification programs that are globally recognized for setting industry standards for hospitality finance and technology professionals: Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) and Certified Hospitality Technology Professional (CHTP). These certification programs have been named a requirement for information technology and accounting employees at Rosewood Hotel Group, Two Roads Hospitality and Accorhotels Group which operate Fairmont branded hotels. Accorhotels Group recently followed suit with Rosewood and Two Roads Hospitality by not only having their employees become a member of HFTP, but also requiring their group to become CHAE certified. In 2016, Rosewood Hotel Group set the requirement for its information technology staff to become CHTP certified this was the first group certification HFTP coordinated. "Hospitality professionals recognize the importance of committing to continuing education in order to comply with evolving industry practices," said HFTP CEO Frank Wolfe. "Group certification allows organizations to match industry experience with essential hospitality knowledge. Hospitality certification helps professionals elevate their knowledge and career path, leading to higher salaries and increased job opportunities." HFTP offers the only designations for finance and technology professionals who are working in the hospitality industry. Both the CHAE and CHTP designations require professionals to sit for an initial competency exam, and complete continuing education credits for each renewal cycle. Qualification for the exams is based on level of education and experience in the industry; student programs are also available. For more information about HFTP's certification programs, contact HFTP Certification Manager Robin Bogdon at robin.bogdon@hftp.org or visit www.hftp.org. For immediate information, visit the FAQ pages for both CHTP and CHAE certifications. For the latest news, follow HFTPon HFTP News, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter (@HFTP), Instagram (HFTP_HITEC), Flickr and YouTube. About HFTP Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) established in 1952, is an international, nonprofit association, headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA, with offices in Hong Kong, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. HFTP is recognized as the spokes group for the finance and technology segments of the hospitality industry with members and stakeholders spanning across the globe. HFTP uniquely understands the industry's pressing issues and assists its stakeholders in finding solutions to their challenges more efficiently than any organization. It does this via its expert networks, research, certification programs, information resources and conferences/events such as HITEC. HFTP also owns the world's only hospitality-specific search engine, PineappleSearch.com. For more information about HFTP, email membership@hftp.org or download the HFTP/HITEC media kit via the HFTP website. Read industry updates on the suite of HFTP hospitality news sites: HITEC Bytes, Club Bytes, Finance Bytes and HFTP News. Holiday Inn and Suites Geelong to Open 2020 in Australia Opening in 2020, the 190-room property will be the first new hotel in Geelong in more than twenty years, signalling a renewed outlook for the vibrant Victorian coastal city. It's also IHG's first Holiday Inn hotel in Australia to include a 'suites' offering, with 40 suites intended for the longer stay segment. Franze Developments announced that it had acquired the central CBD site in April, highlighting plans to build Geelong's largest mixed-use development with a Gross Floor Area of over 33,000m2, including more than close to 10,000m2 of retail and office space, 24 modern residences, co-working space, and the flagship Holiday Inn hotel. The hotel itself will boast an all-day dining restaurant and bar, swimming pool, gym, parking and a 300m2 of meeting facilities including a function room for 250 people. Karin Sheppard, IHG's Chief Operating Officer for Australasia & Japan, said: "We believe the joy of travel is for everyone, and it's that philosophy that's made the Holiday Inn brand family the largest in the world. It has certainly been a story of success for IHG here in Australasia, with 20 Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels already open and 9 in the pipeline, mainly in large cities and airport locations. Now we are thrilled that forward-looking owners like Franze Developments see even further opportunities for affordable, enjoyable hotels in satellite cities like Geelong." Paul Franze, Founder & Managing Director at Franze Developments, commented: "Franze Developments has been a leader in retail and commercial development in Melbourne for a number of years, and I'm now very excited to partner with IHG as we move into the hotel development space. Geelong welcomes around 2.2 million overnight visitors annually, but is dramatically underrepresented by quality hotels. The Holiday Inn brand is known and loved by travellers all around the world, so I can't imagine a better fit for a world-class city like Geelong. With a prime CBD location in close proximity to the station, hospital, university, offices and government entities, I am confident that Holiday Inn and Suites Geelong is going to be a story of success." IHG currently has 47 hotels operating under four brands across Australasia: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express with a further 15 in the pipeline including Hotel Indigo and EVEN Hotels. What Travel Marketers Need to Know About a Skier's Path to Purchase For states like Colorado, much of their reputation and economic growth depends on a successful ski season. With 13 million skiers and snowboarders traveling to Colorado over a single season, the competition to understand the skier's path to purchase and convert these winter adventurers is fierce. Sojerns latest report, where we uncover the modern travelers paths to purchase, is out, with insight to better understand travelers and develop a marketing strategy to beat the competition. In this post, we dive into a skiers path to purchase. Lets look at one specific traveler, pseudonym Tony, as he plans a couples ski getaway to learn more about how to market effectively to the modern skier. A Skiers Path to Purchase Generally speaking, Tony is a frequent traveler, flying domestically for business and international for leisure. But, looking closer at his ski travel reveals more interesting insights, as well as additional complexity. Lets look at his ski planning in detail. Inspired by a business trip to Denver, Tony begins to dream up a couples ski vacation. Get a Lift Up on the Competition with Native Ads We can see from Tonys long planning stage that he spends a lot of time trying to figure out when he wants to travel. This travel uncertainty is common. As many as 1 in 5 travelers do not know the details or destination of their trip when they begin searching. To attract the attention of research-heavy travelers like Tony, native ads are highly effective. This is because native ads adapt to the form of the webpage in which they appear, do not disrupt user experience, and engage viewers across devices. Whether its the Tonys of the world or people on mobile, native ads allow you to convert viewers into customers anywhere, with less work on your end. In the video below, we provide an example of how San Francisco Travel uses native ads to advertise seamlessly cross-device. With native ads, you can keep your brand top of mind with the Tonys of the world, even when search brings him across competitors and websites. Theres Snow Better Way Than Building Brand Loyalty Throughout his search, Tony has an anchor to his travel planninga brand page that made a powerful impression on him. He continues to visit this anchor throughout his search. Even after Tony finishes his ski getaway, hes dreaming of lift lines and powdered slopes, looking for the next opportunity to come back. For your brand, you want your website to become a travelers anchor. Creating a website that is simple, readable, and branded is vital for attracting potential consumers. Semiahmoos homepage below is a great example of a website that inspires booking while keeping it simple: With a great website, you can inspire the dreaming phase of travel planning, or convert a traveler who revisits your site through retargeting efforts. Bunny Slopes to Black DiamondsCatch Travelers Anywhere In Tonys path to purchase, we see that he searches in-destination for even more purchases. Tony is a perfect example, then, of why access to real-time data is key to converting consumers at the best time and place. With a good geofencingstrategy, you can present winter adventurers with relevant local offers and tap into their spending power when they are looking to buy. Want to know even more marketing takeaways on different paths to purchase? Check out our full Path to Purchase Reportnow! About Dani Moragne Dani is Sojerns Content Marketing Intern. She holds a BA in Earth Science, loves the outdoors and spends her weekends working in ceramics. Her travel bucket list is long, and growing every day! Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers' steady expansion in the Southeastern United States is stoked with the opening of three new franchised locations and the announcement of a new franchise development agreement. Located at 8115 Camp Creek Rd in Olive Branch, the new Mississippi restaurant is the company's first location to open in the state. The same franchise group is also underway with construction in Little Rock and Fort Smith, Arkansas for new restaurants slated to open in December and January, respectively. One of Freddy's largest franchisees, this experienced group also operates locations from San Diego to Tennessee. Freddy's has also signed a new franchise agreement with Kevin Morrow for additional locations in Cabot, Searcy and Batesville, Arkansas for development over the next several years. "Freddy's is a perfect fit for these communities. I live in the area and know my neighbors will appreciate the hospitality found at Freddy's," commented Morrow. "The food is really good too. Whether you swing through the drive-thru on your way to a ballgame or bring your family in to unwind after a busy day, you'll enjoy your double steakburger and the frozen custard will leave you with a smile on your face." The fast-casual restaurant was founded by brothers Bill and Randy Simon, and their friend and business partner Scott Redler in 2002. Today, Freddy's has grown to 280 locations coast-to-coast. "Our accelerated development in the Southeast, from both existing and new franchisees, is a true testament to the strength of our brand and our unwavering commitment to our network of partners," said Randy Simon, President & CEO. "With our restaurants in the region performing consistently well, we're continuing to eye expansion opportunities and look forward to growing our footprint throughout the area." Franchise opportunities remain in areas across the U.S. Specifically in the Southeast; available territory includes Russellville, Arkadelphia and El Dorado in Arkansas. The I-20 corridor that stretches across Mississippi and Louisiana also presents an opportunity for prospective franchisees. New franchisees agree to develop at least four locations within their negotiated territory. CHARLESTON Horse-racing photographer Jamie Newell recently discussed her career at a meeting of the Charleston Rotary Club. Newell, of Charleston, has been photographing horse races since 2009, and has worked at many major horse tracks in the United States, from Saratoga in New York to Santa Anita in California, including the Triple Crown tracks of Churchill Downs, Belmont, and Pimlico. She also has worked races at Hialeah in Florida, and Chicagos Arlington Park racetracks. Her images have been used by major media such as ESPN and the ABC and NBC television networks, plus many online and print magazines. Newell told Rotarians that one photo really launched her career. It was a shot of the filly Rachel Alexandra winning the Kentucky Oaks race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. This photograph of a long-shot run-away winner launched her career as an equine photographer. That photo led to Newell getting credentialed, a status that allows greater accessibility on the tracks and to the horses. Newell said a number of photographs are meaningful to her, including one of actor/comedian Bill Murray as part of a group celebrating Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh; American Pharaohs last win (a photo used by NBC and Yahoo Sports); and one that a friend took of Newell with American Pharaoh. Photographing race horses is what Newell loves to do, but its hard to make a living doing just that kind of photography, she said. Her bread-and-butter work is doing wedding photography and portraits. And as a working photographer, she goes where the jobs are. So one might see her shooting photos of county fair horse races too. For more of Jamie Newells photographs go online to jamienewell.smugmug.com. The Charleston Rotary Club focuses on service to the community, youth, vocations and the world. The Charleston club meets at noon each Tuesday in the Rotary Room of the Charleston Public Library. More information is at charlestonrotary.wordpress.com. While 50 Cents been a household name for over a decade at this point, the rappers been making waves with ventures aside from music. However, with the success of his television efforts, it seems like hes been reshifting some of his focus towards music again. Last week, he dropped off the Jeremih assisted Still Think Im Nothing. Prior to that, he built anticipation in the hip hop community after teasing a collaboration with Gucci Mane for On Something. The official version of the song has yet to surface but hes already facing some backlash for it. Earlier today, pineappleCITI, a New Jersey rapper, accused 50 Cent of robbing the beat for her song Rose Colored for his upcoming single On Something. The rapper says that 50 Cent and his engineer first inquired about getting the beat for Rose Colored last year. She says that she sent them the beat for the song but shortly after doing so, 50 and his engineer cut off communication with her. In addition to that, she said that this morning she woke up to a block from 50 Cent on Instagram. Last year when 50 Cents engineer, Ky Miller, reached out to me and said 50 wanted to get on my Rose Colored song, I was super, super excited, you know what I mean? Im definitely a 50 Cent fan. Ky Miller told me to send the instrumental to him, which I did. And I heard nothing back, she said. After her fans told her that one of 50s latest tracks sounded like her joint Rose Colored, she was in disbelief. She tried to reach out to 50 Cent and Ky Miller but was ignored and opted to making the issue a public matter. After going public about the matter, she says 50 Cents engineer finally reached out to her. But as soon as I made that post a couple of days ago, Ky Miller decided to call me back, she said, He told me that 50 said he would give me 12 bars on his song On Something, which to me, I wasnt too sure about. Like I said, I still just want 50 Cent to call me. Like I said, 50, I got all love for you, bro. But I just feel like its a respect thing. Check out the tracks below and form your own conclusion. Jordan Brands Holiday Collection is off and running and today at 10am ET well see two brand new Air Jordans hit the market, both of which are built on the always popular Wheat colorway. The Wheat Air Jordan 6 and Wheat Air Jordan 13 will be available today at all major retailers, as well as your local boutiques, for $190 a pop. Both kicks feature the familiar tan colorway which comes in a soft suede material. The 6s include some hits of white on the midsole, while the 13s go full wheat from the sole up. In addition to todays Fall-inspired Air Jordan releases, fans can also look forward to a similarly styled Air Jordan 1 dropping on Black Friday, November 25th. Scroll down to check out some early purchase links for the Wheat Air Jordan 6 and Air Jordan 13. Wheat 6 + 13 Nike and Virgil Abloh have officially launched The Ten collection, featuring ten iconic silhouettes of the Nike, Jordan, and Converse brands. According to Nike, The Ten was completed in a ten month span, becoming one of the fastest and most overzealous collaborations ever completed by Nike. The full collection is broken up into two categories, Revealing and Ghosting. The Revealing set, designed to look accessible (hand-cut, open-source and reconstructed), includes the Air Jordan I, Nike Air Max 90, Nike Air Presto, Nike Air VaporMax and Nike Blazer Mid. The Ghosting category includes translucent versions of the Converse Chuck Taylor, Nike Zoom Fly SP, Nike Air Force 1 Low, Nike React Hyperdunk 2017 and Nike Air Max 97. Some of those kicks released early at select NikeLab shops across the globe in late September, but The Ten Collection officially launched today via Nikes SNKRS app. And just like the Adidas Confirmed App every time Kanyes Yeezys release, the SNKRS app was overloaded with action and sneakerheads were left venting on social media after taking several Ls ten to be exact. Scroll down to check out how people reacted to todays release. Its Monday, so along with your return to work, school, or the simple joys of video games, you can now enjoy a new track from R-Mean. For the past 47 weeks, the Armenian-American rapper has been dropping new songs, and today, he links up with the homie One-2 for the Viruss Beats produced Rude Boy Shotta. In case you couldnt tell from the title, Means latest cut is heavy on the Jamaican vibes, finding the rapper playing up the Patois for the chorus, where he spits Blacka blacka, me rude boy shotta, bad man hand upon di gun muthafucka. When he goes in for the verse, however, R-Mean is all business, showcasing a deadly flow as he spits whatagwan muthafucka load the gun with the slugger, we dont run I will aim it like LeBron at the buzzer. Check out this banger for a different side of R-Mean, and ask yourself, what will this man do next week? Quotable Lyrics Whatagwan muthafucka Load the gun with the slugger, We dont run I will aim it like LeBron at the buzzer Jordan Brand has plans to release a plethora of unreleased Air Jordan 6s this holiday season, including two separate Gatorade colorways and the Wheat joint that just dropped today. Additionally, theres a brand new black UNC pair on the way, in honor of Michael Jordans alma mater. The UNC-flavored kicks feature a black nubuck upper accompanied by hits of Carolina blue and an icy outsole. The colorblocking on this particular model is reminiscent of the classic Black Infrared colorway. Official images of the Tar Heel inspired 6s have recently surfaced giving us a good idea of what to expect when the kicks officially hit retailers. According to reports, the UNC Air Jordan 6 will be arriving on December 2nd ($190) as part of Jordan Brands ongoing Holiday Collection. UNC 6s The Chicago rapper, Vic Mensa, gave a touching performance of We Could Be Free during a visit to The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Vic was backed by a string quartet and a small choir who all wore black clothing with the different struggles of society mental illness, addiction, poverty and police brutality printed on their clothes. His performance was a more delicate and soulful rendition of the song thats a single on his latest album, The Autobiography, featuring Ty Dolla $ign. The politically infused song hears Vic sing, We could be free If we only knew we were slaves to the pains of each other, One thing I believe, I could learn, To see my enemy as my brother. Vic is currently on tour opening for Jay Z where he will be performing in Montreal tonight (November 21st) hitting up New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago, Portland and more before finishing off at the Forum in Los Angeles on December 21st. At the top of the month, Vic shared his opinions on Americas gun control issue telling TMZ that Americans need to stop being stupid as f**k when it comes to the issue of gun control. Youre not going to fight off a tyrannical government with an AR-15 or an M16, so give it up. Its not a constitutional right. He directed a part of his message to the NRA and the president, telling them to get the weapons out of the hands of civilians or sacrifice your family and friends to mass murder. He also noted how all those in office who send thoughts and prayers to the mass murders committed by rifles (such as the recent shooting in Las Vegas) are the same people who take money from the NRA and vote against anything that opposes complete gun ownership. One of the leading writers for Leana Dunham and Jenni Konners online feminist weekly newsletter Lenny Letter has quit working for the women after Lena defended the rape allegations of actress Aurora Perrineau. Zinzi Clemmons is a woman of colour who said in a Twitter statement that [Lena] cannot have our words if she cannot respect us. Zinzis move comes after Aurora (who is also a woman of clour) filed sexual assault charges against former Girls writer Murray Miller. Leana and her colleague Jenna followed up by sending a statement to The Hollywood Reporter defending Miller. Many were appalled by Lenas actions since shes always claimed of being a so-called feminist. Her move was even more questionable after she submitted an op-ed to The New York Times about a time a director sexually harassed her, describing how actions men such as Harvey Weinstein are doing against women in Hollywood should not be silenced: [Women] need a signal that [this industry does] not approve of the abuse of power and hatred of women that is the driving force behind this kind of behavior. Zinzis statement on Lena describes how she knew the actress much before she was famous, calling her strain of insensitive comments hipster racism [] which typically uses sarcasm as a cover, and in the end, it looks a lot like gaslighting Its just a joke. Why are you overreacting? is a common response to a lot of these statements. The writer adds how she was horrified by Auroras recount of her assault since it mirrored an assault by a friend at the hands of Lenas circle of friends. Lena has since apologized for defending Murray, but its safe to say her reputation has taken a massive hit. Page Content Singapore, 21 November 2017 ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu told ICAO Member States today that in order for them to safely and efficiently manage forecast growth, and optimize the social and economic benefits of increased international routes and flights, they need to become more open to sharing flight data in support of new Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) approaches. To manage future growth we must become better at what we already do, and in the finite airspace we already control, Dr. Liu emphasized during her opening remarks to ICAOs ATFM Global Symposium in Singapore, which was attended by nearly 300 participants from 24 ICAO Member States and international organizations. For some States this will involve sovereignty concerns, as all partners involved in an ATFM framework must be willing to fully commit to and support a more open and collaborative international flight information environment, Dr. Liu remarked. Dr. Lius points were echoed in the introduction she received from Mr Kevin Shum, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, who encouraged the attending governments to build momentum and work towards introducing a global harmonized ATFM system. Mr. Shum also remarked that the success of our industry depends on your spirit of openness and continued participation in the sharing of ideas, knowledge and experience. ATFM, which takes advantage of air transport Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) frameworks, optimizes the existing capacities of the air traffic management system through the more precise coordination of take-offs and landings at both departure and destination airports, and through the dynamic routing of flights around constrained airspaces. This advance and real-time coordination helps to avoid aircraft reaching their destinations and being placed into costly holding patterns, as well as permitting ATM professionals in general to be much more responsive when dealing with meteorological or other unexpected events, Dr. Liu commented. Underscoring further that the speed and efficiency by which modern commercial aircraft can move passengers and cargo globally is the core value offering of international aviation, she stressed that these very qualities are being threatened today by how quickly air transport operations are expanding. Highlighting to her high-level audience that air traffic flights and passenger volumes globally tend to double every 15 years, Dr. Liu placed emphasis on the fact that in many mature air transport markets we no longer have the luxury of simply adding new airports and slots to accommodate further traffic growth. Competition for airspace is also accelerating, with new unmanned and commercial space-related services seeking to carve out their own niches for the expanding operations in those areas. Dr. Liu also reiterated ICAOs key points on why its important that governments acknowledge how air transport traffic growth impacts modern societies and economies, and that the aviation system today moves more than 10 million passengers daily on over 100,000 flights. She noted how ICAO serves as a nexus for global cooperation toward optimizing aviations growth and socio-economic potential, and that it is of utmost importance that airlines, air navigation service providers, and airport operators collaborate more intensively and remain collectively diligent in managing airspace capacities and traffic demand. Sectoral growth cannot be permitted to negatively impact our key strategic performance targets, and existing levels of aviation safety, efficiency, and environmental protection must continue to improve, even as we expand, she added. While visiting Singapore, Dr. Liu also held bilateral discussions on global and regional priorities with Mr. Khaw Boon Wan, the States Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, and with Mr Loh Ngai Seng, Singapores Permanent Secretary in its Ministry of Transport. Resources for Editors About ICAO A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 192 Member States. ICAOs priorities for Global Air Navigation Capacity and Efficiency How aviation connectivity aids State prosperity and their attainment of the UN SDGs ICAO's No Country Left Behind initiative Contacts Anthony Philbin Chief, Communications aphilbin@icao.int +1 514-954-8220 +1 438-402-8886 (mobile) Twitter: @ICAO William Raillant-Clark Communications Officer wraillantclark@icao.int +1 514-954-6705 +1 514-409-0705 (mobile) Twitter: @wraillantclark LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/raillantclark/ MATTOON -- Monetary donations are being sought for the annual Mattoon Cops for Kids program in which police officers take children from families in financial need Christmas shopping. Detective Alex Hesse said Mattoon police officers took approximately 65 children shopping last year and they hope to serve about that same number during this year's Cops for Kids event, scheduled for Dec. 10. He said the scope of the program will depend on the amount of donations received. Hesse said letters seeking financial support from the community for Cops for Kids have been mailed out in Mattoon. He said the American Legion Auxiliary, Don Sol Mexican Grill, and the Odd Fellow-Rebekah Home have held fundraisers for this charitable program. Sgt. John Hedges said Cops for Kids, which has been held annually for more than 15 years, serves children ages 4-12 whose families reside within the Mattoon school district. "It feels like the need increases a little more every year," Hedges said. Hesse said the police officers take the children shopping at Walmart for clothing, bedding and other necessities recommended by their parents, as well as toys and other gifts. He said the officers are assisted by their spouses and other volunteers. Hedges said the Mattoon school district provides buses to take the children from the Demars Center at Peterson Park to Walmart and back, and the participating bus drivers donate their time to help Cops for Kids. Before the shopping trip begins, a pizza party is held at the Demars Center. Hesse said this party gives the officers and the children an opportunity to get to know each other before they go shopping. He said one of the main goals of Cops for Kids is build positive relationships between the officers and children in the community. "We want them to have a good opinion of us so they will come up to us if they need something," Hesse said, adding that children go from being standoffish to friendly during the Cops for Kids events. "You can definitely see the change in the kids by the end of the day." Families can sign up their children for Cops for Kids by picking up applications at Mattoon schools or at the police station. Those wanting to donate to the program can stop by the station or mail donations to the Mattoon Police Department (Cops for Kids), 1710 Wabash Ave., Mattoon, Illinois 61938. Monday, November 20, 2017 Women Eye State Offices They've Never Held Before; Will Any Complete The Climb In '18? Plus: Grisham And Padilla: It Isn't Pretty For Either It brings to mind that there are still some political hills for the state's women to climb. Not only has there never been a female land commissioner, a woman has never been elected state auditor or state treasurer. And there has never been a woman elected to the US Senate from New Mexico. And the southern and northern congressional districts have never been represented by women. Garcia Richard might not be the only woman trying to beak down a barrier next year. Bernalillo County Assessor State Rep. Bill McCamley has already announced his auditor candidacy and Micaela Lara Cadena has just announced she will seek the Dem nomination for McCamley's Las Cruces area House seat. Her campaign says she "has experience leading policy, evaluation, and organizational development efforts in non-profit advocacy and within state government. Micaela earned a Master's degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico." Dem State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg is seeking a second term so it's unlikely a woman will get a shot this cycle at taking that office. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is also seeking re-election to her position which has traditionally been occupied by a woman. The attorney general's office is no longer an exclusive male province. Democrat Patricia Madrid served two terms ('99-'07). In 2018 Attorney General Balderas will seek a second four year term. Finally, Now that Kelly Zunie has In 1990 State Rep. Mary Thompson became the first woman to become the GOP lieutenant governor nominee. ABQ. State Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort would repeat the feat when she became the GOP Lt. Gov. nominee in 2006. Zunie says she does not believe she is in compliance with residency requirement and is ending her candidacy but she also was the subject of some severe publicity over her finances which she did not mention when she called it quits. It is kind of odd to see a Native American whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years have to get out because she may not meet the residency requirement. Rep. Steve Pearce is the only GOP Guv candidate. ABQ GOP State Sen. Mark Moores is expected to announce his candidacy for lieutenant governor in the coming weeks. PADILLA AND GRISHAM Padilla And by now you've heard how state senator and Dem lieutenant governor candidate Michael Padilla has been called on In fact Grisham was eating with Padilla at his annual Matanza last month and they looked plenty chummy together. That prompted a cry of hypocrisy from the NM GOP and others over her telling Padilla, a widely respected legislator, to hit the exits. Well, there's hypocrisy and there's survival---her survival. The charges of harassment were made while Padilla was toiling for the city of ABQ years ago and were settled out of court. But the atmosphere regarding the issue has become toxic and it's hard to see a way forward for Padilla with Grisham dumping him. Former ABQ State Rep. Rick Miera, Taos educator Jeff Carr and former Dona Ana County Commissioner Bill Garrett are the other lt. governor contenders. Is Grisham going to continue to involve herself in the race for the second spot. Does she want Garrett from the south to balance the ticket? Or a Hispanic nominee like Miera to help in the north? Grisham may be hypocritical but Padilla was downright obtuse for not dealing with the issue publicly early in his statewide campaign. The charges were vetted when he ran for senate but that's the South Valley not the brightly lit stage of statewide La Politica. Now the issue appears to be dealing his hopes to become the Light Guv a deadly blow. The three governor candidates will be at a Las Cruces fund-raiser today at 6:15 p.m. and are set to go Of course, this being New Mexico anything can happen. What about a Padilla-Zunie '18 gubernatorial ticket? She can absolve him of any wrongdoing when it comes to harassment and he can help her pay her back taxes. This is the home of New Mexico politics. Interested in reaching New Mexico's most informed audience? Advertise here. ( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2017 It was an interesting tidbit that Los Alamos Dem State Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard became the first woman in memory to seek the Dem nomination for state land commissioner. If elected next November she would become the first woman to hold the office.It brings to mind that there are still some political hills for the state's women to climb. Not only has there never been a female land commissioner, a woman has never been elected state auditor or state treasurer. And there has never been a woman elected to the US Senate from New Mexico. And the southern and northern congressional districts have never been represented by women.Garcia Richard might not be the only woman trying to beak down a barrier next year. Bernalillo County Assessor Tanya Giddings is making rumblings about running for the Dem nomination for state auditor. The position is being vacated by Tim Keller who has been elected mayor. The Governor will appoint a replacement to finish out the year left on Keller's term and a full four year term will be on next year's ballot.State Rep. Bill McCamley has already announced his auditor candidacy and Micaela Lara Cadena has just announced she will seek the Dem nomination for McCamley's Las Cruces area House seat. Her campaign says she "has experience leading policy, evaluation, and organizational development efforts in non-profit advocacy and within state government. Micaela earned a Master's degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico."Dem State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg is seeking a second term so it's unlikely a woman will get a shot this cycle at taking that office. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver is also seeking re-election to her position which has traditionally been occupied by a woman.The attorney general's office is no longer an exclusive male province. Democrat Patricia Madrid served two terms ('99-'07). In 2018 Attorney General Balderas will seek a second four year term.Finally, Now that Kelly Zunie has gotten out , it appears New Mexico will not get its first Native American Lt. Governor nominee but not its first woman.In 1990 State Rep. Mary Thompson became the first woman to become the GOP lieutenant governor nominee. ABQ. State Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort would repeat the feat when she became the GOP Lt. Gov. nominee in 2006.Zunie says she does not believe she is in compliance with residency requirement and is ending her candidacy but she also was the subject of some severe publicity over her finances which she did not mention when she called it quits.It is kind of odd to see a Native American whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years have to get out because she may not meet the residency requirement.Rep. Steve Pearce is the only GOP Guv candidate. ABQ GOP State Sen. Mark Moores is expected to announce his candidacy for lieutenant governor in the coming weeks.And by now you've heard how state senator and Dem lieutenant governor candidate Michael Padilla has been called on to quit his candidacy by leading Dem Guv candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham. Padilla's past problems with sexual harassment complaints against him has been gnawing at his candidacy for months, but Dems have not pushed him to get out and spare the party a major embarrassment and perhaps a major loss--until now.In fact Grisham was eating with Padilla at his annual Matanza last month and they looked plenty chummy together. That prompted a cry of hypocrisy from the NM GOP and others over her telling Padilla, a widely respected legislator, to hit the exits.Well, there's hypocrisy and there's survival---her survival. The charges of harassment were made while Padilla was toiling for the city of ABQ years ago and were settled out of court. But the atmosphere regarding the issue has become toxic and it's hard to see a way forward for Padilla with Grisham dumping him.Former ABQ State Rep. Rick Miera, Taos educator Jeff Carr and former Dona Ana County Commissioner Bill Garrett are the other lt. governor contenders.Is Grisham going to continue to involve herself in the race for the second spot. Does she want Garrett from the south to balance the ticket? Or a Hispanic nominee like Miera to help in the north?Grisham may be hypocritical but Padilla was downright obtuse for not dealing with the issue publicly early in his statewide campaign. The charges were vetted when he ran for senate but that's the South Valley not the brightly lit stage of statewide La Politica.Now the issue appears to be dealing his hopes to become the Light Guv a deadly blow.The three governor candidates will be at a Las Cruces fund-raiser today at 6:15 p.m. and are set to go live on Facebook from there and field questions. Will the Padilla matter come up?Of course, this being New Mexico anything can happen. What about a Padilla-Zunie '18 gubernatorial ticket? She can absolve him of any wrongdoing when it comes to harassment and he can help her pay her back taxes.This is the home of New Mexico politics. E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Links HOME E-MAIL ME About Joe Google News Real Clear Politics Huffington Post Drudge Report The Politico New Mexico newspapers NM TV stations Gov. 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According to data released Tuesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., banks headquartered in Nebraska collectively earned $136 million in the third quarter, less than half the $283 million they earned in the same quarter last year. Year-to-date earnings, which had been on track for their eighth straight record year, are now at their lowest level since 2014. At least part of the decline is due to large drops in earnings at some of the state's largest banks. For example, First National of Omaha, the state's largest bank, saw its third-quarter income fall from $102.4 million in the third quarter of 2016 to $46.5 million this year. First National spokesman Kevin Langin said that decline was due to a one-time event the sale of a credit card portfolio that boosted third-quarter earnings in 2016. Take away that one-time gain of $85.7 million, and First National actually did better this year during the third quarter. The profit drop at some of the larger banks did not even account for half the drop, however. There were some concerning trends in the state data, including year-over-year increases in the percentage of banks losing money, delinquent loans and non-performing loans, but Richard Baier, president and CEO of the Nebraska Bankers Association, said that other than continued low commodity prices, he couldn't put his finger on specific causes for decreased earnings at the state's banks. Banks based in Lincoln generally had a good quarter, with six of the nine seeing higher earnings in the third quarter compared with a year ago. Overall, the nine banks headquartered in Lincoln collectively earned $41.2 million in the third quarter, up about 5 percent from the $39.3 million they earned in the same period last year. Nationally, the FDIC reported that banks had another strong quarter, with a 5.2 percent increase in earnings in the third quarter compared with a year ago. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A massive Bible museum the $500m (377m) brainchild of the evangelical Christian president of US arts and craft chain Hobby Lobby is the latest institution to join a constellation of museums near the National Mall in Washington. Large crowds filled the 430,000 square-foot Museum of the Bible when it opened to the public on Saturday 18 November, with security guards overseeing long lines of people waiting to enter doors centred between two towering bronze plaques inscribed with Scripture. The majority of weekend tickets are booked up until mid-December, indicating the high level of public interest in the museum. Its too much to take in, one visitor said. Its like nothing Ive ever seen before. The museums administrators have said it will take several days for visitors to examine everything. It remains to be seen how the museum located just three blocks from Capitol Hill will fare in the capital of a nation where Christianity has been reduced to more of a cultural identity than a way of life. Some Bible scholars have expressed scepticism to the Washington Post that the museum will be able to offer a wide-ranging view of the Bible a text that has been used to justify slavery as well as encourage forgiveness and humility. The Bible museum has been eight years in the making, according to the Associated Press, after Hobby Lobby president Steve Green began collecting biblical artifacts. His familys arts and crafts chain has been a lightning rod for controversy in recent years, convincing the US Supreme Court in 2014 that it deserved a religious exemption from an Obamacare requirement that employers provide their workers with certain types of birth control. 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 Green, who has called the Bible a reliable historical document, has tried to get public schools in Oklahoma City, where Hobby Lobby is headquartered, to offer a Bible course he developed. In 2014, a school board in Mustang, Oklahoma agreed to beta-test the first year of the Museum of the Bible Curriculum which focuses on the same lessons as the museum in Washington. In recent months, Mr Greens haul of treasures has also sparked controversy. Hobby Lobby had to pay a $3m fine and return artifacts after the Justice Department accused it of buying smuggled antiquities. In a statement, the Oklahoma company emphasised that the museum was a separate entity. Several artifacts from Mr Greens familys collection are present throughout the museum, including Dead Sea Scrolls (though some researchers believe there are forgeries among the collection) and a soundscape of the 10 plagues, enhanced by smog and a glowing red light to symbolise the Nile River in Egypt turning to blood in the Old Testament. The institutions original mission statement said the purpose of the museum was to inspire confidence in the absolute authority of the Bible. But leadership has changed its tune since drafting this initial statement, emphasising that the museum is non-sectarian and that its mission now merely is to merely help visitors engage with the Bible. A group of Christian women who had just explored the stone-and-glass interior of the magnificent red brick building said you didnt need to be a Christian to enjoy what the museum had to offer. The three main exhibit floors of the museum are organized around the history, narrative and impact of the Bible. The history section includes Elvis Presleys personal Bible as well as a first edition of the King James Bible New Testament the only other known copy belongs to the British Library. The narrative section, meanwhile, features a recreation of the village of Nazareth, Jesus hometown, where guides can be seen dressed up in first-century attire. The part of the museum displaying the Bibles impact has a motion ride that flies you through Washington DC to explore biblical references around the city. Its like the ride at Disneyland where you fly over California but better, said one excited visitor. Washington Post The former justice minister made a statement in the Dail on Tuesday night after coming under political pressure Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald has denied having any prior knowledge about a legal strategy to discredit a Garda whistleblower. The former justice minister made a statement in the Dail on Tuesday night after coming under political pressure to reveal how much she knew about the tactics used by lawyers acting for former Garda commissioner Noirin O Sullivan against Sergeant Maurice McCabe. Ms Fitzgerald admitted she had received an email in May 2015 about a disagreement between An Garda lawyers and legal representatives for Sergeant McCabe. She said she was only reminded about the email by her department last Thursday. Ms Fitzgerald said what was reported to her in the email was a "serious criminal complaint against Sergeant McCabe, which he has always denied, had not been properly investigated" by An Garda. She insisted however she only became aware of an alleged smear campaign by gardai against Sergeant McCabe when it became public knowledge in May 2016. Ms Fitzgerald said: "Neither I nor the Department of Justice had any hand, act or part in the legal strategy of the former commissioner. I am very clear that I did not have a role in that." She added that as minister for justice she strongly encouraged Garda management "put in place comprehensive procedures for whistleblowers" and "at all times sought to support and protect whistleblowers". "My record speaks for itself and my commitment to deal with these issues in a comprehensive, committed and fair manner," she added. "I pay tribute to the work Sergeant Maurice McCabe has done." Ms Fitzgerald said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had spoken to Sergeant McCabe on Tuesday evening to discuss issues within the email. Earlier on Tuesday Mr Varadkar told the Dail he had not seen the email until 11.30pm on Monday night. He also paid tribute to Sergeant McCabe as "one of the bravest people I have ever encountered in public life". "He is somebody who I think has been very much wronged by the state on a number of occasions because of his bravery and his willingness to shine a light in dark places," the Taoiseach added. Last year it emerged the legal team appointed by the former Garda commissioner was instructed to question Sergeant McCabe's motivation and credibility at the O'Higgins Commission, which was set up in February 2015 to examine allegations of Garda malpractice. The strategy pursued against Sergeant McCabe is being examined by the disclosures tribunal, chaired by Mr Justice Peter Charleton. Homeless campaigners are seeking new legislation to stop the "cruel and inhuman" use of spikes and sprinklers to deter rough sleepers. An Anti-Homeless Devices Bill, launched by Solidarity TDS, is to be debated on Wednesday. Devices, such as spikes, raised bars and water sprinklers are being installed outside buildings across Dublin and other cities and towns to deter rough sleepers gathering there. The new bill, if passed, would mean that members of the public could lodge planning objections to the anti-homeless devices, or so-called hostile architecture. Solidarity TD Mick Barry said the number of devices being installed is increasing every month. He said they were "cruel and inhuman." "They have one use and that is to prevent homeless people seeking shelter," added Mr Barry. It is believed that the Government is set to reject the opposition bill, which would force businesses to remove the devices. Mr Barry said to vote down the bill would be "callous" and show "disdain" for the homeless. "(The government) spent last week denying there was a (homelessness) crisis, then they were forced to backtrack. "Now with the vote against this Bill we have another clear example of their ruthlessness and their homelessness denial," said Mr Barry. Homeless campaigner Fr Peter McVerry said that "excluding homeless people, making them feel unwanted and rejected, is an act of violence, often perpetrated by the State". "When a person becomes homeless, the first casualty is self-esteem. "To make people feel of little or no value is an assault on their dignity, an assault that does not leave visible scars on their body, which may heal, but invisible scars on their spirit, which may never heal," Fr McVerry said. He added: "For homeless people, travellers and other groups in our society, Ireland is not a land of opportunity, but a land of exclusion and oppression." Lorraine O'Connor, from the Muslim Sisters of Eire, said the devices "are a disgrace and a smear on the Irish society". Richard Boyd Barrett TD said the bill "is a modest effort to prevent the further persecution of homeless people." Leo Varadkar will not withdraw the invitation to US President Donald Trump. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has rejected calls to withdraw an invitation to Donald Trump to visit Ireland. TDs Paul Murphy and Richard Boyd Barrett told Mr Varadkar that instead of inviting the US president to the country, he should be criticising him for his policies. "Trump is racist, sexist and dangerous. Do you agree?" Mr Murphy asked the Taoiseach during question time in the Dail on Tuesday. Mr Boyd Barrett added: "Is there any red line over which this man crosses that you will say 'that's enough now ... we are not inviting him to this country'?" The Taoiseach however refused to make any personal criticism of President Trump, saying it would not be beneficial to Ireland. He admitted however that he disagree's with many of the President's policies. "I disagree with a lot of the Trump administration's policies - certainly on migration, climate change and North Korea "But I'm not going to attack him personally. I Don't believe attacking President Trump personally would bring about a change of policy or benefit us as a country," said Mr Varadkar. He said that if he meets Mr Trump in Washington on St Patrick's Day in March, it is his intention "to raise some of the concerns that we have as a country and as a government about policy in those areas". Mr Varadkar said that no dates have been arranged for the president's visit. Known for centuries as "the City", London's financial centre has expanded beyond its original heartland in the City of London to the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf in the east and plush townhouses in Mayfair to the west. But Britain's impending European Union exit has raised fears of an exodus of thousands of financial sector jobs, with an immediate impact on its property market. Commercial property prices show prices have dropped more since the Brexit than at any point since the global financial crisis. Vacancy rates have edged up, but not by much. However, Mat Oakley, head of European commercial research at Savills, says London's broader real estate story is "surprisingly positive", despite some selling soon after the Brexit vote in 2016. Q: Since the vote, what changes have you seen? A: I think there was an immediate overreaction. The quarter immediately after the vote, there was a bit of panic selling out of the UK retail property funds - those private investors can invest into. A couple of people got some fabulous bargains as a result of that. Then I think reality set in. And the longer that this process is drawn out ... the easier it is for businesses in the property sector to make plans around it. ... We're already talking to tenants that are committing to London for the early 2020s, and the most notable deal ... is Deutsche Bank committing to their new headquarters in the City, which they won't move into until 2023. Q: Has the mood changed? A: It's volatile, I think. There is definitely a divide down the middle between the bulls and the bears. I would say domestic investors in particular are more pessimistic about the future than non-domestic investors. But non-domestic investors have ruled the roost in the London market - more than 80pc of investment so far this year has been from non-domestic buyers. I think they just view this as a murky little domestic political problem, and maybe we're over-worrying, maybe the Brits are over-worrying about our problems close to home. Q: Do you think anyone's holding back at all, until a few years down the line? A: No, what we're actually hearing from businesses is that they've got to carry on making decisions, keeping their staff happy, making sure their workplaces are up to standard. They've spent a lot of money on contingency plans with high-paid consultants, and then they're going to get them out of the cupboard we suspect around or just after the date of real Brexit and say 'Has our operating margin really changed in London - do we need to move?' Read more: Q: Are you optimistic? A: I'm optimistic for the short term - I think it would be very odd to say 'Everything's going to be fine'. I think the down-side risks in terms of talk of 100-200,000 jobs lost in London as a result of (Brexit) are completely unjustifiable. We think there will be some modest job losses over a five-10 year period. Q: We're standing in Canary Wharf now, which seems to have fared incredibly well. Why do you think that is? A: Again I think it is just a reflection of, you know, businesses have to plan for the long (term) - the typical property lease in the commercial property market is 10 years and you can't really make snap decisions. Nobody wants to be the person that pushes the button on a big move to Frankfurt or elsewhere and then discovers they didn't need to. So I think there's a lot of planning going on, and also the occupier base down here has diversified - it's no longer just about finance... (Reuters) 'I took my first job within the agri-sector when I joined Farm Relief Services (FRS) in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, in 2005. "I spent the next few years building its IT infrastructure and applications to support their customers, most of whom were farmers. "I got to know the agricultural sector and five years ago I realised there was an issue at farm level with paperwork. "Farmers had to deal with an awful lot of paper-based compliance administration, which was a burden, so I put my thinking hat on. "I created an App to allow farmers register calves 'as it happens' and record remedies for Bord Bia compliance, through their smartphone, in seconds, from the farm. When I suggested the project, FRS backed it and the rest is history. "We have a team of 10 people working just on Herdwatch, so we ourselves are providing opportunities to people in the agtech industry. "Agtech is definitely a growing subsection of the agricultural sector and something young people should target. It's anything that enables farmers to do more with less by using technology. "The need for new efficiencies is driving farmers and the agricultural sector to look at technology for help. It's a big sector. "When we started Herdwatch there was no such thing as agtech. It may have been somewhere on the internet, but no one was aware of it in Ireland. It's very much a buzz word now and we'd like to think we, in Ireland, are at the forefront of that. "We worked with farmers to develop the app and the early feedback was phenomenal. "Farmers are business people and if you put something in front of them that will create value for money, free them up to do something else, save them money or make them more money, it's a no brainer. Over 6,000 farms now use the app. "One of the things I didn't appreciate back then is that when you get into software, particularly a subscription-based service, it's never finished. You can't say 'we have a great app and we're set for the next year'. There is constant reinvention and innovation. "We're looking at taking Herdwatch to the global market next. There are millions of farmers in the world who have very similar challenges to Irish farmers and our aim is to target that market. "I am originally from France and moved to Galway in 1986 as an Erasmus student exchange. I have an International Business Studies Diploma from the University of Lyon (France) and a Tourism and Marketing Diploma from Galway (GMIT), however my 20 years' IT experience is mostly self-taught, with some formal training in scripting languages and web technologies. "I was first exposed to computers in my first job in a call centre for Galway-based US multinational APC. "I joined its IT team and loved coming up with IT or business solutions and implementing them. I later moved to Roscrea with my wife Antoinette who is from there. "I never thought I would be working where I am. That is a lesson for young people and a heads-up for people like me. "I really didn't know what I wanted to do. It's amazing what you end up doing and loving. "If you love something you have a better chance of being good at it, and if you're passionate about it, it doesn't feel like a job." Russia will place temporary restrictions on imports of pork and beef products from Brazil from Dec. 1, the countrys Rosselkhoznadzor food safety watchdog said on Monday. Russia said last week it was considering a ban on all pork and beef imports from Brazil after finding the feed additive ractopamine in some shipments, an allegation Brazilian meat industry groups denied. Trisha Yearwood had no intention of having a television cooking show when she, her mother and her sister began compiling their family recipes into a book a decade ago. They were intending to honor her father, Jack, who died in 2005, and preserve the recipes for themselves when they put together Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. We did the first cookbook to get all of our recipes out of the shoebox and just in one place that we could have for ourselves, Yearwood said. I never dreamed it would be successful and especially a New York Times bestseller, never thought it would lead to another book, a show. So Im the most surprised person that I have a cooking show. But it came out of something I really enjoy doing. The show is Trishas Southern Kitchen." Its been on Food Network since 2012, winning an Emmy in 2013 as Yearwood has developed a reputation as a good cook. That wasnt always the case, she said in an interview before she and her husband Garth Brooks performed at Pinnacle Bank Arena last month. My mother was a school teacher and everyday shed get home at 3:30 and thered be a home-cooked meal on the table at 6 when my dad got home from work, every single day, she said. I took it for granted as a kid. I really didnt learn how to cook until I moved away, went to college, missed her cooking, was eating vegetables out of a can, going OK, how do I do this? She taught me then, over the phone, how to make things. The first time I was able to make something of hers, that tasted like hers and it wasnt hard to make, it changed my life. Yearwood provides the recipes for most, if not all of the dishes she prepares on Trishas Southern Kitchen. On the most recent episode, Trishas Misfit Thanksgiving, she made orange-and-maple glazed turkey with thyme-shallot gravy, slow-cooker acorn squash, roasted chestnut and apple dressing and spice cake with lemon sauce. During the 30-minute show, she provided tips on how to make each of the dishes such as starting the turkey at 425 F for 25 minutes before dropping the temperature to 375 to better crisp and brown the bird and how, by using the slow cooker and other tricks to get them to come out at the same time. The home cooking recipes werent complicated My mom was always Simple is best, she said. She grew up on a dairy farm in south Georgia. Here mother was an incredible cook. They didnt have a lot of money. So you have to figure out how to make things with limited supplies and your exotic spices are salt and pepper. But the taste is there. Ive had a lot of fancy food and Im not sure its better, its just different. My mom was able to, I think, make food taste really good by using just a few simple ingredients. Nor did the Thanksgiving dishes require the skills of a trained chef to make again, by design. I love it when somebody says I dont really cook, but I made your meatloaf and I could make it and it was good," Yearwood said. Thats good for me. Im not one of those people whos ever going to say Im not going to share the recipe with you. I want you to make it. Trishas Southern Kitchen is filmed in the Nashville home that she and Garth Brooks use when theyre not at their homebase in Oklahoma. While shes plenty busy with her singing career she and Brooks just ended the three-year-long world tour that brought them to Lincoln for five shows in three days Yearwoods very hands on with the television show. She comes up with the creative elements, deciding what she wants to make and the stories she wants to tell on each episode, then sort of turns things over to her production team. Im pretty controlling, she said. Im a Virgo, so by nature Im in the middle of everything I do, but I like that. I think its important, especially for this show, to maintain its authenticity, for it to really be what I want to do. Its simple things. We work with this incredible culinary kitchen at Food Network, and theyre great. But they know what they know and theyre all classically trained chefs and Im not. So simple things, like the first time I sifted flour on the show they had me doing it patting the bottom of this thing and its going to take me two days to sift the flour. Im like I use a $2 sifter from Walmart that you crank and its done in two seconds. Oh, we can do that. Simple things like what utensils youre going to use, how you would do it, what bowl youre going to put it in." So is the creativity Yearwood utilizes cooking similar to that she brings to music? I think so, Yearwood said. When someone eats your meal and rolls their eyes back in their head or theyre like oh my gosh then its applause. Its totally self serving, you know. But its also a way to be creative. In the way that music makes me happy and relaxes me, cooking relaxes me. It makes me happy. If you made me pick one, I would pick music every time because music feeds my soul and I cant imagine not doing that. But I like that I get to do both. And she intends to continue Trishas Southern Kitchen for as long as she can, to pay tribute to her parents. Both, she said, were very good cooks. Now that both my folks are gone, it really is important for me because its a way for me and my sister, whos on the show a lot, to continue to share their recipes with the world, she said. When somebody comes up to me and says I made your dads Brunswick stew it makes me so happy inside because I feel like its my way to keep them alive and other people are making things they made. It makes me so happy. An Tanaiste, Frances Fitzgerald and the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed have today announced that the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) is seeking expressions of interest from banks and other financial intermediaries to partner in a 300m Brexit Loan Scheme. Funding of 23m was secured in last months Budget for the Scheme which will provide affordable working capital to Irish businesses that are either currently impacted by Brexit or will be in the future. The Scheme aims to make 300 million available to eligible businesses with up to 499 employees at a rate of 4% or less. This rate represents a significant saving compared with the prevailing rates that are otherwise being offered for similar loans on the market. The Brexit Loan Scheme will be delivered by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) through commercial lenders to get much needed working capital into Irish businesses. The SBCI will avail of EU guarantees through the European Investment Bank Group in order to leverage the 23m Exchequer funding to finance the Scheme. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed T.D. said he believes that supporting lower-cost flexible finance is a key Government response to assist businesses in dealing with Brexit. He described the very successful Agriculture Cashflow Loan Scheme has provided a template for this new Scheme. Given their unique exposure to the UK market, my Departments funding ensures that at least 40% of the fund will be available to food businesses. "Access to this working capital finance will give them time and space to adapt and grow into the future. I look forward to the development of further Brexit response loan schemes for farmers, fishermen and food businesses over the next year. The Scheme will run for 24 months from its launch date and SBCI Chief Executive Nick Ashmore said this 300m loan scheme is a very significant support for Irish SMEs to help them address the major challenges that Brexit presents. Todays call for expressions of interest shows the SBCI is moving quickly to implement this scheme in the first quarter of 2018. "We want to ensure SMEs that need targeted low-cost, flexible finance for working capital purposes to deal with Brexit, can get this finance as a matter of urgency. This scheme is good news for SMEs and good news for lenders that want to support new and existing SME customers. Were expecting a very strong take-up from lenders to allow us to reach as many SMEs as we can. All the official factory quotes are up by 10c/kg for lambs, with ewes improving by anything from 10-20c/kg. These price rises are driven by a hardening in supplies coupled with factory demand that, despite pressure from cheaper UK product, has seen Irish product remain a favourite with consumers. Kepak Athleague top the table with a base price of 4.85/kg plus 5c/kg bonus; Kildare Chilling are on 4.80/kg plus 10c/kg bonus. The two ICM plants and Dawn Ballyhaunis have added 10c/kg to their base prices, bringing their quotes to a 4.70/kg base. The ewe trade, which has been welded to an official base of more or less 2.40-2.50/kg since way back in September, this week finally moves away from that floor. While Kildare are the best payer for ewes at 2.60/kg plus 10c/kg bonus and Kepak are on 2.55+5c/kg, the real movers are the two ICMs and Dawn. All three lift their quotes for ewes by 20c/kg onto a straight 2.60/kg. Where does all this movement leave actual prices? The general consensus is that lambs are on 5.00/kg with ewes on 2.70-2.80/kg. The IFA's John Lynskey said 5.00/kg "is widely available". This view is echoed by the ICSA's John Brooks but he was disappointed that more progress is not being made on paying for over lambs over the 22.5/kg cut off. Overhang That cheaper UK product that I mentioned above was worth in the region of 4.20-4.30/kg to British farmers last week and you do have to wonder at what point it will have an effect n this side of the Irish Sea For now, however, British lamb does not appear to contributing to an overhang in the market. While Irish beef farmers constantly complain that they lag very far behind their British farming cousins on price, it appears to be the reverse in the sheep business. It's an odd case of swings and roundabouts. Marts 1 Dingle A smaller sale saw Neils McAuliffe dropping the hammer on 33-35kg Suffolk X Texel stores at an average of 2.00/kg, with heavier 45-49kg lambs selling in and around the 2.10/kg mark. Nicely fleshed 35kg mountain lamb with "a bit of feeding in them" sold at 1.91/kg, while lighter 28kg lots made 1.53/kg. Asked how he saw the trade going as we head into the Christmas period, "it should improve further" was Neil's prediction. 2 New Ross "Santa Claus has arrived early" was auctioneer Jim Bushe's summary of his trade yesterday. The reason for Jim's jolly disposition was the fact he had some cracking prices especially among the heavier butchers lambs. Examples included 65kg Charolais lambs making 130/hd and 59kg Texels at 120/hd. Jim reported average prices for butchers' lambs to be in the range of 110-113/hd. He said these prices were "freely available". The factory trade was also strong, with factory lambs typically making from 104-110/hd. The farmer is a great man Jim maintained. "He no sooner has his lambs sold than he's back in buying stores." 3 Fermoy A smaller sale with prices improving across the board was the story here yesterday. Butchers' lambs in the 56-58kg range averaged about 114/hd, with a top price of 117/hd paid for 61kgs. Factory lamb from 36-45kgs sold for 70-101/hd, with the general run being in the 85-90/hd bracket. Cull ewes sold from 58/hd to 114/hd, with cull rams making 98-100/hd. 4 Manorhamilton Ivan Moffitt reckons the trade has already stepped up a gear with overall sheep prices being up about 7/hd in two weeks. The store trade has been the strongest section, Ivan said. Prices for the general run of stores ranged from 60/hd to 70/hd, with more forward ewe lamb types making 80/hd, and more on occasion. Factory lamb sold in the 100/hd range, while horned lambs made 40-50 apiece. 5 Baltinglass Trade was also reported as improved here In the ewe lamb section 45-49kgs sold from 95/hd to 107/hd, while in the 30-37kg section prices moved between 79/hd and 82/hd. Wether and ram lambs saw 51kgs make 108/hd, with the lighter 28-35kg animal making 56-71/hd. Cast ewes sold from 70/hd to 110/hd. Two- and three-year-old brood ewes, including hoggets running with rams, made from 120/hd to 135/hd. Dublin-based Avolon has firmed up an order for 75 Boeing airplanes and said it may order 20 more, in a deal probably worth more than $4bn (3.4bn). Domhnal Slattery-led Avolon agreed to buy 55 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and 20 of the higher-capacity Boeing 737 MAX 10, Chinese parent Bohai said in a filing. It may order an additional 20 of the main 737 MAX 8 version, it added. Based on published prices, the confirmed part of the deal would be worth $8.7bn (7.4bn) at list values, though analysts say buyers typically get discounts of at least 50pc for significant orders of such models. Including the possible extra purchase of 20 jets, the total deal would be worth $11bn at list prices, Bohai said. The announcement broadly confirms a memorandum of understanding signed by Avolon at the Paris Airshow in June for 75 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Slattery said at the time that Avolon was considering Boeing's 737 MAX 10. Bohai, part of aviation-to-shipping conglomerate HNA Group, said Avolon expected to take delivery of the aircraft between 2021 and 2024. Avolon was sold to Bohai Capital in 2015. Bohai and other state-backed Chinese firms are expanding in the aircraft financing and leasing business as customer airlines open routes at home and abroad. (Reuters) Hundreds of rural post offices are to be handed a lifeline by the end of the year through a special 30m fund, the Irish Independent can reveal. The plan will secure a five-day postal service to every address in the country, but also comes with an expectation that An Post will rapidly diversify into online activity. Communications Minister Denis Naughten will today seek approval for the one-off spend from Cabinet colleagues. "Doing nothing is not an option any more. This is a big moment for the post office network," said a source. An undefined number of post offices will still close but it will be significantly less than the 400 that postmasters have predicted. An Post is planning a series of closures based on the number of staff who decide to take up an exit package. It is anticipated that a "network consolidation" will also take place in some rural parts of the country. However, it is understood the memo being brought to Cabinet by Mr Naughten today will commit the Government to protecting rural mail services through the funding. This will ensure the continuation of a postal service five days a week. "Every address in the country will still get a daily service. This is hugely significant for rural communities," a source said. If the minister's plan is approved, in the region of 30m will be available for draw down within weeks. It is understood the State funding will be subject to "stringent conditions". An Post is facing a major financial crisis, with more than half of post offices making a loss. In September, company bosses had said between 160 and 360 post offices will close over the next four years - but postmasters claimed this figure would be closer to 400. Unions have refused to co-operate with the rollout of a new An Post 'Smart Account' debit card in protest at the uncertainty about the future of the network. Last year, when presented with the severe financial difficulties at An Post, Mr Naughten repealed the price cap which was a short-term measure that enabled An Post to increase the price of a stamp. The cost of posting a letter was raised to 1. It is anticipated as part of An Post's modernisation plan that it will enhance its online services and products particularly in the financial and parcels business. Ryanair pilots in Ireland and Sweden have put the airline on notice that they want to initiate talks to secure national collective labour agreements. The Irish Airline Pilots' Association (IALPA) and Sweden's airline pilot union, Svensk Pilotforening (SPF), have separately written to Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary to notify him that new Ryanair pilot councils have now been established under the auspices of each union. The Irish and Swedish unions bring to four the number of European pilot unions which have informed Mr O'Leary of new Ryanair pilot councils in their countries. Airline pilot unions in Germany and Portugal have also recently seen such Ryanair councils established under their umbrellas. IALPA president Evan Cullen told Mr O'Leary, in a letter dated last Friday, that the union "strongly urges" Ryanair to "immediately enter direct negotiations with the pilots' EERC as the legitimate voice of the pilot body, and develop a framework agreement for pilot representation in Ryanair". The president of the Swedish airline pilots' union, Martin Lindgren, also asked Ryanair in his letter to Mr O'Leary yesterday to engage with the EERC. The EERC (European Employee Representative Committee) was formed by Ryanair pilots in the wake of the recent rostering fiasco at the airline that saw it axe thousands of flights. The EERC wants to be recognised by the airline as a pan-European, single representative body for Ryanair pilots, and to negotiate on their behalf. Ryanair has previously dismissed the EERC as a "front" set up by "competitor pilot unions" and has refused to engage with it. The airline manages pilot negotiations at its almost 90 bases via a system of employee representative committees (ERCs) at each of those bases. The structure was established by the airline, which points out that the ERCs have been recognised by the Supreme Court as a legitimate means to engaging with pilots. Seven staff Ryanair pilots in Ireland - named in the letter to Mr O'Leary - are members of the new Ryanair company council in Ireland. "With appropriate support from IALPA, these pilots will in due course negotiate with Ryanair on the details of a collective labour agreement," Mr Cullen told Mr O'Leary in a letter seen by the Irish Independent. "We look forward to supporting our members in Ireland through their IALPA company council to engage in constructive dialogue with Ryanair," added Mr Cullen. Ryanair said it doesn't comment on "rumour and speculation". Mr Lindgren said Ryanair pilots had the support of SPF and "more than 80pc of their colleagues in Sweden". Simon Pratt plans to devote more time to other ventures and says he is enjoying it not being 24/7 Avoca Simon Pratt has handed over the reins as managing director of Avoca to the former chief financial officer of Jamie Oliver's restaurant group, Tara O'Neill. The high-profile appointment of Ms O'Neill suggests that Avoca owner Aramark continues to have its sights firmly set on expanding the Irish chain into the UK market. While Mr Pratt has resigned as a director of the Avoca business that his family sold in 2015 for more than 63m, he told the Irish Independent that he is remaining for another year as an adviser. "I'm still working for Avoca in a strategic role, but I handed over the role of managing director at the beginning of October," Mr Pratt confirmed. "I'm going to be working for the company for another year at least in a strategic role." Mr Pratt had agreed to stay with Avoca for three years following its sale to Aramark, the US catering services giant with annual revenue of more than $14.4bn (12.2bn). Avoca was founded in 1974 by Mr Pratt's father, Donald, who acquired a woollen mill in the eponymous Co Wicklow town. The chain has expanded to become a business with an annual turnover of about 60m, employing 1,000 people. It opened its 12th outlet earlier this year, in Dunboyne, Co Meath. Mr Pratt said the Avoca business needed someone with "great appetite and energy" and that it was an ideal time to bring in fresh thinking to drive the chain forward. "I'm very positive about the whole thing," said Mr Pratt. "I recognised a year ago that I could still be of use to them, but that I'm not going to eat, drink and sleep this forever. It's time for a younger, sharper pencil." Mr Pratt said the decision allows him to devote more time to other endeavours, but he said he's not working on specific projects at the moment. "I'm really enjoying the fact that it doesn't have to be 24/7 Avoca," he added. "It was 363 days a year." Ms O'Neill is from Co Wicklow. She was appointed chief financial officer of Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group in 2012. She joined the group after previously holding roles with nightclub operator Luminar and online supermarket delivery business Ocado. The Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group has been undergoing restructuring as it endures challenging trading conditions in the UK. The holding group recently provided a short-term loan to Jamie's Italian chain to support its difficult trading environment. At the beginning of 2017, the group announced that it was closing six UK restaurants, adding that Brexit was hurting the business. Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group has also hired external advisers to work with its new management team. Having a person cared for in a residential home can cost between 50,000 and 80,000 in nursing home fees and associated medical care charges. Stock photo: Getty Images Large numbers of people who have relatives in nursing homes are failing to claim generous tax reliefs because they find the system confusing. People can claim back up to 40pc of the cost of paying for nursing home care, according to Taxback.com. But thousands of families are missing out on this. Having a person cared for in a residential home can cost between 50,000 and 80,000 in nursing home fees and associated medical care charges. But Eileen Devereux, of Taxback.com, said families can save anywhere between 400 and 25,000 a year by getting the tax back they are entitled to claim. Taxback.com has teamed up with Nursing Homes Ireland to produce a guide to financing and claiming tax refunds for nursing home fees, and the other costs that form part of residential care. "We have found that although many people struggle to pay all the associated costs, not everyone is aware of the reliefs and entitlements that already exist that could save them tens of thousands a year," Ms Devereux said. She said working with families that were funding nursing home fees either directly or indirectly, she has found many are either not claiming for them at all, or are not claiming as much as they could. Tadhg Daly, of Nursing Homes Ireland, said many people paying for nursing home care were not aware of the tax reliefs available to them. "We believe there's simply not enough awareness of these tax refunds and the system can be quite confusing, which leads to high levels of tax not being reclaimed by people," he said.All residents and their families should take full advantage of all the tax reliefs that were available to them, he added. Some 30,000 people are in around 577 nursing homes. These include public, private and voluntary homes across the State. Some 23,000 of these people are over the age of 65, according to Census 2016 data. Over half of those availing of nursing home care are aged 85-plus, while there are more women than men in residential care. This cohort of the population is forecast to increase by 46pc by 2021. "This will lead to a substantial growth in numbers requiring nursing home care and, hence, a corresponding increase in the numbers eligible to claim tax relief," Mr Daly added. Costs of nursing home care can be crippling even when the person in care qualifies for the Fair Deal scheme. Extra costs for nursing home residents who are part of the State's Fair Deal scheme have proved hugely controversial lately. The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) revealed recently how elderly people in care and their families have been enraged by unfair top-up charges. In the case of an elderly woman, who is blind, she is being levied 2 a day for a newspaper that she cannot read. Meanwhile, the State's competition watchdog said last month it was considering launching an investigation into the nursing home sector after reports of potential pricing abuse. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said that it had "serious concerns" about practices in the industry. How refunds work for those paying fees If you are paying nursing home fees for yourself or a parent or loved one, you can claim relief on nursing home expenses at your highest rate of tax, subject to certain conditions. This means that someone who contributes 300 a week to the cost of the care of a relative, and is taxed at the higher rate, can claim back 6,240 at the end of the year. In this instance the relative in the nursing home does not qualify for the Fair Deal scheme. In certain circumstances it is possible to claim relief on your nursing home expenses during the tax year. If you pay for medical costs, either for yourself or a loved one, you can claim medical expenses at a rate of 20pc. You can claim relief on the cost of purchasing, maintaining, and repairing medical appliances for yourself or on behalf of a loved one that you have been advised to use by a registered practitioner. Kidney patients are entitled to a number of additional reliefs to the normal health expenses. For example, you can claim relief on the cost of travelling to and from the hospital if you or your loved one travels regularly for dialysis treatment. Many people avail of tax relief under the Fair Deal scheme (or the Nursing Homes Support Scheme). Under Fair Deal, you make a contribution towards the cost of the care and, if your contribution is less than the amount of the fees, the HSE will pay the rest. The statistics also showed that the bulk of the new-builds under construction are in Dublin. Stock Image: Bloomberg Work has started on more than 13,300 new homes this year, a 44pc rise over the same period of 2016. New figures from the Department of Housing showed that work started on 13,329 houses and apartments between January and September, of which 3,746 are one-off units. The remaining 9,583 are either apartments or homes in housing developments, which will be sold on the open market. The statistics also showed that the bulk of the new-builds under construction are in Dublin, or 5,347, where demand is highest. This includes 277 one-off units. In the Greater Dublin Area, which includes Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Meath, the number rises to 7,877, with 836 of these one-off units. The figures showed a marked rise compared with the first nine months of 2016, when 9,240 units were built, an increase of 4,089, or 44pc. Experts suggest that at least 25,000 new homes are needed every year to meet demand, but given the low rate of completions over the past number of years, the pent-up figure is likely to be higher. However, separate figures showed that some 13,500 homes have been connected to the ESB network in the first nine months of this year, the highest rate since 2009 and which suggest that building activity is ramping up. ESB connections are used by the Department of Housing to indicate that a new unit has become available, but it includes homes that have been vacant for two years or more, or units built in previous years but never occupied. Connected The data from the Department of Housing showed that some 13,533 homes have been connected to the network, of which 8,821 are apartments and estate houses. The remainder are one-off homes. The figure is the highest level since the first nine months of 2009, when 20,357 homes were connected. Some 4,329 are in Dublin, followed by 1,458 in Cork city and county, 727 in Galway city and county, 419 in Limerick city and county and 278 in Waterford city and county. The lowest number is in Longford at 114, and the highest is in Cork County at 1,317. The lack of supply is fuelling higher house purchase prices and rents, and contributing to a record number of people being classed as homeless, up to 8,400. Some 99,555 households are on social housing waiting lists, up 9pc year on year. Sinn Fein housing spokesman Eoin O Broin said that figures from South Dublin County Council suggested that the homeless crisis was not being resolved, with 194 individuals or families presenting as homeless for the first time in October, the highest monthly number this year. In 2017, some 1,347 'new' homeless presentations were made, and 459 families and individuals are in emergency accommodation. "These figures are alarming as they show a significant upward trend in the number both presenting and being placed in emergency accommodation," he said. Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy, Reece Smyth pardons Dustin the Turkey at a Thanksgiving reception at the US Ambassador's Residence in the Phoenix park. Picture: Gerry Mooney Donald Trump has issued a last minute reprieve for Irelands favourite bird. Dustin the Turkey was granted a pardon from the chopping block at a reception at the American ambassadors residence this evening as Americans prepare for their annual Thanksgiving celebrations on Thursday. In keeping with tradition in which the President pardons a turkey from slaughter for the annual harvest feast, Charge dAffaires Reece Smyth announced the foul-mouthed puppet would be spared the chop. Dressed in a silver lame bomber jacket adorned with red and blue stars, Dustin spoke of his relief in not winding up on the dinner table. "It's a dangerous time for us." he said. But it didnt take him long to get back to his wise-cracking ways, noting one speaker "was so dull he could have been Canadian." He then vowed to head across the Phoenix park to Aras an Uachtarain to begin a charm offensive on President Michael D. Higgins, or 'Mickey D' as he referred to him, to see if he would also ensure his safety this Christmas. Meanwhile, Mr Smyth said he is honoured to be working with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on "matters of mutual interest" including the Brexit negotiations and the restoration of power-sharing in Northern Ireland as well as the promotion of trade between Ireland and the US. Assaults on staff, particularly at three of Nebraska's larger men's prisons, have been a continuing concern over the past several years. But Nebraska Inspector General for Corrections Doug Koebernick is questioning whether there may be more assaults occurring than are showing up in the Department of Correctional Services' data information system. He reported in September that inmate-on-staff assaults at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, Lincoln Correctional Center and the Nebraska State Penitentiary, had increased substantially between 2014 and 2016. In 2016, the department reported 121 prison assaults to staff without serious injury and 13 that were considered serious injuries. That was up from 54 assaults without serious injury in 2014 and five with serious injuries. But Koebernick said he was cautious about including 2017 assault data in his report until he gained a better understanding of how assaults were being reported and tabulated by the department, and whether the numbers could be compared year to year. He decided recently to take a closer look at the three assaults reported in June in the department's information system, he said. They included one physical assault and two assaults in which fluids were thrown on staff members, all without serious injuries. A serious injury, as defined by the department, requires urgent and immediate medical treatment and restricts the persons usual activity. Medical treatment might include stitches, use of Dermabond or other topical skin adhesive, setting of broken bones, treatment of concussion, or loss of consciousness. Koebernick found on his narrow inspection of assaults at the Nebraska State Penitentiary that even though only three assaults were reported by the department for the whole month of June, on June 1 and 3 alone six staff were transported to a hospital and three others were assaulted in some manner. On June 1, a staff member and a caseworker who had been assaulted by an inmate were taken to a hospital in a state vehicle. On June 3, two sergeants and two corporals responding to a disturbance were taken to a hospital emergency room in state vehicles. A third corporal drove himself to an emergency room, and three other staff appeared to be injured but did not go to an emergency room. "At this point I ended my review of the assault cases at the Nebraska State Penitentiary due to it appearing that the department's assault data in their information system did not match up to what had been reported to the (Office of Inspector General)," he said in a memorandum to the Legislature's Judiciary Committee and its justice system oversight committee. In looking at the data, he told the senators, he also found a case that appeared to be a sexual assault, although no sexual assault was reported in the department's information system during May. He has shared the information with the department, he said. He does not believe their difficulties in tracking and reporting data is intentional. The department has faced many challenges because of a lack of needed resources that have not been provided during the past couple of decades, Koebernick said. "Their technology and information systems have been impacted by past decisions," he said. That affects their ability in some cases to track and report accurate data. The victim, who was named locally as Bruno Rolandi, was discovered with a number of knife wounds at a house in Co Offaly on Sunday night. A community has been left in shock after a 54-year-old Italian national was stabbed to death at a house in Co Offaly. Bruno Rolandi was discovered with a number of knife wounds at the home he shared with his partner in the Ballyfore area of Edenderry on Sunday night. Expand Close A Garda forensic team at the scene of the fatal stabbing in Edenderry, Co Offaly. Photo: Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Garda forensic team at the scene of the fatal stabbing in Edenderry, Co Offaly. Photo: Mark Condren Gardai believe he was stabbed during an apparent domestic dispute. It is suspected that he suffered at least two stab wounds. Local councillor Noel Burke (FF) said the community is in shock and there is a "great sense of sadness" in the area. "It's very sad. People are deeply shocked that something like that would happen here," he told Independent.ie. "You see it happening in various places and you don't think of it happening in your locality. It seems to have just happened out of the blue." Last night detectives were continuing to question a teenage male in relation to the father-of-two's death. Gardai are probing if the suspect acted in self-defence during a domestic dispute at the home, possibly to protect a female. In total, four people are understood to have been in the property at the time of the killing, including the victim and the arrested youth. Mr Rolandi was originally from the Monza region of Italy but had been living in Edenderry for some time. Investigating officers were yesterday in the process of informing his relatives in Italy of the tragedy. A Garda spokesman said that emergency services were alerted to the incident at around 7.48pm and discovered the victim with knife wounds. "Despite the efforts of the medical personnel, the man in his 50s was pronounced dead at the scene," the spokesman said. "A juvenile male was arrested in relation to the incident and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at Tullamore Garda Station," he added. Officers from the Garda Technical Bureau arrived at the scene shortly before 11am yesterday to carry out an examination of the property. A dog was brought out of the house shortly after the examination began and was taken in by a neighbour. A number of evidence bags, one of which contained a mobile phone, were also removed from the house. State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy arrived in the afternoon to conduct a preliminary post-mortem examination, before the body was removed to the local mortuary in a black hearse. Gardai are currently not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident, with one source stating that the investigation was "focused inside the house" at this stage. An incident room has been established at Tullamore Garda Station from where the probe is being co-ordinated. Locals yesterday expressed their shock after news of the killing emerged. Independent councillor Noel Cribbin said: "Everyone is in total shock. The family would be well known in the area. It is a very quiet area. It is a real tragedy." Neighbours on the rural roadway where the tragedy occurred also described their devastation at the killing. "You wouldn't expect this anywhere, but especially not in Ballyfore. I wouldn't know the people who live in that home well, but I saw the ambulance drive down to the house last night. I just thought somebody was after becoming ill. I didn't imagine that it could be a killing," one local woman said. Another man who lives in a neighbouring property said that the family had been living at the home for around 12 years. "It's very sad, it's a terrible shock. I know him to see but I wouldn't know him that well. He seemed friendly. "They are a well respected family, the younger lads would be into their cars but there's never been any issues from what I saw," he said. A young boy with cerebral palsy has secured a 15m payment and apology under a settlement of his legal action against a Dublin maternity hospital over negligence in the circumstances of his birth. The president of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, agreed with Eoin McCallig's father Anthony there must be a "better way" of dealing with cases involving catastrophically injured children than via litigation extending over years to a "bitter end" and last-minute settlement offers. The settlement for Eoin McCallig was approved today, just three days before the child's fifth birthday. The judge said it was a fair and just settlement and praised the child's parents Jean and Anthony for their dedication to, and love for, him. A 13.4m offer was made last week but the judge agreed with the family's lawyers that was not adequate to meet the childs lifetime care needs and declined to approve it. The case seemed to involve error upon error, including failure to act on instructions to move Eoins mother to a delivery room earlier and to ensure continuous monitoring of the foetal heartbeat, the judge said. While it appeared negligence was admitted, the dispute, had the case gone to hearing, would have been whether the negligence caused the childs injuries and the plaintiff had a strong case in that regard, he added. Expand Close Eoin McCallig / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Eoin McCallig Denis MCullough SC, for Eoin, said they were confident they would have succeeded in showing the injuries were suffered in the 20 minutes before Eoins delivery and, had he been delivered earlier, those would not have been suffered. In an apology read by counsel to the court, the Master of the Coombe, Dr Sharon Sheehan, said they wished to apologise sincerely and unreservedly to Eoin and his parents over the catastrophic injuries suffered by him and the devastating consequences of those for Eoin and his family. The judge said the apology, issued last Friday, came late in the day but he was sure it would be "some comfort" to the parents. Asked if they wished to say anything, Anthony McCallig said while a mistake may be forgiven, they could not understand why the case could not have settled earlier because, for children like Eoin, "early intervention is crucial". It is "crazy" some 800m legal fees is spent fighting such cases and he would appeal to hospitals and others not to "compound the mistake", he said. The way families are treated "needs to change". Mr McCallig added he did not think anyone in the court room would put themselves in Eoins position for 50m, never mind 15m. It was good to know Eoin will have financial security but the money "will never change his situation". Through his mother Jean, Eoin, Priory Way, Terenure, Dublin, brought proceedings alleging negligence in the circumstances of his birth at the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital on November 24th 2012. The case was initiated against the hospital and a consultant obstetrician but the case against the latter was struck out today and the settlement is against the hospital only. Ms McCallig was aged 35 at the time of her son's birth and it was alleged hers was a high risk pregnancy in circumstances including her past history of abnormal cervical smears, a spontaneous miscarriage in 2010 ten weeks into a pregnancy, a diagnosis of Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1994 for which she was successfully treated, and having undergone surgery for breast cancer. Ms McCallig attended the hospital at 8pm on November 23rd 2012 for a planned and agreed induction of labour as recommended by her obstetrician after he noted a reduction in amniotic fluid. Her core claims concerned alleged delay from about 9.30 to 11.20 am on November 24 in moving her to a delivery suite and alleged negligent leaving off of a CTG trace over a period of some 90 minutes to monitor the foetal heartbeat. It was claimed, as a result of the alleged negligence, the injury to Eoin occurred between 11.05 and 11.23am when he was born, by spontaneous vaginal delivery, in a "shocked and asphyxiated" state. His mother was transferred to the delivery suite at 11.20am, it was claimed. As a result of the alleged negligence, it is claimed Eoin has been left permanently disabled with intellectual and physical disabilities and permanent and irreversible cerebral palsy for which he will require ongoing treatment and assistance for the rest of his life. In outlining the case, Mr McCullough said Eoin appeared to have suffered a significant hypoxic injury in the last 20 minutes of labour, causing irreversible brain damage. Eoin is a very bright boy who understands most of what is said to him but cant speak or communicate except by pointing and via expressions, he said. The defence did not accept failures to monitor the foetal heart caused the injuries and contended it was placental inefficiency that caused the injury but his side's experts disagreed. Approving the settlement, the judge said he had long advocated mediation in such cases. While there had been a mediation here which had failed, he believed it was "no coincidence" a settlement offer came just afterwards. Eoin, to be made a ward of court, has an agreed life expectancy of 48 and it was anticipated the settlement would meet his lifetime care needs, he noted. In a statement issued through their solicitor Michael Boylan, the parents said the settlement marked the end of a five year ordeal but the family "would hand this 15 million settlement back in a heartbeat if Eoin could get back what was robbed from him in those two precious hours before his birth". "Let no one think that this is some form of lotto win for Eoin. This money will be badly needed so Eoin can live a normal life as possible over the long life he will live and this will ensure that he gets all the excellent care, treatments and therapy he needs over the coming decades." The apology was "most welcome" but they regretted the late admission of liability. "If you dont accept that you have made a mistake or an error you cannot even begin to learn." The brother of a man who drowned after the woman he loved drove off a pier has said she deserves to spend the rest of her life behind bars. Marta Herda (30) was handed a life sentence in July of last year after being convicted of the murder of Hungarian national Csaba Orsos (31). Herda drove her Volkswagen Passat through the crash barriers at South Quay, Arklow, Co Wicklow, shortly before 6am on March 26, 2013. She managed to swim to safety but Mr Orsos did not make it out of the water. Herda appealed her conviction on 17 grounds. However, Mr Justice Alan Mahon last month said all grounds of appeal were rejected in the Court of Appeal. Herda's family has indicated an appeal to the Supreme Court was now likely. But Mr Orsos's brother Zoltan said he always had faith in the judges of the appeal court. "My reaction to her losing the appeal was normal enough because I believed in the judges," he said. "I hoped they could handle this appeal properly and they would send her back to prison because a murderer should have to sit for life in jail." Speaking about his family's loss, Zoltan said they still found it hard to believe what happened to Csaba. "My brother is dead. He won't have any chance for a life, to take air, walk or have a family," he said. "Four years is so long without him and it is so hard to understand what happened to him. "I will never forget when I had to see and identify my brother in a body bag in the lifeboat house. On the day when he died, my heart died as well." During Herda's trial, it was heard that Mr Orsos was in love with Herda, but she did not share the same feelings for him. Zoltan tried to explain to the Herald how his brother had loved Herda. "He asked me many times what to do, fight for the love or not?" he said. "The first time I said, yes, why not?" Zoltan said he saw how she would act around Csaba, giving him the impression that there was hope for a future for them. "It was her who would rub his shoulder and say 'hi, Csaba, how are you?' and I think she wanted to show him that maybe they had a small chance, and maybe my brother believed that as well," said Zoltan. "I told my brother to leave it alone, to stop believing it, but he was in love with her. "My brother was the person who just wanted to come to Ireland, make some money and buy his own house - he wanted a normal life and family. "But he met with her and we don't know what happened and we don't know now what the future was for Csaba. "We will never forget him." A Polish mechanic who claimed he was growing over 38,000 of cannabis for medicinal purposes has received a three year suspended sentence. Father-of-two Wojciech Kwasny (41) told gardai it was his first attempt at growing cannabis to ease his osteoarthritis. Judge Martin Nolan told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court he was suspicious of the large crop, but said Kwasny was entitled to his chance as he has no previous convictions. Kwasny, of Parkview, Brackenstown Road, Swords, Dublin, pleaded guilty to cultivating cannabis at his home and at an industrial unit at Mace Pool, Kilsallaghan, Co Dublin on February 25, 2016. Garda Thomas Doherty told Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, that he and colleagues with the Swords Drug Unit got a search warrant for the Kilsallaghan unit on foot of confidential information. They climbed over the wall and could hear voices coming from inside the unit. Kwasny answered the door and gardai discovered two rooms in a marquee set up fitted with foiled heating lamps, cultivation equipment and dehumidifiers. These rooms housed cannabis plants at mature growth stages and there was also a drying tent with 1.49kg of the drug worth 29,860. Gda Doherty told Ms Small that Kwasny revealed he had ten sapling plants at his home. Gardai got another warrant for his address and found the saplings, which were worth 8,000 in total. Kwasny said he was cultivating the cannabis for himself for medicinal purposes and that he would also share some with his friends. Gda Doherty agreed with Maria McCormack BL, defending, that her client pointed gardai towards the cultivation set-up when they arrived at the industrial unit. He further agreed Kwasny co-operated at all times. Responding to a question from Judge Nolan about his thoughts on the drug quantity, he said he thought it was a lot of cannabis for Kwasny's personal use. Ms McCormack submitted to Judge Nolan that her client had worked for the same business for 12 years and was very sorry and remorseful for his actions. She said Kwasny was unaware of the illegality of the crime because he was growing the drugs for medicinal purposes. Judge Nolan said: The suspicion I have is the amount involved was quite large, but added that it would be unjust to imprison Kwasny, given his previous good record and work history. He suspended the sentence for three years. RYANAIR is not trying to punish three pilots for speaking out and if its wins a defamation action against them will donate any award to charity, the airline's human resources boss told the High Court. Darrell Hughes said the case was not about money but about the fact that the three pilots could not "go around saying we misled investors". Mr Hughes was being cross-examined on the seveth day of the airline's action against Ryanair Pilot Group (RPG) founders Evert Van Zwol, John Goss and Ted Murphy, over a 2013 email to 2,289 pilots. Ryanair says it was defamatory because it inferred the company, among other things, misled the market. The defendants deny the claims. Paul O'Higgins SC, for the men, put it to Mr Hughes that Ryanair was not the kind of place where "live meetings" of staff took place because pilots would not want to be identified as having been part of a formal trade union. Mr Hughes said Ryanair was "not a union company and does not have union meetings and it could not stop people having meetings. "What people do outside work is none of our business". Mr O'Higgins said his clients would say the Ryanair style of management was bullying and abusive. Mr Hughes disagreed and rejected suggestions there was no parity between the tone of communications put out by Ryanair and the RPG. Use of European "Cockup" Association for the European Cockpit Association was simply part of two way criticism between the groups, he said. He believed some of those communications, accusing Ryanair of bullying, were abusive of management because there was no basis for saying there was bullying in Ryanair. He said an employee facing disciplinary proceedings in Ryanair could have a colleague or a lawyer accompanying them to a meeting but the company would not accept any trade union official accompanying them. "They are entitled to be represented but there is no entitlement to bring a third party trade union official in", he said. He disagreed that policy in itself was bullying. "It is not, when you join Ryanair you know we don't recognise trade unions and that is what you sign up for". Mr Hughes said the Ryanair representative system, known as employee representative committees (ERCs), was working and the proof was in high pay and a favourable rostering system. It was collective but did not operate on a national or European-wide basis because circumstances differed at Ryanair's individual bases. Mr Hughes disagreed with Mr O'Higgins' suggestion that this was a "meaningless mantra" because the reality was the ERCs are split into 87 different bases around Europe, are weak and designed to be so by dividing them into "penny packets". Mr O'Higgins compared it to the French strategy in World War Two of organising their tanks in groups of five or six at different locations only to be bulldozed by German tank divisions. "I don't think it worked out well for the Germans in the end", Mr Hughes said. It was also a mantra, counsel said, that all pilots earned 150,000 a year. Mr Hughes said while 150,000 is a captain's salary, a starting salary for a first officer was between 70,000 to 80,000 and differs again for the 50pc on contracts. Ryanair pilots have to pay for their own company identity cards and proof of the strength of the ERC system was when it became an issue, a 5,000 payment for that was agreed as part of negotiations, he said. When Mr O'Higgins put it to him that when ten pilots who were on contracts raised it as an issue, arguing that paying for ID cards was not in their contracts, the agency dismissed all ten. Mr Hughes said that was a matter between the pilots and the agency. Mr Hughes disagreed pilots were told that unless they sign up straight away to a new ERC negotiated agreement, their favourable 5 day-on 4 day-off roster would go. What was said was the roster would stay in force for the duration of the agreement. The hearing continues before a judge and jury. The High Court has thrown out three legal challenges against plans for a new 320m runway at Dublin Airport. In what were lengthy and detailed judgments Mr Justice Max Barrett dismissed actions that arose over the proposed development of a 3,110 metre runway, located on 261 hectares in townlands north and north west of the airport terminal building. The second runway has been deemed vital by parties including the DAA to proposals to turn the airport into an international hub. The cases have been adjourned to allow the various parties consider the decisions. It is not known if an appeal will be taken against any of the rulings. The first of the three cases was brought by St Margaret's Concerned Residents Group - of which the individual residents are members - against the DAA. The residents claimed certain pre-construction works carried out in December of last year on the proposed new runway by the DAA amounted to unauthorised development. The development was carried out in breach of a condition of the planning permission granted by An Bord Pleanala in 2007 allowing the DAA construct the runway, they claimed. They claimed a required waste management plan was not submitted to the local authority Fingal Co Council until February 2017 after the resident's solicitors had raised the matter. In his ruling Judge said "laws matter, rules matter;but mistakes happen" and in this case he was not exercising the court's discretion to find in favour of the residents. The DAA had argued that no unauthorised development had occurred. The second action was brought by 22 individual residents - most with addresses at Kilreesk Lane, St Margaret's, Co Dublin who alleged the development was illegal and that Fingal Council failed to consider or address their concerns about its effect on their homes and lands. The Judge said he respected the fighting spirit of the residents in this case, and again "sympathised" with them in the predicament they found themselves in. However the court was satisfied to dismiss their action. That case was against Fingal County Council and the State, with DAA plc as a notice party, which rejected the claims. Turning to the action brought by Friends of the Irish Environment, the Judge said he was also dismissing their claim. However the court said it did accept that there is a constitutional right to an environment as contended for by the group. The environmental group's action was brought on grounds including the decision to grant planning permission is not in compliance with various EU directives such as the Habitats Directive as well as the 2000 Planning and Development Act and was unlawful. The group also argued that the proposed runway would result in additional greenhouse gas emissions which will increase the pace of climate change. That case was also brought against Fingal County Council and the State, with DAA plc as a notice party, which again rejected the claims. Following the judgments the cases were adjourned for a week to allow all the parties consider the court's decisions. A man has gone on trial charged with the sexual assault of a woman he met on Tinder. The 36-year-old man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault of a woman at UCD campus, Belfield, south Dublin on July 23, 2014. Opening the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case for the prosecution today, Paul Burns SC told the jury that the accused and the alleged victim made initial contact on the Tinder website. They communicated with each other on this and then by text message. On the date of the alleged assault, the accused met with the woman, picking her up in his car from her city centre flat. He brought her to a secluded park on the UCD campus and parked the car. He then proceeded to sexually assault her, counsel told the jury. Mr Burns said the accused kissed her and then became aggressive. He held her by the arm, put his hand up her dress, touching her thighs and interfered with the upper part of her clothing, counsel said. The woman was telling the accused to stop and she struggled with him, Mr Burns said. He said the complainant was then struck on the head by the defendant. He told the jury that the woman's evidence would be that the man tried to prevent her getting out of the car, but she managed to and he drove off. Counsel told the jury that he was only giving a thumbnail sketch of what he anticipated would be heard in evidence. He said his summary was not evidence in itself. Judge Cormac Quinn told the jury of six men and six women that they must not research the case on the internet or Google and must not talk to anybody outside the jury about the case. He said if any of the jurors saw another member of the jury researching the case they should report that immediately. He told the jury that this was a standard warning issued to all juries. He told the members of the jury panel that if they or anybody close to them had been the victim of a sexual assault and this meant they would not be in a position to be impartial or objective, they should not serve on the jury. The trial continues tomorrow. The house in Kilcock where Kerri Ann and Mary Ellen Byrne (pictured inset above with their mother Elizabeth) died with their aunt, Barbara Doyle (inset below), who was babysitting them in 1987 The family of three victims killed in a devastating house fire 30 years ago have appealed for anyone with information to come forward. On September 20, 1987, Barbara Doyle was babysitting her nieces, Mary Ellen (8) and Kerrie (5) at their home in Kikcock, Co Kildare. A massive fire broke out at the home in the early hours of the morning which claimed the lives of all three. In September of this year, the case was upgraded to murder 30 years on. Speaking on RTEs Crimecall, the mother of Mary Ellen and Kerrie spoke about the devastating impact the fire has had on their whole family. They were brilliant babies, Mary Ellen being reserved and Kerrie being the divil, playing the tricks on the neighbours, said Elizabeth Byrne. Mary Ellen used to say Oh ma youll never guess what shes after doing. Elizabeth recalled how it was just a normal Saturday night, the day her daughters died. We were getting ready to go out. I put Kerrie to bed and read her a story and she was asleep, and I got ready then, I came down and Barbara had arrived, and herself and Mary Ellen were sitting there. I went out to meet Aidan and we went to the party. Ms Byrne and her husband Aidan returned from the party around 3am to find their home in flames. Sister of Barbara, Pamela OSullivan said she and the rest of the family rushed to the house after learning the devastating news. We just didnt know where anyone was. We looked for them and couldnt find them, then when the firemen got into the house, we were told they were here. I just remember them taking Mary Ellen, Kerrie and Barbara in three black bags. Ms Byrne said in a blink of an eye she lost everything. Its just so hard to believe, that just in the blink of an eye that your whole life could be devastated. We lost everything, she said. You go through the years. And even now their friends are all getting married. So we missed out on all of that. Ms O'Sullivan said the family now want to find peace, 30 years on. If the person responsible is watching, youve had 30 years walking around with this. I dont know how anyone could walk around for 30 minutes with that on their conscience. Theyve had a life for the last 30 years. Barbara Mary Ellen and Kerrie havent. Its time you came forward, she said. Detective inspector Paul Dolan said the investigation team still believes there is further information in the Kilcock community. He urged anyone with information to come forward. Five days after 24-year-old Sydney Loofe was reported missing in Lincoln, the police chief called the circumstances surrounding her disappearance "concerning." Chief Jeff Bleimeister spoke with media about the case Tuesday morning, imploring the public to continue looking for Loofe as investigators conduct interviews and follow the digital footprints she left behind. Loofe missed work at the north Lincoln Menards on Thursday after apparently going on a date the night before with someone she met online, her parents have said. Police confirmed she was last seen in Wilber, 40 miles southwest of Lincoln, on Nov. 15. Her phone also pinged off a cellphone tower in that area but has since been disabled, according to a flyer being circulated by family members who fear she's been abducted. Investigators have not said whether foul play factored into her disappearance, but Bliemeister and Loofe's parents have said this is out of character. Her parents, Susie and George Loofe of Neligh, find it suspicious their daughter doesn't have her cellphone on and that her car and cat, Mimzy, were left at her home in northeast Lincoln. Bliemeister declined to say whether investigators have spoken with the person she met that night, how she got there, where exactly she was in Wilber or whether they've found her cellphone. "Really what our focus is on at this point is trying to find Sydney," the chief said. "And to go out and to detail every investigative aspect really, I think, is going to detract from the overall message of, 'We're trying to find her as quickly as possible.'" He said his investigators have undertaken an exhaustive search and are working closely with Saline County Sheriff Alan Moore and his deputies. Some Lincoln police investigators were in Wilber on Sunday, and a police presence reportedly focused on the 600 block of West Seventh Street, news media have reported. Lincoln police have interviewed people in Omaha and Wilber as part of the investigation, Bliemeister said. Sydney Loofe has a yin-yang tattoo on one of her forearms, the word "Believe" with a cross on the inside of her left wrist, and the phrase "Everything will be wonderful someday" on her right bicep. She is 5-foot-7 and weighs 135 pounds. She was last seen wearing a white Columbia jacket and a cream-colored shirt. Anyone with information on Loofe's whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Lincoln Police Department at 402-441-6000. "If somebody out there knows where Sydney is or who she is with or has seen her since Nov. 15, then please, let the Lincoln Police Department know," the chief said. Ministers Simon Coveney and Helen McEntee have moved to explain an "awkward" interview which saw the female politician standing silently beside her colleague during an RTE interview. The interview, which centred on Ireland's loss to France on becoming the city to host the European Banking Authority post-Brexit, was aired on the 9 O'Clock news on Monday night. A Eurovision-style points contest ended in a draw between Paris and Dublin, with the French capital taking the prize after the two countries were forced to draw lots. Both ministers were in Brussels and both appeared on the news. However, only Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney spoke. Expand Close A screengrab of the RTE 9 O'Clock News / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A screengrab of the RTE 9 O'Clock News Viewers took to social media to question why Ms McEntee did not speak, with concern raised that the interview it set a bad example for younger viewers. However both politicians responded on Twitter to explain the reason behind the bizarre interview set-up, explaining that it was a mic issue. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Ms McEntee said the interview was "awkward" but added that it was nobody's fault, saying she is "well able to speak". She said: "Interview was directly after vote & we were rushing to get flight home, was supposed to be quick & could only mike up for one. Awkward for you, imagine how I felt!" Expand Close A screengrab of the RTE 9 O'Clock News / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A screengrab of the RTE 9 O'Clock News Meanwhile, Mr Coveney admitted the set-up was "not ideal" but added that lessons had been learned. "Interview team only had one mic and earpiece so it did look a little strange I must admit - not ideal, I can assure you @HMcEntee was very vocal all day, that's why we were there together for interview - lessons learned," he said in a tweet. Gerry Adams will not be nominating a favoured successor as president of Sinn Fein, although it is widely understood it will be Mary Lou McDonald. The deputy leader looks increasingly likely to have a clear run for the top post as no other contender is emerging from Leinster House. Former IRA prisoner Conor Murphy is now seen as the only realistic challenger, but he was overlooked for the position of Northern leader following Martin McGuinness's retirement. He has not yet categorically ruled himself out, unlike TDs Pearse Doherty and Eoin O Broin. Ms McDonald's rise will irk some in Sinn Fein who view her as the non-traditional face of the party, having started out in Fianna Fail and coming from south Dublin. She was educated at a private, fee-paying school. Her ability to deliver electoral success will also come under scrutiny. Ms McDonald failed in two general elections before eventually reaching the Dail in 2011. She also lost her seat as an MEP in 2009. Asked yesterday whether he believed there should be a contest, Mr Adams replied: "That's a matter for the party." The 69-year-old told Michael Reade on LMFM radio that he had decided not to comment on whatever contest emerged. "We're quite relaxed about this. We have a cadre of young people who can come into the different leadership roles. We have a 10-year plan," he said. Mr Adams said he was "very close" to Dublin Central TD Ms McDonald. "I appreciate the work that she does and she's an outstanding candidate, but I don't think it would be fair for me, or to Mary Lou or anybody else, if I was to go off and give my preference. Let the party decide," he said. However, Mr Adams added that, regardless of the outcome, he wouldn't be disappearing from the political scene. "I want to stress the point that I am not retiring. I am blessed with decent health and I've a lot to do," he said. Speaking to RTE, Mr Doherty said now was not the right time for him to lead the party. He described as "ridiculous" claims that he had been told not to run for the position. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday repeated his assertion that Fine Gael will not do business with the new Sinn Fein leader. He said there was an election last year and his focus was on maintaining the stability of the Government and the confidence and supply arrangement. "I don't anticipate that there's going to be an election next year," he said. "I'm not interested in Sinn Fein or anybody else auditioning to be a coalition partner. "I'm interested in focusing on issues like keeping the economy strong, housing, healthcare and Brexit." A councillor has called for complaints investigated by Fine Gael's Disciplinary Committee to be reviewed in light of the controversy of Barry Walsh's social media activity. Kildare representative Fiona McLoughlin Healy said officials should look back at cases "for any evidence of inconsistent outcomes". Ms McLoughlin Healy has been involved in a series of disputes with fellow councillors and last year lost the party whip on Kildare County Council. She was the subject of a complaint by a member of Fine Gael last year and was interviewed by the National Executive's Disciplinary Committee for allegedly bringing the party into dispute. Mr Walsh, who last week resigned from the executive amid controversy over his use of social media, was one of five people to make a decision. The row between Ms McLoughlin Healy and other politicians in Kildare erupted after she claimed her colleagues actively tried to prevent her from doing her job on the council. She placed a motion of no confidence in the then mayor Brendan Weld, which was defeated by 30 votes to just her one. When the row was probed by party officials the councillor says she described a "boys' club" within Fine Gael. Ultimately, though, she lost the party whip. Mr Walsh stood down from the National Executive after it emerged that he posted a number of misogynist tweets online, calling politicians including Mary Lou McDonald "bitches". Prior to losing the whip, the councillor made her own official complaint to Fine Gael headquarters. "Six months later, frustrated by the lack of any progress re the investigation of my complaint, I contacted the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. "I informed him of bad behaviour by Fine Gael members in Kildare ranging from blocking me unilaterally and without consultation from committees in which I had an interest, to the groups failure to support my motions in the council," she told the Irish Independent. A spokesperson for Fine Gael said all decisions and determinations of the Disciplinary Committee were taken on a collective basis. "Where sanctions are imposed, the person who is subject of such sanctions is entitled to appeal the decision (as Cllr McLoughlin Healy did, when the Whip was removed from her). Appeals are heard by the full Executive Council (excluding those members who are on the Disciplinary Committee). "Decisions of the Executive Council in relation to Appeals are regarded as final." The spokesman added that the party did not intend to revisit any case that had concluded. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has held an emergency meeting with Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, Independent.ie has learned. The Government is trying to put together a definitive timeline as to when Ms Fitzgerald knew about a Garda plan to discredit whistleblower Maurice McCabe. Fianna Fail and the Labour Party will raise questions in the Dail this afternoon about the Tanaistes knowledge of the legal strategy being adopted by ex-Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan at the OHiggins Commission. Sources told Independent.ie there is considerable confusion in government after the Department of Justice appeared to contradict statements made by Mr Varadkar last week. The Taoiseach told the Dail the Tanaiste only learned about the strategy around the time it came into the public domain. However, the Department of Justice now says she was aware of a clash between the legal teams for the gardai and Mr McCabe in May 2015. The development causes a major headache for the Government as it had repeatedly attempted to distance itself from Ms OSullivan on the issue. Labour Party TD Alan Kelly had submitted a series of questions to the Department of Justice suggesting that the then Garda Commissioners strategy was known to officials. In response to Mr Kelly, the Taoiseach said the department only became aware of the strategy after cross-examination had taken place. There is concern in Government that the controversy is growing legs but sources insist Ms Fitzgerald has done nothing wrong. Asked whether the Tanaistes position is under threat, Fianna Fails justice spokesman Jim OCallaghan said: Were not going to jump on a bandwagon but we want answers in respect of this matter. A Department of Justice source attempted to play down the controversy, telling the Irish Independent: The department and Frances only knew there had been some clash between gardai and the McCabe legal team in 2015. She didnt know about the allegations levelled against Mr McCabe until May 2016. The OHiggins inquiry was set up to investigate allegations of garda misconduct in the Cavan/Monaghan region. It was told that two senior gardai would supply evidence that Mr McCabe had only made the allegations because of a grievance he had with a senior officer. However, this was disproven. Theresa May has called for fresh talks between the Northern Ireland parties to end the deadlock over power-sharing at Stormont. Following talks in Downing Street with the leaders of the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein, she said she believed the differences between them were small and could be resolved. She said both parties had reiterated their commitment to the restoration of devolution following the collapse of power-sharing in January. "I believe that the differences between the parties, the issues that are still dividing them, are very small," she said. "I am not underestimating the challenges that lie ahead but I believe that a way forward can be found so agreement can be reached. "I believe it is imperative the parties come back together next week for talks and that we resolve these differences." The man who carried out sting operations on two alleged predators in Ireland last night believes he is the judge, jury and executioner of those that prey on children. The man, known as James, runs a so-called vigilante group that carry out sting operations on people who groom children online. Each operation is filmed and shared live on social media. Speaking on the Claire Byrne show tonight, the man who ran last nights confrontations, described the workings of his UK-based group. Were all unpaid and do this off our own backs, he said. We lie dormant online and wait for the said individuals to make contact with someone they believe to be of age. But within the first three messages, theyre fully informed of the real age of what they think is a child. Theyre then reminded throughout the rest of the chat log, over and over again, that they are speaking to what they believe is a child. James said his team came to the Republic of Ireland to show potential predators that they cannot get away from him. It was only a few weeks ago that my team did the first sting in the Republic of Ireland, he said. I came here to make the statement that these individuals will not get away from me or my team. If they come across me, Im coming for them. Im not saying that Im going to stop them, but if I put a fear factor into these individuals they will think twice before they harm a child, he said. The anonymous sting operator said he started his group because he believes the judicial system isnt effective. I do what I do because the system has not and in my belief will never work. "People can call me a vigilante, but if I was a true vigilante, the individuals I confronted wouldnt have been standing. If I was the father of these children they wouldnt be here, he said. James added that he will continue doing sting operations in Ireland. One person asked me so youre acting as the judge, jury and executioner? My simple reply was You better believe it, he said. Sex education may need to become more graphic because teenagers are increasingly experimenting with taboo practices, a new study has warned. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and University College London have been monitoring the changing sexual practices of youngsters since 1990. They found that the number of 16-24s moving away from traditional sexual intercourse had doubled, with experts claiming that the easy access to internet pornography was partly behind the rise. Dr Ruth Lewis, who conducted the work while at the LSHTM said: At a time when much sex and relationships education is being updated, keeping pace with current trends in sexual practices is crucial so that curricula are tailored to the realities of young people's experiences. "By shedding light on when some young people are having sex and what kinds of sex they are having, our study highlights the need for accurate sex and relationships education that provides opportunities to discuss consent and safety in relation to a range of sexual practices. However, the researchers found that the median age for first sexual experiences has not changed much in recent decades. In the most recent survey, the median age of reported first sexual experience among men and women born between 1990 and 1996 was 14. The median age for losing virginity is now 16 across for both men and women. In the 1950s it was 20 for women and 19 for men. Kaye Wellings, Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health at LSHTM, said: "The changes in practices we see here are consistent with the widening of other aspects of young people's sexual experience, and are perhaps not surprising given the rapidly changing social context and the ever-increasing number of influences on sexual behaviour. "It is important to keep up to date with trends in sexual lifestyles to help young people safeguard their health and increase their well being." The research was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] A smoldering, discarded cigarette ignited a fire on the outside of a southeast Lincoln apartment building that displaced the residents of four units Tuesday morning, a fire investigator said. Shortly after 9 a.m. mulch set ablaze by the cigarette spread to the side of the two-story building at 7120 S. 91st St., which is just north of Nebraska 2 and south of Pine Lake Road, Investigator Rick Campos said. The building is part of the Springs at Heritage Lakes. The fire burned through the siding and damaged the main electrical conduit to the four apartments, though utility crews needed to initially shut off power for 12 units, Campos said. Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews responded quickly and extinguished the fire, which didn't extend to inside the apartments, he said. Still, the residents of four units won't be able to move back in for a day or two, he said. The fire caused an estimated $25,000 damage to the building. It's unclear whether the cigarette was disposed of in a container that tipped over from the wind or if it was thrown into the mulch, Campos said. As festive party season kicks off, nursing mums may be feeling a bit left out. While everyone else tops up the vin rouge, they're often left to sip on a mocktail. The long-standing advice is that women shouldn't consume alcohol while they are breastfeeding due to concerns that traces of alcohol will be passed on to the feeding infant. But a new study from Australia has claimed that not only is it safe for women to drink low levels of alcohol while breastfeeding, but it may even be beneficial for the child. Dr Delyse Hutchinson of Deakin University Melbourne maintains that babies breastfed by mothers who "drank in moderation" had "more favourable results for personal-social development". However, the report goes on to say that breastfeeding women who consumed alcohol were more likely to be born in Australia or another English-speaking country, be tertiary educated and have higher household incomes. Most drank at low levels and employed strategies (such as the timing of alcohol use) to minimise alcohol passed on to infants via breast milk. According to current advice from the HSE, "the safest option when breastfeeding is to avoid drinking alcohol altogether. However, after the first month or so, some mums may want to have an occasional alcoholic drink. "Alcohol levels in breast milk are similar to alcohol levels in your blood, so you will need to wait two to three hours until alcohol has left your system before your next breastfeed. If your baby needs a feed sooner, some previously expressed breast milk can be given." Expand Close Kate Mooney and son Charlie / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kate Mooney and son Charlie Jan Cromie of La Leche League of Ireland (LLLI) notes that the study shows that women who drink low levels of alcohol are more likely to come from a certain socio-economic group which may be a greater contributory factor to social development than alcohol consumption. "Mothers who drank were the same cohort as those who were more likely to breastfeed - being mature, educated and with a higher income. The implication is that mothers who socialise, are educated and of a higher income may be more likely to go out and provide different environments for their babies," she says. "The effect could also be attributable to a stimulating environment rather than focusing on alcohol intake, which is already minimal or moderate in the majority of participants." Child psychologist Dr David Carey agrees. "There are many factors which influence social and emotional development, the most important among them being family and school. So it is highly unlikely that maternal alcohol consumption is a significant factor." Expand Close Odd drink: Emilia with Oliver. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Odd drink: Emilia with Oliver. Photo: Frank McGrath But Tracy Donegan, midwife and founder of gentlebirth.com, welcomes the report says it could make breastfeeding easier for new mums. "For many years, there has been a negative perception that breastfeeding limits lifestyle and enjoyment," she says. "Many women in Ireland feel they've already sacrificed so much in pregnancy to give their baby the best start and are very much looking forward to getting back to 'normal' and getting their lives back - being able to enjoy a glass of wine or two is part of that. "As any parent will tell you, having a flexible attitude goes a long way as you grow into your role as a new mother. An 'all or nothing' restrictive approach tends to put enormous pressure and unnecessary stress on parents during one of the biggest transitions of their adult lives." New mum Kate Mooney breastfeeds her son Charlie (six months) and explains that while his safety and development are paramount, she believes it's okay to have a drink every now and then. "I always knew it was okay to drink a small amount while breastfeeding as I have done a lot of research into it," says the Dublin woman. "Obviously it's not okay to open a bottle of tequila before you start feeding your baby, but a glass of wine in front of the TV does no one any harm - all of the breastfeeding mums I know have the occasional drink and I think it's important women know it's okay to do so." Fellow new mum Emilia Cruz also enjoys a drink while feeding her eight-month-old son, Oliver. "I don't have a problem with having a few beers or a glass of wine when I go out," she says. "I didn't drink for the first few months as I was so exhausted that alcohol was the last thing on my mind. But once I got into a routine, I enjoyed the odd drink and I still do. "It's easy for people to believe alcohol can have a negative effect on a feeding baby and I've had people imply that I shouldn't be doing it - but I would encourage new mums to do a bit of research and find out for themselves. They will soon discover that experts agree that a glass or two does no harm whatsoever." Indeed Jan Cromie of LLLI says the most damaging aspect of drinking around a new baby is the possibility of becoming inebriated. "Mothers who are breastfeeding and who take alcohol need to be thinking not so much about how much may have passed through their breast milk but about whether they can safely carry out the normal elements of childcare with their infant - and a small amount of alcohol is unlikely to impair these abilities," she says. "LLLI and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) both agree that small amounts of alcohol have not been shown to be harmful (to a healthy full-term infant - guidance would vary for premature infants)." Kate argues that being told to cut out alcohol completely may put women off breastfeeding altogether. "Breastfeeding can be very difficult for some women," she says. "And to be told that you can't have a beer or go out for an evening and unwind with friends over a glass of wine is likely to make new mums stop feeding sooner than they might otherwise do. "We all give up alcohol while pregnant, so after 10 months of abstaining, not being able to kick back and relax with a drink for six months to a year would make a lot of women either give up breastfeeding early or just not take it up at all. We all want the best for our babies and being relaxed, happy and feeling like we have some control over our bodies means we are in a better place to look after them." Cromie adds: "To suggest that breastfeeding mothers should not consume any alcohol at all would seem to be throwing up unnecessary barriers. Our rates in Ireland are very low so we need to be encouraging mothers to initiate breastfeeding and continue past the first few days, not giving them reasons to see it in a negative light." Dr Nina Byrnes warns that it's important not to spread the message that drinking while feeding is perfectly safe: "Alcohol goes into breast milk in the same way as it enters the blood stream. So although the levels are quite small, if a woman is drinking while breastfeeding, she will be exposing her baby to alcohol and I would be very concerned that anyone would think, particularly in the run up to Christmas, that it's grand to drink and there are no consequences. "As a doctor, I would encourage women to consider the amount of alcohol they are drinking and the baby's possible exposure to it. We clear approximately one unit of alcohol per hour from our blood so it would be recommended to feed at least two hours after an average glass of wine to minimise exposure," she explains. "In moderate drinking the exposure to the baby is likely low, but I certainly don't encourage drinking while breastfeeding." A few weeks ago in this column, I wrote about a British study that identified high levels of unhappiness and anxiety in young girls based on a recent large scale study. The authors speculated as to why this was so, since girls seem on the surface to be so confident. While the study could not answer this, there was speculation around the spreading tentacles of i-technology. A Professor of Psychology, Jean Twenge of the Department of Psychology at San Diego University, is in little doubt about this. Her recent book, iGen: "Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy - and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood - and What That Means for the Rest of Us", considers this question. Her metier is the study of behaviour in different generations - she has previously written about baby-boomers, millennials and now the iGen, referring to those born between 1995 and 2012. She analysed data from a four major US studies of this generation. The measures included psychological symptoms, the use of i-technology, how leisure time is spent and so on. It is tempting to think that the characteristics of any generation identified by such studies will either decrease, or increase slightly with each generation as change takes place - for better or worse - and this is the usual pattern. But when she examined the trends in these studies the graphs showed seismic shifts around 2012 with major troughs and peaks compared to the gentle change anticipated. She wrote: "In all my analyses of generational data - some reaching back to the 1930s - I had never seen anything like it". She points out that the iPhone was introduced, in 2007, and that the iGen were high-school students when the iPad entered the scene, in 2010. The interest in itechnology kept growing and a 2017 survey of more than 5,000 American teens found that three out of four owned an iPhone. According to her thesis, this generation unlike others has grown up with ubiquitous smartphones, iPads, Snapchat and Twitter. There have more access to itechnology than any other generation before them. She would say this is at saturation point. Twenge says teenagers spend an average of six hours on the internet each day, get their driver's licenses later, fewer have weekend jobs, they are disengaging from religion and even from "spirituality", they date less, have sex less and rebel against their parents' authority later, if at all. They also interact far less with their peers in face-to-face contact than the previous generation did. They seem more comfortable with this and use texts and "Snapstreams" to confide rather than doing so during sleepovers or in coffee shops, as in the past. She finds them to be more individualistic that previous generations although she points out that this approach to morality has been increasing steadily since the baby-boomers. She contends that individualisation lead to parents cossetting the children more, because nobody else will. Conversely, in highly collectivised cultures people look out for each other and for children in particular, because of feeling a social responsibility to do so. The result is that they remain at home for longer, don't have weekend jobs or learn to drive until later simply because parenting has changed. And with current technologies they are enabled to fill this extra time in virtual "contact" with friends through the ever expanding varieties of social media. The consequence of this is not that the iGen is closer to their parents, they are simply in a state of socially-driven dependence. And modern technology facilitates them in filling their spare time albeit remote from face-to-face contact. While Professor Twenge states that these new technologies are creating unprecedented change in young people's behaviour and that they are maturing more slowly, she also finds some positive outcomes. They have a greater tolerance, less likelihood of engaging in early sex or becoming pregnant, and teen drug use in decline, at least in the US which this book relates to. Her final thesis is that today's iGen is on the cusp of "the most severe mental health crisis for young people in decades". This apocalyptic prediction is due to smartphones, and such like, replacing face-to-face contact with others and increasing loneliness and isolation, according to her. This is a frightening prospect and we should hope that she is wrong. Day 2 of Ryanair's week-long Black Friday promotion has kicked off with the release of 100,000 seats at just 4.99 a pop. Even by Ryanair's standards, those sale prices are low - with 4.99 fares available from Dublin to Paris Beauvais, Cologne, Brussels and Edinburgh, and from Kerry to Berlin and Frankfurt, among other destinations, as we publish. Flights must be booked online (ryanair.com) by midnight tonight to avail of the fares, which are available for travel in January 2018 only. For the next seven days, the airline is promising a new discount on its website (ryanair.com) daily, and is also offering 20pc off 20kg checked bags. The Black Friday sales are the latest in a series of winter discounts Ryanair promised in the wake of its catastrophic pilot "rostering failure" this autumn. The airline cancelled thousands of flights, disrupting the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers over the winter months. Black Friday deals will be announced daily until Sunday. Read more: Nick Nolte was praised as going from a crook to an accidental movie star who netted Oscar nominations when he was honoured on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 76-year-old has had a film career spanning five decades during which he received Academy Award nods for The Prince Of Tides, Affliction and Warrior. But, as he was presented with a star on Hollywood Boulevard on Monday, he was reminded of his humble beginnings in Omaha where he was arrested aged 20 for selling fake conscription cards. Expand Close Nick Nolte / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nick Nolte Warrior director Gavin OConnor said: Nick is a man of many colours, he was a felon, manufactured draft cards in the 1960s. Then he became an actor. He locked himself in a room and devoured all the great plays, treaded the boards across the country performing in regional theatre. Nick was a gypsy and then he accidentally became a movie star. OConnor praised Nolte as a master of his craft with a voice that sounds like hes swallowed a bag of nails, adding that he is crazy to the bone. Taking to the stage after it was declared the day would be named after him in Hollywood, the actor said: Nick Nolte Day I can barely get through one myself. With his characteristic gruffness, he said through a thick beard that he was deeply honoured and praised the Walk of Fame for paving Hollywood Boulevard with a history of the actors who have passed through the street. Video of the Day He was joined at the ceremony, where he was presented with the 2,623rd star, by his family. RTE's Aengus MacGrianna's wedding today to Terry Gill as promised. There is no fee for the use photos of photos but please credit DMC Photography. RTE's Aengus MacGrianna's wedding today to Terry Gill. Former newscaster Anne Doyle (far right) was among the guests. Terry's mother Eva Gill (left). DMC Photography NEWS anchor Aengus Mac Grianna wed his partner of 10 years after being walked up the aisle by Anne Doyle. The RTE newsreader and his former colleague arrived in style at the wedding venue in Ballymacgarvey village, Co Meath, today. The pair pulled up to the venue in a black Rolls-Royce holding hands and smiling widely before dashing through the doors. After 10 years together, Mac Grianna and his partner Terry Gill said their I dos' in front of 150 close friends and family members. Several of Mac Grianna's former Masterchef ' competitors including Yvonne Keating, Tracy Piggott and Maia Dunphy attended the humanist ceremony. And there were plenty of familiar faces from the RTE newsroom with Eileen Dunne, Michael Murphy, Kate Egan and Teresa Mannion taking their seats. Gill walked up the aisle with his mother Eva Gill while musicians Moya Brennan and harpist Cormac De Barra performed a selection of traditional Irish ballads. Mac Grianna followed with legendary broadcaster Doyle by his side. Doyle joked that she felt like Mrs Bennett from Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice' in the run-up to the wedding. It's weddings, weddings, weddings at the moment. All I seem to be talking and thinking about are weddings these days, she said, referring to both Mac Grianna's nuptials and the wedding of her partner Dan McGrattan's son which took place last Friday. Mac Grianna chose Doyle to give him away as he has known her for donkey's years. Video of the Day From the very beginning Anne always looked out for me, he said. She has watched and guided me along the way and at key junctions in my life she has always been there. She has been a major influence on me. She's a one-off. The crowd erupted into applause when the ceremony drew to a close and the couple were beaming as guests congratulated them. The pair met in a Dublin pub The Front Lounge 10 years ago when Mac Grianna was enjoying a liquid lunch with some of his colleagues and instantly hit it off. Mac Grianna and Gill will travel to the UK in the coming weeks to legally marry. Mac Grianna has spoken about the issue of marriage equality in the past. He said: It's simply a question of equality. All of my brothers and sisters are married and I don't see any difference as to why I shouldn't be allowed that too. I'm not prepared to take a lesser status. The couple will head off on honeymoon in the coming days. 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 Robert Mugabe. Grace Mugabe, 'Gucci Grace' or 'DisGrace', is accused of being the Lady Macbeth of this affair. 'G40', or 'Generation 40', are ambitious, unscrupulous men who had hitched their stars to her rise. Her part in the sacking of Emmerson Mnangagwa, 'The Crocodile', as vice-president directly triggered the current turmoil in the land where his supporters, 'Team Lacoste', should now be in ascendance. And yesterday we had 'High Noon': the time by which Mugabe should have resigned or face impeachment. The drama unfolding now certainly contains its share of suspense and surprises. That reached its apogee 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, he did nothing of the kind. The 93-year-old 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 he would preside over his party's 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 yesterday morning that Mugabe may resign after all, but rumours were all they were. 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. 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, chanting, dancing and singing, on Saturday , 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. What came out of Mugabe's garbled speech led to furious reactions. Christopher Mutsvangwa, the head of the powerful organisation of war veterans, accused him of being "deaf and blind to the wishes of the people". Legal action at the High Court will take weeks and impeachment proceedings due to begin in parliament today will not be a quick affair. The military, still insisting they had not carried out a coup, are unlikely to remove the president by force. So the situation remains fluid. We cannot say Mugabe is coming back. Both 'Gucci Grace' and 'The Crocodile' remain out of sight, but one feels there will be a few more twists and turns in this extraordinary episode of Zimbabwe's history. Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe has resigned as president after 37 years in power, as parliament began impeachment proceedings against him. The capital, Harare, erupted in jubilation after news spread that the 93-year-old leader's resignation letter was read out by the speaker of parliament, whose members had gathered to impeach Mr Mugabe after he ignored escalating calls to quit since a military takeover. Cars honked and people danced and sang across the city in a spectacle of free expression that would have been impossible during his rule. "Welcome to the new Zimbabwe," people chanted outside a conference centre where the politicians met. "Change was overdue... Maybe this change will bring jobs," said 23-year-old Thomas Manase, an unemployed university graduate. Mr Mugabe, who was the world's oldest head of state, said in his letter that legal procedures should be followed to install a new president "no later than tomorrow". Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Zimbabweans living in South Africa celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns, in Johannesburg, South Africa November 21, 2017. REUTERS/James Oatway Zimbabweans living in South Africa celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns, in Johannesburg, South Africa November 21, 2017. REUTERS/James Oatway Zimbabweans drink, dance, and sing as they celebrate at night at an intersection in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. Mugabe resigned as president with immediate effect Tuesday after 37 years in power, shortly after parliament began impeachment proceedings against him. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Zimbabweans drink, sing, and dance on top of passing vehicles as they celebrate at night at an intersection in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. Mugabe resigned as president with immediate effect Tuesday after 37 years in power, shortly after parliament began impeachment proceedings against him. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Zimbabweans celebrate Tuesday Nov. 21, 2017, in the streets of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, after hearing the news that President Robert Mugabe had resigned. Mugabe resigned with immediate effect Tuesday after 37 years in power, shortly after parliament began impeachment proceedings against him. (AP Photo/Lucky Tshuma) Zimbabweans celebrate next to a sign after President Robert Mugabe resigns in Harare, Zimbabwe November 21, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo Zimbabweans living in South Africa celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns, in Johannesburg, South Africa November 21, 2017. REUTERS/James Oatway Zimbabweans celebrate outside the parliament building immediately after hearing the news that President Robert Mugabe had resigned (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Zimbabweans celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns in Harare, Zimbabwe November 21, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo Zimbabweans celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns in Harare, Zimbabwe November 21, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo Zimbabweans celebrate with soldiers on a military tank after hearing the news that President Robert Mugabe had resigned, in Harare, Zimbabwe Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) Zimbabweans celebrate after hearing the news that President Robert Mugabe had resigned, in Harare, Zimbabwe Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) Zimbabweans reach out to touch and thank army soldiers, as they celebrate outside the parliament building immediately after hearing the news that President Robert Mugabe had resigned, in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017(AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Zimbabweans celebrate the resignation of President Robert Mugabe in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe November 21, 2017 in this still image from a social media video. Hemal Ranchod via Reuters Zimbabweans celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns in Harare, Zimbabwe November 21, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo Zimbabweans celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns in Harare, Zimbabwe November 21, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings Zimbabweans celebrate outside the parliament building immediately after hearing the news that President Robert Mugabe had resigned, in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Protesters calling for the impeachment of President Robert Mugabe demonstrate outside the parliament building in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Zimbabweans celebrate outside the parliament building immediately after hearing the news that President Robert Mugabe had resigned, in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Zimbabweans celebrate after hearing about the resignation of President Robert Mugabe in Harare, Tuesday, Nov, 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Zimbabweans living in South Africa celebrate after President Robert Mugabe resigns, in Johannesburg, South Africa November 21, 2017. REUTERS/James Oatway "My decision to resign is voluntary on my part and arises from my concern for the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe and my desire for a smooth, non-violent transfer of power," Mr Mugabe said in the message read out by parliamentary speaker Jacob Mudenda. Recently fired vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa would take over as the country's leader within 48 hours, said a ruling party official, Lovemore Matuke. Mr Mnangagwa, who fled the country after his removal on November 6, "is not far from here," Mr Matuke said. Mr Mugabe can participate in a formal handover of power "so that Mnangagwa moves with speed to work for the country," Mr Matuke said. Mr Mugabe's resignation brought an end to impeachment proceedings brought by the ruling ZANU-PF party after its Central Committee voted to oust the president as party leader and replace him with Mr Mnangagwa, a former ally of Mr Mugabe who served for decades as his enforcer with a reputation for being astute and ruthless, more feared than popular. Before the resignation, crowds rallied outside the parliament building, dancing and singing. Some people placed photos of Mr Mugabe in the street so that cars would run over them. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC party said the culture of the ruling party "must end" and everyone must put their heads together and work towards free and fair elections. His party had seconded the impeachment motion. Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Mnangagwa said in a statement that Mr Mugabe should acknowledge the nation's "insatiable desire" for a leadership change and resign immediately. Mr Mnangagwa, a former justice and defence minister, added to the pressure on Mr Mugabe to quit after a long rule during which he evolved from a champion of the fight against white minority rule into a figure blamed for a collapsing economy, government dysfunction and human rights violations. "Never should the nation be held at ransom by one person ever again, whose desire is to die in office at whatever cost to the nation," said Mr Mnangagwa, who has a loyal support base in the military. Zimbabwe's polarising first lady, Grace Mugabe, had been positioning herself to succeed her husband, leading a party faction that engineered Mr Mnangagwa's removal. The prospect of a dynastic succession alarmed the military, which confined Mr Mugabe to his home last week and targeted what it called "criminals" around him who allegedly were looting state resources - a reference to associates of the first lady. Mrs Mugabe has not been seen since the military stepped in. Mr Mnangagwa was targeted by US sanctions in the early 2000s for undermining democratic development in Zimbabwe, according to the Atlantic Council, a US-based policy institute. However, J Peter Pham, an Africa expert at the council, noted that some Zimbabwean opposition figures have appeared willing to have dialogue with Mr Mnangagwa in order to move the country forward, and that the international community should consider doing the same. "We're not saying whitewash the past, but it is in the interests of everyone that Zimbabwe is engaged at this critical time," Mr Pham said in a statement. On Tuesday, Zimbabweans simply enjoyed the moment. "Today's a good day," said Eric Machona, a Harare resident. "People are very happy." Here is a look at Mugabe's 37 years in power: 1980: Mr Mugabe is named prime minister after independence elections. 1982: Military action begins in Matabeleland against perceived uprising; the government is accused of killing thousands of civilians. 1987: Mr Mugabe changes the constitution and becomes president. 1994: Mr Mugabe receives an honorary British knighthood. 2000: Land seizures of white-owned farms begin; Western donors cut off aid. 2005: The United States calls Zimbabwe an "outpost of tyranny". 2008: Mr Mugabe and opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai agree to share power after a contested election; Britain's Queen Elizabeth II annuls Mr Mugabe's honorary knighthood. 2011: Prime Minister Mr Tsvangirayi declares powersharing a failure amid violence 2013: Mr Mugabe wins a seventh term; the opposition alleges election fraud. 2016: #ThisFlag protest movement emerges; independence war veterans turn on Mr Mugabe, calling him "dictatorial". 2017: Mr Mugabe begins campaigning for the 2018 elections. November 6: Mr Mugabe fires deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, appearing to position first lady Grace Mugabe for the vice president post. November 15: The army announces it has Mr Mugabe and his wife in custody as the military appears to take control. November 18: Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans march against Mr Mugabe. November 19: Ruling party Central Committee tells Mr Mugabe to resign as president by noon on Monday or face impeachment. He addresses the nation but does not step aside. November 21: Mr Mugabe resigns shortly after Parliament begins impeachment proceedings. North Korean officials wait for passengers to board an Air China flight at Pyongyang airport in North Korea (Greg Baker/AP) State-owned airline Air China has suspended flights between Beijing and North Korea due to a lack of demand, deepening the North's isolation amid mounting UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes. The move followed US president Donald Trump's decision to add Pyongyang to a list of governments that support terrorism, but there was no indication that prompted Air China's decision. The suspension left North Korea's Air Koryo as the only airline with regularly scheduled service to the North. Its website lists flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Dandong in China, and Vladivostok in Russia. Beijing has supported UN curbs on North Korean exports meant to pressure the government of leader Kim Jong Un to drop its pursuit of nuclear and missile technology, but has argued against measures that might harm the country's public. Flights were "temporarily suspended due to unsatisfactory business operations," said an Air China employee. A foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said he had not heard about Air China's cancellation. He said such decisions would be made based on the "state of operation and the market". Airlines have steadily reduced the frequency of flights to North Korea as mounting political tensions depressed the already small number of business travellers and tourists visiting the North. Air China Ltd announced in April it was cutting the frequency of flights to North Korea due to lack of demand. Some other Chinese carriers offered charter services to the North but those have also been cancelled. Mr Lu appealed for measures to ease the tense stand-off over the North. He said: "Given the highly complex and sensitive situation on the peninsula, we hope all relevant parties can do something conducive to alleviating the tension and pulling all sides concerned back to the track of negotiation and dialogue to settle the peninsular nuclear issue." AP A federal prosecutor says two men and three women are to blame for a string of seven bank robberies in Lincoln that stretched from March to September, according to an indictment unsealed last week. At least two of the crimes left bank employees reeling from being sprayed with pepper spray. In several cases, the thieves threatened them with realistic-looking BB guns. Israel Elias Holmes, 22; Kiana Stabler and Crystal Stabler, both 21; Kaylene Stabler, 22; and Julian Huffman, 23; all made their first court appearances Monday in U.S. District Court in Lincoln. The five are accused of conspiracy to commit robbery. All but Crystal Stabler also face a separate charge of bank robbery. If convicted, they could get up to 20 years in federal prison on each charge. All five pleaded not guilty in court Monday. According to the indictment filed last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods described seven bank robberies in Lincoln that together added up to $49,338 in stolen cash. The list of robberies includes: * March 16 robbery of the Pinnacle Bank branch at 1776 S. 70th St. * April 13 robbery at Great Western Bank, 6424 Havelock Ave., where the robbers used pepper spray, injuring two bank employees. * May 26 robbery at Pinnacle Bank branch at 1776 S. 70th St. * July 25 robbery of a Pinnacle Bank branch at 201 Sun Valley Blvd. * Sept. 18 attempted robbery of the same Great Western Bank branch in Havelock and a robbery the same morning at the Cornhusker Bank branch at 1600 N. Cotner Blvd. * Oct. 3 robbery at Lincoln Federal Savings at 2501 S. 48th St. where bank employees were sprayed with pepper spray. In the last, Lincoln police said an officer staking out the branch, as part of a citywide surveillance effort to stop the thieves, had thwarted Holmes' getaway. In the indictment, which details the conspiracy, Woods alleged that the defendants threatened bank employees with realistic-looking BB guns and pepper spray and concealed their identities by wearing hoodies, surgical masks or bandannas that they dumped after the robberies. Burma has subjected Rohingya Muslims to long-term discrimination and persecution that amounts to "dehumanising apartheid", Amnesty International has said in a report. The document also raises questions about what those who have fled a violent military crackdown would face if they returned home. Since late August, more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled Burma's Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh, seeking safety from what the military described as "clearance operations". The United Nations and others have said the military's actions appeared to be a campaign of "ethnic cleansing", using acts of violence and intimidation and burning down homes to force the Rohingya to leave their communities. UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said earlier this month that the world body considered it "an absolutely essential priority" to stop all violence against the Rohingya and allow them to return to their homes. They are now living in teeming refugee camps in a Bangladesh border district, and officials in Dhaka have also urged that Burma allow them to return with their safety assured. Burma leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Tuesday the government would follow a formula set in a 1992-93 repatriation agreement between Bangladesh and Burma, which are holding bilateral negotiations on the new refugee crisis. Amnesty International compiled two years' worth of interviews and evidence in its report, detailing how Rohingya lived within Burma, where they were subjected to a "vicious system of state-sponsored, institutionalised discrimination that amounts to apartheid", meeting the international legal definition of a crime against humanity. Rohingya have faced state-supported discrimination in the predominantly Buddhist country for decades. Though members of the ethnic minority first arrived generations ago, Rohingya were stripped of their citizenship in 1982, denying them almost all rights and rendering them stateless. They cannot travel freely, practice their religion, or work as teachers or doctors, and they have little access to medical care, food or education. Amnesty's report, issued on Tuesday, said the discrimination had worsened considerably in the last five years. "I wanted to go to Sittwe hospital for medical treatment, but it's forbidden," Abul Kadir, 36, was quoted as telling the human rights group. "The hospital staff told me I couldn't go there for my own safety and said I needed to go to Bangladesh for treatment. "It cost a lot of money." Rohingya have fled en masse to escape persecution before. Hundreds of thousands left in 1978 and again in the early 1990s, though policies subsequently allowed many to return. Communal violence in 2012, as the country was transitioning from a half-century of dictatorship to democracy, sent another 100,000 fleeing by boat. Some 120,000 remain trapped in camps outside Rakhine's capital, Sittwe. Rohingya were thought to number around one million people in Burma until late last year. That October, a Rohingya militant group killed several officers in attacks on police posts, and the military retaliation sent 87,000 Rohingya fleeing. A larger militant attack on August 25 killed dozens of security forces, and the military response was swift and comprehensive. By the tens of thousands, Rohingya began fleeing, their villages set aflame, some of the survivors bearing wounds from gunshots and land mines. Though the waves of refugees are now thinner, people are still crossing the Burma border nearly three month later. AP A drugs firm overcharged the NHS by millions for an essential thyroid treatment, the UKs competition watchdog has provisionally found. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the NHS spent more than 34 million on the firms drug liothyronine up from around 600,000 in 2006. The amount it paid per pack rose from around 4.46 in 2007 to 258.19 by July 2017, an increase of almost 6,000%. The CMA said in its provisional findings that it believes Canadian firm Concordia may have abused its dominant position, with the price hike coming despite broadly stable production costs. But Concordia said it did not believe competition law had been infringed. Liothyronine tablets are primarily used to treat hypothyroidism, a condition caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormone affecting at least two in every 100 people and which can lead to depression, tiredness and weight gain. Until earlier this year, Concordia was the only supplier of the drug. Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said: Pharmaceutical companies which abuse their position and overcharge for drugs are forcing the NHS and the UK taxpayer to pay over the odds for important medical treatments. We allege that Concordia used its market dominance in the supply of liothyronine tablets to do exactly that. But he stressed that the findings are provisional, with no definitive decision that there has been a breach of competition law. Concordia said: We do not believe that competition law has been infringed. The pricing of liothyronine has been conducted openly and transparently with the Department of Health in the UK over a period of 10 years. Over that time, significant investment has been made in this medicine to ensure its continued availability for patients in the UK, to the specifications required by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK. It added it would review the CMAs provisional findings and respond in detail. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) welcomed the CMAs action. Mike Thompson, chief executive of the ABPI, said: We fully support the CMA in taking action in cases of proven abuse of market power. We also continue to support the Government in taking policy steps to ensure such abuses cannot happen in the future. This case is yet to conclude, but we do not and will not support any company found to have intentionally exploited the NHS. The Concordia probe is one of a number of CMA cases in the pharmaceutical sector, including a recent fine against Pfizer and Flynn Pharma of nearly 90 million for excessive and unfair prices for anti-epilepsy treatment, which is currently under appeal. The CMA also fined a number of pharmaceutical firms a total of 45 million in relation to anti-depressant medicine paroxetine, which is likewise under appeal, and has another seven investigations open into firms over drug pricing and competition issues. Budget airline easyJet has seen annual profits nosedive by 17% after taking a 101 million hit from the weak pound, but confirmed a boost from the demise of rivals and recent woes at Ryanair. In her last set of results before taking on the top job at ITV, chief executive Carolyn McCall said it had been a difficult year for the industry as she posted headline pre-tax profits of 408 million, down from 494 million the previous year. The pounds plunge since the Brexit vote took its toll on the carriers bottom line, while a price war also left revenues per seat falling 7.8% with currency changes stripped out. But the blow to its profits was not as bad as first feared thanks to a record performance in the final three months after a shambolic showing from rival Ryanair, which has had to cancel hundreds of flights after miscalculating pilot leave. The group also said trading so far in its new financial year has been encouraging thanks to last months collapse of Luton-based carrier Monarch, as well as the demise of Air Berlin and Alitalias administration. Forward bookings are higher than a year earlier, at 88% for the first quarter and 26% up for the second quarter, while it now expects revenue per seat to grow by low to mid-single digits in the first half. However, the group stressed the outlook for the second half of the year was very limited. It also cautioned over costs of its deal to buy up to 25 aircraft from now-defunct Air Berlin as well as recruit up to 1,000 staff from the group, with the operation in Berlin Tegel expected to make a headline loss of 60 million, plus around another 100 million in other one-off costs. Ms McCall said: EasyJet delivered a robust performance during a difficult year for the aviation industry. Our planned approach of achieving number one or two positions at Europes leading airports, friendly and efficient customer service and a continuous focus on sustainable cost control has put easyJet at a strategic advantage during a period when there have been bankruptcies and some airlines have struggled operationally. Shares in easyJet surged by 6% as investors cheered the brighter outlook. The group had already said last month that full-year profits were set to come in at the top end of its forecasts, having carried 24.1 million passengers in its final quarter. It flew a record 80 million passengers over the full year to September 30, with its highest ever annual load factor of 92.6% a key measure of how well airlines fill their planes. The group also said that it has protected itself against rising fuel prices, which means it will see a benefit of between 100 million and 125 million for the year to next September. But the group may face pressure on its home turf given the saga surrounding Monarch. It will be an immediate challenge for incoming boss Johan Lundgren, a travel sector veteran, who joins on December 1 from tour operator TUI, with rival airlines circling Monarchs coveted runway slots. Administrators for Monarch are taking their fight to the Court of Appeal after the High Court decided to strip the carrier of its lucrative take-off and landing slots at Gatwick and Luton airports. But easyJet said whatever happens to these slots will be beneficial for us, as it hopes to pick up some slots if they are sold on the open market, while it does not believe rivals would want to compete directly with it. Ms McCall said she was leaving at the best time for the group. You have to leave when its on the up and I think its very much on the up, she said. Analysts at Liberum said that while the airlines outlook was encouraging, it was also mixed. Police are concerned for the welfare of an 11-year-old boy who has not returned from a holiday to Spain with his mother. Alex Batty, from Oldham, flew out on a pre-agreed trip with mother Melanie for a week-long stay in the Benahavis area near Marbella, but did not come back home as expected on Sunday October 8. Inquiries have revealed they may have tried to sail on the same date from Malaga to Melilla on the Moroccan border. Detectives investigating Alex's disappearance say they do not believe he is at risk of harm but they want to reunite him with his guardian. The youngster is described as white, about 5ft, of slim build, with blond hair and speaks with a northern accent. Ms Batty, 37, who police say does not currently have parental guardianship, is wanted in connection with his abduction. Det Insp Lindsay Booth, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "Our main priority is finding Alex and bringing him home. "His guardian is understandably extremely upset and although she heard from Alex on the 8 October, she has not heard from him since and is desperate to get him home. Expand Close Melanie Batty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Melanie Batty "We have followed extensive inquiries and we know Melanie has visited Morocco a number of times before and we believe she could have travelled with Alex to there. "Our last known location of Alex puts him near the Port of Malaga and boats run from there to Melilla in Morocco. "I am appealing to anyone who recognises this young boy or Melanie, or has been in contact with them, to please get in touch with us. "It might be that you were staying in the same resort as them, are friends from home and have heard from them through social media or texts, or that you might have some knowledge of their plans. "I implore you, please get in touch with us or contact police if you are abroad." Anyone with any information should call police on 0161 856 8972 (+44 161 856 8972 if abroad) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. German police have recovered around 100 items that belonged to late Beatles star John Lennon, that were stolen from his widow in New York. The items include three diaries, two pairs of his signature metal-rimmed glasses, a cigarette case and a handwritten music score. The retrieved possessions were displayed on Tuesday at Berlin police headquarters. "This was a spectacular, unusual criminal case," police spokesman Winfrid Wenzel said. German authorities first became aware of the items, stolen from Yoko Ono at her New York home in 2006, when a bankruptcy administrator for the Berlin auction house Auctionata contacted them in July. The administrator had found the memorabilia in the company's storage. Police confiscated the items from the auctioneers two weeks later, and on Monday arrested a suspect and raided his Berlin home and cars. They said another suspect, who is living in Turkey, is currently "not available," but they would try to get him extradited to Germany. During their investigation, police officers and prosecutors also flew to New York, where they met Ono to have her verify the stolen goods' authenticity. "She was very emotional and we noticed clearly how much these things mean to her and how happy she would be to have them back," prosecutor Susann Wettley said of the moment they showed Ono some of the recovered items and pictures of some others. Ms Wettley said that Ono's former driver, who is now living in Turkey, is one of the suspects. He has a previous conviction in New York related to the stolen items, she said. The other suspect, who was arrested in Berlin on Monday, was identified as a 58-year-old German businessman of Turkish origin. During the search of his car, police said they found additional belongings of Lennon in a briefcase hidden under the spare tire in the trunk. Neither suspect's name was released because of German privacy rules. Police are still checking confiscated computer files and business contracts to better understand exactly how the stolen goods ended up at the auction house in Berlin and if the auctioneers were aware that they bought stolen goods from the two suspects. They said the items have been in possession of Auctionata since 2014, but were never available for sale online. The trove of Lennon memorabilia also includes a recording of a Beatles concert from 1965, a school exercise book from 1952, contract documents for the copyright of Lennon's I'm The Greatest song and handwritten scores for Woman and Just Like Starting Over. There are also three of Lennon's leather-bound diaries, from 1975, 1979 and 1980. The last entry was made by Lennon on the morning of December 8 1980, a few hours before he was killed, Ms Wettley said. It included a note on the famous photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz that same day showing a naked Lennon embracing his wife. It was not immediately clear when Ono will get all the items back. AP The Reichstag, Germany's parliament, is reflected in a puddle in Berlin (AP) Germany faces "a test, but not a crisis of the state," the parliament's speaker said as he urged political leaders to show more readiness to compromise after the breakdown of talks to form a new government. Four weeks of talks on a potential coalition between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and two smaller parties collapsed on Sunday. Ms Merkel's partners in the outgoing government, the centre-left Social Democrats, are refusing to join her in a new administration - leaving a new election as the most likely outcome, although there is also the possibility of a minority government. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday called on political leaders to rethink their positions. He is due to hold meetings on Tuesday with the leaders of the Greens and Free Democrats, the two parties that had been in negotiations with Ms Merkel. Parliament speaker Wolfgang Schaeuble, Germany's longest-serving legislator and a veteran of several coalition governments, added his own appeal as the lower house met for only its second session since the September 24 election. "We can be of different opinions as to how we should be governed, but it is clear that we must be governed," Mr Schaeuble said. Parties may decide, after long reflection, that they will not join in a coalition, "but that must be explained logically so the impression doesn't arise that they want to evade responsibility," he added. "Democracy demands majorities, and our wish for stable order demands sustainable majorities," said Mr Schaeuble, a member of Ms Merkel's Christian Democratic Union. He said that "agreeing by giving ground to each other takes courage". Mr Steinmeier will have to decide whether to pave the way for a minority government or a new election, since Germany's post-Second World War constitution does not allow parliament to dissolve itself. Mr Schaeuble, 75, cautioned against talking up the scale of Germany's political problems. "This is a test, but not a crisis of the state," he said. "The task is big, but it can be solved." AP Kingfisher has said it remains on track to meet full-year profit targets as strong growth at its Screwfix business helped offset falling sales at B&Q and a weak performance in France. Kingfisher notched up a 3% rise in total sales to 3 billion for the third quarter, helped by a 16.6% jump in Screwfix revenues, which drove a 2.5% increase in sales across its UK & Ireland division. But B&Q sales lagged behind sister outlet Screwfix, with total sales falling 2.8% in the UK & Ireland, and dropping 1.9% on a constant currency and like-for-like basis, due to a recent store closure programme. Poland was a bright spot across its international operations, with sales rising 11.9% to 379 million for the period, compared with a year earlier. It helped to make up for weak growth suffered by Kingfishers French business, which operates through the Castorama and Brico Depot brands. Its French business only managed to eke out a 0.4% rise in sales in the third quarter. We need your consent to load this Social Media content We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preference Chief executive Veronique Laury said trading was following a similar course to the first half of the financial year. We have seen strong growth at Screwfix and Poland offset by continued weak sales in France, alongside some business disruption from our ONE Kingfisher plan, principally reflecting product availability and clearance. We continue to act on the causes of this disruption, which we are confident will ease. She assured that the company was still set to hit annual targets. We remain on track to deliver our full-year strategic milestones for the second year in a row. With plans in place to support our overall performance, we remain comfortable with full-year profit expectations. The companys third-quarter results also benefited from favourable currency effects. When taken at constant currencies, total sales only rose 0.3%, while like-for-like operations dropped half a percent. A 20-year-old man faces a six-count indictment for three armed robberies in Lincoln last December in which shots were fired. Marcus Remus pleaded not guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Lincoln to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, bank robbery and three counts of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In the indictment filed last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods detailed a robbery Dec. 26 of $123 at the U-Stop on West O Street, Dec. 28 of $1,295 at the Union Bank and Trust branch at 6801 O St., and of nothing Dec. 30 at Roc's Stop and Shop. The robber fired shots in all three incidents. A clerk at Roc's Stop and Shop told Lincoln police the thieves came in and one fired about five shots, a bullet grazing his forearm. At the U-Stop, a clerk told police two men came in and one fired a shot and took cash while the other stood near the door. At the bank, the manager told police that one of the two robbers fired two shots, one into the ceiling and one into a TV behind the teller counter, according to state court records. Remus and Shawn Brooks, 26, were arrested a week after the bank robbery. Lincoln police said Remus' fingerprint was lifted from a plastic Wal-Mart bag handed to a bank clerk during the robbery, then left behind. Brooks since has pleaded no contest to third-degree assault on an officer. In October, he was sentenced in state court to three years in prison and 18 months post-release supervision. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has returned to Beirut more than two weeks after announcing that he had resigned from his post while in Saudi Arabia. The shock announcement set off speculation that Mr Hariri had been forced to step down by the Gulf kingdom and was being held there against his will. But he left Saudi Arabia for Paris on Saturday by invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, before travelling on to Beirut by way of Egypt and Cyprus. Mr Hariri arrived in a private jet from Cyprus on Tuesday night, after meeting with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. Mr Hariri was leading a coalition government with his political opponents in the militant group Hezbollah when he stunned Lebanon by announcing his resignation in a televised statement from Saudi Arabia on November 4. He accused Hezbollah of holding Lebanon hostage and hinted there was a plot against his life. American politician Sarah Palin has said she doesn't suffer sexual harassment because she "packs" a gun. The one-time Republican nominee for vice president of the United States claimed that men probably don't "mess" with her because she carries a weapon. She has also condemned harassment, saying it "stinks". In an interview with MSNBC, Ms Palin was pressed on the issue of sexual misconduct and asked whether she had experienced harassment in the workplace. The former governor of Alaska replied: "You know, I think a lot people know I'm probably 'packing' - so, I don't think there's a whole lot of people who would necessarily mess with me." She assured viewers that although she had not suffered sexual harassment she was not making light of such allegations. "It really stinks for women in the workplace that, for too long, men have thought that they can get away with that old-school thinking that it's OK to belittle and harass women, in general," she added. The former governor made her comments following allegations made against politicians, including Democratic senator Al Franken. The Minnesota senator and former comic star of 'Saturday Night Live' faces accusations of forcibly kissing and groping a model and radio host in 2006 before he entered politics. Leeann Tweeden, who hosts TalkRadio 790 KABC, has alleged that Mr Franken sexually assaulted her. She wrote on the radio station's news site that: "You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping." Mr Franken has issued an apology, saying: "I don't know what was in my head when I took that picture, and it doesn't matter. There's no excuse. I look at it now and I feel disgusted with myself. It isn't funny. It's completely inappropriate. It's obvious how Leeann would feel violated by that picture." The allegations are the latest in a string of prominent sexual assault claims, including allegations against Republican Senate candidate for Alabama Roy Moore, who it is claimed abused a 14-year-old girl when he was 32. He strongly denies wrongdoing. Ms Palin insisted that tackling sexual harassment was "not a partisan issue". Meanwhile, a church in Florida has put up a sign warning those who might 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: "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." The sign had been in place for more than a year at the non-denominational church. It earned national attention after pastor Rodney Howard-Browne posted it on Instagram. Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Bashar Assad in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi (Mikhail Klimentyev, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Russia is close to ending its military operation in Syria that tipped the scales in the devastating war in favour of government forces, President Vladimir Putin has said. The Russian leader was speaking at surprise talks with Syrian president Bashar Assad. Mr Putin hosted Mr Assad in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday ahead of a summit between Russia, Turkey and Iran and a new round of Syria peace talks in Geneva. The meeting was unannounced and the Kremlin did not make it public until Tuesday morning. "I passed to (Putin) and all Russian people our greetings and gratitude for all of the efforts that Russia made to save our country," Mr Assad said. Mr Assad has only ventured outside his war-ravaged nation twice since the conflict began - both times to Russia. This week's visit to meet Mr Putin is his second since the crisis began in March 2011 leading to a civil war that has killed some 400,000 people and resulted in millions of refugees. The first was in October 2015, shortly after Russia launched its military campaign in Syria to shore up Mr Assad's forces.. The meeting in Sochi, which lasted three hours, came ahead of a summit between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey. Iran and Russia have been Mr Assad's main backers while Turkey supports the opposition. Mr Putin had spoken with the leaders of Iran and Turkey to "assure them that Russia will work with Syrian leadership to prepare the groundwork for possible understandings" that could be reached on Wednesday to "make sure" that agreements will be "viable," said Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's spokesman. The Kremlin said Mr Putin would call US president Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman to discuss the situation in Syria on Wednesday. Asked whether Mr Putin and Mr Assad have talked about the Syrian president's future in post-war Syria, Mr Peskov said "possible options for political settlement have been discussed." Faced with pressure from other nations urging Mr Assad to step down, Moscow has insisted that it is up to the Syrian people to vote Mr Assad in or out. With the Syrian government controlling most of the country and Islamic State (IS) fighters in disarray, Mr Putin told Mr Assad at the Monday meeting that Moscow is about to curtail its military presence there. "Regarding our joint operation to fight terrorists in Syria, this military operation is indeed coming to an end," he told Mr Assad in televised remarks. "I'm pleased to see your willingness to work with everyone who wants peace and settlement." The Kremlin has announced scale-downs and a halt in its operation in Syria before but did not follow through. Mr Putin in March 2016 ordered a withdrawal from Syria, saying "all the tasks have been accomplished". In January, Russia said it was pulling out its aircraft carrier and other warships from the waters off Syria. Russia continued to operate warships off the Syrian shore as late as this autumn. Footage and photographs released by the Kremlin press office showed Mr Putin giving Mr Assad a warm embrace on his arrival at Mr Putin's residence in Sochi. Russian television showed footage of Mr Putin and Mr Assad entering a meeting with Russia's defence ministry and the General Staff. "I asked the Syrian president to stop by," Mr Putin told the Russian generals. He then referred to Mr Assad and said: "I would like to introduce you to people who played a key role in saving Syria." Mr Assad's office quoted him as thanking Russia and its military, which he said "gave martyrs and made efforts in Syria". He added: "I was very happy to know that you are here since you are the officers who directly took part in the battle in Syria." Mr Assad said the Russian Air Force helped Syrian troops in the fight against insurgents, helping many Syrians to return to their homes. "In the name of the Syrian people, I greet you and thank you all, every Russian officer, fighter and pilot that took part in this war." The meeting came two days after Syrian troops and their allies captured the eastern town of Boukamal, the last major inhabited area held by the IS group in Syria. Syrian troops and their Iran-backed allies marched into the town under the cover of Russian air strikes. AP Sounds detected by probes deep in the South Atlantic did not come from an Argentine submarine that has been lost for five days, the country's navy said, dashing newfound hope among relatives of the 44 sailors aboard. Navy spokesman Enrique Balbi told reporters that the "noise" was analysed 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," Mr Balbi said. "Some sources were saying that this was banging on the hull in Morse code signals." The noise was heard by two Argentine navy ships about 220 miles (360km) from the Argentine coast and at a depth of about 650ft (200m). A US 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 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 20ft (6m). In the first confirmation of a malfunction, an Argentine navy official said earlier Monday that the submarine reported a battery failure on 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 Mr Balbi said earlier on 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, Mr Balbi said. At the Vatican, Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, said he was sending "fervent prayers" for the crew. The US 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 on 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 on Monday at the navy's base in Mar del Plata, which is about 250 miles (400km) 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, said. "Every minute is oxygen that's worth gold." AP President Donald Trump has glossed over allegations of sexual assault against Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore and said voters should not support Moore's "liberal" rival. The president addressed the swirling controversy surrounding Mr Moore for the first time since top Republican leaders called on him to step aside more than a week ago. "We don't need a liberal person in there," President Trump said of Mr Moore's rival, Democrat Doug Jones. "We don't need somebody who's soft on crime like Jones." President Trump said he will announce next week whether he will campaign on Mr Moore's behalf. He spoke to reporters at the White House before leaving for a Thanksgiving break at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Six women have accused Mr Moore of pursuing romantic relationships with them when they were teenagers and he was an assistant district attorney in his 30s. Two have accused him of assault or molestation; he vehemently denies it. President Trump, who has faced more than a dozen accusations of sexual misconduct himself, dismissed questions from reporters about him backing a man accused of sexual assault over a man who is a Democrat. He pointed to Mr Moore's assertions that he did nothing wrong. "Roy Moore denies it, that's all I can say," President Trump said. "He denies it." He also noted that the allegations came from behaviour alleged to have happened decades ago. "40 years is a long time," President Trump said, questioning why it took so long for Mr Moore's accusers to come forward. Previously, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had said only that President Trump "thinks that the people of Alabama should make the decision on who their next senator should be". Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, both Republicans, have called on Mr Moore to leave the race in light of the accusations. The Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have pulled their support for Mr Moore's campaign ahead of the December 12 special election to fill the seat once held by Republican Jeff Sessions, now the US attorney general. The allegations against Mr Moore come amid a national reckoning over misdeeds by powerful men in media, business and politics. President Trump said he is "very happy" that women are speaking out about their experiences. "I think it's a very special time because a lot of things are coming out and I think that's good for our society and I think it's very, very good for women," the president said. More than a dozen women came forward at the end of the 2016 presidential election to say that Mr Trump had sexually assaulted or harassed them over the years. He denied it. He was also caught on tape in 2005 boasting that he could grab women's private parts. "When you're a star, they let you do it," Mr Trump said on the Access Hollywood tape. AP Britains buoyant manufacturing industry has seen its strongest order book level for nearly three decades thanks to robust demand from overseas buyers, according to a report. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) industrial trends survey saw total orders in the three months to November hit the highest rate since August 1988, with the chemicals and food industries enjoying a bright period. Export order books reached a joint 20-year high, as the Brexit-hit pound fuels an appetite for British goods by making them cheaper on international markets. While output also accelerated during the period, growth is expected to slow for the three months to February. Anna Leach, the CBIs head of economic intelligence, said: UK manufacturers are once more performing strongly as global growth and the lower level of sterling continue to support demand. Output growth has picked up again, and export order books match the highest in more than 20 years. Nonetheless, uncertainty continues to hold back investment and cost pressures remain strong. Manufacturers will be hoping the Budget brings some relief from the business rates burden in particular. The survey, which includes the views of 397 manufacturers, said total order books had a balance of plus 17%, with 28% of firms reporting levels above normal. Output growth expectations for the upcoming quarter also enjoyed a positive balance of plus 13%, as 27% of manufacturers expect volumes to rise. Howard Archer, EY ITEM Clubs chief economic adviser, said: The CBI industrial trends survey points to manufacturing orders picking up strongly in November to be at the highest level for nearly 30 years. There was also a marked rise in the number of manufacturers reporting that their output had risen over the past three months. Specifically, the total orders balance surged to plus 17% in November which was the highest reading since August 1988 having previously fallen back to an 11-month low of minus 2% in October from plus 7% in September and plus 13% in August. It was substantially above the long-term average of minus 14%. The update comes after official figures published earlier this month showed the industrial sector has enjoyed a stellar run. Industrial production unexpectedly grew by 0.7% month-on-month in September, recording its sixth straight month of growth for the first time in 23 years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The statistics agency also revealed manufacturing output had climbed 0.7% in September, driven by robust growth in cars and medical equipment. The UK economy accelerated to 0.4% in the third quarter, with the lions share of the expansion coming from the services and manufacturing industries. The Trump administration has said it is ending a temporary residency permit programme 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%," 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 programme, known as Temporary Protected Status (TPS). 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, said, "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. "We need to push Washington to provide a legal status for us with TPS," Ms Ponthieux said. "This is anti-immigrant policy." Advocates for Haitians quickly criticised the decision, arguing the conditions in the island nation have not improved nearly enough for Haitians to be deported. Florida Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, a Republican, expressed "strong opposition" to the measure and urged the administration to reconsider. "Forcing them to leave the United States would be detrimental," he said in a press release. "Almost eight years later, Haiti remains in total disarray and still requires much rebuilding." Amanda Baran, policy consultant at the Immigrant Legal Resource Centre, called the termination of the status a "heartless decision" and said the Trump administration has no plan in place for the US-born children who may now lose their Haitian parents and caregivers to deportation. While Haiti has made advances spurred by international aid since the quake, the Caribbean nation remains one of the poorest in the world. The United Nations last month ended a peacekeeping mission in Haiti that, at its peak, included more than 10,000 troops. Its new mission is comprised of about 1,300 international civilian police officers and 350 civilians who will help the country try to reform a deeply troubled justice system. The Homeland Security Department made its announcement 60 days before temporary status for the Haitians is set to expire. In May, the agency extended the programme for only six months instead of the customary 18, and urged Haitians under the program to get their affairs in order and prepare to go home. The temporary status covers some 435,000 people from nine countries ravaged by natural disasters or war, who came to the US legally or otherwise. Days after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010, President Barack Obama granted the 18-month protection status for Haitians in America who would otherwise have to go home.Mr Obama renewed it every time it ran out. Monday's decision does not affect thousands of Haitians who were taken in by Brazil and other South American countries after the earthquake and began making their way to the United States last year. US Customs and Border Protection says 6,424 Haitians showed up at border crossings with Mexico during the 12-month period ended September 30, up from only 334 a year earlier. They were generally paroled to live in the United States on humanitarian grounds. Since taking office, Mr Trump has ended temporary permit programmes for Sudan and Nicaragua. He postponed until next July a decision on how to deal with a similar program for 86,000 residents from Honduras. US officials have said conditions in Haiti have significantly improved since the disaster. But advocates for Haitians say a persistent cholera epidemic and damages caused by three hurricanes since 2016 exacerbate the difficulty for returning Haitians. AP The Trump administration is preparing new sanctions on North Korea, a day after declaring it a state sponsor of terrorism in a move to put additional pressure on Pyongyang's nuclear programme. North Korea has joined Iran, Sudan and Syria on America's terror blacklist, a largely symbolic step as the administration already has the authority to impose virtually any sanctions it wants on Kim Jong Un's government over its nuclear weapons development. As part of its "maximum pressure" campaign, President Donald Trump said the Treasury Department would impose more sanctions on North Korea and "related persons" starting on Tuesday, without hinting who or what would be targeted. The move is part of a rolling effort 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. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday the pressure campaign was starting to bite in Pyongyang, which is already facing unprecedented UN-mandated sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. Mr Tillerson said anecdotal evidence and intelligence suggests the North is now suffering fuel shortages, with queues at petrol stations, and its revenues are down. The US has been applying sanctions of its own as well. In Tokyo, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed the move, telling reporters Japan supports the step as a way to increase pressure on North Korea. But Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang expressed concern. Mr Lu said that the situation is "highly sensitive" and that it would be "helpful to bring all parties back to the negotiation table instead of doing the opposite". Da Zhigang, a North Korea expert at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said the move "will arouse diplomatic reactions and hatred toward the US from North Korea" and could even prompt the North to resume missile tests. An editorial on Tuesday in North Korea's ruling party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, called Mr Trump a "heinous criminal" who had insulted the dignity of the country's supreme leadership and its socialist system during his recent visit to South Korea. The editorial, carried by the state-run news agency, threatened "merciless punishment". It did not mention the terror designation. In September, Mr Trump opened the way for the US to punish foreign companies dealing with North Korea. He issued an executive order expanding the Treasury Department's ability to target anyone conducting significant trade in goods, services or technology with the North, and to ban them from interacting with the US financial system. Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow on Northeast Asia at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said the Treasury could be preparing more designations against North Korean entities related to the terrorism listing, or possibly Chinese or other companies violating the September order. A potential target would be Chinese banks that serve as North Korea's conduit to the international system. Such a move would irk Beijing, whose help Mr Trump is counting on to put an economic squeeze on Pyongyang. Mr Tillerson urged China, which accounts for 90% of North Korea's external trade, to take unilateral steps to cut fuel supplies to its wayward neighbour. China, which is calling for dialogue to ease the nuclear tensions, is reluctant to exert economic pressure that could destabilise the North. Mr Tillerson 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 Kim: "This is only going to get worse until you're ready to come and talk." North Korea has been on and off the terror list over the years. It was designated for two decades because of its involvement in international terror attacks in the 1980s, then taken off in 2008 to smooth the way for nuclear talks that soon failed. AP Kolkata, Nov 21 (IBNS): In a collaboration between the Embassy of Israel in India and Culture Monks, Israeli innovator Matan Berkowitz will hold a series of lectures and workshops in Kolkata this week during his three- day visit in the city. Berkowitz will be engaging with young Indian entrepreneurs at Loretto College, IIEST Shibpur, Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute and IIM Calcutta. Recently featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 list of most promising young Israelis in science & technology, Matan Berkowitz (Ma Tan) lives in the nexus of art, technology and positive impact. His award winning inventions translate movements, brainwaves & heartbeats into music and turn everyday objects into innovative instruments. As the founder of Shift, a company which specializes in positive innovation, Berkowitz works with startups, municipalities, hospitals and organizations on forward thinking projects. Of the various lectures and workshops Berkowitz will be holding in Kolkata, two are open to the public: Nexus of Technology, Art & Life at SRFTI Kolkata (Nov. 23rd, 5:30 pm), and Rapid Innovation - Prototyping Workshop at IIM Calcutta (Nov. 23rd, 10:30 am). The event is part of the celebrations of 25 years of growing partnership between India and Israel. Innovation and technology have been recognized as one of the pillars of the Indo-Israeli relations during PM Modis visit to Israel in July 2017. Image: twitter.com/narendramodi New Delhi, Nov 21 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday greeted former Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on her birthday. Calling her one of the 'tallest political leaders in Gujarat', the Prime Minister tweeted, "Birthday greetings to former Gujarat CM @anandibenpatel. Anandiben is among the tallest political leaders in Gujarat. Through her hardwork, she has strengthened the BJP and is admired for her administrative skills. I pray for her long and healthy life." Patel, the first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat, was succeeded by Vijay Rupani of the BJP. Image: twitter.com/narendramodi A former gym employee who spied on nude women at a Lincoln gym and secretly made videos of them got a year and a half in jail Monday, plus five years of probation. Jade Hawklen, 29, also will have to register as a sex offender for the next 25 years. "I just wanted to apologize for my actions and the pain and suffering that I caused to the women and their families," he said, a couple of them watching in the courtroom. Hawklen said he never posted or shared any of the images that police found on his phone and computer, and he hoped that his victims could forgive him. Deputy Lancaster County Public Defender John Jorgensen said Hawklen "is, in some regards, something of a man-child" as a result of his parents removing him from school in third grade and growing up in isolation. "When one learns about the birds and the bees from watching TV it's not too terribly surprising that you have an individual that is so socially awkward and socially inept in every way and illiterate. None of those things mean that Mr. Hawklen is a bad individual," he said. Jorgensen said throughout the case Hawklen, who had no prior criminal record, recognized he needs help and wants it. Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Chris Turner said police identified 15 of Hawklen's victims, but there were others, too, who he had recorded, after letting himself in a locked room at the gym. He said it caused the victims mental anguish realizing someone had been in the room without them knowing, recording them naked just feet away. "Certainly that constituted a very serious invasion of their privacy and one that many of them continue to deal with," Turner said. One of Hawklen's victims caught him in the act and reported him to police. She told investigators that after she worked out at Planet Fitness, 3020 Folkways Blvd., early Nov. 28, 2016, Hawklen encouraged her to use a light therapy machine, designed to be used in the nude, inside a private room. Hawklen showed her how to use it, then left the room, Turner said. The woman locked the door but moments later saw a man peering through a gap in the machine from inside the room, apparently trying to record her with his cellphone. He got away, but surveillance footage showed Hawklen unlocking the door to the room and leaving in a hurry about a minute later. Hawklen later admitted to police that he used to work at the gym, had a key to the room and had made videos. Police found a number of them in a folder on his computer. Investigators ultimately identified 14 women and a 15-year-old girl in recordings Hawklen made between Aug. 30, 2015, and Nov. 28, 2016. He pleaded no contest to three counts of unlawful intrusion and a fourth charge of attempted unlawful intrusion. In court Monday, Lancaster County District Judge John Colborn said: "There needs to be some incarceration for what you did." With good time, Hawklen will have to serve roughly nine months. Ten of the women since have sued Planet Fitness, accusing the gym of negligence, invading their privacy and breaching its contract to provide customers a safe place to exercise. Those cases are all pending in Lancaster County District Court. Image: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas New Delhi, Nov 21 (IBNS): In another major diplomatic win for India, judge Dalveer Bhandari has been re-elected to the International Court of Justice after winning majority in the elections, forcing the United Kingdom to withdraw its candidate. Tweeting the results, Indian Ambassador to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin said, "A vote that brings cheer to a billion India's nominee Judge Bhandari re-elected to ICJ General Assembly 183 Security Council 15." A vote that brings cheer to a billion India's nominee Judge Bhandari re-elected to ICJ General Assembly 183 Security Council 15 YY pic.twitter.com/ycclYQ7tcI Syed Akbaruddin (@AkbaruddinIndia) November 20, 2017 Hailing the results, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted, "Congratulations to Justice Dalveer Bhandari on his re-election as a Judge of the ICJ. Huge efforts by Team - MEA. Syed Akbaruddin @AkbaruddinIndia our Permanent Representative in UN deserves a special mention." Congratulations to Justice Dalveer Bhandari on his re-election as a Judge of the ICJ. Huge efforts by Team - MEA. Syed Akbaruddin @AkbaruddinIndia our Permanent Representative in UN deserves a special mention. Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 21, 2017 Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, a permanent member of the UN, had to withdraw its candidate, Christopher Greenwood. The move is viewed by commentators as a setback for the Security Council. The Indian judge filled the 15th and the last seat of IJC, as UK went without a seat for the first time in 71 years. Matthew Rycroft, the UKs permanent representative at the UN", said in his letter, "The current deadlock is unlikely to be broken by further rounds of voting. We have therefore consulted our candidate, Sir Christopher Greenwood, who has confirmed that his candidature for re-election to the international court of justice should be withdrawn. In taking this step, we have borne in mind the close relationship that the United Kingdom and India have always enjoyed and will continue to enjoy, and the fact that both candidates fulfil the requirements for election and have already served the court diligently with impartiality and independence. The letter added that had voting been stalemated again, there is a mechanism for resolving disputes a joint conference between the UN security council and general assembly - but it acknowledged that some thought needs to be given to this procedure before the next ICJ election in order that it might be used when it is clearly needed. He added: 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. The UK congratulates the successful candidates, including Judge Bhandari of India. We are naturally disappointed, but it was a competitive field with six strong candidates. If the UK could not win in this runoff, then we are pleased that it is a close friend like India that has done so instead. We will continue to cooperate closely with India, here in the United Nations and globally. Bhandari joins Ronny Abraham of France, Chaloka Beyani (Zambia), Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade (Brazil), Nawaf Salam (Lebanon), and Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia) as the five judges who will serve along with ten other judges at the ICJ. Their nine-year terms begin 6 February 2018. The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected by an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and Security Council. Five seats come up for election every three years. There is no bar on consecutive ter Established in 1945, and based in The Hague in the Netherlands, the ICJ informally known as the World Court settles legal disputes between States and gives advisory opinions on legal questions that have been referred to it by other authorized UN organs. The election of the first members of the World Court took place on 6 February 1946, at the first session of the UN General Assembly and Security Council. Image: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas Chennai, Nov 21 (IBNS): Reacting to the Padmavati row, Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan said he wants Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone's head to be "saved" after a politician offered a bounty for the Padmavati lead actor. Haasan's comment came after a Haryana BJP leader offered a bounty of Rs. 10 crore to the people for the heads of Bhansali along with Padukone, who is playing the role of Rani Padmini in Padmavati. The Tamil actor tweeted:"I wantMs.Deepika's head.. saved. Respect it more than her body.Even more her freedom. Do not deny her that.Many communities have apposed my films.Extremism in any debate is deplorable. Wake up cerebral India.Time to think. We've said enough. Listen Ma Bharat." I wantMs.Deepika's head.. saved. Respect it more than her body.Even more her freedom. Do not deny her that.Many communities have apposed my films.Extremism in any debate is deplorable. Wake up cerebral India.Time to think. We've said enough. Listen Ma Bharat Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) November 20, 2017 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.. Image: Facebook page of Kamal Haasan, facebook.com/FilmPadmavati Lucknow, Nov 21 (IBNS): The decade old Ayodha feud could soon come to an end as the Shia Waqf Board has suggested the Ram Mandir to be built in Ayodha, while a mosque will be erected in Lucknow, reports said. Submitting a proposal before the Supreme Court, the board said it's looking at the bigger picture of national interest. "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 said. The board also accused the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board of "wrongly staking its claim on the Babri Masjid". However, the board said that one acre of land outside the 'religious peripheries of Ayodha' must be allotted to the community for the construction of the mosque. "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. In its application, the board 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," the board said. Image credit: Screengrab from YouTube Guwahati, Nov 21 (IBNS): The Assam government has suspended 10 of the 23 officers arrested in connection with the cash-for-job scam in Assam Public Service Commission (APSC), officials said on Tuesday. The arrested officers of Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS) and other allied services were accused of paying large sums of money to secure jobs following the competitive examination conducted by the APSC. According to reports, the personnel department of the state government had suspended the 10 officers by issuing a notification. "The suspended 10 officers belong to the Assam Civil Service and they were declared successful in the 2013 competitive examination and appointed in 2015," a top official of personnel department said. The suspended officers are Debojit Bora, Dipak Khanikar, Kunal Das, Daithun Borgoyari, Anirudha Roy, Pallavi Sarma Choudhury, Himangshu Choudhury, Kamal Debnath, Rajarshi Sen Deka, Badarul Islam Choudhury. Rajarshi Sen Deka is son of former Assam Congress minister Nilamoni Sen Deka. The top official said that the other accused, including those from ACS, APS and other allied services, are likely to be suspended soon. Earlier, the state government had dismissed from service three ACS officers, who were arrested in connection with the scandal. While 23 officers were arrested or surrendered themselves in the court in the past two weeks, two others are absconding; the absconding officers have been identified as ACS officer Nishamoni Deka and APS officer Rakesh Gupta. On November 20, Rumi Saikia, assistant commissioner and an ACS officer, who was reportedly absconding, had surrendered before the special court in Guwahati. On the other hand, Assam police is planning to question at least 38 more officials in connection with the scandal. A top police official said that the investigating team had accessed the forensic report of several answer scripts, which were earlier seized from the APSC office in Guwahai. We have already identified a few more officials after receiving the forensic report and will likely ask them to appear before the investigating team, the top police official said. A top official of Assam police said that, apart from it, police has 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 came 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 registered a case and arrested the then chairman of APSC Rakesh Paul from Guwahati; they later arrested a few more people, 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, 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) Image: AIR News Twitter Ludhiana, Nov 21 (IBNS): While rescue workers continued to look for people buried under debris, the death toll in the Ludhiana plastic factory fire rose to 10 on Tuesday morning, according to media reports. The multi-storied building in Mushtaq Ganj near Cheema Chowk caught fire on Monday resulting in collapsing of the roof and part of the building. The media quoted an officer from the rescue team as saying that 10 bodies have been taken out of the debris and a few more feared trapped underneath the rubble. The bodies have been sent for post mortem. Two of the deceased have been identified as fireman Puran Singh and taxi service owner Inderpal Singh, reported Hindustan Times on Monday. Several teams of NDRF, SDRF, the Army and Punjab Police are involved in the rescue operations. Punjab Chief Minister Capt, Amarinder Singh tweeted on Tuesday, "Deeply pained at the loss of lives due to the unfortunate fire that broke out in a factory at #Ludhiana. Rescue operation is still on, will leave for Ludhiana shortly to access the situation." Image: AIR News Twitter Kolkata, Nov 21 (IBNS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday condemned the killing of journalist Sudip Datta Bhaumik in North eastern Indian state Tripura, media reports said. Offering condolences to the family of the deceased, the WB CM tweeted: "We strongly condemn the brutal killing of journalist Sudip Dutta Bhowmik in Tripura. My condolences to the family of the deceased." We strongly condemn the brutal killing of journalist Sudip Dutta Bhowmik in Tripura. My condolences to the family of the deceased Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 21, 2017 Journalist Sudip Datta Bhaumik was shot by a jawan of Second Tripura State Rifles (TSR) at Khayerpur Bodhjung Nagar area, outskirts of Agartala while he was busy at the area to collect news. This is the second journalist killing incident in the state in two months. According to the reports, Sudip had reached the area to meet the commandant of the Second TSR after obtaining proper appointment from the official. When the journalist reached the area there he had an altercation with a PSO of the commandant and the jawan shot the journalist from zero range. The seriously injured journalist was rushed to the nearest hospital but he succumbed to his injuries. A top police official said that, police had already arrested the PSO named Tapan Debbarma. Police had sent the body Bhaumik, a journalist of Syandan Patrika, a leading Bengali newspaper of Tripura and a local news channel Venguard, to Gobinda Ballav Panth Medical College and Hospital in Agartala for postmortem. On September 20 last, Shantanu Bhaumik, a journalist of a local news channel Din-Raat was killed by a mob near Agartala while he had gone to the area to cover an incident of clash between CPI(M) and IPFT members, supporters. On the other hand, Journalists Forum Assam (JFA) has strongly condemned the repeated murder of scribes in Tripura within two months and urged the Manik Sarkar led government in Agartala to take serious note of the development. The scribes forum expressed utter dismay that the tiny State of northeast India has lost one more journalist on Tuesday. "Tripura lost a young journalist (Shantanu Bhowmik) to assailants on Sept 20 and within 60 days the State has reported one more journo-murder. It is very much shocking and frustrating. The State chief minister, also in charge of home portfolio, must take his call with sincerity," said a JFA statement. With Sudips killing, India has lost ten journalists in eleven months of the year. The largest democracy in the globe earlier witnessed the murder of journalist Rajesh Mishra in Uttar Pradesh on Oct 21. The string of journo-killings began with Hari Prakash (killed on Jan 2) and the trend continued with the murders of Brajesh Kumar Singh (Jan 3), Shyam Sharma (May 15), Kamlesh Jain (May 31), Surender Singh Rana ( July 29), Gauri Lankesh (Sept 5), Shantanu Bhowmik (Sept 20) and KJ Singh (Sept 23). India is ranked 136th among 180 countries in its RSFs World Press Freedom Index (2017), which is just ahead of its neighbors Pakistan (139th), Sri Lanka (141) and Bangladesh (146). The populous country lost six journalists to perpetrators in 2016, which was preceded by five cases in 2015. "It is alarming that the number of journo-murders has increased the drastically this year. The Union government in New Delhi must not buy more time for formulating a strict policy to safeguard the media persons and ensure justice to the victim families," added the statement issued by JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria. Patna, Nov 21 (TheBIharPost): Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad was on Tuesday elected as the national president of the RJD for the 10th consecutive times. He will continue on his post till 2020the period during which both the Lok Sabha elections and Bihar assembly elections are scheduled to be solemnised. While the next LS elections are due in 2019, the Bihar assembly polls are due in 2020. His election as the RJD president was announced at the meeting the party national council held in the SK Memorial Hall on Tuesday. Party delegates from as many as 24 states attended the meeting. Soon after his election, he was offered a bouquet of flowers by his wife Rabri Devi while his elder son gifted him a saplings of Tulsi, a considered very auspicious in Hindu culture. Once being elected, Prasad launched a massive attack on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi whom he accused of taking the common men a ride. (thebiharpost.com) Kolkata, Nov 21 (IBNS): Acting on Central Intelligence Bureau (IB)'s inputs, Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) arrested three suspects, including two Al-Qaeda linkmen and an arms dealer, from Chitpur area in north part of the city on Tuesday, officials said. According to reports, a team of STF nabbed three suspects, including two Bangladeshi nationals, at Kolkata railway station area at around 3 pm. "Based on Central IB inputs, a STF team arrested three persons from Kolkata railway station at Chitpur area today at around 3 pm," DC STF Murli Dhar Sharma told IBNS. "The arrested persons have been identified as Samsad Mian alias Tanvir alias Tushar Biswas alias Saiful, Riaz alias Riajul Islam alias Suman and Monotosh Dey alias Monada. They are the residents of Sunamganj district in Bangladesh's Sylhet division, Khulna in Bangladesh and Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal respectively," Sharma said. Police officials said that the Bangladeshi nationals went to meet Bengal-based illegal firearms dealer Monotosh Dey near Kolkata railway station when they were nabbed. "The Bangladeshi nationals, who have been staying in India illegally without any valid documents for last 1.5 years, met arms dealer Monotosh today to check arms samples as they wanted to buy some new and modern firearms," Murli Dhar Sharma added. Kolkata Police, however, confirmed that two Bangladeshis were directly linked with Bangladesh-based banned Islamic extremist organization Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), which was involved in the serial killing of Bangladeshi bloggers in 2015. "Samsad Mian and Riaz are directly connected with Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) or Ansar Bangla, which is a front group for Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent," Murli Dhar Sharma said. "Riaz is a top leader of his wing while civil engineer Samsad is an active member of the terrorist organization." The city police recovered several terrorist documents from the arrested suspects' processions. "We have seized several documents, including several Jihadi booklets, books on explosive making, Al-Qaeda leaflets, religious copies, extremist documents and two fake aadhar cards, from the Bangladesh nationals possessions and few firearms from the arms dealer's possession," senior IPS officer Sharma told IBNS. Police, however, have booked the trio under sections 467, 468, 471 and 120B of IPC, section 25(1A) of Arms Act and section 14 of Foreigners Act. "The trio will be produced before a city court tomorrow and we will appeal for their STF custody," a senior Kolkata Police official told IBNS. (Reporting by Deepayan Sinha) New Delhi, Nov 21 (IBNS): The political scenario of India witnessed a major controversy when Yuva Desh, Indian Youth Congress's online magazine, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his English speaking skills. In its Twitter handle, the magazine put up a picture where Modi could be seen speaking with US President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May. In the edited picture, Modi could be seen asking the other two leaders if they knew about the 'memes' put against him by opposition leaders. The PM could be seen being corrected about the actual pronunciation of 'memes' an then advised to 'sell tea'. The tweet has been deleted amid criticisms. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani slammed the post and tweeted: "This blatantly classist and anti-poor Tweet by the Youth Congress shows their mindset towards Indias poor. Does Crown Prince @OfficeOfRG support this? ." Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called it a ' political suicide' committed by the Congress. "What is about elements of the Congress party that commit political suicide with such amazing regularity? This tweet is in such poor taste," he said. Union Health Minister JP Nadda tweeted: "A tweet can be deleted but not the mentality which brands masses as 'Cattle class' & 'Mango people'. They cant fathom a Chaiwala leading the nation. Gujarat Shall Answer!!" Congress leader Randeep S Surjewala said his party disapproved such a post. "INC strongly disapproves & rejects such humour through memes. Differences on policy and opinion aside, Congress culture imbibes respect for PM and all political opponents," he said. Image: JP Nadda Twitter page The United Nations has the obligation, whatever difficulties persist, to continue its good offices mission, alongside regional actors, to allow Burundi to emerge from crisis, Michel Kafando, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Burundi said on Monday, presenting his regular quarterly briefing (in French) to the 15-member Council. Kafando informed the Security Council that in supporting regional efforts to advance negotiations on the conduct of an inclusive intra-Burundian dialogue, he had met with national authorities, opposition figures both within the country and those exiled in Brussels, as well as regional actors, including the mediator, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda. The mediator, as well as the dialogue facilitator and the Government of Burundi, have decided to convene a discussion between the Government and all other parties, including the opposition in exile, beginning next on Monday(27 November). The UN Special Envoy also informed the Council that Burundi's ombudsman to the dialogue maintains that proposed amendments to the constitution, including a provision for seven-year presidential terms, were in line with the Arusha Accords that ended Burundi's civil war during the 1990s. Kafando further stated that the security situation in the country remains calm except for protests against the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s decision to open investigations into crimes against humanity committed in the country since 2015. At the same time, demonstrators had denounced reports of arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, torture, forced disappearance, degrading treatment, restrictions on freedom of association, intimidation and hate speech, he added. Also briefing the Council on Monday, Jurg Lauber, the Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN and Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission's Burundi configuration, said that since his last briefing in July, he had held a number of meetings, including with Burundi's Minister for External Relations and International Cooperation. The UN Resident Coordinator in Burundi had participated in a meeting of the configuration on 8 November, where he had characterized the situation in Burundi as one of chronic vulnerability. Lauber further reported that in discussions, national and international actors had highlighted Burundi's food security, health, education and energy challenges, while international partners were increasingly focusing on strengthening the people's resilience and immediate humanitarian needs. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance could reach 6 million people, while the response plan has less than half the funds it needs. The refugee response plan is also just 19 per cent funded. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Source: www.justearthnews.com Cindy Lange-Kubick Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick has loved writing columns about life in her hometown since 1994. She had hoped to become a people person by now, nonetheless she would love to hear your tales of fascinating neighbors and interesting places. Follow Cindy Lange-Kubick Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today The Piedmont Pillar Project began with a guy who doesnt live in Piedmont. His name is Brad Carper. He makes his home on a winding street called East Bermuda, nearly two miles to the south and east of the middle-of-Lincoln enclave populated by stately two-stories and sprawling brick ranches. However, the 64-year-old did grow up in Piedmont. And he was a paperboy in Piedmont. And his brother, Jeff, still lives in the Carper family home just across the way from the Piedmont Project: the restoration of a pair of stone gates with powder-coated black lanterns near 52nd and Randolph, looking just as good as when they first welcomed drivers in 1927. Its been three years since Carper stood in Jeffs yard and his gaze fell upon those gates. It struck him that they were looking their age. Missing mortar, the stone darkened, not a lantern in sight. That seemed like a shame. I got an estimate to see how much it might cost to tuckpoint the brick, said the quality engineer at Kawasaki. And it was way out of my league. Then he had an idea: Ill just write a letter to all the residents of Piedmont and see if theyd be willing to help me out. So he called up the county assessors site and found 107 addresses in the Piedmont subdivision. He wrote a two-page letter, complete with sad pictures of the last remaining set of gates, the sole survivors of the developments original five one pair at each entrance. He asked for donations, calculating the cost of repair at $75 a household. This is not some financial scam, he wrote. My grandfather lived at 1310 Crestdale in the '30s. My brother still lives in Piedmont ... The older Ive become the more the past has become important to me. He included his address and his email. Call me, hed added. Im still in the phone book. Then he stamped and mailed his plea and waited. Checks started showing up in the mail. It took a year to collect enough money to fix the 15-foot-tall arches, know as the Piedmont pillars. But he wasnt finished. As Carper collected the cash, more than one resident had a question that went something like this: Wait, werent there lanterns, too? Indeed there were, Carper said, and the brackets were still intact. And thus began the second stage of the Piedmont Project. Carper visited the State Historical Society in search of old photos. He contacted local historian Jim McKee (who found a photo that included a partial lantern from the 1930s); he reached out to the citys preservation planner Ed Zimmer (who came up with an aerial shot from the 1950s). He found a blacksmith willing to recreate the lanterns, and a year and $1,000 later, the lighting fixtures created with old-style rivets were finished. Now all he needed to do was turn them on. But it wasnt that simple. When he contacted LES, they told him: Sorry, not our territory. They had no record that these were part of the street light system, Carper said. The Lincoln Electric System has only been around since 1966, long after the lanterns were wired for electricity. I was like Captain Ahab chasing the white whale trying to get the lanterns turned on, Carper said. After meetings and phone calls and an agreement to pay for the cost of the installation, the project was blessed by the Public Works Department. Carper dug under the gates himself to uncover the original wiring and devised a plan to hook the lanterns up to the photoelectric cell on top of a nearby street light. He sent out a second round of fundraising emails, stuffed more envelopes (with an assist from a pair of previous donors) and expanded his reach to former Piedmont residents. Plenty of people gave again. Charley Ogden was one of them. Im very much in tune with keeping the flavor of Piedmont as it is, said the longtime resident and supporter of the restoration project. The gates are set for more than my lifetime. Once the lights were wired and working in late September and a few last pieces of loose brick were tucked in tight neighbors held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and Carper cut the ribbon. Next spring, he hopes to host a more formal gathering with refreshments and applause for all who contributed to the $9,400 total. In the meantime, the Piedmont Pillar Project planner makes a point of appreciating what the people of Piedmont have helped make happen. I go through Piedmont on my way to work, Carper said. Its still dark and I can see the lanterns glow. For me, the most shocking part of the Rohingya refugee crisis is the number of children who have had to flee their homes, Davis, Goodwill Ambassador for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said at the end of her visit to Kutupalong Refugee camp in Bangladesh. 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, she added. She said that they need 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, she said. According to UNHCR, the Rohingya are a stateless minority in Myanmar. Since violence erupted on 25 August 2017 in Myanmars northern Rakhine state, more than 600,000 people have fled to Bangladesh. Children make up 54 per cent of the total population. A recent survey of more than 170,000 families, or 740,000 individuals found that 5,677, or 3.3 per cent, of the households are headed by children; more than 4,800 households, or 2.8 per cent, include separated and unaccompanied children; and as many as 14 per cent of families are composed of single mothers holding their families together with little support in harsh camp conditions. This is currently the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world and seeing the impact of this emergency on children is devastating, Davis continued. UNHCR requires $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. 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. Photo: UNHCR/Andy Hall Source: www.justearthnews.com Ottawa, Nov 21 (IBNS): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the federal government will certainly take actions against those citizens who joined the Islamic State, a terrorist organisation, breaking the anti-terrorism law of the country, media reports said. The Prime Minister said Canada will prosecute all those who are breaking the anti-terrorism law. Trudeau, apart from ensuring strict actions, also expressed his concerns for the security of the country. He feels the citizens, who have joined the IS, will pose security threats to the country once they return to the country. "We recognize the return of even one individual (who joined the ISIS group) may have serious national security implications," the PM said on Monday. "We are going to monitor them. We are also there to help them to let go of that terrorist ideology," Trudeau added. Though the PM said the lawbreakers will be prosecuted, he also stated the Canadian government will try to bring those people, who have joined the IS, to the normal lives and embed them into the society. According to a media report, around 160 Canadians have joined the IS so far while 60 of them returned to the country. In late September, one Quebec man was convicted for attempting to leave Canada and join the IS. Later, the man was imprisoned for nine years. Habib, then 29, was caught in a sting operation which was carried out against him. The sting operation found that he wanted to go to Syria to join the Islamic State. Habib was the first Canadian to have been imprisoned for desiring to leave the country and join the IS. (Reporting by Suman Das) 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 Markets end the day in Green Indian equity markets had another topsy-turve day today. Markets swung between red and green territory all through the day. Nifty 50 ended, up by 6.25 points. Sensex ended, up by 107.73 po... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 3:40 pm 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 Sai Silks Saree Retailers to launch IPO soon, gets nod from SEBI Sai Silks (Kalamandir) is one of the largest retailers of ethnic apparel. The company has received a nod to float an initial public offer (IPO) in the market to raise funds. As per the Draft Re... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 2:49 pm HAL stock price rises after it gets LOI for 9 helicopters from Indian Coast Guard In hefty trading volumes on Wednesday, Hindustan Aeronautics' shares surged 7% to an all-time high of Rs 2,697.70 on the BSE after the company obtained a letter of intent (LoI) from the Indian ... November 16, 2022 | 16-11-2022 2:38 pm One after the other threats, complaints and PILs are being registered in the wake of the controversies surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Padmavati. The uproar is intensifying instead of slowing down with every passing day. The fate of the movie is still hanging by a thread with its release date being pushed back. While many celebrities have kept mum, Javed Akhtar has taken a stand in fighting against the storm, and it seems he is bearing the consequences now, as a complaint has been registered against the renowned lyricist, according to CNN News 18, for hurting the bravery of the Rajputs. The case has been registered in Sindhi camp police station, Jaipur. (Also Read: After Banning The Film, Madhya Pradesh Will Build A Statue To Honour Maharani Padmavati) While talking to Aaj Tak earlier, Javed Akhtar had said, The Rajputs and the Rajwadas never fought against the British and now they are taking to the streets against a film and a filmmaker. All these ranas rajas and maharajas of Rajasthan were serving in the courts of the British for 200 years. Where did their Rajput honour and valour go that time? They have become what they are since they had accepted to serve the British. (Also Read: Padmavati Row: Announcing Bounty For Beheading Is Illegal, Can Courts Intervene Here?) BCCL In response to his statement, Shri Rajput Karni Senas State President Mahipal Singh Makrana has said, He (Akhtar) has lost our respect. From now on he is banned in Rajasthan and if he dares we will thrash him on the streets. Rajputs and Rajwadas have sacrificed their lives and he is mocking our history and saying we were serving the British. He does not deserve Padharo Mhare Des treatment anymore. He speaks a lot in literature festivals and next time we are not going to allow him to even come to Jaipur and speak, as quoted by TOI. (Also Read: Here Are The Women Whose Honour The Protesters Have Done Nothing About, While They Obsess Over Padmavati) India is home to a billion people and a million artists! These artists, born and raised in the gullies of India, have the messages of the streets flowing through them and their outlet is their art. Art that smells of a rebel, art that is bold and has a message, art that is raw and unscripted. These street artists use art to express themselves and dont restrict their work in the realms of four walls. They use public spaces as their canvas and their lives as an inspiration. Launched on 5th November, the Suede Gully anthem celebrates the unwavering spirits of these extraordinary street artists. For the first time in India, 8 rappers, 36 dancers, 4 dance crews and 7 artists hailing from the gullies of Mumbai, Delhi, Madurai and Shillong have come together for a street collaboration that India has never seen before. Composed by Sneha Khanwalkar and directed by Sasha Jairam, the Suede Gully video has already received overwhelming response, love and appreciation from the youth of the country. The video has crossed 2.2 mn views and is being talked about as the next big street revolution. Here are a few of the most intriguing contemporary artistes in India who we are completely in awe of! 1. DIVINE Born in the chawls of J B Nagar in Andheri, life wasnt hunky-dory for DIVINE. But when everything fell apart, he took things into his hands and picked up the mic. He rose to fame with his tribute to the city of Bombay which has a million views already. But my favourite rap by him is his autobiography. 2. Prabh Deep The 23-year-old rapper from Delhi, who sings in Punjabi and Hindi, is a self-made man in every sense. He addresses issues he feels strongly about and garnered a lot of applause for his explicit debut single, G Maane. 3. Mukti Mohan A well-known dancer and actor, Mukti Mohan is known for her exemplary skills. Her ability to rock to a beat, western and classical, at the drop of a hat is mesmerizing to watch and makes her one of the finest dances in India. Heres Mukti dancing to 'Shape Of You' with her equally talented sister, Shakti. 4. Black Ice Crew Black Ice Crew started with a group of four members in 2008 and has now grown to 15-16 B-boys and girls, doing airflares, backflips and windmills! They have had a big influence on the Indian hip-hop dance scene. Have a look at them breaking to the beat yourself! 5. Shilo Shiv Suleman This Bengaluru-based artist is known for her interactive work, which combines magical realism with technology. She uses sensors in her artworks that make them glow when you breathe on them. Sounds exciting, doesnt it? And now, she is spreading love through street art. A post shared by Shilo Shiv Suleman (@shiloshivsuleman) on Oct 5, 2017 at 5:10am PDT 6. Khasi Bloodz The works of this Shillong-based rapper group echo their take on politics and the declining morality. Their latest track, Dont Stop is the result of the same. While these may be some of the few artists whose work you should definitely check out, theres a lot more that the Suede gully has to offer! Padmavati is going through a hell lot of controversies, one of the first for any Bollywood film. From Rajput Karni Sena to the Netas of the country, everyone is trying to pull down the movie and have been successful. The movie which was slated to release on December 1 has now been postponed until further notice. And now, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has said that Padmavati director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is no less guilty than those issuing threats to actors and others involved with the film. BCCL Adityanath said that if there is any action, "it will be against both the sides". Lashing out at the filmmaker, he said Bhansali was "habitual of playing with public sentiments." The state government has said it would not allow the movie's release till certain "controversial portions" are removed. BCCL "No one has the right to take the law into own hands whether it is Sanjay Leela Bhansali or anyone else," the chief minister said. "I feel that if those threatening (the actors of the film) are guilty, Bhansali is no less guilty," he told reporters in Gorakhpur. On threats being issued to eliminate actors, Adityanath said, "Everyone should respect the feelings of each other. And I feel that if everyone has good thoughts and intentions, there would be amity in society." The film is based on Rajput queen Padmavati. BCCL Amid rumours that there was a romantic dream sequence between Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji's characters, various Rajput and other groups have been protesting across the country, including Rajasthan, against the film, alleging it "distorts" history and hurts sentiments of people. Historians are, however, divided on whether Rani Padmavati even existed. It turns it wasn't just Arvind Kejriwal, but also Pakistan's Punjab government that requested Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh do something to tackle pollution by ending crop stubble burning in the state. reuters/representational image The Punjab (Pakistan) government also suggested a slew of measures to combat smog. Also Read: Parking Fee Increased By Four Times, Metro Fares Reduced, Green Body Proposes To Tackle Pollution In Delhi-NCR In a tweet posted on Wednesday, the Pakistan province's government said that they have imposed a ban on stubble burning and would like Singh to take similar measures. We have imposed a ban on stubble burning in Punjab (Pakistan) & hope @capt_amarinder takes similar measures. Some of our medium/long term action plan to combat SMOG are: https://t.co/xmA4fP3lz8 Environmental hazards threaten our people and habitat. Let us act fast to counter it. https://t.co/QMEnhH89ZS Govt Of The Punjab (@GovtOfPunjab) November 8, 2017 Since last week, the northern part of the Indian sub-continent has been reeling from poor air quality exacerbated by falling temperatures and by the burning of crop stubble in the paddy fields of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. reuters/representational image The Pakistani province's tweet came as a reply to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's tweet urging the CMs of Punjab (India) and Haryana to fix a time for a meeting to seek solution to the smog problem. Also Read: Over 1,000 Haryana Farmers Booked, Fined Rs 12 Lakh For Stubble Burning & Causing Pollution On Wednesday, Punjab chief minister Singh and his Delhi counterpart Kejriwal sparred on Twitter over increasing pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, due to, among other things, burning of crop stubble in Haryana and Punjab. reuters/representational image Singh firmly conveyed there's nothing he can do to ease the situation and said a solution has to come from the Centre. Kejriwal asked if they can just talk. And Singh rebuffed him, reiterating that Punjab is "helpless". Also Read: 14 Images Of Air Pollution In Delhi-NCR Show How Difficult It Is To Breathe Here Trying to play a peace broker in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janm Bhoomi conflict - UP Shia Central Waqf Board (UPShCWB) - has proposed a solution for an out-of-court settlement of the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case: A Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and a mosque in Lucknow. PTI Shia board chairman Waseem Rizvi said they were in favour of a grand Ram temple at the disputed site, reiterating that the board was the rightful and only claimant to the land on which the demolished Babri mosque once existed. The Shia Board said the state government may, in turn, allot one acre of land for a mosque for Shia Muslims in Lucknow's Husainabad area, "away from the religious territory of the Hindus". An application seeking permission to file the said settlement proposal was submitted by the UPShCWB in the Supreme Court on Saturday. The move may revive the rift between the two communities which had led to innumerable sectarian clashes in the past. However, the Sunni leaders and clerics questioned the locus standi of Waseem Rizvi. "The Allahabad high court in its judgment had allotted one-third of the land to the Sunni Waqf Board. If anyone has any doubts over the Sunni Waqf Board's claim, then they should first challenge the high court order," said senior advocate Zafaryab Jilani, the convener of the All-India Babri Masjid Action Committee (AIBMAC) who has also represented the Sunni Waqf Board before the high court and the Supreme Court on the issue. He also claimed that the Shia community has not approved of the out-of-court settlement proposed by Rizvi. "What Waseem Rizvi has suggested does not reflect the sentiments of the two communities per se as the top Shia clerics and the Shia Personal Law Board have already distanced themselves from it," said Sunni cleric Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali. He did not rule out the possibility of such moves leading to misunderstanding and eventually taking its toll on the harmony and cordial relations between Shias and Sunnis that had been restored after years of differences. Twitter '2,000 lives already lost owing to the dispute' At a press conference in Lucknow on Monday, UPShCWB chairman Waseem Rizvi said the board was of the view that the "aastha (faith)" of India's Hindus should take precedence over the "ana (prestige)" of the Muslim community and that the proposal was in the national interest. He said 2,000 lives had already been lost owing to the dispute and a peaceful resolution, through talks, was essential for communal harmony. Rizvi was accompanied by Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Narendra Giri, who said anyone talking of peace was welcome to be a part of the talks, and added, "History will not forgive those not agreeing to proposals such as the one put forth by the UPShCWB." Earlier, Rizvi claimed that the Sunni Central Waqf Board's 1944 notification, in which it claimed custody of the Babri Masjid, had been declared invalid by the Supreme Court in 1982. "Since the Sunni Waqf Board's entire claim on the disputed structure is based on an invalid notification, the body cannot be considered a party to the dispute," Rizvi said. Quoting unspecified historians, he said Mir Baqi, a Shia commander in Mughal ruler Babar's army, had built the Babri Masjid, and his descendants had been "mutawalli (custodians)" of the mosque till 1945. Facebook Rizvi said the board would give up its claim to the disputed land, where the Babri Mosque anyway no longer exists, so that a grand Ram temple may be built at the site. Rizvi said the UPShCWB has written to the state government to allot 1 acre of "nazul" land in Husainabad, a high-density Shia area. He said the board would thereafter form a committee to ensure adherence to guidelines and provide funds for the construction of the mosque. "The mosque shall be called Masjid-e-Aman (Mosque of Peace) and not named after any Mughal ruler, or even Mir Baqi," he said. The proposal document released by the UPShCWB on Monday contains pictures of Hindu religious leaders who it claims have endorsed it. These include, apart from mahant Narendra Giri, chief of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, Mahant Nritya Gopaldas, VHP leader Rameshwar Das, Ayodhya Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas president Ram Vilas Vedanti, Hanumangarhi mahant Dharmdasji Maharaj, and others. In a pair of October letters to lawmakers, University of Nebraska President Hank Bounds and UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green defended the universitys response to an Aug. 25 confrontation between a student recruiting for a conservative group and a graduate student lecturer. Both messages were in response to an editorial penned by first-year state Sens. Steve Erdman of Bayard, Steve Halloran of Hastings and Tom Brewer of Gordon, who accused the university of being a hostile place for students with conservative political beliefs. The senators posed questions on whether UNL could fairly investigate an incident involving graduate student and lecturer Courtney Lawton and second-year student Kaitlyn Mullen, who was recruiting for conservative student group Turning Point USA. To put all of this in perspective, the genesis of your letter appears to be one 20-minute interaction at the university that we appropriately addressed, Green wrote in response on Oct. 31. Chancellor Green has provided you a detailed review of the facts surrounding the incident that took place almost 10 weeks ago at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Bounds added in his own letter. I fully agree with it. But late last Friday, Bounds and Green changed course. A spokeswoman for Bounds on Monday said what changed was their decision to allow Lawton to teach at the university. The teaching assistant involved in the August 25 incident will not be teaching at the University of Nebraska, Bounds wrote Friday in a letter to Gov. Pete Ricketts, Speaker Jim Scheer and other state senators. Green submitted an editorial to Nebraska newspapers Friday evening, saying Lawtons conduct, in which she made an inappropriate gesture toward Mullen and referred to her as a neo-fascist was unacceptable. (S)he has not been teaching at the university since that time. We communicated today to the grad student that she will not teach at our university going forward because of this inappropriate behavior, Green wrote. Last Fridays dismissal came one day after Bounds and Green met with the senators at the Capitol, a meeting that lasted two hours and covered a wide range of topics, Brewer said in a phone interview Monday. The senators and administrators also discussed the discipline -- or lack thereof -- imposed upon Lawton by the university, Brewer said. UNL had previously removed Lawton from the classroom in September after concluding an investigation into the Aug. 25 incident, citing safety and not disciplinary reasons. Brewer said that didnt sit well with the three senators, all Republicans, who told the university administrators they thought Lawton should be fired. We dont have any authority to do the firing, we just said that was the right action to take with her, Brewer said. Reached by phone Monday morning, Halloran directed comment to his legislative staff, who did not return the Journal Stars phone call. Erdman did not respond to an interview request. In an interview Monday afternoon, Lawton said she was contacted at 10:30 a.m. Friday to schedule a meeting with Green, assuming the two would be discussing her return to the classroom next semester. Green and Donde Plowman, UNLs executive vice chancellor, later met with reporters at 1 p.m. Friday to discuss emails that would be made public following a public records request from Conservative Review and other topics surrounding the political climate at UNL. Asked about Lawton at that meeting, Green said the university had dealt with that issue. It is a multi-faceted issue we investigated, we took action, weve talked about that, he said. We are still addressing that issue. Its not done -- we are still addressing that issue with that individual. A few hours later, at a 4 p.m. meeting, UNLs top administrators fired Lawton, telling her she would not be returning to the classroom because we just cant put this to bed, Lawton said. They said, its at that level. Lawton said Green and Plowman expressed admiration for my teaching and my scholarship before firing her, but in terminating her employment circumvented clearly established procedures. Probably because of outside pressure, she said on Monday. UNLs Graduate Student Assembly said administrators should treat every student, including graduate students, with consistency, transparency and fairness in meting out discipline. Our disciplinary standards and terms of employment should be determined by the universitys values and regulations, and not external pressures, the assembly said in a statement. Looks like some companies need a crash course in advertising and equality. It's 2017 and we still have to put up with sexist statements pegged as "quirky" taglines in brand advertisements. A popular footwear brand is under fire for the same reason. Batas new ad camapign. (Pic via a friend) Amazing... pic.twitter.com/Zv1U9PK5Gp Benazir Shah (@Benazir_Shah) 18 November 2017 Bata has received severe backlash and flak on social media for its sexist ad. The campaign poster, which was put up at Packages Mall, Lahore, depicts a man standing in an elegant pose, with womaniser and comfortable with it inscribed at the bottom. People took to social media to criticise the ad and many even suggested that the company be boycotted. #1 This is not cool Bata Pakistan. It is campaigns like this that promote disrespect of women and condone misogyny. This is not ok at all. pic.twitter.com/8BUOgNH7vl Roshaneh Zafar (@RoshanehZafar) 18 November 2017 #2 #3 I can't even make a pun about this because it's already way out of line. Like seriously what the hell. Iman (@Imanazmat) 18 November 2017 #4 I thought they didn't understand what womanizer means... But the & comfortable with it... shows they know it. Are they living under a rock and don't know what's happening with sexual predators everywhere? Awesome Aquil (@AwesomeAquil) 18 November 2017 One Twitter user wrote, Shocking @batashoes ad in Pakistan! Share & tell @batashoesto take it down, issue a public apology and fire the advertising agency! Another wrote, I thought they didnt understand what womanizer means But the & comfortable with it shows they know it. Are they living under a rock and dont know whats happening with sexual predators everywhere? After being lambasted by many users, the company issued an apology, saying sorry for inconvenience people may have suffered. Bata Pakistan (@BataHomePK) 18 November 2017 The apology note posted at their Twitter account reads: Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience you may have experienced in respect to the poster which was printed out of Pakistan and inadvertently displayed at our Packages Mall outlet. A naval vessel with a mystery name VC 11184 has been built at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) at a cost of Rs 725 crore under a classified project which began four years ago. Like hush-hush construction of nuclear submarines, complete secrecy is being maintained by Navy and HSL on the missile-range instrumentation ship, which will be India's most advanced and largest ocean surveillance vessel that can track ballistic missiles. idrw Reliable sources in HSL and Navy told TOI the project is in trial phase and the warship will be handed over to Navy in a few months. The vessel would have a special team on board from the technical intelligence bureau (National Technical Research Organisation), which directly reports to National Security Advisor's office. A highly-placed source in HSL said, "We bagged the prestigious project three years ago and began construction at our ship-building yard. The ship is almost ready and once the trials get over, it will be officially handed to the Navy in 2018. Secrecy has been maintained on the project which is being monitored by PMO ." As per information from defence websites, the vessel, known only by its mysterious yard designation at Visakhapatnam, VC 11184, will be deployed for supporting India's strategic weapons programme. After HSL bagged project in 2013, ship was to be delivered by August 2015, but it was stuck in logistical delays. The warship is 175m in length with a displacement of 10,000 tonnes. Infosys co-founder and tech billionaire, Nandan Nilekani and his wife Rohini Nilekani, have joined 'The Giving Pledge', an elite network of the world's wealthiest individuals committing half their wealth to philanthropy. BCCL The Giving Pledge website uploaded Nilekanis' letter signing up for the cause. "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." Later, Bill Gates tweeted on his handle about Nilekanis' pledge on his Twitter handle on Monday. Im amazed by how @NandanNilekani has lent his entrepreneurial passion to philanthropy. Im delighted to welcome him and his wife Rohini to the Giving Pledge. pic.twitter.com/cvf9JHmb37 Bill Gates (@BillGates) 20 November 2017 "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. BCCL The Giving Pledge was created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in August 2010. 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. BCCL "Our philanthropic journey of two decades has been led by Rohini's passion and commitment!" Nilekani tweeted. Nilekani recently returned to Infosys as non-executive chairman after the exit of Sikka as Infosys CEO. John Collison (27) and his brother Patrick (29), are two of the youngest billionaires in the world. Hailing from a rural village in Ireland, they founded a company known across the world. And they dont sell products, instead they offer a simple service, one thats become crucial to the operation of other businesses online. Patrick Collison (L) and his younger brother John (R) - Reuters The two brothers are the co-founders of Stripe, a company that built the software that allows both private individuals and businesses to accept payments over the Internet. Their code is responsible for the revenue streams of over 100,000 businesses worldwide. You may not have heard of Stripe, and thats because its a back-end program, something the average customer shouldnt have to deal with. Yet, its important enough to have attracted investors like Teslas Elon Musk, PayPals Peter Thiel. According to Forbes the company is valued at over $9 billion, and each of the Collison brothers owns at least a $1.1 billion stake. And yet, the brothers are not new to this kind of money. They actually made their first million while still in college, selling off the first startup they founded in 2007. The two say they developing Stripe was quite a straightforward step when they talked about how to make money. Creating a product that people actually want to buy, and getting them to hear about it, all that we could handle, John previously told the BBC. But getting money from people over the internet was extremely difficult. I remember saying to Patrick how hard can it be? Maybe we should give it a try?. Stripes claim to fame is that it processes bank payments and provides easy ways for websites to integrate those features. That way, if you want to set up a home business, you dont need to also set up a merchant bank account. All you have to do is integrate Stripe, and itll take care of your transactions, as well as providing fraud prevention, for a commission off the top of each payment. And as more and more people and companies take to the Internet to sell their products or services, Stripe continues to grow. At this point, the only thing that can take the company down is a competitor with a better model, or a privacy/hacking scandal. Otherwise, the Collison brothers are just going to continue reaping the benefits from a company they launched before even turning 30. One of the core tenets of space exploration is that for all the theories and evidence we may have, we can never really be sure what well find. For instance, we might just be sending out messages to the stars in the faint hope that someone will receive. What what would happen if they actually responded? Images courtesy: NASA Thats the hope of astronomers at the Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) organisation, which just recently broadcast a signal to a star some 12.4 light years away. If their calculations are right, then we might receive a response in 25 years. Depending on whether or not the star system actually holds intelligent life of course. The system in question is that of Lutyens star aka GJ 273, a red dwarf in the Canis Minor constellation. One of its orbiting planets, GJ 273b, is considered to be one of the prime candidates for a habitable planet, one where theres a chance life has already developed. Of course, even METI knows that the chances of us receiving a response to our message is low, but theres no harm in trying right? I think that's an unlikely outcome, but it would be a welcome outcome, METI president Douglas Vakoch told New Scientist. The message itself wasnt what youd expect. Its not in any spoken language of humans, and in fact doesnt even technically have any words in it. METI is a group of alien hunter so focused on their goal, that they actually splintered away from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute. Because of this, they had no radio telescope of their own to send the message. While they eventually found one to partner with, the group in charge insisted that METIs first message be one to portray Earths culture. So, METI turned to music. In partnership with the Spanish Sonar music festival they created from the ground up based on music, and that too by expressing it in the universal language of alien hunters binary. Its so carefully crafted that, even if the aliens to receive the message cant appreciate the tune, they should enjoy the mathematical relationship between the notes. Two alternating frequencies at pulsing 125 times a second, grounding the entire song in mathematical constants so that aliens would be able to understand it and therefore understand what music is to us. Unfortunately, not everyone is too pleased about METIs effort. Stephen Hawking has previously said that calling out to a possibly more advanced species is inviting trouble. After all, if theyre anything like humans, theyll be sure to hop over on the first boat and exploit our underdeveloped species. Even many at parent group SETI agree. Ninety-eight percent of astronomers and SETI researchers, including myself, think that METI is potentially dangerous, and not a good idea, Dan Werthimer, a chief scientist at SETI, told New Scientist. Its like shouting in a forest before you know if there are tigers, lions, and bears or other dangerous animals there. However, METI believes theres little point to the caution, as any alien civilization with the capability to travel to Earth should already be able to pick up our leaking TV and radio signals, not to mention the oxygen in our atmosphere would tip them off to possible life existing here. Either way, its going to be a good many years before we can expect any response from across the void. Scientists peg the earliest date at 21 June 2043. In the meantime, the organisation is planning an even more advanced broadcast for 2018. Behind closed doors, a powerful industry has developed worldwide since the 1980s: tax avoidance. Business groups assign profits to different subsidiary firms as though they were independent entities. Avoiding corporate taxes enriches a small group of persons. Taxes that are avoided must be compensated by higher taxation of households with lower incomes. A new loophole is always found. Closing tax havens and ending tax competition is vital for a fairer tax system. DRIVING FORCE OF GLOBAL INEQUALITYTax evasion: the super-rich make nearly 10% of world wealth disappear. That is theft and the rest of us pay the priceBy Gabriel Zucman[This article published on 11/8/2017 is translated from the German on the Internet, http://www.freitag.de . Gabriel Zucman is a professor of economics at the University of California in Berkeley.]Behind closed doors, a powerful industry has developed worldwide since the 1980s. If one follows the money streams, great losses for the economies of other countries stand out.The numbers published by the tax havens are often hardly understandable. Our system has many problems in apprehending wealth and the profits of multinational corporations. Still, patterns can be identified and part of the secrecy broken that has surrounded activities in tax havens for decades through exact data analysis.First, let us consider the tax avoidance by mammoth multinational companies. These business groups assign profits to different subsidiary firms as though they were independent entities. They trade goods and services among each other according to the prevailing market prices. However, in praxis, the intra-group transactions are routinely manipulated by offshore tax consultants to increase global profits in low-wage countries. Moreover, multinationals increasingly locate business divisions in favorable locations to gain profits from the countries where they are actually generated."Double Irish, Dutch Sandwich"One example that may be the most spectacular is the Google-mother alphabet. In 2003, less than a year before its first stock market trading in August 2004, Google shifted its search- and publicity technology to "Google Ireland Holdings," a subsidiary company founded in Ireland that for reasons of the Irish tax system has its headquarters in Bermuda.Since then, all the profits have landed in Bermuda after a (tax-free) roundabout way through the Netherlands through the notorious tax loophole "Double Irish, Dutch Sandwich." In 2015, Alphabet claimed profits of $15.5 billion in Bermuda where the corporation tax is at a moderate 0 percent. This is as though every Bermuda resident (of whom almost no one works for Google) earned $200,000 profit for the business.With my colleagues Thomas Topslov and Ludwig Wier, I combined the data published by tax havens all over the world to estimate the costs of artificial shifting of profits. Miniature countries like the Bermudas do not provide any significant statistics. In contrast, the real tax paradises of the EU while non-transparent in many regards must at least comply with the statistical guidelines of Euro-stat.Our research shows that the six European tax havens (Luxemburg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Malta, and Cyprus) skim off a total sum of 350 billion euros every year. That is the sum of the profits generated in EU countries with skyrocketing prices after they were manipulated by an array of tax consultants in Luxemburg and the Netherlands normally between 0 and 5%. Globally, the numbers indicate that more than 600 billion euros are shifted annually to the tax paradises of the world by multinational corporations.Losses of 60 Billion EurosWho are the losers? The losers are mainly the US and large European countries where most of the co-workers and consumers of the multinationals live. Through tax havens, 60 billion euros per year escape from the EU.Every country has the right to choose its tax system. But when the Netherlands tailors models for mammoth international companies or Switzerland hides the wealth of corrupt elites in its vaults, they steal the revenue of other nations. While we lose, they win through fees, influence, and even though actual tax revenues (which is the greatest irony).Now let us consider Ireland. Thirty years ago with a corporate tax rate of 50% -, the share of business tax revenue in the national economy was lower than the share in the US or the whole EU. Ireland's revenue skyrocketed since the tax was lowered to 12.5% in the 1990s.Did the low taxes stimulate the local economy, employment, and growth? Not at all. The additional tax revenues came from fictional profits parked by multinational concerns in Dublin or Cork, profits amassed by employees in other countries. The Irish government receives more money for streets and hospitals. Other countries receive less. Nothing in the logic of the free market justifies this theft.Why the practices continue is clear. Given the enormous shifted profits, tax havens only need a tax rate of a few percent to earn massive sums in comparison to their economy. The offshore financial centers will not simply abandon this lucrative business as long as they are not faced with heavy sanctions. Unfortunately, no government has shown great courage or resolution in this matter up to now. Therefore, the artificial shift of profits grows year after year. International US businesses have 63% of their foreign profits in six tax havens with the Netherlands being the most important. This is 20% more than in 2006.A New Loophole is Always FoundA new loophole is always found when a tax paradise is forced to close a loophole. When Ireland announced the discontinuance of the "Double Irish" model in 2010, Apple rushed to configure a similar tax model in the future through Jersey.Tax havens are a central driving force of global inequality since the main profiteers are the shareholders of the businesses that use them. Most investment capital of the world belongs to very rich people. Thus avoiding corporation taxes only enriches a small group of persons. The taxes avoided by companies must be compensated by higher taxation of households with lower incomes. If the taxes are not raised, public spending must be reduced. The revenues that escape EU countries correspond to half of public spending on higher education. Therefore tax paradises, like climate change, are the cause of an enormous wealth transfer between the generations that makes the older richer and the younger poorer.However, tax havens promote inequality in a much more direct way alongside the avoidance of business taxes. They enable some super-rich persons to hide their wealth from the taxman, business partners, spouses or judges. The equivalent of 10% of the global gross domestic product is offshore in the possession of rich persons as bank accounts, stocks, investment fund shares, mostly in the names of faceless mail-box firms, foundations, and trust companies. Until recently, we had no clear overview of who owned this wealth. But thanks to the leaks of the last years, my colleagues Annette Alstadsaeter, Niels Johannson and I could make advances in this cause.The analysis of the date of the HSBC commercial bank and the Panama Papers has shown the affluence of the typical users of tax havens. The extent to which the offshore wealth is concentrated in only a few hands is shocking. Around 50% are households with a net worth of more than 50 million euros, persons called "Ultra High Net Worth Individuals" in the bank jargon. These super-rich represent around 0.01% of the population of industrial nations.This has dramatic consequences for a country like Russia where the large part of the country's wealth is parked abroad. In Britain, Spain, Germany, and France, 30 to 40% of the wealth of the richest 0.01% of households is invested abroad.Global Inequality GrowsEven in the US, the use of tax havens leads to inequality. However, the effect is less intense than in Europe because the wealth in the US is very strongly concentrated. In any case, our standard statistical toolbox for measuring inequality is inadequate for the reality of capitalism in the 21st century. The problem constantly intensifies.While global inequality grows, the offshore tax law offices strongly concentrate their interest on a smaller but more affluent clientele. Around 155 billion euros escape governments annually through the veiling of wealth.The veil of secrecy over tax haven practices is lifted a little. A large part of the data is still missing. A growing part of the offshore wealth (more than 60% of the money managed in Switzerland) is hidden in mailbox firms, trusts, and foundations that veil the real owners of the assets. Seriously fighting tax fraud is hardly possible in such a statistical fog. Fines are imposed on some big banks like Credit Suisse and HSBC by the US. But the fines are often seen as a business expense or overhead and are small compared to the profits. Threatening with the withdrawal of the bank licenses would be a more effective deterrent.Much is at stake. Most countries already have a real estate register. We should first improve this to identify the economic owners. How can we allow a large part of Manhattan and London to be owned by mailbox firms behind which are hidden potential criminals and money launderers? A worldwide financial register would deliver a fatal blow to financial secrecy. It would supply inestimable information about wealth distribution that is a prerequisite for serious debates about government policy. In my opinion, such a register must be the main goal of advocates of financial transparency in the coming years.The French economist Gabriel Zucman is an Assistant Professor at the University of California at Berkeley.PARADISE PAPERS": HOW THIS TAX EVASION COULD BE ENDEDThe scandal around tax evasion will end when all banks and businesses with offshore firms lose their licenses in the euro zone. A commentary.By Harald Schumann[This article published in 11/6/2017 is translated from the German on the Internet, http://www.tagesspiegel.de .]Once again in a leak, an anonymous researcher brought to light millions of documents from tax evasion centers. Once more, we learned how the super-rich and their corporations evade their tax duty on a large scale as fronts camouflaged as custodians behind which they hide. Often they use special laws to transform taxable billions in profits into tax-free license- and patent fees. Like top managers, the owners of corporations acquire their private jets tax-free. Obviously, names and sums remain hidden in labyrinths of shadow firms that are formally registered in miniature states.With this system of shadow finance, assets and profits around the world worth at least 20 trillion evade the tax obligation. This costs state treasuries of the world 300 billion euros a year in revenue, twice as much as all payments for development assistance.This is outrageous but in no way surprising. Only the names and details are new. The methods have been known for decades. These disclosures are important and also depressing. The "Paradise Papers" document again the contempt with which the global economic elite treat the societies from which they owe their wealth. They verify the unbearable camaraderie with which democratically elected governments of the prosperous countries of the West aid and abet this mockery of the common good.Legal Tax AvoidanceThe official denial of the worldwide law offices and their customers is ever present. In unison, they announce they met their legal obligations and thus did nothing wrong. That is the real scandal: tax fraud in the billions occurs very legally.The departing German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble gave the best excuse. "We live in a globalized world," he said, and tackling tax fraud is hard. "Two new heads of the hydra grow" after he and his colleagues cut off the head of the hydra."That is absurd. The tax evasion centers are nothing but ex-territorial zones in the data bases of the banks. This parasitic business could be ended overnight if the political will existed in the US or in the euro zone. The parliaments only need to resolve to end any bank or business with firms on the Isle of Man, the Cayman Islands, and other tax-free miniature states so they would have no account with the European Central Bank or the Federal Reserve and no longer trade in euros or dollars. The nightmare would be ended as soon as all international banks ended this business. Former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt made this proposal over eleven years ago.But this will never existed. Instead, past German governments were more concerned with the privacy of the super-rich. Up to today, there is no register on account of German resistance that could be obligatory across the EU and names the beneficiaries without exception to end the business with secret wealth.Setting a sign would really be easy for the future German government together with French president Macron. Ultimately, the central protecting power of tax avoiders loses votes and headquarters with the Brits' exit from the EU. Do not let this chance expire so the latest disclosures fizzle out without consequences!PARADISE PAPERS: STOPPING TAX TRICKS OF APPLE & COBy Fabio De Masi[This article published on 11/8/2017 is translated from the German on the Internet, http://www.fabio-de-masi.de . Fabio De Masi is a LINKE Party (the Left Party in the Bundestag) spokesperson on the financial markets.]One tax scandal chases the next: the Offshore Leaks in 2013, Luxemburg Leaks in 2014, Swiss Leaks in 2015, Panama Papers and Bahamas Leaks in 2016 and now the Paradise Papers. The international consortium of investigative journalists (ICIJ) a network of 200 reporters from 70 countries evaluated millions of secret documents.The super-rich and corporations lower their taxes to nearly zero. Companies shift profits over borders like Amazon packages. Firms like Apple or Nike establish mailbox firms with only one answering machine and deduct interests for fictional credits or license fees on their trademark rights. In Germany, for example, these interests are then deducted from the tax. In a tax haven like Luxemburg where the mailbox firm is located, the interests are declared dividends that remain untaxed. Companies are even obligated to their shareholders to use legal loopholes offered them by politics. This is really scandalous.The large majority of the population is expropriated twice. The concentration of wealth and the growing business profits were realized as the wages in the last years lagged behind the growth of the economy. Now the oligarchs are working at lightning speed. The unequal distribution promotes the drug-related crimes of the financial elite and destroys democracy. Money creates an influence on laws in party gifts by businesses.Eight persons on earth possess as much wealth as half of humanity or 3.5 billion people. The largest businesses like Facebook, Amazon, and Google are often owned by the richest families and oligarchs whether in Washington, Berlin or Moscow. In Germany, the richest ten percent of households possess two-thirds of net assets while the bottom half of the population has only trifling wealth or debts. This is a sick development and has nothing to do with performance. Therefore, captains of industry were called robber barons.Through legal and illegal tax tricks, EU states lack hundreds of billions of euros annually for investments in education, infrastructure or the social state. Criminals use tax havens and shadow financial centers to veil money-laundering, financial criminality, drug- and human traffic or terror-financing. Governments blame each other and simultaneously cut their internal revenue services. The US wants to drastically reduce its business taxes to bring back profits of US companies parked abroad into the country.This is not even necessary. The US raises the claim of taxing US companies worldwide wherever they gain their profits. If both the EU and the US would take away Apple & Co's sweatshops, there would quickly be pressure on the international plane to agree on fair rules. At the end, we all lose while the global money-elite can never get enough.Once again, a large law office (Appleby) stands in the center of the Paradise Papers that like Mussack Fonseca from the Panama Papers sold services to companies. The (super-rich) mailbox firms are founded to veil the true identities of the owners and offer the best tax tricks worldwide. Since 1898, the Appleby business has been controlled from the British overseas island territory Bermuda. A brochure of the Left Party (Die Linke) in the European Parliament explains this trick in detail.This fraud should be ended. The tax diplomacy in the scope of the OECD and the EU has failed since tax havens like Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Britain always block any advances. Even Germany builds a paradise for money-laundering according to the president of the Federal Criminal Office with laws on disclosing business profits and taxes for every country and public registers of the true owners of mailbox firms.We do not have to wait until 28 EU states or 35 industrial countries agree in the framework of the OECD. Unilateral measures against tax havens and shadow financial centers are also possible. The US itself a tax haven has successfully fooled Switzerland and Lichtenstein. After the threat of taxes, the miniature states supplied bank data. Therefore, all penalty taxes, profits or payments like interests, licenses, dividends and insurance premiums will flow into Germany in the future. A double taxation can be avoided without problems.Law offices and banks are distributors of the tax havens. The business license must be withdrawn with repeated tax fraud. A criminal law for corporations as in the US would help.More transparency and sharper laws will only be effective when tax authorities and fiscal courts are able to enforce the law. For that, more personnel are needed, an end of tax competition between German states and a coordinated Federal financial police. Every average citizen in Germany must observe the rules. However, the super-richand corporations pay armies of lawyers and tax consultants who cover up their dirty tricks.A wealth tax or a realistic inheritance tax for the super-rich is refused. Are there measures against the tax tricks of Apple & Co? No such luck! Hopefully, journalists and the general public will exert pressure to stop the predatory attacks of the rich and corporations. Then Germany will have a government that serves the majority. When comes to machine learning and artificial intelligence, its no longer a question of how to deliver it. The question now is how to get developers and enterprises to use AI and machine learning. Its not been long since machine learning was the province of research labs. In fact, the first time I talked to Microsoft about its deep-learning machine learning work was a conversation about that basic research back in 2014 with Peter Lee, now Microsoft Researchs leader for AI. Back then, Skype Translator and Cortana were Microsofts first machine learning-powered applications. Now, machine learning tools are everywhere, with Azures machine learning platform the flagship service and the Cognitive Services Toolkit a quick on-ramp to machine learning, with prebuilt models for common scenarios like image recognition. Those same services also power Microsofts conversational user experiences, through its Bot Framework. Its even in your databases, with new analytics and machine learning tools in SQL Server 2017. Its time to go to AI School So how do you start using these tools in your applications? Microsofts idea is to send you back to schoolto Microsofts own AI School, that is. Building on the familiar framework of online training courses, the AI School site is designed to introduce many common machine learning concepts and tools, helping you learn how and, more important, when to use them. Its a useful mix of modules, with some covering general AI topics and others more focused on Azures machine learning features and tools. Perhaps the most important modules are those that introduce Python, the language thats used by many data analysis and machine learning toolkits. They cover analytical tools like Jupyter Notebooks, as well as libraries that handle and manipulate large amounts of in-memory data. If youre not familiar with Python, studying these modules is an important step because much of Azures machine learning tools works with Python especially its deep learning services. AI School combines educational resources from a variety of services, including Microsoft, academic partners, and publishers. The core introduction to AI technologies is an existing course on EdX (offered for free, with the option of paying to get a completion certificate). Youll need to set aside plenty of time to work your way through this EdX course, about 16 hours over four weeks. But theres a lot in it, including working with Azure machine learning, building machine learning models, using Cognitive Services APIs, and using the Bot Framework. With machine learning at the heart of Microsofts enterprise strategy, providing routes for developers to move from traditional programming models to working with data at scale is an important task for Microsoft. Although Microsoft is building the tools for handling machine learning into its own languages, and providing API-based quickstart guides via its Cognitive Services, the one-size-fits-all model really wont work for most problems that need machine learning solutions. Understanding statistical analytics is only the start of working with modern AI, even if youre only using the new SQL Server features or building a conversational bot using the intent model in Microsofts Language Understanding Intelligent Service (LUIS). Spending a few hours a week in AI School should help you get up to speed on both fundamental skills and Azure-specific machine learning features and services. Applying machine learning to your code in Visual Studio Another aspect of Microsofts AI push is the beta set of Visual Studio Tools for AI, which plug in to all versions of Visual Studio, including the free Visual Studio Community edition. They provide direct access to the Azure Machine Learning Gallery, with sample code and models for common machine learning scenarios. Some are familiar, like the Predictive Maintenance model used for internet of things (IoT) applications, while others explore using languages like R to build machine learning models. Most machine learning frameworks use Python, now a first-class language in Visual Studio, but you can also use BrainScript with CNTK. You can import and use existing Python-based machine learning models in Azure: Start by cloning a Git repository, and youre ready to go. If youre using Azure to build and test your own machine learning models, especially if youre using Microsofts own CNTK neural network deep learning tools or Googles TensorFlow, youll find the Visual Studio Tools for AI an essential add-in. They work directly with Azures Batch AI and Machine Learning services, so you can quickly send machine learning jobs to AI-focused Azure virtual machines, including GPU instances. Debugging tools help you train and test your machine learning models without leaving the IDE, and support for the open source TensorBoard visualization tools add new ways of showing how well models perform. Once youve used the Azure tools to build, train, and test your machine learning models, you can turn them into services ready for use in your applications, either running in Azure or exported in container runtimes, again without leaving Visual Studio. Theres a lot to be said for having a one-stop shop for building your machine learning-based applications, from model design to training to test to code. Smaller models are tested and trained locally, leaving Azure compute time for larger problems. Getting to grips with machine learning isnt something you can do overnight. Youll need to build a mix of data analytics and programming skills, working with Python, R, and deep learning frameworks, as well as use cognitive cloud services as a quick on-ramp to more complex work. With both AI School and Visual Studio Tools for AI, Microsoft is helping both those new to modern AI and to experts. By Chris Purcell, Analyst Relations at Hewlett Packard Enterprise As multi-cloud adoption expands across the world, international companies need to consider how globalization affects business ecosystems and hybrid IT complexity. Digital transformation has heightened the focus on data as value, so businesses need to reevaluate the legal and logistical obstacles that come with the global distribution of data and determine what infrastructure will be required to make it work. Dana Gardner, Principal Analyst at Interarbor Solutions, sits down with leading IT industry analysts for his BriefingsDirect Voice of the Analyst podcast series to wrestle with the mounting complexities businesses face as they transform their IT strategy. To tackle the implications of globalization, Gardner spoke with Peter Burris, Head of Research at Wikibon in Palo Alto, CA. To begin, Burris breaks down three main concerns that companies should be weary of when adjusting their IT strategy for globalization: latency, privacy, and control. Latency and bandwidth In a digital world, its easy for businesses to forget that the complex physics of cloud computing on a global scale -- moving data of any size across different regions -- can be extremely expensive due to bandwidth costs and latency issues. Factoring costs and where they wanted to run particular applications into a global strategy becomes complicated when a service is being consumed thousands of miles away from where the data resides. Gardner suggests that if it requires substantial heavy lifting to make bandwidth capable, international businesses might consider sticking to a private cloud or on-premises approach with a small, local data center. Burris identifies two architectural means of achieving this approach: edge centers, where data processing can be closer to the source for lower storage and processing cost, or a true private cloud. True private cloud is our concept for describing how the cloud experience is going to be enacted where the data requires, so that you dont just have to move the data to get to the cloud experience, explains Burris. Ultimately, the less data that has to be moved, the less latency and bandwidth will drive up costs to impede a strong IT strategy. Deployment decisions wont completely absolve these concerns, however; once the architecture is established, IT teams will need tools to keep everything running efficiently. Privacy and legal implications According to Burris, the second major concern in a global hybrid cloud scenario is privacy. Intellectual property is treated differently from one global region to another, so while most major hyperscale cloud-service providers are US-based corporations, there should be concern for how intellectual property is treated globally. Under certain circumstances, governments can access hyperscalers infrastructure, assets, and data. That means non-US companies may worry that US-based firms are fairly liberal with how they share data with the government. A truly global-minded enterprise needs to think about privacy in a way that accommodates local markets and local approaches to property. All hyperscalers are going to have to be able to demonstrate that they can, in fact, protect their clients, their customers data, utilizing the regime that is in place wherever the business is being operated, says Burris. Currently, however, the technology available for businesses to demonstrate this protection is quite immature. IT teams will need to confront both limited visibility and an overwhelming flow of data in order to show clients the status of their data. Intellectual property control The third issue Burris discusses involves who controls the data in a global, multi-cloud environment. When it comes to generating return, data doesnt work like typical assets. Unlike money or time, data doesnt follow laws of scarcity in the traditional sense. Data can be copied, shared, and appreciates as its used and integrated successfully across multiple platforms. According to Burris, the concern is that if data is in one location, there are two possible risks. First, the data can be copied and stolen. Second, rules and regulations exclusive to that area may restrict how data can be combined with other sources of data, potentially making it less valuable. Solving the hybrid IT complexity problem Gardner summarized the interview by affirming how complex many of these issues are. When you have so many unknowns and a lack of maturity in a market, it also opens up a huge opportunity for someone to step in and solve some of these issues. Burris defines a need for infrastructure management that uses machine learning, automation, and advanced technology to ensure that the infrastructure is not only managed but also optimized and economized. So far, both he and Gardner point to Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) as one player advancing toward this goal. In June of this year, HPE announced Project New Hybrid IT Stack, a tool that will enable enterprises to achieve a digital transformation with broader visibility and management. Using this new tool, organizations will be able to seamlessly compose, operate, and optimize all workloads across on-premises, private, hosted, and public clouds. Project New Hybrid IT Stack also provides dashboards based on different user roles that offer business analytics. IT operators and application developers will be able to simply click or code resources and services across their entire hybrid infrastructure. Hybrid IT already has enough moving parts -- scattering a multi-infrastructure model across several global regions only adds to this complexity. With the right data management tools, IT teams can rein in cost, refocus architecture, and make sure enterprises are in compliance with international laws and client needs. HPE has assembled an array of resources that are helping businesses succeed in a hybrid IT world. Learn about HPEs approach to managing hybrid IT by checking out the HPE website, Project New Hybrid IT Stack. And to find out how HPE can help you determine a workload placement strategy that meets your service level agreements, visit HPE Pointnext. Poland, NATO say missile strike wasn't a Russian attack AP - Wed Nov 16, 5:05PM CST NATO's chief and the president of Poland say there are no indications that a missile that fell on Polish farmland and killed two people was a deliberate attack $SPX : 3,958.79 (-0.83%) $DOWI : 33,553.83 (-0.12%) $IUXX : 11,699.09 (-1.45%) Hogs Close Higher Barchart - Wed Nov 16, 5:03PM CST 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 - Wed Nov 16, 5:03PM CST 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 - Wed Nov 16, 5:03PM CST 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 - Wed Nov 16, 5:03PM CST 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 : 814-0 (-0.43%) ZWH23 : 832-6 (-0.54%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.5182 (-1.39%) KEZ22 : 953-0 (-0.26%) KEPAWS.CM : 9.1382 (-0.81%) MWZ22 : 962-2 (-0.34%) Soy Market Tumbles on Wednesday Barchart - Wed Nov 16, 5:03PM CST 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 : 1429-0 (unch) ZSPAUS.CM : 14.0393 (-1.89%) ZSH23 : 1434-4 (unch) ZSK23 : 1440-0 (unch) Corn Finished Red but Off Lows Barchart - Wed Nov 16, 5:03PM CST 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 : 663-6 (-0.23%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.6728 (+0.05%) ZCH23 : 665-4 (-0.30%) ZCK23 : 664-0 (-0.34%) House panel to hold hearing on crypto exchange FTX collapse AP - Wed Nov 16, 4:52PM CST Lawmakers plan to investigate the failure of FTX, the large crypto exchange that collapsed last week and filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving investors and customers staring at losses that could total... $SPX : 3,958.79 (-0.83%) $DOWI : 33,553.83 (-0.12%) $IUXX : 11,699.09 (-1.45%) 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. Topics Massachusetts Cannabis A surge in Ping An Insurance (Group) Co.s shares this year has made it the worlds second-largest insurer by market value behind only Berkshire Hathaway Inc. And the rally may not be done yet. Shares of the Chinese insurer, which more than doubled this year to boost the companys market valuation to about $210 billion, jumped on Tuesday to a new record after Chief Financial Officer Jason Yao told reporters that the firms technological prowess was under-rated. Ping Ans valuation has much room to increase as the company gradually spins off Internet technology units for their own listings, Yao said on Monday in Shenzhen, where the company held its investor day. Optimism surrounding Ping Ans business prospects ahead of its investor meetings helped propel a 17 percent advance in the shares since Thursday. The shares rose 8.8 percent to HK$86.20 in Hong Kong, the biggest increase in four years, amid a broader rally for financial stocks. Theyre the best performers this year on the 46-company Hang Seng China H-Financials Index. Saddled in the past with a so-called conglomerate discount, because of its integrated financial services model, Ping An has come to be viewed more positively by analysts on signs the approach is working. Nomura Holdings Inc. said in a note Tuesday that it raised the price target on Ping An shares to HK$92.22, citing the companys strength in technology such as artificial intelligence, big data and biometrics. After spending heavily on technologies in the past few years, Ping An is entering harvest time as such investments enhance its financial services, tech products bring in new revenue, and potential spinoffs of units create additional value for shareholders, Yao said Monday. Shares trading at below 20 times earnings are not very high compared to above 50 for technology stocks, he said. The market had been valuing Ping An Insurance as a pure insurer and ignoring the technology side of the company, while the management also believed its been undervalued, Liao Chenkai, a Shanghai-based analyst with Capital Securities, said. Investors are betting the company could benefit from its financial technology strength and boost overall business. Ping An regards Berkshire Hathaway as not directly comparable and so calls itself the worlds largest insurance group. Warren Buffetts firm has a market value of about $448 billion. China Life Insurance Co., with a market value of $135 billion, is the second-biggest Chinese insurer by that measure. As Ping An shares have rallied, short-sellers are taking aim. Short interest had risen to 6.1 percent of free float as of Nov. 14, from a low of about 1.7 percent in March, according to data from IHS Markit Ltd. With assistance from Amanda Wang. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Carriers Tech China Global regulators are rethinking how to assess risks in big insurance companies, marking a shift that could make life easier for the industry. The Financial Stability Board said on Tuesday it could take a different approach to assessing risk which would change the way it compiles a list of systemically important insurers that must comply with tough rules to cushion them against losses. Reuters reported the rethink earlier this month, marking a victory for insurers following pressure from the U.S. Treasury. The FSB, which coordinates financial rules across the Group of 20 (G20) economies, first created its list of globally systemic insurers in 2013 and updates it each November. The aim of the FSB list is to ensure that big insurers comply with extra requirements such as higher loss absorbency and closer scrutiny. But the FSB, based in Basel, Switzerland, said work by insurance regulators to develop an approach focused more on an insurers activities rather than its size, may have significant implications for the assessment of systemic risk in the insurance sector. The FSB will review progress on this activities-based approach in November 2018. Insurers have long argued they should not be treated like banks when it comes to setting capital requirements. U.S. insurer AIGs $182 billion bailout by American taxpayers in the financial crisis was an exception due to its involvement in risky activities, the industry has said. Five of the nine insurers on the FSBs 2016 list Aegon , Allianz, Aviva, Axa and Prudential, are based in Europe. Although, it is possible that insurers can develop activities, such as banking type business, which could be systemic, this has always been rare, Nicolas Jeanmart, head of personal and general insurance at trade body Insurance Europe, said in a statement. The current list approach, with automatic capital increases for those included, and largely driven by the size, is flawed, Jeanmart said. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said the FSB had taken a puzzling step, but it was hopeful the new approach would lead to a more sophisticated way of assessing risks. ABI policy adviser Annalise Vucetich said it was unclear why the FSB wont go ahead with updating its list given that work on an activities based approach has barely begun. Work on a global capital standard for the big insurers is also taking longer than expected due to disagreements between the United States and Europe. In the meantime, the U.S. Treasury Department has been pushing the FSB to ease up on insurers and asset managers. A group of U.S. regulators have removed AIG from its domestic list of systemically important insurers, raising questions over whether the FSB would keep it on its global list. Global watchdogs like the FSB face the choice of accommodating the United States or risk having the worlds most important capital market pulling back from international rulemaking. The FSB has already had to back down from treating big asset managers like banks and switched to an activities-based approach after pressure, this time from fellow securities regulators. (Reporting by Huw Jones; editing by Jason Neely and Jane Merriman) Topics Carriers USA Europe Hiscox has launched a new suite of professional and management liability coverages for financial services firms across the U.S. The new platform, Hiscox FS, is an expansion of Hiscoxs current offering to financial services firms. Hiscox FS provides financial services firms, such as asset managers and non-bank lenders, with coverage for various aspects of their businesses through a streamlined platform. Through a single, customizable policy, Hiscox FS gives firms the option to add additional protection against exposures beyond traditional insurance products for financial service businesses, such as technology professional liability, cyber privacy, miscellaneous professional liability and more. According to Sean Hearden, vice president and Financial Services Product Head at Hiscox USA, financial services businesses, such as fintech and diversified real estate firms, are challenged to find coverage that addresses all aspects of their business operations, rather than just a part of it. He added the Hiscox FS was designed to give clients coverage through a single policy and platform. Hiscox USA provides a variety of specialty risk solutions, including professional errors and omissions, general liability, cyber and data security, media liability, management liability, crime, kidnap and ransom, terrorism and commercial property insurance products. Topics Lawsuits New Markets In August, a dozen inventors gathered around a fire pit outside the headquarters of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia, and set alight patents they said had been rendered worthless by an overreaching federal government. Its time for us to make patents great again, Michael Caputo, an advisor to Donald Trumps presidential campaign, told those gathered. US Inventor, the group behind the protest Caputo now represents as a spokesman, is calling for the abolition of the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board, an administrative tribunal run by the patent office that reviews the validity of patents. The rallying cry marks an about-face for some conservatives, who broadly supported the boards creation in 2011 as a way to rein in trial lawyers and patent trolls, who hold patents for the sole purpose of suing big companies for licensing fees. Things have really flipped when it comes to the conservative perspective on patents, said Charles Duan, a lawyer with left-leaning consumer group Public Knowledge. Much of the credit goes to activists who have convinced many conservatives that the real problem is not out-of-control litigation but how the tribunal designed to speed up resolving patent disputes favors big business over smaller rivals. The change of positions has been aided by deepening right-wing distrust of tech giants, such as Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google, which have benefited the most from PTAB while embracing liberal causes like immigration or gay and transgender rights. The U.S. Supreme Court is due to rule sometime next year on whether the tribunal is an unconstitutional intrusion of the executive branch onto matters reserved for the courts and influential conservative groups are already weighing in. The Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, Federalist Society, and the American Conservative Union have published articles or submitted briefs arguing that PTAB should be abolished. Most legal experts expect it to survive, though, noting the Supreme Court has largely accepted the powers of executive-branch courts in other areas, such as public employee benefits. The mounting criticism of PTAB could still convince the courts conservative justices to vote for abolition, said Q. Todd Dickinson, a lawyer with the firm Polsinelli and a former director of the patent office. The advocacy effort by conservative groups could also convince the Trump administration to curb the patent boards power, Dickinson said. AN ANTI-TROLL WEAPON More than 70 percent of the Republicans in Congress backed the legislation that created PTAB. At the time, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the law would help reduce unnecessary litigation against American businesses. In February the same business lobbying group criticized PTAB for creating cost and uncertainty for patent owners. U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who holds patents relating to computer interfaces, was not in Congress at the time the board was created, but said conservatives initial intent to curb excessive litigation has gradually given way to fears that PTAB is helping the wrong businesses. The boards creation was pushed by big tech companies, banks and retailers, who complained they were being inundated with troll lawsuits. Successfully defending a patent case in federal court often takes years and costs millions of dollars, escalating pressure to settle. PTAB offered a cheaper and faster alternative. The average cost of litigating a PTAB petition to a final decision is about $250,000, according to patent risk management company RPX Corp. There are no juries and limited live witness testimony in PTAB proceedings, and its administrative judges apply a lower standard of proof than would be required in federal court. About 80 percent of the patents that PTAB makes final decisions on are either partially or fully invalidated, according to a report issued in October by the patent office. But the agency also said 56 percent of patents challenged at PTAB are upheld, in part because the court frequently declines requests to review patents. A spokesman for the patent office declined to comment. Inventors say PTAB has made it much harder to get patents licensed by big technology, which now routinely respond to patent infringement claims by initiating PTAB proceedings. Patents owners who dont have the wherewithal to withstand serial challenges to the validity of their patents just cant license them, said David Pridham, chief executive of Dominion Harbor, a firm that owns and attempts to license former Eastman Kodak Co patents. Paul Morinville, a cowboy hat-wearing entrepreneur from Indiana and the founder of US Inventor, said it has become harder for him to get funding for his business based on software patents he holds. Morinville has been speaking to Republican lawmakers and their staffers for the past four years and many conservatives credit his group with raising alarm about the patent tribunal. They are as close to your iconic garage inventor as you can get, so their stories really resonate, said James Edwards, a conservative lobbyist focused on patent law. While conservative groups have been most vocal, the debate transcends party lines. Some Republicans, such as Representative Darrell Issa of California, keep supporting the PTAB, while some Democrats have joined Republicans in calls to curb its powers. Many trial lawyers whose case loads have fallen also oppose it. But many liberals have embraced PTAB as a means of eliminating brand-name pharmaceutical patents that keep drug prices high. Generic drug makers and large tech companies are also among the boards supporters, arguing it has actually increased competition by weeding out low-quality patents. The conservative backlash in part reflects how the right views tech giants like Apple and Google, which thanks to the tribunal have prevailed in hundreds of disputes with patent owners seeking hefty compensation. Google, Amazon, and Apple and other big tech companies you look at their power and it is really astounding. And they are generally left-leaning companies, said Matthew Dowd, a conservative patent lawyer in Washington D.C. who has represented US Inventor. Those dynamics are definitely playing into the increasing willingness of conservatives to speak up about patents. (Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Anthony Lin and Tomasz Janowski) Topics Lawsuits USA Legislation InsurTech Tech Google Prepared for the Future Even before its offices were inundated with 10 feet of water by Hurricane Harvey, Insgroups employees were proclaiming the agencys virtues and lobbying for its inclusion as an Insurance Journal Best Agency to Work For. But Houston-based Insgroup, the 2017 Silver award winner for Best Agency to Work For South Central, was severely affected by Hurricane Harvey and the firms employees had nothing but praise for the agencys handling of the disruption and temporary displacement caused by the storm. Responding to IJs Best Agency survey, one employee put it this way: Our contingency plan worked, technology in the cloud, laptops in waiting, phone lines re-routed, we began taking and reporting claims on Monday while Harvey was only beginning to flood our beloved city. We are fully operational, no client would even know we sit in a small interior room in a random building in Houston. Our associates are safe! Agency employees who lost everything will get the support they should expect from Insgroup, the respondent wrote. Within hours of the rain stopping, Insgroup set up a relief program for associates that lost something or everything. Monetary help to get by. But not just that, physical help, roof over their heads, transportation, food, etc. Thats why Insgroup is awesome. Its about our people, its about how our people are treated. Its about being a part of something special. I know Insgroup is a BEST PLACE TO WORK! Brian J. Kapiloff is president and chief executive officer of Insgroup, which has 105 employees and more than $25 million in gross annual revenue. In an email to Insurance Journal, Kapiloff said he is pleased that the agencys employees recognize the efforts of the management team to continually improve the workplace and prepare for the future. He said his message to management is to put themselves in their employees shoes, to challenge everything we do and how we do it, and to consistently solicit ideas and constructive criticism from their teams. I am proud of my team and their commitment to make our firm an employer of choice for high performing insurance professionals, Kapiloff said. We are laser focused on creating value for clients, and on creating opportunities for our employees through organic growth, he said. We constantly explore new, better, and more efficient ways to serve our clients. Continual investment in Technology and Process Improvement are key elements to our client-centric approach. The by-product of these efforts is a workplace which keeps our employees engaged and develops them professionally. And Insgroup employees do value the commitment of the firms management team. Employees wrote that they are proud of the fact that Insgroup is an Insurance Journal Top 100 Agency, that its leaders are intelligent and thoughtful and that they listen to their employees, that theres a perpetuation plan in place one through which employees can become owners, and that the companys leaders and employees are invested in making sure the agencys clients receive the best service and support possible. Insgroup is one of the best places to work because of the superior professionalism and hard work of all employees along with strong leadership of the principal owners. Its a well run organization and you need to be at the top of your game while working here its demanding and rewarding! wrote one employee. Our firm has a perpetuation plan in place and is prepared for the future. Where many independents have an uncertain future and a stress filled workplace our people know they are a part of a team whose future is certain and whose footing is solid. That peace of mind is, unfortunately, uncommon in this high acquisition environment, said one employee. Related: Topics Agencies Florida insurance regulators have placed workers compensation carrier Guarantee Insurance Co. in receivership due to inadequate reserves. According to documents from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), the company was materially under-reserved at year end 2016 and consented to being placed in receivership on Nov. 13, 2017. Guarantee Insurance Co. (GIC) provides workers compensation insurance in more than 31 states and D.C. and is based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In a letter to Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), Division of Rehabilitation and Liquidation, Florida Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier stated the companys assets were insufficient to pay all of its outstanding obligations by $236,775, as of June 30, 2017. OIR placed the company under administrative supervision on Aug. 18, 2017 and told Insurance Journal on Monday it maintained on-site staff at the company to monitor operations during this time. The appointed actuary working with GIC submitted a revised actuarial opinion to OIR in early November stating the company was materially under-reserved at year end 2016. Altmaiers letter dated Nov. 17 states the companys insolvency renders its further transaction of insurance hazardous to its policyholders, subscribers, claimants, creditors, and the citizens of the state of Florida. OIR also claims in its letter that GIC knowingly filed a false financial statement with regulators when it reported collateral for unauthorized reinsurance as a liability for funds held by GIC under reinsurance treaties in the amount of $144.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2016. The letter states that GIC booked and availed itself of reinsurance credit at a time that it knew that it did not have sufficient cash and invested assets to cover this liability. According to the letter, the company has systematically transferred funds in the amount of at least $15.7 million between 2016 and June 2017 to GIC owner Steve Mariano. OIR said the diverted funds could have otherwise been used by GIC to increase its surplus and be available for the payment of policyholder claims. These transfers were made with no documented business purpose and no discernable benefit to GIC and [OIR] has deemed them detrimental to GIC, the letter states. OIR added that it has identified other transactions involving parties with known association to Mr. Mariano that have been harmful to GIC. Mariano is also the majority owner of Patriot National, a national provider of technology and outsourcing products for insurance companies also headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It owns various insurance-related enterprises, including Patriot Risk Consultants, Patriot Risk Services, Patriot Captive Management and Patriot Underwriters, Inc. a national insurance program administrator. Patriot National is also an affiliate of workers compensation carrier Ashmere Insurance Co. According to GICs June 30 quarterly statement included in OIRs receivership filing, GIC owns 2.8 million shares of Patriot National with an approximate investment of 10.56 percent of Patriot Nationals total outstanding shares, valued at $6 million. Patriot National has had a tumultuous year as well. Mariano stepped down as its president, CEO and chairman of the board, in July. The board executed a separation agreement with him at that time and said as the founder and majority shareholder, Mariano would still serve in a consulting role where he will assist the company as reasonably requested. The company said that Mariano would work with its special committee of independent directors to explore and review strategic alternatives for Patriot National, which it announced it was exploring earlier this year. Law360 reported in August that Mariano had been sued by a former Patriot National director, president and CEO and current shareholder Henry Wasik who claimed the company hadnt held an annual meeting in over a year, in violation of Delaware law and its bylaws that require one within 13 months of the prior meeting. At the end of 2016, a Delaware court issued a temporary restraining order against Patriot National after a class action stockholder lawsuit was filed by Hudson Bay, one of its largest shareholders. Shortly before that, Patriot Nationals board of directors rejected a $475 million buyout offer from Ebix, Inc. In September of this year, Patriot National was notified by the New York Stock Exchange that it was not in compliance with the NYSEs continued listing standards and was subject to suspension and delisting procedures. According to NYSE, it was out of compliance because its average global market capitalization of its common stock was less than $50 million over a 30-day trading period, while its last reported stockholders equity was less than $50 million. In October, the company received an extension for continued listing and trading of its common stock by NYSE and has until March 15, 2018 to file its annual report for 2016 and the first six months of 2017. Representatives of Patriot National did not respond to Insurance Journals requests for comment. OIR did not respond to a question about if GICs insolvency will also affect Patriot Nationals operations in the state. [OIR] has been working collaboratively with DFS, other state insurance departments, and state guaranty funds this week to make the [GIC] transition as smooth as possible. The primary goal of this multi-agency collaboration is to ensure the continued payment of claims to injured workers, said Karen Kees, OIR deputy director of Communications, in an email to Insurance Journal on Monday. Read More: OIR Guarantee Insurance Co. Receivership Referral Letter OIR Guarantee Insurance Co. Receivership Filing Package Topics Carriers Florida Workers' Compensation Investors don't agree on much, but they do agree that making money in the market comes with a steadfast strategy that is built around a set of rules. Think for a moment about your early days as an investor. If you're like many, you jumped in with very little knowledge of the markets. When you bought, you didn't know what a bid-ask spread was, and you sold either too early if the stock went up or too late if the stock dropped. If you don't have your own carefully crafted suite of investing rules, now is the time to do it, and the best place to start is to ask the people who have had success in their investing careers. We not only found people who can claim success but who are also some of the most successful investors in history. Key Takeaways Successful investors all have one thing in commonthey have rules. Notable investors like Warren Buffett say to focus on fundamentals and management quality before looking at the price of a stock. Other major investors advise on betting big when you have an edge and to always be forward-thinking. 1. Dennis Gartman: Let Winners Run Dennis Gartman began publishing The Gartman Letter in 1987. It is a daily commentary of global capital markets that is delivered to hedge funds, brokerage firms, mutual funds, and grain and trading firms around the world each morning. Gartman is also an accomplished trader and a frequent guest on financial networks. "Be patient with winning trades; be enormously impatient with losing trades. Remember it is quite possible to make large sums trading/investing if we are 'right' only 30% of the time, as long as our losses are small and our profits are large." Dennis Gartman His rule above addresses a number of mistakes young investors make. First, don't sell at the first sign of profits; let winning trades run. Second, don't let a losing trade getaway. Investors who make money in the markets are okay with losing a little bit of money on a trade, but they're not okay with losing a lot of money. As Gartman points out, you don't have to be right a majority of the time. What is more important is to let a winning trade run and get out of a losing trade quickly. If you follow this rule, the money you make on the winning trades will far outpace the losing trades. 2. Warren Buffett: Do the Research Warren Buffett is widely considered to be the most successful investor in history. Not only is he one of the richest men in the world, but he also has had the financial ear of numerous presidents and world leaders. When Buffett talks, world markets move based on his words. "It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price." Warren Buffett Buffett is also known as being a prolific teacher. His annual letter to investors in his company, Berkshire Hathaway, is used in college finance classes in the largest and most prestigious universities. Buffett gives two key pieces of advice when evaluating a company: First, look at the quality of the company, then at the price. Looking at the quality of a company requires that you read financial statements, listen to conference calls, and vet management. Then, only after you have confidence in the quality of the company, should the price be evaluated. If a company isn't a quality company, don't buy it just because the price is low. Bargain-bin companies often produce bargain-bin results. 3. Bill Gross: Have Conviction Bill Gross is the co-founder of PIMCO. He managed the PIMCO Total Return Fund, one of the largest bond funds in the world, and was the firm's chief investment officer before leaving in 2014. Gross' rule focuses on portfolio management. "Do you really like a particular stock? Put 10% or so of your portfolio on it. Make the idea count. Good [investment] ideas should not be diversified away into meaningless oblivion." Bill Gross A universal rule that most young investors know is diversification, i.e. don't put all of your investing capital into one name. Diversification is a good rule of thumb, but it can also diminish your profits when one of your picks makes a big move while other names don't. Making money in the market is also about taking chances based on exhaustive research. Always keep some cash in your account for those opportunities that need a little more capital and don't be afraid to act when you believe that your research is pointing to a real winner. 4. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal: Patience Is Key You may have never heard of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, but he's well known in the investing world. An investor from Saudi Arabia, he founded the Kingdom Holding Company later made a major bet on Citigroup (C) predecessor Citicorp in the early 1990s, becoming the bank's largest shareholder. In addition to that, he's also made investments in Twitter (TWTR) and Snap (SNAP). His patience was tested during the Great Recession when many of his investments took a hit. "I'm a long-termer. I'm not a seller." Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal When others have sold, notably when Citi was under heavy pressure in the late 1990s, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal did what many of the best investors do to amass their riches: hold their investments. Investors that have strong convictions and have done the research are able to hold for long periods of time, riding out rocky market events. 5. Carl Icahn: Be Wary Carl Icahn is an activist investor and modern-day corporate raider, buying large stakes in companies and attempting to get voting rights to increase shareholder value. Some of his holdings have included Time Warner, Yahoo, Clorox, and Blockbuster Video. One of Icahn's biggest rules is that when investing you shouldn't take anything personally. Icahn has made his fair share of enemies over the years, but investors shouldn't take his advice strictly in terms of interpersonal relationships. How many times in your investing past have you read an article, watched a news report, or took a tip from a trusted friend about the next hot stock and lost money? There is only one piece of advice to act upon: Use your own exhaustive research based on facts (not opinions) obtained from trusted sources. Other advice can be considered and verified, but it shouldn't be the sole reason to commit money. 6. Carlos Slim: Look Ahead Another of the richest men in the world, Carlos Slim, owns hundreds of companies and has an employee base of more than 250,000. Slim notes that one of the greatest opportunities for investment is for addressing poverty in Mexico and Latin America. Successful investors don't look at what's happening now. Instead, by studying the momentum of a company or an entire economy and how it interacts with its competitors, they invest now for what will happen later. They are always forward-thinking. If you're looking at now or trying to jump on the bandwagon of an investment that has already had short-term gains, you've probably missed the big move. Try to find the next big winner, but always anchor your portfolio with great companies that have a long track record of steady growth. The Bottom Line There's a lot to learn from successful investors and their experiences. Each of these investors is known for being students of the markets, as well as leaders. As you begin to apply these rules and commit to following them even when your mind says otherwise, you should do well in the market. What Are Forex Market Hours? Forex market hours refers to the specified period of time when participants are able to transact in the foreign exchange market. Key Takeaways Forex market hours refers to the specified period of time when participants are able to transact in the foreign exchange market. The forex market is available for trading 24 hours a day except for weekends. The forex market is decentralized and driven by local sessions, four in particularSydney, Tokyo, London, and New York. Trading volume varies from one session to another, although the highest trading volume tends to occur when the London and New York sessions overlap. The benchmark spot foreign exchange rate, used for daily valuation and pricing for many money managers and pension funds, is set at 4 p.m. London time. Understanding Forex Market Hours Forex market hours are the schedule by which forex market participants can buy, sell, exchange, and speculate on currencies all around the world. The forex market is open 24 hours a day during weekdays but closes on weekends. With time zone changes, however, the weekend gets squeezed. The forex market opens on Sunday at 5 p.m. local time in New York City. It closes on Fridays at 5 p.m. and resumes trading again 48 hours later to begin a new week. When the market is open, traders all around the world can execute trades in the forex market, although trading conditions may vary. Forex trading starts in New Zealand but is called the Sydney session. International currency markets are made up of banks, commercial companies, central banks, investment management firms, and hedge funds, as well as retail forex brokers and investors around the world. Because this market operates in multiple time zones, it can be accessed at any time except for the weekend break. The international currency market isn't dominated by a single market exchange but involves a global network of exchanges and brokers around the world. Forex market trading hours are based on when trading is open in each participating country. While time periods overlap, it is generally accepted that the following periods are the most active for each region: New York: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST) Tokyo: 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. (EST) Sydney: 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. (EST) London: 3 a.m. to 11 a.m. (EST} Image by Sabrina Jiang Investopedia 2021 The two busiest time zones are London and New York. The period when these two trading sessions overlap (London afternoon and New York morning) is the busiest period and accounts for the majority of volume traded in the day, with trillions of dollars in value changing hands. It is during this period that the Reuters/WWM benchmark spot foreign exchange rate is determined. The rate, which is set at 4 p.m. London local time, is used for daily valuation and pricing for many money managers and pension funds. Special Considerations While the forex market is a 24-hour market, some currencies in several emerging markets are not traded 24 hours a day. The seven most traded currencies in the world are the U.S. dollar, euro, Japanese yen, British pound, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, and Swiss franc, all of which are traded continuously while the forex market is open. Speculators typically trade in pairs crossing between these seven currencies from all over the world, although they favor times with heavier volume. When trading volumes are heaviest, forex brokers will provide tighter spreads (bid and ask prices closer to each other), which reduces transaction costs for traders. Likewise, institutional traders also favor times with higher trading volume, though they may accept wider spreads for the opportunity to trade as early as possible in reaction to new information they have. Despite the highly decentralized nature of the forex market, it remains an efficient transfer mechanism for all participants and a far-reaching access mechanism for those who wish to speculate from anywhere on the globe. What Is Goodwill? Goodwill is an intangible asset that is associated with the purchase of one company by another. It represents value that can give the acquiring company a competitive advantage. Specifically, a goodwill definition is the portion of the purchase price that is higher than the sum of the net fair value of all of the assets purchased in the acquisition and the liabilities assumed in the process. The value of a companys name, brand reputation, loyal customer base, solid customer service, good employee relations, and proprietary technology represent aspects of goodwill. This value is why one company may pay a premium for another. Key Takeaways Goodwill is an intangible asset that accounts for the excess purchase price of another company. Items included in goodwill are proprietary or intellectual property and brand recognition, which are not easily quantifiable. Goodwill is calculated by taking the purchase price of a company and subtracting the difference between the fair market value of the assets and liabilities. Companies are required to review the value of goodwill on their financial statements at least once a year and record any impairments. the value of goodwill on their financial statements at least once a year and record any impairments. Goodwill has an indefinite life, while most other intangible assets have a finite useful life. 1:42 Goodwill Understanding Goodwill The value of goodwill typically arises in an acquisition of a company. The amount that the acquiring company pays for the target company that is over and above the targets net assets at fair value usually accounts for the value of the targets goodwill. If the acquiring company pays less than the targets book value, it gains negative goodwill. This means that it purchased the company at a bargain in a distress sale. Goodwill is recorded as an intangible asset on the acquiring company's balance sheet under the long-term assets account. Goodwill is considered an intangible (or non-current) asset because it is not a physical asset like buildings or equipment. Under the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), companies are required to evaluate the value of goodwill on their financial statements at least once a year and record any impairments. The process for calculating goodwill is fairly straightforward in principle but can be quite complex in practice. To determine goodwill with a simple formula, take the purchase price of a company and subtract the net fair market value of identifiable assets and liabilities. Goodwill = P ( A L ) where: P = Purchase price of the target company A = Fair market value of assets L = Fair market value of liabilities \begin{aligned}&\text{Goodwill} = \text{P} - ( \text{ A } - \text { L } ) \\&\textbf{where:} \\&\text{P} = \text{Purchase price of the target company} \\&\text{A} = \text{Fair market value of assets} \\&\text{L} = \text{Fair market value of liabilities} \\\end{aligned} Goodwill=P( A L )where:P=Purchase price of the target companyA=Fair market value of assetsL=Fair market value of liabilities Goodwill Calculation Controversies There are competing approaches among accountants to calculating goodwill. One reason for this is that goodwill involves factoring in estimates of future cash flows and other considerations that are not known at the time of the acquisition. While normally this may not be a significant issue, it can become one when accountants look for ways to compare reported assets or net income between different companies (some that have previously acquired other firms and some that have not). Goodwill Impairments An example of goodwill in accounting involves impairments. Impairment of an asset occurs when the market value of the asset drops below historical cost. This can occur as the result of an adverse event such as declining cash flows, increased competitive environment, or economic depression, among many others. If a company assesses that acquired net assets fall below the book value or if the amount of goodwill was overstated, then the company must impair or do a write-down on the value of the asset on the balance sheet. The impairment expense is calculated as the difference between the current market value and the purchase price of the intangible asset. The impairment results in a decrease in the goodwill account on the balance sheet. The expense is also recognized as a loss on the income statement, which directly reduces net income for the year. In turn, earnings per share (EPS) and the company's stock price are also negatively affected. Impairment Tests Companies assess whether an impairment exists by performing an impairment test on an intangible asset. The two commonly used methods for testing impairments are the income approach and the market approach. Using the income approach, estimated future cash flows are discounted to the present value. With the market approach, the assets and liabilities of similar companies operating in the same industry are analyzed. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which sets standards for GAAP rules, at one time was considering a change to how goodwill impairment is calculated. Because of the subjectivity of goodwill impairment and the cost of testing it, FASB was considering reverting to an older method called "goodwill amortization." This method reduces the value of goodwill annually over a number of years. In 2017, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) bought Whole Foods Market Inc. for $13.7 billion. That amounted to Amazon paying a whopping $9 billion more than the value of Whole Foods' net assets. That amount was recorded as the intangible asset goodwill on Amazon's books. Goodwill vs. Other Intangibles Goodwill is not the same as other intangible assets. Goodwill is a premium paid over fair value during a transaction and cannot be bought or sold independently. Meanwhile, other intangible assets include the likes of licenses or patents that can be bought or sold independently. Goodwill has an indefinite life, while other intangibles have a definite useful life. Limitations of Goodwill Goodwill is difficult to price, and negative goodwill can occur when an acquirer purchases a company for less than its fair market value. This usually occurs when the target company cannot or will not negotiate a fair price for its acquisition. Negative goodwill is usually seen in distressed sales and is recorded as income on the acquirer's income statement. There is also the risk that a previously successful company could face insolvency. When this happens, investors deduct goodwill from their determinations of residual equity. The reason for this is that, at the point of insolvency, the goodwill the company previously enjoyed has no resale value. Example of Goodwill If the fair value of Company ABC's assets minus liabilities is $12 billion, and a company purchases Company ABC for $15 billion, the premium paid for the acquisition is $3 billion ($15 billion - $12 billion). This $3 billion will be included on the acquirer's balance sheet as goodwill. For an actual example, consider the T-Mobile and Sprint merger announced in early 2018. The deal was valued at $35.85 billion as of March 31, 2018, per an S-4 filing. The fair value of the assets was $78.34 billion and the fair value of the liabilities was $45.56 billion. The difference between the assets and liabilities is $32.78 billion. Thus, goodwill for the deal would be recognized as $3.07 billion ($35.85 billion - $32.78 billion), the amount over the difference between the fair value of the assets and liabilities. How Is Goodwill Different From Other Assets? Shown on the balance sheet, goodwill is an intangible asset that is created when one company acquires another company for a price greater than its net asset value. Unlike other assets that have a discernible useful life, goodwill is not amortized or depreciated but is instead periodically tested for goodwill impairment. If the goodwill is thought to be impaired, the value of goodwill must be written off, reducing the companys earnings. How Is Goodwill Used in Investing? Evaluating goodwill is a challenging but critical skill for many investors. After all, when reading a companys balance sheet, it can be very difficult to tell whether the goodwill it claims to hold is in fact justified. For example, a company might claim that its goodwill is based on the brand recognition and customer loyalty of the company it acquired. When analyzing a companys balance sheet, investors will therefore scrutinize what is behind its stated goodwill in order to determine whether that goodwill may need to be written off in the future. In some cases, the opposite can also occur, with investors believing that the true value of a companys goodwill is greater than that stated on its balance sheet. What Is an Example of Goodwill on the Balance Sheet? Consider the case of a hypothetical investor who purchases a small consumer goods company that is very popular in their local town. Although the company only had net assets of $1 million, the investor agreed to pay $1.2 million for the company, resulting in $200,000 of goodwill being reflected in the balance sheet. In explaining this decision, the investor could point to the strong brand and consumer following of the company as a key justification for the goodwill that they paid. If, however, the value of that brand were to decline, then they may need to write off some or all of that goodwill in the future. The Bottom Line Goodwill represents a certain value (and potential competitive advantage) that may be obtained by one company when it purchases another. It is that amount of the purchase price over and above the amount of the fair market value of the target company's assets minus its liabilities. Goodwill is an intangible asset that can relate to the value of the purchased company's brand reputation, customer service, employee relationships, and intellectual property. While goodwill officially has an indefinite life, impairment tests can be run to determine if its value has changed, due to an adverse financial event. If there is a change in value, that amount decreases the goodwill account on the balance sheet and is recognized as a loss on the income statement. What Is Paper Money? Paper money is a country's official, paper currency that is circulated for the transactions involved in acquiring goods and services. The printing of paper money is typically regulated by a country's central bank or treasury in order to keep the flow of funds in line with monetary policy. Paper money tends to be updated with new versions that contain security features and attempt to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to create illegal copies. Key Takeaways Paper money is a country's official, paper currency that is circulated for the transactions involved in acquiring goods and services. The printing of paper money is typically regulated by a country's central bank or treasury in order to keep the flow of funds in line with monetary policy. Paper money tends to be updated with new versions that contain security features and attempt to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to create illegal copies. Understanding Paper Money The first recorded use of paper money was purported to be in the country of China during the 7th century A.D. as a means of reducing the need to carry heavy and cumbersome strings of metallic coins to conduct transactions. Similar to making a deposit at a modern bank, individuals would transfer their coins to a trustworthy party and then receive a note denoting how much money they had deposited. The note could then be redeemed for currency at a later date. Example of Paper Money In the U.S., paper money is considered fiat money. This means that it has no actual value except as an accepted medium of exchange. Before 1971, this was not the case; U.S. banknotes were backed by a certain amount of gold, which was dictated by the Federal Reserve. The U.S. dollar has been the dominant reserve currency since the end of World War II. Prior to World War II, the British pound was the dominant reserve currency. More than 350 million people around the world use the dollar as their main form of currencyand more than $17 trillion of economic activity is accounted for with U.S. paper money. U.S. paper money is the official currency in a number of countries and areas outside of the territorial United States. These countries include Ecuador, El Salvador, Zimbabwe, Timor-Leste, Micronesia, Palau, and The Marshall Islands. The dollar is also used in all U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and Guam. Turks and Caicos and the British Virgin Islands, both British territories in the Caribbean, also use U.S. paper money as their currency. There are also countries that regularly use the U.S. dollar alongside their own local currency, including Bahamas, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Liberia, as well as several Caribbean territories. The euro is another form of paper money that is used in multiple countries. As of 2020, 19 of the 27 member states in the European Union (EU) use the euro as their official currency. Special Considerations While paper money is the most accepted medium of exchange, companies often issue shares of their own company to purchase other companies and reward their staff. Shares are units of ownership in a company that entitle the shareholder to an equal distribution in any profits. Of all accepted mediums of exchange, shares are closest to paper money because they can be exchanged on the open market for cash. This situation persists in spite of the fact that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani personally visited affected areas to oversee the relief effort. UPI reported upon Rouhanis tour of the apparently worst-hit province of Kermanshah and noted that he had promised residents his government would do everything in its power to alleviate their suffering and to return water and power to the region. But a Reuters report on Thursday indicated that hardline opponents of the Rouhani administration had used their own media outlets to attack the government over its response to the disaster. Relying on more sympathetic state-affiliated media outlets, the administration has attempted to portray the relief effort as successful and already adequate in scope, but such accounts appear to be at odds with the facts on the ground and aimed mainly at countering propaganda on the other side. As Reuters noted, this war of words in the Iranian media seems to suggest that the earthquake has opened up a new front in the conflict between rival political factions. And insofar as those factions are actively opposing each other in their provision of information to the public, it is not unreasonable to assume that they may be standing in the way of each others relief efforts. As was previously reported, the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had assumed broad authority to lead the relief efforts in Kermanshah and elsewhere. Now, with Rouhani personally on the scene, the paramilitary organization is apparently striving to promote public awareness of its own relief efforts while blaming widely recognized deficiencies on government entities that are closer to the president. Meanwhile, Rouhani has seized upon the opportunity to raise questions about the scale of the devastation, which may be attributable in large part to the wide-ranging influence of the IRGC over building projects throughout the country. In recent years, Iran has been implementing a strategy of economic privatization that has frequently served only to shift economic interests out of the hands of state institutions and into the hands of front companies for the IRGC, which increasingly has the appearance of a parallel state structure. Its clear there has been corruption in construction contracts, Rouhani said on Wednesday, according to the Reuters report. He declined to directly name the powerful IRGC, but he did call attention to the fact that many buildings that had completely collapsed during the earthquake were erected as parts of projects spearheaded by Rouhanis predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, whose presidency was closely allied with the IRGC and who had personally served as a Guard. Anyone responsible will be punished, Rouhani added. It was not immediately clear whether this threat was backed up by a concrete plan, but the Christian Science Monitor reported that the president had called for an investigation into why state-constructed buildings collapsed so readily. However, the governments commitment to such an inquiry is questionable in light of the fact that the earthquake was not the first sign of shoddy construction in those government projects. The CS Monitor report noted that Ahmadinejad-sponsored buildings had been criticized while construction was still ongoing, precisely for the reason that the lack of adequate standards in some two million units could lead to catastrophe in the wake of an earthquake or other natural or man-made disaster. Not only did these criticisms fall on deaf ears at the time, they were apparently forgotten by the time Rouhani took office. Furthermore, wire re-published an interview with earthquake expert James Jackson in the wake of Sundays disaster. In it, the Cambridge University professor and frequent traveler to Iran said that the opportunity for that country to address problems of vulnerability to earthquakes is often missed after a relatively short period of public outcry. Jackson added that this problem is exacerbated by Irans largely self-imposed political and cultural isolation, which makes it difficult for Iranian citizens to learn what they might do to help improve outlook for disaster-prone cities. That same isolation may also diminish the likelihood of Iran accepting assistance or advice from the international community. Indeed, recent reports of the relief effort indicate that the government has turned down offers of help. Foreign Minister Javad Zarif thanked the international community but said on Twitter, For now we are able to manage with our own resources. This, of course, contradicts the widespread reports of inadequate government aid. And while this in turn plays into the criticism being pushed by the IRGC, the acceptance of foreign aid would contribute to a larger set of hardline talking points that characterize the Rouhani administration as weak and insufficiently committed to the Islamic Revolution on account of its diplomatic outreach to the international community. In 2015, that outreach led to the nuclear agreement that freed Iran from myriad economic sanctions, but the administration has done little since then to support Western expectations of broader rapprochement. This is only one of many trends that has undermined Rouhanis image as a moderate. Despite clear contests between his faction and the faction linked to the IRGC and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the president has backed away from numerous promises of domestic reform and has demonstrated consistent alignment with hardline positions. This naturally calls into question the seriousness of his promise to investigate the corrupt that led to this weeks building collapses, or at least the likelihood of such an investigation affecting the IRGCs hold on Iranian commerce, including building contracts. In response to past scandals, the government has prosecuted individual officials from previous governments, sometimes even sentencing them to death. But in no prominent case has this led to a broader investigation into state institutions or their affiliates, despite widespread reporting that points to endemic corruption among IRGC members and others. Update 5.40pm: German chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is "very sceptical" about the idea of running a minority government and a new election would be a better option if it is not possible to form a coalition. Mrs Merkel's attempt to build a coalition of her conservatives and two smaller parties collapsed on Sunday. Her partners in the outgoing government, the centre-left Social Democrats, insisted on Monday that they will not renew the alliance. No other politically plausible combination has a parliamentary majority, leaving a minority government or a new election as the only options. Mrs Merkel said in an interview with ARD public television's Brennpunkt programme: "I don't have a minority government in my plans....I don't want to say never today, but I am very sceptical and I think that new elections would then be the better way." Germany's president has urged the political parties to reconsider their positions and make it possible to form a new government. 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. Mr Steinmeier said: "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 did not fulfil their responsibility." 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. Update 3.00pm: Germany's president urges parties to resolve coalition deadlock Germanys president has urged his countrys political parties to reconsider their positions and make it possible to form a new government. Conservative chancellor Angela Merkels talks on forming a coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats and traditionally left-leaning Greens collapsed last night. Today, the centre-left Social Democrats, Mrs Merkels partners in the outgoing government, said they will not budge from their refusal to enter a new administration led by Mrs Merkel. 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. Mr Steinmeier said: "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 did not fulfil their responsibility." Germanys September 24 election produced an awkward result that left Mrs Merkels 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. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, arrives for a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace in Berlin today. Earlier: The leader of Germany's main centre-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 in September to its worst election result since the Second World War that it would go into opposition. Party chairman Martin Schulz said on Monday that the Social Democrats are "not available" for a repeat of the outgoing coalition. He said, after the election, "it was clear that the 'grand coalition' had got the red card". Mr Schulz said his party is not afraid of a new election. Mrs Merkel's attempt to form a government with other partners collapsed on Sunday night. News AA Says 2 Members Killed, At Least 4 Wounded in Latest Round of Fighting AA members line up at their military training camp in Laiza. Photo: Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint. Two Arakan Army members have been killed and at least four wounded in three weeks of clashes with the Myanmar Army in Paletwa and Buthidaung townships, the armed ethnic group said. The fighting has forced at least 600 local people to flee, as the Myanmar Army, or Tatmadaw, has used helicopters and artillery to conduct operations in villages and mountains in the area. Khine Thu Kha, a spokesperson for AA based in India, told The Irrawaddy that fighting continued today in Buthidaung Township near the border with Bangladesh. Two AA members had been killed since fighting broke out on Nov. 1, he said. One was killed on Nov. 12 and the other on Nov. 18. We have four to six injured personnel, but their wounds are minor, Khine Thu Kha said. One of the fatalities occurred in Paletwa, in Chin State, and the other in Rakhine States Buthidaung Township on the border with Bangladesh, he said. The Tatmadaw has sustained heavy casualties in the fighting. Yesterday its Infantry Battalion 542 based in Kyaukphyu Township, Rakhine State, used two helicopters to attack AA positions, Khine Thu Kha said. On Nov. 19, the AA complained that the Myanmar Armys use of helicopters against it was illegal, but Presidents Office director U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy that the Tatmadaw had the right to use air power under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution. Furthermore, the Tatmadaw was not required to seek authorization from the Presidents Office to use air power, he added. In a statement issued today, the AA claimed to have killed at least six Myanmar Army troops on Nov. 20 and seized ammunition and military equipment. The Defense Ministry made no mention of any such clash involving the Myanmar Army, however. The Myanmar Army suffered heavy casualties in fighting near the border with Arakan on Nov. 8, as reported by the AA. Retired Myanmar Army Lt-Gen Thaung Aye, a Lower House lawmaker, later confirmed that 11 government troops were killed and 14 injured when the AA ambushed the military boat they were traveling in. The Tatmadaw vowed a thorough response to the AA attack after the Ministry of Defense reported that one civilian had been killed and another wounded in the Nov. 8 attack. That report did not state how many troops were killed, however. [The Tatmadaw] vowed to eliminate our side, but we will do our best to defend ourselves, said Khine Thu Kha. AA troops are based in Laiza, at the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army. However, since 2014 they have been operating in the border area at Paletwa. The AA has continued to operate out of parts of Arakan near Bangladesh despite the Myanmar Armys efforts to oust it from these areas. As an army we have the support of our people. It should not be surprising that we are returning to our land. The question is why the Myanmar Army remained on our land when our people dont support them, Khine Thu Kha said. Asia China Supports Cambodias Crackdown on Political Opposition Buddhist monks walk past a banner of opposition leader and President of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Kem Sokha at the party's headquarters in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 17, 2017. / Reuters Burma Poetry is Me. Its Inside Me. So, as Long as I exist, Poetry Will Exist. Mae Yway. / Dana Lixenberg Mae Yway (b. 1991) grew up in Myeik, a coastal city on the Andaman Sea, in Myanmars far south. Myeik is a sleepy fishing town, dominated by an enormous reclining Buddha in the bay that curves around the town. Mae Yways family migrated to Yangon when she was nine years old: I had culture shock when I moved to Yangon. We were laughed at for how we spoke and our Myeik accent. I didnt dare talk to people except for two or three friends. I didnt dare speak in public: a feeling I have to this day. Im afraid and shake all over when I recite my poetry in public. Mae Yway started writing poetry as a teenager: When I read a poem in a magazine, I wanted to write one on my own. I didnt know you needed to study how to write a poem. I just wrote down my emotions. But you cant just write something down. You need to create it. Poetry has to be composed, so it will be beautiful, artistic. Not just poetry. You know, cooking is also an art. When cooking and combining ingredients, this is also creation. Its also art. Creativity is essential. You should study every part of it. How does an onion taste if you add it to another ingredient? So, when you create a poem, you have to know other poems. Art, however, was not valued by the military dictatorship. At school, we were taught art is something useless, what losers do: if you are inclined to art, you will starve. That was the message to young students. I wanted to write poetry, but none of my friends were interested in poetry. We studied poems at school, but no one respected poetry. The military government also made young people indifferent to politics. Most of my friends, and most young people of our time, are still not interested in politics at all. Now with the new democratic government, the word politics has become popular, heard everywhere. Now some care about politics, some dont. Its a chaotic time. Myanmars political landscape is changing, but the country remains a deeply conservative society. Mae Yway wears her resistance to it on her skin covered in tattoos, which are highly unusual for a woman in Myanmar. Its what I wanted to do very much since childhood I liked tattoos since I was four or five years old. But I only had the courage to start tattooing in my twenties. Most people look badly on those who have tattoos. They look at me and think: what kind of girl am I? But I dont care about those who stare. Some people think I got my tattoos and do other things like drinking and smoking to show I can do whatever men are allowed to do. But I dont have gender differentiation in mind. I do it because I want to and like it. I will tattoo my entire body. She seeks a similar freedom from gender roles in her relationships: Im neither lesbian nor straight: Im human. I will have a relationship with whoever is okay with me, whether man or woman. Right now, I prefer girls. They are better at relationships. People around me say its disgusting that I hang out with girls, telling me not to reverse nature. I ask them: what is nature? There is no nature. It is nonsense that men must like women because they are men; and women must like men because they are women. These are only man-made issues. You have the right to choose. If you are just following what others do, your life has no meaning. You have your own life, your own existence. You have to go with your own thinking. If not, go back to the military government. Myanmars democratic transition has also been accompanied by an opening to the global market: it now has the fastest growing economy in the world. Mae Yway joined this economic wave, working as an airline customer service agent for the last two years. I had a lot of responsibility, work pressure, taking care of passengers. When I came home, work was still in my head, dissatisfaction and anger too. During those two years, I couldnt read and write. I became depressed. The only thing I could save during those two years was money. And blank paper. No poems. No thinking. I cant make a living from writing poetry. But I want to live with poetry, and improve my skills in writing. With no time and energy for poetry, it was worth it to give up my job. So I quit. I will find something else. When I ask her about the place of poetry in her life, she replies: Poetry is not the most important thing. But its congruent with me. If I cant write poetry I will be depressed and lose hope to live. Poetry is me. Its inside me. So, as long as I exist, poetry will exist. If there is no me, there is no poetry. 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 News Myanmar Army Chief Travels to China Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw on Nov. 19, 2017. (Photo: Senior General Min Aung Hlaing / Facebook) YANGON Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing left Naypyitaw for China on Tuesday, at the invitation of Gen Li Zuocheng, chief of the joint staff department of the central military commission. He plans to meet with senior officials from the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) while visiting Chinas military training institutions, said a report issued by the office of the Commander-in-Chief on Tuesday. The delegation led by the army chief includes senior military officials from the office of the armed forces. On Sunday, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who was in Naypyitaw for an Asia-Europe Meeting for foreign ministers. The Chinese minister also met with President U Htin Kyaw and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi separately on the same day. During the meetings, Wang Yi suggested a three-stage path for Myanmar and Bangladesh to work out the Rohingya crisisensuring a ceasefire and restoring stability, talks between the two countries to create a workable solution for repatriation, and poverty alleviation as a sustainable solution. In the past three months, more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh after the Myanmar military began clearance operations following an insurgent attack on 30 security posts and an army base in Rakhine State on Aug. 25. But the Myanmar government has denied those figures. According to Xinhua Myanmars report, Wang Yi said during the meeting with the commander-in-chief that China prioritizes Myanmar in its foreign policy and that the Myanmar military plays a crucial role in China-Myanmar ties. Myanmars commander-in-chief said he supported Chinas three-stage path for resolving the Rohingya crisis, Xinhua Myanmar reported. Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing expressed his gratitude to China for its stance on and support for Myanmar regarding the conflict in Rakhine, the office of the commander-in-chief said in the statement. The Office of the Commander-in-Chief did not state how long the visit would be. The armed forces chief has visited China twice; in November 2016 and in 2013. News Nationalist Monk Sentenced to 1 Month in Prison Over 2016 US Embassy Protest U Parmaukkha is seen at Yangons Kamayut Township Court after being remanded on Nov. 14, 2017. [Photo: Chanson/ The Irrawaddy) News Police Investigate 5 Facebook Accounts for Falsely Reporting Academy Raid Sitagu International Buddhist Academy in Yangon seen at opening ceremony in 2011. / The Irrawaddy YANGON Police are investigating five Facebook accounts allegedly used to spread false reports that authorities had raided a well-known Buddhist academy and discovered firearms at the site. Police named the accounts as Rohingya Hajee Ismail, Faisal Thar Thakhin, Burma Muslims, Aung Kyaw Oo and Myanmar News page. Police earlier said the five Facebook pages had been used to post fabricated reports on Oct. 23 claiming that weapons and ammunition had been discovered at Sitagu International Buddhist Academys Yangon campus in North Dagon Township. The false reports also claimed the academys leading monks had been detained for questioning, and urged the public to report suspicious monasteries. The reports were widely shared, with many users quick to dismiss them as fake. The academyrespected in Myanmar and abroad as a hub for Theravada Buddhismreported the stories to North Dagon Township Police Station, complaining they were defamatory and damaged the image of the academy. North Dagon Township Police Station chief Than Zaw Min told The Irrawaddy that police were investigating with assistance from the Criminal Investigation Department, but declined to give further information. The accounts have remained active. Most have several thousand friends, including some known Rohingya rights activists based in Myanmar and Thailand. We will announce any arrests, Than Zaw Min added. The accounts are being investigated for possible violations of Article 66(d) of Myanmars Telecommunications Law. Article 66(d) proscribes extorting, coercing, restraining wrongfully, defaming, [or] disturbing any person using a telecommunications network. Offenders are subject to a maximum prison sentence of two years. The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture said the reports were spread with the intention to incite racial and religious conflict in the country. Lincoln businessman Todd Watson announced Tuesday he will mount a "conservative Constitutionalist" challenge to Sen. Deb Fischer in the 2018 Republican Senate primary election. "Our current U.S. Senate needs a makeover," Watson said in a news release before making his official announcement on Facebook. "Congressional winning from a camp that is corrupted, compromised and lacks conviction on the inside will not happen," he said. Watson was critical of Fischer's role as a member of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's leadership team, arguing that "health care, securing the border, spending cuts, defunding Planned Parenthood and reforming immigration were always impossible" because of allegiance to McConnell and large campaign donors. "Deb Fischer's three failing conservative grades by leading conservative publications like New American, Heritage in Action and Conservative Review have left Republicans bewildered and uninspired," Watson said. Watson, who is co-owner of real estate management and tech companies and managing partner of family farms, was an independent petition candidate for the Senate in 2014. His mantra in 2018 will be to "make Republicans conservative again," he said. Watson said he would focus on defending the Constitution, ensuring national security and promoting social conservatism, fiscal control and economic growth. And, he said, he is anti-abortion and a supporter of Second Amendment gun rights. "We win if conservative Nebraskans are reinspired and learn the facts of (Fischer's) voting record," Watson said. Fischer is seeking re-election to a second term. Jane Raybould of Lincoln is a candidate for the Democratic Senate nomination. News US Senators Urge Rakhine Communities to Coexist US senators met with Arakan National Party leaders in Sittwe. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy YANGON Rakhine civil society and state cabinet members told The Irrawaddy that visiting US delegates asked about the local perspective on the repatriation of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled to neighboring Bangladesh following Myanmar Army security clearance operations in August. According to UN estimates, more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have sought refuge in Bangladesh since the end of August. Regional minister Kyaw Lwin of agriculture, livestock, forestry, and mining, spoke with The Irrawaddy over the phone on Monday and said that US delegates led by Senator Jeff Merkley landed in state capital Sittwe on their own aircraft on Sunday but did not visit the conflict-torn Maungdaw region. The US delegates visited Bangladesh prior to Myanmar. During their meeting with Rakhine cabinet members, the delegates encouraged state cabinet members to break the ice between Muslim and Rakhine communities by setting up informal meetings in which participants could discuss views and initiate trade and technical support for monitoring projects, said Minister U Kyaw Lwin. They [the delegates] have expressed that they are not interfering in the internal affairs of Myanmar and that the purpose of visit was to observe the reality on the ground, said Minister Kyaw Lwin. The senators and officials also conducted an hour-long meeting with Rakhine civil society organizations (CSOs) in Sittwe on the same day. Rakhine Ethnic Congress (REC) secretary Zaw Zaw Tun who attended the meeting on Monday told The Irrawaddy that the discussion focused on the humanitarian crisis. The US officials and legislators asked the opinion of CSO representatives regarding refugee repatriation. The Rakhine CSOs said they had heard the reasons for the massive numbers of refugees was fear of future trouble in Maungdaw, difficulty receiving food supplies, the ability to receive international aid more easily in Bangladesh, and the opportunity to reach a third country under refugee status. Zaw Zaw Tun said the delegates encouraged stakeholders to sympathize and accept repatriation, but that they understood there would be numerous challenges. He added that locals fear future attacks by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militant. The senators also met with Arakan National Party (ANP) leaders in Sittwe. The US delegation highlighted the need to uphold human rights, as Myanmar is now a democracy. Tuesday, Nov 21st, 2017 (11:13 am) - Score 3,846 The UK Internet domain registry, Nominet, has again joined forces with Broadway Partners to deploy their long range TV White Space wireless superfast broadband technology, which utilises the gaps in radio spectrum that exist between Television channels (470-790MHz), to reach Loch Ness in Scotland. So far the operator has already deployed a similar network to serve remote rural residents on the Isle of Arran in Scotland (here) and earlier this year they started building another TVWS network around the parish of Llanarth in Monmouthshire, Wales (here). The latest deployment to join this club is none other than Loch Ness, where a certain mythical monster is alleged to reside (apparently only people with terrible camera skills are able to see it). The new White Space (aka TV Whitespaces) technology harnesses the gaps that exist between radio spectrum in the Digital Terrestrial TV bands. The related spectrum gaps are normally intended to help minimise the risk of interference between channels, although a new dynamic spectrum management system (database) means that they can also be used to deliver data (i.e. this has to account for any changes in the TV channel / spectrum assignments). The advantage of this approach is that it enables providers to harness some very low frequency spectrum for broadband connectivity, which might not deliver the fastest speeds but it does have exceptional coverage capabilities. Physical obstructions, such as trees or buildings, are also less of a problem. At present some homes in the largest village of Drumnadrochit can already access Openreachs 80Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) network via fixed lines, but many other areas continue to struggle and this can also have a negative impact on tourism. By comparison the new network, which is currently in the BETA testing phase, is initially being deployed to cover Loch End, Abriachan, Balchraggen, Dores, Achmony, Milton, Drumnadrochit, Kilmore, Strone, Bunloit, Inverfarigaig and Foyers (more will follow in the future). Full pricing will be released shortly but the standard package is 30 inc. VAT for download speeds of up to 50Mbps. Russell Haworth, CEO of Nominet, said: Its amazing that one of the most famous tourist destinations in Britain lags so far behind in the broadband race. The beauty of TV white space lies in its ability to quickly bridge connectivity holes like this and add value directly into the communities and businesses of the area, and boost commerce in the region. Were delighted to be a part of the project and really look forward to putting our technology to the test. Michael Armitage, Founder Director of Broadway Partners, said: This project is particularly exciting because, while virtually everybody has heard of Loch Ness, few outside the area realise just how poorly served it is for broadband. TV white space technology allows us to reach communities and businesses that are beyond the reach of conventional wireless, and we are thrilled to be able to help locals and visitors alike get connected. Further details can be found on the related Connected Loch Ness project site and new installations should also be able to take advantage of the UK Governments Better Broadband Subsidy Scheme, which offers grants worth up to 350 in order to cover the installation cost (currently due to expire at the end of 2017 unless extended). Sadly no information has been provided to explain the cost of deployment or funding sources, which makes it hard to judge the projects wider merits. The highest-profile use case of computer vision to date is autonomous vehicles (AVs). Clearly, the ability to stop, change lanes and otherwise guide a car or truck through traffic requires what in essence is keen vision, whether established by retinas and irises or cameras and remote sensors. AVs, however, are just the tip of the iceberg for computer vision. ABI Research reports that computer vision is a far broader category than AVs, and one that is gaining traction. The firm says that by 2022, more than 650 million devices will support advanced vision applications. The firm points to newly released cameras from Apple (the iPhone X), Huawei (the Mate 10) and Google (the Pixel 2) and the Google Clicks camera as devices leading the way. Examples of applications based on advanced computer vision are Apple Face ID, Apple Animojis (for social networking) and Google Clips (for content). ABI also says that much of the computing necessary for this ambitious new world will be done in the devices. This is likely due to the latency created by sending data to the cloud, processing and sending it back to the device. Thus, this is a big opportunity for chip makers and related firms. There likely will be both new and familiar names. One of the newbies focusing on computer vision, Ambarella, was recently profiled at Equities. The applications are starting to emerge. For instance, computer vision is an element of Intra-Logistics with Integrated Automatic Deployment (ILIAD), a European project aimed at using automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in warehouses for tasks such as packing, palletizing and transporting goods, according to Photonics. The AGVs will use artificial intelligence (AI) and be self-learning. They will work in close proximity to their flesh and blood co-workers and, thus, must be acutely sensitive to where they are at all times. The project spans the UK, Sweden, Italy and Germany. A report at Equipment World on the keynote addresses at the Association of Equipment Management Professionals Equipment Shift Conference suggested how advanced technologies, including computer vision, will work together. The address delivered by Prakash Iyer, vice president of software architecture and strategy at Trimble navigation, laid out a future in which efficiency and productivity are greatly expanded. The keys, in addition to computer vision, are AI, virtual reality and the Internet of Things (VR and IoT). At least six other technologies play a subsidiary role, Iyer told the group. Computer vision is not new, of course. The runup to AVs, which deeply rely on these techniques, has been ongoing for several years. It seems, however, to be gaining its own identity as a standalone discipline that can be deployed in many different ways. That higher profile likely will spur investment and development. Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at [email protected] and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk. With 20 new offerings and significant enhancements in its product portfolio, CA is confident it has the tools your business needs to tackle agility, intelligent automation, data driven insights, security and more to avoid disruption. Disrupt yourself, or be disrupted. Digitally transform your business, or go out of business. Embrace AI and machine learning, or have someone else's machine learn how to embrace, extend and extinguish yours. Use artificial intelligence, APIs, apps and more, and make sure your apps, internal and external processes, information sharing, customer and partner interaction and everything else is up to speed, modernised, responsive, easy to use, scalable and loved by users, employees and developers alike, or wonder why customers are leaving you for your more advanced competitors, and your best employees do the same, too. It's 2017, and there are still plenty of companies that either haven't properly made the leap into the future, or are using technologies a few years old that just can't cope with the ever increasing demands of the modern era, and its incessant acceleration into all things digital. It's just a fact of life, and if you're not part of the solution to bring your business up to speed, you're part of the problem that stops your business from being best of breed, and is part of the problem seeing your business bleed. You can only bleed for so long until you're dead, and while these are my words and not CA Technologies', it's clear that the time is now to take action, lest you lose traction. Don't let distraction impede digital satisfaction. Now, CA Technologies is aimed at larger businesses, corporate and enterprise customers, government entities and organisations of a similar calibre, rather than small businesses, (although it does say it can help business of all sizes), but with big business in no way too big to fail, such organisations cannot survive on momentum alone, for if you fail to plan for the future, then you've obviously planned to fail and your customers should start abandoning you now. No organisation of any size wants that, of course, so it should come as no surprise that CA Technologies has a range of new product releases and enhancements "helping companies of all sizes increase the quality and velocity of application development and delivery, coupled with automation, agile development, machine learning and more." It is the taking of digital transformation and the journey into creating your own "Modern Software Factory" so your business doesn't just survive, but thrives - successfully reaching the next level - and then levels beyond that to come. Mike Gregoire, chief executive of CA Technologies, whose Day 1 keynote can be seen here (and the Day 2 keynotes also), said: "The Modern Software Factory frames how organisations transform themselves by leveraging agile, automation, insights and security. CA brings the experience and solutions to help you chart your own path, and your factory ensures that your company is built to change and can adapt in an accelerating, digital world. The company says its expanded portfolio "integrates advanced analytics and machine learning for companies of all sizes to apply intelligence to the technology and tools that support faster, quality software development and delivery." John Fiedler, senior vice-president of Digital at Fox News, said: "As the media landscape continues to shift dramatically, we are excited to bring our new digital strategy to life. In a partnership with CA Technologies, we are adding new tools for agility, automation, and continuous testing to our development workflows. "We are modernising how news is delivered by completely reimagining our digital products and replacing our backend systems. All of these initiatives will ultimately lead us to be faster and more efficient in delivering breaking and real-time news across all digital platforms." Fourteen videos comprising executive interviews, Q&A sessions, show floor tour and more can be seen at my previous CA World '17 article here. So, with all that has been written above, what are some of the specifics that CA Technologies is offering relevant organisations in 2017, 2018 and beyond? These include: Build with business agility using modern architectures CA showcased its "new, award-winning CA Microgateway. It modernises monolithic application architectures with a lightweight, modular services approach to leverage existing systems and build new applications quickly and securely". "Companies can deploy and manage microservices in minutes across multiple architectures, with ready-to-use security, service discovery at scale and intelligent traffic management to support mobile apps and Internet of Things (IoT) systems." Leverage intelligent automation for faster, more reliable software CA says its "Automic One Automation Platform is driven by data analytics orchestrated across a complex, diverse landscape of applications, platforms and technologies to automate for efficiency and create room for innovation. "Modern software factories know how to stay ahead of the pack, and intelligent automation helps them support and scale DevOps with simplified processes and less scripting for Ops team, and zero-touch self-service capabilities for development teams." Correlate business data for insights to improve every customer experience CA tells us "there is inherent value in business and operational data from existing systems. Correlating data for insights across infrastructure operations, applications and users, the new CA Digital Experience Insights is a SaaS-based digital experience monitoring and analytics solution. "It provides companies a full picture of their customers experience across digital platforms with advanced analytics resulting in a more than 50-70% improvement in customers digital experience." Integrate security from the start to reduce risk and exposure CA says its "Veracode Greenlight, now available as a free trial, empowers developers to develop with velocity and quality. It allows developers to produce vulnerability-free code with instant feedback on security defects, right in their Integrated Development Environments. "The ability to scan and correct as they code gives them the ability to speed up the process of software development and delivery without compromising security, opening up the world of DevSecOps." Ayman Sayed, president and chief product officer, CA Technologies, said: "Every business can be a modern software factory and achieve better business outcomes faster with the right intelligence. Today our portfolio is comprised of the tools and technologies that inject analytics and machine learning into our customers existing technology investments to compete and win in todays fast-moving marketplace. So, what is more information on CA Technologies' "expanded portfolio to support DevSecOps with velocity and scale?" The company says its expanded portfolio "allows companies to integrate security into the earliest stages of development and assure security in deployment an emerging practice known as DevSecOps." CA proudly boasts it is "uniquely positioned to deliver industry leading capabilities" to its customers with "new capabilities in the CA Automic, CA Veracode, and Continuous Delivery portfolios." The company quotes Gartner stating that The goal of DevSecOps is to improve the overall security posture by designing a set of integrated controls to deliver DevSecOps without undermining the agility and collaborative aspects of the DevOps philosophy. "Simply layering standard security tools and processes onto the DevOps cycle won't work. Security checks, controls and testing need to be applied as automatically and transparently as feasible throughout the development, delivery and operation of applications. Improving speed without sacrificing security Supporting the continuous delivery value stream, CA says its "Continuous Delivery Director SaaS integrates the DevOps toolchain for complete visibility into the planning and troubleshooting of development projects, with the ability to assess pipeline progress and performance." Indeed, we're told that "it gives DevOps teams a way to eliminate a manual and burdensome process in release planning and management". "To bring security to the process, integration with CA Veracode makes application security testing a key component of the development process by initiating checks throughout the development pipeline. "And additional integration with CA Automic Application Release Automation extends faster deployment capabilities with an automated, agile back end that delivers more reliable releases of code." In addition comes the statement that "every modern software factory strives to build better apps faster, but requires the right tools and processes across all phases of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). With a DevSecOps approach, integrating tools and processes that encourage better collaboration across development, operations and security teams makes security a natural part of development and operations." Sayed returns, to state: "Companies that embrace DevSecOps deliver better and more-secure software because of the focus on collaboration and alignment across disciplines. In todays security environment, it is critically important for security to be integrated seamlessly throughout the whole software development lifecycle. We are pleased to be able to provide CA customers with new tools that do just that across our CA Automic, CA Veracode, and Continuous Delivery portfolios. And, what of "digital trust with AI powered software and intelligent automation?" CA says its "new mainframe innovations help customers speed time to resolution by 5x, reduce insider threats and cut operational expenses by 25%." The details are the announcement of "new, modern mainframe solutions that help organisations gain insights to predict and remediate performance issues automatically, protect customer privacy, drive agility and decrease costs." With CA Mainframe Operational Intelligence, CA Trusted Access Manager for Z and CA Dynamic Capacity Intelligence, CA says "companies can leverage analytics and machine-learning to increase digital trust with their customers." Ashok Reddy, general manager, Mainframe, CA Technologies, said: "Its critical to lay the foundation of digital trust with 80 per cent of the worlds corporate data residing on mainframes that run 68% of the worlds production workloads. Digital trust is essential to enable enterprises to verify people, protect data and assure app integrity and performance. Through AI and machine-learning powered intelligent automation, CAs new mainframe solutions enable increased insights across broader sets of data. This will help businesses manage retiring skills through intelligent automation, while increasing security, scalability and flexibility on their current platforms, including IBM Z, in a secure and trusted environment. So, how do you achieve "earlier prevention and faster resolution with machine-learning?" Here we're told that "CA Mainframe Operational Intelligence uses machine-learning and automation to capture patterns, triggering dynamic and reliable remediation. The solution builds on anomaly detection so users can predict issues sooner and automate resolution before service level agreements (SLAs) are impacted. "Available with an IBM System Management Facilities (SMF) Adapter, customers can now absorb additional data directly from the IBM Z environment to gather intelligence from mainframe data outside of CA products. This is key because when it comes to machine learning and intelligence, the wider the set of data, the more accurate the predictions." Seth Miller, director, Enterprise Server Resource Planning and Automation, AIG, said: Supporting a variety of new business initiatives, our IT environment continues to grow more complex. We are looking to incorporate machine-learning and intelligence to simplify and improve our IT operations to further reduce costs while providing an outstanding customer experience. What about "reinforcing trust in the next era of cyber threats?" Here, CA states that: "Almost two billion data records around the world were lost or stolen by cyberattacks in the first half of 2017, according to the latest findings by digital security provider Gemalto, and of the 65 companies evaluated, the breach cost shareholders over US$52.40 billion in total." To help manage risk and maintain customer trust, CA says it is "boosting enterprise security with CA Trusted Access Manager for Z, the only mainframe solution on the market which enables security leaders to restrict and monitor all activity by privileged identities on the mainframe". The company says: "Organisations can better manage their data and address security and compliance needs with the CA mainframe security suite that includes CA Data Content Discovery and CA Compliance Event Manager that covers new classes of data, new US and European regulatory requirements." Mark Anzani, vice-president of strategy, IBM Z, said: "Security and the risk associated with cyber crime is a rising concern for all enterprises. "With IBM z14 and the solutions CA provides, our mutual customers can address these security and compliance challenges, while innovating rapidly to drive their business." So, how does CA say you can "control costs in the application economy?" This is where the company spruiks its "CA Dynamic Capacity Intelligence", whereby "businesses can avoid unplanned spikes in capacity usage to better manage costs by achieving SLA objectives with predictable monthly licence charges". We're informed that "Customers can continually analyse workloads and dynamically move capacity to where and when its needed, providing IT and business stakeholders a predictable and proactive way to ensure critical workloads are completed". Manfred Hartmann, managing director, MHB IT Consulting, said: "While lowering costs is important, arguably IT needs to guarantee SLA objectives for critical workloads. I have observed that CA Dynamic Capacity Intelligence provides rapid customer value by streamlining operations, while also ensuring critical workloads received the capacity they needed. It also helped predict costs more accurately, which for one company resulted in nearly a 10% cost reduction. So, alongside this article covering the Day 1 announcements of last week's CA World 17, as well as the 14 videos that I recorded at the event, the information above covers all of the major announcements at CA World 17. Knowledge is power, whether it is in your hands, those of your employees and colleagues, and those of your customers and competitors. What you do with that knowledge is up to you, but ignore it at your peril, for capitalism ensures creative destruction recycles those who refuse to move with the times into new companies, new customers, new opportunities, new apps, new learnings, new insights and new profits. Good luck! The writer attended CA World '17 as a guest of CA Technologies. HPE has found ways to differentiate its Azure Stack systems from those supplied by other vendors. HPE's hybrid cloud strategy has three legs, HPE vice-president of hybrid IT Raj Thakur told iTWire. They are the Synergy composable infrastructure platform, Simplivity hyperconverged systems, and Azure Stack. Some customers use more than one of these, he said. In addition, there are workload-optimised systems based on more-traditional NonStop, Itanium and SuperDome architectures (to run SAP Hana or Microsoft Analytics Platform System, for instance), as well as data storage optimised systems sold under the Nimble and 3Par brands. That said, "We're quite excited about Azure Stack", Thakur commented. HPE and its predecessor has a 30-year partnership with Microsoft, and the companies have been working to provide customers with the same experience as they get with Azure cloud. HPE's Azure Stack systems are already shipping to an unnamed large bank and a couple of similarly anonymous service providers, and the company is talking to many other customers of various sizes in different industries. Interest from the public sector is lagging,Thakur observed, but there is some activity via service providers. That's typical, he observed, as big customers are usually the first to join a technology bandwagon, followed by government agencies, and then it spreads more widely. The company's strategy is to sell directly to customers, and also through distributors and platform partners. In association with some of those partners, it even provides the option of installing Azure Stack on customer premises but with full remote management. "Microsoft has done a tremendous job in preparing the market", both among channel partners and customers, Thakur said. But HPE has found several ways to differentiate its Azure Stack offerings, he noted. The company has created Azure Stack innovation centres in Seattle and Geneva, and is working on another in the APAC region. There are already some relevant facilities in Singapore, he noted. HPE's Azure Stack servers have been fully integrated with the company's OneView infrastructure management system, for both the Azure Stack and the underlying hardware. Furthermore, they had a 20-30% performance advantage even on HPE's Gen9 servers. The forthcoming Gen10 Azure Stack system will continue to be the performance leader,Thakur claimed. (The HPE ProLiant DL385 Gen10 server was announced today, supporting more virtual machines per server, allowing more data to be processed in parallel, with access to more local storage, and "unprecedented security", according to HPE officials.) HPE's Azure Stack products come in three configurations, and customers can select the memory, storage, processors, network hardware and racks that are right for their applications. The number of nodes in a system can be increased, but that process does involve some downtime. The systems are factory integrated, and an installation service is included. Installation is not considered complete until the customer has accepted the system, Thakur pointed out. Multiple financing options are available, including a pay-per-use model. The big advantages of this approach are that organisations can deploy applications very rapidly, pay only for what they actually use, and without having to worry about integration. "That's a whole lot of overhead [including firmware management] you don't have to carry," he said. There is now no need for organisations to do their own systems integration, as they can buy an appliance or consume Azure Stack as a service. Azure Stack is good for customers who want a true hybrid environment, said Thakur. Many organisations would continue to use other servers for traditional workloads, and "there will be coexistence with other stacks" in multi-cloud environments. Talking of which, HPE will next year introduce a multi-cloud management product that can also accommodate traditional servers, he said. So who should consider HPE Azure Stack systems? According to Thakur, Microsoft-centric organisations that are already using Azure cloud, and know which applications they want to run on-premises. The increasing need for more bandwidth per port has means we have gone from 1G to 10G being normal, with 40G and 100G connections becoming essential to deal with rising data rates. Port capacity will continue to be tested with 200G and 400G fibre connectivity products set to hit the market in the coming years. When expanding a fibre network, the costs of the hardware (switches, storage devices) is often outweighed by the connectivity products (optical transceivers, direct attach cables). So, is there a way of reducing the cost of network expansion without any downside? Option A) Buy from original vendors Normally you purchase fibre connectivity products from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). These offer excellent quality though the main drawback for purchasing from OEMs is the cost. Most OEMs sell at an mark-up which is prohibitive especially when costing a large capacity expansion over hundreds of ports. Also, OEMs simply source and re-badge their products from China. They lock their products with code to maintain market share and their inflated profit margins. OEMs will try and protect their market share by spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty & doubt) about using alternative products to their own. OEMs are known to spread lies about using alternative fibre connectivity products, saying they will void warranties and service agreements, which is totally untrue. The only way a transceiver will ever void a warranty is if it was responsible for damaging the hardware . If you plug a transceiver into a switch and it is not compatible the only thing that happens is the link will not work which in no way harms the hardware. Option B) Buy from China Buying from China is cheap, but the quality of the products is a lottery. Having visited many transceiver manufacturers factories in China, the difference in quality is huge. There are some facilities that are perfectly clean and dust free using OEM quality components. They have good manufacturing and testing processes, and use sophisticated testing equipment. And there are many companies who are the exact opposite. There are also companies posing as transceiver manufacturers who make nothing, but simply purchase products from the cheapest source availableoften using recycled components including lasers. When buying direct from China, after sales service is sketchy. With reported high failure rates, if youhave an issue it is hard to communicate with the seller who will not offer forward replacement. You will need to return the failed product to China to get tested which is a long and arduous process to get the product replaced. Option C) Buy from PlusOptic Buying your fibre connectivity products from PlusOptic has many advantages. Firstly, the quality of the product. All PlusOptic optical modules are produced according to strict MSA (Multisource Agreement) standards, the same standards OEMs adhere to. Every product purchased from PlusOptic is manufactured in a state of the art ISO 9001 accredited production facility, which is dust free, has the very best equipment, follows rigorous QA & testing processes and only uses the highest quality components and lasers, as used in OEM products. You also get local stock and support. PlusOptic offers qualified advice on product selection and hold local stock of all key products to ensure that 90% of orders are shipped the same / next day. PlusOptic also have the technical capability to re-code optics that are not in stock. PlusOptic products support bandwidths from 100Mb to 100G. We have thousands of products including transceivers such as SFPs, XFPs, QSFP+, Direct Attach Cables, NIC Cards, Fibre Patch Leads, Media Converters and Multiplexers. PlusOptic specialise in long haul optics as well as DWDM / CWDM, both passive and amplified. PlusOptic are multi-vendor fibre connectivity specialists who have been operating for 10 years with great experience in inter-connecting different vendors hardware. PlusOptic offer a 100% compatibility guarantee for over 100 vendors such as Cisco, HP, Brocade, Dell, Huawei and many more. We offer the same level of product quality as original vendors products, quicker lead times, exceptional levels of support, forward replacement and longer warranties for a fraction of the price. Sourcing from PlusOptic is risk free. We offer a 100% compatibility money back guarantee. When you install your PlusOptic product, if you are in any way unhappy with the products performance we will refund you or find you an alternate solution. All PlusOptic products have a 3 year warranty. On the rare occasions where there is an issue, weoffer forward replacement as we know how important it is to get your network back up and running as quickly as possible. For more information on PlusOptic fibre connectivity products: Tel: 02 8324 1413 Email: info@plusoptic.com Web: https://www.plusoptic.com/ About PlusOptic Product Reliability, Unrivalled Service & Support PlusOptic produces a wide range of fibre connectivity products to meet all your needs including multiplexers, transceivers, direct attach cables, and fibre patch leads. Our products deliver 100% compatibility with over 100 hardware vendors including Cisco, HP, Brocade & Juniper. We offer abroad range of proven fibre optic connectivity solutions from 100Mbps 100Gbps. When you choose PlusOptic, you can expect exceptional product quality, long warranties, quick lead times, prompt technical support, and an overall level of service that is unrivalled in the industry. Its something were quite proud of. CCP Technologies Limited (ASX:CT1) has announced a distribution agreement with ASX-listed hardware distributor, Dicker Data (ASX:DDR). Under this new agreement, Dicker Data will position and sell CCPs Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring solution. With over 35 years of experience, Dicker Data is currently positioned as the leading distributor for several leading vendors in Australia, selling exclusively to over 3000 resellers nationally. Michael White, Executive Director and CEO of CCP said, Theres one distribution partner the worlds leading technology companies select to represent their products in the Australian market, and thats Dicker Data. Dicker Datas extensive product portfolio includes leading technology brands such as HP, Cisco, Toshiba, ASUS, Lenovo, Microsoft and other tier 1 global brands. They plan to expand their product offerings into the IoT space, through proactive reseller agreements. David Dicker, Chairman and CEO, Dicker Data Limited said, Im pleased to be announcing our new partnership with ASX-listed IoT solution provider, CCP Technologies. Through their packaged, ready to deploy solutions, our extensive partner network will be enabled to deliver tangible insights and business results to a wide variety of their end-users across multiple market segments with minimal implementation overheads. CCP is a low-cost critical control point management system, which uses wireless smart IoT sensors to capture data 24/7 (such as temperature, humidity and open/close events). Data is delivered to the companys big data cloud platform where it is analyzed to deliver business intelligence. Customers access this information through Web and Mobile Dashboards; and receive real-time alerts via SMS, email and push notifications. Sensors are installed in refrigerated environments to underpin food safety. White says, CCP is delighted to have such a high-calibre channel partner. Dicker Datas reach in Australia will significantly increase our opportunity to expand in 2018. Given the millions of monitoring points across the customer base of Dicker Datas reseller network the opportunities for market penetration are significant. CCPs current customer base in Australia and North America includes many well-known corporate brands seeking a comprehensive IoT critical control point management system. By building a strategic partner network and offering an affordable solution, the company anticipates rapid growth and expansion of its install base. Internet service provider Exetel has signed a deal with Telstra Wholesale worth $40 million over two years, to supply Telstra Ethernet Access to its business customers. This will make Exetel the third biggest buyer of Telstra Ethernet Access, with the company predicting that the average bandwidth needed by business customers will rise above 100 Mbps. Exetel chief executive Richard Purdy said: Having grown four-fold in as many years our corporate business is at an inflexion point, driven by the inexorable growth in demand for reliable bandwidth from our SME customers as they increasingly take up cloud-based services. Telstra Wholesale is the ideal partner for Exetel to continue this growth. Our mutual commitment to customer service, their straightforward approach, coupled with Telstras unique coverage makes todays decision a very easy one." A statement from Exetel said the company had seen average bandwidth per business customer more than triple over the past two years; from 20 Mbps in 2015 to more than 67 Mbps in 2017. The worlds SMEs are already enjoying the significant efficiencies and benefits that come with the rapidly growing number of cloud based services. However Australian SMEs still lag the rest of the world in the use of these services," Purdy said. "We plan to change that by offering fast, reliable and cost effective Ethernet connectivity." Exetel has about 10,000 Australian corporate clients and about 100,000 residential customers. It resells products from NBN Co, Telstra, Optus, Verizon Business, AAPT & BigAir. The competitive environment for SMEs in Australia remains challenging and our clients face a range of challenges including the rise in demand for flexible work alternatives and the growing need for collaboration and productivity," Purdy said. "Central to these objectives is the use of cloud technology which is underpinned by faster connection speeds. Our SME clients are increasingly migrating their operations to cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services, Salesforce and Office 365, as well as a multitude of CRM and accounting systems. Using the cloud is much more cost effective for SMEs and provides great reliability and security; it also places greater demand on their connectivity and this deal with Telstra is the solution to that demand. Being an active part of research that is later used by advocates to push for policy change has been a really positive and inspiring experience. Caitlin Weiger, IGTC research assistant and PhD student in Health, Behavior and Society The Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC), established in 1998, has an ambitious mission: Prevent death and disease from tobacco products by generating evidence to support effective tobacco control interventions. All of the Institutes work is carried out by a team of dedicated people with backgrounds in public health research, policy and practice. Like many of JHSPHs centers and institutes, IGTC employs both professionals and current students, offering both the opportunity to translate theory into practice. Marela Kay R. Minosa, MSPH 16, came to JHSPH with an undergraduate degree in statistics and, when she started her MSPH program in International Health, she thought she would apply those skills to lung cancer research. But after learning about tobacco control in her coursework and seminars, she shifted gears and interned with the Baltimore City Health Departments Tobacco and Smoking Cessation Program. To say that I became obsessed with tobacco control after that experience would be an understatement, Minosa says. After completing her MSPH, she applied for a job at IGTC, drawn by the ability to still work in academia while providing evidence-based research that supports advocacy efforts for global tobacco control. Minosa was particularly interested in grounding her work in the Philippines, where her family lived before moving to the United States. Her very first project with IGTC was based in the Philippines, and she remains involved with various projects in the country. My favorite part of my job now is interacting with partner organizations and seeing how the work we do impacts tobacco control efforts in countries like the Philippines, she says. Minosa, now a senior data analyst with IGTC, is not alone in finding the Institutes mission the perfect way to translate public health education and experience into action. The Tobacco Package Surveillance System (TpackSS) team reviewing cigarette packs collected in China. Here, three more IGTC staffers share how their work both as professionals and students has found a home and a focus in reducing tobacco use around the world: NAME: Ayodeji Joseph Awopegba HOMETOWN: Ibadan, Nigeria EDUCATION: DDS, MPH 13 CURRENT ROLE WITH IGTC: Research Program Manager How long have you worked with IGTC? Ive been with the institute for about four years now as a full-time staff member. [Before that] I worked for about a year as a graduate research assistant, mostly supporting the development of what can be regarded as the largest tobacco pack surveillance project in the world. Describe your transition from working with IGTC as a student to becoming a full-time employee. As a student I had to deal with the pressures of completing readings, homework and labs, studying for exams, completing my capstone, running a student organization, and balancing the hours I worked at IGTC. It was a lot to juggle, but I enjoyed each experience. As a full-time staffer, not having to worry about coursework helped make the load a little lighter. I was able to channel my focus and passion into the incredible work at the Institute. Did your graduate coursework relate to what you do now with IGTC? Yes, and thats why I love the breadth and flexibility of the MPH program at the Bloomberg School. I customized my program to include classes that developed skills and content important to the field of tobacco control. I focused on social and behavioral sciences, risk and policy, applied epidemiology, and biostatistics. I also completed the Global Tobacco Control certificate offered at the School. What drew you to IGTC? I have always been drawn to public health. Early in dental school, I became active in student politics and in organizing health outreaches. Routinely, we would ask patients about smoking history, and I found that to be one of the most critical aspects of patient management: getting smokers to quit. Most dental procedures either cannot proceed or have a high risk of failure if the patient is a smoker. I wanted to better understand why people used tobacco and how I could help my patients quit, so I searched for top public health programs that offered a certificate in tobacco control. Hopkins was the only one. (Hopkins is also consistently ranked #1, so that made my choice easy). I started following IGTCs Innovations in Tobacco Control lecture series, as well as other resources from the Institute. Whats the most exciting part of your job now? A number of IGTC projects I have managed or supported actually translate to life-changing policies on the ground. From Beijing to Bangladesh, Bangalore to Baltimore, IGTCs projects provide quality research to support policy development in multiple countries, and develop capacity for tobacco control leadership. Its exciting to see data on how many lives we have saved by supporting the implementation of evidence-based policies in countries hardest hit by the tobacco epidemic through our work as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. The things we do every day contribute to protecting health and saving lives, millions at time (in keeping with the Schools vision). Ive contributed to numerous projects at IGTC such as building a surveillance system of tobacco packs, supporting the design and implementation of smoke-free and tobacco-free policies and developing a global e-cigarette policy database. I enjoy the exceptional mentorship provided by our director, Joanna Cohen, PhD, MHSc, and I learn so much from working with our outstanding research staff. A lot of our work is focused internationally, so we frequently coordinate with other institutions and partners such as the WHO, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Vital Strategies, the CDC Foundation the list goes on. I feel grateful for the opportunity to help improve the lives of many people. NAME: Jenny Brown HOMETOWN: Nipomo, CA EDUCATION: MPH, currently a PhD student in Health, Behavior and Society CURRENT ROLE WITH IGTC: Research Assistant How long have you worked with IGTC? Four and a half years, formerly full-time and currently as graduate student research assistant. Describe your transition from working with IGTC as a full-time employee to going back to school to pursue your PhD. The transition was pretty seamless. I had to take on a smaller role at IGTC after I became a student because of coursework, but since then, I have enjoyed working on a number of different projects. In addition to the Tobacco Pack Surveillance System, which I worked on full-time as an employee, Ive also collected data in Canada to examine the tobacco industry response to the menthol bans in Alberta and Nova Scotia. Ive traveled to Argentina, Nicaragua, South Africa and Switzerland to work on a project that monitored point-of-sale tobacco advertising. IGTC has also provided many professional development opportunities, and Ive been able to attend conferences to share our research and learn more about tobacco control. How does your graduate coursework relate to what you do with IGTC? My coursework has strengthened my skills in designing studies and analyzing data, and I am now able to take a larger role in data analysis and writing papers for the research projects I work on. In turn, the work I have done at IGTC has informed my topical interests within the field of tobacco control and the research I plan to undertake for my dissertation. Did working at IGTC play a role in your decision to pursue this degree? Working at IGTC reaffirmed my interest in a career in research. During my time at IGTC, I have been fortunate to meet many amazing tobacco control policy advocates from around the globe, and their passion for preventing death and disease from tobacco is inspiring. Over the course of my career, I hope to help bridge the gap between research and policy. How do you balance the demands of your job with being a student? IGTC has been very flexible about my hours, which has helped in balancing my job responsibilities with classes. I worked full-time last summer and work part-time during the school year. My schoolwork is my top priority, but the applied work I do at IGTC is what motivates me when Im not particularly excited about classwork (e.g., when studying for midterms). What led you to pursue a degree? My mom has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Shes never smoked, but her parents smoked multiple packs a day when she was a child. Over the years, Ive watched her on her journey with COPD and, at times, watched her struggle to breathe. I started working in tobacco control when I was 16. I volunteered to participate in a beach clean-up and then took the boxes of cigarette butts we collected to the local city council to demonstrate the need for smoke-free beaches. Ive worked in tobacco control ever since, in either an advocacy or research capacity. NAME: Caitlin Weiger HOMETOWN: New Market, Maryland EDUCATION: MHS 17, currently a PhD student in Health, Behavior and Society CURRENT ROLE WITH IGTC: Research Assistant How long have you worked with IGTC? Ive worked as a research assistant for about a year and a half. Describe your transition from working full-time at IGTC and to shifting to part-time to focus on coursework. When I work full-time over the summer, I am actively involved in trainings and data collection in other countries. When Im part-time during the school year, Im typically analyzing data, writing technical reports and preparing manuscripts. How does your graduate coursework relate to what you do with IGTC? The courses I take on methodsincluding epidemiologic methods, advanced quantitative methods, and qualitative methodsoffer skills I continue to apply to my work at IGTC. Im currently working on a case study of health warning label legislation in India that involves coding key informant interviews, and my coursework on qualitative methods has been enormously helpful. Did working at IGTC play a role in your decision to pursue this degree? Definitely. Id thought about pursuing my doctoral degree before starting at IGTC, but working with multiple partners within the Bloomberg Initiative [to Reduce Tobacco Use] gave me a more concrete idea of potential career options that would be available with a PhD, and that really solidified my resolve to apply. Participating in research that advocates can later use to push for policy change has been a really positive and inspiring experience. Its something I want to continue working toward, especially as I gain the skills and expertise to design and conduct research projects. How do you balance the demands of your job with being a student? I wouldnt say balance is necessarily easy to achieveand its something I continue to work onbut I wouldnt change either opportunity. The experiences Ive had at IGTC provide a practical application for the skills Im developing in class and allow me to participate in projects that can make a substantial contribution to public health. Its a challenge, but I think it will prepare me for a life in research where there will always be competing demands. What led you to pursue a degree? My undergrad degree is in psychology. Behavior change relies heavily on psychological principles, but has broader applications that I find really appealing and rewarding. Seeing the health consequences of problematic health behaviors, especially smoking, has strongly motivated my interest in tobacco control policy research. How did/does your education inform your role at IGTC? I worked at IGTC as part of my research practicum requirement for the MHS program. It was an excellent introduction to international research, working on a research team and tobacco control as a topical area. The diversity of research topics within tobacco control gave me a lot of options, as well as the opportunity to work with faculty with backgrounds in communications, public health, international health, and sociology. I am very focused on tobacco control as my research interest and that definitely informed my choice to stay at Hopkins, where I can work both on international and national tobacco control research. ABOUT THE MPH PROGRAM ABOUT THE PHD PROGRAM STUDENT INVOLVEMENT AT IGTC Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2017) - Nevada Zinc Corporation ("Nevada Zinc" or the "Company") (TSXV: NZN) is pleased to announce the first cored drill hole assay results from its 13 hole core drill program recently completed at the Company's Nevada based Lone Mountain Zinc Project. Results for 11 of the confirmation and step-out core drill holes are pending. The Company's drill program is the first core drill program completed on the Lone Mountain Zinc Project since the 1940's and follows up on the Company's 83 reverse circulation drill holes completed between 2014 and 2016. Bruce Durham, President and CEO of Nevada Zinc, commented: "Assay results from our first core hole exceeded expectations. The RC discovery hole we drilled at this location in 2014 returned a high grade and extensive interval of zinc and lead mineralization grading 7.56% zinc + lead over 89.92 metres. This core hole returned a slightly longer interval of 91.5 metres, however, it assayed more than 26% higher than the RC drill hole, assaying a combined 9.58% zinc + lead over the 91.5 metre or 300 foot interval. With current strong zinc prices and a forecast for a continuation of strong zinc prices going forward our Lone Mountain Zinc Project is very well positioned and we are anxious to receive the remaining assay results from this initial core drill program." Highlights Core hole assay results from NLM-17-01 include a 16.62 metre (54.5 foot) interval assaying 12.79% zinc and 8.84% lead (21.63% zinc + lead) within an overall interval of 91.5 metres (300 feet) grading 7.67% zinc and 1.93% lead (9.58% zinc + lead). Hole NLM-17-01 twinned the original RC drill hole (NLM-14-01) at that location. The RC drill hole intersected an interval of 89.92 metres (295 feet) assaying 6.22% zinc and 1.34% lead (7.56% zinc+lead). Drill hole NLM-17-01 provides important comparative assay information as well as geological data that will be used in the Company's continuing analysis and future reporting. The average grade of core hole NLM-17-01 is a significant 26.7% higher than the average grade in RC drill hole NLM-14-01. Core hole assay results are still pending for 11 additional holes. The top of the mineralization in core hole NLM-17-01 is at a vertical depth of approximately 100 metres. The overall 91.5 metre interval in hole NLM-17-01 included approximately 15.24 metres (50 feet) of areas with little or no core recovery that were included at zero grade in the interval average thereby reducing the overall reported average grade. Hole NLM-17-02 intersected 18.3 metres (60 feet) of mineralization grading 4.6% zinc approximately 25 metres behind (to the northeast of) the intersection in RC hole NLM-16-64, one of the deepest holes on the Lone Mountain property. HOLE ID From (m) To (m) Interval(m) Zn % Pb% Zn+Pb % NLM-17-01 118.04 209.54 91.50 7.67 1.91 9.58 including 118.04 134.66 16.62 12.79 8.84 21.63 and 157.38 168.36 10.98 16.34 1.24 17.58 and 198.86 204.96 6.10 20.08 0.06 20.14 NLM-17-02 226.62 244.92 18.3 4.6 .001 4.6 Hole NLM-17-01 drilled at -70 degree dip, 180 degrees azimuth and hole NLM-17-02 drilled at -88 degrees dip and 120 degrees azimuth. True widths are not known at this time. An updated location map is provided on the Company's website: www.nevadazinc.com. About Nevada Zinc Nevada Zinc is a discovery driven, early-stage mineral exploration company with a proven management team focussed on identifying unique opportunities in mineral exploration that can provide significant value to its shareholders. While the Company continues to maintain a significant equity interest in the highly prospective Yukon gold properties through its majority ownership position in Generic Gold Corporation ("Generic Gold"), the current focus of the Company is the exploration and advancement of the Lone Mountain Zinc Project comprised of 224 claims covering approximately 4,000 acres near Eureka, Nevada. The Lone Mountain Zinc Project is located in east-central Nevada and is easily accessible via paved and gravel roads northwesterly from Eureka where all essential services are available. The Project includes options, leases or purchase agreements to acquire 100% interests in all properties along the key structural trend for more than 4 kilometres. The Company has completed 83 reverse circulation drill holes on its Lone Mountain Zinc Project and recently completed an initial 13 hole diamond drill hole program on the property. Results from the RC drilling programs showed numerous broad intervals of medium to high grade non-sulphide zinc mineralization in two locations both of which are located between surface and a depth of approximately 250 metres. The Company also recently obtained the right under an option agreement to earn up to an 80% interest in the MacBride Zinc Project in northern Manitoba (see the Company's press release dated October 23, 2017). Additional information about the Company is available on the Company's website: www.nevadazinc.com. Bruce Durham P.Geo, President and CEO of Nevada Zinc, is a Qualified Person, as that term is defined by Canadian regulatory guidelines under National Instrument 43-101, and has read and approved the technical information contained in this press release. About Majority Owned Generic Gold Generic Gold is a Toronto based mining company exploring targets in the Tintina Gold Belt in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Since incorporation on May 30, 2017, Generic Gold has raised approximately $2.4 million to fund its 2017 and 2018 exploration programs and has completed diamond drilling on its Livingstone project, trenching on its VIP project, and has commenced reverse circulation drilling on its Goodman project. Generic Gold is currently pursuing a going public transaction which is expected to be completed within the next 45 to 60 days. Nevada Zinc currently owns 25 million common shares of Generic Gold or approximately 75% of the issued and outstanding common shares. For further information on Generic Gold's property portfolio and exploration activities please visit the company's website at genericgold.ca. VANCOUVER, Nov. 21, 2017 /CNW/ - Nevada Sunrise Gold Corporation ("Nevada Sunrise" or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) is pleased to announce it has signed a letter agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Lovelock Cobalt Mine (the "Lovelock Mine", or the "Property"), located in Churchill County, approximately 100 miles (150 kilometres) east of Reno, Nevada. "The acquisition of the Lovelock Mine is yet another facet of our exploration operations in Nevada," said Warren Stanyer, President and CEO of Nevada Sunrise. "The mineral endowment of Nevada is vast and the Lovelock Mine is a hidden gem within that legacy, considering the renewed interest in cobalt during the past year. Nevada Sunrise looks forward to applying modern exploration methods to the Lovelock Mine, which in today's terms could be judged as artisanal workings." About the Lovelock Mine The Lovelock Mine property area consists of 35 unpatented claims in the Cottonwood Canyon area of Stillwater range totaling approximately 700 acres (283 hectares). It was discovered by George Lovelock and Charles Bell about 1880. According to U.S. Government annual reports, the Lovelock Mine saw limited production of nickel, copper and cobalt beginning in 1883. The primary cobalt mineral was identified as "cobaltite", a compound of cobalt, nickel and arsenic. Records of a geochemical analysis from that era indicate that the average composition of the cobaltite contained 17.30% cobalt and 13.62% nickel. The mine operated from 1883 to 1890 to the 100 foot level, reporting 500 tons of cobalt and nickel mineralized material shipped to England for processing. After intermittent production, an English company attempted smelting on site in 1898 but little or no production was made (Source: "Mineral Resources of the United States for 1885", 1886). No further production from the Lovelock Mine is known for well over a century. Terms of the Agreement Nevada Sunrise intends to execute a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") within 30 days of the effective date of the letter agreement, which was signed on November 11, 2017. The Agreement will provide for the Company to earn a 100% interest in the Property in consideration for cash payments and common shares payments to an underlying vendor (the "Vendor") payable over 3 years from the signing of a definitive agreement, subject to a 2.0% net smelter returns royalty ("NSR"), as follows: A non-refundable $3,000 cash payment to be paid by Nevada Sunrise as a deposit for an exclusive 45-day period during which the Company will conduct due diligence on the Property; On the later of TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") approval and signing of the Agreement: $15,000 in cash and 200,000 common shares of the Company; 1st Anniversary: $20,000 in cash and 200,000 common shares of the Company; 2nd Anniversary: $25,000 in cash and 250,000 common shares of the Company; 3rd Anniversary: $30,000 in cash and 300,000 common shares of the Company. Closing of the acquisition is subject to completion of due diligence review of the Property, including a site visit to the sole satisfaction of Nevada Sunrise, and acceptance of the Agreement by the TSXV. Nevada Sunrise will have the right to accelerate the timing of cash payments to the Vendor at its discretion. On or before the 10th anniversary of the execution of the Agreement, Nevada Sunrise shall have the right to purchase 50% of the NSR (i.e. 1% NSR interest) for US$1,000,000. An area of interest applies to the current boundaries of the Property. For further information about the Lovelock Mine, please visit the Company's website at: http://www.nevadasunrise.ca/projects/lovelock-cobalt-mine/ Geology and Mineralization of the Lovelock Mine The rocks of the Lovelock Mine area include highly altered sedimentary and volcanic rocks cut by a larger mass of diorite and by aplitic dikes, all of which are now highly altered. The altered volcanic rocks lie in a syncline bordered on the west, north and east by the altered sedimentary rocks. Probable faults, inferred from the nature of the contacts, form the boundaries between the sedimentary and volcanic rocks northwest of the Lovelock Mine. The cobalt and nickel minerals of the Lovelock Mine and the nearby Nickel Mine occur in stringers that cut the rock immediately surrounding the diorite. In the case of the Lovelock Mine, the stringers cut a highly-altered greenstone. The minerals recognized are tetrahedrite, erythrite (cobalt bloom), azurite, and green crusts that contain copper and nickel arsenates and sulphates. Other sources reported the principal mineral present is cobaltite. It was postulated by historical observers that there has been post-mineral faulting with downthrow on the west, and that the extension of the productive zone is west of the Lovelock Mine shaft and at greater depth than the historical workings could reach (Source: "Nickel Deposits in Cottonwood Canyon, Churchill County, Nevada", H.G. Ferguson, 1939). John R. Kerr, P. Eng., is the Company's designated Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the technical information described in this news release is historical in nature; however, the information is deemed credible and was produced by professional geologists of the eras discussed. About Nevada Sunrise Nevada Sunrise is a junior mineral exploration company with a strong technical team based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, that holds interests in nine gold and lithium mineral exploration projects in the State of Nevada, USA. The Company's two key gold assets include a 100% interest in the Golden Arrow project near Tonopah, currently the subject of an option earn-in transaction with Emgold Mining Corporation (TSXV: EMR) and a 21% interest in a joint venture with Liberty Gold Inc. (TSX: LGD, formerly Pilot Gold Inc.) at Kinsley Mountain near Wendover, with each of the properties subject to certain production royalties. Nevada Sunrise began acquisitions of Nevada lithium properties in September 2015, which includes options to earn 100% interests in the Neptune project (Resolve Ventures, TSXV: RSV owns a 25% interest in Neptune), the Clayton Northeast and Triton projects, and a 100% interest in the Aquarius project, all located in the Clayton Valley area. The Company also holds options to earn 100% interests in the Jackson Wash and Atlantis lithium projects, and holds a 50% interest in the Gemini lithium project, each located in playas proximal to the Clayton Valley. In 2016 and 2017, Nevada Sunrise optioned six of its Nevada lithium projects to Advantage Lithium, who now owns a 70% participating interest solely in the Clayton Northeast and Triton projects those two projects are the currently the subject of an agreement to purchase by Pure Energy Minerals Ltd. The Company's Atlantis project is under option to American Lithium Corp. (TSXV: LI). Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2017) - Arctic Star Exploration Corp. (TSXV: ADD) (FSE: 82A1) (WKN: A2DFY5) ("Arctic Star" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Director Scott Eldridge to the position of President and Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Power to the position of Executive Chairman, and Jared Lazerson as a Director. Patrick Power, Arctic Executive Chairman stated, "We are pleased to appoint Scott Eldridge as President and CEO. His financial acumen and extensive network of European investors fit well with the European based and newly acquired Timantti Diamond Project in Finland." Mr. Power added, "As well we are excited with the addition of Jared Lazerson to Arctic's Board of Directors, his market, technology and industrial mineral mining experience are a welcome addition to the Board. The momentum he has created with the recent development of MGX Minerals is particularly relevant as we advance Arctic's newest diamond exploration property." Mr. Eldridge has over 10 years of experience in finance and general management in the mining sector. He has a B.B.A. from Capilano University, and an M.B.A. from Central European University. He co-founded Euroscandic International Group Inc., a private company offering investment banking and advisory services to natural resource companies where he served as President and CEO from 2008 to 2016. During his time in the industry he has been responsible for raising in excess of $500 million CAD in combined equity and debt financing for mining projects varying from exploration to construction financing around the globe. He has held several directorships and executive roles with both private and public companies. Mr. Lazerson is CEO and Director of lithium and magnesium miner MGX Minerals (CSE:XMG). For the past 5 years, Mr. Lazerson, has seen the market capitalization grow from $2 million CAD to a current value of $100 million CAD and a 2017 high of over $200 million CAD. Mr. Lazerson has been responsible for all aspects of growth of MGX including acquisitions, financing, operations and technology development. MGX Minerals has developed some of the most advanced and low-cost technology in the world for lithium extraction from brine by eliminating the solar evaporation step, thus reducing processing time from 2 years to 1 day. Mr. Lazerson holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. The Company has granted an aggregate of 5,275,000 stock options to its directors, officers, employees and consultants for the purchase of up to 5,27500,000 common shares of the Company pursuant to its Stock Option Plan. Each option is exercisable for a period of 5 years at a price of $0.175 per common share. About Arctic Star: The Company owns 100% of the recently acquired Timantti Diamond Project including a 243Ha Exploration Permit and a 95,700 Ha Exploration Reservation near the township of Kuusamo, in Finland. The project is located approximately 450km NW of the operating Grib Diamond Mine in Russia. Arctic is commencing its exploration in Finland on the Timantti Project, where two diamondiferous kimberlites may represent the first finds in a large field. The Company also controls diamond exploration properties in Nunavut (Stein), the NWT (Diagras and Redemption) and a rare metals project in BC (Cap). Arctic Star has a highly experienced diamond exploration team previously responsible for numerous world class diamond discoveries. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2017) - Para Resources Inc. (TSXV: PBR) (WKN: A14YF1) (OTC Pink: PRSRF) (the "Company" or "Para") is pleased to announce that production at the El Limon Mine in Zaragoza, Colombia, recommenced on November 15th, 2017. The original start up at El Limon occurred in May/June of 2017, after a US$ 7 million rehabilitation and plant upgrade. That initial planned production ramp up was hampered by a through-put constraint at the filter press. This bottleneck prevented production from ramping up to the design limit of 225 tons per day ("TPD"). While the problem was being identified and remediated, production was limited. The filter presses have now been replaced with a larger scale belt filter. Sourcing of the necessary equipment and parts has taken four months but the equipment has now been installed and tested. We are pleased to confirm that it is functioning as designed. Geoff Hampson, Para's CEO states, "The team in Colombia has worked hard to correct the problems that were associated with legacy equipment that should have been, in hindsight, replaced in the original renovation plan. Ian Harris, Para's President and his team in Zaragoza, have systematically worked through the various issues and developed and implemented our remediation strategy. We are now in a position to get back to our original plan of processing 225 TPD. The grade from the El Limon underground operations continues to be in the predicted range of 7 - 9 gpt Au. As production ramps up El Limon will increase purchases of mineralized rock that has been mined by the local, formalized small miners who operate on the Company's mineral claims." ABOUT PARA RESOURCES: Para is a junior producing gold mining company. Para owns approximately 80% of the El Limon project, in Colombia, which in addition to its current underground operation is purchasing mineralized rock mined by small artisanal miners working on the Company's property. The El Limon and Otu properties also have exploration and development upside. The Company also owns 88% of the Gold Road Mine in the Oatman District of Arizona. The Company has hired RPM Global as consulting engineers in order to produce a National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") Technical Report which it expects will establish a current Mineral Resource estimate and anticipates that it will publish a NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment thereafter. Para will continue to take advantage of current market conditions to acquire and develop additional highly economic, near-term production assets that have strong exploration and development upside. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 20, 2017) - Palamina Corp. (TSXV: PA) through its 100% owned Peruvian subsidiary Palamina S.A.C, made application for an additional 18 claims covering 9,700 hectares in the Department of Puno. Palamina S.A.C. currently has a total of 50 mining claim applications totaling 32,600 hectares in Peru. Gaban Gold Project: A further 700 hectares were staked for a total 6,100 hectares under application. The Gaban mining claim application area sits at an elevation of 550 metres above sea level and is located on Peru's Pacific-Atlantic interoceanic highway. San Gaban is four hours by highway to the national airport of Puerto Maldonado, is powered by the 206 MW San Gaban hydroelectric complex and a new bridge, scheduled for completion during February 2018, is being built across the San Gaban river which will provide year round easy access to the project. To date Palamina has conducted five exploration campaigns at Gaban with a view to locating the source of artisanal coarse alluvial gold being mined along the Yanamayo river. Initial sedimentary sampling in streams returned highs of up to 4.9 g/t gold at a -60 mesh. Over 10 groups of artisanal miners are actively mining alluvial gold along a river that intersects the property and numerous intrusive bodies and shear zones hosting orogenic quartz veins have been identified. Orogenic gold mineralization is Palamina's exploration target in this region. The land position at Gaban was expanded to secure the mining rights to areas that may be required for future water, roads and other exploration and mine development facilities. Figure 1 Coasa Gold Project: A further 1,800 hectares were staked for a total 10,600 hectares under application. Palamina believes that Coasa hosts a geologic environment similar to that of the Ollachea orogenic gold deposit located some 65 km to the northwest. Members of Palamina's geological team formed part of the exploration discovery team at Ollachea. The Ollachea deposits are focused along a structurally deformed east-west trending regional shear-zone, analogous to that at Coasa. Palamina's claims surround the town of Usicayos with elevations ranging from 2,800 to 4,700 metres. Rock exposure on the mining claim applications is generally excellent as the property sits mostly above the tree line. To date field crews have completed four geochemical sampling and geological reconnaissance mapping campaigns in the area, which resulted in the favorable discovery of historic as well as recent artisanal diggings. At Coasa geochemically prospective areas have been identified which are intimately associated with the northern extension of the structure controlling gold mineralization on the Crucero gold project, recently acquired by GoldMining Inc. from Lupaka Gold Corp. Of note is the determination of the northwards extension of the N-trending Ucanuma shear zone (Crucero), and its intersection with the NW-trending Phusca shear-zone which includes a prospective E-W trending inflexion in the central Coasa zone. The land position at Coasa was expanded to cover newly released ground surrounding the town of Usicayos, the north west extension of the Phusca shear zone and newly discovered historic mine workings within the Ucanuma shear zone north of the Crucero gold project. Figure 2 Mr. Donald Mc Iver, M.Sc. Exploration and Economic Geology, a Fellow of the Australian Institute Mining and Metallurgy (FAusIMM), as well as the Society of Economic Geologists (FSEG), is Vice President Exploration for Palamina Corp. He is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and he has reviewed the geological contents of this press release. About Palamina Corp. Palamina is directed by a group of proven mine finders focused on securing mining assets in the America's with the potential to host significant gold deposits. Palamina has acquired the application rights to six areas in the Puno gold belt and one project in the coastal I.O.C.G. belt in Southern Peru and holds 100% interest in one exploration project in Mexico. Palamina has 22,574,713 shares outstanding and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol PA. KOLWEZI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nov. 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN) (OTCQX:IVPAF) Executive Chairman Robert Friedland and Chief Executive Officer Lars-Eric Johansson today announced that the Kamoa-Kakula mine development team has celebrated the first blast marking the start of work on the twin declines at the ultra-high-grade Kakula Copper Discovery on the companys Tier One Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project, near the mining centre of Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Kakula box cut was successfully completed on October 26, 2017, and the first blast for the twin declines at Kakula took place on November 16, 10 days ahead of schedule. The Kakula decline development work is being undertaken by JMMC, a DRC subsidiary of JCHX Mining Management of Beijing, China. Depending on ground conditions, the 3,600-metre decline development contract is scheduled for completion in approximately one year. In response to the spectacular exploration success at the Kakula Discovery, Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining are fast-tracking the mine development program at Kakula. The Kakula Copper Deposit is a gently-dipping blanket of thick, chalcocite-rich copper mineralization. Initial mine development is planned to begin in the flat, near-surface zone which, at a 3% cut-off, is between 7.1 metres and 11.7 metres thick and with copper grades between 8.11% and 10.35% along the deposits axis. Fourteen rigs are continuing to drill at Kamoa-Kakula, including 10 rigs focused on expanding and upgrading the resources in the Kakula high-grade zone along trend to the west and southeast. A fresh resource estimate for Kakula is being prepared and is expected to result in a major upgrade and expansion of the Kakula Mineral Resources. The area encompassed by the May 2017 Kakula Mineral Resource and the location of the Kakula box cut and declines are shown in Figure 1. New expanded-case Kamoa-Kakula preliminary economic assessment (PEA) scheduled for completion this quarter The new Kamoa-Kakula Project PEA is progressing well and is expected to be completed this quarter. The PEA is based on an initial mine capacity of six million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) at Kakula, using the May 2017 Mineral Resource estimate, with an additional six-Mtpa mine at Kansoko, serving a centralized concentrator at Kakula, for a projected mine production of approximately 12 Mtpa from the presently delineated Kamoa and Kakula deposits. In addition to the new PEA study, preliminary work is underway on a six-Mtpa pre-feasibility study at Kakula that will be based on the upcoming, January 2018 resource model. The study will be considered as the base case for the first phase of development at Kamoa-Kakula. In light of the successful step-out drilling at Kakula West, the Kamoa-Kakula development plans will be reassessed and amended as the project moves forward. Potential phased mine developments of up to 18 Mtpa also are being assessed for the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex. The new drill results are expected to result in a major upgrade and expansion of the Kakula Mineral Resource Results from drill holes completed to the end of October 2017 will form the basis of the planned updated mineral resource estimate encompassing the entire strike length of the Kakula Discovery, which now extends to at least 12 kilometres. This would represent an increase of approximately 60% in the strike length that will be used to calculate the new resource estimate, as compared to the 7.7-kilometre strike length covered by Kakulas May 2017 resource estimate. The updated resource estimate is expected to be issued in January 2018. Were looking forward to providing our shareholders and all Kamoa-Kakula stakeholders with another substantial resource expansion soon after the coming holiday season, said Mr. Friedland. About the Kamoa-Kakula Project The Kamoa-Kakula Project is a very large, stratiform copper deposit with adjacent prospective exploration areas within the Central African Copperbelt, located approximately 25 kilometres west of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 kilometres west of Lubumbashi. The Kamoa Copper Deposit was discovered by Ivanhoe Mines (then named Ivanhoe Nickel & Platinum) in 2008, followed by the discovery of the Kakula Deposit in early 2016. Based on a May 2017 Mineral Resource estimate prepared under the direction of Dr. Harry Parker and Gordon Seibel of Amec Foster Wheeler, the combined Kamoa-Kakula Indicated Mineral Resources total approximately one billion tonnes grading 3.02% copper, containing 66 billion pounds of copper, plus another 191 million tonnes of Inferred Resources at 2.37% copper, at a 1.4% copper cut-off grade. In August 2012, the DRC government granted mining licences to Ivanhoe Mines for the Kamoa-Kakula Project that cover a total of 397 square kilometres. The licences are valid for 30 years and can be renewed at 15-year intervals. Mine development work at the project began in July 2014 with construction of a box cut for the decline ramps for the planned Kansoko Sud Mine. Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining each hold an indirect 39.6% interest in the Kamoa-Kakula Project, Crystal River Global Limited holds an indirect 0.8% interest and the DRC government holds a direct 20% interest. Qualified Person and Quality Control and Assurance The scientific and technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Stephen Torr, P.Geo., Ivanhoe Mines Vice President, Project Geology and Evaluation, and a Qualified Person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Torr, who is not independent of Ivanhoe Mines, has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release. Ivanhoe Mines maintains a comprehensive chain of custody and QA-QC program on assays from its Kamoa-Kakula Project. Half-sawn core is processed at Kamoa-Kakulas on-site preparation laboratory and prepared samples then are shipped by secure courier to Bureau Veritas Minerals (BVM) Laboratories in Australia, an ISO17025-accredited facility. Copper assays are determined at BVM by mixed-acid digestion with ICP finish. Industry-standard certified reference materials and blanks are inserted into the sample stream prior to dispatch to BVM. For detailed information about assay methods and data verification measures used to support the scientific and technical information, please refer to the Kakula 2017 Resource Update, June 2017 technical report available on the SEDAR profile of Ivanhoe Mines at www.sedar.com or under technical reports on the Ivanhoe Mines website at www.ivanhoemines.com. About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa: 1) Mine development at the Platreef platinum-palladium-gold-nickel-copper discovery on the Northern Limb of South Africas Bushveld Complex; 2) mine development and exploration at the Tier One Kamoa-Kakula copper discovery on the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and 3) upgrading at the historic, high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-silver-germanium mine, also on the DRCs Copperbelt. For details, visit www.ivanhoemines.com. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 21, 2017) - GoviEx Uranium Inc. (TSXV: GXU) (OTCQB: GVXXF) ("GoviEx" or "Company") announced today that it has completed a National Instrument (NI) 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Mutanga Uranium Project ("Mutanga Project") in Zambia, which evaluates the economic and technical viability of a large-scale uranium project with low-capital costs and low-operating costs. Highlights of the PEA include the following: The Mutanga Project consists of three contiguous, fully-permitted mining licences. The project development plan envisions an average annual production rate of 2.4 million pounds of U3O8 yellowcake over an initial 11-year mine life, with an 88% ultimate uranium recovery rate. Initial capital costs are estimated at US$123 million, with estimated cash operating costs of US$31.1/lb U3O8, excluding royalties. Total life-of-mine ("LoM") costs are forecast at US$37.9/lb U3O8. The PEA is based on Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources of 15 million pounds (Mlb) U3O8 and 45 Mlb of Inferred Mineral Resources. At a long-term uranium price of US$58/lb U3O8, the base case project economics for this project are positive, and indicate an after-tax net present value of US$112 million (at 8% discount rate) with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 25% and total life-of-mine net free cash of US$268 million. Govind Friedland, GoviEx Executive Chairman, commented, "We are pleased by the encouraging results of this PEA. GoviEx now has two mine-permitted projects Madaouela in Niger and Mutanga in Zambia and we can clearly see the economic potential for both of these projects to be developed when uranium prices rise, as expected, as a result of the looming supply deficit forecast later this decade. Madaouela and Mutanga each have the potential to produce more than 2.4 million lbs U3O8 per annum steady state, with total life-of-mine costs less than US$38/lb U3O8 and no shortage of exploration potential to possibly expand the mineral resources." The PEA was prepared for GoviEx by SRK Consulting (UK) Limited ("SRK") and the technical report, titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on a Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Mutanga Uranium Project in Zambia", will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the GoviEx website at www.goviex.com within 45 days. The PEA is considered preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves have not yet demonstrated economic viability. Due to the uncertainty that may be attached to Inferred Mineral Resources, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will be upgraded to an Indicated or Measured Mineral Resource as a result of continued exploration or Mineral Reserves once economic considerations are applied; therefore, there is no certainty that the production profile concluded in the PEA will be realized. Introduction The PEA evaluated the economic and technical viability of the Mutanga Project in the southern province of the Republic of Zambia, near the town of Siavonga. GoviEx holds several contiguous mining and prospecting licences acquired from Denison Mines Corp. and African Energy Resources Ltd. that are grouped as the Mutanga Project. Geology The Mutanga Project area is situated within the Karoo Supergroup, which is a thick, terrestrial sedimentary strata, widespread across much of southern Africa. The Karoo Supergroup consists of the three formations within the Lower Karoo and four formations within the Upper Karoo. There are at least six regional depositional sequences that broadly reflect synchronous episodes of basin subsidence and climate change. Many of the Karoo rift basins contain sandstone-hosted uranium mineral deposits; these deposits are more typically found within the Upper Karoo. The geology at the Mutanga Project consists entirely of Escarpment Grit, ranging from thick, coarse conglomerate beds to thinly-bedded or cross-bedded fine- to medium-grained sandstones. Thin bands of shale and mudstone are intercalated in the sequence. Below the grits are well-developed calcareous shale and siltstone layers. Uranium mineralization occurs at the interface between siltstones and sandstones at redox boundaries. Mineral Resources The Mutanga Project contains a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 21.6 million tonnes at an average grade of 318 ppm U3O8, containing 15 million pounds of U3O8, and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 74.6 million tonnes at an average grade of 273 ppm U3O8, containing 45 million pounds of U3O8 in six deposits located over a 65-kilometre strike. The mineral resource estimate was determined by SRK and was based on information provided in previous studies, shown in Table 1. The location of the deposits is shown in Figure 1. Table 1: Mineral Resource Estimate1, Mutanga Uranium Project, Zambia, SRK Consulting (UK) Ltd. - November 20, 2017 Deposit Category Tonnes (Mt) U3O8 Grade (ppm) U3O8 Mlb Mutanga2 Measured 1.9 481 2.0 Indicated 8.4 314 5.8 Inferred 7.2 206 3.3 Dibwe2 Inferred 17.0 239 9.0 Dibwe East2 Inferred 43.1 304 28.9 Gwabe3 Measured 1.3 237 0.7 Indicated 3.6 313 2.5 Inferred 0.7 178 0.3 Njame3 Measured 2.7 350 2.1 Indicated 3.7 252 2.1 Inferred 2.1 225 1.1 Njame South3 Inferred 4.4 250 2.4 Sub-total Measured 5.9 366 4.8 Sub-total Indicated 15.7 299 10.4 Measured and Indicated 21.6 317.5 15.1 Inferred 74.6 273.0 44.9 1 Mineral Resources have not been constrained by pit shells; however, almost all of the mineralization occurs within 125 metres of surface with uranium grades which are, in general, considered to have reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction by open pit mining. 2 The cut-off grade used for reporting the Mineral Resource is 100 ppm U3O8, which is applied directly to block model cells. 3 No U3O8 ppm cut-off is applied to block model cells for reporting the Mineral Resource. However, the outer limits block model was constrained within a 100 ppm U3O8 wireframe used for geological modelling. No Mineral Reserves have yet been determined for the Mutanga Project. Figure 1: Location of Named Prospects in the Mutanga Project Mining The deposits are amenable to conventional, shallow, open-cast mining methods, utilizing excavators and trucks with relatively low stripping ratios. The uranium oxide and waste are in cemented sandstone that will require blasting. Pit optimizations were run for considered deposits to determine pit limits and pushback development. Production schedules have been prepared for all deposits, assuming the same cut-off grade for each and a plant feed rate of 4.0 Mt per annum. Using a uranium price of US$50/lb U3O8 for the pit optimization results in a Run-of-Mine ("RoM") inventory that covers 11 years of production from the six considered deposits. Mining losses and dilution were applied as 10% and 10% global values. Diluting grade used was 0.0 ppm U3O8. The total pit inventory for mineralized material is 40.8 Mt at 333 ppm U3O8. The overall strip ratio for the project is 3.4, but varies from 1.4 to 6.0, depending on the deposit. Figure 2: RoM Ore Production Profile Processing Two process options have been investigated: alkaline leach and acid leach. Acid heap leaching was selected on the basis that it gives slightly better overall recovery for all six deposits, while being more rapid and having lower operating and capital costs. The process is robust, simple, and has a low environmental profile. The uranium recovery and acid consumption from each deposit is shown in Table 2. Table 2: Summary of Metallurgical Data Deposit Uranium Recovery (%) Acid Consumption (kg/t) Mutanga 85.4 3.86 Dibwe East 93.3 6.37 Dibwe 74.6 9.34 Njame 83.1 2.61 Gwabe 69.7 18.49 Three separate uranium oxide preparation and leach areas will be developed adjacent to the deposits. The main facilities for recovery of uranium oxide will be located close to the Mutanga and Dibwe East pits. Separate satellite process facilities will be developed for the Dibwe and the Njame and Gwambe deposits. At each of the sorption plants, uranium will be stripped from the leach solution and loaded onto a resin. This process is reliable and has been proven at other locations. The barren leach solution will be returned to the barren pond to be used for leach solution make-up. Resin from all sorption plants will be directed to a central stripping plant located at Mutanga-Dibwe East, where uranium oxide will be precipitated after stripping the resin in the form of a dry powder that will be loaded directly into drums and immediately sealed. Per annum, uranium production is expected to average approximately 2.6 Mlbs U3O8, contained in uranium oxide at steady state. Environment GoviEx currently holds Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) licences for the management, generating, and storing of hazardous waste, plus an emissions licence. Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA's) were prepared for the Njame and Gwabe operations in 2008, and for the Mutanga and Dibwe operations in 2009. Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) were generated for both EIAs, and a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) was also prepared for Mutanga. All licences required have been approved and are currently valid. Transport and Logistics Imported cargo will be sourced in South Africa or imported through Durban, South Africa, Walvis Bay, Namibia, and/or Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, then transported to site by road. Barrels of uranium oxide will be loaded into standard sea containers and trucked to the Walvis Bay sea port in Namibia. Capital Costs Forecast capital and operating expenditure for the life of the operation is presented in tables below. A two-year construction period ahead of production is envisaged. The operation is intended to be contractor-mined.Capital Expenditure Parameter Units Total Amount Initial Project Capital Mine Mobilisation Fee (USDm) 0.4 Plant (USDm) 82.6 Camp (USDm) 3.2 Infrastructure (USDm) 7.5 G&A (USDm) 2.1 EPCM (USDm) 12.0 Contingency (USDm) 10.7 Community (USDm) 5.0 Total Initial Project Capital (USDm) 123.4 Total Deferred / Sustaining Capital (USDm) 59.5 Total Capital Expenditure (USDm) 182.9 Life of Mine Operating Costs Operating Cost Item Total Amount (USDm) Unit Cost (USD/t ore) Unit Cost (USD/lb U3O8) Mining 452.5 11.1 18.8 Ore Transport 20.4 0.5 0.9 Processing 288.9 7.1 10.9 G&A 39.7 1.0 1.7 Environmental 18.0 0.4 0.7 Subtotal Operating Costs 822.5 20.2 31.1 Project Economic Sensitivity The study has produced the following economic results and sensitivity to uranium price. Technical Economic Model Summary and Sensitivity to Uranium Price Parameter (USD/lb U3O8) Units Uranium Price 50 58 70 NPV 8% (USDm) 37 112 223 IRR (%) 15 25 38 Net Free Cashflow (USDm) 135 269 471 Payback Period (Years) 7 3 2 Qualified PersonsThe qualified persons from SRK Consulting (UK) Limited for the July 2017 PEA are: Robert J. Bowell, B.Sc., PhD, C.Chem., CGeolFGS, EGeolFIMMM Corporate Consultant (Recovery Methods, Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing) Martin Pittuck, C.Eng., FGS, MIMMM Corporate Consultant (Exploration, geology, drilling, sample preparation, data verification and resource estimation) Guy Dishaw, P.Geo. Senior Resource Geology Consultant (Exploration, geology, drilling, sample preparation, data verification and resource estimation) Filip Orzechowski, M.Sc., MIMMM, C.Eng. Chartered Mining Engineer (Mining) The scientific and technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Rob Bowell, a chartered chemist of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a chartered geologist of the Geological Society of London and Fellow of the Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Materials, who is an independent Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101 for uranium deposits. Mr. Bowell has verified the data disclosed in this news release.About GoviEx Uranium GoviEx is a mineral resource company focused on the exploration and development of uranium properties in Africa. GoviEx's principal objective is to become a significant uranium producer through the continued exploration and development of its flagship mine-permitted Madaouela Project in Niger, its Mutanga Project in Zambia, and its other uranium properties in Africa. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov. 21, 2017) - Orca Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ORG) ("Orca" or the "Company") is pleased to announce further results from the ongoing 25,000-metre drilling campaign at its Block 14 Gold Project in The Republic of The Sudan. HIGHLIGHTS Drilling Hits High-Grade Shoot Below and Outside Current Resource: Drill hole GSDD020A successfully intercepted a high-grade, steeply plunging shoot at depth, returning 17.4m @ 7.92 g/t Au between 354.6m and 372.0m returning 17.4m @ 7.92 g/t Au between 354.6m and 372.0m The Company will review and evaluate the underground potential at Block 14 if drilling continues to confirm increase of grade at depth Drilling Confirms Overall Grade Increases at Depth in GSS: 30 drill holes, totaling 11,000 metres, have been drilled as part of the Company's current exploration campaign as part of the Company's current exploration campaign Current drilling confirms an overall increase in grade below the GSS current resource, which the Company anticipates will have a positive impact on the resource update and consequently the economic results in the Feasibility Study scheduled for completion in Q2 2018 DETAILS To date, approximately 11,000 metres (30 holes) of a 25,000-metre programme have been completed. Four diamond core rigs are currently operating at Galat Sufar South ("GSS"), which have been joined by an additional reverse circulation rig in this last week. The objectives of this programme are to upgrade in-pit resources to Measured and Indicated category and test the potential for resource expansion below the pit shells that formed the basis of the revised preliminary economic assessment of the Block 14 Gold Project (the "Revised PEA") (see News Release dated May 30, 2017). Results for the first seven core holes from the programme were announced previously (see Company News Release dated October 17, 2017). The table below shows results for the next 10 holes. The balance of the completed holes is in the lab for assaying and will be announced once the results are received. Hole From To Metres Au g/t Uncut Comments GSDD020A 35.3 56.0 20.7 2.01 Outside Resource 70.0 83.0 13.0 1.08 Outside Resource 87.0 95.0 8.0 0.84 Outside Resource 124.8 140.0 15.2 4.95 Outside Resource 155.0 160.9 5.9 1.24 Outside Resource 171.0 214.0 43.0 1.26 Outside Resource 354.6 372.0 17.4 7.92 Outside Resource GSDD021 116.0 160.8 44.8 2.87 Infill GSDD023 181.0 226.4 45.4 2.34 Outside Resource 234.5 265.0 30.5 1.42 Outside Resource 370.0 453.0 83.0 1.20 Outside Resource GSDD024 0.0 26.8 26.8 2.25 Infill 59.0 68.0 9.0 2.17 Infill 80.0 85.0 5.0 1.01 Infill 103.2 116.7 13.5 3.30 Infill 302.7 375.0 72.3 1.67 Outside Resource 400.0 411.0 11.0 3.68 Outside Resource GSDD025 114.0 125.2 11.2 1.37 Infill GSDD026 7.0 32.0 25.0 2.89 Infill 47.0 74.8 27.8 1.62 Infill 105.0 159.0 54.0 1.40 Infill GSDD027 172.2 215.0 42.8 1.31 Infill 218.0 270.0 52.0 1.43 Infill GSDD028 0.0 112.0 112.0 1.61 Infill 189.0 214.0 25.0 2.58 Outside Resource 219.0 238.4 19.4 2.09 Outside Resource GSGT002 10.0 58.4 48.4 2.58 Infill 62.4 78.2 15.8 1.57 Infill 82.0 111.0 29.0 1.30 Infill GSDD030 30.0 53.0 23.0 2.96 Infill 56.7 65.9 9.2 1.72 Infill 91.0 114.0 23.0 2.26 Infill 124.0 149.0 25.0 1.81 Infill 164.0 178.0 14.0 1.07 Infill NOTE: True widths are between 60% and 70% of intercept width All holes listed were drilled in the East Zone of the GSS deposit (See Figures 1, 2 & 3 in news release). The results continue to confirm and upgrade mineral resources within the revised PEA pit designs (Infill) and extend mineralization below the previous resource (Outside Resource). Importantly, the latest drill results confirm an overall increase in grade below the current resource. The Company believes that this will have a positive impact on a new resource calculation and consequently the economic results of the Feasibility Study scheduled for completion in early Q2 2018. Additionally, hole GSDD020A successfully intercepted a high-grade steeply plunging shoot at depth, returning 17.4m @ 7.92 g/t Au between 354.6m and 372.0m. This high-grade intercept, outside and below the current resource, highlights the potential to examine underground options at GSS. "Drilling at GSS is progressing well with results continuing to demonstrate the potential for the Feasibility Study pits to expand from those contemplated in the Revised PEA. The Company intends to release a new resource update in early 2018, which will form the basis of our Feasibility Study," commented Rick Clark, CEO and Director of Orca. "The intercept in the high-grade shoot is not only impressive in grade but is also significant in width. Ongoing drilling will further test this and other high grade structures at depth towards a review of underground options at both GSS and Wadi Doum. This is an exciting development for Orca and we look forward to reporting on this opportunity as we move into the new year." Figure 1: Plan View of Block 14 Gold Project Figure 2: GSS East Zone Section 1 Figure 3: GSS East Zone Section 2 About Orca Gold Inc. Orca Gold Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ORG) is a Canadian resource company focused on exploration opportunities in Africa, where it is currently focused on its 70%-owned Block 14 Gold Project in the Republic of the Sudan. Block 14 is situated on a 2,170 km2 concession. The Company is currently conducting a Definitive Feasibility Study on the project, which is scheduled for completion in early Q2 2018. The Revised PEA of Block 14 (see News Release dated May 30, 2017), using a gold price of US$ 1,100/oz for mine design and US$ 1,200/oz for economic analysis, showed a project with in-pit mineral resources of 41.0Mt @ 1.46g/t for 1,928 Koz in the Indicated category and 3.4Mt @ 1.56g/t for 173 Koz in the Inferred category, a mill throughput of 3.4 Mtpa, and strong economics with an after-tax NPV 7% of US$ 227.7 million and an IRR of 23.1%. The technical contents of this release have been approved by Hugh Stuart, BSc, MSc, a Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101. Mr. Stuart is President of the Company and a Chartered Geologist and Fellow of the Geological Society of London. Samples used for the results described herein are prepared and analyzed by fire assay using a 50 gram charge at the ALS Chemex facility at Rosia Montana in Romania in compliance with industry standards. Field duplicate samples are taken and blanks and standards are added to every batch submitted. Vancouver, Canada / TheNewswire / November 21, 2017 - Guyana Goldstrike Inc. (the "Company" or "Guyana Goldstrike") (TSXV: GYA, OTC: GYNAF, FSE: 1ZT) is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with Global Mineral Resource Services ("Global") to complete and deliver a mineral resource estimate for the Mazoa Hill Zone at the Company's Marudi Gold Project ("Marudi" or the "Project"), Guyana, South America. The estimate will be disclosed within a technical report prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. There have been 9,666 metres of historic diamond drilling (54 holes) completed on Mazoa Hill by prior operators that resulted in a historical mineral resource estimate. The strategy of the Company is to bring the historical work current and to continue to evaluate the Project for additional ounces from the current zones and through the discovery of new zones. ABOUT THE MARUDI GOLD PROJECT The Project, located in Guyana, South America, is unique in that it has three known gold bearing areas, specifically the alluvial areas, the saprorlite overburden, and the underlying hard-rock. There has been 42,000 metres of historic diamond drilling (141 holes) completed on the Project by prior operators. This work has delineated historical mineral resource estimates on the Project. For information concerning these estimates and the Project, readers are encouraged to review "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Marudi Property, Guyana", a technical report prepared for the Company by Derrick Strickland, P. Geo., and is available on the Company's website (Click Here) and under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).* There exists excellent exploration upside through the development of previously identified, highly-prospective mineralized targets on the Project. The Project has a mining license in good standing, all-season road access, infrastructure in place, with an established mining camp serviced by employees, service buildings, and a full-time mining manager. * The Company considers these estimates to be historical, and cautions that a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves in accordance with National Instrument 43-101. The Company does consider these historical estimates to be relevant as they may indicate the presence of gold mineralization and favourable geology. QUALIFIED PERSON Locke Goldsmith, M.Sc., P. Eng, P. Geo, Chief Geologist and Exploration Manager for the Company, is a Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Goldsmith has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical content of this news release. ABOUT GUYANA The Republic of Guyana is located in South America between Venezuela and Suriname. The country is English speaking and under British Common Law with a democratically-elected government. It has an established mining act and a rich history of gold production. In 2016, 690,000 ounces of gold was produced by operators mining in the country. The Fraser Institute's 2016 Annual Survey of Mining listed Guyana as the third best mining jurisdiction with regards to investment attractiveness in the Latin America and Caribbean Basin sub-group. The Guiana Shield is the geographic gold-hosting region with over 100 million ounces of gold inventory. ** It is world-recognized as a premier gold region that is highly prospective, under-explored and has geological continuity with West Africa. In 2016, two mines in Guyana declared the commencement of commercial production: the Aurora deposit (Guyana Goldfields) and the Karouni deposit (Troy Resources). ** Independent Technical and Environmental Review Karouni Gold Project - Guyana, Behre Dolbear Australia Pty Ltd, April 29, 2016 Call it the politics of "I know you are, but what am I?" It is a form of "reasoning" that could not be more puerile, infantile, juvenile. So it very much appeals to Donald Trump. You got an example in last year's final presidential debate, when Hillary Clinton called him a "puppet" of Russian president Vladimir Putin. "No puppet," snapped Trump. "No puppet. You're the puppet. No, you're the puppet." That exchange illustrated the degree to which a then-70-year-old man can be indistinguishable in temperament from a 7-year-old boy while also showcasing Trump's reflexive instinct to turn every jab back against his opponent. It takes a rather testicular temerity to accuse someone else of your own sins, but that's what Trump does. Indeed, as seen in the 2016 campaign, it's his go-to move. Trump, the favored candidate of David Duke, challenged Hillary Clinton to address her "racist" 2008 campaign. Trump, king of the ad hominem insult, complained of opponents being "nasty" and "angry" toward him. Trump, who bragged about being a grabber of pudenda, condemned Bill Clinton's abuse of women. And so on. Once you get that this is his favorite tactic, you get why last week's announcement that the Justice Department is considering a special counsel to look into Clinton's supposed collusion with Russia was predestined. After all, Trump has long chafed at the fact that his campaign is under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller for allegedly conniving with Putin's regime as it interfered in the 2016 election. And the drip-drip of the headlines can only have added to his discomfort, what with reports of frequent, friendly contact between his people and the Russians and the indictments of three former aides (two for alleged money laundering unconnected to the campaign). In response, Trump has repeatedly invoked Clinton's supposed crimes and chided his Justice Department for failure to investigate them. So last week's news reads, unavoidably, as an attempt by beleaguered Attorney General Jeff Sessions to save his job by giving his boss what he wants. Not incidentally, it also reads as a troubling attempt to turn Justice into a political missile, a weapon to punish Trump's enemies. You see, there's no obvious crime here. The allegation is that Clinton, as secretary of state, approved a deal for a Russian firm to purchase shares in Uranium One, a Canadian mining company with operations in the United States, in exchange for a more than $140 million donation to the Clinton Foundation. But Clinton didn't green light the deal; she had no power to do so. Rather, it was approved unanimously by a nine-agency committee of which State was a member. As for the supposed quid pro quo, the vast majority of the money -- over $130 million -- came from a single Uranium One investor. He says he had no connection to the company at the time, having sold his shares 18 months before Clinton even took office. What we apparently have here, then, is another "nothingburger" in the mold of Whitewater and Benghazi -- not to mention superfluous proof of Trump's juvenility. The man who said, "No puppet -- you're the puppet" now desperately wants to say, "I didn't collude, you colluded." In other words, he wants to distract and deflect. But the evidence of Team Trump's plotting with Russia grows more alarming with each headline. I, for one, refuse to allow baseless accusations about Hillary Clinton to make me lose sight of that. Or, to put that in terms the child president might better understand: She's rubber, he's glue. TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 21, 2017) - First Cobalt Corp. (TSX VENTURE:FCC) (OTCQB:FTSSF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce several high grade cobalt outcrop and muckpile samples from the Caswell mine in the Cobalt Camp. A prospecting program identified the high grade mineralization at surface in the Cobalt Central area of the Cobalt Camp in Ontario, Canada, including 9.44% cobalt, 1.27% copper and 2.92% nickel. Highlights Grab samples at the former Caswell mine confirm high grade cobalt at surface and at shallow depths, including cobalt grades of 9.4%, 4.8%, 6.1% and 1.1% These results along with pending assays from other historic mines owned by First Cobalt have prompted a dedicated exploration program to quickly assess near-surface high grade cobalt mineralization through shallow drilling, bore-hole geophysical surveys near historic workings and ground geophysics over larger areas Trent Mell, President & Chief Executive Officer, commented: "In just six months of exploration activity in the Cobalt Camp, First Cobalt has identified cobalt mineralization styles that have never been reported in its 110-year history, further confirming the need to re-examine the camp using modern geoscience techniques. Recent prospecting suggests that smaller high grade historic cobalt mines like Caswell could be ideal targets for near-term follow up. As we ramp up our activities in 2018, these new targets will be assessed in parallel with the current exploration program focused on bulk tonnage opportunities near the former producing Bellellen, Drummond, Keeley and Frontier mines." Over a short period of time, First Cobalt has successfully identified several prospective targets for drilling follow-up including Bellellen, Drummond, Silver Banner, and now Caswell. Consolidation of the Cobalt Camp by First Cobalt has led to a district scale assessment of the different mineralization styles and the conclusion that individual vein systems may be connected over large areas by regional structures. The Cobalt Camp has proven to be highly underexplored as modern exploration techniques and 3D data integration have never been applied here. The lack of exploration at Caswell highlights the prospectivity of the lesser known Cobalt Central area. With a number of surface sampling assays still pending, it is expected there will be additional targets for the winter program. The Caswell mine was initially developed in 1910, with two shallow shafts sunk no more than 40 metres below surface. Located in the Cobalt Central area of the Cobalt Camp (Figure 1), the Caswell mine produced almost 5,000 pounds of cobalt and over 1,500 ounces of silver in 1936, for a remarkable cobalt-to-silver ratio of 3.3 lbs Co for each 1 oz Ag produced. There are additional shallow shafts in the area, including the Thompson mine and La Tour mine, where trenching was last conducted in 1971. Low silver content in these mines is believed to have precluded any significant production, making them ideal targets for First Cobalt's Camp-wide cobalt exploration program. Figure 1. Caswell mine in under-explored Cobalt Central area Caswell Assay Results The area surrounding Caswell contains several historic mines and exploration trenches that were sampled during an October prospecting program (Figure 2). Samples consist of muckpile material located adjacent to the historic mine shafts as well as from nearby outcrops. Assay results from selected samples are listed in Table 1. A complete table of assays can be found at www.firstcobalt.com/projects/surface-sampling-tables/. Table 1. Assay results from Caswell sampling program Mineralization Co Ag Ni Cu Type Location Sample % g/t % % Muckpile Trench E6607121 0.00 <1 0.01 0.61 Muckpile Trench E6607126 0.91 <1 0.12 0.00 Outcrop Trench E6607122 0.41 <1 0.03 0.01 Muckpile Caswell Shaft E6607114 9.44 17 2.92 0.05 Muckpile Caswell Shaft E6607111 0.41 9 0.05 1.27 Muckpile Caswell Shaft E6607110 4.80 9 1.84 0.06 Muckpile Caswell Shaft E6607115 0.04 23 0.02 8.92 Muckpile Caswell Shaft E6607144 6.09 2 0.47 0.04 Muckpile Caswell Shaft E6607155 1.13 9 0.10 0.69 These results show that high grade Co occurs at surface and at shallow depths with Ni, a common association especially prominent at Bellellen, Haileybury and Frontier in the Cobalt South area of the Camp. Cobalt-bearing veins were found exposed near the Caswell B shaft, confirming mineralization at surface. Copper is also prominent in the Caswell samples, in some instances along with low grade cobalt; an association previously reported both at Bellellen in Cobalt South and at Drummond in Cobalt North. In all samples, cobalt, nickel and copper occur as minerals within calcite veins less than 1cm in width. Silver is conspicuously low in all samples collected in the Caswell area. The Caswell mine and other nearby targets were sampled as part of a Camp-scale prospecting program conducted on the consolidated post-merger First Cobalt land package. The program focused on areas with known mineralization throughout the Camp to assess cobalt grades and identify styles of mineralization that could lead to other recoverable metals. Results of this program are being used along with other surface sampling to prioritize targets for a winter drill program and follow-up exploration for the consolidated land package. Mineralization sampled from outcrops at Caswell, as well as the nearby La Tour and Thompson mines returned anomalous Cu (0.05 - 0.10%) in places. Recent work has shown in some areas (such as Keeley-Frontier, Drummond and Silver Banner), Zn and Pb have been concentrated and appear to occur distal to the Co-Ag mineralization. High values of Zn and Pb were not returned at Caswell but may reflect the relatively small size of mineral development around the obvious veins. Figure 2. Bedrock geology of the Caswell area based on government maps Caswell appears to be a high grade cobalt vein system similar to other targets throughout the Camp, such as Silver Banner, although most of the high grade cobalt at Caswell is hosted by Nipissing Diabase. This is in contrast to mafic volcanic rocks that are more commonly associated with cobalt mineralization. Based on the government maps of the Caswell area, folding is prominent in the volcanic rocks and can be inferred in the Nipissing Diabase. In the Keeley-Frontier area some vein systems develop along faults within fold axes therefore these are considered important structures associated with mineralization in the Cobalt Camp. Future Exploration Programs A drilling campaign is planned for these high grade targets to map the extent of the veins. Shallow diamond drilling is planned to determine dip orientations along the strike length of the mapped veins. The program would also include downhole electric geophysical surveys to determine if Co-bearing veins are detectable nearby. Ground electric geophysical surveys will also be conducted to test for strike and depth extensions away from the known mineralization. Exposed veins such as those seen near Caswell B permit orientation surveys to be run to confirm if the appropriate geophysical technique or system configuration is being used. Ground geophysical surveys can be employed to test structures controlling mineralization not exposed at surface. Quality Assurance and Quality Control First Cobalt has implemented a quality-control program to comply with common industry best practices for sampling and analyses. For this particular program, grab samples were collected to determine metal contents; as such, sampling was not conducted systematically nor should be considered representative of the muckpile total content. Geochemical data for muckpile samples were received from AGAT Laboratories in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. QAQC for results were evaluated using standards and repeat analyses and blanks. No issues have been noted. AGAT Laboratories has used a sodium-peroxide fusion and ICP finish on all samples. Qualified and Competent Person Statement Dr. Frank Santaguida, P.Geo., is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 who has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. Dr. Santaguida is also a Competent Person (as defined in the JORC Code, 2012 edition) who is a practicing member of the Association of Professional Geologists of Ontario (being a 'Recognised Professional Organisation' for the purposes of the ASX Listing Rules). Dr. Santaguida is employed on a full-time basis as Vice President, Exploration for First Cobalt. He has sufficient experience that is relevant to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code. Mining Associates appointed to undertake a review of the Bronze Fox Intrusive Complex to provide an independent resource model and assist in future exploration Review will support quantifying the previous discovery and valuation analysis to peers Previous drilling has confirmed extensive broad lower-grade copper-gold mineralization often with localized higher grades across a 1.3km strike in the western central portion of the Bronze Fox Intrusive Complex, including: F62 37m grading 0.83% copper (1.01% CuEq), within 391m @ 0.50% CuEq 1 BF7 32m grading 0.37% copper (0.91% CuEq), within 112m @ 0.50% CuEq 1 A two rig drill program is ongoing testing Devonian age targets outside of Bronze Fox Vancouver, BC / November 21, 2017 / JMN Wire / Kincora Copper Ltd. (the Company, Kincora) (TSXV:KCC) announces the appointment of Mining Associates Limited (Mining Associates) to undertake a review of its wholly owned Bronze Fox copper-gold porphyry project in the Southern Gobi, Mongolia. Bronze Fox has an extensive mineralized footprint covering over 40km2 at the Bronze Fox Intrusive Complex (BFIC) and 15km2 at the neighbouring Tourmaline Hills Intrusive Complex (THIC), with only two active and unencumbered drilling exploration field seasons across the adjacent two license portfolio that hosts the full BFIC. Total drilling by Kincora and others covers 169 holes for 55,908 metres across the portfolio. Efforts to date have focused at the western central portion of the BFIC where 75 holes for 23,130 metres has been drill across a 1.4km by 2.4km zone, with mineralization encountered often from surface to a maximum vertical depth of over 1km. This latter zone will be the focus of the Mining Associates review and modelling, including grade estimate and tonnage target. In Kincoras one active field season of unimpeded access to both licenses drilling confirmed: At the West Kasulu prospect drill hole F62 intersected 37 metres at 1.01% CuEq (from 573m) within 794m at 0.40% CuEq , at the western central portion of the BFIC 1 . , at the western central portion of the BFIC . The Tourmaline Hills prospect at the THIC, with 9 of the 15 holes returning intervals of over 1g/t gold (up to 7.7g/t), often with elevated copper values. Sam Spring, President & CEO, commented: There is a substantial copper-gold system at the western central portion of the BFIC, within the larger two mineralized intrusions at Bronze Fox. With unencumbered access to both licenses and an improved copper price, the Mining Associates review is expected to independently quantify the previous discovery, which will assist valuations to peers, define areas of potential higher grade and adjacent exploration targets that may justify further drilling to expand the mineralized system and define a maiden NI 43-101 compliant resource. Relative to the other copper-gold projects in the wider belt that have existing resources Bronze Fox has had modest previous drilling. For the one field season, in 2012, when Kincora was unimpeded with its exploration efforts at the Bronze Fox project, the Company returned one of the most favourable exploration results in the region at the West Kasulu prospect, which resulted in significant interest from both industry and financial investors at a meaningful premium to our current capitalization. In the two years of relatively early stage exploration by Ivanhoe, only one with drilling activities, Bronze Fox was a priority exploration target, excluded from the BHP regional joint venture. Current field season activities continue to focus on the Devonian age targets south of Bronze Fox. First phase drilling was recently completed at Bayan Tal and two rigs are currently completing a four-hole program on the western margins of the Ulgii Khud massif. Interpretation of new surface geology, drilling and geophysics is ongoing, including both the East Tsagaan Suvarga and Red Well targets. Results of these work programs at our pipeline of targets will be provided to the market after the Companys next technical workshop. Figure 1: Bronze Fox, and its two intrusions, in the wider Southern Gobi copper belt The Mining Associates review will focus on the central portions of the Bronze Fox Intrusive Complex Mining Associates review Mining Associates has been appointed to undertake a review of previous drilling at the BFIC including the western central portion where 75 holes for 23,130 metres has been drill across a 1.4km by 2.4km zone. Within this zone broad lower-grade copper-gold mineralization often with localized higher grades has been encountered across a 1.3km strike, often from surface to a maximum vertical depth of up to 1280m (refer Figures 3 & 4). The review will provide an independent 3D block model that supports tonnage and grade estimates, and is expected to assist in providing parameters for future exploration and a potential NI 43-101 compliant resource. Mining Associates have extensive experience in resource estimation on porphyry style deposits, including Xanadu Mines flagship Kharmagtai project, located 140km from Bronze Fox, being a similar age and style Carboniferous mineralized system, having undertaken a resource estimation and valuation prior to definition of a JORC compliant resource and drill targeting. Kharmagtai has a March 2015 maiden JORC resource of 203Mt @ 0.34% copper and 0.33g/t gold for a contained metal content of 1500Mlb copper and 2.2Moz gold. The total resource is contained within three pit shells and underground resources over a 1.8km strike and depths of up to 600m at the Stockwork Hill/Altan Tolgoi, White Hill /Tsagaan Sudal and Copper Hill/Zesen Uul deposits, based on 108,130m of drilling across the wider 66.5km2 mining license with a current area of interest of 25km2. Over 50,000 metres of drilling has been undertaken since the definition of the maiden resource both searching for a fourth nearer surface finger porphyry and/or higher grade extension at depth (recent drilling to 1000 metres). Recent exploration results by Xanadu have been very well received by the market supporting the September 28th 2017 private placement of A$15.4 million, a current A$159 million market capitalization(2) and encouragement for other coppergold explorers in the wider Southern Gobi region. Location The Bronze Fox project is situated 520km south-southeast of Mongolias capital city Ulaanbaatar in the Mandakh and Manlai Subprovinces, of the Dornogobi Province. The subprovincial centre of Mandakh village, population over 1500, is located 40km to the northeast of the license which hosts a Kincora commissioned water well near the eastern margin of the BFIC. Bronze Fox is approximately 40km to the northwest of MAKs Tsagaan Suvarga copper development project and 45km from Kincoras all year around White Pearl camp. Rio Tintos Tier 1 Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project is approximately 140km to the southwest and the distance to the Chinese boarder is only approximately 185km across desert steppe, generally consisting of gravel covered plains with low hills, sparse vegetation and population. Local Geology The Bronze Fox project lies in the eastern part of the Gurvansayhan island arc terrane and while outside of the interpreted Devonian belt that hosts both Tsagaan Suvarga and Oyu Tolgoi, is within a 100km parallel belt of Carboniferous mineralized porphyry systems. The arc is an extension of the much larger Tian Shan belt that can be traced for over 5,000km through China and into Kazakhstan. Two large intrusive complexes are hosted at Bronze Fox, the Tourmaline Hills Intrusive Complex (THIC), approximately 5x2 kms in diameter, located solely on the western license (total license size 246km2) and the Bronze Fox Intrusive Complex (BFIC), approximately 6x2 km, with the BFIC spread across the two licenses (noting the eastern licenses covers 223km2). Both complexes are located within a magmatic arc demonstrated as fertile for porphyry style deposits with only two active and unencumbered drilling exploration field seasons across the consolidated license portfolio. Outcropping mineralization, particularly at the BFIC, is extensive by comparison to the majority of the arc and has been observed in rock chip samples in a zone stretching up to 50km to the north with the Shuteen lithocap immediately to the south. Background Given the amount of outcropping mineralization it is unsurprisingly that Bronze Fox was initially explored by Soviet Union and Mongolian prospectors with a number of holes drill and extensive trenches still open, but no data remains from this first phase of activities. The next phase of active exploration was then undertaken by Ivanhoe Mines Ltd (Ivanhoe), between 2004 and 2005. In 2004, mapping, geochemical sampling and ground magnetic programs were initiated; over 6,000 rock chip samples assayed and over 1000-line km of ground magnetics were acquired. In 2005, further geological mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching, induced polarization surveys and reconnaissance diamond drilling for 24 holes were undertaken inside the license and adjacent licenses. Ivanhoe targeted the surface expression of Au-Cu and Mo-As mineralisation at the then named Bronze Fox and East Fox prospects (later respectively referred to by Kincora as the West Kasulu/Shargal Tolgoi and Leca Pass). Ivanhoe reported best intersections of 373m @ 0.29% Cu from 125.7m in Hole BFD024 and 280m @ 0.29% Cu from 160m (BFD005). Bronze Fox was one of the four projects (including Oyu Tolgoi and Kharmagtai) that Ivanhoe excluded from the BHP Joint Venture between 2006-2009. However, having not yet converted the exploration to mining license the project reverted back to the State during the period of the Windfall Profits Tax and initial negotiations to form an Investment Agreement to support the development of Oyu Tolgoi. Figure 2: Extensive near mineralisation at the central western portion of the BFIC extends across the western licenses boundary Fig 3: Phases of drilling across Bronze Fox, impacted by ownership and 106-license dispute Light blue Ivanhoe drilling; yellow Golden Grouse 2011 drilling; orange Nadmin 2010 drilling; red Kincora 2011 drilling; pink Kincora drilling 2012; green Kincora drilling in 2014 Fig 4: Drilling has confirmed extensive broad lower-grade mineralization often with localized higher grades across a 1.3km strike in the central western portion of Bronze Fox Cross section across at the western central portion of the BFIC In 2010, with the eastern section of the original Ivanhoe Bronze Fox project was reissued to Nadmin LLC, which hosts the eastern license referred to in Figures 2 and 3. That year, 25 holes for 5,164 metres of RC (3,722m) and diamond (1,442m) were completed, following 12 lines of Induced Polarization (IP) for 61,000-line metres. As part of the formation of Kincora Copper, Micromine Pty Ltd completed a NI 43-101 Technical Report on the prospectivity of the project in April 2011 ahead of a C$12.1 million private placement which closed in July 2011. This raise supported 23 diamond holes for 12,435m that year with 22 of those holes intersecting either broad zones of lower grade copper-gold or gold mineralization, some with localized areas of higher grade, across a wider strike zone than that previously tested by Ivanhoe. Kincora consolidated the original Ivanhoe Bronze Fox project in early 2012 via the Golden Grouse LLC acquisition to secure the western license that enable testing of the full BFIC again as well as the THIC, the latter which still has very modest drilling (in total 6,539 metres in 26 holes). Across the two licenses, 40 holes for 15,809m were completed in 2012, including 10 shallow holes for metallurgical test at the West Kasulu prospect for a potential smaller scale oxide open pit development project (with initial metallurgical tests and desktop studies undertaken). The drilling results from late 2012 were encouraging with a number of porphyry intersections confirming the potential for a high-grade deposit (for example localized 4% copper in the last hole (F72) drilled Leca Pass prospect, based on a 2012 IP target) and broad lower grade (for example over 794m @ 0.40% CuEq, including 37m @ 1.07% CuEq in Hole F62, West Kasulu1). Similar lower grade (0.2-0.4% copper) results have been returned across various broad sections of a 40km2 mineralized (and open) footprint but hole F62 demonstrated that the mineralization could extend to depth and with more extensive zones of higher-grade mineralization. The results of vein and alteration study, SWIR study on alteration minerals, indicate that the zone of drilling at the West Kasulu prospect was possibly in a peripheral of a porphyry mineral system. Early in 2013, post the 2012 change in government, concerns regarding security of tenure emerged for the western license of Bronze Fox which was later revoked as part of the 106 license dispute. This dispute was resolved in an equitable manner in late 2015 but impacted exploration efforts across the BFIC, particularly the western central zone, over that period. Limited exploration has taken place since due to depressed copper prices, focused on securing the IBEX transaction and resuming exploration at multiple Devonian age targets, and access to funding despite the dispute resolution for Bronze Fox. Given the extensive zones of mineralization encountered in 2012 to depths beyond the coverage limits of previous IP surveys and analysis, an extensive 49km2 deep IP survey was conducted utilising Search on the eastern license. The 2013 IP analysis illustrated that prior drilling, particularly outside of the West Kasulu prospect in the western central section of the BFIC, failed to adequately test most large chargeability high anomalies with previous encountered mineralization coincident with lower priority IP chargeability zones. Analysis of the 2013 IP results coupled with the lithogeochemcial analysis helped explained previous results and lead to a reinterpretation and refinement of targets. The 2014 drill program for 10128.9m in 15 holes tested various targets away from the boundary of the western license (due to the then uncertain nature for resolution of the 106 license dispute) with scout holes to better understand the potential for broad zones of mineralization and a potential higher grade orebody based on geophysical targets, primarily driven by the extensive 2013 Induced Polarization survey. The 2014 results illustrated that geophysics (IP and magnetics in particular) are an effective tool for identifying the target areas and prospective mineralized systems (outside of these zones little mineralization is returned) but once within the mineralized system geology interpretation is critical to assist vector to and locate high-grade zone(s). The Mining Associates review is expected to independently quantify the previous discovery at the BFIC, which will assist relative valuation discussions to peers, define areas of potential higher grade and adjacent exploration targets that may justify further drilling to expand the mineralized system and also the definition of a maiden NI 43-101 compliant resource. Further advancement of the Bronze Fox project post resolution of the 106-license dispute has been impacted by the copper price (2016 to early-mid 2017), Kincora completing the IBEX transaction (2Q16-4Q16), resuming exploration at various Devonian age targets (3Q17) and access to capital (two tranche $5.9 million private placements only completed 3Q17). Notes: 1 F62 37m grading 0.83% copper and 0.14g/t gold (1.01% CuEq), within 391m @ 0.50% CuEq (0.41% copper and 0.08g/t gold) BF7 32m grading 0.37% copper and 0.90g/t gold (0.91% CuEq), within 112m @ 0.50% CuEq (0.30% copper and 0.33g/t gold) The Copper Equivalent (CuEq) calculation represents an estimate for the total value for each metal, multiplied by the conversion factor, summed and expressed in equivalent copper percentage based on current spot prices (Cu $3.11/lb, Au $1279/oz and Mo $7.1/lb). Grades have not been adjusted for metallurgical or refining recoveries and the copper equivalent grades are of an exploration nature only and intended for summarizing grade. The copper equivalent calculation is intended as an indicative value only. 2 Closing price on the ASX November 17th, 2017. Highlights: Sale of a 100% interest in the Crucero Gold Project to GoldMining Inc. (TSX.V: GOLD); Sale of a 100% interest in the Crucero Gold Project to GoldMining Inc. (TSX.V: GOLD); Consideration received of $5.7 million in cash and marketable securities in GoldMining Inc. ; ; Total cash and marketable securities on hand of ~$8.3 million. VANCOUVER, Nov. 21, 2017 /CNW/ - Lupaka Gold Corp. ("Lupaka Gold" or the "Company") (TSXV:LPK, FRA:LQP) is pleased to announce that, further to its news release of September 19, 2017, the Company has completed the sale of the Crucero Gold Project ("Crucero") to GoldMining Inc. ("GoldMining"). Total proceeds amount to $5.7 million, comprised of $750,000 in cash and 3,500,000 shares in GoldMining (TSX.V: GOLD). Will Ansley, President and CEO of Lupaka, said, "Closing the sale of Crucero, a non-core asset, bolsters our treasury as we focus on putting our Invicta Gold Development Project into production. Our cash and marketable securities balance now totals approximately $8.3 million, before related fees." Proceeds from the sale of Crucero will be used to partially satisfy the remaining conditions precedent to receive Tranche 3 (US$2.5 million) of the Pre-Paid Forward Gold Purchase Agreement with PLI Huaura Holdings LP and to provide additional working capital flexibility as the Company proceeds with the development of the Invicta Gold Development Project. The Transaction Pursuant to the Agreement, GoldMining has acquired all of the shares of a wholly owned subsidiary of Lupaka, which holds a 100% interest in Crucero. Total consideration payable by GoldMining to Lupaka under the transaction is 3,500,000 common shares of GoldMining (TSXV: GOLD) and $750,000 in cash. The GoldMining shares issued under this transaction are subject to certain resale restrictions, however, total dilution to GoldMining shareholders is only 3%. Advisors Fort Capital Partners advised Lupaka in connection with the transaction, and Dumoulin Black LLP and Lazo, De Romana & CMB (Lima, Peru) acted as legal counsel. Peter Dorhout new fellow of world's largest scientific society Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017 MANHATTAN The American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, is honoring Peter Dorhout, Kansas State University vice president for research and professor of chemistry, as one of its 2017 fellows. Dorhout is among 396 fellows chosen this year and was selected for his distinguished contributions to the field of f-element solid state chemistry, his many accomplishments in academic leadership and his outstanding leadership in professional organizations and foundations. Dorhout is the 2017 president-elect of the American Chemical Society. "I was humbled to be nominated by my peers earlier this year and was thrilled to have been selected by the association," Dorhout said. "AAAS comprises a diverse set of disciplines and scientists with a common purpose of advancing our understanding of the universe." The American Association for the Advancement of Science is the world's largest scientific society. Founded in 1848, it includes nearly 250 affiliated societies and academies of science. The association's fellowship program recognizes individuals whose efforts toward advancing science applications are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished. Dorhout's selection follows a vote by peers in the association. This year's fellows will be formally announced in the AAAS News and Notes section of the journal Science on Nov. 24. Dorhout will be recognized at a certificate and pinning ceremony at the association's annual meeting Feb. 17, 2018, in Austin, Texas. Dorhout joins 25 current and emeritus Kansas State University faculty members who are fellows of the association. "This is a wonderful honor for Dr. Dorhout," said April Mason, university provost and senior vice president. "This honor is given for the body of work he has accomplished over a stellar career. AAAS recognizes and celebrates scientists, and Peter Dorhout is a great scientist." Dorhout is a recognized expert in solid state and nuclear materials science, and environmental chemistry. He has served as a collaborator at Los Alamos National Laboratory since 1987 and has published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and reviews while presenting more than 130 international and national invited lectures. One of his most significant scientific accomplishments was to develop a research and training program for graduate students and postdocs in solid-state actinide chemistry with Los Alamos and the Seaborg Institute. Dorhout has a strong record of service to academic administration. In addition to positions at previous institutions and his current position as vice president for research, Dorhout also served four years as dean of the Kansas State University's College of Arts and Sciences. As dean, Dorhout led a strategic planning exercise that focused the college on three key growth areas: fundraising and building the endowment, building strong academic programs and strengthening the research enterprise. Significant accomplishments include creating a plan to raise $100 million in a six-year campaign, doubling the number of endowed faculty chairs and enhancing the stipends for graduate assistants. Dorhout is a proven servant leader in several professional organizations, including the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the Kansas State University Research Foundation, Colorado Nanotechnology Alliance and the Coronado Council Boy Scouts of America executive board. He served the Council of Graduate Schools as a member of its executive board while he led the Western Alliance of Graduate Schools as its 2011-2012 president. As a leader on the Research Corporation board, he coordinated a refocusing of the grants programs to create Scialog, a science dialog program focused on accelerating breakthroughs in grand challenges in chemistry and physics. In 2016, Dorhout joined the Council on Research, a council of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, where he organized and chaired a session on building diversity in the office of the vice president for research at the 2016 Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' national meeting. Dorhout is also an active, longtime member and leader in the American Chemical Society. He was elected by the membership in 2017 to the presidential succession of the society and will serve as president in 2018. Dorhout earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a doctorate in inorganic chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University and a research collaborator with Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dorhout was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2013. The story about Jacinda Ardern having told a mate that Donald Trump mistook her for Mrs Trudeau has gone global with reports in the UK, Australia, US, Ireland and India. Theres a few lessons to be learnt here. The first is that Ardern needs to be more discreet in recounting tales of interactions with global leaders. She is the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and it is reasonably likely the stories have been seen by the US Government and Trump is unlikely to appreciate a story that makes it look like the PM of NZ has been telling stories that make him look like an idiot. But the bigger lesson should be with Tom Sainsbury who betrayed Arderns confidence. He should have never ever recounted what she said on air. Sure to him it is just his mate Jacinda, but again she is the Prime Minister of NZ. He should have known that repeating what she said would lead to stories. Over the years I have had countless conversations with MPs, Ministers and even PMs. Do you know how many I have ever repeated on air? Zero. I regard conversations as private. The final aspect of this saga is how precious left activists are because a journalist vigorously questioned Ardern on the story she created. For all the critics of my IV with the PM this morning: When a PM tells a story that embarrasses the U.S President and isnt 100% true its my job to ask questions. Just as I do with National MPs. Jack Tame (@jacktame) November 19, 2017 Tame even had columns appear in Stuff condemning him because he kept persisting with trying to get a straight answer from Ardern for six minutes. If Tame had challenged John Key for six minutes on an issue, hed be held up as a champion of journalism and Key be condemned as evasive. But many on the left cant abide anything that is challenging of Ardern. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr In recent months, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, like higher education institutions all across our great country, has been part of a statewide conversation about free speech, tolerance and respectful behavior on our campus. Finding the right balance isnt always easy. Sometimes, we come up short. Aug. 25 was one of those times. An undergraduate student who set up a booth on campus for a conservative organization not currently affiliated with UNL was the recipient of unprofessional and unacceptable behavior by a graduate student who was also a part-time lecturer. Moments from that incident were captured on video and led many Nebraskans to ask whether their university is a welcoming place for conservatives. Even a former senior campus administrator, in lending advice to current university leadership, raised concerns about civility on campus and the need to make sure conservative students dont feel shut out. At the same time we heard from Nebraskans reminding us to respect free speech, even in instances where we find the expression of that speech to be distasteful. The behavior of the particular graduate student that day was unacceptable; she has not been teaching at the university since that time. We communicated last week to her that she will not teach at our university going forward because of this inappropriate behavior. As leader of this campus, I will always strive to do what is in the best interest of this great university, seek input from citizens of this state and learn from each experience. Having said that, I want Nebraskans to know this is a safe campus. It was recognized as one of the safest in the nation this summer. We vigorously defend free speech, and we expect members of the university community to treat each other with dignity. Im proud that those values are on display at our university every day. In fact, Ive met with countless students, of all beliefs and backgrounds, and, beyond this specific instance, not one identifying as conservative has ever told me they felt threatened. Not one student identifying as conservative has filed a report to our anonymous tip line. Conservative students and faculty have been quoted in recent news articles complimenting the open learning environment that we provide. Im also keenly aware that our work in this area is never finished. We will continue to examine ourselves, seek feedback and ask the tough questions. We expect students, faculty, and staff to engage respectfully with each other, especially when we disagree. I want to thank all Nebraskans for expressing their views to me. No matter what perspective you hold, I am listening to your concerns. Nebraskans have a right to express those views, know they are heard and know that the university is doing everything it can to foster a learning environment where all views can be heard and where disagreement occurs respectfully. Its on us to earn that trust. We are hard at work to keep and earn your trust. And we are working hard every day to build an exceptional university that welcomes students from Nebraska and the rest of the world. Here are a few examples: * Well participate in a university-wide survey conducted by Gallup to assess the climate for students, faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds. Along with our fellow NU campuses, well develop an action plan for ways we can continue to carry out respectful and civic discourse, while addressing any weaknesses identified in the survey. * UNL's early work in engaging the campus community in the development of a statement on free speech is contributing to a university-wide effort to bring recommendations to the Board of Regents in January for improved clarity and consistency in NU policies related to First Amendment rights. * Since the August incident, we have written to all students to encourage respectful interactions and arm them with campus resources for navigating the campus if they ever feel marginalized. * Were building on the work we began some time ago to promote inclusiveness and respectful conversation on campus. For example, we hosted recent Husker Dialogues listening sessions attended by 3,200 students. The common thread in all of these efforts is that they rely on the candid input of the people we exist to serve: our students and their families, faculty and staff, alumni and friends, and all Nebraskans whose investment in their university is our most precious resource. Well continue to ask for Nebraskans help moving forward. My wife and I are proud graduates of this university, and I have been fortunate to be a part of UNL campus leadership since 2010. All four of our children have chosen to study and thrive here. There is nothing more important to me than the safety, well-being and highest quality education of every student who themselves and their parents entrust us with their care. We have work ahead. But the results are worth it. I absolutely believe Nebraska can be a national model for how to have robust, respectful, productive dialogue that makes us all stronger. Were ready to work together to get there. STURTEVANT The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is scheduled to stop at the Amtrak Depot, 9900 E. Exploration Court, from 5:25 to 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. The Holiday Train is 14 rolling rail cars, brightly lit with hundreds of thousands of colorful, LED lights in seasonal shapes. And, when it pulls into Sturtevants Amtrak depot on Dec. 2, it will stop long enough for its specially equipped boxcar stage to be opened, where Canadian performers Kelly Prescott, Terri Clark and Dallas Smith will entertain the crowd with a free concert of popular and holiday music. Nonperishable food items and monetary donations will be collected for local food banks. This is the 19th year the Holiday Train is returning to the rails to raise money, food and awareness for food banks and hunger issues across Canada and the United States. Since its launch in 1999, the Holiday Train program has raised close to $9.5 million and collected 3.3 million pounds of food for North American food banks. Other stops in southeastern Wisconsin include: Milwaukee Amtrak Depot, 433 W. St. Paul Ave., 6:50-7:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2. Wauwatosa, Harwood Avenue Crossing, 4:15-5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3. The full CP Holiday Train schedule can be found at www.cpr.ca/holiday-train/schedule-united-states. LifeStyle The best LifeStyle shows are right here, from Australia and around the world. Catch up with the experts on home design and interiors, food and cooking, the property market, and get fresh ideas with the savviest of renovators. Whether you need inspiration for cooking up a storm, to refresh a tired room, or tips to sell your property, Foxtel LifeStyle will always something new for you to watch. Enjoy your favourite experts like Andrew Winter and Neale Whitaker, or Deb Hutton and Jamie Oliver live or On Demand. Get Foxtel Today, Germany is a top migration destination, second only to the United States. But in the 19th century, Germans were fleeing their homeland in huge numbers in search of better prospects abroad. More than 5 million Germans moved to North America during that era, including the ancestors of Donald Trump and the Heinz family. And now, new research shows that climate was a major factor driving this migration pattern. "Up until today, the migration from Europe into North America was the largest migration in history," said Rudiger Glaser, a professor of geography at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Most of the literature on the migration out of Germany usually attributed this phenomenon to political and social issues, Glaser said. [Refugee Crisis: Why There's No Science to Resettlement] The 19th century was indeed a time of major political and social upheavals in Germany, from the warfare of the Napoleonic era, to the bourgeois revolution of 1848, to the industrial revolution, to the establishment of the German Empire in 1871. But Glaser and his colleagues wanted to test a hypothesis that climate might have been an important factor setting some of this mass migration into motion, using statistical models. The researchers focused on the region around their university now the state of Baden-Wurttemberg in southwestern Germany which had thorough 19th-century records for migration, population, weather, harvest yields and cereal prices. (This area was not Germany as we know it today; in 1815, the beginning of the study timeframe, it was a patchwork made up of the Grand Duchy of Baden, the Kingdom of Wurttemberg and the Kingdom of Prussia.) They used a complicated statistical model to try to quantify the effect of climate on migration. Overall, Glaser said that about 30 percent of the migration out of that corner of Germany between 1815 and 1886 could be explained by a chain of events that starts with climate: Poor climate conditions lead to low crop yields, which lead to rising cereal prices, which lead people to want to pick up and leave for better opportunities. [10 Surprising Ways Weather Has Changed History] "It's quite clear," Glaser said. "This chain effect is convincing." "This isn't surprising when you consider that the majority of the population in southern Germany at that time was rural, with household livelihoods and incomes tied very closely to agricultural productivity," said Robert McLeman, an associate professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, who wasn't involved in the study. McLeman said that people tend to associate environmental migration with environmental refugees, or large numbers of people suddenly displaced from their homes by storms, floods and single big events. "While such events do indeed occur periodically, we often overlook the longer-term, more subtle influence climate and environment have on migration patterns," McLeman told Live Science. He added that the report shows "how climate also influences migration indirectly, by affecting market prices for commodities and undermining household livelihoods." Glaser and his colleagues found some spikes in migration tied to particularly severe climate events. The massive 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, for example, sent enough volcanic ash into the atmosphere to cause global disruptions. 1816 was dubbed the "Year Without a Summer," as farmers across the Northern Hemisphere experienced poor harvestscausing food prices to rise. Other emigration waves had clearer geopolitical influences. A spike in migration between 1850 and 1855 occurred during the Crimean War, the researchers found, when France banned food exports, which squeezed German grain markets. The authorities of Baden during this time tried to get rid of the poor (in part, hoping to prevent uprisings) by funding their emigration. Lessons from 19th-century Germany can be drawn for other parts of the world where the majority of people depend on small-scale or subsistence agriculture, such as South Asia, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, McLeman said. "When crop productivity and rural household incomes are affected by adverse climate events and conditions, especially droughts, people in those regions can and do migrate, for many of the same reasons and motivations as did German farmers in the 19th century, especially when other factors like conflict and political instability occur simultaneously," McLeman said. Glaser said he would like to apply the same methods to understand the effect of climate change on current migration patterns, though he added that it's a challenge to get reliable data sets from unstable parts of the world. Past research has already shown that climate-related events like droughts and severe storms caused food shortages in 2010 which may have contributed to the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa. "The climate change issue as a whole will lead to more pressure in regions of the world where we already have an unstable situation," Glaser said. The study was published today (Nov. 21) in the journal Climate of the Past. Original article on Live Science. An unusually complete albeit headless skeleton of a Steller's sea cow was recently found in northeast Russia. Despite the missing noggin, the remains may help researchers solve several mysteries about this enormous, extinct animal. For instance, researchers aren't sure how many vertebrae (the bones that make up the backbone) the Steller's sea cow had, and they aren't certain what its flippers looked like, said Daryl Domning, a professor of anatomy and a Steller's sea cow expert at Howard University in Washington, D.C., who is not involved with the new finding. It's not clear from the preliminary description posted online, but "it's the first possibly complete skeleton of the forelimb of the flipper," Domning told Live Science. "It's quite a remarkable specimen from the looks of it." [Sirenian Gallery: Photos of Cute Sea Cows] Researcher Marina Shitova found the Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas) during a routine survey of the coastline of Komandorsky Nature Reserve. She noticed the dead creature's ribs poking out from the sand and pebbles. A few days later, the reserve's staff returned to excavate the bones, which took eight people a total of 4 hours to uncover, according to a statement from the reserve. The skeleton measured 17 feet (5.2 meters) long. But given the length of its missing parts (including the head), the Steller's sea cow likely measured nearly 20 feet (6 m) when it was alive, or about the length of a modern killer whale, the researchers said. It's extraordinary that the newly uncovered specimen is so complete, Domning said. Over the past 200 years, researchers have found bits and pieces of H. gigas remains. Because they had few complete specimens, researchers put together bones from multiple individuals to make mounts for museums, including the mount at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., which was built in the 1890s, he said. The last time researchers found a nearly complete Steller's sea cow skeleton was 30 years ago, when an almost 10-foot-long (3 m) specimen was discovered on Bering Island, Russia, he said. "But it's not nearly as complete as this [newly discovered] one." The newfound skeleton will go on display at the Komandorsky Nature Reserve visitor center, according to the statement. Rapid extinction The Steller's sea cow went extinct in 1768, a mere 27 years after it was first discovered by Western science. Like many species, it was discovered by accident. A Russian Navy expedition, led by the Danish explorer Vitus Bering, became shipwrecked in 1741 on the then uninhabited Commander Islands. The surviving crew, including the German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709-1746), spent the winter there, and later escaped by building a smaller boat out of the wreckage of their ship, Domning said. During that long, cold winter on what was later named Bering Island, Steller discovered the sea cow, and even dissected one that had been killed. The beast was so big, Steller had to bribe sailors to help him move it, and he had to constantly deal with arctic foxes that were trying to eat the carcass and steal his pens and paper, Domning said. Even so, Steller managed to dissect the sea cow and write detailed descriptions of its anatomy and habits, Domning said. Upon their return, the Russian crew wasted no time in sharing the news that they had discovered a place replete with otters and fur seals. Hunters soon swarmed the area, killing otters and seals for pelts and the Steller's sea cow for meat and leather, rapidly hunting it into extinction. [Under the Sea: Life in the Sanctuaries] However, the story is more complex than that, Domning said. H. gigas ate kelp, a brown and reddish-colored alga. But so do sea urchins. When hunters killed the region's otters, the otters could no longer eat the urchins. Soon enough, the urchin population boomed, competing with H. gigas for algae. "They [the Steller's sea cow] were being starved at the same time they were being hunted," Domning said. Now, researchers can learn about the Steller's sea cow only by studying its remains, which are found in the North Pacific region. Skeletal analyses show that the species is closely related to dugongs (Dugong dugon) and more distantly related to manatees (Trichechus), Domning said. "I'd give anything to have specimens of that animal alive today just so we could learn more about what their physiology is like and everything else," Domning said. "But we'll never be able to answer a lot of those questions." Original article on Live Science. News items and photographs about education always are welcomed for publication in A+. Typed contributions no more than 250 words must be submitted within 60 days after the event occurs. Direct submissions to Sharon Knox, newsroom assistant, The Journal Times, 212 Fourth St., Racine, WI 53403; emailed to sknox@journaltimes.com. Email photos in JPG format, 200 DPI, 10 inches wide or deep to: journaltimes@gmail.com. Include to the attention of A+ in the subject line. Further information about the A+ section is available by calling Knox at 262-631-1767. Because of space constraints, we reserve the right to edit for length or clarity. A wild turkey is released from a plane flying over Crooked Creek during the 72nd annual Turkey Trot in Yellville, Arkansas, Oct. 14, 2017. An investigation by the FAA into the event released their report in November 2017 saying they found no violations. Domestic turkeys can't fly but that hasn't stopped people in a small town in Arkansas from dropping the birds from small planes at an annual festival event that has drawn opposition from animal-rights activists. While turkeys can't flap their wings and soar as many other birds can, they can slow their falls somewhat, Michael Habib, a professor of anatomy at the University of Southern California, told Live Science. "A lot of flightless birds have wings that can produce lift; it's just not enough to fly," said Habib, who studies the evolution of flight in birds. The festival is the annual Turkey Trot in Yellville. For the past 50 years during the festival, a local pilot has flown a plane and dropped domestic turkeys from a height of about 500 feet (150 meters) over local fields, according to the Huffington Post. [10 Weird Facts About Turkeys] The problem for the domestic turkeys is that, while they can slow a fall, they can't do it forever it depends on how long they can keep flapping their wings. Habib noted that turkeys are very powerful for short periods, just like human sprinters. However, they can't keep up that activity for long. So, during the first part of the descent at least, the turkeys likely flap their wings wildly, and they "fly" similarly to their wild cousins. According to the "Ask the Van" site at the University of Illinois physics department, when birds fly, their wings push air down and generate thrust, pushing the bird up. And as the wings come up, they bend and push less air because they aren't spread out anymore. That's what allows the average flying bird to keep itself up and, just as importantly, generate some forward motion. The forward motion creates lift, because as air flows over the bird, the layer of air above it is less dense than that below, and the bird rides on the more-dense layer. This is also why some bird species can soar, like eagles and vultures. Given enough forward thrust, a bird can glide and "coast" along, because the shape of the wing creates an airflow that is less dense on top of it, just like an airplane's wing. The birds that do this really well like albatrosses have long wingspans and small bodies. But domestic turkeys are so heavy relative to their wing area that they can't really do either powered flight or gliding well, Habib said. The combined upward thrust and lift simply isn't enough to overcome the bird's weight. [Amazing Physics: How 245 People Jumped Off a Bridge at Once and Survived] This is why, as reported by Arkansas Online, out of a dozen turkeys dropped at the 2016 event, two died on impact. The turkeys can't really glide well, given their shape and weight, Habib said. Even though turkey wings can create a little bit of lift, they don't have the optimal shape to do so, and their bodies are too heavy for it to work, according to Habib. Other birds have even less ability to slow falls in this way. "Ostriches wouldn't have any more success than you or I would," he said. That's because their wings are simply too small relative to their body size to generate any significant lift at all, he said. Domestic turkeys can't fly, but wild turkeys can, Habib said. Like other birds in their order, called Galliformes, wild turkeys just can't fly for long just long enough to get up into a tree or out of danger. Some young birds in this order which includes chickens, geese and peacocks sometimes use their wings to help them climb up trees or inclines. When they need to get down, they use their wings to break their fall. This happens a lot with a bird called the chukar, which is native to Eurasia. The altitude they can reach limited by trees and small cliffs is nowhere near the altitude the turkeys are dropped from at the Turkey Trot. This flight ability (or inability) can be seen in the "color" of the birds' meat. Habib noted that the metabolism of the muscles in their legs and wings are one of the reasons the meat is light or dark. Dark meat in the legs, for example has muscle that contains myoglobin, an oxygen-carrying molecule that allows them to work efficiently for longer periods. When it cooks, it becomes darker. White meat is "fast-twitch" muscle that doesn't use as much oxygen because it isn't designed to work for long, but it's powerful. The breast (which powers the wings) is fast-twitch muscle, and it's why the breast meat is lighter in color. Myoglobin is why long-distance flyers, like ducks, have dark meat in the breast that looks more like steak. That powerful, fast-twitch muscle explains why a relatively heavy bird the wild turkey can fly but tires quickly, Habib said. Flightlessness can be bred in birds; that's what happened with domestic turkeys and chickens. But it can also appear in birds that live without any pressure from predators because there's no reason to have escapist skills. The kakapo (in the parrot family) and the dodo, which was related to pigeons, became flightless in that way. Habib noted that, in both cases, there were few ground-level predators on these animals' island habitats. Kakapos are native to New Zealand and were driven to near extinction when humans introduced rats and cats to the area. Dodos, which lived on Mauritius, are thought to have been killed by humans for food, but they also became victims of the rats that humans introduced. The last dodos died in the 17th century. But regardless of turkeys' abilities, it's not good for them to be dropped. "It's really unethical," Habib said. Originally published on Live Science. In early October, several European countries detected elevated levels of ruthenium-106 above the continent. Based on concentration levels, the likely source of contamination was located around the Ural Mountains. A mysterious cloud of radioactive material that hovered over Europe last month came from Russia, Russian weather monitoring data released today (Nov. 21) suggests. The spike in radioactivity was caused by a substance called ruthenium-106. But what, exactly, is ruthenium-106, does it pose risks to human health and how did it get into the air? History of radioactive cloud Member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency, an international organization that promotes peaceful use of nuclear energy, detected the radioactive isotope ruthenium-106 hovering above 14 European countries in early October, according to a statement from France's Nuclear Safety Authority. Based on radioactivity levels across the continent, experts suspected the origin was somewhere in Russia Russia denied a nuclear accident occurred. [Images: Chernobyl, Frozen in Time] Today, however, the Russian Meteorological Service said it detected "extremely high contamination" with ruthenium-106 above the southern Ural Mountains in September. In Argayash, levels of ruthenium-106 were 986 times normal levels in late September, according to Rosgidromet, the weather monitoring service. Nuclear-fuel byproduct Ruthenium-106 is a radioactive isotope of ruthenium, meaning it has a different number of neutrons than the naturally occurring form of the element. The hard, white metal is chemically similar to platinum, and can be produced by dissolving platinum in nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. Ruthenium is incredibly rare and was discovered in 1844 in the Ural Mountains, Live Science previously reported. Ruthenium-106, however, is not found naturally, according to France's Nuclear Safety Authority. Instead, it is typically produced by the nuclear fission, or splitting, of uranium-235 atoms in nuclear reactors. Ruthenium-106 is also often produced during the reprocessing of nuclear fuel. Nuclear reprocessing involves separating the radioactive plutonium and uranium from spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power reactors, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. Ruthenium-106 is also used in head and eye radiation cancer treatments, according to the Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. It is also found in trace levels in satellites, as part of their thermoelectric generators, according to the Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN), a French institute focusing on radiological and nuclear risks. High doses of ruthenium are toxic and carcinogenic when ingested. The material is strongly retained in the bones. However, the levels detected over the past two months seem to be safe, according to the IRSN. "The concentration levels of ruthenium-106 in the air that have been recorded in Europe and especially in France are of no consequence for human health and for the environment," the IRSN said in a statement. While food might be contaminated with ruthenium for several miles around the epicenter of the nuclear release, the chance that contaminated food will be exported is also low, the IRSN said. Likely source The radioactive cloud didn't contain any other nuclear waste products, ruling out the possibility that the spike came directly from a nuclear reactor, according to the French Nuclear Safety Authority. Given that ruthenium-106 has no natural source and no one reported fallen satellites in the region, the likeliest source for the toxic cloud is an uncontrolled release of nuclear material, the Nuclear Safety Authority said. Just 19 miles (30 kilometers) from the Argayash weather station is the Mayak Production Association in Chelyabinsk Oblast, which reprocesses nuclear fuel for radioactive material used in research and industry, according to the Straits Times, a Singapore-based media outlet. However, Rosatom, the state nuclear agency that runs the Mayak plant, denied any involvement. "The contamination of the atmosphere with ruthenium-106 isotope registered by Rosgidromet is not linkedto the activity of Mayak," Rosatom officials said in a statement. "The measurements which Rosgidromet has released suggest that the dose people might have received is 20,000 times less than the allowed annual dose and presents no threat at all to health." The Mayak facility has experienced past nuclear accidents. In 1957, for instance, the world's third biggest nuclear accident, called the Kyshtym disaster, exposed hundreds of thousands of people nearby to radioactive contamination. The two biggest nuclear disasters occurred at the Chernobyl Power Plant in Ukraine and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, respectively. Originally published on Live Science. Local News, Business & Finance, Politics By Long Island News & PR Published: November 21 2017 Investigation Follows State Response to Today's Chemical Explosion, Fire in New Windsor, Orange County. Albany, NY - November 21, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a multi-agency investigation into working conditions at Verla International, Ltd., a commercial cosmetic company in New Windsor, Orange County. The investigation follows the state's response to the chemical explosion and fire at the warehouse, located at 463 Temple Hill Road and will examine worker safety, conditions and compliance with state environmental regulations at the plant. The Governor has directed the Department of Labor, Department of State and Department of Environmental Conservation to lead this investigation into overall compliance at Verla International, Ltd. "Ensuring the safety and welfare of New Yorkers in the workplace is critically important, and 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," Governor Cuomo said. "Worker safety and environmental protection are top priorities and if there was any misconduct or negligence that led to this incident, we will use the full force of the law to hold the company accountable." The Department of Environmental Conservation will investigate facility operations, including chemical storage and use practices, to ensure that there are no environmental violations that led to the explosions and fire at the facility. In particular, DEC investigators will inspect the facility to ensure it is in compliance with all applicable state and federal environmental regulations, including hazardous waste management methods of waste collection, storage, and disposal; the existence of emergency preparedness plans, response equipment, and communication devices; and the proper training of facility staff involved in hazardous waste management. DEC has also deployed air monitoring equipment to evaluate conditions in the area and will continue to monitor water quality impacts from the fire. The Department of State Division of Building Standards and Codes will review code compliance activity at the plant and has offered the Town of New Windsor assistance in assessing the overall condition of the building and providing any technical support in determining if code violations contributed to the cause or the spread of the fire. The Department of Labor will dispatch worker safety and health experts to the facility to determine if any asbestos is present on-site or a malfunction in any of the plant's three boilers contributed to the incident. Additionally, the Department will coordinate with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to interview workers and assist with any OSHA investigation. Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "DEC takes seriously our responsibility to ensure that all companies are complying with appropriate regulations for chemical and hazardous waste management. Investigators from DEC will leave no stone unturned to figure out what happened and work to ensure that incidents like this do not occur again." Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "Today's fire in New Windsor underscores the importance of rigorous worker health and safety standards. At Governor Cuomo's direction, the Department of Labor's Division of Safety and Health will be dispatching investigators to the site in order to help determine if any negligence on the part of the company played a role in this incident. The Department will also be looking closely into any possible asbestos or boiler issues that may have contributed to the severity of the explosion and subsequent fire." Jeffrey Plummer fired a minimum of three shots during a dispute with another man at a multi-family home, located in Coram , on March 21, 2017. No one was injured and Plummer fled the scene in an unknown direction. Plummer, 62, is also wanted on two outstanding bench warrants for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th and for New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law violations. by Jess Nelson , November 21, 2017 The United States Supreme Court will hear arguments at the end of the month for a case that could potentially impact the way marketers use location data for geotargeting. On November 29, Carpenter v. U.S. will make its way before the Supreme Court. The digital privacy case stems from a 2011 criminal investigation in Detroit when the government utilized cell phone location records as evidence to convict a suspect, Timothy Carpenter. Investigators accessed the cell phone location data -- in Carpenters case, almost 13,000 separate data points -- without a warrant or probable cause. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is representing Carpenter in court, arguing that the government violated his Fourth Amendment rights when it obtained the location data without a warrant. The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. advertisement advertisement The case could have an extraordinary impact on digital privacy and government transparency, as the Supreme Court justices are expected to decide on the scope of the Fourth Amendment in the digital age. The ACLU partnered with the Brennan Center, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Center for Democracy and Technology, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to file the amicus brief. Geographic data can make email marketing much more effective because it adds a deeper level of context to a campaign. Consumers are more likely to engage with an email promoting an event near them than an email touting a promotion across the country. The latter will more likely generate unsubscribes or spam complaints than anything else. "Digital tracking, including use of location data for geotargeting, can help marketers more accurately gauge customer behavior, needs, and intent, says Jay Rampuria, EVP of global business and corporate development at Toluna. Rampuria recommends that marketers provide a clear way for consumers to opt-in to sharing their data, and says tracking peoples location via mobile devices without their knowledge or consent is not appropriate. Having a clear way for people to opt in is a good first step, says Rampuria, who recommends that marketers provide a tangible benefit for the consumer. "The way that brands use location data will only get more complex and sophisticated as both consumer and marketing technologies evolve, says Rob Brosnan, VP of strategy at Movable Ink. While there are legal issues attached to tracking customers via their mobile devices, marketers need to think beyond the scope of the law and also consider the issue of customer experience. It's not only about having legal permission to track a customer's location, but also if it's permissive based on the customer relationship. The question marketers need to ask, says Brosnan, is whether the customer experience is aligned with the location-based marketing message. For example, an email marketing message between an outdoor gear and fitness apparel company and a customer might incorporate location-based data so that the message reflects the weather conditions where the customer is. In a sense, the brand has 'permission; from the customer to do this because it's relevant, on-brand and provides the best experience, says Brosnan. But why should a soap brand have any right to know a customer's location? This all boils down to value and experience." RACINE Racine Mayor Cory Mason vetoed two staffing changes in the city budget in addition to the event center. The Journal Times reported last week that Mason, in keeping with his election promise, vetoed funding for a controversial event center from Racines 2018 budget. City records show he also vetoed funding to transform an administrative staff position into a communications role, along with funding for an additional city attorney who would focus on development. The attorney was anticipated to earn $190,000 annually in salary and benefits, city records state. In an explanation of his veto, Mason wrote that he is not convinced the new position would be the best way to save the city money. The idea behind the attorney, according to city records, is to keep legal work in-house rather than pay outside lawyers. Mason wrote that staff could instead try to negotiate better rates with attorneys and consider longer-term, project-based contracts. This (veto) was really a cost-benefit analysis more than anything, and wanting the staff to come up with a better model on how to save on legal costs, Mason told The Journal Times. In vetoing the communications position funding, Mason wrote the position should be full time, rather than adding work for an existing staff member. If you look at a number of things that have been discussed around the city, we could and should do a better job with communicating with the people who elect us about what were doing and why were doing it, he said in an interview. Wiser weighs in Council President Dennis Wiser said he doesnt believe these vetoes will be as controversial as Masons veto of the event center funding. The vetoes are at least being put forward with the intention that the mayor wants to do something similar to the budget line, he said. Wiser said he wants to see what specific plans Mason has for the matters at hand in lieu of those included in the city budget. All three vetoes are scheduled to come before the City Council at its Tuesday meeting, set for 7 p.m. at City Hall, 730 Washington Ave. by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, November 21, 2017 If holiday prognostication feels old hat, its because it is. Seasonal headlines like Black Friday is dead, Christmas decorations in October? and Omnichannel is everything are as predictable as the dreaded Jingle Bell Rock. Marketing Daily asked Candace Corlett, president of WSL Retail, a New York-based consulting firm that uses data from its How America Shops surveys to spot trends, to weigh in on what if anything is really different for consumers this season. Q. Are there any real changes? A. This year, Americans have time at the top of their list, and are constantly asking themselves, 'How fast can I get it done? We count our steps. We even power-watch TV now, in four-hour binges at a time. So retailers who still think in terms of how to get you to stay in the store are missing the point. They should be asking, 'How can we make these fewer hours of shopping more terrific for people? advertisement advertisement Q. What do consumers think is terrific? A. Peoples mantra is that they want things in their life to be de-stressed. Thats one of the main reason they are shifting so much if their shopping why onlineits easier. But we also see a real shift from stuff to services, which has been true at higher income levels for several years, to broader audiences. There is so much competition to another sweaterpeople are giving (and asking for) sessions with a personal trainer, yoga classes, a night out at a craft brewery, a gift card to the movie theater. Smart retailers are joining in I got a gift card for cooking classes at Sur La Table last year and it was great. And were seeing stores take more steps to help people de-stress a little. Like maybe having a box of chocolates at the register, or small water bottles, because you know people are tired and thirsty and hungry. Having restrooms that are big enough to have small lounges so people can sit. Having shopping carts nearby, so if people buy more, its easy to get out to the parking lot. Q. What else are people craving? A. People are looking for more meaningful gifts, theyre seeking fun and being merry, and theyre looking for new traditions. I just saw a fun ad for Kentucky Fried Chicken, wrapped to look like bicycles and thingspeople like the idea that gifts dont have to be traditional in anyway. Gifts that bring us together, like an easy way to have dinner together, mean more than gifts that overstuff our closets. Q. So how does this affect stores? What can they do, since they are in the business of overstuffing our closets? A. Well, it makes Black Friday even less relevant. Whenever is the new Black Friday. People want to cross things off their lists as soon as they can. But shopping that brings people together is really resonatingthats what is driving the popularity of Small Business Saturday, for example. It can involve the whole family, your neighbors, your town, and the focus is on unique items and interesting merchandise to look at. It feels like an altruistic thing, helping small businesses, but its really about people enjoying getting together. Its bigger than just shopping. And its not just small businesses. This year, Walmart is planning 20,000 holiday parties in its stores. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, November 21, 2017 Mobile searches containing the keywords "Black Friday" rose by 80% during the past two years. Some of those phrases include "when is black friday," "lowes black friday," and "best black friday deals," according to Google data released Tuesday. The biggest shift in consumer behavior is seen just weeks prior to the holidays. Google's data suggests that people have become more accustomed to discovering new brands through research. Earlier in November, Google saw generic, non-branded searches outpace branded searches, with queries like "black friday ads furniture" and "black friday clothing." Then about 2.5 weeks prior to Black Friday, consumers switched from non-branded queries and began searching for mostly branded queries such as "ashley furniture black friday" and "old navy black Friday." Many consumers take to YouTube to research gift ideas. Black Friday haul videos have grown in popularity during the past few years. Google estimates these video views rose by more than 120% since 2015, and more retailers and brands are reaching out to influencers to get the word out. advertisement advertisement The retail brand Pink sponsored a Victoria's Secret Black Friday haul video posted late last week by YouTube star Kyrah Stewart. In the video, she unboxes a gift from the retailer. Google also analyzed the top trending products heading into Black Friday to get a better idea of what consumers are searching for. The results finds they are searching for classic apparel brands like Vans, Canada Goose, and Nike Air Jordan Retro 11. They also are searching for celebrity-backed products such as Nike KD 10, Pharrell x Adidas, and Rihanna's Fenty Beauty. The searches "where to buy" and "best times to shop" have also spiked, rising more than 85% during the past two years. "Among the top Black Friday searches, were seeing searches for cyber monday vs black friday, which is better black friday or cyber monday, and is cyber monday as good as black Friday," wrote Emily Eberhard, head of Shopping Ads Marketing at Google, in a post published Tuesday. Black Friday also is turning into a week-long event. During the three-week period leading up to Black Friday, retailers are experiencing a larger percentage of store traffic, rather than consumers rushing into stores the day after Thanksgiving. Research rose during the weeks prior to Thanksgiving weekend. Similar to 2016 and a few years prior, Google expects mobile transaction rates to jump 40% during the Thanksgiving weekend, compared with the rest of the year. "Its a sign that mobile researchers are likely to become mobile buyers during the four-day holiday break," Eberhard wrote. Taking the pill does not mean a woman never wants to get pregnant. If the time arrives when she does want to conceive, she may wonder how long it will take her to become pregnant. The answer to this question can depend not only on when she stopped taking the pill but other factors, including age and overall health. Fast facts about getting pregnant after stopping the pill: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimate almost 62 percent of women between 15 to 44 years of age use contraception. A variety of birth control pills are available on prescription in the United States. Sometimes taking the pill can conceal menstrual cycle irregularities. Women may not get pregnant right after stopping the pill, as the menstrual cycle reestablishes itself. What do the studies say? Share on Pinterest A study found that women who started using birth control pills under the age of 21 may find it more difficult to get pregnant, compared with those who started taking the pill after 21. Taking oral contraceptives can result in a short-term delay in achieving pregnancy of 2 to 6 months when a woman stops taking the pill, compared to other contraceptive use, according to a 2013 Danish study published in the journal Human Reproduction. The study included 3,727 women, aged 18 to 40 years. The participants were asked to complete a questionnaire on a monthly basis for 12 months to determine if pregnancy occurred. The researchers also found that women who had used birth control pills for longer rather than shorter time periods were more likely to get pregnant. Similarly, long-term use had no negative effect on the probability of getting pregnant. The study also found that women who had used birth control pills, starting younger than age 21 years old, were less likely to get pregnant when compared to women who started taking the pill after the age of 21 years. The researchers theorized that younger women starting birth control pills might have more irregularities in their menstrual cycle compared with women starting birth control pills later. An older research study published in the 2009 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that previous use of oral contraceptives does not affect conception in the short-term or during a one-year period after trying to conceive. How the pill works Share on Pinterest When a woman stops taking birth control pills, her menstrual cycle may take a while to return to a natural pattern. Birth control pills serve several purposes, including: maintaining consistent hormone levels stopping the estrogen peak that causes ovulation thickening cervical mucus, so sperm cannot reach an egg In addition to preventing pregnancy, taking birth control pills offers several benefits to women. These include reduced bleeding and cramping during a menstrual cycle and reduced risk for ovarian cysts. When taken at the same time every day, birth control pills prevent pregnancy for 91 percent of women on combined pills and 95 percent of women on mini-pills, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. When a woman wishes to conceive, she will stop taking the pill. How long does it take for the menstrual cycle to reestablish itself? According to the United Kingdoms National Health Service (NHS), a womans period may be irregular for up to 3 months after she stops taking the pill. Doctors call a womans first period after stopping the pill a withdrawal bleed where she may experience bleeding patterns that are different from her period while on the pill. Doctors call the next period a woman has a natural period that is more like her typical period. It is possible that an irregular menstrual cycle, or reestablishing a natural menstrual cycle off the pill, can affect a womans ability to conceive. Considerations when stopping the pill Examples of the factors that impact the likelihood of conceiving after ceasing the contraceptive pill include: A womans overall health : Factors, such as thyroid disorders, pituitary gland disorders, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), can affect the chances of conceiving. Women who are obese or excessively thin also may have difficulty conceiving. : Factors, such as thyroid disorders, pituitary gland disorders, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), can affect the chances of conceiving. Women who are obese or excessively thin also may have difficulty conceiving. A womans reproductive health : Women who have a history of pelvic infections, blocked fallopian tubes, or endometriosis may have greater difficulty conceiving. : Women who have a history of pelvic infections, blocked fallopian tubes, or endometriosis may have greater difficulty conceiving. A mans reproductive health : Low sperm counts can affect a couples chances of getting pregnant. : Low sperm counts can affect a couples chances of getting pregnant. How often a couple has sex : Regular sex when trying to conceive is usually having sex every 2 to 3 days. Having sex less frequently is less likely to result in pregnancy. : Regular sex when trying to conceive is usually having sex every 2 to 3 days. Having sex less frequently is less likely to result in pregnancy. A womans age: Rates of pregnancy decline after women reach the age of 35 years. According to the NHS, 92 percent of women ages 19 to 26, will conceive within 1 year of having unprotected sex. An estimated 82 percent of women, 35 to 39 years of age, will conceive within 1 year after having unprotected sex. Most obstetricians use the 1-year mark of having unprotected sex as a milestone in fertility assessment. If a couple has not conceived after trying for 1 year, they may wish to see an obstetrician for further evaluation. Smart assistant speakers are supposed to make a user's life easier by providing useful information, controlling smart home functions and doing other things that we're too lazy to do. However, Amazon's smart assistant Alexa had plans of her own and decided to throw its own party in the early hours of the morning. Amazon The fiasco led the police to forcefully enter the house to shut it down which may sound hilarious and worrying at the same time. Oliver Haberstroh, who lives in Hamburg said that his Amazon Echo decided to play music at full volume and nobody was present at home to control the speaker. The music was loud enough to wake up the neighbours who then started knocking on the door and ended up screaming at the empty apartment. The residents were then forced to call the police who eventually broke down the door to find the Amazon Echo playing loud music. BCCL The smart assistant speaker started playing music between 1:50 AM and 3:00 AM and was forcefully shut down by the police. Upon Mr Haberstroh's return, he found a new lock on his door and visited the police station to obtain the new keys and a hefty locksmith bill. While I was relaxed and enjoying a beer, Alexa managed on her own, without command and without me using my mobile phone, to switch on at full volume and have her own party in my apartment, he wrote on Facebook. She decided to have it at a very inconvenient time, between 1.50am and 3.00am. My neighbours called the police. Amazon, which has offered to cover Mr Haberstroh's bill, claims Alexa didn't malfunction but was "remotely activated. Working directly with the customer, we have identified the reason for the incident, the company told the Inquirer. TV personality Chris Kata has challenged views expressed by Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale, suggesting that the Nigerian musician Wizkid is not superstar. Shatta Wale in an interview last week disclosed that he doesnt see anything extraordinary about Wizkid, and does not understand why people hail him. This, he said, was contrary to the popular notion most of his colleagues have about the artiste. We are living a life where upcoming youths are watching people get surprised of my achievement because they dont have a mind to elevate themselves. I dont see Wizkid to be too much for me but most of my Ghanaians and Ghanaian colleagues see him like that. But I want Wizkid to see me and be like wow not otherwise because what is talking is your pocket, property, investment, Shatta Wale stated. Responding to Shatta Wales comments on Celebrity Fanzone last Saturday on GH One TV, Chris Kata argued that everybody is aware Wizkid is a superstar and Shatta Wales opinion can't change that. Chris Kata stated; I expected a more diplomatic approach to his [Shatta Wale] answer and you that this always sparks beef between two countries and there is no need to spark beef between two countries. On Facebook I said, Wizkid is a superstar, there is no doubt about it. Globally we know he is a superstar. That is my opinion. Citi TV last Saturday honoured Tommy Annan-Forson with a special award at the maiden edition of an award scheme dubbed 'The Eminence', held at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra. The award was presented to Tommy Annan-Forson by Samira Bawumia, wife of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for his immense contribution to broadcasting in Ghana. Receiving the plaque and a citation, Tommy Annan Forson, nicknamed Air Marshal, thanked the organisers for recognising his great works. I would like to say a very big thank you to Citi TV for this honour. I really appreciate it. In fact, I am so much overwhelmed, he said. He took to the stage to dazzle the audience with his disk jockeying skills, playing some great old tunes to relive his days when he was loud on air. The event witnessed great musical performances from Deep Wave Band from James Town in Accra and highlife veteran A.B Crenstil. The Managing Director of Citi FM, Samuel Atta-Mensah, in a speech said Mr Annan-Forson deserves recognition for impacting many lives in the media landscape such as himself. According to him, 'The Eminence' event has come to stay, to celebrate Ghanaians who are excelling and making great impact in various fields of work. Present at the ceremony were personalities such as actor Kofi Adjorlolo, satirist Kwaku Sintim Misa, Samira Bawumia, former MPs and ministers of state, among others. Mr Annan-Forson has been influential in the training of a number of the country's best broadcasters through his school, Rabodef Radio Academy, which is affiliated to international broadcast institutions like Deutsche Welle (DW) Radio Academy, Radio France International (RFI) and the American Embassy's Information Service. 'The Eminence' is aimed at celebrating and recognising the contributions of individual personalities who have impacted their various fields in a positive way. Ebony Reign's outfit she wore to perform at the 2017 4syt Music Video Awards on Saturday is generating a lot of concerns on both Ghana's social media space and traditional media circles. The 'Sponsor' hitmaker reportedly twerked her butts to audience in her outfit which allegedly left some vital places uncovered. Some persons are not comfortable with her dress, while others see nothing wrong with it. For those who saw nothing wrong with the outfit, they were rather worried about how she provocatively twerked in the outfit. There is being a lot of comments on social media since Saturday performance. But the songstress, as usual, is not bothered. She once said whatever she does is the real her. She doesn't fake. Ghanaians should definitely brace themselves for more of her real stuff. The 2017 4Syte Music Video Awards was held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Saturday. Ebony reportedly thrilled patrons with her performance. She performed her latest songs like 'Hustle', 'Poison', 'Sponsor', among other great songs, aside picking an award for best female video of the year. She twerked her butts to the audiences. Many were stunned with her apparel she wore on the night because they didn't expect it. RACINE COUNTY School districts in western Racine County largely exceeded the states academic expectations last year, according to recently released district report cards. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction annually assesses schools and districts on how well students are meeting state standards. Report cards are based on factors including standardized test scores and student growth. They also account for graduation and attendance rates, along with how well districts are closing achievement and graduation gaps between different demographics. The most recent batch of report cards, released publicly Tuesday, rates districts performances in the 2016-17 school year. According to the data, Racine County schools are at least meeting state standards, and many are exceeding them. Raymond School District, for example, grew in its overall rating by the state. The state breaks its ratings into five categories, based on a point system of 100 possible points. In the 2015-16 school year, Raymond earned a four-star rating by the state, with a total of 80.2 points. In the most recent report card, Raymond received 86.2 points and the top rating of five stars, meaning it significantly exceeds state standards. Interim Principal Tom Seidl said the districts report card is cause for celebration, but also shows that the district has more work to do. It starts discussion among staff as far as what kinds of strategies can we look at? he said. There are different things we can do with kids that are going to help them understand better and be better achievers. Yorkville Elementary School District also showed growth in the most recent report card, moving from the states three-star rating for meeting expectations to the four-star rating for exceeding expectations. District Administrator Dave Alexander said Yorkville focused on closing gaps last year, which the report card shows paid off. Were paying attention to the details, he said. Next up for the district is working on student proficiency in literacy and math. Data show about 50 percent of district students are proficient in literacy, and about 52 percent are proficient in math. Although both figures are above state averages, Yorkville wants to see a greater portion of its students test as proficient, Alexander said. We would like to target making moves to increase that in our overall achievement, he said. At Union Grove High School, the district saw a slight decline in its overall score to 70.6 points from last years 74.9. Its overall rating dipped from four stars and exceeding expectations to three stars and meeting expectations. Superintendent Al Mollerskov said he had not yet thoroughly examined the results to determine the cause of the change, but that will be a next step for Union Grove. Some districts in the county held steady in exceeding Wisconsins academic expectations, the same as last year. Burlington Area School District, for example, earned a four-star rating for the second year in a row. Assistant Superintendent Connie Zinnen said the district was not surprised by its results, because its performance has been consistent. Zinnen said the report card is an important performance measure for the district, but it represents only one tool to evaluate its success. Were focused on providing the best instruction for kids regardless of report cards, Zinnen said. Editor's note: The print version of this story mistakenly contained a graphic showing report card grades from the 2015-16 school year. Those scores are no longer current for any of the school districts listed, including Racine Unified School District. The graphic running with the online version of this story is correct. The Journal Times regrets the confusion. A British camera operator has died while shooting a stunt sequence for a BBC drama in Ghana. Mark Milsome, whose credits include Saving Private Ryan and Sherlock, was working on upcoming drama The Forgiving Earth when the incident occurred. The BBC said it was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the news, calling Milsome "a much respected colleague". His agent said he would be "greatly missed" and that an investigation into Saturday's incident was under way. "We all need answers to this dreadful tragedy," said Sarah Prince of PrinceStone. It has been reported that Milsome was taking part in a night shoot for a car stunt scene. 'Incredibly talented' Milsome's many credits include Game of Thrones, The Theory of Everything and Bond film Quantum of Solace. His agent said he was "an incredibly talented cameraman... a gentle gentleman [and a] genuinely loved member of the film industry family". Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey was among those to remember Milsome on Twitter, calling him "one of the loveliest people [he had] ever met". Director Mark Herman, who worked with Milsome on such films as Brassed Off and Little Voice, also paid tribute, saying he was "one of the nicest guys in the business". Milsome 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 54-year-old leaves a wife and daughter, to whom his agent said he was devoted. Formerly known as Black Earth Rising, The Forgiving Earth is a BBC co-production with subscription service Netflix about the prosecution of international war crimes. Written by Hugo Blick, who wrote and directed thriller The Honourable Woman, it is provisionally set for transmission in 2018. Accra- 21 November, 2017- Strategic Communications Africa Ltd. (Stratcomm Africa) will hold its annual praise and worship event, Praise Jam on Saturday, 2nd December at the Accra International Conference Centre at 4pm. This years event with the theme, Ceaseless Praise will feature top and seasoned gospel artistes like Daughters of Glorious Jesus, KODA, E-Rock, Impact Project, Jeshrun Okyere, Yaw Sarpong, Opiesie Esther and others. The anchor scripture for this years theme is And my tongue shall declare your righteousness and your praise all day long-Psalm 35:28 Chief Executive Officer of Stratcomm Africa, Esther A.N Cobbah, says, Many of us have had situations in the year when we thought there was no way, but God made a way. Every day, God gives us something to be grateful for, including the challenging situations through which he blesses us. Gods blessings are unceasing and endless so we also give him ceaseless praise. Our very lives should signify praise to God at all times she said. Praise Jam 2017 is powered by Stratcomm Africa is sponsored by Casilda. Media partners for the 2017 edition include Times, Spectator, Herald, Today, New Crusading Guide, Daily Dispatch, Radio Gold, UTV, BFT and Finder. About Stratcomm Africa Strategic Communications Africa Ltd. (Stratcomm Africa) is an international total communication, reputation management and research agency dedicated to using communications as a means of enhancing performance in various contexts. Stratcomm Africa specializes in evolving and implementing systematic and comprehensive communication strategies for individuals, organizations, public and private, both national and international settings. Stratcomm Africa employs its God given skills in event organisation to create this platform of praise for its clients, families, friends, suppliers and the general public. Through Praise Jam, Stratcomm Africa also communicates the amazing love of God. About Praise Jam Praise Jam is an annual praise and thanksgiving event organized by Stratcomm Africa. The event seeks to create a platform to celebrate and thank the Lord for His goodness through the year. Stratcomm Africa established this platform of praise in 2016 Praise Jam has continuously attracted thousands of people and is an event that many look forward to every year. A doctor of optometry was on leave without pay from the Ghana Health Service (GHS), because she had to be with her husband who is a missionary but kept receiving salary in her account each month, for close to a year. Considering it a mistake, they reported the issue to authorities on several occasions but payment kept coming, her husband said in a Facebook post in 2015. The couple I suspect knew they couldn't keep money that is not theirs and also wanted to fight against corruption which would have been the case if they had kept the accumulated money. After all, they had tried their best to stop them from depositing money in to their account. But in 2015, they successfully returned the huge sum back to the government. "By the grace of God,we have returned the money back to the government to the tune of close to 12 months salary," Mr Fianko Larbi wrote. The couple hoped that returned money will land safely where it belongs so it could contribute to infrastructural development in the country. This act of anti-corruption does not just tell a story. It goes a long way to say that we all in our little corner can contribute to end corruption. We do not need to assume political offices in order to help in the fight against corruption. This story in the end kind of restore hope in humanity, reminding us that given the world we are in now, there exist angels. Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, November 20, 2017 A new report released Friday by the African Development Bank (AfDB) calls for the industrialization of the continent with a focus on smart industrial policy, structural transformations and a move towards processing the continents raw materials into value added products. The report, entitled Industrialize Africa: Strategies, Policies, Institutions and Financing , was published to coincide with Africa Industrialization Day on November 20. With contributions from 16 authors, including Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, and famous economists such as Justin Yifu Lin, Haroon Bhorat, Ravi Kanbur, John Page, AfDB Vice-President and Chief Economist Celestin Monga, and AfDB researchers Abebe Shimeles and Amadou Boly. In his introductory remarks, Stiglitz discusses why industrialization remains relevant as Africa enters the 21stcentury. The report provides practical policy advice to African countries on various aspects of industrial policies; looks at the structural transformation needed to pursue labour-intensive manufacturing akin to East and Southeast Asia; reviews criteria for success in building clusters and Special Economic Zones and industrial parks in developing countries; and draws lessons learnt from Ethiopias industrial policies, as well as the cases of China and South Korea. In the reports foreword, the President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi Adesina, noted that Africa must quit being at the bottom of the global value chains and move to rapidly industrialize, with value addition to everything that it produces. Africa must work for itself, its people, not exporting wealth to others. Rather than follow the economic growth seen in Asia and elsewhere, over the past 30 years, Africa has suffered from stagnation and de-industrialization. The African Development Bank has put industrializing the continent at the top of its agenda. Industrialize Africa is one of the Banks High 5 development priorities, which includes also Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Integrate Africa and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa. Stiglitz described the kind of structural transformation needed for Africa as one that is moving towards a green economy, a learning society, and an innovation economy. He added that Innovation across the globe is largely focused on saving labour, which goes in exactly the wrong direction. We need to encourage innovation, which is focused on saving the planet and protecting the environment and less involved in saving labour. The UN General Assembly, in 1989, proclaimed November 20 Africa Industrialization Day. The day is intended to mobilize the commitment of the international community to the industrialization of the continent. Download the full report: http://bit.ly/2AfU14P #AfricaIndustrializationDay 20.11.2017 LISTEN Text: 2 Chronicles 20:15-20 King Jehoshaphat heard an army of Moab and Ammon, together with their allies, the Meunites, who invaded Judah. The vast army had already planned to demolish the entire city of Judah including the King. That bad news did not put fear in King Jehoshaphat. On the contrary King Jehoshaphat stood firm in the Lord for a victory. Five reasons why God fought for Jehoshaphat. 1. Jehoshaphat prayed to God for guidance 2. Jehoshaphat and his people sought for God in the temple 3. Jehoshaphat and his entourage worshipped God 4. The entire city fasted 5. They positioned themselves and surrendered the battle to the Lord. And God gave Jehoshaphat and his people victory over their antagonists. Brethren challenges may come as the days journey. As and when the challenges come , who do we approach? What do we do for God to fight our battles? Surrender everything to God and win. God bless you. Prayer Dear God, we come to you with our labor. Give us rest in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Amen. Whatsapp: +233246646694 Follow us on https://www.facebook.com/TheWordDigest 21.11.2017 LISTEN Initially, it was to be a question as to if, indeed, it is happening. Then my citizen gut intuition told me it is happening. After all, intuition is that third level of knowledge source. Without a right to information act which would be the concrete form of what is, I can bear to be the intuitive citizen, who is neither frivolously tenacious nor authoritatively flippant. What my intuition tells me is giving is, in a nutshell, an euphoria of enthusiasm for a septuagenarian's march, leading his compatriots: women, men, children, rich, poor, high mighty, sick, healing and each and every being to the Eldorado of prosperity. It all sounded a flawless march, until some congresspeople, known for their chop chop, began to talk their usual talk, but enough to begin to raise doubts and douse an enthusiasm. Huhuhu dirty oil and bond palava have come to almost pass. Over and over, I have drawn attention to Sahara yells in the 2008 campaign and yet when congress took over in 2009 they contracted and lived with Sahara throughout that tenure. And so today if they are crying bond, ignore them because I bet they would do it one hundred times over if they should ever get another chance. It's the P&P papers that worry me. I said P and P or Panama and Paradise papers and not triple P (PPP). I don't want trouble from that troubling group which inadvertently assisted congress to kill the Nkrumah group by splitting it further after congress had successfully engineered a kube betrayal. Congress, the mighty deceiver, tricked my people whose person Nkrumahism elected as the first third republican president. I liked the 'change is coming slogan' coined by one of their (triple p) number, though. Still to keep me out of trouble, I have not added a prefix of 'news' to the paper after P&P; for, that could mean some tabloid of yesterday popularity. Those who know remember in the twilight years of the culture of silence, few 'normal' technology based news outlets dared print the political. And so the apolitical sizzling tittle tattle paper flourished, especially among our womenfolk as sisters, from the neo-literate schoolgirl to the university professor, enthusiastically patronised it. What it is that makes people with lots of money still want to have more money as if they are in dire need of money is something I fail to understand. Like me, the preacherman also doesn't. Thus, the salvo he just fired that stopped short of questioning whether the nyansafo he sought have really arrived. The Italiano azure investigator pen person just vented his frustration over the effort of his exposure of waste through waste disposal procurement, which threw so much needed funds into a sinking (stinking?) hole, is not going waste. Not long ago, many pounced on the plus man for subtracting from the euphoria by exposing some knocking fee activities he had encountered. The whole episode nearly cost a fine cop her coveted rise after suffering so much under a congress 'show her' tenure. It smacked of babies with sharp teeth syndrome. I hope and wish it has been cured; otherwise one of these days we could witness a more devastating confidence eroding shock. The burden of the sonoba in government is the assumption that she or he is NOT a destructive chop chop politician. I keep referring to a so-called $900 thousand sonomma chop chop being effectively exploited by congresspeople to justify their $750 million judgment debt payout chop chop. I am tempted to say that it is an unfair comparison. But if we are to allow sonomma to chop chop small the congresspeople chop chop big, our schools for children with disabilities will forever be closed. So, sonomma, once more, beware. Beware of the temptations of office. Don't be conned by the Apapa mansions and V8s congresspeople have stolen from the motherland. You don't need those to be somebody or feel comfortable in this motherland. After all, even pensioners on meagre subsistence are surviving. You may argue you want to live and not just exist. But remember that belief comes with a price. And when you fall, congresspeople will not treat you with the kid gloves you are treating them with. You heard one among those of them with sharpest of teeth daring you to jail them. My compatriots seem bothered by the perceived inaction to date. Some knknsa says you are colluding and making pacts of devilish thieving of the motherland's money. Even without scientific evidence, I can say the one reason government changed was because people were tired of suffering in plenty. They saw the greed of government office holders by appropriating state assets, including land, banks, and money to themselves through a vulgar wanton abuse of the public procurement system. By Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh A multi-million classroom block, built to create space for effective teaching and learning at the Aiyinasi Hassaniya Islamic Junior High School (JHS) in the Ellembelle District of Western Region, has been inaugurated. During the inaugural ceremony, Mrs. Mabel Frances Williams, the Ellembelle District Director of Education, lauded the Al-Saqiya Foundation for the facility and said it would provide space for enrolment of more pupils and asked the community to ensure that it was properly maintained. She said parents should take advantage of the facility by sending their children to school. Mrs. Williams emphasised that education was the best investment parents could make for their children. She said attaining quality education was the collective responsibility of both teachers and parents, and therefore charged teachers to be disciplined and teach the children well. The headmaster of the school, Mr. Abdulai Musah, expressed his profound gratitude to Al-Saqiya Foundation for the unflinching support given to the school. He appealed to the Al-Saqiya Foundation to extend their support to UBAISH SHS which is the only Islamic Senior High School in the District and Western Region as a whole. He therefore, used the occasion to appeal to the District Assembly to provide the school with ICT centre. "Computers for practicals, we don't have single and we are appealing to the government through the Ellembelle District Assembly to come to our aid", he pleaded. The Ellembelle District Chief Executive, Hon. Kwasi Bonzo, pledged the support of the Assembly to the school and called on the authorities of the school not to relent in their efforts to work closely with the Assembly on pressing problems. He advised parents not engage their children into farming to the neglect of their education since they were the future leaders. "The children are our future leaders and education is necessary tool to prepare them for that future responsibility. We shouldn't let politics to divide us because our children don't know NPP and NDC so let us be one", he emphasized. He said gone were days when children in Zongo communities failed to enrol in school, and charged parents in the area to take advantage of the classroom block by enrolling their children in school. According to him, circular education must be intensified in all Islamic schools in Ghana. The DCE also urged the chiefs and people, as well as the teachers of the school to take proper care of the facility and regularly maintain it to last longer. He called on the Muslims to be peaceful all the time and try to expose the bad nuts among them, and make the religion a perfect one. He reaffirmed his commitment to work assiduously with the Member of Parliament of the who is in Parliament on the ticket of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah to ensure rapid development of the District. Hon. Kwasi Bonzo, said the Assembly and Member of Parliament would provide 150 dual desks and marker boards for the school. Nana Etwe Kpanyinli VI, chief of Aiyinasi, said the community is grateful to the Al-Saqiya Foundation, which for the past years have been supporting the education of brilliant but needy children in the Zongo communities in Ghana. He promised to release a vast land for the Muslims living in the area to settle on. The structure comes with eight classrooms, a staff common room, an office, store and washrooms. Hassaniya Islamic school started as a 'Makalanta' school in 1988. The school was adjudged the best school in Ellembelle District for Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E) in 2005. Al-Saqiya Foundation also handed over an ultra-modern mosque which was built in addition to the classroom block to the school and Zongo community at Aiyinasi and its environs. The foundation was founded by an Al-Saqiya Foundation from Saudi Arabia. Source: Daniel Kaku 20.11.2017 LISTEN The Christian Service University College in the Ashanti Regional capital Kumasi has begun making positive inroads setting itself out into Distance and E-Learning based academic programs. The non denominational evangelical university now uses a very interactive and user friendly platform code named Moodle for more than half of the courses offered on campus. The platform which has revolutionized learning in CSUC allows Students with the right passwords and user names, to access course outlines, notes, lectures, assignments and projects electronically. The Christian Service University College has also piloted an E-learning program for the past one year and is gearing up to roll it out to offer opportunity to students who cannot visit the physical campus for lectures to still benefit from programs being run by the university. President of the Christian Service University College Professor Samuel Afrane told Ultimate News, The initiatives are part of the top notch level of pedagogy CSUC has embraced to reach the upper end of the 21st century mode of teaching and learning. At CSUC we deploy exciting ICT learning tools very effective in our teaching and learning activities, by adopting innovative ways to enhance learning concepts. Professor Samuel Afrane told Ultimate News Ivan Heathcote - Fumador that the University has already put in place the facilities it would need to roll out the E-Learning platforms to expand its programs beyond the walls of the university. We have set up a new e learning centre with a studio both for audio and video recording of lectures for the programs. Our plan is to establish E Learning centers in other towns. This will enable us to attract many students who are unable to enrol in our regular programs due to their tight work schedules as well as others who are living outside the Kumasi metropolis, he said. Professor Afrane outlined that apart from the usual Undergraduate and Masters courses it runs in Theology, Business Administration, Nursing, Computer Science and Communication studies, the Christian Service University College also has up its sleeves innovative consumer driven courses that differentiates the University from the other private universities in the country. We have introduced very new and demand driven programs which you cannot find in other universities. We have introduced a masters program in monitoring and evaluation which is important to running any establishment and the economy; In January we are starting another one year masters program in Corporate Planning. That one is to enhance the planning divisions of banks, insurance companies, hospitals, media institutions, government institutions et-cetera. Every institution needs planning officers but they dont have people trained in institutional planning and we know this will sell especially within the private sector. He also disclosed that in January 2018, a new faculty of education is taking off with two courses in Early Childhood Education and Basic education to fill the wide professional gap in providing the trained staff Ghana needs to run kindergartens and basic schools. The Christian Service University College currently has a Department of computer science; the School of Business; a Faculty of Humanities and a Department of nursing. The departments are offering various certificate, degree and masters programs in Theology; Community Development; Business Applications Development; Computer Hardware and Networking; Accounting; Finance; Marketing; Purchasing and Supply Chain Management; Entrepreneurship & SME Management; Human Resource Management. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology chapter of the Graduate Students Association of Ghana (GRASAG) has attracted a fifty thousand cedi fund from government for its annual entrepreneurship program which it launched last year 2016. The competitive platform collates business proposals from students offering various post Graduate Masters and Doctoral programs for vetting and funding. The funding is expected to be drawn from President Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addos flagship National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan (NEIP). The details of the venture were announced at the launching of the 2017 GRASAG Entrepreneurship Program which is being organized under the theme transforming the continent through entrepreneurship. The event witnessed various speakers share their entrepreneurial experiences and how students could pitch commercially viable ideas to set up their own businesses. The speakers included CEO of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Plan - Lawyer john kumah; Medical superintendent of the Ejisu Government Hospital and CEO of I-commerce events - Dr Akwasi Baffour Gyimah; CEO of Agromindset - David Asiamah and one of Ghanas finest female entrepreneurs in Photography Vera Obeng. The panel sessions cut across risk taking, developing business ideas, managing failures, how to raise capital to start businesses and corporate communication. Speaking to Ultimate News on the sidelines of the program, the Chief Executive Officer of the NEIP, Lawyer John Kuma pledged the support of the Nana Akufo Addo Administration to support young graduates establish their own ventures to begin employing other unemployed Ghanaians. It is impressive that we get students thinking entrepreneurial and government has a number of policies in place not just to provide funding like the 10 billion given to support young entrepreneurs; but we are also looking at business advisory services and giving tax breaks to young businesses up to five years, Lawyer Kuma pointed out. President of the CAGL group of companies - Isaac Amoako Mensa who left the Navy at the age of 28 to begin his business empire; advised that students see education as an avenue to expand their capabilities to launch out on their own and not an avenue to train themselves for formal employment. He admonished, I think there should be a paradigm shift in the mentality that we attend school to get jobs in the banks and others. It should be that we attend schools to get the basic knowledge then look for practical knowledge to set up our own businesses. The president of the KNUST chapter of the Graduates Student Association Abraham Poku Adu was impressed with the number of business proposals forwarded by the graduate students. He outlines the processes the competition will undergo to declare winners who will receive between five and ten thousand to kick off their businesses. We have received more than a hundred and twenty proposals already. We will shortlist about fifty to eighty to go through training and after the training we are ready to fund twenty of them with a minimum of five thousand cedis. The ultimate person will go home with ten thousand Ghana cedis, he elucidated. Some of the participants who spoke to Ultimate News Ivan Heathcote Fumador shared highlights of lessons they had gleaned from the entrepreneurial conference. A Biotechnology masters student Francis Minta Dadzie told Ultimate News, What I actually learnt was that we should be focussed on what we want to do and then the interest in making an impact in the world should be maintained. A second year Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Masters Student, John Doku Marfo Jnr. was impressed he now knows how to communicate his business ideas to solicit support without having others steal his ideas. Should such initiatives prove successful, the KNUST Graduate Community stands to begin churning out more graduates with budding businesses capable of lessening the unemployment burden on government. British Council Ghana has organised an awards night to recognise students from its partner schools who excelled in the May/June 2017 Cambridge Assessment International Education exams. The event over the weekend was held at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Accra, is the 8th year the award is being held. Among the Special guest that graced the occasion were Iain Walker, the British High Commissioner; Alan Rutt, Country Director, British Council Ghana, and some dignitaries from British Council, Cambridge International, and Principals from our partner schools. A total of 24 students were awarded in the Best subject category and three received outstanding students awards. Also recognised were 26 teachers nominated by their schools for supporting the students. Four schools were also awarded Best Schools based on the performance of their students. Winners in the awards category received various prizes ranging from electronic gadgets, plaques, book vouchers hampers and Cambridge paraphernalia. Balvinder Kandra, Country Examination Manager Ghana said, "we are excited to host the awards night annually to recognize the hard work of teachers, students and schools. "We offer range of value-added services for schools that include teacher training, conferences and networking opportunities for school leaders as well as access to our global online teaching and learning platforms," he added. Since 2010, the event has attracted over 500 parents, prospective students and Principals of leading international schools in Ghana, as well as the general public. Success stories of previous Awards Nights have led to greater interests and participation in subsequent events. British Council, Ghana has a network of 44 partner schools across the country that they support to administer the Cambridge Assessment International Education curriculum. The programmes offered under the Cambridge programme are Cambridge Primary and Secondary Lower, IGCSE, Cambridge O Level, Cambridge International AS and A Level and a range of vocational Cambridge International Diplomas. Cambridge Assessment International Education is the worlds largest provider of international education programmes and qualifications for 5 to 19-year-olds. Over 9000 schools in more than 160 countries offer Cambridge programmes and qualifications. The programme develops learners who are confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged equipped for success in the fast-changing modern world. Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com RACINE The Racine Unified School District has received a passing grade from the state Department of Public Instruction. The district received an overall score of 59.3 for the 2016-17 school year, removing the specter, at least for now, of suburban villages breaking away from Racine Unified. If the district had received a failing grade, the villages within the district could have held referendums to see if voters wanted to form their own school district or districts. Report cards for districts and individual schools across the state were released to the public early this morning. Having received a score of 48.1 for the 2015-2016 school year, Unified was one of 24 districts that saw a 10-point swing in their overall score. For Unified, that meant moving from the failing to meet expectations category to meets few expectations. While both state education and district officials have said that the districts 2015-16 score was more of an anomaly the result of a complicated process used to compare the results of different standardized tests Unified Superintendent Lolli Haws said she believes the improved showing is also a reflection of the hard work of teachers and staff. We are doing the right thing. We are working on the right issues, and we are making progress. I think we have turned a corner, Haws said. The future is very bright. Growth and closing gaps How DPI arrives at the scores it uses to calculate whether a school or district is making the grade has a lot to do with how students in grades three through eight and, in some cases, high school juniors perform on tests measuring English and math proficiency. But for districts such as Unified with high poverty rates, the state gives greater weight to the amount of growth students experience as opposed to their level of achievement. In 2016-17 the district saw its growth score nearly double, shifting from 26.1 points to 50.8 points. For Unified, whose poverty rate was 63.2 percent last school year, that boost in growth was the basis for 46.7 percent of its overall score. The districts student achievement score of 39.2 percent was given a weight of less than 7 percent. Although some of the change in the districts growth could be attributed to DPI having more comparable data this time around, Haws said the increase also shows the district is making strides. We do have a lot children who are not proficient, and at the same time teachers working with them right now are helping them continue to accelerate their learning, and they are improving, Haws said. Over time, I think more and more students will start demonstrating proficiency, especially with all of our new curriculum in place and all the training our teachers have had. While Unified fell below the state average in three of the four priority areas those measuring achievement, growth and how well the district is doing keeping students on track it beat the state average at closing achievement gaps among low-income students, English language learners, and minority racial and ethnic groups. The districts score of 63 points amounted to 26.7 percent of its overall score. The state average was 61.7 points. Unified spokeswoman Stacy Tapp also said the score was reflective of the district consistently improving graduation rates, something that has helped the district close gaps. Schools on the rise Dozens of individual schools within the district also saw increases in their overall score. About six schools moved out of the category of fails to meet expectations into the meets few expectations. They were Mitchell Middle School, Johnson Elementary School, Goodland Elementary School, McKinley Middle School, Case High School, and the now-closed Racine Civil Leaders Academy. Three schools also moved up into the exceeds expectations category, bringing the total number of schools in that category for 2016-17 to six. In 2015-16, only three schools were reached that level. Ten schools went up 10 points or more, including Janes Elementary School, which went from meeting few expectations in 2015-16 with a score of 61.5 to exceeding expectations with a score of 81.4 last year. The increased scores coincided with Janes Elementarys transition last year from being a year-round school to a having a traditional nine-month calendar. Our schools are trending upward rapidly. We are really pleased about it, because our teachers and our principals are working really hard, Haws said of the improvements. Three schools went down in categories. Jerstad-Agerholm Middle School went from meets expectations to meets few expectations. Wadewitz Elementary went from exceeds expectations to meets expectations. And Jefferson Lighthouse went from significantly exceeds expectations to exceeds expectations. The 2016-17 report cards also found two of the districts three largest high schools, Park and Horlick, with failing scores, along with three of the districts middle schools, McKinley, Gilmore and Starbuck. Looking ahead Going forward, Haws said the district plans to build on the strides it has made, by, among other things, continuing to build up the Academies of Racine program in the districts high schools and through its My School, My Choice program that will transition most existing middle schools into K-8 campuses. We are doing all the things that great districts do across this country and we are starting to see the benefits of that, she said. I think Racine Unified will be the district of choice in southeastern Wisconsin in a couple short years. UK-based pastor and President of the International Youth Empowerment Summit (iYES) and a number of distinguished Ghanaians have been honoured with the Lifetime in portraits awards. Brian Amoateng, as well as Comfort Ocran who is CEO of Legacy and Legacy, were honoured at a colourful event at the Banquet Hall, State House. The 2017 edition of the lifetime in portrait awards honoured distinguished Ghanaian captains of industry who started from humble beginnings and still made it against all odds and are now making tremendous contributions to job creation and national development. Albert and Comfort Ocran receiving the award. Receiving the award, Pastor Brian Amoateng thanked the organisers and tasked the youth to be inspired to cause the change they wish to see. He said, to all who have supported me I say thank you and finally to all the youth of Ghana, we will make it.I will, I can, I must. Pastor Brian Amoateng was honored for his positive impact on society, noting the role his global initiative which seeks to empower the youth has played in national development. Other awardees included Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom who is Chairman of Groupe Nduom, Dr. Kwabena Duffour who is founder and chairman HODA holdings, Mrs. Joyce Ababio who is president of Joyce Ababio Creative Designs, as well as Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong who is CEO Special Group of Companies. The Initiators of Change Foundation which organized the award honored him as a hero in industry development and youth empowerment. Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com Robert and Sally Mugabe 20.11.2017 LISTEN So did we, in Ghana, get a better deal with Rawlings than the Zimbabweans got with Mugabe? Rawlings first burst on the Ghanaian scene in May 1979 with his unsuccessful coup. He was standing trial when his mates made another coup, released him from jail and made him lead them in the successful coup. He led the nation in what he called a house-cleaning exercise and allowed elections that had been scheduled to happen before the putsch and handed over power after four months. He left the army, was in the wilderness and staged another coup in 1981. This was the only successful coup Rawlings ever made in his life! He stayed on for the next 19 years. While Rawlings was making or getting involved in his coups, the independence struggle in Zimbabwe was getting to its end. There was the Lancaster House Agreement of 1979, Obasanjos anger with Thatcher at the Commonwealth conference in Lusaka and Zimbabwes independence on April 18th, 1980. At the same time, Rawlings was in between two of the coups he was involved in. Mugabe came to power the year before Rawlings successful 1981 coup. After 19 years (eight of them in civilian garb), Rawlings handed over power and left the political scene. But Mugabe still continued in power. At the time Rawlings left power permanently, he was far younger than Mugabe then was. Rawlings is, today, living peacefully in Ghana with him and his family very well provided for whiles, at the time of this writing, the superannuated Mugabe faces an uncertain future. Yes, Mugabe stayed on for too long. No matter how good you are, there must come a time when the mere fact that you are old should let you give way to someone else. Nelson Mandela is the best example in Africa of not hanging on in old age. He could have continued if he had wanted to. Leopold Sengor, Abdou Diouf, Julius Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda, Daniel arap Moi, Ahmadou Ahidjo (even if he regretted later) are among the African leaders who showed that there was no need to go on and on. Even though there have been a few notorious examples, it is not completely true that African heads of state, especially the ones who led the independence struggle, stayed on in power until their deaths. Mugabe is one of the notorious examples. In Ghana, it is possible that if Nkrumah had not been overthrown, he, too, would have stayed on till death like his great rival Felix Houphouet-Boigny. Mugabes case may have been worsened by his remarkable longevity. It all started so very well for Mugabe. This well-educated and polished gentleman in the English style (forget about all his vituperations against the British he admires them and they also gave him a knighthood in 1994 when he was still in their good books) really meant well for his countrymen. The world supported the black struggle in Rhodesia. In Ghana, university students went on demonstrations in support of that struggle. There were many black students from Rhodesia, Namibia and South Africa in Legon in those days. Bob Marleys song, Africans a-liberate Zimbabwe, is still a delight to listen to. Zimbabwes independence was a joy to many around the world. There was so much goodwill for Mugabe. Yes, it all started so well. When, and how, did it all go so wrong? The Zimbabweans themselves have different theories about this. But the one that will interest us most in Ghana is that dealing with his first wife, Sally, our own countrywoman. Robert Mugabe met Sarah Francesca Heyfron while he was teaching in a school in Takoradi where Sarah had enrolled for a teachers certificate after her studies at Achimota. They wedded in Salisbury (now Harare) in 1961. The couple had a baby boy in 1961 who they called Micheal Nhamodzenyika (a Shona name which means misfortunes are with us). Nhamo passed away in 1966 in Ghana from malaria. Robert Mugabe, who was then serving his 11-year jail term, was not given permission to go and bury his son. The couple did not have any more children after that. When Mugabe was imprisoned with the other leaders of ZANU, Sally went to exile in the UK in 1967 and spent the next eight years campaigning for the release of political detainees in Rhodesia. She joined Mugabe in Mozambique on his release and was with her husband when the second war against the Smith regime started. In 1978, she was elected ZANU Deputy Secretary for the Womens League. In 1980, she became Zimbabwes first First Lady. In 1989 she was elected secretary-general of the Zanu-PF Womens League and was involved in many humanitarian activities. It has been said that Sally was a huge influence on Mugabe. It has also been said that Mugabe could say at cabinet meetings that he would have to consult with Sally on certain very crucial and knotty issues. The Zimbabweans loved Sally and affectionately called her Amai (mother). Even so, it was also said of her that she was a strong and assertive woman and, in a way, Mugabes own little nest of vipers! Then Sally died of kidney failure in 1992 aged 60. The nation mourned her. She was declared a national hero and buried at the National Heroes Acre becoming the first woman to be so honoured. A postage stamp was issued in her memory. And it has been said that Mugabe started losing it the day Sally died. He was never the same again. But we should note that Mugabe started doing it to Grace while Sally lay dying. He openly claimed in an interview that he sought the approval of Sally to sire a child with Grace Mugabe since his mother had complained that she was going to pass away without holding a grandchild. Zimbabweans said Grace stole Sallys husband Would things have been different for Mugabe and Zimbabwe if Sally (who would have been 85 today if she had lived) had not died or if the couple had had living children? Would Grace have come into the picture? Today, one of the charges levelled against Grace by the veterans is that she did not take part in the fight for independence, something Sally did. If Sally was a benign influence on Mugabe, Grace was the opposite and a factor that is bringing about his downfall. This is the story that we are all being told today Rawlings also has a very ambitious wife. There are some Ghanaians who blame the excesses in Rawlings rule on the influence of his wife Nana Konadu Agyeman. Like Grace, Konadu has also been accused of ruthlessly exploiting her conjugal ties to a ruling strongman to amass a lot of wealth and political influence. At the height of her powers, she could make or unmake any politician. There have been stories, not all of them untrue, about her power. She could unilaterally revoke Rawlings appointments (ask Joyce Aryee), and we also remember the identification haircut of the young man who had the guts to ditch her daughter. We have heard of how spoilt the Mugabe children are. The Rawlings children have also had it really good getting fat scholarships to study abroad at a time of difficult economic conditions in our country. Even out of power, Nana Konadu still wielded a lot of power, once saying condescendingly that they had been treating Mahama with kid gloves. To be sure, this power of the Presidents wife to control appointments and fix jobs for relatives and the children of friends is still very much with us today. It is now Rebecca Akufo-Addos turn to eat And, like Grace Mugabe, Konadu also wanted to become president. She was exceedingly power hungry, perhaps even more than Grace Mugabe. But the circumstances in Ghana were different. She could not set out to inherit the presidency from her husband by manoeuvring to do away with rivals in the party. She had to seek the presidency on her own merits rather than by hanging on the tailcoats of her husband. She sought her own mandate first in the party of her husband, and then by forming her own party. She failed miserably on both occasions. Nana Konadu may not be called Gucci Konadu but she also dresses in expensive clothes with matching headgear smiling into the camera and displaying all her 50 teeth a sight that may frighten little children. Some of the western reports on Mugabe say he has a lot of blood on his hands and refer to the Ndebele massacres. But other reports also say that even though he could be tough against his opponents, he cannot really be called a bloody dictator. What about Rawlings in this regard? One wonders how much Mugabe picked from Nkrumah in his days working in Ghana! His time in Ghana coincided with the time Nkrumah opened up our country and gave sanctuary to freedom fighters from the rest of Africa. Zimbabwe would return the favour. Many Ghanaians went there to work especially after the Nigerian debacle. Sallys own twin sister, the late Esther Sophia, a medical doctor, was there. Ama Ata Aidoo and Prof Anim were all there too. Mugabe has been a frequent visitor to Ghana most recently at our 60th Independence Day celebrations where he recklessly equated Akufo-Addo with Kwame Nkrumah! He visited his childs grave in Sekondi at least on one such occasion. Mugabes story is our story too. Gentle reader, do you see any other ways in which this story touches us in Ghana? Kofi Amenyo ([email protected]) Every morning before the sun rises, 75-year-old Carlos Sanchez says a prayer in his one-room hut, grabs a pair of binoculars and slowly climbs up into a lonely treehouse that leans precariously over the edge of a mountain. From his perch high above the misty folds of the Ecuadorian Andes, Sanchez peers across the emerald valleys patchwork fields towards the towering 5,023m-tall crater of Tungurahua, a wildly active stratovolcano whose name means throat of fire in the local Quechua language. He then scans the deep ravines and twisting chasms that shoot dangerously down Tungurahuas slopes towards his familys hometown of Banos, until they disappear into the clouds below. Right now shes taking a rest, Sanchez said, turning away from the crag and carefully bending his bad knee down the steps. Better feed the chickens before the whole world arrives. Tungurahua remains one of the most active volcanoes in the world (Credit: Juan Cevallos/Getty Images) Known in Banos as the volcano-watcher, Sanchez is the oldest member of Ecuadors national Geophysical Institute and the only person in the world who operates a seismic monitoring station from the branches of a tree. For the past 18 years he has lived all alone on this remote bluff, bound by a promise that he made long ago to serve as an unpaid volunteer just 2.5km from a crater that has been periodically spewing fire, smoke and molten lava since 1999. But in the last few years, something strange has started happening: people from all over the planet are coming to what was once a quiet cow pasture to find Sanchezs monitoring station all because he decided to dangle a wooden swing from his treehouse in hopes that his grandchildren would come visit. They did. Soon, a few strangers began showing up to ask if they could go for a ride, too. Then in 2014, two members of a visiting group of tourists were taking turns on Sanchezs swing when Tungurahua suddenly erupted. The pair bolted down the mountain, but not before one snapped a photo of the other gazing up at a surging 8,000m-tall ash plume while appearing to swing over an abyss at the edge of the Earth. The image received international recognition in a National Geographic photo competition and quickly spread around the world. Now, hundreds of people every day are following the trail at the edge of Banos, hiking 2.5 hours up the sharp side of a mountain and pushing each other off a 30m ledge at what has become known as La Casa del Arbol (The Treehouse). The swing just started as a simple idea to help bring my family together on the weekends, Sanchez said, looking out from his chicken coop as the days first throng of tourists arrived. But sometimes things explode unexpectedly. End of the World received international recognition in a 2014 National Geographic photo competition (Credit: Sean Hacker Teper/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest) Thats what happened in October 1999. After an 81-year nap, Tungurahua roared to life with a series of violent eruptions. As hot gas, ash and rocks rained down on nearby villages, the president of Ecuador ordered Sanchezs family and the 16,000 other residents of Banos to evacuate, giving them just four hours to collect what they could and not telling them when or if they could return to their homes. Against the governments mandate, Sanchez drove back to Banos on 20 December to discover a ghost town. The buildings were abandoned, the streets were coated with ash, but his home and town were miraculously spared from any damage. Unsure if his animals had survived in the mountains, Sanchez slowly drove up the dizzying road towards his pasture. When he arrived, he saw that his cows were grazing peacefully and his neighbours farms were unharmed. He knelt down, crossed himself and promised the Virgin Mary (the patron saint of Banos) that he would remain there to watch the volcano and help protect the people living in the valley until the eruptions ended. Eighteen years later, shes still active, Sanchez said. So Im still here. Sanchez uses a two-way radio to report signs of an impending eruption (Credit: Eliot Stein) Sanchezs humble hilltop monitoring station began with just a pair of binoculars and a two-way radio. Before constructing his hut, he often slept in a tent, shaking ash from his makeshift rooftop in the mornings and carefully monitoring Tungurahuas north-east flank throughout the day. A team of professional volcanologists at Tungurahuas base trained Sanchez to radio in as soon as he heard rumblings, smelled sulphur or spotted pyroclastic flows that could rapidly plunge toward Banos. Soon, the retired electrician and former firefighter helped the volcanologists install seismic metres, tilt metres and a sulphur dioxide monitor on his land. It was at about this time that Sanchezs wife, Lidia, started growing suspicious of what her husband was doing up in the cow pasture. During bouts of intense seismic activity, Sanchez needed to remain on call 24-7 and he sometimes couldnt come back to Banos to see her for several weeks at a time. Convinced that he was living with someone else, Lidia packed up his clothing from their home, stuffed it in a bag and marched up the side of the mountain to meet this mysterious other woman. When I arrived, I saw that he was all alone, living just on bread and water but fulfilling the promise that he made to protect others, Lidia said. The only woman he was waiting on was Mama Tungurahua. Over the years, he hasnt had to wait on her very long. The town of Banos, Ecuador, sits in the shadow of Tungurahua, a wildly active volcano (Credit: Eliot Stein) Of the 1,500 volcanoes in the world that we monitor, Tungurahua is one of the 10 most active, said Ben Andrews, director of the Smithsonians Global Volcanism Program. Since 1999, weve had more than 100 weekly reports of eruptions, explosions, ash columns and lava flows. Its certainly a cause for concern. In fact, in 2006 Tungurahua sent a molten river down its flanks that buried three neighbouring villages and killed six people. Yet, even as the scorching torrent rolled down the slopes, Sanchez refused to leave. Choking on fumes, he hid inside a small slit in the trunk of a motilon tree while rocks pelted the other side. For two hours, Sanchez poked his head out from the trees base to provide live updates on his radio to the mayor of Banos that helped evacuate hundreds of families. The motilon tree protected Sanchez and the town, and Sanchez decided that it would be sturdy enough to build an 8m-tall lookout post up in its branches. Every day, hundreds of people come to ride a swing that Sanchez built for his grandchildren (Credit: Eliot Stein) The swing followed two years later in 2008, and pretty soon Sanchezs wife, five children and 11 grandchildren were coming to have picnics, celebrate family birthdays and keep him company whenever the volcano was quiet. When Tungurahua rumbled at night, Sanchez would sit alone in the treehouse, softly playing his harmonica under the stars to try and lull it to sleep. We have a complicated relationship, Sanchez said. Sometimes shes my friend, sometimes shes my enemy. Today, Sanchez keeps the volcanic rocks that nearly killed him in the 2006 eruption in a small office below his hut, along with detailed maps, ash samples and a certificate from the president of Ecuador citing Sanchezs indescribable commitment and service to the country. There are now 500 volcano monitoring stations in Ecuador, but Sanchez is still the only person who watches over Banos from Tungurahuas north-east slope. Sanchez stores dated ash samples in his office, including some from the 2006 eruption that almost killed him (Credit: Eliot Stein) Carlos can see things from up in his treehouse that no-one else can, said Patricia Mothes, former head of Ecuadors Geophysical Institute. His early warnings have helped us save lives. Hes fundamental. Since March 2016, when Tungurahua thundered with more than 70 explosions and shot lava bombs down its western slope, the throat of fire has quietened to a whisper. Yet, both Mothes and Sanchez maintain that its only a matter of time before she roars again. Whenever Sanchez observes any potential danger or receives a warning from the volcanologists, he urges visitors to flee down the mountain to safety. I dont have enough hard hats for everyone, Sanchez said, gazing down from the leaf tops on the line of thrill-seekers now snaking around his property. In a way, La Casa del Arbol feels like two parallel universes. On any given day, throngs of camera-toting tourists wait up to 30 minutes in line to soar over a deep ravine, shrieking with a mixture of wide-eyed wonder and white-knuckled terror. Afterwards, they all take the same Instagram shot, clambering up the treehouses two flights of steps, completely oblivious to the man in the orange hard hat poking around with binoculars. Patricia Mothes: Carlos can see things from up in his treehouse that no-one else can (Credit: Eliot Stein) When the screeches and screams from the swing get too loud, Sanchez descends from the canopy to wipe off his seismic equipment, feed his rabbits or clear the trail leading up the mountain with a machete usually with his loyal cat Negrito following a few steps behind. For nine years, Sanchez happily let anyone who wandered onto his property climb up into his treehouse and swoop from his grandchildrens swing free of charge. He only asked that people sign his guestbook. But after the National Geographic photo of his swing went viral two years ago, Banos ministry of tourism demanded that the volcano-watcher also start monitoring the growing number of visitors to his pasture and charging them admission. I wanted all the families in Banos to still be able to enjoy this place as much as my family had, Sanchez said. So I said, Okay, Ill start charging an entrance, but its only $1, and kids are half-price. After the photo went viral, tourists started flocking to La Casa del Arbol to ride the swing (Credit: Eliot Stein) Sanchez now has a stack of 14 200-page guestbooks filled with messages in languages he never knew existed. In the past two years, hes used the modest entrance fees to send several of his grandchildren to college and hire a team of business associates: his family. Now, Sanchezs son Gabriel maintains a small zip line on the property and a newly added second swing that dangles from the other end of the treehouse. Sanchezs granddaughters, Mayte and Mariza, take turns running a small ticket booth at the edge of the pasture. Another granddaughter, Julie, sells chicken soup and Ecuadorian fritada (fried pork) by the treehouse, and just wrote her college thesis on Tungurahua with a little help from her grandfather, of course. And Lidia takes a bus each morning from Banos toward the crater of the volcano to spend time with the man she married 50 years ago at its base. At night when everyone leaves, and its just our family, I sometimes sneak back on to the swing and close my eyes, said Mayte, now 17. It reminds me of being a little girl. Members of Sanchezs family work alongside him at La Casa del Arbol (Credit: Eliot Stein) As another swarm of strangers descended on his property, Sanchez walked away from the crowds to the edge of the mountain, looked down over the valley and removed his hard hat. This is the spot where I knelt, swearing to help others leave in time even if it meant that there was no time for me, Sanchez said, struggling to lower his knee 18 years later. A promise between people is serious, but an oath with God is sacred. 21.11.2017 LISTEN The 1976/78 Old Students Association of the Kpando Senior High School in the Volta Region has handed over a refurbished and automated library facility to the School. The upgrade which cost about GH 25,000 has made the facility the first of its kind in the region and would give students a first-hand experience of the system prior to tertiary education. Mr Ben Ahiagbe, Coordinator of the Group said the initiative was towards helping to address the "deprivation and want" that the School faced, the worst of, which their year groups had to endure. He said a well-equipped library was fundamental but had been primitive since, and asked the students to make the most out of the facility towards encouraging more investments in the School. Mr Ahiagbe said the group would standardise the materials in the library and called on other associations and organisations to ease the burden on government by supporting educational facilities. Mama Komlateng II, Headmistress of the School said old students associations had high stakes in the institution's development and were ascribed the provision of roads, buildings and sanitation management facilities. She said the library would facilitate the learning process of the 2,000 student population and would elevate examination results. Mama Komlateng said the School had plans of doubling the computer laboratory as an electronic library and appealed for a modern assembly hall and a pick-up truck. Mr Samuel Adoboe, a member of the Year Group said the library had a total number of 2,500 books on shelf and 4,500 on the system, and would streamline cataloging, referencing and lending. He said public libraries were fading and that, there was the need to modernise them to serve both educational and recreational purposes. GNA By Samuel Akumatey, GNA From Kester Kenn Klomegah, Moscow Bureau Chief Moscow, Nov 20, GNA - In an attempt to strengthen economic cooperation and diplomatic ties between Russia and Mauritius, the Mauritius, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Seetanah Lutchmeenaraido, has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. On their first working day, of the four day meeting, both foreign ministers stressed the high level of traditional friendly relations between their two countries and confirmed the mutual understanding of Moscow and Port Louis on stepping up political dialogue, building mutually-beneficial cooperation in trade, economic, investment, and promoting long-term partnership in high technology, transport, fishing and tourism. Lutchmeenaraido told both the local and foreign media that there were good prospects in the economic sphere. 'We have found projects suitable for implementation in areas such as information technology, power generation, maritime transport, fishing and infrastructure and have agreed that the governments of Russia and Mauritius will assist business circles in establishing mutually beneficial direct contacts,' he said. Later, the delegation attended the business forum that was organised jointly by the Council for investments of the Republic of Mauritius and Russian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. The Russian-Mauritian economic and trade cooperation and development cooperation to establish business contacts with the African continent were discussed at a bilateral business forum. The Russian Chamber of Industry and Commerce Vice-President, Vladimir Padalko, in his speech noted that 'Mauritius is a promising partner for the Russian business.' It is a country with dynamically growing economy, high living standards and favorable conditions for doing business. The World Bank report in 2016, said Mauritius occupied the first place among African countries South of the Sahara on the business climate. However, he also stressed that entrepreneurs of both countries did not yet have sufficient knowledge about the current capabilities of each other, as evidenced by the low volume of mutual trade. Of particular interest among the conference participants was the presentation by Dmitry Suchkov, Executive Secretary of the Coordinating Committee on Economic Cooperation with African countries south of Saharan Africa (Afrocom) which was created under the auspices of the Russian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. He not only discussed about the structure and various activities of the Committee, but also shared with the audience, his vision of the development of interaction with the African continent. Afrocom, in his opinion, can also be used as the bridge for establishing contacts with Mauritian business and other regions of Africa. GNA 21.11.2017 LISTEN The usual mad-rush which characterised the sale of police enlistment forms is virtually absent in the Sunyani Municipality, a visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed. Friday December 15 is the deadline for the sales of the enlistment forms which became available this morning. During the visit around 0630 hours to the Sunyani main branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), a point of sale, only few applicants had queued up to buy the recruitment forms. That notwithstanding, some applicants told the GNA on Monday that they arrived at the premises of the GCB around 0430 to avoid anticipated long queues. Most of them had travelled from major towns in the region such as Dormaa-Ahenkro, Berekum, Drobo, Goaso, Bechem, Kenyasi, Hwidiem, Sampa and Mim to buy the recruitment forms. "I thought it was very early in the morning when I was coming, but I wanted to avoid the long queues associated with the sales", Richard Adu Kumi one of the applicants noted. Kumi, a university degree holder, who said he had travelled from Mim in the Asunafo North Municipality told the GNA that he had searched for job in the past two years but had not gotten one. Another female applicant, Agnes Owusuaa from Dormaa-Ahenkro said she was happy that patronage was low. Owusuaa, a Senior High School graduate said she was optimistic that an opportunity would be created for her to join the police service so to enable her fend for her poor family. Meanwhile, the applicants have expressed abhorrence on delays in the selling of the recruitment forms. During a follow-up visit around 1000 hours, the applicants were seen waiting patiently in the morning sun. They affirmed that the selling process was very slow, though the queue had gone down. When contacted, a personnel at the Bank told the GNA on condition of anonymity that the delay was as a result of poor networking, and advised the applicants to remain patient as the bank solved the problem. GNA GRB By Dennis Peprah/Jeffrey Tamakloe, GNA Mr Kofi Adda, the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, has asked Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to submit their roadmap for eradicating open defecation to the Ministry by the end of January 2018. He said it was important that this be done between now and 2020 so that the national target would be met. Mr Adda explained that this would also enable the Ministry to monitor the plans and roadmap from the MMDAs. The Minister said these in a speech which was delivered on his behalf by the Chief Director at the "What Do You Know" quiz competition for second cycle schools, in Accra, to mark the World Toilet Day celebration. At the end of the quiz competition, Presec, Legon won with 15 points, Odorgonno Senior High School had 13 points, Presec Tema got 11 points and Ashaiman Senior High School also had six points. The event on the theme: "Wastewater, Where Does Your Poo Go?' was to draw attention to the challenges of toilet or open defaecation. The aim of this year's commemoration was to reach out to low income urban communities and mobilise a bigger mass to support the safe toilet campaign. Mr Adda said under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Ghana's target for access to improved household toilets was 54 per cent by 2015, but Ghana achieved 15 per cent. "Today we have even a more ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SGD) target and it behoves on all of us to strive harder to achieve it as sanitation is a shared responsibility,' he said. 'The SDG target is more ambitious because this time round, the global target is 100 per cent by 2030." The specific SDG target on sanitation promotes access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation by paying attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situation." He said that was why the Government launched and was implementing the National Sanitation Campaign with a number of activities aimed at improving environmental cleanliness and improve general behaviour. Mr Adda said the Environmental Sanitation challenges facing Ghana were fast becoming endemic and there was the need to decisively deal with them since they had socio-economic and public health implications on the development of the country. He, therefore, urged all to continue to monitor the Government's stated commitments and also the efforts at meeting them to transform the sanitation challenges. GNA By Samira Larbie, GNA Eight-year-old Faustina Gaamuo, a class two pupil of St Paul's Primary in the Nandom District of the Upper West Region was full of joy after Bliss Eye Care presented her with a set of glasses that aided a vision to write well on a plain sheet. Failure to write terminal exams and doing class exercises had become common with little Faustina due to her visual challenge; a situation that caused confusing between the father, Mr. Vitalis Gaamuo and St. Paul's Primary School authorities over payment of exam fee. Narrating little Faustina's plight to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa, Mr. Gaamuo said he detected his child's visual challenge when she was six months old, saying he took her to the hospital at Sefwi in the Western Region where they were settled but was only given an eye drop to be applying to her eyes. He said that action showed no results until Faustina turned two years which got him worried, hence, his decision to seek spiritual help, the beginning of his visits to prayer camps. Mr Gamuo said at one of the prayer camps, he was told the child was a spirit child that had come to disturb him and go; a situation that compounded his worries even though he did not allow that to affect his love for the child. He said the child became of age but could not walk until he sent her to the Agogo Hospital where an operation was performed on her eyes after several visits in 2010, noting that one week after the operation was performed the child started walking despite the visual challenge. He said after that he relocated to Nandom, his hometown where he enrolled Faustina at the St. Paul's Primary as a result of his determination to still give her the best of education he could despite the challenge. With the hope of finding a solution to his daughter's plight, Mr Gaamuo again decided to send her to the Nandom St. Theresa's Hospital where she was diagnosed with an eye condition known as congenital cataracts extraction nystagmus. He said St. Theresa's Hospital then referred her to the Bliss Eye Care Centre in Wa, adding he was amazed to see Faustina writing so well on the sheet of paper with the help of the spectacles. 'I was even more amazed when the doctor told me it is free and that I will not be paying anything. While he was attending to the child, my heart was beating because I don't know how much he will be charging from me', he said. He expressed gratitude to Bliss Eye Care and appealed for support for the eye clinic for it to continue to render such good services to people who were in need like his daughter. Dr Zakarea Alhassan Balure, an Optometrist and Manager of Bliss Eye Care said the gesture was part of a free eye screening and treatment exercise for all school pupils in the Upper West Region under the project 'Blissful Sight for Kids' which was being sponsored by Roland Studer and his organization PRO VISUS. GNA By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA 21.11.2017 LISTEN Master Mathew Paa Kwesi Williams, a 17-year old student of Morgan International Community School has won the 'Award of Excellence' for his image 'Struggle of Childhood' presented at this year's SDGs Student Photo Competition in Tokyo, Japan. He won a cash prize of 20,000 Japanese Yen, approximately GHC800, a Camera, Photo Books, among others. The competition, the second in a series, was organised by United Nations Information Centre Tokyo and Sophia University with special cooperation from Getty Images, Japan, to encourage students representing a clear problem or an abstract and creativity representing one's thoughts. It also sought to give insight to students to think about how they could change the world; how the SDGs could influence the ways people thought or acted, and how they could inform their friends, family, and community members of a social issues and prompt them to take action. Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, Master Williams said the contest aimed at encouraging students to reflect on sustainable development from their own perspectives, express it through a photo, and share it with others. He said the management of their school encouraged them to participate in the competition and early this year, after close of school, he went to the Gomoa Manso community where his school was located and found a little girl sweeping around a school while her friends were in school. 'When l asked her why she was not in school, the little girl said her parents can't afford her school fees, and her only inspiration is to come near the school and sweep around it. 'Immediately, it occurred to me that represents what's going on in many rural settings in Ghana, where real poverty is kicking brilliant but poor children out of school,' he added. Master Williams said he then sought the little girl's permission and took the picture, which he later entered into the competition to tell the public what's happening outside the capital cities where children can't achieve the basic necessities. He, therefore, called on the government to come out with enforceable policies to get such children out of the streets and keep them in the classroom. He said in future he would start his own NGO to solicit support for needy children in the rural areas of Ghana, especially Gomoa Manso community and the little girl in particular. That, he said, would be a passionate way to give back to society. Master Williams urged the youth to take every chance that came their way and make good of it for their own benefit and that of the society at large. Mrs Cynthia Prah, National Information Officer, United Nations Information Centre, Accra, said the award was a wakeup call for all to take some of these competitions seriously. She said the Accra Office would organise similar competition and urged students to patronise it to create the necessary awareness on the SDGs as the country worked towards achieving its goals. GNA By Patience Gbeze/ Stella Asare, GNA 21.11.2017 LISTEN African Glorious Chorale, an award-winning choral group, has held its maiden edition of 'Celebrating Our Heroes', a musical concert in honour of Reverend Joseph Kwame Ayete Labi, the Vicar General Orthodox Archdiocese of Accra. The musical concert dubbed: 'Celebrating Our Heroes' aims to celebrate individuals for their invaluable contributions to the growth of their communities, church and the development of the nation. The event held at the Holy Transfiguration Orthodox Cathedral in Accra was graced by distinguished personalities from the diplomatic community, Members of Parliament, Representatives from the office of the President and great Ghanaian Composers like Dr Kenn Kafui and Dr Newlove Annan. The Choir uplifted the souls of the guests with melodious Christian hymns, African choral compositions by Dr Newlove Annan and also a medley of highlife tunes, which elicited ecstatic applause and cheers after every performance. Mr Prince Oduro Yeboah, the Assistant Administrator of African Glorious Chorale, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said 'Celebrating Our Heroes' project was to celebrate the living heroes for their meticulous services while they were alive, instead of waiting to honour them posthumously. He said it was more rewarding to recognize and celebrate excellence in one's lifetime. 'People who distinguish themselves deserve to be appreciated by society. The criterion is always how well or how professional you were in the discharge of your responsibilities,' he said. Rev. Ayete Labi born on July 15, 1950, is a well noted Orthodox Christian Priest and the Vicar General Orthodox Archdiocese of Accra. He has run series of training workshop travelling from parish to parish to preach about Orthodoxy as well as translating almost all the Orthodox liturgy services into the local language, Twi. In 1988, he was honoured with the title of Grand Protopresbyter, the first to be given in the whole of Africa, by the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodoros II, during the 25th anniversary of Orthodoxy in Ghana. Mr Yeboah said Rev. Ayete Labi had helped the choir in diverse ways towards its growth as well acknowledging the Church's effort in running a vocational school to the benefit of the public. A citation was presented to Rev. Ayete Labi for his hard work, commitment and consistency in supporting the choir and positively impacting lives with his ministry. Rev. Ayete Labi receiving the citation expressed gratitude for the gesture and honour bestowed on him. RACINE Wind Point School would be cleared to make way for a residential development under a plan unanimously backed by the Racine Unified School Board on Monday. Under the agreement, the district would transfer the property to a limited-liability corporation overseen by Ray Leffler, owner of Newport Development Corp., with no compensation received in exchange for Leffler demolishing the shuttered school and improving the property at his expense. The proposal also calls for the district to receive $2,500 in earnest money to pay for the districts legal expenses related to the property transfer. It stipulates that the school be razed within four months of the closing of the contract. In a written proposal to the board, Bryan Arnold, Unifieds director of buildings and grounds, notes that the agreement would save the district roughly $360,000 in demolition costs, as well as further costs that might be associated with marketing the site after it was cleared. Arnold and Unified Superintendent Lolli Haws highlighted that benefit Monday. There was little discussion by the board. The village and Unified officials have been discussing the future of the school, located at 290 Jonsue Lane, since it closed as an elementary facility at the end of the 2012-13 school year. It was briefly opened again to house students displaced by the Feb. 27, 2014, fire at Mitchell School. Leffler has said that he plans to discuss possibilities for the 14-acre site with neighbors and Wind Point village leaders before settling on a specific type of development. But he made clear that the development would be residential in nature. The School Board had been slated to consider a plan to demolish the former site of Olympia Brown Elementary School, 5915 Erie St., Caledonia, but that proposal was moved off Mondays meeting agenda because the district opted to reopen its request for proposals for the project. 21.11.2017 LISTEN By Lydia Kukua Asamoah, GNA Special Correspondent in Bonn, Germany (Sponsored by GIZ Ghana, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Ghana Chamber of Mines) Bonn, Germany, Nov 20, GNA-Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation has held talks with managers of Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Bonn, Germany for funds to Ghana to implement her Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The Minister led a team of Ghanaian delegates that attended the UN Conference of Parties (COP23) on Climate change to hold the talks with Mr Howard Bamsey, Executive Director of Green Climate Fund (GCF) at a short ceremony at Bonn in Germany during the just ended COP23 on Friday, November 17. Mr Bamsey, heads the GCF Secretariat, which was established in Songdo, Republic of Korea, in 2013 to serve the GCF Board. The GCF was formally established in 2010 to contribute to the achievement of the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by financing climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives in developing countries. Prof Frimpong-Boateng told the GCF manager that the climate change impacts situation in Africa, was frightening coupled with activities of some of its people, especially headers that continue to displace farmers with their herds of cattle that continue to destroy many of the farmlands, making the farmers abandon their lands and go into illegal mining, was disturbing. He said about five per cent of Ghana's surface area had been lost through illegal mining, noting that: 'we are in a situation that is frightening, loss of vegetation. We need to start doing something about land degradation, we need to do something about soil erosion, restoration of our water bodies and then the sustainable land and water management programme, especially in the northern part of our country'. The Minister said Ghana like its counterparts in West Africa needed help to restore the lands, replenish the forests, and also to do alternative livelihoods so that people could do other things apart from the herding that they are doing' Mr Peter Dery, Head of Climate Change Unit at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation said Ghana had prepared and developed five different projects out of its NDCs, and had sent three of them to the GCF secretariat since July for advice and inputs so it could finalise and tender them for the funds. He mentioned some of the developed projects as accelerated solar action programme, Forestry and REDD+ programme, as well as agriculture, renewable energy, alternative livelihoods and resilient landscape project that were all waiting to be sourced and financed to be implemented in the country. The others He said Ghana would need about 26 million dollars to implement and achieve its NDCs. Mr Bamsey, on his part told the Ghanaian team that: 'This kind of meeting is what is being looked for at the COP'. He said the GCF usually take close to two years to assess and grant funds for financing a climate mitigation and adaptation project, but the secretariat was now working to shorten the process to six months. He said the GCF had decided to give priority to African programmes, especially that of Ghana's which met the criteria and selection programmes under the Fund, adding that, 'Africa seem to be well organised'. Meanwhile, Prof Frimpong-Boateng in an interview with the GNA in Bonn, described COP23 as the biggest COP and that the Ghanaian delegation and the media representatives, made up of the Ghana News Agency, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Radio and Daily Graphic reporters who attended COP23, had done tremendously well, by transmitting the news on conference back to Ghana to inform the citizenry. He said Ghana's delegation needed to prepare very well before attending such meetings as well as meet regularly after the COP to access and monitor and evaluate what had been done so far and work throughout the year so that at the next COP 'we will be able to present something that is coherent and gain something for Ghana. 'After all we are here because of our country. The climate is being destroyed not because of our own activities, but the activities of rich countries and therefore we need them to help us. We are not coming here to beg, this is the agreement that we have signed with them and we need their help. 21.11.2017 LISTEN The Sokabisi Health Centre in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, is finding it difficult to give efficient health care under good sanitary conditions due to lack of running water. The centre provides health services to the people of Sokabisi-Zorbisi-Tanzui area, suburbs of Bolgatanga, as well as neighbouring communities and handles among other health care cases, deliveries, antenatal, postnatal and family planning services. Mr Thomas Aboyine, the Senior Nurse in charge of the Centre, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga said the situation was serious as it discouraged pregnant women from patronising skilled health care to deliver and caused a lot of inconvenience to both staff and clients. 'A borehole serving the community was mechanised to provide safe drinking water to the community and the health centre. Unfortunately the mechanised system broke down almost two years ago thereby disconnecting the health centre from direct source of good running water', Mr Aboyine said. He said in a desperate attempt to get water, members of the community disconnected the mechanised system to enable them have access to water and relatives of pregnant women in labour then send gallons of water to the health centre for use. Mr Aboyine said the Midwives could not carry out deliveries without water as they would have to wash their hands and clean the place otherwise they would be risking infections of both mothers and babies and the health personnel. Meanwhile he was optimistic that the water supply system would be fixed, 'We have informed the authorities including the Municipal Health Directorate and hope the problem will be solved'. Commenting on the issue, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Joseph Amiyuure said the bore-hole would be fixed within three months. GNA By Joshua Asaah, GNA 21.11.2017 LISTEN The wife of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mrs. Tina Asante-Apeatu, has advised women married to police officers not to make overly financial demands on them. They should rather accept to do more to support the family budget to ease the pressure on their men. She gave the advice at the Ashanti Regional launch of the 30th anniversary of the Police Wives Association (POLWA) in Kumasi. 'Empowering wives to support their husbands to succeed at work' is the theme chosen for the event. Activities lined up for the week-long celebration include clean-up exercises, health walk and screening, games and a float. Mrs. Asante-Apeatu encouraged them to acquire employable skills and go into economic ventures to enable earn some money to avoid over-dependence on their partners for everything. This was important to give their husbands that the peace of mind to properly perform their assigned task. 'Leaving every responsibility to our husbands would impact on their performance at work. There is the need to support them financially and to also create the friendly and peaceful home environment that will help them to fully concentrate on their job.' She invited the wives of all officers to join the association and made reference to the POLWA Endowment Fund established to complement the police welfare package for those, who lost their partners in the line of duty. The fund would additionally assist academically brilliant children of serving and retired officers, struggling to pay for their education. Commissioner of Police (COP) Ken Yeboah, the Regional Commander, asked the members of the association to forge a united strong front and focus on keeping the various police barracks peaceful and clean. Mr Eric Lartey, the Executive Director of the Wildlife Society Council (WSC), has urged educationists and community leaders to imbibe in children, good environmental activities through wildlife clubs. Mr Lartey noted that the experiences and values of childhood in environmental activities were able to stay with an individual throughout life, which helped in protecting and saving nature. He, therefore, urged the Club leaders, who were also teachers, to nurture their pupils and students to adopt environmental preservation conduct. Mr Lartey was addressing a workshop held for Wildlife Clubs Ghana (WCG) leaders to the review the past 30 years activities of the clubs in schools and development of a roadmap for a better future. In attendance were selected representatives from the Eastern, Greater Accra, Volta, Western, Central and Ashanti Regions, who were taken through presentations on the topics; 'Wildlife Clubs, 30 years on', 'The successes, opportunities and the challenges as a WCG leader', and 'Fund-raising for club activities'. Mr Lartey said: 'We need to engage them through environmental outdoor activities such as excursions, camps, hiking and bird watching'. Hr explained that there had been a decrease in pride, enthusiasm and vibrancy associated with the wildlife clubs over the years, which he said, the society was taking steps to resolve. 'The Spirit of dedication and volunteerism has weakened over the years; There have been instances where it became extremely difficult to find a replacement for dedicated old club leaders transferred to new schools,' he said. On the challenges faced over the past 30 years, Mr Lartey said there had been ineffective coordination on the part of GWS, lack of pro-activeness of club leaders and lack of funding. For her part, Ms Louisa Kabobah, the Conservation Education Officer at GWS, said the society was taking proactive steps to revamp all the 245 clubs in the schools across the country. She said the Society would within next year, visit all the clubs to know them and bridge the communication barriers that had existed in the past years. Mr Charles Adjei Sefa of the Ashanti Region, was elected as the GWS Council Representative' while the Reverend Anthony Benibengor, was elected as the Greater Accra Regional Coordinator of GWS. The Society is a non-governmental, non-political, non-profit making environmental organisation, which seeks to conserve wildlife in all its forms to ensure a better environment and improved quality of life for all people. GWS aims at initiating and supporting projects, which address specific problems; create public awareness and education through conservation programmes; promote the conservation of wildlife-protected areas; and encourage research on wildlife, environmental protection and conservation. 21.11.2017 LISTEN The Ghana Shippers' Authority (GSA), under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport, and in collaboration with the Union of African Shippers' Councils, would from Wednesday November 22, host the 8th African Shippers' Day (ASD) celebration. The commemorative event dubbed, 'Trade Facilitation and its impact on Africa's Industrialisation', would take place at the M.T. Addico, Conference Hall, Ghana Shippers' House, Ridge, and Accra. A statement issued by the GSA, in Accra, and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the ASD had been marked biennially since 1999, when it was initiated within the framework of refocusing the missions of African Shippers' Councils. The event, it said, had since become a platform for reflection and exchange on the diverse issues relating to maritime transport and international trade. The statement said this year's event would reflect the World Trade Organisation's (WTO), Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), entered into in February, 2017. 'The Trade Facilitation Agreement lays down specific measures for import, export, and transit formalities, to facilitate trade in order to enhance administrative efficiency and effectiveness,' it said. It also helps in reducing transaction cost and time, while enhancing the predictability of the global markets.' The GSA explained that for Africa to industrialise it must move from being a producer of raw materials to a producer of finished products and value added goods. It said if Africa must join other nations in international trade and transport, there was the need for reforms that could catapult its economies in order to be competitive and that Trade facilitation, if well implemented, could have such an impact. The three-day programme, the statement said, would thus discuss, among others, opportunities and challenges for shippers' including the measures taken to make trade facilitation effective and how they were implemented. Other matters also to be deliberated are the regulatory or physical barriers identified in the implementation of these measures, the corrective measures taken to enhance trade facilitation and their effectiveness, and how all these could have an impact on Africa's industrialisation moving forward. The event is expected to be attended by participants with a stake in international trade, notably, Shippers from West and Central African countries, National Shippers' Councils, Chambers of Commerce, Port Authorities, Shipping Insurers and bankers, African and international organisations. GNA By Emmanuel Kwame Donkor/ Doris Amenyo, GNA 21.11.2017 LISTEN Dr Fletcher Tembo, Programme Director, Making All Voices Count (MAVC), an International Initiative Programme, has called grantees to develop effective relationships with their various governments at all levels of governance. This, he said, should not be only at the national level but also at the districts, sub-national and civil servant levels of the governance structure. Dr Tembo was speaking at the end of the programme sharing event in Accra, where all the projects sponsored under the initiative were brought together to exchange ideas on what worked and what did not seem to work better. The programme focused on 12 countries across Africa and Asia: Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Uganda, Liberia, Mozambique, Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh. He said those effective relationships create the room for innovation and urged the grantees to create a room for young people to innovate, because there was a lot of energy in them that could be harnessed 'We are supporting a lot of these young people to come out with ideas, develop technology and try it and this could be useful for governments, sub-national governments to reach out to their citizens and engage them accordingly,' he added. He said their 'focus is now to bring together lessons about what works and what does not in this field, and making sure they help to improve both policy and practice in the future.' He said the MAVC has been fortunate to work with more than a hundred organisations, exploring the role of innovation and technology in making government more effective and accountable. He said the initiative funds new ideas that amplified the voices of citizens and enable government to listen and respond, indicating that they apply creative and cutting-edge solution, many of which used technology. Dr Tembo said the programme also explored the role innovation could play in securing responsive, accountable government and they were helping to build an evidence base on what works and what does not. He said an observation at the end of all the projects, indicates that a lot of the governments were responding better to citizen engagement, where they show interest. He said the relationship with governments has improved over the period with the implementation of various projects on the MAVC initiative. Mr Lord Asante Fordjour, the Executive Director, Advocacy and Media Support Foundation, one of the grantees told the GNA that it had been a great opportunity as an Organization to work with MAVC on their flagship project, Action Voices, which seeks to promote citizen-government engagement. He said through funding from MAVC they successfully piloted their project in the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly in Accra in 2016, which yielded positive results. 'We have been able to build innovative online and offline mobile technology platforms to connect citizens and the District Assembly functionaries to engage effectively,' he added. He appealed to stakeholders in local governance sector including donors, who were interested in promoting citizens voice, popular participation and responsive governance at the district level to come on board and support their project. 'Our vision is to progressively scale up the Action Voices project in all the 216 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to strengthen citizens-government partnership, inclusive governance, popular participation and accountability,' he said. GNA By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA A findings from the Regional Diagnostic Study (RDS) conducted in Ghana and Mali has identified the high dependency on donor communities for funds to implement adaptation projects as some of the barriers of adaptation to climate change in Africa. Others include the inadequate integration of land management and water resource planning, particularly at watershed and river basin scales, which hinders the management of the negative impacts of water extraction on downstream users, and the extensification of agriculture onto drought-prone soils and grasslands, which reduces the access of pastoralists to pastoral corridors and generates herder-farmer conflict in many regions. The study was conducted by the Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) Project to develop a systematic understanding of existing knowledge of climate change trends, impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation strategies and identify the key barriers and enablers of effective adaptation in semi-arid regions. ASSAR is a research project being undertaken in the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia, examining the dynamics and drivers of vulnerability, while exploring ways to enhance the resilience of people, local organisations and governments. It aims at promoting climate adaptation policies and practices that are effective, widespread and sustainable. In West Africa ASSAR focuses on the dry sub-humid band that extends from the Upper West Region of northern Ghana through the southern Mali, referred to as the Wa-Bobo-Sikasso transect. The study is also to identify gaps in research, policy and practice related to climate change adaptation and provides a foundation for developing an integrated regional research programme on climate change vulnerability and adaptation. It looks at a number of barriers and enablers, which reflect a wide range of actions that different institutions and actors are taking to have clear implications for constraining or promoting adaptive capacities and adaptation outcomes in the important areas like development, gender and governance. Under governance, the study revealed that lack of land tenure security demotivates land users to adopt new practices, and the traditional land tenure system also marginalises smallholders; in adequate communication and coordination within national level institutions and across national to district scale are also barriers of adaptation to climate change. It also mentioned governments' decentralization challenges that render transfer of authority to local governments incomplete; top-down policy interventions for managing natural resources that lack local incentives and lock local communities out of resource access, and ineffective mechanisms or limited funds for implementing national adaptation policies. On gender barriers, the study identified high labour burdens and inadequate access to education as a constraint on women's ability to diversify their livelihoods; limited livelihood or technologic option, which constrains women's range of responses for managing risk and adapting to change. Others include traditional gender norms that manifest in unequal access to production resources and decision-making processes and the predominance of male migration that leave vulnerable groups, including women, youth and disabled dependents, exposed to both climatic and non-climatic shocks, particularly where remittance flows are weak or missing. The study also mentioned improvements in the channelling of weather information to local communities, increasing evidence of mainstreaming of climate into different sectoral policies and strategies, and the increasing adoption of early-maturing crop varieties, though there are risks in relying too heavily on these varieties given inter-annual climate variability, among others, as some of the enablers. The study recommended the next phase of ASSAR Regional Research Programme (RRP) in Ghana and Mali to build upon the RDS findings. It said the RRP will consist of an in-depth field investigation of the biophysical, governance, institutional, social differentiation, gender and knowledge-sharing aspects around the identified barriers, enablers and knowledge gaps. GNA By Patience Gbeze, GNA 21.11.2017 LISTEN President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Monday held talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street, to strengthen bilateral ties in the mutual interest of their countries. The President, who is on a three-day visit to the United Kingdom, used the meeting to push Ghana's new posture of moving bilateral relations from dependence to mutual cooperation beyond aid. An official statement issued to the Ghana News Agency said both leaders also reflected on next year's Commonwealth Summit, as preparations for the Forum intensified. Prime Minister May, the statement said, congratulated Ghana on her 60th Independence, saying that she and the people of the United Kingdom were 'looking forward to building a sound relationship, and also developing historic ties with Ghana for the next 60 years.' She said increasing the volumes of trade between the two countries was the key to boosting the growth, progress and prosperity of the countries and their respective populations. The Prime Minister said next year's Commonwealth Summit, which would be held in London, would present member states with the opportunity 'to grow together', and she was pleased that President Akufo-Addo would be participating in the Summit. She expressed the hope that during her tenure of office, the United Kingdom would continue to build 'on the strong relationship we have with Ghana.' President Akufo-Addo thanked the British Prime Minister for the warm welcome afforded him and his delegation. He noted that despite 60 years of parting company, Ghana and the UK 'didn't part company for good', and that the relations between them had held, regardless of the governments of the day through the years. The President assured Prime Minister May that, under his leadership, the already strong relationship would deepen. He expressed the hope that their respective tenures would be marked by the strengthening of the bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of their citizenry. Ghana, the President said, was looking forward eagerly to next year's Commonwealth Summit, 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. He commended the British PM on the decision of the British Government to host next year's Summit. As part of activities marking his visit to the UK, the President would deliver a speech on "Democracy and Development' at the Cambridge Union Society of the University of Cambridge. He is scheduled to, on Tuesday, November 21, 2017, speak at an event, organised by the Royal Africa Society, Facebook and the Ghana 60 years on Committee, on 'Africa Beyond Aid', where he would outline his vision for the progress and prosperity of the continent. President Akufo-Addo would return to Ghana on Wednesday, November 22, 2017. GNA 21.11.2017 LISTEN Navrongo (UE), Nov 20, GNA-Child marriage has been cited as one of the major factors that lead to school dropouts in most communities in the Upper East Region, especially in the Bongo and Kassena-Nankana Municipal and Kassena-Nankana West Districts. Mr Godwin Made, District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in charge of the Kassena-Nankana Municipal, who disclosed this during the launch of Peer Educators clubs in Navrongo, noted that such negative cultural practices impeded the development of the Region. He said Ghana had one of the highest child marriage prevalence rates in the world and on the average, one out of four girls were usually married before their 18th birthday with the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions being among the leading regions in the country. The programme was on the theme: 'Stop Child Early and Forced Marriages Now'. To help overcome the problem, Our Lady of Mercy Community Services, an NGO with support from STAR-Ghana is implementing a project dubbed 'Creating awareness on sexual reproductive health rights, child and forced marriages through youth initiatives and community action' in some selected communities in the Kassena-Nankana Municipal and West District. The Municipal Director stated that research by conducted by the UNDP on the World fertility policies in 2011 showed that in 2010, 277,000 women aged 20-24 were married before the age 18years and noted that If present trends continued, 407,000 of the young girls born between 2005 and 2010 would be married before age 18 by 2030. This, Mr Made stressed, would negate Ghana's efforts at making impact in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals in the promotion of basic education, fight against poverty, the prevention of HIV/AIDS and reduction in maternal and infant mortality rate if pragmatic measures were not taken to address the situation now. He commended Our Lady of Mercy Community Services for collaborating with the NCCE in targeting schools and communities to sensitize them on the negative effects of early and forced marriages as well as empowering key stakeholders to enforce existing legislation to fight the problem. 'Child marriage does not only affect the girl-child education but is also against the fundamental human rights as well as affect the physical, health and psychological state of the girl-child. Ending child marriage requires strategies for girls' empowerment, social and cultural norms change, legal reform, and policy action,' he stressed. The NCCE Officer stated that it was not only the constitution of Ghana that was against child and early marriages, but the international laws including Convention on the Elimination on All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Launching the project at Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana Municipal, the Project Director of Our Lady of Mercy Community Services, an NGO, Mr Emmanuel Atiiga, explained that the training of the peer clubs was among one of the strategies his outfit had taken to fulfil the main project theme. The Project Director said to ensure sustainability and effective monitoring of the clubs; his outfit was working in collaboration with the NCCE in both the KassenaNankana Municipal and Kassena-Nankana West District. He stated that the project was being supported by the counselling centres established by the NGO in the three locations; namely Navrongo, Paga and Sirigu to offer counselling services to the adolescents and their parents. GNA By Samuel Akapule, GNA Government is to implement the Ghana Business Regulatory Reform Programme from 2018 to 2020, Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, the Minister of Trade and Industry has announced. Addressing participants at the Ghana SME CEO's Summit in Accra, Mr Kyerematen said the Programme would include a comprehensive roadmap for reforms to reduce the time and cost of compliance with business regulators and improve Ghana's performance in the Doing Business rankings to one of the best in Africa by 2020. It will also consist of a Centralised Public Consultation Portal to enable government institutions transparently receive inputs and comments on their policies and regulations from a diverse range of stakeholders, including Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) owners, business executives, professionals, consumers, workers and the public. He noted that it would also provide an Electronic Registry of Business Regulations consisting of an inventory of all business-related Acts, legislative instruments and administrative notices and directives. Mr Kyerematen said as part of these processes, a more permanent institutional mechanism would be established for regular dialogue between government and the private sector; adding that 'this will begin with a Presidential Business Summit during the first quarter of 2018. He said to become competitive in the global and domestic market, Ghanaian SMEs should be able to offer high quality products and should also provide excellent customer services. Mr De-Graft Egyir said Ghana with an SME economy, a sector that constitute over 80 per cent of operational businesses; contributing to over 60 per cent to gross domestic products and being the largest employer of labour force, needed attention ought to be given from policy direction. He advocated for the creation of new Ministry for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to bring about business transformation in the country. 'I also humbly propose a 10-year SME Master Plan, that will trigger major paradigm and structural sifts towards an entrepreneurial economy,' he stated. He said such a Master Plan would address the main constraints of SMEs and put forward a comprehensive strategic plan that would instil resilience and productivity to the sector. Mr Charles Larbi-Odam, CEO, Deloitte Ghana, said scaling up a business was strategic and multifaceted. 'Thinking should go around capitalisation, business continuation, technology, efficiency and effectiveness of operations, staffing and technology, having in mind possible changes in government policy direction. With the right thinking going into these ingredients, businesses can survive the test of time as they grow,' he said. Dr Maxwell Opoku-Afari, first Deputy Governor, Bank of Ghana said early this year, the Central Bank had to address some challenges in the banking sector to avoid potential spill-over effects by closing down two banks. 'And as part of comprehensive measure to ensure we have very solid and strong banks ready to support the transformational agenda of the government, we also increased the minimum capital requirements of all existing universal banks (including those looking to acquire a new banking license) from GH 120 million to GH 400 million,' he said. 'This is to be met by end December 2018. While we expect all banks to be able to meet this new minimum requirement, we are also open to possible mergers and acquisitions with the ultimate having well-capitalised strong banks.' The Ghana SME CEO's Summit is the brainchild of Mr Ernest De-Graft Egyir, the Chief Executive Officer of the Chief Executives Network Ghana Limited. The event, which was organised by the Chief Executives Network Ghana Limited, served as a good frontier to create a nurturing environment for professionals and CEOs dedicated to improve the quality and profitability of their enterprises through shared experiences and personal growth strategies. The Summit, which was attended by over 200 SME CEOs, sought to combine both knowledge and experience by providing preeminent business opportunities to its members from across the globe all from under a single roof. It was held on the theme 'Scaling-up SMEs for inclusive growth: The CEO and government as drivers.' GNA By Iddi Yire, GNA 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. Zimbabwe's ruling party is to launch impeachment proceedings Tuesday against President Robert Mugabe, in the latest bid to oust the 93-year-old strongman still clinging to power after 37 years in office. A military takeover last week was followed by huge street protests against the authoritarian leader, and the ZANU-PF, his own once-loyal party, has also turned against him. "The party has instructed the chief whip to proceed with impeachment processes," ZANU-PF said in a statement, with the motion due to be presented before parliament on Tuesday. On Monday evening, army chief Constantino Chiwenga told reporters that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent exit deal for Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state. He also said Mugabe was in touch with Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ousted vice president whose sacking led to the military takeover and Mugabe's shock 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. "The nation will be advised of the outcome of talks between the two." Chiwenga called for calm after Zimbabweans had celebrated Saturday at anti-Mugabe marches that would have been brutally repressed just a week ago. Holding on The marchers' joy quickly turned to despair as Mugabe brushed aside the turmoil, blithely declaring on Sunday that he would chair a top-level meeting of the party that had just disavowed him. Timeline of the political crisis in Zimbabwe since November 6, 2017 In a televised address, the president defied expectations he would step down, pitching the country into a second week of political crisis. Mugabe is feted in parts of Africa as the continent's last surviving independence leader. He was a key figure in the war for independence and took office as prime minister in 1980, riding a wave of goodwill. His reputation was swiftly tarnished, however, by his authoritarian instincts, rights abuses and economic policies. Most Zimbabweans have known life only under his rule, which has been defined by violent suppression, economic collapse and international isolation. Despite his fragile health, Mugabe had previously said he would stand in elections next year that could have kept him in power until he was nearly 100 years old. Zimbabwe's army chief Constantino Chiwenga (C) told reporters that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent exit deal for Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state But a factional squabble over the presidential succession erupted into the open on November 13, precipitating the crisis. Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, secured prime position to succeed her husband when Mnangagwa, who is close to the military leadership, was abruptly 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 around the Mugabe family. Public anger rising? ZANU-PF lawmakers said that they would take the first steps to impeach Mugabe on Tuesday after he ignored their ultimatum to resign. "We have the numbers, the opposition is also going to support us," Vongai Mupereri, a party MP, said. "We are going to impeach -- the man has to go," said another Zanu-PF lawmaker, MacKenzie Ncube. Chris Vandome, an analyst at the Chatham House, a London-based think-tank, warned of the risk of public unrest. "They will start impeaching him (Tuesday), that is certainly the will of the military, but it's increasingly now the will of the people," Vandome told AFP. "The longer this goes on for, the more the likelihood of violence increases." Legal experts say impeachment could take weeks and be subject to court appeals. Mugabe is thought to be battling to delay his exit in order to secure a deal that would guarantee protection for him and his family. "It might take days and weeks, but Mugabe is on his way out," said Charles Muramba, a 46-year-old bus driver in Harare. 21.11.2017 LISTEN The NPP and its Akufo-Addo won't listen to reason and went ahead to roll out the over-ambitious free Senior High School programme, opening the sluices. All in the name of political expediency because that was the flagship electioneering campaign promise. No amount of suasion from the Mahama-led administration for them to hasten slowly would wake them up to the reality to go about things "progressively". Akufo-Addo energized his team to push that agenda through. Political expediency driving everything. The Minister of Education has even gone beyond reasonable bounds to insult his predecessor for no good reason other than using that rhetoric to shore up the NPP government's rogue politics. We have seen images of happenings in the schools and the plight of the students. I hear one of their own even wept openly when he visited some of the schools to see first-hand the horrible circumstances in which the so-called beneficiaries of Akufo-Addo's "magnanimity" are living in the schools. Now, something is emerging to confirm earlier apprehensions: "The Conference of Assisted Senior High Schools, CHASS, is asking government as a matter of urgency to release subsidies which have been in arrears for three terms... "... As of now, only 20 percent of funds allocated to cater for expenses of schools under the policy have been released, with 80 percent outstanding and no definite payment schedule... (See https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Senior-High-Schools-may-close-due-to-lack-of-funds-CHASS-warns-602449). MY COMMENTS When pride takes over everything, one should not be surprised at the mighty fall that results. I can't understand what exactly is making Akufo-Addo and his team so confident that they can solve the problems facing secondary education in Ghana by insolently sticking to their agenda of free SHS education, regardless of the constraints or the tons of advice for them to not put all their eggs in one basket. (Or to count their eggs before they are hatched). The Ghanaian economy isn't strong enough to soak up the pressure. And this free SHS thing is a hefty dose. (Assuming that we accept Akufo-Addo and Dr. Borrowmia's stentorian but nonsensical claim that the Mahama administration depleted the country's coffers, where would the money for funding this over-ambitious promise have come from all too soon? Certainly, not from foreign sources, even though borrowing hasn't lessened. What is happening?) I am saddened by this dogged and adamant posturing. The challenges facing the secondary schools go beyond what is emerging now as Akufo-Addo's solution. Asking for voluntary contributions isn't a solution either. At most, it makes a huge mockery of Team Akufo-Addo. Is there any way Akufo-Addo and his NPP government can see things beyond the smokescreen that they have erected behind which to do things for mere political capital? The truth is that this political capital can easily somersault into a terrible electoral curse. The boomerang effect could be disastrous for them. Where have they placed their thinking caps? I shall return 21.11.2017 LISTEN In Pakistan, after the Supreme Court verdict on Panama papers corruption charges, the prime minister resigned without a word. Not only that, he was scared of being arrested and he left the country. In Bangladesh after the verdict of the Supreme Court that went against the government, the chief justice had to leave the country. This clearly shows the position of judiciary in these two countries. In the last election in Bangladesh we saw how General Ershad was sent to Combined Military Hospital as a sick man so that his party could participate in the election to provide some credibility to the election. Despite all that 154 persons (majority seats) were elected as MP even before a single vote was cast. The ruling party was very worried that if the same chief justice remained in power, he might one day declare the unelected government illegal. The BAL (Bangladesh Awami League) had to act fast. The process was similar to which the security forces were fully trained and conversant. However, the CJ (chief justice) complicated the situation at the time of his departure by declaring himself to the pressmen as physically and mentally fit. To the utter surprise of the government, the CJ returned Bangladesh prior to the expiry of his leave. This put the ruling party BAL in new research how to ensure that the CJ does not join back to his duties, feels encouraged to go abroad and finally feels scared of returning to Bangladesh once he is abroad. Their conspiracy succeeded. Once the CJ was air-borne, the government declared 11 charges against him. The obvious question is why it was not announced before the departure of the CJ. Why such a criminal was allowed to leave the country without a question being asked. This time the complications are created by the BAL government. The government also came with another new theory the judges in the Supreme Court refused to join him in any bench. This was difficult to digest because only a few days back the same judges gave unanimous decision against the government. In Cambodia the Supreme Court gave a verdict for which the government had to do nothing. Mr. Hun Sen made sure that the judges behave like good obedient boys. The Supreme Court in Cambodia dissolved the main opposition party on charges of plotting a coup against a democratically elected government. Not only that the court also barred all opposition political leaders numbering more than 100 from any future political activity. With such a big helping hand from the court, the government is doing the rest. Most political leaders who oppose Hun Sen are either already under arrest or have run away for their lives. Some democratic minded journalists have been also been placed behind bar. Now there is nothing that can stop Hun Sen winning the election. Despite being a multi-party state, it is like one party state. Hun Sen is the undisputed leader because the country may not survive without him at least he thinks so. At the start of this article I drew a comparison between judiciary in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Now I shall do the same between Bangladesh and Cambodia. The readers can easily understand that it is far easier to keep the judiciary under control in Cambodia. Thanks God, judiciary in Bangladesh is still better of that of Cambodia. Those of you who read one of my previous articles under title The country cannot survive without me will recollect three names mentioned there. They were Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Hun Sen of Cambodia and Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. They are again on the headlines. Mr. Mugabe is stripped of power and is under house arrest. He is now likely to be impeached. Sheikh Hasina has done with CJ and judiciary something that was never done before. The position of Bangladesh as a civilised country has been severely tarnished. Hun Sen made it public that judiciary is nothing other than obedient servant of the government. Hun Sen of Cambodia remains the champion. Those who think (Hasina of Bnagladesh included) that the country cannot do without them and that they must remain in power until death and that they be succeeded by their chosen successor can definitely learn a lesson or two from Hun Sen unless lessons learnt from the fate of Gaddafi and Choses-cu are not enough. London, 20-November-2017 Scholars have wondered what triggers might be in the social furniture of a culture that might propel a people to embrace a bill of rights. Australia remains proudly, and idiosyncratically, opposed. Previous efforts to enshrine a charter of rights have failed, accused of being totalitarian usurpations, dangerous incorporations of foreign laws, and a straightjacket on political will. Rights, in actual fact, are considered the smutty sprinklings of a suspicious mind, best modified by a fatherly obsession with obligations. No trigger for a bill of rights will move the Australian people; no catalyst great enough to warrant a deviation from an unswerving faith in the magic of the common law, and the wisdom of British-made institutional stability. The indefinite detention of refugees will be tolerated. Shabby treatment of terrorist suspects will be permitted. The advice of the Australian Secret Intelligence Organisation will be given greater weight than solid judicial review. Suspicious about the abstract, fundamentalist pragmatism demands something that issues from Parliament which, the assumption goes, tends to be reasonable. The soil, however, is due for a fresh turning. This time, it is the turn of the conservatives, who feel that that their social offensives have failed before the might of the Rainbow movement. Conservatives, rather than accepting the findings of a postal survey on same-sex marriage, have decided to frame the problem differently. Now, their rights are in question. From a position of strength, they feel weakness, vulnerability, a fear that sanitised prejudice may not be possible. But importantly, the issue here is one of translation and political realisation: How will those conservative, religious voices find form in the parliaments across the country? The fascinating problem here is that such conservative voices have made a category error in the legal sense. It is not a right to not do (bake cakes for a gay wedding, for instance, or celebrate a wedding), but a power to do (in this case, refuse to serve). It is the power to discriminate, to seek a different avenue of traditional recognition of a form of conduct, covered by that oft misused term of conscience. Whatever the lexical problems faced by members of the Australian Christian Movement, and for that matter other religious groups, they are on to something. The postal plebiscite may well have registered overall approval 62 percent but it also suggested that 38 percent of Australians are far from content with changing the heterosexual context of the Marriage Act. The stage props are set for splinter parties and religious groups to make their political debut, most notably in those electorates where the No vote registered a majority. In the federal seat of Blaxland, which registered the highest vote against same-sex marriage coming in at a dizzy 73.9 percent, celebrations are absent and trouble brewing. The students at the Bankstown campus of the Western Sydney University were noted in the Huffington Post as visibly shaken. The showers of analysis that have followed have had to find some coherence to such votes. Cultural differences have been underlined and jotted down as culprits. This, goes the Huffington Post, comes with the obvious conclusion that migrants have homophobic values, spurred on by their homophobic religions. This leads to another tendency: the pointed accusation that estranged, pontificating elites of the affluent areas enjoy a pastime that has become staple for the set: Western Sydney bashing. Class divisions are blended with value divisions, creating a new political mix. While this takes place, the conservative Australian government is suffering fits of indigestion. Many of its members were vocal opponents of same-sex marriage, and continue to be. Opinions sent in by vote hardly matter they were always intent on voting against the same-sex change. Having been outgunned, another approach, most probably legislative in nature, is in order. One concern is to trumpet religious freedom amendments that will be added to any legislation that will change the definition of marriage. These will include provisions permitting civil celebrants to reject weddings and protections for religious charities. (Interestingly enough, such entities already have considerable scope in terms of choice.) Nationals Senator Matt Canavan is one such figure. Suddenly, talk of rights is not obscene or questionable. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a document long regarded as a nuisance by Australian parliamentarians, is being seen as a guide. Article 18 claiming that everyone shall have the freedom of thought, conscience and religion is being singled out for special mention. As Treasurer Scott Morrison has insistently pushed, There are over 4 million people who voted No in this survey who are now coming to terms with the fact that, on this issue, they are a minority. Whatever changes occur to the Marriage Act proper, political momentum for a different type of conservatism has been generated. It may well come from the self-designated standing army of the Australian Christian Lobby, or from other sources keen to foment an alternative narrative. The political fault line, overseeing the creation of a more religious orientation keen on social and moral values, may well be in the offing. Without realising it, those behind the same-sex marriage have become the progenitors of a new political impetus in Australia. Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected] 21.11.2017 LISTEN ACCRA, GHANA (November 21, 2017) - The UNDP-led SDG Philanthropy Platform in partnership with Reach for Change and the Ministry of Finance in Ghana, hosted an inaugural interactive dialogue with 20 Ghanaian corporations on Thursday. The dialogue was organized to provide an opportunity for various sectors to discuss how corporate social responsibility (CSR) can drive the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The dialogue, themed Building Effective Partnerships for the Sustainable Development Goals, was organized to initiate partnerships between the private sector, the development/nonprofit sector and government, enabling them to work together to realize the SDGs in Ghana by 2030. Ghanas Minister of Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, delivered the keynote address and said that Ghanaian corporations and private companies are critical players in driving Ghanas SDG targets. We strongly believe that Ghana has the means to finance the implementation of the SDGs. For us to achieve a Ghana beyond aid, we need to mobilize domestic resources including the passions and innovations of social enterprises and the funding and business acumen of corporate Ghana, he said. Around 25 CEOs from major private companies across Ghana, attended the dialogue and heard about two new national initiatives designed to contribute to the SDGs in Ghana. Reach for Change announced its new National Accelerator programme, entitled Ghana Innovates for the SDGs, which support local social innovators to achieve nationwide impact in various SDG areas including health, education, water, poverty, hunger, economic growth, climate and more. The National Accelerator provides an opportunity for Ghanaian corporations to fulfill their corporate social responsibility strategy and can be tailored to specific interest areas of corporate investors, Amma Sefa-Dedeh Lartey, the Reach for Change Africa Director explained after the event. Private finance is essential for catalysing development finance and serves as an essential engine for sustainable development, Lartey said. When investment is made in local social entrepreneurs, the potential for long term change increases dramatically because social enterprises are impact-driven businesses that are designed to become financially sustainable. The Ghana Philanthropy and Impact Investment Forum, an association of corporate and private foundations and impact investors, was launched. The forum will be hosted by SE Ghana with support from the Ministry of Finance and is a result of a series of consultations led by The SDG Philanthropy Forum. It will connect philanthropy and impact investing with the development sector and create opportunities to share knowledge and collaborate around investment in initiatives that are working towards the SDGs. Karolina Mzyk, Global Manager of the SDG Philanthropy Platform, said that Thursdays dialogue event was intended as the first of a series of annual meetings to bring together actors from various sectors in Ghana to help them build partnerships towards the Global Goals, and in the process, make a substantial contribution towards Ghanas SDG targets. At the conclusion of the event, a number of CEOs pledged financial capital for SDG-targeted development initiatives on behalf of their companies. Ghana Innovates for the SDGs and the Ghana Philanthropy and Impact Investment Forum are expected to commence operations in early 2018. About Reach for Change Reach for Change Africa is a non-profit organization that invests in innovative, early-stage social entrepreneurs who are addressing problems faced by children, youth and women in seven countries across the continent; Ghana, Senegal, Chad, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. Reach for Change runs innovation competitions and provides Accelerator and Incubator programs to exceptional social entrepreneurs who are supported to scale their innovations through funding, access to technical and organizational management expertise, and networking opportunities. Reach for Change Africa is a part of the global organization Reach for Change which operates in 17 countries worldwide. About the Sustainable Development Goals Philanthropy Platform The Sustainable Development Goals Philanthropy Platform is a global initiative that has brought together over a thousand philanthropists from over eight countries to facilitate effective collaboration so that together, funding and programmes have a greater and more sustainable impact on people's lives. The Platform is led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA). In Ghana, the platform was launched in July 2015, and has been involved in multi-stakeholder partnerships and engagement processes in the thematic areas of water, education and enabling environments research -aimed at helping both local and global foundations to align their giving with Ghanas SDGs priorities and broker development frameworks. The Platform has recently launched a new interactive portal www.sdgphilanthropy.org which serves as an open SDG resource hub and a marketplace to support initiatives, and ideas for philanthropists, foundations, governments, the UN, and social innovators. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured teachers of prompt payment of their salaries and allowances. He said his government will rid the system of all the challenges that cause hiccups during payment. At the 80th anniversary celebration of Abuakwa State College in Kibi Saturday, the president said he is committed to improving the welfare of teachers. We will concentrate on incentives that will motivate teachers and reward their hard work, president Akufo-Addo said, drawing applause from the gathering. The Ghana Education Service (GES) has had issues with the processing of salaries of employees, causing several months of delay. The past regime promised to address the issue but the problem still persists. Knowing teachers will play a huge role in the implementation of the Free senior high school education policy, the government has set out to keep them satisfied. President Akufo-Addo said his government recognizes the contribution of a well-trained, contented teacher to the delivery of quality education. [Well] ensure that teachers salaries and allowances are paid regularly and on time, he said. But the enjoyment of these benefits must be tied to the studiousness and delivery of teachers in their classrooms, he said. The president has implored school authorities to help the Education Ministry and GES eliminate teacher absenteeism. President Akufo-Addo noted the issue is one of the many factors that lead to poor performances of students. Teachers must, therefore, project excellence to their students, the president who has described himself as teacher-friendly said. He also charged students to commit to heart, self-discipline and the effective use of their time, which he said are some of the key ingredients to success. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | [email protected] | Instagram: @Realbrakopowers Accra. Nov. 20, CDA Consult Ms Benonita B. Bismarck, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) on Monday outlined modalities for the 8th African Shippers' Day to be hosted by Ghana from November 22 to 24. The over 250 delegates from West and Central Africa will discuss opportunities and challenges for shippers; scrutinize measures taken to make trade facilitation effective, the regulation or physical barriers identified in the implementation of these measures. In an interview, Ms Bismarck explained that the delegates will also look at corrective measures taken to enhance trade facilitation and their effectiveness; and how to harness the measures for a positive impact on Africans industrialization in general and Ghanas development in particular. He said the Ghana Shippers Authority in fulfillment of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos vision of holistic transformation of the country has mobilized strategic stakeholders to participate in the event. We are using the platform also to market Ghana as well as take advantage of the huge business opportunities for our stakeholders to foster close interaction between users of shipping services on the demand side and shippers on the supply side within the West and Central African for co-operation. Ms Mismarck revealed that shipping accounts for over 90 per cent of the total volume of external trade in West and Central Africa and is seen as being invaluable to the economic development of the respective countries. While nations have engaged in shipping activities over the years, the realisation has dawned that much success can be achieved through sub-regional co-operation. The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Shippers Authority noted that it is in the light of this that the Union of African Shippers Council resolved to organise an African Shippers' Day as a forum to bring together the supply and demand sectors of the industry. She said We are encouraging indegenous participation in the provision of shipping services. The Government of Ghana will continue to create an enabling regulatory framework for the private sector which has been identified as the main engine of growth to actively participate in the investment and provision of maritime transport services. She said Ghana and Africa must begin to add value to our natural resources as thats the only way we can compete globally. High profile delegates attending the forum from the Ghana side includes Ministers Trade, Transport, Foreign Affairs, as well as officials and representatives from Ghana Revenue Authority, the Custom Division, GCnet, and stakeholder from the local shipping community. Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, November 20, 2017 The African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with Initiative for Global Development (IGD) and Grow Africa is organizing the first high-level convening, Leadership4Agriculture (L4Ag) Forum , on November 28 at the AfDB headquarters in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. The invitation-only L4Ag Forum, supported by the Rockefeller Foundation , will be held on the sidelines of the AU-EU Summit on November 29-30, 2017. This action-oriented Forum will assemble influential leaders African high-level officials, private sector leaders and community champions for dialogue, advocacy and policy action to drive Africas agriculture transformation. Africas agriculture sector and agribusiness are projected to create a US $1 trillion by 2030. Despite this tremendous potential, total investment in the sector falls short of levels required to deliver fundamental change fuel agricultural transformation. According to the African Development Banks Feed Africa Strategy for Agriculture Transformation in Africa 2016-2025 , between US $315-400 billion is required over the next ten years to transform strategic agricultural value chains. Constraints to the development of the agribusiness sector in Africa include: low yield; an unsupportive enabling environment; insecure land tenure; insufficient/inadequate hard and soft infrastructure; poorly developed marked linkages; limited value-added processing capacity; high post-harvest losses; insufficient inclusion of youth and women; and limited access to technologies, information, skills, and finance. Guided by recent findings from the World Banks 2017 Enabling the Business of Agriculture Report and the 2017 Africa Transformation Report by African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), the L4Ag Forum will focus on harnessing agriculture and agribusiness as an engine of economic transformation in Africa. The expected outcomes of the Forum are as follows: Agriculture and agribusiness champions drive action on growing the agribusiness sector in Africa; Government leaders seek support for policy reforms to drive agribusiness growth in their countries; Private sector leaders gain potential agribusiness investment opportunities; and Partners can identify agribusiness investment opportunities The L4Ag Forum will feature a keynote address and two panel sessions with African Finance and Agriculture Ministers and business leaders from across the African continent. The first panel, Enabling the Business of Agriculture: Increasing Access to Agricultural Inputs to Enhance Productivity and Regulatory Reforms, will focus on improving commercial access to seeds, fertilizer, and mechanization. The second panel, Agriculture Powering Africas Economic Transformation: Fueling Agro-industry and Agribusiness, will draw attention to commercializing agriculture; adding value and spurring agro-industry; and innovative financing. During the Action Roundtable sessions of the Forum, high-level government officials and business leaders from Africa will have an opportunity to re-imagine government and business engagement, brainstorm achievable goals around a specific agribusiness sector growth policy, and explore investment opportunities in agribusiness ventures. Recognizing agriculture as a business is a core aspect of the strategy to advance growth in Africa, said IGD President Mima S. Nedelcovych. The Leadership4Agriculture Forum is an opportunity for private sector leaders and high-level African officials to strengthen their partnership by identifying their aligning interests so that Africas agricultural sector can reach its full potential. 21.11.2017 LISTEN The Right to Information Coalition, (RTI), Ghana welcomes Parliament's passage of the Office of Special Prosecutor Bill and notes with interest, the speed of consideration and passage in accordance with the wish and preference of the Executive arm of government. We share in the Finance Minister's mention of the passage of the Office of Special Prosecutor Bill as an accomplishment in putting an anti-corruption arsenal together but are disappointed that the passage of the Right to Information Bill which would facilitate the provision of the necessary ammunition for the Office of Special Prosecutor has so far not been placed before Parliament. It is clear that Parliament prioritizes whatever business the Executive considers urgent and such business receives due attention and necessary action, as is appropriate. It is worth noting that in the 2017 Budget Statement, the Finance Minister mentioned in paragraph 335 that the Information Ministry will collaborate with all key stakeholders to agree on a programme of action for the passage of the Right to Information Bill into law. The Minister further mentioned in paragraph 885 that "Mr. Speaker, this government is committed to passing the Right to Information Bill as part of our tools in fighting corruption. We will not pay lip service to fighting corruption. Interestingly eight (8) months down the line the Finance Minister, in the 2018 Budget Statement mentioned in paragraph 272 that In line with the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP), a Parliamentary Committee will be established to follow up on PAC recommendations, the Conduct for Public Officers Bill, the Manual on Standards and Ethics to complement the Code of Conduct for MPs and the Right to Information Bill. Obviously, that commitment made in the 2017 Budget Statement seems to have been watered down. The Coalition finds the context in which the RTI Bill is mentioned in the 2018 Budget Statement very revealing considering that government was not able to fulfill the commitments made on the Bill in the 2017 Budget Statement but refused to at least commit to achieve and build on it in the upcoming year Budget Statement as done for other commitments that were unfulfilled. Comparing the commitments on the RTI Bill in both Budget Statements and the fact that the Bill has not even moved from the Executive to Parliament almost at the end of the first year of governments term in office amidst the numerous promises, one can confidently conclude that governments commitments on the Bill has waned. As an essential and a primary tool in fighting corruption, it would have been expected that the passage of the RTI Bill will be either the first or with the first on the list of promises to have been fulfilled. Whilst access to information provides multiple benefits in the promotion of democratic governance, its continued absence as a dependable tool in the fight against corruption regrettably exposes the apparent half-hearted resolve of officialdom. In conclusion, we reiterate our call on President Nana Akufo-Addo to ensure that a Right to Information Bill is placed before Parliament before the end of the year, 2017 to begin the process of passage "very soon" as repeatedly promised. ISSUED BY THE COALITION ON THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION, GHANA, ACCRA, NOVEMBER 20 2017 On Tuesday November 14, 2017, His Excellency David John Newman, the Ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the USA and his wife Mrs. Changu Newman hosted a reception to honor Tumeletso Water Setlabosha who is lead character in National Geographics documentary titled Okavango Wilderness Project: protecting Sub-Saharan Africas last Pristine Westlands. The event which happened at the Embassy of Botswana in Washington DC also honored Charles Tlhalefang, a Photojournalist, and Author acclaimed for his publication titled Botswanas Top 50 Ultimate Experiences. There was also a prescreening of the documentary movie titled 'Into The Okavango' which features "Water" and Scientist Dr. Steve Boyes among other respected scientist and nature experts. The Okavango Delta is one of the most important sites for biodiversity, hosting the largest population of African elephants in addition to lions, cheetahs, wild dogs and hundreds of species of birds. Yet the future of this oasis is directly linked to its source - over 800 miles to the north in the central highlands of Angola. This water tower, which flows through Angola, Namibia, and Botswana, is the main source of water for over a million people, providing the lifeline for the region. While the Delta itself has been declared a World Heritage Site, the rivers and wilderness areas it depends on remain unprotected. According to National Geographic CEO Gary E. Knell who was present at the event, National Geographic collaborated with Angola, Namibia and Botswana to secure the success of the Okavango Project. To find out more about it visit www.intotheokavango.org watch video report: Four thousand, nine hundred and forty-six pupils in eight districts of the Ashanti and the Brong-Ahafo Regions have benefited from a free computer training programme in the past three months. Most of the beneficiaries had the opportunity of using the computer and the internet for the first time. The training initiative was undertaken by the Otumfuo-Agroecom Mobile Library Project (OAMLP) a subsidiary of the Otumfuo Charity Foundation in collaboration with Agroecom Ghana Ltd a cocoa buying company. It is to ensure that less fortunate children in deprived communities enjoy the same learning conditions as other children in the urban areas, as well as encourage the habit of reading and the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) among basic school pupils, among others. Beneficiary Districts The beneficiary areas included Sekyere North, Bekwai Municipality, Atwima Mponua, Bibaini-Anwhiaso-Bekwai, Bosomtwe, Offinso Municipality, New Edubaise and Goaso. The Country Coordinator of Agroecom Ghana Ltd, Muhammadu Muzzammil, described the role of the OAMLP as very crucial in bridging the gap between pupils in urban areas and their counterparts in the hard-to-reach areas of the country. He stated that the project christened, 'Otumfuo-Agroecom Mobile Library Project,' consists of three major parts namely, reading, ICT and cinema. The cinema is intended to bring a message from Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as it exhibits the rich Ghanaian culture, and educate farmers on good agricultural practices, farm management, information from the cocoa industry and projection of Agroecom in the communities. Tour After touring some schools in the cocoa growing areas, it came to light that about 40 percent of the pupils in the selected villages confirmed that they had not seen computers before, except the drawings they see in their textbooks. Although there were ICT teachers in some of the schools, resources such as textbooks and computers were not available. Background Since the inception of the Otumfuo Mobile Library project, it has covered parts of Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo and Volta Regions, where the children have benefitted from ICT training. It focuses on improving learning conditions of children by providing basic academic resources such as reading books and computer lessons (ICT) to those in primary, junior and senior high schools. With the help of generators, staff of the project spend several days in communities where the children and some members of the communities take turns to access the computers, internet services, variety of library books, among other services. Support In June this year, Agroecom Ghana Ltd presented a cheque of GH1.4 million to the Otumfuo Charity Foundation at a special ceremony in Kumasi, to support the operations of the Otumfuo Mobile Library project for the next four years. The amount presented was meant to help in the procurement of a pickup, a cargo van, 60 laptops, a generator, two projectors and screens, a video camera and allowance for 30 staff of the foundation for the four years that the project would be in place. Focus The collaborative project is aimed at not only bettering the learning facilities in villages in the cocoa growing areas, but also provide knowledge on cocoa farming and build pride and understanding of the glorious history of the Asante Kingdom. Agroecom Ghana Ltd has been present in Ghana from 2013 when it took over Armajaro Global Cocoa, which was established in 2000. It has since then been involved in the rural parts of the country to create better livelihoods for farmers. Appreciation When contacted, Dr Thomas Agyarku-Poku, Executive Director of the Otumfuo Charity Foundation, lauded Agroecom Ghana Ltd for the support, which had come to boost the strength of OAMLP. President Akufo-Addo has charged teachers and heads of various educational institutions throughout the country to uphold the tenets of discipline in schools. He believes this would ensure that products of the schools become more useful and valuable citizens to the nation. Delivering a keynote address at the 80th Anniversary celebration of Abuakwa State College (ABUSCO) under the theme, Providing Quality Education through Discipline and Hard Work for Academic Excellence on Saturday, President Akufo-Addo stated, 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. He said Nana Ofori Atta I the man whose vision founded ABUSCO could not have established the school without hard work and discipline, and therefore stressed the need for greater 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. 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 insisted. President Akufo-Addo 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 Examination (WASSCE). He urged heads of educational institutions to uproot the canker of absenteeism, stressing, Our teachers must bear in mind that they are role models to students; 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. He acknowledged the fact that a well-trained, confident and contented teacher is key to the delivery of quality education. To this end, he stressed that the views of teachers would be sought on education policy, innovation and implementation. Advice To Students President Akufo-Addo reminded the students of ABUSCO 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 articulated. 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 admonished. By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent The youth of Dagbon, comprising sons and daughters of both chieftaincy gates Andani and Abudu are demanding the immediate resolution of the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute which they claim has stalled development and threatened peace and stability at Dagbon. During a peaceful demonstration dubbed, Di Wumti (we are tired), the youth appealed to the head of the Committee of Eminent Kings, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Kampakuya Naa, the Bolinlana, the Kuganaa, Dagbon elites, politicians and well-meaning sons and daughters of Dagbon, to see to the settlement of the age-long Abudu-Andani impasse. They said the disunity among the royal families is tarnishing the image of the kingdom once a beacon of peace in the Northern Region and Ghana at large. According to them, the revolt, disunity and disharmony at Dagbon had sent the people of Dagbon backward instead of making some inroads. We sincerely believe the royals (NABIHI) should not hold us ransom while the rest of Dagbon languish in abject poverty, joblessness and underdevelopment, they said. There is no Dagomba man or woman who has not tasted the demeaning effect of this Abudu-Andani brouhaha great, small, rich, poor, educated or uneducated and has brought the image of Dagbon into disrepute. We are sad to say that we are still called derogatory names such as the 'primitive people,' the 'barbarians,' the 'bush people,' 'difficult people,' 'liars' and many more, to which we are totally defenseless. Our hope is that we can vindicate ourselves and prove to the world that we can change and become civilized, humble, peaceable, united people and put our past behind us, the youth added. They are therefore demanding finality to the chieftaincy crisis, stressing that the committee of eminent kings must immediately come out with the final roadmap for the performance of the funeral of the late kings of Dagbon, Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV and Naa Yakubu Andani II, to pave way for the enskinment of a new Ya-Naa. They have threatened to pile greater pressure on the royals, chiefs, the committee and the President of the Republic of Ghana to resolve the age-long conflict else, they would embark on an exercise dubbed, 'Occupy The Palaces and Streets,' so that no movement of chiefs and vehicles would be allowed, as part of the demand for progress at Dagbon. Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Yendi, Abubakari Armed Yussif, who received the petition on behalf of the government, commended the Dagbon youth for the peaceful nature of the demonstration. He assured them that their petition would be forwarded to the necessary authorities for immediate action to be taken. FROM Eric Kombat, Yendi A teacher, Mac-Billy Ani, has been fined GH1,200 by the Dzodze Magistrate Court for assaulting a technical staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). Ani, who was standing trial at the court for assaulting a public officer and illegal connection of electricity, was fined after the court, presided over by Lawrence Buernor Buer, found him guilty. The accused, after pleading guilty to both offences, was sentenced to the fine, or in default, serve 12 months in prison with hard labour. He was ordered to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for twelve months and also to pay a compensation of GH2,000.00 to the complainant, Emmanuel Agbemadu. Whereas the compensation was to be paid immediately, the trial magistrate ordered the fine to be paid on Monday, November 27, 2017. Facts The facts of the case as presented in court by the police prosecutor indicated that the accused was caught in October by an ECG technician, for illegally connecting electricity to his home at Ehi-Biase Kpota in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region. The technician, Emmanuel Agbemadu, during his routine house-to-house checks, discovered that Mac-Billy had illegally tapped power from another customer, having earlier been disconnected for non-payment of his bills. Emmanuel immediately disconnected the line of the accused from the illegal supply. Before he could leave the premises, the accused arrived home and ordered him to re-connect the cables. In the ensuing confrontation, Mac-Billy Ani pounced on the complainant and punched him in the face several times. According to the prosecution, it took the intervention of some neighbours to rescue the ECG staff from the grips of the accused. With blood oozing profusely from Emmanuel's nostrils and mouth, he made a report at the police station and later went to the hospital. An assessment by the Loss Control Unit of the Electricity Company of Ghana in Ho confirmed that power was illegally tapped without recourse to the company. The accused, who initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, later changed his plea to guilty with explanation. He explained that the complainant provoked him by first piercing him with his working tool. Despite his explanation, the court found the evidence presented before it overwhelming hence, found him guilty and sentenced him accordingly. File Photo 21.11.2017 LISTEN A late evening fire outbreak at the premises of the Ghana Grid Company (GridCo) in Tamale in the Northern Region has left one of the companys 11.5KV power feeders destroyed. The incident caused a total blackout within the entire Tamale Metropolis for about an hour Monday, TV3s Zubaida Ismail reported. Power has since been restored. The fire was said to have started from an electric pole within the companys premises and spread through the distribution lines to the feeder room, resulting in a thick smoke, our correspondent reported. The timely intervention by the personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service from the Sagnarigu District Fire Station averted what would have been a massive disaster to the power distributor. Workers of GRIDCo were said to have tried to extinguish the fire with fire extinguish but the situation got out of hand but the fire personnel managed to get to the scene in about five minutes to bring the situation under control. [When] we got here, the place was totally engulfed in thick smoke and the fire was so tensed we had to make a forceful entry; we had to break the main door, the Sagnarigu District Fire Commander Assistant Divisional Officer, Aduguba Newton, told TV3. He said his men had to break the windows in the affected area to allow the smoke to go out before they could bring the situation under control and eventually extinguished the fire five minutes after. All in all, my men did very well and the fire has been contained and the situation is back to normal, he told our correspondent. Management of GridCo were unable to tell the extent of damage immediately but said the the 11.5KV feeder has been burnt. 21.11.2017 LISTEN The 19-year-old boy standing trial for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl failed to turn up in court when the case was called last week, our correspondent has reported. Central Regional Correspondent, Richard Kwadwo Nyarko reports that the suspect failed to appear court as scheduled last week despite repeated reminders by prosecutors. It was getting to midday when the parents of the suspect arrived in court with a message that the suspect went fishing and had not returned, Richard said. The state prosecutor told Richard she had been in touch with the suspect until two days before he was due in court. After that, anytime she called the phone was off, and when she managed to get through, the suspect did not answer the phone. The suspect is expected to re-appear in court on Wednesday, November 22, 2017. His parents have been instructed by the court to produce him. Failure to do this will result in the issuance of an arrest warrant for him. The nine-year-old was defiled in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem District of the Central Region and was left to die after her intestines popped out. The vulva of the girl also swelled as a result of the gruesome act which happened about three months ago. Some female police officers shocked at the incident, together with some senior officers, raised money and took the child to the Central Regional Hospital where she is receiving treatment. The only support system available to the victim at the time was the contribution she received from the police officers. There are many of such cases in the Central Region. Click here to read the sad stories of how young girls are being taken advantage of in the country. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Naa Sakwaba Akwa | [email protected] The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Mr Inusah Fuseini, is one of the most prodigious practitioners of the art of ventriloquism in the country. Well, maybe his former boss, ex-President John Mahama, could give him a run for hs money: HE used to speak from more sides of his mouth at the same time than Fuseini does. But it is only a matter of degree. Really. Both men have had views to express about the single most stupid act of self-destruction that Ghana is inflicting upon itself galamsey. Here is John Mahama speaking 2014 about what he had seen with his own eyes about the devastation caused by galamsey: I came here [Kyebi] by air and if you see how the land is being destroyed, it saddens me.. But, having said that, he then attacked what he called "the brutal methods" being used by the Task Force his own Government had set up to combat galamsey. After all, the [galamseyers or illegal miners] only want to earn a living, he claimed. Cue in Inusah Fuseini. In an interview conducted by the award-winning film-maker, Edem Srem, for his stunningly graphic exposure of galamsey in the film, Trading Water for Gold, https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=j6qaiPSbZsQ&t=16s Mr Inusah was emphatic that the Ministry he then headed, the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources, was working with other agencies of the state, to bring an end to galamsey because it was so destructive. Cue in Inusah again: The Chinese had tried to bribe him with a scholarship for his daughter to influence him to allow Chinese nationals to continue to engage in galamsey in Ghana. Yet, this same Inusah planted a listening device in his office at the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources and conveniently forgot to remove it when he was transferred from that Ministry. The enormity of that lapse if mere lapse it was was captured by the cry from the heart uttered by his replacement as Minister of Lands and Mineral Resources, Nii Osah Mills, who said he felt that his security was compromised that "...such a device was in my office throughout and I would spend time in the office, sometimes the whole day.....I feel naked!" What was Inusah doing with the bugging device which was not discovered util months after the NPP had assumed office? In any country that is concerned about the security of its national business, Inusah would have been investigated for a possible breach of the secrecy laws of the nation.. But Ghana being Ghana....he has been charged with nothing. Well, he's been fuming at the NPP Government, despite its unconcern about his activities as Minister of listening devices. He has now had the audacity to criticise the NPP Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Mr Peter Amewu, for extending the ban on galamsey for another three months. It is mind-boggling that [the] government has extended the ban by another three months, Inusah said. According to him, initially it was a laudable idea for the Akufo-Addo government to place a ban on illegal mining operations, considering how the environment and water bodies had been destroyed. But, he stated, the extension of the ban was not what had been agreed on. Agreed on? By whom with whom? By the NPP with the NDC? When was such a deal struck? By Peter Amewu with Inusah? Why would Amewu do that? You are puzzled? I told you about how ventriloquists work, didn't I? It's always difficult to get the precise meaning of these magicians, for they are always preoccupied with what Mouth One is saying to Mouth Two and worried in case Mouth Three is unable to maintain the integrity of the trickery they employ in their trade. I cannot fathom the decision of Akufo-Addos government.Is the government seeking to collapse small scale-mining businesses in the country? Fuseini asked on Kumasi-based Abusua FM. I am afraid Inusah Fuseini's attitude is pretty widespread within certain elements of the business community in Ghana. Mention money and everything else goes by the board. In one of Edem Srem's interviews, a woman actually compares the uses of gold with the importance of water! So long as there is no work here and we have no money to pay for our children's education, the gold is more important to us than water," she said. Does such a person not deserve a whipping on the buttocks? In the same film, however, another woman of basically the same background and economic status-- says: I used to boast [at Kyebi] that I was an'Akyenkwaa a onom Birem' (an Akyem-born person who drinks the water of the [clean and pure] Birem River). But now, we drink mud passing for water Or if we have money, we buy saachet water. We have to be clear about this: it is because some people would not stop at anything to make money to provide for their selfish needs that Governments exist all over the world to make laws that prevent the greed of bad people from making life impossible for others. People can make money from Stealing. From Fraud. From becoming highwaymen. From selling prohibited goods. And from armed robbery. And plain-faced murder. The money they obtain from such nefarious enterprises is sometimes used for good purposes. But does that mean that society is wrong to seek to punish such criminals harshly in order to deter others from carrying out such anti-social crimes? Does the fact that a contractor pay tithes to his church entitle him to take government money without doing the work contracted for\|or to inflate the the cost of contracts? The atavistic turn of mind, which makes people equate the source of life on Planet earth water with gold, must be attacked root and branch before it destroys Ghana totally. The comparison is stupid, illiterate, deceptive and morally bankrupt at the same time. Our Constitution-makers recognised this when they made it obligatory for every agreement concerning mineral concessions to be ratified by Parliament before it could be put into operation. That was to safeguard the public welfare against the well-known gross neglect carried out in their operations by miners, big and small. Apparently, Inusah Fuseini does not agree with that provision of the Constitution. But instead of doing the right thing as a politician, i.e. trying to get an amendment to the Constitution passed that would remove the provision, he chose to ignore it by sleight of hand when he was Minister of Lands and Mineral Resources. The dangerous thing is that the precedent of ignoring the Constitution's provisions, once set at the Ministry, was bound to affect the thinking of the Ministry as a body. Even the current Minister, Peter Amewu, seems to have been infected with the anti-constitutional praxis of the Ministry, for he sometimes conveys the idea that small-scale mining can be allowed without prior recourse to Parliament for RATIFICATION. One Minister of the present Government once told me that the struggle against galamsey would be more difficult than the struggle for independence. His reason? The struggle for independence was against a foreign entity (Britain) whereas the struggle to save Ghana from galamsey is a struggle by Ghanaians against Ghanaians THEMSELVES. Ghanaians who deeply will, of course, realise that it is sometimes necessary to inflict physical restraint on one's brother or sister; one's son or daughter; one's nephews and nieces and other persons related to one by very close blood ties, in order to prevent them from harming others and on occasion, even themselves. That is a duty society places on all of us, and which, if we fail to carry out, redounds with evil upon the heads of our entire society as a whole. So soldiers and policemen engaged in Operation Vanguard, please go full steam ahead. Three months or six months; five years or ten years: so long as there are people in this country with murderous minds, ready to destroy our water bodies that will sustain the lives of generations yet unborn, you must not relent in the slightest. The survival of Ghana depends on you, our valiant men in uniform! This is what I wanted to say this week, and Manasseh Azure said it all for me. With his permission, please read on. If you disagree with him/me on any point, please refer to me. I agree entirely with the sentiments he has expressed. Dear President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, On Saturday November 11, 2017, I was stunned by a news item on Joy 99.7FM when I heard your voice in the story. As part of your three-day tour of the Greater Accra Region, you visited some facilities owned by Mr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, a man whose businesses have come up in major corruption scandals in Ghana since 2013. After the news item, a few people called to ask me, Did you hear what the president said about Jospong? The callers expressed their shock and disappointment at your action. As if each of them had consulted the same oracle for words before calling me, they ended on the same note, All politicians are the same! There's no hope for Ghana. On Facebook and Twitter, a good number of people tagged me in the online edition of the widely reported story of your visit to Jospong. On WhatsApp platforms, the sentiments were the same. After I heard the news item and your voice, two words rang in my head dishonesty and ignorance. I have convinced myself to discard the first one because I still have some modicum of trust and respect for your words and the conviction with which you speak them. I convinced myself that the Nana Akufo-Addo I had heard so much about from both politicians and astute lawyers he trained had principles. I convinced myself that he stood for something. To keep hopes alive, I continue to tell myself that THE Nana Akufo-Addo, who spent nearly seven and a half decades of his life building a solid legacy as a purveyor of justice and a champion of the rule of law, would not sink low and undo everything he stood for. For these reasons, I convinced myself that your utterance was, perhaps, as a result of ignorance about the Jospong story. And, please, Mr. President, don't be upset with me for saying you may be ignorant about something you ought to know. I agree with Chinua Achebe when he said that many presidents of the poor world have no clue how the nations they govern really look like. Achebe, in his critical essay, The Trouble with Nigeria writes: Many Presidents, especially Third World Presidents, do not live in their country. One of the penalties of exalted power is loneliness. Harnessed to the trappings of protocol and blockaded by a buffer of grinning courtiers and sycophants, even a good and intelligent leader will begin to forget what the real world looks like. Mr. President, I will pardon you if you did not, and still do not know how Jospong's facilities were selected by your handlers as part of the places you visited in Accra. Flesh and blood cannot reveal this to you. For now, let's just assume it's purely coincidental that Jospong is one business entity that past presidents, from Kufuor to Atta-Mills to Mahama and to your good self did not fail to visit and endorse with your kind words. I know you don't have too much time to solve clueless puzzles so let me settle on exactly what you said that got people talking and disappointed. You're quoted, and I heard you say to the Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Joseph Siaw Agyepong: More grease to your elbow. The contribution you are making to our social life is inestimable. We have to encourage you. When you are at the forefront of doing things, like you are, you will be the subject of controversy. It goes with the territory. I know you a little bit, and I know you are capable of handling it. Stay focused. My President, if I am able to forgive your unpardonable indiscretion of selecting Jospong as one of the places to visit in your tour of Accra, then I see nothing wrong with the first part of your comment. We can assume you were just encouraging a Ghanaian entrepreneur. What I may just add, however, is that there's nothing spectacular about Jospong's achievement. It does not take a genius to get there. Any novice who benefits from dubious government contracts and enjoys the patronizing publicity of praise-singing media, like Jospong has, can achieve this feat and, perhaps, greater. I can, however, not forgive you for the second quote above until you are able to convince me that those disturbing words escaped your mouth because you had a slip of tongue or a slip of mind. My reason for this, and the reasons I consider your visit to Jospong as an unpardonable indiscretion on your part are pretty simple. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and his Jospong Group of Companies are not subjects of controversy because he is at the forefront of doing great or exceptional things. There are many businesses doing great things in Ghana, employing thousands and paying hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes without being in the news for the same reason as Jospong. Mr. President, the man who misses no opportunity to remind his critics that he is a respected Elder of the Church of Pentecost is not a subject of controversy. He is a subject of allegations of corruption. Corruption and controversy are not synonymous, and our elders have taught us that when two proverbs are not the same, one is not used to explain the other. Maybe you went a bit too far in trying to be diplomatic, but the line between an overly diplomatic person and a liar is thinner than the edge of a circumcision blade. As an opposition leader, you and your New Patriotic Party (NPP) campaigned against corruption and cited some of those involving Jospong as grand corruption schemes meant to steal money from the state. Just last week, your Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, mentioned GYEEDA and Subah as some of the corrupt acts by your predecessor, President John Dramani Mahama. For you to meet the man at the centre of these scandals and describe them as controversies that come with being at the forefront of doing things is very unfortunate. When you needed our votes, they were grand acts of corruption. Now that you have the power to deal with them, they are controversies that come with the terrain. There cannot be a clearer definition of double standards, Sir! Jospong is currently a subject of corruption investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of the Republic of Ghana. The Jospong Group is currently a subject of corruption investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service of the Republic of Ghana. The Jospong Group (Zoomlion) is currently a subject of another corruption investigation by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has had the cause to doubt the number of workers presented by Zoomlion for payment and has announced it will embark on a headcount. Mr. President, take any of the Auditor-General's Reports on District Assemblies in this country and you will notice how companies of the Jospong Group come up repeatedly for receiving payment but not doing the work. In 2013, the World Bank banned Zoomlion (the leading brand of the Jospong Group) from bidding for contracts financed by the Bank for two years. The announcement of the ban, which is still on the website of the World Bank, says the ban was imposed on Zoomlion following the company's acknowledgment of misconduct impacting the World Bank-financed Emergency Monrovia Urban Sanitation Project in Liberia. The company paid bribes to facilitate contract execution and processing of invoices. Zoomlion and some of the Jospong companies were named for their roles in the GYEEDA scandal. You may also have heard about the Subah scandal, which also involved a Jospong company. Recently, your government was compelled to cancel the questionable 20-year road-towing contract awarded to a subsidiary of the Jospong Group, Road Safety Management Service Limited. Five companies of the Jospong Group were last year, single sourced to supply waste bins and bin-liners at outrageous prices. For instance, while a piece of bin-liner from the Jospong Group costs less than one cedi, the company was charging the state 67 cedis to supply. The ministry that awarded this contract did not need the bins in the first place. Mr. President, if you speak to your metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, they will tell you that the fumigation exercise for which a chunk of their Common Fund is deducted at source to pay, should be scrapped because the work is poorly executed while some say it is not carried out at all. But while the deductions were being made, Zoomlion got another fumigation contract with the ministry of health, which was targeted at mosquitoes. The assemblies I contacted as part of my investigations said knew of only one spraying exercise and could not differentiate between the MMDAs spraying contract and that of the Ministry of Health. But that was not all. In 2015, ELEVEN companies were handpicked and awarded a third contract to spray public toilets, markets, refuse sites and other public places in some selected assemblies, which were already being taken care of by the assemblies fumigation contract with Zoomlion. The companies were paid over 98 million cedis and they were to do this work for a period of 20 days. Yes, 20 days! The surprising thing is that all the 11 companies belong to the Jospong Group owned by the respected Church of Pentecost Elder, Elder Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the man you told to stay focused. Do you want him to stay focused on these questionable contracts or he should stay focused on receiving 500 cedis per head from the state in respect of the sanitation workers and pay each one 100 cedis and pocket 400 as management fees for each of the 45,000 workers he claims to have? Are you saying he should stay focused and not mind your appointees who are pursuing him? Mr. President, your ministers, security and anti-corruption agencies as well as your appointees inherited contracts and cases of alleged acts of corruption involving the Jospong Group. As to whether they will be able to put their feet on the ground and deal decisively with these issues depends on your body language towards the powerful man at the centre of these allegations. You must send the right signals, especially when many people voted for you because they wanted to see meaningful actions against corruption. Your signal over the weekend, with all due respect, is a bad one. Your endorsement of the man who is currently being probed by EOCO, CHRAJ, the CID and some of your ministries, departments and agencies for alleged acts of corruption and your avowed stance against corruption smacks of double standards. If you call for an agbadza rhythm and go ahead to dance adowa, you confuse the drummers. If the traffic indicator of your moral vehicle signals right and you turn left, you confuse the other road users and can cause fatal accidents. You told Elder Agyepong, I know you a little bit, and I know you are capable of handling it. Jospong may be able to handle it. But you may not be able to handle the shame and disgrace that will follow you to your grave, should you of all people fail this nation. Remember we will hold you to higher standards and stiffer judgment because you came to the presidency riding on the back of a saintly high horse of incorruptibility. If you fail us like your forebears, we will not put the blame on the crooks who see their association with your presidency as a golden opportunity to insure their third and fourth generations against poverty. We will not pardon you on account of ignorance because some of us have vowed to risk our personal comfort and safety to point out to you the true state of affairs of our sordid republic. I am citizen, not a spectator! So I quote for emphasis: More grease to your elbow. The contribution you are making to our social life is inestimable. We have to encourage you. And JOSPONG will continue to contribute significantly to the process of, and the level of corruption in this country. If this is what we are going to applaud in Ghana, then I am off to the Mole Game Park. Ghana. Aha a y d papa. Alius valde week advenio. Another great week to come. By Anamoa Casely-Hayford, [email protected] The Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) has lauded government's initiative to tackle the general sanitation issues of the country. Ghana is losing about $290 million annually due to poor sanitation and $79 million from open defecation, Attah Arhin, Vice Chairman of CONIWAS, stated at a press conference in Accra on Friday. He pledged the coalition's preparedness to work with the sector ministry, agencies and stakeholders as it continues to remind government to ensure that the campaign succeeds. It would be recalled that President Akufo-Addo's launched the National Sanitation Campaign recently to help curb the nation's sanitation challenge. Mr Arhin observed that even though Ghana has made remarkable gains in safe water delivery, same cannot be said about sanitation and hygiene services in the country. Currently, only 15 percent of the Ghanaian population has access to improved toilet facilities that hygienically separate faecal matter from human contact. While over 19 percent of Ghanaians are practising open defecation, 60 percent of the population patronise public latrine. In the process, over 58 percent of solid waste is either crudely or indiscriminately disposed of. About 22,000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated annually and only two percent of this is recycled. The other 21,560 tonnes find its way in the streets and the drains choking the sewage lines, he further disclosed. This practice, Mr Arhin revealed, has negative health implications, including flooding and visiting serious health consequences on society, especially children. He called on both international and local organisations to help fight against such poor sanitation challenges. According to him, expectations for the success of the initiative are very high and proposed the setting up of an authority whose sole responsibility would focus on sanitation issue only. The establishment of a WASH fund with much emphasis on improved sanitation will be an ideal idea, he underscored. The CONIWAS vice chairman explained that capacity building across the country is necessary with the assistance of field officers who will support the enforcement of the by-laws of the assemblies. He advised that over-politicisation of most national issues would not help in dealing with serious problems but only hinder the nation's progress. 21.11.2017 LISTEN The Director of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peace keeping and Training Centre, Dr. Emmanuel Kwesi Anning has reiterated his call for Ghana to adopt a system where political manifestos would be legally binding to ensure that promises made by politicians are fulfilled. Dr Anning said his argument is based on the fact that, elsewhere in world political party manifestos are considered legal document and same must apply in the country. He said this on the Sunyani based radio station, Space FMs Morning Flightshow hosted by Dickson Smith affectionately called DK. Dr. Anning said politics should be based on trust but when the country fails to make its political manifestos legal biding, parties would continue to make wild unattainable promises just to woo people to vote for them only for parties to disappoint them by not fulfilling their promises. According to him, in Ghana, being in opposition is like youre in the wilderness in terms of access to information. He therefore called on leadership to build trust and deepen social contract and the long term nationally agreed development plan. The security analyst was of the view that when there is no trust, people would not believe politicians anymore due to their numerous unfulfilled promises. He further cautioned parliamentarians to be open about how they disseminate information across the house. He noted that even though, there is qualitative improvement in our body politics since 1992 to date, the country should still improve upon it. Dr. Anning called for political parties to draft their manifestos in line with the nationally agreed target, for example forty year development plan. The President of the Association of Graduates in Skill Development popularly known as Unemployment Graduate Association of Ghana, has questioned the sustainability of the President special initiative dubbed Nations Builder Corps initiative which would employ 100,000 unemployed graduates under the programme. Mr. Desmond Bress Biney indicated that he is not convinced of the job security of these unemployed graduates judging from how the policy is going to be implemented as said by the finance minister. The president of the association disclosed this in an interview on Space FM Morning Flight show hosted by Dickson Smith. According to him, even though the policy when implemented would reduce the burden of unemployment in Ghana, its implementation has raised eyebrow. Mr. Bress Biney therefore stressed the need for government to make the guideline policy documents available to the public to clear any doubts about its the implementation. The Finance Minister Hon. Ken Ofori Atta told parliament that the programme falls under the supervision of the office of the president, but the unemployed graduates boss believes if the programme is supervised by the president, it could breed corruption instead of opportunities. He therefore, recommended to the government to strengthen the Youth Employment Agency to absorb the Nations Builder Corps as one of its modules to ensure sustainability. He expressed worry that most often politicians initiate policies only to reduce political pressure which does not guarantee job security for the youth. He however, commended the government for the introduction of One District- One Factory policy which would provide enough jobs for the youth of the country. He therefore urged the government to hasten the implementation of the 1D1F programme. Mr. Biney called on the government agencies and departments to heed to the demands of the association because the huge unemployment rate is a security threat to the country. He underscored the importance of the government to always engage the association for inputs in addressing the unemployment situation in the country. Zimbabwe's parliament prepared to start impeachment proceedings against President Robert Mugabe Tuesday, as ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who could be the country's next leader, told him to step down. Further street protests have been called in Harare, raising fears that the political turmoil could spill over into violence. Mugabe also suffered humiliation on Tuesday when almost no government ministers heeded his call to attend a cabinet meeting at his State House residence, official media reported. The snub piled pressure on the embattled president after Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice president whose removal by Mugabe sparked the military intervention last week, said he would consider returning to Zimbabwe if his safety was guaranteed. Mnangagwa's intervention is his first public move since the army seized control. It comes as lawmakers of Mugabe's once-loyal ZANU-PF party were scheduled to meet in parliament at 1215 GMT to trigger proceedings that could see the president stripped of office. Dozens of protesters gathered near parliament, chanting for Mugabe to resign and brandishing Zimbabwean flags and banners emblazoned with "Mugabe go!". A bubbling factional squabble over the presidential succession erupted two weeks ago when Mugabe fired Mnangagwa. The dismissal put Mugabe's wife Grace in prime position to succeed her 93-year-old husband, prompting the military to step in to block her path to the presidency. After Mnangagwa fled abroad, the army took over the country and placed Mugabe under house arrest -- provoking amazement and delight among many Zimbabweans as his autocratic 37-year reign appeared close to an end. 'Smell the coffee' Mnangagwa -- formerly one of Mugabe's closest allies and a regime hardliner -- said in his statement that Zimbabweans had "clearly demonstrated without violence their insatiable desire" for Mugabe to resign. Mnangagwa, once a Mugabe loyalist, has a reputation for ruthlessness -- his nickname is The Crocodile "It is my appeal to President Mugabe that he should take heed of this clarion call," he said. On Saturday, Zimbabweans attended huge, peaceful anti-Mugabe marches that would have been brutally repressed just weeks ago. The influential war veterans' association appeared to pull back from an earlier call for immediate demonstrations at Mugabe's home, instead threatening further protest action if Mugabe clung on. "Smell the coffee -- your time is gone," War Veterans' association chairman Chris Mutsvangwa said Tuesday. "Intention and action must coincide now. If he doesn't go, we will be calling on the people of Zimbabwe to come out to show him to go." On Monday evening, army chief Constantino Chiwenga told reporters that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent exit deal for the world's oldest head of state. Chiwenga called for patience and calm after elated Zimbabweans were stunned to see the president declaring in a TV address on Sunday that he was still in power. Timeline of the political crisis in Zimbabwe since November 6, 2017 Mugabe is feted in parts of Africa as the continent's last surviving independence leader. He was a key figure in the war for independence and took office as prime minister in 1980, riding a wave of goodwill. His reputation was swiftly tarnished, however, by authoritarianism, rights abuses and economic policies. Most Zimbabweans have known life only under his rule, which has been defined by violent suppression, economic collapse and international isolation. Despite his fragile health, Mugabe had previously said he would stand in elections next year that could have kept him in power until he was nearly 100 years old. Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, has not been seen since the takeover. 'We have the numbers' Zimbabwe's army chief Constantino Chiwenga (C) told reporters that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent exit deal for Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state ZANU-PF lawmakers vowed to remove Mugabe after he missed their weekend deadline to resign. "We have the numbers, the opposition is also going to support us," Vongai Mupereri, a party MP, said. Chris Vandome, an analyst at Chatham House, a London-based think-tank, warned of the rising risk of public unrest. "The longer this goes on for, the more the likelihood of violence increases," Vandome told AFP. Legal experts say impeachment could take weeks and be subject to court appeals. Mugabe is thought to be battling to delay his exit in order to secure a deal that would guarantee protection for him and his family. The army insists it has not carried out a coup, but rather an operation to arrest allegedly corrupt supporters around the Mugabe family. "It might take days and weeks, but Mugabe is on his way out," said Charles Muramba, a 46-year-old bus driver in Harare. 21.11.2017 LISTEN Google Launchpad and Google Play South Africa have been launched 2017 to boost African technology start-ups and develop a unique African design aesthetic. The two initiatives will be based entirely in Africa, including in South Africa, and will offer budding and experienced tech entrepreneurs and designers hands-on and direct access to the Google brain trust, which will help them develop their ideas. Google Launchpad The Google Developers Launchpad Africa Space was opened on 13 November in Lagos, Nigeria. It will interact directly with tech entrepreneurs in that country, as well as offer support and software tools to help build sustainable tech business ideas from the rest of Africa. The Lagos operation is the first of its kind to be established outside the United States. The programme is accepting applications for its first onsite and online courses, beginning in early 2018. Applications are open to tech start-ups with their own seed funding from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Those chosen to participate in the three-month programme will receive more than $3-million (R42m at todays exchange rate) in equity-free support, working space, travel and public relations support, as well as access to Silicon Valley tech business experts over three years. Googles sub-Saharan Africa regional manager, Andy Volk, said Google had been looking for ways to get more involved in African tech businesses for a number of years. With an increasingly favourable tech business climate and a surge of unique technology ideas coming out of the continent, the time was right to begin building business relationships. Anyone who spends time in the African technology space knows that the continent is home to some exciting innovations, Volk told IOL News. [Googles small-scale engagement with African start-ups so far] has been able to tackle everything from healthcare, education and streamlining e-commerce to improving the food supply chain. It was now time, he said, to step that up and open opportunities to more African ideas: We are looking forward to welcoming the first cohort of innovators for Launchpad Africa and continuing to work together to drive innovation in the African market. One example of the Google effect on African tech innovation is the South African start-up Jumo, a financial services platform aimed at emerging markets. The company was the first and so far most successful start-up to go through the Launchpad accelerator. Company founders and some staff attended an intensive two-week boot camp at Google headquarters in California in July 2017. The two weeks were aimed at building the business and developing tools that would increase its footprint in offering easy-to-use financial services on mobile platforms. The company received a $50,000 funding boost, and benefits from ongoing support and mentorship. The Management of the Echoing Hills Village, a non-profit organisation working for persons with disabilities and children with special needs, has called on Churches, Corporate Organisations and Government to support the orphanage to host a Christmas party for the vulnerable on December 16, 2017. The Organisation annually organises Christmas party for individuals with disabilities and children with special needs and as Christmas approaches, we would be grateful if we are supported, said Rev. Lawrence Lamina, Director of the orphanage. In an interview on November 19 when the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Legon branch of the Conference of Society of St. Vincent de Paul, organised a soup Kitchen and donated to the inmates, Rev. Lamina said the continuous support from organisations would help bring smiles in the faces of the inmates. The donation and soup Kitchen was in response to Pope Francis call on Catholics and Parishes all over the world to do charity work on the Year of the Poor which was marked on November 19. The Conference mainly Students and former Students of University of Ghana as well as Adults, led by its President, Mr. Mark Kpovie and Mr. Gabriel Asempa Antwi, Secretary, feted the children and adults of the orphanage with sumptuous jollof and plain rice with chicken and drinks. Rev. Lamina said the orphanage was established in 1994 as one of the facilities to provide rehabilitation and relief services to children with special needs and persons with disability. He said the Village also provide camps and retreats for the deaf and visually impaired and this was aimed at providing life changing opportunities for them. He noted that currently the orphanage has about 100 residents in the facility with some enrolled in formal schools and the rest are given home tuition at the facility. We work to help needy children and orphans and vulnerable children-orphans, missing children, disabled and victims of rape and abuse, he added. He noted that the children resident at Echoing Hills Village has special needs since there were either orphans or highly vulnerable children living on the streets, abandoned or missing. Some, he said, were referred to them by the social Welfare Department and the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) but lamented that the home was not getting any support from the government. He said through their programmes, we help them go to School by covering their fees, uniforms, school supplies, transport, medicare and other school cost. Mr. Mark Kpovie called on Christians to dedicate themselves to the service of the vulnerable to improve their lives to create a sense of belonging. He said the Christian have been endowed with the ability to perceive, appreciate and understand the situation of the vulnerable person, identify their needs, design needed services and facilitate the provision of requisite intervention to bring relief to them. The Minority in Parliament has called on government to withdraw the 2018 budget statement presented to Parliament by the Finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta last week. According to the Minority spokesperson on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, government revised the 2017 budget without Parliamentary approval hence the need for the withdrawal of the 2018 document which contains portions of the previous one. Ato Forson made the comments during the maiden debate on the 2018 budget in the House Tuesday. The minority ahead of the budget debate has described the content of the economic statement as empty. They contend the Nation Builders Corps program, which intends to employ some 100,000 graduates next year, is an extension of the National Service Scheme. Mr. Speaker the said graduates will not take home more than GHC400, this is dangerous. Mr. Speaker that GHC600,000 they intend to fund the programme with is not coming from the government of Ghana. It is going to be taken from the district assembly common fund. Youre going to constrain the district assemblies just for the purpose of funding it. This, in my opinion, is an extension of the national service scheme, he said. Meanwhile, a former finance minister Seth Terkper has described the attempts by government to create jobs for the youth as laudable. In commending the New Patriotic Party government, Mr. Terkper suggested to Morning Starr host Francis Abban, the private sector must not be left out. Its laudable to create jobs but provide incentives for the private sector to create jobs, the immediate past Finance Minister advised. Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Liberia 24TH President The Executive Mansion Capitol Hill, Republic of Liberia November 21, 2017 Ref: PLEASE REMEMBER MADAM PRESIDENT THAT THE SYSTEM YOU INITIATED HAVE LEFT ONE CITIZEN DRAPED IN THE GARMENT OF UNPRODUCTIVITY AND MEDIOCRITY. YOUR SYSTEM IN MY CASE CHOSE IMCOMPETENCE OVER COMPETENCE AND VICTIMIZED SCHOLAR FOR CHEAT. Dear Madam President: Well done for your extraordinary execution as Liberia Most Successful President through my perceptive viewpoint of history however there were traps. Liberally permit me Madam President this little time of for as far back as you can recollect to hear what your system has offered me! I am Daniel Trokon Bestman, a Liberian age 28yrs and a mindful Unity Party aficionado legitimately drafted into the logic of liberal democracy (since 2010). I graduated as Valedictorian from the Ford-Madden Christian Academy, Smythe Road, Oldroad on October 10, 2009 and I came as a Top Candidate in WAEC Division II, I was the lead of eight distinct contenders. In spite of the way that I drove my class as Class Prefect, my School was looked into among the best five performing schools in Liberia (Check the records at WAEC). As Valedictorian my address may have been ''THE ILLS OF EDUCATION IN POST CONFLICT LIBERIA'', in this address I concentrated on that it was legitimate for government to help understudies push to learn since those understudies are nationals of the country and they are the ones who could understand and recognize government hardships. It was from inducing pages of history that I saw lines where government buttressed subjects' push to learn and therefore add to the state. The record of Professor Dew Tuah-Wleh Mason is an ecstatic onlooker to this reference. Imagine my folks have been chastised by the flimsy economy that your system expected to alter in case I have been repaid any of the two stipends ( Check the confirming record of the Inter-Ministerial Scholarship Committee), better still contact Dr. Robert N. Pailey, Miss Rebecca Kwarbo (Employee Civil Service Agency) or Minister George K. Werner they could better still relate to you on this issue. Fast forward, as an understudy whose foundation depended on the pillar of authenticity, I tried the system you began. In 2010 I associated close by fifteen other Liberian youngsters for the Kuwaiti Scholarship, where I ascended as the first and only picked one. Regardless of the way that my name was disseminated on the Executive Mansion site as champ of the Kuwaiti scholarship yet Liberia then Ambassador Konah Blackett settled the straggling leftovers of the story in the negative. Today at my present age I don't have a pitiful higher education. Our checking methodology was screened by a veteran correspondence Expert Dr. Robtel N. Pailey, a 2017 Mo Ibrahim Foundation Leadership Fellow and past Inter-Ministerial Scholarship Director. Up 'til now reflecting in my mind "TELL US WHAT THE POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY IS AND HOW DOES IT RELATES TO YOUR STUDY IN KUWAIT" was the topic I used as a channel to declare my insights how really I would have influenced Liberia. As the story would be with the system so made by you Madam President I was then instructed that the SCHOLARHSHIP fell in. Soldiering for Quality Education in 2012, I again associated for the Lebanese Scholarship where I was created as one of the four Nominees however as it has constantly been, varnished from the thick surface of reality. I WAS DENIED MERIT, ADVANCEMENT AND CONTRIBUTION TO LIBERIA'S SPEEDY GROWTH SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE SYSTEM.AT LEAST I HAD THE MIND TO HELP IN LIBERIA'S TRANSFORMATION BUT YOUR SYSTEM REJECTED ME. Most Revered Partisan, and after that my Socratic story continue with the mind-boggling request, where is the course of action of authenticity? In case Liberia must abound in the light of national flourishing, if she ought to portray her own specific laws and think about her own particular methodologies premium must be put on EDUCATION. With a more significant vitality to offer back to society I took the chalk. In spite of the way that as a child my yearningly masterminded educational future has fallen prey to the SHRINE OF SORROW as the English Writer George Gordon Lord Byron in Don Juan would put it. Forcefully as I had figured by then, now I would have ended up being one of the lead figures to Liberia's change. Suddenly the structure that I have shielded so really from the significance of my conviction to the zenith of my contemplations is the improper epic brute that held me where I am today. What a catastrophe! Because of my rejection by your structure joined with nonattendance of fiscal help I forsook. In this manner the people who couldn't COMPUTE with me academically are now my SUPERIORS, just by virtue of nonappearance of support from government. Any age whose glorifications designs disaster for kids and open successors to Herculean mercilessness is a development in the fortitude of relatives, thusly the educated ones who see their courses of action to open work environments as a way to deal with deplete national vaults are not makers of our history rather they are vulture eating up the tissue of our legends and devouring the pages of our reformist fight. You were right when you said the system of education was messy but what has been done to clean the mess that has smelled on citizen like my sort? Madam President, pretty much your structure rejected me and that expulsion tied me down. It is a consequence of your system dissent to the change I would have used, that is the reason till date I have been surrendered and have lost my compass to the achievable future at my present age. Nursing the thinking of liberal democracy and inclining the standard of economic liberalism as appeared in the qualities of my get-together conviction framework, I have been a lead resonate gathering of Unity Party Propaganda in District #9, Montserrado County, be that as it may I am unrecognized by the National Executive Committee so far I filled in as a dedicated volunteer. Imagine yourself in my condition, what impression would you worked for such a system had you been the loss in me? Envision that you are from gatekeepers who are parallel to direction and additionally are stripped by budgetary hardship, by what method may you twist up Madam President with your choice on the system? While been denied by the system, notwithstanding all I have shared my supposition with respect to a comparative structure (Check: https://frontpageafricaonline.com/index.php/op-ed/2424-erecting-ministerial-complex-a-glory-for-the-sirleaf-led-government ). Till date I have been named as an impression of dissatisfaction by far ahead kin and sisters. Finally, Madam President while it is truth that the issue of my minimization by the system you made is key and worth commenting, it ought to in like manner be understood that there is a gigantic more lost to the difference in the state. At this discerning age starting at now, with the little progression I would have balanced Liberia to the best favorable position of humankind, I would have introduced that justifying Liberian understudies attempts be buttressed since Education of the all-inclusive community is the obligation of government. My dedication may have entered the echelon of the comprehensive Sustainable Development Goals either through headways, representations or advancement. I would have displayed that the as far as anyone knows worsen Ministry of Education scholarship program should not to be the main stage for scholarship rather an Effective Student/Citizen propel program to empower diverse subjects who bear the near misery I am consumed into. Nevertheless, this system reclined me (a pioneer of a whole age) in the stasis of unproductivity and mediocrity. It will interest you to understand that my little foundation from discretionary school has honed me in conveying my points of view formally and coolly. Imagine my little fathom been upheld by a higher education. On the off chance that it's not all that much inconvenience, REMEMBER MADAM PRESIDENT THAT THE SYSTEM YOU INITIATED HAVE LEFT ONE CITIZEN DRAPED IN THE GARMENT OF UNPRODUCTIVITY. YOUR SYSTEM IN MY CASE CHOSE IMCOMPETENCE OVER COMPETENCE AND VICTIMIZED NOBILITY FOR INSTABILITY. Heaven bears witness to this testimony! May this impression of my pathetic condition spike the fiber of your internal voice to rethink elective decisions in remunerating my excellence with merit. May the one and only God grandly secure and pardon you in the midst of and after your Proprietorship. Despite of the impressive number of wounds on the ordinary your execution was noteworthy as a President! At any rate I HAD THE MIND TO HELP IN LIBERIA'S TRANSFORMATION BUT YOUR SYSTEM VETOED ME. As your fervent adherent in high respect I remain concentrated on the blessed standard of the formidable Unity Party. Devotedly yours, Daniel Trokon Bestman [email protected]/0776811809 21.11.2017 LISTEN Independent evaluation shows Train for Tomorrow leading to more teachers using cutting-edge pedagogy Findings come after similar independent study showed pupils in MGCubed programme are reading more words per minute and are one year ahead in numeracy tests compared to their peers Varkey Foundation also opens five new studios to further enhance its programmes and assist in scaling up teacher training across the country New independent evaluation shows the huge impact an innovative distance-learning teacher training programme in Ghana is having on the quality of teaching practices. Train for Tomorrow, run by the Varkey Foundation, the education charity, and funded through a $2 million USD grant from Dubai Cares, is sub-Saharan Africas first live two-way interactive distance learning teacher training programme. Since August 2015, 40 hub schools have been provided with solar powered and satellite-enabled video-link equipment, allowing highly qualified master trainers in Accra to conduct regular interactive training sessions that focus on best practice teaching methods, including group work, critical thinking, the use of higher order thinking skills, reflection and analysis techniques that deliver better quality educational outcomes. The head teachers and school leaders who participate in these sessions then go back to their own schools and repeat the training for the other teachers in their schools, reaching nearly 5,000 teachers and 90,000 students. The independent evaluation, by Dalberg Global Development Associates, shows that teachers going through Train for Tomorrow showed a statistically significant improvement in instructional performance, including: Wave 1 teachers[1] in the 40 hub schools improved their scores on Direct Classroom Observations of their use of the improved teaching techniques by 38%, and Wave 2 and Wave 3 teachers[2] by a huge 137%; The percentage of Wave 2 and 3 teachers who encouraged cooperative learning which enhances retention of learning through groupwork increased from 13% in the baseline analysis to 60%; Train for Tomorrow teachers are also more likely than other teachers to explain to students what they will be learning during a lesson and why; are more likely to be aware of the individual needs and students; and to provide a safer learning environment (physical and verbal threats can be a significant issue in many Ghanaian schools). All these have been shown to have a dramatic effect on a pupils ability to learn. Programmes like Train for Tomorrow are vital because so many Ghanaian teachers have not been formally trained to teach. According to 2014/15 figures from the Ghanaian Ministry of Education, almost 63,000 (45 per cent) of the 138,928 working primary school teachers were untrained, as were 31,208 (30 per cent) of the 103,358 junior high school teachers. There is also a significant lack of in-service teacher training, so even those who have been trained initially are not able to update their knowledge and skills regularly. The quality of teaching is also important due to the high numbers of children in sub-Saharan Africa either out of school completely, or dropping out of education higher quality teaching is more likely to inspire children to attend school. According to UNESCO, there were 413,314 out-of-school children in Ghana in 2014. Train for Tomorrow therefore sets out to transform the experiences of both pupils and teachers by raising the quality of classroom instruction. VikasPota, CEO of the Varkey Foundation, said: The results of this independent evaluation clearly demonstrate that pioneering edtech can improve learning in parts of the world that are often off the power grid, have limited access to the internet and have few resources to share. I hope it encourages investors to come forward and support similar projects and also inspire entrepreneurs to come forward with fresh tech ideas that are hardy enough to improve education in parts of the world that need their help most. We would like to acknowledge Dubai Cares for funding this programme as well as the contributions of everyone associated with making it a success, including all the teachers that have gone through the training and cascaded learning to their schools, the Girls Education Unit and the Ministry of Education. Speaking about the benefits of Train for Tomorrow, Mr. Isaac Affoh, headmaster of Bosovilla Presbyterian Basic School, said: Our classrooms are now modernised and have become very conducive for teaching and learning. Teachers enjoy lessons as much as pupils and academic performance is improving steadily, thanks to the Varkey Foundations Train for Tomorrow project. His Excellency Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares, said: We believe that teacher training is the cornerstone of ensuring quality education. We also value and invest in innovative solutions aimed at eliminating obstacles that prevent children from having access to quality education. With Train for Tomorrow, our aim is to improve the quality of teaching, and create a positive teaching and learning experience for children in Ghana, through an innovative program model by utilizing technology. The learnings from the final evaluation of the program which has concluded, will contribute to the growing evidence surrounding teacher training modalities, helping strengthen the design and delivery of teacher training programs in developing countries. In addition to the independent evaluation of the programme, Varkey Foundation monitoring during summer 2016 found that: Nine in 10 Instructional Leaders (teachers that undergo the initial training from the master trainers in Accra, and cascade it through their schools) had changed their way of teaching since undergoing Train for Tomorrow; Eight in 10 Instructional Leaders indicated a change in pupil attitude since starting Train for Tomorrow; Seven in 10 Wave 3 teachers had changed their way of teaching since starting Train for Tomorrow; 74 per cent of teachers were communication lesson objectives (important for setting pupils expectations and helping facilitate achievement). The findingson Train for Tomorrow come shortly after a similar independent evaluation of another interactive distance-learning programme that is aimed directly at pupils. Making Ghanaian Girls Great! (MGCubed), a three-year pilot project funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and run by the Varkey Foundation, is the first project in the country to use interactive distance learning technology to deliver Maths and English lessons daily to 10,000 girls (and boys) in 72 government schools in some of the most deprived communities. The schools are equipped with solar panels and a satellite connection in order to link with live broadcasts of lessons from highly-qualified teachers, using internationally-approved teaching methods, from a studio in Accra. Independent evaluation of MGCubed conducted by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), published in August, showed the model has had a significant impact on increasing literacy and numeracy skills among marginalisedgirls and boys. In literacy tests, MGCubed students were able to read between 3.21-3.74 more words per minute than those in regular classes; and in numeracy tests MGCubed teaching was found to increase average scores by the equivalent of one school year. The Varkey Foundation last month also opened new studios to enable it to continue to deliver its high quality interactive distance learning programmes. Whereas the programmes initially operated from three studios, a move to new offices means the Foundation has increased the number of studios to five.As well being larger, theyve also been fitted with the latest technology to help the Foundation to continue to deliver high quality education and training to children and teachers across the country. Zimbabwe's parliament on Tuesday began debating impeachment proceedings against President Robert Mugabe, the country's sole leader since independence 37 years ago. As the 93-year-old autocrat faced intensifying pressure to quit, southern Africa's regional bloc announced it was dispatching the presidents of Angola and South Africa to Harare to discuss the crisis. Lawmakers began the historic impeachment debate shortly after ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who could be the country's next leader, told the 93-year-old Mugabe to step down. Mnangagwa, formerly one of Mugabe's closest allies, said in a statement that Zimbabweans had "clearly demonstrated without violence their insatiable desire" for Mugabe to resign. "It is my appeal to President Mugabe that he should take heed of this clarion call," he said. Parliament speaker Jacob Mubenda authorised a joint session of the House of Assembly and the Senate to debate a motion to impeach the man who is the only leader most Zimbabweans have ever known. "This motion is unprecedented in the history of post-independence Zimbabwe," he declared. The parliamentary procedure needed to remove Mugabe is long and complex. Legislators decided to postpone the sitting until 1430 GMT and to move to a larger venue. There were tense protests outside parliament as hundreds of demonstrators -- from rival political parties -- shouted for Mugabe to go. Activists hung brightly coloured postcards with political demands on lines strung between trees in a park near to parliament. "Rename Robert Mugabe Road" said one, "free elections, no to police brutality" said another. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said between the sessions that his party supports impeaching the president. A bubbling factional squabble over the presidential succession erupted two weeks ago when Mugabe fired Mnangagwa. The dismissal put Mugabe's wife Grace in prime position to succeed her ageing husband, prompting the military to step in to block her path to the presidency. After Mnangagwa fled abroad, the army took over the country and placed Mugabe under house arrest -- provoking amazement and delight among many Zimbabweans as his autocratic reign appeared close to an end. 'Smell the coffee' Mugabe suffered further humiliation on Tuesday when almost no government ministers heeded his call to attend a cabinet meeting at his State House residence, official media reported. Ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, once a Mugabe loyalist and now touted as his successor, has a reputation for ruthlessness -- his nickname is The Crocodile On Saturday, Zimbabweans attended huge, peaceful anti-Mugabe marches that would have been brutally repressed just weeks ago. The influential war veterans' association on Tuesday threatened further protest action if Mugabe clung on. "Smell the coffee -- your time is gone," War Veterans' association chairman Chris Mutsvangwa said. In Luanda, the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) announced it was sending two high-powered envoys to Zimbabwe -- Angolan President Joao Lourenco and South African President Jacob Zuma. Zuma has particular clout, both as SADC's current chair and as president of Zimbabwe's powerful neighbour. SADC's intervention came after army chief Constantino Chiwenga told reporters late Monday that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent exit deal for Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state. He also called for patience and calm after Zimbabweans were stunned to see the president declaring in a TV address on Sunday that he was still in power. Mugabe is feted in parts of Africa as the continent's last surviving independence leader, having played a key role in the liberation struggle and becoming prime minister in 1980 on a wave of goodwill. Profile of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe His reputation was swiftly tarnished, however, by authoritarianism, rights abuses and economic policies. His rule has been defined by economic collapse and international isolation. Despite his fragile health, Mugabe had previously said he would stand in elections next year that could have kept him in power until he was nearly 100 years old. Mugabe's wife Grace, 52, has not been seen since the takeover. 'We have the numbers' Zimbabwe's army chief Constantino Chiwenga (C) told reporters that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent exit deal for Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state Chris Vandome, an analyst at Chatham House, a London-based think-tank, warned of the rising risk of public unrest. "The longer this goes on for, the more the likelihood of violence increases," Vandome told AFP. Legal experts say impeachment could take weeks and be subject to court appeals. Mugabe is thought to be battling to delay his exit in order to secure a deal that would guarantee protection for him and his family. The army insists it has not carried out a coup, but rather an operation to arrest allegedly corrupt supporters around the Mugabe family. "It might take days and weeks, but Mugabe is on his way out," said Charles Muramba, a 46-year-old bus driver in Harare. The United Nations said Tuesday that Sudan had to disarm militias in Darfur before those displaced by the conflict could return home, rebutting a push by President Omar al-Bashir to close the camps. Bashir, indicted for genocide and war crimes related to the Darfur conflict, said earlier this month that the crisis in the region had ended and that it was time to shut camps hosting hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs). But in a new report, the UN human rights office and African Union mission in Darfur indicated that Bashir's call was premature. In a statement, the rights office urged Khartoum "to carry out a prompt and comprehensive disarmament of armed militias to create an enabling and safe environment for internally displaced people to return". Any moves to close camps needed to include the input of those displaced, many of whom likely do not feel ready to leave, the UN said. "I urge the Government to address fundamental issues that are preventing the return of displaced people, such as continued violence, including from armed militias," UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein said in a statement. Even though a 2016 ceasefire is largely holding, violence against those forced from their homes has persisted, the report said. In most of the 66 camps across Darfur, the UN and AU have documented continuing incidents of shooting, rape and other abuses, it added. Bashir, who is wanted by The Hague-based International Criminal Court, has insisted that Darfur has "recovered" and that the government does not "want any more IDPs". He accused international humanitarian organisations of exploiting Darfur's people to raise money. The conflict in Darfur broke out in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of marginalising the region economically and politically. The UN says the conflict has killed about 300,000 people and displaced more than 2.5 million, most of whom still live in large camps. Bashir denies committing war crimes and genocide in Darfur. The Agricultural sector in Ghana has over the past ten months been at the forefront of Ghana's economy after witnessing eight years of decline. After consistent decline, the agricultural sector recorded a massive growth of 4.3% this year, according to the 2018 Budget Statement presented to Parliament on Wednesday by the Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta. This significant achievement of the sector has largely been attributed to the roll out of the Government's flagship Planting for Food and Jobs campaign. The campaign was envisioned by the President, His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo and initiated by the Sector Minister, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, to support smallholder farmers by providing them with subsidized inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizers, free extension services and ready markets for their produce. Not only has the programme generated interest from domestic but it has also received international commendations from leading figures, with the latest coming from the President of the African Development Bank(AfDB) Dr. Akinwumi Adesina. The President of the AfDB, who was delivering his first major public speech after receiving "The World Food Prize Award" in October this year, singled out the Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, for commendation. Dr. Adesina was addressing participants including Food and Agriculture Ministers from selected countries during the 2017 edition of the SARA Exhibition held in the Ivorian, Abidjan. The President of the AfDB whose speech highlighted the need for African to adopt technology and mechanization to ensure food security commended the Food and Agriculture Minister of Ghana for his commitment towards tackling food security and improving the socio-economic condition of farmers through the PFJ programme. According to him, the commitment and dexterity exhibited by the Minister towards arresting the declining fortunes of agriculture in Ghana, deserves to be commended. "We have gathered here today discussing how to improve the fortunes of agriculture in Ghana and I must commend the Food and Agriculture Minister of Ghana who is here with us," He noted, adding that Hon. Dr. Afriyie Akoto was doing wonderfully well to revive his country's Agriculture with the laudable Planting for Food and Jobs(PFJ) campaign. As a brainchild of the Minister, the PFJ campaign hinges on five main pillars; provision of improved seeds, fertilizer, extension services, access to marketing and application of ICT in the implementation of the programme. A successful implementation of the pilot phase of the programme saw a little over 200,000 farmers across the 216 districts benefiting from the huge subsidy offered by government. Apart from the increase in food production which is likely to reduce the huge bills accrued every year as a result of the importation of basic food items, nearly 800,000 jobs have also been created through direct production and along the value chain Meanwhile, adequate provision has been made in the 2018 budget to cover half a million as the Ministry seeks to expand the campaign in the coming crop season. Amongst the strategy, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is encouraging the participation of Chiefs (One Chief, One Farm), educational institutions (Food Farms for Schools), Corporate bodies and the general public through urban and peri-urban farming. The expansion also forms part of moves by the Ministry to explore fertile and arable lands in the Afram Plains and Fufulso- Sawla Valleys. Additionally, the Ministry is also set to implement the ambitious Marshall Plan, a comprehensive strategy that seeks address challenges confronting the agricultural sector such as infrastructure, agric financing, agro-processing, agribusiness amongst others. Hundreds of school Pupils in the Cape Coast Metropolis on Sunday defied their usual church service and marched through the principal streets to re-echo the need to end the menace of open defecation. Supervised by dozens of teachers dressed in white T-Shirts and Blue Jeans, they marched from the forecourt of the Cape Coast Castle through Gyegyem, Brofoyedur and Amissaekyir and converged at the Trinity Methodist Church at Amanful. Wearing their uniforms and outing dresses, the pupils distributed flyers and held placards some of which read "Toilet should be accessible to children, Ghana needs national policy on open defecation, Over 3,600 children in Ghana die from poor sanitation, Make toilet an individual priority", among others. The accompanying brass band music drew scores of people to join them while other on-lookers lined up to catch a glimpse. The March formed part of activities marking the World Toilet Day, set aside by the United Nations (UN) for countries to undertake various advocacy and awareness raising activities to remind citizens of the need to own and use hygienic toilets in their homes. The commemoration in the Cape Coast Metropolis was aimed at reaching out to low income urban communities to mobilise people to support the toilet campaign, says Mr Idrisu Saani, Environmental Health Officer of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA). He described the sanitation situation in the Metropolis as "disgusting" saying it needed collective efforts to remedy the situation. According to him, open defecation costs Ghana over 79 million dollars a year and therefore urged all to support Government to sustain the campaign against open defecation, adding that resources for the campaign needed to be allocated to where they were most needed. The CCMA Environmental Officer said the Assembly had resolved to develop low-cost and environmentally-friendly household toilets to help end open defecation in the area. He indicated that the 'Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Sanitation could once again be missed if desirable, environmentally-friendly and affordable toilet technologies were not developed and promoted for use among inhabitants in rural, peri-urban and the urban areas'. The goal was to radically increase access to household facilities across the Municipality, especially in the slums and rural communities. Ghanaians must build, own and use improved toilet facilities at home as a means to ending open defecation, he stressed adding that 'We want our people and institutions to understand that the moment somebody practices open defecation everybody's life is endangered". Mr Samuel Agyekum, Sarpong Programmes Manager of ProNet, described the Metropolis as the tourism hub of the Region and so the people should ensure tidy surroundings always. He said, a clean country would attract investors who would contribute greatly to its socio-economic growth. The lack of toilet facilities in homes and schools, he noted, could compound the sanitation challenges confronting the country as environmental challenges was fast becoming endemic hence the urgent need to decisively deal with them. 21.11.2017 LISTEN Cape Coast, Nov. 21, GNA - Mr Felix Agyei Amakye, Lecturer at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) has urged Government to make conscious effort to engage all stakeholders to solicit their input in the creation of new District Assemblies. He called for great care in carrying out the exercise so that it did not arouse sectional emotions and satisfied parochial interests. Mr Amakye gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a day's stakeholders forum to educate the various decentralised departments of the district assemblies and how it functioned. The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in collaboration with the Inter-Ministerial Co-ordinating Committee on Decentralisation and the Institute of Local Government Studies (MLGRD). Mr Amakye urged government to also take into consideration the availability of economic activities, such as farming, mining and weekly or daily markets from which revenue could be derived He said, that would help reduce the spate of petitions and grievances that had over the years characterised the creation of new districts and constituencies in the country. Additionally, the engagements would help foster a common understanding and mutual co-operation so that concerns of stakeholders would be amicably addressed. In attendance were officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Community Development and Social Welfare Department (CDSWD) of all the 20 Assemblies in the Central Region. On the criteria for demarcation of boundaries, he said besides the element of population, the Local Government Act, 2016, (Act 963) took into account geographical considerations and economic viability with the ability of an area to provide the basic infrastructural and other developmental needs from the monetary and other resources generated in the area. "The criteria for the demarcation of new administrative and electoral boundaries will be based on population, economic viability and existing basic infrastructure' Mr Amakye said demarcation of physical boundaries would eliminate disputes and pave way for both government and NGOs to implement national and local specific policies and programmes towards the development of such designated areas to stimulate national development. Touching on the emergency of the various decentralized Departments under the assemblies, he explained that it would drastically eliminate duplication of functions between agencies at the sub-national level, relieve managers at the centre of routine tasks and simplify complex bureaucratic procedures, transfer competence and ensure rational use of existing limited human resources. It would also enhance close relationship and inter-relationship between the agencies being merged and create synergy, provide environment for the exchange of ideas and skills by personnel who hitherto had been operating within the confines of their separate entities. Mr Jonathan Azasoo, a Deputy Director at the National Development Planning Commission, explained that the new Act 936 was passed to replace Act 462 because it contained limitations, inconsistencies, duplication and conflicts, which made the work of the assemblies difficult. He said the new Act 936 was merged with five different Acts after a vigorous reviewed process was made on those Acts and urged all the various decentralised departments to acquaint themselves with Act to enable them function effectively. He noted that there would be conflicting roles that would make the work of the assembly difficult if they were not abreast of the Act. At least 50 people were killed on Tuesday when a teenage suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque in northeast Nigeria, police said, in an attack blamed on Boko Haram jihadists. The blast happened during early morning prayers at the Madina mosque in the Unguwar Shuwa area of Mubi, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) by road from the Adamawa state capital Yola. It was the biggest attack in Adamawa since December 2016, when two female suicide bombers killed 45 people at a crowded market in the town of Madagali. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, who announced nearly two years ago that Boko Haram was "technically defeated", described the blast as "very cruel and dastardly". Security analysts said it again underlined the threat posed by the Islamic State group affiliate, despite an overall decline in deaths from attacks by the group last year. Military and civilian militia sources in the northeast said the attack was likely to have been in response to recent increased ground and air operations against Boko Haram. Adamawa state police spokesman Othman Abubakar told AFP that "at least 50" people were killed in the Mubi attack, which saw the bomber detonate his explosives among worshippers. "The bomber was about 17 years old," he added later. Asked who was responsible, Abubakar said: "We all know the trend. We don't suspect anyone specifically but we know those behind such kind of attacks." Roof blown off The attack in Mubi, Nigeria, was the biggest in the state of Adamawa since December 2016 The attack bore all the hallmarks of Boko Haram, the Islamist militants whose insurgency has left at least 20,000 people dead and more than 2.6 million others homeless since 2009. Abubakar Sule, who lives near the mosque, said he was present during the rescue operation and that 40 people died on the spot while several others were taken to hospital with severe and life-threatening injuries. "The roof was blown off. People near the mosque said the prayer was mid-way when the bomber, who was obviously in the congregation, detonated his explosives. "This is obviously the work of Boko Haram." Yan St-Pierre, a counter-terrorism specialist at the Modern Security Consulting Group in Berlin, said the bombing was part of a pattern of increasingly lethal strikes in the last four weeks. Boko Haram fighters are also said to be hiding in the Mandara mountains, to the east of Adamawa state, which forms the border with neighbouring Cameroon The latest Global Terrorism Index, published last week, said that deaths attributed to Boko Haram in 2016 fell by 80 percent. But St-Pierre said despite this "Boko Haram remains an extremely potent and dangerous organisation" which was far from being "on the back foot", as the military and government has claimed. A civilian militia source embedded with the military told AFP the attack was likely to have been to "shore up morale" after a series of recent losses in the remote region. On November 19, Boko Haram bases in the Njimiya, Parisa and Gulumba areas near the Sambisa Forest of Borno state were hit by air strikes, leading to "heavy losses", he claimed. This could also explain two videos put out on social media by Boko Haram in the last week, purporting to show its fighters in combat and dead Nigerian soldiers, he added. A military source in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, said there had been more aerial offensives in the Marte, Kukawa, Monguno and Abadam areas of northern Borno. "They are feeling the heat. They have lost a staggering number of fighters, so they are now fighting back in their usual dastardly way, attacking civilians," he said. 'Operational presence' Boko Haram briefly overran Mubi in late 2014 as its fighters rampaged across northeastern Nigeria, seizing towns and villages in its quest to establish a hardline Islamic state. The town's name was changed temporarily to Madinatul Islam, or "City of Islam" in Arabic, during the brief Boko Haram occupation. But it has been peaceful since the military and the civilian militia ousted them from the town, which is a commercial hub and home to the Adamawa State University. In recent months, Boko Haram activity has been concentrated around Madagali, in the far north of Adamawa near the border with Borno. There have been repeated raids and suicide bombings, blamed on Boko Haram remnants pushed out of their camps in the Sambisa Forest. Boko Haram fighters are also said to be hiding in the Mandara mountains, which forms the border of Adamawa and Nigeria with neighbouring Cameroon, where there has also been more attacks. Ryan Cummings, from security analysts Signal Risk, said the attack suggests Boko Haram "has an active operational presence in Adamawa" and retained the capacity to hit hard. "It appears that despite open calls for Boko Haram to desist in such acts of mass violence against Muslim civilian interests, that these have not been heeded," he added. My heart sank, when I read media reports about a recent press conference held at the Ghana International Press Centre, which was said to have been organised by the civil society organisation, Coalition for Democratic Governace (CDG) that apparently ended in a near-brawl. And when I learned that the Exton Cubic Group's PR manager, Mr. Samuel Gyamfi - who earned my respect for his masterful performance in handling the company's response to the cancellation of its bauxite prospecting license at Nyinahin - had lost his temper and nearly manhandled the deputy communications minister, Hon. George Andah, as he rebutted the CDG's claims that the Ghana Post digital addressing system amounted to a fraud, I became alarmed and deeply disappointed. Does the erudite Mr. Samuel Gyamfi not realise the harm being a prominent member of a patently pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) civil society organisation does to the image and cause of the company he works for? He would be wise to focus on his PR job with the Exton Cubic Group instead of playing politics with a political party with a severely damaged brand that the NDC of today represents. Hmm, Oman Ghana - eyeasem o: asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa. But I digress. For the sake of all our people, those who criticise government policies ought always to offer better alternatives that will help move our nation forward. The question is: What national digital addressing system does the CDG's Mr. Kingsley Morton and his friends propose that Ghana should adopt in place of the Ghana Post one as their much better alternative, one wonders? For example, as it happens, even as we speak, Koforidua's All Nations University College has a satellite in space. Are the many high-tech 'experts' busy pontificating on this particular matter aware of its existence and the significance of the fact that it flies regularly over our homeland Ghana as it orbits the planet Earth? Ebeeii. Hmm... The question there is: Instead of politicians fighting one another, why don't they rather think of how as a people we can leverage that satellite to better Ghanaian society, in all spheres of our national life - including underpinning a national digital addressing system with data from that valuable high-tech platform in space? Finally, one's humble advice to our nation's political class: Democracy is not only just about institutions and constitutional concepts such as seperation of powers, and the checks and balances resulting from that, which are designed to prevent tyranny from emerging once again in Ghana. For their information, above all, democracy is also a way of life, which is actually based on tolerance. Both the NPP/NDC duopoly's many decent-minded moderates owe it to Ghanaian society to control the intolerant extremists in their midst - lest their foolish rivalry tips Ghana over the precipice: and turns our lives upside down. Haaba. 21.11.2017 LISTEN The Ghana Chamber of Mines is leading the digital agenda and raising the status quo in corporate governance with the introduction of an online portal that will provide copious information to the industry players and particularly serve as a reference point for investors in other sectors of the economy. The Chamber as part of its effort to commemorate the Local Content Day has created the digital platform ( www.ghanachamberofmines.org ) to communicate and disseminate the opportunities available to local businesses and bring more visibility into the value chain of the mining industry. Speaking at the ceremony, the President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor said the online portal will provide in-depth information on mining inputs for local manufacturers and suppliers to the industry. He noted that the portal will support potential investors and local entrepreneurs who can provide these inputs with up-to-date and specific information to prop up the implementation of the local content policy for mining industry. Mr. Addo-Kufuor indicated that the Chamber appreciates that by supporting local manufacturing and supply of goods and services they enhance Ghanas efforts to quicken the pace of industrialization, economic growth and job creation. Members of the Ghana Chamber of Mines have established a proven (but not well advertised) track-record in supporting indigenous businesses to participate in critical areas of our value chain. We are proud to have been part of the success stories of households names such as Carmeuse Lime Products Ghana, Wafor a leading producer of steel balls for the industry, Zen Petroleum and Interplast to name a few, he emphasized. The President of the Chamber stressed that the Chamber has at various times taken voluntary initiatives to promote in-country expenditure on mining inputs such as fabrication of critical components of plant, machinery & equipment and engineering services. According to him, more needs to be done to enhance the local participation in the value chain of the mining industry hence the continuous collaboration between Minerals Commission and the Chamber to increase the quantum of goods and services we have but locally. The Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) and the Minerals and Mining General Regulations (2012), LI 2173 require, among other things, that mining companies procure inputs from Ghana to the maximum extent possible consistent with various economic and technical parameters. The collaboration initially identified eight mining inputs; the list has now grown to 19 with proposals for additional items. Included are items for which Ghana has a natural competitive advantage for production because of the abundance of raw materials examples of these are caustic soda and activated carbon, he intimated. Members of the National Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) led by their Chairman, Kofi Poturphy on Tuesday paid a visit to The Multimedia Group to commiserate with them following the sudden death of one of its star presenters, Kwadwo Asare Baffuor Acheampong. Briefing the management and staff of the company, the General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia praised the late host of popular afternoon political talk show, Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM, for his professional and objective handling of the programme. He described KABA as one who will be difficult to replace and encouraged the staff to be strong in such a difficult time. Mr. Asiedu Nketia pledged the NDCs support for the funeral arrangements to ensure the late broadcaster is given a befitting burial. Management announced to the delegation that, a ceremony to observe the one week of KABAs passing on Saturday, November 25 at the premises of The Multimedia Group, Kokomemle, Accra, where the family will put out dates for the funeral and burial activities. They later took turns to sign the book of condolence opened at the front desk of Multimedia, in memory of KABA. The delegation then left for the Abeka residence of KABA, to also console the widow, Valentina Asare Baffour as well as their seven-month-old baby girl, Nana Yaa. General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress signs book of condolence on behalf of his party Chief Biney, (left) member of the NDC Communication team and a colleague Mr Sammy Yirenkyi exchange greatings with the delegation National Chairman of the NDC Mr Kofi Porturfy,(left) Vice Chairman Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Mr Solomon Nkansah, a member of NDC Communication team Joy News Managing Editor Elvis Kwashie leads Multimedia staff to welcome the NDC delegation Mr Porturfy shakes hand a member of the delegation Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com US forces conducted an air strike against the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shabaab group in Somalia on Tuesday, killing more than 100 jihadists, military officials said. "In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, US forces conducted an air strike in Somalia against an al-Shabaab camp on Tuesday, November 21 at approximately 10:30 am local Somalia time (0730 GMT), killing more than 100 militants," the US Africa Command said in a statement. The operation occurred 125 miles (200 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Mogadishu. The US military has in recent months upped the tempo of its operations in Somalia, conducting a growing number of drone strikes against Shabaab and other jihadists. On November 13, the Pentagon said US forces had killed 40 Shabaab and Islamic State fighters in a series of Somalia strikes over several days. The surge in US operations came after President Donald Trump in March loosened the constraints on the US military to take actions against alleged terrorists when they judge it is needed, without seeking specific White House approval. Blockchain powered company Power Ledger (POWR) has had a remarkable weekend, rising 116%. There was no one reason for this, but a combination of factors is working in their favour. Supported by the federal government to the tune of $8 million dollars, the company is chaired by the deputy lord mayor of Perth, Dr Jemma Green. Power Ledger aims to digitise the use of energy. The company has developed a peer to peer platform that will dramatically lower energy prices. This will be done by creating microgrids to support the main grids. Focusing on water and electricity. This may seem complex. But in reality its incredibly common sense. Peer to Peer Traded Energy Imagine a neighbourhood all equipped with solar panels. These houses could produce, store, and trade electricity based on need. Some houses would need extra, and some would have excess. A return to simple bartering, and a shared sense of community. A fanciful as this seems, there is no need to imagine. The trials have already begun. In combination with Origin Energy a three month pilot is currently being conducted. It commenced in October, and is set to be completed by the end of December. Results of the trial will arrive in the coming weeks. Power Ledgers David Martin had this to say about the trial with Origin Energy: Peer-to-peer energy trading presents an opportunity to unlock enormous value for consumers, it disintermediates the energy supply model putting consumers in direct contact with other consumers. The city of Fremantle is also about to undertake a live test involving 80 houses. The ground-breaking technology does not want to compete with the main electricity networks. Not at all. Ideally they will act as microgrids that can work independently or in support of the major grids. A support layer. Now in a country like Australia, this is great because we can lower our energy bills. But imagine the benefits to the third world, where 79% dont have access to electricity. Free Report: Could The Next Bitcoin Make You Rich? Dont miss out! Download now. Enormous Benefits to the Third World Electricity is the basic building block of modern society. Your first thought might be on our reliance to the internet. However without electricity you have no ability to store food, vaccines or medicines. If you cant store food, getting food and water becomes the core duty of your day. Even worse if you cant access basic medication. Energy poverty effects two billion people worldwide. Lack of electricity in Africa remains one of the biggest barriers to the regions development and prosperity, and continues to trap millions of people in extreme poverty. This is the opinion of ONE, an international group looking to relieve extreme poverty. Situations like this are where microgrids of electricity could really make an impact. Power Ledgers David Martin has been in India in the last week discussing this very topic. These meetings have been held with Tech Mahindra, an Indian Multinational IT company. Trialling in India is a major opportunity to change the way communitys source the energy required to take part in a modern global economy, he said. A 12 month trial is expected to commence shortly within the Tech Mahindra campuses. Power Ledger Price Power Ledger (POWR) price is up 117% this week, and 509% for the month. It can be bought from CoinSpot or Bittrex trading platforms. Its currently trading at 65 Australian cents. Regards, Dion Dalton-Bridges, Junior Analyst, Money Morning PS: To find out more about the secret world of bitcoin, click here. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Review of CI.133 will aid in ... 2.6 million Nepalis still lack toilet A total of 2.6 million Nepalis, nine percent of the countrys total population, still do not have access to toilets and are left with no choice but to defecate out in the open, according to the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS). Bomb goes off at State Minister Khadka's house A bomb exploded at the house of Minister of State for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Champa Devi Khadka, at Baglung municipality-2 on Monday night. Border voters demand more police in their towns and villages Voters living near Nepal-India border in Morang Constituency-5 want law and order in their towns and villages. They have been asking every election candidate visiting their localities and doorsteps for vote canvassing to fulfil this one singular request of theirs. Deborah Samson new TC Library Director View Photos Sonora, CA The Tuolumne County Supervisors have hired a new person to head up its libraries. Deborah Samson was unanimously voted in as the new Library Director at todays board meeting. The position has been vacant for the past several years but the funding was restored this year. Samson told the board, I just want to express my gratitude to the board for approving meI am very excited to be here and start working for the education and literacy of the community. Touting Samsons 22 years of experience, Assistant County Administrator Tracie Riggs expressed to the board Samsons high praise from past employers, stating, Each one of them said that she was very ethical, honest and extremely dedicated. Riggs indicated they also acknowledged that no matter what was taking place within the library she was always calm, friendly and professional. Samson has worked as a library page, managed branches and been a director in the past with her most recent position at a library in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Riggs notes Samson had recently moved to Sonora as her husband had taken a job at a local business. Today is Samsons first day on the job. Her annual salary is $77,823. By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Politics 2018 Democrats Should Aim To Replace An Even 100 GOP Congressmembers [Down with Tyranny]. Now, if Pelosi would just tell the DCCC to stop recruiting more Blue Dogs and New Dems, things will be a lot less complicated for the party going forward. But that isnt going to happen. Of the 11 candidates for 2018 that the DCCC has thus far officially endorsed, at least 8 are from the Republican wing of the party gun freak and New Dem Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ), Blue Dog Brendan Kelly (IL), Blue Dog Paul Davis (KS), New Dem Elissa Slotkin (MI), New Dem Angie Craig (MN), Blue Dog Dan McCready (NC) and Blue Dog Anthony Brindisi (NY). And, although neither Jason Crow (CO) nor Susie Lee (NV) has been officially endorsed by either the New Dems nor Blue Dogs yet, I know that stink of Republicanism emanating from both of them. 2017 [Alabamas] top election official Monday said he is lowering his prediction for turnout in Alabamas December 12 special election, a potential measure of how sexual misconduct allegations have roiled the Senate race between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones [NBC]. In an interview with NBC News, Secretary of State John Merrill also said his office has just sent local election officials more detailed guidance for processing write-in votes, a result he said of a higher volume of inquiries than his office normally receives from voters across the state. Low rural turnout was a factor in Virginia was well (though AFAIK, nobody has provided a reason for it). More: Merrill cautioned that his prediction of a lower turnout or a possible surge in write-in votes were not evidence of any shifting advantage in a contest where the Republican candidate has a naturally large advantage. Moores political base has shown to be highly committed while Democrats have a limited political infrastructure in the deeply red state. And, he said, theres been no sign of an organized campaign to write in a new candidates name. The DSCC has descended on Alabama to help Doug Jones fight Roy Moore [Vice]. National Democrats have had staff on the ground in Alabama supporting Democratic Senate candidate Doug Jones for months, multiple Democratic sources tell VICE News, complicating Jones efforts to keep his race against scandal-marred Republican Roy Moore focused on local issues. In the Alabama Senate special election next month, the national political parties are either a punching bag or an anvil [RealClearPolitics]. Alabama Republicans have, for the most part, stuck by the embattled candidate. The state party steering committee chose to back him last week; Kay Ivey, the governor, said she believes Moores accusers, but said she would vote for him anyway, citing his eventual votes for Supreme Court justices and other appointments. So, but the Supreme Court!! isnt something only Democrats say Realignment and Legitimacy Very good tweet storm on parallels between the second term of the Bush administration and the first term of the Trump administration: Trump's first term is similar to George W Bush's second term in his approval ratings and legislative situation. Consider the similarities 2/ Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) August 18, 2017 (Extending the analogy as Nyhan does not do, that would make Clinton Kerry: A wooden candidate picked by the establishment after an insurgency from the left Bernie Sanders; Howard Dean who lost a winnable campaign. More on the same idea from Vox The best analogy to Donald Trump in 2017 is George W. Bush in 2005 [Vox]. Then, like now, the winner had no clear policy mandate, and quickly suffered massive legislative defeat (Social Security privatization for Bush, Obamacare repeal for Trump). Then, like now, the president watched his favorability ratings tumble into the 30s, and appeared to be headed for a severe backlash in the midterms. Klein, of course, then goes on to add the appeal to suburban Republicans: I would take the analogy yet further. Trumps callousness and indiscipline has left many liberals yearning for Bushs more dignified and decent bearing. Dear Lord. Was Klein even born in 2005? I well remember what Democrats were saying about Bush then, and dignified and decent didnt figure largely in it (Now watch this drive.) And now the kicker: If Trumps presidency continues to flail to say nothing of if theres a recession or a poorly managed foreign crisis its easy to imagine a Democrat beating him in 2020 and entering office with massive congressional majorities, setting up, again, a period of sweeping progressive governance. Whatever the Obama administration was, it was not sweeping progressive governance. ObamaCare, not Medicare for All. A handshake deal with Boehner on a Grand Bargain. An utterly flaccid and enfeebled response to the crash, including no prosecution of any bank CEOs, the HAMP debacle, and the inadequate stimulus package. And of course, the continued wars, including Obama whacking a US citizen on his kill list disposition matrix without due process. One could go on, but if the Nyhan/Klein analogy holds, we can expect a squandered 2018 and 2020, just as we got a squandered 2006 and 2008. Perhaps including the long-awaited rehabilitation of the Republican party as a reasonable interlocutor, as the fever breaks? Of course, theres one difference between 2005 and today that Nyhan and Klein carefully airbrush away: The existence of a functional, though tiny, left. It may be too much to ask that the left prevent the Democrats from squandering 2018 and 2020, but thats where we are. Thats what weve got. Democratic Socialists of America Win Big for a Small Party [Truthdig]. Sarah Jaffe interviews David Duhalde, DSAs deputy director: [DUHALDE]: We ultimately endorsed six candidates nationally some of whom were running against Democrats, like Ginger Jentzen, who was in Socialist Alternative. Others, like Jabari Brisport, who is a Green, ran against the machine Democrats. Most of them were Democrats themselves and were running either in primaries like Khader Al-Yateem in Brooklyn and Tristan Rader who won, as well, in Lakewood, Ohio. Six is, of course, a tiny number. On the other hand, its not zero. It remains to be seen how the DSAs endorsement strategy as opposed to running on their own ballot line works out; Our Revolution seems to have adopted the same strategy. (Bypassing the ballot line seems to have first been proposed by Seth Ackerman in this Jacobin article, at least thats where I first read about it.) Stats Watch Chicago Fed National Activity Index, October 2017: The national activity index shot to a far higher-than-expected 0.65 in October with the 3-month average moving from flat to 0.28. The latest level is an expansion high and the 3-month average is near one, both pointing to economic growth that is significantly stronger than average [Econoday]. Industrial production fell sharply in August then rebounded in September and then rebounded very strongly in October. The reports three other components are steady with both employment and sales, orders & inventories making slightly smaller contributions and with personal consumption & housing pulling down growth slightly more. Putting production aside, this report continues to run at a modest pace. But indications from the factory sector have been increasingly promising and do hint at production-driven acceleration for fourth-quarter growth. Snap-back from the hurricanes, but with a little extra snap. But: The single month index which is not used for economic forecasting which unfortunately is what the CFNAI headlines. Economic predictions are based on the 3 month moving average. The single month index historically is very noisy and the 3 month moving average would be the way to view this index in any event [Econintersect]. There was significant upward revision to the last 3 months of data. [S}ee the three month rolling average for the last 6 months it now shows an improving economy. Existing Home Sales, October 2017: Stronger than expected [Econoday]. The pending home sales index, which tracks initial resale signings, has been flat to negative which adds to the positive surprise of todays report. Housing data struggled through most of the year and the lack of supply will continue to hold back resales, but recent reports have been good and do point to a year-end contribution from the sector. And: sales were above the consensus view. For existing home sales, a key number is inventory and inventory is still low [Calculated Risk]. But: Up a touch more than expected, but still down year over year [Mosler Economics]. Energy: Energy producers are running out of places to send all the natural gas thats gushing out of West Texas. Pipelines running from the regions Permian Basin to Gulf Coast chemical plants, cities and export terminals are essentially full, leaving a growing gas glut that is already weighing on regional prices [Wall Street Journal]. The oversupply is part of the fast changing energy business in the U.S., where readily available natural gas has slashed prices at electricity plants while making it tougher for oil and gas operators to match production to pricing. Manufacturing: Indias automotive supply chain is starting to reach into the U.S. Mumbai-based manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. plans to build rugged off-road vehicles at a small factory north of Detroit, a potential step toward a bigger goal of selling cars in the U.S. The move marks the latest action by non-U.S. auto makers and suppliers to scale up their presence in the country [Wall Street Journal]. Mahindra will be building rugged utility vehicles aimed at the specialized market for work equipment, but the Auburn Hills, Mich., site will give the company a stake in a recovering U.S. factory sector and a new base to consider the future of its auto making. Shipping: Despite a brighter economic outlook, the industry is still weighed down by excess capacity, poor profitability and high levels of debt and many owners are struggling to survive. Poor financial returns have kept the pressure on costs and we expect this to remain the case for the foreseeable future, Drewry noted in a release [Splash 247]. Supply Chain: Apples iPhone X assembled by illegal student labour [Financial Times]. Apples main supplier in Asia has been employing students illegally working overtime to assemble the iPhone X, as it struggles to catch up with demand after production delays. Six high school students told the Financial Times they routinely work 11-hour days assembling the iPhone X at a factory in Zhengzhou, China, which constitutes illegal overtime for student interns under Chinese law. The Bezzle: Volvo Promises Uber Fleet of Self-Driving Taxis by 2019 [Wall Street Journal]. The deal between Volvo, owned by Chinas Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., and Uber was disclosed Monday as a framework agreement without financial terms. So its a promise, but not a deal? The Bezzle: This ex-trucker has some questions about the Tesla Semi [AutoBlog]. Very important. Heres a taste: [T]he Semi seems most impressive to those who dont know what its like to be a truck driver. I only have space here to address a few issues, so well start with the central seating position. I dont 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 cant lean over to see if theres 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 dont 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. I believe we have some drivers in the readership. Perhaps they can expand on this? The Bezzle: Tesla mass firings could show impact down the road [Mercury News]. More than a dozen current and former employees interviewed said their dismissals came with little or no warning and were unrelated to performance. Some said they were fired weeks before stock options vested. Many added that morale suffered at the plant, as workers were unsure of their job status. The company has also angered outgoing employees by requiring them to sign a broad non-disparagement clause as part of their separation package. The separation agreements ban ex-employees from bad-mouthing the company, its executives, investors, affiliated companies, and contractors and products. Fired employees are prohibited from specifically criticizing Musk, in return for two weeks severance pay. The Bezzle: U.K. ruling on Uber drivers may lead SEC to re-examine companys revenue approach [Francine McKenna, MarketWatch]. A recent U.K appeals court decision that gives Uber drivers the right to be paid the national minimum wage and other benefits may prompt the Securities and Exchange Commission to take another look at Ubers recent decision to leave driver revenue and costs out of its financial filings. [Professor Gia Chevis] told MarketWatch that even if Uber files its S-1 paperwork to go public before any final decision is made, the SEC will likely expect a risk disclosure from the company that outlines what might happen if it is forced to comply with a U.K ruling that compels the company to record expenses for minimum wages and other benefits for drivers as workers. The Bezzle: Study Finds Sharp Drop in Time Spent on Facebook [eMarketer]. (The original of this story in 247 Wall Street, Users Spending 44% Less Time on Facebook.) According to the latest monthly data from the firm, Facebook users in the US spent more time with the platform than users of any other social network, 18 hours, 24 minutes. But that was a significant drop from the 32 hours, 43 minutes recorded by Verto Analytics a year ago. However: The dropoff seen in the Verto Analytics data is at odds with eMarketers latest estimates for time spent with Facebook. eMarketer expects adult US Facebook users to spend roughly 41 minutes per day on the platform in 2017, up one minute from 40 minutes in 2016. 44% seems pretty big Mr. Market: On Oct. 6 a note from Wells Fargo & Co.s equity research department downgraded Facebook Inc. to sell, making it one of only three brokerages with such a dour rating. The analyst making the call was unusual, too. Its name is Aiera, or artificially intelligent equity research analyst [Bloomberg]. Hmm Tech: Facebook Prevails In Privacy Battle Over Tracking Via Like Button [Media Post]. The ruling stemmed from a series of lawsuits dating to 2011, when a group of Web users accused Facebook of violating a host of federal and state laws, as well as its own privacy policy, by collecting data about people through its social widget. The consumers said Facebook gathered data about its users whenever they visited sites with a Like button, even if the users were logged out of Facebook at the time. In June, [U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila] dismissed the users wiretap claims with prejudice. At the time, he also threw out claims that Facebook violated its privacy policies, but allowed the users to revise those allegations and bring them again. [Friday, Davila ruled] that the users could not proceed with allegations that Facebook violated its privacy promises. The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning that the users cant attempt to revise their complaint and try again. UPDATE Tech: Google collects Android users locations even when location services are disabled [Quartz]. Many people realize that smartphones track their locations. But what if you actively turn off location services, havent used any apps, and havent even inserted a carrier SIM card? Even if you take all of those precautions, phones running Android software gather data about your location and send it back to Google when theyre connected to the internet, a Quartz investigation has revealed. Remember: Its the phones that are smart. Not the users. Tech: Blockchains for Blockheads. I think I finally get it [DC Velocity]. A simple explanation of the distributed public ledger (but leaves the energy costs of blockchain transactions out of fhe picture.) The Fed: A Key Indicator Points to a Strong 2018. Thats the Risk [Bloomberg]. If this years economy has been kind to you, signs are good for your 2018 as well. This more optimistic picture is painted by the U.S. government bond yield curve which is not so curvy these days. Lately, the gap between the two has been narrowing. In market parlance, the curve has been flattening. Whenever this happens, its generally accompanied by predictions of a slowdown. But this time, theres a backdrop of synchronized global growth, low unemployment and some capital spending by businesses. The flattening yield curve doesnt seem to be suggesting an imminent end. The most likely scenario is another strong year like this one If there is a risk apparent now, its that the Fed may need to tap the brakes a good problem to have. Five Horsemen: Our Fab Five romp higher in stocks customary pre-Thanksgiving rally [Hat tip, Jim Haygood (who is off for the holidays)]. Todays Fear & Greed Index: 56 Greed (previous close: 50, Neutral) [CNN]. One week ago: 49 (Neutral). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed. Last updated Nov 21 at 12:20pm. The index now seems to be back to same day updates, thankfully. Health Care Heres a Path to Medicare for (Almost) All That Isnt Doomed to Fail [The Nation]. It doesnt fit neatly on a bumper sticker, but we could still capitalize on Medicares popularity and familiarity by calling it an alternative pathway to Medicare for All. All the centrists and wonks want to hijack Medicares branding while strenuously avoiding Medicare for All. The exact same tactic was used in 2009, when the public option advocated by Jacob Hacker actually quoted, non-ironically, in this article was framed as Medicare-like, and dangled like an ever-shrinking shiny baubel before credulous progressives, before diminishing to nothing. Gaia Carbon Pricing: A Critical Perspective for Community Resistance (PDF) [Indigenous Environmental Network]. Why Pipeline Opponents Cheered Mondays Keystone XL Approval [Ecowatch]. Thats because the commission approved the mainline alternative route, and thats not the route that the pipeline operator wants. It could take years before the project finally gets off the ground (if it ever does), as the alternative route includes 63 miles of new pipeline not yet approved by the federal government and plenty of landowners could stand in the way. [C]ompanies including Exxon Mobil Corp. and Ford Motor Co. are working on high-tech versions of engine oil. They believe the new, thinner oils will help them squeeze more efficiency out of traditional engines, and remain relevant as new technologies gain traction [Wall Street Journal]. Most companies expect the combustion engine to remain dominant for decades, and the efficiency improvements are critical to keeping their energy supply chains moving. Class Warfare Heres what happened to teachers after Wisconsin gutted its unions [CNN]. In the five years since Act 10 was passed, median salaries for teachers in the state have fallen by 2.6% and median benefits declined 18.6%, according to an analysis of state administrative data by the left-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund. In addition, 10.5% of public school teachers in Wisconsin left the profession after the 2010-2011 school year, up from 6.4% the year before. The exit rate remains elevated, at 8.8%. Thats particularly difficult for rural districts, which cant afford to pay more to retain good teachers. The report found that teachers in rural areas were the most likely to move districts, and the average level of experience among teachers in those areas had fallen the most: One out of four rural teachers had taught for fewer than five years in 2015-2016, up from 17.6% in the year before Act 10 passed. The LA Times flirts with unionization, defying its history [Columbia Journalism Review]. News of the Wired The Sad Legacy Of Copyright: Locking Up Scientific Knowledge And Impeding Progress [TechDirt (CL)]. The Bezzle: Big Pharma is taking advantage of patent law to keep OxyContin from ever dying [Quartz]. Feldman, together with Connie Wang, a law student at Stanford University, meticulously went through a decades worth of versions of the US Food and Drug Administrations Orange Book and US Patent and Trademark Office website listings to investigate the relationship between patent filings, exclusivity extensions, and drug approvals. They found that of the 100 best-selling drugs from 2005 to 2015, about 80% (paywall) had a patent extension filed on them at least once. About 50% of these drugs had multiple extensions. UPDATE Its been awhile since we visited Scarfolk: What a typical day looks like for the council on #OurDay. #1. Delivering Black Spot cards to offenders. More info: https://t.co/TDuKIyLdRz pic.twitter.com/xAHp2LsuKu Scarfolk Council (@Scarfolk) November 15, 2016 * * * Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please put it in the subject line. Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant (Re Silc): Re Silc writes: Meadowsweet I can grow. My Vermont pasture earlier this year. * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the NC fundraiser. So do feel free to use the dropdown and click the hat to make a contribution today or any day. Here is why: Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of small donations helps me with expenses, and I factor that trickle in when setting fundraising goals. So if you see something you especially appreciate, do feel free to click the hat! By Gaius Publius, a professional writer living on the West Coast of the United States and frequent contributor to DownWithTyranny, digby, Truthout, and Naked Capitalism. Follow him on Twitter @Gaius_Publius, Tumblr and Facebook. GP article archive here. Originally published at DownWithTyranny Two broad points before the specifics of this story. First, 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. Its a real advantage having more money than any of your enemies, isnt 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 industrys 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. Second, 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. Ive 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: 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 its not profitable to dig it, because its so plentiful relative to demand, companies will collapse, go bankrupt. Weve already seen that with small and mid-size U.S. fracking companies, many of which are so highly leveraged that they cant make a profit on sales and they cant finance their debt. I dont 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 were waiting for is a trigger. Will this be it? Bloomberg (h/t Hunter Cutting via Twitter): 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] The fact that its Bloomberg reporters covering this, the nations 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. The Bleak Future of Oil and Gas 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 countrys 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 Norways 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 doesnt 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. You Too Can Divest Feel free to accelerate that magic. If your college or university is still invested in fossil fuel, consider asking them to follow Norways lead and remind them that their money too could be vulnerable to a future price shock. If your mutual fund is invested in fossil fuel, at Vanguard, say, or Fidelity, say the same thing to their customer representatives. And if you are 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. Candidates vehicle torched, IEDs found in several places Violent activities aimed at disrupting the upcoming federal and provincial elections continued unabated in various parts of the country on Monday. Yves here. Reader UserFriendly sent this post with the message, I can confirm this. I can too. And before you try to attribute our reactions to being Americans, note that the study very clearly points out that its finding have been confirmed in all of the worlds regions. By Bill Mitchell, Professor in Economics and Director of the Centre of Full Employment and Equity at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. Originally published at billy blog Here is a summary of another interesting study I read last week (published March 30, 2017) Happiness at Work from academic researchers JanEmmanuel De Neve and George Ward. It explores the relationship between happiness and labour force status, including whether an individual is employed or not and the types of jobs they are doing. The results reinforce a long literature, which emphatically concludes that people are devastated when they lose their jobs and do not adapt to unemployment as its duration increases. The unemployed are miserable and remain so even as they become entrenched in long-term unemployment. Further, they do not seem to sense (or exploit) a freedom to release some inner sense of creativity and purpose. The overwhelming proportion continually seek work and relate their social status and life happiness to gaining a job, rather than living without a job on income support. The overwhelming conclusion is that work makes up such an important part of our lives and that result is robust across different countries and cultures. Being employed leads to much higher evaluations of the quality of life relative to being unemployed. And, nothing much has changed in this regard over the last 80 or so years. These results were well-known in the 1930s, for example. They have a strong bearing on the debate between income guarantees versus employment guarantees. The UBI proponents have produced no robust literature to refute these long-held findings. While the Happiness Study notes that the relationship between happiness and employment is a complex and dynamic interaction that runs in both directions the authors are unequivocal: The overwhelming importance of having a job for happiness is evident throughout the analysis, and holds across all of the worlds regions. When considering the worlds population as a whole, people with a job evaluate the quality of their lives much more favorably than those who are unemployed. The importance of having a job extends far beyond the salary attached to it, with non-pecuniary aspects of employment such as social status, social relations, daily structure, and goals all exerting a strong influence on peoples happiness. And, the inverse: The importance of employment for peoples subjective wellbeing shines a spotlight on the misery and unhappiness associated with being unemployed. There is a burgeoning literature on happiness, which the authors aim to contribute to. They define happiness as subjective well-being, which is measured along multiple dimensions: life evaluation (by way of the Cantril ladder of life), positive and negative affect to measure respondents experienced positive and negative wellbeing, as well as the more domain-specific items of job satisfaction and employee engagement. We find that these diverse measures of subjective wellbeing correlate strongly with each other Cantrils Ladder of Life Scale (or Cantril Ladder) is used by polling organisations to assess well-being. It was developed by social researcher Hadley Cantril (1965) and documented in his book The pattern of human concerns. You can learn more about the use of the Cantril Ladder HERE. As we read, the Cantril Self-Anchoring Scale consists of the following: Please imagine a ladder with steps numbered from zero at the bottom to 10 at the top. The top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder represents the worst possible life for you. On which step of the ladder would you say you personally feel you stand at this time? (ladder-present) On which step do you think you will stand about five years from now? (ladder-future) [Reference: Cantril, H. (1965) The pattern of human concerns, New Brunswick, Rutgers University Press.] Christian Bjrnskovs 2010 article How Comparable are the Gallup World Poll Life Satisfaction Data? also describes how it works. [Reference: Bjrnskov, C. (2010) How Comparable are the Gallup World Poll Life Satisfaction Data?, Journal of Happiness Studies, 11 (1), 41-60.] The Cantril scale is usually reported as values between 0 and 10. The authors in the happiness study use poll data from 150 nations which they say is representative of 98% of the worlds population. This survey data is available on a mostly annual basis since 2006. The following graph (Figure 1 from the Study) shows the self-reported wellbeing of individuals around the world according to whether or not they are employed. The bars measure the subjective wellbeing of individuals of working age by employment status . The results show the differences between having a job and being unemployed are very large indeed on the three well-being measures (life evaluation, positive and negative affective states). People employed evaluate the quality of their lives around 0.6 points higher on average as compared to the unemployed on a scale from 0 to 10. The authors also conduct more sophisticated (and searching) statistical analysis (multivariate regression) which control for a range of characteristics (gender, age, education, marital status, composition of household) as well as to account for the many political, economic, and cultural differences between countries as well as year-to-year variation. The conclusion they reach is simple: the unemployed evaluate the overall state of their lives less highly on the Cantril ladder and experience more negative emotions in their day-to-day lives as well as fewer positive ones. These are among the most widely accepted and replicated findings in the science of happiness Here, income is being held constant along with a number of other relevant covariates, showing that these unemployment effects go well beyond the income loss associated with losing ones job. These results are not surprising. The earliest study of this sort of outcome was from the famous study published by Philip Eisenberg and Paul Lazersfeld in 1938. [Reference: Eisenberg, P. and Lazarsfeld, P. (1938) The psychological effects of unemployment, Psychological Bulletin, 35(6), 358-390.] They explore four dimensions of unemployment: I. The Effects of Unemployment on Personality. II. Socio-Political Attitudes Affected by Unemployment. III. Differing Attitudes Produced by Unemployment and Related Factors. IV. The Effects of Unemployment on Children and Youth. On the first dimension, they conclude that: 1. unemployment tends to make people more emotionally unstable than they were previous to unemployment. 2. The unemployed experience feelings of personal threat; fear; sense of proportion is shattered; loss of common sense of values; prestige lost in own eyes and as he imagines, in the eyes of his fellow men; feelings of inferiority; loss of self-confidence and a general loss of morale. Devastation, in other words. They were not surprised because they note that: in the light of the structure of our society where the job one holds is the prime indicator of status and prestige. This is a crucial point that UBI advocates often ignore. There is a deeply entrenched cultural bias towards associating our work status with our general status and prestige and feelings of these standings. That hasnt changed since Eisenberg and Lazersfeld wrote up the findings of their study in 1938. It might change over time but that will take a long process of re-education and cultural shift. Trying to dump a set of new cultural values that only a small minority might currently hold to onto a society that clearly still values work is only going to create major social tensions. Eisenberg and Lazarsfeld also considered an earlier 1937 study by Cantril who explored whether the unemployed tend to evolve more imaginative schemes than the employed. [Reference: Cantril, H. (1934) The Social Psychology of Everyday Life, Psychological Bulletin, 31, 297-330.] The proposition was (is) that once unemployed, do people then explore new options that were not possible while working, which deliver them with the satisfaction that they lose when they become jobless. The specific question asked in the research was: Have there been any changes of interests and habits among the unemployed? Related studies found that the unemployed become so apathetic that they rarely read anything. Other activities, such as attending movies etc were seen as being motivated by the need to kill time a minimal indication of the increased desire for such attendance. On the third dimension, Eisenberg and Lazersfeld examine the questions Are there unemployed who dont want to work? Is the relief situation likely to increase this number?, which are still a central issue today the bludger being subsidised by income support. They concluded that: the number is few. In spite of hopeless attempts the unemployed continually look for work, often going back again and again to their last place of work. Other writers reiterate this point. So for decades, researchers in this area, as opposed to bloggers who wax lyrical on their own opinions, have known that the importance of work in our lives goes well beyond the income we earn. The non-pecuniary effects of not having a job are significant in terms of lost status, social alienation, abandonment of daily structure etc, and that has not changed much over history. The happiness paper did explore how short-lived is the misery associated with being out of work in the current cultural settings. The proposition examined was that: If the pain is only fleeting and people quickly get used to being unemployed, then we might see joblessness as less of a key public policy priority in terms of happiness. They conclude that: a number of studies have demonstrated that people do not adapt much, if at all, to being unemployed there is a large initial shock to becoming unemployed, and then as people stay unemployed over time their levels of life satisfaction remain low . several studies have shown that even once a person becomes re-employed, the prior experience of unemployment leaves a mark on his or her happiness. So there is no sudden or even medium-term realisation that being jobless endows the individual with a new sense of freedom to become their creative selves, freed from the yoke of work. To bloom into musicians, artists, or whatever. The reality is that there is an on-going malaise a deeply entrenched sense of failure is overwhelming, which stifles happiness and creativity, even after the individual is able to return to work. This negativity, borne heavily by the individual, however, also impacts on society in general. The paper recognises that: A further canonical finding in the literature on unemployment and subjective wellbeing is that there are so-called spillover effects. High levels of unemployment increase fear and heighten the sense of job insecurity. Who will lose their job next type questions? The researchers found in their data that the higher is the unemployment rate the greater the anxiety among those who remain employed. Conclusion The overwhelming conclusion is that work makes up such an important part of our lives and that result is robust across different countries and cultures. Being employed leads to much higher evaluations of the quality of life relative to being unemployed. The unemployed are miserable and remain so even as they become entrenched in long-term unemployment. They do not seem to sense (or exploit) a freedom to release some inner sense of creativity and purpose. The overwhelming proportion continually seek work and relate their social status and life happiness to gaining a job, rather than living without a job on income support. Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) allows us to understand that it is the government that chooses the unemployment rate it is a political choice. For currency-issuing governments it means their deficits are too low relative to the spending and saving decisions of the non-government sector. For Eurozone-type nations, it means that in surrendering their currencies and adopting a foreign currency, they are unable to guarantee sufficient work in the face of negative shifts in non-government spending. Again, a political choice. The Job Guarantee can be used as a vehicle to not only ensure their are sufficient jobs available at all times but also to start a process of wiping out the worst jobs in the non-government sector. That can be done by using the JG wage to ensure low-paid private employers have to restructure their workplaces and pay higher wages and achieve higher productivity in order to attract labour from the Job Guarantee pool. The Series So Far This is a further part of a series I am writing as background to my next book with Joan Muysken analysing the Future of Work. More instalments will come as the research process unfolds. The series so far: 1. When Austrians ate dogs. 2. Employment as a human right. 3. The rise of the private government. 4. The evolution of full employment legislation in the US. 5. Automation and full employment back to the 1960s. 6. Countering the march of the robots narrative. 7. Unemployment is miserable and does not spawn an upsurge in personal creativity. The blogs in these series should be considered working notes rather than self-contained topics. Ultimately, they will be edited into the final manuscript of my next book due in 2018. The book will likely be published by Edward Elgar (UK). That is enough for today! (Natural News) Facebook has been around for more than a decade now and more than 100 million people worldwide actively use the social media platform. However, more and more people are expressing their concerns regarding the rise of social media usage and how it apparently displaces the global populations capacity to socialize naturally, and decreases our emotional and mental health. Besides smartphones being dangerous to our physical health, smartphones also have the capacity to vegetate our minds. These electronic devices give us access to the Internet, which then expose us to platforms that use up all our time and consciousness. While the Internet gives us access to vital and useful information on anything we could ever think of, it is also most likely the beginning of the end for human independence (from technology). Sebastian Junger, an American journalist, author, and anthropologist, discusses the issue on a podcast with podcast host and stand-up comedian Joe Rogan. In his interview, Junger conveyed his disapproval of social media, especially the amount of time people spend staring at their handheld gadgets. He related the rise of the information age to the majority of the population becoming anti-social, unhappy, and anxious. Negative events, such as increases in mass shootings, diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and reports of suicide are his examples of the downsides of this tech craze. Junger is known for his coverage of the war on terror in Afghanistan. He also published a book titled War, and even directed an acclaimed documentary, Restrepo. These technologies that supposedly connect people all around the world are turning out to be detriments to the society as a whole, he says. People no longer take the time to experience life as it is, and instead, take to the Internet and do nothing but like and comment. Teenagers mental health is also greatly affected by this. Adolescence is the time when we start becoming painfully aware of our surroundings, including other peers opinions. These teenage anxieties, which have existed long before personal computers, are inflamed by these online social platforms. News and other multimedia companies take advantage of online advertisement, promoting their beliefs on how the world should be, creating confusion and chaos among the individuals who patronize these systems. Another concerned individual sympathizes in this regard. One of the founders of Facebook, Sean Parker, explains that these social media devices exploit the vulnerability of the human essence. The dopamine that is social media only creates a narcissistic, self-validating loops that consume valuable time and conscious attention. Liking, commenting, and sharing (which are virtually useless in reality) causes us to run around an endless cycle of insignificant information documentation in hopes of acknowledgment, which later on propels us to create more of the same. Social media platform owners and creators are aware of this weakness in human psychology, and are taking advantage of it. Parker is just one of the many individuals who regret having a hand in creating these life-stagnating technologies. The mental health of the global population is deteriorating and is mostly due to anxieties produced by social media. A word to the anxious, depressed, overloaded, and defeated: Reality consists of finding your purpose in life in a massive ocean of opinion and deterrents to your ambitions. Happiness is not found in electronic, handheld devices, but is instead found in the actual experience of life. While these technologies offer you an easier way to connect and experience the world, we must still continue living a natural life, free from the troubles and disadvantages of electronics. Sources include: WakingTimes.com TheGuardian.com A 14-year-old student was arrested after he brought a gun to his Richmond high school on Friday, an incident that provides a clear example of the importance of school resource officers, according to the Richmond Police Department. On Thursday, a school resource officer at De Anza High School received information that a student there may have been in possession of a loaded gun. When the officer learned the information, school had already let out, but the officer notified school staff. The next day, Friday, school staff detained the student and confirmed that he was in possession of a loaded gun, which was hidden in his backpack, according to police. "The potential was there," said Officer Joe England, the resource officer at De Anza High. "It could have been easily loaded, and anything could have happened." The student was arrested, and the gun, a .375 magnum revolver, was recovered. Police credited the quick response to resource officers' relationships with students and staff at the six schools where the officers have been assigned. On Tuesday, Richmond police school resource officers spent the day in active shooter training. They want to be ready if the unthinkable happens. "Thats why we are on campus 90 percent of the time," Sgt. Lynette Parker said. "Because we want to make sure if a violent intruder or active shooter situation happens, there is an officer prepared mentally to protect the campus and protect the kids." On Tuesday night, however, theres growing concern school resource officers could be on the chopping block. Last week, the West Contra Costa Unified School Board approved a resolution aimed at changing the way discipline is handled. It includes a clause that states "funding for law enforcement should be redirected ... to support restorative justice practices." "Is the district trying to do away with school resource officers? No," said district spokesman Marcus Walton. "The district is trying to gather data around school resource officers and the need and role on our campuses." School board member and parent, Mister Phillips, thinks removing officers from schools would be a big mistake. He tried unsuccessfully to change the resolution. "When a government body writes a resolution and says funds should be directed from one source to another source, that means something," Phillips said. School resource officers say they know theyre making a difference. "We are not trying to criminalize kids," Parker said. "We are a resource; we mentor kids." Police recommend that residents report suspicious persons, vehicles, or anyone who may be in possession of a firearm illegally by calling 911 or (510) 233-1214. Jurors on Tuesday started weighing the fate of an undocumented Mexican immigrant who allegedly shot a woman on a San Francisco pier in a killing that stirred up fierce national debate on immigration. No verdict was reached as of noon Wednesday in the murder trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, who is accused of fatally shooting Kate Steinle two years ago. The jury reconvenes at 9 a.m. Wednesday, and court closes at noon. [[459092503, C]] The jury of six men and six women will consider dueling arguments that Garcia Zarate was either a hapless, homeless man who killed Steinle in a freak accident or a calculated murderer intent on playing a sick game. Steinle was walking with her father and a family friend on a sunny day in July 2015 when she was shot, collapsing into her fathers arms. Garcia Zarate had been released from the San Francisco jail about three months before the shooting, despite a request by federal immigration authorities to detain him for deportation. He had been deported five times before.[[459010843, C]] Steinles death put San Francisco and its sanctuary city policy in the spotlight, as Democrats and Republicans lashed out at city officials for refusing to cooperate with federal deportation efforts. During the presidential race, then-candidate Donald Trump cited the killing as a reason to toughen U.S. immigration policies. Trump later signed an executive order to cut funding from cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities, a policy that a federal judge in San Francisco permanently blocked Monday. But the politics of immigration were not allowed to come up in the monthlong trial.[[458964923, C]] Defense attorney Matt Gonzalez said in his closing remarks that he knows its difficult to believe Garcia Zarate found an object that turned out to be a weapon that fired when he picked it up. But he told jurors that Garcia Zarate had no motivation to kill Steinle and as awful as her death was, nothing you do is going to fix that. He urged jurors to pick apart the facts of the case, instead of swallowing a ludicrous narrative by the prosecution that relied on circumstantial evidence. Gonzalez said prosecutors were pushing a wild narrative that Garcia Zarate set out to hurt someone he didn't know. Garcia Zarate was "playing his own secret version of Russian roulette," the prosecutor in the case said in her closing argument Monday. San Francisco Deputy District Attorney Diana Garcia told jurors to look at the entire picture of a man who twirled on a pier stool for more than 20 minutes, contemplating what he would do with the firearm he brought[[458871913, C]] She said he then pointed the gun in Steinles direction and ran off while other people tried to figure out what had happened. The bullet ricocheted on the piers concrete walkway before it struck Steinle. Youre intelligent. You have common sense to know human nature, she said, dismissing the defenses argument that other people had dropped the firearm off on the busy pier before Garcia Zarate got there. The semi-automatic handgun used to kill Steinle was stolen from a federal Bureau of Land Management ranger a week before the shooting. Jurors will consider first-degree murder, second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. 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 Franciscos jail to face a 20-year-old charge for selling marijuana. The sheriffs department released him a few days later after the district attorney dropped the marijuana charge, despite a request from federal immigration officials to detain him for deportation.[[459186143, C]] The San Jose Police Department policy has been around for as long as anyone can remember: beards, goatees or heavy facial hair on cops is forbidden. The goal? Aim to "maintain public respect." On Monday, the police chief made the first official changes to what he called an outdated policy. SJPD Chief Eddie Garcia also accommodated an officer who needed a beard for his religious wedding. San Jose officer Simratpal Brar is about to get married in a traditional Sikh wedding, which requires the groom wear a full beard. "The religion is very straightforward," Brar said. "My family is very traditional, and so is my wife's, my fiancee's family." To accommodate the wedding requirements, Brar requested a transfer out of patrol to a unit where the policy forbidding beards and goatees and excessive facial hair would not apply. But Garcia said the department was already working on a religious experiment: to create a policy that encouraged diversity for the community image and recruiting. "I don't know if there's a better policy to put out than something like this -- to show how inclusive we are as a police department," Garcia said. Brar said he was reluctant to go public about his concerns, and is happy and relieved the department felt the same way as he did about the policy. "I feel very proud. I take pride in my faith and I take great pride in my uniform and dispatch," Brar said. "So I'm very honored to be here talking to you about this and have it unfold the way it is." Investigators on Monday were no closer to solving the deadly mystery involving a so-called ghost boat found spinning in circles off the San Mateo County coast Sunday. A man's body was pulled from the water. He was identified Monday as 74-year-old Fremont resident Dung Duc Nguyen, according to the San Mateo County Coroner's Office. The boat's captain, Twon "Tom" Tran, is still missing. Tran's family joined the search Monday, hoping he beats the odds and survives. John Tran knew something had gone terribly wrong when he saw images of his brother's 17-foot Boston Whaler empty and spinning out of control Sunday afternoon. He said he last talked with his brother at 9:35 Sunday morning. Twon had gone fishing with a friend and set out from Pillar Point Harbor with two other boats. They separated to fish. By 1 p.m.. Twon and his friend had vanished. "The friend of hers that saw the boat spinning around on the ocean with no people in it and wife called my brother, and no response," John Tran said. "My understanding is that one of the persons on a PWC started waving down our search and rescue vessel and found a body floating face down," said John Moren of the San Mateo County Harbor District. Coast Guard crews combed the water for hours on Sunday and Monday morning. Investigators do not suspect foul play. There were no wounds to the body and therefore nothing indicating a suspicious circumstance, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. Officials said it's possible a malfunction with the outboard motor could have caused the boat to jerk suddenly and violently, throwing the men overboard and sending it spinning in tight circles. "Very unusual," fisherman Jeff Bettencourt said. "I've never seen that before, but that's the mystery of the ocean, that there's nobody left to tell the story." The man who drowned was not wearing a life vest, officials said. The Coast Guard suspended its search earlier Monday, but the harbor district and the Tran family continued to look for Twon Tran. An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information regarding Tran's whereabouts should contact Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders at 415-399-3451. A Southern California man, fed up with the growing number of mass shootings across the U.S., decided to do his part to help end gun violence by destroying his AR-15, NBC affiliate WFLA reported. Riverside County resident Chad Vachter smashed his assault rifle to pieces with a sledgehammer, taking a symbolic stance on destroying gun violence. Vachter captured the destruction of his thousand-dollar prized possession on video. "I cant have something in my house that so easily could become a part of another situation like that," he said in the video. "Im not going to be desensitized to it. I refuse to." Vachter said he "had enough" after a shooting spree in Northern California that left five people dead and injured 10 others, including seven children, and decided he wanted to take action. "Although Im still sad for all those victims and all the people affected, I feel like Ive done the only thing that I can do in this equation," he said. "Even if its just a small thing, I did my part to make things better." The gun enthusiast said he supports the Second Amendment and plans on keeping his shotgun and pistol. However, he is challenging other gun owners to destroy their assault weapons as well. A veteran home from serving his country is looking at a new career, but he found out his age could get in the way of that. Now, he's on a crusade to get the city to change the law, so he can continue to help people in a big way. Massachusetts state law says the cutoff age to enroll as a firefighter is 32 years old, but this determined, 35-year-old veteran isn't backing down. Sgt. Dana Seminoff has already accomplished more than most. "I did two deployments in Afghanistan, two in Iraq, one in Kuwait, and I finished up my service on active duty in Korea," said Seminoff, who is currently an EMT. At 35 years old, Seminoff has one more dream he's chasing: to become a Leominster firefighter. It's a job the Leominster Mayor thinks he's perfect for. "In the whole time I've been mayor, 24 years, I've never had a conversation on the phone where I thought, I wish I owned a business because I would hire this guy in two seconds," Mayor Mazzarella said. The Leominster Director of Veteran affairs said there's no one better for the job. "He's experienced and trained and he brings something to the table. He's everything we would want for our fire department," said Richard Voutour. There's one problem though. Seminoff is too old for the job. "We did hiring a few months ago and he was the next person on the list and at the time we realized he was too old," said Leominster Fire Chief Robert Sideleau. With the Massachusetts state law as it is, Seminoff is three years too late. "As long as you're physically capable of doing the job, I really don't see a reason why it should." said Seminoff. But Seminoff's dream isn't dead yet. The city can adopt a provision called section 31 58A. Nineteen cities in Massachusetts already have it. It adds an extra four years to the cutoff age for veterans. "It's ok to serve your country and then you come home and someone looks after you. I got your six kind of thing," said Seminoff. The Fire Chief certainly had Seminoff's six. "It is a young mans job but I thought it was fair for the veterans, so I'm in support of it," said Chief Sideleau. "I may not be the 18-year-old that doesnt need a motrin after a long day of work," Seminoff said. "I think at the end of the day comes down if you are physically capable." There are still 27 cities in Massachusetts that abide by the 32-year-old cutoff, but Mayor Mazzarella doesn't want Leominster to be one of them. The mayor asked city council to change the law, and it will go to a vote on that change in just two weeks. "They came back giving, not even expecting a thank you, so if there is anything at all that we can do to help our veterasn, they are absolutely the highest of priorities," said Mayor Mazzarella. As his own battle continues, Seminoff has a message to other veterans. "Just go for it. Dont take no," he said. "We have a dont quit attitude in the military. And we can carry it over to getting this job. Hopefully." There are 62 fire departments in Massachusetts that have no age limit, but those cities have to adopt a special wellness program to make that happen. Disgraced former House Speaker Dennis Hastert scored a victory in Kendall County Circuit Court Monday, as a judge threw out a lawsuit filed by a man who claimed Hastert sexually abused him when he was a child, in approximately 1973 or 74. The case was one of two Hastert has faced since leaving prison last summer. He is still named in a civil suit brought by his original accuser, James Doe, who is demanding the balance of $3.5 million he says Hastert promised him to guarantee his silence. It was that accuser who revealed Hasterts secret past, leading to the once-powerful House Speakers political downfall. In the case dismissed Monday, an accuser identified in court documents only as Richard Doe, claimed Hastert molested him at Kendall Countys old Game Farm when Doe was nine or ten years old. But Judge Robert Pilmer ruled Monday that the statute of limitations had long since expired on any such allegation. This individual Richard Doe, when he turned 18, was not aware of his claims at the time, Does attorney Kristi Browne said after court. Shortly after he turned 18, within that first two years, he approached the prosecutor in Kendall County, Mr. Ingemunson, tried to report the claim or crime, and Mr. Ingemunson made misrepresentations to him which discouraged him from filing that claim. Browne said that Ingemunson told Doe that if he filed a complaint, he would be prosecuted or sued. Ingemunson has previously told NBC 5 he has no recollection of any such conversation. Ive never met him, Ingemunson said. Hes never been in my office. The former States Attorney said he had confirmed that a former assistant in the office, Jean Fletcher, did recall meeting the man, but I never knew what it was. Browne says she is weighing all options for her client, including an appeal or a motion for the judge to reconsider his ruling. That matter is set for Feb. 23. We have named the Yorkville school district, not as a defendant, but as a respondent for discovery purposes, and we believe we should be allowed to go forward with that discovery to investigate the possibility of bringing additional claims against additional defendants, Browne said in a statement. Illinois has joined 36 other states and the federal government in eliminating the statute of limitations for claims of childhood sexual abuse, which will allow much greater latitude for victims of such abuse to come forward, a process that can take years and even decades to be able to discuss and appreciate what happened. That change, however, only applies to claims that were not already barred by prior law at the time this change was made effective, January 1, 2014, she added It was an important and necessary change that unfortunately came too late for victims like Richard Doe. One man was killed and a second was wounded Monday evening in a West Garfield Park neighborhood drive-by shooting, according to Chicago Police. Just after 5 p.m. a 26-year-old man and a 49-year-old man were in the 0-100 block of South Pulaski when a silver sedan drove by and someone inside opened fire and then drove off, police said. The 26-year-old was shot in the leg and taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said. The 49-year-old man was also shot and transported to Stroger, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The Cook County medical examiners office did not immediately report the fatality. No other details were immediately available. Danger in the air A country with good politics is not only wealthier but healthier too. When politics goes wrong, everything goes weird. I remember those days when people were afraid of the name Maoist. A family who was attacked by a group of young people at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee during Fright Fest in September is suing the park for negligence allowing the attack to happen. The Batavia family says Six Flags Great America staff failed to intervene when a group of about 20 young people attacked the 12-year-old boy and his parents at the park on Sept. 23, according to the three-count suit filed anonymously Monday in Cook County Circuit Court. The family suffered extreme and debilitating physical, emotional and psychological injuries. The three family members and the sons friend were at the park for its Fright Fest Halloween-themed celebration when an unknown male wearing a Hawaiian shirt and shorts approached the son and his friend claiming to be security, according to the lawsuit. The male ordered the boys to follow him away from the more-populated area of the park. The male showed false credentials to the mother and then tried to walk away when she confronted him, the suit alleges. The mother, who believed he was trying to lure her children away from her, followed the man, loudly yelling security for help. The suit alleges that she was shouting from within eyesight and earshot of multiple Great America staff members, who did nothing to intervene. A group of about 20 young males and females then started following the mother, yelling expletives and calling her a snitch, the suit alleges. She then returned to her husband, son and his friend, continuing to call for security. Two of the people from the group then punched the sons face, jaw and neck, according to the suit. The father tried to intervene and then was viciously attacked. The group of young people appeared to be beating and kicking [the father] to death, according to the lawsuit. The mother threw herself on him to stop the attack and then was repeatedly beaten and pummeled by the group. Great America employees allegedly still did not intervene in the attack, and a witness called 911, according to the lawsuit. At this point, the group stopped attacking and ran away. Gurnee police reported that the attack stemmed from an argument when a group of teenagers cut in front of the family in line in the parks Southwest Territory, near the Raging Bull and Giant Drop Rides. The mother asked the group to stop using foul language, and one of the teens sucker-punched her son, according to Gurnee Deputy Police Chief of Operations Brian Smith. The parents stepped in, but the group overpowered them and continued to kick, punch and stomp them. They were taken to a hospital with significant injuries. Gregory Battle, 18, was arrested in connection to the attack, police said. He was charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, aggravated battery in a public place and mob action. The Waukegan resident was released after posting 10 percent of a $20,000 bond, according to Lake County Jail records. Eight north suburban juveniles between 15 and 17 years old were also charged with mob action and taken to the Depke Juvenile complex Center in Vernon Hills, Smith said. Three of them face additional aggravated battery charges, and one was also charged with obstruction of justice for giving police a fake name. Their names were withheld because theyre minors. The lawsuit accuses Six Flags Great America of negligence and seeks more than $150,000 in damages. Representatives for Six Flags Great America did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a spokeswoman for the park said in September the attack was an isolated incident. The family requested to remain anonymous because the son suffers from a disability, they fear reprisals if their names go public and the incident was highly personal and sensitive in nature. Charles Manson, the murderous cult leader who died Sunday at the age of 83, was once a troubled teen working as a messenger boy and living in an Indiana hotel. His Midwestern roots were reported by the Indianapolis Star Tuesday. The paper writes that Manson was born in Cincinnati to a 16-year-old girl who ran away from her West Virginia home. Mansons mother was imprisoned after robbing a gas station, the paper reports, when he was just 5 years old. Manson began committing crimes before he turned 10, and by 13 he was sent to the Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute. His mother, who the Star writes would send him away while she entertained her boyfriends in the hotel room they shared, was arrested for adultery but then "skipped town" after being released on her own recognizance. Manson never saw her again, according to the newspaper. Rev. George Powers, a local priest, offered assistance to the troubled 14-year-old who would grow to be one of America's most notorious prisoners, the paper says. Powers called him a very genuine lost little kid at the time. It was Powers who pulled some strings and got the teenaged Manson sent to Boys Town in Nebraska, a reform school known for straighting out troubled kids. A photo of Powers and Manson shaking hands was published in a March 7, 1949, edition of the Indianapolis News with the headline Dream Comes True for Lad; Hes Going to Boys Town. "Charles told the court that there were only three persons in his life for whom he did care--an uncle with whom he lived for a time in Wheeling, W. Va., a priest at the Gibault Home For Boys, Terre Haute, and another priest who visited him at Juvenile Center," the paper reported at the time. Manson told the judge in his case he would be happy working around cows and horses at Boys Town, but he was on the lam only days after he arrived. After returning to Indianapolis and running afoul of the law again, Manson was sent to the Indiana Boys School in Plainfield, the Star reports, where he broke out at least twice. Manson was arrested in 1956 when he was 21 for a parole violationthe last record of his being in Indianapolis, according to the Star. He died of natural causes at a Kern County, California hospital, according to the California Department of Corrections. 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, the Associated Press reported. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is issuing a warning to people in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey about contaminated raw milk and urging anyone who consumed raw milk from Udder Milk to see a doctor. People who bought and drank raw milk from Udder Milk might have been infected with a rare but potentially serious germ called Brucella abortus RB51, according to the CDC. While Brucella can cause anyone to become sick, women might suffer miscarriage and other pregnancy complications so it is critical for pregnant women who might have consumed the raw milk from Udder Milk to seek medical care immediately. In late September, a New Jersey woman became ill after drinking raw milk from the company, according to the CDC. Because Udder Milk has not provided information about the farms that supply their milk, the CDC said it is not been possible to trace the source of the womans infection. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are working with state health and agriculture officials to trace the source of the contaminated raw milk and raw milk products. The CDC recommends that anyone who drank raw milk or consumed raw milk products from Udder Milk in the past six months visit their doctor for antibiotics to prevent illness and they said information suggests that the company delivers milk in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. Because health officials have no direct way to let people know they may have drunk contaminated milk, everyone who consumed milk from Udder Milk in the past 6 months should receive antibiotics now to avoid having long-term health effects from the bacteria, William Bower, M.D., team lead for the CDC group that investigates brucellosis, the illness caused by RB51, said in a statement. The New Jersey patient is the second known domestically acquired illness caused by Brucella RB51 in raw milk in the United States this year; the other was in Texas in July. The Texas and New Jersey incidents are not connected. A retired Hamden fire lieutenant reported a fully involved garage fire on his neighbor's property on Monday. Crews arrived to battle the fire on Garvin Road around 12:54 p.m. said there was heavy fire in the attic above the garage and home. Firefighters quickly determined that no one was inside the home. Gusting winds contributed to the fire spread in the attic and a section of the roof collapsed at 1:24 p.m. Crews were ordered out of the house for a brief period of time and the fire was declared under control at 1:38 p.m. On scene structure fire 219 Garvin Road #Hamden pic.twitter.com/NvFAQTiHpJ Hamden Fire Dept (@HamdenFireDept) November 20, 2017 Aside from one firefighter sustaining a minor burn, no other injuries were reported. Two people who reside at the home have been displaced and the American Red Cross is assisting them. Hamden fire marshal Brian Dolan determined the fire was accidental. The homeowner was working in his garage and gasoline vapor caused a portable propane heater to ignite, officials said. The homeowner tried to extinguish the fire but flames spread up the walls and into the attic. A Hartford man found guilty of an April 2011 murder has been sentenced to life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorneys office. Karl Roye, 26, was convicted of murdering Anthony Parker, who was 24, in Hartford. He was also convicted of conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. Prosecutors said on April 6, 2011, Hartford police responded to shots fired near Thomaston Street in the Blue Hills neighborhood of Hartford, where they found Parker in a vehicle suffering multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Saint Francis Hospital where he died of his injuries. This case initially went cold but was revisited as part of a long-term investigation into narcotics trafficking by gangs in the Hartford area, according to the attorneys office. Investigators said Parkers homicide was also included in cold case playing cards used in Connecticuts state correctional facilities. FBIs Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, DEA and Hartford Police Department and the Cold Case Unit of the Office of the Chief States Attorney all took part in the investigation. Officials said Roye was a member of the Wall Street group, later known as Team Grease. According to court statements, Roye and another man, Jimel Frank, shot Parker from opposite sides of the vehicle. Both men were arrested in February 2015. A man is recovering after being shot inside a Meriden bar early Saturday morning. On Monday, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) issued a summary suspension for the Red Room Grille on North Colony Street after learning a patron was shot. Meriden police said they responded to the bar at 575 North Colony Road around 1:45 a.m. for a report of shots fired. When officers arrived they found multiple shell casings inside the bar. As officers investigated they were notified by staff at Midstate Medical Center that a gunshot victim had arrived at the hospital. Police determined the victim had been at the bar but left before officers arrived. The victim had non-life threatening injuries and has been treated and released. There is no suspect description or suspected motive at this time. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information should contact Meriden Police Detective Eric Simonson at (203) 630-6318. Monday, November 20, 2017 marks the three year anniversary of the unsolved murder of 54-year-old Melissa Millan of Simsbury. The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters have learned from a source close to the investigation that investigators have been able to identify a suspicious vehicle seen in the area on surveillance video around the time of Millans murder back in 2014. Millan's bloody body was found by a passerby on Ironhorse Boulevard after she was stabbed once in the chest while jogging. The Troubleshooters have learned more than 100 items of evidence have been provided to the State's Division of Scientific Services. Just days ago, authorities announced that Simsbury police, state police and FBI partnered with the Office of the Chief States Attorneys Cold Case Unit to work on the unsolved murder. The evidence includes digital and biological items, including reflective wear and a headlamp the 54-year-old mother of two was wearing when she went out for a jog on that November day. A source close to the investigation also said police have been able to identify a suspicious vehicle with area surveillance footage. Investigators are trying to identify persons of interest seen in the area at the time of the Mass Mutual senior vice president's murder using those same surveillance videos. NBC Connecticut asked Deputy Chief State's Attorney Len Boyle about Millan's job at Mass Mutual. "I hesitate to call anything a theory. Certainly, its an aspect of her life that has to be examined because any person involved in any aspect of her life, personal or professional, might have some information we need to pursue and we will pursue," Boyle said. Neither Simsbury police nor the Office of the Chief States Attorney will confirm whether Millan had her cell phone on her when she was murdered. Both agencies have stated interviews are being redone, which may lead to new details. In addition to redoing interviews, some of the digital and biological evidence collected locally by state police and the FBI is being retested using more sophisticated methods. Now, authorities said they need to speak to anyone in the area of Millans murder which was around 8 p.m. on Nov. 20, 2014, along Ironhorse Boulevard. "Anything you saw could be of value to us when put together with other information and evidence we have developed. The smallest piece of information- even though the person who holds it might think its innocuous- could be critical to our investigation and we encourage people to come forward," Boyle said. Authorities want anyone with information on Melissa Millans unsolved murder to contact the Cold Case Unit tip line at (860) 548-0606 or call toll free at (866) 623-8058. Mass Mutual is offering a $40,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. NBC Connecticut left messages for Melissas brother who lives out of state and havent heard back. Millan's ex-husband doesnt currently have a comment. Three suspects, one as young as 16 years old, are accused of carjacking a vehicle with Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) students inside in New Haven last October, police said. A 21-year-old woman who attends SCSU was driving her father's 2006 Ford Explorer with a 19-year-old female student and 21-year-old male student on October 24. Police said the trio drove to the Rock Ridge Park Nature Center Parking lot to talk. According to the students, three young men approached the car, reached through an open window and grabbed the driver by the neck before holding a knife to her throat, New Haven police said. The two other suspects demanded the passengers give them cash, one victim's watch and another's ring before they led the two students into the woods next to the parking lot. While they were in the wooded area, the suspects told the victims to be quiet or they would be killed, according to police. After the driver was brought to her friends in the woods, the suspects took off in the SUV towards Hamden. The vehicle was found the following Wednesday by SCSU police in an off-campus parking lot on Springside Avenue. On Nov. 11, one of the suspects linked to the carjacking, Angel Garcia, 19, was spotted in New Haven and brought into custody. He was also served two unrelated warrants. Two days later, a 16-year-old linked to the carjacking was brought to New Haven Police headquarters by his father. Finally, on Nov. 17 a tip to police said the last suspect, Ezequiel Gonzalez-Vazquez, 20, was hiding in a New Haven apartment on Hamilton Street. Police found him in a bedroom closet. All three were charged with robbery, larceny, robbery involving an occupied vehicle and conspiracy to commit all three crimes. Gonzalez-Vazquez was additionally charged with possession of a dangerous instrument and fourth-degree sexual assault. The 16-year-old was also charged with carrying a dangerous weapon. Addresses are supposed to be unique identifiers used to find a location. But things don't always work so smoothly for people who live on the two High Streets in Wallingford. From delivery mix-ups to hassles ordering online, life is not always easy. Now some are demanding changes. Anyone looking for Judy Giannettinos home or the Voss familys house might get confused. They each live at 40 High Street in Wallingford, with the same zip code. But there are two separate addresses. Giannettino lives on High Street in the Yalesville section of Wallingford. Several miles away theres another High Street in the town itself, where the Vosss live and experience similar troubles, including trying to order a new TV online. "Its aggravating," Giannettino said. On Monday, Giannettino put out donations for a veterans group to pick up. You can guess where they showed up. "Hes like Im here and Im like I dont have anything for you," Michele Voss said. This one Giannettino can laugh off. "So theyre going to try and come again Friday," Giannettino said. But its been years of botched deliveries, mix-ups and even a missed medical appointment because of a lost plow crew. "I had my chemo in the winter. And it had snowed. And the guy went over to, I said you know where Yalesville is? Sure? Oh yeah, yeah," Giannettino said. Thats the problem. "I enter in my address and they came back with a note saying they dont recognize your address," Ted Voss said. Now after years on confusion, the town is looking at a remedy. Its studying changing the name of the street in Yalesville to High Road, which might finally clear things up for everyone. "Thats the hope that it would help," Mrs. Voss said. NBC Connecticut was told not everyone is in favor of the switch, including those who live on the street in Yalesville and whose house number does not appear on the other High Street. Theyre concerned about the time and cost of switching to a new address. Right now police are surveying homeowners about the name change and will later report the results to the mayor. The following is an unedited news release from the Texas Rangers, published Nov. 20, 2017. The Texas Rangers are scheduled to play 34 spring training games in 2018, including 32 Cactus League contests. The club released its complete spring training schedule and pricing on Monday. The schedule includes a pair of exhibition games with the Cincinnati Reds at Globe Life Park in Arlington to close the spring schedule on Monday, March 26 (7:05 p.m. CT) and Tuesday, March 27 (1:05 p.m. CT). It will mark the fourth straight season that the club has hosted exhibition games versus a major league team in Arlington to close the spring training slate. Ticket information will be announced at a later date for those games. Texas 32-game Arizona schedule features 17 contests at Surprise Stadium/Billy Parker Field. The Rangers will be the home team for 15 of those games and will be the visiting club for two contests against the Royals, who share the Surprise complex with Texas. Those two teams will play three times overall in Surprise in 2018, the Surprise Sundancers Charity Game on Monday, March 12 at 6:05 p.m. MT, a Royals home game, and a day-night split doubleheader on Saturday, March 17 at 12:05 p.m. MT (Royals home game) and 6:05 p.m. MT (Rangers home game). In addition, the Rangers will play the Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners twice each in Surprise with single home games against the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland As, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants. At the other Cactus League parks, the team has two games versus the White Sox, Indians, and As with one each against the Cubs, Reds, Rockies, Angels, Dodgers, Brewers, Padres, Giants, and Mariners. Texas will play a record four night games in Surprise in 2018, all at 6:05 p.m. MT. In addition to the Kansas City games on March 12 and 17, the Rangers will host the Rockies on Monday, March 19 and the Reds on Thursday, March 22 under the lights. All other Rangers games in Surprise will begin at 1:05 p.m. MT with the exception of the day game versus Kansas City on March 17 and the teams Cactus League finale versus Cleveland on Saturday, March 24, both at 12:05 p.m. MT. 2018 individual ticket prices for Texas Rangers games at Surprise Stadium: Lower Premium--$30.00; Lower Dugout--$29.00; Upper Dugout--$26.00; Infield--$25.00; Plaza--$19.00; and Lawn--$8.00. Dynamic pricing may apply to select premium games with ticket prices ranging from $12.00-$35.00. Full season, half season, and 7-game ticket packages are also available as well as group ticket packages. Parking is free to all games at Surprise Stadium. Season ticket packages go on sale Saturday, Dec. 9, and information is available by calling 623-222-2222 or by going to texasrangers.com. Spring training individual tickets for 2018 may be purchased in one of four ways: BY MAIL beginning Saturday, Dec. 9. Fans can go to surprisespringtraining.com to download an order form. beginning Saturday, Dec. 9. Fans can go to surprisespringtraining.com to download an order form. ON THE INTERNET beginning Saturday, December 9 at texasrangers.com. beginning Saturday, December 9 at texasrangers.com. BY PHONE beginning Saturday January 6, 2018 at 623-222-2222. beginning Saturday January 6, 2018 at 623-222-2222. IN PERSON beginning Saturday, January 6, 2018 at the Surprise Stadium Ticket Office, 15960 N. Bullard Ave. in Surprise. RANGERS ANNOUNCE REPORTING AND FIRST WORKOUT DATES The Rangers also announced the dates for reporting and first workouts for their 2018 spring training camp in Surprise, Arizona: Wednesday, February 14Pitchers and Catchers Report Thursday, February 15Pitchers and Catchers First Workout Monday, February 19Infielders and Outfielders Report Tuesday, February 20First Full Workout. The complete 2018 spring training schedule is below. Dont stifle growth A study conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan), the aviation sector regulator, has found that domestic airports will not be able to accommodate additional aircraft for at least two years. "Saturday Night Live's" cold open focused on alleged contact between Donald Trump Jr. and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during the presidential campaign. Entitled "The Mueller Files," the sketch was an imagining of Trump Jr. (played by Mikey Day) and Assange (played by Kate McKinnon) meeting in a London parking garage. "As secure as sliding into my DMs is, I thought this would be safer," Days Trump Jr. said. The skit comes just days after it came to light that the real Trump Jr. had corresponded with WikiLeaks through Twitter. Eric Trump (played by Alex Moffat) joined them after being "scared" in the car and honking the horn. Played as a dim-witted little brother to Trump Jr., Eric donned a "Despicable Me" minion backpack where the secret files from Assange, hacked DNC emails, were kept. In return for the dirt on Hillary Clinton, Assange asked to be cleared of all espionage charges. Trump Jr. reassured him that President Donald Trump is "always loyal to his friends." "What about Chris Christie? And Rudy Giuliani? And mom?" a confused Eric asked his brother. Meanwhile, Colin Jost and Michael Che kicked off "Weekend Update" with recent sexual assault scandals. "Thursday is Thanksgiving, and theres so much to be thankful for, unless youre a human woman," Jost said. Sen. Al Franken, an alumnus of "SNL," was accused of sexual assault by a woman who also had a photo of him with his hands cupped over her breasts while she slept. "I know this looks bad, but remember: It also is bad," Jost said. "And sure, this was taken before Franken ran for public office, but it was also taken after he was a sophomore in high school," he continued. "It's pretty hard to be like, 'Oh, come on, he didnt know any better, he was only 55.'" Kate McKinnon reprised her role as Attorney General Jeff Sessions to make an appearance on "Weekend Update" and discuss testimony the real Sessions gave earlier this week relating to the Russia probe. "When I say 'do not' you say 'recall,'" McKinnon's Sessions said, revving up the crowd. "I do not remember [George Papadopoulos] talking about Russia," Sessions told Jost, mocking the real Sessions' repeated answer during the hearing. "I remember everything," McKinnon then whispered to the crowd. In a pre-taped sketch, host Chance the Rapper with Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd sang as a '90s R&B boy band and begged former President Barack Obama to resume office. "Come back Barack," they lamented in the chorus. "Even though its not allowed, we want you back somehow. I need you in my life, like really bad, like world war bad." First-time host Chance dedicated his opening monologue to Thanksgiving, singing about seeing family members you "normally fear." Musical guest Eminem performed a medley with Skylar Grey, starting with his new hit "Walk on Water" and sliding into "Stand" and then "Love the Way You Lie." The rapper returned to the small screen after making headlines in October when he released a freestyle rap on the BET Awards slamming President Donald Trump. 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. Advocates for Haitians say conditions in the island nation haven't improved nearly enough for Haitians to be deported. While Haiti has made advances spurred by international aid since the quake, the Caribbean nation remains one of the poorest in the world. More than 2.5 million people, roughly a quarter of the population, live on less than $1.23 a day, which authorities there consider extreme poverty. The United Nations last month ended a peacekeeping mission in Haiti that, at its peak, included more than 10,000 troops. Its new mission is comprised of about 1,300 international civilian police officers and 350 civilians who will help the country try to reform a deeply troubled justice system. The Homeland Security Department made its announcement 60 days before temporary status for the Haitians is set to expire. In May, the agency extended the program for only six months instead of the customary 18, and urged Haitians under the program to get their affairs in order and prepare to go home. The temporary status covers some 435,000 people from nine countries ravaged by natural disasters or war, who came to the U.S. legally or otherwise. Days after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010, President Barack Obama granted the 18-month protection status for Haitians in America who would otherwise have to go home. Obama renewed it every time it ran out. Monday's decision doesn't affect thousands of Haitians who were taken in by Brazil and other South American countries after the earthquake and began making their way to the United States last year. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says 6,424 Haitians showed up at border crossings with Mexico during the 12-month period ended Sept. 30, up from only 334 a year earlier. They were generally paroled to live in the United States on humanitarian grounds. Since taking office, Trump has ended temporary permit programs for Sudan and Nicaragua. He postponed until next July a decision on how to deal with a similar program for 86,000 residents from Honduras. U.S. officials have said conditions in Haiti have significantly improved since the disaster. But advocates for Haitians say a persistent cholera epidemic and damages caused by three hurricanes since 2016 exacerbate the difficulty for returning Haitians. Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, along with fellow Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California, last week unveiled new legislation to protect undocumented immigrants living under temporary protected status. It would make immigrants under the program eligible to apply for legal permanent residency after three years. Reactions poured in from politicians in Florida, where most Haitians in the U.S. live, followed by New York. "I traveled to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010 and after Hurricane Matthew in 2016. So I can personally attest that Haiti is not prepared to take back nearly 60,000 TPS recipients under these difficult and harsh conditions," U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, D-Fla., wrote on Twitter. "There is no reason to send 60,000 Haitians back to a country that cannot provide for them. This decision today by DHS is unconscionable. And I am strongly urging the administration to reconsider. Ultimately, we need a permanent legislative solution," U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., wrote on Twitter. In tweets last week, a North Texas woman says U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) grabbed her while taking a photo at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. Lindsay Menz, who now lives in Frisco, wrote in part, "I felt violated & embarrassed. I 100% believe your account of him & his actions." The tweet was in response to coverage of Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles-based radio host who last week accused Franken of forcing a kiss during a USO tour in 2006. Tweeden also shared a photo showing Franken with his hands over Tweeden's chest as she appeared to sleep on a plane during the tour. In a statement last week, Franken apologized to Tweeden and wrote he would would cooperate with an ethics investigation. In part the senator's statement read, "While I don't remember the rehearsal for the skit as Leeann does, I understand why we need to listen to and believe women's experiences. I am asking that an ethics investigation be undertaken, and I will gladly cooperate." Tweeden's account would have happened before Franken was in office. The experience Menz described would be the first accusation leveled against Franken while he was in the U.S. Senate. Menz didn't immediately return calls for comment to NBC 5. Her husband, Jeremy Menz, told NBC 5 by phone that the family was bombarded with requests for information and interviews. Menz said he and his wife planned to speak with an attorney before answering more questions. Franken's office didn't return NBC 5 calls for comment on Monday. In a statement to CNN, Franken said he didn't remember the photo with Menz but felt badly Menz felt disrespected. A 15-month-old baby who was abducted by his father and taken to Mexico was surrendered at the Otay Mesa port of entry Sunday evening. "It is a great relief not only from a law enforcement standpoint but as a parent, I think. You know, whenever there's a child that's abducted, especially 15 months old, I mean that's extremely scary and troublesome at the same time. So I'm extremely happy that the baby is found and is healthy and again thanks everyone for putting the word out," LAPD Cpt. Ruby Flores said Sunday night. The baby, at the center of an Amber Alert out of Los Angeles County, was allegedly abducted by Carlos Ivan Reyna Lara, 35, in Boyle Heights, near downtown LA, on Nov. 15. The boy will be placed in protective custody. Authorities believe Lara is still in Mexico and has not been arrested. Officials in San Francisco on Monday announced that 11 people associated with the Hells Angels motorcycle club have been indicted by a federal grand jury on racketeering charges. Charges announced include murder, maiming, home invasion robbery, extortion and witness tampering. A coordinated law enforcement operation on Saturday in Santa Rosa involving local, state and federal agencies resulted in six of the arrests, officials said. Others were arrested in cities such as San Francisco, Boston and Fresno. An investigation has been in the works for three years, officials said. Memorabilia from the lives of San Diegos most notorious killers is up for sale online and the disturbing business is upsetting the family of one murder victim. Known as "Murderbelia," the items for sale include an original notarized apartment lease from San Ysidro McDonalds mass murderer James Huberty, a signed letter from Cleveland Elementary School shooter Brenda Spencer, or a $30 signed Christmas card from David Westerfield, the man convicted in the 2002 killing of 7-year-old Danielle Van Dam. "Its just unbelievable, insulting and horrid. Disgusting frankly," said attorney Spencer Busby, who represented the Van Dam family. Not wanting to relive the pain of her daughter's 2002 murder, Brenda Van Dam relayed her feelings about "murderabilia" from David Westerfield being sold online. "She considered it an insult to her family that someone would attempt to profit off the death of her daughter," said Busby. An online search now shows since NBC 7's first coverage of murderbilia on Nov. 15, David Westerfield items have been removed from a true crime collectible website. However, the family attorney said the Van Dams are strongly considering filing a lawsuit after seeing drawings on the site that appropriated the likeness of their daughter, depicting her with her convicted killer. Busby said he plans to keep site operators from profiting off the family's pain. "We think their privacy has been invaded," said Busby. "We think we can establish negligent, if not intentional, infliction of emotional distress upon our clients." The website "Dark Vomit," now defunct, is one of about half a dozen sites that has cashed in on crime over the years. It was operated by a San Diego artist in the North Park neighborhood. By text and email to NBC 7 the artist stated, in part, a "fascination for abnormal psychology" for becoming a "death dealer," noting people from all walks of life were his clients. He said he "never once sold an item obtained directly from an inmate," because there are what are known as Son of Sam Laws against it. The artist said his memorabilia came from fellow collectors or pen pals of the inmates. Houston-based victim advocate, Andy Kahan, heads seminars on the issue across the country. He is credited with coining the term "murderabilia." "We have to stop giving these types of killers from getting the infamy and immorality they don't deserve and give victims the dignity they deserve by shutting this industry down." Kahans been crusading to keep people from pedaling the materials since he first spotted items selling on eBay in 1999. When the site stopped selling "murderabilia," others filled the void. Kahan said one of the largest dealers operates out of California. "We did pass a bill in California about a decade ago. Frankly, it's words on paper that havent been enforced," said Kahan. Though freedom of speech protects murderabilia sales, California is one of the states where it's against the law for felons to profit off the unseemly items. But that hasnt stopped others from making money off "murderabilia." Kahan said hes filed several federal bills to help protect families like the Van Dams. But he has yet to receive a hearing. "Think about how youre making money and how it insults the family. Think of the pain it brings to the Van Dams. We recommend you stop. If there is some civil action we can make to make that happen we will," said Busby. Westerfield was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Danielle Van Dam. He now sits on death row in San Quentin. The San Ysidro McDonald's massacre occurred on July 18, 1984. A gunman opened fire inside the restaurant killing 21 people and injuring 19 others. The "I Don't Like Mondays" school shooting took place on Jan. 29, 1979 when a 16-year-old girl opened fire with a rifle killing a principal and a custodian and injuring eight students. A police officer was also wounded. The shooter told police she didn't like Mondays. What to Know Thursday, Nov. 23 DTLA, LBC, Anaheim, and beyond Costumes are encouraged at some events The feast-related fact of the matter when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner is this: You won't be able to devour everything on the table. True, you might be able to eat a little bit of everything, from the yams to the green bean casserole to the tofurky to the turkey to the rolls to the apple-pecan-caramel pie. But consuming every last bite of everything you see you before you? Nope. No way. Not going to happen, nor should it happen, no ifs, ands, or gravy boats. Likewise, you won't be able to participate in every Turkey Trot offered around Southern California in 2017. You could probably cover each one over a decade or so, if you hopped around between places, but in a single year? It would be like trying to swallow a whole tofurky on your own. That's because Turkey Trots, as a general rule, all concurrently happen at the very same moment: Thanksgiving morning, while the biscuits are baking and the cranberry jelly ring is setting. So choose where you'll don your bib on Thursday, Nov. 23, and find out if costumes are allowed, then trot for... DTLA: City Hall is the start and end point. The routes? Pick a 5K, a 10K, or the Widdle Wobble for the younger set (it's a one-miler). Midnight Mission is the beneficiary, so sign up and help out now. Long Beach: Love some beachy air with your T Day dash? You'll begin at the Granada Boat Launch Ramp. There are a couple of distances to choose from, and the funds raise help the Community Action Team. Burbank YMCA: A before-the-run expo? A Kids Fun Zone? You got it, times two. The course'll take runners into downtown Burbank, with a start at the Y. Both the 10K and 5K competitives go at 7:30. Anaheim: Join the Plymouth Rock 'n' Run, which is trotting into its 10th anniversary this year. The beneficiary is the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at UC Irvine, which "supports spinal cord injury research." Where to go? Yorba Regional Park. Dana Point: A costume contest, a Kids' Gobble Wobble, and a Health & Wellness Expo are just three of the highlights of this annual supporter of local charities and nonprofits. "Run the race BEFORE you STUFF your face!" is the call to action. Dana Point Harbor is the place to go. Topanga: Desire a hill-ier, Topanga-terrific experience before heading back home for the big dinner? Consider the XTERRA Turkey Trot, which takes to the "scenic trails at Trippet Ranch at Topanga State Park." Riverside: Dig the history-laden buildings of the downtown area? That's just what you'll be hoofing it by at the 3rd annual Turkey Trot. Find your details and such here, Riverside runners. Additional remains have been found of a South Florida soldier whose death last month in Niger sparked criticism of President Donald Trump from a Florida congresswoman and the soldier's widow. The additional remains of Sgt. La David Johnson were recovered on Nov. 12 by a military investigation team near the site of the Oct. 4 ambush that ended in the deaths of Johnson and three other U.S. soldiers, a Department of Defense spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. The Armed Forces Medical Examiner positively identified the remains as those of the 25-year-old Johnson, department representative Dana White said in a statement. The soldiers were ambushed about 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Niamey, by what officials believe was a relatively new offshoot of the Islamic State group that calls itself Islamic State in the Sahel. Johnson was missing for two days before his body was found by Niger troops and turned over to the U.S. Myeshia Johnson, the sergeant's widow, complained bitterly that she had not been able to see her husband's body before his funeral. "I need to see him so I will know that that is my husband," she said in an interview last month. "I don't know nothing, they won't show me a finger, a hand." A Pentagon spokeswoman said the military often may make a recommendation on viewing but that soldiers' bodies are prepared and turned over to the family and its funeral director. The final decision on viewing is up to them, said spokeswoman Laura Ochoa. The Pentagon has said the investigation into the ambush won't be completed until at least January. Johnson's death became national news after President Trump called his widow to offer his condolences. Rep. Frederica Wilson, who was in the car with Myeshia Johnson on the way to Miami International Airport to meet the body of Johnson's husband when Trump called, said in an interview that Trump had told Johnson's widow that "you know that this could happen when you signed up for it ... but it still hurts." Wilson called the president's remarks "insensitive." Trump responded on Twitter, calling Wilson "wacky" and accusing her of secretly listening. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly called her an "empty barrel" and mischaracterized her comments years earlier at a FBI building dedication. Myeshia Johnson said Wilson was practically a member of their family and was among a group of people listening to Trump's call on a speaker phone. She also said the congresswoman's recollection of the call was "100 percent correct." Myeshia Johnson also said Trump couldn't remember the soldier's name during the condolence call and that "made me cry." On Tuesday, Wilson complained about the piecemeal process of information coming out, calling it "unconscionable." "This is traumatic because everything is leaking out in the press, so why doesn't the White House just give us a full report?" Wilson told reporters. "It is unconscionable, it is painful to this family. How much can a gold star family take when you say to them 'you cannot have an open casket funeral but we don't know what happened to your husband, we don't know what happened to your son, we don't know what happened to your brother, we don't know what happened to your friend.'" Johnson, a husband and father of three, attended Miami Carol City Senior High before enlisting in the Army in 2014. He left behind three children. What to Know The Norwegian Cruise ship left on Halloween and was due back in Manhattan on Nov. 11, but its propulsion system failed 6 days into the trip Passengers were stuck in Barbados; they were put up in hotels but many said they didn't have access to critical needs like medication One New Jersey woman says she was gone so long it cost her her job An 11-day tropical excursion that turned into a weekslong nightmare for some travelers has ended, with relieved passengers stepping off their cruise ship, at least one of them in tears, at Pier 88 in New York City Tuesday. The Norwegian Cruise ship left on Halloween and was due back on Manhattan's West Side on Nov. 11, but its propulsion system failed about six days later in Barbados. Passengers were stuck. They say they were given three options: Norwegian would fly them home, they could take another cruise from Ft. Lauderdale or stay in Barbados hotels until their ship could return. More than two dozen guests couldn't fly because of medical reasons, the cruise company said, and they were accommodated at a nearby resort with all meals included. While some say they made the most of being stuck on the island, many travelers said the trip was stressful. Kara Kaminski cried as she stepped off the boat Tuesday; she hugged her mother, who had come to pick up the Lyndhurst, New Jersey, woman and her family. Kaminski described the trip as a nightmare -- she said her entire family was separated in different hotels. Her 10-year-old son has severe allergies and needs special accommodations that weren't available, Kaminski said, adding, "so he was the one suffering the majority of the time." Another passenger, Kaminski's friend Diana Parada, says she was gone so long she lost her job at a toy manufacturing plant. She said she got an email Tuesday notifying her of the termination. "Norwegian Cruise Line sincerely apologizes for this unexpected change to the ship's itinerary and its impact on our guests," the company said in a statement. "Norwegian provided extensive support and care as needed to ensure that all of our guests were comfortable and well taken care of as they returned to New York." "The ship's technical issue has been addressed and all guests who remained in Barbados have sailed back to New York," the statement continued. "Norwegian Gem will depart this evening for her next cruise as scheduled. Norwegian appreciates our guests' understanding and patience with this unforeseen technical issue." Election 2017: Nepal-India border crossings to be shut for 72 hours Nepal-India border crossings would be shut for 72 hours ahead of the first phase of federal parliamentary and provincial assembly elections slated for November 26. What to Know The Trump administration is due to announce new sanctions on North Korea after declaring it a state sponsor of terrorism Justice Dept. sued to block AT&T's merger with Time Warner, calling it an "illegal" combination that harms consumers and stifles innovation Charlie Rose is the latest public figure to be felled by sexual misconduct allegations following a Washington Post report Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here. U.S. Announcing New North Korea Sanctions After Terror Designation The Trump administration is due to announce new sanctions on North Korea after declaring it a state sponsor of terrorism in the latest push to isolate the pariah nation. North Korea joined Iran, Sudan and Syria on the terror blacklist, a largely symbolic step as the administration already has the authority to impose virtually any sanctions it wants on Kim Jong Un's government over its nuclear weapons development. As part of its "maximum pressure" campaign, President Trump said the Treasury Department would impose more sanctions on North Korea and "related persons" starting, without hinting who or what would be targeted. It is part of rolling effort to deprive Pyongyang of funds for its nuclear and missile programs and leave it internationally isolated. Judge Permanently Blocks Trump Sanctuary Cities Order A federal judge permanently blocked President Trump's executive order to cut funding from cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities. U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick rejected the administration's argument that the executive order applies only to a relatively small pot of money and said Trump cannot set new conditions on spending approved by Congress. The judge had previously made the same arguments in a ruling that put a temporary hold on the executive order targeting so-called sanctuary cities. The Trump administration has appealed that decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. An email to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Justice was not immediately returned. AT&T Deal for Time Warner Illegal and Harmful to Consumers, Justice Dept. Says The Justice Department sued to block AT&T's merger with Time Warner, calling it an "illegal" combination that harms consumers and stifles innovation, DOJ officials said. AT&T and Time Warner announced their $85 billion merger last year but the closing has been dragged out by the government's anti-trust review. It is the latest salvo in a drama more than one year in the making, CNBC reported. Earlier this month, reports circulated that the government had demanded AT&T sell Turner Broadcasting, operator of the CNN news network, or DirectTV as a condition of approval, though the government pushed back at those reports. Trump Asks Supreme Court for Full Enforcement of Travel Ban The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the latest travel ban to take full effect. A federal appeals court ruling last week allowed President Trump's newest version of the ban to partially take effect. That ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the administration to ban people from six mostly Muslim countries unless they have a "bona fide" relationship with someone in the U.S. Last month, a federal judge in Hawaii had blocked most of Trump's third travel ban just before it was due to take effect. A judge in Maryland separately blocked it to a lesser degree, saying Trump could bar people from Chad, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen as long as they did not have "bona fide" relationships with people or organizations already in the U.S. The travel ban also applies to travelers from North Korea and to some Venezuelan government officials and their families, but the lawsuits did not challenge those restrictions. CBS Suspends Charlie Rose, PBS Halts His Show Following Allegations 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 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. Rose said that he has behaved insensitively at times "and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. What to Know A local official in New Windsor said two explosions rocked Verla International in Orange County on Monday Thirty-three people were hurt, including firefighters; one worker at Verla International was later found dead inside The company produces nail polish and cosmetics, among other beauty products, according to its website As the number of people reporting injuries from deadly explosions at a cosmetics factory jumped to more than 125, investigators on Tuesday tried to determine what caused the blasts at a plant with a checkered history that includes fines for safety violations earlier this year and a fatal workplace shooting 12 years ago. Orange County fire investigators were looking for clues to what touched off two explosions about 25 minutes apart Monday morning at Verla International in New Windsor, 55 miles north of New York City. Some of the cosmetics manufacturer's approximately 250 employees lined up outside the fire-damaged plant to pick up personal belongings left behind when they scrambled to get out after the first blast erupted around 10:15 a.m. Firefighters from nearby Newburgh responded, and several were inside the facility when the second explosion ripped through part of the complex. Officials initially said up to 35 people were injured, including seven firefighters, and one person was unaccounted for. Kate Dabroski, a spokeswoman for St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital, said Tuesday that the number of people treated increased substantially later Monday, with more than 125 people reporting injuries. Most were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released. Also on Tuesday officials identified the deceased worker as William Huntington, 57, of Newburgh. Firefighters found his body inside the building about nine hours after the explosions, police said. "Bill was a valued employee and we at Verla are sorry to his friends and his family for their loss," the company said. A co-worker, Juan Pablo Marcos, told The Associated Press that Huntington had gone back inside after the first explosion to make sure everyone had gotten out safely. Huntington was still inside when the second blast occurred, Marcos said. "That guy is like a hero," said Marcos, employed in the shipping department for about a month. "He entered again to make sure no more ladies were in the building." The explosions sent thick black smoke spewing into the air while flames shot out of the damaged section of the factory's roof. More than 100 firefighters from across the county and from neighboring counties fought the blaze, and authorities said their efforts continued until just after midnight Monday. Police kept non-employees away from the factory Tuesday while utility crews worked on the property. The 37-year-old company's website says it manufactures and packages nail polish, cosmetics, personal care, lotions and fragrances. Earlier this year, Verla was cited for nine occupational safety violations, 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. In late September 2005, a worker who had been fired a year earlier after being found with child pornography on his company computer entered the factory and fatally shot the office manager and wounded co-owners Mario Maffei and Robert Roth. The gunman then killed himself. A woman answering the phone at Maffei's Greenwich, Connecticut, home said he wasn't available. A voice message left at a number listed for Roth wasn't returned. On a surprise trip to Russia, Syria's Bashar Assad discussed potential new peace initiatives for post-war Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who declared that Russia's two-year military campaign in Syria is wrapping up, the Kremlin said Tuesday. Putin later spoke by phone with President Donald Trump, with Syria, Iran, North Korea and Ukraine on the agenda, according to the White House. The Kremlin said Putin briefed Trump in the phone call about his talks with the Syrian leader and plans for a political settlement in Syria. It also said Putin called for coordination of anti-terror efforts with the U.S., adding that Afghanistan was also discussed. Moscow released footage of Assad warmly embracing Putin, who hosted him in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, ahead of a summit between Russia, Turkey and Iran and a new round of Syria peace talks in Geneva later in this month. The meeting was unannounced and the Kremlin did not make it public until Tuesday morning. "I passed to (Putin) and all Russian people our greetings and gratitude for all of the efforts that Russia made to save our country," Assad told Russia's top brass in televised remarks. Assad has only ventured outside his war-ravaged nation twice since the conflict began both times to Russia. This week's visit to meet Putin is his second since the crisis began in March 2011 leading to a civil war that has killed some 400,000 people and resulted in millions of refugees. The first was in October 2015, weeks after Russia launched its military campaign in Syria to shore up Assad's forces, which turned the war in favor of Assad. The meeting in Sochi, which lasted three hours, preceded a summit between the presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey set for Wednesday at the same venue. Iran and Russia have been Assad's main backers while Turkey supports the opposition. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian president had previously assured the leaders of Turkey and Iran that "Russia will work with Syrian leadership to prepare the groundwork for the understandings that could be reached in Sochi on Wednesday and to make sure that agreements that could be reached would be viable." It wasn't immediately clear if the Kremlin put any pressure on Assad to accept a new deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran or whether that deal would involve Assad staying on as president once the war is over but Assad signaled his intention to hold his ground in future Syria peace talks. "We count on Russia's support to keep foreign players from interfering into the political process," he said during the talks with Putin. Assad is believed to have left Sochi after the meeting and returned to Damascus. Asked whether Putin and Assad have talked about the Syrian president's future in post-war Syria, Peskov said "possible options for political settlement have been discussed" and added that "only the Syrian people could determine Assad's role." Despite pressure from other nations that Assad step down, Moscow has insisted that it is up to the Syrian people to vote him in or out. The Kremlin said Putin called Saudi King Salman as well as Trump to discuss the situation in Syria. Trump and Putin spoke informally several times last week when they attended a summit in Vietnam. They agreed on a number of principles for the future of war-torn Syria. To prepare for Wednesday's mini-summit, military chiefs of Russia, Turkey and Iran met in Sochi on Tuesday and agreed to coordinate their efforts in Syria. Russia's defense ministry said the three military chiefs discussed in Sochi "concrete steps to complete the elimination of the remaining IS and Nusra Front formations" in Syria, referring to Islamic State fighters and Syria's al-Qaida affiliate as it was formerly known. The three also agreed to improve coordination in a safety zone in the Idlib province in Syria's northwest. Russia, Turkey and Iran earlier this year brokered a truce between Syria's government and the rebels in four areas in Syria, including Idlib. On Sunday, Syrian troops and their allies captured the eastern town of Boukamal, the last major urban area held by the Islamic State group in Syria, leaving the militants to defend just strips of desert territory and a besieged pocket outside Damascus. With the Syrian government controlling most of the country and Islamic State fighters in disarray, Putin said during the talks with Assad that Russia's military campaign in Syria is wrapping up though he made no mention of the Russian presence in Syria, which Moscow is not likely to give up. "As for our joint work to fight terrorists in Syria, this military operation is coming to an end," he told Assad in televised remarks. "I note with pleasure your willingness to work with everyone who wants peace and settlement." Putin declared in March 2016 that Moscow will scale down its presence in Syria, but the Russian military has remained heavily involved in the conflict. Russian television showed footage of Putin and Assad entering a meeting with the top brass of Russia's defense ministry and the General Staff. "I asked the Syrian president to stop by," Putin told the Russian generals. He then referred to Assad and said: "I would like to introduce you to people who played a key role in saving Syria." Assad's office quoted him as thanking Russia and its military, which he said "gave martyrs and made efforts in Syria." He added: "I was very happy to know that you are here since you are the officers who directly took part in the battle in Syria." Assad said the Russian Air Force helped Syrian troops in the fight against insurgents, helping many Syrians to return to their homes. "In the name of the Syrian people, I greet you and thank you all, every Russian officer, fighter and pilot that took part in this war," Assad said. Associated Press writer Vladimir Isachenkov contributed to this report. A Delaware day care owner was arrested Monday after she allegedly abused children who were in her care. New Castle County Police first investigated a report of abuse that occurred at Primary Colors Family Day Care on Margaretta Drive in Middletown, Delaware. Detectives looked at video surveillance at the daycare which showed the owner Angela Flewelling, 46, dragging and kicking children in her care, according to investigators. Flewelling was arrested and charged with child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. She is being held at Baylor Womens Correctional Institution after failing to post $7500 secured bail. If you have any information on the investigation, please call Detective Graham at 302-395-8110 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333. 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." Firefighters battling a truck fire in Georgia early Monday probably couldn't ignore the elephant in the room three elephants, that is, standing by the side of the highway. They'd been evacuated from the truck's trailer when the fire broke out on Interstate 24 on the Georgia-Tennessee border at about 2 a.m., according to the Chattanooga Fire Department. The trio of huge but well-behaved animals were heading to Sarasota, Florida, and were unharmed, firefighters said on Facebook. The truck's owner gave them some hay to chew while firefighters put out the blaze. "They were pretty lucky that it was nothing greater than an elephant," Chattanooga Capt. Wadie Suttles told NBC affiliate WRCB. "Can you imagine what things would be like if it was a lion?" Brazen burglars are smashing their way into gun stores across the country. The break-ins are on the rise, and the stolen guns are turning up on our streets. "The numbers and the trends were seeing indicate that this is not going away, its noticeable increases in the last several years," said Kevin OKeefe, chief of operational intelligence for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. No one is tracking stolen guns used in crimes, not even the ATF, which only investigates thefts from gun shops, so the News4 I-Team spent months doing just that -- matching guns reported stolen in our area to the guns later recovered, many during violent crimes. The News4 I-Team joined more than a dozen NBC stations in teaming with non-profit journalism organization The Trace to document the trail of stolen guns across the country by using the guns' serial numbers. [[458864593, C]] Those unique numbers are imprinted on every gun and are important to officers because they help solve crimes. They should be important to all gun owners, because that's also how you can get your gun back if it's stolen. "I hear of guns getting stolen all the time," said Curt Sebastian, owner of SSG Tactical in Fredericksburg, Virginia, but not from his store. Last March, his was the third store in three days hit by the same group of thieves. "They were able to breach this door with a crowbar- breach the glass," said Sebastian, adding that they did not get inside. "With the cage the way we've designed it, they just couldn't break through it." Just three days earlier, they did get into 50 West Armory in Chantilly. "They basically smashed the first three cases and they took what was closest to the door," said the store's manager, Scott Wahl. Thirty-five guns were gone in less than a minute. The thieves eventually got caught, but almost all of those guns are still on the street. Know Your Numbers The ATF Branch Chief for Crime Gun Intelligence Frank Occhipinti said once a gun is in the wrong hands it's very hard to get it back. "We essentially have to wait for a crime to occur," said Occhipinti. "It's on an upward trend in most every city here in the United States, and I think we have our work cut out for us." So the News4 I-Team requested data from the largest local departments in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, crunched the numbers and found nearly 5,000 guns reported stolen in the last five years. During the same time, those same departments recovered more than 10,000 guns. "The impact is quite clear: It's devastating on our communities," said Occhipinti. We found at least 60 local guns reported stolen in one jurisdiction that turned up in another. Some even traveled across the country. One gun stolen in Fairfax County, Virginia, was found in Austin, Texas. One from Prince William County, Virginia, was found in St. Charles, Missouri. One gun traveled from Atlanta to D.C., and another made its way from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Alexandria, Virginia. When an officer finds a gun on a suspect or at a scene, the ATF's national trace center calls the original gun dealer to find out who was the first to buy it. That gives law enforcement officers who are working the case a starting point. Then they go to the next buyer and the next, following the trail in hopes of ending up at the name of their criminal. The ATF traced nearly 20,000 guns for officers in D.C., Maryland and Virginia just in 2016 alone. Those traces are impossible to run without a serial number. Curt Sebastian said every gun owner should record the serial numbers of their weapons in a safe place for insurance purposes and to be able to get their guns back if they're lost or stolen. "There's a thousand reasons on top of the criminal aspect of it that you need to know where your guns are and record those serial numbers," said Sebastian. But of the stolen gun reports the I-Team reviewed, nearly 2,000 had no serial number listed. That means either the owner didn't know it, failed to report it to police or the officers didn't enter it into their reporting system. The ATF said both are critical, adding that every missing gun should also be reported to law enforcement immediately. "We don't care how many guns you have ... or where they are," said Occhipinti. "What we do care about is public safety." Brazen Break-ins That's why the ATF was so concerned about a particularly active group nicknamed the "Blowtorch Crew." "Very brazen, very reckless. It's pretty scary," said Occhipinti of the group's repeated use of blowtorches to destroy locks on gun dealers' stores. Records show they also used sledgehammers and rocks to bust their way into more than a dozen stores across the Carolinas and Georgia, hitting some more than once. They stole 340 guns. Only 87 have been found, most during new crimes. The ATF said the group advertised the weapons on the internet and sold them out of an Atlanta hotel room. So far, the guns they stole have turned up in eight states and in Washington, D.C., where one gun was used in at least two shootings, including a woman's murder. When thieves hit United Gun Shop in Montgomery County, Maryland, in March, video showed them smashing glass cases and stealing dozens of guns, some right off the wall, in just 90 seconds. The store owner told the I-Team he has since made extensive security upgrades, basically turning the exterior of his store into a vault. The ATF applauds those efforts and says smaller stores should even go the extra step of locking up their guns overnight, if possible. "You don't see jewelry stores at night leave their jewels out in the open," said Occhipinti. Curt Sebastian said that would be impossible for stores with a large volume of guns, but it's the reason he has a steel cage, an alarm system, cameras and motion sensors in his ceiling. A gun from the burglary crew he kept out of his store in March was found at a Prince George's County, Maryland, murder scene this summer. "I wouldn't want to live with myself if any of this stuff got in the wrong hands," he said. What the Laws Say There is federal legislation pending to toughen penalties for those who steal from gun stores. Store owners, who carry federal firearms licenses, are required to report stolen guns to the ATF within 48 hours, but similar requirements for individual gun owners vary by state. Washington, D.C., requires immediate reporting. Maryland requires gun owners to report a theft within three days. Virginia does not require gun owners to report thefts of their weapons at all. The NRA said penalties for individual owners who don't report their guns stolen just victimizes them even further. "A law that requires reportage is nothing but punitive. It does not prevent crimes from being committed," wrote a representative from the NRA chapter in Pennsylvania. "Punishing law-abiding gun owners for being robbed does not serve a public safety purpose." Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Mark Desaulnier (D-Calif.) authored federal legislation mandating that gun owners report stolen firearms to law enforcement. He also supports a bill that would require the ATF to track stolen guns. But Rep. Desaulnier said he's not optimistic either will pass, despite some bi-partisan support, "because it's paralyzed by the gun industry and the NRA. It is, we cant have a conversation about this, which is the real tragedy." Across the Nation: NBC and The Trace Data More than a dozen NBC stations and The Trace obtained records from more than 1,000 law enforcement agencies in 36 states, plus Washington, D.C. Some agencies cited state or local laws and refused to release their data. A total of 842,374 gun records total were examined, and 23,145 stolen guns were matched to guns later recovered. Most were during the commission of new crimes. Editor's Notes: The I-Team was unable to match any guns stolen in Montgomery County to recovered guns around the country, or guns stolen elsewhere and recovered in Montgomery County, because the police department refused our request to provide serial numbers of the stolen and recovered weapons. D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department was unable to provide a list of weapons recovered in 2016 and 2017, citing flaws in a new computer system that was creating inaccuracies in the data. The ATF reports tracing approximately 2,000 weapons found in D.C. each year. The I-Team made an effort to include Loudoun County, Virginia, in the nationwide project, however the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office demanded more than $2,000 for the information most other local agencies provided for free, saying it does not waive fees for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. The information you seek is not readily available. It is estimated to take one of our crime analysts over ten (10) days of staff time (75 hours) to research and produce the documents you seek dating back to 2011. The I-Team did pay for data from three agencies, to cover the administrative costs associated with the data-gathering. The highest bill was $61.24. Reported by Jodie Fleischer, produced by Rick Yarborough, and shot and edited by Jeff Piper. Two teens who were reported missing and endangered from the Bristow area of Prince William County, Virginia, have been located, but police say one girl is still missing. Prince William County police said Breonia Andreia Thomas, 17, was located in Washington, D.C., Monday and is safe. On Tuesday, Ashley Sarahy Lemus was found in Fairfax County, police say. Chamareya Rontavia Wright, 18, is no longer considered endangered by police. All three girls left the Bristow area about 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12. The FBI is involved in the search for the teens and is asking for the public's help to find them. Wright is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 195 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes. Wright was last seen wearing a sweatshirt and dark-colored leggings. The FBI is asking anyone with information about her whereabouts to contact the Prince William County Police Department at 703-792-6500 or the FBI Washington Field Office at 202-278-2000 or www.tips.fbi.gov. The Office of the Attorney General said it seized the remains of more than 100 people after filing a consumer lawsuit and motion for a temporary restraining order was filed against a northwest Washington, D.C., funeral home. The attorney general for D.C. said the home was operating without proper licenses. While the investigation is going on, remains that were located at the Austin Royster Funeral Home have been moved to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Attorney General Karl Racine said Austin Royster Funeral Home, located in the 500 block of Kennedy Street Northwest, charged grieving families for services it did not provide, according to a release from the Office of the Attorney General. Racine filed the suit on Nov. 18 in a D.C. Superior Court Civil Division. He said Austin Royster has been operating without a proper license for a period of time, meaning families could not receive death certificates. Without the proper death documentation, families would be unable to access bank accounts and insurance policies, begin probate proceedings, or allow for burial or cremation of the body, according to the OAG. Grieving families shouldnt have to worry about whether they are being taken advantage of while mourning the loss of their loved ones. We are deeply concerned that Austin Royster may have engaged in multiple unlawful practices while providing funeral services, said Racine. Our office is working hard to help relatives and friends of the deceased individuals conclude their affairs and get restitution. The funeral home said they would not be making a statement about the case. The lawsuit alleged the funeral home accepted an insurance payment of $53,000 for services that cost $5,767 and did not returned the rest of the money to the consumer. Racine is warning people from doing any further business with the funeral home. Any D.C. resident who thinks they may have been the victim in this case or from any type of fraud or scam can file a consumer complaint by calling OAGs Consumer Protection Hotline at (202) 442-9828, sending an email to consumer.protection@dc.gov, or submitting a complaint via a webform. A man from Spotsylvania County, Virginia has been sentenced to spend 10 years in prison for manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol after a crash that killed two of his friends. On his way out of the court room after sentencing, Brandon Alexander Shunamon, 26, asked the judge if he could hug his mother. "I'm sorry, I cannot let you do that," the judge replied. Shunamon was speeding and intoxicated as he drove on Robert E. Lee Drive with his roommate, Taylor Wolfe, their friend Chelsea Favreau and a third passenger on Jan. 12 just after 10:30 p.m. They'd been celebrating Favreau's 21st birthday. Shunamon was driving a 2007 Chevrolet pickup when it crossed the double yellow line and then ran off the road, police said. The truck struck trees, overturned into a ditch and caught fire. Moments after the crash, only the front seat passenger was conscious, friends told News4. She tried to put out the fire. Shunamon came to and managed to pull the passenger from the truck, the friends said. But when he returned for Wolfe and Favreau, the truck had exploded. Video released after the trial shows Shunamon denying any knowledge of the crash -- including that two friends were stuck inside a burning car. "That's not my problem," he told an officer. Then, he denied being in the vehicle. Officers later discovered he was speeding and drunk. "I'm not a monster," Shunamon said in court. "I never intended what happened." Shunamon was arrested and held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. "Chelsea was universally adored for being genuine and kind and beautiful," her mother told News4. "The world is a darker place." Wolfe leaves behind three children. Friends are raising money for both of their families; for Wolfe's, click here. For Favreau, click here. Left alliance protests against prohibitory order in Bethan Left alliance carried out protest rallies in district headquarters Manthali and other parts of Ramechhap today following local administration's prohibitory order in the area that barred parties and election candidates from organising election campaigns. A former Montgomery County, Maryland, high school graduate was hit and killed by an allegedly drunken driver in South Carolina, where the student was attending college. David Newell, 22, was struck by a car on Nov. 15 while he was riding his moped in Columbia, South Carolina. Newell was taken to the hospital, but he died on Nov. 16 due to complications from injuries received in the crash, his family said. Newell was a senior at the University of South Carolina and was a 2014 graduate of Magruder High School in Rockville, Maryland. He was active in trying to stop people from drunken driving after three high school seniors were killed in 2011 in a drunken driving crash. The funeral for Newell will be held on Nov. 22 in Olney, Maryland. A GoFundMe page was set up to help the family pay for services and a funeral. Charles Davenport Jr. was charged with felony DUI involving death. Investigators said Davenport was under the influence of alcohol and speeding when he hit Newells moped from behind. They said the impact caused the two vehicles to hit a tree. Planning on doing a turkey trot race on Thursday or standing in lines on Black Friday? Here are the Thanksgiving week weather highlights you need to know. Temperatures in the D.C. area on Thursday are expected to be in the 30s and 40s. Expect below-freezing temperatures in the early morning, 41 degrees at 11 a.m., 47 degrees at 3 p.m. and 44 degrees at 7 p.m. You can expect it to warm up Friday and Saturday, and then temperatures to drop on Sunday. Storm Team4 Meteorologist Sheena Parveen said to expect a high of 53 and low of 34 on Friday, a high of 57 and low of 38 on Saturday, and a high of 47 and low of 35 on Sunday. Most people across the continental United States should be able to get to their family gatherings without fear of weather-related travel delays, Storm Team4 Meteorologist Chuck Bell says. On Wednesday -- one of the biggest travel days of the year -- the forecast will be average for most of the country. Wet travel conditions will likely be confined to the Pacific Northwest, parts of northern New York and New England. Expect intermittent showers in Florida. Interior portions of the Northeast and Midwest likely will remain cold through next weekend as two cold fronts push through the regions. On the West Coast, storms and strong winds are possible; however, chances of severe weather such as hail and tornadoes are low. So, the weather looks OK, but traffic is a different story. A school bus driver and an aide have been charged after an 11-year-old autistic boy was allegedly assaulted twice on a Fairfax County, Virginia, school bus. Fairfax County police said James Duffy II, 62, and Edmund Bailey, 35, both of Lorton, Virginia, were each charged with count of assault and battery. Investigators said the two assaulted the autistic boy on Oct. 11 and Oct. 13 while on the way to school. Detectives said the second assault was witnessed by a staff member, who intervened. Both men turned themselves to answer the warrants. Police said Duffy is on administrative leave in the process of being terminated from his bus driver position, and Bailey resigned his position as an aide. A man held captive in a North Korean prison in 2010 and freed with the help of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter died in San Diego over the weekend after being found ablaze in a field. Aijalon M. Gomes, 38, had recently relocated to San Diego from Boston. On Friday night, around 11:30 p.m., an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer was driving westbound on Pacific Highway near SeaWorld Drive when he spotted a man on fire in a field adjacent to the roadway. That man has now been identified by investigators as Gomes. The officer stopped to try to help Gomes while crews from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) arrived. Gomes' injuries were too severe and firefighters pronounced him dead at the scene. At first, investigators did not know how or why he had been on fire, so they deemed Gomes death suspicious and the San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST) looked into the case. SDPDs Homicide Unit also aided in the preliminary investigation. On Tuesday, police said the preliminary investigation indicates Gomes death was not a homicide but rather possibly an accidental death or suicide. His manner and cause of death will not be confirmed until the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office completes its investigation and files a report. NBC 7 spoke with Gomes' mother, Jacqueline McCarthy, who said her son had just moved to San Diego. She also confirmed his ordeal in North Korea. "My son was a very good human being," she said. "He loved people. He loved his family." McCarthy is asking for privacy and said she plans to set up an online fundraising page to help cover the costs of her son's funeral. According to NBC News, Gomes was imprisoned and sentenced to eight years of hard labor in North Korea on Jan. 25, 2010, after he crossed into North Korea from China for unknown reasons. Gomes had been teaching English in South Korea at the time of his arrest. That year, Carter flew to the country to negotiate Gomes freedom. North Korea agreed to free him if Carter went to get him. He was ultimately released to Carter and able to return home to his family in Boston. NBC News at the time reported that Gomes had grown up in the Boston neighborhood of Mattapan. He graduated high school in 1997 and went on to attend Bowdoin College in Maine before moving to South Korea to teach English several years after graduating. The investigation into his death in San Diego is ongoing. Anyone with information on this case can reach out to the SDPDs Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. An off-duty Military Police (PM) officer shot dead two suspected armed robbers Saturday during a hold up at a Brazilian pharmacy, all while holding his young son in his arms. Sgt. Rafael Souza was with his wife and young son at a pharmacy in the city of Campo Limpo Paulista, buying medicine when two hooded armed men stormed the business, according to Sao Paulo's Metropolitan Battalion, Brazil's Radio Acesa reported. Officials said when Souza told the gunmen he was a police officer, one of the suspects, later identified as 24-year-old Jefferson Alves, pointed a gun in Souza's direction and fired. The officer then drew his own weapon, firing a shot past another shopper, who has his hands in the air. Surveillance video shows the officer holding his son in one arm while firing at the suspects in the other. At one point, the officer's wife can be seen running between aisles, hiding behind shelves as she makes her way toward her husband to grab her son. Alves and the other suspect, identified as 22-year-old Italo Creato, were pronounced dead at the scene, the city's coroner's office said. The PM said it is investigating the incident and Souza will undergo a psychological analysis before returning to duty. Authorities believe a 3-alarm fire that broke out over the weekend in Millbury, Massachusetts, was intentionally set. The office of Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey announced Monday that the fire at a Railroad Avenue commercial building was being investigated as arson. Investigators say there is surveillance video showing someone in a car near the building on Railroad Avenue before it caught fire. Officials also announced there was a close call for firefighters trying to put out the flames. "As a crew of three people had gone in, one of the burning sections of the second floor dropped down behind them, which almost made it unable to escape the building. Fortunately we got them out on time." The flames broke out around 11 p.m. Saturday at what is often refered to as "the old NENSCO site," according to the office. The Millbury Fire Department was assisted on scene by Sutton, Grafton, Auburn, and Northbridge officials. Upton and Oxford covered the Millbury station. Most of the back of the building was destroyed, but the front of the building was mostly saved with just some smoke and water damage. The damaged building housed several businesses. Anyone with information is asked to call the Arson Hotline at 1-800-682-9229. Up to $5,000 is being offered as a reward for information that helps lead to an arrest. Millbury Fire and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the fire marshal's office are continuing to investigate. If you follow politics in Massachusetts, you probably know the name Steve Kerrigan. He's been involved in the Democratic Party for decades, and now he wants to serve in Congress. "The third district is my home," Kerrigan says. "You know, it's where I've grown up." Kerrigan is now running to represent the third district in Congress. Which likely won't surprise the residents of his native Lancaster where Kerrigan served as selectman in the 90s before moving to DC to work for a Senator who taught him much of what he's learned about politics. "I saw a fiercely partisan person like Ted Kennedy work hard to fight for our issues but also, when he needed to, reach across the aisle..." By 2008, Kerrigan was working for candidate then President Barack Obama, who put Kerrigan in charge of the 2012 Democratic National Convention. "To be the CEO of the first convention in the history of the United States that had marriage equality in the platform was a really special moment for me." Kerrigan married Jacob Watts in October, quipping, "I do not advise doing a diner tour as a way to take a honeymoon." It was 2014 when Kerrigan, frustrated with the political climate, decided to run for Lieutenant Governor. "We started with no money, less than zero name recognition and by primary day, in a crowded field of folks, I won 309 out of 351 cities and towns." The Coakley-Kerrigan ticket lost to Baker-Polito in the general election, but it did not diminish Kerrigan's desire to serve. "I am going to go down to Washington and I am going to fight, definitely, against the backward and regressive policies of this administration and the Republicans in Congress." Kerrigan, 46, has his own consulting firm, serves on the NARAL pro-choice board and is president of the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund. A teenager shot and killed in the parking lot of a New Hampshire hardware store is being remembered on Tuesday by his classmates. Students at Manchester Memorial High School will wear tie-dye to honor 18-year-old Ian Jewell, who was killed Sunday afternoon by a single gunshot wound to the chest outside the Ace Hardware Store on Depot Street in Goffstown. Police initially found Jewell wounded and took him to an area hospital where he later died. An autopsy Monday determined the manner of death to be homicide but investigators haven't released many details about the crime. At a vigil for Jewell Monday night, classmates said he was a very positive person. "If someone was feeling down or getting bullied, he would step up and speak up for them," said classmate Matthew Gagne. Other students at Manchester Memorial High School said Jewell was a popular teen who took time for all of his classmates. He loved tie-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, who was an honor student and a member of the school's track and field team, 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." Students will wear tie-dye on Tuesday as a sign of solidarity. "We're all wearing tie-dye in honor of him because it was his favorite thing to wear," said his Market Basket co-worker Zach Goodridge. NRB to float Rs500m worth of foreign employment bond The Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank, is floating foreign employment saving bonds worth Rs500 million on Sunday, as a part of the governments plan to raise domestic debt worth Rs145 billion in the current fiscal year. A Vermont man has a new reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving week: a full tank of home heating oil. When she first told me, I didnt know if I should cry or what, Henry Stone of Rutland recalled of a phone call from Mary-Rachel Keyser of Keyser Energy. Stone had his home heating tank filled up free Monday, through an offering called Split the Ticket, where fuel dealers including Keyser Energy and local charities partner to cover Vermonters who have fallen on hard times. Were going through a lot, Stone sighed. The school bus driver and National Guard members wife, Crystal, just had surgery for breast cancer, she said. Then, Stone needed a new van for their son, also Henry, who uses a wheelchair. So as the temperatures drop and snow starts to fall, the 220 gallons of home heating oil couldnt have come at a better time, Stone said. I feel like if you try to do right, blessings come, Stone told necn. You just have to be patient. The separate, federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP, released nearly $17-million to Vermont this month. That money will also help people who struggle to heat their homes. Congressman Peter Welch, D-Vermont, helped push for that funding, but said Monday he expects more battles ahead, since the White House initially questioned LIHEAPs integrity and recommended eliminating its more than $3-billion budget. Ideally, youd have some stability in funding, so that people, whether its the LIHEAP program, or frankly, the Pentagon, have some confidence that Congress was going to provide stability, so that managers could manage, Welch said. Henry Stone said his hundreds in newfound fuel savings from Split the Ticket will really help ease his strained finances as winter starts. Click here for more info on Split the Ticket. For information on other forms of home heating help in Vermont, contact your local community action organization. A list can be found here. Legal Question Time with Gardner Leader Julie Taylor, senior associate in employment team In April 2016, the Government introduced the National Living Wage (NLW), which is mandatory for workers aged 25 and over and is currently set at 7.50. For workers aged under 25, the NLW is not mandatory, and employers can choose either to pay more, or to stick to the applicable National Minimum Wage (NMW) rate. The NMW has been in force since 1999 and sets minimum rates that employers must pay to their staff for every hour worked. The rates are reviewed annually and are split into four categories. For example, currently the standard adult rate for those aged between 21 and 24 years is 7.05, those between 18 and 20 should receive 5.60, young workers aged between 16 and 17 should receive 4.05 and apprentices 3.50 per hour. Paying the applicable NMW is a legal requirement across the board, regardless of an employees age or the size of the employer. What happens if an employer does not pay? As the NMW is the legal minimum for everyone, and the NLW is mandatory for workers aged over 25, an employer can face legal action from HMRC if they do not comply. Significant penalties can follow. For example, non-payment can incur a penalty of 200 per cent of the amount owed, unless the arrears are paid within 14 days. In addition, the employer can face fines of up to 20,000 per worker where the NMW requirements have been breached and employers who fail to comply can also be banned from taking up any position as a company director for up to 15 years. There are also provisions for criminal investigations to take place in the case of repeated breaches and, since October 2013, the Government can name and shame employers that do not pay the NMW by listing them on their website. This variety of penalties demonstrates how seriously fair pay is regarded by the Government and HMRC. The employees themselves are also able to take action to recover any underpaid wages where an employer is not meeting the NMW by issuing a claim in the Employment Tribunal. Is this the same for full and part-time workers? Hourly rates are the traditional method of payment in the UK, so imposing minimum rates, both NMW and NLW, help to ensure a parity of pay levels between workers and minimum standards. Some suggest the new NLW legislation is helping address the long-standing gender pay gap and, as it applies equally to full and part-time positions, is helping ensure equality for the terms of part-time employees. For younger workers, however, there is still some way to go before the NLW is implemented for anyone under the age of 25, and the recent Brexit vote may mean that situation is unlikely to change. What about Brexit? Currently, and largely thanks to the copy/paste nature of the Great Repeal Bill (meaning that all EU legislation is being copied verbatim into UK law), there shouldnt be any major changes concerning the application of pay rates. Therefore, it is currently likely that workers will retain the right to either a National Minimum or a National Living Wage, depending on their age. Ultimately, what happens once Parliament starts to assess the legislation thoroughly remains to be seen, but, as that is likely to be a long process, its unlikely to have any major impact on the earnings until well after 2020. By Julie Taylor, senior associate in employment team j.taylor@gardner-leader. co.uk Gardner Leader Newbury, White Hart House, Market Place, Berkshire RG14 5BA D. Brent Polk, MD, AGAF, an investigator at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, has been awarded $1.5 million by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the NIH for the study of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and its role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The new research seeks to reveal important information about the cellular and molecular activity that triggers IBD and may point to new treatment approaches for patients. IBD, which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. IBD affects as many as 1.6 million people in the United States and a fifth of those patients are children. While the exact causes of IBD are unknown, they cause inflammation that affects the lining of the digestive tract. Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a cell signaling protein secreted by immune and other cells that affects cellular activity and controls inflammation and has been found to play a central role in the disease process of IBD. While anti-TNF therapies are part of the medical treatment regimen for many IBD patients, in the majority it is not an effective treatment in the long term. Many patients treated with anti-TNF biologics either do not respond or lose response within a year. "Our goal is to better understand the cellular activity behind the mechanisms that drive injury or impair the normal repair responses to develop more precise treatment options for patients with IBD," said Polk, a pediatric gastroenterologist and principal investigator of the study. In a previous study, Polk's research team demonstrated that despite TNF's reputation for promoting inflammation, it can have beneficial and protective effects on the intestine, as well. The molecule TNF, which is part of a major signaling center in the body, actually has two different receptors, TNFR1 and TNFR2, which can be targeted to promote or reduce inflammation. The team established that TNFR2 drives a specific pathway that restricts inflammation. The investigators are now working to understand exactly how TNFR2 acts to reduce inflammation by looking at its activity within immune cells to restrict their ability to promote intestinal inflammation. They will also look at how TNFR2 operates in the stem cells of the intestine to discover ways to change its activity to get stem cells to multiply or be more responsive to the wounds in individuals with IBD in order to repair intestinal injury. "By looking at how TNFR2 functions in both immune cells and in intestinal stem cells to reduce inflammation, we may be able to design new therapies that mimic the way the body does this naturally, and promote better health outcomes for our patients through a new precision medicine pathway" added Polk, who is also a professor of pediatrics and biochemistry and molecular medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The federal government has granted people affected by the devastating hurricanes that wracked coastal states and Puerto Rico 15 extra days to sign up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act. But Puerto Ricans who fled to the mainland after the destruction face problems well beyond timing. Many of those Americans have complicated questions about whether the Medicaid or Medicare coverage they had in Puerto Rico will shift with them to their new locations. And for those seeking private coverage, using the ACA's insurance marketplaces will likely be a new experience because the federal health law didn't establish those marketplaces in the U.S. territory. Members of Congress from Florida said Wednesday they are concerned that many of these recent arrivals, as well as insurance companies and navigators, are confused. They sent a letter to Seema Verma, the director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), requesting that federal officials put out a fact sheet to "provide much-needed clarity and alleviate confusion" among Puerto Ricans who have relocated to the States. Insurance enrollment on the health law's marketplaces ends for most people Dec. 15. In a bow to the hardships caused by the August and September storms, residents living in hard-hit areas of Texas, Florida and Georgia are allowed to sign up as late as Dec. 31. But waiting until those final 15 days means that the start of their coverage is delayed until Feb. 1. Many Puerto Ricans driven from their homes, however, are negotiating layers of red tape. In Puerto Rico, nearly three-quarters of Medicare beneficiaries are in private Advantage plans. Many have questions about whether those plans will cover them stateside. Also, the Medicaid program for low-income residents in Puerto Rico covers nearly half of the island's residents a rate higher than any state but it's not clear that people moving stateside will continue to qualify because they may not meet the tighter eligibility standards. That is especially true if their new home state did not expand Medicaid under the ACA to all adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (about $16,000 for an individual). At the very least, they will have to reapply for Medicaid coverage. Often the most effective route is through the ACA marketplaces. That process will show them whether they are eligible for Medicaid or perhaps a federal subsidy to purchase a private plan. According to a CMS memo released in September, they can call the healthcare.gov help line (1-800-318-2596) for help. The memo, which doesn't provide details about what documentation is needed, also says that "individuals may experience qualifying events due to a hurricane that makes them eligible for a special enrollment period (SEP)" to access another health plan. For example, individuals who temporarily relocated to Florida due to a hurricane and are now out of their health plan coverage area could be eligible for a special enrollment period because of the move. After the storms hit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated all counties in Florida and Georgia, and 53 in Texas, to receive individual assistance or public assistance. In Puerto Rico, this category was granted to 31 of the island's 78 municipalities. Still, Anne Packham, director of the insurance marketplace project at Covering Central Florida, an organization based in Orlando, said the focus should be on encouraging consumers to register before Dec. 15, the last day most people can sign up for coverage that begins Jan. 1. Everything is already very confusing, and we think that telling consumers that they can register until Dec. 31 during a special period is adding confusion, she said. These people need insurance right now, on Jan. 1, not February. Since the storms, more than 140,000 Puerto Ricans have arrived in the central area of Florida, according to Gov. Rick Scott's office. They may stay only for a few months or settle to start a new life. Seeking insurance and medical attention has proven arduous. Marni Stahlman, president and CEO of Shepherds Hope Inc., an organization based in Orlando that helps people find coverage and services, recalled one Puerto Rican couple that had a tough time. He had Medicare and she was a retired teacher who had insurance through her union, Stahlman said. "The husband's Medicare policy was not applicable on the mainland and the wife's was not honored either," she said. "Both have had to start over. He with reapplying for Medicare and she had to apply for the very first time in a marketplace. They are at this time still 'uninsured,' something that they have never had to encounter." Complicating the situations for many families is the lack of records and supplies. The hurricanes not only devastated lives, homes and power, but they also took medicines, prescriptions, insurance cards and copies of tax returns. Help for everybody, but for Puerto Ricans in particular, it has to be integral because these people only arrive with their passports, said Jean Zambrano, vice president of medical operations at Shepherds Hope. Among the newcomers to Florida, there are at least 18,000 children and adolescents who need medical attention quickly because they are required to get vision, hearing and immunization screenings to attend school. Stahlman and Zambrano said there is no coordinated effort at the state level to pave the way for them. Maneuvering between the territories and the States is not a well-oiled machine, and health care can fall through the cracks which means the last resort for many needing medical attention is the emergency room. Those who arrive with their important papers help ensure success. Maria Gotay, 51, arrived in Orlando from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, with her two boys, Cristian, 17, and Edwin, 22, 10 days after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island. We keep our documents in a safe place, she said, so she had them ready when applying for coverage for her children. Navigator Doris Allen, from Covering Central Florida, helped sign up Gotay's younger son for the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the older one in a private insurance plan for $33 a month after a subsidy. Maria Gotay was already covered by Medicare because she has a disability from fibromyalgia. We were very fortunate to meet such supportive people, said Gotay. She recalled arriving at the health center and falling in Allen's arms crying hysterically. "I never wanted to leave Puerto Rico, I never imagined being at the edge of dying. During the hurricane, we were all together, our house was damaged and flooded, but it withstood Marias onslaught," said Gotay. She brought her sons to Orlando because her two daughters were already living there. Her husband stayed on the island, caring for his father who shows signs of Alzheimers, she said. She said she has enormous stress and fear following the hurricane, and has been seeing a psychiatrist in Orlando to get help. However, she will return to Puerto Rico this month, while her boys stay in Florida to begin a new life. The Berlin-based laboratory equipment manufacturer KNAUER celebrates its 55th anniversary and awards a science prize worth 25,000 US dollars Anniversary celebrations are often the occasion for a retrospective of successes and achievements. This is also the case with KNAUER Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, founded in 1962. And there is enough reason to be happy: What Dr.-Ing. Herbert Knauer once started with a soldering iron, a jigsaw and an ingenious idea for a highly accurate electronic thermometer, today has become a well-established company with 135 employees that issuccessfully developing and marketing chromatography devices worldwide. More than 100 guests arrived at the company headquarters in Zehlendorf, Berlin, for the anniversary ceremony on October 2nd. State secretary for science and research Steffen Krach (SPD) who represented Berlin's Governing Mayor, emphasized the importance of medium-sized businesses like KNAUER for the economic region of Berlin. According to Krach, technology companies are particularly valuable as an employer in the predominantly service-oriented Berlin economy. "We are very proud to look back on a successful company history. Constant development and highly motivated staff are very important prerequisites in the high-tech lab industry," said Alexandra Knauer on Monday during the ceremony, thanking employees for their great commitment. CEO Knauer has been managing the family business in its second generation for 22 years. The highlight of the celebratory program in the morning was the presentation of an international research prize called "The Humanity in Science Award". The award, worth USD 25,000 to the winning project, recognizes and rewards scientific breakthroughs that can substantially benefit human lives. The prize was launched in 2014 by specialist magazine "The Analytical Scientist" and has been awarded annually with the support of an industry partner. This year, the international expert jury selected pharmacist and economist Dr. Richard Jahnke from Frankfurt as the winner. Jahnkes project focuses on the fight against the spread of inferior and counterfeit medicines in developing countries by providing a set of easy-to-use tests for more than 85 active ingredients. Counterfeit drugs can be fatal, often because they dont work as promised. Jahnkeaccepted the award with great pleasure from Rich Whitworth, Content Director of the Texere Publishing (the publisher of The Analytical Scientist), and Roswitha Knauer, founder of KNAUER. "Something that has not changed over the years at KNAUER is our aim to develop precise tools for scientists with which they can gain new insights. The vision behind it is progress for the benefit of man. The "Humanity in Science Award" very much matches this idea. We warmly congratulate the current and past award winners," said Alexandra Knauer and wished the winning teams great success with their projects. Researchers from the University of Granada (UGR) have proven, for the first time in history, that physical fitness in children may affect their brain structure, which in turn may have an influence on their academic performance. More specifically, the researchers have confirmed that physical fitness in children (especially aerobic capacity and motor ability) is associated with a greater volume of gray matter in several cortical and subcortical brain regions. In particular, aerobic capacity has been associated with greater gray matter volume in frontal regions (premotor cortex and supplementary motor cortex), subcortical regions (hippocampus and caudate nucleus), temporal regions (inferior temporal gyrus and parahippocampal gyrus) and the calcarine cortex. All of those regions are important for the executive function as well as for learning, motor and visual processes. This study has been published in the renowned Neuroimage journal and is part of the ActiveBrains project, which is a randomized clinical trial involving more than 100 overweight/obese children led by Francisco B. Ortega. Said project is being carried out mainly at the University of Granada's Sport and Health Institute (IMUDS, from its abbreviation in Spanish) and the Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC). "Our work aims at answering questions such as whether the brain of children with better physical fitness is different from that of children with worse physical fitness and if this affects their academic performance", Ortega explains. "The answer is short and forceful: yes, physical fitness in children is linked in a direct way to important brain structure differences, and such differences are reflected in the children's academic performance". Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today Besides, the UGR research associates motor ability with a greater gray matter volume in two regions essential for language processing and reading: the inferior frontal gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus. However, muscular strength didn't showed any independent association with gray matter volume in any brain region. According to Irene Esteban-Cornejo, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Granada and main author of this paper, gray matter volume in the cortical and subcortical regions influenced by physical fitness improves in turn the children's academic performance. Moreover, "physical fitness is a factor that can be modified through physical exercise, and combining exercises that improve the aerobic capacity and the motor ability would be an effective approach to stimulate brain development and academic performance in overweight/obese children". This scientific paper means an important contribution to human knowledge which should be taken into account by educational and public health institutions. "We appeal both to politicians, who make educational laws that are increasingly more focused on instrumental subjects, and to teachers, who are the final link in the chain and teach Physical Education day after day. School is the only entity that gathers every children in a mandatory way for a period of at least 10 years, and as such, it's the ideal context for applying such recommendations", note the researchers. In their own words, the authors of this study are "at the disposal of educational and public health institutions for talking about possible measures and putting them into action". People with potentially fatal chronic lung diseases are not in control of their condition,new research by Chiesi reveals today. This could be leading to costly A&E visits and hospital stays which may be dramatically reduced if they were being treated adequately. TheBreathing New Life into COPD survey of 500 people across Britain diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - the collective term for conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema found that almost a third (31 per cent) feel their treatment was not adequately controlling their condition.60 per cent feel there is not enough support available to help them manage it properly. This is despite the nationwide survey revealing that almost half (46 per cent) of patients use at least three inhalers to help keep their condition under control.Yet they are still being struck by flare-ups where their condition suddenly worsens, making breathing even more difficult than usual.These flare-ups can be caused by an infection such as a cold or for an unknown reason. According to the survey, carried out by Opinion Health on behalf of the pharmaceutical company Chiesi in August 2017, flare-ups are leading to one in five (21 per cent) COPD patients visiting A&E up to twice a year. Some patients (4 per cent/18 patients) have rushed to the emergency department three or more times in a year because of a flare-up. And 18 per cent of those questioned have had to stay in hospital overnight once or twice in the last year because of their flare-up. A single visit to A&E can cost 124 just to be seen, whilst an NHS hospital stay is estimated to be400 a day. COPD accounts for over 140,000 hospital admissions and over a million bed days each year across the UK, which is 1.7 per cent of all hospital admissions and bed days. 97 per cent of these admissions are for emergency care. Dr Richard Russell, consultant respiratory physician at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Director of the West Hampshire Integrated Respiratory Service said: This is an important and large survey of 500 UK patients with COPD. The findings demonstrate there is much more to be done to improve the care of these patients. We are often treating patients with three or more inhalers and yet the results of this survey show that 17 per cent of patients have not had their inhaler technique checked by their doctor. Patients are still suffering from poorly controlled disease, especially from acute lung attacks or exacerbations, which is impacting on all aspects of their lives and leading to significant mortality, morbidity and cost to society. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today COPD is an incurable condition because it causes permanent lung damage.It affects at least 1.2 million people in the UK, usually over the age of 40. Experts believe there are also more than two million undiagnosed cases. The condition kills over 30,000 people each year and is estimated to cost the NHS more than 800m a year and the overall economy some 3.8bn in lost productivity. The main cause is smoking, but it can also be caused by workplace exposure, genetic make-up and general environmental pollution. The survey also revealed a lack of awareness of the condition, with 37 per cent of patients knowing nothing about it before they were diagnosed. massive 80 per cent of sufferers felt the public are unaware of what COPD is and how it can impact patients lives. Impact on day-to-day lives COPD is also having a negative impact on the personal lives of sufferers.The survey found that 34 per cent are anxious about the possibility of having another flare up.1 This fear is impacting on their day-to-day lives, leaving them unable to: do exercise and sport (58 per cent), walk up and down stairs (48 per cent), take up hobbies (46 per cent), go shopping (41 per cent) enjoy social activities (41 per cent). Almost 40% admit their worry about a potential flare-up is impacting on their sexual intimacy. 17 percent admit that they had to take 2 days off work because of a flare up in the last year and 13 percent say their flare up lasted 7 days. It is then no surprise that 27 percent of those questioned were not employed because of their COPD. Dr Penny Woods, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation said: 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 Paddy minimum support price not fixed citing elections The government has decided not to announce the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy this year, spreading disappointment among farmers who had expected a hike in the lowest legal price that can be paid for their harvest. GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us. Foresight Institutes Vision Weekend, Dec 2-3, SF You may apply the code THENEXTBIGFUTURE for a 50% discount when purchasing your Vision Weekend ticket. (This is a Foresight member-only event, so if youre not a member already, join when registering.) The Vision Weekend is a gathering dedicated to taking stock of the most compelling ideas of today, turn them into coherent visions for a better future, and get to work on them. Saturday: Keynote panels @ Gray Area. Industry leaders deliver food for thought during panels, followed by private Q&A tables with your favorite speaker. Sunday: Strategy sessions @ Laundry. What vision do you want to contribute to our future? Pick your topic, or apply to host a strategy session. Be bold Sunday is off the record. Panels include: Long-term thinking: So Much To Do, So Little Time Blockchains: Master Key to Unlock The Future? Longevity: Reaching Escape Velocity for Life-Extension Intelligence 2.0: The Brain As Next Frontier? Speakers include: Joon Yun, Founder of Palo Alto Longevity Prize Sonia Arrison, Author of 100 Plus Tom Kalil, Senior Advisor to the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Group David Eagleman, Host & Producer of The Brain with David Eagleman Aubrey De Grey, President of SENS Research Foundation Max More, President of Alcor Zooko Wilcox, Founder of ZCash Mark S. Miller, Senior Fellow at Foresight Institute Will Marshall, Co-Founder & CEO, Planet Labs Kevin Perrott, Founder & CEO, Aging Research Network Melanie Swan, Founder of Institute for Blockchain Studies Matt Bell, Co-Founder of Matterport Randal Koene, Founder of NeuraLink Check out the event website for more speakers, program, or buy your ticket. Share the event with your friends on Facebook. For the first time ever astronomers have studied an asteroid that has entered the Solar System from interstellar space. Observations from ESOs Very Large Telescope in Chile and other observatories around the world show that this unique object was traveling through space for millions of years before its chance encounter with our star system. It appears to be a dark, reddish, highly-elongated rocky or high-metal-content object. 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. ESOs Very Large Telescope was immediately called into action to measure the objects orbit, brightness and color 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 Earths 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! Police team reaches Supreme Court after anonymous bomb threat A bomb disposal squad of Nepal Police has reached the Supreme Court premises in Kathmandu on Tuesday amid fears of a bomb threat. November 20, 2017 Join a ranger for a hike on Pinhook Bogs often overlooked Upland Trail on Sunday, November 26 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The hike showcases the bogs watershed as you hike a ravine, cross a bridge over a secluded pond that feeds the bog, and through stands of towering trees. 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Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. Bomb scare at Supreme Court turns out to be hoax (with photos) Police concluded that an anonymous call about a bomb planted on the Supreme Court (SC) premises in Kathmandu has turned out to be a hoax. Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years. Talking through their hat Every Nepali is excited about the approaching provincial and federal elections. As is the practice, all political parties present their vision and goals in the form of an election manifesto. The Congress conundrum The Nepali Congress faces one of the greatest challenges of the democratic era. With the federal parliamentary and provincial assembly elections fast approaching, the countrys oldest party feels as though it is being squeezed between the leftist alliance and the Madhesi alliance. TSC pauses teacher recruitment process Following continued protests by university students, the Teachers Service Commission on Monday suspended the process of hiring permanent teachers by reserving a big proportion of seats for the temporary teachers in service. What is in store? It is very interesting to watch campaigns for the upcoming elections. While driving through town on Saturday, I had to give way to a bunch of motorcycles with party flags. This article first ran in 2014. Like many other readers, we were fascinated by the 50-dishes-for-50-states Thanksgiving mega-menu that our colleagues in the Food section recently produced. The piece and the many reactions to it got us wondering what a democratic version of the project might look like. That is, if the residents of every state could vote for distinct Thanksgiving dishes, what would each states dish be? So we asked researchers at Google for help. You can think of every web search that someone does for a recipe as a kind of vote, after all. The researchers didnt focus on the most popular dish in every state, because that would be turkey in all 50 states. They instead looked for the most distinct. The dishes you see listed here are the result of the analysis. The numbers next to each dish indicate how much more popular searches for it were in a given a state than in the rest of the country during the week of Thanksgiving over the past 10 years. In Michigan, for example, cheesy potatoes is 9 times more commonly searched (relative to population size) than in the rest of the country. You should not interpret the dishes here as the most iconic Thanksgiving recipes in each state, or even a state's favorite dish. Its possible that some dishes are so central to a states culture that people there dont need to search for them on the web, for instance. But academic research on everything from voter turnout to flu epidemics has found that Google searching can be a meaningful indictor of behavior and attitudes. We certainly learned a lot from the analysis ooey gooey bars! pig pickin cake! and have had great fun talking about them around the office in the last few days. We hope you enjoy it as much. Below, youll find the most distinct dishes according to search volume for each state, as well as a screenshot of what Google thinks each entry looks like. This article first ran in 2015. Thanksgiving is known as a time to return home to family, with the holiday calling to mind images of grandmothers house. But for many Americans, its also now a chance to go on vacation. This week, Florida will see a surge in the number of people arriving by plane. Las Vegas is another popular destination. Much more than is commonly realized, Thanksgiving is a time to seek out sun (and gambling), in addition to (or possibly instead of) catching up with loved ones. These conclusions emerge from The Upshots analysis of search data from Google Flights. In all, more than 3.6 million Americans or slightly more than 1 percent of the countrys population are expected to take a flight for Thanksgiving. Below, we offer more details on the flight patterns including the fact that we are evidently a nation of procrastinators. The peak time for flying to your Thanksgiving destination this week is noon on Thanksgiving itself, just a few hours before most families sit down for their big holiday meal. Destinations After adjusting for population, the city with the biggest increase in people looking to book flights is Miami. Orlando is a close second, with snowbirds in Florida drawing a rush of holiday travelers from every major city in America. One possible reason: home to family isnt necessarily where people grew up, but where their parents moved in retirement. The biggest influx of travelers comes from Washington, Boston and Atlanta. There is also a surprisingly strong Thanksgiving connection between Salt Lake City and Orlando. Evidently a sizable Disney World effect is luring many from Utah to Cinderellas castle for Thanksgiving. Another popular Thanksgiving travel destination is Las Vegas. A substantial number of fliers from far-off cities like Seattle and Washington have decided that its a nice place to gather and give thanks. According to Brian Ek, travel analyst for Priceline, a combination of low fares and cheap hotel rooms makes Las Vegas an appealing middle ground for travelers who are particularly price-conscious. And for people who live on the West Coast, Honolulu is a natural Thanksgiving destination. Its a place where you can get tropical sides like poke and laulau to go along with your turkey, and it provides a wonderful opportunity to sneak in a few waves before dinner. Theres another thing Florida, Nevada and Hawaii all have in common: good weather, making them appealing if youre one of those folks that havent been invited to any place for Thanksgiving, and you want to go somewhere warm, as Mr. Ek put it. Not all Thanksgiving destinations look so much like vacations. Seattle, where the average temperature in November is in the mid-40s, receives a pretty strong inflow of travelers from warm cities like Miami. Denver is also a popular destination for Thanksgiving, particularly from cities on the East Coast. In the South, a lot of Thanksgiving travel centers around Atlanta. Its one of the rare cities in the search data with a disproportionate rise both as an origin and destination. Origins Another way to look at this map is to ask Where are more people flying from? A common answer is Boston, probably because the area is home to so many colleges. According to the AAA motor club, most Thanksgiving travel is done through driving, but college students far from home seldom have that option, so they fly. The variety of places Boston travelers are looking to go supports this theory. Timing When it comes to the timing of flights, many people approach Thanksgiving with surgical precision. The most in-demand time to fly is noon on the very day of Thanksgiving. Theres also an interesting story relating to what days people choose to travel. You might expect demand for flights to grow each day you get closer to Thanksgiving, but it looks as if few people are interested in flying on Tuesday. The data supports the common-sense idea that there are two approaches to holiday travel: take the whole week off, or wait until the last possible moment, perhaps because of work demands. Details of Our Analysis We compared Google Flights searches of round-trip flights for the two weeks surrounding Thanksgiving against a typical two weeks of travel, adjusted for the sum of the population of the origin and destination cities. This means that the patterns in the map show travel routes that are more heavily flown because of a Thanksgiving surge. Major routes such as Los Angeles-to-New York arent going to be highlighted because they are not flown much more than normal during Thanksgiving, relative to the size of their populations. Remember, this is search data, so theres no guarantee that a search results in an actual flight booked, but we think this gives us a reasonable idea of where people are going for the holiday. J&K: One terrorist killed in encounter with security forces in Handwara Terrorists killed in Handwara were active in forests for two weeks 3 LeT terrorists gunned down in Handwara India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists belonging to Pakistan were gunned down in a joint operation of CRPF Police and Army in Magam area of Handwara district on Tuesday. IGP Kashmir, Munir Khan, said "Started operation at midnight on specific information of terrorists hiding. It was a joint operation of CRPF Police and Army. Terrorists who were hiding in a house were asked to surrender but they kept firing. 3 Pakistani LeT terrorists killed, arms and ammunition recovered." "Pakistan is trying hard to push as many militants as they can across LoC & anytime snowfall will start, so, this is the time we should be very alert," Munir Khan said. J&K: Arms & ammunition recovered by security forces from Magam area of #Handwara. 3 LeT terrorists belonging to Pakistan were killed in the operation. pic.twitter.com/7qHpe0b8Vv ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2017 State DGP S P Vaid hailed the security force for their "excellent work" in counterpoising the three terrorists. Three LeT terrorists all Pakistanis neutralised in Magam area of Handwara district in North Kashmir. Excellent work! Shesh Paul Vaid (@spvaid) November 21, 2017 OneIndia News DigiLocker users can now store Ayushman Bharat health records: Here's how to do it Bimal Gurung who is in hiding to depart for Delhi soon India oi-Amitava By Amitava The day after the Supreme Court order and hours before the bipartite talks between the State Government and Hill political outfits, Bimal Gurung shot an audio clip stating that he would soon depart for Delhi. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha leader Bimal Gurung is presently in hiding is implicated in numerous cases. He has also been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA.) There is a Look-out notice and a warrant in his name. "The Supreme Court has provided 15 days of stay. False charges were leveled against me. The next 15 days during the period of Stay, I will go to Delhi and file similar cases for all those who are in hiding and are being victimized by the police. I will get relief for them also" stated Gurung in the audio clip sent from an undisclosed location. Gurung asked his supporters to remain on guard. "The conspirators (read Binay Tamang, Anit Thapa) could instigate you all so that you make some mistake so that the Stay is cancelled. Don't fall into the trap. Maintain peace, don't indulge in any sort of violence despite provocation. Good days are near" was Gurung's message to his supporters. Gurung claimed that his supporters were eager to meet him, walk in rallies with him and are willing to stand by him through thick and thin. "However I will have to act responsibly. We have to work with our brains. We have to maintain peace, keep patient and continue walking on the democratic path" stated Gurung. He alleged that police had unleashed terror in the Hills and were torching houses of Gurung's supporters. "I will definitely meet my supporters and well-wishers. I will continue working democratically without creating any problems for others" assured Gurung. Gurung had filed a writ petition (criminal) in the Supreme Court against the Union of India and others. Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan after hearing the counsel on Monday, ordered "Issue notice, returnable in two weeks. In the meantime, no coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner." On Monday Gurung was suspended from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha party for six months along with 13 others. He was replaced by Binay Tamang as the President of the party. OneIndia News Can prominent Hanuman statue in Delhi's Karol Bagh be relocated, asks High Court India oi-Vikas By Vikas Hearing a plea on unauthorised constructions and encroachments in Delhi's Karol Bagh area, the Delhi High Court has asked whether the prominent 108-foot Lord Hanuman statue near Jhandewalan be relocated to decongest the traffic. The massive Hanuman statue is located close to a major traffic intersection in the national capital where roads leading to Patel Nagar, Dhaula Kuan, Rohtak and Central Delhi meet. The intersection can always be seen crowded. Stating that when entire skyscrapers have been relocated in the United States, the bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked if the airlifting of the statue could be considered. The court was hearing a PIL filed by an NGO that has sought removal of unauthorised constructions and encroachments in Karol Bagh, an Indian Express report stated. The HC also came down hard at the municipal corporations over the law enforcement and said that if the civic bodies show at even one that the law is being enforced, then "the mindset of the people of Delhi would change". The HC has earlier sought to know as to who were the people responsible for erecting such a massive idol at an important traffic intersection. The issue of other buildings in the vicinity and illegal floor being constructed also came up during the hearing. OneIndia News Central Vista to be unveiled by PM Modi today | 7 things to know Winter session of Parliament likely to commence from December first week in old building Centre committed to hold Winter Session of Parliament : Ananth Kumar India oi-Chennabasaveshwar By Chennabasaveshwar Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar on Tuesday said the Centre is committed to holding a winter Parliament session and in the next couple of days cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs will decide the dates of the session. The Union Minister's reply comes a day after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said that the Modi government has cast a dark shadow on democracy by sabotaging the Winter Session of Parliament on flimsy grounds. Her allegation was based on the government's delaying of the winter session of parliament, which usually begins in November and runs four weeks. "Modi government in arrogance has cast a dark shadow on India's Parliamentary democracy by sabotaging Winter Session on flimsy grounds," Sonia Gandhi said while addressing CWC meeting. In reply to Sonia Gandhi's comment, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley 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. OneIndia News Congress Yuva magazine mocks Modi with 'chaiwala' meme, deletes later India pti-PTI New Delhi, Nov 21: An online magazine of the Congress' youth wing today set off a political firestorm with a meme about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'chaiwala' past, provoking a backlash from the ruling BJP, and prompting a red-faced Congress to distance from it. The meme contained photographs of Modi, US president Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May engaged in a conversation. Modi is seen telling the two leaders about the opposition's memes targeting him. He mispronounces the word as "mainmain". Trump corrects him, saying the word is pronounced as "meem", while May tells him to go and sell tea. The potentially damaging meme circulated ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls was deleted soon after it was put out, and the Congress distanced itself from it, saying the party disapproves of and rejects such humour. However, the opposition party was excoriated by the ruling BJP. "This blatantly classist and anti-poor Tweet by the Youth Congress shows their mindset towards Indias poor. Does Crown Prince @OfficeOfRG support this?" Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said in a tweet. Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, J P Nadda and Piyush Goyal also hit out at the Congress over the post. The official Twitter handle of BJP chief Amit Shah retweeted all such posts put out by the ministers. "The arrogance of the Congress Party and shameful anti- poor stand gets exposed from the official twitter of the Youth Congress that a person born in poverty in the family of a tea vendor cannot become the Prime Minister. No lessons learnt. Insulting popular mandate. "Madam Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi do you still believe that only you have a divine right to rule India? Country expects your response on the tweet of the youth Congress, which is shameful and insulting to poor. You can delete the Tweet but your thinking towards the poor stands exposed," Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a series of tweets. Seeking to do control the damage, Congress communications incharge Randeep Surjewala said, "Congress strongly disapproves and rejects such humour through memes. Differences on policy and opinion aside, Congress culture imbibes respect for PM and all political opponents." PTI IRCTC update: 151 trains cancelled on Nov 09; here is the complete list Delhi AQI remains 'very poor' but parts of NCR breathe better Delhi: International drug racket busted, cocaine seized India oi-Vikas By Vikas A massive international drug racket was busted by the Delhi unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau on Tuesday. A Huge quantity of contraband substance Cocaine was seized, said reports. Two foreign nationals have also been arrested. Last week, an international drug peddler was arrested by the Kolkata unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). The accused was believed to be the ringleader of an international drug racket sourcing drugs from Myanmar and selling the same in Bangladesh. Drugs worth Rs. 18 lakhs were seized from him. [India fast emerging as a transit country for international drug cartel] On November 9, the arrest of a Bolivian woman from the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, along with a contraband consignment of cocaine has raised questions as to whether an international contraband drug route is operational through India. OneIndia News Delhi AQI remains 'very poor' but parts of NCR breathe better Delhi: Shootout near Dwarka metro station, 5 arrested India oi-Deepika By Deepika Five people were arrested on Tuesday after a joint team of Delhi and Punjab police engaged in a shootout with a suspected gang at a house near Dwarka Metro in Delhi. No injuries have been reported so far in the shootout. Police have recovered 12 pistols and 100 bullets from the spot. Nearly 30 rounds of shots were fired. A Punjab police team from Mohali and Delhi police conducted a joint raid at a property near a metro station in Dwarka Mor area to nab a criminal. #Visuals from #Delhi: 5 people apprehended in a shootout with Delhi and Punjab police at Dwarka Mor Metro Pillar 768, no injuries reported. 12 pistols and 100 bullets recovered. pic.twitter.com/svB8dOaBbq ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2017 the suspects were hiding on the second floor of a building, which has offices on the ground floor and flats on the upper floors. Though five people have been caught, the police are still combing the area to look for one or more men who might have escaped. Sources in the police were quoted by the report as saying that since then, criminal gangs from Mewat (Haryana) and the surrounding areas have become active in Delhi, especially in the southern and outer areas of the city. Earlier this month, a 38-year-old gangster who was on the radar of the police forces of several states including Uttar Pradesh and Delhi - was arrested following a brief shootout in Delhi. OneIndia News India wont send Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife alone to Pakistan India oi-Vicky By Vicky India is not keen on sending Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife to meet him in Pakistan alone. India wants Jadhav's mother to accompany him to Pakistan as this was the first request which was made, Indian officials say. India has written to Pakistan asking it to allow Jadhav's mother to accompany his wife. Pakistan is yet to respond to the request. On November 10, Pakistan had said that it would permit Jadhav's wife to visit him. India, however, responded through diplomatic channels to permit even the mother to visit him. The Pakistan foreign office in a tweet had said that it had received India's reply to Pakistan's humanitarian offer. The same has been received and is under consideration, the tweet also read. Jadhav was arrested by Pakistan on charges of espionage. His mercy plea was rejected by a military appellate court. His clemency plea is under consideration by the army chief at present. OneIndia News Lack of development in J&K for decades was one of the reasons behind rise of terrorism: Rajnath Singh His contributions ignored: Why Rajnath Singh said Netaji was first PM of India Indian Muslims would never let ISIS set up base in country: Rajnath Singh India oi-Vicky By Vicky Indian Muslims would never allow terrorist outfits such as the Islamic State have a base in the country, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said. The minister's comments come a day after the ISIS announced its arrival in Kashmir. Singh also said he has complete faith in the Indian youth that they would not let IS misled them. "Any Indian Muslim who believes in Islam would not allow any opportunity to the Islamic State to have a base in the country," the Union home minister said. His remarks came in wake of claims that the global terror outfit was involved in an attack on security forces in Srinagar on November 17 in which a terrorist, Mugees, was killed and a sub-inspector, Imran Tak, lost his life. The terrorist group claimed the attack through its propaganda news agency, 'Amaq'. Photographs of Mugees with the IS flag had surfaced on the social media. Even his body was wrapped in the flag of the banned terror group during the funeral. Singh urged the young men, who live near the India- Pakistan border and who have been misled into joining terrorist groups, to return to the mainstream, saying proper assistance would be provided to them. Singh dismissed reports about IS gaining a foothold in the Kashmir Valley and said there was no confirmation about such reports. He said the matter was being investigated by security agencies and any conclusion should be arrived at only after their report was submitted to the government. Commenting on the recent military standoff with the Chinese Army in Dokalam area in Sikkim sector, Singh said India wants cordial ties with its neighbours and even Chinese president Xi Jinping has expressed his views on this. Indian and Chinese armies were engaged in an over two-month-long military standoff in the Dokalam area, which is claimed by Indian ally Bhutan after Chinese troops tried to build a road. New Delhi opposed the construction of the road, fearing it would allow Beijing to cut off India's access to its northeastern states. The Union home minister also visited the house of Hindi author Manu Sharma, who died earlier this month, in Varanasi to pay his respects. OneIndia News Indias Dalveer Bhandari re-elected to ICJ after Britain withdraws International oi-Vicky By Vicky Dalveer Bhandari, India's nominee to the International Court of Justice was re-elected to the last seat of the world court after Britain withdrew its candidate from the election. 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. The elections were held after the United Kingdom, in a dramatic turn of events, withdrew out of the race for the Hague-based ICJ, thus paving the way for Bhandari's re-election to the prestigious world court. Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood were locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the ICJ. The permanent members of the Security Council- the US, Russia, France, and China -- were understood to have been throwing their weight behind Greenwood. Britain is the fifth permanent member of the Security Council. In a dramatic turn of events, the British Permanent Representative to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, wrote identical letters to the presidents of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council, before the two chambers were scheduled to meet at 3 pm (local time) for the 12th round of voting. Readout simultaneously by both the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, Rycroft said that its candidate Judge Christopher Greenwood had decided to withdraw from the election to the 15-membered ICJ. He along with Bhandari were seeking re-election for the nine-year term. Who is Dalveer Bhandari? In the 11 rounds of voting, Bhandari had got nearly two-thirds of the votes in the General Assembly and in Security Council Greenwood consistently received nine votes as against five for his opponent. This resulted in a stalemate. As per the letter read out simultaneously in the General Assembly and the Security Council, Rycroft said the current deadlock is unlikely to be broken by further rounds of voting. As such he announced withdrawal from the race. With Bhandari being the only candidate left in the race, the General Assembly and Security Council still went through the formal motion of voting to complete the formalities. 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. 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. OneIndia News In the name of charity, Rs 50 lakh transferred to personal A/C: ED in chargesheet against Rana Ayyub Rana Ayyub used money collected for charity for her own use Who is Isudan Gadhvi? Know all about AAP's CM candidate Journalist allegedly shot down by Tripura State Rifles trooper India oi-Amitava By Amitava Sudip Datta Bhaumik, a journalist was allegedly shot dead by a trooper of the 2nd battalion of the Tripura State Rifles on Tuesday. The incident occurred at the camp of the 2nd Battalion at R.K. Nagar, Khas Noagaon, Tripura. The camp is located around 20 km from the State Capital Agartala. Bhaumiuk was a crime reporter with Syandan Patrika, a Bengali newspaper of Agartala. He had gone to meet the Commandant at the Tripura State Rifles camp. He had prior appointment. However he had had an altercation with a PSO and the PSO allegedly shot him dead. Confirming the news, Shikha Chowdhury, an employee of the Syandan Patrika, talking to Oneindia, over phone, stated "Bhaumik who was a journalist working in this paper was shot dead in the Tripura State Rifle camp. He was shot twice. All our senior staff have rushed to the spot." The dead body has been taken to the GB Panth Hospital in Agartala. Incidentally this is the second incident of a journalist being killed on duty in Tripura in the last two months. 28 year old Santanu Bhowmik, a journalist working with a news channel "Din Raat" while covering a clash between Indigenous People's Front of Tripura and CPIM's Rajjer Upajati Ganamukti Parishad in Mandia, West Tripura on September 20. He was allegedly hit on the head from behind and abducted. Police later had found him with grievous multiple stab injuries. He was rushed to the GB Panth Hospital where he was declared dead. OneIndia News Kerala HC orders screening of Malayalam film 'S Durga' at IFFI India pti-PTI Kochi, November 21: Days after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry dropped the movie from the festival, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday ordered the screening of Malayalam film "S Durga" at the ongoing IFFI in Goa. Allowing a petition by the film's director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, Justice B Vinod Chandran directed the ministry to screen it at the 48th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The film's certified copy can be exhibited at the festival, which commenced yesterday, the court said in its order. Sasidharan had moved the court after the film was dropped from the Panorama section of the festival, contending that the decision was unconstitutional. Overruling the recommendation of the 13-member jury, the I&B ministry pulled out "S Durga" and Marathi movie "Nude" from the festival, which will continue until November 28. The petitioner submitted that the ministry "arbitrarily vetoed" the decision of the jury "without any authority of law" and excluded the film from the Indian Panorama section, without notice to him and also without assigning any reason. He further stated that some fringe elements protested against the film, based on their misunderstanding that the original title "Sexy Durga" referred to Goddess Durga whereas the work has nothing against the goddess or any other religious figures. The film, a road movie that follows the horrifying experience of two hitchhikers, a man, and a woman, at the hands of two men in the dead of the night, won the Hivos Tiger Award in the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2017. PTI KTET 2017 official notification out, check details here India oi-Vicky By Vicky The KTET 2017 official notification is out. You can check all the details here. The Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test will be held in December 2017. Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan has released official notification for the exam. Online registration for KTET 2017 scheduled for 28 and 30 December will be open till 3 December 2017. The other official website ktet.kerala.gov.in is under progress; candidates can refer it later on. The result for KTET 2017 held in August was declared in September. Official notification for Kerala TET was released in July and the exam was held on 12 August and 19 August. Admit cards were released on 1 August. KTET selection will comprise of four categories. While first three categories will be for teacher posts of lower primary, upper primary and high school classes, respectively; the last category will be for language teachers in Arabic, Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu (up to Upper Primary level), Specialist teachers and Physical Education teachers (up to High School level). 'A person who scores 60% or more in the K-TET examination will be considered 'KTET passed' or 'K-TET qualified'. This will be the qualifying marks for all categories. There shall be no negative marks for the test. There is no age limit prescribed for candidates appearing for K-TET, the official notification also states. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2017, 7:48 [IST] Kupwara encounter: One army jawan lost his life, three injured India oi-Madhuri An army personnel was killed and three others were injured in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara in an ongoing gunfight that erupted between security forces and militants. The encounter is still on, said Shesh Paul Vaid, Director General of Police (DGP) of Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier in the morning, three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were killed in Magam area of the same district. OneIndia News PM Modi gifts Biden Kangra painting: What is the significance of this art from Himachal From Kangara painting for Biden, here is what PM Modi gifted other leaders at G20 Summit MEA's 'untiring efforts' led to Dalveer Bhandari's re-election to ICJ: PM Modi India oi-Vikas By Vikas Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday heaped praise on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the Ministry of External Affairs' team for their "untiring efforts" which led to Dalveer Bhandari being re-elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Congratulations to EAM @SushmaSwaraj and her entire team at MEA & diplomatic missions for their untiring efforts that have led to Indias re-election to ICJ. Our deep gratitude to all the members of UNGA as well as UNSC for their support and trust in India. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 21, 2017 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. The elections were held after the United Kingdom, in a dramatic turn of events, withdrew out of the race for the Hague-based ICJ, thus paving the way for Bhandari's re-election to the prestigious world court. Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood were locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the ICJ. The permanent members of the Security Council- the US, Russia, France, and China -- were understood to have been throwing their weight behind Greenwood. Britain is the fifth permanent member of the Security Council. In a dramatic turn of events, the British Permanent Representative to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, wrote identical letters to the presidents of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council, before the two chambers were scheduled to meet at 3 pm (local time) for the 12th round of voting. Readout simultaneously by both the presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council, Rycroft said that its candidate Judge Christopher Greenwood had decided to withdraw from the election to the 15-membered ICJ. He along with Bhandari were seeking re-election for the nine-year term. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2017, 12:37 [IST] Blow to Nitish Kumar as 5 of 6 MLAs from JD(U) join BJP in Manipur Mob culture? Why in Manipur the BJP is at loggerheads with the media India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Imphal, Nov 21: It has been only a few months, when the northeastern state of Manipur, known as a trouble-torn area for being home to more than 40 militant groups, has elected its first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under chief minister N Biren Singh. However, voters are not very happy with the BJP government as it is trying its best to allegedly enforce its right-wing agenda on the state. Taking the lead in expressing the simmering discontent of people against the saffron party is the local media. The fight between the journalist community and the BJP government has really become fierce and ugly in recent times in the state. The recent clash between the media houses and the BJP government in Manipur started after Imphal-based newspaper, Poknapham, while criticising the BJP called Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "cattle thief" in one of its columns. The criticism against the PM and the BJP did not go down well with the saffron party workers. As a mark of protest against the newspaper, BJP's Yuva Morcha activists allegedly burnt several copies of the local daily recently. Copies of vernacular newspaper Poknapham were set on fire by unidentified miscreants in front of BJP's party office at Nityapat Chuthek in Imphal on Saturday over alleged disparaging content against the PM. The local media, which again is refusing to keep quiet, decided to openly take on the BJP government. On Monday, readers of the state were greeted with blank editorials in almost all local newspapers, including Poknapham. "The editorial column has been left blank on Monday in protest against the burning of copies of an Imphal-based newspaper by the 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 PM 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. The critical article had also said that Manipur CM Singh could "help in recovering the stolen cow". The column is a political satire about the ongoing peace negotiations between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M). The journalist fraternity is angry because its members see the burning of copies of the newspaper as an act by the BJP to gag and muzzle the media. "The burning of a paper is nothing but an attempt to gag and muzzle the mouth of the media. Such action is not expected of a party which is leading a government," Mobi said. OneIndia News We cannot wait longer now: SC to hear Vijay Mallyas contempt case in January for final disposal Never ran away with anyone's money like Mallya: Robert Vadra India oi-Vikas By Vikas Hitting out at Vijay Mallya for drawing parallels with him, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra has urged the beleaguered liquor baron to return to India and face "all pending legal cases". Mallya, in his defence before a UK court against India's request to extradite him in a money laundering case, has said that he was a political victim like Vadra and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. "Yet again, I came across the news, where somebody or the other is using my name as crutches, for their personal benefits or to divert the Nation's real issues.... This time, none other than Mr. Vijay Mallya citing my references in the UK courts," Vadra said in his Facebook post. Priyanka Gandhi's husband further said that he is "a political victim", but asserted that he has full faith in the judiciary. "I never ran away with anyone's money from the country like him," he added. Wanted for loan defaults amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crore, Mallya appeared before a London court on Monday where dates for his extradition trial were confirmed for eight days starting December 4. Mallya fled to the UK in March 2016 and owes close to Rs 9,000 crores to several banks in India. Vadra also advised Mallya to return to India and face trial. "My piece of advice to him is "to please return to India and face all pending legal matters and to clear his dues to the people owed", and last but not the least, "please avoid using my name", I do not wish to be associated with you in any matters," he wrote. OneIndia News Not ISIS, but Tehrik-Ul-Mujahideen is the headache in Kashmir India oi-Vicky By Vicky The government has sought to downplay the presence of the Islamic State in Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Home Ministry, however, acknowledged the resurgence of another radical group in the Kashmir 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 news 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 the funeral. However, the home ministry 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. OneIndia News Padmavati controversy: Police deployed outside Deepika Padukone's residence in Bengaluru India oi-Anusha Security has been heightened around Deepika Padukone's parents' house in Bengaluru following the threats issued to the actress for her film Padmavati. Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy had on Monday written to the state police chief seeking security to the actor's parents and sister who live in Bengaluru. On Tuesday armed policemen were deployed outside Prakash Padukone's residence. On Monday evening, following Reddy's letter, police kept vigil outside the actor's parents' home. While the family has not sought any security, the Karnataka government has taken suo moto action to deploy police outside Deepika's house. I have personally written to the DG-IGP of Karnataka to provide maximum security to @deepikapadukone and her family. We stand by all the daughters, Mothers and sisters of our Motherland and urge them to speak up without fear. @FilmPadmavati @BlrCityPolice pic.twitter.com/lU6k5d5yDC Ramalinga Reddy (@RLR_BTM) November 20, 2017 The Congress, as well as the BJP in Karnataka, have been batting for the actress pulling out the 'Kannadiga card' after Rajput organisations, including politicians have threatened to harm her and the director of Padmavati, Sanjay Leela Bhansali. OneIndia News Cong for Muslims, BJP for Hindus: Did Rahuls temple visits in Guj help to bust the myth? Rahul, Manmohan, Congs star campaigners for Guj polls: Will they be able to take on Modi? India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Gandhinagar, Nov 21: The Congress is definitely hoping against hope to shake the might of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its home turf Gujarat, where it is in power for the last 22 years. We have been seeing how the Congress leaders, including vice-president of the party, Rahul Gandhi, have been relentlessly campaigning in every nook and corner of the state ahead of the all-important Gujarat Assembly elections 2017. The elections for the 182-member state Legislative Assembly are scheduled on December 9 and 14. The results of the polls will be declared on December 18. Earlier reports suggested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would start his official campaign for the BJP in Gujarat from November 18. However, that seems to have been postponed. Now, the Congress, which is leaving no stone unturned to challenge the BJP, has announced its list of star campaigners, which features the name of 40 popular leaders--both national and local. Congress releases a list of 40 star campaigners for upcoming #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/4P8BfZe2H5 ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017 Among the most prominent names in the list are Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress party's national general secretary and in-charge of party affairs for Gujarat Ashok Gehlot, Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Ahmed Patel and former union minister Sachin Pilot, to name a few leaders. In fact, the BJP is also engaging the service of several of its top leaders including union ministers to campaign in Gujarat. Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar and Smriti Irani have already participated in the door-to-door campaigning launched across the State by party president Amit Shah. Shah has also been travelling across the State to meet party leaders and booth-level workers. On top of that when Modi will officially start campaigning for the BJP in Gujarat, it is sure going to send jitters in the Congress camp as everyone is well-aware about the PM's oratory skills to convince voters brilliantly. While the BJP has announced its third list of candidates, the Congress announced its second list of candidates for the Gujarat polls on Monday. Till now, the BJP has given tickets to 134 candidates to contest the polls. The rest will be declared soon. The Congress, on its part, has declared the names of 117 candidates for the two-phase state elections. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2017, 10:22 [IST] Shahid gets warning from Karni Sena for being 'optimistic' about Padmavatis release India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Mumbai, Nov 21: After threatening Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the director of Padmavati, and Deepika Padukone, the lead actress of the film, the Shri Rajput Karni Sena has trained its guns on Shahid Kapoor, the lead actor of the controversial upcoming Bollywood movie which is under constant attack from right-wing groups. On Monday, after Shahid said that he was "optimistic" about the release of the film, in spite of the makers of Padmavati deferring its release because of constant threats and protests, chief of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, Lokendra Singh Kalvi, stated that the film's cast was trying to provoke them for taking dire steps. "Now, every day, they are provoking us for beheading them or cutting their nose. The future of film Padmavati is that it will not release," said Kalvi while protesting against the film at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. The Shri Rajput Karni Sena is at the forefront in protesting against Padmavati, a film based on queen Padmavati of Chittor, Rajasthan, since its making in January this year. While addressing the media during the opening ceremony of India International Film Festival (IFFI) in Goa on Monday, Shahid said, "This is not the time to be angry; this is not the time to lose your cool because there are enough people doing that right now. So, I would choose to say that I believe in the process and I am very optimistic." "I am sure Padmavati will come out. Once people see the film, they will be proud of it like we are. All of this will be forgotten then," he added. The period drama is facing the ire of right-wing groups and political parties for allegedly distorting history to hurt Rajput and Hindu sentiments--allegations which Bhansali has repeatedly denied. The film was supposed to hit the theatres across the country on December 1. The delay in the release of the film is also because the Censor Board decided to send back the film to its makers as their application form was incomplete. The board has asked the makers to resend the film for review. The right-wing groups are demanding a ban on the film. On Monday, the Madhya Pradesh government decided to ban the film. Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government wrote to the Centre expressing its inability to screen the film in theatre halls of the state as it might create law and order problem. OneIndia News The birth, death and re-birth of the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen in Kashmir India oi-Vicky By Vicky The Union Home Ministry sought to downplay the presence of the Islamic State in the Kashmir Valley. However, sources in the Home Ministry said that they are currently seeing a resurgence of a 1990s outfit, the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen. How serious is this development? Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that this appears to be a new strategy put in place by the ISI to give groups such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Hizbul Mujahideen breathing space and also a sense of deniability. The TuM has the same ideology and demand that the rest of the groups operating in the Valley have. The objective of this groups too is to merge the state of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan. The TuM was formed in June 1990 by Yunus Khan who is a close associate of Mohammad Abdullah Tairi, the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Jamaat-e-Ahle-Hadith. The South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) says that the main motivating factor for this group was the protection of the Asidh community which is a small faction among the Sunni Muslims. The group which appeared to be strong suffered setbacks in its early days when its commander in chief, Yunus Khan was killed in an encounter in 1991. Another set back was when the Border Security Force arrested Abdul Gani Dhar alias Gazalli, the supreme commander of the group in 2002. In 1999, the group lost its commander Abu Waseem Salafi in an encounter. Not ISIS, but Tehrik-Ul-Mujahideen is the headache in Kashmir A majority of the group's cadres comprise of foreign terrorists primarily from Pakistan. There is also a small presence of local terrorists in the group. SATP says that the TuM has a two-tier structure with the top level comprising an Amir, Naib Amir, operations chief, military advisor, intelligence chief and district commanders. The next level is on the field and comprises divisional commanders and regiment commanders. The group is headquartered in the Kashmir Valley in the Beeru belt of Budgam district, Ganderbal, and parts of Srinagar, Anantnag and Pulwama. When the outfit was launched it also opened a unit in Muzzafarabad where it sent its cadres for training. The group has been funded by various countries. However, the primary source of funding for the group came from the Saudi Arabia based Harmain Islamic Foundation. It has also found support from various groups in Bangladesh and has very often used the Nepal route to ferry in money through hawala channels. Further, the group is backed heavily by the ISI and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba as well. In Bangladesh, TuM operatives have been supported by local Islamist groups like the Islamic Chhatra Shibir (ICS), Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islami (HuJI), Islamic Okiya Jote, Imam Parishad and Islamic Shashantantra Andolan. Today, the TuM has a limited presence in the Valley. The latest Intelligence Bureau report speaks about the group trying to revive itself. It is trying to create a platform where it can rope in more locals when compared to foreign terrorists, the report further states. OneIndia News Infants set to get Aadhaar: Here is why TMC, Cong slam Modi govt over Aadhaar data leak India pti-PTI West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday 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 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 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. PTI Explained: What the SC said and how is Talaq-e-Hasan different from triple talaq For triple talaq victims, judicial verdict in favor but social verdict still against them! UP: Muslim woman agrees to Nikah Halal, instead gets gangraped by ex-husband, his brother Triple Talaq ban: Centre likely to introduce bill in Winter Session India oi-Vikas By Vikas The Union Government is likely to introduce a bill to end the practice of Triple Talaq in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament. A ministerial committee has also been constituted to frame a law to put an end to this draconian practice following the Supreme Court verdict in August this year. On August 22, the Supreme Court struck down instant triple talaq or talaq-bid at while declaring it unconstitutional. In a 3:2 majority verdict, the court held that the practice was unconstitutional and it violates fundamental rights of a woman as it irrevocably ends the marriage without any scope of reconciliation. [SC strikes down instant triple talaq, tells Centre to make law in 6 months] The CJI and Justice Abdul Nazeer had said that the practice could not be barred. It had directed the centre to come up with a legislation within six months. However, the other three judges on the Bench Justices Kurian Joseph, RF Nariman and U U Lalit declared the practice as unconstitutional. The verdict of the Supreme Court is binding on all courts under Article 141 of the Indian Constitution. The courts hearing the triple talaq cases already filed will have to declare the divorce null and void. Triple talaq is the practice under which a Muslim man can divorce his wife by simply uttering "talaq" three times. It is prevalent among India's Muslim community majority of whom follow the Hanafi Islamic school of law. OneIndia News Who is Rukhmabai, today's Google Doodle India oi-Madhuri Recommended Video Rukhmabai, one of India's first female doctor in colonial India | Oneindia News Google Doodle, the search giant on Wednesday celebrated the 153rd birth anniversary of Rukhmabai, one of the first practising woman doctors in colonial India. Rukhmabai was born in Bombay in 1864, to a woman who had herself suffered because of the custom of child marriage. She was married off at the age of eleven to a nineteen-year-old groom Dadaji Bhikaji Raut. During those days, infant marriage was popular in the Hindu community and Rakhmabai had to face the same tragedy of child marriage. However, she fought against it and even refused to go to her husband's house when she grew up. She preferred going behind the bars for six months rather than spend a horrible life in the house of her husband chosen by her parents when she was only seven. The trial court had nullified the infant marriage of Rakhmabai and the verdict had added oil in the fire as it was against the Hindu tradition. However, Rakhmabai wrote two brave articles under the pen name 'Hindu Lady' in Times of India 'Infant Marriage and Forced Widowhood' on June 26, 1885, and September 19, 1885, which were a shock for the Hindu community and their leaders. Later, she went on to study medicine in London before becoming India's first practising lady doctor in 1894 in Mumbai's Cama Hospital. Rukhmabai was one of the most important figures fighting for the cause of women's rights in colonial India. The story of Rukhmabai has been incorporated into novels and films. OneIndia News 50 killed in suicide bomb attack at a Mosque in Nigeria International oi-Vikas By Vikas At least 50 people were killed in blast at a Mosque in Mubi town, Nigeria, on Tuesday. The blast is said to have been carried out by a teenage suicide bomber, said reports. The teenage boy was wearing a suicide bomb vest which he triggered during early morning prayers at the Mosque at Kunu Araha area of Mubi town in Adamawa State. Reports say that the 17-year-old bomber entered the mosque along with other worshippers and triggered the blast immediately after the prayers. The security has been stepped-up in Mubi and the Governor of Adamawa State has called for calm among residents. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but terrorist group Boko Haram has been behind many such attacks in the past. In October, three female suicide bombers killed 13 people and wounded 16 in the northeastern city of Maiduguri in Nigeria. The Boko Haram conflict has left at least 20,000 dead and forced more than 2.6 million others to flee their homes since 2009. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 21, 2017, 15:39 [IST] At Delhi govt school, Melania Trump says she is inspired by Happiness Curriculum Melania Trump, son Barron receive White House Christmas tree International pti-PTI Washington, November 21: First lady Melania Trump, and son Barron continued a time-honoured, tradition by receiving the official White House Christmas tree on Tuesday. 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. "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 centre of the winter holidays. During last year's presidential campaign, Trump railed against the preference for saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," characterising 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. Thank you Silent Night Evergreens in Wisconsin for our beautiful tree! @POTUS, Barron & I are excited for Christmas in our new home! pic.twitter.com/so6HVG1st8 Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) November 21, 2017 PTI Pakistan fears Hafiz Saeed's release might invite international sanctions International pti-PTI Lahore, Nov 21: Pakistan might face sanctions from the international community if it released Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Jamaat-ud Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest, the government told a judicial body. Pakistan's Punjab government today produced Saeed before the Judicial Review Board comprising judges of the Lahore High Court and sought a three-month extension in his detention. An official of Punjab Home Department submitted before the review board that release of Saeed could lead to imposition of international sanctions on Pakistan. "We plead the board not to order release of Saeed as Pakistan may face international sanctions," he requested. He also told the board that the Federal Finance Ministry has "some important evidence" against Saeed to justify his detention. He further informed that Saeed had been detained on the basis of intelligence agencies' reports. Strict security arrangements were taken at the LHC premises during Saeed's appearance before the board. A good number of JuD workers also gathered on the court's premises in support of their leader. They shouted slogans in favour of Saeed and demanded his immediate release. The board headed by Justice Abdul Sami Khan issued a notice to the federal finance ministry directing it to send its official to submit relevant record about Saeed. Last month the Punjab Judicial Review Board had allowed 30-day extension to the detention of Saeed which will expire by the last week of this month. On January 31, Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were detained by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and the Fourth Schedule of Anti- Terrorism Act 1997. However the last two extensions were made on the 'public safety law'. The board, however, refused to give further extension to the detention of Saeeds four aides. They were later set free in the last week of October. Under the law, the government can detain a person for up to three months under different charges but for extension to that detention it needs approval from a judicial review board. Separately, Saeed has filed a petition against his detention in the LHC. The court will hold hearing in this case tomorrow. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attack. The US has offered a USD 10 million bounty for Saaed for his alleged role in the Mumbai attack. PTI Police still waiting to determine cause of Sherin Mathews' death International pti-PTI Houston, Nov 20: 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. PTI Safe havens, sanctuaries beyond Afghanistan must end: India at UN International pti-PTI In a scathing attack on Pakistan, India on Monday called for ending special terror zones, safe havens and sanctuaries beyond Afghanistan, saying addressing global terrorism needs an uncompromising response from the international community. It is imperative to address the support terror groups like the Taliban, the Haqqani Network, ISIS, al-Oaeda and its designated affiliates such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e- Mohammed, operating outside the fabric of international law, draw from outside Afghanistan, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Tanmaya Lal said. "The Special Terrorist Zones, safe havens and sanctuaries beyond Afghanistans border must end," Lal told a special meeting of the UN General Assembly on Afghanistan. Addressing global terrorism needs a comprehensive, uncompromising and a cohesive response from the international community. Afghanistans security and stability is tied to that of the entire region, he said, adding that India continues to support the government and the people of Afghanistan in realising a stable, secure, united, prosperous, democratic and pluralistic country. "We deeply value the continuing sacrifice of the Afghan security forces not just for their own people, but also people of the region and the rest of the world," Lal said. The UN Security Council, while acting on the funds which the terrorists in Afghanistan are generating through their illicit activities, can effectively utilise the 1988 sanctions regime to leverage for promoting peace, the envoy said. "However, this has not happened. While the cowardliness and the frequency of terror attacks in Afghanistan have reached new heights, and the terrorists continue to gain territory and resources of Afghan people, unfortunately, here in this body, we have witnessed little change. "The Security Council is still debating whether or not to designate new leaders or to freeze the assets of the slain leader of the Taliban. Even as this debate is going on, we find new threats being posed by ISIS/Daesh in Afghanistan," Lal said at the special debate. Afghanistan CEO Dr Abdullah Abdullah was also present on the occasion. Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN Maleeha Lodhi said that the intensifying violence and instability in Afghanistan, and the growing presence of Daesh and a large number of other terror and militant groups in its ungoverned spaces, is a cause for grave concern for the Afghan people, for Afghanistans neighbors and the international community. The prolonged conflict in Afghanistan has not only imposed epic suffering on its people, it has also prevented Afghanistan and the entire region from realising its immense economic potential, she said. UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak and Abdullah discussed the Afghanistan situation, focusing on Afghan-led and Afghan-owned processes and the importance of international assistance, officials said in a statement. In his address to the General Assembly, Abdullah said in security, over recent months, Afghanistans national security forces have effectively thwarted attempts by the Taliban, alongside the affiliated Haqqani network, as well as elements of a1-Qaida, Daesh and other recognised terror groups from making any notable gains, or capturing a major urban center. "We are not dealing with one, but several terror outfits that either mirror each other under different labels or indirectly support overlapping agendas," Abdullah said. He said Afghanistan firmly believes that a "conditions- based approach and clear focus on resolving the problem of regional terrorist sanctuaries and support systems are core issues that will get us closer" to peace and stability. They also form the cornerstone of the new National Security Strategy to defeat terrorism, work with nations that share their threat perception, and protect people against politicised violence. "We have long asserted that we seek friendly relations with all nations. We have used every opportunity to make it clear through words and deeds that we will never allow our relations with any single country or group of countries to overshadow or adversely affect relations with other countries in the region or beyond," Abdullah said. Afghanistan is to be seen as a strategic asset and a platform of cordiality for all, he said. "We consider negative state rivalries and the use of violent proxy forces as counter-productive. There is no good or bad terrorist or violent extremist. "We need to agree to fight all forms and shades of terror. We can and should no longer harbour or support one group while fighting another and claim to be fighting terrorism in all its dimensions," Abdullah added. PTI Dalveer Bhandari in ICJ: How the shrewd Indian diplomatic battle was won US congratulates Bhandari on re-election, but 'opposes' expansion of UNSC Veto Who is Dalveer Bhandari? International oi-Deepika By Deepika India's nominee Dalveer Bhandari was re-elected as the fifth judge to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after the United Kingdom withdrew the nomination of Christopher Greenwood on Monday. 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. The elections were held after the United Kingdom, in a dramatic turn of events, withdrew out of the race for the Hague-based ICJ, thus paving the way for Bhandari's re-election to the prestigious world court. Bhandari and Britain's Christopher Greenwood were locked in a neck-and-neck fight for re-election to the ICJ. In a dramatic turn of events, the British Permanent Representative to the UN, Rycroft said that its candidate Judge Christopher Greenwood had decided to withdraw from the election to the 15-membered ICJ. Here is all you want to know about Dalveer Bhandari Justice Bhandari was born on October 1, 1947. Bhandari studied humanities and law from Jodhpur University and practiced law at the Rajasthan High Court between 1968 and 1970. He acquired a Masters of Law degree from the Northwestern University School of Law in the US and thereafter started work at the Northwestern Legal Assistance Clinic. He appeared in Chicago's courts representing the clinic's litigants. Further, he started work with the Centre for Research in Chicago. The Tumkur University, Karnataka, also conferred the Doctor of Laws (LL.D) degree honoris causa on him for his contribution to the world of law and justice. Before he became a judge, Judge Bhandari had a distinguished career as an attorney at law for 23 years. He was a judge in the Indian judiciary for more than 20 years, before his elevation to the UN court. He served as a senior judge in the Supreme Court of India from 2005 to 2012. He became a judge in the Indian higher judiciary in 1991, and served as a judge in Delhi High Court, before going on to become the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court in 2004. In one of his landmark judgments as a Supreme Court judge, Bhandari granted a couple divorce on grounds of "irretrievable breakdown of marriage". Judge Bhandari ordered state governments to ensure sufficient night shelters for homeless people across the country. He also passed a number of orders in favour of the right to free and compulsory education. His judgments and orders have led to a much larger allocation of funds for malnutrition in the five most backward districts of Maharashtra. His orders led to the closure of a 100-year-old slaughterhouse and construction of a new modernised facility. In June 2013, the National Law University in Delhi, also conferred an honorary doctorate on Justice Bhandari, in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee. In 2014, the then Vice President Hamid Ansari conferred the "First Justice Nagendra Singh International Peace Award" on Justice Bhandari. In 2016, he was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Letters by Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University Kota. In February this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released Judge Bhandari's book 'Judicial Reforms - Recent Global Trends' at Rashtrapati Bhavan in presence of President Mukherjee. OneIndia News (with agency inputs) From Telesur Thousands of Palestinians were killed in the rebellion as they continued to reject the prejudicial partition. In a recent talk before Chatham House think-tank in London, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, approached the issue of a Palestinian state from an intellectual perspective. It is not the first time that Netanyahu discredits the idea of a Palestinian state. Despite clear Israeli intentions of jeopardizing any chances for the creation of such a state, the US Administration of Donald Trump is, reportedly, finalizing plans for an "ultimate peace deal." The New York Times suggests that "the anticipated plan will have to be built around the so-called two-state solution." Before we think of establishing a Palestinian state, he mused, "it is time we reassessed whether the modern model we have of sovereignty and unfettered sovereignty, is applicable everywhere in the world." But why the wasted effort, while all parties, People in the United States included, know that Israel has no intention of allowing a Palestinian state and the U.S. has no political capital, or desire, to enforce one? The answer may not lie in the present, but in the past. A Palestinian Arab state had initially been proposed as a political tactic by the British, to provide a legal cover for the establishment of a Jewish state. It continues to be used as a political tactic, though never with the aim of finding a "just solution" to the conflict, as is often propagated. When British Foreign Secretary, Arthur James Balfour, made his promise, in November 1917, to the Zionist movement to grant them a Jewish state in Palestine, the once distant and implausible idea began taking shape. It would have been effortlessly achievable, had the Palestinians not rebelled. The 1936-1939 Palestinian rebellion revealed an impressive degree of collective political awareness and ability to mobilize, despite British violence. The British government then dispatched the Peel Commission to Palestine to examine the roots of the violence, hoping to quell the Palestinian revolt. In July 1937, the commission published its report, which immediately ignited the fury of the native population, who were already aware of the British-Zionist collusion. The Peel Commission concluded that "underlying causes of the disturbances" were the desire of the Palestinians for independence and their "hatred and fear of the establishment of the Jewish national home." Based on that view, it recommended the partition of Palestine into a Jewish state and a Palestinian state, the latter to be incorporated into Transjordan, which was itself under the control of the British. Palestine, like other Arab countries, was supposedly being primed for independence, under the terms of the British Mandate, as granted by the League of Nations in 1922. Moreover, the Peel Commission was recommending partial independence for Palestine, unlike the full sovereignty granted to the Jewish state. More alarming was the arbitrary nature of that division. The total Jewish land ownership then did not exceed 5.6 percent of the total size of the country. The Jewish state was to include the most strategic and fertile regions of Palestine, including the Fertile Galilee and much of the water access to the Mediterranean. Thousands of Palestinians were killed in the rebellion as they continued to reject the prejudicial partition and the British ploy aimed at honoring the Balfour Declaration and rendering Palestinians stateless. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Strategic Culture France's invitation to beleaguered Lebanese premier Saad Hariri for him and his family to spend "a few days in Paris" has been viewed as French President Emmanuel Macron stepping in with deft soft power to resolve tensions between Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. Less charitably, what Macron is really doing is giving cynical cover to the Saudi rulers for their extraordinary acts of aggression towards Lebanon and their violation of that country's sovereignty. Two of Hariri's children were left in Saudi capital Riyadh while he visited France over the weekend. Were they being used as hostages by the Saudis to ensure that Hariri maintains the Saudi spin on events? Certainly, the arrangement raises suspicions, but the French president sought instead to affect a "normal" nothing-is-unusual appearance. Lebanese President Michel Aoun last week publicly accused Saudi Arabia of holding Hariri in Riyadh against his will. Aoun said the Saudi rulers were violating international law by detaining Hariri and forcing his resignation as prime minister of Lebanon. Such acts were tantamount to aggression, said President Aoun. Yet Macron has said nothing about Saudi interference. He has instead turned reality on its head by censuring Iran for regional "aggression" and thereby backing Saudi claims that Iran is supplying ballistic missiles to Yemen. Iran swiftly condemned Macron for "stoking regional tensions." Credit goes to President Aoun for speaking out plainly, telling it like it is and expressing what many Lebanese citizens and many other observers around the world have concluded. The whole debacle is an outrageous affront to Lebanon and international law by the Saudi rulers, when it is taken into consideration Hariri's hasty summoning to Saudi capital Riyadh earlier this month, his subsequent televised resignation speech on Saudi TV, and his long-delayed sojourn in that country. What is even more despicable is that the Saudi interference in the sovereign affairs of Lebanon is threatening to reignite a civil war within the small Mediterranean country, and, possibly worse, a war across the region with Iran. Hariri has claimed in a later media interview, held in Saudi Arabia, and in reported communications with family and friends who are back in Lebanon that he was not under duress while staying in Saudi Arabia. That claim beggars belief given the bizarre circumstances of Hariri's sudden departure and his protracted nearly two-week stay in Saudi Arabia. In any case, the president of Lebanon, Michel Aoun, has concluded that something is badly amiss in the saga, and he has explicitly accused Saudi rulers of violating his country's sovereignty. Therefore, if there were any principle or adherence to international law, the actions of Saudi Arabia should be condemned categorically by the international community, the UN, the European Union and France in particular owing to its historic relations with Lebanon as the former colonial power before independence in 1943. But no. What we have instead are either shameful silence from Washington, or mealy-mouthed statements from the EU. The EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini issued a vague statement warning against "foreign interference" in the affairs of Lebanon. What kind of cowardly circumlocution is that? Lebanon's prime minister Saad Hariri was, in effect, detained by Saudi Arabia and forced to tender his resignation from public office as a matter of ultimatum. It has been reliably reported that the Wahhabi Saudi rulers were exasperated with the Shia group Hezbollah being part of the coalition government in Beirut. Hariri is a Saudi-sponsored Sunni politician who is antagonistic to Hezbollah and by extension, Iran. But apparently, he was not sufficiently hostile, in the view of his Saudi backers. Hence, Hariri was summoned to Riyadh and ordered to resign on November 4. (The defeat of the Saudi-sponsored covert terror war in Syria no doubt was a factor too in the timing.) France's President Macron is playing a particularly slippery game of pandering and expedience towards the Saudi despots. As the Washington Post's WorldView briefing reported last week: "French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that it was important to dispel the implication that Hariri was a Saudi prisoner." The newspaper goes on to quote Macron saying rather vacuously: "We need to have leaders who are free to express themselves. It's important that [Hariri] is able to advance the political process in his country in the coming days and weeks." The question should be asked: why is it important for Macron to "dispel the implication that Hariri was a Saudi prisoner"? Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Consortium News The New York Times building in Manhattan. (Image by (Photo credit: Robert Parry)) Details DMCA A danger in both journalism and intelligence is to allow an unproven or seriously disputed fact to become part of the accepted narrative where it gets widely repeated and thus misleads policymakers and citizens alike, such as happened during the run-up to war with Iraq and is now recurring amid the frenzy over Russia-gate. For instance, in a Russia-gate story on Saturday, The New York Times reported as flat fact that a Kremlin intermediary "told a Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, that the Russians had 'dirt' on Mr. Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton, in the form of 'thousands of emails.'" The Times apparently feels that this claim no longer needs attribution even though it apparently comes solely from the 32-year-old Papadopoulos as part of his plea bargain over lying to the FBI. Beyond the question of trusting an admitted liar like Papadopoulos, his supposed Kremlin contact, professor Joseph Mifsud, a little-known academic associated with the University of Stirling in Scotland, denied knowing anything about Democratic emails. In an interview with the U.K. Daily Telegraph, Mifsud acknowledged meeting with Papadopoulos but disputed having close ties to the Kremlin and rejected how Papadopoulos recounted their conversations. Specifically, he denied the claim that he mentioned emails containing "dirt" on Clinton. Even New York Times correspondent Scott Shane noted late last month -- after the criminal complaint against Papadopoulos was unsealed -- that "A crucial detail is still missing: Whether and when Mr. Papadopoulos told senior Trump campaign officials about Russia's possession of hacked emails. And it appears that the young aide's quest for a deeper connection with Russian officials, while he aggressively pursued it, led nowhere." Shane added, "the court documents describe in detail how Mr. Papadopoulos continued to report to senior campaign officials on his efforts to arrange meetings with Russian officials...the documents do not say explicitly whether, and to whom, he passed on his most explosive discovery -- that the Russians had what they considered compromising emails on Mr. Trump's opponent. "J.D. Gordon, a former Pentagon official who worked for the Trump campaign as a national security adviser [and who dealt directly with Papadopoulos] said he had known nothing about Mr. Papadopoulos' discovery that Russia had obtained Democratic emails or of his prolonged pursuit of meetings with Russians." Missing Corroboration But the journalistic question is somewhat different: why does the Times trust the uncorroborated assertion that Mifsud told Papadopoulos about the emails -- and trust the claim to such a degree that the newspaper would treat it as flat fact? Absent corroborating evidence, isn't it just as likely (if not more likely) that Papadopoulos is telling the prosecutors what he thinks they want to hear? If the prosecutors working for Russia-gate independent counsel Robert Mueller had direct evidence that Mifsud did tell Papadopoulos about the emails, you would assume that they would have included the proof in the criminal filing against Papadopoulos, which was made public on Oct. 30. Further, since Papadopoulos was peppering the Trump campaign with news about his Russian outreach in 2016, you might have expected that he would include something about how helpful the Russians had been in obtaining and publicizing the Democratic emails. But none of Papadopoulos's many emails to Trump campaign officials about his Russian contacts (as cited by the prosecutors) mentioned the hot news about "dirt" on Clinton or the Russians possessing "thousands of emails." This lack of back-up would normally raise serious doubts about Papadopoulos's claim, but -- since Papadopoulos was claiming something that the prosecutors and the Times wanted to believe -- reasonable skepticism was swept aside. What the Times seems to have done is to accept a bald assertion by Mueller's prosecutors as sufficient basis for jumping to the conclusion that this disputed claim is undeniably true. But just because Papadopoulos, a confessed liar, and these self-interested prosecutors claim something is true doesn't make it true. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Information Clearing House A Partisanship Of The Heart: Interior Measures Towards A Re-Visioning Of Capitalism's Imperium Of Death According to a nationwide study conducted by the Center For Disease And Prevention (CDC) a greater number of US Americans died (approximately 65,000) from drug overdoses last year than were killed during the course of the Vietnam War. All part and parcel of capitalism's war against life itself. The emotional and physical pain, anxiety, and depression inflicted by the trauma inherent to a system sustained by perpetual exploitation has proven to be too much for a sizeable number of human beings to endure, thus their need to self-medicate. The root of addiction is trauma. The soul of the nation is a casualty of war. There is not an Arlington Cemetery for these fallen, no hagiographic ceremonies will be performed over their graves nor statues erected in memoriam. Their ghosts will howl through the long, dark night of national denial. Listen to their wailing. It is an imprecatory prayer. A curse and augury...that admonishes, our fate and the fate of the nation will converge...as the nation will stagger, keening in lament, to the abyss. The solution: Within each of us swells a deathless song. Powerful. Resonate. Piercing. A song, miraculous of influence, plangent with the force to seize back your soul from the death-besotted spirit of the age. Let it rise from within you. Notice: how flocks of empire's death birds scatter like ashes in the wind. Yet it will not be possible to navigate around the cultural deathscape; we must walk through it and chronicle its serial affronts to our humanity: "You have to see that the buildings are anorexic, you have to see that the language is schizogenic, that 'normalcy' is manic, and medicine and business are paranoid." -- James Hillman Try this: Simply stand in the isle of a corporate, Big Box chain store or in the parking lot of a strip mall that squats, hideous, on some soul-defying, U.S. Interstate highway and allow yourself to feel the emptiness and desperation extant. The tormented landscape, besieged by an ad hoc assemblage of late capitalist structures, emporiums of usurped longing, reflects the desperate, rapacious nature of late capitalist imperium. Compounding the pathos, the forces in play impose a colonising effect upon the mind; therefore, a large percent of the afflicted have lost the ability to detect the hyper-entropic system's ravaging effects. Stranded among the commercial come-ons and hyper-authoritarianism inherent to late stage capitalism's imperium of death, the human psyche, like the biosphere of our planet, subjected, at present, to humankind-wrought ecocide, has begun to display the terrible beauty of a nightmare. Internal weather has grown increasingly chaotic: the earth's oceans and seas are rising; wildfires rage; drought scorches the earth. And conditions will grow increasingly inhospitable in regard to the flourishing of inner life, personal and collective thus will continue, and at accelerating rates, to be reflected in the web of phenomena we know as human culture. Growing up in a working class social milieu, as I did, I am confronted, more and more, by the news of the large number of men I grew up with who are dying in their 50s. As of late, when I contemplate the fact, I am forced to pause and seek solitude because my eyes become scalded with tears. I've known, over the years, hundreds of human beings, born into and ensnared by the crime against humanity known as poverty, broken by the culture of greed and social degradation, and blamed by the clueless and the callous for the tragic trajectory in which impersonal fate and the wounding culture, by no fault of their own, has placed them. Thus arrive: Tears of rage; tears of outrage. Tears unloosed by passion and tempered by compassion...fall. If poverty was not so profitable for the greed head elite, both punitive-minded conservatives and affluence-ensconced liberals alike, the situation would be addressed and rectified. The cause of the reprehensible situation, it should go without saying, is not the fault of the poor but the poverty of spirit at the core of capitalism. Truth is, the system, a hierarchy of ghouls, is maintained by harvesting the corpses of the powerless, by means of imperial slaughter and domestic, economic exploitation. Deep down, we know it. The system's psychopathic beneficiaries, in particular, are aware of the reality. In fact, their desiccated hearts require being irrigated by blood. From the evidence of their actions, it appears, they revel in the knowledge of the damage they incur. They appear to believe they will enter the golden dominion of heaven by climbing a mountain of corpses. It is time we dragged them back down to earth and subjected them to our earth-borne fury. Or so goes my own (powerless) revelry. Of course, we the powerless, at this point, have been left with scant little but a dreaming heart. When we allow heartless power to subdue and usurp our longings, we languish. Thus many die of a broken spirit. The world itself can appear to be depleted of mercy. In turn, all too many begin to mirror the malevolence of the upper castes thereby losing their own measure of mercy. Hostility directed at the poor is the shopworn, demagogic sleight of hand trick used to distract from realities such as: Every mcmansion and high end luxury high-rise constructed creates multitudes of the homeless. Every low pay, no benefits, no future mcjob serves to decimate an individual, heart and spirit. Moreover the beneficiaries of the system promote the lie, that shame should be the exclusive dominion of those broken by their system, a system, which is, in essence, a form of government-sanctioned gangsterism, by which they, the ruthless few, and they alone, benefit. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From The Nation Roy Moore Threatens To Sue The Media For Reporting On Him (Image by YouTube, Channel: Secular Talk) Details DMCA Republican elites feel so entitled to the Alabama Senate seat that Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III vacated to become Donald Trump's attorney general that they are meticulously neglecting the easiest strategy for keeping Roy Moore out of the Senate. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has called on Moore, the scandal-plagued former judge who now faces multiple allegations that as a 30-something prosecutor he molested teenage girls, to quit the Alabama race. But Moore's not quitting. In fact, he says McConnell should resign. So DC Republicans are spinning complex scenarios for keeping Moore out of their caucus. The scenarios have grown increasingly arcane, and unworkable. But they keep coming. There has been speculation that if Moore is elected in the December 12 special election, he could be seated and then expelled. But there's no guarantee that it will happen. Expulsions are rare, and there's a reason for that: A super-majority of senators -- two-thirds of the chamber -- is required to overturn an election result. There have been suggestions that appointed Senator Luther Strange -- the guy Moore dispatched in an August Republican primary -- could resign and in so doing create a vacancy and would restart the process that began when Sessions quit. Or that Alabama's Republican Governor Kay Ivey could change the election date in order to give the Alabama Republican Party a sufficient window in which to replace Moore as their nominee. But Alabama Republicans appear to be determined to stick with Moore -- and the December 12 election date. Then there are the proposed write-in campaigns: for Strange, for Sessions, for just about any Republican except Moore. But write-in victories are almost as rare as expulsions. And the wrong strategy for a write-in run could end up splitting the anti-Moore vote. It's likely that McConnell and his compatriots will be proposing convoluted political "fixes." But none of them will be certain, or in some cases even likely, to block the judge. Click Here to Read Whole Article Free photo America North Korea President Trump Kim Korea Usa - Max ...960 -- 639 - 260k - jpg (Image by maxpixel.freegreatpict...) Details DMCA President Trump orating on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Reading Gareth Porter's insightful account, "Is the Trump Administration Planning a First Strike on North Korea" [1] , particularly the intrigue he exposes within the administration with some favoring a first strike and others opposed what struck this writer was this. It seems inconceivable North Korea would ever surrender its nuclear arsenal deterrent. As to why here's a few "clues". Since 2001: North Korea has seen what happens when a regime the US has demonized has no nuclear deterrent i.e. Afghanistan in 2001, but especially Iraq in 2003 and more recently Libya in 2011-which had earlier given up acquiring a nuclear arsenal-the US will attack it militarily to affect regime change. The US has engaged in a proxy war against Syrian President Bashar Assad since 2011 to affect regime change in non nuclear Syria. The US instigated a coup in Ukraine in 2014 that over threw the legitimately elected President Viktor Yanukovych. The US has armed and supported Saudi Arabia's war of aggression against the Houthi's in Yemen. The US is presently actively engaged to affect regime change in Venezuela to unseat the legitimately elected government of President Nicolas Maduro. Of course this is not an extensive list of coups, regime changes, wars and occupations the US has initiated against contrived non-nuclear "enemies" since the end of WWII beginning with the war against North Korea in 1950 to '53 with an armistice signed but no peace treaty to this day because the US refuses to negotiate it even though North Korea is in favor. North Korea also has seen the late Soviet Union, now Russia and China, both with nuclear arsenals deter the US from initiating a military attack against either-though provocations against both have accelerated in recent years. So it doesn't take much to understand why North Korea would ever consider surrendering its nuclear deterrent. It's the one thing that assures its survival. Those in the know in the US military recognize a first strike on North Korea would be disastrous. According to one of Porter's Pentagon sources, "We don't know where all the nuclear weapons and missiles are. Period." Even if they did "military leaders are well aware that North Korea could respond to a US first strike on its missile and nuclear targets with a devastating artillery and rocket attack on the South Korean capital, Seoul". A defector from the North Korean embassy in London put it this way, a "North Korean response to any attack, no matter how small, would be fierce". US forces in South Korea would suffer heavy losses. In all probability Japan would be retaliated against. Hundreds of thousands of civilians would be killed just with conventional weapons. A US first strike on North Korea would be an insane exercise and the US military could very well refuse to carry it out if they considered the order "illegal". Talk of this very thing happening has even come up in a recent Senate Foreign Relations hearing. US military misadventures in Afghanistan and Iraq would be nothing compared to a first strike attack on North Korea. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. Down Syndrome Siblings Tackle Himalayas Interview with documentary filmmaker, Yonatan Nir "It's not about the mountain." --Edmund Hillary Director Yonatan Nir with Ztlil Oriel, one of the film's protagonists, India, 2013 (Image by Yonatan Nir) Details DMCA My guest today is Yonatan Nir, director of the documentary film, My Hero Brother. Welcome to OpEdNews, Yonatan. Joan Brunwasser: Your film won the best documentary and audience choice awards at the 2017 Santa Barbara International Film Festival as well as the Best International Director Award at the DocEdge Film Festival in New Zealand and several other awards. And I was lucky enough to see it at the recent Israeli Film Festival in Chicago. The subject matter is quite intriguing: 11 young adults with Down Syndrome and their siblings take a two-week trip to India, including a mountain trek, high in the Himalayas. How did you happen upon this story? Yonatan Nir: In 2012, I was finishing another film called Dolphin Boy and were looking for my next project. One evening, I watched the Israeli news and saw a report about this young Israeli named Enosh Cassel, who took his brother Hannan, who has Down Syndrome, on a one on one journey to Nepal. I grew up on a kibbutz and with me in the same class was a girl with Down Syndrome. I always liked her so this was not entirely new for me, but something in the brotherhood between Enosh and Hannan moved me from deep inside. Fast forward a year or so later, i got a phone call from a friend who told me about this group of young people with DS who were planning to go to India with their siblings. It turns out that many people who have siblings with special needs saw the same report I saw and contacted Enosh. Together with his friend Itamar Peleg, who has a travel company, they founded this group and raised money to go all together on this trip. I joined them one or two months later with my crew, aiming to create a documentary about their journey to the Himalayas and through that, to dig into their special relationship with their siblings. detail from movie poster (Image by Yonatan Nir) Details DMCA JB: I'm wondering how this works. Did they contact you? Or did you reach out and say, "Hey, I heard about this, it looks great and I'd like to film it?" And if it was you who made the first move, were Enosh and Itamar concerned about how the trip and its participants might be affected by being filmed? YN: They thought it was a good idea to document the trip and actually had contact with a few other filmmakers that were interested but they didn't find the right one. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). By Dave Lindorff Ed Herman, 1925-2017 RIP (Image by University of Pennsylvania archives) Details DMCA Edward Samuel Herman, who died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 92 on Nov. 11, didn't just cry out "fake news" like so many politicians and media pundits do today referring to stories that they object to. Rather, he explained why so much of the news in the US is and has long been fake and how the seemingly independent system of news organizations go about creating it, almost as if they were operating under the direction of some government of propaganda. The co-author (actually the primary author, as his non-alphabetical top billing on the cover makes clear) with Noam Chomsky of the ground-breaking 1988 book Manufacturing Consent, Herman, a professor of economics in the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, devoted much of his career to exposing the lies and distortions of the US media. But unlike most media critics, he took his critiques much deeper, explaining how the US media, especially since the end of World War II, have actually come to function as an unofficial Ministry of Truth, creating a false narrative of the US as a benevolent, democratic promoter and defender of freedom around the world, even as it has actually become the world's greatest purveyor of violence, defender of tyrants and transgressor of international law. I first got to know about Ed through his writings in publications like Lies of Our Times and Extra!, but especially because of Manufacturing Consent, a touchstone of any serious modern media criticism. After reading that book for the first time 15 years after I had begun my career as a journalist, I suddenly understood exactly why I had become alienated from my employers -- both in newspapers and television -- that I had to quit working as a staff journalist and become a freelancer after just seven years in the business. When I would find my best stories killed by editors, or buried on inside pages, I used to blame it on the gutlessness or idiocy of individual editors, not realizing that it was a systemic problem, bigger than individual editors or even individual news corporations. Herman and Chomsky explained what I had, before reading their book, never quite realized: that what I was doing in reporting and writing news articles, was not at all the product of the industry I worked for. I was merely a cog in the machine helping them to harvest the real product, which is "eyeballs" -- the readers or viewers of my work -- which they could then sell to advertisers. Viewed in that light it became clear why our employers wanted us journalistic workers to focus on stories that had drama and controversy but that didn't make readers feel overly angry or depressed, and they certainly didn't want stories that offended major advertisers or, god forbid, entire industries or government regulators" From Reader Supported News One of Arkansas's top politicians, State Senate Majority Leader Jim Hendren, a Republican, is using unpaid, forced inmate labor to work at his plastics company, which makes dock floats for Home Depot and Walmart, according to Prison Legal News. Shocking? Sure. Illegal? Well, it depends on whom you ask. Prison labor, where inmates earn nothing or close to nothing, is used to man call centers, manufacture equipment for the US military, and otherwise put small businesses around the country out of business because they simply can't compete with an entity that has few or no labor costs. It's the American way of doing business. The odd thing about the program that Hendren is taking advantage of is that many judges and politicians, especially in the south, consider it to be "progressive." For example, courts in Oklahoma and Arkansas send men to the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program (DARP) as an alternative to prison, and there they are supposed to receive drug treatment and counseling. A recent investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting, however, found that there is no treatment or counseling and that prisoners serve simply as free labor for private industry. Indeed, in the DARP program, prisoners work full-time jobs in factories and chicken processing plants, companies pay a discounted rate to the rehabs for the labor, and literally none of that money is passed on to the prisoners, either as salary or for counseling. It's slave labor. If they refuse to do the work, they are moved from the drug rehab to a state prison. Hendren, for his part, isn't shying away from what he's doing. He bragged to the press recently, "I've been creating jobs for over 20 years. A country cannot survive if it cannot feed itself and make things." He added that he's "proud to give kids in drug rehab programs a second chance." A lawsuit may soon change all that. Mark Fochtman, a former rehab prisoner, filed suit in an Arkansas court, saying that he was forced to work in Hendren's company on a production line that melted plastic into dock floats and boat slips. In his affidavit, he said, "The environment was very caustic working around melted plastics. Because of the work environment, the turnover rate during my time was high." He said that if DARP workers got hurt on the job and couldn't work, they were kicked out of the program and sent to prison. Others just worked through the pain to avoid prison. Another prisoner, Dylan Willis, who is also a plaintiff in the suit, said that his face, arms, and legs are still covered with burn scars from molten plastic that shot out of a machine. Willis said his supervisors shrugged off his injuries as "cosmetic" and gave him some Neosporin. Hendren is well connected in Arkansas politics. Besides being the Senate Majority Leader, he is Governor Asa Hutchinson's nephew. His father, Kim, with whom he started the company, also is a Republican state legislator. If all of this sounds illegal, it likely is. In 2014, the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections revoked DARP's license to house parolees after discovering that the program refused to pay workers the minimum wage. As a result, Arkansas prisons are no longer supposed to send parolees to the program. The courts, however, continue to do so in violation of the law, but with no consequences. Of course, the same thing happens in the federal prison system, too. Federal Prison Industries, also known as UNICOR, a wholly-owned US government corporation, was created in 1934 as a labor program for federal prisoners. Like Hendren's company, it forces prisoners to manufacture goods for sale to a variety of US government agencies and departments. When I was incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution at Loretto, Pennsylvania, we had a UNICOR factory that manufactured high-speed cable for the US Navy. So much of it was deemed to be substandard that the plant was closed twice during my short 23-month stay there. The most obvious problems, then, are twofold: slave labor doesn't make for quality production, and private manufacturers can't compete with an organization that has a payroll of almost nothing. Using forced labor in private industry ought to be illegal everywhere in the country. Indeed, society would be better off if prisoners were paid a real wage. They could then pay whatever restitution they may have, whether to victims or to the government, and they could save money that they then could use to get back on their feet once they're released from prison. But that won't happen. There is no "prisoner lobby" on Capitol Hill. And no member of Congress or the state legislatures will win any votes by advocating that convicted criminals be paid even the minimum wage. It's a vicious cycle that will repeat itself until a courageous judge finally puts an end to it. Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News. #GOPMakesWarOnAmerica! (Image by craigdietrich) Details DMCA Emerging from a long stretch of social media push back, I've been thinking about something more permanent. How might we create an "umbrella" frame that would bring it all together in a form all of us can use? As Naomi Klein has shown, a key part of the "shock doctrine" is overwhelming the victim with an all-points attack on everything, all at once. Bush tried it on Iraq and now it's happening here. Our biggest Achilles heel is our M.O. of picking specific issues to defend. It is vital to resist each new outrage, but this tendency means the GOP is still dividing us. Despite the boost we just got from Democratic victories, we must keep on strengthening our hand. Since Trump's Inauguration, progressive leaders have made a number of suggestions for stopping our losses. First out of the gate, of course, was Indivisible, with its legislative resistance strategy. Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny was high profile right away too, with its twenty warning lessons from the past. Then came Naomi Klein's new book, No is Not Enough, urging us to create a bold new vision of the American Dream, and The Resistance Handbook, by Markos Moulitsas and Michael Huttner. Of particular note in that book is the suggestion that we should "be patriotic:" wear a flag pin or carry a flag, because we represent the true American values. More recently Van Jones published Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, and how We can Come Together. Van offers excellent advice about refraining from partisanship and looking for practical ways we Americans can start working together again. For starters, he spells out "a few areas of common purpose." Yet there is still, for many of us, no matter how active we are in the "resistance," an ongoing, near paralyzing sense of shock and horror. We're watching the GOP roll out their carefully prepared one-party government plan to completely destroy the America we knew--deeply flawed as it was but still retaining the potential to improve. Having a long list (or even Van's short list) of things to do about it all, combined with the equally long list of daily outrages, can lead us right back to our usual silo mentality. .Talk about "intersectionality" doesn't really fix this problem either. Even if you can get a large number of issues/constituencies under one umbrella, the term "intersectional" can make it seem abstract and complex. (Even if your audience knows what the abstract, multisyllabic Latinate term "intersectionality" means!) America Vicki Leon is the author of a series of inspiring books revealing the legion of unsung "Uppity Women" through the ages. Engaging and humorous as well as enlightening, the series has sold over 350,000 copies. All of the books are based on her meticulous research, yet it seems wrong to call them "HIS-torical," as they are certainly a collection of HER-stories! And powerful ones, at that. OpEdNews visits with her: Uppity Women Speak Their Minds by Vicki Leon (Image by Vicki Leon) Details DMCA This book will make a great holiday gift, I already have some gal-friends in mind. H-m-m-m, now that I think of it, the guys need it, too! Can you share a couple of stories that you think are especially valuable for our current patriarchal, political climate? Vicki Leon: Sure! In 2016, there was a great deal of excitement and hope when a woman from one of the major parties ran for president of the United States. But Hillary wasn't the first prominent female to do so. Back in 1872, before American women even had the right to vote, one bold businesswoman ran for the presidency. Having worked as a stockbroker and later as a newspaper publisher, Victoria Woodhull believed in financial independence for females. She lost her bid for office but her insightful words still resonate today: "Woman's ability to earn money is a better protection against the tyranny and brutality of man than her ability to vote." There were gutsy gals in all walks of life way back when, and not just in the USA; take a South American freedom fighter named Policarpa Salavarrieta, for instance. In her early 20s, she recruited volunteers and hustled funds for the resistance movement in Colombia, also fighting alongside other women warriors. In 1817, when things went sour for the revolutionaries, Policarpa was captured and sent to the firing squad. As she went to her death, she yelled this heartrending message to the crowd: "How different our fate would be today if you truly knew the price of liberty!" The resistance survivors took her message to heart; two years later, her homeland won its freedom from Spain. The Colombians are still grateful to Policarpa--and have honored her on their currency. Just like today, there were countless women in the 17th to the 19th centuries who routinely juggled frequent childbearing and huge family responsibilities with careers. One standout was Sarah Hale, the brainy editor of America's most popular magazine, Godey's Lady's Book. She wrote novels and nonfiction, publishing nearly 50 books in her lifetime, including kiddie poetry. Her biggest hit for the younger set? "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Mary Had A Little Lamb Rand McNally Junior Elf Book (Image by Public domain (c 1955)) Details DMCA Hale also pushed for gals to be able to pursue serious careers, such as doctors and lawyers, as men did. On one occasion, she said something sarcastic that spread faster than a Twitter feed: "If men cannot cope with women in the medical profession, let them take a humble occupation in which they can." Sarah lived into her nineties, and spent over 17 years energetically lobbying state governors and other officials to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. No one stepped up. She wrote letters to Presidents Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan without success. Unwilling to give up, in 1863 Hale wrote a persuasive plea directly to President Abraham Lincoln, who issued a national proclamation on October 3 of that year. Thanks to her persistence, the U.S. Congress eventually made a similar commitment to this beloved holiday. Vintage Thanksgiving postcard (Image by Public domain) Details DMCA MAB: These stories are just the inspiration women need in times like these, thanks for sharing, Vicki - and Happy Thanksgiving! VL: It's my delight to bring all these overlooked and unsung foremothers of ours back into the conversation! Besides my gratitude for those indomitable women, I give thanks to Barnes & Noble booksellers, who've been instrumental in bringing many of my uppity women titles to a larger audience. And thank you for the interview! Satellite photos of the supposed Syrian nuclear site before and after the Israeli airstrike. (Image by US Government) Details DMCA Investigative journalist Gareth Porter has published two exclusives whose import is far greater than may be immediately apparent. They concern Israel's bombing in 2007 of a supposed nuclear plant secretly built, according to a self-serving US and Israeli narrative, by Syrian leader Bashar Assad. Although the attack on the "nuclear reactor" occurred a decade ago, there are pressing lessons to be learned for those analyzing current events in Syria. Porter's research indicates very strongly that the building that was bombed could not have been a nuclear reactor -- and that was clear to experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) even as the story was being promoted uncritically across the western media. But -- and this is the critical information Porter conveys -- the IAEA failed to disclose the fact that it was certain the building was not a nuclear plant, allowing the fabricated narrative to be spread unchallenged. It abandoned science to bow instead to political expediency. The promotion of the bogus story of a nuclear reactor by Israel and key figures in the Bush administration was designed to provide the pretext for an attack on Assad. That, it was hoped, would bring an end to his presidency and drag into the fray the main target -- Iran. The Syrian "nuclear reactor" was supposed to be a re-run of the WMD deception, used in 2003 to oust another enemy of the US and Israel's -- Saddam Hussein of Iraq. It is noteworthy that the fabricated evidence for a nuclear reactor occurred in 2007, a year after Israel's failure to defeat Hezbollah in Lebanon. The 2006 Lebanon war was itself intended to spread to Syria and lead to Assad's overthrow, as I explained in my book Israel and the Clash of Civilisations. It is important to remember that this Israeli-neocon plot against Syria long predated -- in fact, in many ways prefigured -- the civil war in 2011 that quickly morphed into a proxy war in which the US became a key, if mostly covert, actor. The left's Witchfinder General The relevance of the nuclear reactor deception can be understood in relation to the latest efforts by Guardian columnist George Monbiot (and many others) to discredit prominent figures on the left, including Noam Chomsky and John Pilger, for their caution in making assessments of much more recent events in Syria. Monbiot has attacked them for not joining him in simply assuming that Assad was responsible for a sarin gas attack last April on Khan Sheikhoun, an al-Qaeda stronghold in Idlib province. Understandably, many on the left have been instinctively wary of rushing to judgment about individual incidents in the Syrian war, and the narratives presented in the western media. The claim that Assad's government used chemical weapons in Khan Sheikhoun, and earlier in Ghouta, was an obvious boon to those who have spent more than a decade trying to achieve regime change in Syria. In what has become an ugly habit with Monbiot, and one I have noted before, he has enthusiastically adopted the role of Witchfinder General. Any questioning of evidence, scepticism or simply signs of open-mindedness are enough apparently to justify accusations that one is an Assadist or conspiracy theorist. Giving house room to the doubts of a ballistics expert like Ted Postol of MIT, or an experienced international arms expert like Scott Ritter, or a famous investigative journalist like Seymour Hersh, or a former CIA analyst like Ray McGovern, is apparently proof that one is an atrocity denier or worse. Inconvenient facts buried Monbiot's latest attack was launched at a moment when he obviously felt he was on solid ground. A UN agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), issued a report last month concluding that the 100 people killed and 200 injured in Khan Sheikhoun last April were exposed to sarin. Monbiot argues that the proof is now incontrovertible that Assad was responsible -- a position that he, of course, adopted at the outset -- and that all other theories have now been decisively discounted by the OPCW. There are reasons to think that Monbiot is seriously misrepresenting the strength of the OPCW's findings, as several commentators have observed. Most notably, Robert Parry, another leading investigative journalist, points out that evidence in the report's annex -- the place where inconvenient facts are often buried -- appears to blow a large hole in the official story. Parry notes that the time recorded by the UN of the photo of the chemical weapons attack is more than half an hour "after" some 100 victims had already been admitted to five different hospitals, some of them lengthy drives from the alleged impact site. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). 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. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Robert Reich Blog Hundreds of thousands of Americans are being denied the right to vote because they are poor. In nine states, Republican legislators have enacted laws that disenfranchise anyone with outstanding legal fees or court fines. For example, in Alabama more than 100,000 people who owe money -- roughly 3 percent of the state's voting-age population -- have been struck from voting rolls. This is unconstitutional. In 1964, the 24th amendment abolished the poll tax, a Jim Crow tactic used to bar poor blacks from voting. These new laws are a modern reincarnation of that unconstitutional system, disproportionately disenfranchising people of color. Income and wealth should have no bearing on the right to vote. Many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. But they still have a constitutional right to make their voices heard. Preventing people from voting because they owe legal fees or court fines muzzle low-income Americans at a time in our nation's history when the rich have more political power than ever. These state laws are another form of voter suppression -- like gerrymandering, voter ID requirements, and bars on anyone with felony convictions from voting. We must not let them stand. Global Underfill Material Market will Expand at a CAGR of 8.3% during the forecast period of 2017 and 2025 MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/2243 https://www.mrrse.com/underfill-material-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/2243 https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ The Underfill Material Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20162024, report provides forecast and analysis of the underfill material market on the global and regional level. The primary objective of the report is to identify opportunities in the market and present updates as well as insights pertaining to various segments of the global underfill material market. The study provides historic data of 2015 along with forecast from 2016 to 2024 based on volume (kg) and revenue (US$ Mn). It includes drivers, restraints and the ongoing trend of the underfill material market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The underfill material report also comprises the study of opportunities available in the market for underfill material on the global and regional level. It includes value chain analysis with list of underfill material suppliers and end users.Click here for Free Sample Report @In order to provide the users of this report with comprehensive view of underfill materail market, we have included detailed competitiveness analysis and company players of the industry. The competitive dashboard provides detailed comparison of underfill material producer on parameters such as companys revenue, employee strength, unique selling propositions and key strategic developments. The study of underfill material market encompasses market attractiveness analysis, by product type, application type and by geographic region.Global Underfill Material Market: ScopeMarket statistics have been estimated based on average consumption and weighted average pricing of product type in underfill material market and the revenue is derived through regional pricing trends. Market size and forecast for each segment have been provided in the context of global and regional markets. The underfill material market has been analyzed based on expected demand. Prices considered for the calculation of revenue are average regional prices obtained through primary quotes from numerous underfill material producers, suppliers, and distributors.Global Underfill Material Market: SegmentationAll key end users have been considered and potential applications have been estimated on the basis of secondary sources and feedback from primary respondents. Regional demand patterns have been considered while estimating the market for various end users of underfill material in different regions. Top-down approach has been used to estimate the underfill material market by regions. Market numbers for global product type and application segments have been derived using the bottom-up approach, which is cumulative of each regions demand. The market of underfill material has been forecast based on constant currency rates.A number of primary and secondary sources were consulted during the course of the study of underfill material market. Secondary sources include Factiva, World Bank, SEMI, The Semiconductor Industry Association, World Semiconductor Trade Statistics, Hoovers, and companys annual report and publications.Browse Full Report with TOC @The report begins with an overview of the global underfill material market, evaluating market performance in terms of revenue, key trends, drivers, and restraints witnessed in the global market. Impact analysis of the key growth drivers and restraints based on the weighted average model is also included in the report.Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:The report provides detailed competitive outlook including company profiles of key participants operating in the global market. Some of the key players in the global underfill material market are Henkel AG & Co. KgaA, H.B. Fuller, NAMICS Corporation, Epoxy Technology Inc, Yincae Advanced Material, LLC, Master Bond Inc, Zymet Inc, AIM Metals & Alloys LP, Won Chemicals Co. Ltd.The global Underfill material market is segmented below:By Product TypeCapillary Underfill Material (CUF)No Flow Underfill Material (NUF)Molded Underfill Material (MUF)By ApplicationFlip ChipsBall Grid Array (BGA)Chip Scale Packaging (CSP)By RegionNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificLatin AmericaMiddle East and Africa (MEA)For any further queries and concerns you can refer the following link @About MRRSEMarket 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.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: Global Free Space Optics (FSO) Communication Market will rise at a Phenomenal CAGR of 32.5% from 2017 to 2025 MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/2142 https://www.mrrse.com/free-space-optics-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/2142 https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ Free Space Optics (FSO) Communication, also known as optical wireless or free space photonics (FSP) is a line-of-sight technology that propagates light in free space such as vacuum, air, or outer space in order to wirelessly transmit data for computer networking and telecommunication. This technology requires light, which can be focused by either using light emitting diodes or lasers. Free space optics uses optical signals as the carrier frequencies to offer point-to-point transmission of communication information through the atmosphere. This technology offers several benefits over existing techniques such as radio, microwave, or optical systems. The advantages associated with FSO such as low initial investment, low power usage per transmitted bit, high bandwidth provisioning, flexible rollouts, high security, and quick establishment of communication link has led to increasing number of applications of free space optics in various industries.Click here for Free Sample Report @Global Free Space Optics (FSO) Communication Market: DriversA surge in demand for high bandwidth and increasing application of free space optical technology in military environments is strongly driving the growth of the free space optics market. Bandwidth usage is experiencing unprecedented growth and the demand for bandwidth is not likely to slow down in the coming years. Free space optical communication is a viable solution for various military applications and the most promising military environments where FSO technology can be used include military bases, in between bases where bases are co-located within 2-4 km of one another, ship to shore communications, and ship to ship communications. In addition to these factors, the incorporation of free space optics in 3G and 4G networks is triggering the market growth. Furthermore, quicker time to market and reduced costs associated with free space optics technology is boosting the market growth. The conjoint effect of all these drivers is thus set to bolster the growth of the global free space optics (FSO) communication market during the forecast period.Advancements in free space optics technology and healthy economic growth of emerging economies are offering potential growth opportunities to the free space optics market. Advancements in free space optics technology have led to growth in requirement of free space optical communication in several applications including telecommunications, military and defense.Global Free Space Optics (FSO) Communication Market: Competitive LandscapeKey players in the free space optics (FSO) communication market are coming up with rapid technological advancements to mitigate the effect of atmospheric attenuation on the FSO signals and this is expected to offer potential growth opportunities to the growth of the global free space optics communication market. Further, an unexpected exponential growth of the telecommunications industry and tremendous increase in the online time used up by existing customers is witnessed in the developing regions of Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and South America. This is persistently fuelling the demand for bandwidth and consequently offering lucrative opportunities for the growth of the FSO communication market.Browse Full Report with TOC @The competitive profiling of the major companies in the global free space optics communication market across five broad geographic regions has been included in the study. The competitive landscape is inclusive of the recent developments of the leading players in the field of free space optics and the various business strategies adopted by these companies. In the report, market attractive analysis of the chief application of free space optics has been provided in order to offer an insight into the global free space optics communication market. An extensive analysis of market dynamics which includes the drivers, restraints and opportunities of the global market is included under the scope of the study. Hence, the global free space optics communication market report offers an inclusive study of the market along with providing the forecast of the market for the period from 2017 to 2025.Some of the major players in the market are: Trimble Hungary Ltd. (Hungary), Mostcom Ltd. (Russia), AOptix Technologies Inc. (U.S.), Optelix (South Africa), LightPointe Communications, Inc. (U.S.), IBSENtelecom Ltd. (Norway), Harris Corporation (U.S.), Anova Technologies (U.S.), fSONA Networks Corp. (Canada) and Wireless Excellence Limited (U.K.) among others.The global free space optics market has been segmented into:Free Space Optics Market, by ComponentsTransmittersReceiversModulatorsDemodulatorsEncoders & DecodersOthersFree Space Optics Market, by ApplicationStorage Area NetworkData TransmissionDefenseSecurityAirborne ApplicationsHealthcareDisaster RecoverLast Mile AccessOthersFree Space Optics Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle east and AfricaSouth AmericaFor any further queries and concerns you can refer the following link @About MRRSEMarket 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.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: Global Aircraft Engines Market is Envisaged to Post a CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period 2017-2022 MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/3850 https://www.mrrse.com/aircraft-engine-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/3850 https://www.mrrse.com/ https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/ The Global Aircraft Engines Market is foreseen to gain impetus from a swelling count of air passengers traveling across global borders and the resulting increase in air passenger traffic. The demand for aircraft engines could also improve while riding on the replacement of old engines and the adoption of new ones. High focus on improving fuel economy could be another factor enhancing the growth of the market. China and India witnessing an increase in aircraft numbers are foretold to up the demand in the Asia Pacific region.Click here for Free Sample Report @This report is a compilation of significant market driving factors and restraints studied alongside vital trends and opportunities. The global aircraft engines market is deeply evaluated by the authors, taking into consideration its competitive landscape and other chief aspects.Global Aircraft Engines Market: DynamicsThe world aircraft engines market is prophesied to gain traction with the rising count of aircraft deliveries in the recent time. While this could be one of the important growth factors for the market, vendors are predicted to be pampered by the growing popularity of new aircraft engines with greater fuel efficiency. Furthermore, the mounting number of aircraft orders could increase the demand in the market. Turbofan may showcase its prominence in the coming years with its rising preference for application in new airlines planned to improve with lightweight, fuel-efficient, and innovative engines.Global Aircraft Engines Market: SegmentationThe international aircraft engines market is envisaged to be classified as per application and product. In terms of application, the market could see a segmentation into commercial, military, and general. Amongst these, the commercial segment is anticipated to rank higher with a 6.7% CAGR expected to be recorded during the forecast timeframe 2017-2022. It could expand at a US$2.5 bn on an annual basis and put up a dominating absolute growth surpassing that of other segments in the application category.Browse Full Report with TOC @In terms of type of product, the international aircraft engines market is prognosticated to be segregated into turbofan, turboprop, and turboshaft. The analysts profoundly study all of these segments with the help of revenue, year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth, and market share comparisons. Their market size and forecast are also projected in the report for the review period between 2012 and 2022.Regionally, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) is envisioned to grow at a faster rate in the international aircraft engines market. However, North America could be a leading segment, which bagged a US$29.3 bn in 2017. Europe and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are projected to earn a similar revenue share by the end of 2022. While Latin America could be another region to look at, Japan is forecast to exhibit a sluggish growth in the market.Global Aircraft Engines Market: CompetitionThe report sheds light on the company share of key players operating in the worldwide aircraft engines market and also the vendor landscape in general. According to the report, players such as Rolls-Royce plc, GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, CFM International, Engine Alliance, IAE International Aero Engines AG, MTU Aero Engines, Safran, and Honeywell Aerospace could make a mark in the market.For any further queries and concerns you can refer the following link @About MRRSEMarket 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.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At: Nov 21, 2017: PC System Utilities Software Market Forecast 2023 Glarysoft, Pointstone, Avanquest, IObit PC System Utilities Software https://goo.gl/VqmXe1 http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-pc-system-utilities-software-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022 A market study Global PC System Utilities Software Market examines the performance of the PC System Utilities Software market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the PC System Utilities Software market state and the competitive landscape globally. 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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 21, 2017: Neural Network Software Market Forecast 2023 Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Intel Neural Network Software https://goo.gl/iMFCcB http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-neural-network-software-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022 A market study Global Neural Network Software Market examines the performance of the Neural Network Software market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Neural Network Software market state and the competitive landscape globally. 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SwiftkeyNeural Network Software Market : By Application Data Mining and Archiving Software Data Analytical Software Optimization Software Visualization SoftwareNeural Network Software Market : By Type Medicine EducationFirstly, the report covers the top Neural Network Software 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 Neural Network Software report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Neural Network Software industry, Neural Network Software industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. 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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 21, 2017: Semiconductor Chip Packaging Market Forecast 2023 Applied, ASM Pacific, Tokyo Seimitsu Semiconductor Chip Packaging https://goo.gl/u7kTVA http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-semiconductor-chip-packaging-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022 A market study Global Semiconductor Chip Packaging Market examines the performance of the Semiconductor Chip Packaging market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Semiconductor Chip Packaging market state and the competitive landscape globally. 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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 21, 2017: Over the Top (OTT) Services Market Forecast 2023 Facebook, Twitter, Google, Netflix Over the Top (OTT) Services https://goo.gl/Wqrvbd http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-over-the-top-ott-services-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022 A market study Global Over the Top (OTT) Services Market examines the performance of the Over the Top (OTT) Services market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Over the Top (OTT) Services market state and the competitive landscape globally. 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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 Smart Doorbell 2017 Global Industry Key Players - Legrand , Honeywell , Panasonic , Skebell , Ring, Aiphone Market Analysis and Forecast to 2022 Global Smart Doorbell Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/2377096-global-smart-doorbell-market-professional-survey-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/2377096-global-smart-doorbell-market-professional-survey-report-2017 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=2377096 Global Smart Doorbell MarketThis report studies Smart Doorbell 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, coveringLegrandHoneywellPanasonicSkebellRingAiphoneSandboxKivosDNAKEAugust Doorbell CamCtronicsGuangdong Roule ElectronicsGuangdong AnjubaoLeelenAdvanteRequest 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 intoWired Smart DoorbellWireless Smart DoorbellBy Application, the market can be split intoResidentialCommercialOtherBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaTo enquire about this report visit @Table of Contents-Key Points CoveredGlobal Smart Doorbell Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Smart Doorbell1.1 Definition and Specifications of Smart Doorbell1.1.1 Definition of Smart Doorbell1.1.2 Specifications of Smart Doorbell1.2 Classification of Smart Doorbell1.2.1 Wired Smart Doorbell1.2.2 Wireless Smart Doorbell1.3 Applications of Smart Doorbell1.3.1 Residential1.3.2 Commercial1.3.3 Other1.4 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 Smart Doorbell2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smart Doorbell2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Smart Doorbell2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Smart Doorbell..8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Smart Doorbell8.1 Legrand8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 Legrand 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Legrand 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Honeywell8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Honeywell 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Honeywell 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Panasonic8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Panasonic 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Panasonic 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Skebell8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.2.1 Product A8.4.2.2 Product B8.4.3 Skebell 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Skebell 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 Ring8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.2.1 Product A8.5.2.2 Product B8.5.3 Ring 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 Ring 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 Aiphone8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.2.1 Product A8.6.2.2 Product B8.6.3 Aiphone 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 Aiphone 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Sandbox8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.2.1 Product A8.7.2.2 Product B8.7.3 Sandbox 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Sandbox 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 Kivos8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.2.1 Product A8.8.2.2 Product B8.8.3 Kivos 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 Kivos 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 DNAKE8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.2.1 Product A8.9.2.2 Product B8.9.3 DNAKE 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 DNAKE 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 August Doorbell Cam8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.2.1 Product A8.10.2.2 Product B8.10.3 August Doorbell Cam 2016 Smart Doorbell Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 August Doorbell Cam 2016 Smart Doorbell Business Region Distribution Analysis8.11 Ctronics8.12 Guangdong Roule Electronics8.13 Guangdong Anjubao8.14 Leelen8.15 AdvanteContinued.Buy Report@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 Subunit Vaccines Market To Witness Enhanced Usage For Pediatric And Adults Because Of Its Long-Lived Immunity Till 2021 | Million Insights Million Insights - World's Fastest Growing Market Research Database https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/subunit-vaccines-market?utm_source=Pressrelease&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=Openpr_Nov21&utm_content=Content https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/subunit-vaccines-market/request-sample https://www.millioninsights.com/industry/pharmaceuticals The global Subunit Vaccines market is classified on the basis of type, product type, indications, application and geography. A vaccine is a biological preparation that delivers active acquired immunity to a specific disease. A vaccine usually contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins or one of its surface proteins. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to identify the agent as a threat, destroy it, and keep a record of it so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters.There are different types of vaccines such as inactivated, toxoid, attenuated, subunit, conjugate, and so on. Subunit vaccines are vaccines that use only part of the disease-causing virus.Subunit vaccines, like inactivated whole-cell vaccines, do not contain live components of the pathogen. They differ from inactivated whole-cell vaccines, by containing only the antigenic parts of the pathogen. These parts are necessary to elicit a protective immune response.Full Research Report On Global Subunit Vaccines Market Analysis available at:The factors that propel the global growth include long-lived immunity provided by this vaccine and risk of reactions are very low. In addition, subunit vaccines can be given to people with weakened immune systems. On the other hand, there are also factors that hamper the growth of the market such as numerous doses are required for proper life-long immunity.On the basis of type, the market research report is classified as protein-based subunit vaccines, polysaccharide vaccine and conjugate subunit vaccine. Protein based subunit vaccines present an antigen to the immune system without viral particles, using a specific, isolated protein of the pathogen. Commonly used protein-based subunit vaccines are acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines and Hepatitis B.Some bacteria when infecting humans are often protected by a polysaccharide (sugar) capsule that helps the organism evade the human defence systems especially in infants and young children. Polysaccharide vaccines create a response against the molecules in the pathogen's capsule. These molecules are small, and often not very immunogenic.Examples of polysaccharide vaccines include Meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis groups A, C, W135 and Y, as well as Pneumococcal disease.Conjugate subunit vaccines also create a response against the molecules in the pathogen's capsule. In comparison to plain polysaccharide vaccines, they benefit from a technology that binds the polysaccharide to a carrier protein Carrier protein A, a protein linked to a weak antigen to increase its immunogenicity when used as a vaccine that can induce a long-term protective response even in infants.Various protein carriers are used for conjugation, including diphtheria and tetanus toxoid. Conjugate subunit vaccines, can therefore prevent common bacterial infections for which plain polysaccharide vaccines are either ineffective in those most at risk or provide only short-term protection.On the basis of product type, the Subunit Vaccines market is classified as Pneumococcal, Influenza, HPV, Hepatitis, Rotavirus, DTP, Polio and MMR. On the basis of indications, the Subunit Vaccines market is classified as infectious disease, cancer and allergies. On the basis of application, the Subunit Vaccines market is classified as paediatric and adult.On the basis of geography, the Subunit Vaccines market is classified as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of World. The key players mentioned in the market research report includes Astellas Pharma Inc., CSL Limited, Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, MedImmune, LLC, Merck & Co, Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur and Serum Institute India Pvt. Ltd.Request for Free Sample Copy:This report studies Subunit Vaccines in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, India and Southeast Asia, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering Astellas Pharma Inc CSL Limited Emergent BioSolutions, Inc GlaxoSmithKline Johnson & Johnson MedImmune, LLC Merck & Co Pfizer Sanofi Pasteur Serum Institute India Pvt. Ltd. (India)Market Segment by Region, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth rate of Subunit Vaccines in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), like North America China Europe Japan India Southeast AsiaSplit by product type, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into Pneumococcal Influenza HPV Hepatitis Rotavirus DTP Polio MMRSplit by application, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Subunit Vaccines in each application, can be divided into Pediatric Adult Application 3Related Reports of this Category available at Million Insights: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.Office No. 302, 3rd Floor, Manikchand Galleria,Model Colony, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, MH, 411016 IndiaPhone: 91-20-65300184Email: sales@millioninsights.com Nov, 21 2017: Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Market Forecast 2023 Tenneco, Huss, Bosal, Tunap, Tianhou, Delphi Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) http://bit.ly/2zSJXNX http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-diesel-particulate-filter-dpf-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022 http://www.spiremarketresearch.com Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Market Research 2017A market study "Global Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Market" examines the performance of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Market 2017 report includes Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) market Revenue, market Share, Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) industry volume, market Trends, Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Market 2017 : ESW Group European Exhaust and Catalyst Ltd ?EEC? PSA Peugeot Citroen Parker Bosch Bosal Delphi MANN+HUMMEL Denso Tunap Tenneco Johnson Matthey Dow Automotive Freudenberg Filtration NGK Insulators Huss Group Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc Hug Filtersystems RYPOS Inc Tianhou OtherDiesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Market : By Application On-Road Off-RoadDiesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Market : By Type Disposable-type Filters Regenerating-type FiltersFirstly, the report covers the top Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) industry, Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) 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 Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) market revenue worldwide.Finally, Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) 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 Amorphous Polyalphaolefin for Hot Melt Market trends estimates high demand by 2023 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/amorphous-polyalphaolefin-market.html https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=5996 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=5996