ABCNews.com(PHILADELPHIA) -- With terrorist groups renewing calls for would-be attackers to target American rail lines, at least one local law enforcement agency in the U.S. is using drones to help guard against such a threat. The police chief for the Philadelphia-area's mass-transit system said he has known for some time that more than 140,000 miles of rail lines crisscrossing America are "porous" and had thought for a while of using drones to monitor the agency's tracks. He initiated the drone program after an article in the latest issue of al Qaeda's English-language publication gave step-by-step instructions for fashioning a "homemade derail tool" and claimed that railroads are among America's "easiest targets." "It is time that we instill fear and make them impose strict security measures to trains as they did with their air transportation," the publication said. The al Qaeda article prompted the federal Transportation Security Administration to send a security notice to law enforcement across the nation, ABC News has learned. Amid this threat, Thomas Nestel, police chief for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority, told ABC News' David Kerley, that drones are "a great way for us to patrol a track without walking on the track, putting officers in jeopardy safety-wise." "Using the drone can cover a whole lot of area in a much faster span of time," he said. "This was bouncing around in my head for a little while and then when that ... article came out, I pulled the trigger, I said, 'Let's do it,'" Nestel said. The transit-agency's drone, which is equipped with a high-resolution camera, can help officers detect intruders or anomalies on the tracks and provide information that could lead authorities to stop trains before they reach a problem area. John Cohen, a former counterterrorism coordinator for the Department of Homeland Security and an ABC News contributor said, "Al Qaeda and ISIS are very interested and are urging their followers to conduct attacks against our nation's rail infrastructure." Cohen added, "Securing the rail infrastructure is an incredible challenge. There are literally thousands of miles of tracks. There are rail stations that are open to the public. It's a very difficult job." Terrorists' targeting of trains is not new. From Madrid to London to Brussels, hundreds have been killed in attacks against commuter trains in Europe. Threats of rail attacks have hit even closer to home. In a journal recovered by U.S. Navy SEAL teams during the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader outlined a potential plot against the U.S. rail system to occur on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. (The rail attack never happened.) In 2009, the FBI arrested a 25-year-old Afghani national living in Colorado for his role in an alleged conspiracy to bomb the subway system in Manhattan. And in 2012, an undercover U.S. agent foiled an alleged plot to derail a New York-bound passenger train in Canada. Still, Cohen said that "for TSA to send out a warning to law enforcement says that, 'We are concerned about this threat; we need you to be concerned about this threat as well,'" Cohen said. "It's nice that they put out a magazine and let us know what suggestions they provide to their followers," Cohen said of the terror magazine. "Because we're already thinking about how to defeat attacks." Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. MOSCOW - China and Russia will enhance cooperation on digital economy, including big data, the Internet of Things and smart cities, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui told Xinhua in a recent interview. While making continuous efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sectors of energy, equipment manufacturing, agriculture and spaceflight, the two countries are eyeing digital economy as a new area of cooperation, Li said. China and Russia will also continue their efforts to achieve substantial results from the alignment of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and development programs within the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) led by Russia. The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The EEU, which groups Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, is an economic bloc aiming to optimize the flow of goods and services among its members. Li said China and Russia will work to implement the project of an international transportation corridor in the Far East and jointly explore the Arctic shipping route to make it a "silk road on ice." According to him, strategic mutual trust between the two countries is strengthening, while political, economic and people-to-people exchanges are developing robustly, forming a solid base for the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. The partnership plays a special role in China's "major-country diplomacy" with Chinese characteristics and both countries will never waver in their determination to develop such a partnership no matter how the international and regional situations change, Li said. Both China and Russia are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and important parties of the G20, BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Li said, adding that the two countries share similar positions on many international affairs. "I believe as long as we keep up with the times and seize the opportunities, China-Russia relations will be very productive," the ambassador said. Next week, the 16th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the SCO will be held in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi. In Li's view, the SCO adheres to its founding values or the "Shanghai Spirit" featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development. At the Astana summit in Kazakhstan in June, India and Pakistan completed their accession to the SCO, which also groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. After the expansion, the SCO covers about 44 percent of the world's population and over a fifth of the world's gross domestic product (GDP). The SCO members have shown a strong will to cooperate in various sectors in the SCO framework, and the Belt and Road Initiative will create new economic propellers for the SCO members and contribute to regional prosperity against a backdrop of globalization, said Li. 1. Yes. The ordinance goes against state law and is not in the best interest of the cities. 2. Yes. At the very least, it should be amended to give police officers some discretion. 3. No. Voters approved the ordinance by large majorities; the councils cant ignore that fact. 4. No. The petition process has to be given a chance to work. Leave the ordinance alone. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the cities should move forward regarding the ordinance. Vote View Results Harry, fifth in line to the throne, will marry Ms Markle next spring and will live at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in London. The couple, who have been dating since the summer of 2016, secretly got engaged earlier this month. In a statement, Prince Charles said he was delighted to announce his sons news and that Harry had received the blessing of Ms Markles parents. Only the Queen and other close members of his family initially knew of the engagement, which took place in London. The announcement, issued by Clarence House, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwalls official residence, said details about the wedding day would be announced in due course. Harry, 33 and Ms Markle, 36, made their first public appearance as a couple in September. Their 16-month relationship began in July 2016 when they met through mutual friends in London. By BBC-News Angola, IN (46703) Today Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Temps nearly steady around 30. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 22F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. The League of Women Voters La Crosse Area will host its monthly Lunch and Learn meeting at 11:45 a.m. Dec. 12, at Moxie's Restaurant, 1835 Rose St. Guest speaker Mayor Tim Kabat will discuss water quality and it's impact on the La Crosse population and those who live along the Mississippi River. Mayors from cities along the Mississippi River have joined forces to create the Mississippi River Cities and Town Initiative. The program is free, with lunch available at 11:30 a.m. for $13. To reserve a meal, email league@lwvlacrosse.org. by Dec. 6. MINNEAPOLIS (TNS) Sen. Al Franken broke an eight-day silence Sunday, reaching out to Minnesota media to talk about what hes done, and what hell do next. President Trump stands firm in support for Roy Moore WASHINGTON (TNS) President Donald Trump Sunday reiterated support for Roy Moore, the Repub Im embarrassed and ashamed. Ive let a lot of people down and Im hoping I can make it up to them and gradually regain their trust, said Franken, who has kept a low profile since four women shared accounts of being groped, embarrassed and, in one case, forcibly kissed by the Minnesota Democrat. Im looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow, he said. Franken, who said he has posed for tens of thousands of photos over the years, says he does not remember any that ended with his hand sliding down to cup womens backsides, as several have alleged. I dont remember these photographs, I dont, he said. This is not something I would intentionally do. Franken said he has spent the past week thinking about how that could happen and I just recognize that I need to be more careful and a lot more sensitive in these situations. Asked whether he expects any other women to step forward with similar groping allegations, Franken said: If you had asked me two weeks ago, Would any woman say I had treated her with disrespect? I would have said no. So this has just caught me by surprise I certainly hope not. Franken has been communicating with his constituents and the media mainly through terse written statements since Nov. 16, when Los Angeles radio broadcaster Leeann Tweeden accused him of forcibly kissing her during a 2006 holiday USO war zone tour. Her Twitter post was accompanied by a photo of Franken, then months away from launching his Senate candidacy, mugging for the camera with his hands hovering suggestively over her chest as she slumped, apparently asleep, on a military transport. Franken skipped the rest of that Thursdays Senate votes and retreated from public view as the Senate adjourned for the weeklong Thanksgiving recess. In the days that followed, three other women provided accounts of uncomfortable encounters with Franken. Lindsay Menz told CNN that Franken grabbed her buttocks while they posed for a photo at the Minnesota State fair in 2010 an encounter she documented on social media at the time. Two other women gave similar anonymous accounts Frankens past as an irreverent comedian and founding member of Saturday Night Live returned to haunt him during his first Senate campaign, where he found himself apologizing for raunchy writing and off-color jokes including at least one rape joke pitched during a late-night session in the SNL writers room. Those apologies, Franken said, were sincere, and he set out to prove that I knew the difference between being a comedy writer and a comedian and being a senator, and that I was going to take being a senator very seriously, and I have. Over the past eight years, Franken built up a reputation as an advocate for womens issues, a foil to Trump administration appointees, and a powerhouse fundraiser who could draw crowds and donations across the country. The allegations of sexual misconduct brought that image crashing down. A rape survivor from asked him to remove his name from legislation hed sponsored in her honor. Other politicians Ive been a champion for women, and I know this makes this all the harder, he said. I know Ive let people down. I know Im not going to regain their trust immediately. Theres no magic words I can say here to make that happen. Franken says he can still be an effective senator. This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on President Donald Trumps nomination of Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Franken, who viewed Stras as highly qualified but too conservative for the post, blocked the nomination. Franken has asked the Senate Ethics Committee to look into his behavior, but resisted comparisons between his behavior and that of Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate from Alabama, who has been accused of propositioning a number of underage girls over the years. Im going to take responsibility. Im going to be held accountable through the ethics committee, Franken said. And Im going to hopefully be a voice in this that is helpful Again, I respect women. What kills me about this is it gives people a reason to believe I dont respect women. Winning back the publics trust wont be easy, he acknowledged. This is not going to happen quickly. I have to earn this over time and thats what I plan to do, he said. Franken said he planned to work as hard as I can to regain the trust of people Ive let down, and that especially means the people of Minnesota, it means people whove been supporters of mine, and it means my colleagues. Q: How are the National Weather Service and Wisconsin connected? A: The roots of our National Weather Service have a distinctive Wisconsin flavor. Professor Increase A. Lapham, a University of Wisconsin professor at the time of the founding of the university, was the first official Smithsonian Institution weather observer in Milwaukee and long argued for the establishment of a national weather observation network. With the election of President Ulysses S. Grant in November 1868, Lapham and Rep. Halbert Paine, the U.S. congressman from Milwaukee, thought the time was right to pursue this goal. Grant had developed a keen sense of the influence of weather on military operations through his experiences in the Civil War. On Feb. 2, 1870, Paine introduced a Joint Congressional Resolution that tasked the Secretary of War to provide for taking meteorological observations at the military stations in the interior of the continent and at other points in the States and Territories and for giving notice on the northern [Great] lakes of the approach and force of storms. Congress passed the resolution with little hesitation and a week later, on Feb. 9, 1870, President Grant signed it into law effectively establishing the first iteration of the National Weather Service (then called the U.S. Army Signal Service). Operation of the Signal Service began Nov. 1, 1870, and one week later, Lapham issued the first high wind warning for the Great Lakes from Chicago. The forecast was accurate and was credited with saving considerable property and protecting lives. The Wisconsin connection to the National Weather Service continues to this day, as the current director of the NWS is a UW-Madison graduate, Dr. Louis Uccellini. When state lawmakers voted in 2011 to approve a plan that would send the states most serious teenage criminals to one prison in the North Woods of Wisconsin, at least one lawmaker anticipated trouble. Common sense would dictate when youre dealing with children the best way to give them any semblance of hope or chance to change, and not end up for a lifetime in our criminal justice system, is to keep them near family and community support, Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, said in a recent interview. When they voted to close Ethan Allen, I was worried about the future of Lincoln Hills. Despite misgivings, Kleefisch voted for the plan. The Ethan Allen School for Boys correctional facility in Wales was about 30 miles from Milwaukee, home to roughly half of the states most egregious juvenile offenders. By contrast, Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls in Irma are more than 200 miles away from the states largest city. Six years later, some lawmakers from both parties have the same concerns as Kleefisch and are renewing a call to consider finding a way to keep juvenile offenders closer to home. But a resolution is far from near: Lawmakers dont agree on what to do now or later, if anything. A nearly four-year criminal investigation into alleged abuses at the prison isnt complete and a committee of lawmakers that will soon meet to start studying the long-term correctional facility needs will first tackle whether the state should build another adult prison. Lawmakers are proposing a range of ideas including closing the youth prison within a year, closing it in future years, repurposing the facility, and keeping it open but adding regional facilities, too. Some want fundamental changes now. Lincoln Hills has become so problematic that it has become almost impossible to think of any type of plan that should allow it to remain open, said Sen. LaTonya Johnson, D-Milwaukee. Its been over four years and when you look at the abuse and neglect that took place before the investigation was even launched. We have kept those kids in harms way for too long. Others want a longer conversation. I think (Lincoln Hills) needs to be part of a broader discussion, said Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam. (Closing the prison) doesnt address any of the issues it just moves the issues into a different building and that doesnt make any sense to me. And Gov. Scott Walker has repeatedly expressed confidence in the prisons operations under DOC Secretary Jon Litscher who has said he is committed to keeping the facility as is. Both Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, declined to comment for this story. A huge failure, really Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, argued some state and legislative leaders approach of silence toward the allegations surrounding the facility and the lawsuits brought since they surfaced in 2015 make it virtually impossible to make changes through a Republican-controlled Legislature. Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, introduced a bill nearly a year ago to require the DOC to study whether turning to a model of regional juvenile facilities would be preferable but it went nowhere. While some Republican lawmakers have since expressed a desire to look at regional facilities, Hintz said the lack of support for Goykes bill is emblematic of the Legislatures attitude toward the allegations. I think the first step of any challenge is to acknowledge you have a problem and I think that is what the biggest challenge has been, Hintz said. Its just been a huge failure, really our juvenile correctional system (has) been an absolute disaster and its not like it hasnt received attention. Lets at least look at other options. Goyke this week will unveil new pieces of legislation to address overcrowding in the states adult prisons and to close and repurpose the Irma facility. Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, said at the very least, DOC should find a way to fully staff the prison which has had staffing shortages for years. I think that the majority party has had missed opportunities to step up and address it, Shilling said. Theres no sense of urgency from this administration to address it and they really seem to have their heads in the sand and just ignore it. DOC spokesman Tristan Cook rejected Hintzs and Shillings characterization of the Walker administrations response to the allegations. The comments by Senator Shilling and Representative Hintz are not an accurate reflection of DOCs actions over the last two years, Cook said in an email. We have been extremely proactive and taken action in a number of areas ... We have made a host of changes that have boosted institution safety and security and enhanced education, treatment, mental health, and medical services provided to youth and we will continue to actively seek input from DOC staff and others to make further improvements. Cook outlined more than two dozen changes Secretary Jon Litscher has made since taking over the department in 2016, including improving training, changing inmate complaint processes, hiring new staff to handle mental health issues, adding body and security cameras and reviewing all inmate and staff injuries. Meanwhile, the way the states juvenile correctional model is funded could make it more difficult to remove inmates from Milwaukee County from the Irma facility, as county officials want to do. We definitely have a long-term goal of serving our youth closer to home in smaller, regional, treatment-focused facilities that have a more diverse staff and improved education and programming, said Chris Abele, Milwaukee County executive. But right now the county lacks both the funding and the legislative authority to open and operate these types of facilities. Until we do, I believe Lincoln Hills should remain as an option for judges to sentence only the most serious cases. Regional facilities favored Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said a silver bullet to fix the youth prisons problems likely doesnt exist but said adding regional facilities could be a positive change and could help staff at the Irma facility keep themselves and inmates safe from the daily misbehavior from more violent inmates. Im not sure what the best way is to eliminate all of that but obviously if there are some individuals that we could cull out of that population that would do better in a regional facility, that should be the consideration right from the get-go, he said. Abele said in the meantime, he has been working to reduce Milwaukee Countys reliance on this outdated and ineffective model for more than five years and accelerated the effort after allegations surfaced in 2015. I have always believed that Lincoln Hills and institutions based on analogous models are ineffective at best, and immoral and counterproductive at worst, he said. We ultimately need to change the way we address youth who engage in delinquent acts. We cant incarcerate our way out of this problem. For two years, Frank Ourada has been supporting our troops more literally than most. He has connected soldiers and veterans with food pantries, temporary housing and legal advice. He haggled with an insurance company when a soldiers home flooded. He helped a suicidal veteran find treatment. Ourada basically ran triage for military families, connecting them with whatever services they need to survive. This position, National Guard Family Assistance Center specialist, may be Ouradas most rewarding ever. The only rival was his time as an infantry Marine, which in 2009 left him disabled. This work is my therapy, Ourada, 30, told me. And yet last Friday he resigned. Because the job he loved so much had left him homeless. Ourada had his pay slashed in March, from $20.08 hourly to $13.17. He soon fell behind on mortgage payments and lost his Minnesota home. Hes been crashing with friends and family since August; next week hell move in with a buddy in Utah, where he hopes to find better-paying work. Ouradas situation is unusually dire, but hes far from alone. Hundreds of his colleagues around the country also had their pay cut by 25 to 50 percent in March. About a third have quit, taking their networks and collective decades of experience, in an exodus that leaves American military families at risk of falling through the cracks. The root of the problem? A bungled government contract. In the decades since transitioning to a more professionalized, all-volunteer force, the military has added a host of support services for the growing number of long-term military families. One was the National Guards Family Assistance Centers. When this programs contract was awarded in 2012, the Guard had advised companies bidding on the contract to pay wages roughly equivalent to GS-7 to GS-9 levels (about $35,000 to $56,000). When the contract came up for bid last year, however, the Guard gave vendors different and hazier guidance. This time it merely instructed them to abide by the McNamara-OHara Service Contract Act. This law requires the Labor Department to set minimum wages for hundreds of specific government contract occupations. The goal is to prevent a race to the bottom to protect workers, but also to prevent contractors from cutting corners. Unfortunately, Family Assistance Center occupations arent in the Labor Departments existing directory of jobs. And the National Guard never asked for them to be added, as it was supposed to do. Confusion ensued. One bidder, Cognitive Professional Services, found a junior job title that sounded vaguely related. It then built its bid around the wage floor for that occupation. That pay level was not only substantially less than what workers such as Ourada had been making. It was even less than what janitors earn in many states. The strategy worked. With its rock-bottom bid price, Cognitive won the contract and cut pay. (Cognitive did not respond to requests for comment.) Unsurprisingly, workers quit en masse. At least 135 of 399 incumbent personnel left. And given the low pay, Cognitive has struggled to retain replacements. One position has been filled and vacated three times since March and is now empty again. Hire and train, hire and train. Its been like that for the last three or four months, says Kevin McDonnell, a Rhode Island-based supervisor whose own pay was cut in half. This isnt the first time a lowball bid led to draconian wage cuts and mass resignations on a military family support contract. Its at least the fifth case in as many years, according to Good Jobs Nation, a worker advocacy group that filed Labor Department complaints on behalf of employees on two such contracts. After I wrote about this problem in April, lawmakers grilled the National Guard about whether military families were getting the support they deserved. The Guard told Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) that it was undertaking a contract review. And then ... nothing. On Tuesday, I called the Guard to ask what happened. Lo and behold, that very day, it decided to modify the contract! Cognitive sent a cryptic email to workers Wednesday saying changes to job descriptions and salaries were forthcoming. No further details. No mention of any back pay for the past eight months. A Guard spokesman told me that a different office will handle the next bid process, which begins next month. The Labor Department will be asked to come up with minimum wage rates for these occupations, as should have happened last year. Which sounds like an improvement. But for military families left stranded in recent months and workers such as Ourada who were shortchanged and have already moved on, its cold comfort. 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20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (5) Aug 11 (3) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (4) Aug 07 (3) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (3) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (4) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (5) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (4) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (5) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (3) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (3) Jul 09 (4) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (5) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (5) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (6) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (3) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (5) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (3) May 30 (5) May 29 (3) May 28 (4) May 27 (5) May 26 (7) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (6) May 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02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) 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(4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (2) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 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(1) Apr 09 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 05 (1) Apr 01 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 27 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 19 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 16 (1) Mar 15 (2) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1) TWIN FALLS Bullfrogs have fascinated Steve Rivas since he was 6 years old. Everything about them fascinates me, Rivas said. About 15 years ago, his mother gave him a poster he had made in elementary school detailing the life cycle of a bullfrog. He keeps it hanging on his office wall. One of the fascinating characteristics of bullfrogs is also what makes it difficult to grow them under farm conditions. Bullfrogs are aquatic herbivores as larva but become semi-aquatic carnivores as adults. Essentially they are two different animals in one body. Rivas began experimenting with methods for raising bullfrogs in 1989 as soon as he graduated from the College of Southern Idahos Technical Aquaculture Program. He remembers visiting Tolief Rangen after graduation to thank him for a scholarship. Rangen asked him what he planned to do and Rivas said he planned to get a job and turn bullfrogs into farm animals. Rangen told him that bullfrogs wouldnt eat pellets, but if Rivas could figure out a way to get them to do it, he should come back and Rangen would manufacture the pellets for him. It took five years of trial and error and raising maggots in the living room to get bullfrogs on pelleted feed. Tadpoles were easier to get on feed than the adults who rely heavily on movement to trigger feeding. But eventually Steve and his wife Lisa found a formula that worked and Rana Ranch Commercial Bullfrogs was in business. At first Rivas expected to sell bullfrogs as pets or for pond stocking, but the medical community quickly evolved into the primary market for his stock. Since retiring from the CSI Hatchery in July 2015, Rivas has been focusing on his selective breeding program to develop uniform animals for medical research. They are looking for cookie-cutter frogs, Rivas said. The frogs I supply this year must be the just like the frogs they got last year. Even though most researchers dont tell him what they are working on, bullfrogs have qualities in their skin, eyes and ears that make them ideal subjects for research on hearing loss, nerve damage, Alzheimers and cancer. They shed their skin as they grow and researchers have discovered a fungus grows on that shed skin which may also have medicinal purposes. Once he determined that medical researchers were his primary market, he had to rethink his production practices. Bullfrogs spawn like crazy but the breeding season is very short and he needs to supply different sized frogs to customers throughout the year. Fortunately bullfrogs are poikilothermic which means their metabolism and growth can be regulated by temperature. Rivas takes advantage of their high fertility to spawn a large number of larva that he raises to a certain size and then holds at that size until he needs them to change into frogs. That ensures he has frogs of varying sizes throughout the year to meet customer needs. He is also using temperature to extend the spawning season. Rivas refer to frogs by their spawn year, but they dont begin having birthdays until they go on feed and begin the morphology process. Most of his regular customers give him enough lead time to ensure he has enough frogs at the right size to meet demand. Many researchers prefer using his farm-raised bullfrogs to wild caught ones because they are used to being handled and dont startle easily. He has designed his tanks to offer bullfrogs an environment that matches wild conditions as much as possible even under high stocking rates. He estimates that his bullfrogs have kept thousands of their wild cousins from being captured for use in medical labs. Even though bullfrogs present unique challenges, Rivas says they are not that much different than other raising aquaculture species. Water and nutrition are key for growing both fish and bullfrogs. Rivas has a permit to raise bullfrogs in Idaho, a requirement since bullfrogs are considered a non-native species in the state. He warns customers that releasing bullfrogs into areas where they historically have not been present can be a threat to native animals. Still, he thinks there are other species that could make farm animals if someone has ambition and is willing to work hard. And it doesnt if the species is one a potential entrepreneur has been interested in since they were young. (The medical community is) looking for cookie-cutter frogs. The frogs I supply this year must be the just like the frogs they got last year. Steve Rivas, bullfrog farmer Twin Falls Senior Center 530 Shoshone St. W., Twin Falls. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors 60 and older; $6, non-seniors; $3, children 9 and younger. Other items: cinnamon roll, $2; coffee 50 cents; soup to go, $3; lunch to go, $5.50. For lunch take-out, 11 a.m. to noon daily: 208-734-5084. Today: Sweet and sour meatballs Tuesday: Baked fish fillet Wednesday: Chicken alfredo Thursday: Chicken and sausage jambalaya Friday: Menu not available Today: Quilting, 9 a.m. Fit and Fall Proof exercise, 10:30 a.m., free Mega Monday game, 11:45 a.m. City of Twin Falls discussion with Senior Citizens Advisory Commission, 12:15 p.m. Tai Chi exercise class, 1 p.m., free Bridge, 1 p.m. Art class, 1:30 p.m. TOPS meeting, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday: Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors counseling, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; must schedule an appointment, 208-734-5084 Ticket Tuesday, 11:45 a.m. Hand and foot canasta, 1 p.m. Art classes, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Pinochle, 6:30 p.m., cost is $2 Wednesday: Cinnamon roll sales, 7:30 a.m. Quilting, 9 a.m. Fit and Fall Proof, 10:30 a.m., free Entertainment by Jeff and Sandy, 11:30 a.m. Tai Chi exercise class, 1 p.m., free Bridge, 1 p.m. Laughter Therapy, 5:30 p.m. Thursday: Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors counseling, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; schedule an appointment Organ music by Pat Blessin, 11:30 a.m. Thunder Thursday game, 11:50 a.m. Visually Impaired Support Group meeting, 12:45 p.m. Pinochle, 1 p.m., cost is $2 Hand and foot canasta, 1 p.m. Art classes, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Ladies AA, 6 p.m. Friday: Quilting, 9 a.m. Fit and Fall Proof, 10:30 a.m., free Bingo, 11:45 a.m. Tai Chi exercise, 1 p.m., free Art class, 1:30 p.m. West End Senior Citizens Inc. 1010 Main St., Buhl. Lunch at noon, suggested donation: $5, seniors, 60 and older; $7, non-seniors; $7 for take-out dinners; and $4, children 10 and younger. Sunday buffet at 1 p.m.: $5, seniors, 60 and older; $7, non-seniors; $4, children 10 and younger. Bus for lunch pickup: 208-543-4577 by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Today: Chili Tuesday: Chicken pot pie Wednesday: Breakfast, hash browns with gravy, scrambled eggs, 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday: Turkey noodles over potatoes Sunday: Chicken roll-up Today: SilverSneakers exercise program, 10:30 a.m. Pinochle, 7 p.m. Tuesday: Board meeting, 1 p.m. Wednesday: SilverSneakers, 10:30 a.m. Bingo, early bird starts at 6:45 p.m., doors open at 5:30 p.m. Sunday: Last Resort Band Filer Senior Haven 222 Main St., Filer. Lunch at noon Tuesday through Thursday. Suggested donation: $5. 208-326-4608. Menu not available Today: Bingo, 7 p.m. Tuesday: Puzzles, 11:30 a.m. Bingo, 12:45 p.m. Wednesday: Puzzles, 11:30 a.m. Thursday: Puzzles, 11:30 a.m. Bingo, 12:45 p.m. Ageless Senior Center 310 Main St. N., Kimberly. Salad bar at 11:30 a.m., lunch served at noon; take-out; home delivery. Seniors 60 and older, suggested donation is $6, under 60, $7.50 (not donations); meals to go, $7.50. 208-423-4338. Wednesday: Chili with meat and beans Thursday: Ham and potato casserole Friday: Menu not available Today: Exercise, 10 a.m. AA meeting, 7 p.m. Tuesday: Bible study, 1 p.m. Snooker, 1 p.m. Wednesday: Exercise, 10 a.m. Thursday: Snooker, 1 p.m. Friday: Exercise, 10 a.m. Pinochle, 1 p.m. Gooding Senior Citizen Center 308 Senior Ave., Gooding. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $3.50 for seniors. 208-934-5504. Today: Hay stacks Tuesday: Chicken noodle soup Wednesday: Breaded fish fillet Thursday: Curry chicken and rice Today: Pool, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Fit and Fall Proof exercise, 11 a.m. Pinochle, 12:30 p.m. Tuesday: Pool, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Hand and foot, 1 p.m. Wednesday: Pool, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Fit and Fall Proof, 11 a.m. Shuffleboard, 3 p.m. Thursday: Morning out, 9 a.m. Pool, 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Birthday party Pinochle, 1 p.m. Friday: Pool, 9:30 a.m. Bingo, 6 p.m. Saturday: Breakfast, 7:30 to 10 a.m. Wendell Senior Center 380 First Ave. E. Lunch served at noon. Suggested donation: $4 for seniors; $6 for under 60. 208-536-9951. Today: Chili dogs Friday: Potato bar Hagerman Valley Senior and Community Center 140 E. Lake St., Hagerman. The center is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors 60 and older; $7, non-seniors. All take-outs, $6. 208-837-6120. Today: Taco salad Wednesday: Macaroni and cheese casserole Friday: Meatloaf Today: Blood draws (by doctors order), 8 to 10:30 a.m. 50/50 raffle and Bridge Club, 1 p.m. Friday: Two bingo games Jerome Senior Center 520 N. Lincoln St., Jerome. 208-324-5642. Salad bar at 11:30 a.m.; lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $4, seniors (age 60 and older); $5, non-seniors; $3, children under 12. Today: Beef stew Tuesday: Meatloaf Wednesday: Beef tips over noodles Thursday: Hot turkey sandwich Friday: Pork loin Today: Fitness classes with certified instructors, 10:30 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. Music by Ricki Lee, 11:30 a.m. Bridge, 12:30 p.m. Bunco, 12:45 p.m. Tuesday: Fitness class, 10:30 a.m. Pinochle, 1 p.m. Wednesday: Fitness class, 10:30 a.m. Country Boys Band Stitch in Time, 1 p.m. Womens pool, 1 p.m. Pinochle, 6:30 p.m. Thursday: Yoga, 10:30 a.m. Pinochle, 1 p.m. Hand and foot, 1 p.m. Fitness class, 5:20 p.m. Womens pool, 7 p.m. Friday: Fitness class, 10:30 a.m. Joski Insurance Music by the Fiddlers at lunch Pinochle, 1 p.m. Bingo, 6 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m. Sunday: Potluck and dance with the Music Melody Masters, 2 to 5 p.m.; cost is $5 Silver and Gold Senior Center 210 E. Wilson, Eden. Lunch at noon Tuesday and Thursday. Breakfast at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Suggested donation: $5, seniors (age 60 and older); $6.50, non-seniors. 208-825-5662. Today: Coffee, 7 a.m. Tuesday: Coffee, 7 a.m. Pork roast Birthdays and anniversaries Fit and Fall Proof exercise class, 10:30 a.m. at the fire station across the street Wednesday: Bible study, 7 a.m. Breakfast, biscuits and gravy, loaded eggs, 8 a.m. Thursday: Coffee, 7 a.m. Stew Fit and Fall Proof exercise, 10:30 a.m. at the fire station Friday: Coffee, 7 a.m. Richfield Senior Center 130 S. Main, Richfield. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $4, seniors; $5.50, under 60. Today: Pork roast Thursday: Toasted tuna sandwich, tomato soup Golden Years Senior Citizens Inc. 218 N. Rail St. W., Shoshone. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $4, seniors 60 and older; $5.50, non-seniors. 208-886-2369. Tuesday: Tuna casserole Wednesday: Chicken noodle soup, corn dogs Friday: Chicken with mushroom sauce and rice Today: Quilting, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday: Pinochle, 1 p.m. Friday: Pinochle, 1 p.m. Camas County Senior Center 129 Willow Ave. W., Fairfield. Breakfast, 7:30-11 a.m. Monday through Friday. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $4, seniors 60 and older; $5, non-seniors; $2.50, children 10 and younger. 208-764-2226. Tuesday: Tacos Wednesday: Lasagna Friday: Barbecued chicken Tuesday: Exercise class, 9 a.m. Quilting, 10 a.m. Cards after lunch Wednesday: Exercise class, 9 a.m. Cards after lunch Thursday: Art class, 10 a.m. Friday: Exercise, 9 a.m. Quilting, 10 a.m. Book Club, 10:30 a.m. Cards after lunch Tree lighting, 6 p.m. Blaine County Senior Center 721 Third Ave. S., Hailey. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors; $7, non-seniors. 208-788-3468. Today: Beef burgundy Tuesday: Greek-style chicken Wednesday: Pork cutlets Thursday: Ketchup glazed meatloaf Friday: Baked haddock Today: Fit and Fall Proof exercise, 11 a.m. Connection Club, 11 a.m. Tuesday: Fit and Fall exercise, Carey, 10 a.m. Foot clinic, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Connection Club, 11 a.m. Bingo, 1 p.m. Wednesday: Fit and Fall exercise, 11 a.m. Kiwanis lunch, 11:30 a.m. Thursday: Fit and Fall exercise, Carey, 10 a.m. Connection Club, 11 a.m. Card games, 1 p.m. Member fitness, 1:15 p.m. Friday: Connection Club, 11 a.m. Card games, 1 p.m. Minidoka County Senior Citizens Center 702 11th St., Rupert. Lunch at noon. Suggested donation: $5, seniors; $6, non-seniors; $3, children 10 and younger; $4.50, home delivery. 208-436-9107. Today: Chili Tuesday: Sweet and sour chicken Wednesday: Baked potato bar Thursday: Stuffed bell peppers Friday: Menu not available Thursday: Pinochle, 6 p.m. Friday: Bingo, 7 p.m. The Senior Junction 2421 Overland Ave., Burley. Lunch at noon Monday through Friday. Suggested donation: $5, seniors and children 12 and younger; $6, non-seniors.208-878-8646. Menu not available Today: Open billiards, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Chair yoga, 10:45 a.m. Pinochle, 1 p.m. Tuesday: Woodcarvers, 8:30 a.m. Wednesday: Open billiards, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Chair yoga, 10:45 a.m. Pinochle, 1 p.m. Thursday: Art with Shirley, 1 p.m. Pinochle, 6 p.m. Friday: Open billiards, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Pinochle, 1 p.m. Lorna Reed Senior Center 424 Market St., Albion. Open Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; lunch at noon. Suggested donation, $5 seniors, $6 non-seniors. Take-out available ($8.50), call by 11:30 a.m. 208-673-6210. Wednesday: Chili Weight loss support TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a nonprofit weight-loss support group, will meet weekly at several locations. The Twin Falls chapter will meet at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W., 208-734-2641 or 208-734-5300. Other local chapters will meet at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at 2025 S. Highway 81 in Malta, 208-645-2438; 9:15 a.m. Thursday at the Jerome Public Library, 100 First Ave. E., 208-324-6693; 9:30 a.m. Thursday at 410 E. Third St. in Rupert, 208-436-6037 or 208-679-3518; and at 5:30 p.m. Friday at 1800 J St. in Heyburn, 208-678-8706 or 208-678-2622. Yoga Morning Bliss Yoga, 9 a.m. Tuesday and Saturday at the Magic Valley YMCA, 1751 Elizabeth Blvd., Twin Falls. Stretch and strengthen your muscles through yoga. Free to the community. Information: ymcatf.com or 208-733-4384. Happy babies Happiest Baby on the Block class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Oak Room 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. Learn a step-by-step approach to soothing your baby, and receive a parenting kit to use at home. Cost is $15; pre-registration is required: 208-814-0402. Yoga Prenatal Yoga classes, 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at Center for Physical Rehabilitation, 754 N. College Road, Suite D, Twin Falls. All levels are welcome to join and exercise safely. Sami Ashenbrener, doctor of physical therapy at Center for Physical Rehabilitation, is also a certified yoga instructor with specialized training in prenatal yoga. Equipment is available, or bring your own equipment if desired. First class is free. C-sections Caesarean childbirth class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in the Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. Topics: Caesarean delivery procedures, pain management, and non-conforming labors. Free; pre-registration is required, 208-814-0402. Blood drive CSI Idaho Student Nurses Association is hosting a blood drive, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday in the CSI Recreation Center upstairs gym, 315 Falls Ave., Twin Falls. Schedule an appointment: redcrossblood.org, 208-921-2242 or skylarpasta@eaglemail.csi.edu. Vision support Visually Impaired Support Group meeting, 12:45 to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W., Twin Falls. Topics: glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes-caused vision problems. Information: Idaho Commission for the Blind, 208-734-2140. Grief support Visions of Hope meeting, 5 p.m. every Thursday at Hospice Visions, 1770 Park View Drive, Twin Falls. This grief support group is open to everyone in the community. Information: 208-735-0121. Mental health support Mental Health Support Group will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays at 826 Eastland Drive in Twin Falls. The free support group is open to Magic Valley residents. Information: 208-539-7492. Anxiety support Anxiety Support Group, 6 p.m. every Thursday at Magic Valley Fellowship Hall, 801 Second Ave. N., Twin Falls. Support for those who experience anxiety, panic attacks or depression. Learn about the signs, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and coping skills. Information: Cathy Shaddy, 208-410-2768. Grief support Griefshare meeting, 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Lighthouse Church, 960 Eastland Drive, Twin Falls. The series will continue on Thursdays through Feb. 15. Anyone who has lost a loved one or friend is welcome to attend any session. A separate class for teens will begin at the same time. Enter through the east doors at the rear of the main building. Information: 208-737-4667. Recovery support Safe Harbor will hold Recovery group meetings at 7 p.m. Thursdays at 213 Fifth Ave. W. in Twin Falls. A donation meal begins at 6 p.m. Information: 208-735-8787. Childbirth St. Lukes Magic Valley prepared childbirth bootcamp, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the Oak Room at St. Lukes, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. This session is for those unable to attend the five-week prepared childbirth classes. Topics: wellness during pregnancy; labor process with relaxation and breathing techniques; videos of deliveries and labor positions; and care of the postpartum mother and newborn. Bring a labor support person if possible. Cost is $25 and pre-registration is required, 208-814-0402. Bariatric support Magic Valley Bariatric Support Group, 7 p.m. Dec. 4 in Oak Room 1 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls. The meetings are facilitated by licensed bariatric health-care professionals. Registration isnt required. Information: 208-381-3641. Brain injury support Traumatic Brain Injury Group meeting, 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 5 in the College of Southern Idahos Taylor Building, room 276. The group is hosted by Michael Howell, with an objective to provide informational sessions, speakers and other local resources to those suffering from traumatic brain injury. Howell experienced this type of injury after being in an ATV accident that led to brain injuries. Individuals of all injury levels are welcome to attend. The group meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Information: Amy Barker, CSI office specialist, 208-732-6800. CPR, first aid St. Lukes Magic Valley Education Department is offering a Heartsaver CPR, First Aid and AED class, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Learning Center, 840 Meadows Suite 2, Twin Falls. The course provides training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid and using an automated external defibrillator. Cost is $60 and pre-registration is required: 208-814-9050. On his Facebook stream, first district congressional candidate Russ Fulcher of Meridian has posted an item noting he has always lived in that district. And: Fun Fact: Russ Fulchers family has lived in what is now Idahos first Congressional District since 1886, four years before Idaho became a state. He is making more than a biographical point. His chief opponent, former attorney general and lieutenant governor David Leroy, currently lives outside the district. Leroy is not far from it; he lives in Boise, just not the portion now carved into the first. He has lived in the first before, and has said he plans to maintain a residence inside the first. But from Fulchers implicit pointIm a resident of the district, and he isnttwo ideas emerge. The first is, you dont have to live in the CD to represent it. You do have to live in the same state. The U.S. Constitution, which sets only a few requirements for serving in the House (at least 25 years old and a United States citizen for seven years) does require a person to be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. State yes, but being in the same district, no. The issue came up this spring in the high-profile House race for an open seat in Georgia, where Democrat Jon Ossoff famously lived several miles outside his suburban Atlanta district. No one charged he couldnt legally serve, but the point about his living elsewhere was hammered around persistently through the campaign. Several months ago, the Washington Post researched congressional residences and found 20 incumbent members of Congress who live outside their districts. In some cases a member originally elected from a district where he was a resident, saw the district boundaries shifting away, and opted not to run in the district which now included his house. In some cases it becomes no big issue, and in others candidates have lost races at least partly because of it. Specifics matter. The newest member of the House from Washington state, Pramila Jayapal, lived about two miles outside the district she was running to represent when she was elected; it wasnt a big issue there. Then there was Oregons Delia Lopez, a resident of the small rural community of Oakland, about 150 miles south of Portland. She was running to represent Oregons third district, which mostly is central urban Portland, about two hours by freeway from her house. She lost overwhelmingly, though the fact that she was a Republican in a district even more Democratic than Idaho is Republican, also had a lot to do with it. Lopez case was like, in Idaho terms, someone living in Arco running for the first district, which runs along the west side of the state from Canada to Nevada. Theres not much connection. Leroys case is a little different. Boise, in whole or in part, has been within the Idaho first congressional district for half a century. Boiseans are legally divided between the districts but as a more practical matter they have a foot in each of them. Leroys first district credentials are in reasonable order: He grew up in Lewiston, attended the University of Idaho at Moscow and has lived in the 1st at various points through his decades of residence in Boise. And he ran for the first district seat once before, in 1994 (when he lost the Republican nomination to Helen Chenoweth). Of course, in a thinly divided and closely contested contest, as this one is shaping up to be, every issue matters. Including the matter of 10 or 15 minutes travel time. May 16, 2015: Tiffani Streling and her new boyfriend James McLaws retrieve her belongings from her fathers house so she can move in with McLaws. They find Tiffanis ex-boyfriend and her deceased babys father, Jordan Defilippis, hiding in the closet. After a confrontation between McLaws and Defilippis at a boat dock near Bedke Boulevard, Tiffany, who was at McLaws home, is not heard from again. May 17: McLaws reports Streling missing at the Cassia County Sheriffs Office. May 23: Defilippis and another person report finding Strelings clothes at the tree in Heyburn. The clothes are given to a private investigator hired by the family and they are given to the sheriffs office. May 24: A search by law enforcement, family and friends are held at the tree where her clothing was supposedly discovered, but nothing is found. McLaws has dinner at Tiffanis mother, Melissa Belts, house where the family questions him on his confrontation with Defilippis and Tiffanis disappearance. June 2: William Streling and Stephanie Albert, Tiffanis stepmother, offer a $5,000 reward for information on their daughters whereabouts. June 6: William Streling and Albert organize a search in Twin Falls. June 10: William Streling and Albert begin raising funds for future searches. They begin selling shirts that say Bring Tiffani home. June 30: Dave Haley, former attorney for McLaws, says his client is a person of interest in Strelings disappearance because he was the last person to see her. July 6: McLaws, serving probation for unrelated charges, takes off his ankle monitor and flees to Twin Falls. He hits a car, jumps out and runs from police but is later found. He is arrested and admits to smoking marijuana and methamphetamine. Dec. 16: Family holds a candle light vigil in Burley for Tiffani. May 3, 2016: McLaws is sentenced in Twin Falls to 4-15 years in prison for possession of a controlled substance. May 10: McLaws is sentenced during a probation violation status hearing in Cassia County to 2-4 years in prison for possession of a controlled substance. May 14: Tiffanis family holds a candle light vigil at Lex Kunau Park. May 13, 2017: Family and friends gather at Lex Kunau Park to remember Tiffani. May 16, 2017: Two year anniversary of Tiffanis disappearance. Nov 17, 2017: Human remains are found in a rural part of Jerome County Nov. 27, 2017: Jerome County Sheriff Doug McFall confirms that the remains found in Jerome County were Tiffani Streling. BUDAPEST - As Chinese Premier Li Keqiang heads to Budapest on Sunday for the sixth meeting of heads of government of China-Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries, the once lagging behind part of Europe gets another chance to showcase its new title -- the fastest growing region in Europe. Data from the European Union (EU) lists Romania (8.6 percent in Q3, 2017), Latvia (6.2 percent), Poland and Czech Republic (both 5.0 percent) as top four fastest growing economies in the Union, which happen to be members of the China-CEE cooperation framework and take the lion's share of China's investment in the region. China is assisting Europe in transforming its once economically backward countries into its new growth engines. From 2009 to 2014, CEE countries' exports to China grew by 173 percent, while total trade exchange with China grew by 86 percent, according to Luxemburger Wort daily. In the first four months of 2017, CEE countries exported $5.48 billion worth of product to China, marking an 18.9 percentage increase year-on-year. Every year, over 800,000 Chinese tourists spend their vacations in CEE countries, with countries like Bulgaria witnessing a 50-percentage-point surge in visitors year-on-year in the first half of 2017. Furthermore, over $8 billion of investment has been brought into the region due to China's Belt and Road Initiative, according to figures from the Chinese government. It is not these countries alone that have benefitted from the cooperation, the EU has too. For one, by addressing uneven development among member states, Chinese investment is beneficial in promoting EU integration. In addition, many of the primary materials exported from CEE countries to western and northern Europe are processed and exported to China, which also contributes to the development of Europe. Not to mention, with the construction of the Budapest-Belgrade railway, China-Europe Land-Sea Express and more logistic centers in the region, China is helping further enhance CEE countries' role as a transport hub over the Eurasian Land Bridge. Taking full advantage of their geographic location, connecting the Asian and European continents, CEE countries can play a critical role in infrastructure and connectivity building as well as global production capacity cooperation, thus contributing to the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. In short, it's a win-win game. The China-EU relationship is currently at a historical peak, with bilateral trade reaching levels that beggar belief ( Ambassador Zhang Ming, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, puts it at more than $1 million every minute). Over 600 flights shuttle between the two sides every week, with more than 6.6 million mutual visits recorded last year alone. Despite overall healthy relations, the EU has sometimes -- and unfortunately so -- treated China with anxiety and accusation. By depicting China's investment as espionage targeting European companies' high technology and a way to "buy political influence" from CEE countries, some EU politicians seem to fear that robust China-CEE cooperation would sow discord between the EU and its eastern partners. However, the only thing the EU has to fear is fear itself. For those who describe China's investment as espionage, they neglect, if not intentionally, the following figures. Since 2010, China has had the world's fastest supercomputer. In 2016, China had ten universities in the world's top 50 for engineering/technology and computer science. In the same year, China launched the world's first quantum satellite. And over the past five years, artificial intelligence patents lodged by China jumped by 186 percent. On this measure China is now second only to the United States, and well ahead of the EU and Japan, said the Sydney Morning Herald. Faced with such data, any notion that China might be seeking to take over European companies in a bid to steal technology is laughable and stems from either ignorance or cultural arrogance. The same attitude can be easily traced behind the smear campaign against the Belt and Road Initiative. In fact, European countries such as Greece, Poland and Siberia have greatly benefited from the initiative. However, regrettably, deeply-rooted zero-sum mentality and an ideological bias against China have made some politicians and some media turn a blind eye to these achievements. During their talks in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on Nov 14, Premier Li told Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, that the two sides should solve their old problems with greater wisdom. EU's apparent worry over growing China-CEE cooperation is definitely one of the "old problems." As more and more European countries show interest in Chinese investment and the Belt and Road Initiative, old-fashioned mentalities and bias put the whole continent's prosperity at risk. A more confident, open-minded attitude by the EU towards China surely benefits all. And that's probably the "greater wisdom" for which Li had asked. JAKARTAGreenpeace slammed Indonesias palm oil industry Monday for failing to live up to a pledge to halt deforestation, as the lucrative sector faces possible restrictions in Europe over environmental concerns. Palm oil is used in everything from soap to frozen pizza, but a consumer backlash has forced dozens of the worlds largest food and drink manufacturers to address its ecological impact. Vast swathes of rainforest are destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations, threatening endangered species and pushing indigenous people off their lands. International corporations, including Unilever, Kellogg and Mondelez, have pledged to adopt environmentally friendly supply chains by 2020. But Greenpeace said in a report published on Monday that large palm oil traders are failing on that commitment. ADVERTISEMENT The environmental group found that most of the 11 major traders operating in Indonesia did not have strict systems to monitor the origin of their goods and were not calling out non-compliant producers. Broadly, the palm oil industry has agreed to end deforestation. The issueand it is a critical oneis only two of the 11 [traders] we looked at was actually able to say when they are going to end deforestation, Richard George, a UK-based forest campaigner at Greenpeace, told AFP. None of the firms contacted by AFP replied to requests for comment on the report. The Greenpeace report comes against the backdrop of mounting concerns about palm oils environmental impact. The European Union, the worlds second largest consumer after India, passed a resolution in April calling for tougher environmental standards for palm oil linked to deforestation. Indonesia and Malaysiathe worlds two largest producershave been lobbying against the resolution. Both countries have slammed possible EU import restrictions as unfair, and a move that would harm millions of mostly small-scale farmers. AFP Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Bolstered by the setback of the Kurdish independence endeavor in Iraq, Ankara is set to halt US support for the Kurds of Syria who have been emboldened by their recent inroads against the Islamic State. During the Sochi summit convened by Putin with the participation of Irans President Rohani and President Erdogan, the latter put pressure to exclude the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its militia, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), in any solution process in Syria. We project that all groups and all fractions in Syria will be invited, Erdogan said following the summit, while stressing that Turkeys position on terrorist organizations such as the YPG and the PYD is clear. Shortly after the Sochi summit, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said President Donald Trump had made the promise to halt military support to the Kurds in Syria during a phone call with Erdogan. For its part, the White House said it was making adjustments to its support for partners inside Syria but did not explicitly name the YPG. The YPG has been key in Washington anti-IS strategy in Syria, but Ankara views the Kurdish group as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a group it has been fighting for decades in south-eastern Turkey. Iraq announced that it plans to build a new pipeline that will ship oil from Kirkuks oilfields to the Ceyhan port in Turkey, in an attempt to reduce dependence on the pipeline crossing the territories under the administration of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). Iraqs Oil Ministry explained in a statement that the new pipeline will replace an old and severely damaged section of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. It will start from the nearby city of Baiji and continue until the Fishkhabour border area with Turkey, the ministry added. Iraq stopped shipping oil through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in 2014 after the region was overrun by Islamic State militants and subsequently recaptured by US-backed Iraqi forces over the past two years. Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, aka MbS, who was hosting a meeting of top defense officials of Muslim-majority countries Sunday in Riyadh, urged for stronger action to erase terrorism from the surface of the earth. The Sunday gathering, held in the wake of the terror attack on a mosque in Egypts Sinai that killed over 300 people, brought together defense officials of the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition made up of 41 Muslim or Muslim-dominated countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In his keynote address, MbS, who is also Saudi Arabias defense minister, said In past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries with no coordination among national authoritiesThis ends today, with this alliance. The coalition was set up in 2015, but its Sunday meeting was its first. The Friday bloody attack in the Sinai was a very painful occurrence and must make us contemplate in an international and powerful way the role of this terrorism and extremism. Beyond the killing of innocent people and the spread of hatred, terrorism and extremism distort the image of our religion, he added. A group of about 30 gunmen attacked al-Rawda mosque in the Sinai killing at least 300 people, in the worst attack in the restive peninsula. Saudi Arabia is leading an international coalition of Muslim countries in Yemen with the aim of restoring the internationally recognized President Mansour Hadi battled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The gathering also came amid recent regional crises hyped by the rivalry between the Saudi kingdom and Shia-dominated Iran, that Riyadh holds responsible for terrorist attacks in the region and round the world. Syria and Iraq are not member of the coalition because of their leaders close ties with Tehran. Qatar is member of the alliance, but has not been invited because of the rift with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt. The alliance according to retired Pakistani general Raheel Sharif, who has been appointed its commander-in-chief, aims to mobilize and coordinate the use of resources, facilitate the exchange of information and help member countries build their own counter-terrorism capacity. Saudi Arabia will house the alliances future center. The kingdom has vowed $107 million for the project. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri Sunday confessed to a Saudi media that his country cannot do anything to numb Hezbollahs might adding that a solution can only come from regional powers, Middle East Monitor reports. The solution for Hezbollahs arms is a regional solution, not a domestic one. For that, we [Lebanon] cannot do anything about the issue, Hariri told a Saudi Magazine few days following his two-week stay in the kingdom. Hezbollah does not have the ability to manage a country. Its strength comes from the arms provided by Iran, he added. Hariri returned to Lebanon late Tuesday after announcing his resignation from his role of Prime Minister in a broadcast on a Saudi television, on November 4. The Lebanese Sunni leader had blamed in his resignation address the Lebanese Shia movement and its patron for spreading strife in the region. He also hinted at alleged assassination plot against him. Upon his return to Beirut and after meeting with President Michel Aoun who refused to accept his resignation, Hariri put his decision on hold indicating that he wanted to give a chance to negotiations and demands for Lebanons neutrality in the region. President Michel Aoun, Hezbollah and several Lebanese political figures believed Hariri was forced to resign by Riyadh which aimed to ignite Lebanon. Hariri has been leading a year-old cabinet encompassing Hezbollah whose armed wing has been fighting in Syria on the side of Iran to shore up the Bashar Assad regime. The Shia movement has been supporting militia groups in Iraq fighting the Islamic State group (IS) and lending support to Hamas in Gaza. Saudi Arabia and its allies believe that Hezbollah helped the Yemen Houthi rebels launch a ballistic missile which was intercepted near Riyadh international airport early November, and which paired with Hariris resignation. Iran and Turkey Sunday bolstered commercial ties with Qatar, isolated by its regional neighbors over alleged support for terrorism, under an agreement signed Sunday. The agreement underlines greater cooperation between the three coungtries, announced the Iranian state television. According to the media, the agreement provides for the creation of a joint working group to facilitate the transit of goods between the three countries. The signing countries could now export goods across borders easily, the media further notes. The Sunday move further enables Qatar to break its isolation by neighboring countries and regional allies. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt on June 5 severed ties with Qatar, cutting off air, sea and ground links. The action disrupted Qatars importation roads; cutting off the countrys food needs supply. The boycotting countries accuse Doha of cozying up to Iran and sponsoring terrorism. Turkey on the other hand ramped up its military presence in the Gulf country under military deal between the two countries. Doha re-established diplomatic channels with Iran after cutting down ties following an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran early last year. South Africas President Jacob Zuma on Monday, called on the countrys Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba to identify concrete measures to urgently address the economic challenges of the southern African nation, the presidency said in a statement. The move comes three days after S&P Global Ratings downgraded local currency debt to sub-investment grade. Moodys has also placed the local currency debt rating on the lowest investment grade rating of BBB-minus. Moodys said the decision to place the rating on review for downgrade was prompted by a series of recent developments, which suggest that South Africas economic and fiscal challenges are more pronounced than Moodys had previously assumed. Rating agencies have repeatedly highlighted structural impediments to a higher growth trajectory as being among their main concerns in assessing South Africas sovereign creditworthiness. The government is considering measures over the next two weeks that will combine tax increases and spending cuts to save 40 billion rand in the 2019 fiscal year. As a reminder, Africas most industrialized economy entered recession in March after two consecutive quarters of contraction. The countrys economic woes have been exacerbated by President Jacob Zumas dismissal of Pravin Gordhan as finance minister, which led to Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings cutting the nations foreign-currency debt in April. President Emmanuel Macron of France is starting his first African tour on Monday, with a first stop in Burkina Faso, the French presidency said in a statement. The French head of state will later on visit Cote dIvoire and Ghana in an effort to revitalize his countrys image on the continent and boost its ties with Africa. This summer, the French president set up a committee to advise him on Africa policy. In Burkina Faso, the 39-year old President will deliver a speech on his Africa policy in front of 800 students at Ouagadougou University on Tuesday. Macron is also expected at the European Union-Africa Union summit to be held on Wednesday and Thursday in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, where he will also be seeking international backing for a new, five-nation African counter-terrorism force, G-5 Sahel, which France hopes to see eventually take over the fight against jihadist groups in the Sahel region. French soldiers and MINUSMA are battling for control over large tracts of Mali under attack in spite of a peace accord signed with Tuareg leaders in mid-2015 aimed at isolating the jihadists. Since 2015, jihadist attacks have spread, including latterly to neighboring countries, particularly Burkina Faso and Niger. Macron will also lay the foundation stone of the Abidjan metro, a project being undertaken by French-Korean consortium Bouygues-Dongsan and supported by a 1.4 billion-French loan. The French leaders visit to the continent coincides with the growing anger across Africa about failure to do more to clamp down on human trafficking and slave auctions in Libya. In a brief statement last week, Macron called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council this week, saying such auction houses are a crime against humanity. Georgian Blueberries to Hit Dubai Supermarket Shelves (DUBAI) -- Shoppers at several in Dubai will soon be able to purchase Georgian blueberries after Tbilisi-based exporter Agrolanestruck a deal with the Dubai Lulu hypermarket network to sell agricultural products in the United Arab Emirates.Georgian company The deal came through after Agrolanemet with Lulu representatives following the 2017 GULFOOD exhibition.LuLu operates 138 outlets in the Gulf region. Georgias Justice Minister Slams Public Defender By Gvantsa Gabekhadze (TBILISI) -- Georgias Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani publicly criticized the countrys public defender, labelling him unfair and unfit for office.Tsulukanis stinging comments came only days after Public Defender Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili issued a preliminary report on a highly publicized attempted murder case involving members of the Georgian Orthodox Church.In his report released Wednesday, Nanuashvili that the prosecution committed several fundamental violations that eventually led, in his opinion, to an unfair guilty verdict and a nine-year prison sentence forpriest who attempted to poison a colleague with Cyanide. Nanuashvili claims the defense team worked under unfair conditions after being denied access to certain pieces of evidence.Nanuashvili is acting as the first unfair and prejudiced public defender in the history of Georgia, Tsulukiani said.Tsulukianis statement echoed those of the chief prosecutor in the case, Jarji Tsiklauri, who called Nanuashvilis report as incompetent and groundless.The Tbilisi City Court also released a statement, saying Nanuashvili, whose five-year term in office ends in December, had exceeded his powers and made groundless statements regarding the verdict.Opposition party officials and member of civil society claim the leadership of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition is trying to deliberately discredit Nanuashvili and cover-up violations committed by the district attorneys office.There are a lot of people in the government who still do not understand the public defenders obligation and role, said human rights advisor Kakha Kozhoridze.The Head of Georgias Bar Association, Zaza Khatiashvili, told reporters that the Georgian Dreams attempt to force the public defender to carry out its orders is an extremely negative development for democracy in Georgia.Since coming to the publics attention in February, the highly publicized case has touched a raw nerve in Georgian society after it shed light on the dark internal politics of the powerful Georgian Orthodox Partriarchate.In early February, Georgias Chief Prosecutor announced that they detained Father GiorgiMamaladze - the deputy head of the Patriarchates Property Management Service and director general of the Patriarchates medical center - at Tbilisi International Airport.According to the prosecution, he was attempting to flee to Germany when apprehended.Georgian Patriarch Ilia II was in Germany at the time to undergo an operation for bladder-related complications.Chief Prosecutor Irakli Shotadze said that Mamaladze had attempted to acquire cyanide form a close friend and distant relative - journalist Irakli Mamaladze.Mamaladze informed the police that the former the priest intended to kill a high ranking spiritual figure.Suspicion about who Mamaladze planned to murder grew when Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated that the country had avoided a huge tragedy.The Prosecutors office later stated that the alleged target was the Ilia IIs secretary, Shorena Tetruashvili, and that Mamaladze sought personal revenge against her.Mamaladzes family, lawyers and some clergymen say he had information about violations in the Patriarchate, backed by Tetruashvili and others. The News in Brief CoEHuman Rights Commissioner Wants Verbal Attacks on Georgias Public Defender to Stop (TBILISI) -- The Human Rights Commissioner for the Council of Europe, Nils Muiznieks, condemned the recent verbal attacks by Georgias justice minister Tea Tsulukiani against public defender Ucha Nanuashvili after the latter released a report criticizing the governments handing of a high profile attempted murder case that involved members of the powerful Georgian Orthodox clergy. I understand that a series of negative statements have been made by certain high-ranking officials in Georgia against the Public Defender. I am very concerned about the harm that such sustained verbal attacks can cause to the standing and effectiveness of this important institution. Like all Ombudsmen, the role of the Public Defender is to act in defense of human rights, be a check on government power and to help improve the quality of governance their role is to independently identify all possible shortcomings in the law and issue reports and recommendations, said Muiznieks. He later added For I consider verbal attacks on the institution of the Public Defender unacceptable. I strongly urge all participants of the public debate in Georgia to demonstrate responsibility and to refrain from making any statements that could damage the reputation of the Public Defender or the Office, or have a negative impact on the public perception of their activities. In comments late last week, Tsulukiani labelled the ombudsman unjust and incompetent. (IPN) Three Deputy Interior Ministers Appointed (TBILISI) Newly appointed Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia on November 16 named three Deputy Ministers to serve in his administration. The former Deputy Head of the Counter Terrorist Center of the State Security Service, Kakhaber Sabanadze, was appointed First Deputy Interior Minister, as was Nino Javakhadze, who served as the Deputy Economy Minister under Gakharia. According to the interior ministry, Javakhadze will be supervising the Ministrys international relations, reforms, strategic communications and public relations activities. She will also be in charge of overseeing the work of the Interior Ministrys Academy. Gakharia retained Merab Malania as his only Deputy Interior Minister. Malania, who was appointed to the post in 2016, will be in charge of supervising the Special Tasks Department, the Strategic Pipelines Protection Department, the Migration Department, as well as the Emergency Situations Management Agency. Gakharia became Interior Minister on November 13 as part of Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvilis recently announced structural and staff changes to the cabinet. (civil.ge) Memorial Dedicated to Abkhaz War to be Restored in Scottish Town (KILMARNOCK, UK) -- A controversial memorial stone in Scotland and dedicated to victims of the1992-93 Georgian-Abkhaz will be restored, Tbilisis Deputy Foreign Minister David Dondua said late last week. Located in the town of Kilmarnock was recently taken down after a complaint from Georgias ambassador to the UK because it was decorated with the green, red and white rebel flag of the pro-Russian breakaway republic of Abkhazia. The stone will be placed in the same location, Dondua said Thursday, presumably without the secessionist flag that symbolizes the breakaway region (pictured right). Dondua added that Tbilisi never demanded that Kilmarnocks authorities take down the memorial. Nobody meant for it to be demolished or dismantled, Dondua said. We simply pointed out to the local authorities [in Kilmarnock] that the memorial contains politicized symbols and does not correspond to the policy of the UK with respect to the territorial integrity of Georgia. In view of this, the local authorities promised to bring everything in line. As a result, the memorial was temporarily dismantled and will be restored to its place once its changed. Tamar Beruchashvili, Georgias ambassador to the UK, said she became aware of the monument through the internet and persuaded Scottish authorities to look into the issue during her visit to Scotland in October. They fully accepted the information provided and agreed with the approach by the British state regarding Georgias territorial integrity. The local council decided to dismantle the monument a few days ago, Beruchashvili said. The removal of the monument sparked outrage in Abkhazia, where rebel authorities released an angry statement on November 10. The Republic of Abkhazias Ministry of Foreign Affairs regards such barbaric moves by the Georgian leadership as another vivid confirmation of the aggressive and inhumane character of Georgias policy towards Abkhazia and its people. We regard this as an act of vandalism aimed at destroying the historical memory of the Abkhaz people, against whom Georgia committed ethnic cleansing and genocide, the statement reads. Although the separatist government referred to the monument as dedicated to Abkhaz warriors, the text on it does not contain a reference to ethnicity and in not seen as anti-Georgian from Tbilisis perspective. The only problem is the separatist flag toward the top of the memorial stone. In memory of those from our twin town of Sukhumi who died in the Abkhazian/Georgian conflict 1992-1993, the text on the monument reads. Nearly 60,000 people were killed or wounded during the bloody 14-month war between Georgian government troops and Russian-backed separatists in Abkhazia. War crimes were committed by both sides during the war, including massacres and forced deportations. After Georgian forces were defeated by Abkhaz rebels and regular Russian military units in September 1993, more than a quarter of a million ethnic Georgians were ethnically cleansed from the region (dfwatch.net) Years before the late John H. Toole served as mayor of Missoula in the 1980s; long before he was vice president of the Montana Constitutional Convention in 1972; even before he fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II, he was an ambitious 19-year-old working for the BFPA. The Blackfoot Forest Protective Association was a collection of private landowners formed in 1920 by Kenneth Ross, Tooles grandfather and longtime general manager of the Anaconda Co.s lumber mill in Bonner. Its purpose was to stamp out fires in the Blackfoot River region before they destroyed valuable timber land. Tooles BFPA story is set in 1937. For literary perspective, it was the same summer Norman and Paul Maclean went fishing together up the Blackfoot for the last time before Pauls brutal murder in Chicago the following May. (See Normans A River Runs Through It.) Among Tooles many gifts was that of a cut-above storyteller, in the same vein as his little brother. K. Ross Toole, who passed away in 1981, is regarded as the most influential Montana historian of the 20th century. This tale came from John Tooles The Baron, the Logger, the Miner and Me. BFPA headquarters were in the two-story Bonner Hall, which stood on whats now a vacant lot across Montana Highway 200 from the new KettleHouse Brewery and Amphitheater. Later they were moved to the brick office building of the Western Lumber Co. mill in West Riverside, home today of the River City Grill. As Toole told it, July was hot that year, with sultry nights when the skies lit up in brilliant, eerie flashes, with thunder rolling off in the distance like the boom of huge guns. The phone rang on one such evening and dispatcher Frank Schaeffer took the call. He turned to us and said, A lady in Missoula says theres a fire burning on the top of University Mountain,' Toole wrote. University Mountain was, and still is, the next big hump behind Mount Sentinel on Missoulas eastern edge. It is brutally steep, Toole said, rising over 2,000 feet from the valley floor. Tom Harper said he was too old and tired to make that climb and told me to take a couple of men up and put out the fire, he recalled. It was long before the days of smokejumpers, but we were young and we raced down the streets of Bonner, crossed the Milwaukee Railroad Bridge and went up on a bee line to the top. We pawed the trees aside, slipped on the big clumps of grass, and after two hours clawed our way into the clearing on the mountains top. You may have seen that clearing. Among other things its the turnaround point for the grueling Pengelly Double Dip trail race that starts each June on the University of Montana campus. Toole and friends climbed up from the other side, and when they got there, We couldnt believe what we saw, he wrote. There was a huge steel tower on top of the mountain and on top of it was a brilliant white and red light slowly revolving. Tooles account of their reaction included some realistic but salty dialogue. Eventually, young Toole himself said, Hell, I know what it is. Its a beacon to guide airplanes. Sure enough, Frank Inman made a call to Hale Field, the Missoula airport on the east edge of the county fairgrounds. By God, youre right, he told Toole. They just installed it yesterday. Whats the world coming to? Think of the cost of that light, and all at the taxpayers expense! The rest of us were all mad about our wild goose chase, and plumb worn out, Toole concluded. We slept the rest of the day. The account doesnt square precisely with the record. Jon Axline, historian for the Montana Department of Transportation, said the University Mountain beacon and all the others in Montana were installed in 1935, when Toole was 17 years old, not in 1937. As part of a nomination to place Montanas remaining airway beacons on the National Register of Historic Places, Axline quoted the Helena Independent from February and March of 1935. Pack trains plodded up Pattee Canyon ... bearing steel, sand, gravel and other material for the beacons ... the Helena newspaper said. Forest Service packers and mules from the Nine Mile Remount Station hauled nearly 14,000 pounds of material up the steep mountainsides to the construction site. Materials included two generators, a fuel tank and a timer. The timers activated the rotating course lights at darkness. Each beacon had a different Morse code, so you knew where you were at if you were a pilot, Axline said. They all had generator sheds and on the top of the shed was painted the station number, so that was visible in the day time. That told you that you were on the right route. Years passed. The BFPA continued fighting fires for decades, staffing up to four lookouts at some points, before relinquishing fire protection responsibilities to the state on July 1, 1971. With a well-stocked pool of funding remaining and accruing interest, boards of directors met annually under the leadership of president George Neff. In the subsequent 29 years they dispersed more than $800,000 in forestry-related scholarships and donations, including $25,000 in 1990 to the fledgling National Forest Service Museum. In April 2000 the BFPA board voted to dissolve. Its last $7,133 went to the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. John Toole authored several books before his death in 1989. He published The Baron, The Logger, the Miner and Me in 1984, the same year he tried and failed as Missoula mayor to force a city takeover of its water system. As for that fire on the mountain? No matter when it happened, its a good story, well-spun. University Mountains beacon was one of some 22,000 installed nationwide by 1937, 39 of them in Montana to serve multiple airways for night navigation. They were the beginning of defined airways. Missoulas was part of the Northern Transcontinental Airway route between Seattle and Minneapolis. Improved technology rendered the beacons obsolete by the mid-1960s, when the Federal Aviation Administration began decommissioning them. The FAA withdrew all support by the early 1970s, whereupon Montana took over operation of 17 beacons. They included towers in western Montana near Lookout Pass, St. Regis, Alberton, Bonita (between Rock Creek and Beavertail Hill), Ramsay, and Avon. Montana remains the only state in the country with operating airway beacons. But now that distinction has a time stamp. Over protests from some pilot organizations, MDTs Aeronautics Division announced last December the decommissioning of all but three beacons to save roughly $30,000 a year in operational and maintenance costs. The University Mountain beacon didnt make the cut, nor did the others west of the divide. Aeronautics, after dialogue with pilots, announced it would continue to maintain easily accessible beacons on MacDonald Pass, Spokane Bench east of Helena and Strawberry Hills near Logan, northwest of Bozeman. The beacons would light a path from the pass to Helena to Townsend to Bozeman to provide nostalgic aviators the opportunity to experience a segment of the historic Northern Transcontinental Airway Route, the aeronautics division says on its website. In May, MDT established a working group to help decide the future of the remaining beacons. Meetings were held in Billings, Missoula and Helena. They drew a total of 36 people. Late last month, MDT director Mike Tooley announced the department will continue to operate only the MacDonald Pass beacon, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. Tooley said Spokane Hills and Strawberry Butte will be phased out by June 30, 2019. Debbie Alke, the retiring administrator of the Aeronautics Division, said the division is working with individual landowners on plans for the rest of the towers, which sit on land leased by the state all those years ago. The state is offering the towers for adoption and reuse. Some may have to be dismantled. Surrounded as it is by seven other cell and radio/television towers, the University Mountain beacon has a pretty good chance of not being demolished, Axline speculated. Eighty years later, even most of those living and working under the beacon have failed to notice it flashes its beams across the sky no more, and hasnt, according to Axline, since at least October 2015. We havent turned it off. It just quit working, he said. Some of them havent worked for a while, but none of them have been intentionally shut down yet. The Missoula Police Department has scheduled its next "Coffee with a Cop" an informal chance for the public to meet members of the police force and have their questions answered, for the last week of November. It will be held Thursday at the Dog and Bicycle cafe in the Old Sawmill District from 8:30 to 10 a.m. This is the third time the Missoula Police Department has held the event, with the prior two occurring downtown over the summer. Sgt. Travis Welsh, public information officer, said the hope is to have them every other month. Dog and Bicycle reached out to the department asking to host the next one, and Welsh said that fit in well with the plan to move the event around the city and host it in different neighborhoods. Members of the police administration will be at the event, and uniformed patrol officers and detectives will come through to chat as their schedules allow, Welsh said. MyStudentInNeed.org is a website that provides a private way for teachers and staff members of Missoula County Public Schools to ask for help for a student in need, and a way for the community to give back. *** Current needs include: A 12th-grade boy, age 17, is in need of a stroller and a case of wipes for his newborn baby. Because of the concern for safety, the stroller must be new. Therefore, if you would like to help, you are asked to make a donation of any amount up to $150 and we will buy a gift card so the teacher can take the student shopping for a new stroller and baby wipes. Big Sky No. 2656. An 11th-grade male student, age 17, is in need of replacement items following a theft incident. This student has qualified as homeless since eighth grade and has lived in multiple environments since. His in need of some warm clothing including a hoodie. If you can help, you are asked to make a donation of $100 to My Student in Need and we will buy a gift card so the teacher can take him shopping. No. 2654. As we move into the holiday season, Missoula County Public Schools would like to thank each and every one of you for your generous donations and of the support you give to our families in need. We are so blessed to be a part of this amazing community! Happy Holidays! *** If you would like to help, visit mystudentinneed.org/Missoula-MT. Scroll down to the list of schools. The number next to the school represents the number of current needs at that school. The number of needs can change daily. Click on the name of the school, find a need request and click on the "Fulfill This Need" button. Complete the donor form and press the "Submit" button. A member of our team will contact you. You can also call 406-750-2542. Operational costs for My Student in Need are underwritten by a sponsorship from Montana Farmers Union and our Partners in Dignity. POLSON Lake Countys jail system will go under review by a national organization this week. Sheriff Don Bell hopes the National Institute of Corrections evaluation will put the need for a new facility in the spotlight. I think it will be a tool to show the community that we need a new jail facility, Bell said. The National Institute of Corrections will be in Polson on Wednesday and Thursday to interview local entities surrounding the jail and justice system in Lake County. Officials with the organization will also conduct an inspection of the jail and take a look at the procedures and policies the county uses to manage the facility. On Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon, the NIC team will host a town hall meeting at the Lake County Courthouses third-floor conference room to share its findings. The countys jail was constructed in 1923, with a remodel in the 1990s that added a recreation room and some cells following a lawsuit by ACLU focused on crowding. Under the consent decree that followed, Bell said the facility was limited to 46 prisoners. Its rare that were under that number, he said. Due to the limited space, the jail mostly houses medium- to maximum-risk prisoners. Its a rare occasion that we have a low-risk prisoner in the jail, Bell said. Its a rarity that we have someone with misdemeanor charges. Ninety percent of our prisoners are there on felony charges. The lack of space in the jail has been an issue in Lake County for decades, said the sheriff who has served in law enforcement in the county in some capacity for 26 years. Ive been working the jail issue since I started as sheriff three years ago, Bell said. The commissioners need to have certain things accomplished before they can put the jail issue to a vote. This should give the commissioners a tool to show the public that our need way exceeds what we have in capacity. Right now, we dont have even an official visitors room where a prisoner can meet with their attorney, he said. It is a really old facility. Budget woes have stressed programs at the University of Montana, even to the point of putting the future accreditation of some at risk. The chemistry undergraduate program, for instance, has seen a 71 percent decrease to operating budgets and expenditures over five years, according to reviewer reports that are part of UM's prioritization process. But faculty and students are performing ahead of benchmarks in many cases and continue to earn national accolades. Undergraduates in music, for example, exceed national teaching test scores by 1.19 percent, and 100 percent of music education students found public school employment last year. In the past five years, the wildlife biology program has received 22 "prominent awards," all while experiencing cuts. UM is undergoing a process to set academic and administrative priorities, and reviewer reports produced as part of the project underscore some known themes about the campus, such as its financial struggles and academic achievements. But a partial review of those reports also offers other insights into the Missoula flagship. For example, the threads that tie UM's faculty and students to Montana and to service are strong. Students enrolled in the gerontology minor count nearly 3,000 hours a year in service to older adults, according to reviewer reports. Some 60 percent of students getting a master's in "teaching middle school mathematics" are serving rural or tribal populations, according to the same reports. And more than 90 percent of graduates from the Alexander Blewett III School of Law stay in Montana "to serve business, government and nonprofits." "As I was reviewing, what I was struck with is there is a lot of really, really good work being done at the University of Montana that directly benefits the citizens of Montana," said Mary-Ann Bowman, chair of the Faculty Senate. "This is place where people, instead of maybe grandstanding or showboating, they put their heads down, and they work hard, and they are trying to make a difference." *** The reviewer reports, posted online, put a point on some of the effects of the recent budget cuts at UM and potential effects of ongoing reductions. UM has seen a drop in overall enrollment since 2010. While it's seeing signs that show the ship is righting, the campus is still making reductions in response to the decline. The graduate program in social work has received national recognition for its quality and affordability, for instance. It also admits just 25 percent of applicants due to enrollment caps compared to the national average of 60 percent admission. But the loss of a faculty line is a problem for maintaining the appropriate student-to-faculty ratio, according to a reviewer report. "MSW is stretched and at the cliff of possibly violating CSWE (Council on Social Work) accreditation because of losing a faculty line," according to the report. In undergraduate chemistry, the steep drop in expenditures means faculty and instructor phone and internet connections were canceled or are being paid for through grant money for indirect costs, "which reduced funding to support research activities." The report notes "all undergraduate student employees were terminated." The program "will struggle to maintain accreditation with continuing budget shortfall," according to a review. Bowman, herself a reviewer for the project, said although some reports indicate budgets are shrinking, some departments have been able to shift resources. In general, she said it's difficult to understand a program's complete budget picture only from reports associated with the prioritization process. At the same time, she said UM needs a new plan for how it manages financial cuts, and the process underway is among a series of new approaches UM is taking. "This process is just one part of a different plan for how to deal with budget realities at the University of Montana," Bowman said. *** Despite budget cuts at UM, faculty have continued to earn awards, and the institution is still ranked high nationally when it comes to academics. In public and community health sciences, the core faculty have brought in roughly $20 million since 2013, according to a reviewer report. Students in accounting in the College of Business do exceptionally well compared to their peers nationally when it comes to passing the CPA exam. A report on the graduate program notes the passage rate is 74 percent compared to the national average of 54 percent. The program is "lean" and "highly productive." As with other program reviews, though, the leanness cuts both ways; UM is efficient compared to its peers, but shoestring budgets can't get much shorter without consequences. "Faculty are stretched as thinly as any on campus; the ability to sustain high quality is at risk," reads the report on graduate accounting. In the graduate program in systems ecology, eight faculty counted more than 100 invited presentations, 147 published peer reviewed papers, and 135 grants totaling $18.4 million over five years, according to a report. The productivity in that program mirrors that of other programs, and Bowman said the good work identified in the reports reflects her view of UM. She sees much positive enterprise on campus despite a focus sometimes on negative issues. "The University of Montana, from my perspective, is a vibrant, compassionate, exciting place. It's not this doom and gloom," she said. *** Reviewer reports show a lot of the work taking place at the public institution or by graduates contributes to the social fabric of Montana, and UM maintains ties to tribal communities as well. The bachelor's of social work program is one example. "The program instills leadership values in its students, is involved in at least 50 healthcare agencies in Western Montana, and as actively involved in helping students from tribal colleges in the state complete their bachelor's degrees," according to one reviewer report. UM graduates account for 40 percent of the physical therapy workforce in Montana, one report said. The interdisciplinary graduate program notes 42 percent to 57 percent of its students are Native American, "supporting the value of diversity." And students in the accounting program help Montanans with their tax returns, according to another review. "One great example of the program's service and outreach is its participation in the IRS' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, (VITA)," notes the report. "Students are able to work in this volunteer program, which provides free assistance in tax return preparation to low income, elderly and disabled persons." The report notes the students serve some 600 to 800 people every year. In this regard, too, Bowman said the reports reflect well on the type of work that's being done at UM. She said academic professionals are at UM because they believe in its mission of service. "So many faculty could make so much more money someplace else. But they choose to dedicate their lives to making a difference," Bowman said. As planned, a task force will deliver recommendations for campus priorities by Thursday. In December, the Faculty Senate will hold a public hearing on the matter at a special meeting. An attorney for the reporter who was assaulted by Rep. Greg Gianforte on the eve of his election last May has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the congressman and his spokesman asking them to stop falsely saying the reporter initiated the physical attack. Gianforte admitted in court in June to assaulting Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian, when Jacobs tried to ask Gianforte his views about a health care bill before Congress. When pleading guilty to the misdemeanor assault in Gallatin County District Court, Gianforte said Jacobs "did not initiate any physical contact with me." He also wrote a letter to Jacobs saying the reporter did not start the physical altercation. A press release sent out by Gianforte's campaign in the hours after the assault falsely blamed the attack on Jacobs, saying the reporter grabbed the candidate's wrists. Gianforte apologized to Jacobs and as a part of his sentence performed community service, completed anger management and paid a fine and restitution. He also donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists to avoid a civil case. Earlier this month, Gallatin County District Court released hundreds of pages of records of the investigation into the assault. The records show Gianforte misled investigators, saying it was an attempt by the "liberal media" that was "trying to make a story" of what happened. In the letter posted online by the Independent Journalism Review, Geoffrey Genth, Jacobs' attorney, asked Gianforte and his spokesman Travis Hall to "immediately cease and desist from making any further false and defamatory statements about Mr. Jacobs." Genth wrote that the letter was prompted by recent news quoting a statement from Hall that "no one was misled, and anyone who says otherwise was mistaken." That statement was in response to coverage of the documents released by the Bozeman court. "It is unacceptable and actionable for Rep. Gianforte, Mr. Hall, or any other persons working for or affiliated with Rep. Gianforte or his campaign to make false and defamatory statements about the May 24 assault," Genth wrote. The letter was sent to Bill Mercer of Holland and Hart, the Billings law firm that represented Gianforte in the assault case. Mercer and Hall were contacted for comment and to confirm they have received the letter, but did not otherwise respond. Gianforte has announced he will run to keep his seat in Congress in 2018. Six Democrats have announced they will run in the primary for that race. In 2016, when Gianforte was running for governor, he sent cease-and-desist letters to television stations around the state saying they broadcast false advertising that claimed he is a "millionaire from New Jersey." The letter said Gianforte had lived in Montana two decades. It also disputed the ad's claim that "Gianforte sued to eliminate a popular access spot." Nothing kicks off spring in Big Sky country like a road trip to eastern Montana. Back in the day before marriage and kids I wouldnt think of missing a Miles City Bucking Horse Sale. Nowadays, during the third full weekend of May, instead of waking up and having bacon and eggs at the Range Riders Breakfast or enjoying a cheeseburger grilled to perfection at the Kiwanis BBQ in Riverside Park, I find myself on the sidelines of a soccer field in Bozeman, Helena or some other southwestern Montana town, cheering on my middle schoolers and wishing I was raising a glass while trailing Custer & the Seventh Calvary Drum and Bugle Corps as it winds its way through downtown Miles City. Last summer we learned that outdoor recreation in Montana accounts for $7 billion in consumer spending, supports 70,000 jobs and generates $286 million in state and local taxes. Outdoor recreation is now far and above the biggest sector of Montanas economy. That sector depends on public lands, especially those managed by the U.S. Forest Service. We learned these numbers while Montana was experiencing one of its most devastating fire seasons in recent memory, threatening our communities and the outdoor recreation economy those communities depend on. Summer season business in Seeley Lake, for instance, came to an abrupt standstill soon after the Rice Ridge Fire erupted in late July. The most profitable time of year turned into a bust. The supreme role that outdoor recreation plays in our economy and the increasing severity of our fire season underscore the need for smart forest reform legislation that enables the Forest Service to foster jobs and protect communities from wildfire. The most urgent need is fixing how the Forest Service funds firefighting, because the current method is bankrupting the agency. Currently, the agency spends more than half its budget on fighting fires, having to plunder non-fire funds to pay the costs. This leaves the agency unable to conduct forest restoration projects that protects communities along the urban-wildland interface and unable to maintain campgrounds, trails and other outdoor infrastructure. The fix for this funding crisis is the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act (S. 1842), which would grant land managers access to federal disaster funding instead of having to rob non-fire related forest management funds. This bill has bipartisan support, including from U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, and could easily pass before the next fire season. A second critical step is properly funding the Forest Service. For years, Congress has stripped the agencys budget to the bone. Following a tough fire year, President Trump proposed cutting the Forest Services budget by 16 percent, including a staggering 84 percent cut to trail funding and 56 percent cut to road maintenance. These cuts would break the agencys back and make it impossible for it to conduct even its most basic functions. Finally, Congress needs to reauthorize the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program. This program empowers collaborative efforts across Montana, including the Southwestern Crown Collaborative, which has created over 150 jobs, secured over $50 million in investments, reduced fire risk near communities, and restored tens of thousands of acres of forests. Instead of supporting these common-sense solutions, U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines are pushing unreasonable bills to rewrite national forest management from the top-down. Gianforte has signed on to a bill (HR 2936) written by a congressman from Arkansas that would eliminate public input and environmental review on projects of up to 46 square miles. The Senate is attempting to negotiate a slightly more realistic bill, but the leading proposal there (S. 2068) would still curtail public input while requiring the Forest Service to double timber production, regardless of funding or market conditions. Given the current political gridlock, the outlook for bipartisan agreement on a complete rewrite of national forest management is dim. That means another year of no action to reduce fire risk or address the crisis in fire funding that threatens our outdoor economy and thousands of Montana jobs. Daines and Gianforte have repeatedly blamed environmental extremists for our states wildfires. Scapegoating and divisive rhetoric wont improve the health of our forests, reduce the severity of our wildfires, make our communities safer, or bolster our outdoor economy. What will help are realistic solutions and real leadership to address the issues facing our forests. Anything less is selling the people of Montana, and our forests, short. We greatly appreciate Perry Backus (Nov. 19) article about the Flathead National Forests failure to annually inspect stream-bearing culverts in its logging roads so they dont blow out and dump sediment into bull trout streams. Forest Supervisor Chip Weber, however, makes a false claim in the article: "Weber said the Flathead National Forest has been proactive in its restoration efforts, which is reflected in the fact that there are no impaired watersheds on the forest." In fact there are quite a few watersheds on the Flathead listed by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality as "impaired." Among them and relative to bull trout are Big Creek, Coal Creek, Jim Creek, Goat Creek and Swan Lake and they are impaired in part by logging and/or logging roads. Other watersheds important to aquatic life, like Sheppard and Logan creeks, are similarly impaired. Had the Flathead National Forest and logging companies like Plum Creek been proactive, these watersheds wouldnt have needed to be listed as "impaired" in the first place. The Flathead fortunately does have remaining strongholds of bull trout, largely because significant portions of the Flathead have remained roadless, unlogged and protected as wilderness. This isnt the first time weve had to put the Flathead on notice that it isnt following its promises. As reported in the Missoulian on Nov. 24, 1999, we had to challenge the Flatheads attempts to ignore its own forest plan requirement that culverts be removed from decommissioned roads. According to Flathead spokesman Allen Rowley, we talked it over with our attorney and we decided they (conservation groups) were right. If you want to read up on how the Flathead has failed to abide by its road management rules and see photos of some of the damage, simply search online for Swan View Coalitions Roads to Ruin report. Whats the one major drainage basin in Montana that remains free from any sign of invasive zebra and quagga mussels? Whats the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi? Wheres the one place in Montana where Republicans and Democrats have worked together to preserve the environment for nearly 40 years? And finally, whats the long-standing organization that has led the way to protect these Montana treasures? The answers to the questions above are, in order: The Columbia River Basin, Flathead Lake, the Flathead drainage basin, and the Flathead Basin Commission. So why would Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock and John Tubbs, director of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, want to defund the work of the Flathead Basin Commission? Yet, thats just what they did in the recently concluded special legislative session and theyve kicked up a hornets nest of anger while showing their disregard for protecting one of the states most outstanding natural treasures. The Flathead Basin Commission was established as an independent commission by law in 1983. It is attached to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation for administrative purposes only. Its funding is about $150,000 a year which pays for one full-time position, which generates about a half million dollars a year through grants, and the travel expenses for the other 23 members. The commission has an outstanding track record of achievement and is not just another advisory committee. Its an independent body not only capable of independent action, but with a long history of doing so. When Canadians wanted to mine coal that would have severely diminished the water quality of the North Fork of the Flathead, it was the commission that worked with the International Joint Commission to stop the mines and avoid the cross-boundary pollution. As Montanas former U.S. Sen. Max Baucus said in a recent interview: We couldnt have done it without the Flathead Basin Commission. Only two years after it was established, the commission weighed in to support a phosphate detergent ban authorized by the 1985 Legislature in a bill sponsored by Whitefish legislator Ben Cohen. They fought Proctor and Gamble, who sent hordes of lobbyists to the Capitol to kill the bill and, failing there, to the Flathead County Commission to kill the implementation. Fighting mega-corporate giants like Proctor and Gable is no easy task, but while the detergent company blathered on about ring around the collar the Democrats, Republicans and citizens of the Flathead were much more worried about ring around the lake and against all odds they won. That lasting legacy helps keep Flathead Lake clean to this day and will do so into the future. Theres speculation that Bullock gutted the commissions budget because its members were highly critical of the states slow response after invasive mussels were detected in Tiber Reservoir, which is just over the divide from Flathead Lake. That the Commission worked with the Blackfeet Nation to set up their own inspection stations and immediately found and stopped numerous contaminated boats gives credence to their claims. But it made the Bullock administration look bad, hence the fiscal blowback because Governor Bullock doesnt like being criticized. But really, this is as dumb a move as anyone could ever make if preserving the Flathead Basins pristine water quality is important which it is. The governor has the ability to move funds around on an emergency basis and even has an Environmental Contingency Fund he can tap. Its time to stop Bullocks petty political vendetta and fund the important work of the Flathead Basin Commission. TWO ASSAULTS Police arrested Emil Longneck, 58, of Butte, for a misdemeanor charge of sexual assault, and Anthony Davis, 46, of Butte, for a misdemeanor charge of simple assault in the 900 block of Lewisohn Street between 6:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Saturday. Longneck allegedly groped a female in the chest area in a bathroom. Davis allegedly grabbed Longneck and threw him out of the house. SIMPLE ASSAULT Police arrested Tangee Jessen, 46, of Butte, for simple assault, a misdemeanor, at St. James Healthcare, 400 S. Clark St., at 5 p.m. Friday. Medical professionals were attending to Jessen when she allegedly struck both a nurse and a security guard. DANGEROUS DRUGS Police arrested Zane Werner, 34, of Butte, at the Town Pump, 531 S. Montana Street, at 5 p.m. Sunday on a felony charge of possession of dangerous drugs, a felony criminal contempt warrant, and two misdemeanor charges: resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia. Police said they noticed Werner gaming and that there was a warrant out for his arrest. When police attempted to arrest him, Werner resisted and swallowed drugs, according to the report. Police found drug paraphernalia and a small bag of methamphetamine in his possession, police said. DUI REFUSAL Police allegedly found Robin Phillips, 64, of Butte, parked in the middle of the road at Buffalo and Montana asleep at the wheel at 2 p.m. Friday. Police arrested Phillips for DUI refusal, a misdemeanor, because she allegedly refused a Breathalyzer test. OUTSTANDING WARRANTS Police arrested the following people: Martin Houle, 39, of Butte, during a traffic stop in the 1300 block of East Second Street at 6:40 p.m. Friday for one outstanding felony warrant out of Cascade County, and three misdemeanors: driving on a suspended license, no liability insurance and failure to transfer plates. Felicia Henderson-Wilks, 45, no address, in the 2500 block of Harrison Avenue at 4 p.m. Sunday for five misdemeanor charges: driving with plates assigned to another vehicle, an outstanding warrant from Yellowstone County, driving with a suspended license and no liability insurance. Jazzmin Block, 22, of Butte, at 2:30 a.m. Saturday at Town Pump, 531 S. Montana St., for three outstanding misdemeanor warrants from Butte City Court. Carlos Martinez, 29, of Butte, in the 700 block of Front Street at about 10 p.m. Sunday for three outstanding misdemeanor criminal contempt warrants. Nathan Kolberg, 32, of Port Orchard, Washington, at 12:30 a.m. Monday at Walmart, 3901 Harrison Avenue, for one outstanding misdemeanor criminal contempt warrant. While police were patrolling the parking lot, Kolberg allegedly ducked his head while sitting in his vehicle. Toni Baker, 37, of Butte, in the 200 block of West Park Street at about 5:30 a.m. Monday for two outstanding charges of criminal contempt. Police were called to the area because Baker was screaming and yelling at the top of a stairway. In line with increasing rates of drug and alcohol abuse, sober living houses are picking up steam in Billings, with five new homes opening up in the past year alone. Sober living houses are transitional homes where people fighting addiction can live communally, often with supportive programming. Theyre designed for temporary stays, anywhere from six to 18 months, before people live independently. Many entering sober living have recently completed residential treatment or a pre-release program. Theres often a waitlist for the homes, as demand has increased in recent years, along with drug- and alcohol-related crimes. Felony drug possession charges in Yellowstone County went from 198 in 2012 to 546 in 2016. One in 10 Montanans abuses alcohol or drugs, according to a recent report by the attorney generals office, which calls the states growing substance abuse problem an epidemic. In Billings, some form of sober living has existed as early as 1986, when Clapham House, a sober home for men leaving prison, opened. Rimrock opened its first of two homes in 2004, and private organizations have followed the trend, with Ignatias House opening four homes in the past year, and Community Support Project opening its first in the past few months. Coralee Goni, who manages sober living at Rimrock Foundation, said she knows of more groups working to open houses in Billings. There are so few options out there, and sober living houses fill up so fast, Goni said. The sober housing shortage is worse for women, she said. At Hannahs House, a womens sober living home run by South Side nonprofit CLDI, 78 women applied last year for just four openings. The program at Hannah House is geared toward women working to reunite with their children. Children can live at the home with their mothers as long as a state social worker approves. Billings has at least 114 beds in 16 sober living homes spread throughout Billings, many on the South Side. House rules The houses all operate differently. Some have a Christian focus and some do not. Some have unpaid, live-in managers and sometimes those managers spouses and children stay with them while others are staffed with paid house directors who do not live on-site. All have strict rules for residents, which usually include a nightly curfew and requirements that residents obtain jobs and attend Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Its not just a get-out-of prison house or a flophouse or a place to lay your head, said Richard Todd, who runs Ignatias House. Rachel Leslie, who manages Hannah House, said the women who live there typically havent had much structure in their lives and so programming and rules are necessary. The house connects women with legal, educational and job search services, and mandates a weekly house meeting, meal and Bible study. Because the homes are structured as programs and not boarding facilities, the residents do not enjoy standard tenant rights. At most of the homes, residents sign an agreement upon move-in that says house managers can search their rooms if deemed necessary, and that drug or alcohol use can result in immediate termination from the program. A standard 30-day eviction notice is not given. But house managers say the rules are necessary to maintain a sober house, and that relapses are considered on a case-by-case basis. For instance, most house managers will meet with the person who has relapsed and try to determine whether they are able to regain their sobriety and remain in the house without compromising others sobriety. But if someone is kicked out, it can happen in as little as a day. Theres a real thin line between helping and enabling, and we are definitely not Ignatias House of Enabling, said program director Richard Todd. Lack of regulation The facilities have created problems in other cities in the U.S. In New York, for example, one sober living facility required residents to relapse in order to retain their bed. Thats because the manager of the facility received kickbacks for referring residents to a certain treatment center. Similar abuses in Florida led to 32 arrests there, the Sun-Sentinel reported in August. In Los Angeles, neighbors complained that the houses were a public nuisance, with overcrowded homes, added noise and traffic and drug paraphernalia left in the area. Spurred by such problems, other states have attempted to regulate the homes. Massachusetts has regulated sober homes for a year now, and while obtaining a state certification is still optional there, no state agency or contracted organization can make referrals to non-certified sober homes in Massachusetts. In Pennsylvania, lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would assign oversight of sober homes to the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. But in Montana, no such regulation or certification exists. Sober homes do not receive money from the state, and they are treated as private residences by the city, so are not subject to regulation by the Department of Public Health and Human Services as public accommodations. One local resident, Catherine Card, is concerned about the lack of regulation and has been raising the issue at neighborhood task force meetings and with the sober homeowners themselves. Card, a pastor, lives on the South Side near many of the homes. Her concern is that the lack of oversight could put already vulnerable people in situations where they have little recourse to address problems. My concern is although some may be well-meaning in offering housing to people coming out of treatment or prison, the owners of these houses have the upper hand over the residents, she said. Card is also concerned about a potential conflict of interest at the citys newest home, which is next door to Cards home. Community Support Project LLC opened a home for men in September. Lisa and John Noteboom, co-owners of the home, are the parents of Coralee Goni, the Rimrock employee who manages sober living. Goni has no involvement in the operation. Rimrock has referred patients whove completed treatment to the home run by Community Support Project. But Goni says thats simply due to the shortage of sober housing in Billings, and that referrals to her parents home are no different from or more frequent than referrals to other homes. The new wave of sober homes opening isnt about business, Goni said, but about answering a growing demand. Different people are seeing this need and seeing an opportunity to help, Goni said. An attorney for the reporter who was assaulted by Rep. Greg Gianforte on the eve of his election last May has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the congressman and his spokesman asking them to stop falsely saying the reporter initiated the physical attack. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging people and groups wanting to protect critical wetlands, agricultural lands and grasslands to consider enrolling their property into conservation easements. This year, USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) plans to invest $250 million in technical and financial assistance to help private landowners, tribes, land trusts, and other groups protect these valuable lands. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) focuses on restoring and protecting wetlands as well as conserving productive agricultural lands and grasslands. Landowners are compensated for enrolling their land in easements. Protecting these lands preserves Montanas heritage, natural resources and open space, said Tom Hedt, NRCS acting state conservationist in Montana. Easements are also important tools for people who are trying to improve the management of their land. Applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program are taken on a continuous basis, and they are ranked and considered for funding several times per year. The next deadline is March 1, 2018. The 2014 Farm Bill created ACEP, merging together several easement programs into one. In the past year, easements have protected nearly 102,000 acres in Montana, which is one-third of the national total. Through ACEP wetland reserve easements, NRCS helps landowners and tribes restore and protect wetland ecosystems. Wetlands are one of natures most productive ecosystems providing many ecological, societal and economic benefits. Seventy-five percent of the nation's wetlands are situated on private and tribal lands, Hedt said. Wetlands provide many benefits, including critical habitat for a wide array of wildlife species. They also store floodwaters, clean and recharge groundwater, sequester carbon, trap sediment, and filter pollutants for clean water. Wetland conservation easements are either permanent or for 30 years. Eligible lands include farmed or converted wetlands that can successfully be restored, croplands or grasslands subject to flooding, and riparian areas that link protected wetland areas. As part of the easement, NRCS and the landowner work together to develop a plan for the restoration and maintenance of the wetland. Through ACEP agricultural land easements, NRCS provides funds to conservation partners to purchase conservation easements on private working lands. This program helps keep working lands working, especially in areas experiencing development pressure. In Montana, agricultural land easements are also a large part of the NRCS strategy for addressing threats to sage grouse, especially in areas at high risk of cropland conversion or exurban development. Montana NRCS, landowners, and land trust partners collaborated in 2017 to bring an unprecedented number of applications to the table. NRCS has received approval on nearly 92,000 acres of easements in sage-grouse habitat totaling around $22 million. Partners include state or local agencies, non-profits and tribes. Landowners continue to own their property but voluntarily enter into a legal agreement with a cooperating entity to purchase an easement. The cooperating entity applies for matching funds from NRCS for the purchase of an easement from the landowner, permanently protecting its agricultural use and conservation values. Landowners do not apply directly to NRCS for funding under this program. Easements are permanent. Eligible lands include privately owned cropland, rangeland, grassland, pastureland, and forestlands. Landowners and tribes interested in wetland reserve easements and partners interested in agricultural easements should contact the Ravalli County USDA service center at 363-1444. On November 12 and 13, the fourth of five Youth Days Conferences was held in Helena. For the second consecutive year this site experienced record student participation with numbers upward of 270. Twenty-Nine different schools from 17 different districts were represented at this student leadership assembly. Students had the opportunity to work with national speaker Oscar McBride from California, standout educator and wellness strategist Bruce Colton, Jamie Williamson and Megan Hill along with their Special Olympics Youth Activation Committee, a team of students from Colstrip, and hundreds of their peers from around the region. I have the honor of being the MBI -- Montana Behavioral Initiative -- consultant for the Butte School District. The district is in its fourth year of a climate grant (also referred to as the SOARS grant) which focuses on both behavioral and academic supports for students. Under the leadership of Jim ONeill, Butte schools continue to expand those supports and speak the MBI language. We proponents of the MBI process believe that student voice is a critical component of a positive school climate, and that MBI Youth Days is one platform for that voice, as well as a place to develop and refine leadership skills. Thanks to Mr. ONeill, Judy Jonart, and the School Board, the Butte schools were approved to attend this years Helena Youth Days. My involvement with Youth Days spans over a period of 11 years. For six of those years I brought students from my middle school in Bozeman, and for the last five years I have been the facilitator for the conference throughout the state. In all of my time being involved with MBI Youth Days (approaching 40 different conferences), I have never been more impressed with a district than I was recently with Butte. Fifty-five Butte students attended, representing all nine public schools. Students took the opportunity to network with other schools, present a brief showcase about the positive things that are going on at their schools, speak about Helena service learning, and share action planning. I would describe their overall performance as exemplary! They were all very respectful, attentive, participatory, poised and confident. I was so very proud of how they represented their schools, district, community and themselves. What a delight to watch them soar! Please believe me when I tell you that this group of young people genuinely renew my faith in humanity. They are now charged with continuing to contribute to the positive climate of their schools, to engage in a community project, and to continue to cultivate their leadership abilities. Again, I would like to especially thank Mr. Jim ONeill for promoting Buttes involvement in Youth Days, giving up his Sunday to chaperone the students, being away from his office on Monday, and bringing six other outstanding staff members who made the same sacrifices. Those staff members include: Jennifer Luoma, Keith Miller, Brenda Miner (all part of the administrative team) Tony Hoffman, Chris Kebe, and Kerry Weigle. It is such a pleasure to work with all of you! Your student behavior and participation is reflective of your quality leadership and the work that all of your fellow staff members do so very well. On behalf of the Office of Public Instruction, the MBI division, Virg Hale, Kelley Brown, Pam Cambell, Leslie Jorgenson and the entire Youth Day staff, Thank You! -- Joe Moriarty, Bozeman, is a consultant for the Montana Behavioral Initiative. The First Amendment recognizes and guarantees the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. That certainly was the purpose behind the recent Restore Our Creek rally in Butte. Buttes citizens assuredly have a lot to petition for redress regarding the Superfund cleanup. Recent developments show the ineptitude of EPAs and MDEQs remediation efforts: MDEQ is slowing down the cleanup of the Clark Fork because it is running out of money; MDEQ is running out of money for the cleanup of the Montana Pole Plant and may not be able to operate the water treatment plant for as long as is needed; EPA has utterly failed to properly characterize the contamination in Anaconda even after decades. EPA and MDEQ dawdle and dissemble over removing the tailings from Silver Bow Creek. Pervasive secrecy still shrouds EPA cleanup negotiations with the responsible parties. Westside Priority Soils has languished for years and EPA doesnt even know the boundary for the site. The list goes on and on. EPA and MDEQ had at best only a token presence at the Restore Our Creek rally and no high level decision makers were present. All we hear from the agencies is that Butte citizens should persevere and keep up the good work. It is time to see food on our plate. While it would be nice if government did the right thing automatically, it doesnt work that way. Citizens must constantly hold government accountable. It is a duty of citizens to be involved in politics and government. Such involvement is needed now more than ever and the Restore Our Creek coalition and the other groups and individuals working for a real cleanup cant do it alone. Citizens have a right to feel weary; this incompetent and inept approach to cleanup has been going on for too long. As long as the toxic waste in Butte remains unremediated, that waste is a clear and present threat to the public health of Butte and surrounding communities. (Just look at Anaconda.) As long as the toxic waste in Butte remains unremediated, economic development will be chimerical and elusive. The preferred remedy of cap, fence and declare off limits need not be tolerated. The good words uttered at the Restore Our Creek rally must produce citizen action by all of us. Be great in act, as you have been in thought Suit the action to the word and the word to the action. (Shakespeare) What is to be done? 1. Support groups working for a real cleanup. As great as they are, they cant do it alone. 2. Apply positive pressure to elected government officials on a local, state and national level. Local government needs to be a proactive and forceful force for a good cleanup. It was heartening that Chief Executive Palmer committed the local government to support the efforts of Restore Our Creek but action is needed. Contact your representative on the Council of Commissioners. Dont forget state government. Contact our local senators and representatives, in person if possible, and demand that they make sure MDEQ lives up to its obligation under the Montana Constitution to provide citizens with a clean and healthy natural environment. Federally, we have two senators and one representative. Senator Tester has been an active proponent of a good cleanup. Senator Daines has verbally expressed his support. Ask them to act to pressure EPA. Agencies are more likely to respond to elected officials who control their budget than they are to ordinary citizens. We need to get our representatives to act with persistent pressure. 3. This will be controversial Perhaps we need to start considering litigation. When agencies are impervious to citizen comment, litigation will get them to pay attention and has been effective. If agencies did the right thing, litigation would be unnecessary but the agencies are not doing right by Butte and dont seem willing to change. Litigation is the last resort of the exasperated and we are exasperated. Just a thought. We all need to follow through on the good thoughts and words presented at the Restore Our Creek rally. "Our grand business is to do what lies clearly at hand. (Carlyle) -- John W. Ray, Ph.D, teaches classes in political science and public policy at Montana Tech. He is chairperson of Citizens for Labor and Environmental Justice in Butte and is a board member of the Citizens Technical Environmental Committee also in Butte. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily represent the views of Montana Tech, CTEC or Citizens for Labor and Environmental Justice. 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Public meetings Monday, Nov 27 Wilton City Council meeting, Wilton City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, at Wilton City Hall, 104 E 4th St., Wilton.. Friday, Dec 01 Muscatine County Board of Adjustment, The Muscatine County Board of Adjustment will conduct a public hearing at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 1, in the Board of Supervisors Office in the Muscatine County Administration Building, 414 E. 3rd St., Muscatine. Monday, Dec 11 Morning Sun School Board meeting, The Morning Sun School Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, in the school library, 311 E Division St, Morning Sun. Conesville City Council meeting, The Conesville City Council meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at Conesville City Hall, 102 3rd St., Conesville. Rockridge School Board meeting, Rockridge School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at Rockridge High School, 14110 134th Ave. W., Taylor Ridge, Illinois. Muscatine School Board meeting, The Muscatine School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at Muscatine City Hall, 215 Sycamore St., Muscatine. NBC News fired "Today" show host Matt Lauer for what it said Wednesday was "inappropriate sexual behavior" with a colleague, making him perhaps the most familiar figure in America brought down so far by the misconduct accusations that have swept through Hollywood and the media over the past two months. LOS ANGELES (AP) Following two allegations of sexual harassment against him, actor Jeffrey Tambor says he doesn't see how he can return to the Amazon series "Transparent." In an ambiguous statement Sunday that heavily implies, though doesn't confirm, an imminent departure from the Emmy-winning series, Tambor referenced what he calls a "politicized atmosphere" that has afflicted the set. He said that this is "no longer the job I signed up for four years ago." Two women have come forward over the past few weeks to accuse Tambor of sexual harassment, including "Transparent" actress Trace Lysette and his former assistant, who Tambor said was disgruntled. "I've already made clear my deep regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone as being aggressive, but the idea that I would deliberately harass anyone is simply and utterly untrue," Tambor said Sunday. He has repeatedly denied the allegations made against him, which are both under investigation by Amazon Studios. Representatives for Amazon did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment. Tambor has won two Emmys for portraying Maura Pfefferman in the highly regarded show, which is now in its fourth season. The allegations made against Tambor have put its future in jeopardy. Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes [] OLE Health made a rare move it returned a $1 million donation. Napa County gave the money in October 2016. Officials with the nonprofit asked for the county to contribute to its $15 million fundraising drive for a $30 million health care campus. The remaining $15 million would come from a federal loan program. That 30,000-square-foot health center is under construction on Hartle Court near South Napa Marketplace. But its being built without the countys gift. At the Napa Valley Registers request, the county released a July 18 letter from OLE Healths then-Chief Executive Officer Tanir Ami saying the donation was no longer needed. OLE Health had exceeded its fundraising goal. Please find a check for $1 million enclosed, Ami wrote to the county. OLE Health spokesman Fernando Diaz said another factor was also involved in the donation return. OLE Health sought a $15 million loan for the health campus under the federal New Market Tax Credits program. Among other incentives, the borrower receives approximately 25 percent loan forgiveness after seven years. We wanted to take advantage of that, because of the favorable incentives, Diaz said. We had to move quickly because of their deadline. Napa County government, like all counties, is subject to state prevailing wage laws for construction projects. Diaz said OLE Health would have had to spend the county donation using prevailing wages. OLE Health was uncertain how this would affect the projects cost and timeline for the tax credits. In June, OLE Heaths Board of Directors decided that returning the money would be in the best interests of the other donors and the projects timeline, he said. Danny Bernardini of Napa Solano Building Trades Council said the group brought the prevailing wage issue up with OLE Health earlier this year. He said he thinks OLE Health should have kept the countys money and paid the prevailing wage. Its whats right for working people, he said. Why would anyone pay an employee less than whats considered a living wage? Diaz said Ledcor Construction which has a Napa County branchis the project manager. Forty percent of the projects construction contracts are to local companies. We went into the project with a commitment to hire local, Diaz said. The California Department of Industrial Relations says the prevailing wage law ensures that companies bidding for public works contracts dont win by paying lower wages than competitors. The department figures out the prevailing wage for the various crafts and classifications of workers. Critics say the prevailing wage law adds costs to public projects at taxpayers expense. Supporters say it guarantees labor workers receive fair compensation. The law doesnt apply to private development paid for with private money. Diaz said the health care building should be completed in about a year-and-a-half. Its on schedule; were on budget, he said. Everything is working out pretty nicely. Even though OLE Health returned the countys $1 million, the donation may have served a purpose. OLE Health officials in October 2016 told the Board of Supervisors that a $1 million county donation would help attract more fundraising dollars. At the time, the nonprofit had only about $4 million toward its $15 million target. Diaz recently said that the countys donation achieved this goal. It helped show OLE Health had a bigger force behind it, a coalition of different people headed toward the same goal of community health. Napa County took the $1 million out of its Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement money that it receives annually from a lawsuit settlement involving 46 states and the tobacco industry. Each year, the county hands out about $1.1 million annually in grants to nonprofit groups from the fund. It also saves $8 million as a hedge against the day the annual settlement money is reduced. The $1 million OLE Health donation came from these savings and, when returned, went back to these savings. Were still committed to OLE Health and all that they do, county Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht said on Tuesday. Well figure out ways of supporting OLE Health in the future. OLE Healths $30 million, three-story medical building is to have 22 exam rooms, nine dental chairs, a vision center, an in-house pharmacy, a laboratory, triage space, five classrooms and an outdoor patio overlooking wetlands. It should be evident by now that the Capitols sexual harassment issue isnt going to fade away. In the past, accusations of harassment by a political figure either were covered up or attracted only momentary public and media attention. But those days are over. An open letter signed by dozens, and then hundreds, of women working in and around the Capitol, declaring that they would no longer countenance the communitys pervasive harassment and its tolerance has radically changed the atmosphere. It generated exposure of past cases, such as one involving Democratic state Sen. Raul Bocanegra when he was a Capitol staffer, and encouraged more women to come forth with specific complaints. The latest, revealed by the Sacramento Bee, involves Democratic state Sen. Tony Mendoza and allegations by a 23-year-old legislative aide of his efforts to have a relationship with her. The allegations included inviting her to meet him at the Sacramento-area house he shared with Kevin de Leon, the president pro tem of the Senate during the three or four days each week the Legislature is in session. And to demonstrate that its not a partisan issue, the Assembly has reportedly hired a law firm to investigate harassment allegations against Republican Assemblyman Devon Mathis, including one from a former staff member who cited instances of witnessing poor behavior in his resignation letter. Mathis has denied the allegations. The Visalia Times-Delta reported that emails from attorney Jennifer Shaw, founder of Shaw Law Group, to possible witnesses confirmed that she had been retained. Shaw also investigated the Bocanegra case for the Assembly. The allegations have already drained support for Mathis in Tulare County as he runs for re-election next year. Last week, the countys GOP central committee demanded that he resign. The Assembly appears to have been more willing for years to bring in independent investigators, since the Bocanegra case is nine years old. The Senate, however, has persisted in handling harassment allegations internally, as the Mendoza case illustrates but that case also has brought about belated change. Startlingly, de Leon professed ignorance both about Mendozas alleged behavior and the Senate Rules Committee investigation into the allegations against him even though de Leon chairs that committee. When the news broke, de Leons spokesman, Jonathan Underland, said, He was shocked and troubled by the new allegations over the weekend. De Leon quickly moved out of the house and said that hitherto, investigations of sexual harassment allegations would be done by an outside law firm. This state Senate is a sacred place of public service and it must also be a safe place for everyone who works here, de Leon said in a statement. The people who work here and the public we serve must have complete confidence that no public official is above the law or our strict zero-tolerance harassment policies. Those who violate these policies will be held to account swiftly and justly. Too little too late? While the incidents being cited are not partisan, Democrats control both houses of the Legislature, so their leaders bear the onus for dealing with the situation. The Assembly appears to have been doing it correctly while the Senate, under de Leon and his predecessors, dragged its feet. De Leon is especially vulnerable to criticism because hes running uphill for the U.S. Senate and trying to unseat a woman of his own party, Dianne Feinstein. The Feinstein camp is already hanging the issue around de Leons neck, and it could strangle his ambitions. Michael Flynn, who served as President Donald Trump's national security adviser for just 24 days before being cut loose, may be the key figure to unraveling the entire Russia scandal. If that's true, the president just got some very, very bad news in the form of a New York Times report: Lawyers for Flynn notified the president's legal team in recent days that they could no longer discuss the special counsel's investigation, according to four people involved in the case - an indication that Flynn is cooperating with prosecutors or negotiating a deal. Flynn's lawyers had been sharing information with Trump's lawyers about the investigation by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, who is examining whether anyone around Trump was involved in Russian efforts to undermine Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. That agreement has been terminated, the four people said. Defense lawyers frequently share information during investigations, but they must stop when doing so would pose a conflict of interest. It is unethical for lawyers to work together when one client is cooperating with prosecutors and another is still under investigation. We should be clear that this news is not definitive proof that Flynn is cooperating with Mueller. It may mean only that he is in the process of negotiating a deal to avoid prosecution, and that deal might or might not involve giving information on other figures in the investigation. But if Flynn is indeed cooperating, Trump is in big trouble. That's because if Flynn is cooperating, it can only be because he has information to offer Mueller on someone more important than himself. That's how it works. And who is more important than Flynn? Only a very small number of people. Among those implicated in this whole affair, that group may consist of Jared Kushner and Trump, and that's about it. Which means we may be getting closer to answering a question I've been asking for a long time: Why was President Trump so intensely focused on protecting Michael Flynn? You'll recall that Flynn was supposedly fired because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russian officials during the campaign and the transition, claiming he had only exchanged pleasantries with them when in fact they had discussed substantive policy matters, something Pence then repeated to the media. This was always an odd explanation for the firing. Even more odd was the fact that immediately, Trump began telling anyone who would listen what a great guy Michael Flynn is and how unfair the whole mess was to him. Given that Trump is not known for being loyal to those who work for him, that was rather curious. Donald Trump looks out for Donald Trump, and if you become a liability to him, he'll very quickly start acting as though he barely knew you. Now consider what Trump proceeded to do with regard to Flynn: The day after Flynn resigned, Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to stop investigating the former national security adviser. "I hope you can let this go," Comey reported Trump saying in a memo he wrote immediately after their meeting. Trump asked Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats to intervene with Comey to get him to back off his investigation of Flynn. Unlike with previous aides who have displeased him, after he fired Flynn, Trump made a very public show of praising him to the media. Months after Flynn was fired and as the investigation was accelerating, Trump kept in contact with Flynn. "I just got a message from the president to stay strong," Flynn told friends at a dinner in April. In May, Trump scolded his staff for criticizing Flynn to the media and had his spokesmen issue statements lavishly praising Flynn. It's almost as though Trump wanted to make sure Flynn didn't turn on him. But if Flynn is turning on Trump, it's because he is in a whole lot of legal trouble, probably more than anyone involved in this scandal with the exception of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Let's remember that shortly after the Trump administration began, acting attorney general Sally Yates went to the White House and informed officials that Flynn had lied to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials (which they knew because they were monitoring the Russian ambassador's communications) and that because of those lies, he was susceptible to blackmail. For some reason, Flynn spent 18 more days in the White House before being fired. By taking a large fee from Russia for giving a speech in late 2015, Flynn appears to have violated a law that requires retired generals getting such payments to receive prior approval. He also was hiding the fact that he was paid more than half a million dollars by allies of the Turkish government to promote Turkey's interests while advising the Trump campaign (he later registered retroactively as an agent of a foreign government; failing to register is a felony). He failed to include payments from Russia on his financial disclosure forms and may have lied about it to investigators. During the transition, he managed to delay a military operation against the Islamic State that Turkey objected to while he was secretly receiving those Turkish payments, a story that has gotten strangely little attention. He was even reportedly involved in planning for a bizarre plot to kidnap the exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen in Pennsylvania and return him to Turkey, for which Flynn and his son were allegedly to be paid $15 million. In short, Flynn appears to have violated multiple laws in multiple ways and could be looking at the possibility of serious time behind bars. He may have information Mueller could use in a case against Kushner, Trump or others, relating to multiple strands of the investigation. He may know things about the campaign's relationship with the Russian government or about an obstruction of justice case related to Comey's firing. Don't forget that Trump admitted on national television that he fired Comey to shut down the Russia investigation, then shortly thereafter told the Russian foreign minister and ambassador that with his firing of Comey, "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off." Here's what we should watch for now: If the White House suddenly changes how it talks about Flynn, disparaging him instead of saying what an admirable fellow he is, that'll be a good indication of a change in Trump's feelings. And it looks as though he has a lot to be nervous about. A gunman on a rampage. A shootout with police. Multiple deaths. A stunned and grief-stricken country. A community asking, How could this happen? This has become an all-too-familiar occurrence. However, in Tehama County, where tragedy struck this month, the warning signs were there: A person struggling with mental illness, described as unhinged. Repeated run-ins with law enforcement. A restraining order. We have seen where the media narrative will take us now. Mental health experts will contradict the headlines, citing studies that most people with mental illness are not dangerous. Others will focus on the pervasiveness of guns in society, demanding stricter background checks for those with mental illnesses. The debate will devolve, and solutions will become even more elusive. Maybe we are all just missing the real point: Our treatment system abandons people like Kevin Neal. He was a man beset by delusions, well known to first responders, and frequently involved with the criminal justice system. If, despite his actions and obvious illness, he could not get appropriate psychiatric care, what hope does anyone with a serious mental illness have? According to the gunmans sister, Neal had suffered from delusions for decades. Deputies labeled him not law enforcement-friendly after repeated encounters. On more than one occasion, they even placed his home under surveillance. Still, he slipped through the cracks. If only Kevin Neals experience was unique. As we know, it is not. Towns and cities across California are besieged with chronically homeless men and women. It is clear to anyone that many of them are desperately in need of psychiatric care, but they are unable to access appropriate treatment. So they waste away. Meanwhile, people with mental illness have overrun emergency rooms facilities equipped only to respond to immediate crisis, not long-term need and jails, which have become the new asylums, an awful last refuge for those the system has no other place for. Californias treatment system must become serious about prioritizing care for people with severe mental illness, both at the point of crisis and throughout their lives. Legislative proposals to divert those with mental illness into treatment after arrest are gaining traction. Similarly, initiatives that incorporate sound mental health practices and coordinate responses across the mental health and criminal justice systems are poised to help break down the silos that too often characterize the current process of care. There is real recognition that we must reduce the unnecessary criminalization of the mentally ill. The irony, however, is that Tehama County already had a tool at its disposal to provide people like Kevin Neal with treatment; it just didnt use it. In California, Lauras Law, which was borne out of another senseless tragedy, has helped counties successfully care for the most severely ill in the community. The program, known nationally as assisted outpatient treatment, specifically focuses on individuals who repeatedly cycle in and out of the system because of their mental illnesses. Nineteen California counties have successfully adopted or are in the process of adopting some form of Lauras Law, including small, rural counties. Yolo County reported a 50 percent reduction in police calls involving individuals in the treated program, and a 90 percent reduction in the time spent homeless. Nevada County saw similar drops in incarceration, hospitalization and homelessness, and significant cost savings. Larger communities have also recognized the benefits of assisted outpatient treatment. At his state of the city speech this year, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee highlighted the program, explaining, Lauras Law works. Orange County, too, reported decreases in important indicators like the number of days spent homeless or incarcerated. However, Tehama County, Sacramento County and 37 other counties, representing approximately one-third of the states population, have yet to implement lifesaving programs. County officials must not wait any longer. We know many people are suffering in similar ways and not receiving the care they need. Whether or not they will become violent should not be our primary concern. Doing everything possible to ensure those obviously in need of care receive treatment should be. Editors note: Napa County reports that various agencies are studying Lauras Law and will make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on whether to adopt it sometime soon. What if truth is not an absolute thing, rather a muscle that grows weaker with neglect? Poet and scholar Kevin Young poses that question in his timely new book, Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News (Graywolf Press, 2017), a sprawling exploration into fakery, falsehoods and the hucksters who perpetrate them. As much an expansive history lesson as a cultural critique, Youngs latest work carefully tracks the phenomenon of the hoax in the United States, from P.T. Barnums circus sideshows to the current political arena. Yet despite recent dialogue surrounding so-called fake news and alternative facts, Youngs interest in the topic actually took root long ago. I worked with someone who kind of hoaxed us when we were in college and working together, recalls Young, Emory University Distinguished Professor, who now serves as director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem and is the newly named poetry editor of the New Yorker magazine. Like many people, I find that kind of deceit and con artistry fascinating," he says. "Just look at Hollywood, it seems like every other movie is about another con artist or neer do well." What began as a slim meditation on a few hoaxers Ive known ended up as a deep, six-year dive into the world of deliberate deception and what drives it. And much of that research was conducted at Emory, where a sabbatical first helped me see what the book could be, he says, adding that the university's Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library provided an important home. One of the things that helped me, and I think it is important to mention, is that I did so much research using Emorys collections, both the special collections, where I was curator, and regular collections, says Young, former curator of literary collections for the Rose Library and Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing, who taught at Emory from 2005 to 2016. "To write about hoaxes in full is to track down the books that often contain them." And so he did, drawing from an expansive well of iconic hoaxes that includes Barnums sideshow figures, turn-of-the-century spiritualists, racial fraud, journalistic plagiarism, made-up memoirs and outright identity theft. I set out to track down a lot of hoaxes in as original form as possible, Young explains. Most of the books I could find in the library, which was a big boon, he says. Libraries like Emorys and the Schomburg Center are some of the best places to start looking for good information from a multitude of sources, tracking down primary materials, which are often complicated. Along the way, Young practiced what he preaches. His chapters are supported by a thick trove of documentation, including 69 pages of notes and a 26-page annotated bibliography. In a post-fact world he dubs it the Age of Euphemism the ability to prove your point with the support of primary evidence has become more critical than ever. Race: The most dangerous hoax of all? Early in his research, Young had a hunch about hoaxes, suspecting they were often about race. Was it possible, he wondered, that race was the most dangerous hoax of all? The more Young read, the more obvious it became: hoax was racisms native tongue. Con artists may draw upon gaining your confidence, but a hoax builds upon assumptions, suspicion and stereotypes, he found. In fact, hoaxes often depended upon race to accomplish a lot of what they wanted to get done, Young contends. He writes of how circus promoter P.T. Barnum used ethnic sideshow figures such as Joice Heth, a black women presented as the 161-year-old nursemaid of George Washington; the supposed Fiji Cannibals; and What Is It?, an African American man said to be a newly discovered missing link in evolution. Then there was the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 newspaper reports that blazed through New York that identified lunar man-bats living on the moon. In the racial coding of the day, descriptions of the hairy humanoids sounded stereotypically black, Young notes, citing the research of Emory English professor Benjamin Reiss in his book The Showman and the Slave: Race, Death and Memory in Barnums America. Racism is one of the more pernicious hoaxes of our time, Young explains. Its built on shaky ground to begin with not as a biological thing, but a social one. But as a fake thing, it has life and death consequences, and so do hoaxes. Racism makes use of hoaxism, quite literally. Studying examples throughout history, Young was less surprised by the sheer quantity of hoaxes that have permeated the American landscape as he was by how people would write entire books about hoaxes and not have a single footnote, which duplicates the problem, he asserts. Mainly, I had a hunch that hoaxes were now more frequent and indeed, worse, Young says. Im sad to report that is entirely true. Hoaxes: Overexposed, underexplored Why has the American public been, as Young puts it, so willing to deceive and believe? Does it mark a profound cultural shift? Or is it just who we are as humans both gullible and deceptive? Its a little of both, Young says. I think that hoaxes are as old as writing, which isnt to say they werent there before writing. But I do think their flavor has changed now. In the past 20 years, the past century, the hoax has become more nefarious and tragic. Today Young finds hoaxes are both overexposed and underexplored, coming at us faster and faster, he notes, as we move from a world of half-hoaxes to a full-time one. Todays hoaxes rely less on human nature or collective memory than cultural amnesia, Young writes. Technology from the faceless accessibility of the internet to impulsive tweets makes it all the easier for us to lose our radar for truth. The thing that becomes troubling when it comes to perpetuating a hoax is that retweeting something can be just as bad as creating it, Young says. What responsibility do we have? As soon as a hoax is revealed it can seem pretty ludicrous, which tells us something about ourselves and what we choose to believe about each other. Maybe, truth isnt like a pure thing but a muscle you have to exercise, Young concludes. I do think there is a way of building it back up, which is what the book is about. Released this month, Bunk has already garnered enthusiastic reviews and was recently longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction. Youngs next book, due out in April, is a collection of poems titled Brown, which explores different kinds of brown-ness, from James Brown to John Brown, he says. As part of his publicity tour, Young will speak about Bunk at Emorys Rose Library on Jan. 18. 08:35 Ruling out any possibility of entering politics, former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan has said that he is happy being a professor and it's the job he likes. On being asked if he had an offer from the Aam Aadmi Party to join the Rajya Sabha, he said, "No comments on whether I was offered anything. When I was in the RBI, people were desperate to get me off to the IMF, when I am back as professor, people are desperate to see me elsewhere. I am very happy being a professor. I have my brain working many hours of day. It is a job I like." On possibility to join politics, Rajan said, "The answer is no...on issue of politics my wife says very clearly no." The AAP had approached Rajan offering him a Rajya Sabha seat from Delhi, which was reportedly rejected by the ex-RBI governor. In a recorded interview played at the Times Litfest in New Delhi, Rajan, without disclosing much details, said he is working on another book. This book will be "an attempt to understand better the world we live in. The issue of identity, issue of community and how it impinges on the broader process of economic integration and growth", he said. His last book, titled 'I do what I do' was released in September, touched various aspects of the Indian economy. He also talked about issues like tolerance and connection between political freedom and prosperity in the book, which was a collection of essays and speeches during his stint as the RBI governor. Talking about the Goods and Services Tax, Rajan said it is good in the long run even though there are some issues. "There is need to remove the glitches," he observed. On the relationship between the RBI and the government, the former central bank governor said that it has been developed over the years and it is largely of mutual respect. "Yes, there are frictions which are always there in any relationship," he said. To a question if autonomy of the RBI as an institution compromised, he said, he is not alarmed. The RBI functions under the government and complete independence is not possible, he said. -- PTI An airplane of British Airways is about to land at the Heathrow Airport in London, capital of Britain. (Xinhua/Zeng Yi) LONDON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Police in Britain will be given new powers to prevent the unsafe or criminal use of drones as part of a new package of legislation announced Sunday. Banning drones from flying near airports or above 122 meters will also form part of the new regulations. New drone-safety laws will help put the UK at the forefront of drone technology development, the Department for Transport (DfT) said. New measures will also make it mandatory for drone owners to register to improve accountability. And drone operators will be required to use apps - so they can access the information needed to make sure any planned flight can be made safely and legally. The clampdown aims to allow drone users to continue flying safely and legally, helping to place the UK at the forefront of the fast-growing drone industry. It will also pave the way for the devices to be harnessed for a range of uses by businesses and public services. The draft Drone Bill, which will be published next spring, will give officers the right to order operators to ground drones where necessary. Officers will also be able to seize drone parts to prove it has been used to commit an offence. The news comes as funding for a pioneering new drones program was announced to help cities shape the way drone technology operates. Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said: "Drones have great potential and we want to do everything possible to harness the benefits of this technology as it develops. But if we are to realise the full potential of this incredibly exciting technology, we have to take steps to stop illegal use of these devices and address safety and privacy concerns." "These new laws strike a balance, to allow the vast majority of drone users to continue flying safely and responsibly, while also paving the way for drone technology to revolutionise businesses and public services." Changes to the law will mean that drone users will have to sit for safety awareness tests. Users of drones weighing 250 grams and over will have to be registered, while the government is also working closely with drone manufacturers to use geo-fencing to prevent drones from entering restricted zones. A government-funded Flying High Challenge is to launch Monday when up to five British cities will be supported in the research and development of drone technology. The research could transform critical services in emergency health services and the transport of human organs for transplants. It could also lead to essential transport infrastructure assessment and repair, and parcel delivery and logistics. Assistant Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said, the national police spokesperson for the criminal misuse of drones, said: "We are working with relevant partners to understand the threats this new technology can pose when used irresponsibly or illegally. If you use a drone to invade people's privacy or engage in disruptive behavior, you could face serious criminal charges." Tim Johnson, Policy Director at the Civil Aviation Authority welcomed plans to increase drone operator training and the creation of no-fly zones. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 08:42:36|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close SYDNEY, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in Australia have successfully bred baby coral on the Great Barrier Reef, offering hope the World Heritage Site can survive in the face of increasing environmental threats. The Southern Cross University project raises the prospect of restoring damaged coral populations. Coral eggs and sperm were collected from Heron Island's reef during last November's coral spawning to produce more than a million larvae. The larvae were returned to the wild and placed on to reef patches in underwater mesh tents, with 100 surviving and growing successfully. These methods have brought similar success in the Philippines, where the use of explosives to kill schools of fish has destroyed coral. Peter Harrison, the project's lead researcher and the man who discovered mass coral spawning in the 1980s, described the "results as very promising." "The success of this new research not only applies to the Great Barrier Reef, but has potential global significance," Harrison told Australian Associated Press on Monday "It may be one of the answers to some of the problems in the Great Barrier Reef. It's a glimmer of hope." The world's largest coral reef system lies off the coast of Queensland and supports a wide diversity of marine life but in recent decades has been threatened by the effects of climate change, water pollution and commercial fishing. The reef has already been subject to several coral bleaching episodes attributed to climate change, whereby rises in atmospheric temperatures have been followed by increased sea surface temperatures. Seasonal flood waters bring runoff containing chemicals from mining operations, and agricultural fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides from coastal sugar cane and cattle farms. In June this year, UNESCO expressed serious concern about the impact of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef. Anna Marsden, managing director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, said the results achieved by the Southern Cross team were an important step but should not deflect attention from the need to address climate change and its impact on the reef. "There is much more to be done, but this is definitely a great leap forward for the reef, and for the restoration and repair of reefs worldwide," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 10:08:01|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close CANBERRA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A group of Australia's most senior doctors have offered to fly to the processing center on Manus Island to treat refugees for free. In an open letter to the Federal Government released on Monday, the 18 leading doctors, surgeons and psychiatrists expressed their concern "about the ongoing health and wellbeing of the former detainees still based on Manus Island." The Manus Regional Processing Center was closed by the Australian government at the end of October with essential services being cut off immediately. Hundreds of men remained in the center, however, saying they feared for their safety in alternative accommodation arranged by the Papua New Guinean government. The men, most of who were detained on Manus when they tried to arrive in Australia by boat, survived off rainwater and small amounts of food provided by Manus Island residents. Those that chose to remain were forcibly removed from the camp on Saturday and moved to a new camp but there has been conjecture over whether that facility is up to standard. Signatories to the open letter included Nick Talley, editor of the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry and Bastian Seidel, president of the College of General Practitioners (GPs). "We believe that there should be an immediate, independent review of the health status of those still on Manus," they wrote. "We are willing to conduct this review pro-bono, arranging the appropriate mix of clinical specialties." The group called on the Federal Government to facilitate diplomatic permission for their visit. "There are reports of poor hygiene and sanitation, limited supply of electricity and inadequate living conditions," the letter said. "All of these exacerbate disease and ill-health." The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concerns over the situation after receiving reports that several men had been severely injured by police. "The situation still unfolding on Manus Island presents a grave risk of further deterioration, and of further damage to extremely vulnerable human beings," UNHCR regional representative Thomas Albrecht said on Saturday. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 10:13:07|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A bail worth more than 1 million U.S. dollars has been set for a man arrested for a deadly multi-car crash that killed four people on an interstate highway in San Francisco on the western U.S. coast, local reports said Sunday. The 47-year-old man, identified as Fred Lowe, was arrested Saturday night by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) following a hit-and-run collision that instantly killed four people and injured six others on Interstate 80 highway in the Bay Area, north of San Francisco. The man fled the scene before police arrived, but witnesses informed the police of the suspect vehicle, according to a spokesman for the CHP Oakland division. The suspect man and vehicle were soon caught by police for being involved in another hit-and-run car collision at another place. He was detained and charged with drunken driving and driving on a suspended license. His bail was set at 1.15 million dollars, the reports quoted jail officials as saying. In California, a bail amount depends on the charge and on the jurisdiction where the charge is filed. Typically, bail amounts of 20,000 and 50,000 dollars are often set for less serious offenses, but the most serious crimes can carry a bail of up to 1 million dollars or more. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 10:18:09|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close Cold lava from Mount Agung volcano flows on the river Yeh Sah in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 27, 2017. Indonesia has raised alert for Mount Agung volcano to the highest level 4, disaster management sources said on Monday. (Xinhua/Muhammad Fauzy Chaniago) JAKARTA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has raised alert for Mount Agung volcano to the highest level 4, disaster management sources said on Monday. Authorities shut the main airport in Bali island after powerful eruptions on Sunday, spokesman of national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Xinhua. The level of eruption rose to magmatic stage from phreatic stage with a gigantic fires displayed during the night and its rumbling reaching 12 km from the crater, the spokesman said. "In anticipating the risks the volcanologists have raised the alert status to the highest level," he said through text message. Mount Agung alert status was downgraded to the second highest on Oct. 19 after the volcanologists upgraded it to the highest on Sept. 22. The volcano erupted on Saturday with the highest height of ash spewed by up to 4 km to the sky. Sutopo said that all villagers in the no-go zone must immediately be evacuated. Ngurah Rai international airport has been closed since 07:00 a.m. local time Monday (2300 GMT Sunday) and evaluation will be undertaken for every 6 hours by flight authorities, secretary of air transport of the transport ministry Pramintohadi Sukarno said on Monday. The closure was conducted after the meteorology and geophysics agency said that the airspace around the airport is within the volcano ash spread, he said. "Ngurah Rai airport has been impacted and it is in the area of volcanic ash spread of Mount Agung. Therefore the directorate general of air transport decides to close the airport for flight safety reason," said Pramintohadi. The center of volcanology and geological hazard mitigation (PVMBG) has also raised volcano observatory notice for aviation or VONA to the highest red level. Over 200,000 foreign visitors visit Bali island every month, according to the national statistics bureau. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing 1,100 people. It is one of Indonesia's 129 active volcanoes. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 10:33:14|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close CANBERRA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Australia's citrus fruit industry has experienced a boom on the back of high demand from China, a recent report by Citrus Australia revealed. Australian citrus exports for the 12 months ending in September were worth 286 million U.S. dollars, a 31-percent increase on the 12 months prior. Export volumes also rose considerably, up 18 percent to 220,754 tonnes of fruit. The average price per kg of Australian citrus fruit has risen from 78 U.S. cents in 2011 to 1.29 U.S. dollars in 2017. China represented the biggest growth opportunity with 45,000 tonnes being exported to China alone, a 52-percent increase. "The numbers into China are now off the charts," Citrus Australia chairwoman Tania Chapman told Fairfax Media on Monday. "If we talk about China, six or seven years ago zero containers (of Australian citrus) went into the front door of China. Now we're looking down the barrel of 80,000 tonnes this season. "There's a large number of companies in China wanting to buy the Valencias so that they can juice them." "The industry certainly is on a high and is performing well ... Not only are we exporting record volume, but growers are actually being paid more for that produce. So that's really important for the industry." Chapman said that the boom had been so profound that growers were now facing waiting lists of up to four years to get citrus trees from nurseries. The Australian Security Exchange (ASX) listed Costa Group has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the boom. The company's share price has soared from 1.71 U.S. dollars when it was first listed to 4.78 U.S. dollars currently. Costa Group owns five farms in New South Wales (NSW) with more than 1,900 hectares of citrus trees. "An indication of growth in demand from overseas is that only a few years ago we were exporting 45 to 55 per cent of the crop. This season it will be 70 percent," Costa Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Harry Debney said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 10:58:21|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close KATHMANDU, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Nepalese Officials have identified three potential infrastructure projects to be implemented under the framework of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. The projects discussed by officials on Sunday include a cross-border railway project connecting China's bordering town Kerung with Nepal's capital Kathmandu, electricity transmission line connecting Kerung with Nepal's Galchhi in Dhading district, a neighboring district of Kathmandu and the Sunsari-Marin Diversion Irrigation Project in eastern Nepal, according to a press statement of Nepal's Finance Ministry. During a meeting of the Project Development and Facilitation Committee to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Nepal and China related to the Belt and Road Initiative, officials from ministries including finance, physical infrastructure and transport, energy, irrigation, urban development, agriculture and tourism discussed these projects. "Although we have identified these as potential projects to be implemented under the Belt and Road Initiative, we have not finalized them yet," Yugraj Pandey, under secretary at Nepal's Ministry of Finance, told Xinhua on Sunday. At the meeting, Finance Secretary Shankar Prasad Adhikari urged officials from other ministries to submit the potential projects which are ready for implementation within the next five days. "A consensus reached among the officials is that the Finance Ministry will propose the projects to the Chinese government based on national priority and necessity of the country," the ministry said in the statement. Also at the meeting, Economic Advisor to Nepali Prime Minister Gyan Chandra Acharya urged the ministries to propose projects that could promote connectivity with productivity so as to reap as much as benefit from the the initiative. A Cabinet meeting of the Nepali government on Aug. 15 also asked the Energy Ministry to seek the Chinese support to build reservoir projects and transmission lines under the initiative. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 11:43:29|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigned late Sunday after a religion-related bill caused a prolonged sit-in protest and clashes between protestors and police forces, Pakistani official PTV reported early Monday. "In order to restore peace in the country, I have decided to step down from my position," local media quoted the outgoing minister as reporting. It's not clear whether Prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will accept or reject his resignation. After his resignation, the government and protestors signed an agreement to put an end to the three-week long sit-in protest which has blocked major traffic conjunction between Islamabad and its sister city of Rawalpindi, according to local reports. The religious groups who staged the protest are also likely to make an announcement to end the protest, said Geo News. The Pakistani government last month passed a religion-related bill which triggered strong opposition from religious community. The government later retracted the bill, but some religious groups further demanded the resignation of the law minister and staged the sit-in protest for almost three weeks. The government took a clearance operation on Saturday after several rounds of negotiations with the protestors. However, the operation triggered more protests in major cities across the country. Later the Pakistani Army was called out to help maintain order in Islamabad, and local reports quoted sources as saying that the final agreement between the government and protestors was brokered by the army. Several were killed and hundreds were injured during the Saturday clearance operation in Islamabad and clashes in other cities. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 12:08:32|Editor: Lifang Video Player Close MUMBAI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Indian markets opened marginally lower Monday, weighed by banks after the S&P retained its India's rating at BBB- and outlook stable. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex opened at 33,601.99, 77.25 points or 0.25 percent down compared to its previous close at 33,679.24. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 13:04:05|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Doctors in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh in a rare surgery removed iron objects including coins and needles weighing around five kg from a man's stomach, health officials said Monday. The surgery was performed by a team of six doctors in Rewa district at state-run Sanjay Gandhi Medical College and hospital. "Doctors here during a surgery removed a chain, 263 coins, four needles and 12 shaving blades, besides shreds of glass, weighing five kg, from stomach of a man identified as 32-year-old Mohammed Maqsood," a health official said. "The man is currently in hospital under observation." Maqsood was hospitalised on Nov. 18 in the hospital after he complained of a stomach pain. Doctors told media x-ray and several other tests helped them to identify the cause behind Maqsood's stomachache. According to health officials Maqsood was being treated for the stomach pain for last six months. "It seems the patient was not in a good frame of mind and had swallowed these objects secretly," Dr Priyank Sharma told media. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 13:09:09|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close HANOI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam Airlines plans to launch direct flights to the United States late next year, but local experts said the air route will cause big losses for the national flag carrier, local media reported on Monday. "The direct air route (between Vietnam and the United States) will be heavily loss-making. Vietnam Airlines can endure that if its other air routes compensate for the loss," online newspaper VietNamNet quoted an aviation expert as saying. A representative of the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam said that the country will not force carriers to open direct routes to the United States, and that they can drop plans if the future routes do not meet their expectations. In 2007, the administration predicted that if Vietnam Airlines opened direct routes to the United States, it would incur losses of some 30 million U.S. dollars in the first five years of running the service, but its prestige and competitiveness would be enhanced. As fuel prices are declining, and demand for travel and trade exchange is increasing, the potential loss will be streamlined, said local experts. Vietnam's aviation sector served 38.3 million passengers in the first 10 months of this year, up 11.4 percent year-on-year, said Vietnam's General Statistics Office. The sector also transported 262,100 tons of cargoes in 10 months, up 8.8 percent year-on-year, the office said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 13:24:17|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of TerraPower, has been elected as a foreign academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), one of China's top science think tanks. He was among the 18 new foreign academicians at the institution, the CAE announced Monday. The academy published the list of 85 newly-elected academicians on its website. Gates is the founder and chairman of TerraPower, a leading nuclear innovation company. The CAE and the Chinese Academy of Sciences are the country's two top think tanks that advise government and industry on key scientific and technological issues. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 13:54:25|Editor: Mengjie Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- China should continue to upgrade the country's toilets as part of its "toilet revolution" aimed at developing domestic tourism and improving people's life quality, Chinese President Xi Jinping said. The construction of clean toilets is an important part of pushing urban and rural civilization, and more efforts should be made in both cities and rural areas to upgrade toilets, Xi said in a recent instruction on the achievement of toilet revolution carried out in the tourism sector. Along with toilet revolution, China should construct better public facilities and services to boost the tourism industry, Xi said. Xi has long stressed the importance of the toilet revolution in enhancing the quality of the tourism industry. Officials are urged to make consistent efforts and take tailored measures to tackle long-standing issues and correct bad habits in tourism. Local authorities are now more aware of the important role toilets play, believing better toilets are not only beneficial for tourism, but can also improve the environment that people work and live in, and enhance the overall level of civilization of society. While visiting rural areas, Xi used to ask local residents about the conditions of the toilets they use, and stressed many times that clean toilets for rural residents are important for the building of a "new countryside." China launched a toilet revolution across the country in 2015 with an aim to make such facilities cleaner and more regulated. Toilets in the countryside and at tourist sites previously had a bad reputation. In rural areas, some toilets were little more than makeshift shelters surrounded by bunches of cornstalks, and some were open pits next to pigsties. At tourist sites, visitors were angered by insufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and lack of sanitation workers. By the end of October this year, China had installed or upgraded 68,000 toilets at tourist destinations, 19.3 percent more than the target number. The toilet revolution has been expanding gradually from tourist sites to cover the whole country, from cities to rural areas. The country planned to install or upgrade another 64,000 toilets at tourist destinations from 2018 to 2020, according to an action plan released by the China National Tourism Administration. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 14:04:27|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Moody's Investor Service said Monday it expects a material decline in Malaysian property prices as market valuation adjusts to reflect the lack of demand in the event of a protracted period of supply overhang. The rating agency said in its credit outlook report, the suspending new property development will not correct the oversupply situation over the next five years, when property projects now in development enter the market. "The increasing oversupply and the prospects of a material property price correction will continue to build as new supply enters the market and poses a risk to Malaysian banks' asset quality," it said. The report came after the Malaysian government imposed a freeze order on Nov. 1 on new development of shopping malls, commercial complexes and condominiums priced above 1 million ringgit (242,895 U.S. dollars), to address oversupply in the property market. Moody's also said, these developments are credit negative for Malaysian banks, and the quality of housing loans with high loan-to-value (LTV) ratios are most at risk. According to Bank Negara Malaysia, the banking system's total loan exposures to property segments with acute oversupply (i.e., commercial property and high-end high-rise residential) account for 8 percent of total bank lending, and the impaired loan ratios for the segments are low at 1.1 percent to 1.2 percent. Moody's estimated from its rated banks in Malaysia that 20 percent to 30 percent of mortgages booked each year have LTV ratios of 90 percent or higher at the time of origination. It is noted that much of the new supply is in Malaysia's key states, include Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor, where supply-demand imbalances in various segments of the property market, including residential housing, commercial office and retail shopping complex, have occurred since 2015. Johor has the largest share of unsold residential units in Malaysia (27 percent), followed by Selangor (21 percent), Kuala Lumpur (14 percent) and Penang (8 percent), according to the report. Meanwhile, the vacancy rates for the commercial office could rise to 32 percent by 2021, from 24 percent in the first-quarter, considering the large development projects such as Tun Razak Exchange and Bukit Bintang City Centre in Kuala Lumpur that are underway. On the retail shopping complex segment, total retail space per capita has increased sharply in key Malaysian states over the years, and now surpasses regional markets such as Hong Kong and Shanghai, said the report. "The large incoming supply of retail space will exacerbate the oversupply situation and raise the vacancy rates across Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor from current levels of 13 percent to 30 percent," it said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 14:09:29|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Havana, Cuba, on Nov. 26, 2017. Cubans started to cast their ballots at polling stations as municipal elections kicked off in the Caribbean nation on Sunday, marking the first step towards a general election to choose incumbent President Raul Castro's successor. (Xinhua/Str) HAVANA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua)-- Cubans started to cast their ballots at polling stations as municipal elections kicked off in the Caribbean nation on Sunday, marking the first step towards a general election to choose incumbent President Raul Castro's successor. Over 24,000 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) across the country, allowing Cubans to elect delegates to 168 municipal assemblies from among 27,221 candidates, said local media. The first phase of the general election process, previously scheduled for Oct. 22, was delayed as a result of the damage caused to this Caribbean nation by Hurricane Irma early this month. This time, the polls are being followed with particular attention, since the process will conclude in February with the approximately 600 members of the newly-formed legislative assembly electing the nation's top leader when the second five-year term of Raul Castro ends in February 2018. After voting near his home, Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, vice-president and second secretary of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, congratulated electoral authorities. "In general, it has been a high quality process, which is developing satisfactorily, despite the effects caused by Hurricane Irma, which forced the schedule to be modified," said Machado. He added the elected municipal deputies will face many important challenges, since they will have to work in the midst of adverse economic conditions and the reinforcement of the U.S. embargo against the island. After voting, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez told reporters that the Cuban electoral process represents an alternative to "other electoral processes ruled by money and corporations." In Cuba, candidates are forbidden from actual political campaigning, with only their photos and biographies exhibited for voters to select. The local elections came a day after the first anniversary of the death of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who put into force in 1976 the current political electoral system, defended by the Cuban authorities as "democratic and transparent." "The participation of the people in the municipal elections, is a tribute to the Commander in Chief on the first anniversary of his physical disappearance," said Natalia Ricardo, president of a polling station in the municipality of Playa. "Although Fidel Castro is not with us today, his legacy and the values he instilled in the people will persist forever," Ricardo said, "Going to the polls is contributing to the country and revolution." Nearly 2.5 million Cubans had voted by 9 a.m. local time (1400 GMT), said Maria Bacallao, secretary of the National Electoral Commission. Cuba holds municipal elections every two and a half years, while provincial and national deputies are elected for five-year terms. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 14:19:36|Editor: Liu Video Player Close WUHAN, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Police in central China's Hubei Province have detained 90 suspects in connection to an alleged telecommunications fraud case. The suspects were caught at four major locations in the city of Enshi. More than 100 computers were confiscated, according to police in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, which administers the city. An initial investigation found that most of the suspects are neighbors and classmates who illegally purchased personal information of members of the public. They extorted money from victims in various provinces using web phones. The group had conducted more than 4,000 events of fraud before being detained. Further investigation is under way. Earlier this year, seven people were sentenced to prison in east China's Shandong Province for involvement in a telecom fraud case linked to the death of a teenager. Xu Yuyu, a high school graduate from Linyi, died of cardiac arrest in August 2016 after being defrauded out of 9,900 yuan (1,500 U.S. dollars), which she intended to use to pay university tuition fees. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 14:49:46|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close Hi, here is what you need to know about China in the past 24 hours. BEIJING -- China should continue to upgrade the country's toilets as part of its "toilet revolution" aimed at developing domestic tourism and improving people's life quality, Chinese President Xi Jinping said. The construction of clean toilets is an important part of pushing urban and rural civilization, and more efforts should be made in both cities and rural areas to upgrade toilets, Xi said in a recent instruction on the achievement of toilet revolution carried out in the tourism sector. - - - - BEIJING -- Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and chairman of TerraPower, has been elected as a foreign academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), one of China's top science think tanks. He was among the 18 new foreign academicians at the institution, the CAE announced Monday. - - - - CANBERRA -- Australia's citrus fruit industry has experienced a boom on the back of high demand from China, a recent report by Citrus Australia revealed. Australian citrus exports for the 12 months ending in September were worth 286 million U.S. dollars, a 31-percent increase on the 12 months prior. Export volumes also rose considerably, up 18 percent to 220,754 tonnes of fruit. - - - - BEIJING -- China's Chief Justice Zhou Qiang has called on the country's courts to make full use of big data to modernize the justice system, the People's Court Daily reported Saturday. Zhou, president of the Supreme People's Court (SPC), said that courts nationwide need to use big data to modernize the justice system, improve their work and provide better service in the country's development, according to the newspaper run by the SPC. - - - - BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN -- China and Brunei reached consensus on the strengthening of prosecution cooperation on Saturday during a visit here by Cao Jianming, Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate of China. Cao, who led a Chinese delegation consisting of several provincial chief procurators, met with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at Istana Nurul Iman, Brunei's royal palace. He thanked the Sultan for attaching great importance to strengthening procuratorial exchanges between the two countries and for his support for hosting the Eleventh China-ASEAN Procecutors-General Conference. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 14:59:49|Editor: Yamei Video Player Close SHENYANG, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 animals have received traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments since a TCM consulting room was established at a veterinary clinic in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, 10 months ago. The attending physicians are always fully booked, said Zhang Hong, director of the clinic. "Our TCM clinic primarily treats pets suffering paralysis, nerve damage, diarrhea and some diseases that cannot be cured by Western medicine," Zhang said. TCM therapies such as electric acupuncture and moxibustion can help animals recover, he added. Xu Yanqiu, owner of a five-month-old Golden Retriever, brought her dog Moka to the clinic for treatment after the dog's leg was injured in a car accident one month ago. Xu said Moka had a surgery in a veterinary hospital immediately after the accident, however, the dog became lame and recovered slowly. She decided to give her dog TCM treatment after receiving a recommendation for Zhang's hospital. Moka's doctor diagnosed waist nerve damage resulting in restricted movement of the left leg. The doctor then treated Moka with silver electric acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as laser therapy. "After one day of treatment, Moka's left leg can move slightly," said Xu. TCM has been increasingly applied to pets across the country in recent years. Veterinary hospitals offering TCM treatment in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities have attracted many pet owners. Guo Yang, a doctor at Veterinary Medicine College of Shenyang Agricultural University, said vets usually recommend surgery for damaged nerves. However, acupuncture can decrease the risk for animals, often even has better success As the number of pet owners increases in China, TCM should see a prosperous future in the veterinary industry, Guo said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 15:14:54|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close HOHHOT, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- An ethnic clothing competition opened in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Monday, with the aim to promote ethnic cultures. The five-day event is being held in Hohhot, the regional capital, and has drawn 149 domestic and foreign teams displaying ethnic Mongolian clothing. The contestants and models include herdsmen, entrepreneurs and researchers of ethnic cultures, according to Zhang Yujun, a tourism official. "Of the competing groups presenting their traditional clothing, 142 come from Chinese provinces and regions, including Jilin, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and Inner Mongolia," Zhang said. "Three groups are from Chinese ethnic nationalities, including the Oroqen and Daur, and four international groups come from Russia and Mongolia." Prizes will be awarded to encourage innovation in the making of ethnic clothing. Seminars are being held to discuss about the status quo, future trends, protection and market for ethnic clothing, Zhang said. Traditional Mongolian clothing has more than 800 years of history. The regional government has issued a standard to help protect the clothing. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 15:14:56|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close JAKARTA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of villagers living in extended dangerous zone must be evacuated and over 400 flights have been affected after Mount Agung volcano in Bali strongly erupted, officials said on Monday. Authorities in Bali have removed a total of about 40,000 villagers from the new evacuation zone and will evacuate about 50,000 to 60,000 others from the area, spokesman of the national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said. Israwadi Adi Sutjipto, corporate secretary of Angkasa Pura, operator of the international Ngurah Rai airport in Bali, said a total of 196 flights for international routes and 249 for domestic routes will be aborted. "We predict as many as 445 flight schedules will be cancelled," he said in a statement. Ngurah Rai international airport has been closed since 7 a.m. local time Monday (2300 GMT Sunday). Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 15:40:00|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close YANGON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will attend the upcoming Communist Party of China (CPC) in Dialogue with World Political Parties' High-Level Meeting in Beijing, the Myanmar News Agency reported Monday. According to the official announcement, Suu Kyi will also pay a visit to China on the occasion to strengthen bilateral relations between Myanmar and China. Suu Kyi last visited China in August 2016. Myanmar attaches high importance to the development of Myanmar-China ties, anticipating that her visit to China would further raise the level of the two countries' cooperation level. Suu Kyi also expressed wishes of her National League for Democracy (NLD) to deepen the exchange with the CPC and continuously strengthen their mutual trust and cooperation. Leaders from more than 200 parties and political organizations in more than 120 countries have registered for the meeting, which is scheduled for Nov. 30-Dec. 3. Photo taken on Nov. 25, 2017 shows al Rawda mosque where a terrorist attack took place in Bir al-Abed of North Sinai, Egypt. The death toll in the terrorist attack here on Friday has risen to 305, including 27 children, and 128 others were wounded, state news agency MENA reported on Saturday. (Xinhua Photo) ISMAILIA, Egypt, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- "The whole thing started with a grenade thrown from the window, then masked militants rushed into the mosque, showering us with bullets, leaving dead bodies scattered everywhere," Mohamed Ali described the Friday attack on a mosque that killed 305 people in Egypt's North Sinai. It was a real inferno, said the 33-year-old man, who was shot with two bullets in the legs. He is now receiving medical treatment in Ismailia province by the Suez Canal, southwest of terror-stricken North Sinai. Ali, a father of four who works as salesman at a grocery in al-Rawda village, where the attack took place, told Xinhua that he still could not believe that he survived this "heinous massacre." The militants attacked the mosque minutes after the preacher started his sermon, he said with a low fatigued voice as he struggled his pains. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. A man injured in a mosque attack in Egypt's North Sinai province receives medical treatment at a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 24, 2017. The death toll in an attack on Friday on a mosque in Egypt's North Sinai province rose to 235, Egypt's state TV reported. (Xinhua Photo) However, fingers are pointed at a Sinai-based group loyal to the Islamic State (IS) regional terrorist group, which has claimed most of the large terrorist operations in Egypt over the past few years and whose affiliates are currently facing massive security crackdown in Syria and Iraq. It is the first time a mosque is targeted by militants in Egypt. But dozens of Christians have been killed in similar attacks on churches across Egypt. North Sinai province, a mostly desert area bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, has been experiencing waves of anti-security attacks that killed hundreds of police and army men since the army-led ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 in response to mass protests against his rule. "The terrorists threw bombs from the windows and doors of the mosque, besieging us inside and started to shoot randomly," he recalled. "Bodies of the dead and panicked injured worshippers lied motionless with blood splattered across the Mosque." Ali said he was praying on the front-line chairs near the preacher's rostrum, which he used as a cover from the terrorists' showers of gunshots. "The pulpit did not protect me as I was injured with two bullets, but at least it saved my life," Ali said, looking at the central venous line placed into his arm. When some worshippers attempted to get out of the mosque, He went on saying, some masked men finished them with rounds from their machine guns. "It was horrible and chaotic...they showed no mercy, it was an act of genocide," he said as tears rolled down his pale cheeks. "Three brothers from my neighborhood were killed in cold blood." On Saturday, the Egyptian general prosecutor announced that the death toll in the Mosque attack climbed to 305 killed, including 27 children, and 128 others were wounded, Meanwhile, the Egyptian military spokesman said air forces jets hit a number of vehicles loaded with terrorists involved in the deadly attack. In addition, the air forces targeted a number of hideouts containing weapons and ammunition that belong to the extremists, the spokesman added. The airstrikes came hours after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi vowed to respond fiercely against terrorists who carried out the attack. "The army and police will avenge our martyrs and return security and stability with force in the coming short period," he said in a televised speech. Egyptian acting Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli (C) and Health Minister Ahmed Rady (R) visit a man injured in a mosque attack at a hospital in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 24, 2017. The death toll in an attack on Friday on a mosque in Egypt's North Sinai province rose to 235, Egypt's state TV reported. (Xinhua Photo) Outside the Suez Canal University's Hospital in Ismailia, long queues of the victims' relatives laid on the ground, some covered with blankets. "My 23-years old nephew, Amir, who was working as a nurse was murdered in the attack," said Samy Mohammed, who came from Delta Menoufia province to Ismailia after he was told about the death of his nephew. The father of Amir, Magdy, a 45-year-old teacher has also been wounded in the attack by three bullets, two in his legs and one in his right arm, Mohammed told Xinhua while waiting outside the hospital. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 17:40:34|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close WARSAW, NOV. 27 (Xinhua) -- This is encouraging. The Smederevo Steel Mill, a plant of Serbian national pride, finally started to make profit by the end of 2016 after a seven-year loss. It happened only eight months after Chinese HeSteel Group poured investment therein, vowing to make it one of the most competitive in Europe. It comes as one example in a larger picture where China and 16 Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) have quickened their economic exchange under the "16+1" cooperation format in realizing goals of the Belt and Road Initiative that is intended to improve infrastructure and trade between China and Europe and Africa. Also in Serbia, the first phrase of Expressway E763, built by a Chinese company, is expected to complete by the end of the year. Another upbeat story like the one in Serbia was also told in Poland when China's Liugong Group, five years after acquiring the machinery unit of Poland's Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), remade it into a profitable joint venture that has paid taxes and dues for about 68 million U.S. dollars during past four years while creating jobs. China's Hongbo Group invested 100 million U.S. dollars to build a LED lamp factory in that country. In the Czech Republic, you may have to make an appointment until half a year later in a traditional Chinese medicine hospital that is keenly sought after among locals. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, in 2016, total trade between China and the 16 CEEC increased by 9.5 percent, marking a remarkable boost while China's trade with Europe and the world as a whole dipped in the same period. It makes the "16+1" cooperation a model for the Belt and Road Initiative and China-Europe ties. Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. GAINING MOMENTUM The China-CEEC cooperation is gaining momentum, tapping the huge market potential in an area home to many emerging economies. China General Nuclear Power Corporation is negotiating to build two additional nuclear power units in Cernavoda in southeast Romania. The 7-billion-Euro or 8.3-billion-dollar project will be the largest one so far between China and CEEC. The Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway, a flagship project for regional inter-connectivity, is also on the agenda. Zivadin Jovanovic, a Serbian expert on international affairs, told Xinhua, "Serbia and China will expand cooperation in infrastructure building, manufacturing, food processing and other sectors." Wang Yiwei, an expert on Europe with Renmin University of China, said that the building of the Belt and Road could improve the "16+1" format which was launched in Warsaw in 2012. "The format serves a framework that we can realize the win-win scenario for China and the European Union," Wang said. Czech President Milos Zeman said that efforts to push forward the Belt and Road Initiative within the framework of the "16+1" format will bring more opportunities to this region. MUTUAL BENEFITS The China-CEEC cooperation comes with reciprocity. Chinese investment in CEEC is now over 9 billion U.S. dollars while CEEC invested 1.4 billion dollars in China. In the first three quarters of this year, the China-CEEC trade exceeded 49 billion dollars, marking an increase of 14.5 percent year-on-year while China's imports from CEEC rose 21.9 percent. The increasing demand from China means a huge market for CEEC manufacturers. A Chinese company which bought in Lobkowicz Brewery Group in the Czech Republic not only helped preserve its traditional brewery skills, but also hopefully brought the prestigious Czech beer to Chinese groceries through China-Europe regular freight trains. The CEEC along the China-Europe railway connect the Asian and European continents and make up nearly one fourth of the countries along the Belt and Road. Jan Kohout, advisor to the Czech president, said the Belt and Road Initiative is one of the highlights of China's foreign policies, playing an important role in European and Asian development. "China and CEEC are making headway, building a community of shared future with practical actions," Wang said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 17:55:38|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close HARARE, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean security services on Monday warned Zimbabweans to abide by the country's laws and desist from criminal behavior following the deposing of former President Robert Mugabe. "Let us all remain united and peaceful and respectful of our national laws and by laws. Law enforcement agents are already receiving reports of looting and illegal occupation of other people's properties, particularly farms and houses," said Zimbabwe Defense Forces spokesperson colonel Overson Mugwisi at a joint press conference with the police. "This behavior is criminal and against the spirit of non vengeful retribution and will be met by the full wrath of the law," Mugwisi said. Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) spokesperson Charity Charamba said the situation in the country had returned to normal following the inauguration of Emmerson Mnangagwa as interim president on Nov. 24. She said police were therefore resuming their normal duties after stopping them when the military launched an operation on Nov. 15 that culminated in the resignation of Mugabe on Nov. 21. "We wish therefore to advise the nation that the ZRP is now assuming its role as stipulated in the Constitution of Zimbabwe," Charamba said. "You will soon notice the ZDF and ZRP members conducting joint patrols especially in Harare's central business district. We urge you all progressive Zimbabweans to respect the country's laws and cooperate with our officers as they perform their duties," she said. Unconfirmed media reports last week said a wheat farm belonging to Mugabe's daughter Bona had been burnt down by unknown assailants while the homes of some cabinet ministers targeted by the military operation had been raided. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 18:05:44|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank, said Monday it has extended a currency swap agreement with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The size of the swap line is 400 billion yuan (60.6 billion U.S. dollars) or 470 billion Hong Kong dollars, according to a PBOC statement. The two parties believe the extension will help maintain regional financial stability, support trade and investment between the mainland and Hong Kong, and develop Hong Kong's offshore yuan market, the PBOC said. The pact is valid for three years and can be extended upon mutual consent. A currency swap deal allows two institutions to exchange payments in one currency for equivalent amounts in the other to facilitate bilateral trade settlements and provide liquidity support to financial markets. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 18:05:44|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close HANOI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese government is striving to accelerate the development of the internet, the digital content industry and value-added applications on the internet to benefit more enterprises and people. Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Hong Hai made the statement on Monday at the 2017 Vietnam Internet Forum entitled "Digital For Good," held in Hanoi by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Swedish Embassy. Vietnam, which joined the internet in December 1997, currently has over 50 million frequent internet users, or 54 percent of the country's total population, higher than the world's average rate, he said. According to many local corporate officials, rapid changes in information technology, especially in Internet connection, artificial intelligence and big data are offering great opportunities to enterprises and people. At a recent business meeting in Vietnam, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that the birth of new technologies like the internet of things, artificial intelligence, robot technology, nanotechnology and 3D printing technology are changing mindsets as well as the way of making wealth and the lives of people. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 18:10:47|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's National Assembly declared on Monday the validity of 44 new lawmakers from three parties to replace seats of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) after it was dissolved by the Supreme Court. A total of 67 lawmakers from the ruling Cambodian People's Party ratified the eligibility of those lawmakers for memberships of the National Assembly. The declaration came after The National Election Committee announced on Thursday that CNRP's 55 parliamentary seats had been redistributed to five minor parties: the Funcinpec Party of Prince Norodom Ranariddh got 41 seats, the League for Democracy Party six, the Khmer Anti-Poverty Party five, the Cambodian Nationality Party two and the Khmer Economic Development Party one. However, the League for Democracy Party and the Khmer Anti-Poverty Party refused to take up the seats. Earlier in the week, the ruling Cambodian People's Party said that they will take 11 seats that were rejected by League for Democracy Party and the Khmer Anti-Poverty Party. The National Assembly consists of 123 seats in which 68 are possessed by Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party. The Supreme Court ordered on Nov. 16 dissolution of the CNRP and banned its 118 senior leaders from politics for five years after its leader Kem Sokha was arrested on Sept. 3 and charged with "treason." Kem Sokha, 64, was accused of plotting the overthrow of the government. The CNRP dissolution left 55 CNRP lawmakers and 5,007 commune councilors lost their positions. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 18:35:56|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar will pay his first official visit to China from Dec. 3 to 5, less than two months after Mongolia's new government was formed. "The new Mongolian government has taken a positive attitude towards China, and China is willing to work with Mongolia to promote bilateral relations and pragmatic cooperation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said at a daily news briefing. During the visit, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold talks with Tsogtbaatar on strengthening political mutual trust, practical cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, Geng said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 18:51:01|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close DHAKA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A High Court Division Bench in Bangladesh on Monday upheld death sentence for 139 convicts and life imprisonment for 185 others in the mutiny case in 2009 which left 74 people dead, including 57 officers from the army. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 18:56:05|Editor: Jiaxin Video Player Close MOSCOW, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The China-Russia joint construction of the "Silk Road on Ice" (SRI) will facilitate the pairing of their strategic initiatives and promote comprehensive cooperation of the two countries in the Arctic area, a Russian expert told Xinhua in a recent interview. "The initiative to create the Eurasian Economic Partnership and to conjugate it with the Belt and Road Initiative is becoming a global initiative to change the existing world order radically," said Vladimir Remyga, chairman of the Coordination Council for Cooperation with Business Associations of Asia of the International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ICIE). The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In December 2015, in his annual state of the union address to the Russian Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin announced the idea of a greater Eurasian partnership, which is based on the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) officially established in January 2015. The Russia-led EEU, which groups Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, is an economic bloc aiming to optimize the flow of goods and services among its members. During a visit to Moscow in May 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an agreement with Putin on aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the EEU. Noting that Russia is an important partner in the construction of the Belt and Road, Xi in July urged the two countries to carry out the Northern Sea Route cooperation so as to realize an "Ice Silk Road." The SRI refers to a shortcut between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans through the Arctic. It is widely seen as the third arch of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, which is originally composed of one route spanning westward from China to Europe, and the other extending from the country's eastern coastline down to the Indian Ocean. As leading players in pushing forward the global initiative, Russia and China have advanced from general agreements to practical implementation, including a joint feasibility study of the Eurasian Economic Partnership Agreement expected to be ready by the end of 2017, Remyga said. "During the meeting of the heads of governments of Russia and China in early November, joint construction of the SRI was actively discussed as an important part of the formation of the Great Eurasian Partnership and the Belt and Road Initiative," Remyga said. According to Remyga, the discussion on the joint construction of the SRI was given a significant impetus by the adoption of Russia's new program for the development of the Arctic zone until 2025, with a budget financing of over 16 billion rubles (274 million U.S. dollars). "Cooperation with China is largely considered as an important driver for the implementation of this program," he said.8 Within this context, joint development of oil and gas fields as well as the construction of various types of infrastructure facilities like railways and ports are being explored by the two countries, the expert said. "The core cooperation area is the development of the infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route and the establishment of cargo transportation through it, in order to transform the route into a global competitive transport artery," Remyga said. The Northern Sea Route, a strategic shipping passage between Asia and Europe that runs along Russia's Arctic coast, is seen as a fundamental part of the SRI. It is estimated that if fully opened, the Arctic route will cut the annual costs of international maritime trade by 53.3-127.4 billion dollars by 2020. Despite progress in cooperation, there are problems in exploiting the Northern Sea Route and implementing relevant infrastructure projects, including a significant shortage of ice-class cargo ships, Remyga said. "Construction of the new powerful nuclear icebreakers has begun in Russia. The first of the three ships, the icebreaker Arktika, will be launched soon, to be followed by Siberia in 2019 and Ural in 2020. But the construction of ice-class cargo ships has not yet begun," he said. According to Remyga, China and Russia are currently conducting negotiations on setting up a joint-venture company for the construction of ice-class cargo vessels as well as the upgrade of ports and overall navigation infrastructure. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 18:56:06|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close ZARANJ, Afghanistan, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Nine soldiers were killed after Taliban insurgents attacked an army checkpoint in Afghanistan's western province of Nimroz on Monday, a local official said. "Armed militants attacked the checkpoint in the morning in Khash Rod district along a main road, killing nine army soldiers," Ahmad Arab provincial government spokesman told Xinhua. Several militants were also killed and wounded during the gun battle, but their number could not be exactly specified as the militants evacuated their casualties after the fighting, he said. One army trooper was also wounded and the checkpoint was destroyed. The Taliban insurgency has been on the rampage since the beginning of 2015 when the Afghan security forces assumed full responsibilities of security from the U.S. and NATO troops. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:01:08|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close MADRID, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Police in Catalonia (Mossos d'Esquadra) detained two people in an operation against a suspected jihadist recruitment cell in the early hours of Monday, Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said. The operation took place in Sant Pere de Ribes, about 30 km south of Barcelona. "Two people were detained for supporting DAESH (Islamic State) in an operation carried out by the Mossos in Barcelona," Zoido tweeted. Police sources have confirmed that the operation began at 4:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) and is still going on, possibly with more captures. The operation on Monday brings the total number of suspected jihadists detained in Spain since the beginning of 2015 to 256. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:06:10|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close GAZA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement on Monday called on the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to lift the sanctions, which Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas imposed on the Gaza Strip in June. Khalil al-Hayyah, deputy chief of Hamas in Gaza told a news conference that the PNA and Abbas Fatah Party should stop linking between lifting the sanctions and enabling the PNA consensus government to take full control in the Gaza Strip. "Hamas has been always flexible towards reconciliation and will be so. We don't regret for what we did and we will carry on with reconciliation," said al-Hayyah. Last week, Hamas, Abbas Fatah Party and 11 other Palestinian factions held a round of two-day broader reconciliation dialogue, which failed to discuss or resolve crucial issues to end more than ten years of internal Palestinian split. "We went to Cairo in accordance to October 12 reconciliation agreement to discuss all issues of reconciliation which were mentioned in Cairo agreement signed in May 2011," he said, adding "but Fatah had different opinion." On October 12, Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement in Cairo, where part of it was implemented, which is related to handing over all ministries and crossing points to the consensus government of Hamdallah. However, the government complained that security is still in the hands of Hamas, where disputes and arguments between the two rival groups went up to the surface. The ministry of interior is the only ministry that still in the grip of Hamas. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:11:13|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government approved Sunday a decision to build a tourist trail along the length and breadth of Israel that exposes the landscapes and cultural diversity of the country. A budget of NIS 10 million (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars) will be allocated according to the decision, and the Israeli Tourism Ministry will head a development team for it. It is the first time that the Israeli government has taken part in such a project, which has tourist and historical implications. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the project is needed for the country's tourism potential. "This is an outstanding enterprise." The proposed route will leverage tourism throughout the country -- the north, which is characterized by verdant landscapes and water sources, and the south, with its desert landscapes, as well as offering tourists the possibility to hike between the holy sites. The Ministry of Tourism will submit to the Israeli government within 120 days its recommendations for a strategic plan to develop the trail. The decision states that the economic potential of such tourism to the periphery is significant with the ability to generate increases in hospitality options, eating places, tourist attractions and more. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said the decision to construct a tourist trail throughout Israel is an important decision against the background of the all-time record breaking figures in incoming tourism and the efforts to add tourist attractions that will benefit visitors and tourists in Israel. According to the ministry, the path will expose tourists to Israel's landscapes and sites and will bring hikers to all parts of the country, including the periphery, thereby making significant economic contributions to these areas. The proposal also details the economic potential of the trans-Israel trail both for domestic and incoming tourism. Israel's three millionth tourist this year landed in Israel on Nov. 7, marking a new all-time record for incoming tourism in Israel. Figures from the ministry show that the number of tourists (including day visitors) totaled 3.17 million during the first 10 months of this year, up 27 percent compared with the same period of 2016. Since the beginning of 2017, tourism has become one of the most significant economic engines in the Israeli economy and revenue from incoming tourism stands at about NIS 17 billion (about 4.9 billion dollars). The average expenditure of a tourist in Israel is about 1,500 dollars. BEIRUT - Union of Lebanon's Tripoli Municipalities signed an agreement with China's Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (SRCIC) on Saturday to join the SRCIC for active role in the Belt and Road Initiative. Head of Union of Tripoli's Municipalities Ahmad Qamareddine and Chairman of the Silk Road Chamber of International Commerce (SRCIC) Lu Jianzhong signed the agreement. The agreement signing was also attended by Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian and other officials. Kassar hailed the Union of Tripoli's municipalities for joining the SRCICI, pointing to the "special importance of Tripoli and its huge potentials not only for Lebanon but for the whole region which enables it to enhance trade with China." He added "we will not spare any effort in boosting Tripoli's standing and it openness on Chinese markets and such an alliance will prepare it to become a special hub for cooperation with China within the Belt and Road initiative." Kassar pointed to the strategic location of Tripoli and its seaport on the Mediterranean and it human resources and infrastructure including the airport and railroads and logistic services it provides. He stressed "I am fully prepared to put my historic and long relations with China in the service of boosting the mutual benefits between Lebanon and China." For his part, Qamareddine hailed Qassar's efforts in promoting Tripoli to become "an important economic location on the SRCIC map and in boosting the city to become an economical capital of Lebanon and a main hub for the reconstruction of Syria." Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:11:14|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close PYONGYANG, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has sent condolences to Egypt over the deadly terrorist attack in Sinai last week, said the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Monday. Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of sympathy to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday, expressing condolences to the Middle East country, according to the KCNA. DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho also sent a message of sympathy to his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on Sunday, it said. Militants reportedly carrying the flag of the Islamic State (IS) launched the bomb and gun attack on a mosque in Egypt's North Sinai province, killing at least 304 people and injuring 120 more. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:16:15|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close DHAKA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A High Court Division Bench in Bangladesh on Monday upheld death sentence for 139 convicts and life imprisonment for 185 others of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), previously known as Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), for a 2009 mutiny which left 74 people dead, including 57 officers from the army. The division bench of Justice Nazrul Islam, Justice Shawkat Hossain and Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique delivered the verdict. The High Court division also upheld jail terms ranging from three to 10 years to 196 border guards. A total of 850 people, including 823 BDR jawans and 23 civilians, were accused in the case. Of the accused, 813 were detained, 13 were on bail, 20 were on the run while four died in custody. It was not known immediately whether any of the civilians accused in the case was awarded death sentence. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:21:18|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Intensified fighting between Somali government forces backed by African Union peacekeepers and Al-Shabaab militants has forced more than 10,000 people to flee in Somalia's southern region in November, the UN said on Monday. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the displacements were caused by both aerial bombardment and ground fighting which occurred in Middle and Lower Shabelle regions. "Confrontations between government forces and the militant group have also considerably intensified in several other parts of the region. At the same time, tensions remain increasingly high in outlying villages along the Bal'ad/Afgoye axis that connect Middle and Lower Shabelle regions," said the UNHCR in its latest displacement report. According to UNHCR's Protection & Return Monitoring Network (PRMN), these continuing military operations have heightened insecurity, prompting a wave of new displacements in addition to destruction of livelihood and shelter assets. "This generalized insecurity, which has led to a sharp increase in the number of road blocks and checkpoints, has also precipitated movement restrictions, extortion, torture and sexual abuse by all parties," the UNHCR said. According to the UN, over 1 million people have been internally displaced in Somalia since January, mainly due to drought, but also because of conflict, insecurity and flooding. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:36:23|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- India and Greece on Monday signed an air services agreement and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of new and renewable energy, officials said. The agreement was signed in New Delhi between India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her visiting Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias. The two top diplomats held detailed discussions on all aspects of the bilateral relationship. The pacts were inked after talks between the two sides, India's state-run broadcaster All India Radio reported. "They also re-affirmed commitment to further expanding cooperation in mutually beneficial spheres," the report said. Kotzias arrived here Saturday night on a three-day visit to India. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:41:25|Editor: pengying Video Player Close Prince Harry (L) and Meghan Markle attend an official photocall to announce their engagement in London, Britain, on Nov. 27, 2017. British royal family confirmed Monday that Prince Harry has already been engaged with his girlfriend Meghan Markle earlier this month in London. (Xinhua) LONDON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- British royal family confirmed Monday that Prince Harry has already been engaged with his girlfriend Meghan Markle earlier this month in London. The announcement, issued by Clarence House, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's official residence, said the wedding will be held in spring next year and details about the wedding day would be "announced in due course". The fifth in line to the British throne said that he has proposed to the American actress following a one year relationship and she's happily accepted. The couple will live at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in London after married. In a statement, Prince Charles said he was "delighted to announce" his son's news and that Harry had received the blessing of Markle's parents. It's believed that Harry would have asked his grandmother The Queen's permission before popping the question. Harry first confirmed his relationship with Markle in November 2016, in a statement from Kensington Palace attacking the media for subjecting her to a "wave of abuse and harassment". The two made their first public appearance as a couple in September this year. Markle, who played Rachel Zane in U.S. TV drama Suits, was born on 4 August 1981 and grew up in Los Angeles but now lives in Toronto. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:46:27|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's innovation-driven economic development in recent years received high attention in the first NEXT Summit held in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, on Monday. China's high-speed railway network, e-commerce, new energy products, and bicycle sharing were hot topics in the summit where some 400 delegates from the academic and business circles discussed international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China in 2013. Sun Zhuangzhi, deputy director of the Institute of Sociology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the summit that China is "the most successful practitioner and the biggest beneficiary of innovation-driven growth." Yang Yong of the Caroline Sunrise Cruise introduced the idea of combining cruise tourism with the pension industry, which will help Chinese elders to reach out to the world. At the summit, many Chinese enterprises and universities signed memorandums of cooperation with their New Zealand counterparts in fields such as education and tourism. New Zealand companies have expressed their hope of enhancing cooperation with Chinese enterprises on innovative development. Sun said that with the progress of the Belt and Road Initiative, innovation-driven growth will first bring benefits to countries along the route and help boost the transformation and development of their economies. "The solution offered by China will create a new opportunity for the entire Asia-Pacific economy," he said. The NEXT Summit, organized by the Oceania Silk Road Network along with New Zealand Green Industry Association and New Zealand Chinese Scientists Association, aims to promote international resource mobilization and capacity building through innovative cooperation among countries and regions, deepen international trade cooperation, and promote sustainable development. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 19:56:31|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have developed a 3D bio-printer that makes it possible to mass produce human tissue, including skin, cartilage and liver. Measuring 1.6 meters long, 1 meter wide and 1.9 meters tall, the printer was developed by a research team led by Hangzhou Regenovo Biotechnology Co., Ltd. "Mass production of medical materials as well as quality and safe printed products are two requirements for the clinical use of 3D printing," said the company's chairman, Xu Ming'en. 3D printing is not yet ubiquitous. Many bio-printers on the market remain too slow for mass production, or the printed products are not up to standards. Xu said that the new printer, equipped with a variety of nozzles, can print more types of biological materials in a given period. Different parts of the printer can control their own temperatures, ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 260 degrees Celsius, to help preserve cell function and viability. In addition, it has an infrared laser scanning head with micron-level accuracy, which can check the quality of the inner structure of products while printing, according to Wang Ling, associate professor with Hangzhou Dianzi University. Wang is also the developer of the scanning head. The new 3D bio-printer will contribute to the clinical application of artificial tissues and organs. The 3D printed tissues and organs can also be used to test new medicines. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 20:01:35|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close DHAKA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A High Court Division Bench in Bangladesh on Monday upheld death sentence for 139 convicts and life imprisonment for 185 others of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), previously known as Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), for a 2009 mutiny which left 74 people dead including 57 officers from the Army. Amid tight security, the High Court division bench of Justice Nazrul Islam, Justice Shawkat Hossain and Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique delivered the mass verdict in the mutiny murder case, which is considered the largest of its type in the world. The High Court division also awarded jail terms ranging from three to 10 years to 196 border guards. Another 49 were acquitted of all charges. The High Court bench led by Justice Shawkat Hossain started announcing the 10,000-page verdict, with observations of over 1,000 pages, on Sunday morning. All the accused have the right to appeal with the apex court against their convictions. The former border guards had been accused of such offenses as killings, attempted murder, looting and arson committed during the horrendous mutiny. The special courts of the BGB had earlier awarded jail terms ranging from four months to seven years to nearly 6,000 border guards. The trial of Bangladesh's border guards facing charges of mutiny crimes at the paramilitary force's headquarters began in 2011. A Dhaka court on Nov. 5, 2013 awarded death to 152 BGB personnel. Some 161 people, including two leaders of ruling Bangladesh Awami League party and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, were sentenced to life imprisonment. The BDR revolt, which took place less than two months after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took office for the second time, threatened the stability of her government and raised fears of military intervention. The BDR soldiers staged revolt against their army officers reportedly over salary and other benefits. An official probe into the mutiny said the incident is the outburst of many years of pent up grievances of the BDR soldiers over ignored pleas for pay hikes. Prime Minister Hasina chose a negotiated settlement instead of calling in the army to quell the revolt. During the mutiny, over 7,000 BDR personnel were reportedly at the headquarters of the paramilitary force which, with around 67,000 members, is guarding the country's long border line of 4,427 km with India and Myanmar. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 20:11:37|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close YANGON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese higher education exhibition was held in Myanmar's Yangon on Monday to offer Myanmar students access to modern education at Chinese universities. The fourth Chinese high-level education show, held at the Summit Parkview Hotel, was attended by about 100 Myanmar students. Central Executive Member of Myanmar-China Friendship Association U Sein Nyunt told the opening ceremony that under the agreement of the two governments, Myanmar had sent 200 students to 10 schools in China to learn professional education in 2016-17 and such sending will continue, urging students to learn Chinese language. Headmaster of Fuqing Confucius Center Tun Naing said that Chinese language is currently a key world language, calling on students to pursue the language up to Doctor Degree with the support of scholarship and by mastering the language, it will get better job opportunities and higher pay. Cai Li of Shanghai Ocean University's International Relations Department, who is responsible for student enrollment, told Xinhua that students, who are graduated with their related major, are welcome to pursue master degree or even doctor degree at the university. He invited scholars and researchers of Myanmar to join the higher education teaching program of the Shanghai Ocean University launched in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 20:21:40|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close ZAGREB, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Croatia is ready to welcome more cooperation with China, local experts told Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) on Monday morning. The sixth meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries is underway in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, with the attendance of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plankovic. Jasna Plevnik, a senior specialist at the Croatian Chamber of Economy, said on HRT that Croatia had all fundamentals for the further development of relations with China. At last year's summit in Riga, she mentioned, Croatia and China signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the matter of ports and port industrial parks, and the Croatian government is ready to cooperate with China under the Belt and Road Initiative. "Until 2014, Croatia was passive in terms of the relations with China. Now I see positive steps and the Croatian government shows interest for better relations," according to Plevnik. She said it was time for a significant shift in terms of economic relations. The Croatian Chamber of Economy is preparing to open an office in Shanghai that should be helpful over Croatian exports. "There is an interest in food industry products, tourism, pharmaceutical products. Croatia could attract Chinese investments in agriculture," Plevnik said. Dario Kuntic, a political analyst, said on HRT that China had become a very important economic power whose ambitions are more than regional. "China is exploiting its economic capacities. It is investing huge money in the world and Europe," Kuntic said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 20:51:49|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Wang Lili SINGAPORE, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Exhibits of the Tang Shipwreck at Singapore's Asian Civilizations Museum displayed the amazing wisdom of the Ancient Chinese, said the American Volunteer guide there Darlene Kasten. With a marketing MBA, Kasten noted in a recent interview with Xinhua that the exhibits demonstrated that the Chinese people in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) had learnt to "customize for the customers on a mass scale," while people elsewhere had seldom done that before. "I am always respectful of China, but it's amazing their innovation in terms of marketing and production dated that far back," she added. In 1998, a shipwreck was discovered off Belitung Island in the Java Sea southeast of Singapore. Bound for Iran and Iraq, it contained a remarkable cargo of more than 60,000 ceramics produced in China during the Tang Dynasty, as well as luxurious objects of gold and silver. The Tang Shipwreck was acquired through a donation from the Estate of Khoo Teck Puat in honor of the late Singaporean Khoo Teck Puat and was open to the public at the end of 2015. Some of the exhibits bear evidence of influence from the exotic cultures, which experts believe to be a testimony of both the commercial and cultural links between China and the outside world, Kasten said. Kasten cited her favorite amongst the discovery -- a golden Octagonal cup with images of musicians and a dancer as an example. According to her, it combines the old land silk road and the maritime silk road in one object. She elaborated that the cup depicts scenes from the land silk road and was found on a ship on the maritime silk road, thus embodying the entire experience of globalization. Much of the cargo aboard the ship was kept intact, which was very lucky, Kasten said, adding that "it's absolutely an amazing discovery" and she loved to guide on that. Kasten has been living in Singapore for nearly two years. Last September, when she heard of the volunteer training program, she enrolled in. "Even though it's a volunteer job, you are putting 20 to 30 hours a week, between lectures and trips and a lot of reading," she said of her formal training which ended at the end of March. Then she wrote a paper highlighting three galleries of the Asian Civilizations Museum and presented it before being qualified for a volunteer guide this May. This year, Kasten acted as the co-head for the new batch of guide applicants, with a total of 30 coming from Europe, America, China, Japan, Russia, the Netherlands and Singapore. Glad to share her knowledge on the exhibits with new comers and visitors, Kasten admitted that she had never heard of the shipwreck before, and deemed it to deserve more attention. Kasten was happy to learn that 78 pieces of the shipwreck collections were on display earlier this year in New York's Asia Society. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 21:11:52|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close by Xinhua writer Zhu Sheng DUISBURG, Germany, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The city of Duisburg, Germany's biggest inland port, is on one end of the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe rail line, which opened in 2011 from the Chinese southwest city of Chongqing. In recent years, more and more trains operated by the China Railway Express (CRE) from Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Suzhou, Yiwu and other Chinese cities are arriving here. It takes only 13 days for goods to arrive in Duisburg from Chongqing by rail, 30 days less than by sea, and at a fifth of the cost of air freight. According to industry experts, the China-Europe freight train services have been providing solutions for the international logistics industry and promoting international trade ties and economic development along the Belt and Road Initiative countries. CRE conducts freight transportation between China and Europe. The trains bring unlimited business opportunity and bring Duisburg and China much closer, Mayor of Duisburg Soeren Link told Xinhua in a written interview. More and more frequently, Duisburg is called as "China City", he added. THRIVING CITY In 2014, Link witnessed the arrival of China-Europe trains at the Duisburg Intermodal Terminal (DIT), together with Chinese leaders. At that time, there were three trains operating to and from Duisburg and Chongqing every week. Today, the number has increased to over 25 per week. Daniel Thomas, of DIT Duisburg Intermodal Terminal, said that among them, 17 trains are westbound (from China to Europe), while another eight are eastbound. According to data from consultants GFW Duisburg, the number of Chinese businesses has grown steadily since 2014. More than 100 Chinese companies have so far settled here. At the same time, around 50,000 import and export containers were transported by CRE trains in 2016, almost four times of the amount in 2014. "These numbers show the Belt and Road Initiative has brought many economic development opportunities to Duisburg," Link said. The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade, investment and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes. CHANGING TIMES As CRE business continues to flourish, DIT management is considering how to improve efficiency as business changes over the years. Eight years ago, DIT terminal were using waterways and trains much more frequently than trucking. Now with CRE, the company needs more trucking services, Thomas said, adding they need to truck 10 containers per week. "Our trucking service has to change. We need more drivers who are willing to drive long distance," Thomas continued. In addition, DIT needs to deal with long-standing empty containers because of the imbalance between eastbound and westbound trains. Shan Jing, business development manager of Far East Land Bridge Ltd (FELB), said that custom clearance has become more efficient and FELB, as a railway operator, has also received support from local Chinese governments because of the Belt and Road Initiative. "The Belt and Road Initiative supplies new development opportunities. It improves transit efficiency and helps to enlarge our service portfolio," Shan added. IMPROVING PROCESSES So far, most CRE trains were mainly to and from Germany via the Polish village of Mataszewicze, which could lead to congestion and further affect the punctuality of the trains. All sides are trying their best to overcome the logistical challenges, which sometimes impact clients. Shan advised improving the network and creating direct connections between EU borders and terminals in other countries. He believed this would create new cargo options and reduce congestion in some main terminals. "The issue should be dealt with a development perspective. CRE is always growing and expanding. There are many possibilities considering the change of requirements from customers and the market. CRE will definitely continue developing its potential," Shan said. Thomas is also optimistic about the future. "In general, I think there is a bright future for CRE trains as an alternative for deep-sea transport and air freight." Link said that Chinese investment, and the jobs and economic vitality it brings, are welcome in Duisburg. "I'm very glad to see that Duisburg is marked on the strategic map of the Belt and Road Initiative. The city will be a model for German-Sino cooperation," Link said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 21:21:55|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close HONG KONG, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Food safety authority of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced Monday to suspend import of poultry meat from a district in the State of Lower Saxony in Germany. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the HKSAR government's Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said that in view of a notification from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) about an outbreak of low-pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza in the District of Rotenburg, State of Lower Saxony in Germany, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend import of poultry meat and products, including poultry eggs, from the district with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong. A CFS spokesman said that in the first nine months of this year, Hong Kong imported about 1,700 tons of frozen poultry meat and 1.1 million poultry eggs from Germany. "The CFS has contacted the German authorities over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation," the spokesman said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 21:41:59|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close DUBAI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and U.S. demand for petrochemicals will drive the global demand for oil next year, expert said on Monday at the three-day Gulf Petrochemical and Chemical Association Forum. Demand for oil in China and the U.S. is expected to continue to grow next year, Vice President of Refining and Chemicals at research firm Wood Mackenzie Alan Gelder said, "and globally, we see 3.5 percent growth for petrochemical products in 2018." The growth of oil-related manufacturing like the production of ethane and propane, which are basic materials for plastic, was the main driver for the demand of the "black gold." A dip in demand for oil as seen in the third quarter of 2017 "was a one-off mostly driven by Hurricane Harvey which hit demand for petrochemicals in the United States," Gelder added. Harvey lasted from Aug. 17 to Sept. 3 in the southwest of the United States and was, with 200 billion U.S. dollars in damage, the costliest storm on record, topping Katrina from 2005. Gelder also mentioned that the slight slowing down of China's economic growth, saying it "does not mean China's economy is declining, in fact it keeps growing." Asia's oil demand growth remains strong, and more balanced between gasoline and diesel/gas oil, said the analyst. Earlier in October, the International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for China's economic growth in 2017 and 2018, saying the Chinese economy would climb 6.8 percent this year and 6.5 percent next year, both 0.1 percentage point higher than its previous forecast in July, citing the stronger-than-expected performance in the first half of the year and continuous policy support. Nevertheless Wood Mackzenzie does not expect the price of oil to rise sharply, but it anticipates Brent to trade at 65 dollars per barrel by 2020, despite the agreement between OEPC and Russia to cap production to lift the price. "That is because OPEC (the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries) members Libya and Nigeria increase their production levels which mitigate OPEC and Russian production restraints, albeit OPEC adherence to cuts was strong in the first half," Gelder pointed out. Currently, Brent trades around 60 dollars per barrel. On Nov. 30, the 14 OPEC members will gather for their 173rd ordinary meeting and their third OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting at the cartel's headquarters in Vienna, Austria. On the top of the agenda is the discussion point whether the 14 OPEC member states and the 11 non-OPEC members led by Russia will extend their pact from January this year to cut oil production by a combined 1.8 million barrels per day in order to squeeze oversupplied global stockpiles and thus to lift prices. The agreed production volume of oil was set at 32 million barrels per day since then. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 22:07:08|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party (CPWDP), one of China's eight non-communist political parties, will elect a new leadership during its 16th National Congress, which opened here Monday. Chen Zhu, chairman of the CPWDP Central Committee, called on party members to learn the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) earnestly and adhere to the CPC leadership, while delivering a work report at the opening session. The CPWDP should contribute more wisdom and power to the country's "two centenary goals" and the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, said Chen, also vice-chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. Also on Monday, Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, met with the delegates to the congress and gave a congratulatory speech on behalf of the CPC Central Committee. Li affirmed the contributions made by the CPWDP members over the past five years in the fields of healthcare, population resources and ecological protection. The CPC will uphold and improve the system of CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation in accordance with the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, Li said. In handling its relationships with other political parties, "the CPC would adhere to the principle of long-term coexistence, mutual oversight, treating each other with sincerity and sharing of both good and bad times," according to Li. Li said the CPC would support these parties in performing their duties in accordance with the requirements of the Chinese socialist system for their participation in governance, and consolidate and develop the broadest possible patriotic united front. Li called on the CPWDP members to closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, bring their professional advantages into full play, conduct in-depth research and give more advices. During the CPWDP national congress, delegates would hear and deliberate the report of the party's 15th Central Committee, review and approve an amendment to the CPWDP Constitution, and elect a new leadership. Founded in August 1930 in Shanghai, the CPWDP is comprised of members who are mainly intellectuals in the fields of healthcare, population resources and ecological protection. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 22:12:09|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close BERLIN, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The German Social Democrats (SPD) have begun staking out their conditions for the renewal of a "grand coalition" with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) on Monday. Thorsten Schaefer-Guembel, SPD vice president, insisted that his party's tax reform plans would have to be implemented if it were to form another government under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU). The SPD's electoral manifesto on taxes constituted "the basis" for any possible cooperation, Schaefer-Guembel told the newspaper "Rheinische Post", demanding higher taxes for top income earners, as well as greater efforts to combat tax evasion. Merkel and leading CDU politicians met earlier on Sunday, deciding that they would determine their own negotiation strategy after the upcoming SPD party conference held in Berlin from December 7 until December 9. Germany's policy towards Europe is a particular source of tension and highlights the potentially far-reaching international implications of the outcome of negotiations between the CDU and SPD. According to German media, Merkel urged her party on Sunday night to arrive at position in response to the widely-publicized proposals for European reform made by French president Emmanuel Macron, anticipating that the SPD could demand a commitment to support Macron as a condition for their domestic legislative support. The collapse of "Jamaica" coalition talks only a little over a week ago has thrust traditionally stable Germany into a rare moment of political crisis. Merkel's CDU has since preferred another legislative alliance with the SPD over holding re-elections or attempting to form a minority government. "We have the firm intention to form a government with the capability to act," Daniel Guenther (CDU), governor of Schleswig-Holstein, told press on Sunday night after a four-hour consultation with leading party members. "That (government) is the grand coalition," Guenther said. The CDU would only reassess its stance if the negotiations with the SPD failed. Earlier, the SPD had surprisingly retracted its pledge to return to the Federal Parliament's (Bundestag) opposition benches made by party leader Schulz immediately after his electoral defeat in September. At the time, the SPD, as well as the CDU and CSU seemed to have little desire for another "grand coalition". Following the Free Democratic Party's (FDP) abandonment of "Jamaica" coalition talks with the CDU, CSU and Greens (Gruene), however, the political arithmetic in Berlin has changed dramatically. CSU leader Horst Seehofer went as far as to describe a legislative pact between his party, the CDU and SPD as the "best option for Germany". By contrast, Schulz and some other SPD politicians have been much more hesitant to embrace the possibility of forming another "grand coalition". German media cited widespread concerns in the SPD that the party would emerged weakened even further from another legislative term in the shadow of veteran Chancellor Merkel. Schulz was only persuaded to hold coalition talks with the CDU and CSU after an emergency plea by German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The first such official discussion is to take place together with Steinmeier at the presidential palace in Berlin on Thursday. The Social Democrats appear divided as Malu Dreyer (SPD), Governor of Rhineland-Palatinate, said on the public broadcaster "ZDF" that she wanted to prevent a re-run of the "grand coalition". Instead, Dreyer proposed supporting a CDU/CSU minority government. Frictions were also already apparent between the two parties. Volker Bouffier (CDU), Governor of Hesse, attacked the SPD for drawing red lines in an overly-enthusiastic fashion. Rather than "continuously demanding", Bouffier urged the SPD "not to overdo it". Senior CDU politician Julia Kloeckner voiced a similar concern, calling on the SPD to compose "realistic wish-lists" despite the fact that Christmas was "only four weeks away". Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 22:12:11|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Tariff cuts on a wide range of consumer goods will give a boost to foreign brands in the Chinese market, and in the long run, should benefit domestic producers. Effective next month, tariffs on 187 product categories such as baby formula, diapers and cosmetics will be reduced from 17.3 percent to 7.7 percent on average, the Ministry of Finance said on Friday. Tariffs on some types of baby formula and disposable diapers will be cut to zero. The reduction will allow consumers cheaper access to high-quality or specialty products that can not be produced at home to meet increasing domestic demand, the ministry said. The new plan echoes government's pledge to bolster imports, open up domestic market, and strike a balanced trade. The move will help companies such as Nestle SA and Danone, as Chinese parents prefer foreign brands after a series of issues with domestic baby products. Research by GF Securities showed foreign branded infant formula accounting for about 50 percent of China's market, down from a peak of 57 percent after a 2008 scandal. However, foreign brands hold a prominent say in the first and second-tier cities. According to the Analysis.cn, a market data provider, 73 percent of the first-tier city consumers favor imported infant formula over domestic ones. Buoyed by the news, shares of Nestle SA and Danone gained on Friday. According to a Goldman Sachs, China's diary industry sales should increase by about 15 percent to 123 billion yuan (17 billion U.S. dollars) by 2020. Procter & Gamble is among the foreign companies poised to benefit. "While P&G products for Chinese consumers are largely manufactured in China, this will allow Chinese consumers even more access to our latest global innovations," Bloomberg quoted P&G's Rene Co as saying. China plans to increase imports to meet domestic demand and appease complaints about its massive trade surplus. To bolster imports, Wang Bingnan, Vice Minister of Commerce, promised fiscal and monetary policy support for lower tariffs on consumer goods, faster customs clearance and reduced paperwork. Tariffs have been cut four times on imported consumer goods since 2015, with taxes on 152 categories of products lowered by an average of 50 percent. Analysts said lower tariff will encourage people to buy imported products at home instead of overseas, which boosts domestic consumption. According to the World Tourism Organization, Chinese tourists spent 261 billion U.S. dollars overseas in 2016, up 12 percent year on year. If one third of that consumption could be turned into domestic consumption, experts say, it would lift the contribution of consumption to GDP by one percentage point. While the new move may be a blow to domestic producers in the short run, it should mean improved quality and lower prices in the long run. The milk industry has been in the shadow of a safety scandal since 2008, when infant formula produced by Sanlu Group, then a leading dairy company in northern China's Hebei Province, was found to contain the chemical melamine, which killed six babies and left thousands seriously ill. The eventual outcome was that domestic infant formula producers improved their production and delivery processes. The Dairy Association of China has said that 99.5 percent of dairy products checked in 2016 were up to standard and no illegal additives, such as melamine, had been detected in fresh milk for seven years. Yang Zhiyong, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is hoped that lower tariffs will bring good competition between domestic and foreign brands, which creates opportunities for domestic producers. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 22:17:12|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close Julie Bishop, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, announces the winners of the 2017 New Colombo Plan scholarship at the Great Hall of the Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Nov. 27, 2017. Fifteen Australian undergraduate students will have a chance to study and intern in Chinese mainland thanks to the Australian government's New Colombo Plan. (Xinhua/Xu Haijing) by Xu Haijing, Zhao Bo CANBERRA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Fifteen Australian undergraduate students will have a chance to study and intern in Chinese mainland thanks to the Australian government's New Colombo Plan. They are among 120 winners of the 2017 New Colombo Plan scholarship, including 15 others who are going to study in universities in China's Hong Kong. Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop made the announcement of the 120-strong list Monday at the Great Hall of the Parliament House in Canberra. China is one of the most popular destinations of the New Colombo Plan, said Bishop last Thursday at a dinner party celebrating the 45th anniversary of the founding of diplomatic relations between Australian and the People's Republic of China in 1972. "I know that China is making leaps and bounds and leading the way in the industry of computer science. China is making emphasis on pushing on innovation, " said Conor Gould from Griffith University, who won the scholarship to study in a university in Beijing. He hoped to find a Beijing company for internship and learn more about data science and machine-learning. "China is an important country especially in global politics. I'm studying environment and law and China is doing some really interesting things in environment conservation. The idea is to build ecological civilization. I think it's really fascinating," said Tess Van Geelan from Queensland University of Technology, also a winner to study in China. The 120 Australian students will study in 20 host countries and regions, including for the first time, Tonga, the Federated States of Micronesia and New Caledonia. "The New Colombo Plan is for Australian undergraduates and strives to reflect the diversity of our nation -- students from our cities, regional and remote areas, and from a wide range of backgrounds," said Bishop at the awarding ceremony. She also thanked the business community for its ongoing engagement, including scholarships sponsored by PwC and QBE, as well as private sector support for student internships and other work-based learning. Minister Birmingham said the program highlighted the important contribution international exchanges made to Australia's education engagement with the region. "Scholars build connections with their peers, get real-life work experience and boost their employability in the graduate job market." Launched in 2014, the New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Coalition Government. By the end of 2018, more than 30,000 students will have been supported under the program. Israel plans to build a tourist trail along the length and breadth of Israel that exposes more luring landscapes and cultural diversity of the country. (AFP Photo) JERUSALEM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government approved Sunday a decision to build a tourist trail along the length and breadth of Israel that exposes the landscapes and cultural diversity of the country. A budget of NIS 10 million (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars) will be allocated according to the decision, and the Israeli Tourism Ministry will head a development team for it. It is the first time that the Israeli government has taken part in such a project, which has tourist and historical implications. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the project is needed for the country's tourism potential. "This is an outstanding enterprise." The proposed route will leverage tourism throughout the country -- the north, which is characterized by verdant landscapes and water sources, and the south, with its desert landscapes, as well as offering tourists the possibility to hike between the holy sites. The Ministry of Tourism will submit to the Israeli government within 120 days its recommendations for a strategic plan to develop the trail. The decision states that the economic potential of such tourism to the periphery is significant with the ability to generate increases in hospitality options, eating places, tourist attractions and more. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said the decision to construct a tourist trail throughout Israel is an important decision against the background of the all-time record breaking figures in incoming tourism and the efforts to add tourist attractions that will benefit visitors and tourists in Israel. According to the ministry, the path will expose tourists to Israel's landscapes and sites and will bring hikers to all parts of the country, including the periphery, thereby making significant economic contributions to these areas. The proposal also details the economic potential of the trans-Israel trail both for domestic and incoming tourism. Israel's three millionth tourist this year landed in Israel on Nov. 7, marking a new all-time record for incoming tourism in Israel. Figures from the ministry show that the number of tourists (including day visitors) totaled 3.17 million during the first 10 months of this year, up 27 percent compared with the same period of 2016. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 22:22:14|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close RABAT, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The members of the Pan-African Council of the United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) has decided to hold Africities Summit in Morocco in December 2018, local media reported on Monday. The decision was made at the UCLG Africa Executive Committee meeting on Nov. 25 in Grand Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire, said the official MAP news agency. "The holding of this important meeting in Morocco is recognition of the kingdom's efforts in reinforcing decentralization and regionalization," the President of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils Mohamed Boudra said. The organization of the summit in Morocco comes after the Congolese city of Brazzaville Congo had withdrawn from hosting the summit, due to the current financial difficulties that the country is experiencing. The UCLG AFRICA is the umbrella organization and the united voice and representative of local government in Africa. It is an institution that gathers 40 national associations of local governments from all regions of Africa as well as the 2000 cities that have more than 100,000 inhabitants. UCLG AFRICA is a founding member of the United Cities and Local Governments world organization, and its regional section for Africa. UCLG AFRICA is currently headquartered in the Moroccan capital Rabat, where it enjoys a diplomatic status as a Pan-African International Organization. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 22:27:16|Editor: Zhou Xin Video Player Close NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations agency on human settlements said Monday it will assist East Africa states to adopt green housing techniques as a way to promote climate change. Fredrick Ochieng, Energy Expert at the UN-Habitat, told Xinhua in Nairobi that his agency is providing technical advice to the region on how to construct buildings that reduce energy consumption. "The UN is implementing the regional program on promoting energy efficiency in buildings in East Africa so as to mainstream energy efficiency measures into the building codes, building policies and building practices," Ochieng said on the sidelines of the Stakeholders Forum on Validation of Kenya Building Research Institute Bill and Strategic Plan. The UN-Habitat is conducting the exercise in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi where it hopes to catalyze the construction of 600,000 green buildings over a period of five years. Ochieng noted that currently, construction and maintenance of houses consume 60 percent of all energy used in East African. "We want to help the region to improve its efficiency as a way to reduce the amount of green house gases emitted into the atmosphere," he added. The program on promoting green house principles is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and has provided technical assistance in the area of green building, house finance and national building codes for Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda as well as provided input in the development of new building permits in Tanzania. The regional program also trained over 500 architects and quantity surveyors in the field of energy efficiency in buildings. Ochieng noted that the program is responding to the need for more energy savings during the design, construction and operation of buildings. One of the major achievements of the program is the adoption by 10 universities in East Africa of a handbook on sustainable building design for tropical countries as a constituent part of their teaching materials for architects. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 22:37:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close PYONGYANG, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has congratulated Zimbabwe's new president Emmerson Mnangagwa on his inauguration as the head of state, the official Korean Central News Agency said Monday. Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, on Saturday sent a congratulatory message to Mnangagwa, wishing the latter big success in his work for the country's stability and prosperity, as well as regional peace and development. Kim also expressed his belief that the long-standing, traditional, friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to strengthen in the future. The DPRK and Zimbabwe maintained close relationship during the rule of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 22:52:25|Editor: pengying Video Player Close Bangladeshi security members stand guard around Bangladeshi Supreme Court in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, ahead of mutiny trial verdict on Nov. 27, 2017. A High Court Division Bench in Bangladesh has upheld penalty for hundreds in a mutiny case and in its observation recommended a fresh probe into the failure of the intelligence for the carnage which left 74 people dead including 57 officers deputed from the Army. (Xinhua/Salim Reza) by Naim-Ul-Karim DHAKA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A High Court Division Bench in Bangladesh has upheld penalty for hundreds in a mutiny case and in its observation recommended a fresh probe into the failure of the intelligence for the carnage which left 74 people dead including 57 officers deputed from the Army. The court's observation came on the second day of delivering the 10,000-page verdict over the killings during the two-day mutiny inside the headquarters of the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), previously known as Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), eight years ago. Amid tight security, the High Court division bench of Justice Nazrul Islam, Justice Shawkat Hossain and Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique on Monday delivered the mass verdict in the 2009 BDR mutiny murder case, which is considered the largest of its type in world history. The division upheld death sentence for 139 convicts and life terms for 185 others of the BGB. The High Court division also awarded jail terms ranging from three to 10 years to 196 border guards. Another 49 were acquitted of all charges. All the accused have the right to appeal with the apex court against their convictions. The High Court bench led by Justice Shawkat Hossain started announcing the verdict, with observations of over 1,000 pages, on Sunday morning. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told journalists shortly after the verdict that the court in its observation recommended launching a probe into the intelligence failures about the 2009 mutiny at the paramilitary force's headquarters. "The court asked to form a committee to investigate why the then BDR's security ( intelligence) unit failed to inform the government timely about the mutiny," said Alam. He mentioned that the court stressed the need for maintaining good relationships among all BGB members and advised for holding regular basis discussion meeting. Alam said the court observation instructed for dealing with grievances of members if any with priority and clearing arrears of soldiers if any without delay. The court observed that the mutiny was aimed at creating an instability in the country and deterring democratic process, he said, adding the court in its observation also mentioned that from the entire case circumstances it seems that there was an internal or external plot to uproot, dethrone and depose Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's newly formed government following the general election in 2008. BDR soldiers staged revolt against their army officers reportedly over salary and other benefits. An official probe into the mutiny blamed that the incident is the outburst of many years of pent up grievances of the BDR soldiers over ignored pleas for pay hikes. The Bangladeshi government had earlier decided to try the accused for such offenses as killings, attempted murder, looting and arson committed during the mutiny under the penal code. Other offenses include breach of discipline and defying superiors' orders at the BGB headquarters in Dhaka and other stations of the force across the country under BDR laws through formation of the special courts. The special courts of the BGB had earlier awarded jail terms ranging from four months to seven years to nearly 6,000 border guards of the force's 57 units. The trial of Bangladesh's border guards facing charges of serious mutiny crimes at the paramilitary force's headquarters began in 2011 in a court in Dhaka. A Dhaka court on Nov. 5, 2013 awarded death to 152 BGB personnel, while 161 people including two leaders of ruling Bangladesh Awami League party and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party were then sentenced to life imprisonment. On the first day of the two-day bloody mutiny, on Feb. 25-26, 2009, the head of BDR Major General Shakil Ahmed was shot dead by mutineers. The BDR revolt, which took place less than two months after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took office for the second time, threatened the stability of her government and raised fears of military intervention. Hasina chose a negotiated settlement instead of calling in the army to quell the revolt. During the mutiny, over 7,000 BDR personnel were reportedly present at the headquarters of the paramilitary force which, with around 67,000 members, is guarding the country's long border line of 4,427 km with India and Myanmar. Composite photo taken on Dec. 10, 2016 shows a quantum communication ground station in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) VIENNA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The landmark breakthrough on intercontinental quantum-encrypted communications made by Chinese scientists opens the window for global quantum communications, turning the once-doubted quantum phenomena into reality, a world leading quantum physicist told Xinhua. Renowned scientist Anton Zeilinger, seen as a pioneer in the field of quantum information and of the foundations of quantum mechanics, believes the landmark quantum-encrypted intercontinental video call between China and Austria is very important and impressive. Quantum cryptography is the science of exploiting quantum mechanical properties to encrypt data. Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics which describes nature at the smallest scales of energy levels of atoms and subatomic particles. "I see this as a part of the goal of building a future quantum internet, where in this case China enabled a worldwide quantum-secure communication," the physicist said. Zeilinger has cooperated with Chinese physicists on quantum communications such as the Chinese "quantum experiments at space scale" (QESS) project. On Sept. 29, a team of Chinese scientists in Beijing led by Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, held a half-hour video call with Zeilinger, who happens to be the president of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and his colleagues in Vienna, using quantum encryption developed from the quantum phenomena called quantum entanglement that secures the communications. Zeilinger was particularly impressed by how smoothly the tests ran, and how good the quality of the connection was between satellites and the ground stations. "What was really impressive was that the connection was of such high quality. I was really impressed by the fact that the data collection via the satellites worked, I would say, even better than we expected," said Zeilinger. ONE UP ON EINSTEIN For many quantum physicists, this practical application of the technology is undoubtedly an important milestone in the history of quantum mechanics, as the so-called mysterious quantum entanglement phenomena was made real. The phenomena were the subject of a 1935 paper by Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky, and Nathan Rosen. However, Einstein and others considered such behavior to be impossible, as it violated the local realist view of causality, and Einstein described it as "spooky action at a distance". "Einstein himself would be really surprised," Zeilinger laughed, saying, "Because these concepts like entanglement now find practical application -- he would never have expected that." He said the important point was that these quantum phenomena are no longer a matter of philosophical curiosity, but also an actual technology with real applications. In practice, the first main application of the technology is secure communications, which Zeilinger believes could be used by banks, governments, and a select few smaller institutions within the next ten years, to safely exchange data and communications. The stage is now set for the cutting-edge technology to be implemented worldwide. With espionage and hacking of great concern, particularly when it comes to state secrets or important commercial information, the technology will be of high importance to such institutions. Over the next 20 years, the University of Vienna professor expects the technology to spread worldwide, initially parallel to the current internet, and may later even take over as the "new quantum internet". Quantum computers could also be employed together with the internet and satellites to form the basis of the new technology. Zeilinger said China's success in conducting the QESS project and other cutting-edge scientific endeavors is in part due to an ability to make decisions on such projects more quickly than in Europe. Its system sets a focus on technology, and makes sure people working on projects can reach their goals, and receive enough financial and institutional support. At present its research capacity also matches that of Europe and the United States, Zeilinger believes. China invested a lot in quantum-related projects, and has successfully sent a quantum satellite Micius into space, while having several receiving stations domestically. "I am convinced that this is the first step for worldwide quantum communication, so the investment is certainly well-placed for China; no question," Zeilinger said. SCIENTIFIC TALENT However, he stressed that talented Chinese scientists are crucial for this project, such Chinese quantum physicist Pan Jianwei, also the project leader. In examining the beginnings of the quantum communications project, Zeilinger said one must look back some 20 years, when Pan conducted his university studies in Austria, in the cities of Vienna and Innsbruck. Pan was recommended to him by the prestigious University of Science and Technology in China (USTC) in Hefei, and subsequently the talented student surprised his professor as he undertook a PhD in Austria. Zeilinger is "very proud" of Pan, who was always enthusiastic about his work, and has now achieved technical success for the project. He added that Pan, one of his best students, initially had a much stronger foundation in mathematical theory. Zeilinger encouraged Pan to undertake experiments, which was then on a small scale in the lab, but which are now changing the world. The act of bridging theory with experiments proved to be something that Pan had a talent for. Some of the first ideas, concepts, experiments, and realizations of the present technology inside the Micius satellite were conceived back then, Zeilinger said. Pan has in turn been a role model and mentor to new generations of talented young scientists in the fields of quantum computation and information. Zeilinger noted he is impressed by the level of science in China, as seen at numerous Chinese universities such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Nanjing University. It was much later, some five or six years ago, that Pan returned to China and was asked if he would like to collaborate in conjunction with the Austrian team, to which he subsequently agreed. Pan was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011 and the World Academy of Sciences in 2012. He won the international quantum communication award in 2012. His team's work on double quantum-teleportation was selected as the Physics world top breakthrough of the year in 2015. His team won the state natural science first class award in 2016. The world's first quantum satellite was launched successfully by China in August 2016 as part of the QESS international research project, and Pan made great contribution to this project. FUTURE VIEW For further development of the advanced quantum mechanics project, Zeilinger said it is important to have more ground stations in Europe, and also a ground network based on fiber optics -- something China is doing now. Quantum communications will be carried out just like the present internet -- via fiber optics, computers, and satellites in many countries. In the end, he anticipates global collaboration, just as with the internet. But for a distances of greater than 2,000 km, it is better to use a satellite for quantum communication, Zeilinger told Xinhua, saying ground stations connected via fiber optics can work over a few hundred kilometers, but otherwise lose too many photons. China presently has plans to build more satellites for this purpose and other countries will have them too. "I am convinced there will be broad cooperation, like ground stations will be able to maybe talk to a Chinese satellite, and maybe at other times a European satellite, and so on," Zeilinger said. "We will certainly continue to collaborate in various ways. For example, a test is planned soon in China and the Canary Islands, which are located west of the African coast," he added. Some challenges for the technology remain, such as to improve data transmission rates, which he conceded were presently "not very much". For this, broadband communications are required, with improvements to various transmission and receiving equipment such as satellites being deemed necessary. At present, satellite communications are only made from one location to another. In future, Zeilinger said whole user networks -- such as one in China, and one in Europe -- should be connected with each other via satellite, and this would be considered another breakthrough in quantum communications. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:07:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close PYONGYANG, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A delegation of Russian lawmakers arrived here Monday for an official visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official Korean Central News Agency said. The joint delegation of political parties of the State Duma was headed by Kazbek Taysaev, secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, who is also the head of the Russia-DPRK Friendship Parliamentary Group of the Russian lower house of parliament. According to earlier reports by Russian media, during the visit until Dec. 1, four lawmakers will visit some installations and hold talks with DPRK officials at the Russian embassy here on the situation in the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asia region. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:12:37|Editor: yan Video Player Close ANKARA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A businessman known as the "money vault" of the Gulen Movement has been escorted back to Turkey from Sudan on Monday, state media reported. Memduh Cikmaz, allegedly a senior figure with interests in petrol retail and brick production, is accused of giving millions to the movement run by U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, who Ankara claims orchestrated the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Cikmaz was captured in a joint operation involving Sudanese intelligence after the Turkish National Intelligence Organization located him two months earlier, security sources told Anadolu news agency. The report said MIT had created a team of specialists to locate suspected Gulenists abroad. Turkey accuses Gulen, who has lived in the United States since 1999, of orchestrating the abortive putsch in July 2016. Gulen has denied involvement and condemned the coup attempt. More than 50,000 supporters of Gulen have been arrested over suspected links to the cleric since the coup attempt. Ankara also accuses Fethullahist Terror Organization of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. A businessman known as the "money vault" of the Gulen Movement has been escorted back to Turkey from Sudan on Monday. (Reuters Photo) ANKARA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A businessman known as the "money vault" of the Gulen Movement has been escorted back to Turkey from Sudan on Monday, state media reported. Memduh Cikmaz, allegedly a senior figure with interests in petrol retail and brick production, is accused of giving millions to the movement run by U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, who Ankara claims orchestrated the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Cikmaz was captured in a joint operation involving Sudanese intelligence after the Turkish National Intelligence Organization located him two months earlier, security sources told Anadolu news agency. The report said MIT had created a team of specialists to locate suspected Gulenists abroad. Turkey accuses Gulen, who has lived in the United States since 1999, of orchestrating the abortive putsch in July 2016. Gulen has denied involvement and condemned the coup attempt. More than 50,000 supporters of Gulen have been arrested over suspected links to the cleric since the coup attempt. Ankara also accuses Fethullahist Terror Organization of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:22:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A cargo train carrying molten sulfur derailed early Monday in central Florida, the southeastern U.S. state, according to rail operator CSX Corporation. "Approximately nine rail cars" derailed near Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, said CSX spokesman Rob Doolittle, describing molten sulfur as "a hazardous material used in making rubber, detergent and fertilizers." The CSX said no injuries have been reported and that it's investigating the cause of the derailment. Several cars were left "rolled over and mangled," said Polk County Fire Rescue. The fire rescue agency warned local residents to stay indoors, close their windows and turn off their air conditioning units. However, "at this time there are no evacuations," said the agency. The derailment occurred near a residential area along a divided four-lane highway that links suburban and rural neighborhoods to Lakeland, according to a National Public Radio report. The train track runs parallel to the road. The train, travelling from Waycross, Georgia, to Winston, Florida, was comprised of three locomotives and nearly 200 rail cars, among them 120 loaded and 70 empty, said the operator. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:27:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The second of two inmates who fled a courthouse about three weeks ago in San Francisco, western California of the United states, was arrested again, police said Sunday. The 47-year-old man, identified as John Bivins, was taken into custody on Sunday after staying at large for nearly three weeks, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office of San Francisco was quoted by local media as saying. On Nov. 6, Bivins' accomplice Tramel McClough was detained when California Highway Patrol officers stopped the two men's car on an interstate freeway. However, Bivins managed to dodge the police's attempts to capture him. Both men escaped from Santa Clara County Superior Court in Palo Alto, about 50 km south of San Francisco, where they were to stand for a hearing. The two were handcuffed when they were escorted to the courthouse, but managed to break free with the help of their friends, a 54-year-old man and a 44-year old woman. Police on the following day detained the two persons who helped arrange the escape of Bivins and McClough. Bivins and McClough were previously charged with robbing a cell phone store in Santa Clara in southern San Francisco in February. Police said the two men took away more than 64,000 U.S. dollars worth of cell phones and other merchandise in the store. The two were arrested later and booked in a detention facility before they were brought to the court hearing in Palo Alto early this month. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:32:46|Editor: yan Video Player Close HEFEI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Anhui Jianghuai Automobile (JAC Motors) and Volkswagen Monday signed a memorandum on a joint venture to develop and market multi-function vehicles. The two companies will discuss possible options for a joint venture which will develop pickup trucks, MPVs and electric cars. The venture will be half-owned by JAC and half-owned by Volkswagen. It will be based in Hefei, capital city of central China's Anhui Province, hometown of JAC. It will be the second joint venture between JAC and Volkswagen, as the two companies signed an agreement in Germany in June to establish a 50-50 joint venture to develop, produce and market new energy cars and related mobility services. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:32:47|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Christine Lagat NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Monday launched a China-funded program to boost training and mentorship for youth keen to work in the country's blossoming construction industry. Senior officials witnessed the launch of season four of the African Technology Challenge (ATC), funded by Chinese firm AVIC International. The program's goal is to refine the technical expertise of young people and enhance their employability in building and construction sectors. "We are proud to witness this year's Africa Technology Challenge focus on civil engineering disciplines like masonry, carpentry and steel works. The challenge will empower youth from different backgrounds," said Dinah Mwinzi, principal secretary in the State Department of Technical and Vocational Training under the Ministry of Education. The fourth edition of ATC program, dubbed "Jenga Vijana," or empower the youth, combines skills upgrade and employment opportunities for Kenyan youth in the construction sector. Mwinzi said that a public-private partnership is key to helping bridge skills gap in the construction sector that has thrived against a backdrop of massive capital injection from local and foreign investors. "We need skilled personnel to work in critical sectors like housing. The youth who are trained in masonry or carpentry can also apply their skills outside the country," Mwinzi said. She added that highly trained youth will help the government tackle an annual shortfall of 200,000 housing units in the country. Zhao Leilei, project manager with AVIC International Kenya, said improving civil engineering expertise among Kenyan youth is key to promoting economic growth and industrialization in the country. "This year's Africa Technology Challenge will see the participants advance their civil construction skills while earning an income throughout the competition period," Zhao said. More than 100 Kenyan youth will benefit from advanced training in civil engineering disciplines like carpentry, steel works and brick laying, to be provided by AVIC International. Lynette Mwende, from AVIC International Kenya, said the youth enrolled in the one-month training program will acquire skills as they work at a construction site in Nairobi where the company is setting up apartment blocks. "We decided to train the youth on construction-based skills. This year's Africa Technology Challenge is like an apprenticeship program where trainees are provided with a platform to perfect their skills as they earn an income," said Mwende. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:37:48|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close Russian servicemen prepare a Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter jet before a departure for a mission at the Russian Hmeimin military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria, on December 16, 2015. (Xinhua/AFP) MOSCOW, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian Defense Ministry on Monday denied a report that Russian air strikes had killed dozens of civilians in airstrikes against terrorist targets in the village of Al-Shafah in Syria's eastern Deir al-Zour province. "The aircraft of the Russian air force were not used against the village of Al-Shafah," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the strikes "are applied outside settlements and exclusively against targets of international terrorist groups." Data on such targets are checked and confirmed in real time via several channels: from the ground and unmanned means of objective control ahead of a strike, the ministry said. France's AFP news agency said earlier Monday that at least 53 civilians, including 21 children, died early Sunday morning when Russian air strikes hit residential buildings in a village held by the Islamic State (IS) group in eastern Syria. It quoted the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying the strikes hit the village of Al-Shafah in Deir al-Zour province, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. On Sunday, Russian Defense Ministry said its six long-range TU-22M3 bombers had launched airstrikes on IS targets in the province of Deir al-Zour hitting "terrorists' strongholds and areas with high concentration of militants in the Euphrates valley." It said Russian warplanes made around 530 sorties in Syria, destroying over 1,320 terrorist facilities in the last seven days. So far, 98 percent of the Syrian territory have been liberated from IS militants, the ministry said in a separate statement. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:42:52|Editor: yan Video Player Close CHANGSHA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The BRICS sherpas on Monday agreed to take the Xiamen Summit as a new starting point, and renew the commitment to work even harder for another "Golden Decade" of BRICS cooperation. The pledge came as the fifth BRICS sherpa's meeting was held on Monday in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. The meeting was chaired by Li Baodong, sherpa for BRICS affairs and vice foreign minister of China, and attended by sherpas of BRICS countries and representatives of the New Development Bank. Participants in the meeting reviewed the progress of BRICS cooperation in key areas such as trade, finance and politics this year. BRICS Xiamen Summit was held in China's eastern coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian Province from Sept. 3 to 5. BRICS groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. China holds the BRICS presidency this year, and South Africa will hold the presidency next year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:47:54|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- An international incubation union was set up in Beijing on Monday to boost technological cooperation between countries along the Belt and Road. The union will explore mew incubation models for startups and seek win-win cooperation between Chinese and foreign companies. Twenty Chinese institutions including China International Economic Cooperation and Investment Inc and 20 science parks from countries along the Belt and Road set up the union at the Beijing International Technology Transfer Convention which opened on Monday. Members are from 15 countries. Chinese companies have already invested in a number of cross-border incubation platforms in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia. European companies also plan to build centers for innovation and startups in the Chinese capital. International cooperation will expand the depth and width of technological innovation, help Chinese companies into the international market and promote the application of advanced technology in China, said Xu Jie with China's Ministry of Science and Technology. The Beijing technology transfer meeting, co-sponsored by the ministry and Beijing municipal government, promotes technological cooperation in such fields as agriculture, energy and health. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:47:55|Editor: yan Video Player Close SANAA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Yemeni court controlled by Shiite Houthi rebels in the capital Sanaa sentenced two al-Qaida suspects to death, Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported on Monday. The court also sentenced four other suspects to prison terms ranging from 3 to 10 years, according to Saba. The defendants were accused of involving in terrorist and criminal acts against security and military facilities in the southeastern province of Hadramout, and attacking the headquarters of the defence ministry in the capital Sanaa in 2013. Al-Qaida branch in Yemen has been taking advantage from turmoil in the Arab country since 2011. The terrorist group has also extended control over swath of territories in the country's south and northeast provinces since the civil war erupted after the the Shiite Houthi rebels stormed the capital Sanaa in late 2014 and drove the legitimate government into exile. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:52:57|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for continued efforts to upgrade the country's toilets as part of an ongoing "toilet revolution" campaign. Why has China started this campaign, and why has China's top leader personally spoken out on this seemingly petty issue? Xi's latest instructions provide some answers. To understand it better, it is necessary to look into what Chinese toilets were in the past and the far-reaching impact of the toilet renovation. RURAL DEVELOPMENT Although China has become the world's second-largest economy, some toilets in poor rural areas are still little more than makeshift shelters surrounded by bunches of cornstalks, while others are open pits next to pigsties, leading to problems such as contamination and pollution from human waste. While the living standards in cities have drastically improved with China's stellar economic growth, more attention is needed to improve the living environment for the country's 600 million rural people. That is why the government has invested big to build new toilets in the poorest parts of the country. From 2004 to 2013, the investment totaled 8.27 billion yuan. By the end of 2015, some 75 percent of rural homes had flush toilets or dry toilets with underground storage tanks that had walls, roofs, doors, windows and were at least two square meters in size. But obviously it's not enough. China launched a "toilet revolution" nationwide in 2015 to make such facilities cleaner and more regulated. As toilets are a part of everyday life and affect quality of life of the Chinese people, the Chinese government, which has promised to dedicate itself to the well-being of all citizens, must squarely face the problem. While visiting rural areas, Xi has asked local residents about the conditions of the toilets they use, and stressed many times that clean toilets for rural residents are important for building a "new countryside." TOURISM AND ECONOMY While China has rich tourism resources, unhygienic toilet facilities at the country's tourist sites have long been a big put-off for visitors. At a time when traditional growth drivers are losing steam, China has pinned hopes on services, including tourism, as a new force to support economic growth, and improving public facilities at tourist sites has become an urgent task. A three-year "toilet revolution" launched in 2015 saw over 20 billion yuan (about 3 billion U.S. dollars) invested in installing or renovating 68,000 toilets at tourist sites, exceeding the target of 57,000 toilets. For the coming three years, authorities aim to add 47,000 toilets and renovate 17,000, according to a plan released by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA). "Compared with the rapid growth of the tourism industry and people's increasing demand for better lives, the development [of toilets] is unbalanced and inadequate. Another three-year program is urgently needed," said Li Jinzao, head of the CNTA. China's domestic tourism industry earned about 3.9 trillion yuan in 2016, and the country plans to raise tourism revenue to 7 trillion yuan by 2020. OPPORTUNITIES FOR MADE-IN-CHINA In recent years, there has a frenzy among middle-class Chinese to buy smart toilets during trips to Japan, even though many of these items are actually made in China. Hoping to ride the wave of China's "toilet revolution," many Chinese companies are making efforts to manufacture and market high-end products on their own. According to a report by China Household Electrical Appliances Association, the market size for China's domestic smart toilet sector has grown by 59 percent year on year to reach 3.1 million units in 2016. But the penetration is as low as 1 percent, meaning there is still an immense potential market in China, according to the report. The ongoing "toilet revolution," against the backdrop of a broader campaign to upgrade Made-in-China products, will hopefully bring changes that reach beyond the industry. Related: China should push "toilet revolution": Xi BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- China should continue to upgrade the country's toilets as part of its "toilet revolution" aimed at developing domestic tourism and improving people's life quality, Chinese President Xi Jinping said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-27 23:52:58|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the seventh China and the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) Economic and Trade Forum in Budapest, Hungary, Nov. 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BUDAPEST, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday called for advancing cooperation between China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC), also known as the 16+1 cooperation. As an important part of and a helpful complement to China-Europe ties, 16+1 cooperation has promoted the development of China-Europe relations, Li said in a keynote speech to the seventh China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum held in the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. The premier called for docking the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of the CEEC and taking the lead in implementing the results of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. Speaking to over 1,000 entrepreneurs from China and the CEEC at the opening ceremony of the forum, Li also demanded efforts to accelerate the building of connectivity projects such as the Hungary-Serbia railway and promote the healthy development of China-Europe freight train services. Production capacity is also an area where the two sides should expand cooperation, said Li, calling for jointly building economic and trade cooperation zones and creating an industrial chain, value chain and logistics chain featuring closer integration, stronger drive and wider benefit. Li also called upon the two sides to boost trade and investment liberalization and facilitation by strengthening customs cooperation and speeding up logistics, and to promote cooperation in the fields of small and medium-sized enterprises. The Chinese premier urged the two sides to expand financing channels to support China-CEEC cooperation. In the speech, Li announced the establishment of China-CEEC Inter-Bank Association and the second phase of China-Central and Eastern Europe Investment Cooperation Fund. The China Development Bank will provide an equivalent amount of 2 billion euros (2.4 billion U.S. dollars) as development-oriented financial cooperation loans for the inter-bank association, Li said. Meanwhile, the Chinese premier said the second phase of the investment cooperation fund that totaled 1 billion dollars will be mainly invested in Central and Eastern Europe. China supports commercial and development financial institutions to provide finance for bilateral cooperation projects and supports the two sides to conduct renminbi-denominated financing business for their cooperation projects, Li said. China's economy has been transformed from a phase of high-speed growth to high-quality development, and this will surely create opportunities for all countries in the world including the CEEC in terms of bigger market, stronger growth, more investment and cooperation, Li said. On his part, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said 16+1 cooperation has covered economy and trade, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges in the past five years, which not only benefited the CEEC's development, but also became an effective mechanism and integral part of Europe-China mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. In the context of a changing world political order and economic landscape, 16 Central and Eastern European countries are willing to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China and take this as the opportunity for development, in line with the spirit of equal treatment and mutual respect, Orban said. Orban also said the CEEC will actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and create better environment for Chinese companies investing and developing in Central and Eastern Europe. Li arrived in Budapest on Sunday for an official visit to Hungary and for the sixth meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries. During his stay in Hungary, Li will hold bilateral meetings with CEEC leaders and work with them to outline future cooperation. He will also witness the signing of a series of cooperation documents and celebrate the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the 16+1 cooperation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 00:03:02|Editor: yan Video Player Close LAMU, Kenya, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's security forces on Monday destroyed six Al-Shabaab training camps in an ongoing operation to flush out militants from the vast Boni forest in the coastal town of Lamu. Director of Operation Linda Boni Joseph Kanyiri said weapons including AK-47 rifles, bomb-making materials, food and medicine were recovered during the operation in the forest that lies along the border with Somalia. "We have destroyed six Al-Shabaab camps inside Boni Forest. The temporary camps were used as hideouts for the terrorists to conduct attacks in various parts of Lamu," said Kanyiri. He said "many" Al-Shabaab militants were killed and others injured during the operation. "We have killed many Al-Shabaab terrorists and many others fled with gunshot wounds. We are in hot pursuit," he Kanyiri. Kanyiri urged Al-Shabaab returnees who have secretly slipped back into Kenya to voluntarily avail themselves for rehabilitation so they are not treated as suspects. A good number of Al-Shabaab militants have been killed by Kenyan security forces since the start of Operation Linda Boni in 2015. Most of the militants who had infiltrated the forest have abandoned the camps and fled to Somalia, according to military and police sources. Militants of the 300-man Jeysh Ayman, an Al-Shabaab cell, used the vast Boni forest as an operational base for recruiting and waging terror attacks in the Coast region. A number of people, including security officers, have been killed in attacks by militants who often use improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 00:08:06|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close Zhang Dejiang (R), chairman of China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, shakes hands with Serbian National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojkovic in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 27, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei) BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- China and Serbia agreed in Beijing on Monday to boost parliamentary exchanges and share experience in governance, the development of democracy and rule of law. The agreement was reached in the talks between China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang and visiting Serbian National Assembly Speaker Maja Gojkovic. They signed a protocol on setting up a cooperation committee from members of both countries' legislative bodies. Zhang, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, said the protocol is a new platform for bilateral cooperation and boosting exchanges between legislative bodies. He called on closer parliamentary exchanges among various levels, to consolidate political foundation for bilateral ties. Zhang encouraged legislative bodies to offer more consistent and reliable policies and legal environment for China-Serbia cooperation, and step up cultural exchanges and local cooperation. He recalled the exchange of state visits between the two countries' state leaders, adding China is ready to work with Serbia to implement leaders' consensus, combine development strategies, deepen win-win cooperation and build a better future for both countries and peoples. Gojkovic, in her turn, congratulated the success of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. She said the Serbian National Assembly hopes to make full use of the cooperation committee to cement parliamentary exchanges and bilateral friendship at the new stage. China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng also met with Gojkovic earlier on Monday. Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said the CPPCC expects to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the Serbian National Assembly, to boost sustained and stable growth of bilateral ties. Gojkovic is visiting China from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 00:23:11|Editor: yan Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's Defence Ministry on Monday announced the arrest of Sheikh Musa Hilal, an important tribal leader in Sudan's Darfur region. "Leader of the Awakening Revolutionary Council (ARC) Musa Hilal and his son Habeeb have been arrested," Sudan's State Minister for Defense Ali Mohamed Salem told reporters. "They will be transported to El Fasher, capital of North Darfur State and from there to the capital Khartoum," he added. Salem further stressed on the stability of the security situations at Mistariha, home area of Hilal. On Sunday, armed clashes took place at Mistariha area in North Darfur State between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), an affiliate of the Sudanese army, and the ARC fighters. Hilal has strongly opposed the recent government campaign for the collection of arms in Darfur despite the fact that he was an ally of the government until very recently. Hilal refused to surrender ARC's weapons to the government and opposed the assignment of the arms collection to the rapid support forces. The government insisted on collecting the arms from all militias and tribes in Darfur so that the weapons would be in the hands of the regular forces only. Hilal has allied with the Khartoum government to fight rebels in the region since the outbreak of war in 2003. The West and human rights organization Human Rights Watch blamed Hilal for forming the Janjaweed militias which are accused of committing war crimes in Darfur. The UN Security Council decided in 2006 to impose sanctions on Musa Hilal and three others, including travel ban and freeze of funds. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 01:23:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close VILNIUS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite appointed on Monday Virginijus Sinkevicius as the country's new economy minister. Sinkevicius currently serves as the chairman of the parliamentary Economic committee and is a member of the ruling party Lithuanian farmers and greens union (LVZS). Earlier this month he turned 27 and will be the youngest minister in Lithuania's post-independence history. "I will represent the young people and the generation of independence," Sinkevicius was quoted as saying by news website vz.lt. He was born in 1990, the year when the Baltic state declared its independence. The new minister told local media one of his first tasks in the cabinet would be improving performance of tourism authorities and bringing more transparency into public procurement process. The Lithuanian president also urged the new economy minister to cut red tape and bureaucracy. "Businesses are not happy about being monitored by 57 different institutions," Lina Antanaviciene, the President's senior adviser, told local press conference after Grybauskaite met with Sinkevicius. Cabinet members in Lithuania are appointed by the president under proposal of the prime minister. Before his approval, Sinkevicius and Grybauskaite discussed priorities for the ministry of economy. The new minister of economy has been appointed following the departure of Mindaugas Sinkevicius. Mindaugas Sinkevicius, who was delegated to the position by the social democratic party, resigned following his party's decision to leave the ruling coalition. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 01:23:35|Editor: yan Video Player Close ABUJA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Monday said it has worked very hard to battle endemic corruption in the most populous African country. Lai Mohammed, the minister of information, told reporters in Abuja that under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria is winning the war against corruption. "Yes, corruption is fighting back furiously, but it cannot match the courage, the determination and the commitment of this administration, nor can it dampen the leadership of President Buhari," Mohammed said. He said with the government's vigor in tackling corruption, Nigeria had added 500 million U.S. dollars to its Sovereign Wealth Fund and raised the foreign reserves from 23 billion dollars to 35 billion dollars, including stopping the payment of phantom subsidy running into billions of dollars to independent oil marketers. According to government data, anti-graft agencies in the country have so far recovered 2.9 billion dollars from looters. At least 43 million dollars and 56 houses were recovered from one former government official. A whistle-blower policy recently introduced by the government had led to the recovery of 151 million dollars in looted funds from three sources, Mohammed said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 01:58:41|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Ronald Njoroge NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese phone maker OPPO plans to target Kenya's high-end consumer market by introducing cost-effective smartphones, the company said on Monday. Andrew Peng, CEO of OPPO Kenya, told journalists in Nairobi the devices will retail for 150 to 500 U.S. dollars. "We are targeting the premium market for smartphones that has been under-served by phone vendors," Peng said when OPPO started selling one of its latest smartphones, the OPPO F5, in the Kenyan market. The device, which OPPS says can "capture the real you," is retailing across the country at a price of 320 dollars. The OPPO F5' standout features include a six-inch full screen, facial recognition, a 20MP selfie camera and the artificial intelligence (AI) "beauty technology" that promises to bring selfies to life. Peng said the OPPO F5 is part of the company's commitment to focusing on delivering mid- and high-range smartphones with the best possible camera technology with its F series of smartphones. "The pioneer of the series, the OPPO F1, has been selling in the local market for two years now," he said. Most of the phones in Kenya retail for less than 150 dollars. The CEO noted that rising income levels has led to increased demand for higher quality smartphones. "We have launched the OPPO F5, given that consumers are demanding a camera phone that overcomes challenges and clicks perfect selfies," he added. OPPO has been in the Kenyan market since March 2015, when it debuted three smartphone models, the premium N3 and R5 and the entry-level Neo 3. A herd of reindeer pasture beside the road of Kaamasentie in Lapland area, northern Finland, 55 km away from Norway border on Oct. 28, 2013. (Xinhua/Li Jizhi) OSLO, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 106 reindeer were killed by freight trains during the course of three days along a railway line in northern Norway, public broadcaster NRK reported Monday. Bane NOR, the government agency responsible for operation of railway network, had previously ensured owner Ole Henrik Kappfjell that trains would run slower in the area where the reindeer were situated. However, the message, never reached the trains, according to NRK. As a result, several trains on the Nordland Line through Helgeland ran into the herd at full speed, killing a total of 106 reindeer over three days. "We, reindeer owners, have a close relationship with our animals. I am so angry that I am almost dizzy," Kappfjell told NRK. He added that one of the tortured animals was hanging fast on the locomotive all the way to the station in Mosjoen. "This is a completely meaningless animal tragedy. We are going through a mental nightmare now," he said. According to Torstein Appfjell, leader of Jillen-Njaarke reindeer herding area, where the tragedy happened, 26 reindeer were run down by train on Wednesday, 15 on Friday, and 65 on Saturday. Owners of reindeer are working these days to bring their animals to Sjamoen to separate them and to transport them to the coast for winter pastures. Area Director of Bane NOR, Thor Braekkan, expressed regret that the message about reindeer on the railway track had not been forwarded, due to "a technical failure". Braekkan told NRK that Kappfjell did everything right when he contacted them. "He notified us and the message was added to the system. Unfortunately, this message never reached the train due to a technical failure. When it was discovered that the message had disappeared, the company tried to call the train. Unfortunately, it was too late," Braekkan explained. "This happens very rarely. The routines work well, but, unfortunately, a technical failure happened," he added. Between 2013 and 2016, more than 2,000 animals were hit along the Nordland Line, NRK reported. Several of these animals belonged to Kappfjell in Grane. He was very critical of the fact that there have been no more fences lifted along the railway. "This happens every year. It is a riddle for me that this is constantly postponed," he said. Braekkan emphasized concern of the company about doing something to solve the problem. "However, for the time being, no money has been allocated for the construction of reindeer fences along this stretch," he said. "It was a nightmare to look at. The worst was to see the animals that did not die after being hit. They lay there and suffered. There were several kilometers of bloodbath, something I will never forget," said Jon Erling Utsi, a documentary filmmaker who filmed the dead animals on Saturday. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 02:53:55|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Bedah Mengo NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Mobile money use in Kenya dropped in the third quarter of the year by 2 percent, the time when the country was in an electioneering period. Central Bank of Kenya data released on Monday shows that the east African nation's citizens transacted on their mobile phones about 8.7 billion U.S. dollars during the period, down from 8.9 billion dollars in the second quarter. The slight decline is attributed to the elections, with Kenyans having gone to the first polls on Aug. 8, the presidential results of the elections were however cancelled on Sept. 1 by the Supreme Court. The apex court ordered a repeat poll which was done on Oct. 26, but in September, the country experienced a lot of political bickering that led to slowdown of the economy. During the period, there was fear of violence with people cutting down on spending and business, therefore, on movement of money. In the three months, the least transactions were done in August, where a record low of 2.8 billion dollars being transacted. In July, transactions stood at 3 billion dollars and rose marginally in September to 2.9 billion dollars. Ernest Manuyo, a business management lecturer in Nairobi, noted that decline in transaction was expected as business slows down when the political climate is unfavourable. "During such times, all the people think about is their safety, therefore, in case they have disposable income, they cannot send it to others but keep for emergencies. That is how elections are disruptive but the 2 percent decline is marginal," he said. In 2016, Kenyans transacted 26 billion dollars on their mobile phones, with the figure expected to rise this year. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 03:09:00|Editor: yan Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Ghassan Salame met on Monday with head of the Higher Council of State over the amendment of the political agreement. Salame held separate talks with Abdurrahman Swehli, head of Libyan Higher Council of State and head of the eastern-based parliament's dialogue committee in Tripoli on the UN initiative to end the political division in Libya. "During the meeting with the head of the parliament dialogue committee, Salame stressed the importance of the parliament's recent agreement on the amendment formula, which is the outcome of the two rounds of dialogue in Tunisia," parliament member Ismail Al-Sherif told Xinhua. "We have agreed on a formula that we and the Higher Council of State discussed with all details," Sherif added. Salame also on Monday met with the UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez Serraj in Tripoli. "Salame presented a summary of his briefing at the recent UN Security Council session on the political situation in Libya," the media office of the Prime Minister said. "The meeting discussed mechanisms to support the Libyan Commission of Elections and to create environment for the Commission's work. Serraj stressed the need to start registration of voters as soon as possible to complete the election," the office added. Representatives of the Parliament and the Tripoli-based Higher Council of State have recently held UN-sponsored negotiation meetings in Tunisia to amend the political agreement. The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a UN-proposed amendment. However, its rival Higher Council of State rejected the amendment, announcing possibility of holding elections within six months to appoint a government of technocrats. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 03:14:03|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. airstrike killed one terrorist in northeastern Somalia on Monday, military officials said. The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement the U.S. forces conducted the airstrike in coordination with the Somalia government at about 3 p.m. local time. "In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. forces conducted an airstrike against ISIS, in northeastern Somalia on Nov. 27, killing one terrorist," AFRICOM said, referring to the Islamic State (IS) terror group. The U.S. military vowed to sustain airstrikes by using all authorized and appropriate measures to protect Americans and to disable terrorist threats by partnering with African Union and Somali security forces. "Our political and security goals in Somalia are the same -- a reconstituted Somali state at peace internally and able to address all threats within its territory," it said. U.S. forces carried out a series of drone strikes in the past month in Somalia, targeting IS and Al-Shabaab fighters as the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) peacekeeping mission prepares to exit the country. Somali and AMISOM forces have also intensified military operations against the insurgents, flushing them in their Lower and Middle Shabelle region bases amid an expected recall of 1,000 African Union troops by end of December. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 03:19:05|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Alexia Vlachou ATHENS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A total amount of 35,000 euros (4,164 U.S. dollars) raised during a charity concert in Brussels to support the initiative "Fuel for Schools" was handed over to Greece on Monday to provide heating fuel to schools in remote villages in the northern part of Greece. For the sixth year, the nonprofit association "12 Hours for Greece" organized a sold-out music concert with the participation of exceptional artists from Greece on Nov. 11 in the European capital. Hundreds of people attended the event. "With the support of the Greek community in Belgium, Belgian and other foreign citizens who are fond of Greece, we managed to collect 31,000 euros last year, and we helped supply with fuel 40 schools in the north of Greece. In those 40 schools, there are approximately 7,000 children," Jimmy Jamar, head of the European Commission Representation in Belgium and organizer of the "12 Hours for Greece" initiative told a press conference here on Monday. The check with the 35,000 euros was handed over to Aspasia Leventis, founder and president of "International Foundation for Greece" which has undertaken the task to deliver fuel to schools in remote villages in the northern part of Greece. "This year we have 250 applications from schools," Leventis stressed. Every year the foundation receives more and more requests to join the program, as she added. "It is our moral duty to support such wonderful initiatives that promote Greece and help financially Greek organizations that do not have the means," Panos Carvounis, head of European Commission Representation in Greece said. The association was created in the spring of 2012 with two main objectives. "We try not only to bring the fuel, we also try in these villages in northern Greece to create some links between the schools in Greece and the schools and municipalities in Belgium. This is important to create some ties," Jammar said. Due to economic crisis that has hit the country, hundreds of schools do not have the means to purchase heating fuel for the classrooms. During the last months, the situation was alarming due to heavy storms that hit many parts of Greece, Samothrace included. Jammar announced that part of the money raised will be allocated to help families in Samothrace whose houses were damaged by the storms. In addition, they work with the Greek authorities to support the flood victims in the suburb of Mandra in western Attica that were severely damaged by the deadly floods two weeks ago through programs developed in the European Commission. (1 euro=1.19 U.S. dollar) Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 03:24:08|Editor: Xiang Bo Video Player Close File photo taken on Oct. 2, 2017 shows a damaged room of a police station that was targeted by suicide bombings in Midan neighborhood in Damascus. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani) GENEVA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) special envoy for Syria, Staffan De Mistura, said Monday that the Syrian government had not committed to attending the next round of peace talks due to start Tuesday, where both sides are expected to be ready to negotiate. "The (Syrian) government did not yet confirm its participation in Geneva, but indicated that we would be hearing from them soon," said De Mistura, briefing the UN Security Council via a video conference from Geneva as he was preparing for round eight of the UN-convened Syrian talks on Nov. 28. De Mistura said he had called on the parties in the Geneva negotiations to "prepare for real talks" and "real diplomacy." He had said the Syrian government should come ready to negotiate and there needs to be a "united opposition delegation with common positions that comes ready to negotiate." De Mistura also stressed that the negotiations should take place in Geneva without any preconditions and focus on the essential principles and the constitutional and election baskets, towards the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2254. The UN envoy noted that prior to the latest round of talks, "we have seen signals on all these points, and we will now see what happens in Geneva." He referred to recent talks that had taken place in DaNang in Vietnam, the Russian city of Sochi, and the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh as "important meetings...that might help us." The upcoming Geneva talks also take place just days after the leaders of Iran, Turkey, and Russia met in Sochi, where they supported a comprehensive dialogue for Syria. "International players are clearly looking for some common ground based on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2254, and are urging Syrians to begin to find some common ground too," said De Mistura. The Syrian armed conflict broke out in 2011 and quickly turned into a full-fledged war. UN figures show that the Syrian war has killed more than 330,000 people and displaced millions. De Mistura's deputy, Ramzi Ezzedine Ramzi, had said in Damascus on Nov. 25 that four baskets would be under discussion in talks staring on Tuesday in Geneva, adding that the focus would be on the second and third baskets, pertaining the elections and constitution. Ramzi also told reporters that the political process in Syria would not be an easy task, but said he hoped they "could be conducive in pushing the political process forward." Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 03:39:12|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Ronald Njoroge NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Kenya plans to launch a 20 billion U.S. dollar social housing project to ease the housing deficit, a senior government official said on Monday. James Macharia, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, told a media briefing in Nairobi that a request for interest has been issued to international and domestic firms to undertake the mass low-cost housing venture. "We have received interest from over 60 firms that have undertaken similar social housing projects elsewhere and we will soon award the contract after completion of the tender process," Macharia said during the Stakeholders Forum on Validation of Kenya Building Research Centers Strategic Plan 2017 to 2022. Under the project, the east African nation plans to construct one million low-cost houses at a cost of 20,000 dollars each, over the next five years. "We are going to borrow heavily from nations such as China that have been able to construct high-rise apartments which are safe for human occupation at an affordable cost in order to roll out a high number of quality houses," he said. Macharia noted that Kenya currently has a housing deficit of 1.85 million houses due to rapid urbanization. "This has led to the proliferation of slums as supply cannot cope with the rising demand," he added. The cabinet secretary said that the social houses will be built through a public-private partnership as government resources are not sufficient to construct the houses. The private sector will be offered a number of incentives and subsidies in order to ensure the houses are affordable to ordinary citizens. The ministry of infrastructure, housing and urban development is fast tracking the enactment of the Kenya Building Research Institute bill that will create a research organization to spearhead innovation of the latest technology to lower the cost of construction in the country. A Bangladeshi man helps Rohingya Muslim refugees to disembark from a boat on the Bangladeshi shoreline of the Naf river after crossing the border from Myanmar in Teknaf on September 30, 2017. (Xinhua/AFP) UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The number of Rohingya refugees who have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh since Aug. 25 has reached 624,000, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Monday. An average of 430 Rohingya refugees entered Bangladesh per day this past week, a slowdown compared to the previous week. The Rohingyas fled their homes in northern Rakhine State of Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh after deadly attacks staged by the rebel Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on police posts on Aug. 25 allegedly touched off a wave of retribution by government and vigilante forces. Rohingyas arriving in refugee camps -- some having traversed an inlet of the Bay of Bengal on makeshift rafts and boats -- reported widespread violence against them. On reports of an agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar on the repatriation of the refugees, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it is important that people are able to return to the place they came from "in a safe, dignified and protected manner." The ethnic Rohingyas are denied citizenship in the largely Buddhist nation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 03:49:14|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Li Jizhi HELSINKI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- While the vision of accelerated development in the Arctic region is close at hand, Finland's Arctic ambassador Aleksi Harkonen said Monday the biggest challenges concerning the international cooperation on Arctic issues were related to the climate change. In an interview with Xinhua, he described the challenge was in "how to make the Arctic perspectives better known in the global efforts to mitigate climate change, how to help the Arctic inhabitants adapt to the expected changes, and how to make the Arctic communities more resilient to meet the challenges posed by the warming climate". Climate change is a global issue, but it is most greatly felt in the Arctic, noted Harkonen. For example, the excessive emissions originating from the rest of the world not only cause local pollution, but also cause atmospheric pollution in the Arctic region when the black carbon falls on snow and ice, accelerating melting, and absorbing sunlight, therefore, warming the climate, he elaborated. Finland took over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council from the United States as of May 2017, and has adopted two issues as its main tasks: the first is climate change, and the other is sustainable development, said Harkonen. FINANCIAL GAP During the two-year term that Finland is chairing the Arctic Council, the Nordic country wants to harmonize the policies of the Arctic countries with the Paris Agreement reached among the international community two years ago. The agreement has amounted to a guidebook, and the guidebook is most appreciated in the Arctic as climate change has affected this region in particular. Harkonen recalled the happy moment when the government led by former U.S. president Barack Obama made efforts to encourage Arctic countries to contribute to the action against climate change, but worried about Washington withdrawing from the Paris agreement and causing a deficit in funding climate policies. "If one big party leaves, that will leave the others with obligation to fill the gap," he said. Harkonen expected most countries, including China and European Union (EU) member states, would stay and shoulder the mission to fight climate change. "The biggest of them is the People's Republic of China. And of course this would offer China an opportunity to become a leading proponent of the actions against climate change," he said. EFFORTS NEEDED Finland works to see how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) required in the UN Agenda 2030 could be best applied in the Arctic region. As part of the Arctic Council program, a conference was organized in Rovaniemi, northern Finland, in mid-November by regional politicians, city planners, university researchers, and business elites to discuss the application of SDGs in the Arctic. The conference was the first occasion when the SDGs in the Arctic were discussed, said Harkonen, and it chose environmental protection and education as the two main topics under the theme of sustainable development. Any development should be sustainable, which means that the environment is well protected against any type of pollutions such as microplastics, black carbon and acidification of oceans, noted Harkonen. Education was also underlined, considering "the Arctic region should not be developed so that the workforce is brought in from outside and then taken back, leaving the local inhabitants without employment," he added. There are remote communities in the Arctic region where it is difficult to get a good education, and modern technical solutions such as e-learning would be helpful in such cases. ECONOMIC VIABILITY The past a few years have witnessed increasing traffic in the Arctic Ocean, due to the longer ice-free period in the summer. Another reason was the natural gas production project on the Yamal peninsula in northern Russia, and construction materials were transported there via the northeastern route. However, Harkonen did not see economic viability so far concerning Arctic maritime transportation." Many companies have tried the northern sea routes and decided other routes are still better," he said. Neither did he favor the exploitation of energy resources in the Arctic region as a whole, as "it is not quite sure whether it is feasible or whether it makes sense to utilize them." He believed there were other alternatives like renewable energy which would be competitive. "We should apply precautionary principle rather than hasten to do something which may cause damage," he suggested. Finland is working on projects to promote an Arctic Sea cable going under the Arctic Ocean from Europe to Asia, and a railway line linking the Arctic shore to the harbors in Helsinki and further to the European continent via an undersea tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn, so as to contribute to better connectivity. Feasibility reports are being prepared, and, if things go right, the sea cable may be the most hopeful to finalize among all the initiatives. The cable will shorten the time needed to pass information between different points in Asia and Europe, according to Harkonen. Harkonen also praised China's Belt and Road Initiative, hailing it "a very good goal to unite the peoples of Asia and Europe". Unlike in history, when Chinese silk, porcelain and other innovations were brought to Europe, the initiative brings more exchanges between continents via sea, air, land and the internet. It will be natural for the business world to harmonize the initiative with the strategies of the Arctic countries, said Harkonen. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 03:59:17|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said Monday that he believed that the "moment of truth" had arrived for the Syria talks. He made the remarks while briefing the UN Security Council by videolink about the preparations for the round of talks on Syria that are to begin in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday. The talks should begin in Geneva without preconditions, said the envoy. Initially, he said, the participants should focus on a work plan, on principles as well as the constitutional and election "baskets" towards the implementation of Security Council resolution 2254. He added that all other initiatives should support the UN mediation process, which the Security Council has mandated the United Nations to conduct, and no one else. As Da'esh, or the Islamic State, is being defeated, he said, neither side should turn to violence in the de-escalation zones, and he expressed concern about the latest violence in eastern Ghouta. Regarding the situation in eastern Ghouta, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a UN/Syrian Arab Red Crescent inter-agency convoy was not able to enter Nashabieh in eastern Ghouta on Monday due to fighting in the area. The convoy contained food, health and nutrition items for 7,200 people in need. While guarantees of safe passage had been granted before the humanitarian convoy moved, it was forced to turn back following shelling and explosions in the area. The United Nations is to resume the peace talks between the government and the Syrian opposition in Geneva on Tuesday. The opposition's delegation arrived Monday, after publishing a communique last week that said it was ready for talks "without preconditions." Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 04:19:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close LUANDA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni Silveri said here on Monday that the choice of Angola as the first stop of his Africa tour confirms the importance of the friendly ties between Italy and Angola. Paolo Gentiloni Silveri, who arrived in the Angolan capital on a two-day working visit on Sunday, told a joint press conference with Angolan President Joao Lourenco at the end of their talks that there is a lot to be done to consolidate cooperation between the two countries. The Italian leader said the future of Europe goes through Africa, pointing out the influence of the Mediterranean in the culture of the two continents. For his part, Angolan President Lourenco urged small and medium-sized Italian enterprises to invest in Angola and contribute to the diversification of the country's economy. Lourenco said it is essential that Angola's cooperation with Italy extends to the agriculture-industry and fisheries sectors. Angola is Italy's third largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. Italy was the first European country to recognize the independence of Angola, on Feb. 18, 1976. Members of China's research team set up an ocean profiling float at a short-term data acquisition location near the icebreaker Xuelong, or "Snow Dragon", in the Arctic Ocean, Aug. 18, 2016. (Xinhua/Wu Yue) MOSCOW, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The China-Russia joint construction of the "Silk Road on Ice" (SRI) will facilitate the pairing of their strategic initiatives and promote comprehensive cooperation of the two countries in the Arctic area, a Russian expert told Xinhua in a recent interview. "The initiative to create the Eurasian Economic Partnership and to conjugate it with the Belt and Road Initiative is becoming a global initiative to change the existing world order radically," said Vladimir Remyga, chairman of the Coordination Council for Cooperation with Business Associations of Asia of the International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ICIE). The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In December 2015, in his annual state of the union address to the Russian Federal Assembly, President Vladimir Putin announced the idea of a greater Eurasian partnership, which is based on the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) officially established in January 2015. The Russia-led EEU, which groups Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, is an economic bloc aiming to optimize the flow of goods and services among its members. During a visit to Moscow in May 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an agreement with Putin on aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the EEU. Noting that Russia is an important partner in the construction of the Belt and Road, Xi in July urged the two countries to carry out the Northern Sea Route cooperation so as to realize an "Ice Silk Road." The SRI refers to a shortcut between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans through the Arctic. It is widely seen as the third arch of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China, which is originally composed of one route spanning westward from China to Europe, and the other extending from the country's eastern coastline down to the Indian Ocean. As leading players in pushing forward the global initiative, Russia and China have advanced from general agreements to practical implementation, including a joint feasibility study of the Eurasian Economic Partnership Agreement expected to be ready by the end of 2017, Remyga said. "During the meeting of the heads of governments of Russia and China in early November, joint construction of the SRI was actively discussed as an important part of the formation of the Great Eurasian Partnership and the Belt and Road Initiative," Remyga said. According to Remyga, the discussion on the joint construction of the SRI was given a significant impetus by the adoption of Russia's new program for the development of the Arctic zone until 2025, with a budget financing of over 16 billion rubles (274 million U.S. dollars). "Cooperation with China is largely considered as an important driver for the implementation of this program," he said.8 Within this context, joint development of oil and gas fields as well as the construction of various types of infrastructure facilities like railways and ports are being explored by the two countries, the expert said. "The core cooperation area is the development of the infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route and the establishment of cargo transportation through it, in order to transform the route into a global competitive transport artery," Remyga said. The Northern Sea Route, a strategic shipping passage between Asia and Europe that runs along Russia's Arctic coast, is seen as a fundamental part of the SRI. It is estimated that if fully opened, the Arctic route will cut the annual costs of international maritime trade by 53.3-127.4 billion dollars by 2020. Despite progress in cooperation, there are problems in exploiting the Northern Sea Route and implementing relevant infrastructure projects, including a significant shortage of ice-class cargo ships, Remyga said. "Construction of the new powerful nuclear icebreakers has begun in Russia. The first of the three ships, the icebreaker Arktika, will be launched soon, to be followed by Siberia in 2019 and Ural in 2020. But the construction of ice-class cargo ships has not yet begun," he said. According to Remyga, China and Russia are currently conducting negotiations on setting up a joint-venture company for the construction of ice-class cargo vessels as well as the upgrade of ports and overall navigation infrastructure. File Photo: Syrian army soldiers fire an artillery on the Islamic State (IS) positions near the city of al-Bukamal in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province, Syria, on Nov. 10, 2017. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani) UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said Monday that he believed that the "moment of truth" had arrived for the Syria talks. He made the remarks while briefing the UN Security Council by videolink about the preparations for the round of talks on Syria that are to begin in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday. The talks should begin in Geneva without preconditions, said the envoy. Initially, he said, the participants should focus on a work plan, on principles as well as the constitutional and election "baskets" towards the implementation of Security Council resolution 2254. He added that all other initiatives should support the UN mediation process, which the Security Council has mandated the United Nations to conduct, and no one else. As Da'esh, or the Islamic State, is being defeated, he said, neither side should turn to violence in the de-escalation zones, and he expressed concern about the latest violence in eastern Ghouta. Regarding the situation in eastern Ghouta, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a UN/Syrian Arab Red Crescent inter-agency convoy was not able to enter Nashabieh in eastern Ghouta on Monday due to fighting in the area. The convoy contained food, health and nutrition items for 7,200 people in need. While guarantees of safe passage had been granted before the humanitarian convoy moved, it was forced to turn back following shelling and explosions in the area. The United Nations is to resume the peace talks between the government and the Syrian opposition in Geneva on Tuesday. The opposition's delegation arrived Monday, after publishing a communique last week that said it was ready for talks "without preconditions." Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 04:34:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close TUNIS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi will take part in the 5th edition of the African Union - EU summit, scheduled for November 29-30 in Abidjan, the Presidency of the Tunisian Republic announced Monday. According to the same source, President Caid Essebsi will attend the summit, on the invitation of his Ivorian counterpart, Alassan Ouatara, as well as the president of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki. Beji Caid Essebsi will deliver a speech at the opening of the summit and hold talks with African and European heads of state and governments. Under the title's theme: "Investing in Youth for a Sustainable Future," this African Union - EU summit will convene senior African and European leaders to report concrete and effective responses to the aspirations of African youth in various fields. Other files will also be investigated including the fight against terrorism, extremism and illegal emigration in addition to the promotion of European investments in Africa. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 04:39:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIGA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian financial police broke up a criminal group in November that had defrauded the state budget of more than 900,000 euros by avoiding to pay value added tax (VAT) and laundering proceeds from crime, the Latvian State Revenue Service informed on Monday. The illegal activities had been going on from April 2016 until mid-November 2017, the tax authority said. More than 20 companies in Latvia were involved in the scheme, as well as several enterprises in Lithuania, Britain, the Czech Republic, and Poland that were selling office equipment and stationery goods. In order to reduce their VAT payments and legalize proceeds from crime, the "clients" included nonexistent transactions with fictitious companies in their reports to the tax authority. As part of the criminal probe into the scheme, financial police conducted 14 searches at suspects' offices, homes, and motor vehicles in Riga and elsewhere in Latvia, seizing substantial evidence, as well as freezing a bank account. Two individuals with a previous criminal records are suspects in the case. The Latvian authorities would not give any more details about the case, citing the necessity to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 04:44:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- One U.S. soldier had been killed in a non-combat-related incident in Iraq, the U.S. Department of Defense said on Monday. The man, who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, was killed on Saturday in Baghdad as a result of a non-combat-related incident, said the Pentagon in a statement. The soldier was assigned to the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss in Texas, according to the statement. The incident is still under investigation. The Operation Inherent Resolve is the U.S.-led military campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 04:49:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Tributes were paid on Monday to 31 Chinese sailors who for 70 years have lain, virtually forgotten, in a cemetery, thousands of kilometers from their homes. A special dedication ceremony was held at Anfield Cemetery in Liverpool at the site where the sailors are buried. They had all served in the Dutch navy, carrying essential goods and supplies from North America to Europe in the force of hostile enemy action by German U-boat submarines. "They've lain here for 70 years or more, largely forgotten, and their sacrifice unacknowledged. Until now, most have not even had a gravestone as a permanent marker of their presence," said Walter Fung from the Society for Anglo Chinese Understanding in a eulogy to the sailors. Roel Broer from the Dutch War Graves Foundation lay flowers at a memorial to the sailors who all died during World War II or shortly thereafter. He said the graves of those who died in the war should be cared for and the history about what happened told to today's young people. Liverpool ceremonial Lord Mayor Malcolm Kennedy led civic tributes to the sailors at the ceremony, with a large contingent of the city's Chinese community in attendance. Events to mark the centenary of World War I has thrown a spotlight on civilian victims of the two world wars as well as the military. In his tribute, added he hoped the new headstones would bring attention to the sacrifice they made and act as a permanent record of their lives and their great contribution to the freedom of the world. Moira Kenny from the Liverpool organisation The Sound Agents, who organised the event, said: "John Campbell and I have spent many years recording the history of the Chinese community in our city. It is great that after so long these brave men have been remembered for their actions in what must have been one of the most terrifying battle grounds of the war, the Atlantic Ocean." "Most of these brave men died and even though they were with the Dutch navy. The Netherlands was still occupied, so they were brought for burial at the closest port, Liverpool," added Kenny. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 04:49:35|Editor: yan Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people have been killed after a truck overturned in the central Mexican state of Puebla, the police said on Monday. The accident occurred on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. local time, along a mountain road in municipality of Tepango de Rodriguez in the north of the state, showed an official report released by Puebla's public security authorities. Nine men and nine women were killed, most of whom were travelling in the cargo section of the truck. Local authorities told Xinhua that the victims lived in the village of Casco Chueco and were returning home after delivering a religious image to a neighboring community. A preliminary police report found that the vehicle seemed to have a brake failure, which caused it to crash and roll over, adding that the death toll could rise to 19 as one victim was in critical condition in hospital. Prosecutors have opened an inquiry into the cause of the accident. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 04:54:38|Editor: yan Video Player Close DOHA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- An official symposium, sponsored by the Chinese Embassy in Qatar, was held on Monday to discuss policies related to Chinese labor in Qatar and visa permits. Chinese Ambassador to Qatar Li Chen, Qatar's senior officials of major governmental departments and representatives of Chinese companies attended the discussion. The talk covered topics including the new labor law, the cancellation of sponsorship system and the new visa exemption offered by Qatari government to 80 countries including China. They also exchanged opinions on a new system which will allow the Chinese workers to receive medical examination and sign contracts in their home countries before coming to Qatar. Li stressed that it is important to have a regular communication between the Chinese community and Qatari officials. An Israeli soldier keeps watch by an Iron Dome rocket interceptor battery deployed near central Gaza Strip, southern Israel October 31, 2017. (REUTERS PHOTO) JERUSALEM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Israel's naval Iron Dome, a rocket defense system aimed at securing the country's offshore gas fields, was declared operational on Monday, a military spokesperson said in a statement. Israel's security forces have "successfully completed a naval exercise, in which the Naval 'Iron Dome' Aerial Defense System was deemed qualified for operational use in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces)," the statement read. According to the military, over the past few days, the Israeli Navy and the Israeli Air Force conducted a number of preplanned exercises to test the system's operational abilities. The exercises included launchings of Grad rockets, similar to those that had been fired from the Gaza Strip. The system's "Adir" radar identified the rockets and the "Tamir" interceptor missile that was launched by the Iron Dome to intercept them, the spokesperson said. "The exercise was successful and the projectiles that simulated a threat posed to the strategic assets in the sea were intercepted," according to the spokesperson. The military believes that the new system "will significantly improve the Navy's existing tools used to protect Israel's strategic assets in the sea, as well as the naval troops operating in the area." The sea-based Iron Dome is part of Israel's multi-layer defense doctrine, which includes a land-based Iron Dome system, aimed to intercept short-range rockets from Gaza; David's Sling, which can intercept medium-range missiles owned by the Iran-backed Hezbollah organization in southern Lebanon; and the long-range Arrow-3 anti-ballistic-missiles system. According to Israel, Gaza militants fired rockets towards Israel's natural gas fields in the Mediterranean during the last round of war between Israel and Hamas in 2014 but failed to cause any damage. File photo taken on Oct. 2, 2017 shows a damaged room of a police station that was targeted by suicide bombings in Midan neighborhood in Damascus. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani) UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Monday called for progress in the UN-brokered Geneva talks between the Syrian government and the opposition. "The members of the Security Council look forward to a new round of talks that will start tomorrow (Tuesday) in Geneva," Sebastiano Cardi, president of the Security Council, told reporters after the council held closed-door consultations on Syria following an open meeting. The council members urged all Syrian parties to participate actively and with no preconditions in the Geneva political process and to support efforts to ensure its success, said Cardi, the Italian ambassador to the United Nations. The council reiterated that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict and confirmed that a political solution must be forged through the Geneva process, he said. They also stressed respect for Syria's sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity. The Syrian opposition has formed a unified group for Geneva talks following negotiations among them in Riyadh, while the Syrian government has not confirmed its attendance at the new round of Geneva talks. "The meeting will start tomorrow and we really hope that all parties, including the Syrian government, will be present," said Cardi. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 05:09:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close HELSINKI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Finland plans to acquire a new surface-to-air defense missiles system that would restore its vertical missile range to some 20 km, newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported on Monday. The Finnish surface-to-air vertical distance shrunk some years ago, when Finland scrapped its Russian-made Buk missiles that reached this 20-km distance. Finland gave up the Buk system and purchased the Nasams system developed in the United States and Norway. Its vertical reach is said to be 10 km. Interviewed by the Helsingin Sanomat, Colonel Ari Groonroos, inspector of anti-aircraft operations at the Finnish defense forces, played down the U.S. Patriots surface-to-air system as Finland's next choice. "Patriot is fairly expensive," Helsingin Sanomat quoted Groonroos as saying. Weeks ago, Finland's western neighbour Sweden announced it would buy the Patriots. Groonroos told Helsingin Sanomat that Finland wants to "double its reach in height", but refused to speculate about the choice. Since the phasing out of the Buks, Finnish air defense at the height of over 10 km has been based on the deployment of its Hornet F-18s. Helsingin Sanomat reported that Finland would be sending requests of tenders to missile manufacturers soon, possibly at the end of 2017. The country will make its choice in 2019 when tests would begin. The successful candidates will replace the Hornet fighters. Earlier media speculation was that Finland would update its Nasams system with the latest Amraam-ER. But Groonroos said this would not necessarily be the case. When Sweden announced the purchase of the Patriots, it underlined that Patriots would also repel ballistic missiles. Groonsroos said that being able to counter ballistic missiles was not Finland's primary aim. He said defense against ballistic missiles would not be feasible over wide areas. He also said ballistic missiles were constantly developed to be able to penetrate defense. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 05:14:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and 37 others wounded Monday in a suicide attack in southeast Baghdad, a local security official said. Two militants armed with explosive belts and guns attacked the Nahrawan Health Center in Baghdad and opened fire at civilians, an Interior Ministry official told Xinhua. Security guards in the health center exchanged fire with the attackers and killed one of them. The other one rushed into a nearby coffee shop and detonated his explosive belt. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State (IS) group, in most cases, is responsible for such suicide bombings which usually targeted security forces or crowded areas like markets, cafes and mosques. Iraqi forces liberated the last IS urban stronghold in Rawa, Anbar province on Nov. 17 and are still carrying out military operations to wipe out remaining IS militants from their hideouts in the desert in western Iraq. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 06:09:55|Editor: yan Video Player Close BUDAPEST, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Xiang Ou Express Budapest-Changsha return freight train carrying Central European cargo containers to Changsha, China, was launched from here for the first time on Monday. The train carries 41 containers of red wine, beer, cereals, milk powder and hardware accessories made in Hungary and its neighboring countries. The launching ceremony was attended by Laszlo Mosoczi, deputy state secretary of the Hungarian ministry for national development, Hunan province Vice Governor He Baoxiang, and Xu Xiangping, head of the department of commerce for the Hunan province. Mosoczi said Hungarian export to China reached a record of 2.25 billion U.S. dollars last year, while the export of food products increased by 1.5 times from 2015. The data of the first eight months showed that further increase -- double digits in several areas -- is to be expected, he added. Xu said it is a major move to promote the smooth flow of trade, adding that "it is also an important way for the Hunan province to build a new pattern of opening to the outside world." On June 16 this year, the first freight train from Changsha arrived in Budapest. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 06:19:59|Editor: yan Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- 2017 will be a year of bumper harvest for relations between China and Kuwait, Chinese Ambassador to Kuwait Wang Di said here on Monday. Wang made the remarks when speaking at a seminar, themed "Developing the China-Kuwait relationship and improving the links between the development strategies." The ambassador said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah have reached broad consensus on strengthening cooperation between the two countries, attaching great importance to the development of bilateral relations. The collective value of construction projects, signed between China and Kuwait from January to September this year, has hit 2.8 billion U.S. dollars, Wang said. He said the trade between the two countries has reached 8.3 billion U.S. dollars and China has imported 12.5 million tons of crude oil from Kuwait. China and Kuwait have become friends of mutual trust and good partners for win-win cooperation, the ambassador said. The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, first put forward in 2013 by President Xi Jinping, concurs with the vision of Kuwaiti emir to transform Kuwait into a global center for finance and commerce, said Wang. Noting that Kuwait is one of the first Arab countries to have signed a cooperation agreement with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, Wang said the two sides have maintained close exchanges and cooperation within the framework of the Initiative. He said he believes that similar development concepts and strategies, complementary economic advantages will create important opportunities and open up brighter prospects for further development of ties between China and Kuwait. "China is prepared to contribute to the implementation of major construction projects of Kuwait so as to better benefit the two peoples and build a community of shared future for mankind," Wang said. Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-28 07:25:09|Editor: liuxin Video Player Close Participants of the fifth BRICS Sherpa Meeting pose for a group photo in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Nov. 27, 2017. The meeting was chaired by Li Baodong, sherpa for BRICS affairs and vice foreign minister of China, and attended by sherpas of BRICS countries and representatives from the New Development Bank. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) An advisory body to the Japan Sumo Association has agreed on the need for aextremely harsh punishmenta to be meted out to grand champion Harumafuji over his assault of a lower-ranked wrestler, the head of the council said Monday. "Tremendous damage has been caused (to sumo). It let fans down," said Masato Kitamura, chairman of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, referring to an incident where Harumafuji assaulted Takanoiwa in a drinking session at a restaurant-bar in the western Japan city of Tottori during a regional tour late last month. Punitive actions that the JSA can take include dismissal, recommending the yokozuna retire or suspending his participation in tournaments. The powerful yokozuna council is tasked with making recommendations to the JSA over yokozuna promotions in sumo's elite makuuchi division and other related matters concerning grand sumo champions. In 2010, a recommendation made to the JSA led to the retirement of Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu following reports that he injured a man in a drunken rampage. Kitamura said some council members also made an issue of the behavior of Hakuho, another grand champion, as "unfitting of a yokozuna," as the JSA says wrestlers of that stature must have good character, not just physical strength. Hakuho, who clinched his 40th career title in the just-concluded tournament in Fukuoka, told spectators Sunday that he wants Harumafuji and Takanoiwa, who were absent from the tournament, both to return to the ring and urged spectators to shout banzai in unison. Hakuho, Harumafuji and Takanoiwa are all from Mongolia. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Battered by a sharp fall in hydrocarbon revenues, Algeria resorted to lifting subsidies on key commodities such as gasoline and diesel in a bid to shore up state finances. The Algerian parliament has taken the unpopular decision of cutting gasoline and diesel subsidies for the third as part of the 2018 budget in an attempt to compensate for dwindling state revenues against the backdrop of staggering oil prices in international markets. The budget was approved in the lower house and is expected to be passed in the Senate, where the government also has a majority of seats. Since the end of the expensive oil era in June 2014, Algerias foreign exchange reserves are expected to hit a low level of $97 billion in 2017, down from $193 billion in 2014, official data shows. To fend off an impending crisis that will see the state resort to foreign debt, Algeria has announced plans to reform its subsidy system, which covers almost everything from basic foodstuffs and drugs to energy. The government has also taken measures to restrict imports of 30 goods, such as cars, some food products and raw materials. It targeted a reduction of $15 billion this year. As a result of the recent cuts, imports reached $38.18 billion in the first 10 months of 2017, down just 1.8 percent from the same period in 2016. Food imports actually rose, by 4.5 percent to $7.12 billion. However, analysts see the governments import restriction policy as doomed to fail due to the lack of domestic production. Importers are warning that limiting imports on such vital products such as medicine will result in serious shortages. Queues already started in front of some pharmacies where citizens line up to buy rare medicine. Morocco has voiced its firm support to the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) during a meeting held Sunday in Riyadh by top Islamic defense officials. The Moroccan backing to the IMCTC was expressed by minister delegate in charge of the National Defense Administration Abdellatif Loudiy. He said the North African Kingdom offers to the Islamic alliance its sound experience in the fight against extremism and terrorism to combat extremist organizations. He also renewed Moroccos continued solidarity with Saudi Arabia in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity, affirming that Rabat supports all Saudi measures taken to ensure the countrys security and stability. At the end of their gathering, the Islamic defense ministers agreed to step up cooperation to cut off the terror groups financing and underlined the importance of social media in combating extremist ideology and propaganda. In their final statement, the ministers stressed the importance of the militarys role in combating terrorism, enhancing security and peace in the Coalition member countries, and contributing to regional and international security and peace. They reaffirmed their determination to work with every possible means to confront extremism and terrorism. The defense ministers renewed their determination to address terror threats through education and promote the moderate values of Islam. The ministers emphasized the importance of draining the sources of terrorist funding and cutting off any financial support to terror operations and activities. This can be achieved by coordinating efforts to combat terrorist funding said the Ministers joint statement, calling for more action to improve compliance with international standards. According to Gen. Raheel Sharif, a retired Pakistani General who has been appointed commander in-chief of the IMCTC, the greatest challenge to peace and stability in the 21st century, especially in the Islamic world, is to address the terrorist threats. He stressed the need for Islamic countries to unite and work together to defeat terrorism and its extremist ideology, mobilize and coordinate the use of resources, facilitate the exchange of information and help member countries build their own counter-terrorism capacity. The Sunday meeting, the coalitions first, was held in the wake of the terror attack on a mosque in Egypts Sinai that killed over 300 people. The Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition made up of 41 Muslim or Muslim-dominated countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia was set up in 2015. Saudi Arabia, which pledged to contribute $107 million to the project, will house the Coalitions future center. Marrakech is hosting the second China-Africa Investment Forum (CAIF) which opened on Monday with the participation of some 500 high-level Chinese and African business leaders. The event aims to facilitate business meetings between the main stakeholders of trade and investment between China and African countries in order to foster sustainable partnerships with high added value, particularly in the industrial sector. Special attention will be paid to financial implications for African economies and making the continent a true industrial platform. Alongside the conferences, practical workshops will shed light on Chinese and African economic policies and operational environments. Overall 10,000 Chinese companies operate in the continent generating $60 billion a year in industrial production. Trade between Africa and Chine hit $122 billion while Chinese non-financial direct investments in the continent reached $2.5 billion in 2016. The event is also reflective of Moroccos clout in the continent and its ambition to act as a gateway and as a hub for Chinese exports and investments to Africa. Minister of industry, investment, trade and digital economy Moulay Hafid Elalamy said, at the opening of the event, that Morocco ambitions to promote a balanced partnership between China and the continent. He recalled that King Mohammed VI stressed in his address to the first CAIF in Johannesburg the importance of deepening the south-south cooperation dimension between Morocco, China and Africa. At the bilateral level, relations between Morocco and China have been bolstered with the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to speed up the achievement of the goals under the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. In a speech addressed to the Summit of the Forum on Sino-African Cooperation, held in December 2015, King Mohammed VI welcomed the Chinese Presidents launch of the Belt and Road initiative, which constitutes a genuine strategic vision in bilateral and multilateral relations and aims to connect Asian, European and African countries more closely. Chinese investments in Morocco have increased following King Mohammed VIs visit to China in 2016, rising from $220,000 in 2011 to nearly $42 million in 2015. Mick Mulvaney is very eager to run the agency he considers a sick, sad joke. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Finding a new director for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sounds pretty dull, but since the Trump administration doesnt do noncontroversial, the process involves a partisan battle over the presidents attempt to undermine his predecessor, a dramatic showdown involving dueling appointees showing up to the job on Monday, and now, a lawsuit. The agency which was conceived of by Senator Elizabeth Warren when she was a bankruptcy professor at Harvard Law School aims to prevent financial institutions from scamming Americans. Thats made it popular with the public, but despised by banks, credit-card companies, and the Republican lawmakers who love them. CFPB directors serve five-year terms, and Obama appointee Richard Cordray the first person to hold that position was set to serve through July of next year. But Cordray triggered a succession crisis when he announced his resignation on November 15. The eventual permanent CFPB director must be confirmed by the Senate, but the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which created the agency, says that in the meantime the deputy director will take over if the director steps down. Last week, Cordray appointed his chief of staff, Leandra English, as his deputy, intending for her to serve as acting director until Trump makes his nomination. But the president had other ideas. Citing the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which lets the president fill an open executive-agency leadership position with any Senate-confirmed member of his administration, Trump said that budget director Mick Mulvaney would assume the role. Mulvaney, who once called the CFPB a sick, sad joke was expected to continue heading the Office of Management and Budget and delegate the work of running the agency (presumably, into the ground). So now, with two CFPB directors expected to show up to work on Monday, the matter is headed to the courts. On Sunday, English filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of D.C. calling herself the rightful acting director and requesting a temporary restraining order to prevent Mulvaney from being appointed to the job. Ms. English has a clear entitlement to the position of acting director of the CFPB, the lawsuit claims. The Presidents purported or intended appointment of defendant Mulvaney as acting director of the CFPB is unlawful. English said in a statement: The talented and hard-working CFPB staff stand up for consumers every day. As Acting Director, I am filing this lawsuit to stand up for the CFPB. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded with a jab at Cordray, whos expected to run for governor of Ohio. It is unfortunate that Mr. Cordray decided to put his political ambition above the interests of consumers with this stunt, Sanders said. Director Mulvaney will bring a more serious and professional approach to running the CFPB. Dodd-Frank says that the CFPBs deputy director shall serve as acting Director in the absence or unavailability of the director. The Federal Vacancies Reform Act says that it only applies to agencies that lack a provision that designates an officer or employee to perform the functions and duties of a specified office temporarily in an acting capacity. An earlier version of Dodd-Frank said the Federal Vacancies Reform Act applied to the CFPB, but that language was stripped out of the final legislation, indicating Congress purposely outlined a different succession process. Several anti-Trump legal scholars say the law is on Englishs side: Ive now read the 3-pg internal memo dated 11/25/17 by Mary McLeod supporting @POTUSs power to override the specific Dodd-Frank provision making Leandra English Acting Director of CFPB. The memo mustve been written in great haste. Its weakly reasoned and wholly unconvincing. Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) November 27, 2017 From the horses mouth re @CFPB succession. This is not a close one folks. Most blatant usurpation of rule of law since early days of admin (Muslim Ban, Emoluments, sanctuary cities). #Leandra. https://t.co/yc4vAc8mJP Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) November 27, 2017 For every American who has been ripped off by a lender or unfairly denied credit this is the top news story. CFPB was your friend in Washington. But not for long if Trump has his way. https://t.co/Z9KUPeWHXa Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) November 26, 2017 But the White House says its simply following the reasoning of the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel, which issued an eight-page opinion on Saturday supporting Mulvaneys appointment. It also shared a letter from Mary McLeod, CFPBs general counsel, that tells the agencys senior leadership that Trump has the right to name an interim director. I advise all Bureau personnel to act consistently with the understanding that Director Mulvaney is the Acting Director of the CFPB, McLeod said. Congressional reaction has fallen along partisan lines. Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Republican senator Lindsey Graham said he supports Mulvaneys appointment and called the CFPB the most out-of-control, unaccountable federal agency in D.C. On the same program, Democratic senator Dick Durbin said Dodd-Frank is clear, and English should run the agency. Remember, this was the agency that fined Wells Fargo $100 million for defrauding the people who were creating phony accounts, he said. Its a watchdog agency. Wall Street hates it like the devil hates holy water. But even if English prevails in court, its likely the victory will be short-lived. Trump is expected to appoint a permanent director in a matter of weeks, and it seems likely that Senate Republicans will confirm whoever he picks (even, perhaps, an unqualified ghost hunter). One way or another, it seems Trump is going to be gutting the CFPB. Franken. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Senator Al Franken told multiple Minnesota news outlets on Sunday that he was remorseful after several allegations of sexual misconduct, in his first round of interviews since the initial accusation. But Franken did not show any signs of quitting his office, saying that he looked forward to going back to work on Monday. Im embarrassed and ashamed. Ive let a lot of people down and Im hoping I can make it up to them and gradually regain their trust, Franken told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Asked if the public could expect more stories to surface, Franken responded, If you had asked me two weeks ago, Would any woman say I had treated her with disrespect? I would have said no. So this has just caught me by surprise I certainly hope not. Although four women have recounted Frankens inappropriate behavior toward them, no Democratic lawmakers have demanded Frankens resignation. Many have instead deflected questions by citing an upcoming Senate Ethics Committee investigation which Franken invited in his first statement apologizing for his actions. The Ethics Committee is looking into all of this and I will cooperate fully with it, Franken told Minnesota Public Radio. Franken was first accused of misconduct on November 16 by broadcaster Leeann Tweeden, who alleged that he forcibly kissed her during rehearsals for a USO comedy sketch in 2007, the year before Franken was first elected to the Senate. Tweeden also produced a photo of Franken grabbing, or pretending to grab, her breasts while she was sleeping. A second woman, Lindsay Menz, told CNN days later that Franken had grabbed her buttocks at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010. And two more women anonymously told HuffPost that Franken had also grabbed their buttocks in separate incidents in 2007 and 2008. One also said that Franken had invited her to join him in a bathroom, an allegation Franken denied on Sunday. He did not deny the other allegations, but said, I dont remember these photographs, I dont. This is not something I would intentionally do. Franken and the Democrats who support him may be hoping that his offenses will be overshadowed by more dire revelations about other lawmakers. On Sunday, 88-year-old Democratic congressman John Conyers stepped down from the House Judiciary Committee after a BuzzFeed report alleged that he had paid a former staffer to stay silent about his sexual advances. The Alabama Senate election features a candidate who has been accused of preying on 14-year-olds. And there is likely much more to come, as the postHarvey Weinstein fallout ripples through the political world. Still, Democrats who might have successfully dismissed Frankens misconduct as a one-off after the first allegation are treading on potentially dangerous ground. Some already think their minimizing of his behavior looks less like a reasonable interpretation of the facts and more like a double standard. Such criticism will only grow louder if more women come forward. And thats not to mention that Minnesota voters have quickly soured on the senator, at least for now. (He is next up for reelection in 2020.) Franken, as he acknowledged on Sunday, has a long road ahead of him. I know Im not going to regain their trust immediately, he said. Theres no magic words I can say here to make that happen. Bob Corker. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images The Senate GOPs plan to overhaul the American tax system has been around for less than two weeks. The party has not held a single hearing on the bills macroeconomic effects (even as experts warn that these could include a health-care crisis and housing market crash). Large majorities of the public disapprove of the legislation. Even small-business owners ostensibly, one of the tax packages chief beneficiaries appear to oppose it. And Mitch McConnell plans to pass the bill out of the Senate by weeks end. As of this writing, at least nine Republican senators arent sure that thats a good idea. Ron Johnson and Steve Daines worry the bill favors corporations over (so-called) small businesses. James Lankford, Bob Corker, Jeff Flake, and John McCain have all expressed reservations about the legislations (enormous) impact on the deficit. Jerry Moran isnt crazy about killing Obamacares individual mandate. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins are Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins. To stay on schedule, McConnell needs to pacify Corker and Johnson by Tuesday. Thats when the Budget Committee plans to vote on whether to advance the tax package to the Senate floor. Assuming he pulls that off, the Majority Leader will need to win over five of the remaining seven holdouts by Friday (McConnell can only afford to lose two votes). If the Senate GOP cant find consensus on a bill by weeks end, the Trump tax cuts could get kicked to next year, since the government will run out funding in 11 days, and Republicans still need to hammer out a bipartisan spending bill to avert a shutdown. If the tax legislation is pushed to 2018, the GOP leadership will spend the holidays getting chewed out by disgruntled donors, while the bills losers would have time to get informed and organized. Most critically, McConnells margin for error could shrink to one in January, thanks to Roy Moore. So, Republicans want to get this done now. Heres how they plan to do that: Make the bill even better for rich business owners, to win over Johnson and Daines. Most firms in the United States dont pay the corporate income tax. Instead, theses companies profits pass through to their owners individual returns. This means that, at present, highly profitable pass-through businesses are taxed at the top individual rate of 39.6 percent, while corporations (statutorily) pay 35 percent. The House tax bill would slash the corporate rate to 20 percent, and the pass-through rate to 25. The Senate version includes that same corporate cut but establishes no new, special rate for pass-throughs. Instead, the bill creates a 17.4 percent income-tax deduction for owners of pass-through businesses, no matter their income level. This change actually makes the Senate bill better for genuinely small businesses than the House version was: Right now, the vast majority of small business owners pay 25 percent or less on their (modest) business income. So, for them, a large tax deduction is worth way more than a ten-point cut in the top rate. But for rich, pass-through business owners like, say, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin the Senate bill is a disappointment. I just have in my heart a real affinity for these owner-operated pass-throughs, Johnson recently told the New York Times. Montana senator Steve Daines shares Johnsons concerns. McConnell hopes to win them over by increasing the tax deduction for pass-throughs from 17.4 to 20 percent. Put in a $10,000 property tax deduction and scrap the state-and-local tax deduction for corporations to win over Susan Collins. Collinss biggest objection to the bill appears to be its repeal of Obamacares individual mandate. And Kansas senator Jerry Moran has also expressed opposition to that measure. But killing the mandate generates $300 billion in much-needed revenue. Thus, the GOP leadership hopes to appease Maines favorite moderate by honoring one of her other requests a $10,000 property tax deduction. Right now, the Senate bill would abolish the state-and-local tax (SALT) deduction. This provision would add more than $1 trillion in revenue by hammering upper-middle-class households high-tax (a.k.a. blue) states. In the House, the GOPs reliance on Republican lawmakers from New York, New Jersey, and California has forced the party to soften the blow to these areas, by preserving a $10,000 property tax deduction. Since no Senate Republicans represent those coastal elites, McConnells initial bill scrapped SALT in its entirety. Now, Susan Collins wants what the House is having. And the Senate Majority Leader is inclined to give it to her after all, putting the property tax deduction back in would make it easier for Paul Ryan to pass the Senate bill through the lower chamber. But theres a catch: Including a property tax deduction would make the Senate bill upwards of $100 billion more expensive over the next decade. And McConnell only has about $80 billion to play with and thats before factoring in the cost of making the bill more generous to pass-through businesses. The Senate leadership thinks it can (partially) solve this problem and address one of the bills biggest public-relations headaches simultaneously. Currently, the Senate bill allows corporations to retain the state-and-local tax deduction, even as it forces middle-class families to do without it. This has provided Democrats with (yet another) easy attack line. Now, Republicans are thinking about taking SALT away from corporations, and using the new revenue to meet their holdouts demands. Give Lisa Murkowski some oil. The Alaska senator has long called for opening her states national wildlife refuge to oil drilling. Republicans are expected to add a provision to their tax bill that would do just that. Let the deficit hawks eat wildly optimistic growth projections. Four Senate Republicans have expressed concerns about the bills (enormous) impact on the deficit. Three of these senators Bob Corker, Jeff Flake, and John McCain have nothing to lose in tanking the bill (politically, anyway). And it is impossible for McConnell to meaningfully address their concerns. As written, the Senate tax bill would add $1.5 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. The legislation is deficit-neutral after that but only because it phases out all of its middle-class tax cuts in 2026, while keeping many middle-class tax increases in place. And the GOP leadership has been assuring the public that it will be politically impossible for any future administration Democratic or Republican to let those popular tax breaks expire. Which is to say: McConnells official line is that his bill isnt actually a deficit-neutral plan to finance a corporate tax cut by soaking the middle class its just a giant, unfunded, across-the-board cut loaded with budget gimmicks that mask its true price. There is no fiscally conservative version of this legislation. You cant deliver giant corporate and individual tax cuts while maintaining defense and entitlement spending at their current levels without drastically increasing the the national debt. And the GOP doesnt have the votes to buck the Pentagon, or their own elderly base. Thus, Republicans have to hope that their deficit hawks are all squawk, no bite or else willing to believe that the bill would generate so much growth, the tax package would pay for itself. For the moment, the hawks dont seem to be buying it. Three decades after graduation, Scaramucci remains The Tufts Dailys most loyal reader. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Despite being fired after just ten days as the White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci remains a big fan of President Trump. In an AP interview last week, Scaramucci said he still talks to members of Trumps inner circle regularly and expects to be part of the Trump reelection effort in some capacity. I have very good relationships there still, and you have to remember we were a team for 18 months, and so we all had different roles. And so Im still playing my role frankly. Im an advocate for the president, media surrogate when I need to be, he said. For now, Scaramucci is focused on his business dealings, but hes still emulating his old boss. Just as Trump threatened to sue the New York Times after several women accused him of sexual assault, the Mooch is threatening legal action against a newspaper that printed some unflattering remarks about him. But while Trump took aim at the newspaper of record, Scaramucci is targeting the student newspaper from his alma mater, Tufts University. On November 6, Tufts graduate student Camilo A. Caballero penned an op-ed in The Tufts Daily newspaper calling on the universitys Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy to drop Scaramucci from its advisory board, which hes served on since 2016. It read, in part: However, there sits on the Board of Advisors of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts a man whose career and ideals are diametrically opposed to those ideas and who sullies the vision of the University. This is Anthony Scaramucci, a man who began his infamously short career as the White House communications director by uttering profanity-laced comments on national news outlets, the man who sold his soul in contradiction to his own purported beliefs for a seat in that White House and a man who makes his Twitter accessible to friends interested in giving comfort to Holocaust deniers. A man who is irresponsible, inconsistent, an unethical opportunist and who exuded the highest degree of disreputability should not be on the Fletcher Board. The Board of Advisors plays a critical role in building the spirit of our school and also, in more practical terms, board members define and oversee our schools operations. After more than 240 students and administrators signed an online petition calling for Scaramuccis removal, the school announced that he had been invited to speak on campus. Caballero responded with a second op-ed, which referred to Scaramuccis unethical behavior. The Boston Globe reports that days later, Scaramucci sent Caballero an email in which he took issue with the 26-year-olds use of that phrase. So either back it up or you will hear from my lawyer, Scaramucci wrote. You may have a difference of opinion from me politically which I respect but you cant make spurious claims about my reputation and integrity. That was followed by a letter from Scaramuccis attorney demanding that Caballero and The Tufts Daily retract false and defamatory allegations of fact about his client and issue an apology. The letter claims that while the pieces are clearly labeled op-ed, theyre still defamatory under Massachusetts law because the claims about Scaramuccis morals and ethics are not presented as opinion but rather as false facts. However, T. Barton Carter, a communications and law professor at Boston University, told the Globe he doesnt think Scaramucci has much of a case. First of all, he would have to prove that they said something factual not something thats an opinion defamatory, and inaccurate, Carter said. And then he still has to prove that they had knowledge it was false, or at least had serious doubts. Carter noted that such legal threats often go nowhere for instance Trumps suit against the Times never materialized. However, there have already been consequences to Scaramuccis legal threat. Tufts postponed his talk at the university, which was scheduled for Monday, until the legal matters are settled. Were disappointed that Mr. Scaramucci has taken this action, university spokesperson Patrick Collins said in the statement. But the Mooch will not be silenced. In a series of tweets late on Sunday night, he defended himself, explaining that no one questions his integrity and gets away with it not even The Tufts Daily. Daniel I was ready to come to the school, thats an open debate. Nobody is going to call my ethics into question without a fight. An apology will suffice. https://t.co/XWx0Q8XP6r Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) November 27, 2017 I didnt back out of speaking at Tufts. The provost cancelled my invitation. Invite me and I will come out at anytime. https://t.co/QRAuXwvN0u Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) November 27, 2017 I asked for an apology for defamatory statements. That is a teachable moment professor. The student is an adult, let his actions stand without any coddling. You cant defame people in America because you dont like their political views. https://t.co/q5fi8wszqn Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) November 27, 2017 The president clearly wants to help Roy Moore, but not at the risk of another failed appearance in Alabama. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg; Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images Last week, the president conspicuously opened the door to the possibility of personally campaigning in Alabama for embattled GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore. After basically endorsing Moore in comments to reporters after an unrelated White House event, Trump said in response to a question about campaigning for Judge Moore that hed be letting you know [about it] next week. He also continued tweeting condemnations of Moores Democratic opponent Doug Jones over the weekend. The last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is WEAK on Crime, WEAK on the Border, Bad for our Military and our great Vets, Bad for our 2nd Amendment, AND WANTS TO RAISES TAXES TO THE SKY. Jones would be a disaster! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017 But today, the Associated Press is reporting from White House sources that Trump will not being going to Alabama to thump the tubs for Moore. No reason was offered for this decision, though several seem plausible. Trump may be hedging his bets on Moore given the close and conflicted polling of the Moore/Jones race. He could also know something the rest of us dont know about additional allegations still to come against the Ayatollah of Alabama. Maybe hes uncomfortable with cozying up too much to a candidate who is constantly bashing Senate Republicans at a time when Mitch McConnell is laboring to pass a tax bill. Or perhaps hes brooding over his very unsuccessful personal appearance for Luther Strange before Moore dispatched the appointed senator in a September runoff, and doesnt want to go 0-for-Alabama in 2017 by campaigning for another loser. What makes this whole situation odd is that Alabama is supposed to be a state where Trump walks on water. At this point, hes just splashing around in the surf at the periphery of a crucial Senate race, unsure whether to dive in to save his partys unsavory nominee. He only has 15 days to hit the right balance between throwing Roy Moore life preservers or looking the other way if he sinks. Photo: f Want to finish your holiday shopping while killing time in your cubicle? Cyber Monday has you covered. After combing through hundreds of sales, here are some of the best gadget deals out there. Panasonic Ergofit Earbuds Im a big fan of cheap earbuds, and the Panasonic Ergofits are my favorite: a stellar combo of good sound and low price. Amazon has dropped the price on the version with a mic (the TCM125s) by $3, and the version without (the HJE120s) by $2. Im grabbing three or four for myself. Google Home Mini Walmarts Google Home Mini deal has a slick coupon embedded in it. Not only do you get a tiny little Google Home for $20 off, if you link up your Walmart account to Google Express, you nab a $25 coupon bringing the effective price down to $4. Not bad! Bose QuietComfort 25 Noise-Canceling Headphones Great for the cubicle dweller in an open office, or someone who takes a lot of long flights, these Bose headphones get $100 knocked off their normal list price, making them just $179. Sennheiser HD-1 Wireless Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones One of the best headphone deals going down on Cyber Monday is a steep price drop on the on-ear version of the Sennheiser HD-1s. Great sound with enough noise-canceling to keep out the road of the city, luxe retro styling, and, with $100 off of its normal price, just $250. Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones My pick for the best workout headphones out there, the Bose SoundSports has a nice price drop, down from $129 to $99. 1More Triple and Quad Driver in-Ear Headphones 1More is a relatively new company out of San Diego thats already built up a reputation for great-sounding and stylish earbuds on a budget. This Cyber Monday deal knocks down the price on their Triple and Quad Driver earbuds the Triple Driver goes down to $71.50 from $100, and the higher-quality Quads go down from $250 to $150. Both are great headphones, made better by solid discounts. Brother Printer EHLL2320D Compact Laser Printer Your life may be mainly digital, but old-school institutions like banks, hospitals, and auto dealers still require a ton of paperwork like, actual paper. Having a printer at home saves you from that awkward moment of printing out personal info on your shared work printer, and at just a tiny footprint and $30 off its normal price, this laser printer is a steal. Oculus Rift Headset and Touch Controllers A year ago, getting virtual reality up and running was a pricey proposition. Now, VR-ready headsets have dropped dramatically in price. The Oculus Rift headset is even cheaper on Cyber Monday, down $50 from $400 to $350. Sony X720E 4K Ultra HD LED TVs Theres deep discounts across a range of Sony X720Es, its mid-range 4K TV. Sleek styling, HDR, and Sonys much-improved smart TV functionality all come built-in. The 43-inch model gets a discount of $70, down from $548 to $478. The 49-inch gets a $70 drop, from $598 to $528. And the 55-inch sees a $100 knocked off its price, from $698 to $598. Samsung 40-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV Perfect for a smaller apartment (or a second TV), this 40-inch Samsung has 4K and HDR, and gets $50 knocked off its asking price, bringing it down from $400 to $350. LG C7P OLED 4K Ultra HD TVs Far and away the best TV on the market, this is the cheapest Ive ever seen LG go on their superb OLED screens. You can get a 55-inch screen for $1,696, and a 65-inch panel for $2,696. Acer Chromebook 11 If youre looking for a Chromebook on the cheap, it doesnt get much better than the Acer Chromebook 11. It checks all the boxes you need (good keyboard, decent screen, enough RAM it wont choke when loading up Netflix or YouTube) without even coming close to breaking the bank especially with $70 off, down from $200 to just $130. Asus Chromebook Flip One the years best-reviewed Chromebooks, this two-in-one can swing 360 degrees to transform into a tablet, has an HD touchscreen, weighs just 2.65 pounds, and get ten hours of battery life off a charge. If you want a Chromebook that doesnt feel like a compromise, this is it especially with $65 off its normal price, down from $450 to $385. Razer Blade 14-Inch Gaming Laptop Razers Blade series, bad pun aside, is at the top of the gaming laptop heap. It manages to pack in a ton of power (seventh-gen i7 processor, a discrete GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card, more RAM than many desktop gaming rigs), but it doesnt have the ugly Mountain Dewish styling of many gaming laptops. You can get it up to $200 on various models on Cyber Monday. Heads-up: If you buy stuff through our links, New York may earn a commission. That said, we dont recommend anything we wouldnt buy for ourselves. Professionals last week agreed that the enactment of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Act (PPDA Act), had brought about a significant improvement in procurement procedures in the country. However, they insist that unless the Institute of Procurement Professionals of Uganda (IPPU) is given a wider mandate to supervise and certify procurement professionals through amending the Institute of Supply Chain Management Act, the sector will continue to struggle with inefficient operations. The IPPU is a professional body established to bring together public and private sector procurement professionals in Uganda. Together with the PPDA, the institute aims at ensuring that procurement practitioners maintain best procurement practices. Edgar Agaba, a member of the IPPU council, decried of the restrictive mandate accorded to the institute after passing of Supply Chain Management Bill 2015. He explained that unlike other professional institutions like the Uganda Medical Association and Law Society, the IPPU is restricted from supervising practitioners by the very law that creates it. Without the mandate to supervise procurement practitioners many people continue to practice procurement in an adhoc manner, which is costly to the country, Agaba said during IPPUs 6th annual dinner in Kampala recently. David Kalitani, IPPUs executive secretary noted that the lack of supervision of practitioners and students had resulted into flawed procurement, loss of public funds, poor service delivery and breeds impunity. Given the mandate to supervise, IPPU will be able to not only certify procurement professionals but also enable sanctioning of professionals who do malpractice by deregistering them or enacting disciplinary action. Over 50 per cent of Ugandas annual budget is spent on procurement and disposal of public assets. Matia Kasaija, the Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development has decried the delays caused by bureaucracy and inflexible of procurement laws saying that they have gone a long way in denying the country economies of scale on projects invested on, but dont seem to kick off or end. He expressed optimism in the amendments to add flexibility and professionalism to the sector. If we do not ensure professionalism of the people handling the sector, you and I stand to lose, Kasaija said in his statement. Kasaija however promised to ensure that procurement laws are amended soon to among others, reduce bureaucracy, reduce turnaround time to less than 90 days, but also inculcate professionalism in the sector increasing the mandate for IPPU. For his work in the fight against the destructive impact of HIV/Aids, specifically in rural communities, Herbert Mugumya deserves an award. Mugumya, a younger brother to former police spokesperson Asan Kasingye, is the Country Representative for Management Sciences for Health (MSH). MSH is an international organization that helps governments in strengthening health systems globally, with its presence in over 36 countries, majorly in Africa. Herbert Mugumya The organisation offers technical assistance in health pharmaceuticals, infectious diseases, family health and on leadership, management and governance at different government levels including health facilities. When you meet Mugumya, you will be impressed by the passion with which he speaks to make healthcare services better in a country that has seen the health sector budget reducing almost every financial year. Born in Kibingo in Sheema district, Mugumya grew up in a family, he says, that had nothing to be proud of in a rural setting. He explains that growing up, there was no need to have role models as the case is in this generation. In our days, we didnt have dreams, he says. But I grew up largely to understand life during [former president Idi] Amins time. The schools those days were much better than the current ones [because we were provided with all scholastic materials.] But after his primary school, getting a good secondary school specifically in the western part of the country was a challenge in the 1970s and 1980s. This was the period when there were wars that saw the eventual overthrow of Idi Amins regime. The few good schools at the time, such as Ntare School, set the bar so high that many students could not easily meet the standards. I started secondary school from Ruyonza School in Bushenyi in 1982, not because I liked it, but because it was the only option available having tried to make it to Ntare School, [in vain], narrates Mugumya. The Bishop of West Ankole diocese opened schools around the district to take those who could not make it to the best schools. But because they only had a day section, these schools didnt impress Mugumya. He could not manage to transport himself daily because it was far from home. His father, John Kairukabi, was a trader who only operated in mobile markets to fend for a family of more than a dozen people. As a result, he could not meet extra costs. After the first year, Mugumya shifted to Kyeizooba secondary school which had a boarding section. But again as fate would have it, there was another political disruption. That very year, the school turned into a girls-only. Herbert Mugumya addressing a gathering recently By the time he joined Nganwa high school, Kabwohe, in senior three, his classmates were far ahead of him. Playing catch-up with some subjects such as physics was very challenging. In 1985/6, and 1988 when they eventually sat for their final O and A-level examinations respectively, Mugumya found himself opting for arts. GETTING INTO HEALTH While at Nganwa high school, Mugumya developed a sense of maturity and direction. I was made a health prefect, and that to me was a turning point. So, I was responsible for ensuring environmental and body hygiene among the students, he says. In that position, Mugumya started thinking critically on issues related to health that affected students around the school. The school nurse turned out to be one of his good friends; thus, he would spend most of his time in the school clinic. I started realizing it was a mistake for me to drop physics, he says. But I had no option because it was already dropped. Mugumya joined St Kagwa high school, Bushenyi for A-level and offered a combination of arts subjects. In 1988, when senior six examinations results were released, Mugumya had passed top of his class. He then joined Makerere University for a bachelors degree in Social Work and Social Administration (SWSA). Joining Makerere saw him go to Kampala for the first time. He explains that during their time at Makerere, students were always given good termly and annual allowances to facilitate research work. This was because the SWSA students would spend much of their time doing fieldwork and internship in different organizations or companies. HIV/AIDS CRUSADER When I started making choices for the fieldwork, I went in the health field. Those were the days when community healthcare was valued, and then the emergence of Aids. It started killing so many people, and then The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) came in about 1988, and Aids Information Centre in 1990, he says. One of his fieldwork placements as an intern was in Rakai through the Ministry of Healths Aids control programme. HIV had become an epidemic in Rakai. But this marked another turning point in Mugumyas life to pursue a career in the health sector regardless of what he was studying at the time. People were dying day in, day out. Burials were everywhere. And that changed my whole life. When I came back, I became an agent of the Aids control programme of the ministry of health in the university, he says. In the same period, the government had embarked on a massive campaign aimed at sensitizing the masses to abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage, monogamy and using condoms as a last resort. Mugumyas work was to distribute condoms freely to fellow students, and his efforts were noticed by various agencies fighting HIV/Aids. Towards the end of his three-year course, Mugumya had started receiving several opportunities to work with various local NGOs. By the time he graduated, he was lost for choice. Herbert Mugumya (L) with Margaret Sancho, USAID Ugandas Health and HIV office director (C) and minister of Health Jane Ruth Aceng His first job was in 1991 with Aids Information Centre. He was posted at a new branch in Mbarara, which was amongst the first HIV testing centers in the entire country outside Kampala. During that period, his father and mother also contracted HIV and died in 1992 shortly after his graduation and few months into his formal job posting. When one fell sick at the time, they would not spend much time because majority of the communities had no idea on prevention and treatment measures to shield themselves from the epidemic. My mother was the first victim and my father died a few months later. My last great moments with them was on my graduation daymanaging sick people shaped my ability to be able to work in the health sector, he says. CONCERNS ON THE HEALTH SECTOR The ongoing strike by health workers across all public hospitals countrywide is a problem, he says, government should address immediately lest many Ugandans start self-medication or resort to traditional healthcare means. Ugandans [who cannot access essential medical services] are going back to traditional health care which is absolutely not regulated. This puts patients at increased risk, Mugumya warns. He adds that some will start sharing medication among family members because they are desperate. Every symptom seen as a failed system in this government is because there is insufficient information to guide government in decision-making. Whether it is the cost of medicine, reasonable salaries for health workers or renovations of health facilities, it all rotates around the availability of information and resources, according to Mugumya. When we are dilly- dallying with politics, disease multiplication is increasing, he warns. CAREER GROWTH In 1996, he got another job with Care International, an organization which is jointly funded by USAID. The project that covered the whole of Kigezi sub-region was community reproductive health. In 2002, given his good performance and work ethic, he was given a scholarship in the Netherlands to study for a Masters degree in Population and Health, with focus on reproductive health. My exposure in the Netherlands was extremely good because they are very good in research, Mugumya says. When he returned in 2004, Save the Children offered him a job as the programmes manager for HIV/Aids. Mugumya was mainly overseeing program activities in northern and western Uganda, which was at the time a hot bed of conflicts due to Joseph Konys Lords Resistance Army and the Allied Democratic Forces insurgencies. His task was to accelerate support for children and develop community- based programmes. USAID team realized I would be more instrumental in developing programs for HIV beyond the conflict, he recalls. Herbert Mugumya takes the Minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, on a tour of the drug resistant TB ward at Lira Regional referral hospital After serving two years, he moved to USAID Uganda as a program management specialist and technical advisor under the health and HIV department. I worked in the USAID mission for five years up to 2010 when I got another opportunity to go to Tanzania to work for Africare, which again was implementing a USAID-funded project, he says. I spent close to seven years in Tanzania and returned [to Uganda] in December last year. With his experience in healthcare, Mugumya has a lot to share about the key areas of intervention that government should focus on, which he says, have largely been affected by limited funding. Andrew Kyambadde, a health system team leader at USAID describes Mugumya as a charismatic and calm person. He says, Mugumya is capable of fitting into any particular situation, regardless of how difficult one might presume it could turn out to be. Kyambadde has worked with Mugumya for about five years at USAID. He is a good person at writing reports and developing programmes. Most of the directors for these foreign organizations are normally expatriates, but for Herberts sake, it shows how good and passionate he is about the health sector, Kyambadde says. Mugumya is passionate to support government realise health sector objectives through strengthening health systems such as health workforce, medicines and essential health supplies, governance, and health information to guide service delivery and improve health outcomes to all citizens. alitwaha@observer.ug Botswana's President Seretse Khama Ian Khama was the first African head of state to call on Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe to step down during the recent crisis in that country. Prior to Mugabe's resignation, the Botswana leader said Zimbabweans have been subjected to untold suffering for a long time, due to what he says is poor governance under Mugabe's leadership. Botswana President Seretse Khama Ian Khama Khama spoke to VOA's Peter Clottey about the recent developments in Zimbabwe. The transcript of the interview has been edited for length and clarity. On Mugabe's decision to step aside My reaction to that is that is long overdue because for too long has he presided over a poor government in that country, which has led it to the state it has found itself today. And with millions of his people having to seek opportunities in other countries. And also the deficit, the huge deficit in democracy that country has, so its just been, unfortunately, from the days of independence 37 years ago, all those years have been lost when Zimbabwe could by now have been far ahead and economically politically, and in many senses, even the lives of Zimbabweans could have been much higher enjoying a much higher standard of living than the situation today. Well, Mr. President you have been at the forefront calling for democracy in Africa. Youve called on President Mugabe, when he was leading, that it was about time he left. When you meet your colleague heads of state who want to stay there in perpetuity, what do you tell them, Mr president? Im not going to mention names but youd be surprised to know that on occasion when I have met some of them and Im not saying this applies to all, but when I have met some of them, on one on one, they actually agree with what Im saying. But unfortunately dont go on to express those same views in public. So Mr. President, why do you think African leaders try to stay in power for a long time, despite the fact that citizens in the country get tired of them. They voice it out, yet they come up with arguments to say the people want them to stay. They change the constitution. Why arent they following examples of Botswana, Ghana, and Benin and a few other countries, who are charting the course of democracy on the continent? First of all, I would say its not only African leaders, there are, I think, many other examples in other parts of the world where leaders try to stay in power beyond the time that they should. But then in many cases you find that they have used their positions as leaders for self-benefits, for self-interest, and then they lose sight of why they were put in those positions. And I think its the issue of power, and I said to someone else recently that, you know, it was [former British PM] Tony Blair, I think who said that the best way to deal with power is to relinquish it. So, when youre in office, the trappings that come with it, the benefits that come with it, and everything like that, to then see yourself one day just as an ordinary citizen once again, for some its probably just too much of culture shock, and therefore they just want to hang on and go on forever. What are your hopes for Zimbabwe? Well, I think, I think my hope for Zimbabwe is to be able to really reach its full potential for the benefit of its citizens. We would, like as I said earlier on, you know, they have been long suffering, and I know, being a neighbor, that country has immense potential. And Im pretty sure that if (new leader Emmerson) Mnangagwa really sets his sights on encouraging investments through providing a window of opportunity, embracing democracy, youre going to find domestic and foreign investors coming back into that country in a big way. And I think very soon, theyll be back on their feet again. So, they just need to be able to get over this political intolerance that they have had for so many years, where the opposition is seen as enemies What is your message to the people of Zimbabwe as they head in to unchartered waters at the moment? I think they have tasted, even if its just been for a week, theyve tasted what democracy can bring them. Theyve been able to go onto the streets without being beaten up. Theyve been able to voice their opinions about President Mugabe when he was still in office without any crack down. The papers have been able to write whatever they want, so theyve experienced it and I would say to them, they should hang on for their lives to this. What they have already tasted they should build on and not allow politicians to ruin their lives that. Im sure many people who have been outside the country also want to come back into their country and make a living there. I dont think it was by choice necessarily that they left their country, so Im sure they all want to come back and now when you saw the celebration on the streets in various centers in Zimbabwe that should have been an indication to anybody how much they want change. It will be a very brave person who tries to take them back to where they were before, during Mugabes era. A wide-ranging inquiry into mistreatment of employees by investors is being considered as the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) plans to clamp-down on an increase in violation of workers rights. Mayuge Sugar Factory in Busoga is set to become the first target of the EOC, whose chairperson, Sylvia Ntambi Muwemba, recently said that there is an urgent need to protect workers from unfair treatment and corporate impunity. We will institute an inquiry at Mayuge factory. We were made to understand that on top of having no leave and the harsh working conditions, anyone who suffers any kind of body injury was terminated instead of being compensated, Muwemba said. She cited the troubling case of a former worker who was given only Shs 20,000 and terminated after losing his hand in the line of duty at Mayuge sugar factory. Speaking at the launch of a report on Human Rights and Corporate Accountability in Uganda at Hotel Africana, Muwemba said that the EOC will expand its inquiry to ensure that corporations involved in human rights abuse are held accountable. The report describes how Ugandans continue to suffer injustice and unfair treatment at the hands of investors. It highlights challenges of land grabbing and eviction without compensation. In August, more than 50,000 artisanal miners were evicted from the Kitumbi and Bukuya mining sites in Mubende by the soldiers and police after a protracted struggle to have their rights respected. In the same period, over 130 families (1,000 people) in Chawente sub-county of Apac district were forcefully evicted from their customary land reportedly to pave way for an investor. Sylvia Namubiru Mukasa, the executive director, Legal Aid Service Providers Network (Laspnet) said that human rights defender, who take up cases of violations, are threatened, arrested, stigmatised and criminalised. With support from Action Aid, Laspnet has studied this problem. Gerald Tushabe, Laspnets consultant and a lecturer at Makerere University, said that the report examines the issue of corporate accountability and the risks and challenges human rights defenders face. There is need for both the state and non-state actors to bridge the gap between upholding human rights and economic investments, noted Tushabe. He recommends an increase in knowledge and protection mechanisms, and a strengthening of legislative framework. Usher Owere, who heads the National Organisation of Trade Unions (Notu), gloomily speaks about the widespread abuse of workers rights. This is entirely due to the lack of administrators to handle it, the ministry of Gender and Labour is thin on the ground. They are supposed to do inspections, said Owere. Owere also told The Observer that Notu has recently taken measures to protect employees, especially in the areas of salary, welfare, working gear and the type of chemicals used in factories. He was, however, sceptical about the planned inquiry. Jolly Kaguhangire, the executive director Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), said that there are labour laws which govern how employers should relate with their employees, but there is a supervision and monitoring gap. The ministry of labour doesnt have the capacity to monitor employers because they are thin on ground and we as UIA also dont have a direct law that empowers us to monitor employers, said Kaguhangire. She was however quick to note that some agencies, mostly private ones, have been keeping an eye on the issue. The cabinet created a committee, [on which UIA sits], to look into employee issues. They are starting with the minimum wage and they will move on to other issues, said Kaguhangire. pbaike@yahoo.com BAKER BATTE LULE assesses the tricky road ahead for outgoing FDC president and how Patrick Amuriat's presidency may impact key positions of the party leadership in parliament. As the dust raised by the unexpected triumph of Patrick Amuriat Oboi over Gen Mugisha Muntu settles down, rumors are swirling over the political future of not only Muntu but also that of the opposition leadership in parliament. Amuriat, widely backed by Dr Kizza Besigye, won with 641 votes against Muntus 463. In his concession speech, Muntu hinted at a possibility of either pulling back from actively participating in party work or perhaps forming his own party. Gen Mugisha Muntu campaigning at Namboole on Saturday After it became clear that Amuriat was destined for victory, heartbroken Muntu supporters cocooned around him urging him to leave FDC now that it had been unambiguous that people dont like him. These are mafias, they have showed that they dont want you in their party what do you want from them? When we return to Fort Portal we are going to close FDC offices, an angry Muntu supporter said. We should form our own party and leave FDC to Besigye, it seems he bought it, another said. In response to such statements, Muntu who looked calm and composed, urged his supporters to remain calm. This has been a battle within a war; calm down, we shall figure out what to do. I take this opportunity to sincerely apologize to those who dont trust me. It wasnt my intension to waste your time all this time. It has been a pleasure working with you all for the last five years. Where we are heading, its going to be an interesting time to go to. To those who believe in my method, approach, I urge you not to be frustrated, dont get provoked, dont give haste statements Muntu said. There are decisions that I have got to make because while I congratulate Hon Amuriat Oboi, I also recognize that within the party, there might be irreconcilable differences either ideological or methods or approaches. Im an honest man, Im always honest to myself I would like to be honest to you as well, Muntu said. He added that he joined the struggle for a better Uganda at age 23 and he intends not to backtrack but said he can no longer work in an environment where he feels he is not trusted. I dont want to be unfair to you nor would I want to say that you are being unfair to me but the tasks ahead of us are heavy, Muntu. Kasiano Wadri, former MP for Terego county told whoever cared to listen that as founding members of FDC, they cannot allow their party to be taken over by a group of selfish individuals. Im a founder member of this party and we must not allow it to be taken over by a few individuals for selfish interests. We must sit and find a way forward to deal with what has happened today. Otherwise, this party we sacrificed so much for risks disintegrating, Wadri said. On his part, Amuriat read in Muntus speech a resignation tone which he addressed in his own victory speech. I will never stop respecting you as president that I looked up to. I have listened carefully to your remarks and I believe once the dust has settled, you and I need to have a discussion, Amuriat said amidst a thunderous applause from the delegates. We need each other in FDC and for me the day I see people taking decisions to abandon the party, then it is going to be my greatest day of sadness. I pledged to you earlier in the day that I will be your president who will pull the party together. I will extend an olive branch because the party that we founded together, Gen. Muntu, has not yet got power. Speaking to The Observer after the delegates conference, Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, who has been the co-chairman of the Muntu taskforce, said Muntu is capable of taking any decision. A person who went to the bush at 23 years when his own father was working in the same government, a person who abandons Museveni at a time when he could be appointed anything, to join the opposition where there is nothing is capable of doing anything including leaving FDC, he said. Fate of Opposition leadership During campaigns, Amuriat repeatedly said it was wrong for FDC to appoint an opposition leadership in parliament since he contends Dr Besigye won the 2016 general election. However, speaking after he was declared winner, Amuriat said FDC MPs are a great asset to the party; therefore, they must forge a good working relationship as each of them does their work. I know some of you didnt trust me to run this party but this is something now in the past. You have a president before you and we need to work together. I understand that the pressures that you experience everyday running your activities because I was part of you but that notwithstandingthe battle for the liberation of this country is not going to happen there [parliament] it will happen here wherepeople of Uganda will, together with you, determine their destiny, Amuriat said. Gen Mugisha Muntu (R) shares a light moment with Patrick Amuriat at Namboole last weekend Notably, Amuriat had few MPs that openly supported him. They include Francis Mwijukye, who was the deputy chairman of the campaign team, Betty Aol, [Gulu], Gilbert Olanya, [Kilak], Hassan Kaps Fungaroo, William Nzoghu and Mubarak Munyagwa. Currently, what is unclear is whether Amuriat will not follow his predecessor to sack the partys top hierarchy in parliament led by Winnie Kiiza, the leader of opposition and Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda, the chief whip. When he was elected president in 2012, Muntu sacked the then leader of opposition, Nandala Mafabi, who had been appointed by Besigye, and replaced him with Wafula Oguttu. Speaking on Saturday, Mwijukye said it was too early to talk about the fate of Kiiza and Ssemujju and other committee chairpersons, who are all appointed by the FDC president. We dont expect a shakeup in parliament really soon. From the angle of party cohesion, we cant say now you go away... We still remain the same party, the same people and we only need to see how to realign our forces, Mwijukye said. We need to have the leadership in parliament clearly and strategically working with the peoples government and all other efforts geared towards liberating our country. So, the question is: how do we bring the two to work together such that the parliamentary leadership works hand in hand to cause change in this country, Mwijukye said. On his part, Ssemujju said it is within Amuriats powers to retain or dump them. I belong to an institution that takes decisions through party structures; if anyone thinks that the leadership is now going to take decisions unilaterally, I will also have learnt that and I will respect those decisions. Im a decent person if anybody thinks that he is uncomfortable working with me, he needs not to make any proposals. Let him just tell me so and I will immediately hand over the office, Ssemujju said. If they choose to realign the team in parliament, they will find us very obedient. If they want another leader of opposition, we will clean the office for him and hand over as soon as we are told. bakerbatte@observer.ug Ruling party leaders are understood to be studying a report compiled for NRM chairman Yoweri Museveni, which gauges its chances of seeing through the age limit bill in Parliament. Knowledgeable insiders have told The Observer that the intelligence services were instructed, at the highest level, to poll NRM members of parliament so as to establish level of support amongst their 307 majority. Under the current provisions of Article 102(b) of the Constitution, the 73-year-old Museveni will be ineligible to stand for re-election in 2021. Opponents say scrapping it will satisfy Musevenis desire to be president for life, a situation which would imperil Uganda. Forum for Democratic Change delegates donning red ribbons and caps over the weekend ahead of elections for party president. Red ribbons are a national symbol against age limit amendment The age limit bill was tabled privately by Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi on October 4; less than a week after suspected commandos from the Special Forces Command (SFC), Musevenis elite guard formation, raided Parliament and assaulted and dragged out MPs opposed to the bill. After its controversial tabling, Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga suspended parliamentary sittings to allow MPs go consult their constituents, an exercise that has forced a number of NRM MPs to get a change of heart. A source familiar with the contents of the intelligence report told The Observer on November 24 that there is a remarkable fall in the bills support among NRM MPs, which is largely attributed to pressure from the electorate. In Buganda region alone, we have lost the support of about 22 MPs due to pressure from their voters, the source said. Among the Buganda MPs that the report mentions as having succumbed to pressure from their constituencies are Sarah Nakawunde Temulanda (Mpigi Woman), Caroline Birungi Nanyondo (Kyamuswa), Jennifer Nantume Egunyu (Buvuma Woman), Idah Nabayiga (Kalangala Woman) and Julius Mukasa Opondo (Bujumba), among others. Before the consultations, the source said, the named MPs supported the amendment but have since denounced the Magyezi bill. There are various reasons being given but the most outstanding is the unfulfilled presidential promises, the source said. Temulanda and her Mawokota North counterpart, Trade and Industry minister Amelia Kyambadde had a tough time on October 31 when they were forced to unceremoniously abandon their consultative meeting at Mpigi town council following a vote where locals opposed to the bill outnumbered those in favour. Interviewed on November 21, Temulanda said that she was still analysing the outcome of her consultative meetings before she can make her position clearly known. The whole of Mawokota South rejected it and in Mawokota North, there are areas that rejected it and others that said that we should amend. I need time to analyse the outcome of my consultations, after that, I will go by what the majority are saying, the Mpigi Woman MP said. Despite being part of the initial team that worked on the amendment, Mawokota South MP John Bosco Lubyaayi was forced to wear a red headband (the national symbol of those who want age limits retained) at all his consultative meetings, owing to wide opposition to the bill in the constituency. The Kalangala trio of Nanyondo, Nabayiga and Mukasa had a change of heart after tasting the wrath of their constituents. MP Idah Nabayiga Nabayiga was chased from Kyeserwa, Nkose, Butulume and Kyamuswa days after she had successfully convened a closed-door meeting of NRM leaders in Kalangala town Council. Shaken, she later told journalists that; I am not ready to suffer alone with the voters, if President Museveni so much wants this amendment, he should put it to a referendum and go around the country campaigning for it. Nanyondos Kyamuswa county is especially bitter that Museveni has not lived up to his decades long promise of improving transport between most of the islands in the district as well as healthcare services. There are three ferries running between the districts main island, Buggala, to the mainland, but none serves any of the other 83 islands in the district. Besides Buganda, the other areas pointed out in the report include Kigezi, Lango and Teso sub-regions. Langos growing opposition to the amendment is attributed to the influence of Dokolo South MP Felix Okot Ogong as chair of the Lango Parliamentary Group. Ogong is backed by Sylvia Akello (Otuke Woman) in a campaign against the amendment, which has left the ruling party not sure of the support of some of its Lango MPs such as Hamson Obua (Ajuri). Monica Amoding (Kumi Woman) and her Ngora counterpart David Abala are on the other hand blamed for the hardening of opposition amongst the Teso MPs. While the party enjoys overwhelming support among MPs from the western region, the influence of Shadow Attorney General Wilfred Niwagaba (Ndorwa East) and Andrew Baryayanga Aja (Kabale Municipality) is something not to be ignored. Both men are said to be working with a group of MPs that have been branded Mbabazi MPs to campaign against the amendment. According to sources, there are MPs within the NRM caucus who were sponsored by former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi. Mbabazi fell out badly with Museveni over differences of opinion on the succession which saw him make an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2016 Among these are Micheal Timuzigu Kamugisha (Kajara), James Kaberuka (Kinkiizi West), Denis Sabiti (Rubanda West) and Innocent Pentagon Kamusiime (Butemba). Kaberuka succeeded Mbabazi in Kinkiizi West and has been openly working with the rebel MPs led by Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo and Buyaga Wests Barnabas Tinkasiimire, the lone dissenting voice from Bunyoro according to the political intelligence report. Pentagon Kamusiime came as a surprise given that the proposal to scrap age limits was first passed in July 2016 by the Kyankwanzi NRM district conference where he is a member. He attended the meeting that passed the resolution and he was with us when we presented it to the president on August 2 at Kyankwanzi [National leadership institute], Anna Maria Nankabirwa, the Kyankwanzi Woman MP, who also doubles as the NRM chairperson in the district, said in an interview at Parliament last week. According to Nankabirwa, Pentagon has since gone as far as facilitating youth groups in the district to turn against his colleagues who support the bill. Pentagon accused Nankabirwa of being so cheap and desperate for a ministerial appointment. It is so unfortunate that somebody at the position of an MP is not satisfied with what they have that they have to sacrifice their colleagues to gain political favour from the appointing authority, Pentagon said on Saturday. He added that his stand on the bill is based on the outcome of consultations he held in his constituency. I did open consultations as opposed to closed ones which she conducted, and, I tolerated all sides at my meetings. Maybe she feels a little frustrated because she called a few people to a closed meeting, the youthful MP said. According to the report, all MPs from the districts of greater Mbabara around where Museveni hails, and greater Bushenyi, support the amendment. Besides Tinkasiimire, all MPs from Bunyoro are also said to be behind Magyezi while in Busoga, only seven out of the 37 MPs from the sub-region are opposed. We are engaging our colleagues who are still opposed to the bill, we have decided to be as persuasive as possible to get them to our side because this bill is not one you can pass with a simple majority but with a fixed portion of the House, an NRM MP who preferred anonymity said. Under Article 262 of the Constitution, the bill requires not less than two-thirds of all members of Parliament at the second and third readings for the bill to pass. Given the opposition to the bill, cabinet last month set up a ministerial sub-committee headed by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda to oversee parliamentary activities that were previously coordinated by a team led by Parliamentary Commissioners Arinaitwe Rwakajara (Workers), Robina Nabbanja (Kakumiro Woman) and Peter Ogwang (Usuk). The sub-committee has Frank Tumwebaze (ICT and national guidance), Kahinda Otafiire (Justice and Constitutional Affairs), William Byaruhanga (Attorney General), Mwesigwa Rukutana (deputy Attorney General), state ministers David Bahati (Planning) and Evelyn Anite (Investments and Privatisation) and government chief whip Ruth Nankabirwa. Neither Rugunda nor Nankabirwa answered our calls on Saturday. It is, however, understood that the sub-committee plans to reach out to the MPs opposed to the bill although some have indicated that they may not honour any invitations. There is nothing new they are going to tell us. I think that is a tired strategy because we have previously listened to promises from the president that have never been fulfilled, said an MP from Buganda. sadabkk@observer.ug Premier Li Keqiang addresses an economic forum attended by 16 Central and Eastern European leaders on Monday in Budapest. Hungarian Prime Minister Orban Viktor (center) and Bulgarian Premier Boyko Borisov also spoke. ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP Premier said financing will grow for joint projects with Central, Eastern Europe Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday that China would increase agricultural imports from Central and Eastern European countries and provide greater financial support to China-CEEC cooperative projects. He made the announcement during the seventh China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum, which attracted more than 1,000 business people to Hungary's capital, Budapest. China wants to import more agricultural goods like meat and dairy products, honey and fruit, Li said. "Next year, an import exposition will be hosted by China, and I hope CEE nations will take part in it and win Chinese consumers," he said. Li said that the financing should be expanded. China supports the financing of cooperative projects by commercial financial institutions and supports enterprises from CEE nations issuing panda bonds in China, he said. A panda bond is a renminbi-denominated bond from a non-Chinese issuer. He said renminbi financing will be supported for cooperative projects. Li also announced the establishment of a China-CEEC bank consortium, to which the China Development Bank will grant loans worth 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion). Li said a second round of the China-Central and Eastern Europe Investment Cooperation Fund, initiated by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China last year, has been completed to raise $1 billion. The fund will mainly invest in CEE nations. In the past five years, China-CEEC cooperation has registered achievements that benefit people from both sides, Li said on his arrival on Sunday. As part of China-Europe ties, China-CEEC cooperation has promoted the development of countries in the subregion, balanced development for all of Europe and the continent's process of integration, he said. The measures were the latest move in financial cooperation. A financial holding company was established in November 2016 to fund projects that promote Chinese-made equipment and products after the fifth Meeting of Heads of Government of China-Central and Eastern European Countries in Riga, Latvia. Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said that the first such forum was held in Budapest six years ago and the event has played a vital role in boosting economic ties and promoting cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the forum that European countries now need technological and financial support from China and Asia, and the China-CEEC mechanism, also known as "16+1" cooperation, will benefit the EU and all of Europe. Orban said large enterprises in Asia are increasingly participating in the Western market with first-class technologies, which has played a key role in the development of CEE nations. Wang Yiwei, a professor of international studies at Renmin University of China, said CEE countries are still in the process of changing from socialist economies into market economies and they want to attract more investment from China. Investing in the area will also provide opportunity for China to enter the West European market, he said. Also, "16+1" cooperation is a highlight in Belt and Road cooperation, and the initiative will promote level and significant "16 + 1" cooperation, he added. Zhou Jin contributed to this story. huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn When Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) delegates on Friday night dropped Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu as party president in favour of Patrick Oboi Amuriat a.k.a POA, the former Kumi Member of Parliament; the shadow of the partys founding father, Dr Kizza Besigye, again loomed large over proceedings. To observers, it was a reaffirmation that Besigye retains an overarching influence on FDC members, just like President Museveni does in the ruling NRM. So, POA won with 641 votes while Muntu managed 463. Moses Byamugisha came third with three votes while Malcom Matsiko got two votes. What kicked off as a mild competition between Muntu and POA as frontrunners picked pace and rapidly evolved into a referendum on Besigye. The POA group gradually projected itself as the pro-defiance choice, a reference to the post- 2016 election political message Besigye has customised. Patrick Amuriat carried by supporters at Namboole Not long after POA declared that Besigye cannot be wished away, the founding father was his man. He is the brand of the party that must be utilised to get victory for the party...I will bring him back to the party, Amuriat said. Muntu, throughout the campaigns, warned against elevating any individual. What has bedevilled this country is not the lack of strongmen but strong institutions. This is what I am interested in, Muntu said. It looks like a combination of two main factors sealed the former army commanders fate. One; some members became impatient with his more sedate style and, two; influence of the affectionately called people's president. Marina Okoi, a delegate from Jinja, would later tell The Observer that Muntu had goofed by attacking Besigye in his campaign speech. How do you attack the peoples president from here and think we can forgive you? We have shown him that this is our party and we the delegates have spoken; we have made the statement that Besigye cant be attacked in FDC, he said. Okois view is shared by Mubarak Munyagwa, the Kawempe South MP, who said: People have also shown that you simply cant attack the peoples president and founder member of FDC and they forgive you. It was wrong for Muntu to turn his heat on Besigye. Speaking to the media after casting his vote, Besigye said that he cannot be blamed for moving alongside POA. POA was the only person who invited me to his rallies...And he had no problem with my message. Perhaps other people did not invite me because they were uncomfortable with my message, Besigye said. In the immediate aftermath of the happenings at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole, some feared that Besigyes dominance could eventually stand in the way of prospects for internal democracy inside FDC. As a member of the party, he enjoys the right to choose any candidate but because of his influence, he can cause polarisation and for the good of the party, he should have kept his choice secret, if in any case he believes in building institutions, said one senior leader who belongs to the Muntu group. SENTIMENTAL VOTE OR RATIONALITY Other delegates disagree that POAs win was about Besigyes control. Sulaiman Magumba, the FDC chairman for Iganga district, suggested that Muntu may have been undone by something more insular and notoriously disruptive: tribe. I have interacted with some of my colleagues, especially those from Eastern Uganda [where POA hails from], and most of them think that voting Hon Amuriat in any away symbolises power balance within the party. Well, that could be a valid argument but it is wrong in the sense that it lowers the qualification of being a party president to which region does one come from, which is wrong, Magumba said. In 2012, Magumba supported Nathan Nandala-Mafabi, the FDC secretary general, against Muntu, but this time switched sides. There is no doubt that since the formation of FDC, it has been under the leadership of people hailing from the same region. But the most important thing is the quality it of leadership those individuals offer. Amuriat with his supporters at Namboole Godfrey Yeheyo, another delegate from Wakiso district, proposes that its unfair to hold Besigye wholly responsible for Muntus exit. Voters are rational. Why did they vote him the other time? I come from Western Uganda but I voted POA. The reason is very simple. For the last five years, [Muntu] has been in charge of the party but he does not show us the structures he keeps talking about. Where are they? We have repeatedly asked him the total membership of FDC but he cannot say it, Yeheyo says. To delegates like Yeheyo, Muntu came across as too academic and unsuited for the harsh reality of opposition politics under Museveni. Those statements make sense to people in the urban areas or at the top but the people in the village want your presence. That is the only way they will feel the party, he said. Karl-Marx Wamugeni, a member from the diaspora, agrees. By the time I was at the secretariat, we used to have a data bank and registers for members, which were always renewed annually. This is all non-existent [today]. What happened? Do you want to blame all this on Besigye? We used to fundraise and recruit through selling party cards. Is this still the case? Wamugeni said. Muntu told The Observer last week that membership of FDC has exponentially grown over the years, but still his attention has been focused on party structures. Numbers are not enough. You need the structures and that was my concern. Since I took over, I made sure that structures are put in place. For instance, at the national, district and constituency level, we are a hundred percent. We are lacking at the sub-county, parish and village level, where our performance is below 60 per cent. We have to be everywhere so that all the support can be galvanised by the structures, he said. Muntu argued that when the structures are in place and there are values that would attract people, it would be very easy to recruit and fundraise. His supporters point out that it is through these structures that Besigye won the 2016 election which his defiance group talks about. But POA supporters insist that the former party and his mainly elite supporters failed to understand the constituency they were talking to. Delegates conferences of most political parties in Uganda are largely rural, unlike the National Executive Committee which convenes leaders at the national level. In this respect, POA presented himself as a villagers president on the advice of Besigye, a man whom a portion of Ugandas masses acknowledge as the peoples president. HEALING OR MORE TROUBLE Now that POA is in the chair, his biggest challenge is reconciling the ideologically opposed factions within the party. In 2012, when Nandala lost to Muntu, the party went through a similar soul-searching, sometimes teetering on the edge of an outright split, when Nandalas group refused to concede defeat. Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the Kira municipality MP, also FDC spokesperson and opposition chief whip in Parliament, says he has seen the same fault lines emerging but prays that they do not widen. I hope we dont experience the same thing. Our collective responsibility will be the thread that will tie us together. Amuriat said: that is a challenge that is why in my campaign I focused on cohesion and unity. In his concession speech, Muntu said that he hopes POA does not go through the same kind of environment he operated under. I dont want you to go through that environment I went through... Continue building democracy within our party but if you lose those values that we believe in, you will lose the party. If at any time you find that your words are different from your actions you will become history, Muntu said. Throughout his term, the outgoing president has been severely hobbled by internal strife, suspected Besigye apologists undermining his work and an overwhelming mistrust of his opposition bona fides. And so, he urged POA to find out the forces behind the turbulence within the party. Bugweri MP Abdu Katuntu, a prominent supporter of Muntu, said the main challenge for the new man will be in how he tolerates the differences in opinion. As individuals, we cant agree all the time and in cases where there are differences, we should embrace them in good faith. I think that our biggest challenge has always been the failure on our part to agree that we are different and cant be the same, he said. Katuntu says it is time for the opposed groups to face the stark reality. We have always argued about defiance on one side, and the other approach of organisation and institutional building. The latter view that I belong to has lost. So, it is time to let the winners work and not like it was the case before, he said. Another challenge is framing the FDCs ideological identity since it remains shrouded in fall-out from the internal dispute. There is also a lack of coherence on policy matters. Then the issue of fundraising. Tellingly, Francis Mwijukye, the Buhweju MP and Besigye loyalist, was voted the new deputy treasurer in charge of general fundraising. skakaire@observer.ug bakerbatte@observer.ug Five directors and three editors of Red Pepper Publications have today, Monday been arraigned in Buganda Road court, almost a week after they were arrested over a tabloid story about relations between Uganda and Rwanda. They have been charged with offensive communication, publication of information prejudicial to security and libel over last week's story about the plot to overthrow the Rwandan government. Among the charged are; Arinaitwe Rugyendo (director/secretary and chief marketing officer), Richard Kintu (deputy news editor), James Mujuni (journalist), Patrick Mugumya (director operations), Richard Tusiime (managing director), Johnson Musingunzi (director finance), Ben Byarabaha (senior editor), Francis Tumusiime (special project editor). The suspects in dock The story titled M7 plotting to overthrow Kagame - Rwanda (Monday, November 20) with the kicker Kigali intelligence also pins Saleh, Tumukunde & France on Kagame coup plot seemed to have rubbed government the wrong way. It has since labelled the story as false. The following day on Tuesday, police raided the Red Pepper offices and arrested the eight proprietors and editors, detaining them at the dreaded Nalufenya detention facility. Their homes were also searched, all office computers and mobile phones taken and police reportedly forced them to reveal passwords for their computers and emails. Prosecution alleges that the accused injured the reputation of Lt. General Henry Tumukunde and also subjected him to hatred, contempt and ridicule. Under offensive communication charge, the suspects are accused of disturbing the peace, quiet and privacy of Uganda President Yoweri Museveni, his brother Gen Salim Saleh and security minister Gen Tumukunde by portraying them as plotting to over Rwanda President, Paul Kagame. Earlier, police had intimidated that it would charge the suspects with treason, but that seems to have been dropped by the Director of Public Prosecution, Mike Chibita. Debt-ridden Essar Group on Friday announced the closure of its BPO arm Aegis sale for Rs 2,000 crore and said it has been able to pare debt by Rs 75,000 crore, thanks to the proceeds from the recent sale of its refinery business. The company announced the conclusion of the Rs 2,000-crore sale of Aegis to Capital Square Partners (CSP), marking its exit from the business process outsourcing (BPO) business. In July this year, the total debt of the group was Rs 1.38 lakh crore. A Businees Today report had earlier said that Rosneft deal alone would bring down Essar's debt to around Rs 70,000 crore. In 2014, Essar sold its BPO business in the US, Aegis USA Inc, to Frances Teleperformance for $610 million. Early this year, Essar exited the BPO business by selling assets in 10 countries to Singapore-based private equity firm Capital Square Partners for $300 million (Rs 1,950 crore). Essar had acquired US-based Aegis Communications in November 2003. The diversified conglomerate has been selling off assets to pare its high debt, which has seen it exiting the oil business and also sell realty holdings, apart from Aegis, the BPO arm. Earlier, it had concluded a $13 billion deal to sell its oil business to Russia's Rosneft. "Net proceeds from this sale (of Aegis)...will be used to retire our debt at the group level," Essar said in statement. "The closure of this transaction is in line with Essar's intent to reduce leverage that is complemented by an asset monetisation programme. The proceeds from the sale of Aegis and Essar Oil have enabled Essar to retire almost Rs 75,000 crore of debt," it added. The Aegis sale was announced on this April 3 and involved AGC Holdings Mauritius, a wholly-owned portfolio company of Essar Global, selling 100 per cent stake in ESM Holdings Mauritius, the holding company of Aegis, to CSP, a Singapore-based private equity fund. The statement said Essar had acquired Aegis Communication in 2003 and it has now grown over tenfold to become a significant player in the outsourcing industry. Aegis is present in nine countries, including India, South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, England, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Peru and Malaysia. Under Essar, it carried out 19 acquisitions and all of them were successful, the statement said. "The closure of this transaction is yet another validation of Essar Global Fund's commitment to reduce its leverage by monetising the non-core businesses," Uday Gujadhur, director of AGC Holding, said in the statement. "We are keenly looking forward to working with the Aegis management team to grow its global footprint and enhance its capabilities and excellence in service to its customers," CSP managing partners Sanjay Chakrabarty and Mukesh Sharda said in a joint statement. What good is a government drive to deal with the Rs 10 trillion of toxic assets (bad loans and restructured loans) choking the banking system if the same promoters and wilful defaulters responsible for bankrupting a company get a chance to return to the helm? At a hugely discounted price at that. President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday gave his assent to ordinance amending Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). Take the case of Essar Steel, which is facing insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) with a default of Rs 37,284 crore. Its promoters have openly bid for the assets of its 10-million-tonne plant in Hazira, Gujarat, along with a Russian partner, VTB Bank. Another controversial example is Synergies Dooray Automotive Ltd, the first case resolved under IBC. Back in September, Mint reported that the resolution plan for Synergies Dooray involved merging the company with a creditor and related party, Synergies Castings Ltd, holding 75% of debt of the defaulter. Synergies Casting transferred a significant chunk of loans to a non-related party called Millennium Finance Ltd. Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction Co. had appealed against the resolution claiming that this move enabled Synergies Castings to put in place a proxy in the creditor committee. The criticism against this loophole in the IBC further peaked earlier this month, when Rajnish Kumar, chairman of State Bank of India, claimed that promoters of companies facing insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings are within their rights to bid for their own assets. Against this backdrop, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) issued a notification on November 7, amending the corporate insolvency resolution process regulations. The revised regulations ensure that applicants, including promoters, are put to a stringent test with respect to their credit worthiness and credibility, prior to the approval of a resolution plan. Henceforth, the resolution applicants' details in terms of "convictions, disqualifications, criminal proceedings, categorisation as wilful defaulter as per RBI guidelines, debarment imposed by Sebi, if any", would have to be disclosed, according to a statement by IBBI. This move will go a long way in preventing promoters from using shell companies to regain control of their defaulting companies. At the same time, the government recognised that the IBC needed to be amended since the curbs on promoters bidding would not hold up in court. So, yesterday, the Union Cabinet cleared the ordinance-currently awaiting presidential assent-for making amendments in the IBC to prevent willful defaulters from bidding for stressed assets. The government opted for the ordinance route weeks before the winter session of Parliament as some defaulting cases are likely to come up for resolution soon. According to the Hindu Business Line, as per the proposed changes in the ordinance, a new section will be inserted to list persons ineligible to be 'Resolution Applicants'. These would include wilful defaulters, undischarged insolvents, disqualified directors, persons who have indulged in preferential transactions or under-valued transactions or fraudulent transactions as determined by the adjudicating authority, and persons who are promoters or in the control of such persons whose account is classified as non-performing assets by the Reserve Bank of India for a year or more. This means the roughly 3 lakh directors who were recently disqualified following the government drive against shell firms will also be disallowed, quotes the Financial Express, unless they manage to get reprieve from the relevant authority (judicial or otherwise). The Ordinance reportedly would also prescribe basic eligibility criteria for resolution applications, depending on the size of the business and provide a robust due diligence framework to help the Committee of Creditors assess creditworthiness, credibility and other parameters. But many feel that not much will change even after the Ordinance comes into effect. According to sources quoted by The Economic Times, given that the criteria to define a willful defaulter or fraudulent promoter remains the same, most of the promoters remain eligible to bid for the companies. Forensic audits done on them during the earlier corporate debt restructuring and Strategic Debt Restructuring have acquitted most promoters. US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump is all set to visit India tomorrow for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad. Ivanka Trump will be leading a delegation of senior administrative officers and entrepreneurs. This year's summit, the first in South Asia, is co-hosted by India and America and is likely to be attended by 1500 business leaders from 170 countries out of which more than 50 percent attendees would be women, reports mention. Trump will be here to promote female entrepreneurship and economic power in the summit that will go on from November 28 to 30. Trump will be part of two panels and will be in conversation with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and ICICI CEO Chanda Kochar, amongst other leaders. Ivanka Trump will also give a keynote speech in at the summit that is themed 'Women First, Prosperity for All'. Moreover prominent personalities from 35 countries such as John Chambers, Prem Watsa, Marcus Wallenberg, Anousheh Ansari, Sibongile Sambo, Carlo Ratti and Danielle Wood, Ritesh Agarwal, Sonam Wangchuk, Piyush Pandey, Chatri Sityodtong, Sania Mirza, Pullela Gopichand and Vikas Khanna would be speaking at the summit. According to reports, five per cent of entrepreneurs at GES are 30 years or younger. The youngest entrepreneur is 13, while the oldest is 84. PM Modi is scheduled to have a meeting with Ivanka Trump before the inauguration of the GES. In fact, he himself invited Trump to support this year's GES. After Ivanka's keynote speech, PM Modi will address the gathering. PM Modi will also meet several dignitaries one on one before they head to Taj Falaknuma, said to be world's largest dining hall for dinner. At Taj Falaknuma, Indian fabric and crafts will be showcased and there will be a live show on the cultural heritage of India for the visitors. However, long before the summit, Ivanka Trump's visit has garnered bad press because of reports that claim that authorities in Hyderabad have been rounding up beggars to put them out of sight of the Ivanka Trump-led delegation. There have been reports that stray dogs have been poisoned to clean the city before Ivanka's visit, who might take a trip to Charminar. Annie Gowen, India bureau chief of the Washington Post also tweeted that a bridge in Hyderabad has been painted in multiple colours because Trump is set to take that route. The Indian city of Hyderabad painted a bridge rainbow colors just because @IvankaTrump will be passing by @GES2017pic.twitter.com/RZTc1Olp9V - Annie Gowen (@anniegowen) November 27, 2017 The hall is half empty as Ivanka Trump gives a speech in Tokyo at the Japanese government's "World Assembly for Women" (WAW!) pic.twitter.com/8OchiSzgHa - Anna Fifield (@annafifield) November 2, 2017 Not very unlike this was the fanfare that Ivanka Trump experienced ahead of World Assembly of Women organised by the Japanese government. However, the actual event saw a jarring lack of attendees at the event. According to The Guardian, Ivanka Trump was greeted with "boos and hisses" at the W20 summit held in Berlin as she boasted of her father being a "tremendous champion of supporting families".It remains to be seen how the GES ends up for Ivanka. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said the Centre will support iPhone maker Apple to set up manufacturing unit in the country and is awaiting a formal proposal from them. "Let us get a good proposal from them..We will be very happy to receive Apple, one of the top brands in the world. We are willing to find out if there is any difficulty they may face. We will be more than happy to resolve that difficulty. So we will await a formal proposal," Prabhu told PTI in an interview. He also said that the Centre is willing to call all state chief ministers who are willing to give them the best deal. The Cupertino-based iPhone and iPad manufacturer Apple has asked for certain concessions for setting up manufacturing unit in the country. The government had sought investment and job creation details from the iPhone maker to facilitate setting up its proposed manufacturing facility in India. In March, the then Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had informed the Rajya Sabha said that the government has not accepted 'most of the demands' of the company, which wants to set up manufacturing unit in India. Apple India had sought concessions, including duty exemption on manufacturing and repair units, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing and service/repair for a period of 15 years. The company also wants relaxation in the mandated 30 per cent local sourcing of components besides reduction in customs duties on completely-knocked-down and semi-knocked-down units of devices that are to be assembled in the country. Apple does not manufacture devices on its own but gets the job done through contract manufacturers. It sells its products through company-owned retail stores in countries like China, Germany, the US, the UK and France, among others. It has no wholly-owned store in India and sells its products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro. Cytecare, which runs a Cancer care hospital in Bangalore, is planning to expand its footprint by entering other major metros across the country according to Dr Ferzaan Engineer, co-founder and Chairman of Cytecare Cancer Hospitals. Cytecare has raised $30 million primarily from HNI's (high networth individuals) for its Bangalore hospital and is now looking to raise an additional $75 million from private equity players to fund its expansion. The 150 -bed Bangalore-based hospital, which was launched a year back, will break even soon according to Engineer, and is now in the process of identifying the second city in the country to launch its hospital. "Cytecare is an organ-based hospital. The entire hospital is running according to protocols, with every case discussed by the Tumor Board. This allows us to customise and optimise care for each individual patient. There is also a lot of attention given to the non-clinical aspects of cancer care. Cancer can be a life-changing event, which deeply impacts both the patient and the family. Hence, Cytecare places a lot of emphasis on holistic treatment. We want to take the same standard of care that we provide here to patients across the country and thus a hospital chain," says Engineer. "India's huge burden of disease, growing middle class and health insurance at an inflection point make(s) the hospital sector an attractive investment option. The Cytecare hospital project combines social impact with clinical excellence. The team's background in global clinical research should enable the creation of a world-class institution in India. Cancer care is undergoing a transformation worldwide due to advances in genetic sciences, immunotherapy and AI. Cytecare is led by individuals with deep expertise in clinical sciences, research and technology," Prof Oppel BW Greeff, one of the investors in Cytecare, explains why he chose to invest in the company. Engineer says that with India emerging as a popular health tourism destination, Cytecare already attracts about 15 per cent of its clientele from international markets. The company caters to patients from the Maldives, Bangladesh, Middle East, Eastern Europe and several African countries. "Cytecare is about treating cancer the right way and we want to ensure that the latest and best treatment is available to patients across the country." Zahid Hamid resigned,Islamabad sit-in end ISLAMABAD: After the Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid voluntary resigned late Sunday, government officials and the Faizabad protesters reached an agreement on Monday to end the sit-in being held at Islamabads Faizabad interchange. TLY leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi has also ordered his followers all over the country to end the sit-ins and go home. He also announced an end to the strike being observed today and called for opening businesses and shops. The agreement states that the government is to release a report made by the committee set-up to find out who made the amendment and why was the Finality of Prophethood declaration amended for the electoral candidates in the Elections Act 2017 and there is also a clause to hold the person or party accountable for such an error. The agreement reached between protesters and govt. It also includes the condition that the workers of religious parties that have been arrested since November 6, 2017, be released and cases registered against them be dismissed. It is also stated in the agreement that an inquiry board will be set up to probe the events surrounding the government action against protesters on November 25 and fix responsibility. The document credits Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and his representative team for their special efforts that led to the agreement being signed. We are thankful to him [Gen Bajwa] for saving the nation from a big catastrophe, the document concludes. Late Sunday night, Zahid Hamid voluntarily stepped down. the minister tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, which is expected to be accepted later today.It is pertinent to mention here that the protesters first demand was the resignation of the law minister. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday decided against the use of force to disperse protesters in Islamabad. The top military and civilian leaders have agreed to engage in political negotiations with agitators in the capital. As agitation in the federal capital enters the second day, a high-level meeting was underway at the Prime Ministers House in Islamabad to discuss the law and order situation in the capital, media reports said on Sunday. Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence were also present in the meeting. Punjab Rangers on Sunday were called in by the federal government to clear the Faizabad area occupied by the protesters.They are given the task of handling the agitated law and order situation prevailing in Islamabad. Punjab Rangers DG Maj Gen Azhar Naveed was in charge of the whole operation, a notification issued by the ministry of interior stated. Around 1,000 Rangers personnel, who were deployed in the capital yesterday, were repositioned to the frontlines of the security operation. Replying to federal governments request to the military to deploy its troops in Islamabad to restore peace, Army on Sunday said that it is fully ready to assist the government in an operation against protesters. On Saturday, after a day-long operation against the agitators, the Interior Ministry had sent out a formal requisition for the deployment of military troops in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Responding to governments request, military officials sent a letter to the ministry of interior, saying the army was fully ready to discharge its constitutional responsibility of assisting the government. However, the letter states that before troops are deployed, there are a few aspects meriting deliberation, such as how the police has not been utilized to its full capacity in dealing with the religious protesters. It points out that the Pakistan Rangers have not been given written instructions. Citing orders passed by the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court earlier this week, the letter also highlights that the Army is not a force traditionally used to disperse crowds or protesters. The statement has then asked for a clarification on the matter. From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America. I've always thought the cabin on top of Thomas Mountain in Bolton would be a fun place to spend a night. The mountain is atop a heavily hiked trail system overseen by Lake George Land Conservancy and there are often more people there than I want to see when hiking, but it seems like it would be a great place to watch the sun rise. A couple of hikers spent part of Saturday night in that cool, one-room cabin. But they hadn't planned to. State forest rangers were called to the mountain late Saturday afternoon because a couple of hikers from the New York City area got lost on the mountain as dusk arrived. They didn't have flashlights, but were able to find the cabin and call for help. They were escorted off the mountain later Saturday night. It's really mind-boggling to me that anyone heads into the woods this time of the year without a flashlight or light source. Darkness arrives much earlier in the woods than it does in your front yard. (Unless, of course, your front yard is in the woods.) For all intents and purposes, it is winter here in the Adirondacks. I left my house to hike to Black Mountain and the ponds around it on Saturday morning, and it was 45 degrees at my house. I arrived at the trailhead and found ice and temperatures in the mid-30s, and the higher up I got there was more snow and ice and it was very windy. Extra layers and a light source are non-negotiable at this time of year. Below is the weekly DEC forest ranger report, which includes the Thomas Mountain rescue and some other local calls. -- Don Lehman Town of Salem Washington County Wildfire: Three Forest Rangers helped county volunteer firefighters extinguish a wildfire that burned through three acres of woodlands. The fire was caused by a resident dumping woodstove ashes outside without first making sure there were no burning coals. The homeowner was issued a ticket for leaving burning materials outside in a manner that can cause a wildfire. Town of Bolton Warren County Wildland Rescue: At 4:45 p.m. on Nov. 25, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from two New York City hikers lost on Thomas Mountain. The hikers could not find the trail but eventually made their way to a cabin near the summit. Unprepared to navigate at night, the pair remained at the cabin while Forest Ranger Art Perryman hiked to their location, provided necessary flashlights, and escorted the hikers back to their vehicle. By 7 p.m., all were back at the parking lot and the incident was concluded. Town of Mayfield Fulton County Wildland Search: At 6:28 p.m. on Nov. 25, Environmental Conservation Police Officer (ECO) Shane Manns was alerted to a hunter lost on Tolmantown Road. The 16-year-old male hunter became separated from his hunting party and was disoriented. Manns, Fulton County Sheriffs Deputies, and Forest Rangers Dave Kallen and Andrew Lewis searched the area. At 9:26 p.m., the hunter was found and escorted out of the woods without further need of assistance. Town of Indian Lake Hamilton County Wildland Search: At 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 25, DEC Ray Brook Dispatch was notified of a 70-year-old man hunting in the Jessup River Wild Forest who had not returned to his hunting party. Four Forest Rangers began their search, which included a boat patrol along the shore of Indian Lake while Sheriffs Deputies patrolled the state highway. At 11:08 p.m., the hunter was found in good health and escorted back to his vehicle. FORT EDWARD Very few musicians play the kind of gigs Jim and Devin Cuddy and the Holiday Train Band have embarked upon. To start with, they play four or more times a day in a specially designed train car that drops its front wall to create a stage. They play their set, fairly smooth and refined at this point in the tour, then pull in their instruments, step back and watch the wall go back up. The last thing seen by the crowd in this case, well over 200 people at the Fort Edward train station when the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train pulls out is Santa waving from the caboose. What the train left behind in Fort Edward was a check for $4,000 to the Fort Edward Community Food Pantry, accepted by pantry coordinator Lynn Griffin, along with dozens of boxes of donated food brought by spectators. The crowd got to see Santa Claus and hear the band, which includes Canadian country star Kelly Prescott. This will definitely see us through a few months, Jim Austin said about the donations. The stop at Fort Edward was the first of several scheduled for the train on Monday. It was heading to stops in Ticonderoga, Port Henry, Plattsburgh and Rouses Point, then into Canada, where it will turn west and eventually return to the U.S. and visit Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota before going back to Canada. Canadian Pacific, which launched the holiday train in 1999, is also running a second train on its more northerly tracks that stay entirely within Canada. Canadian Pacific owns the tracks that run from Saratoga Springs to Montreal, which Amtrak uses for its passenger routes. The Fort Edward station will host another train Sunday when the Capital Region Toys for Tots train rolls through. That train will start Sunday in Saratoga Springs at 8:55 a.m., then move on to Fort Edward at 10:10 a.m. and Whitehall at 10:55 a.m. From Whitehall, the train will stop at Port Henry, Port Kent and Rouses Point. Most of the toys will be distributed to social services agencies. CLIFTON PARK A South Glens Falls woman who was sentenced to probation earlier this month for a felony drug conviction was jailed Saturday night after another drug arrest, police records show. Tammy A. Reed-Corson, 55, was arrested at about 8:15 p.m. after State Police encountered her and another woman on Grooms Road in Clifton Park, the State Police public information website showed. Reed-Corson was charged with felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence and misdemeanor counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal use of drug paraphernalia, the website showed. The drug she allegedly possessed was not specified. A woman who was with Reed-Corson, Kimberly L. Goodson, 48, of Queensbury, was charged with misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance and noncriminal unlawful possession of marijuana, the website showed. Reed-Corson was arraigned and sent to Saratoga County Jail for lack of bail, while Goodson was released. Reed-Corson was sentenced to 5 years on probation earlier this month in Washington County Court in connection with a felony arrest last December in Kingsbury. She was charged in that case after she was found to have heroin and cocaine. GLENS FALLS A Glens Falls man was jailed Monday for burglarizing a convenience store twice and trying to burglarize it a third time, stealing thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes he later sold, police said. Michael L. Murray Jr., 49, was arrested shortly after he tried to break into Lukoil on Ridge Street early Monday morning, according to Glens Falls Police. The business had been burglarized twice earlier in the month, and Glens Falls Police Officer Donnie Long noticed a broken window there at about 1 a.m. Monday and began checking the area, Glens Falls Police Detective Lt. Peter Casertino said. He found Murray, who had been staying at a home nearby on Traver Street, walking in the area, and surveillance video helped police link him to the attempted break-in, Casertino said. Further questioning led police to determine that Murray was responsible for burglaries at the business on Nov. 14 and Nov. 17, when more than $1,000 worth of cigarettes was stolen each time, police said. We believe he had been selling them on the street, Casertino said. Murray did not succeed in getting into the store on Monday, according to police. Police do not have any evidence that he was involved in other recent burglaries in the area. Murray was also found to be staying at the home of a person who had an order of protection against him, which resulted in additional charges. In all, he faces 10 felonies and two misdemeanors, including counts of burglary, attempted burglary, grand larceny, criminal mischief, criminal contempt and aggravated family offense, police said. Murray was arraigned and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of bail. HEBRON Town Justice James Curran was admonished earlier this month for his actions when presiding over a 2015 domestic violence case that involved a former employee of his wifes business. The state Commission on Judicial Conduct issued the written public admonishment, the commissions least weighty public disciplinary action, after an investigation into a complaint made by an unspecified party in his handling of a case in which a man was accused of choking a woman. The commission found that Curran, who is a lawyer, relied on unsworn evidence from a party outside the court and had an appearance of bias against the defendant and victim. The victim formerly worked at Bedlam Corners Store, run by Virginia Curran, who serves as Hebron Town Courts clerk. James Curran, who has been town justice since 2012 and ran on the Republican line for Washington County Family Court judge in 2014, agreed to the admonition. It does not affect his ability to serve as judge. He failed to avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety; engaged in, considered and failed to report improper ex parte communications; and conveyed the appearance of bias against the defendant and/or the alleged victim in the case, the commission found. The victim had sought to have the order of protection against her alleged batterer modified, but Curran acknowledged he received information outside of court that he did not provide to lawyers in the case and considered when ruling on the case. The disposition of the case was not disclosed in the commissions documents. A judge must insure that all parties have a fair opportunity to be heard, which includes the right to hear and challenge evidence on which the court relies, commission Administrator Robert Tembeckjian wrote. This fundamental obligation of fairness is defeated when a judge engages in private substantive conversation about a case with individuals outside court, fails to advise the parties of it, then appears to rely on it in rendering decision. Curran did not respond to phone messages left at his court and law office on Monday. A woman who identified herself as Virginia Curran returned one of the calls and said the judge could not comment on the matter. But the commissions finding summarized his response to the allegations: Respondent (Curran) acknowledges that, after disclosing the source and substance of the ex parte information to the parties, he should then have entertained objections regarding his continuing to preside over the case, the commission order reads. Respondent avers that his statements to the defendant were intended as a warning to Mr. Eastman against violating the order of protection in the future. Respondent nevertheless acknowledges that it was inappropriate to rely on such unsubstantiated and undisclosed ex parte information in this manner. Documents issued by the commission are attached to the online version of this article. SOUTH GLENS FALLS An abandoned and boarded-up building could create a village center and a vibrant riverfront. The villages comprehensive plan committee toured the site off First Street, which features the bandstand, museum and an abandoned building known as the Carriage House. The committee focused on that building, which was given to the village. Inside, it has room for about six small vendors. Outdoors, there could be a farmers market, food trucks or seating overlooking the river. The boat launch could be the perfect site for a boat rental operation. Its a hidden gem, committee member Brigid Martin said. Grab a bite to eat, then sit out here and eat by the river. There could be kayak rentals. Maybe Segway rentals. Tourists up from New York City would do that. Committee members were enthusiastic, and Planning Board Chairman Dave Linehan is working on the wording for a zone change for the site. Its zoned industrial, but he will propose a change to retail commercial. The other problem is the building itself. The village received two grants for it one to shore it up structurally and another to determine everything that needs to be done to reopen it. But a third grant will be needed to do that work, and until it is done, the building can only be used for storage. Among the items to be fixed: the buildings many windows are boarded up and broken and the roof has a hole. On the positive side, it has electricity. It needs more work. But we could start outside, Martin said. It has to be rezoned. Open it up! She also likes that the building is close to the bridge to Glens Falls. We need people to cross the bridge, she said. Some are drawn to the summer concerts at the bandstand. Regular activity at the nearby Carriage House could build on that audience. It could be a focal point, she said. The building would also likely be only a three-season location. But Martin said the village could recruit entrepreneurs and pitch the location as a business incubator. It is small in there, she said. You start here. People could start out small. Then you say, This is great, I want to do it in winter, and you move out and another one moves in. She wants the village to write a grant request now, while working on rezoning and then drawing in outdoor vendors who use the Carriage Building for storage. Then, after it is rebuilt, the village could move on to phase two with a business incubator. Village Board members attended the tour and were enthusiastic about the ideas. The comprehensive plan committee is still working on the plan, which is supposed to be updated next year. New data gathered by the Department of Environmental Conservation show that PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are still heavily contaminating the Hudson River, the state says. The news comes after a seven-year cleanup paid for by General Electric Co. decades after it dumped PCBs into the river. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is on the brink of announcing that GEs job is done, except for maintaining vegetation and continuing to pay for sampling. But state officials have insisted the dredging did not do enough to clean the river. The state conducted its own study of the river this year after a dispute with EPA. The state said EPA should take 1,800 samples to fully test the level of PCB contamination in the river. EPA intended to take 375 samples. In the end, the state took more than 1,400 samples on its own. EPA agreed to take an additional 100 samples above the number it had previously planned to do. DEC is still waiting for data on its sampling. The initial evaluation of every sample was completed less than two weeks ago. Now analysts must look closely at all of the data to determine any conclusions. The state plans to issue a report in January or February. But one thing is clear, DEC officials said: The river is still sick. It is much more contaminated than EPA had expected it to be after dredging. So the state urged EPA not to issue a certificate saying General Electric had completed the cleanup. Its clear from the states ongoing research that EPAs job is not done and they cannot declare that this remediation is complete, said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. If the federal government fails New York, we will explore all legal options to challenge the EPAs decision and ensure this river is not left to suffer the consequences of pollution for generations to come. He also sent a letter to EPA, detailing the preliminary results of the sampling. In it, he wrote, recent sampling by the state suggests that River Section 2 is two to three times more contaminated than EPA estimated it would be at the completion of the dredging remedy, and there are other areas of the Upper Hudson where levels of PCB left behind are well above 50 parts per million (ppm) at the surface, and likely higher levels just below the surface. If these levels of PCB were found on land they would be regulated under the Toxic Control Substance Act, and EPA would require that they be disposed of in a permitted hazardous waste landfill. Last week was the deadline to submit any arguments for or against a Certificate of Completion. While EPA officials have said for a year that the dredging is over, they have been studying the river before issuing the certificate. EPA officials said Monday they would make a decision about the certificate by the end of the year. In the meantime, they will look at DECs data. EPA will carefully consider the recent letters from Commissioner Seggos and Attorney General Schneiderman in reaching a decision on GEs request for the Certificate of Completion, said EPA spokeswoman Larisa Romanowski. She noted that the certificate would confirm that GE had completed all actions required in a consent decree regarding the cleanup. The decree did not assume the river would be PCB-free at the end of the dredging. Still, state officials said the river is much less clean than the decree intended, and that the eventual recovery will take much longer than expected. The ultimate goal in the decree fish safe to eat wont be met for at least 55 years, according to current data, DEC officials said. Also, some fish have such high PCB concentrations that DEC officials said it is a near certainty they will never recover as much as was ordered in the decree. The state asked EPA to plan out remedial dredging in certain areas, based on the higher-than-expected PCB contamination results in data gathered during and after dredging. Much more PCB (than expected) was found in the river during both project design and project implementation, and the state has confirmed that more PCB was left behind than was intended when the remedy was selected, Seggos wrote. Despite persistent calls throughout the remediation from the state, NOAA and other stakeholders, EPA has never considered adjusting the remedial work to take the increases in known PCB mass into account. EPA has not provided any sound scientific basis for dismissing such consideration. EPA has an obligation to consider the science, and the new data that the state has collected, before making any determination about relieving GE of its liability for the ongoing contamination of the Hudson River. Seggos also called for EPA to begin investigating PCB contamination in the Lower Hudson River, south of the Troy dam. The 150-mile stretch of river has contaminated fish that arent getting better, he said. In light of the overwhelming evidence and data that the remedy is not protective of human health and the environment, EPA legally cannot certify the PCB remedy for the Upper Hudson River as complete, he wrote. EPA must instead move forward with gathering additional data and performing the evaluations necessary to determine how much further sediment removal is necessary to meet the ROD (Record of Decision) goals, ensure habitat reconstruction is performed properly, and at the same time move forward with the needed investigation work in the Lower Hudson. The state stands ready to work with and support EPA in accomplishing these tasks. General Electric disagreed with the states assessment and issued its own statement in response. GE successfully completed the Hudson River dredging project in 2015, having removed all of the PCBs that EPA targeted for removal, and having met all of our commitments to EPA and New York state, said Mark Behan of Behan Communications, which was hired by GE to handle media coverage related to the PCBs issue. Behan also noted that the state was involved in the entire cleanup. The state played an instrumental role in every major decision related to the dredging project and approved and oversaw the work, he said in the statement. The EPAs latest report shows PCBs have already declined by more than 70 percent. EPA found the dredging remedy is functioning as intended and will protect human health and the environment. EPA is not recommending additional dredging. GLENS FALLS Chapman Historical Museum Executive Director Timothy Weidner is amazed with the quality of 19th-century photographer Seneca Ray Stoddards work, given he was photographing Lake George using the tools of the time period. When youre photographing around water, you have to be really sensitive to the impact of the light in that setting. Theres a lot of reflected light. Its a real challenging subject, Weidner said. Stoddard was working with equipment that was far less sophisticated than what people are working with now and he had mastered that technique. His skill in capturing the right light is reflected in the title of a book published by the museum containing 150 of his photographs: Water & Light: S.R. Stoddards Lake George. Weidner said the idea really came to life following the museums strategic planning process. We wanted to improve the visibility of our Seneca Ray Stoddard collection, he said. The Stoddard collection is one of the museums most important assets, with about 3,000 images as well as maps and other archival material, according to Weidner. He said a book would gain Stoddard more visibility, not just locally but on a regional and national level. The process took about a year. Weidner selected photographs that are representative of Stoddards work and Joseph Cutshall-King, former director of the museum, wrote the essay and accompanying copy in the book. Weidner said he did digital scans of the original prints and worked to sharpen the images. They are very yellow, which happens with age and humidity. We wanted to try to recreate their original appearance, he said. Museum officials took out the yellow and added more contrast to the images, according to Weidner. Weidner said museum staff members had several criteria used when selecting photographs. They wanted the entire length of Lake George and communities to be represented in the book. The second factor was picking images that would showcase Stoddards abilities. The book contains some biographical information about the photographer. Stoddard was born in Wilton and his family moved around in his youth. He began his artistic career in Troy, where he worked as a mural painter on railroad cars. He then established himself in the Glens Falls area as a sign painter and muralist. Eventually, that led to photography. Stoddard was located in Glens Falls in the 1860s and set up his home and studio on Elm Street, according to Weidner. In the early 1870s, he started traveling through Lake George and the Adirondacks to make notes and take photographs for guidebooks. Weidner said what makes Stoddard different from other photographers of the era is that he became a landscape photographer instead of focusing on portraiture. He also stayed tied to the Adirondacks, unlike some of the other great photographers. They tracked out West, where there was new vast landscapes that most people had never seen, he said. There is a chapter about Stoddards career and his artistic abilities and other endeavors, such as writing maps and guidebooks of the Adirondacks and Lake George. The remainder of the book is organized geographically with photographs starting at the south end of the lake and working up to the north, according to Weidner. Stoddards work had been forgotten about for much of the early 20th century before being rediscovered in the mid-1980s. Stoddards photos evoke a similar mood to that of a group of artists described as luminists, according to Weidner. A lot of Hudson River School painters were treating the atmosphere in a way that created a mood in their paintings, he said. In his later years, Stoddard traveled around the world and did travelogues. He took a 2,000-mile-water voyage from New York City to the Bay of Fundy in Canada in five increments, from 1883 to 1887. He photographed sites along the way. Stoddard also took a rare nighttime picture of what was then called Liberty Enlightening the World. He had to rig a whole series of trays of flash powder on cable and then trigger them so they would, in sequence, light up the front of the Statue of Liberty, which he would photograph from a boat. It was quite an accomplishment for that period, he said. Stoddard was also an environmentalist who was a fervent advocate for creating the Adirondack Park and protecting it from threats from the paper industry. Weidner said Stoddard first came to his attention when he was doing graduate work in history and found a collection of scrapbooks of the American Canoe Association. Stoddard was an early member and the organizations official photographer. That collection included dozens of photographs that Stoddard had taken in 1880s of American Canoe Association meets. The first few were in Lake George, he said. Weidner said he was aware the Chapman museum had a large collection of Stoddard works and that was a selling point for him to apply for the executive directors position. Over the almost 20 years since, its been an ongoing experience of discovering new things in the collection, he said. As other institutions have digitized their collections and posted them online, Weidner said there is more information available than ever before. For example, he found an article that Stoddard had submitted to a photography journal in which he described his process. Stoddards wife and other assistants printed most of the photos using a process where the negatives were put in glass plates on photographic paper and left to sit out in the sun for a few minutes. The book should be available in about two to three weeks, according to Weidner. Initially, the book will be sold exclusively at the Chapman Historical Museum. The softcover version will be $29.95 and the hardcover version will cost $49.95. The museum plans to do a formal kickoff event in the coming weeks. What we really want people to do is look at his photography and enjoy the lake of that era, Weidner said. They can get a sense of how some things have remained the same and others have changed. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit against a Downers Grove, Ill.-based home improvement business accusing it of defrauding and misleading hundreds of homeowners, including residents in Rock Island, Knox and Whiteside counties. Madigan filed a lawsuit against American Dream Home Improvement Inc. The suit, filed Nov. 16 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that American Dream Home deceived homeowners in 12 Illinois counties into hiring the company for home repair work that the residents did not realize they agreed to and may not have wanted. According to the complaint, American Dream Home sales representatives went door-to-door, usually following severe weather, offering free property inspections, home repair services and public adjusting services. Residents were pressured to sign forms believing they were only agreeing to home inspections. Shortly after, American Dream Home appeared at the homes to conduct repairs. Residents who proceeded with the home repairs later contacted Madigans office to report shoddy or incomplete work. In addition to the Quad-City region counties, Madigan said the scheme impacted homeowners in these counties: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Peoria, Will and Winnebago. "American Dream Home has been more of a nightmare for hundreds of Illinois homeowners," Madigan said in a news release. "The company has a history of scamming people into expensive repair work they did not want, and todays lawsuit should put an end to their deceptive practices." Madigan alleged that American Dream Home's salespeople frequently pressured homeowners into signing forms to authorize free damage inspections when the company actually intended to enforce the documents as contracts. In addition, the forms were misleading and many homeowners were unaware that the forms included language leaving them responsible for paying additional costs above what their insurance would cover. Despite a 2012 agreement with the state to comply with state laws, the firm has continued its fraudulent practices, Madigan said. Since 2012, her office has received more than 100 complaints and the Better Business Bureau received more than 250 complaints in the past three years. The suit asks the court to provide restitution to impacted homeowners, ban the company from doing business in Illinois and impose civil penalties. Homeowners who believe they may have been defrauded by American Dream Home or other contractors should contact Madigan's Consumer Fraud Hotline at 1-800-386-5438 (Chicago). Assistant Attorneys General Janice Parker and Tracy Walsh are handling the case. INDEPENDENCE A district court judge will decide if charges against reality TV star Chris Soules will be dismissed following a Monday morning hearing. Soules is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash in the April collision that claimed the life of Kenneth Mosher on Aurora. Authorities said Soules left the scene in a truck that someone, investigators believe a relative, provided before law enforcement arrived. On Monday, defense attorney Robert Montgomery said Soules called 911, identified himself and rendered aid at the scene, and he said the statute doesn't require a driver to remain to be sized up by a cop. Montgomery said the statute is ambiguous and urged the court to rule in favor of the defense. Assistant Iowa Attorney General Scott Brown said Soules left the scene after about 14 minutes and argued that most people involved in fender benders remain on the scene longer that Soules did in the fatal crash. He said because the collision was fatal, law enforcement needed to make face-to-face contact with those involved. The state has until tomorrow to file a response to a defense outline of the facts, and Judge Andrea Dryer will rule on the matter at a later date. Leland Searles wasn't expecting much when he was hired by Scott County to identify the plants growing in the ditches along its 564 miles of secondary roads. What he found turned out to be "a bit of a surprise." Searles' survey revealed 259 native plant species and 90 "exotic," non-native species. While those 90 exotics accounted for the majority of plants about 95 percent of road ditches are covered in non-natives Searles was heartened by the number of natives, and their rarity. "I thought this was going to be a pretty boring job, to be honest," he said. "I gained an appreciation for what's still out there." Searles' survey was one of the first steps in establishing a countywide roadside vegetation management plan, adopted by the county board in April 2016. The goal is to preserve, plant and maintain native plants along county roads, which are all the gravel and paved roads that are not maintained by the state or a city. The county is responsible for mowing/spraying/removing trees in these rights-of-way. But under the program, if native plants are identified, a farmer/landowner could fill out a form requesting that the county not mow (or spray). A "no mow, no spray" sign would be installed, and the landowner would assume responsibility for maintenance, Jon Burgstrum, director of the secondary roads department, explained. The reason for promoting native plants is for their environmental benefits. Because of their deep roots, they enhance rainfall infiltration, slow runoff, trap sediment, reduce erosion and create habitat for pollinators (whose numbers have been declining), nesting and other wildlife. Another goal of the county plan is to reduce the numbers of non-native species and stem the spread of the worst invasives, including the giant reed known as phragmites australis, thistles and reed canary grass. This will be accomplished through careful use of herbicides, spot mowing, prescribed burning and mechanical tree and brush removal, Burgstrum said. The county has hired a new employee, Brian Burkholder, to spearhead the plan. Among his duties will be to conduct educational programs, plant native seed in disturbed areas, apply for grants to help support the program and work with the county's conservation department to help manage prairie areas in the parks. "Natives help everything," Burkholder said. "My goal is to leave the world a better place." His dream would be to have all road ditches growing half native plants and half everything else. "That's a huge goal, but you've got to set your sights high." The county will not begin digging up existing vegetation to plant natives, but will take advantage of opportunities where ground is disturbed in the normal course of replacing culverts or bridges, he said. About six areas have been seeded already, he said. While his salary is paid by the county (the position pays in the $49,000 to $66,000 range), seven private individuals donated a total of $33,200 over three years to get the program started. Tony and Joyce Singh, of rural LeClaire, both deeply concerned about the environment and pollinators in particular, rounded up a group of like-minded people and arranged for a meeting in August of 2015 at the Davenport Public Works department to get the ball rolling. Included were representatives from the secondary roads department, Nahant Marsh, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Tallgrass Prairie Center operated by the University of Northern Iowa and the Iowa Roadway Living Trust Fund. The donors' money paid for initial work and provided leverage to land two grants, $2,370 for GPS equipment and $5,000 to help pay for the Searles' survey, Burgstrum said. Searles surveyed all the paved roads last summer (May to September) and all the gravel roads this summer. His work was made very much easier by the development of a software program by the county's IT department, he said. The software allowed him to call up his location by quarter-mile increments and input the plants he found in that area. Burkholder hopes that by January, the survey results will be online so that landowners can call up their address and see what Searles found in their ditches. Of the exotics Searles found in his survey, 18 stand out as most numerous, including smooth brome, reed canary grass, wild parsnip, Canada thistle, musk thistle, Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot), plume grass (miscanthus) and giant reed (phrgamites australis). Phragmites australis grows so thick that animals won't even try to venture into a stand, so it provides no benefit at all, Burkholder said. My mom likes to tell the story of my first day of kindergarten: When we arrived, she had to restrain me from running off to join the crowd of kids pouring through the front door. She always caps her story with: "I couldn't stop crying and you didn't even want to say goodbye to me because you were in such a hurry to get into school." I was so eager, in fact, that even before kindergarten, I vividly recall driving by the nursery school down the street, hungering to be let into what I was convinced was a magical wonderland of toys and stories a la "The Electric Company." But when I asked my parents why I couldn't go to preschool, they looked at me like I'd grown an extra head. It wasn't for us -- I had family at home to take care of me. That's just how it was done way back then in the Hispanic community; the babies stayed home with mom or grandma until formal schooling started. To this day, Hispanic kids continue to be underrepresented in preschools. There are lots of reasons, not the least of which are cultural and language-related. But the biggest and least surmountable is that there simply aren't enough spots in affordable, high-quality preschool centers to go around. The shortage is so acute for Latino kids that, according to Salud America!, a national Latino advocacy organization focusing on families, only 40 percent of Hispanic kids attend preschool, compared to 53 percent of white kids. The effects of Latinos being more likely to live in child care deserts, and therefore less likely to attend preschool, are chilling because they are coupled with multiple factors that make for a shockingly rough start in life. According to a new report from Salud America!, "The State of Latino Early Childhood Development," Hispanic kids begin life with birth weights and developmental capacities that are similar to those of white children. But by 24 months, their capacities to reason, remember tasks, communicate verbally and identify letters, numbers, and shapes lessen significantly compared to white children. And these deficits "appear even more prevalent in Mexican-American children than in other nationality subgroups." The authors cite the usual suspects: lower education levels among Hispanic parents, larger family sizes in which individual children get a smaller slice of available attention, unemployment or underemployment, and the higher incidence of depression among Hispanic mothers. These, combined with the cultural assumptions that teachers are the only experts suited to teach kids literacy and numeracy skills, and low or no English skills create a perfect storm for Hispanic kids' underperformance when they start kindergarten. And those, sadly, are the best-case scenarios -- the statistics get even more dire when you factor in other hardships, many of which are quite prevalent. Salud America! says that 28 percent of Latino youth suffer four or more traumatic experiences such as parental domestic violence, substance abuse, mental illness, criminal justice involvement, child abuse, neglect, poverty/homelessness, or parental death. It's difficult to write about such harrowing statistics. They reinforce the negative stereotypes that people, especially educators, have about Latino children, feeding the sense that these kids are beyond hope, while ignoring that not all Hispanic kids are disadvantaged. But the truth is that even though you don't have to look very far to find Hispanic valedictorians, and successful Latino business owners, brain surgeons and astronauts, a great deal of Hispanic children are in crisis. The bright side is that more widely available preschool for Latino kids can help close academic gaps before they become a life sentence of low achievement. Universal preschool is not a magic bullet for all that ails public schools or low-income families. But it can be a much-needed intervention for the most vulnerable of Hispanic students, who are expected to make up about a third of all public-school students by the year 2026. As of now, only 14 cents of every public education dollar are spent on early childhood education. This gives the edge to parents and families who can afford to put their kids in high-quality, unsubsidized preschool programs, while leaving the needy even further behind. The low funding represents a lack of foresight and an ignorance of well-established research showing that the prekindergarten years are the most important, developmentally, for all children. But ultimately, any money dedicated to preventing Hispanic infants from falling two years behind their peers before kindergarten even starts is peanuts compared to the costs of remedial education, social welfare programs and incarceration. YANKTON | Efforts are underway in a southeast South Dakota city to memorialize former Gov. William H. McMaster. A statue honoring the former Republican governor is on track to be unveiled in Yankton this June, the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan reported. McMaster, who moved to Yankton in 1901, served as the state's governor from 1921 to 1925, and later served in the U.S. Senate. He also served in the state Legislature and as lieutenant governor. The Yankton County Historic Preservation Commission is working with a local business to make the memorial unique. The marker will be attached to the Meridian Bridge because McMaster helped build bridges across the Missouri River. McMaster also presided over the dedication of Meridian Bridge, which will be noted in his marker. "The marker is being made as we speak," said Bernie Hunhoff, a member of the commission. "Instead of just sticking (the plaque) on a metal pole, we're going to do something a little more creative." Yankton officials have been trying to honor McMaster for the past three years. Tony Venhuizen, the current governor's chief of staff, said some of South Dakota's former governors were honored with historic markers in their hometowns, while others were not. "It was really just a matter of whether a given town had taken the initiative and put it up or not," Venhuizen said. The county's historic preservation commission voted unanimously in May to memorialize McMaster and fundraise between $2,000 and $3,000 for the project. Hunhoff said commissioners nearly met their fundraising goals to pay for the marker, though they could still use donations to cover final expenses. He said local residents have been very giving. "It's not surprising," Hunhoff said. "Yankton is a community that is, first of all, always generous, and secondly, very interested in preserving the community's history." After 139 years, an early Black Hills settler could lose his right to all the water in French Creek above a point near Custer. The Water Rights Program of the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources is recommending the cancellation of a water right filed in 1878 by Robert Wittke. The state Water Management Board is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the recommendation Dec. 7 in Pierre. An investigation into the status of the water right was triggered in late 2016 when Wittkes great-granddaughter, Martha Carr, of Burbank, Calif., contacted the DENR. She had been told about the water right and had found it listed in an online DENR database, and she wondered if she might have inherited any rights to the water. State laws says that if a water right is not used for three years, it is considered abandoned and may be recommended for cancellation. A DENR employee reviewed modern and historical documents and visited French Creek to investigate the Wittke water right. No evidence of any use was found. The water right was recorded Oct 5, 1878. The original document, which is in the DENRs files, says the water right applied to all the water in French Creek on and above this Grave Yard dam for mining, milling, ditching, fluming and domestic purposes. The DENRs investigation determined that a graveyard may have existed along French Creek about one mile downstream of the center of Custer, but the graves were eventually moved to another cemetery and there is no modern remnant of any activity Wittke may have conducted there. The Wittke water right appears to be the ninth-oldest of 432 so-called ghost claims in South Dakota that are probably abandoned or forfeited but are still technically in force, because they were filed prior to the enactment of state water-use laws in 1907. DENR officials occasionally investigate the ghost claims and recommend them for cancellation. The DENRs file on the Wittke water right contains little biographical information on the man, other than a letter from Carr that says Wittke had a mining claim in 1877. Records maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management show that Wittke purchased land from the federal government in 1888 and 1889 in an area that is now part of Wind Cave National Park. A historical study of the park published in 2003 says Wittke formed a partnership with rancher August Sanson in 1882 and later sold out to Sanson. The land continued to be used for ranching for many decades before it became part of the park. As a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, one of my priorities has been to relieve community banks and credit unions from the unnecessary regulatory burdens imposed on them. I recently joined Banking Committee members to introduce a bill that would improve our nations financial regulatory framework. Since the enactment of the Dodd-Frank act, which was an overreaction to the 2008 financial crisis, our financial institutions and our economy have suffered. Our proposal begins to roll back some of Dodd-Franks one-size-fits-all regulations, which have been disproportionally hurting small-and-medium sized institutions who had nothing to do with the financial crisis. While there is still work to be done, our proposal is a good step toward allowing community banks and credit unions to expand. Included in the bill is the Home Mortgage Disclosure Adjustment Act, which provides small banks and credit unions with data reporting relief. It also includes relief from Dodd-Frank capital rules that allows banks to count high-quality municipal bonds toward capital requirements. This will help banks and local governments that issue debt. Our legislation also contains provisions of my Community Bank Access to Capital Act that would free small banks from having to go through arduous and expensive tests mandated under Dodd-Frank and make it easier for banks with less than $3 billion in assets to raise capital. It includes language that protects the credit of military veterans who await delayed payments from the VA Choice program. Lastly, it provides rural appraisal relief for situations when borrowers apply for a loan of less than $400,000 and have trouble finding a qualified appraiser. I have also continued working to move my TAILOR Act forward in the Senate. It would require regulatory agencies to take into account the risk profile and business models of individual financial institutions and tailor their regulations accordingly. Making sure South Dakota families and businesses have access to credit when they need it is critical as we work to grow a healthy American economy. Every step we can take to provide relief to our lenders is a win for South Dakota families and businesses who rely on them for credit. 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According to the reports, four persons killed, while head on collision between an Alto car and Dumper vehicle at Borkhola area in Cachar district on Saturday. A top police official of Cachar district said that, all four persons, those travelled in the Alto car were killed on spot. On the other hand, a bike rider was killed on spot while the bike hit back side of a roadside parked vehicle at Raha in central Assams Nagaon district. In separate incident, at least 14 people were injured while a speedy Bolero Max pickup van rolled down at National Highway 37 at Sonapur in Kamrup (Metro) district on Saturday evening. The injured persons were rushed to nearest hospital and Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH). (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) *Guwahati, November 27 : Security forces had apprehended an arms dealer in Nagalands Kohima, officials said.* *Based on specific intelligence regarding movement of illegal arms dealer 9 Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR (North) along with police representative established a vehicle check post in general area High School Junction and Teenpati Junction, Kohima. * *During the search, the troops had apprehended one arms peddler along with a point 22 Pistol and one magazine. * *The apprehended arms dealer was identified as Seyie Khrielie alias Alo Zao.* *The arms dealer along with recovered items was handed over to Kohima (North) Police Station for further investigation.* *(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)* Guwahati, November 27 : Raising and fearing over possible diversion of Siang river (Brahmaputra) by China in Tibet (Tsangpo river), an Arunachal Pradesh MP has recently raised the serious issue and sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appealed Modi to raise the issue in international forum. Ninong Ering, Lok Sabha MP representing from Eastern Arunachal constituency had recently sent a letter to PM Modi and raising concern about sudden change in water quality of Siang river. The Arunachal Pradesh MP said that, the water level of Siang river (Brahmaputra) is dramatically receding and it is unusual in this winter season. The recent report said that, the Chinese government has constructed a 1000 km long tunnel the worlds longest - to divert the Siang river (Tsangpo in Tibet) from Sangri in Sothern Tibet to the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang is likely to be true though the Chinese government had denied it, Ninong Ering said. In his letter sent to the PM on November 25 last, Ninong Ering said that, a few months back a report which was denied by the Chinese government is regard to the diverting a channel over Tsangpo (Siang/Brahmaputra) in Tibet has become an issue of concern. After the report the river Siang has become muddy and slushy and it is already two months that, the river Siang is black contaminated. It is unusual phenomena and reason for the river dirty is unknown. I have already put questions and also under rule 377 to be discussed in the parliament but as it was not in session. I am requesting you to use your good office to seek the reason of the river being muddy in this season where the water is crystal clear. A 600 km long tunnel is already started in the Yunnan province as a rehearsal, Ninong Ering said in his letter. The Arunachal Pradesh MP further said that, there is no other reason that,the mighty Siang river tributary of Brahmaputra should be dirty in the month of November, but has occurred due to heavy land excavation in the Chinese side which has to be verified by an international team to ascertain the international treaty. When I saw the water, it looks like cement mixed water. It is a very serious issue and the Centre must to take it seriously, the Arunachal Pradesh MP said. Ninong Ering said that, a large scale of fish had died in the Siang river in recent times and he got it confirmed from Tuting and Geling areas in Upper Siang district close to China border. The Arunachal Pradesh MP also appealed the External Affairs ministry and Water Resources ministry to expedite measures to check the diversion issue. Earlier, media reports said that, China is planning to build a 1000 km long tunnel to divert water from the Brahmaputra river (Tsangpo) in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh to the parched Xinjiang region. (Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath) Guwahati, 25 November: As part of Guwahati Press Clubs continuing initiative for regular health check-up and instilling proper health awareness among mediapersons, its Evening with a Doctor program this Saturday featured city-based Dispur Hospital conducting the weekly evening OPD clinic at the Press Club premises. This camp witnessed the participation of over 40 mediapersons receiving consultation from Dr Kashyap Kumar Das free of cost. The weight, blood sugar level and blood pressure of participants were screened, along with collection of their blood samples for testing of thyroid levels, reports of which will be available at the Press Club office by Tuesday. Nurse Jonprabha Deuri, health workers Biswajit Das and Umar Faruque and office staff Deben Sah assisted in conducting the camp. Till date, physicians from Apollo Chennai Hospital, Chennai SIMS Hospital, Manipal Bangalore Hospital, Fortis Hospital Bangalore, Medanta the Medicity Hospital, Down Town Hospital, GNRC Hospitals, Nemcare Hospital, Hayat Hospital, Ayursundra Hospital, Sun Valley Hospital, Sight First Eye-Clinic, Barthakur Clinic, Wintrobe Hospital etc have attended the camps. *Guwahati, November 27 : As a prelude to the first ever Global Investors Summit slated to be held in the month of February next year, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday launched a road show at a city hotel in Kolkata to elicit participation from the industrialists and prospective investors. * *Business delegates from as many as 60 countries across the world participated in the event which was organised to present the inherent potential, prosperities and possibilities of Assam. * *A power point presentation was given to make the foreign industrialists aware of Assam and the business opportunities and geo strategic location that the State enjoys to become the gateway to the 10 South East Asian countries. * *As a part of the global investors summit, Sonowal held one to one discussion with industrialists and investors to woo investments in the State. * *The business to business discussion was held in a congenial atmosphere where Sonowal apprised the industrialists of the States turn around to a growing economy with a promise to expedite economic growth potential to social empowerment. * *The Assam CM drew the attention of the investors to Assams pro-business and investment friendly climate like ease of doing business and creation of land bank for development of industries etc. * *Infusing confidence in the investors, Sonowal informed them that ever since the new dispensation in the state came to power the Assam accumulated investment to the tune of Rs. 6500 crore. * *The discussion specifically focussed on sectoral developments with special emphasis on tea, food processing, handloom and textile, tourism and hospitality, health, agriculture and allied industries, bamboo, jute, plastic industries etc. * *He also said that the law and order situation of the State has improved considerably which is conducive to investment. * *He said that he had requested the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to extend ambit of the UDAN scheme so that flight connectivity between Assam with other ASEAN countries increases so that Centres Act East Policy reached its logical conclusion. * *Closer engagement with the ASEAN countries would augur well to spearhead a new paradigm of development and revive business and investment cycle, Sonowal said. * *Business groups like Laxmi Group, Haldiram Bhujiawala Limited, Glaze Infrastructure, Indian Plastic Federation, Century Ply, Techno Group, Larica, ITC, Indian Jute Mill Association, Global Health Care Systems, Merchants Chamber of Commerce and many others discussed their business plan and expressed their inclination to investment in Assam. * *Later talking to foreign business delegates and investors at a programme titled Horasis Asia Meeting the Assam CM gave a broad overview of State Governments initiatives to bolster complete transformation of the State to become an epicentre of countrys economy. * *He also said that to leverage the true potential of Assam, the State Government is organising Global Investors Summit: Advantaged Assam and he invited all the business delegates to be present at the summit and explore the business and investors friendly potential of Assam and be a part of State Governments growth agenda. * *It may be noted that countries like USA, Japan, Australia, Brazil expressed their desire to bring in their business delegation in big numbers to participate in investors summit and investment in Assam. * *Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary, Chief Secretary VK Pipersenia, Additional Chief Secretary Industry and Commerce Ravi Capoor, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjay Lohiya along with a host of dignitaries were present on the occasion.* *(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)* sacw.net - 28 November 2017 Prefatory Note Demonetisation is, beyond doubt, the most talked of action taken by the incumbent Narendra Modi regime, as yet, which came to be in place in May 20141, just over three and a half years back replacing the UPA regime, with the Congress at the head, soundly defeating it in the national poll held a while earlier.2, 3, 4 One of the major promises made by Narendra Modi, and his party BJP, during the poll campaign was to end the policy paralysis under the UPA-II5, led by, scholarly, soft-spoken and rather reticent Dr. Manmohan Singh, who, btw, had never ever won a direct election, at whatever level. The alleged paralysis, in turn, was at least partly an outcome of the various corruption scandals that the old regime got embroiled in.6 Modi, a fiery and raucous orator, a complete contrast from the public persona of Singh - in very many ways, rather expectedly used this opportunity to the hilt.7 Be that as it may, November 8 2017 was observed by the various opposition parties, including the Congress, as a black day, terming demonetisation as a Modi-made disaster. The BJP, on the other, celebrated it, in response, as the anti-black money day.8, 9, 10 So, itd be quite in the fitness of things to make a factual evaluation, even if from a specific standpoint, of the measure, its actual impacts and to what extents it has succeeded or failed to meet its initially, and also subsequently, stated goals over the span of the last one year. The announcement In a shock and awe move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced [today, Nov. 8, late evening] withdrawal of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 notes in a bid to check black money and cross-border monetary transactions of counterfeit currency. aNotes of Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 not valid from midnight November 8, 2016,a said Modi in a late-evening address to the nation, evoking strong reactions from the man on the street to his political opponents.11 Prefaced with some pep talk which included a laundry list of the various welfare schemes introduced by his government ostensibly for the benefit of common Indians and his determination to fight corruption, the shock and awe rather burst forth: To break the grip of corruption and black money, we have decided that the five hundred rupee and thousand rupee currency notes presently in use will no longer be legal tender from midnight tonight, that is 8th November 2016.12 While the tag shock and awe was quite apt if the reaction of the lay public is taken as the criterion, the other qualifier surgical strike as emblazoned in the very caption of the subject news report, implying precision targeted lethal attack (with no, or at the most rather minimal, collateral damage), was quite visibly utterly misplaced. Reportedly, as a consequence of the move, 86% of the currency was overnight sucked out of the Indian economic system, which had been heavily cash dependent - with the cash-to-GDP ratio being over 13%13A and, as per one recent estimate,14 97% of retail transactions are cash-based.15 Thus, the announcement just triggered panic and chaos all around16 as regards how to go on with ones daily, even if in so many cases rather miserable, life. Critics, however, did compare the move with firing cannonballs to kill mosquitoes.17, 18 The goals of this earth-shaking measure were, however, pretty tersely laid down: This step will strengthen the hands of the common man in the fight against [I] corruption, [II] black money and [III] fake currency.12 He, however, had also, elsewhere, talked of four goals: fight against corruption, black money, fake notes and terrorism.12 So, fight against terrorism constituted the fourth goal. The rest of the speech was made up of a list of modalities of implementation and a final emphatic appeal to Indian citizens to ignore the temporary hardship in order to fight corruption and black money so as to ensure that the nations wealth benefits the poor. The Political Context In early 2011, India saw the triggering of a series of massive protests against corruption in high places at the initiative and under the leadership of Anna Hazare, a self-styled Gandhian from Maharashtra backwater. The central demand was to get a new law legislated and enacted to appoint a (non-elected) non-party effective overseeing body, both at the central and state levels, in order to monitor and eradicate corruption. The campaign spilled into 2012, because of perceived government apathy and, at times, active hostility. Eventually, however, the government and the parliament had to give in, at least very substantially, and the Parliament of India enacted the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 in December 2013.19 But, by that time, the image of the then incumbent regime had got severely soiled. And, this anti-corruption campaign provided strong tailwind to the main opposition, Hindu nationalist, BJP and its prime leader Narendra Modi in the early 2014 poll campaign. Along with the theme of Hindu nationalism, good governance, development, job creation etc. etc. the issue of black money was also emphatically harped upon. In one video clip, which has since gone viral, the Prime Ministerial aspirant Modi is heard claiming, in his signature style, that if the black money stashed in foreign banks by thieves and looters is brought back to the country then every poor of the country is going to get richer by Rs. 15-20 lakh just like that. Of course, the Congress was the culprit overseeing and effecting this loot. And if he comes to power hell immediately ensure bringing this huge heap of wealth back to the country.20 The then national president of the BJP, Rajnath Singh had reportedly promised to do this in the firstA 150 days.21 As per another, he had promised to do that in just 100 days.22 It is rather needless to point out here that after the BJP in fact coming to power nothing of that sort happened. Of course,A a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was appointed to unearth black money stashed in foreign banks, in July 2014, but only under the instructions of the Supreme Court.23 But, not a single rupee of black money came back from foreign banks. Not a single list of people having suspicious accounts in foreign banks was made public by the government. Not till November 8 2016. (Not till today.) On the other, a major high-profile economic offender, Vijay Mallya, with a number of serious charges pending against him, had smoothly slipped away to London, in early 2016, from under the very nose of this regime.24 Prior to that, another high profile economic offender, Lalit Modi, publicly acknowledged having sought and received help from External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje while in the UK, where he had earlier escaped to.25 After coming to power at the Centre, Modi persisted with developing an unabashedly business-friendly image promoting development, without, of course, abandoning the theme of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism). A rather revealing representative illustration is how this regime persistently tried to nullify the peasant-friendly amendment effected via the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 by repeatedly issuing ordinances to bypass the hurdles posed by the upper house of the Indian parliament.26 Another poor-friendly Act, National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, had been publicly scoffed at by Modi.27 All these led to the government being labelled as a Suit-Boot ki Sarkar.28 The label appeared to have stuck all the more as Modi had strutted in an allegedly Rs. 10 lakh suit with his own name written all over with gold thread to greet the then US President Barack Obama, on a three-day trip to India having been invited as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day function in 2015.29 Even Modis pre-election promise, sort of further endorsed by the then BJP national President Rajnath Singh, of bringing back Rs. 15 lakh for every (poor) Indian from the foreign banks turned into a popular butt of a joke in the social media and also in the real world. So much so, the new BJP President Amit Shah, considered to be too thick with Modi, was constrained to issue a clarification of sorts that it was only a political jumla (or customary empty campaign rhetoric).30, 31 This, in turn, would attract a hail of flak. More importantly, soon after, in an early February poll for the Delhi assembly, the BJP had to suffer a humiliating defeat.32 This was further accentuated by a resounding loss in a Bihar poll by the end of the year.33 An astute politician that Modi is, that set the stage for repositioning the brand Modi, without too much tweaking the product itself. Apart from continuing with the image of an unrelenting (economic) Reformist, as has been currently highlighted in the act of single-minded pursuit of the (disruptive) GST34 (and also, for that matter, the celebratory din over the, apparently economically unviable,35, 36 Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train,37A Indias markedly improved ranking by the World Bank in terms of ease of doing business38, 39 and upgrading of Indias sovereign ratings by Moodys,40 while maintaining stoic silence over the slippage in Global Hunger Index41 and the widening gender inequity,42 which rather compellingly underlines that ease of doing business and ease of living life are just not the one and the same thing), albeit with a somewhat fluctuating emphasis, a calibrated dose of populism, with two interconnected constitutive elements, is to be added now.43 One is a pro-poor stance, and the other is an enhanced emphasis on Hindutva, as would be graphically illustrated in the choice of Ajay Singh Bisht aka Yogi Adityanath, a fire-eating and utterly controversial head priest of a major Hindu temple, as the Chief Minister44, 45 of UP, the most populous Indian state with the highest number of parliamentary seats and the subsequent virtual ban order46 on cattle sale in cattle markets. The rather stunning act of demonetisation is the most dramatic and eye-catching component of the former element.47 Past History of Demonetisation in India There were two demonetisations in the past. The first time India had demonetisation under British rule on January 12 1946. In the post-war scenario, demonetisation of high denomination notes was effected following in the footsteps of several foreign countries, including France, Belgium and the UK itself, ostensibly to fight against black market money and tax evasions which had understandably assumed enormous proportions. Interestingly, even then the Reserve Bank was reportedly not in alignment and the outcome appeared to be a failure: The measure did not succeed, as by the end of 1947, out of a total issue of Rs. 143.97 crores [sic] of the high denomination notes, notes of the value of Rs. 134.9 crores [sic] were exchanged. Thus, notes worth only Rs. 9.07 crores [sic] were probably ademonetised a, not having been presented.48 The next time, it was on January 16 1978, under the Morarji Desai government (of the Janata Party) with H M Patel as the Finance Minister. The declared aim was broadly similar. Rs. 1000, Rs. 5000 and Rs. 10000 notes, a rather rarity in those days, were demonetised. Understandably, the common people were not at all affected. Yet, it triggered chaos and long queues before the banks. Only three days had been allowed for exchange of old notes. The then RBI Governor, I G Patel, had very interestingly noted: such an exercise seldom produces striking results. Most people who accept illegal gratification or are otherwise the recipients of black money do not keep their ill-gotten earnings in the form of currency for long. The idea that black money or wealth is held in the form of notes tucked away in suit cases [sic] or pillow cases is naAve. And in any case, even those who are caught nappingaor waitingawill have the chance to convert the notes through paid agents as some provision has to be made to convert at par notes tendered in small amounts for which explanations cannot be reasonably sought. But the gesture had to be made, and produced much work and little gain .48 Governor Patel, additionally, indicated that for some people in the Janata government the demonetisation was a measure specifically targeted against the allegedly corrupt predecessor governments or government leaders. The outcome, apparently, was nothing to talk of.48 Whose Idea, This Time? While, in absence of any definitive info, it is hard to pinpoint wherefrom the idea emanated this time. One can only engage in informed speculations. But, even then, one is on a far surer ground as regards whose idea it was not. Raghuram Rajan, an economist of considerable international repute, who was the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor from Sept. 5 2013 to Sept 4 2016,49, 50 i.e. almost up to two months before the declaration of demonetisation, has since gone on record saying that on being asked he had opined against the move both verbally and also in writing making out that the short term costs of the measure would considerably outweigh its long term gains. Yet, he had listed out a number of necessary steps to be taken for best implementationA in the event of his advice being ignored. These also appeared to have been just overlooked. "I was asked by the government in February 2016 for my views on demonetisation, which I gave orally. Although there might be long-term benefits, I felt the likely short-term economic costs would outweigh them and there were potentially better alternatives to achieve the main goals. I made these views known in [no] uncertain terms," Rajan wrote. He added that he had handed over a note to the government outlining the potential cost and benefits of demonetisation as well as alternatives to achieve similar aims. He further said: "If the government, on weighing the pros and cons, still decided to go ahead with demonetisation, the note outlined the preparation that would be needed and the time that the preparation would take. The RBI flagged what would happen if preparation was inadequate."51 His successor Urjit Patel was, at that time, quite new in his seat, occupying it for just over two months.A So, plausibly, he could have had not played a major role here. In any case, here is a report giving out the official RBI version52 of its role in the decision making: SO far, the Government has suggested that the decision to withdraw 500-rupee and 1,000-rupee notes came from the Reserve Bank of India. But in its submission to a Parliamentary panel late last month, the RBI, agreeing with the Governments rationale behind the move, has made it clear that it was the Government which aadviseda it to do so. aGovernment, on 7th November, 2016, [just the day before making the announcement, not by the RBI, not by the Finance Minister, but by the Prime Minister] advised the Reserve Bank that to mitigate the triple problems of counterfeiting, terrorist financing and black money, the Central Board of the Reserve Bank may consider withdrawal of the legal tender status of the notes in high denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000,a said the RBI in a seven-page note submitted on December 22 [2016] to the Parliaments Department Related Committee of Finance headed by Congress leader M Veerappa Moily. Here is another interesting nugget from an analytical note:53 But in this case, Central Board [is supposed to have] played a crucial role as demonetisation happened on their recommendation. That is [at least] what [the] law says as per Section 26 (2) of RBI Act. Again repeating it: (2) On recommendation of the Central Board the [Central Government (in original text)] may, by notification in the Gazette of India, declare that, with effect from such date as may be specified in the notification, any series of bank notes of any denomination shall cease to be legal tender... I mean the whole exercise is so confusing. One knows that just 2 persons from RBI (Governor and 1 DG) knew of the exercise. They were part of the Central Board but not the board. The Full Board as we know was informed by the government at 6 PM on 8 Nov 2016. So [that] one can say: aThe Central Board based on government orders recommended the government to declare that Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency have ceased to be legal tender....a . . . . Previous two denominations [read: demonetisations] were via ordinances and did not require RBI Board recommendation as government ceased them via fiat. This time also it was fiat but in a round about [sic] way. As regards whose idea, there are (somewhat divergent) reports that one Anil Bokil, a mechanical engineer turned financial theorist and currently heading a Pune-based group Arthakranti Sansthan that advocates financial reforms in India, had suggested it to an attentive Modi back in 2015. As per his claim, he had put forward a, more than sixteen-year old five-point plan, including one of replacing all taxes by a single point 2% tax on all transactions that should be routed only through banks. None of the other points appear to have been paid any heed to. He had also recommended scrapping of Rs.100 notes.54, 55, 56 It makes a nice story for the media, but thats all as it appears. Here is quite another story,57 apparently, planted by the regimes spin doctors: Prime Minister Narendra Modi handpicked a trusted bureaucrat, little known outside Indias financial circles, to spearhead a radical move to abolish 86 percent of the countrys cash overnight and take aim at the huge shadow economy. Hasmukh Adhia, the bureaucrat, [then Revenue Secretary and now appointed as Finance Secretary on Nov. 6 201758] and five others privy to the plan were sworn to utmost secrecy, say sources with knowledge of the matter. They were supported by a young team of researchers working in two rooms at Prime Minister Modis residence, as he plotted his boldest reform since coming to power in 2014. When announced, the abolition of high-value banknotes of 500 and 1,000 rupees came as a bolt from the blue. . . . The 58-year-old served as principal secretary to Mr Modi from 2003-06 when he was chief minister of Gujarat, establishing a relationship of trust with his boss and introducing him to yoga. . . . Mr Adhia was named revenue secretary in September 2015, reporting formally to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. In reality, he had a direct line to Prime Minister Modi and they would speak in Gujarati when they met to discuss issues in depth. . . . Immediately after the address, Mr Adhia sent a tweet: "This is the biggest and the boldest step by the Government for containing black money." The boast harked back to Prime Minister Modis election vow to recover black money that had resonated with voters fed up with the corruption scandals that plagued the previous Congress government. Over more than a year, Prime Minister Modi commissioned research from officials at the finance ministry, the Reserve Bank and think-tanks on how to advance his fight against black money, a close aide said. . . . Under Mr Adhias oversight, the team of researchers assembled and modeled [sic] the findings in what was, for it, a theoretical exercise. (A more elaborate and further touched up version59 has been repeated later, on the eve of the first anniversary of demonetisation.) So, here, a major credit is attributed to a trusted career bureaucrat - of course of Gujarat cadre, having a PhD in yoga (currently) in the Finance Ministry, not an economist, by any stretch. Presumably, to neutralise the criticism that no independent expert input did go into, not even of the Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian,60 and no due diligence was undertaken in the run-up to the allegedly rash and reckless move. Of course, at that time the story of completely ignoring the advice of Raghuram Rajan, the preceding RBI Chairman and a noted economist, was yet to become public. Finally, itd be worth taking note of an observation61 of an analyst carried by the Times of India website on the first anniversary of demonetisation: Evidence emerging over the last fortnight clearly indicates that not a single economists [sic] of any significance has been consulted while conducting this demonetization exercise. A Noteworthy Critical Response to the Announcement Within the very first week of the announcement, a number of well-known, and not-so-well-known, social activists, including a few prominent Leftist economists and other luminaries, came out with a fairly detailed critique62 of the move - pretty harsh in tone. It asserted, among other things: Black money is generated through evasion of taxes on income from lawful activities and money generated from illegal activities. In the absence of steps to curb the generation of black money, demonetization is a futile exercise, as it proved to be in 1978. And, further underlined: In the last 5 years, IT raids have found that only 5-6% of black money is kept in hard cash. Moreover, those who have amassed sizable black money are equipped to find ways around demonetization by converting their existing cash to bullion, gold jewellery, real estate and foreign currencies through brokers and middle-men. In fact, organized middle-men and touts have already emerged to convert black money into white for a commission. It listed out a number of instances allegedly establishing the governments utter insincerity as regards the fight against black money. It made a special mention: A key campaign promise was to bring back black money stashed abroad and deposit Rs 15 lakh each from the proceeds in the account of every citizen. Why has the Government not made public the names held by it of Indian account holders in offshore banks? It emphatically claimed: It is evident that demonetisation will not achieve its stated intent of eliminating black money but has thrown the entire countrys economic system in disarray. Related developments also call into question Governments [very] intentions. The RBI Annual Report While speculations and debates were raging over the net outcome of demonetisation, especially because of the RBI stonewalling various queries on the issue from various quarters,63, 64, 65, 66 on August 30, the RBI came out with its (routine) Annual Report (2016-17)67. And: On page 195 of this years Reserve Bank of India (RBI) annual report lies the answer to the question many Indians have been asking for close to 10 months.68 It67puts rather blandly: Until June 30, 2017, SBNs were received by the Reserve Bank either directly or from bank branches/post offices through the currency chest mechanism. Some of these SBNs are still lying in the currency chests. The value of the SBNs received by the currency chests has been credited to the banks account on asaid to contain basisa . Till such time these notes are processed by the Reserve Bank for their numerical accuracy and authenticity, only an estimation of SBNs received back is possible. Subject to future corrections based on verification process when completed, the estimated value of SBNs [Specified Bank Notes] received as on June 30, 2017 is (Rs.) 15.28 trillion. ... Therefore, the value of notes in circulation is subject to adjustments to be made after the completion of the verification process of the SBNs received as also for the notes to be received from DCCBs [District Cooperative Banks] and Nepalese citizens/ Financial Institutions. It is quite noteworthy that only after the release of the Report, the RBI shared this info with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance: Last week in its annual report, the RBI finally made public the details of the junked notes that have come back into the system putting the figure at Rs 15.28 (rpt) 15.28 lakh crore. The same figure has now been shared with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance. And, even then: The RBI has told a parliamentary panel that it has "no information" on how much black money has been extinguished as a result of demonetisation of Rs 500/1,000 notes or about unaccounted cash legitimised through exchange of currency post note ban.69 Be that as it may, the sum and substance of the subject disclosure is rather crisply captured here: According to Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) annual report released Wednesday, 98.96% of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes (by value) that were invalidated due to the demonetisation exercise had been returned by the end of June. . . . The RBI annual report said that asubject to future corrections based on verification process when completed,a the estimated value of the banned notes it areceiveda was Rs 15.28 trillion. This compares with the Rs 15.44 trillion of the invalidated notes that were in circulation as of 8 November, according to data provided by minister of state for finance Arjun Meghwal to Parliament on 21 January.70 The significance of 99.96% of banned notes amounting to Rs. 16,000 crore coming back to the banks, which, with the possibility of some more amounts lying with the various DCBs and Nepali citizens, even if not the amounts still lying with Indian citizens for a variety of reasons, coming back to the system, may still further go up, even if only marginally, comes out rather starkly when read together with the following: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modis surprise announcement of the invalidation of old high-value currency notes on 8 November, estimates suggested that around Rs 3 trillion would not return to the banking system because it was unaccounted or black money. While defending demonetisation in the Supreme Court in November, then attorney general Mukul Rohatgi said around Rs 4-5 trillion would probably not find its way back into the system.70 There are also other reports endorsing the same narrative.71 So, against an anticipated Rs 4-5 trillion (i.e. 4-5 lakh crore), or at least 3 lakh crore, only an amount of Rs. 16,000 crore, which may still get a bit further reduced, has eventually not come back. No amount of spin is going to alter this core fact. Lets not forget, its the AG, the highest law officer of the Union Government, who had claimed before the highest court of the land that Rs. 400-500 lakh crore is expected to be extinguished because of demonetisation. And, it eventually turned out to just Rs. 16,000 crore. Thats the essential unvarnished fact. There were, of course, very many other unofficial estimates. Here is one by the Indias leading pink paper, known to be generally supportive of the incumbent regimes economic policies: According to initial estimates, a significant chunk of the Rs. 15 lakh crore in high-denomination currency was not expected to come back into the system. But that estimate has been steadily scaled back with some pegging the returned amount at as much as Rs 10 lakh crore. This hasnt been independently verified. In any case, the unreturned amount is likely to be less than early estimates as the government has allowed a settlement option at 50% tax for unaccounted income. Some estimate that amount of unreturned notes will be Rs 3-4 lakh crore.72A Seizure of Fake Currency In his late evening address to the nation on Nov. 8 last year, announcing the momentous decision of demonetisation, the Prime Minister had clearly identified fight against fake currency as one of the three (or four) drivers listed by him on that occasion. And, this is also a claim that is the easiest to evaluate. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday said detection of counterfeit notes in 2016-17 was 20.4 per cent higher than the previous year. Barring Rs 100 notes, the detection of counterfeit notes increased across denominations a notably Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 a during 2016-17, the RBI said in its Annual Report. The value of fake demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was around Rs 41 crore. According to the RBI,2,56,324 Rs 1,000 notes valued at Rs 25.63 crore were detected during FY17. It reported that 3,17,567 Rs 500 notes valued at Rs 15.87 crore were detected.73 Interestingly, even the new Rs 2,000 notes, issued after demonetisation, are already being counterfeited. The report says 638 fakes of this denomenation [sic] were detected.74 Not only that: In the nearly one year since Rs 2,000 and new Rs 500 notes were introduced, their counterfeit versions have improved from easily identifiable in the beginning to ahighest qualitya in recent times, according to [the Department of Revenue Intelligence] officials who track FICN (fake Indian currency notes) cases. . .. ...A [According to a senior DRI official,] a(c)urrency seized just after demonetisation were of low quality, visible to the naked eye, but the quality of the notes recently seized have improved and a common man now cannot immediately distinguish whether it is fake or genuine.a 75 Yet another, still more recent, report further confirms this trend.76 Two points, here, need be noted. One, of Rs. 15.28 lakh crore which came back to the banks out of a total of Rs. 15.44 lakh crore demonetised, the value of fake notes actually detected is only Rs. 41.50 (= 25.63 + 15.87) crore. Thats too measly a sum, just 0.0027% of the notes returned, in terms of value. Its regardless of the various estimates of fake notes circulating in Indian economy.77, 78, 79 Here, one has to keep in mind that, at any given point of time, the overwhelming bulk of the fake notes would be in circulation as the creators of these notes, regardless of their specific motive(s) - plain (illicit) financial gain or sabotaging the Indian economy or both or whatever else, would have no interest in keeping these notes piled up on their tables. So, these would, mostly, be in the hands of unsuspecting possessors. And, there is no reason to suspect that these people, quite unaware of the counterfeit nature of these notes, shied away from rushing to the bank branches to deposit these back along with the rest of the demonetised notes, as everybody else did. Only those directly linked to the fake note network would scrupulously stay away. The second point of interest is that: 638 counterfeit notes of new Rs 2,000 notes [amounting to Rs. 12.76 lakh] ... were also detected. (And, the quality of counterfeiting has considerably improved over the last one year making it difficult for a lay person to tell a fake note from a genuine one.) So, the inescapable conclusions that follow are: One, the quantum of fake notes circulating in the Indian economy is too miniscule to justify the hugely disruptive demonetisation. Two, even then, demonetisation has made actually little, if at all any, impact on generation and transmission of fake notes The Other Two, of the First Three, Goals: How Have These Fared? These two goals as enunciated by the Prime Minister on the momentous evening of November 8 last year areA to: strengthen the hands of the common man [read government] in the fight against [I] corruption, [II] black money. As corruption is a generic term, wed first take up the issue black money. Fighting (or Eliminating?) Black Money Black money is generated through evasion of taxes on income from lawful activities and money generated from illegal activities.62 It has been pointed out by umpteen number of knowledgeable commentators that only a minor fragment of the black money is held in hard Indian currency. As far back as in 1978, the then RBI Governor, I G Patel, as regards the efficacy of the demonetisation undertaken then had opined, as already pointed out above: The idea that black money or wealth is held in the form of notes tucked away in suit cases [sic] or pillow cases is naAve.48 Here is a more contemporary observation by a knowledgeable commentator: people do not hold all their black money in the form of cash in their homes. They convert it into gold and real estate, and move it abroad to tax havens. From there it comes back through Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) and is invested in the stock market as well as debt market.80 He further illustrates and buttresses his argument by providing in a tabular form the figures related to the outcomes of the search and seizure operations carried out by the Income Tax Department over a period of six years (2006-07 - 2011-12) and summarises as under: If we look at data for the period of six years of close to 24,000 seizure and search operations, cash formed 4.9 per cent of the undisclosed wealth. Also, the proportion varied from 3.7 per cent to 7.4 per cent over the years. What this data tells us is that people who have black money do not store it in the form of cash. There are better ways of storing that wealth. Here is another: Cash recovery has been less than 6% of the undisclosed income seized from tax evaders, shows an HT analysis of data from tax raids from financial year 2012-13 onwards.81 Apart from the fact that demonetisation was in no way, repeat no way, a move towards bringing back allegedly stashed black money in foreign banks, as had been promised by the PM aspirant Modi, the data cited above underline a big basic flaw in conceptualising demonetisation as the most effective way to fight black money. Be that as it may, as had been pointed out earlier, the then Attorney General of India, Mukul Rohatgi, had informed the Supreme Court of India: around Rs 4-5 trillion (4-5 lakh crore) would probably not find its way back into the system.71 The leading pink paper of India, the Economic Times, known to be generally supportive of the incumbent regimes economic policies, almost a month after demonetisation, carried a speculative report as regards a possible government move to issue an ordinance to enable the RBI to extinguish, i.e. cancel, the demonetised notes that are not returned by December 30. In this it propositioned: Only when the unreturned currency is cancelled can it be made available to the government, possibly via a dividend paid by RBI. Once this is done, the government could consider the amount so recovered for its budget thats scheduled to be presented on February 1.82 In this specific context, it further noted: According to initial estimates, a significant chunk of the Rs 15 lakh crore in high-denomination currency was not expected to come back into the system. But that estimate has been steadily scaled back with some pegging the returned amount at as much as Rs 10 lakh crore [emphasis added]. This hasnt been independently verified.A In any case, the unreturned amount is likely to be less than early estimates as the government has allowed a settlement option at 50% tax for unaccounted income. Some estimate that amount of unreturned notes will be Rs 3-4 lakh crore [emphasis added]. Based on such unreal estimates, which would soon turn out to be simply absurd, there were also inspired speculations in the media that every Jan Dhan account, at least those with zero balance, would be credited with Rs 10,000.00, or some such sum, out of the windfall gain.83, 84, 85 On the ground, rumours that Rs 50,000 or Rs 75,000 would be deposited were reported by a sceptical reporter.86 What a grand example of wild daydreaming! But must be quite reflective of the anticipations in the official circles in those days, as testified by the AGs remark before the Supreme Court. Hence, the demonetisation, clearly, turned out to be a huge flop as far as mopping up of black money is concerned, in terms of the original projections and hopes raised. That did not, however, stop the spin doctors of the regime from going on an overdrive to prove that white is black. A report in the Times of India, the leading national newspaper of India, which very much unabashedly reads like an unedited government handout carried on the day after the release of the RBI Report, boldly proclaims: The Government had expected all the SBNs [Specified Bank Notes] to come back to the Banking system to become effectively usable currency.87 The obvious question, apart from the stark mismatch with the expectations aired earlier, that arises is that if the governments intention, all the while, was to make the black money come back to the system then what was the need for so much of secrecy and drama88, or why the District Cooperative Banks were not being allowed to return the SBNs accepted by them from Nov. 10-14 201689, 90, till they were specifically barred, whyA ordinary Indian citizens have been debarred from returning these notes to the RBI till March 31st this year, beyond 30th December last,91 thereby trashing the original commitment92by the Prime Minister himself? On the day of the first anniversary of demonetisation, the Indian Express, a leading national newspaper, has carried an article by a prominent member of the freshly formed Economic Advisory Council.93 The author, Surjit S. Bhalla, tells us with a straight face, in a way echoing the handout, in the very caption of the article:94 It (demonetisation) is an acknowledged political success and early areturns indicate an economic success story as well. Now the reworked refrain is essentially twofold. One, with almost all the SBNs (Specified Bank Notes) having come back, the tax base has expanded. Two, the operation unearthing black money has really started now and is in full swing with the identification of the suspicious amounts deposited.A Well, in the following, examine both the claims, one after the other. Expanded Tax Base (and Gain) In a front-paged report,95 evidently based on official inputs, carried by the Indian Express, on this November 7, i.e. the eve of the first anniversary of demonetisation, it is claimed: Tax compliance also got a boost in the months following demonetisation. A scrutiny of tax department data available until June 30, 2017 shows that for financial year 2016-17, 1.26 crore new taxpayers, including return filers and non-filers making tax payments, were added to the tax base of the country. The total number of all returns, electronic as well as paper, filed during the entire financial year 2016-17 was 5.43 crore, 17.3 per cent more than the returns filed during 2015-16. The number of e-returns of individual taxpayers filed till the due date of August 5, 2017 increased to 2.79 crore from 2.22 crore returns filed during the corresponding period last year, an increase of about 25.3 per cent. . . . The benefits of addition of new taxpayers, however, did not translate into a rise in tax payments, as was stated in the second volume of the Economic Survey, which was released in August. The Survey stated that the growth of taxpayers post-demonetisation was significantly greater at 45 per cent as against 25 per cent than in the previous year. aThe addition amounted to about 5.4 lakh taxpayers [emphasis added] or 1 per cent of all individual taxpayers in just a few months,a it said. The addition to thereported taxable income of these new taxpayers, however, was about Rs 10,600 crore. aThe tax base did expand after demonetisation. It is, however, interesting that the average income reported of the new taxpayers a Rs 2.7 lakh a was not far above the tax threshold of Rs. 2.5 lakh[emphasis added], so the immediate impact on tax collections was muted,a the Survey authored by Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian said. If we keep aside the increase in number of taxpayers and rather focus on additional amount of actual (income) tax payable on account of enhanced reporting, the following emerges. 5.4 lakh additional tax payers are to pay tax each on an (average) amount of Rs. 20,000 (= Rs. 2.7 lakh -A Rs. 2.5 lakh) @ 5%96, the lowest tax slab. That works out to just Rs. 54 crore. What a princely sum! This had been noted, in slightly different words, in an earlier analysis97 as well: The latest Economic Survey estimated that demonetisation added 5.4 lakh new taxpayers in the financial year 2016-17. However, the average income quoted by these new tax payers is only Rs 2.7 lakh, which would mean that they were required to pay tax for an income of Rs 20,000 only, as income upto Rs 2.5 lakh is granted exemption. Interestingly, the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has in an interview98 posited: As a result of organised efforts under operation clean money, both tax collections as well as the tax base have shown a growing trend post-demonetisation. There is increase of 17.6% in number of ITRs filed under all categories till October 30, with 23% increase in ITRs filed by individuals. The increase in number of ITRs and tax collection [emphasis added] shows the positive effect of demonetisation. The point to be noted is that while giving out figures related to increase in number of ITRs filed, there is just no mention of how much of additional tax has actually been paid and collected. Quite strange, considering the fact that the taxpayers are to pay their due taxes, as calculated by them, while filing the income tax returns. Not too strange, of course, if the relevant figure is Rs. 54 crore or of that order. Operation Unearthing Black Money The ministry is probing deposits of over $1 billion [i.e. about Rs. 6,500 crore] made by around 20,000 companies during the cash ban last year, while its Serious Fraud Investigation Office is investigating 1,505 companies for allegedly violating the Companies Act. It is examining another 809 listed companies, found untraceable by SEBI, to check their status, existence of their offices and directors, the minister said.99 And, the Chairman of the CBDT informed,97 presumably on Nov. 7 this year: Apart from taking punitive actions, tax department has shared data of over 22,000 beneficiaries identified in the enforcement actions, evading income of over Rs 13,300 crore through 1,155 shell companies. Criminal prosecution complaints were filed in 47 cases and actions for criminal prosecutions in more than 100 cases of entry operators/ beneficiaries identified is under way. He did further add: During this year we have selected less than 1% cases for scrutiny [emphasis added, obviously the department is constrained by its limited resources, if not anything else as well] out of returns filed in last year, accepting 99% cases [emphasis added]. This shows that the department largely believes in tax payers and cases are taken up for scrutiny only where there is prima facie evidence of tax evasion. A Press Information Bureau (PIB), a Union Government wing, on August 1 2017, in a press release,100 informed as under: There was no official estimation of quantum of black money in India. However, post demonetization, the Income Tax Department (ITD) conducted searches in 900 groups of persons during November 2016 to March, 2017 leading to seizure of Rs 900 crores and admission of undisclosed income of Rs 7961 crores. During the same period, 8239 surveys were conducted leading to detection of undisclosed income of Rs 6745 crores. Information of various kinds of wrong-doings by about 400 persons was also shared with other law enforcement agencies such as Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation for appropriate action. Further, during the current financial year (01.04.2017 to 30.06.2017) the ITD has conducted searches in 102 groups, seizing assets worth Rs. 103 crore. The persons searched have admitted undisclosed income of Rs. 2670 crore. During the same period surveys conducted in 202 cases (01.04.2017 to 31.05.2017) led to detection of Rs. 150 crore as undisclosed income.A The Department has also launched aOperation Clean Money on 31st January 2017 with the mission to acreate a tax compliant society through a fair, transparent and non-intrusive tax administration where every Indian takes pride in paying taxesa . Broad outcome of the operation so far is as under: i. About 18 lakh persons whose cash transactions did not appear in line with their tax profile were identified and approached through email/sms.A ii. More than 9.27 lakh responses were received giving information on 13.33 lakh accounts involving cash deposits of around Rs.2.89 lakh crore. Out of this record number of 5.27 lakh responses were received in the first 12 days of the operation. iii. Advance data analytics tools were deployed which further identified 5.56 lakhs new cases and about 1 lakh those cases in which either partial or no response was received in the earlier phase. Besides, about 200 high risk clusters of persons were identified for appropriate action. This was stated by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Finance in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today. These claims have been duly picked up, and sensationalised, by the nedia.101 More or less very similar claims have been made in a more recent communication,102 apparently mass emailed on November 10 2017, by the Prime Ministers Office (PMO). Thats, undoubtedly, all very good as far as it goes. What, however, in this context, one ought to keep in mind has been pretty succinctly captured by an analyst:103 The amounts under investigation so far, however, constitute a drop in the ocean. Yes, demonetisation delivered leads, but establishing criminal evasion and ensuring that the corrupt are punished is a monumental effort. Plus, the tax departments past record of proving evasion is unlikely to be giving offenders nightmares. The faulty system is skewed in their favour. Procedures are time-consuming; there are limitations of administrative and judicial capacity, handicaps the government seems to be grossly underestimating. It could well be years before any serious large-scale clean-up is accomplished, representing at best a promise of a deferred payback from demonetisation [emphasis added]. Another challenge is that of measurement. Although the chief goal of demonetisation was to place a check on black money, the central theme of the Prime Ministers policy agenda, the government has no official estimate of the size of the black economy. Unofficial estimates range from a third of the white economy to as much as the countrys GDP. Without an official estimate, it is impossible to meaningfully evaluate by how much demonetisation successfully down-sized the black economy, if at all. But, by far the most enlightening revelation94 has come from none other than Bhalla, a senior functionary of the regime and also its consistent backer. At a moment of unusual candour, he has noted, with a palpable degree of resignation: In my view, it is very positive that all the cash got returned because now the black money can be identified as black. This is [now entirely] up to the tax authorities and a legitimate legal process is underway. Only if [emphasis added] the income tax authorities are with the anti-corruption programme will DM be a grand success. Everyone knows that the Indian tax authorities have been accomplices in tax evasion. If they change, India will change for the better, faster [emphasis added]. He has, though, provided no clue whatever why the Indian tax authorities would change post-demonetisation. Any comment on the implications of Bhallas observation would be rather superfluous. All in all, the actual outcome of the much trumpeted actions, as listed above, lies very much in the womb of some undefined and uncertain future. And, the past track records do not leave much room for optimism. Fighting Corruption As had been pointed out above, corruption is a rather generic term. In case of demonetisation, the demon of corruption was meant to be worsted via the elimination of black money, in turn, achieved through demonetisation. In the foregoing, the fight against black money has already been dealt with, in considerable details. Here, additionally, wed list out just five landmark facts exemplifying the actual attitude of the incumbent regimeA towards corruption, as distinct from its customary shrill rhetoric. I. First, lets have a look at the plight of the The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. The Act was eventually passed by the previous UPA government, after much feet shuffling, under the impact of the huge anti-corruption campaign led by Anna Hazare, which had received the full-throated support of the BJP, in December 2013 and came into force on Jan. 16 2014.104 Almost three and a half years have elapsed since Modi taking over power as the Prime Minister of India. Yet nothing has been done towards selecting the Lokpal, let alone making the actual appointment, despite specific directive105 issued by the Supreme Court of India in April this year. II. The business-politics nexus is widely acknowledged as a major driver of corruption and black money in India. Heres a terse comment,106 to that effect, by a former Chief Election Commissioner of India: Money power is the only unsolved problem in Indian elections, the root cause of all corruption. If a candidate spends crores on an election, he will collect a lot more once in office a through government contracts, licences, quotas, extortion, etc. Transparency and accountability is understandably a major tool to combat it. III. Yet, in the very midst of all the loud claims as regards fight against corruption and black money, the incumbent regime tweaked the relevant rule to let corporations anonymously donate unlimited amounts of cash to the political party of their choice.107 That too was done as a part of the Finance Bill, to dodge effective oversight by the Rajya Sabha and, then again, through a last moment amendment108, 109 to escape any meaningful deliberations on this specific move even in the Lok Sabha. IV. The BJP had, of course, even earlier reversed its previous stand to oppose the plea for applicability of the Right to Information (RTI) Act soon after coming to power at the Centre.110, 111 V. Recent disclosure of the Paradise Papers112 has again put the spotlight on such disclosures, by private agencies, and the inaction or evasive actions on the part of the Indian government: Congress said Liechtenstein documents, and Panama and Paradise papers have named 2,432 account holders and the government should disclose those names.113 Though a recent report,114 dtd. Nov. 19 2017, claims, quoting unidentified official sources, that the IT Department has now slapped criminal charges under the new anti-black money Act and launched fresh assessment of stashed offshore income against over half-a-dozen Indian entities in the (Panama Papers) list, yet the identities of those presumably charged remain undisclosed. So, this report, authentic or not, makes hardly any impact on the overall picture of lack of governmental actions in this regard. Demonetisation to Fight Terrorism Its hardly any wonder that the government would claim remarkable success even on this front. Unsurprisingly, this is almost solely based on the claim that demonetisation has hit the terrorists by depriving them of the funds to carry out their nefarious activities and very thin, if at all any, actual evidence. The headline115of a news report carried by the India Today on the occasion of the first anniversary of demonetisation is a typical illustration: Arun Jaitley calls demonetisation a success, says terrorists hit by fund shortage Rather interestingly, the actual report does not at all touch upon the issue of "terrorism". The then Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, had also made similar claims soon after demonetisation. Here is an analytical note116tearing apart his arguments and listing out the string of actual instances of numerous terrorist attacks committed in the immediate wake of the move: Demonetisations Strike on Terrorism is another Blatant Lie by the Government. Now, a communication,117 apparently mass emailed, by the PMO (Prime Ministers Office) has claimed: Stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir came down by 75% from the previous year as one of the multi-dimensional benefits of DEMONETISATION! As if stone pelting in Kashmir Valley was supposed to continue for eternity but for the demonetisation. In any case, here is a very different account118 offered by none other than Indias Chief of the Army Staff: Stone pelting in Kashmir has come down "to some extent" said Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat today (Nov. 10 2017). The army chief said that combined efforts of the Indian Army, BSF, CRPF, and the J&K Police has helped. "Solution to this cant be achieved overnight. Government, intelligence agencies, state administration all are making efforts. Will be successful if things go in this direction, can say this with belief," he added. No mention of demonetisation, just none! And, at any rate, stone-pelting cannot be counted under the category of terrorism. Furthermore, P Chidambaram, a senior Congress leader and former Union Finance and Home Minister, has recently testified:119 "As of November 10, the number of infiltrations, the number of militants neutralised, the number of civilians killed and the number of jawans martyred, all are larger than the numbers for the corresponding period in 2016." And, this public testimony, by no Tom, Dick or Harry, remains uncontradicted. Subsequently Added Objectives Formalisation of Informal Sectors and Less-Cash Economy The proponents of demonetisation have (now) given a new spin [emphasis added] (as almost 99 per cent of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore of the demonetised currency returned to governments coffers). They portray the return of the notes as a success. They claim that those with black money were forced to deposit their illegal hoards in the banks and they can now be caught by the tax department and made to pay additional taxes. This, the argument goes, would expand the tax base. Further, they argue that the idle black money is now in the banks and that would lead to efficiency because the cash-to-GDP ratio would decline. They believe there is a formalisation of the informal economy and that the economy is moving towards a less cash economy. These are the long-term benefits even if there was short-term pain [emphasis added].120 Its on November 27 2016, eighteen days after the launch of demonetisation, the PM had made his first public appeal121 to the nation through his monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat, the youth of India in particular, to take a pledge to become part of a Aashless society for a corruption less, black money-free India. This was done against the backdrop of common peoples dire struggle to cope up with the severe cash crunch, badly affecting their daily lives, triggered by demonetisation. From that point onward, moving towards a cashless economy was, by and by, added122 as another virtuous goal of demonetisation. The cashless would, however, in view of its sheer absurdity as highlighted by the critics of demonetisation, be, after a rather short while, modified123, 124 to less-cash. This does not, however, necessarily rule out, or for that matter rule in, the possibility that this goal had already been in the minds of those launching demonetisation.125, 125a, 126 One may, here, like to recall the full front-paged ads 127 in leading newspapers that the leading e-wallet company Paytm came up with, on the very morning following the announcement, congratulating PM Modi. But, to be sure, the goal of moving towards a cashless, or rather less-cash, economy did figure nowhere in the November 8 speech.127a Its subsequent addition, whatever be the driver(s), strongly suggests an admission, even if only indirect, of the failure of meeting the originally announced goals. (So is, arguably, Jaitleys branding128, 129 of demonetisation, on the eve of its first anniversary, as ethical and moral decision. Similarly, the goal of formalising the informal sectors of the Indian economy would also be added while on the go. And, it gained considerable traction with a World Bank report, reported widely by Indian media in early June, strongly championing130 the cause of demonetisation as a driver for formalising the informal economy. The twin objectives of moving towards a less-cash economy and formalisation of informal economy are fairly interlinked. A formal economy provides a better ecosystem for the emergence of a less-cash economy and, conversely, a less-cash economy provides a nudge towards formalisation. Before we proceed to examine the success or otherwise in meeting these two goals, it is necessary to briefly look into their essential rationale and desirability. Manmohan Singh, in a recent interview,131 in his characteristic soft tone has put it this way: We are a nation of small and medium enterprises. There are certain characteristics inherent in these small and medium businesses. They tend to be less organised, more informal and use cash as the primary mode of transaction. The underlying economic policy objective in our country should be to find ways to help these small businesses become larger which will then help us reap the efficiencies of scale economies. But we need to be able to achieve these objectives without any disruption to these small enterprises in their current form. Objectives such as a lesscash or digital economy are laudable pursuits. But we also need to get our economic priorities right. It is unclear that these goals of cashless economy will indeed help small enterprises become larger and achieve scale efficiencies. That should be our priority. These small and medium enterprises are the backbone of Indias economy and labour markets. He has further added: In India, we refer to an informal economy as one that is not officially registered, is outside the tax net but plays an important role in the economic value chain. I do not think India is unique among emerging economies in its share of the informal economy. Given our size of the overall economy, the absolute size of the informal economy seems very large. The value created by the informal sector will be captured in the form of income, wealth or consumption effects. Hence, we must be cautious about sweeping generalisations about the informal economy and passing moral judgments about the entire sector. Having said all this, it is very important for a nation such as ours to build strong state capacity to lift our standards of governance. This is possible only when we increase our share of tax revenues. If formalisation of the informal sector means widening of the tax base, it should be welcomed. But the means is as important as the ends. (Never mind the irony of Manmohan Singh mouthing the need to protect small and medium enterprises.) Prior to that, Raghuram Rajan had put it132rather crisply: aOne has to be careful on separating intent from cost,a Rajan said. aIntent is to reduce the extent of non-compliance with taxation, which in the long run would be good in terms of generating more revenue. The problem is at what cost?a Rajan asked. Here is a more hardline view:133 The informal sector, however, is not an aberration in our growth process. It is an integral part of the process of transition from a traditional economy to a modern economy. While it may not pay taxesand is largely dependent on cash, it plays an important role in providing jobs to millions of first-time workers and to millions of others who are moving out of agriculture to the non-agricultural sector. It provides the first exposure to many of these illiterate and low-skilled workers to the new economy. At the same time, it is also the biggest agency which does the painful task of re-skilling the majority of these workersamuch more than any government scheme. Any attempt to reduce the role of the informal sector is only going to make the transition arduous and difficult for the economy. But in the rhetoric of aeverybody is a thief, the real casualty are the informal enterprises. Attempts at forcing informal enterprises to become formal may kill the golden goose which has been taking care of the transitional pains of the economy by providing jobs. It has also acted as a sponge, creating incomes and demand when the agricultural sector was in stress. The short-term benefit of formalisation of the economy is at the cost of long-term loss of the crucial agency of the informal sector. The net benefits to the economy through income generation, employment creation and re-skilling of labour by the informal sector far outweighs any short-term benefits of tax collection through a process of forced formalisation. The need of the hour is to protect and nurture the informal sector and handhold it to become formal in the process of growth rather than through surgical strikes a la demonetisation. Yet another134 of broadly the same genre: In public discussion, aformalisation of the informal emerged as a new rationale for Demonetisation 2016 after the event. Demonetisation and then digitalisation of monetary transactions would compel, it was argued, the informal sector to be henceforth more tax compliant. It was also argued that the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) would only strengthen this process. It is indeed well-known that in large sections of the informal sectorareal estate, retail and wholesale trade, and professional servicesapayment of taxes is often not the norm. Demonetisation and digitalisation may drag these economic agents into the formal sector and lead to greater tax compliance. However, the fundamental problem with the aformalisation of the informal argument is that the much larger informal sector that ekes out its livelihood on the margins does not avoid paying taxes, it just earns too little to fall into the tax bracket. Formalisation of production by the tiny enterprises inindustry, road-side service establishments, and by small- and medium-sized farmers would not lead to a gain to society. It would, in fact, put an additional burden on these producers who are already struggling by earning low incomes. The foregoing, if nothing else, at least clearly demonstrates that the view put across by the said World Bank report, also very much shared and propagated by the proponents of the incumbent regime, is by no stretch an uncontested one. In fact, there is a large body of opinions, arguably no less informed than that of the World Bank, which strongly holds that coerced formalisation of Indias informal economy, which is estimated to employ 90% of Indias workforce,135, 136 poses the very palpable and serious danger of proving traumatic for the sector and would, in that event, trigger large scale misery and, maybe, even social unrest. Notwithstanding the lure of better tax compliance and resultant enhanced tax revenue going to the government coffers. But then, it could very well be that the real aim is just that: Destroy the micro, small and medium enterprises to clear the field for indigenous and global corporates.125a Apart from that, analysts after analysts have shown that there obtains no definite correlationship between the cash-to-GDP ratio and either corruption or development. A most recent example137 is: Demonetisation Has Failed to Tackle Black Money by Karan Thapar. And, also noteworthy:138 Economic Rationale of aDemonetisation: Scrutiny of the Governments Claims by Vineet Kohli and R Ramakumar. Here are two insightful short excerpts from the Karan Thapars article: I. The country with the highest cash to GDP ratio is Japan with a figure of 19.40%. It also happens to be one of the least corrupt. Almost at the bottom is Nigeria, with a cash to GDP ratio of 1.55%. Its one of the worlds most corrupt. According to the same ranking, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong and the whole of the Eurozone have cash to GDP ratios significantly above Indias. Theyre also significantly less corrupt. On the other hand, Argentina, Colombia, South Africa and Brazil have cash to GDP ratios that are around half or less Indias but theyre perceived to be as corrupt. The truth is the cash to GDP ratio is not a test of corruption or corruptibility because how much cash you hold doesnt make or tempt you to be corrupt. II. The total value of digital transactions according to the NPCI in November 2016 was [Rs.] 94 lakh crore. They reached a high point of 149 lakh crore in March 2017 and then fell to 107 lakh crore in July 2017. In August, they were almost the same at 109 lakh crore. However, in September, they rose to 124 lakh crore but collapsed in October to 99 lakh crore. The October figure is accurate only until the 29th of that month. Much the same is true of the volume of digital transactions. They were 671.49 million in November 2016, rising to 957.50 million in December, before falling to 862.38 million in July and, thereafter, remaining stable. In October they were 863.9 million. So, the NPCI data shows that in value terms, digital transactions in October 2017 were almost exactly what they were in November last year [emphasis added]. In volume terms, however, they increased by nearly 42% between November and December but, thereafter, declined significantly and flattened out. More importantly, the NCPI data includes all debit and credit card usage as well as pre-paid instruments and NEFT. It also includes Bhim and UPI, e-wallets and Paytm. The second one, obviously, deals with the level of success in bringing about digitisation of Indian economy, regardless of its merit or otherwise, via demonetisation.139, 140 As regards formalisation of informal sectors, it is necessary to note here, right or wrong, the GST is the tool to effect it. Demonetisation is at the utmost, a rather superfluous, auxiliary measure. And, there is no hard evidence to suggest any significant formalisation of the informal sectors of the economy over the last one year. Shoddy Implementation Despite the much well-orchestrated projection ofA a super-efficient Mody - a Rambo Modi,141 over the last few years, the implementation was nothing less than shoddy making the resultant chaos even more chaotic. It clearly spoke of lack of preparations and well thought out plans notwithstanding fabricated claims59 to the contrary. There were problems from the very word go. The sizes of the new Rs. 500 and 2,000 notes, meant to replace the now scrapped old Rs. 500 and 1,000 notes, were changed, for no apparent good reasons. That necessitated recalibration of the cassettes holding the notes to be dispensed via more than 2.15 lakh ATM machines142 spread all over India causing additional delay.143 Then, going against the very grain of the move to eliminate black money, the Rs. 1,000 notes were replaced by notes of still higher denomination - Rs. 2,000.144 Apparently, to hasten up the process of remonetisation.145 But, during the initial days, these notes, in the absence of sufficient Rs. 500 notes in circulation, were virtually useless scraps of paper in the hands of commoners who needed currencies to make small purchases for day-to-day needs.146 And, then the RBI kept on changing the rules only too frequently. Between Nov. 8 2016 and the following March 31st the rules were changed/reframed no less than 21 times, excluding the notifications issued on Nov. 8 itself.147 Arguably, the two most significant of these notifications were: (i) on November 14, the RBI debarred the District Cooperative Banks from accepting the scrapped notes148 and (ii) the withdrawal of facility, as had been committed by the Prime Minister on November 8, to ordinary resident Indians to exchange SBNs at RBI branches beyond Dec. 31 till June 30th149 showing valid reasons for delay. These changes caused a lot of additional difficulties for a large number of people and also for the District Cooperative Banks as the RBI had refused to accept the scrapped notes received by them since demonetisation till Nov. 14th. All these only go to show the sheer shoddiness of the implementation process further exacerbated by serious inadequacies in advance planning and due diligence. Quite interestingly, a leading and extremely vocal and voluble BJP MP, Subramanian Swamy, even if known for being a sort of loose cannon, had also publicly aired such a view.150 Nobel laureate Richard Thaler, one of the very few eminent economists applauding the idea of demonetisation, would also note that the rollout was deeply flawed.151 The Negative Outcomes Following Demonetisation The list is rather long. The main points are, however, summarised as under. I. In a heavily cash-dependent economy, overnight scrapping of 86% of all currencies threw life of a common Indian into utter turmoil. A funny Tamil song in video format,152 released recently, provides an effective peek into that profoundly unfunny situation. II. More than 100 people reportedly died standing in the queues.153 III. An estimated 1.5 million jobs were lost in first four months of 2017. 154, 155 IV. Disastrous effects on the MSMEs, the unorganised sector, in particular. Herere a few fragments of noteworthy observation. A. The unorganized sector in India will be the worst hit by the November demonetization of high value currency, while lots of industries in the organized sector would be impacted by the shortage of cash required to run business, a market analyst said on Monday. "The unorganized sector is expected to bear higher brunt of demonetization. Within the organized space, a lot of industries would get impacted owing to the sucking out of daily liquidity needed to run the business," Centrum Wealth Research said in a report.156 B. The above propositions (including the one that the growth rate of the informal sector would be even lower than overall because of the predominant use of cash in sales and purchase in this sector, and its overwhelming dependence on informal cash credit) are not just based on armchair theorising, but are supported by newspaper reports and independent surveys. In Ranchi, a survey led by Jean DrAze (Delhi School of Economics and University of Ranchi) reports a 45% decline in earnings of small shopkeepers/businesses; in Amritsar, Prateek Sibal (Paris Institute of Political Studies) reports a similar figure of 46%. In Delhi, a survey of small shopkeepers and casual labourers by Vyom Anil (Jawaharlal Nehru University) finds a much larger drop in average income about 60%. Another study for Delhi, by social activist Harsh Mander, points to a 60% cut in supply of jobs to labourers, a decline in wages, and loss in profits for small shops.A In Mumbai, Deepa Krishnan (SP Jain Institute of Management) and Stephan Siegel (Michael G. Foster School of Business, University of Washington) report a very significant loss of 44% in the earnings (relative to the pre-note ban period) of the self-employed in slum areas. Some of the surveys also indicate huge income losses for casual workers: 50-70% in Jaipur (conducted by PUCL Rajasthan), and 72% among domestic workers in Delhi (by Vyom Anil). A larger survey by India Development Foundation (IDF) covering nine states asked owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) whether there were output and job losses (Chaddha et al. 2017). With regard to output loss, 61% of respondents in Telengana [sic], 94% in Andhra, and 80% in Gujarat answered in the affirmative. For job losses, the corresponding incidence was similar in Telengana [sic] and Gujarat, slightly lower in Andhra, but very high in Uttar Pradesh (87.5%), which also saw significant wage decline. The income losses reported by these independent surveys are large and mutually consistent. There is also no sign of remission over the weeks since demonetisation; some newspaper reports even suggest that the ban is biting more with the passage of time and there are spillover effects onthe formal sector. These adverse changes have been accompanied by a 60% spike in the demand for MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) work in December 2016 (as per report of the Ministry of Rural Development), confirming the accuracy of independent surveys, and necessitating urgent policy action.157 V. The District Cooperative Banks (DCBs) got financially crippled.158 VI. In the latest financial quarter (April-June), the GDP has slipped by 2.2 percentage points, from 7.9% to 5.7%, year-on-year basis.159 Subsequently, it is reported160 that : Indias trade deficit widened to its highest in 35 months in October (2017) as merchandise exports declined for the first time in 14 months, government data showed. Exports during October 2017 were valued at US $23,098.18 million as compared to $23,360.61 million during October 2016, registering a decline of 1.12%, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday (Nov. 14 2017). Imports, meanwhile, expanded at the slowest pace in 10 months, at 7.6%. Imports during October 2017 were valued at US $37,117.01 million as compared to US $34,495.09 million in the same period in 2016. VII. RBI profit dwindled and instead of ballooning dividend payout to the government, as had been initially expected (discussed above), it actually radically shrivelled.161 Demonetisation was the one of the main reasons for Reserve Bank of Indias lower-than-usual profits. The government too received a lesser dividend from the central bank as compared to what it received in theprevious financial year. RBI transferred a meagre Rs 30,659 crore as dividend to the government for the year ended June 2017, which is less than half of what it gave to government a year ago, Rs 65,880 crore to be precise[emphasis added]. While income for the year 2016-17 decreased by 23.56 per cent, the expenditure increased by 107.84 per cent. The year ended with an overall surplus of Rs 30,659 crore as against Rs 65,876 crore in the previous year, representing a decline of 53.46 per cent. The net income from domestic sources decreased by 17.11 per cent from Rs 52,157 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 43,232 crore in 2016-17 mainly due to higher net expenditure on interest on account of absorption of surplus liquidity in the banking system post withdrawal of Specified Bank Notes [emphasis added]. RBI incurred a total expenditure of Rs 7,965 crore on printing currency notes in 2016-17 [emphasis added], [as against Rs. 16,000 crore not returned] which is more than double the Rs 3,420 crore spent year before that. The rise in cost of printing could be attributed to printing of new currency notes during remonetisation. "The upsurge in expenditure during the year was on account of change in the production plan of printing presses due to the introduction of new design notes in higher denominations as well as the requirement of larger volume of notes for replacement of the demonetised currency," RBI said in its annual report. Conclusion 1. To begin with, demonetisation was a measure adopted going against the express opinion sought and obtained from the then RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan. No recognised economist, not even the Union Governments Chief Economic Advisor, was known to have been taken into confidence. And, it was, of course, no move towards bringing back illegal money allegedly stashed in foreign banks, as had been promised by Modi, as the Prime Ministerial aspirant. 2. It was pretty shoddily implemented. 3. It has decisively failed to mop up black money as had been initially projected and expected. A miniscule amount of fake currencies was detected. And new fake currencies are already back. No visible impact on terrorism. 4. It has, of course, opened up the possibility of identifying sizeable amounts of earlier undeclared black money and thereby, eventually, jacking up tax revenue. But the actual prospect, right at this point of time, remains pretty much a big question mark. More so, given the quantum of data/cases involved and the past track record of the concerned departments, the IT, in particular. Not only that, given the already established track record162 of the incumbent regime, there is room for very reasonable apprehensions that these cases may only be selectively pursued in order to blackmail, silence and arm-twist. 5. As regards the subsequently added goals, no appreciable rise in digitisation of economy. Formalisation of informal sector has presumably been initiated under the impact of GST, again badly planned. No appreciable impact of demonetisation demonstrated. It is yet another matter that the very desirability of forcing the pace of these two goals, under current Indian conditions, remains a much contested issue. 6. The actions by the regime, especially, in refraining from selecting and appointing a Lokpal, even after three and half years, and allowing uncapped anonymous corporate donations to political parties, that too craftily dodging any effective parliamentary scrutiny, raise serious doubts as regards its real intentions vis-A -vis fighting corruptions. So, does the lack of actions as regards various so-called papers leaked by private parties giving out details pertaining to a large number of Indians and Indian entities parking money in secretive foreign bank accounts. And, also the fact that the Gross NPAs (Non-Performing Assets bad unrecoverable loans, mostly lent to large corporates) of the Public Sector Banks (PSBs), under the watch of the incumbent regime, rose from Rs. 234,583 crore, in June 2014, to Rs. 733,136 crore, in June 2017.163A more than three-fold rise, over a period of three years. Even if we, for the moment, just opt to set aside the various alleged scams,164-167 of pretty serious nature, that have surfaced only recently directly involving the Modi regime and the BJP National President, on the ground that these charges yet remain to be duly established before a court of law. 7. The impact on the economy, as a whole, at least on the short term, was decidedly negative. The impact on the unorganised sectors, employing about 90% of the workforce, was just disastrous. 8. Day-to-day lives of ordinary Indians were severely affected. More than a hundred reportedly lost lives. Millions lost means of livelihood. 9. All in all, it appears to be primarily a political move, meant to reap political dividends, with scant regard for actual economic consequences, though packaged very much in those terms.168 10. Finally, it also indicates a degree of readiness on the part of the BJP, led by Modi-Shah duo, to tweak its traditional core constituency and, in the process, even hurt the small and medium business - in the interest of big money169 and also to occasionally play to the gallery of the Indian have-nots, even if not all of them. 25 11 2017 Notes and References: 1. Ref.: Narendra Modi takes oath as Indias 15th Prime Minister, dtd. May 26 2014, at http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/live-narendra-modi-swearing-in-ceremony-today-may-26/ 2. Ref.: Everything you need to know about Lok Sabha Verdict 2014 explained in 40 charts, dtd. Jun 06 2014, at https://scroll.in/article/666049/everything-you-need-to-know-about-lok-sabha-verdict-2014-explained-in-40-charts 3. Ref.: How the BJP won this election, dtd. May 17 2014, at http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/how-the-bjp-won-this-election/article6020712.ece 4. Ref.: BJPs 31% lowest vote share of any party to win majority, dtd. May 19 2014, at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/BJPs-31-lowest-vote-share-of-any-party-to-win-majority/articleshow/35315930.cms 5. Ref.: BJP releases manifesto, promises to improve economy, end policy paralysis, dtd. Apr. 7 2014, at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/BJP-releases-manifesto-promises-to-improve-economy-end-policy-paralysis/articleshow/33374512.cms 6. Ref.: Policy Paralysis, dtd. Sept. 13 2013, at http://socialsciences.in/article/policy-paralysis 7. Watch, e.g.: Shri Narendra Modi promises to people 15-20 lakh as BJP will bring the black money back to India at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LiS2InsUKY 8. Ref.: Boon or tragedy? Government, opposition parties battle it out on note ban anniversary, dtd. Nov. 8 2017, at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tragedy-or-boon-government-opposition-parties-battle-it-out-on-note-ban-anniversary/articleshow/61565603.cms 9. Ref.: Opposition to observe November 8, note ban anniversary, as black day, dtd. Oct. 24 2017, at http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/opposition-parties-to-observe-black-day-on-november-8/article19912080.ece 10. Ref.: Nov. 8 anti-black money day: Jaitley, dtd. Oct. 25 2017, at http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nov-8-anti-black-money-day-jaitley/article19919456.ece 11. Source: Modis surgical strike on black money, dtd. Nov. 8 2016, at http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/currency-notes-rs-500-1000-cease-to-be-legal-tender/article9320586.ece 12. Ref.: Heres The Full Text Of Modis Speech On The Discontinuation Of a500 And a1,000 Bank Notes, dtd. Nov. 9 2016, at http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/11/08/heres-the-full-text-of-modis-speech-on-the-discontinuation-of_a_21601525/ 13. Ref.: Indias cash-to-GDP ratio was over 13% before the November 2016 note ban, which is now estimated to be at around 11% of the GDP. (Source: Cash in use 26% less than November 8 levels, withdrawals fall for fourth week, dtd. Apr. 10 2017, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/banking/cash-in-use-still-26-less-than-november-8-levels-withdrawals-fall-for-fourth-week/articleshow/58099149.cms) 14. A Ref.: Ninety seven per cent of retail transactions still cash-based, says USAID report, dtd. Jan. 22 2016, at http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/Ninety-seven-per-cent-of-retail-transactions-still-cash-based-says-USAID-report/article14013134.ece 15. Also: About 98 percent of all consumer payments in India use cash, and the high frequency of handling forces the monetary authority to withdraw about 75 percent of its notes in circulation in a typical year - more than the number of bank notes collectively produced by all countries taken together with the exception of China. (Source: What government plans to do with the old Rs 500, 1,000 notes, dtd. Nov. 23 2016, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/economy/what-government-plans-to-do-with-the-old-rs-500-1000-notes/how-to-get-rid-of-old-notes/slideshow/55579484.cms) 16. Ref., e.g.: Your moneys no good: rupee note cancellation plunges India into panic, dtd. Nov. 10 2016, at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/10/rupee-note-cancellation-panic-in-india-banks-500-1000 17. Ref.: Featured are summary views, solicited by The Tribune, on the governments demonetisation move from nine economists of impeccable credentials, differing ages, a spectrum of ideological persuasions, and a variety of locations. We encounter amidst this diversity of backgrounds a profound sameness of opinion, as reflected in unanimous denunciation of the governments action in sentiments and assessments such as: aessentially political move,...insensitive,...,gratuitous,..,appallinga ; afiring cannonballs to kill mosquitoesa [emphasis added]; aarrogance and insensitivitya ; aan exercise in Manichean economicsa ; aauthoritarian quackerya ; aheavy cost to the economya ; afrightening abandonment of reasona ; athrowing the baby out while retaining the bathwatera ; and aa cavalier or even cynical political calculationa Heres a cross-section of A scholarly opinion. (Source: Economists speak up on demonetisation, dtd. Dec. 5 2016, at http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/economists-speak-up-on-demonetisation/332432.html) 18. Also: Demonetization: Winners, losers, and the utterly devastated, Dtd. Dec. 22 2016, at http://www.atimes.com/demonetization-winners-losers-utterly-devastated/ 19. Ref.: 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Indian_anti-corruption_movement 20. Watch: Reality of 15 lakh promise by Narendra Modi, dtd. Feb. 12 2015, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHPcapJqbQk It has been uploaded by a self-confessed supporter of Narendra Modi, interspersing the original video clip (ref. note 6 above) with textual commentaries. 21. Ref.: Well bring back black money in 150 days: BJP president Rajnath Singh, dtd. April 21 2014, at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/Well-bring-back-black-money-in-150-days-BJP-president-Rajnath-Singh/articleshow/34016640.cms 22. Watch: Will bring back black money in 100 days: BJP chief Rajnath Singh, dtd. A April 1 2014, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ8FfN0E4lQ 23. See: Timeline of black money issue and formation of Special Investigation Team, dtd. Feb. 9 2015, at http://indiatoday.intoday.in/education/story/highlights-of-special-investigation-team-and-black-money/1/417859.html 24. Ref.: How Vijay Mallya flew to London via Delhi, dtd. March 11 2016, at http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/vijay-mallyas-great-escape-via-delhi/1/617331.html 25. Ref.: Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje helped me: Lalit Modi, dtd. June 17 2015, at http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sushma-swaraj-vasundhara-raje-helped-me-lalit-modi/article7323174.ece 26. Ref.: In 2014, the Central government introduced amendments to the 2013 Act diluting the stringent provisions of social impact assessment and consent clauses in the 2013 Act by the promulgation of the Land Acquisition Ordinance under Article 123 on the last day of December 2014. The provisions of the ordinance were sought to be kept alive by repeated promulgation on April 3 and May 30 of 2015. (Source: Cloud over Land Acquisition Act, dtd. Aug. 11 2017, at http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-cloud-over-land-acquisition-act-2526044 27. Ref.: From aLiving Monument of UPA Failure,Has MNREGA Become PM Modis Fav Tool?, dtd. Feb. 1 2017, at http://www.news18.com/news/business/from-living-monument-of-upa-failure-has-nrega-become-pm-modis-fav-tool-1343802.html 28. Ref.: Yours is a Suit-Boot ki Sarkar, Rahul Gandhi Attacks Government in Parliament, dtd. April 20 2015, at https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/yours-is-a-suit-boot-ki-sarkar-rahul-gandhi-attacks-government-in-parliament-756595 29. Ref.: The cloth, made by the longstanding manufacturers Holland & Sherry which supplies much of Savile Row, has to be specially made at a minimum of nine metres this is enough for Allens company to make two suits, which would cost upwards of A15,000 (more for cloth with gold thread). (Source: Narendra Modis style tip for world leaders: wear a suit with your name written on it: For his recent meeting with Barack Obama, Indias prime minister wore a suit with his name written in the pinstripes, dtd. Jan. 26 2015, at https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2015/jan/26/narendra-modi-personlised-pinstripe-suit-fashion-india-barack-obama) 30. Ref.: Modiji on Rs 15 lakh returning to accounts was a political jumla: Amit Shah to ABP News, dtd. Feb. 5 2015, at http://www.abplive.in/india-news/modiji-on-rs-15-lakh-returning-to-accounts-was-a-political-jumla-amit-shah-to-abp-news-150752 31. Watch: Modijis statement on Rs 15 lakh returning was just a political jumla : Amit Shah to ABP News, dtd. Feb. 5 2015, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo9EN-dlZns 32. Ref.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delhi_Legislative_Assembly_election,_2015#Summary 33. Ref.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bihar_Legislative_Assembly_election,_2015#Result 34. Ref.: The historic Central Hall of Parliament will host a midnight function on June 30 to launch the sweeping tax reform of GST, reminiscent of Indias tryst with destiny on the midnight of August 15, 1947. (Source: Midnight Parliament central hall event to mark GST rollout, dtd. June 19 2017, at https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/midnight-parliament-central-hall-event-to-mark-gst-rollout/articleshow/59219913.cms) 35. Ref.: Shooting in the dark: The Bullet Train project is economically unviable, will not lead to a transfer of technology and serve only a minuscule proportion of rail passengers by Anil Dharker, dtd. A Sept. 23 2017, at http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/shooting-in-the-dark-bullet-train-japan-india-4856672/ 36. Ref.: Bullet trains: Far too costly for India by Yogi Aggarwal, dtd. Sept. 28 2017, at http://www.asianage.com/opinion/columnists/280917/bullet-trains-far-too-costly-for-india.html 37. Ref.: LIVE: Bullet train project signifies Indias progress, says Narendra Modi, dtd. Sept. 14 2017, at http://www.livemint.com/Politics/Q22Jltt7WXZUdiI0Ape8BP/Bullet-train-project-launched-Narendra-Modi-Shinzo-Abe-lay.html 38. Ref.: PIB press release: Indias rank rises to 100 in World Banks doing Business Report, 2018, dtd. Oct. 31 2017, at http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=173116 39. Ref.: Ease of business ranking also represents aease of living life, says PM Modi, dtd. Nov. 5 2017, at http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ease-of-business-ranking-also-represents-ease-of-living-life-pm-modi-4923035/ 40. Ref.: Moodys Upgrade Endorsement Of Reforms, Says Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, dtd. Nov. 17 2017, at https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/finance-minister-arun-jaitley-press-conference-on-moodys-upgradation-of-indias-rating-highlights-1776649 Also relevant: Modi government should not cheer Moodys recent upgrade. Read why by MC Govardhana Rangan and Joel Rebello, dtd. Nov. 22 2017, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/heres-why-modi-govt-should-not-celebrate-moodys-recent-upgrade/articleshow/61743958.cms?utm_source=AMPusers&utm_medium=fbshare&utm_campaign=socialsharebutton&from=mdr 41. Ref.: India slips 3 notches to 100 on Global Hunger Index; trails N Korea, Iraq, dtd. Oct. 15 2017, at http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/global-hunger-index-india-slips-3-positions-to-100th-among-119-nations-117101200345_1.html 42. Ref.: India falls to 108 on World Economic Forums gender gap index, dtd. Nov. 2 2017, at http://www.livemint.com/Industry/uqpgStT7tyv3r87e202QJN/India-falls-to-108-on-World-Economic-Forums-gender-gap-inde.html 43. Ref.: aTherefore, ahead of the 2019 hustings, we expect Modis policy initiatives to evolve around three aCs combating corruption; completing existing policy priorities (resolving NPAs, fine-tuning GST, completing infra projects etc; and communication to highlight how his various initiatives are helping the common man, especially in rural areas,a Saynal [read: Sanyal] says. (Source: Modi May Shun Major Reforms Till 2019: Barclays Siddhartha Sanyal, dtd. Aug. 13 2017, at A https://www.bloombergquint.com/politics/2017/08/13/modi-may-shun-major-reforms-till-2019-polls-barclays-siddhartha-sanyal ) Also relevant: aCloser to the polls, Modi might consider deploying his political capital more to boost BJPs a[Hindu?] nationalist credentials rather than its areformist imagea , argues Sanyal. 44. Ref.: Mr. Modis Perilous Embrace of Hindu Extremists by (The New York Times) Editorial Board, dtd. March 23 2017, at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/opinion/mr-modis-perilous-embrace-of-hindu-extremists.html 45. Ref.: Decoded! Why Amit Shah and Modi picked Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister by Aman Dwivedi, dtd. March 19 2017, at http://www.financialexpress.com/elections/uttar-pradesh-assembly-elections-2017/decoded-why-yogi-adityanath-is-made-up-chief-minister-by-amit-shah-and-narendra-modi/593269/ 46. Ref.: Government bans sale of cows for slaughter at cattle markets, restricts trade, dtd. May 26 2017, at http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sale-of-cattle-for-slaughter-banned-at-markets-across-the-country-environment-ministry/1/963683.html 47. Ref.: Garib hatao: How the poor are being tricked with demonetisation, dtd. Nov. 22 2016, at https://www.dailyo.in/politics/demonetisation-black-money-indira-gandhi-garibi-hatao-poverty-elimination-bjp-meeting/story/1/14173.html 48. Source: Digging through India demonetization history a 12 Jan 1946 (Saturday) and 16 Jan 1978 (Monday) at https://mostlyeconomics.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/digging-through-india-demonetization-history-12-jan-1946-saturday-and-16-jan-1978-monday/ 49. Ref.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raghuram_Rajan 50. Ref.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_Reserve_Bank_of_India 51. Source: Short-term note ban costs to outweigh long-term benefits:Rajan, dtd. Sept. 4 2017, at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/short-term-note-ban-costs-to-outweigh-long-term-benefitsrajan/articleshow/60361465.cms 52. Source: Demonetisation: On Nov 7, it was Govt which aadvised RBI to aconsider note ban, got RBI nod next day, dtd. Jan. 10 2017, at http://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/demonetisation-on-november-7-it-was-govt-which-advised-rbi-to-consider-note-ban-got-rbi-nod-the-next-day-rajya-sabha-4467235/ 53. Ref.: Understanding RBI Boards role in Demonetisation 2016... at https://mostlyeconomics.wordpress.com/2016/11/21/understanding-rbi-boards-role-in-demonetisation-2016/ 54. Ref.: Arthakranti Proposal: 5-Point Plan To Revolutionalise India, dtd. Nov. 10 2016, at http://www.newsworldindia.in/business/arthakranti-proposal-5-point-plan-to-revolutionalise-india/234964/ 55. Ref.: THE MAN WHO GAVE MODI THE IDEA OF DEMONETISATION SLAMS IMPLEMENTATION, dtd. Nov. 22 2016, at https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cover-story/the-man-who-gave-modi-the-idea-of-demonetisation-slams-implementation/articleshow/55551131.cms 56. Ref.: This Is Not What We Suggested, Says Anil Bokil, The Man Credited With The Idea Of Demonetisation, dtd. Nov. 22 2016, at http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/11/22/this-is-not-what-we-suggested-says-anil-bokil-the-man-credit_a_21611547/ 57. Ref.: Behind Notes Ban, Team Of 6 Worked Secretly At PM Narendra Modis Home: Report, dtd. Dec. 9 2016, at https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/who-knew-pm-narendra-modis-black-money-move-kept-a-closely-guarded-secret-1635822 58. Ref.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasmukh_Adhia 59. Ref.: One year of note ban: The ultra-secret move that no one came to know for several months, dtd. Nov. 7 2017, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/one-year-of-note-ban-the-ultra-secret-move-that-no-one-came-to-know-for-several-months/articleshow/61528334.cms 60. Ref.: Why is Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian Missing in Action? by Hemindra Hazari, dtd. Nov. 30 2016, at https://thewire.in/83452/chief-economic-adviser-arvind-subramanian-missing-action/ 61. Source: Who advised Demonetisation? by Brijesh Kalappa, dtd. Nov. 8 2017, at https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/emphasis/who-advised-demonetisation-2/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOIBlogs 62. A Ref.: India: Citizens Statement on De-monetisation (November 15, 2016) at http://www.sacw.net/article13025.html 63. Ref.: House panel criticises RBI governor for inability to answer demonetisation questions, dtd. Jan. 18 2017, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/rs-9-2-lakh-crore-remonetised-till-date-rbi-governor-urjit-patel-to-parliamentary-panel/articleshow/56645451.cms?from=mdr 64. Ref.: After 6 months, RBI still in dark on junked notes, dtd. May 10 2017, at http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/rbi-still-in-dark-on-junked-notes/article9691626.ece 65. Ref.: Disclosing Reasons for Demonetisation Will Hurt India, Says RBI, dtd. Dec. 29 2016, at https://thewire.in/90462/rbi-refuses-give-reasons-behind-demonetisation/ 66. Ref.: No clue on note ban impact on black money: RBI, Sept. 4 2017, at http://www.deccanherald.com/content/631412/no-info-black-money-removed.html 67. See: https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/AnnualReport/PDFs/RBIAR201617_FE1DA2F97D61249B1B21C4EA66250841F.PDF 68. Source: Viewpoint: Why Modis currency gamble was epic failure by Vivek Kaul , dtd. August 30 2017, at http://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-asia-india-41100610 69. Source: No clue on note ban impact on black money: RBI, dtd. Sept. 4 2017, at http://www.deccanherald.com/content/631412/no-info-black-money-removed.html 70. Source: RBI says 98.96% of Rs 500, Rs 1000 notes returned after demonetisation, dtd. Aug. 31 2017, at http://www.livemint.com/Industry/e73ZjH3vLuj6tlIn2b6wSJ/RBI-89-million-out-of-67-billion-Rs-1000-notes-not-return.html 71. See, e.g.: RBIasays 99% of demonetised Rs 500, Rs 1,000 returned to banking system, dtd. Aug. 31 2017, at http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/rbi-says-99-of-demonetised-rs-500-rs-1000-returned-to-banking-system-after-pm-modi-s-surprise-move/story-jPFYdNpNw5nuEYcFNunknI.html 72. Source: Demonetisation: Government may take ordinance route to cancel unreturned currency, dtd. Dec. 7 2016, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/demonetisation-government-may-take-ordinance-route-to-cancel-unreturned-currency/articleshow/55843084.cms 73. Source: Demonetisation: Value of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 fakes around Rs 41 crore, says RBI Annual Report, dtd. Aug. 31 2017, at http://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/value-of-rs-500-and-rs-1000-fakes-around-rs-41-crore-rbi-annual-report-4821458 74. Source: RBI Data Shows Amount Of Fake Currency Insignificant, dtd. Aug 30 2017, at https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/2017/08/30/rbi-annual-report-demonetisation-detection-of-fake-counterfeit-currency-jumps-rise-in-suspicious-transaction-reports 75. Source: One year of demonetisation: Rs 2,000, Rs 500 fakes are now of ahighest quality, dtd. Nov. 8 2017, at http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/demonetisation-narendra-modi-fake-notes-currency-pakistan-terror-funding-black-money-4927210/ 76. Ref.: Fake Rs 2,000 notes seized: Heres how similar they are to real currency, dtd. Nov. 18 2017, at http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/fake-rs-2-000-notes-seized-here-s-out-how-similar-they-are-to-real-currency/story-daxE7QAOQ2cMyAyQsSBfIM.html 77. Ref.: Fake notes more than double of what was estimated: RBI, dtd. Aug. 30 2017, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/7-62-lakh-pieces-of-counterfeit-notes-detected-in-fy17-rbi/articleshow/60294718.cms 78. Ref.: Secret study pegs value of fake notes in circulation at Rs 400 crore, dtd. Nov. 15 2016, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/secret-study-pegs-value-of-fake-notes-in-circulation-at-rs-400-crore/articleshow/55424455.cms 79. Ref.: ANSWER (a), on p. 1 at http://164.100.47.190/loksabhaquestions/annex/9/AU3285.pdf (As per the answer provided by the concerned Minister of State in the Lok Sabha, on, presumably, Aug. 5 2016, the combined value of seized counterfeit Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 notes in the year 2015 was Rs. 32.78 crore.) 80. Ref.: Demonetisation: How Much of Black Money is in Cash by Vivek Kaul, dtd. Dec. 13 2016, at https://www.equitymaster.com/diary/detail.asp?date=12/13/2016&story=3&title=Demonetisation-How-Much-of-Black-Money-is-in-Cash 81. Source: Why govts demonetisation move may fail to win the war against black money, dtd. Feb. 16 2017, at http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/cash-has-only-6-share-in-black-money-seizures-reveals-income-tax-data/story-JfFuTiJYtxKwJQhz2ApxlL.html 82. Source: Demonetisation: Government may take ordinance route to cancel unreturned currency, dtd. Dec. 7 2016, at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/demonetisation-government-may-take-ordinance-route-to-cancel-unreturned-currency/articleshow/55843084.cms 83. Ref.: After demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the government is considering depositing Rs 10,000 in the Jan Dhan accounts, particularly those with zero balance. This grand, populist gesture of turning a political jumla into a tangible benefit for people, could be carried out before the crucial elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa. There are nearly 25 crore Jan Dhan accounts in the country, of which nearly 5.8 crore are zero-balance accounts. Depositing Rs 10,000 in zero balance Jan Dhan accounts is expected to cost the government nearly Rs 58,000 crore. Analysts have calculated that the governments demonetisation move will result in a windfall of Rs 3 lakh crore Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Is California finally going to get it machinery of death operational come 2018? | Main | Ohio getting started on Justice Reinvestment 2.0 to confront latest criminal justice challenges This recent post from the Supreme Court of Tennessee Blog reports on an interesting constitutional challenge to the severe mandatory sentence that goes with the application of Tennessees "Drug Free School Zone" law. Here is an excerpt from the post by Daniel Horwitz (who happens to represent the defendant). Links are from the original post: A groundbreaking constitutional challenge has been filed regarding Tennessees Drug Free School Zone Act, a flawed but well-intentioned law that has recently come under fire by several conservative groups because it ensnare[s] many individuals who fall outside of the scope and purpose of the law and has resulted in significant collateral consequences that have been passed on to taxpayers without any public safety returns. The law has long been a target of criminal justice reformers, who have argued that the severe, mandatory minimum penalties contemplated by Tennessees School Zone law fail to make appropriate distinctions between people who sell drugs to children and people who dont.... The governments informant had thirty-nine (39) separate convictions on his record in Davidson County alone at the time of the drug sales at issuemany of them violent felonies. Even so, the informant was paid more than $1,000 in taxpayer money and avoided jailtime in exchange for helping secure Mr. Bryants conviction. Mr. Bryants first trial ended in a hung jury after several jurors concluded that Mr. Bryant had been entrapped. After his second trial, however, Mr. Bryant was convicted of selling drugs. Even though it was a first-time, non-violent offense Mr. Bryant had no other criminal history of any kind because Mr. Bryants residence was located within 1,000 feet of a school, Mr. Bryant received a mandatory minimum sentence of seventeen (17) years in prison. As a result, Mr. Bryant received a considerably longer sentence for committing a first-time, non-violent drug offense than he would have received if he had committed a severe, violent crime such as Rape, Second Degree Murder, Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, or Attempted First Degree Murder. Mr. Bryant has been incarcerated for the past decade. He has at least six years in prison left to serve. Given the extraordinary circumstances of his prosecution, Mr. Bryant has filed a novel constitutional challenge to the application of Tennessees intensely punitive Drug Free School Zone law to his case. Notably, even the District Attorney who prosecuted Mr. Bryant has submitted an affidavit supporting his early release, stating that: I fail to see how an additional six years of incarceration will improve Mr. Bryants amenability to correction or would be required to maintain public safety. I additionally fail to see how his release at a time earlier than 2023 and after over nine years of incarceration will deprecate the seriousness of the offenses for which he was convicted or significantly imperil public safety. Tennessees intensely punitive Drug Free School Zone law was designed to keep drugs away from children. Nobody disputes that this is a laudable goal. However, many people, including several elected officials and judges in Tennessee, have disputed whether the law was ever intended to apply to drug sales between adults inside an adults residence and outside of school hours especially when a government informant has set up a drug transaction inside a school zone on purpose .... Mr. Bryants petition paints a heartbreaking picture of a law that was never intended for cases like his but which applied to him anyway. In Davidson County, he notes, so-called drug free zones cover[] almost every habitable portion of Nashville and [nearly] all of its urban core. As a result, based solely on a prosecutors discretion, the law can be applied to virtually every drug sale that takes place in Nashville. Even so, in the approximately two decades since the law was enacted, only 62 defendants have ever been punished with the school zone sentencing enhancement in Davidson County, which upgrades a defendants conviction by a full felony class and renders defendants ineligible for parole for decades. Although, as a general matter, the law has been used sparingly to punish dangerous or repeat offenders, Mr. Bryants petition notes that he has the dubious distinction of being the only defendant in the history of this jurisdiction to receive Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-432s sentencing enhancement for a first-time offense.... Mr. Bryant notes that in the time since his conviction, Tenn. Code Ann. 39-17-432 has been reformed both judicially and operationally to avoid precisely the type of strict liability penalty that applied in his case. Consequently, if Mr. Bryant had committed the exact same offense today, then he would likely have been subject to a maximum sentence of between two and eight years in prison, rather than seventeen years. Further, given his status as a first-time, non-violent offender, Mr. Bryant may well have avoided prison time at all. Mr. Bryant has asked Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Steve Dozier to declare his sentence unconstitutional as applied to the unique circumstances of Mr. Bryants case, arguing that these circumstances render his sentence excessive under both the Eighth Amendment and Article 1, Section 16 of the Tennessee Constitution. Mr. Bryant has also petitioned Judge Dozier for release while he submits an application for a pardon or commutation. More than a dozen supporters including Mr. Bryants own prosecutor, local politicians, business owners, friends, family members, and civil rights activists have also filed affidavits in support of Mr. Bryants early release. A hearing on Mr. Bryants petition is set for December 15, 2017 in Davidson County Criminal Court, Division 1. Interesting Eighth Amendment attack waged against extreme application of Tennessee's "Drug Free School Zone" law | Main | Record sex-trafficking sentence, 472 years of imprisonment, imposed in Colorado court November 27, 2017 Ohio getting started on Justice Reinvestment 2.0 to confront latest criminal justice challenges For more than a decade, the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the Justice Department and the Pew Public Safety Performance Project have worked on "Justice Reinvestment" projects in numerous states. These projects generally involve careful study of state and local criminal case processing in order to identify inefficient use of limited prison space and efforts to reduce prison admission and reinvest resulting savings to services that would achieve better public safety outcomes at a lower cost. Now, as this local article from Ohio highlights, it at least one state a second generation of this project is underway: Amid a glut of nonviolent drug offenders and probation violators serving time in state prisons, Ohio again is taking a look at criminal-justice reform. The effort seeks to tweak the system and criminal sentencing to account for the impact of violent crime and opioid-fueled offenses while enhancing public safety. The 24-member Justice Reinvestment committee also hopes to reduce recidivism while pursuing schemes to better route offenders to the right place, whether prison or local community control programs. Emphasis will explicitly focus on what is happening before prison, or in other words, the systems front end, where many decisions are made that impact both future judicial and corrections practices, said Michael Buenger, administrative director of the Ohio Supreme Court. The committee, which includes [State corrections Director Gary] Mohr, [Union County Prosecutor David] Phillips, [Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Charles] Schneider and other judges, prosecutors, lawmakers and state and local officials, is scheduled to submit a report and recommendations to the General Assembly in the fall of 2018. The group began its work this month with a report from the Council of State Governments Justice Center that laid out the scope of its challenge: Reflecting the opioid addiction crisis, drug-abuse arrests increased 12 percent in Ohio to more than 32,000 annually between 2011 and 2016. Only North Dakota and South Dakota saw a higher increase. A total of 5,609 drug offenders were committed to state prisons last year alone. Property crime decreased 23 percent between 2011 and 2016 but violent crime ticked up 6 percent over 2015 and 2016, mostly because of increases in Cleveland, Dayton and Toledo. Low-level crimes drive arrest activity and limit law enforcements capacity to respond to violent crime. Ohio has the nations third-highest rate of people on probation and parole, nearly 244,000 at the end of 2015. Offenders released and then sent back to prison for probation violations account for 23 percent of annual commitments to state prisons. Ohio still lacks a coherent strategy for recidivism reduction. The number of offenders in the $1.8 billion-a-year prison system grew by 9 percent between 2000 and 2016, with the population generally holding steady since 2007 around 50,000 to 51,000. Offenders, in general, also are serving longer stretches in prison. Prison crowding and costs remain high. Ohios criminal sentencing scheme has contributed to crowded prisons and large misdemeanor and felony probation populations. ... Ohio law shows a micromanaged approach to sentencing policy that is needlessly complex. State prisons housed 8,300 offenders when Mohr joined the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction as a teachers aide in 1974. By the middle of last year, that number had increased six-fold to 51,014 prisoners (just a tad off the all-time high), who cost an average of $72 a day to house. Think about the budget, the amount of investment, the reason why were still on this path, Mohr said. I think there are too many Ohioans incarcerated. Its a much better investment to place nonviolent offenders in community programs. All evidence shows its twice as effective at one-third the cost. Mohr is encouraged by a community-alternative program in which the state is spending up to $58 million over two years to divert low-level, nonviolent felony offenders, many convicted of drug possession, from state prisons to local programs. Since the middle of last year, the prison population has dropped nearly 5 percent to 48,799. Forty-eight participating counties are using work-release, substance-abuse treatment, intensive supervision and other programs. Franklin and other large counties still are deciding whether to participate. Mohr said the state should invest in the lives of low-level offenders earlier in their lives in local corrections programs to help address employment, behavioral health and substance-abuse issues before they lead to more serious offenses and state prison time. All of the counties that have tried it loved it. Ohio is, in my mind, safer than it was before. Part of the groups discussions should center on taking some low-level felonies, such as simple drug possession, that are contributing to prison packing and making them misdemeanors to be handled locally, and improved probation services, Mohr said. Judge Schneider said that judges are chafing under some criminal sentencing guidelines. Mandatory sentencing makes sense for crimes like murder and rapes, but some of the drug charges where it is mandatory is frustrating, he said. Judges should be free to tailor sentences for lower-level offenses to match the offender and his crime if you can articulate specific facts whether a prison sentence is appropriate or not, he said. If you want us to treat certain (felony) offenses as misdemeanors, then make them misdemeanors. Quite frankly, the legislature doesnt have the will to do that, Schneider said, adding, for example, that the current fifth-degree felony threshold of $500 in a theft offense should be raised. Lawmakers, he said, are too fond of creating new offenses and tinkering with prison sentences. The states current scheme also is schizophrenic about drug addicts, the judge said. We say its not his fault, its a disease. But when that person breaks into a house to fund that disease, it becomes a serious crime. Its the same person, folks, Schneider said. Union Countys Phillips said that, from the perspective of prosecutors, our primary interest is public safety, No. 1, and holding offenders accountable, No. 2. He differed from Mohrs assertion that prison is not appropriate for some. You should talk to victims of crime and see if they think that is true. Community control sanctions do not work for some people and they need to go to prison. At the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission's website, one can now find these background documents with more information concerning the state's reinvestment in justice reinvestment: Ohio Justice Reinvestment Ad Hoc Committee Kicks off Review of Criminal Justice System Justice Reinvestment in Ohio: Overview Justice Reinvestment 2.0 in Ohio: Launch Presentation November 27, 2017 at 10:24 AM | Permalink Comments Drop in property crime and rise of violent crime are both the result of the opioid epidemic. Fewer addicts need to steal, being deceased. More competition for fewer customers is fueling the murder of competitors. The lawyer loves to use the phrase, non-violent drug offense. I suggest his trying to sell drugs in the territory of a competitor, as an experiment, with waivers from the prosecutor. See what happens. The police is nearly gone from these neighborhoods, and they are not the worry. Posted by: David Behar | Nov 27, 2017 11:26:07 AM I am a rape survivor reading your blog! After reading an article in today's Dispatch about this committee, I had to do something about trying to voice what many crime victims feel on these issues. Are there any crime victims asked to present their opinions on re-offenders up for parole before serving their sentence? My rapist is a repeat, serial rapist, Robert Blankenship, A212646 and he is up for parole, AGAIN, early 2018. My appointment with one parole board member is on December 7th, at 11:00 AM. If I could, I would have the whole committee be present for this appointment. As Union County Prosecutor David Phillips says above, State Corrections Director Gary Mohr, and others, should talk to victims of crime and hear what they have to say! I feel we are being left out of these important discussions and I feel this is not right. Is there an email address to use for this special committee? Sincerely, C.L. Posted by: C.L. | Nov 27, 2017 3:01:38 PM CL. See this post advocating much less punishment for rape. Crazy, no? http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2017/11/what-rape-reform-needs-more-convictions-less-punishment.html Posted by: David Behar | Nov 28, 2017 8:08:12 AM David B. I checked out the post that you added. (copied and put it in my "parole file") Thank you. How many of you reading this blog have a parole file for your very own case? What I see, over and over again, are people thinking we need to do this and that for these criminals. My thoughts are generally on rapists due to my rape in 1988. Robert Blankenship was paroled early from his first sentence of rape and burglary. He served only 7 years of his 15-75 year sentence. Good behavior. One condition of his release was to go to sex offender counseling. When I asked his parole officer if he attend any of these sessions I was told he did not. Eight months after his early release, he raped me. I can't say if I was the first but I was not the last. I believe he was arrested early 1989. Rehabilitate this man? I don't think so! New sentence 49-165 years. He is up for early release, for the third time, in 2018! My sentence is a life sentence! Now, my important question I have for all of you... if you are involved in sentencing and/or changing laws and polices for these criminals, how many of you have ever spoken with a few rape victims or shooting victims, etc., before making these changes? This "man" came into my HOME and raped me. And what if it had been your sister, your mother, your daughter? You have me at a very difficult time because I have to go plead my case, again, to the parole board. Another item I will bring up at this time... plea bargaining. I never got MY day in court in front of this animal. Yes, there may be times when some victims don't want/need to do this but THIS victim wanted/needed a day in court. Don't always feel as if you are saving this person from having to do this. I wanted him to have to listen to ME! And lastly... for now... IF we are to let these people out of prison early, and again, I am talking rapists, there must be some way of keeping track of them! In the past year we have the Reagan Tokes case. HER rapist, Brian Golsby, was wearing a GPS unit that didn't even monitor him in "real time"?? We now know that he committed robberies between January 24th thru February 7th. Why didn't someone know where this man was and what he was doing? Reagan was raped and murdered on February 8th. There aren't enough people to track them! This has to change before we talk about letting them back on the streets. C.L. Posted by: C.L. | Nov 28, 2017 10:10:51 AM CL. These are my personal feelings after your brief description. 1) The parole board that released him early in 1988 is 100% responsible for your rape, in 1989; 2) these sexual predators likely have dozens of unreported victims, each; 3) if he has done well in prison, he should not be deprived of the effective reason, supervision and structure. A well managed diabetic should not be deprived of diet and insulin, be released on the street, to stop insulin and to wolf down cake; 4) if you have symptoms of PTSD (nightmares, intrusive waking memories, excess startle, and avoidance of reminders), you will be re-traumatized by his release, not by a mental symptom, but by realistic fear of being assaulted by the released prisoner. If he has contacted you in any way, bring the evidence. It means, he still wants you; 5) if any officials have daughters in the home, demand their home addresses. He should be moved into the house next to theirs if any votes for release; 6) will he be listed on a sex offender registry? These are total regulatory quackery, and absolutely worthless. If one so much as criticizes the listed sex offender, one may be arrested for harassment of the sex offender. They would not have protected the little girls after which they were named. Megan opened the door to her neighbor and was taken. Jessica was taken from her bed, with her plush dolphin toy; 7) all votes for parole should be made public. You should take an ad out on Facebook, with the names, home addresses, phone numbers, work numbers, names of supervisors, political party affiliation of any official voting for release; you will place the ad on the Pantsuit Nation Facebook page. They will be hearing from thousands of shrieking, pussy hatted feminists, in front of their homes; 8) buy a gun, and shoot the parolee on sight, if he ever comes around, do it into the gut, first, then in the genitals. Say he kept coming. Do not mention this plan at a parole hearing. You should understand something deep. Those officials owe him their jobs. They owe you nothing. They care about their jobs, and nothing about your safety. So, they will protect, privilege, and empower the criminal, and not the crime victim. If he is imprisoned again, they get to spend a lot of money to do so, and they get that money. If he had been deceased from the beginning, they would have no jobs in criminal justice. Posted by: David Behar | Nov 28, 2017 11:25:53 PM David B. I appreciate the time it took you to list some of your personal feelings as a reply to my post. Your #3 on the list was a very meaningful comparison to the reason this rapist might be doing well in prison. He is supervised, daily, hourly at times. Yes, THIS can work. Let's not let him out to have his cake! Many of your other points have gone around in my mind for years. I've already been speaking with those available to help victims about IF he gets out and will he be coming after me. In checking out some of the other listings from this site, I found articles on Governors basically bragging about meeting face to face with criminals in maximum security. So far I've not found where they sit with victims of crime when deciding on changing their laws and how to go about it. Also, I would like a Governor/lawyer/judge or two to sit down at a computer, pretend they make minimum wage or slightly more and try and find a safe area of town to live. Check out the maps that show where these criminals are living. Years ago you could actually see a difference in areas but most, now, are full of these registered criminals OR the cost of rent is way too high. Since I don't understand "blogs" and I'm not sure who I'm going back and forth with, I think I'll sign off. Keep me in mind/prayers as I go through this time, again. Anyone is free to write a letter to the parole board in my support. I would love to have Robert Blankenship's folder overflowing with letters against his release. If you don't know already, if you do write, his name and his prison number must be on each page that you send. (A212646) Send off to the Parole Board, 770 West Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43222. Professor Berman, after reading your web profile, I'm wondering if you are on this new committee. If so, please do your best to present some victims of crime that are willing to speak about these issues. If you are not, I'm guessing you know a few others that are. Reagan Tokes' parents need to be in on this! C.L. Posted by: C.L. | Nov 29, 2017 10:49:19 AM Prof. Berman has never been to a conference where the real interest of victims has been represented. He supports the impact statement. However, the real interest is to not be victimized. I have thought of starting a crime victim organization, along the lines of the AARP for the elderly. There are 30 million crime victims a year. They would provide advocacy, and services of genuine value to victims. It would have a real conservative bent. So it would not be feminist, but would go after the sexual predators and their protectors, with hammer and tongs. it would target lawyers, judges and legislators, which are the real cause of all crimes. Would you join such an organization for $15 a year? Posted by: David Behar | Nov 30, 2017 11:02:57 PM Post a comment The train's organization aimed to intensify trade between the two countries, said the VNR. According to the VNR's calculations, the train reduces transport time to only four days with quick and convenient customs procedures while it takes 15 days by sea. After the first pilot run, it is expected that the two sides will organize one train trip a week and then increase to three trips a week. The train starts from Huanggang station, Nanchang city, Jiangxi province, China and arrives at Yen Vien station, Hanoi, Vietnam, transporting 33 containers of export items such as office furniture, food and auto parts. Afterwards, it returns back to China with Vietnamese goods such as farm produce, minerals and electronic products. Vietnam Railways said that it would continue opening more trains from Vietnam to other cities of China in the upcoming time. The two sides are making efforts to connect with customers to organize transit goods trips from European and Central Asian nations to Vietnam through China and vice versa. By BICH QUYEN Translated by Hai Mien Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Foreign Investment Agency under the Ministry of Planning and Investment jointly organized the seminar. EuroCham Executive Director Almut Roessner said that Vietnam and the European Union signed a free trade agreement, the EVFTA, which will takes effect in 2018. The agreement will bring more opportunities to access to state-of-the art technologies and machines as well as improve labor skills resulting in creating more employment. Attracting foreign investment not only helps local firms in transferring technology but also build up and establish localities to provide materials. Additionally, EuroCham promised to continue support investors aiming to further two sides commercial cooperation. By DANG CONG Translated by UYEN PHUONG If you've ever had sticky rice, you've probably tasted cuisine from the Southeast Asian country of Laos. Located about 300 miles to the north of Thailand, Laos is the home country of Phouthone "Lay" Ngadouangrath, the new owner of Sioux City's Diamond Thai Cuisine. According to Ngadouangrath, sticky rice -- which is actually called "sweet rice" or "glutinous rice" -- is a staple food in Lao cuisine and goes best with Larb, a meaty salad that has been deemed the national food of the country. Along with his wife Viengkhone "Kee" Seummalavanh, Ngadouangrath )took over the popular 515 West Seventh St. restaurant from original owner Pete Uttahchoo earlier this fall. Diamond Thai's new owners will be profiled in the Wednesday food section of the Sioux City Journal. So far, Ngadouangrath has messed with the menu created by Utthachoo (a native of Thailand), he'll be making some changes in time. Which begs the simple question: how does traditional Lao food differ from the cuisine of Thailand. Although Ngadouangrath said the dishes might have similarities, the actual cuisine differ as well. 1. Thai food is spicier and sweeter than food from Laos With an emphasis on curries and coconut milk, Thai food is often spicier or sweeter than food from their northern neighbor. 2. Laotian food is saltier and a but more pungent Authentic Lao food contains a lot of fish sauce, making it slightly more salty than Thai food. 3. Both cuisines consists of rich sauces and exotic herbs While Thai food is more accessible to Western tastes, traditional Lao cuisine share many of the same ingredients. Such common ingredients include ginger, lemongrass, turmeric and galangal. Ngadouangrath said dinners who enjoy Thai food will also enjoy authentic Lao dishes. "Both are very flavorful and delicious" he said. PETERSON, Iowa | A Calumet, Iowa women is in the hospital following an accident that occurred at 1050 460th St. on Nov. 24. At approximately 2:15 p.m., the Clay County Sheriff's Office received a call about an accident involving a pickup and a tractor. Upon arrival, deputies determined that Steven Biedenfeld, of Peterson, Iowa, was pulling out from a field drive and attempted to cross 460th Street from the north in a 1978 International 1486 tractor. Lynda Hoermann was eastbound on 460th Street, driving a 1999 Dodge Dakota. Neither Biedenfeld nor Hoermann saw each other, according to a news release, and Hoermann broadsided the tractor. Hoermann was taken from the scene to Spencer Hospital and was later airlifted to Avera Hospital in Sioux Falls with serious injuries. Biedenfeld was not injured in the accident. The Clay County Sheriff's Office was assisted on the scene by Spencer Ambulance, Peterson Fire & Rescue, Royal Fire & Rescue, Sutherland Fire & Rescue, the Sutherland Police Department, O'Brien County Sheriff's Office and Bud's Service. The U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is seeking the public's assistance in locating the following person: * Larry Brown, 34. Brown is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 170 pounds. He is wanted by the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office for violating his probation. He is on probation for possession of offensive weapons. According to a news release, Brown has several tattoos, including one that reads "My Pain, My Life" on his forearms. PRIMGHAR, Iowa | Three men were arrested Nov. 21 following an assault and burglary that occurred in Calumet, Iowa, Nov. 9. According to the O'Brien County Sheriff's Office, a resident called to report that three men entered his residence and assaulted him, causing bodily injury. The victim was treated for his injuries at a local medical facility and later released. Following an investigation, Jesse Christopherson, 21, of Primghar, was charged with burglary in the first degree (class B felony) and assault causing bodily injury (serious misdemeanor). Walker Buck, 19, of Primghar, and Austin Eads, 22, of Primghar, were both charged with assault causing bodily injury. All three men were booked into the O'Brien County Jail. Eads and Buck were released after each posted a $1,000 bond. After making an initial appearance before O'Brien County Magistrate Jeffrey Queck, Christopherson was released after posting an unsecured bond. All three men will make an appearance in district court to answer the charges. STORM LAKE, Iowa | A Washta, Iowa, man was arrested following a traffic stop Friday after a Storm Lake Police officer alleged he had an unloaded handgun behind his driver's seat and an unloaded AR-15 rifle with a magazine and ammunition in the back seat of his vehicle. During the investigation, investigators determined that Cody Ray, 32, was a defendant in a current order of protection issued out of Cherokee County, Iowa, which prohibited him from possessing weapons. Ray was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (class D felony); and carrying weapons (aggravated misdemeanor). Ray was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail on a $5,000 bond and both weapons were seized. SIOUX CITY | A 33-year-old Sioux City man faces an aggravated assault charge after police say he put his father in a choke hold and caused him to pass out. Sioux City Police arrested Brandon William Scott Sewalson early Monday morning, according to court documents. He now faces a charge of aggravated assault. Documents say around 11 p.m. Sunday night, Sewalson put his father in a choke hold from the rear, causing his father to lose consciousness and bodily functions. The victim showed injuries to the neck where blood vessels appeared to have burst under the skin, documents say. Documents say Sewalson told police he had assaulted his father because he had been standing in his way. Sewalson was being held in the Woodbury County Jail on $2,000 bond. SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to asking a 15-year-old girl to send him nude photos of herself through the internet. Charles Jackson, 33, entered his plea Monday in Woodbury County District Court to single counts of attempt to entice a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor. According to court documents, Jackson sent numerous messages to the girl from July 12 through Oct. 7 asking her to send nude photos of herself to him over the internet via Facebook messaging. During a police interview, Jackson said he got to know the girl through her family and admitted that he had solicited the photos, court documents said. Two watchdog organizations filed a federal lawsuit Monday against Iowa Department of Human Services officials, asserting youths placed in the state juvenile facility in Eldora, Iowa, are subject to excessive use of seclusion rooms and restraints and do not receive adequate mental health care. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa by Disability Rights Iowa and the national Childrens Rights organization. The complaint contends that residents in the Boys State Training School Iowas main center for delinquent boys are subjected to illegal practices by staff. The school acts in the role of parents for these children, said Harry Frischer, the lead attorney for Childrens Rights. Its supposed to provide rehabilitation and treatment, and what these kids get is exactly the opposite of that. The Department of Human Services declined to comment, citing a policy of not speaking on ongoing lawsuits. The training school holds up to 130 boys ages 12 to 18, most of whom have significant mental health issues, Nathan Kirstein, a Disability Rights Iowa attorney, told The Gazette. The complaint states defendants dont provide facility residents with adequate mental health care, and also administer dangerous psychotropic medication without adequate oversight or informed consent, and unlawfully subject these children to solitary confinement and mechanical restraints as physical punishment for minor infractions of the rules. The lawsuit was filed against Jerry Foxhoven, director of Human Services; Richard Shults, administrator of the division of mental health and disability services; and Mark Day, superintendent of the school. The lawsuit comes after Disability Rights Iowa released a report in August critical of the facility, outlining issues that are addressed in the complaint. The report did not call for the closure of the school, but instead a reform on its practices. The reason weve got to the point of filing a legal complaint is because weve tried anything else and DHS remains obstinate, Kirstein said. The lawsuit focuses on mental health care at the school. Across the country, up to 70 percent of youths involved in the juvenile justice system have a mental health disorder due to exposure to adverse childhood experiences, including abuse, according to the lawsuit. Officials at Disability Rights Iowa and Childrens Rights say there is no independent licensure of the school and therefore no oversight unlike any private juvenile facility that must have a license from the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. In addition, the lawsuit says the department fails to employ adequate mental health professions. The school employs one psychologist who is not licensed to practice in Iowa to offer wide-ranging mental health services that include diagnosis and treatment, the lawsuit asserts. Iowa law does allow a license exception for psychologists providing those services in state facilities. However, the complaint states that by relying on an unlicensed psychologist, as well as other untrained assistants and counselors, the department departs from accepted standards and subjects the residents to substantial risk of serious harm. Disability Rights Iowa and Childrens Rights estimate about 66 percent of the facilitys residents per month are given psychotropic medicine. The suit contends the drugs are given to residents without appropriate consent and without informing the youth and their parents of potential side effects or alternatives, Frischer said. The lawsuit also contends the use of seclusion rooms and a 14-point restraint bed further aggravates mental health conditions. Boys there are placed in seclusion for a variety of reasons, Frischer said, that include minor infractions such as raising their voices or talking in the shower. The fact that DHS writes rules and regulations for other juvenile facilities limiting these practices shows department officials are aware of long-term harm, Kirstein said. Its one piece of many pieces of evidence that shows that the Department of Human Services is well aware of the harms caused by the use of restraint, the use of seclusion, Kirstein said. Its why they write regulations to begin with on how much that can be used, and the reporting requirements when you do use it. Thats not just to make people jump through hoops. They do that because they know of the harms associated with it. And yet they dont do that with their own facility. INDEPENDENCE, Iowa Reality TV star Chris Soules sat quietly in the courtroom looking down with his hands folded on Monday as he listened to the 911 call he made following the April crash that killed 66-year-old Kenneth Mosher. In the recording, Soules can be heard telling the dispatcher that he cant tell if Mosher is breathing, and the dispatcher offers to talk him through CPR. The 911 tape was played Monday as Souless defense team asked District Court Judge Andrea Dryer to throw out a charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Authorities said Soules rear ended Moshers tractor on Slater Avenue north of Aurora and left before law enforcement arrived on the scene. Defense attorney Robert Montgomery said Soules shouldn't be charged because he did what was required following the collision. Chris Soules did the morally responsible thing here. Chris Soules did the legally responsible and legally required thing. After this unfortunate accident Chris Soules did everything he could for the victim of this unfortunate accident, Mr. Mosher, Montgomery said. He said Soules called 911, identified himself, provided aid and remained until medics arrived. Assistant Iowa Attorney General Scott Brown argued that the law requires drivers to remain at the scene and allows only two reasons a driver can leave a fatal crash - to seek help or to report the emergency to law enforcement. Our position is that the remain at the scene infers that the person shall remain until those two things happen --- rescuers arrive to assist that person who is injured and law enforcement authorities arrive. Mr. Soules did not wait for the police, Brown said. Brown said Soules remained on the scene for only about 14 minutes, leaving before a Buchanan County sheriffs deputy arrived and while other witnesses were still there. I would submit that people who have a fender bender are at a crash scene longer than Mr. Soules, Brown said. He said there is an expectation that information about a fatal crash is collected to the best of law enforcements ability, and police cant do that if one of the drivers involves leaves. Mr. Soules leaving the scene leaves many ambiguities as to why and how the crash occurred. Thats why we have this statute. Thats why he should have remained at the scene, Brown said. Montgomery also argued that Iowas leaving the scene statute --- which was rewritten in the 1970s before the advent of cell phones --- is vague and is unconstitutional as it applies to Souless right to move about. No citizen is required to stay even longer, after complying with the requirements of the statute after doing all those, which Chris Soules did, no citizen is required to remain even longer just so police can get a preferred peek at them, Montgomery said. Judge Dryer will rule on the matter at a later date. In other developments, Dryer on Monday modified the conditions of release, removing the requirement for electronic GPS monitoring. The defense had asked that the monitoring no longer be required, and the state didnt resist the request. Civil servants from African countries learn how to paint pandas at the Chinese culture course at the Chinese Academy of Governance. Zou Hong/China Daily Overseas civil servants receive training in political, social systems at academy James Kur Muorwel said confidence in the future is the most important thing he will take back to his home country following his participation in a training program about China's system of governance. Muorwel, the director of Asian and Australian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in South Sudan, was one of 192 civil servants from 35 countries who visited Beijing this month to study the latest developments in China's political and social systems at the Chinese Academy of Governance. Previously stationed in Sweden and Norway, Muorwel had never visited China before. "It's the first time I have been to China. The country's development is truly unbelievable. More important, China has not hesitated to share its experiences with the rest of the world," he said while displaying a painting of a panda he had just completed with a brush and ink. Yang Keqin, deputy director of the government-funded academy, said since the training programs began in 2000, more than 8,500 administrators and diplomats from 159 countries have participated in the courses, which are designed to help people understand the "real China". Established in 1994, the academy is important in training senior and middle-level civil servants, along with high-level administrators and policy researchers. It also is a center for research, particularly studies related to theories of public administration and innovation in government administration. In recent years, training programs for foreign administrators have become increasingly popular, especially among those from developing countries. Every year, the academy organizes about 50 classes for 3,000 foreign civil servants to meet the rising demand for information about the latest developments in China and the secrets of the country's success, according to Liu Hongyi, director of the academy's training center. "Many trainees are asked to brief their own country's leaders about the things they learned at the academy," he said. Each training program lasts between two and three weeks, and includes lectures, seminars in Beijing and field trips to other cities so the trainees can see different parts of the country. Before the students arrive in China, the academy designs courses to meet each country's specific requirements. For example, the latest Cuban course mainly focuses on structural reform of government because that is the topic most in demand among the country's trainees, Liu Gang, deputy director of the academy's training center, said. The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless. The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well. By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism. (WB) Charlie Craig and David Mullins didnt expect to be the new face of the LGBT rights movement, but that responsibility will be thrust upon them in a matter of weeks as the U.S. Supreme Court hears their case over being denied a wedding cake in Colorado at Masterpiece Cakeshop. The two are key figures in the case challenging Colorados non-discrimination law, which bars discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation. Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, refused to make a wedding cake for the Denver-based couple on the basis that it would violate his religious beliefs as a Christian. In an exclusive interview with the Washington Blade, Craig, 37, and Mullins, 33, said theyve been anticipating the oral arguments in the case set for Dec. 5 with intense emotions. Mullins said hes been filled with trepidation and excitement since the Supreme Court agreed to hear the lawsuit in June. I will definitely say I dont think anyone in the country is prepared to hear that a case they are party to is going to be argued before the Supreme Court, Mullins said. That was definitely a hard thing for us to wrap our minds around. The day of oral arguments for the court on Dec. 5 is actually the anniversary for the first date of the couple seven years ago. (Recognizing the occasion, Craig said maybe its good luck.) Craig said the two met through a mutual best friend and were friends for a good year before dating. At a time when same-sex marriage was legal in limited places and not in their home state of Colorado, the two nonetheless decided to marry. Although many couples arrange dramatic engagement proposals, Mullins said the couple had a cute story that wasnt very dramatic. In all reality, we were just lying on the couch together one Sunday morning, Mullins said. I think it was Charlie who turned me. He was like, You know. I really would marry you. And I thought about it and I was like, I would marry you, too. And we sort of sat there for a minute and we were like, So should we get married? And we decided to get married. It was a very natural, casual moment, which was really kind of how our relationship was. Craig added he later discovered Mullins had been socking away money to buy wedding rings. (The two have a pair of three-diamond rings. Craigs is made of white gold, but Mullinss is comprised of cobalt because hes allergic to silver and gold.) Because same-sex marriage wasnt yet legal in Colorado, the couple decided to marry in Provincetown, Mass. The Bay State, first in the country with marriage equality, legalized same-sex marriage as a result of a court order by the Massachusetts Supreme Court in 2003. The two planned to have 30 friends and family members fly up to Massachusetts for the ceremony, and have a hometown reception in Colorado. But then there was the matter of the wedding cake. Craig said the host for the Denver reception party used Masterpiece Cakeshop for earlier clients and recommended the bakery based on its service and close proximity. We looked up the website and were like, yeah, OK, they look like something that we would want, Craig said. On the fateful day, July 19, 2012, Mullins and Craig proceeded to Masterpiece Cakeshop and brought along Craigs mother. Because she doesnt live in Denver and was in town for a conference that day, the wedding cake purchase would be her only opportunity to take part in the planning. Mullins said the three went in really excited and Craig came in with a binder of ideas, but it all went wrong immediately after they sat down with Phillips. He immediately asked us who the cake was for and we said it was for us, and he told us he would not make a cake for a same-sex wedding, Mullins said. And what followed was a horrible pregnant pause. We were just mortified and embarrassed and quickly we just got up and we left. When the couple entered the parking lot, Mullins said they became emotional and broke down in tears a moment they said was all the more painful and profoundly embarrassing because Craigs mother was present. The couple said they had no idea Phillips sought to operate his business consistent with this Christian beliefs, nor that he had a policy of refusing wedding cakes to same-sex couples. Craig and Mullins quickly found relief from the LGBT community and supporters after a Facebook post, which quickly went viral worldwide in a couple days. As a result of the Facebook post, a friend informed the couple that Phillips actions were a violation of state law in Colorado something Mullins said the couple wasnt aware of previously. We actually were unaware that there was a law in Colorado against what happened, Mullins said. It actually took a relative of Charlies looking something up and connecting us the next day to actually tell us there was an anti-discrimination statute in Colorado that covered public accommodations discrimination. Another Colorado shop, Loras Donuts & Bakery Shop, offered to provide the wedding cake the couple ultimately used for their celebration. The cake had rainbow layering to represent solidarity with the LGBT community. But there still was the matter of the discrimination. Mullins said the couple spoke with the LGBT legal group Lambda Legal about their rights under state law, then the American Civil Liberties Union which represents them in the case helped them further and filed a complaint on their behalf in 2013. Eventually, someone at the ACLU found us and we spoke to them, and we decided to move forward with the complaint, Mullins said. They sort of helped us file the paperwork a little bit, and then after that and much discussion on their part, they decided to take up the case. Prior to the complaint, the couple hadnt had significant experience in LGBT advocacy. Craig, an alumnus of University of Wyoming in Laramie, said 15 years ago he was a board member of a student LGBT group that sought to raise awareness for the Matthew Shepard Foundation and HIV testing, and Mullins said he couldnt recall any instance of prior LGBT work. This was kind of my awakening, Mullins said. James Esseks, director of the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender & HIV Project, said by filing a complaint, the couple took the lead in the fight to ensure equal rights for LGBT people. No one should ever have to experience the kind of pain and humiliation that Charlie and Dave were put through, Esseks said. Theyve shown real courage to stand up for the rights of all of us and were proud to stand with them as they take this fight to the Supreme Court. We all deserve the freedom to go out in public without being turned away because of who we are. At the state level, the couple had success many times over. In December 2013, an administrative judge ruled the bakery had illegally discriminated against the couple a decision affirmed by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Masterpiece Cakeshop wasnt penalized with monetary damages, but required to take remedial measures to comply with the law, institute comprehensive staff training and issue quarterly compliance reports for two years on these corrections in addition to documenting all patrons denied service at the bakery. Mullins said the litigation is not about whether or not theres somewhere else we could get a cake when asked why the couple is insistent Masterpiece Cakeshop be required to serve wedding cakes to same-sex couples. Our case is about basic access to public accommodations, Mullins added. We were not turned away from Masterpiece Cakeshop because of any design we asked for, we were turned away because were a gay couple, and we pursued this because we didnt want another couple to go through what we had gone through. Mullins said if Masterpiece Cakeshop followed state law we would have received the same service that any other person would have received, we would have been treated with respect. As litigation proceeded, Craig said the couple discovered Masterpiece Cakeshop turned away four or five same-sex couples before them. Although court documents say Phillips had offered the couple any ready-made product in the store in lieu of a wedding cake, Craig said one of these couples had sought cupcakes and were denied service. In 2015, a three-judge panel on the Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed the decision of the commission. Later, the Colorado Supreme Court refused to hear the case upon appeal from Masterpiece Cakeshop. That seemed like the end of the road for Masterpiece Cakeshop, But in a last ditch effort, the bakery, represented by the anti-LGBT legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom, petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for review, citing issues of freedom of religion and expression. To the surprise of just about everyone, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to accept the petition in June. (The petition had remained pending before the Supreme Court for some time and was taken up shortly after confirmation to the bench of U.S. Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch.) Why did the Supreme Court agree to take up the case? After consistent rulings at the state level in favor of the couple, could justices have in mind overturning those decisions in favor of allowing anti-LGBT discrimination? The answer, Mullins said, is completely in the minds of the Supreme Court justices and no one else at least until justices render their decision in the case. Obviously there have been numerous public accommodations cases that have happened in numerous states, and in my wholly un-legal opinion, I think that maybe the reason they took our case was because there was no disagreement over the facts of how anything went down, Mullins said. Its also possible that they just felt it was time to take up one and ours was the one that was on their desk when they made that decision. Mullins and Craig with Craigs mother in tow plan to travel to D.C. to witness the oral arguments firsthand at the Supreme Court on Dec. 5. Mullins expressed excitement about seeing Ruth Bader Ginsburgs neckpiece while hearing the case. The couple has a busy schedule planned for the time theyre in D.C., which includes three speeches at different rallies. Thats consistent with the nearly 150 media interviews in which the couple has participated, ranging from the LGBT press to the New York Times. I think its important for people to see us just for the fact of were standing up for ourselves, Craig said. We experienced discrimination and experienced what it means to follow it through this far. During the arguments, the ACLU will represent the couple, another attorney will represent the Colorado Civil Rights Commission in defense of the non-discrimination and Alliance Defending Freedom will make Masterpiece Cakeshops arguments. But another lawyer from the U.S. Justice Department under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions may also take part: U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco. Francisco sought time to speak before the Supreme Court after the Justice Department filed a friend-of-the-court brief in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop. Mullins said the participation of the Trump administration in the litigation is definitely notable, but ultimately the Supreme Court will be making the decision in the case. In the end, the Supreme Court is nine justices and nine votes and they will make their decisions, and so, in the end, the buck stops with them, Mullins said. Contrary to the experiences of many plaintiffs in LGBT rights cases, Mullins said the couple hasnt faced significant backlash since the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. If anything, I feel like it made the story larger and it helped reach some people and changed some minds, of people who werent as aware of the story beforehand, Mullins said. The Supreme Court ruling in the Masterpiece Cakeshop will likely be issued next year and could be a milestone for the LGBT rights movement. Craig, however, said the impact is difficult to determine because the ruling could affect just Colorado law or similar statutes nationwide. In the smallest sense they can validate what Colorado has already said, that he violated anti-discrimination laws here, and that would set a precedent for Colorado, Craig said. It could also set a precedent for the other 20 states that have the same public accommodations laws, or it could be as big as theyre sending a message to the whole nation that discriminating against gay people is wrong. In the event of a loss before the Supreme Court, Mullins said the decision would have deleterious consequences not just for LGBT people, but other marginalized groups. If the Supreme Court found that a business owner could refuse to serve someone based on their strongly held religious beliefs, could a hotel owner refuse to rent a room to an interracial couple because his faith believed the races were not meant to mix, or could a business owner refuse to hire a single mother because his faith believed that mothers should be married? Mullins said. A loss at the Supreme Court could open the door to many forms of discrimination that have long been considered wrong in our society, and not just ones that involve LGBT people. Win or lose, Craig said the lawsuit will be worth the effort because it means not just standing up for the thousands of people whove told the couple about their own discrimination stories as the litigation proceeded. I feel like of course were standing up for ourselves, but the important thing is and what the Supreme Court decision is going to decide, is were standing up for these thousands of other people who are discriminated against all the time, and thats really what keeps us going, Craig said. Chris Johnson, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association. We can't seem to find the page you are looking for. You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link. Officials with the Hambletonian Society have announced that some new personnel changes are now in effect. Moira Fanning, director of publicity and event operations for the Hambletonian Society, has been named COO by the executive committee of the society, effective immediately. Fanning has been with the society since 1988 and will take over many of the administrative duties performed by former president and CEO Tom Charters. Earlier this year, Charters announced his retirement and the board elected John Campbell, the sports leading money-winning driver, to succeed him as president. This is a well-deserved promotion for Moira, said Campbell. She has been a tremendous asset for the society for many years and her professionalism, talent and commitment are unparalleled in our industry. It has been a pleasure working with and learning from her these last few months and I feel fortunate we will be working together for the foreseeable future. In addition, David Janes, who has been the staking assistant and IT manager for the past year, has been promoted to stakes manager, replacing the recently retired Callie Davies-Gooch. He will be responsible for the staking arm of the society, which currently services 131 important stakes, closers and events across North America. Janes has been with the society since 2009 and recently completed his B.A. in Information Technology and Informatics from Rutgers. He has gained experience in all facets of the harness racing business through his involvement in the VIP Internet Stable, one of the most successful and long-running racehorse syndication partnerships, which his father, Tom Janes, co-manages with founder Ed OConnor. The Hambletonian Society is a not-for-profit organization which supports and encourages the breeding of Standardbred horses by sponsoring and administering stakes and other special events in harness racing. The society was founded in 1924 to organize the Hambletonian Stake, one of 37 races it currently owns. These races are some of the richest and most prestigious racing events across North America, held at 14 different racetracks, involving the processing of more than 54,108 individual payments totaling $12.3 million and responsible for the disbursement of more than $16.7 million in purses. (Hambletonian Society) Franken Must Take His Own Medicine Contact: Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, 212-371-3191, pr@catholicleague.org NEW YORK, Nov. 27, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on Sen. Al Franken: Yesterday, Sen. Al Franken broke his silence and did a media tour explaining away his sexual offenses. "I'm looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow," he said. He should instead take some of his own medicine and resign. Five years ago, Franken co-sponsored a bill, the End Trafficking in Government Contracting Act, to strengthen federal legislation on human trafficking, which includes sexual exploitation. The bill, which was approved by the Senate in December 2012, was necessitated because of the failure of the existing "zero tolerance" policy. In July 2013, Franken co-sponsored another bill, the Military Justice Improvement Act, to deal with the "epidemic of sexual assault in the military." It was necessitated because of the failure of the existing "zero tolerance" policy. It was noble of Franken to support going beyond "zero tolerance" to combat sexual abuse by government contractors and subcontractors who operate overseas. Similarly, it was noble of him to support going beyond "zero tolerance" to combat sexual molestation in the armed forces. It was ignoble of him to go back to work today. Does he think that his support for legislation combating sexual abuse should not extend to him? He has admitted to one act of sexual abuse, and is accused by three other women of violating them. Ironically, it was the Catholic Church that first instituted a "zero tolerance" policy for abusers. And what did Franken do? He mocked it. Now that Franken has proven that he has no integrity left, it is up to the Senate to show him the door. He is utterly shameless. Victims File Complaint Today Confirming Patient Safety Issues Related to Doctors' Training at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, After NBC Exposes FDA Cover-up of Testing Press Conference Today at noon, ACGME office, street level front doors: 401 N Michigan, Chicago IL, 60611 a copy of the complaint will be available to any members of the press who attend the conference. Contact: Nalini M. Rajamannan, 312-498-9496 CHICAGO, Nov. 27, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Northwestern University and Northwestern Memorial Medicine Residency training program exposed physicians in training to unauthorized testing of heart valve devices in hundreds of unknowing patients from 2004 to the present. From 2004 to the present, hundreds of patients were enrolled in secret clinical experimental surgical trials without consent and without FDA approval. Delays in submitting this report, were due to the fact that until September 2017, the FDA never admitted in public the fact that human experiments were ongoing to test the unauthorized heart devices model 4100 and model 5100. ACGME, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, procedures requirements as of July 2017 emphasize patient safety. Moreover, the ACGME require that all complaints undergo submission, only after all available reporting agencies, Local and National have evaluated the complaint. After submitting several complaints to Northwestern University and Hospital, from the office of human subjects to the Board of Trustees, and local investigative agencies, no effort has been made to to stop the testing without consent and to inform the citizens of Chicago and across the United States regarding the illegal sales of these unregistered devices in interstate commerce without FDA approval, prior to 2008. The head of the General Counsel earlier in 2017, denied Dr. Rajamannan a meeting to discuss the patient safety issues related to the clinical trial performed at Northwestern University and hospital without consent and without FDA authorization. In 2017, the most recent investigations began in the State of WI, where the eye witness, Dr. Nalini Rajamannan, a former Cardiologist at Northwestern University Fienberg School of Medicine, VA Lakeside, and currently a Cardiologist at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology, Sheboygan WI, CorVita, Chicago IL, Global Heart Valves, and Visiting Scientist at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, contacted Sheboygan's Congressman Glenn Grothman, who immediately sent letters to the FDA, followed by questions from Senator Ron Johnson of WI, Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee to the Office of the Inspector General, for delays in reviewing allegations submitted since 2014, as reported by WHBL Radio Sheboygan, WI. According to the NBC investigation in September 2017, the FDA in 2009 reportedly asked NMH CEO to inform the patients of the testing of the model 5100 and the model 4100 after both devices were placed on a voluntary recall due to the unauthorized sales in the USA from 2003-2008, according to NBC26 reporter Max Grossfeld. However, according to the NBC news report the letters written by the CEO for Northwestern Memorial Healthcare, did not reveal the fact that the device was experimental at the time of the test surgeries and that the model 4100 and the model 5100 were under a voluntary recall as of January 2009 when the CEO sent the patient letters. After a series of interviews on local radio, NBC, and ABC, the Office of Inspector General for Health and Human Services confirmed in early October 2017, that they are investigating the sales of the devices across state lines using Medicare and Medicaid dollars for the price of the test surgeries as reported by ABC Milwaukee in October 2017. Since 2008, the Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees under Senator Grassley, investigated the testing of the non-approved devices in patients during open heart surgery without informed consent. However, key documents surrounding the patients' testing were withheld from the Senate Committee, the FDA, and the patients, which required further investigations by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Today, as of November 27, 2017, after the FDA confirmation of the experimental testing and the OIG investigation of the unauthorized use of Medicare and Medicaid funds for the sales of the unauthorized devices, Dr. Rajamannan and three patients who learned of their experimental heart surgeries after the fact, are filing a complaint with the ACGME, in order to get immediate help for the other 664 victims, and to inform the ACGME of the dangerous conditions for the training of young physicians during their residency program at Northwestern University, Northwestern Fienberg School of Medicine and the various hospitals associated with these entities. The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie... It has been a long while since I last updated this blog and I was glad to be able to meet up old friends again from my class and also our seniors. This me... 7 years ago Mira Costa became the first team this season to win a set against Cathedral Catholic, but the Mustangs eventually fell in four sets in the CIF SoCal Regional final Tuesday night. This Account has been suspended. 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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 If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs. The talk of nuclear war is more prevalent today than in decades. North Korea has tested missiles with the apparent objective of achieving the capability to use nuclear weapons to strike as far away as the United States. The back-and-forth rhetoric between the North Korean dictator and U.S. President Donald Trump is disturbing. As the same time, the Chinese have nuclear weapons next door to the Koreas. The Russian nuclear arsenal remains larger than Americas. The prospect that countries such as Iran will acquire nuclear weapons over time remains real. And the likelihood of a terrorist attack involving some kind of nuclear device has never been more probable. No wonder the editors of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists earlier this year moved the hands of the Doomsday Clock forward to 2-1/2 minutes to midnight, the most dangerous setting since 1953. Midnight on the clock, created in 1947, represents "doomsday." The minute hand is assessed each year, and the clock's time "conveys how close we are to destroying our civilization with dangerous technologies of our own making. In 2015, the clock was moved to "three minutes to midnight" from its place at "five minutes to midnight" in 2014. To determine this year's time, scientists considered factors including "strident nationalism worldwide, President Donald Trumps comments on nuclear arms and climate issues prior to his inauguration on Jan. 20, a darkening global security landscape that is colored by increasingly sophisticated technology, and a growing disregard for scientific expertise," the Bulletins editors said. Trumps comments then and since have raised eyebrows, so much so that the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing recently on authority to order the use of nuclear weapons. The panel, led by Tennessee Sen. and Trump critic Bob Corker, featured testimony from a former head of the Pentagon's nuclear war-fighting command and other witnesses. "This discussion is long overdue," Corker said in announcing the hearing, which produced conflicting opinions on just how absolute a presidential decision to launch a nuclear war would be. Officially, the decision is in the hands of the president, whether launching missiles would be in retaliation or a first strike. Bruce Blair, a former nuclear missile launch officer and expert on nuclear command and control, has said, "The protocol for ordering the use of nuclear weapons endows every president with civilization-ending power." Trump, he wrote in a Washington Post column last summer, "has unchecked authority to order a preventive nuclear strike against any nation he wants with a single verbal direction to the Pentagon war room." Or as reported by The Associated Press, then-Vice President Dick Cheney said in December 2008 that the president "could launch a kind of devastating attack the world's never seen. He doesn't have to check with anybody. He doesn't have to call the Congress. He doesn't have to check with the courts." And that is good reason to pursue new safeguards and not just because of Trump and his words. A nuclear launch resulting from poor or mistaken judgment must be prevented now and in the future. The U.S. Congress should move to change the system. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., have been pushing legislation requiring that any first use of nuclear weapons require a declaration of war by Congress. Thus, a decision to use nukes except in response to a nuclear attack would require the approval of elected officials and would not be solely up to the president. At the very minimum, a change should be made to mandate a system in which more officials than just the president must be involved in ordering use of nuclear arms. Hollywood has made famous fictitious stories about nuclear war nearly beginning by mistake. And in reality, false alarms have plagued the system in the past. Giving the president only about 10 minutes to decide whether to launch makes no sense. A change in U.S. procedure will not prevent action by another country, but it will be insurance against the U.S. arsenal being misused or used by mistake. By Azernews By Rashid Shirinov Italian Roma hosted a conference of NATO Parliamentary Assembly on 23-24 November, where the delegation of Azerbaijans Parliament took part along other participants. Member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, MP Malahat Ibrahimgizi told APA on November 25 that in her speech, she stated that Azerbaijan has been suffering from the occupation and terror by the neighboring state, Armenia, for many years. As a result of the investigation of these terrorist acts, it always turns out that they have been supported by the Armenian intelligence. Despite the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands, which is reflected in the documents of international organizations, Armenia still supports terrorist acts, she noted at the event. Ibrahimgizi regretted that everyone turns a blind eye to the fact that Azerbaijan suffer from terror, while the country is one of the first states that joined international anti-terrorism activities, and condemns all forms of terrorism. The MP further protested against the fact that when talking about the threats of terror, nobody remembers ASALA, whose terrorist activities were proven by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) terrorist group operated actively in 1973-1985. Forty-two Turkish diplomats were killed as a result of ASALA attacks, while the terrorist organization committed about 110 terror acts in total. Since the late 1980s, Armenian terrorist organizations and intelligence agencies, including ASALA, have committed more than 32 terrorist attacks in the transport system and other public facilities of Azerbaijan. After the speech of the Azerbaijani side, several participants of the conference noted the importance of conducting investigations on the activities of such organizations, exchange of information, and underlined the importance of avoiding a unilateral approach towards the terrorist threat. Concerned about this, the MP from the Armenian delegation Koryun Nahapetyan tried to express reaction to the speech of the Azerbaijani delegation, but he was not given the floor. However, in the next session, he accused the Azerbaijani MPs of evading the topic. The moderator warned the Armenian MP. In her next speech, Ibrahimgizi, responding to the provocation of the Armenian MP, once again showed the CIA documents and reminded that the question was raised on the basis of official statistics. You can reject the report of the CIA, but this is an official document. You still do not know that the country you represent has occupied the neighboring countrys lands, violating several international documents, she stressed. The MP added that the whole world recognizes Armenia as an aggressor and occupier, and it once again proved this at the conference. Armenia captured Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions from Azerbaijan in a war that followed the Soviet breakup in 1991. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and nearly 1 million were displaced as a result of the war. Large-scale hostilities ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire in 1994 but Armenia still continues the occupation in defiance of four UN Security Council resolutions calling for immediate and unconditional withdrawal. By Trend President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolences to the President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili. I was deeply saddened by the news of casualties and injuries as a fire broke out at a hotel in Batumi, President Aliyev told the Georgian counterpart in his letter. Over this tragedy, on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, and on my own behalf I extend deep condolences to you, families and the loved ones of those who died, and all the people of Georgia, and wish the injured swiftest possible recovery, added the head of state. By Azernews By Kamila Aliyeva Russia, being an active player on the world political stage, developed a road map for the settlement of the situation on Korean peninsula. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov presented the Russian stage-by-stage plan for the settlement of the situation on the Korean Peninsula while speaking at the opening of the 8th Asian Conference of the Valdai International Discussion Club in Seoul, TASS reported. The reduction of military tension should become the first step, according to the diplomat. This is possible, I am absolutely sure of it, in case North Korea abandons missile and nuclear tests while the scale and intensity of the American-South Korean exercises simultaneously reduces. You can quite rightly tell me that these are phenomena of different order as the exercise is a legitimate form of international activity, while North Korea's tests are illegal and banned by the UN Security Council, he said. However, the mutual negative impact of both North Korea's nuclear tests and U.S. military exercises is undeniable, according to Morgulov. He stressed that this idea constitutes the first stage of the road map for the Korean settlement proposed by Russia. North Korea should stop nuclear and missile exercises, and the U.S. and its allies should reduce at least the scale of ongoing regular military exercises in the region, the deputy minister underlined. The second stage should involve the beginning of direct negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea. However, this step can be achieved if the restraint shown by Pyongyang during the last two months - the country did not conduct any tests or launches since September 15 - will be met by appropriate reciprocal steps on the part of the U.S. and its allies. Is it possible? I am absolutely sure that it is possible. The topic of these talks would be very simple - the principles of peaceful coexistence. I am sure that the absence of such an agreement generates mutual hostility and distrust among the parties, Morgulov said. Refraining from the threat of use of force, developing the bases for further cooperation and normalizing relations would eliminate the bulk of the prerequisites for new rounds of tension, according to the diplomat. At the second stage, the resumption of the inter-Korean dialogue would also have a positive effect, he noted. These two states have something to discuss. I know that our South Korean partners are ready for such a dialogue and show a constant interest in launching it, he added. Finally, at the third stage, after such negotiations take place, it would be necessary to launch a process which will gather all the countries involved to discuss the entire complex of issues of collective security in Asia, the deputy foreign minister said. This includes the issues of denuclearization of North Korea, since without this it makes no sense to launch the whole process of dialogue, according to the deputy minister. Moscow is working actively with Pyongyang to ensure that its unilateral moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests lasted as long as possible, he added. We positively estimate that for two months now there has been a regime of silence on the part of North Korea, and Russia is actively working with them so that this regime lasts as long as possible, the diplomat said. In fact, this means that Pyongyang has begun to implement the first point of the Russian road map for resolving the crisis on the Korean Peninsula, according to Morgulov. At the same time, against the backdrop of two months of silence, the U.S. not only does not plan to reduce the scale of maneuvers, but also to hold unplanned military exercises. Unfortunately, this is the answer that North Korea receives from the U.S. in response to its two-month silence, Morgulov said, adding that Moscow assesses this negatively. Russian MPs are currently on their official visit to North Korea which will last until December 1. The delegation, which includes representatives of all four Duma factions, is headed by the coordinator of the parliamentary friendship group with North Korea, the MP from the Communist Party Kazbek Taisaev. In the course of the visit, they intend to discuss with the North Korean colleagues peaceful ways of denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the termination of the militarization of the region. The active phase of the crisis on the Korean peninsula began in August 2017, when Pyongyang tested ballistic missiles and announced the successful testing of the hydrogen bomb. The United Nations Security Council has unanimously imposed a set of sanctions against North Korea on September 11 over the countrys hydrogen bomb test which was conducted on September 3. The sanctions included limits on import of crude oil and oil products, a ban on textile exports and new visas for North Korean oversees workers. However, North Korea tested another missile on September 15 in response to the latest set of sanctions imposed by the UN. By Kamila Aliyeva A protocol on cooperation in the gas industry for 2018 between Kazakhstan and Russia was agreed upon and signed following the negotiations in Almaty held with the participation of KazMunaiGas oil and gas company, Gazprom PJSC, Gazprom Export and KazTransGas JSC, the company's press service reported. The agreements reached envisage partnerships and cooperation in the areas of processing, supply to the domestic market, export and transit of gas. In addition, the protocol provides for an increase in exports to Russia compared to the previous years, the message said. The document was signed by Kairat Sharipbayev, executive vice president for gas transportation and marketing at KazMunaiGas JSC, and Alexander Medvedev, deputy chairman of the board of Gazprom PJSC. Russias Gazprom and Kazakhstans KazTransGas have been fruitfully cooperating for many years in the gas sector. To date, KazTransGas JSC, which is the national operator in the gas and gas supply sector, fully meets domestic requirements for the commodity gas, annually increases its export potential and expands the transit through the territory of the country. KazTransGas is the main gas-energy and gas transportation company of Kazakhstan, representing the interests of the state both on the domestic and foreign gas market. The company manages a centralized infrastructure for the transport of marketable gas through gas trunklines and gas distribution networks, provides international transit and sells gas on the domestic and foreign markets, develops, finances, builds and operates pipelines and gas storage facilities. Kazakhstan holds 0.8 percent of the worlds natural gas proven reserves, and produces 0.6 percent of the worlds total gas output, according to the BPs statistics 2015. A majority of Kazakhstans proved natural gas reserves and natural gas production is possible thanks to the Karachaganak field. The Karachaganak field's gas reserves are estimated at 1.35 trillion cubic meters while oil and liquid condensates around 1.2 billion tons. About 49 percent of Kazakhstan's gas production and 18 percent of its produced oil are extracted from this field. The country serves as a major transit country for gas exports from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan that are destined to Russia and China. By Azernews By Kamila Aliyeva Kazakhstan exported 23.4 million tons of coal in January-October 2017, Kazinform reported. This was stated by the Kazakh Energy Minister, Kanat Bozumbayev, during a press conference at the Central Communications Service. First of all, Kazakhstans coal is exported to Russia, Central Asia and several European countries. This year, a good amount of coal - more than 2.4 million tons - was exported to Finland. The export of coal to Japan was launched, he said. As for the coal supply situation in Kazakhstan, according to the minister, 61.8 million tons of coal was delivered to the domestic market within ten months. Of the total volume, 74.4 percent, that is 45.9 million tons of coal, was shipped to power plants. As many as 9.6 million tons of coal were supplied to households and the population showing a 20 percent increase compared to the previous year. The price of coal for domestic needs is formed from the price of shipment of the cut - from 2,000 to 5,000 tenge, railway tariffs for transportation -- 1,000-1,500 tenge, the exchange value of coal, as well as the margins of intermediary organizations and individuals. The coal is shipped under direct contracts between electric stations and coal companies, he added. He noted that a headquarters was established for the case of extraordinary situations of coal shipment for domestic needs and the population. Kazakhstan produced 98 million tons of coal in 2016. As much as 71.8 million tons of this volume was supplied to domestic market, 26.2 million tons sent to export. In 2017 Kazakhstan plans to produce 100 million tons. Almas Nexus, an alternative investments fintech company, has signed a signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) to cooperate in the field of fintech innovation. Almass platform will be made available to wealth advisors and institutions in Bahrain as well as across the GCC, Europe and Asia. Through long-term cooperation, the EDB and Almas will also look to develop local and regional talent to enhance Bahrains position as a key incubator for cutting-edge financial technology solutions. David Parker, executive director of Financial Services at the Bahrain Economic Development Board, said: We are very pleased to announce this cooperation with Almas. We witness real momentum for fintech in the region, where businesses and start-ups are looking to develop innovative products and services to meet growing demands. Strategic relationships like this one are vital to ensuring the right ecosystem is in place to continue this momentum. Mark Nichols, CEO, Almas, stated: We are honoured to be entering into a collaboration with the Bahrain Economic Development Board. Our aim is to offer wealth managers and institutional investors premium sources of alpha from around the world, many of which would otherwise be inaccessible. The support from the EDB is a powerful endorsement of our proposition and the potential for future growth. Almas was created to extract unique sources of investment returns and seamlessly deliver that alpha to its established, global network of investors via a proprietary technology platform. Its senior management team unites strong institutional investment management expertise with innovative product development, global distribution and advanced technology solutions. Almas is the first global fintech investment platform with a strong presence in the Gulf, and is rolling out regional sales hubs to connect and service its international network of clients and partners on a 24/7 basis. The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) is an investment promotion agency with overall responsibility for attracting investment into the Kingdom and supporting initiatives that enhance the investment climate. TradeArabia News Service A still image, taken from video footage and released by Russia's Defence Ministry on August 18, 2016, shows a Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range bomber based at Iran's Hamadan air base dropping off bombs at Islamic State and Nusra Front targets according to the ministry, in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor. [Photo/Agencies] MOSCOW - Six long-range TU-22M3 bombers on Sunday launched airstrikes on targets of Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in the province of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "After taking off from an airfield on the Russian territory, the aircraft hit terrorists'strongholds and areas with high concentration of militants in the Euphrates valley," the ministry said in a statement. The destruction of all targets was recorded by unmanned aerial vehicles, the ministry said. Su-30SM and Su-35S fighter jets based at the Khmeimim airbase in western Syria provided air cover for the bombers, it added. The Russian military have launched dozens of strikes on terrorists in Syria since the beginning of November. According to the Russian Federation Council's Defense and Security Committee, the fight against IS in Syria will possibly be over by the end of the year and Russia may be able to withdraw its air force. Saudi Aramco, a world leader in integrated energy and Sabic, a global leader in diversified chemicals, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a fully-integrated crude oil to chemicals (COTC) complex in Saudi Arabia. The MoU governs the execution of the front end engineering design (FEED) before a final investment decision is made. The COTC complex is expected to process 400,000 barrels per day of crude oil, which will produce approximately nine million tons of chemicals and base oils annually and is expected to start operations in 2025. Saudi Aramco president and CEO Amin H Nasser said: This project converges the commercial and strategic interests of both Saudi Aramco and Sabic, while reinforcing Saudi Aramcos efforts to optimize the investment of our petroleum resources. COTC will also help expand our downstream portfolio, reducing our focus on the transportation sector and securing new and promising commercial opportunities. Sabic vice chairman and CEO Yousef Abdullah Al-Benyan said: "This venture will contribute to the realization of one of the major aspirations of Saudi Vision 2030, namely achieving economic prosperity by boosting our investment capacity, diversifying the economy and creating jobs for Saudi nationals. It will help strengthen our economic growth and attract world-class quality investments thanks to our unique and strategic geographic location." "Today is a historic day, marking the complementary nature of the relationship between Sabic and Saudi Aramco because it is the first time the two largest economic entities in Saudi Arabia jointly enter into a strategic partnership to achieve a pioneering and innovative new technology. Once completed, this project will not only be the largest crude oil to chemicals complex in the world, it will also set a new competitive threshold thanks to the project's mass scale and the benefits derived from our joint collaboration. The project will, therefore, help achieve the respective growth ambitions of Sabic and Saudi Aramco and further establishes the Kingdom as one of the pioneers in the petrochemicals industry, Al-Benyan added. This announcement marks a historic alliance between the two largest Saudi global entities, in addition to solidifying the Kingdoms position as a global leader in chemicals by substantially increasing production and further maximizing value across the entire hydrocarbons chain through integration. The COTC complex will be constructed based on an innovative configuration that achieves crude oil to chemicals conversion that is unprecedented in the industry. This MoU follows the Heads of Agreement (HoA) signed in June 2016 between the two companies, which governed the feasibility study for the development of a fully integrated petrochemicals complex in the Kingdom. A Saudi team developed innovative COTC configurations derived from best-in-class refining and chemical technologies. The complex is expected to create an estimated 30,000 direct and indirect jobs, further stimulating the Kingdoms economic diversification. By 2030 the COTC complex is expected to have 1.5 per cent impact on the Kingdoms Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with investments being shared equally by both companies. Consistent with the Kingdoms Vision 2030 economic transformation program, this project will support the creation of a world-leading downstream sector in Saudi Arabia, built on four key drivers: maximizing value from the Kingdoms crude oil production via integration across the hydrocarbon chain; enabling the creation of conversion industries to produce semi-finished and finished goods to help diversify the economy; developing advanced technologies and innovation; and enabling sustainable development in alignment with the Kingdoms National Transformation Program. TradeArabia News Service There has been a sharp increase in the number of international exhibitors, mainly from European Union, at this year's Big 5 construction expo owing to the continued expansion of building activities in the GCC region, said the event organisers. "Over 2,500 companies from 60 countries have chosen to come and exhibit their construction products and solutions at The Big 5 in Dubai this year. Some of these are participating to the event for the first time proving that the UAE are now more than ever the place to be for international construction players, remarked Josine Heijmans, the portfolio event director of The Big 5. More than that, we expect 79,000 visitors from over 140 countries to attend the 38th edition of the show; thats a clear proof of Dubais recognized role as a leading business hub, which extends well beyond the Middle East region, stated Heijmans. The UAE has witnessed a 17.4 per cent growth in the number of active construction projects this year compared to 2016, and an 8.6 per cent increase in terms of value, which surged to $818 billion, said the organisers citing the latest statistics by BNC Network. In 2016, the UAE imported construction products and materials worth approximately $13 billion to complete the 11,755 projects currently under development across the country. China ranked number one among the UAEs international suppliers, with a 30 per cent market share and exports of about $3.9 billion last year, followed by Germany and the US. With a market share of 6.9 per cent and a total value of $890 million in 2016, Italy is UAEs fourth supplier in the construction sector. The premier market in the Middle East for Italian exports, the UAE last year imported products from Italy worth $6.3 billion, and the trend in the first half of 2017 keeps growing. Almost 350 Italian companies are showcasing their solutions for the built environment at The Big 5 this year, confirming Italys strong involvement in the UAEs construction sector. For the first time, the Italian region of Sicily also participates at the event, with over 30 Sicilian exhibitors showcasing interior and exterior furnishings and decoration made of marble, wrought iron, ceramics, textiles, stone and wood. Gianpaolo Bruno, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE, Oman and Pakistan, ICE (Italian Trade Commission) said: "Italy is proudly present at Big5 2017 with a massive participation of more than 300 companies specialized in a wide spectrum of activities within the construction industry value chain." "For Italy the UAE and the Gulf region have always been a strategic market of paramount importance for our firms whose competitive edge resides in great quality of products and services, systematic innovation driven by intense R&D investment, design and aesthetic excellence and high degree of flexibility to adapt to clients' needs," observed Bruno. Germany, UAEs second largest supplier of construction products and materials, holding a 7.9 per cent share in a market, participates at The Big 5 2017 with over 140 companies. From Baden-Wurttemberg, Leichtbau BW has brought to the event several exhibitors focused on lightweight construction. Dr Wolfgang Seeliger, the managing director of Leichtbau Baden-Wurttemberg, said: "The UAE is an innovative and interesting market for new ideas, technologies and materials. The Big 5 is a good platform to show this and present the knowledge and competence of companies from Baden-Wurttemberg to a wide range of visitors and experts." "We see lightweight construction as a holistic technology that still has untapped potential in the construction sector: by reducing mass, lightweight design can reduce the amount of concrete required for construction," he added. With over 240 companies, Turkey is one of the top exhibiting countries at The Big 5 2017. Estimated at $9 billion in 2016, Turkish bilateral trade with the UAE is intensifying, and in the first half of 2017 only, Turkey has more than doubled its market share in the Gulf country, jumping from 2.2 to 5.5 per cent, said the organisers. The construction sector is no exception: the total volume of projects that Turkish contractors have undertaken over the past 15 years in the UAE amounts to $9.7 billion. France, Saudi Arabia, China and Spain have also significant representation at The Big 5 this year, they added.-TradeArabia News Service A high-profile panel at the fourth annual Knowledge Summit in Dubai highlighted the importance of data gathering and the inaugural Global Knowledge Index released recently. The summit was organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) under the patronage of HH Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and the directives of MBRF chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It was held under the theme Knowledge and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, yesterday (November 22), at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The panel brought together the leading figures on the Index, namely: MBRFs CEO Jamal bin Huwaireb; Dr Hany Torky, chief technical advisor of the Arab Knowledge Project; and Michael ONeill, assistant secretary general of the United Nations. Bin Huwaireb said: What cant be measured cannot be improved. We began our efforts to quantify and measure knowledge with reports, which grew into indices covering all Arab countries and now, weve expanded the Index to become international, covering 131 countries. The index is an instrument to help decision-makers in management and administration, as well as in preparing for the future, he said. If were well prepared, we can make sure our future is bright. If not, we risk losing time and resources. The Arab world is not lacking in universities, we have highly acclaimed universities in all Arab countries. What we need is research centres we must invest in science and research to improve knowledge, he added. Knowledge is essential to plan for the future. The UAE has made great strides in that regard: at the countrys inception in 1971, illiteracy was very common among Emiratis; now, it is almost non-existent, he concluded. The Global Knowledge Index was developed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and seeks to support knowledge projects, as well as economic and community development strategies around the world, while serving as a roadmap for the sustainable development of societies. UN assistant secretary general Michael ONeill said: It is impossible to overstate the importance of data gathering. It is the first step for setting effective policies and this is what makes this Index such an important initiative that offers pertinent data spanning multiple sectors. At the end of the day, what cant be measured cant be managed. The United Nations can play an important role in helping national governments efficiently utilise data, he said. We can connect developing countries with governments such as the UAEs and others who have succeeded in that regard. The UAE demonstrates the effects of visionary leadership: the country now ranks 25th on the Knowledge Index and second in the economy sector a commendable progress, he added. The final index includes 131 countries from all regions of the world and comprises a total of 133 distinct variables, from different sources, and with strict data availability inclusion rules. Plans are underway to increase data availability and include more countries in the future, said a statement. Dr Torky said: There isnt a knowledge gap between Arab countries and the rest of the world, rather there is a data gap, which has limited the ability to measure knowledge in the region. The reason behind this gap in some of the countries in the region stems from disproportionate investment in select sectors with insufficient funds going to others. To prepare the Index, we look at specific sectors that affect knowledge, regardless of which country it is. The parameters we examine include higher education; pre-university education; technical/vocational training and continued education; information and communication technology; scientific research and innovation; economics; and enabling environments, he said. If countries only think about providing the basics for their citizens, they will not be able to sustain themselves, he added. If governments invest in knowledge, they empower their citizens to provide for themselves. This is where this index can be of great assistance: it allows governments to determine the sectors they really need to focus on, he concluded. The summits sessions discuss the concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the history of the previous industrial revolutions, as well as their impact on decision-making processes. Moreover, experts look into the future of these developments, their effects on knowledge and other aspects of human life, and their impact on media, technology, education, healthcare and the economy, it added. TradeArabia News Service Biesse Group, the regional subsidiary of the global leader in wood, glass, stone, plastic, and metal processing technology, has opened its regional headquarters for the Middle East in Dubai Silicon Oasis, a free zone technology park. A three-day event marked the launch of the new facility showcasing Made-in-Biesse technology solutions and offering visitors a chance to interact with experts in the field, reported Wam, the Emirates official news agency. Dr Juma Al Matrooshi, deputy CEO, Operations and Client Affairs, at Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), said: "Growing bilateral trade shows that Italy is one of the most important trading partners of the UAE in the European Union today, with the country counting amongst Italy's primary trade partners in the Arab region. The UAE Ministry of Economy revealed that non-oil trade between the two countries reached about $8.2 billion in 2016, up from $7.8 billion in 2015. Biesse Group is the 39th Italian company to choose Dubai Silicon Oasis as its regional operations base, and we are confident the latest addition to our hi-tech park will significantly benefit from available offerings at our Light Industrial Units complex." Renato Manganelli, Biesse Middle East managing director said: "Our new facility enables us to provide our customers with continuous training, enhance our support services, and maintain a significant stockpile of spare parts in Dubai. In fact, our desire to provide first-class services to our large customer base in the region is a crucial reason for our decision to make this important investment. Our support will soon reach an advanced level of efficiency with the deployment of Sophia, our innovative IoT platform. We are confident these varied elements will give us an important advantage over our competitors." Bahrains value of imports reached nearly BD439 million ($1.160 billion) in October this year, while the value of exported national origin goods reached BD170 million ($449.3 million). The top 10 countries account for 67 per cent of the imports value, according to the Foreign Trade Report of October 2017 issued by Bahrains Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA). It covers balance of trade, imports, exports and re-exports (national origin) goods. According to the report, China topped the list of exporters to Bahrain with BD53 million ($140.1 million); the UAE came second with BD36 million ($95.16 million) and Japan ranked third with BD35 million ($92.5 million). Non-agglomerated ores and concentrates emerged as the top product imported to Bahrain with BD24 million ($63.4 million), while four-wheel drive cars came second with BD23 million ($60.8 million), and AC generators stood third with BD14 million ($37.01 million). The top 10 countries account for 82 per cent of the exported national origin goods. Saudi Arabia ranked top among the countries importing from Bahrain with BD41 million ($108.3 million); Oman stood second with BD26 million ($68.7 million) and the US was placed third with BD16 million ($42.2 million). As for exported products, agglomerated iron ores and concentrates emerged as the top products exported in October 2017 with BD32 million ($84.5 million); aluminium wires ranked second with a value of BD23 million ($60.8 million); whereas semi-finishing iron and steel came in at third place for exported products with BD15 million ($39.6 million). Additionally, the value of the re-exported products reached BD47 million ($124.2 million). The top 10 countries account for 93 per cent of the re-exported value and 7 per cent for other countries. Saudi Arabia was ranked as the first country to re-export from Bahrain with BD22 million ($58.1 million), China came in second with BD8 million ($21.1 million), and the UAE came third with BD6 million ($15.8 million). Four-wheel drive cars emerged as the top product re-exported from Bahrain with BD11.3 million ($29.8 million), cigarettes came as second products with BD3 million ($7.93 million) and public type vehicles with compression-ignition comes in as third with BD2.1 million ($5.55 million). The trade deficit increased in in October 2017 and reached BD222 million ($586.8 million), it stated. TradeArabia News Service The GCC chemical industry contributed around $43.8 billion to the GCC economy in 2016, equal to almost one third of manufacturing value added and 29 per cent of manufacturing revenue, according to a recent report. The data released in the new report, titled 2016 GCC Petrochemical and Chemical Industry Facts and Figures by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), highlighted the role of the chemical industry in diversifying the regional economy and accelerating non-oil economic growth. The report was released ahead of the 12th Annual GPCA Forum taking place from November 27 to 29 at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, secretary general, GPCA, who met with key regional media during a roundtable, said: The sectors contribution to economic growth has also been exemplary, which highlights the role of the industry as a key enabler in the journey towards economic diversification. For every job created in the industry, there are about three jobs created in other sectors. To sustain this growth, chemical output from the region has had to grow by 9.2 per cent over the past decade, he added. GCC chemicals output grew at the fastest pace in five years, with chemical production growing 8.5 per cent from 2015 levels, reaching 158.8 million tonnes. In 2016, the GCC chemical industry reported $77 billion in sales revenue, down 3 per cent from the previous year as a result of changes in global petrochemical prices. The chemicals industry directly employs 152,100 people in the GCC, while investing $584 million in research and development, it stated. TradeArabia News Service The defence ministers of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) states have vowed to coordinate and unite their efforts, to ward off the dangers of terrorism and take a united stand against it. Concluding a meeting in Saudi capital Riyadh, they underlined the importance of joint efforts, concerted collective actions, and comprehensive strategic planning to deal with the threat of terrorism, and put an end to those who seek to fuel conflicts and sectarianism, and spread chaos, strife and unrest within their countries, said a Wam news agency report. ''Terrorism represents a constant and growing challenge and threat to peace, security and regional and international stability, as it has transcended the borders of countries, while casting aside all values. Terrorism has become deadlier than ever before, particularly in our Islamic world, which suffers from the crimes of terrorism, leaving heavy losses in property and lives, and has shattered the dreams of broad sectors of societies trying to live in peace and tranquility," according to the closing declaration of the meeting. Cognizant of the importance of activating the fight against terrorism across the various domains, the IMCTC Ministers of Defence Council has agreed on the following: First: Combating Terrorism in the Ideology Domain * The ministers affirmed their determination to work with every possible means to confront extremism and terrorism, in all their ideological notions and perceptions, to reveal their truth. Furthermore, they plan to expose extremist misuse of legitimate texts and events through delusion, allegation, false methods and deceit. The ministers are aware of the terrorists blind obsession, false thoughts, and misinterpretations of religious texts, and are acutely aware of the perils posed by ideological extremism, its ability to spread, and its profound impact on individuals and society. * The ministers uphold their determination to address terrorism through education and knowledge, to highlight correct Islamic concepts, and to establish the truth of moderate Islam, which is consistent with human nature and common values, and peaceful and just coexistence with the global community that ensures security and prosperity. Second: Combating terrorism in the Communications Domain * The ministers emphasised the crucial role played by the media, and the importance of embracing this channel in fighting terrorism and exposing its agenda. Governments will work with the media to counter terrorist propaganda, by destroying its foundations to reduce its influence. Cognizant of the seriousness of terrorist actions and its dangerous impacts, they commit to prevent the terrorists from delivering their message using the media. * The ministers stressed the importance of empowering the media to combat extremist ideology from any source, counter terrorist propaganda and symbols of extremist thought, and expose terrorist methods used to promote their deviant ideas. The ministers committed to direct media efforts to present the terrorists true nature and exposing their beliefs that call for death and destruction, and dismantling mechanisms for propagation. * The ministers stressed the importance of investing in digital media platforms to raise awareness among members of society and prevent them from succumbing to terrorist messaging. Third: Combating terrorism in the Counter Terrorist Financing Domain * The ministers emphasised the importance of draining the sources of terrorist financing and cutting off any financial support for its operations and activities. This can be achieved by coordinating efforts and accelerating necessary measures and procedures to combat terrorist funding and shutting down the flow permanently. Monetary policies, legislation and financial controls must be developed and enforced, and improve compliance to align with international standards. * The ministers called for increased coordination and technical and security cooperation in the exchange of data and information, and the transfer of knowledge and expertise, in areas focused on combating the financing of terrorism. * The ministers stressed the importance of ensuring the adequacy and effectiveness of systems and procedures to block terrorist financing. Increased levels of awareness of the various ways terrorists finance their operations must be enhanced, in order to find the best and most successful solution to eliminate terrorist financing. Fourth: Combating Terrorism in the Military Domain * The ministers stressed the importance of the military role in combating the threat of terrorism, enhancing security and peace in the Coalition member countries and contributing to regional and international security and peace. * The ministers emphasise the importance of providing the necessary military capabilities to ensure that terrorist organisations are weakened, dismantled, eliminated and deprived of the opportunity to reorganise. Within the framework of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, the participation of the coalition states will be defined in accordance with each countrys capabilities and resources, as well as in accordance with each countrys desire to participate in a given military operation. * The ministers agreed on the importance of the role of the IMCTC Counter Terrorism Center in coordinating and integrating military efforts, the exchange of information and intelligence, and conducting training courses and joint exercises. Fifth: The Coalition working mechanism: The ministers commended the efforts of Saudi Arabia in leading the formation of the coalition and agree to the following: * To secure the center headquarters for the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition in Riyadh, provided that Saudi Arabia will meet the coalitions needs and complete all necessary legal and regulatory requirements to enable it to carry out the tasks entrusted to its care. * The IMCTC Ministers of Defense Council will meet annually and whenever necessary to follow up on the strategies, policies, plans and programs to achieve the IMCTCs objectives, and to review the reports submitted by the IMCTC Counter Terrorism Center, in order to pursue concerted efforts in various areas to combat terrorism. * The ministers intend to redouble their efforts to promote joint action in operations, programmes and initiatives within the framework of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition; and in line with the IMCTCs organisational structure and mechanisms. In conclusion, the ministers applauded the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that prevailed throughout the meeting and the alignment with the vision and positions on the need to eliminate terrorism through a unified and lasting regional and international effort that respects the principles of international law. The ministers adopted a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to defeat the phenomenon of terrorism. They expressed their hopes and aspirations that the combined efforts and integrated vision will achieve the IMCTC's objectives of eliminating terrorism. Expedia Lodging Partner Services (LPS) hosted its annual Wanderlust summit in Dubai recently at the Taj Hotel. This years summit was attended by over 300 delegates and partners across Expedias network in the Middle East. The summit was hosted by Johan Svanstrom, President of Hotels.com and Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN); Ait Voncke, Vice President Europe Middle East Africa Market Management, and Paula de Keijzer, Senior Director Market Management - Middle East, Africa, Greece and Turkey. During the event, Expedia LPS presented the latest technologies they have available to their hotel partners through Expedia Partner Central that allow them to connect to customers. This toolkit of technology, marketing and data offerings is designed to help hotel partners drive knowledge and efficiencies to grow their business through the leveraging of data to optimise revenue. Expedia also shared insights into trends in the Middle East and the region highlighting growth opportunities in the region. Paula de Keijzer, Senior Director Market Management Middle East, Indian Ocean, Africa, Greece & Turkey at Expedia, said: We are thrilled to host our annual Wanderlust conference in the presence of our Dubai hotels partners. With the sharing and exchange of knowledge we believe we can help our hotel partners better leverage trends and plan to anticipate and respond to travellers needs. - TradeArabia News Service Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village Have an event, trend or general energy happening youd like to see in the Energy Journal newsletter? Send it to Star-Tribune energy reporter Heather Richards at heather.richards@trib.com. Sign up for the newsletter at www.trib.com/energyjournal. Last week in numbers Friday oil prices: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) $58.01 Brent (ICE) $63.32 Natural gas weekly averages: Henry Hub $3.06, Wyoming Pool $2.72, Opal $2.76 Baker Hughes rig count: U.S. 923, Wyoming 25 Quote of the week We probably need to move away from the mindset that states need to prove they are doing their job." -- Doug Benevento, Region 8 administrator for the EPA, on building a new relationship with Wyoming. A new era Very little of what the new regional EPA administrator in the West has to say will cause alarm for most of Wyoming. He echoes what politicians and state regulators and energy companies have said for some time, that the feds should let the states take the lead on issues close to home. Environmental advocates have pushed back on the direction of the EPA under President Donald Trump, and worried over the sweeping, and rapid, rollbacks the administration has attempted. But as far as politics go, Benevento is right in line with the state on some issues. Take the Clean Power Plan, which he said wasn't a sound or cost-effective regulation. In an interview with the Star-Tribune, Benevento said climate change regulationss dominated the EPA's work in recent years, downgrading other important priorities like clean drinking water. That is changing, he said. You can listen to the full conversation here. Sequestration inflation? Wyoming doesn't need to lose anymore revenue, but the tax bills going through Congress right now threaten mandatory sequestration of funds -- including mineral payments owed to states. The state only gets under half of the money from federal oil and gas leases, fees and royalties, another bone some have to pick with the state-fed deal. And right now the state gets delayed payments on about 7 percent of that income. It's not clear what sequestration would mean for Wyoming, whether it would increase the percentage of cuts going on currently or create a double whammy. The state's delegation says not to worry, they wrote the rules and they can work around them. Too much, too soon at Two Elk A group of investors still wants to build a coal facility at the old Two Elk site despite its bad reputation. But it retreated on a request to Campbell County to use $100 million of its tax exempt industrial bonds. The group felt pressured by the deadline and by hesitation from county commissioners who wanted answers in regard to one of the investors' business baggage up in Montana. Ultimately, the bonds are just a tool to attract investment. They don't risk the county except in name if the deal goes south. The push to treat Powder River Basin coal and make it more valuable continues. They may ask again next year. Neither up nor down Casper's economy has shrunk, and the sector that serves the oil and gas fields has too. But the holdouts through the difficult years of low oil prices, layoffs and bankruptcies say things are improving, albeit slowly. Following suit Most are familiar with the Bureau of Land Managements sage grouse protections, and that those management plans may be up for some big changes. But the Forest Services has cooperative management with the BLM. It's lands have sage grouse restrictions, too. So, they too are up for review, the agency announced last week. Wyoming disliked the Environmental Protection Agencys Clean Power Plan, a 2015 proposed regulation on utilities that aimed to cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 30 percent. State economists said the plan would take a painful bite out of Wyomings coal production. At worst, production could see a 50 percent cut as states turned away from coal-fired power, some estimated. But the last couple years were unkind to coal, anyway. Wyoming coal production shrank by about one-quarter in a tumultuous market, while the CPP bounced through courts with years to go before its implementation. No one is sure of the plans fate since the change of administration in Washington has promised its repeal, and few expect coal production to come charging back with or without the federal regulation. Either way, the EPAs reputation in Wyoming is complicated to say the least. The Clean Power Plan is a perfect analogy for the changes working their way through the agency now, said Doug Benevento, the new regional administrator for the EPA in the Rockies and the High Plains. He sat down for an interview with the Casper Star-Tribune on Tuesday to talk about the agencys direction under the new administration and what that will mean for environmental issues in the energy dependent state of Wyoming. The central focus on climate change is being replaced at the EPA, Benevento said. It distracted the agency away from some of its core responsibilities, he said, mentioning the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where locals are still reporting a host of serious health effects due to lead in the water. You look at Flint, and you say that was the failure of the agency, he said. I want to make [drinking water] a focus and I think thats a focus thats more immediate to people than implementation of the Clean Power Plan. *** The Trump-appointee has been on both sides of regulations, he said. He has held a number of public positions from the school board to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Before filling the EPA role, Benevento was the energy policy director for Xcel Energy, a utility based in Minneapolis, that like many across the country is currently transitioning away from coal-fired power. His Wyoming visit included meetings with state regulators at the Department of Environmental Quality and the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. He also spoke with the governor and various industry groups including the Wyoming Mining association. He did not meet with the environmental groups active in the Cowboy State, but said he would like to. *** Wyoming has a strange relationship with the EPA, traditionally preferring to establish primacy over as many regulatory issues as possible, from air quality to ground water. The agency regulates drinking water and some industrial wells, and its rules set a baseline for environmental regulations in the state on a host of issues. Otherwise, its treated as a funding arm for state programs. About 30 percent of the states Department of Environmental Quality budget is paid for with federal dollars, some through the EPA. The federal agency also contributes millions in grants annually to various projects in Wyoming, such as cleaning up the residual flow of toxins carried into streams. The Oil and Gas Conservation Commission also receives EPA funds to carry out its programs. Benevento shares what many in Wyoming say is the EPAs role: provide money and oversight, but step back and let states regulate themselves day to day. He balked at the word oversee in regard to state oversight. We probably need to move away from the mindset that states need to prove they are doing their job, he said. We need to ask the right questions. We need to assume that Todd Parfitt (of the Wyoming DEQ) or the folks of South Dakota are concerned about their environment probably more than I am sitting in Denver. But the funding issue is a central one. Proposed cuts to the EPA from the Trump Administration, and more modest cuts in current budget proposals from Congress, have caused some concern in Wyoming. A number of state programs are dictated by federal law and carried out with federal dollars. But Benevento said he did not believe the most recently proposed cuts would hinder Wyoming. They are anticipating a tighter budget, he said. From Denver, the EPA is looking at ways to reduce red tape and duplicative demands that can cost states unnecessary dollars or manpower. *** In recent years, Wyoming and the EPA have had different takes on some key issues. In the gas fields of Pavillion, homeowners said fracking and relating practices had polluted their water and turned to the EPA for help. The federal agency draft report found that gas actives were likely a cause of the pollution. After Wyoming took over that investigation, the state published a finding disagreeing with the EPAs conclusion. Pavillion remains a matter of contention in Wyoming. Finding out who was right depends on who you ask. For some locals, Wyoming bent to pressure from industry where the federal agents were unwilling to bend. The story was further complicated by reporting from the Star-Tribune that revealed reticence from Washington to come down on fracking had pushed the issue back to the states. So, for Beneventos EPA, will the agency speak as an outside voice? Yes, he said, with the caveat that based on his own experience there is no inherent conflict between states and their industries. In our view, there is not a contradiction between wise energy development and environmental [stewardship,] he said. Ultimately, Benevento said he believes that the federal agencys primary responsibility is human health and environmental protections that are guided by science. But second to that is seeking out common sense ways to accomplish environmental goals that are feasible, he said circling back to the way the EPA had approached the carbon dioxide issue and Wyomings least favorite of the EPAs rules. I dont think the Clean Power Plan was sound, he said. There are better ways to do things. CASPER These were recorded at Wyoming Medical Center. The Star-Tribune prints all births that occur at Wyoming Medical Center, released by the hospital with consent of the mother; as well as home births, and births that may take place outside of Casper to Casper and Glenrock residents because of military deployment, medical reasons or temporary employment. In the case of unmarried parents, a paternity form must be on file at the hospital for the father to be listed. Monday support meetings Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A St.; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m, 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 6 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200; 6 p.m., 456 S. Walnut; 7 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 8 p.m., 328 E. A. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back). Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688. Al-Anon: Noon, 701 S. Wolcott, St. Marks Church, main entrance, left to library. Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 7 p.m., 302 E. 2nd, Methodist Church; 8 p.m., 4700 S. Poplar (church basement). Web site: http://www.urmrna.org. Nicotine Anonymous: 7 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club. Info: Pam M., 577-0518. Teen Addiction Anonymous: 3:30-4:30 p.m., Boys & Girls Club Teen Center. Info: 258-7439. Adult Children of Alcoholics: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott St., Suite 200. TOPS Weight Loss: 5:30 p.m., Weight Loss Support Group TOPS #246, Wyoming Oil & Gas Building, 2211 King Blvd. Use NE door entry. Info: 265-1486. Learn Facebook 101 The Natrona County Library will offer a Facebook 101 class from 3 to 5 p.m. Learn the basics of Facebook, including how to create an account, adjust privacy settings, share photos, and message and add friends. Call 577-READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information. Tween Book Club meets The Natrona County Librarys Tween Book Club will meet at 4 p.m. Students in grades 4-6 will discuss Terror at Bottle Creek by Watt Key. Please register in advance by calling 577.READ x5 or sign up when you stop by the Childrens Department to pick up a copy of Terror at Bottle Creek. Nativity display downtown A collection of nativities will be on display in downtown Casper through December 16 at 118 E. Second St., formerly Ayres Jewelry. The display will be open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Mondays from 5 to 8 p.m. Stop by as you do your Christmas shopping, and enjoy this lovely Christmas display that the whole family will enjoy. The display is sponsored by First Christian Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Twelve Days of Christmas open The 12 Days of Christmas is open for its 44th year at 1743 E. Yellowstone Highway. Regular hours will be Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., through Saturday, Dec. 23. Shop the 30 different artisans and crafters displaying this year. Enjoy the quilting, fiber arts and jewelry, along with glass antiques and food items. See crafters from throughout the state displaying their crafts. GILLETTE A liberal amount of gray is flecked in the beard and hair of Norman Randall, 54. Its not from the paint the Cheyenne man is applying to signs at the AVA Community Art Center in Gillette, though. It may be more about his age and his business: Hand-painting signs. He bills himself as the Old School Sign Painter. In the 1980s, the advent of vinyl signs spelled the doom of the art of sign painting throughout the United States. Now, though, the practice is coming back, and that brought Randall back to Gillette in September. He wants to teach a workshop on sign painting in Gillette in the future, if others want to learn the art. The art of signs And it is an art, one Randall started at age 8 or 9 in the late 1960s when he helped his brother paint a sign for a Dairy Queen in Dry Prong, Louisiana. That was his first job, one that included misspelling the word dining and instead painting dinning. His mother noticed the error and the family offered to repaint the sign. The business owner didnt want that, however. He told Randall that he wouldnt believe the number of people who came to the Dairy Queen to tell him about the misspelled word and also bought something to eat or drink while they were there. Since then, Randall went on to paint signs in Louisiana and Texas before closing his shop in 1983 when vinyl signs took over the industry. Everybody was competing for a $10 job. Lately, though, theres been a resurgence, Randall said. Back in business So he moved to Cheyenne a few years ago and decided to open a new shop. Now his mantra is have paint, will travel. Youve got to be a gypsy, Randall said. Thats not such a bad thing. It brought him and his love of sign painting to Gillette, where he applied blue letters and black dots to a white background on a former garage door on the side of the former Wyoming Department of Transportation building that now is a center for art in the community. He was brought to the community by artist Dara Corkery, who was looking for a new sign at AVA and wanted it done old style instead of on vinyl. To demonstrate what he does and promote the sign-painting workshops, Corkery and Randall combined for a movie and popcorn day at AVA on Sunday afternoon. Folks also watched Randall paint, something that drew sign painters in a passing pickup to give him a few whistles and thumbs-up. An AVA supporter donated the money for the signs and to bring Randall to Gillette. The signs face West Second Street in front of the building. I believe a computer will never replace a human, he said. Im not an artist. I couldnt paint a picture of that tree. But he knows how to use negative space to make the words pop out at those driving by in a rush. And he knows a sign painter is, by nature, a counselor and educator who leaves his mark on the world with each sign he paints. Thats why people collect them. Old painted signs are collectors items now, Randall said. Like me, they get better looking with age. Meant to be Corkery had seen some hand-painted signs in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and wanted to bring that art to Gillette. She also felt the AVA Community Art Center needed a new sign. Executive Director Sarah Warne agreed. She even had a location for the sign, although a horse stood in the way one of those painted for a fundraiser in years past through AVA. Then a woman who originally had wanted to buy that painted horse who couldnt afford it at the time made another offer. Now the horse is gone and the location for a new sign became available. It was a sign that Randalls work was meant to be. Valuable real estate He began by designing the signs in his shop in Cheyenne, then using a seamstress tool to outline the lettering, creating small dots. He chalked the letters onto the space of the sign using math to make sure the lines were straight and then began painting. The paint is specially made to withstand the elements, weather and aging. Hell teach all of that to anyone whod like to learn the trade. I hope to teach an old-school workshop, Randall said. Ill teach them what I know. Thats something hes never done, although he said there are lettering workshops offered throughout England and Scotland, where hand-painted signs are back in vogue. A sign is valuable real estate, he added, relating the tale of how a sign painter advised a businessman to cut the words he didnt need in a Fresh Fish Sold Here sign to just Fish. Obviously, he said, the fish had to be fresh or no one would sell it, and just as obvious was where it was sold. The word sold also wasnt needed because the businessman wasnt a philanthropist. No matter how you describe it, this is a profession for the ages. Ive always enjoyed it, Randall said. I get to play with paint. Thousands of signs later, Randall is still doing what he loves. His hand-lettered signs are still on display in Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Cheyenne, Gordon County, Colorado, California and now Gillette. Happy belated Thanksgiving, and welcome to the second 307 Politics newsletter! This one is being filed early, so check trib.com/307politics in case any news broke over the holiday break. Please encourage friends to sign-up for the newsletter at trib.com/emails. URANIUM ONE AND BARRASSO -- I just wanted to make sure that none of our uranium got sent to Russia, Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barrasso told the Star-Tribune in 2010 about a series of letters he sent to federal regulators regarding the sale of Uranium One Inc. to a state-owned Russian company. Amid the federal investigation into President Donald Trumps ties to Russia during the 2016 election, right-wing media has begun fostering a conspiracy related to Hillary Clintons role in the Uranium One transaction. The premise is that Clinton sold some huge share of American uranium reserves to the Russians. That theory has been pretty widely debunked by outlets including Fox News, though Barrasso has been concerned about the deal since well before it was fodder for Breitbart. Barrasso asked the Justice Department last month for any information that DOJ sent to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which approved the purchase of Uranium One. -- DISHEARTENED AND DISTURBED: "I am extremely disheartened and disturbed by recent reports indicating that CFIUS approved the Russia-Uranium One deal despite the fact that the Department of Justice, a member of CFIUS, possessed evidence of corruption by Russian nuclear energy officials in the United States," Barrasso said, according to the Washington Free Beacon. -- WHAT TO BELIEVE? Like many of the real and alleged scandals swirling around the Clintons, the Uranium One deal sits somewhere between news and rumor. But with Barrasso chasing documents related to the deal this is something to keep an eye on. *** Know something? Say something. Tips to arno.rosenfeld@trib.com *** LAWMAKERS REJECT FEE INCREASE -- Secretary of State Ed Murray was celebrating after the Legislatures Joint Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions Committee voted not to increase the states business filing fee from $50 to $75 last week. Its the wrong time and not necessary, Murray told me. "The elasticity with the price increases is so sensitive that a fee increase actually leads to a decrease in the revenue due to decisions to not refile." Murray has long opposed raising filing fees or making it harder to incorporate business in Wyoming despite concern that the state might be serving as a tax haven, a notion the secretary disputes. -- WELL KNOW BY JANUARY: Murray, a prospective candidate for governor, said hes hoping to make a decision on whether to run by the end of the year. Thats sooner than State Treasurer Mark Gordon is expected to decide. Gordon has said before that he expects to announce his decision after the Legislature finishes its session in March. Murray and Gordon, both Republicans, are the frontrunners to replace Gov. Matt Mead. -- ANOTHER NAME: Cheyenne attorney Harriet Hageman is considering joining the race and has create an exploratory committee, according to the Tribune Eagles Joel Funk. Hageman, a member of the rules committee at the Republican National Convention last year, said she has not decided whether to run. I think its false to say that some of the decisions over last few years were fiscally conservative. I would call them fiscally stupid, Democratic candidate for governor Mary Throne told the Jackson Hole News & Guide. -- While the top potential GOP candidates sit on their hands, Throne has been quietly campaigning on a message of economic diversification and support for local government. It's an uphill battle for any statewide Democratic candidate in Wyoming but Throne does has the ability to lay any dissatisfaction voters have with Wyoming government at the feet of Republicans, who dominate the Legislature and control all statewide offices. BEAR ATTACK! -- Four people have been attacked by bears in Wyoming in this year. You have an increased density of bears, humans in the picture because of hunting season thats potentially one of the reasons this year was high conflict, Wyoming Chief Game Warden Brian Nesvik told the Star-Tribune. REFORM PASSES HURDLE -- Maybe that whole issue of criminal justice reform can be tackled in increments, Rep. Dan Kirkbride, R-Chugwater, said at a Joint Judiciary Committee meeting last week. WyoFile's Andrew Graham reports that the committee advanced a bill that would allow people on probation or parole to remain free even if they commit minor criminal offenses. The bill would create a system of incentives as well of sanctions for those on parole. MAKE NAFTA GREAT AGAIN? -- ENZI URGES CAUTION: Wyomings U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi was one of the three Republican senators to urge U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to avoid inserting an expiration or sunset clause into any renegotiated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement. "We commend the Trump administration's enthusiasm to ensure that past trade agreements continue to promote U.S. interests. However, it should be clear that any need for a 'sunset' provision in the trade agreements is unnecessary," Enzi wrote in the letter, which was also signed by Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma and John Thune of South Dakota. NAFTA negotiations have been ongoing in Mexico City. ERIK PRINCE WATCH -- Last week I asked what was behind Foster Friess contradictory statements on launching a challenge to Barrasso in next years GOP Senate primary. But many political watchers consider Blackwater founder Erik Prince, who doesnt live in Wyoming, to be the more serious contender. -- BROTHERLY LOVE: Princes sister, Betsy DeVos, is Education Secretary and Education Week reached out to both the department and DeVos herself to ask whether shed be able to campaign or support her brothers campaign. The department declined to comment, but her personal spokesman Greg McNeilly had some choice words for the EdWeek reporters. Betsy does not respond to outlandish hypotheticals churned by ne'er-do-wells of fake news; if the question is does she love her brother, 'yes' is the answer," McNeilly said. Readers may remember that DeVos visited Wyoming earlier this fall. -- INTERESTING COMPANY: In a reminder that Princes founding of the controversial (notorious?) private security contractor Blackwater may crop back up if he chooses to run for senate, the company has ended up playing a bit part in the weird disappearance and reemergence of Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri earlier this month. Hariri traveled to Saudi Arabia to announce his resignation and rumors quickly began swirling that he had been detained in the kingdom. Hariri has since left Saudi Arabia, but while he was there Lebanons President Michael Aoun claimed Hariri was being detained and was under guard by security contractors from Blackwater, which no longer exists by that name. "Vice President Mike Pence is putting his imprint on the 2018 midterm elections, doling out contributions to three dozen Republican candidates many of whom have been steadfast allies of the White House... Among those getting checks is ... Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso," Alex Isenstadt of Politico reports. SEE NO CLIMATE CHANGE... -- Wyoming Lawmakers Don't Care About The Climate Report, reports Wyoming Public Medias Washington correspondent Matt Laslo. Despite the White House approving a federal climate report that cited humans as the primary cause of climate change, Barrasso, Enzi and U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney are unswayed. Cheney said previous climate change gave Wyoming its coal deposits. -- Theres no question that the climate is changing. Our state of Wyoming, clearly we wouldnt have the resources we have, we wouldnt have coal for example, if the climate hadnt changed significantly. Thats the source of all fossil fuels, she said. *** Several of you wrote in with feedback (and some kind words) after last week's newsletter launch. Much appreciated. Keep the ideas coming. And most of all, send me tips! I wont publish your name without permission. You can reach me at arno.rosenfeld@trib.com or 307-266-0634 and find me on Twitter @arnorosenfeld. If you're receiving this email from a friend or are reading it online and want to subscribe, you can do so at trib.com/email. Four environmental groups sued the U.S. Forest Service Monday, charging that its approval of the proposed Rosemont Mine violated 10 environmental laws and seeking to have the approval overturned. The 75-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, directly challenges the service's statement in its June decision approving the mine that it won't violate environmental laws. The Forest Service has long stated that it can't say "no" to the mine as long as it meets all applicable federal laws and regulations. Coronado Forest Supervisor Kerwin Dewberry declined to comment on the suit Monday, saying the agency typically doesn't comment on pending litigation except in formal legal responses. The suit alleged that the mine will violate various water laws and standards, for instance, by reducing flows to Cienega Creek and its tributary Empire Gulch. The suit also warns of water quality violations due to mine discharges of pollutants such as arsenic, iron and mercury into Barrel Canyon, a tributary to Davidson Canyon which in turn flows into Cienega Creek. The suit also says the Forest Service is legally wrong in saying that it can't stop the mine due to a host of laws dating back to the 1872 Mining Act. The service says those laws essentially provide a right for people and companies to mine resources from federal lands as long as they meet environmental laws and rules. But the lawsuit says these laws only apply when a mining company shows it has filed valid mining claims to the federal land. Such claims are only valid if the company has shown publicly that it can mine the area's copper at a profit, which the suit says it hasn't done. The suit was filed by the Tucson-based Save the Scenic Santa Ritas and Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter and the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition. Re: the Nov. 25 article "4 Marana cops leave force after on-duty sex scandal." Not only did their actions and lies demand they be fired, not allowed to resign, they all need to face criminal charges. This is taxpayer monies we're talking about here, taxpayer equipment, and taxpayer funded training. The true cost needs to calculated and assigned to these four, the cost of all the investigations, the training and hiring of replacement officers, and even a monetary value attached to the damaged reputation of the department. It's the same thing with politicians, they can get away with so much because it's not a crime to lie. Make any job that directly pays a person their salary with taxpayer monies more strict in every way and hold them accountable for any related costs should they try to cheat the taxpayers out of performing a good, honest job. Just to say these four's lives are ruined is not enough, it never is, this kind of thing has been going on forever, from police officers to representatives to Presidents! It will continue until the punishment is such that a person would never consider doing this sort of thing and anything less than a prison sentence AND reimbursement of all monies is a slap to the face of all taxpayers. I am NOT paying for them to to go out on duty and fool around and not do their job, nor the time and dollars to investigate their lies. Charles Mitchell Marana Every time I hear Donald Trump proclaim, "God bless (insert subject)," it calls to mind God's rejection of the offering made by Adam's first-born son. Given the fate of Abel, we can all be thankful that God doesn't answer Trump's prayers. Last week Trump pardoned two more turkeys, although unlike Joe Arpaio, Drumstick and Wishbone were innocent on all counts. Clearly, tradition forced Trump's hand in this case, because he has never shown any inclination towards mercy. Re: the Nov. 26 letter to the editor "What you get when you vote Republican." This letter is typical of the sophomoric viewpoints that always seem to get published. A diatribe of name calling and ad hominem attacks totally devoid of policy enlightenment. Just what is it the letter writer objects to? Is it three percent GDP growth, projected to go to four if tax overhaul is passed? More people in the workforce, lower unemployment and rising wages? Perhaps it's record home sales, consumer confidence at its highest in many years and business confidence booming. Maybe she wants more people on food stamps rather than less, as is the case today. Wait, I know! It's border enforcement. There's fewer immigrants entering the country than before Trump. Yep! Us "deplorables" and Bannonite anarchists fell for the snake-oil and look at what's happened to the country without a single major congressional accomplishment. Brad Adair SaddleBrooke Im thrilled by everyones outrage at President Trumps decision to reverse the ban on importing elephant trophies into the U.S., which, thankfully, is now on hold and being reevaluated. I cant help but contemplate, however, that if those same people cared even a fraction about the dead animals on their plates, this world would be a much better place. Help India! By TCN News New Delhi: Campus Front of India organized a seminar on Reclaiming the Constitution: Religious freedom, Secularism and Democracy at Indian International Centre, New Delhi on Saturday, November 25. Support TwoCircles Senior Supreme Court Advocate Dushyant Dave inaugurated the programme and expressed his reservation on the topic. He said, Instead of reclaiming the constitution we should reaffirm the Constitution. We are witnessing the downfall of the constitutional morality in the recent decades. Few decades back judges were honest towards constitution but in the recent period there has been erosion of those values within the lawyers community also, he said. Dr. Ghazala Jamil indicated towards the politics in the definition of minority in Indian constitution. She mentioned the recent conspiracies in the Indic and Non-indic religions wherein Muslims and Christians are being considered as cultural outsiders. Umar Khalid, the student activist from Jawaharlal Nehru University, said, Whosoever is raising voice are being threatened or silenced, by citing the mysterious death of justice Loya. P V Shuhaib, national president at Campus Front of India, said in his concluding remark that despite of many discussion on religious freedom the issue of Hadiya is not getting due attention. He said that Hadiya is going through house arrest because she has willingly converted from Akhila to Hadiya. Further, he added that mainstream civil society and feminist activists are maintaining conspicuous silence on this very important issue. Help India! By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net The Sabarmati Riverfront has been for many, one of the crowning jewels of the Gujarat government during the period of Narendra Modi as its Chief Minister. The riverfront, in Ahmedabad, has been used time and again to show the development that the state has witnessed under the leadership of the BJP. In truth, however, the Riverfront is nothing short of an ecological disaster, with the project denying thousands of Gujarat residents the right to drinking water. Support TwoCircles On the first look, it is evident that the Sabarmati Riverfront developed in Ahmedabad gives a new look to the Sabarmati river, which, like most rivers in urban India, had been on the verge of death. But revealed to the public in 2005, the riverfront is drawing water from drought-prone Kutch area of Gujarat to keep the riverfront alive and beautiful. A tweet trail by twitter user Jayesh Bhatia (@bjayesh9) caught our attention, so we thought to research a bit go the story. As the Sabarmati is a seasonal river and only gets the water during the Monsoon season, the water body has to get the water from Narmada river. And the water from the Narmada comes via Narmada Canal, which was inaugurated in 2008 for irrigation purposes. Various ecological experts and research scholars have already raised the question on the kind of development brought about by the riverfront, but very few have shown concern with the people of Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat, who first have the rights on the water of Narmada river. Amruta Pradhan, a research associate with SANDRP (South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People), wrote in her field study report, City of Ahmedabad or Sabarmati River has no right on Narmada River Water, its the water meant for drought-prone areas of Kutch, Saurashtra and North Gujarat. Thus the water we see in Sabarmati in Ahmedabad is water deprived of the drought-prone areas. The purpose of building Narmada canal was to have a channel so that excess water from Sardar Sarovar Dam could be extracted into Narmada river to avoid the flood. But soon after the riverfront work started, it was a challenge to maintain the flow into the Sabarmati river. The Narmada Canal, as we had showed in our story earlier this month, has also been built at a great cost for the local farmers of the Narmada district. While the canal, which is over 500 km long, feeds water to the rest of Gujarat, the locals allege that they still have to depend on monsoon for irrigation. They also allege that despite losing thousands of acres of land in the canal project, they have received no benefits from the canal and like the Sardar Sarovar Dam, this project too has only led to the destruction of their livelihoods. To ensure the river flow in Sabarmati river, specifically in Ahmedabad region, Gujarat government took two extreme decisions. One, it reduced the width of Sabarmati river to 275 meters from the original 382 meters, and two, it started drawing water from Narmada river through Narmada canal. So for developing riverfront, the original Sabarmati river was reduced to a canal. Another factor hindering into the riverfront project was to keep Sabarmati free of sewage water and let only one hundred percent treated sewage water enter into the Sabarmati water. To meet this demand, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) started working and claimed very recently that it has succeeded in treating every amount of sewage coming down to Sabarmati. But it was revealed in a field study in 2014 that Gujarat government did not actually treat the sewage water, but was dumping the untreated sewage water into Sabarmati few kilometres downstream of Ahmedabad at Vasna Barrage. Himanshu Thakkar, the coordinator at SANDRP talked with TwoCircles.net over the issue. He said, The Gujarat government has been saying that they have rejuvenated the Sabarmati by developing a riverfront, but it seems that they are basically lying. If you look at the facts, the river is a dry stream upstream of Ahmedabad and a sewage body downstream of Ahmedabad. It only looks fancy during the riverfront stretch, which Gujarat government has made by containing it in concrete walls, said Thakkar. The Rs 1,150 crore project of Narendra Modi who was serving as a chief minister of the state by then also compelled Akhilesh Yadav, ex-chief minister of Uttar Pradesh to develop the same riverfront at Varuna and Yamuna river in the state. But what has been ignored that by developing and maintaining the riverfront, the governments have been actually killing fastened the pace of killing the river. Thakkar said, The government basically snatched the water which was meant to help people in times of drought and it is the cleverness of the government that anyone hardly knows about this in Gujarat or in the country. Saurashtra and Kutch regions of the state have been fighting hard for many years to cope up with the state economy, even after receiving low rainfall than the states average. Moreover, it was the cotton and groundnut farmers of the Saurashtra who joined the farmers protest happened in most of the Indian states mid of 2017. The issue of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and the condition of groundnut and cotton farmers of Saurashtra region prevail in current Gujarat election. The state BJP government has been accused of not caring about the farmers who have been delivering despite low rainfall. But the farmers know very little about whereabouts of the Narmada river water. They are not aware of the fact that Narmadas water is being directed to keep riverfront alive. In 2014, after several complaints of mosquito problem in Ahmedabad arose because of stagnant water, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation introduced mosquito repellant inside the river water, making the water even more unusable to use. Officials also claimed that the mosquitoes were harmless and non-infectious, contrary to the scientific findings that mosquitoes were Culex: a carrier for filariasis. Sabarmati riverfront, which is constantly being loaded with several market plaza and amusement setups, is also not immune to the excess flow of water during monsoons. In July this year, the lower promenade of the riverfront drowned after 1.3 lakh cusecs water was released from Dharoi dam, and authorities came under questioning. In the years 2006, 2011, and 2015, the lower promenade was submerged because of the same reason. When TwoCircles.net tried to contact Babubhai Bokhiria, the water resource minister of Gujarat, he put the blame on the local body for allowing the untreated sewage to go into the river body. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the SAUNI (Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation) Yojana in April this year, the tender for which is still to come out. Talking about the same, Bokhiria told TwoCircles.net, We had Sauni scheme in 2012 also. But this time we are more determined to make it possible. The responsibility of Gujarat government irrespective of incoming or outgoing one the task is bigger to deliver a more ecological and socially efficient and healthy development setup to the people of Gujarat. What Momentum has already done to the Labour Party is dangerous, even though they have plenty of 'momentum' for their Trotskyist organisation on their side. With the Conservative Party failing to establish a sensible alternative to this popular movement, for now it is looking likely this group will propel Jeremy Corbyn to power after a better-than-expected general election performance this year. "Our democracy is being further diluted" Boasting a membership base of 31,000, the Young Conservatives could only dream of having numbers like this. Their influence over Labour is staggering. Take the election of Jared O'Mara in Sheffield Hallam this year. Any party wishes they could brag they scooped Nick Clegg's former seat after his dreadful leadership of the Liberal Democrats in 2007-15, but the people of his former constituency would be more fortunate to have the former Liberal Democrat leader representing them. Mr O'Mara's past comments were reported by media outlets for weeks last month, but if this is the sort of caliber Momentum is forcing upon local Labour groups, our democracy is being further diluted. It is not just their candidates that lack substance, but their ideas too. What they are proposing in Bristol would take the UK back to the 1970s. Trebling council tax for Band H properties to 10,000-a-year is only likely to force these property-owners to flee to neighbouring districts where they would pay substantially less council tax. It is a counter-productive proposal that would fail to generate the revenue Momentum desires. This measure, alongside their other crazy ideas like raising parking costs, introducing a congestion charge and a tourism tax, would transform Britain into a socialist haven, as opposed to a tax haven. The UK must be heading towards the latter destination if this nation is to thrive post-Brexit and a Corbyn government being elected so soon after leaving the EU is the worst prospect for an independent nation. "It is their hypocrisy that sets a bad precedent for our democracy too" Alongside their policies and poor candidates, it is their hypocrisy that sets a bad precedent for our democracy too. Guido Fawkes disclosed that Labour has failed to pay any tax on their new headquarters. It is as if it is alright for everyone to pay high taxes, but it is fine for the Labour Party to not pay any. For these reasons, Momentum must be stopped. Given the stranglehold they now have over Britain's second largest party, it is likely that in the near future, Her Majesty's Opposition will remain a Marxist party. Since the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Leader, Momentum has placed a gun at the heart of the Labour Party. The Independent reported on Saturday that the far-left group has pledged to support candidates who back its aims and values through an oath of loyalty. Considering the vast resources and members the group has, it is impossible for would-be Labour MPs to refuse the help Momentum can provide them with. "It is a purge" This oath of allegiance is not only an agreement that the pro-Corbyn group will provide assistance to those who support the Labour Leader's vision of the country; it is a purge of those who do not. How can moderate Labour MPs like Yvette Cooper and Caroline Flint access Momentum's bank of activists unless they sign up to the organisation's values? To receive such support would provide Labour candidates with substantial support that none of the other parties can match for now, even if it comes at a price. But how many Labour members can honestly say they support Momentum's vision? Without Momentum-backing, moderate Labour candidates are at a huge disadvantage. If they won't be ousted by pro-Corbyn members, the electorate may remove them instead. Either way, those who do not share Mr. Corbyn's views lose in the long-term. "He has created a new kind of politics" Mr. Corbyn has been true to his word in one aspect; he has created a new kind of politics. But it is not one which provides much hope for British democracy. With ideas that would end capitalism and an operation that has infiltrated democracy without the need for a revolution, they have achieved what their socialist predecessors did not in the past. What they are planning will make New Labour MPs politically homeless. They will hijack the Labour Party. It will not be long before they reverse all the steps Neil Kinnock, John Smith and Tony Blair took to moderate this party. Clause IV may be reintroduced and the trade unions' grip over Labour may strengthen. The long-term prospects for moderate socialism are dire. Mr. Corbyn and Momentum do not care though. They know those millennials they are appealing to do not remember the Soviet Union. They know this generation is angry they do not have the same opportunities as their parents because of a recession the Labour Leader is blaming on the neo-liberalism that made the latter wealthy in the first place. It is a culture of envy they are breeding. Marxism is the most evil ideology ever created. It is a philosophy of failure. Thanks to a few Labour MPs who felt sorry for Mr. Corbyn, a failed socialist has now become the most powerful man on the left of British politics. The Labour Leader's re-election last year proved how unstoppable he is. He is a poisonous cancer that will not go away in the near future. Tory policies must combat this dogma, otherwise capitalism will be consigned to the dustbin of history. And if that happens, to echo The Sun's words in 1992, would the last person leaving Britain please remember to turn off the lights? One thing that is true of Britain since 1945, as Dean Acheson famously said, is "Great Britain has lost an Empire and has not yet found a role." We have tried to tell ourselves we are still a great power by latching on to the Americans' coat tails and possessing incredibly expensive nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, that is no longer enough. When Britain leaves the European Union, we have a unique opportunity to break out of that 70-year stupor and chart our own course. That, however, means we need to have a reality check. No longer can we rely on creative accounting and luck, we must spend more on our armed forces before it is too late. I wrote some time ago it is folly to think we can march into countries and be able to force our will onto them - as the disasters in Iraq and Libya show. We are not that country anymore. The world is not at our beck and call. Even so, we must spend more on our defences or accept we can no longer afford to carry out the basic tasks that nation statehood entails. Where have all the good men gone? Fortunately, this is an issue that has (finally) been noticed at Westminster. Out has gone the affable, grey man Sir Michael Fallon, the Government's resident bearer-of-bad-news, in has come Gavin Williamson. I don't expect Mr Williamson to be any different, he will follow one of our worst defence secretaries (which takes some going) in dutifully hanging the Forces out to dry when another round of spending cuts comes around. What has changed though is a new generation of MPs is coming through. We saw this week the personally courageous Tobias Ellwood, a minister in the MoD, allegedly threatened to resign if any more cuts were imposed on defence. Thank goodness, someone eventually had the backbone to say something. It goes unnoticed, although, it should not when admirals write in newspapers the cuts have gone too far. I suspect with the heart-warming news about the impending royal wedding, Mr Ellwood's alleged threat will be quickly forgotten. If anyone paid attention at all. No one has had the guts to give up their cushy government job yet, as far as we know, and the new Michael Fallon, Liam Fox, has been wheeled out to play down talk of a rebellion on the issue. Quite why Mrs May even bothers to try to explain away these splits, when most of us are sick to the back teeth of hearing about them, is beyond me. No longer can we pretend this rotten government is on the side of our brave servicemen and women, or that of our proud military history. An opportunity to right the wrongs The Royal Navy, once the most powerful in the world, is now a shadow of its former self. The Army is painfully small and the RAF quietly goes about its business because nobody wants to listen. This is dangerous. Maybe not for this government, or even for the next, but one day we will be caught with our trousers down. We were supposed to have learnt this from the inter-war period when the politicians who tell us that they are modern-day Churchills and would never appease evil while slashing away with the precision of the axe-man. They have consistently missed the insurance payments, and their short-term outlook will damn them. Then again, maybe they are Churchills, the Churchill of the 1920s who mercilessly decimated The Royal Navy. We'll be bombarded with the adverts about it being like a family because nobody wants to join up. And who can blame them? You'll be sent to risk your life and then left to the mercy of unscrupulous human rights lawyers. These unimaginably brave men and women who put their lives on the line are not protected by the sickly platitudes of men in suits. If we can't afford to support adequate armed forces, why are we maintaining a nuclear deterrent? This is the weapon of the superpower, we are not a superpower, we have very simple decisions to make. We must face up to it soon. When a bride and groom decide to get married, usually they schedule the wedding date that is convenient for them. It is considered rude to schedule a wedding without thinking about the guests who will attend. The couple should plan to make their special day a time that will not put a lot of stress and strain on those who are expected to attend the wedding. The bride and groom might think their wedding on a long weekend will be great because people won't have to use vacation time to travel. A lot of people would rather use their extra day doing something they want to do on their own instead of having the day planned for them. Holiday weddings Some holiday weddings are appropriate, but some should be off limits. Not too many people want to attend a Fourth of July wedding. When people get a four-day weekend, they want to do what they want to do without feeling obligated to go to a wedding of a family member or friend. While it might sound like lots of fun to have a Fourth of July wedding, most people would like to go to the beach instead of dressing up and going to a wedding. USA Today has ranked eight Holidays either acceptable or rude to schedule a wedding. Appropriate days New Year's Eve is an acceptable time for a wedding. Some couples want to get married before the year comes to an end. Since a lot of people like to go out on New Year's Eve, attending a wedding is acceptable. It cuts down on the cost of going out to a party. Besides, the food and drinks are free at the reception. Weddings scheduled around Columbus Day, President's Day and Martin Luther King Day are appropriate times because those holidays are usually on a Monday, and the wedding will probably be on the Saturday before the official holiday. Inappropriate times Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and a sacred day for families. Labor Day is the end of summer. It is when people are ending their summer vacation, and parents are getting their children ready to return to school. Attending a wedding might not be at the top of their list. A bride and groom might be inconsiderate to expect family and friends to give up their plans to attend somebody's wedding on those holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the worst times to schedule a wedding. People think the bride and groom who plan their wedding on either one of those days are really inconsiderate. For obvious reasons, they should choose another day instead of either one of those popular holidays. Brides and grooms should be mindful of others when planning their wedding. Wedding planners should help couples plan their date without it interfering with a major holiday that will inconvenient their guests. Donald Trump has been outspoken over a variety of issues, with illegal immigration being at the top of the list. Many have since accused the president of engaging in prejudice in regards to his immigration proposals, including Pope Francis who appeared to take at Trump during a recent statement. Pope on Trump Back in June 2015, Donald Trump stood on the floor of Trump Tower with his family by his side and caused a media frenzy by officially announcing his plans to run for president. During his campaign announcement, Trump faced massive backlash after he referred to illegal immigrants from Mexico as "rapists" and "murderers." Trump's wording caused a quick divide among the American people, which has only escalated in the two and a half years that have followed. Trump supporters were quick to defend him, as they finally found someone who didn't sugarcoat how they felt on the issue of immigration, specifically the notion of building a border wall and possibly signing off on mass deportation. Critics of the president, however, have since accused him of "racism," "xenophobia," Islamophobia," and other forms of prejudice. As expected, the president has denied the negative labels, but the backlash against him has only grown which has been reflective in his 35 percent approval rating. As reported by The Hill on November 26, Pope Francis has delivered a statement that pushes back against much of what Trump has promoted. Pope Francis condemns politicians who use immigration to spread violence and racism https://t.co/bKyTeALilg pic.twitter.com/9BRnpBkVcf The Hill (@thehill) November 27, 2017 In a message that was prepared to be delivered on January 1 in honor of the Roman Catholic Church's "World Day of Peace," Pope Francis has put together what has been titled "Migrants and Refugees: Men and Women in Search of Peace." The pope warned against aggressive backlash to immigrants and refugees, saying that "doing so demeans the human dignity due to all as sons and daughters." "Those who, for what may be political reasons, foment fear of migrants instead of building peace are sowing violence, racial discrimination and xenophobia," Pope Francis notes, calling it "matters of great worry for all those concerned about the safety of every human being." Pope calls anti-immigrant rhetoric 'demeaning [to] human dignity' https://t.co/UdIc5Em8Wq The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 24, 2017 Pope Francis didn't stop there, as he expressed the importance to help those incoming immigrants and refugees assimilate, suggesting people "welcome, promote, protect, integrate" the new arrivals. This isn't the first time that the pope has taken a direct, or indirect shot at Donald Trump. Earlier this year, Francis said the president was "not Christian," and urged him to reverse course on ending the DACA program for "DREAMers." Next up While Pope Francis and others continue to hit back at Donald Trump over his immigration plans, only time will tell if the president will even have enough support to make a move on the issue. Despite Republicans holding the majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, Trump has been unable to get on the same page with enough of his own party to pass much legislation. When Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore was accused of sexual assault with underage women, many wondered how Donald Trump would respond. As the president came to his defense, it appears as if there is even more to the story than meets the eye. Trump on Moore It was one month before Election Day last year when Donald Trump was hit with an October surprise. For the former host of "The Apprentice," his poll numbers had dropped as he was trailing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by sizable margins. Then came the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape, which recorded the president during an interview with then host Billy Bush back in 2005. During the audio recording, Trump could be heard laughing about using his fame and fortune to touch women as he pleased, with the president saying, "when you're famous, they let you do it." Trump would go on to gloat about being able to touch women at will, even saying, "grab em' by the pu**y." Fast forward to preset day and Trump was recently forced to make a decision as to whether or not he would support Roy Moore following the Washington Post report that accused the Republican from Alabama of engaging in sexual activity with various underage women for decades. Trump delayed his comments, but came out in support of Moore earlier this week while speaking to reporters at the White House. According to a report in the New York Times on November 25, which was later doubled down by The Hill, Trump has been telling people that he believes the "Access Hollywood" tape was not authentic. JUST IN: Trump privately claiming infamous "Access Hollywood" tape isn't authentic: report https://t.co/JaKCyFkkgS pic.twitter.com/nCITyqHuwS The Hill (@thehill) November 25, 2017 As reported by the New York Times, Donald Trump believes that the allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and child molestation against Roy Moore could all be a politically motivated smear attack on the Republican. The New York Times notes that Trump has been telling his advisers that the "Access Hollywood" tape could be a fake and that his voice is not the one that was recorded. Trump told a senator earlier this year he wasn't certain the "Access Hollywood" tape, which he acknowledged was him in Oct 2016, was authentic. He told another adviser something similar recently https://t.co/oI6lmniw5h Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 25, 2017 This isn't the first time that the former host of "The Apprentice" has said this, apparently, as he's been reported to have repeated that claim to an anonymous senator earlier this year. Donald Trump's dilemma with Moore dates back to the weeks following the aforementioned "Access Hollywood" tape when a dozen women came forward to accuse the billionaire real estate mogul of a wide range of sexual assault and harassment. Like Roy Moore, Trump has denied each and every accusation. Next up While Donald Trump struggles with how to move forward with Roy Moore, he has other pressing issues on his plate. As health care and tax reform hang in the balance, special counsel Robert Mueller is moving fast in the Russian investigation, which has already indicted several associates of the president from the past and present. Donald Trump has never been shy about his thoughts on his own presidency. After gloating once again on Twitter, critics of the commander in chief wasted no time firing back. Trump on himself When Donald Trump kicked off his campaign for president back in the summer of 2015, most people didn't give him a realistic chance for success. As the months moved on, the former host of "The Apprentice" picked up steam and rode that momentum to the GOP nomination at the Republican National Convention. Just a few months later and Trump was able pull off the shocking upset over Hillary Clinton to become the 45th President of the United States, in what has become one of the most controversial election results in American history. Since then, Trump's presidency has been marred by inaction, in-fighting within the GOP, as well as the cloud of Russian election interference hanging over his entire administration. With little to no progress being made on his core campaign promises, the billionaire real estate mogul has watched his approval rating drop under 40 percent in the most recent round of polling. Despite this, Trump has dismissed the notion that he's had a rough start to his time in the White House, which continued during a self-congratulatory tweet on November 26. Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017 Taking to Twitter on Sunday afternoon, Donald Trump decided to give himself a much-needed ego boost. "Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia," Trump tweeted out. In the second half of his tweet, Donald Trump went on to claim that he's had the best start to a presidency in the history of the United States. "Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President," he wrote, before concluding, "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Twitter responds Immediately after Donald Trump gave himself a compliment on social media, those who oppose the president were quick to react. "I agree! You are easily the best and most accomplished Russian dictator weve ever had. Thank you Good Sir!" one tweet read with humor. Dont you think hes the BEST self-praiser though? The most AMAZING self-praiser??!!! Shields Cartoons (@shieldscartoons) November 26, 2017 You really dont know how things work do you? You are working UNDER the Obama budget you inherited when you came to office. When yours is I acted the economy will crash and as for Russia you will be exposed and tried! Dasani (@Dasani_01) November 26, 2017 By doing more do you mean playing more golf than any other President in history? Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) November 26, 2017 "Discrediting the media and making it appear as though Obamas economy is really your economy wont save you from the wrath of Mueller," another Twitter user wrote. "Getting nervous, comrade? 'Russia, Russia,Russia' will mean the end of your comical reign as America's head stooge," an additional tweet noted. LoL, our economy was just fine before you had the Russians steal the election for you. YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING! phillfoss (@phillfoss1) November 26, 2017 Keep in mind that all of the economic enhancements you brag about were put in motion well before you too office, so youre basically taking credit for Obamas work, a man died because he couldnt afford $50 for insulin under your watch, you are the biggest joke that has ever sat Jordan Crisman (@Captainjiggy) November 26, 2017 Oh dear, is someone feeling a little unloved again? Jon Snow (@jonsnowC4) November 26, 2017 "Oh dear, is someone feeling a little unloved again?" news anchor Jon Snow posted. "LoL, our economy was just fine before you had the Russians steal the election for you. YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING!" a follow-up tweet pointed out. The backlash continued to pour in as the opposition to Donald Trump and his ego showed no signs of coming to an end. Christopher R. Gattis, 58, reportedly gunned down his wife, stepdaughter, and his stepdaughters boyfriend on Thanksgiving. Gattis, a full-time youth pastor Grace Lutheran Church, was arrested at his family home by Chesterfield County Police Department officers. Gattis was arrested on-scene late Thanksgiving evening without incident, according to the police. Gattis is on a no-bond hold at the county jail, charged with three counts of first-degree murder, along with three counts of using a firearm while committing a felony, according to WTVR. Police arrived at the familys home in Chester, VA, located roughly 20 minutes from Richmond. Officers were responding to a call concerning a reported alarm when they found three gunshot wound victims. Victims lived with alleged killer The victims are Jeanette L. Gattis, 50, Candice L. Kunze, and Andrew E. Buthorn, 36. The bodies of the mother and daughter were discovered inside the familys home, while Buthorn's body was found in the front yard. The victims died as a result of their gunshot wounds, according to People. Additionally, the victims and the accused killer shared the home, according to police and the Washington Post. Neighbors didnt sleep Thanksgiving night, unaware family having problems Darius Williams, a neighbor, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he heard a bang, which his nephew mistook for a firecracker. Williams, however, stated that he realized that it was not a firecracker. He stated, as well, that he didnt see anything and didnt think much of it. The familys home is situated within a block that has a cul-de-sac, the Post noted. The block was reportedly flooded with flashing police lights. The crime scene was lit up with the police lights and so, too, was Buthorns body, which remained in the yard for hours. Denise Patton, whose home is across the street from the Gattis gray house, said she and her husband, Larry Patton, didnt sleep on Thanksgiving night. Though she didnt know which victim it was, she said, I looked at that body all night, according to the Post. When the Pattons moved to the Dogwood Ridge Court neighborhood around two years ago, Larry Patton stated that the couple welcomed them and they frequently shared meals. Its just sad, he said, their Thanksgiving ended that way, the Post wrote. He also stated that he wasnt aware of any disagreements within the Gattis household. Another of the Gattis neighbors said he was stunned by the shooting deaths, WTVR reported. He described the accused killer as a friend who was a gentle man. He, too, said that he had no idea that the family was having problems. He qualified his statement by noting behind closed doors is behind closed doors. Church members deeply saddened, killings domestic-related police say On Thanksgiving Day, the accused murderer was at Grace Lutheran Church, according to a church member and WTVR. He reportedly attended the congregations holiday feast. A church deacon confirmed that Gattis was a youth pastor. On Friday, the church issued a statement, which relayed that congregation members are deeply saddened by the loss of lives on November 23. Gattis is currently in custody at the Chesterfield County Jail. He is scheduled for a court hearing on Monday in the General District Court. As well, on Tuesday, he is set to appear in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, the Washington Post reported. Police have attributed the homicides as domestic-related. Oakland, California, is a fun weekend destination where you can spend your morning at a museum, the afternoon admiring majestic redwoods, followed by a great meal at one of the restaurants, and an evening at the theater. The city is home to beautiful parks and diverse activities and unique attractions such as Chabot Space & Science Center where you can look at the stars through a telescope. Best things to do in Oakland with kids include the Oakland Zoo which houses rare animals, and the USS Potomac where you can learn about the life of the 32nd President of the United States. We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times. 1. Chabot Space and Science Center Courtesy of Chabot Space and Science Center Chabot Space & Science Center is one of the best educational centers in the U.S. and one of the top Oakland attractions, where visitors learn about the Universe and our planet. Originally founded in 1883 as an observatory, and named after the benefactor of the original observatory, Anthony Chabot, today the center offers an array of innovative exhibits and displays that explore life on earth and in the universe around us. Surrounded by a beautiful forest of redwood trees in the hills above Oakland, Chabot offers scholars, students, visitors and amateur astronomers a range of interactive programs, activity-filled classes, hands-on workshops and special events, as well as a Space and Science Camp for enthusiastic learners. The center boasts three magnificent telescopes, namely Nellie, Rachel and Leah that are open to the public and allow visitors to experience the wonder of the distant stars, planets and comets that make up the universe around us. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland, California 94619, Phone: 510-336-7300 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" Back to Top 2. Lake Merritt Courtesy of Crin - Fotolia.com Home to the first official and oldest designated wildlife refuge in the United States, Lake Merritt is a large tidal lagoon surrounded by lush green parkland and urban city neighborhoods in the center of Oakland. Featuring several artificial islands, which are home to a variety of bird species, the heart-shaped lake in the center of the city has 3.4 miles of grassy-lined shoreline, along which wind paths and walkways ideal for walking, hiking and running. If you are wondering what to do in Oakland CA with kids, this is a great place to visit. The lake features a modern boating center where rowboats, canoes and sailboats can be rented and sailing classes can be enjoyed, a themed amusement park for fairy-tale fans called Childrens Fairyland and a beautiful seven-acre collection of themed gardens known as The Gardens at Lake Merritt. Established more than a half century ago, the Gardens serve as a display of outstanding horticulture and historic preservation and provide a variety of enriching public programs. -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" Back to Top 3. Things to Do in Oakland, California: Morcom Rose Garden Morcom Rose Garden The Morcom Rose Garden is a beautifully manicured garden featuring intricate paths and walkways, a reflecting pool, cascading fountain and thousands of roses. Named after Mayor Frank Morcom, who planted the first rose in 1933, the garden has been a sanctuary of peace and tranquility, as well as a beautiful venue for special occasions such as weddings. The Morcom Rose Garden is one of the best romantic things to do in Oakland. The roses are tended by a group of volunteers called the Dedicated Deadheaders,' who care for the garden and help to keep it in pristine condition. 700 Jean Street, Oakland, California 94610, Phone: 510-238-3187 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" Back to Top 4. Edible Excursions, Oakland, California Edible Excursions Uncover Oakland one bite at a time with a fun-filled foodie tour with Edible Excursions. Offering unique and intimate culinary strolls through some of San Franciscos most famous districts, Edible Excursions is an award-winning food tour company that aims to educate visitors about the citys fabulous foodie scene. Led by founder Lisa Rogovin and a team of expert epicurean guides, tours range from exploring the famous Ferry Building Marketplace, followed by a trip to the infamous Alcatraz, to a wander through the the historic district of Japantown and joining the fray in downtown's craft cocktail bar scene. For gourmands and food aficionados, a tour of North Berkeleys iconic Gourmet Ghetto is a must, as well as a walk through Uptown Oakland's theatre and arts-oriented neighborhood with a visit to Temescal. Tours include meeting the owners and artisans of well-known establishments en route, along with tastings of their delicious fare. Private tours for corporate functions and special events can also be arranged, as well as team-building activities. -- You are reading "Fun Things to Do in Oakland, California this Weekend with Friends" -- You are reading "Fun Things to Do in Oakland, California this Weekend with Friends" Back to Top 5. Fox Theater, Oakland, California Fox Theater Designed with an intriguing and mystical resemblance to an Indian temple, the Fox Oakland Theatre is one of downtown Oaklands most fascinating attractions. Located on Telegraph Avenue, the former movie theater-turned-concert hall presented films through 1970, until it fell into disrepair and was closed for nearly 40 years. After receiving a welcome grant, restoration work began on the theater and the newly renovated theater was opened again in 2009. Today, the 2,800-seat concert hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the Oakland School for the Arts. If you are looking for romantic date night ideas in Oakland, the Fox Oakland Theatre is a great place to visit. This prominent live concert venue hosts performances by notable artists, including Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Kylie Minogue, Alice in Chains and B.B. King. 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612, Phone: 510-302-2250 -- You are reading "What to Do in Oakland, California this Weekend" -- You are reading "What to Do in Oakland, California this Weekend" Back to Top 6. Oakland Museum of California Rue Flaherty/Oakland Museum of California The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is dedicated to telling the story of California. Established in the mid-1960s with the aim of inspiring all Californians to create a better future for themselves and their communities, the museum showcases nearly two million objects dedicated to the natural science, art and history of California. Situated in downtown Oakland, close to Lake Merritt, the museum has an array of exhibits, displays and programs featuring historical artifacts, natural specimens, ethnographic objects and photographs that explore the factors that shaped the state of California into what it is today. Explore magnificent natural landscapes, unique cultures, and the rich history of migration that is an important part of Californias heritage. 1000 Oak St, Oakland, California 94607, Phone: 510-318-8400 -- You are reading "Top Romantic Tourist Attractions in Oakland, California" -- You are reading "Top Romantic Tourist Attractions in Oakland, California" Back to Top 7. Bellanico Restaurant and Wine Bar Bellanico Located in the Glenview district of Oakland and sister to the ever-popular Aperto in San Franciscos Potrero Hill, Bellanico Restaurant and Wine Bar serves rustic Italian seasonal dishes made from locally sourced, sustainable and organic products. Bellanicos brunch, lunch and dinner menus feature Fulton Valley Poultry, natural Australian Lamb, and wild-caught fish and shrimp. Bellanico has a wine bar that offers Old World wines with an emphasis on indigenous Italian varieties. Wines are served by the glass or in various flight sizes so that they can easily be tasted and compared. 4238 Park Blvd., Oakland, California 94602, Phone: 510-336-1180 , From LA -- You are reading "What is There to Do with Kids in Oakland, California" Back to Top 8. Oakland Zoo, Oakland, California Oakland Zoo The Oakland Zoo is a beautiful animal sanctuary in southeastern Oakland that is home to 440 animals. Covering 100 acres, the zoo features modern exhibits and natural habitats in which the animals live, as well as interactive displays and educational programs for visitors to learn about the zoos inhabitants. Nationally known for its excellent elephant exhibit, where the stately giants roam freely, the zoo also features the Valley Children's Zoo, which boasts interactive play structures for children and is home to a range of unusual animals, including ring-tailed lemurs, century-old Aldabra tortoises, pot-bellied pigs, and bats. The Childrens Zoo has a modern Reptile and Amphibian Discovery Room and Bug Room, which is a favorite with younger visitors. 9777 Golf Links Road, Oakland, California 94605, Phone: 510-632-9525 9. Things to Do in Oakland, California: Hive Oakland Hive Oakland Hive Oakland is a unique mixed-use gathering place in Oakland's hip Uptown District, known for its clever specialty restaurants, holistic fitness options, and inviting co-working spaces. The local favorite dining, retail, and work space repurposes historic buildings along the district's Broadway corridor, including the former Drake's Dealership Dodge car dealer space, which has been converted into a delicious 32-tap beer garden and modern gastropub dining spot. Other dining options include Mexican restaurant Calavera, noted for its extensive mezcal and tequila lists, one of the largest and most acclaimed liquor selections of its kind in the country. Visitors can work out at the Truve wellness center or attend a wide variety of events at the Impact Hub Oakland, including events held in conjunction with the city's First Friday art and community evenings. 2335 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612 -- "Best Things to Do in Oakland, California for Locals & Tourists - Restaurants, Hotels" -- "Best Things to Do in Oakland, California for Locals & Tourists - Restaurants, Hotels" Back to Top 10. Things to Do in Oakland, California: USS Potomac USS Potomac Known as the Floating White House, the USS Potomac served as the official presidential yacht for Franklin Delano Roosevelt until 1945. The USS Potomac, now a National Historic Landmark, was opened to the public in 1995 and is only one of three presidential yachts that still exist today. Standing as a memorial to one of Americas most influential presidents, the USS Potomac offers guided cruises to different islands in the bay, including The Bridges of the Bay, Angel Island, the Islands of the Bay, and The Bay Model. Learn about the history of San Francisco Bay and the vital role Franklin Roosevelt played in its development, as well as that of the nation as a whole. 540 Water Street, Oakland, California 94607, Phone: 510-627-1215 11. Pro Arts Gallery and COMMONS Pro Arts Gallery and COMMONS Pro Arts Gallery and COMMONS is a unique multi-use art space and gallery in downtown Oakland, originally founded in 1974 as the Alameda County Neighborhood Arts Program. Since 1981, the gallery has focused on showcasing experimental works following in the tradition of the alternative arts organization movement of the 1970s. All exhibitions are created as collaborations between artists, activists, and art commoners, rejecting the traditional model of gallery curation for one emphasizing critiques and commentary on the region's social issues. Visitors can view site-specific works on display or attend a wide variety of special event programming throughout the year, including film screenings, literary events, symposia, and community debates. Culture and art-related workshops and courses are also offered throughout the year, along with open maker space time for visitors. 150 Frank H Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612 -- "New cool stuff to do in Oakland, California" -- "New cool stuff to do in Oakland, California" Back to Top or Romantic Getaways 12. Art and Soul Oakland Art and Soul Oakland Art and Soul Oakland is an annual summer festival that celebrates local art, music, and food. Held at the Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland, the festival runs for two days and features a variety of local music artists and bands, as well as exhibitions of various visual art elements and dance. Past festivals have seen the likes of Lisa Loeb, Toni Toni Tone, the Pacific Mambo Orchestra, The Lost Prophets and Vintage Trouble, to name but a few. Food vendors offer homemade snacks, light meals, and beverages. An array of activities make the festival suitable for the whole family. 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, California 94612, Phone: 510-444-2489 13. Nido Kitchen and Bar, Oakland, CA Nido Kitchen and Bar Nido Kitchen and Bar is a cozy Mexican restaurant located on the edge of Jack London Square, serving modern, farm-to-table Mexican cuisine and drinks. Translated as nest in Spanish, Nido draws influence and inspiration from Mexicos central and Pacific coast, serving seasonally prepared dishes that echo the bold flavors and tastes of this vibrant country. The unassuming interior boasts scarred concrete and plaster walls, rugged benches and rippled metal doors from industrial storage containers, however, its the sublime food that grabs the attention here. Poultry, pork, and beef are sourced from local producers in support of the community and prepared in-house to ensure absolute freshness, such as their famous hand-made corn tortillas and creamy guacamole. Nidos bar serves an extensive cocktail menu, as well as a variety of tequila, wine, and beers. 444 Oak St., Oakland, California 94607, Phone: 510-444-6436 14. Swans Market, Oakland, CA Swans Market For more than 60 years, Swans Market was the heart of Old Oakland and its major shopping destination. After closing in 1983, the city block that housed the market stood abandoned and dilapidated until the developer EBALDC came up with an award-winning and inspired redevelopment design of the entire block. Todays Swans Market has once more become the place where the neighborhood gathers, eats, celebrates, and shops. Swans contains 18 affordable rental apartments, market-rate condominiums, and a range of businesses. Some of Swans renowned residents are the innovative Mexican Cosecha Cafe, Japanese Izakaya, Rosmunde and Taylors Sausages, and so much more. It now has the best Bay Area food court and is not only the heart of a revived neighborhood but also a destination for foodies from all over town. 538 9th St, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-287-5353 15. Dog-Friendly Restaurants in Oakland: Grand Lake Kitchen Grand Lake Kitchen Featuring locally sourced meals served in a casual space, Grand Lake Kitchen is a favorite sport for gourmet deli in Oakland, CA. Perched right at the tip of Lake Merritt, the dog-friendly friendly neighborhood deli is a very convenient spot for those who are looking for breakfast, a good sandwich, or to pick up some goodies to go. 576 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610, Phone: 510-922-9582 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" Back to Top or Amazing things to do around me 16. Rockridge Neighborhood Heritage & Walking Food Tour Rockridge Neighborhood Heritage & Walking Food Tour The Rockridge Neighborhood Heritage & Walking Food Tour is a three-hour guided tour that covers one and a half miles and stops at six Rockridge eateries. Visitors learn about the food culture, the architecture, and the history of the European-inspired area as they walk through the area and taste the samples. Established in 2014 by Lauren Herpich, the company offers both public tours as well as private tours. Some of the food you can sample during the walking tour includes French pastries, Italian delicacies, dishes prepared by a local butcher, local and international cheeses, Chicago-style pizza, and ice cream. 3527 Mt. Diablo Boulevard #430, Lafayette, California 94549, Phone: 510-604-6546 17. Things to Do in Oakland, California: Esqueleto Esqueleto Esqueleto is a hip boutique opened in 2011 by popular New York City jewelry designer Lauren Wolf, offering two locations in downtown Oakland and in Los Angeles' Echo Park. The store strives to showcase the unique works of trendy independent jewelers and artists throughout the United States, many of whom are personal friends of the store's owners and employees. All of the store's staff are artists, carefully selecting merchandise according to their own artistic eye based on what they would wear and display in their own homes. In-house custom design services are offered by the store, along with personalizations of designs sold by artists. 482A 49th St Suite A, Oakland, CA 94609, Phone: 510-629-6216 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" Back to Top 18. Things to Do in Oakland, California: The Terrace Room The Terrace Room The Terrace Room is one of Oakland's best-kept dinner secrets, housed within the gorgeous 1927 Lake Merritt Hotel building in a space originally opened in 1934 as the Cascade Terrace restaurant. Throughout the 20th century, the historic venue became known as one of Oakland's trendiest nightlife destinations, attracting major celebrities to listen to broadcasts of its live KLX radio shows and dance to performances by big band artists such as Count Basie. Today, the Art Deco-style supper club offers some of the city's most beautiful lakefront views and serves up reinvented American classics prepared with locally-sourced ingredients. Delicious land and sea fare served up at dinner ranges from gourmet fare such as petit filet mignon and health-conscious options such as Impossible burgers to Cajun-inspired options such as blackened catfish and Creole red beans and rice. 1800 Madison St, Oakland, CA 94612, Phone: 510-903-3771 19. Hopscotch Hopscotch Hopscotch is a charming Japanese-American-fusion diner in Uptown Oakland, originally opened in 2012 by owners Jenny Schwarz and Kyle Itani. The diner, which has been acclaimed as one of the Bay Area's top 100 dining spots by The San Francisco Chronicle, serves a seasonally-changing menu of classic American fare infused with traditional Japanese flavors and cooking techniques, highlighting favorites such as griddled beef tongue burgers with sesame aioli and buttermilk fried chicken prepared with chicory, fennel, and pomegranate. Brunch platters are served up daily during the morning and early afternoon hours, including soba biscuits and sausage gravy, pork belly Benedict with jidori eggs and yuzu-infused hollandaise, and tonkatsu sandwiches with cabbage slaw. Craft cocktails favor Japanese influences as well, with a full menu of coffee, tea, and sodas available as non-alcoholic options. 1915 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, CA 94612, Phone: 510-788-6217 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" Back to Top 20. East Bay Regional Park District Courtesy of Yuval Helfman - Fotolia.com East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is a vast system of pristine public parks and trails covering the Alameda and Contra Costa counties on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay. Spanning more than 120,000 acres, the district boasts 65 parks, some of which are wilderness areas, while others offer a variety of outdoor activities such as swimming, boating, camping and fishing. The parks offer more than 1,200 miles (1,900 km) of trails, which link the parks together and are ideal for hiking, biking and horse riding. Within the East Bay Regional Park District is the Redwood Park, which is a tranquil, hidden redwood forest, which offers a peaceful place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. 2950 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, California 94605, Phone: 888-327-2757 21. Duende Restaurant & Bodega, Oakland, California Duende Restaurant A slice of Spanish heaven in the heart of Oakland, Duende is a cozy restaurant that serves authentic regional Spanish cuisine in a warm and friendly setting. Combining traditional and local influences with contemporary flair, a dynamic menu includes a variety of Spanish favorites such as Tapas and Pintxos, selections of Raciones and pans of Paella and Fideua. Striving to capture the spirit of Duende in a glass, the bar offers an impressive cocktail program made with fresh juices, a carefully selected list of Spanish-based wines and beers, and over 20 sherry offerings served by the glass. In addition to sublime Spanish cuisine and fine wine, Duende has a specialty cafe and retail shop called Bodega, which can be booked for private lunches, parties, and special events, and where Duendes collection of Spanish wines, coffee brewing gear, and delicious olive oils can be purchased. 468 19th Street, Oakland, California 94612, Phone: 510-893-0174 22. Things to Do in Oakland, California: Gray Loft Gallery Gray Loft Gallery Gray Loft Gallery has been acclaimed by Kenneth Baker of the San Francisco Chronicle as one of Jingletown's don't-miss spots, originally founded in 2012 on the third floor of one of Oakland's most prominent live-work warehouse spaces. The gallery space, which was named as Oakland Magazine's Reader's Choice best art gallery in 2016 and 2017, strives to provide an alternative to the traditional gallery model for artists living and working in the Bay Area, showcasing rotating exhibitions in a non-traditional art space. Works by emerging, mid-career, and established artists are presented throughout the year as an attempt to engage the Bay Area community and promote the idea that art belongs to all. 2889 Ford Street, third floor, Oakland, CA 94601, Phone: 510-499-3445 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California" Back to Top 23. Things to Do in Oakland, California: Minimo Minimo Minimo is one of Oakland's premiere independent wine shops. Named after the Italian word for "minimal, it focuses on natural wines and ciders from small, independent producers. A 12-foot communal table offers space for consuming purchased wines on site, with corkage fees waived on bottles over $20. Wines by the glass are offered daily. Visitors should note that the shop's tasting area is for guests 21 and older, and that walk-in groups of more than eight will be accommodated based on seating availability. Themed wine tastings are held on certain days. Guests can also rent the shop's tasting area for private events. 420 3rd Street, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-891-1024 24. Chop Bar, Oakland, California Chop Bar Located near Oakland's Jack London Square, Chop Bar is a neighborhood favorite serving breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch and dinner. The menu features dishes made with locally sourced and sustainable ingredients from local vendors, farmers, and producers, supporting and giving back to the community where they can. A comfortable bar serves unique custom-made cocktails using seasonal ingredients, fresh juices and a selection of craft beers and drafts, while a new wine-on-tap system offers a choice of fine wines. 190 4th St, Oakland, CA 94607, Phone: 510-834-2467 More trip ideas: Top 10 Things to Do in San Francisco & Oakland with Kids. 25. Johansson Projects Johansson Projects Johansson Projects is a contemporary art gallery located in Oakland and housing a rotating array of exhibitions from local and regional aspiring artists, as well as internationally renowned creators working in a variety of mediums. The gallery is well-known for offering a truly one of a kind space for the display of visual arts and innovative exhibitions due to the unique design and architecture of the gallery itself. Exhibitions here are typically displayed and organized in inventive, out of the box ways so as to provide visitors with unparalleled experiences that cannot be found anywhere else in the Bay Area. A true curatorial laboratory, Johansson Projects is a premier destination for curators, artists, collectors, and general art enthusiasts to appreciate, connect, reflect, and discuss great works, while also engaging with the wider art community on both a local and national level. The Johansson Projects contemporary art gallery is located at 2300 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612. The gallery is located in the Uptown neighborhood, easily accessed off I-980. If you're traveling to the gallery by public transport, there are several bus stops in the local area, only a few minutes away from the gallery entrance. Phone: 510 444 9140 25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California More ideas: TrueBurger, Oakland, California Owned by two local Bay Area cooks, Greg Eng and Jason Low, TrueBurger is a stylish, contemporary burger bar that serves classic American burgers, fresh milkshakes and crispy fries. Made with daily ground and hand-formed pasture-raised beef without hormones or antibiotics, seasoned and seared diner-style on a fresh bun, its no wonder that TrueBurger is one of the best in area. Accompanied by piles of crispy, golden, thinly-cut fries, and freshly whipped milkshakes made with premium ice cream and unique mix-ins such as toasted marshmallows, peanut butter, Twinkies, and Oreos, this is real American dining at its best. 146 Grand Ave., Oakland, California94612, Phone: 510-208-5678 You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Oakland, California " Back to Top Whether you are looking for a last minute weekend getaway or planning to attend one of the famous annual events in the area, Santa Fe, New Mexico, is an exciting vacation destination, filled with beautiful architecture, a diverse selection of art galleries, shopping, fantastic restaurants and fun activities. Take a cooking class, watch an opera performance and explore colorful art galleries while learning about the towns rich cultural heritage. Here are the best things to do in Santa Fe, NM on a day trip or weekend getaway. We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times. 1. Canyon Road Arts, Santa Fe, NM Photo Credit, Chris Corrie Nestled at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Canyon Road is a picturesque trail showcasing the heritage of Santa Fes famous arts scene, with a fantastic selection of arts, crafts, shopping and cuisine to explore. Traditional adobe architecture reflects old world charm along the half-mile route, which is home to over 100 galleries, artists studios, quirky clothing boutiques, stylish jewelry shops and handcrafted furniture stores. Art collectors will delight in the variety of genres, ranging from modern and abstract to figurative and Native American, displayed in the galleries along the way, as well as an array of other art, sculptures and graphics. If you are wondering what to see in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Canyon Road is a great place to start exploring. Handmade gold jewelry and traditional Santa Fe silverwork glistens on display, while beautiful pieces of handcrafted furniture, Native American pottery, handwoven rugs and colorful Folk Art highlights the history of the region. If you are wondering what to do in Santa Fe, Canyon Road is a great place to start exploring. A number of restaurants and cafes along the trail offer delicious local and international cuisine in elegant or casual settings, with beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top 2. New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe, NM Courtesy of John Tomaselli - Fotolia.com Formerly known as the Museum of Fine Arts, the New Mexico Museum of Ar is the oldest art museum in New Mexico and showcases traditional, regional and contemporary artworks. Designed in a traditional pueblo style, the building in which the museum is housed played an important role in the Pueblo Spanish Revival style of architecture, for which Santa Fe is well known. Home to a permanent collection of over 20,000 works, the museum features works by Southwestern artists from the historic Taos and Santa Fe colonies, such as the Cinco Pintores collection, and the Taos Society of Artists, as well as new-age contemporary art from around the world. Contemporary collections include works by Gustave Baumann and Lucy Lippard, as well as well-known American photographer Jane Reeves and some Georgia OKeeffe paintings. Located within the museum is the St. Francis Auditorium, which hosts a variety of cultural and musical organizations, including the Santa Fe Community Orchestra. 107 West Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, Phone: 505-476-5072 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top 3. Georgia OKeeffe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico Georgia OKeeffe Museum Named after one of the most compelling artists of the 20th century, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the world-renowned female artist. The museum is home to the largest single collection of O'Keeffe's work in the world - over 1,000 works, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures dating from 1901 to 1984, until the artist began to lose her eyesight. OKeeffes images are instantly recognizable in their large abstract forms. The museum also displays works of her famous contemporaries, such as Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock, as well as by living artists of distinction, and has a world-renowned Museum Research Center that is the only research facility in the world dedicated to the study of the American Modernism movement. 217 Johnson St, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, Phone: 505-946-1000 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top 4. The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian Founded in 1937 by Mary Cabot Wheelwright and Navajo medicine man, Hastin Klah, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian is devoted to showcasing contemporary and historic Native American art. The museum maintains a variety of important collections relating to the Native American Navajo and other tribes of the Southwest, as well as exhibitions of contemporary and traditional Native American arts, featuring celebrated artists. The museum has also achieved a reputation for showcasing new and little known artists through vibrant, creative and expressive displays of art works and other Navajo traditions such as beadwork, basketry, weaving and embroidery. Turning 75 this year, the museum is the oldest private, non-profit museum in New Mexico. 704 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, Phone: 505-982-4636 or Toll Free: 800-607-4636 -- You are reading "Fun Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico this Weekend with Friends" -- You are reading "Fun Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico this Weekend with Friends" Back to Top 5. Santa Fe Farmers Market, Santa Fe, NM Courtesy of s1rus - Fotolia.com Established in the late 1960s by a small group of farmers, the Santa Fe Farmers Market now represents over 150 vendors and is New Mexicos largest farmers market. Operating year-round on Saturdays due to the demand for fresh, local produce, the market offers an incredible variety of agricultural products, from farm-fresh produce and nursery plants to handcrafted items and baked goods. If you are wondering what to do in Santa Fe on a Saturday morning, this is a great place to soak up the local vibe. All of the products at the market are grown or made in New Mexico. Since reselling is not allowed, all the products are grown or made by the vendors selling them, supporting sustainable farming and the local surrounding communities. If you are looking for things to do in Santa Fe with kids, this is a great place to visit. 1607 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, Phone: 505-983-4098 -- You are reading "What to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico this Weekend" -- You are reading "What to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico this Weekend" Back to Top 6. Santa Fe International New Media Festival Courtesy of Gordon Bussiek - Fotolia.com Santa Fe International New Media Festival is an annual media festival that takes place in Santa Fe that unites and celebrates both established and emerging artists from all over the world. The festival showcases artists works through a variety of mediums, including exhibitions, presentations, panels and workshops, and multi-media performances, all of which are free to the public to enjoy. Historically renowned for being a destination for the arts and technology, as well as its exceptional environmental beauty, New Mexico has fast become a popular gathering place for new media artists from around the globe to join forces and work towards the development and enhancement of art, science and technology. -- You are reading "Top Romantic Tourist Attractions in Santa Fe, New Mexico" -- You are reading "Top Romantic Tourist Attractions in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top 7. Heritage Inspiration Santa Fe Roques Jean Chris/stock.adobe.com Heritage Inspirations provides all-inclusive guided itineraries deep into New Mexico, combining adventure, culture, art, heritage, and nature of this magical part of the country. Their exclusive tours can be a full or half day and include meals, lodging, activities, and transportation. The tours of the Santa Fe region include the Bandelier National Monument Hiking Tour, Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks plus Wine Tasting Hiking Tour, Historic Architecture & Interiors Walking and Wine Tasting Tour, the Fashionista Shopping and Wine Tasting Tour, and Magical Heirlooms of Chimayo Tour. The groups are small in order to provide full attention to each client. The tours are luxurious, authentic, and sophisticated and introduce a New Mexico that regular tourists do not experience. Phone: 575-779-5516 , From LA -- You are reading "What is There to Do with Kids in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top 8. Santa Fe Indian Market Courtesy of Santa Fe Indian Market - Fotolia.com Taking place during the second week in August, the Santa Fe Indian Market is a Native art market and cultural celebration held in Santa Fe each year. Produced by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), the market has been running for 93 years and is the largest cultural event in the Southwest. Held each year in August, over a thousand Native artists come to Santa Fe to display their works in a week-long celebration of Native arts and crafts. The market draws visitors from all over the world to view and purchase the art, as well as learn about contemporary Indian arts and cultures. The market is preceded by Indian Market Week, which is a series of events that focus on the rich heritage and culture of the Native American people, and features Native film, music, literature, fashion and visual art. 215 Washington Ave, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504, Phone: 505-983-5220 9. Kakawa Chocolate House Kakawa Chocolate House Kakawa (meaning cacao or chocolate) Chocolate House is an artisanal chocolate company in Santa Fe that produces and sells exquisite handmade chocolates, rich drinking chocolate elixirs, and homemade ice cream. Drawing inspiration from chocolates long history, Kakawa fuses original Mesoamerican and Colonial chocolate recipes with fresh, seasonal ingredients to recreate new and innovative delights, including one-of-a-kind truffles and dark chocolates, rich drinking chocolate elixirs, regional agave caramels, and melt-in-your-mouth homemade ice cream. The chocolate aficionados boast a variety of contemporary flavors, such as Cherry-Chili and Acai, Pomegranate, Hibiscus flower, and Mescal, as well as an array of classic European-style truffles, such as Earl Grey, Espresso, and Classic French Dark. If you are looking for things to do in Santa Fe NM with kids, this is a great stop. 1050 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, Phone: 505-982-0388 -- "Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico for Locals & Tourists - Restaurants, Hotels" -- "Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico for Locals & Tourists - Restaurants, Hotels" Back to Top 10. The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art is the United States' only museum focusing on the art of the Spanish Colonial period, with an emphasis on works created by Hispanic Southwest artists. The museum, which was opened to the public in Santa Fe in 2002 in a beautiful Spanish Pueblo Revival-style building designed by architect John Gaw Meem, showcases an impressive collection of visual art, furniture, and textiles, including collections of devotional and decorative artworks. Exhibits include La Casa Delgado, which recreates the estate inventory of noted captain and merchant Manuel Delgado. Young visitors can try on traditional historical outfits at the museum's Costume Corner, including Spanish Colonial and 19th-century pioneer garb. Rotating special art exhibits are showcased, including national traveling exhibits focusing on Spanish Colonial art. 750 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, NM 87505, Phone: 505-982-2226 11. Things to Do in Santa Fe: Astronomy Adventures Courtesy of raydaddy - Fotolia.com Experience the magnificent New Mexican night sky with a stargazing tour with Astronomy Adventures. Enjoying its second decade of star-spotting, Astronomy Adventures offers educational and entertaining guided night sky tours. Experience the breath-taking grandeur of twinkling stars on a pitch-black canvas without the interruption of city lights. Tours are led by a friendly, professional guide, who uses a large Newtonian reflector telescope to highlight interesting objects in the night sky and help make sense of what is being seen. With a diameter of 20 inches (.51 meter), this extremely powerful telescope can show impressive amounts of detail on the moon and surrounding planets, as well as galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. Tours are offered throughout the year at the Astronomy Adventures dark site, which is a short drive from Santa Fe. If you are looking for fun family things to do in Santa Fe, this is a great activity. Your own transport is required. -- "New cool stuff to do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" -- "New cool stuff to do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top or Romantic Getaways 12. Things to Do in Santa Fe: Compound Restaurant Compound Restaurant Designed by Alexander Girard and headed up by Executive Chef, Mark Kiffin, the Compound Restaurant has become one of the region's go-to eateries for its distinctive style, elegant charm, and outstanding cuisine. Embracing the restaurant's rich heritage and regional influences, Kiffin celebrates these factors in his menu, which consists of an award-winning mix of Southwestern ingredients and New World flavors in dishes, such as braised pork-filled ravioli tossed in a Parmesan cream and black truffle sauce. Adorned with classic folk art and exuding a laid-back, distinctly Santa Fe feel, the restaurants has since been the recipient of many awards and continues to be one of the towns most popular eateries. Open all year round, The Compound Restaurant serves lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday. 653 Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, Phone: 505-982-4353 13. Jambo Cafe Jambo Cafe Meaning hello in Swahili, Jambo Cafe is an effusive mix of award-winning African-Arabic inspired cuisine served in a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere, and warm and welcoming hospitality from owner-chef Ahmed Obo. Hailing from the tiny island of Lamu, off the coast of Kenya, Obo draws inspiration from his deep African roots and his mothers aromatic kitchen, where he learnt everything he knows, to produce his very own exotic fusion of Swahili fare. Exuding aromatic spices, scents, flavors from around the world, with rich Arabic, Indian and European influences, Obos mouth-watering fare draws visitors from afar to dine on his unique dishes in a distinctly African ambiance. Tuck into fragrant, cinnamon-dusted plantains, spicy chicken curry or goat stew, or coconut-peanut kebabs surrounded by warm ochre walls adorned with paintings of lions on the Serengeti. 2010 Cerrillos Rd., Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, Phone: 505-473-1269 14. What to Do in Santa Fe: Second Street Brewery master1305/stock.adobe.com Second Street Brewery is one of Santa Fe's premiere brewpubs, originally opened to the public in 2010. Today, the brewery offers three locations throughout the city, including its Rufina Taproom in the city's industrial zone and a location within the Santa Fe Farmer's Market. A constantly-rotating selection of brews are served up at all three locations, including refreshing flagship favorites such as the company's 2920 IPA, Agua Fria Pilsner, and Boneshaker Special Bitter. Seasonal and experimental brews are also available at all locations, along with menus of high-quality gastropub fare. Burgers, sandwiches, and wraps are served up throughout the day, along with shareables such as New Mexico farmer's plates, buttermilk tempura calamari, and the brewery's signature beer-steamed mussels. 2920 Rufina St, Santa Fe, NM 87507, Phone: 505-982-3030 15. Santa Fe Opera Courtesy of lapandr - Fotolia.com The Santa Fe Opera (SFO) is an American-owned opera company that features a wide range of operatic repertoires, and hosts popular cultural festivals each summer. Established in 1956 by founding director John Crosby, the Opera Association of New Mexico began to present operas from its newly built Santa Fe Opera House and has since staged numerous American and international premieres, with several new operas in commission. Commanding breath-taking vistas of the surrounding mountains, the state-of-the-art, open-air Crosby Theater is a modern fusion of traditional materials with contemporary style, a fine example of an award-winning architectural design. The theater is surrounded by 155 acres of beautifully manicured campus grounds, also home to the Stieren Orchestra Hall. If you are looking for romantic things to do in Santa Fe in the evening, the Santa Fe Opera is a great place to go. 301 Opera Dr, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87506, Phone: 505-986-5955 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top or Amazing things to do around me 16. Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen is a global fusion dining spot in Santa Fe, owned and operated by Fiona Wong and Soma Franks since 2012. The seasonally-inspired restaurant offers excellent breakfast and lunch fare served up in an airy space in the city's Midtown district, crafted with fresh, natural ingredients that are sourced organic and sustainable whenever possible. High-quality dinner entrees include East Indian daal, chile rellenos, Salmon donburi, kimchi fried rice, and bison burgers, served up alongside shareable plates such as Korean-style drunken shrimp, patatas bravas, and yucca root flatbread pizza. Many vegetarian, vegan, Paleo, and gluten-free dishes are offered to accommodate diners of all dietary needs. An extensive menu of craft brews is available, served up alongside imported sakes and organic and biodynamic wines. 1512 Pacheco St Bldg B, Santa Fe, NM 87505, Phone: 505-795-7383 17. Things to Do in Santa Fe: Santa Fe School of Cooking Courtesy of exclusive-design - Fotolia.com Food-lovers, aficionados and gourmands will delight in the offerings at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, where you can experience Santa Fe's rich culinary traditions, learn the techniques of master chefs, and of course taste the towns unique mouth-watering cuisine. The school offers a range of culinary-based experiences, including regular cooking classes, demonstration classes by professional and award-winning chefs, hands-on classes and specialty classes, which focus on cuisine from a certain region. Enjoy fantastic Restaurant Walking Tours, where, under the expert guidance of one of the schools knowledgeable staff, you take a leisurely stroll to the restaurant of your choice to watch the chef prepare the delectable dishes you will be served for lunch or dinner before dining in style. The school has partnered with some of the best restaurants in Santa Fe to offer these unforgettable culinary journeys. You can also enjoy a Shop Walking Tour, where you can learn about local products and other appetizing treats before purchasing them for your own kitchen. 18. Turner Carroll Gallery, Santa Fe, NM Turner Carroll Gallery Turner Carroll Gallery is a world-class art gallery that was originally opened in 1991 by Tonya Turner Carroll and Michael E.S. Carroll, experienced art connoisseurs and gallery operators. The gallery focuses on international contemporary art pieces by established artists with museum resumes, including Robert Rauschenberg, Mavis McClure, Deborah Oropallo, Wanxin Zhang, and Fausto Fernandez. Many artists have been showcased at top museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Vatican Museum. Diverse works from around the world are highlighted, including important collections of pieces from Romania, Ireland, and Mexico. New exhibits are showcased monthly, with special events hosted periodically, including cocktail tastings, exhibition openings, and holiday events. 725 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, Phone: 505-986-9800 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top 19. Kokopelli Rafting Adventures Courtesy of Alexey Achepovsky - Fotolia.com Enjoy an exhilarating white-water rafting adventure on the Rio Grande River with Kokopelli Rafting Adventures. Whether you are looking for a challenging adrenalin fix or a relaxing amble down the river, Kokopelli has a variety of trips to suit every taste. The Racecourse: Kokopellis most popular rafting trip, the Racecourse is ideal for both beginners and experienced rafters, with tours ranging from a wild Class III+ ride during the high water levels of the spring, to a more challenging run as the water recedes in during the months of July and August. The tour takes you through a magnificent basalt gorge near the historic site of the Pueblo revolt of 1854. This fantastic trip also offers the opportunity for boat surfing and swimming along the way. Rio Grande Float: For a mellow meander, the Rio Grande Float trip is ideal. Float past rolling hillsides and rugged rock canyons in an oar-powered raft or paddleboat, where you can relax and soak up the beautiful natural scenery floating past. 20. What to Do in Santa Fe: Santa Fe Art Tours Santa Fe Art Tours Santa Fe Art Tours offers engaging experiential tours of Santa Fe's lively arts and culture scene, available Wednesday-Friday throughout the year. Private tours are available by request as well. The tour company, which was founded by Elaine Ritchel, showcases the city's top art galleries and museums as part of public or private walking tours for small groups. Tours prioritize quality over quantity, spending more time at each location to provide an in-depth art experience. Standard tour options include a two-hour exploration of Santa Fe's Canyon Road arts district, a tour through the city's historic downtown plaza area, and a sensory-focused tour experience that includes chocolate elixir tastings at the Kakawa Chocolate House. Special tour experiences offered throughout the year include art and yoga tours, Railyard district maker art tours, and culinary and art tours offering wine and cheese tastings. Phone: 505-985 5298, santafearttours.com 21. Rooftop Pizzeria Rooftop Pizzeria Perfectly located on the rooftop of the Santa Fe Arcade shopping center above the bustling streets of Santa Fe, Rooftop Pizzeria is an ideal spot to catch the sunset over delicious gourmet pizzas, homemade pastas and a mouth-watering array of antipasti and salads. Delicious antipasti such as smoked duck drizzled with balsamic and sesame vinaigrette and topped with roasted red pepper cream cheese or oven-baked prosciutto and stuffed Crimini mushrooms with melted mozzarella make the perfect start to a main course of Lobster Linguini or gourmet pizza with artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives and goats cheese. Wine is served by the glass or the bottle, of which there is an extensive menu of both local and international vintages, as well as bottled beer, ciders, and beer-on-tap. 60 East San Francisco St. # 301, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, Phone: 505-984-0008 -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" -- You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico" Back to Top 22. Tomasitas Tomasitas Boasting the best Red Chile, Green Chile and chilled Margaritas, Tomasitas is one of Santa Fes oldest restaurants, serving classic northern New Mexican cuisine for over 40 years. Located in the century-old brick building that was once home to the famous Chile Line, Tomasitas is owned by the Maryol/Gundrey family whose passion for New Mexico and its regional flavors shines through the restaurants warm and welcoming ambiance and heavenly menu. Casual and relaxed, high ceilings and worn wooden floors feature a station-like spaciousness with cozy booths, round tables and paper napkins. Live mariachi music accompanies the great food and long list of margaritas on Tuesday nights and food is served in authentic red or green ceramic bowls. Dont visit without trying Sopaipillas, The Bowl, chicken enchiladas with egg, and anything Christmas. 500 S Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, Phone: 505-983-5721 23. Things to Do in Santa Fe: Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe Located just west of Santa Fes historical downtown district and surrounded by magnificent panoramic views of the Sangre de Cristos, Sandia, Ortiz and Jemez mountains, Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe offers a fantastic golf experience. Designed by master landscape architect Baxter Spann, the 18-hole championship golf course and executive par 3 course called The Great 28 has received several awards. The course is home to a 35-station all-grass driving range, manicured practice greens and a bunker. Professional staff and PGA certified teaching professionals are on hand to offer help and advice, a Pro Shop provides all the latest equipment and rentals, and The Links Bar and Grill is an ideal gathering place after a game. 205 Caja del Rio Road, Off Highway 599, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507, Phone: 505-955-4400 24. Peyton Wright Gallery weris7554/stock.adobe.com Peyton Wright Gallery houses one of Santa Fe's most significant collections of modern and historic art, with a focus on 20th-century post-war and modern American artworks. The gallery, which is housed within the National Register of Historic Places-listed Spiegelberg House, is anchored around the estate works of Herbert Bayer and Stanton MacDonald Wright, known for its museum-quality showcases of Spanish Colonial art. Significant holdings include 17th, 18th, and 19th-century Viceregal paintings, pre-Columbian textiles and artifacts, and impressive collections of Spanish Colonial silver and furniture. Works by noted Modernist artists are also showcased, including pieces by William Lumpkins and Oskar Fischinger. 237 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501, Phone: 505-989-9888 25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico More ideas: Santa Fe Independent Film Festival The Santa Fe Independent Film Festival was established in 2008 to advance innovative, independent, and cutting-edge cinema. For five days, the diverse community of Santa Fe, New Mexico, becomes a mecca for cinephiles and filmmakers and is the most attended area film festival. The festival promotes both emerging and established filmmakers by showcasing their feature and short films in the relaxed and unassuming atmosphere of downtown Santa Fe. Artists can meet their peers and fans every night at a different venue, enjoy the festival atmosphere, and form professional connections. Santa Fe has become one of the worlds biggest theater cities, with the 11-screen Violet Crown, the historic Lensic Theater, George R. R. Martins Jean Cocteau Cinema, the Center for Contemporary Arts, and The Screen. 418 Montezuma Ave Office 22, Santa Fe, NM 87501 You are reading "25 Best Things to Do in Santa Fe, New Mexico " Back to Top Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. Around 4,000 people queued up outside and a total of 10,000 visited on the opening day of Swedish brand H&M . Photo vnexpress.net Compiled by Thien Ly Early in November NEM Vietnam, the second largest womens apparel maker in the country, said on its website that it and Stripe International, a Japanese fashion retailer, had begun negotiations for the latter to acquire a stake in NEM. According to Hanoitimes, Stripe wants to take over the fashion business of NEM since it owns the NEM womens fashion brand, which has huge potential with 44 stores across the country and its target customers being women aged 20-40. NEMs revenue is expected to rise by 20 per cent this year to US$26 million. The newspaper also quoted Yasuhary Ishikawa, the president of Stripe, as saying the acquisition of NEM is part of the companys plans to enter the Vietnamese fashion market. Though NEM has not made an official statement yet on the deal, analysts expressed concern that the fashion industry could possibly be taken over by foreign businesses in the near future. Industry insiders said the worry is not without basis since Vietnamese consumers, particularly young people, love foreign fashion brands. For instance, when Swedish brand H&M opened its first store last September 9, a two-storey 2,200-square-metre flagship at Vincom ong Khoi in Ho Chi Minh, 4,000 people queued up outside and a total of 10,000 visited on the opening day. When Zara opened its first store in the same mall last year, it reportedly achieved sales of VND 5.5 billion (US$246,000) on the first day. Other popular fashion brands, such as Topshop and Mango have also recently entered the affordable segment in Viet Nam, with the former opening four stores. Why exactly are such famous foreign fashion brands interested in the Vietnamese market? A recent Nielsen survey found that fashion is one of the categories people are most interested in, with fashion third behind only food and savings as a destination for peoples money. On average, Vietnamese spend VN100 trillion (US$4.05 billion) on clothing every year. Viet Nam has the third largest number of people with a passion for branded clothes in the world after China and India. Data from the Viet Nam Textile and Garment Group shows that the apparel industry is growing at a whopping 20 per cent a. The value of the market now is $4.5 billion a year. The entry of famous foreign fashion brands is naturally intensifying the battle over prices, designs and international features. The Viet Nam Retail Association said there are more than 200 foreign fashion brands, making up more than 60 per cent of the market, selling a range of products from popular to luxury. Some once very famous local brands like Blue, Foci, Viet Thy, Ninomaxx, N&M, Sifa, PT 2000, Sanding, and an Chau are seeing their space shrink and have had to downsize. For instance, Thoi Trang Viet Company, which used to be a phenomenon in the fashion market, has reduced its number of stores from hundreds at one time to just 60 now. Viet Thy has only five stores left, Maxx Style is gone, Blue and PT 200 have to rent spaces at supermarkets and malls instead of having their own shops on high streets as they used to. Some analysts say this situation is not just due to the consumers fondness for foreign brands but also domestic players lack of competiveness. A majority lack deep pockets, talented designers and good management skills and persist with outdated marketing strategies. Thus, the domestic players cannot compete with foreign brands either on quality or on price. Banks woo foreign investors Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, vice president of the Ho Chi Minh Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank), has revealed that her bank plans to sell 20 per cent stake for US$300 million to foreign investors before listing on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange early next year. She said the stakes would be sold to several foreign investors from Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. Viet Nam only allows a foreign investor to own a maximum of 5 per cent in a bank. HDBank is now traded on the Over-The-Counter (OTC) market at VN27,000-28,000. For the first nine months of this year the lender reported nearly VN2 trillion (US$88.2 million) in pre-tax profit, three time the profit in the same period last year. Its assets top VN174 trillion ($7.67 billion). For the full year HDBank expects pre-tax profit of VN2.4 trillion ($105.8 million), which is expected to jump to VN3.9 trillion (roughly US$172 million) next year. Sai Gon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB) also said it was in talks with some banks, investment funds and insurance companies from Norway, Indonesia, Taiwan, and mainland China to identify strategic investors. It hopes to find players from the finance industry so that they can help improve its financial capacity, speed up its restructuring and bad debt settlement efforts and accelerate its development. SCBs biggest attraction is that it is the first lender to be allowed by the Government to sell a 50 per cent stake to foreign partners, which is expected to bring in at least US$700 million. VPBank also plans to sell 5 per cent of its total common stock, the maximum it is allowed to under the law, to the World Banks International Finance Corporation as approved at a shareholders meeting a few months ago. The move is expected to help VPBank, whose foreign shareholding is now at 22.34 per cent, convert its commercial loans into equity. Analysts said the biggest obstacle to banks efforts to find foreign strategic investors remains Decree No.69/2007/N-CP, which stipulates a cap on foreign ownership. It limits foreign investment to 30 per cent in case of banks. The limit takes away the attraction foreign investors have for banks since they have little chance of influencing the management. Many bankers have proposed that the cap be raised to 35-40 per cent. SBV Governor Le Minh Hung has also stressed the need to increase the foreign ownership cap at banks, saying it encourages lenders to attract investors with deep pockets. For banks, increasing their chartered capital is a key task in implementing the high benchmarks of the Basel II Accords in the coming years. Hung said however that increasing the foreign ownership cap is a complicated issue since it has been thoroughly discussed since Viet Nam acceded to the World Trade Organisation and so needs to be considered carefully before being changed. The Government grants special approval for higher foreign ownership on a case-by-case basis. Banks who want to have their foreign ownership caps increased need to seek permission with proper reasons. VNS The revenue of Viet Nams retail sales market will reach over VN11 quadrillion (US$484.58 billion) by 2025 and nearly VN44 quadrillion ($1.938 trillion) by 2035. Photo vneconomy.vn HA NOI The revenue of Viet Nams retail sales market will reach over VN11 quadrillion (US$484.58 billion) by 2025 and nearly VN44 quadrillion ($1.938 trillion) by 2035. This was revealed in the Ministry of Industry and Trades draft strategy on domestic trade development, which is being publicised for recommendations. According to the draft, the GDP of the domestic trade sector will be more than VN419 trillion by 2020, VN700 trillion by 2025, and VN2.3 quadrillion by 2035, contributing roughly 15.5-16 per cent to Viet Nams GDP by 2030. The annual growth rate (excluding the price factor) of the countrys total revenue from retail sales of goods and services for the period from now to 2020 will average at 13 per cent per year, and rise to 14 per cent in 2021-25. The value will reach some VN5.8 quadrillion by 2020, VN11 quadrillion by 2025 and VND44 quadrillion by 2035. Domestic economic sector will account for some 80 per cent of the countrys total retail sales revenue by 2020, while the foreign direct investment (FDI) sector will make up about 20 per cent before rising to 70 per cent by 2025. The proportion of modern trade models will be roughly 30 per cent, or nearly VN1.7 quadrillion, by 2020. It will rise to 35 per cent or VN3.8 quadrillion by 2025 and 50 percent or VN22 quadrillion by 2035. Modern trade models such as commodity exchanges, auction centres and franchises will be also developed, and e-commerce will be boosted to have more than 60 per cent of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participating in e-commerce by 2020 and 80-90 percent by 2035. For the period after 2025, the GDP of the domestic trade sector will reach some VN2.3 quadrillion by 2035, contributing some 15.5-16 percent to Viet Nams GDP by 2030. The annual growth rate of total retail sales of goods and services will average at 14.5 percent per year in the period and reach over VN11 trillion by 2025 and VN44 quadrillion by 2035. The trade system in the countrys urban areas will be streamlined to meet the standards of ASEAN 4 by 2035. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the strategy was drafted based on data during the period from 2011 to 2015 when the GDP growth rate of the domestic trade sector was 9.05 per cent per year. Besides, the ministry also based its strategy on the evaluation and forecast of commercial trends in the domestic and global markets. Viet Nam last year was ranked by A.T. Kearney among the worlds top 30 retail markets with the best opportunities. The countrys retail market last year rose 10.2 per cent over the previous year to VN3.5 quadrillion, according to the General Statistics Office. The market has been an attractive destination for foreign investors thanks to its relatively young population, a rapidly expanding middle class and high living standards. Almost 60 per cent of Viet Nams population of roughly 93 million people is under the age of 35, and is becoming better educated and richer. The countrys average income last year jumped to $2,200 from a meager $433 in 2000, according to official data. The World Bank forecast that Viet Nams $200 billion economy is likely to grow to a trillion dollars by 2035, with more than half of its population, compared to only 11 per cent today, expected to join the ranks of the global middle class with the consumption of $15 a day or more. - VNS HA NOI Viet Nam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) will begin selling diesel under Euro 5 standard, the highest quality of the product in Viet Nam, from the beginning of 2018. Tran Ngoc Nam, Petrolimexs deputy general director, said at a meeting with the Viet Nam Automobile Association (VAMA) held in Ha Noi last week that the group would sell the diesel at 1,750 out of its 2,500 petrol stations nationwide. In addition, it would also encourage its agencies and franchised stations to sell diesel under the Euro 5 standard. Currently, Petrolimex is preparing the necessary conditions to ensure the implementation. Nguyen ang Phuong, production and technology director of Hino Motors Viet Nam Plant, said that automobiles designed to use diesel under the Euro 2 standard, can also use diesel with higher standards, such as Euro 4 and 5. However, the use of fuel of lower standards in automobiles using higher standard ones, could cause technical incidents due to a high sulfur content. This could also cause serious effects such as destroying cylinder liners and engine pistons, Phuong added. He said that diesel under Euro 4 standard has not been widely sold in the market, thus making it expensive, at VN430,000 (US$18) per litre. It might also need to be borrowed from the Viet Nam Registration for experiment production of automobile samples. It is for this reason that auto producers hoped that Petrolimex would sell the diesel under Euro 4 and 5 standards as soon as possible.A representative from VAMA said they proposed to the government to terminate the selling of diesel under the Euro 2 standard, when applying diesel Euro 4 standard. The parallel sale of the two types of diesel could cause confusion for consumers. According to a roadmap set in Decision No 49/2011/Q-TTg promulgated on September 1, 2011, on applying emission standard, tourism cars and buses using diesel are required to use Euro 4 from the beginning of this year and trucks are required to use diesel of Euro 4 standard from 2022. VNS HA NOI The Vietnamese Government is set to rein in the role of the State in the economy and encourage private sector-led growth. This move is due to the countrys rising public debt and State-owned enterprises dominating the development and management of infrastructure projects. The information is evaluated by Asian Development Bank in its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Monitor report that tracks the development of the PPP business environment across ADB member countries and provides insights for governments on structuring a sound environment for PPPs. This is the first edition of the report, which will be released annually. It surveyed nine countries in the region, including Bangladesh, China, India and Indonesia, as well as Kazakhstan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. It will be expanded to include additional countries in subsequent annual editions. The report aims to benefit both policymakers and investors by providing in-depth information and data on the business environment for PPPs over time, enabling infrastructure developers to assess opportunities across countries and sectors. Annual updates to the report will flag important reforms that could attract or deter investors, allowing policymakers to monitor progress in the PPP environment. In Viet Nam, the PPP regulations (Decree 15) enacted in 2015 establish a legal framework aimed to attract more private investment toward the development of national infrastructure. The PPP Monitor outlines the key advances in the PPP framework, which include enabling availability/performance-based payment schemes, removal of the previous limit on viability gap funding of 49 per cent of total investment cost, enabling wider scope of infrastructure projects to be procured as PPPs and establishing processes for PPP project identification, appraisal and approval. From 1990 to 2016, the country closed 84 PPP projects amounting to $16.2 billion, with 79 per cent of the projects in the energy sector. However, there have been no PPP projects that have been implemented under this latest framework. The PPP Monitor finds that current challenges include foreign lenders security issues, as the framework for credit enhancements and guarantee mechanisms remains unclear and the restrictions on mortgage over land-use rights in favor of foreign banks where land is conferred on a rent-free basis. ADB President, Takehiko Nakao, said PPPs were crucial contributors to the development of countries in the Asia and Pacific region, but an enabling environment is required for these projects to succeed. This report will help both policymakers and investors make informed decisions, manage risk better and ensure a more stable environment for PPPs, said Nakao. The report reveals that India, the Philippines and Thailand have the most developed financial markets, which can provide longer-tenor loans (above 10 years) in local currency to support infrastructure. These markets also have a wide array of financing options, including project bond financing. The report finds that China has the most PPP projects that reach financial close; but there is scope to scale up PPPs in the country by drawing on more private sector companies. Among the key trends identified in this years report is that energy generation is one of the most successful sectors in developing PPP frameworks. Thermal and renewable power generation are the dominant sectors for the majority of the countries surveyed in the PPP Monitor. The water sector is also a major area for PPP investment, with over 40 per cent of PPP projects in the PRC in this sector. Challenges remain for further PPP development, including enhanced development of financial facilities, further diversification of the investor base, managing the risk of fluctuating traffic in transport projects, developing a credible pipeline of PPP projects and expanding toward sectors beyond energy. There are many ways countries can overcome challenges to PPP development, said Alexander N. Jett, PPP Specialist in the Office of Public Private Partnership. He said among the solutions are greater use of credit enhancements to attract better financing terms, reducing restrictions on foreign ownership in PPP contracts and introducing annuity payment systems that are based on performance instead of traffic volume to mitigate traffic risk Strengthening the institutional capacity to screen and prioritize projects can also help countries develop a credible pipeline of PPPs, while the development of sector-specific regulations for non-energy sectors would address concerns about key bankability issues, such as foreign exchange risk, said Jett. VNS HA NOI The value of foreign direct investment (FDI) capital in Viet Nam reached US$33.09 billion in the first 11 months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 82.8 per cent. The FDI value mainly came from new projects, additional investment capital and buying stake, the Ministry of Planning and Investments Foreign Investment Agency reported. Specifically, the ministry licensed 2,293 new projects worth $19.8 billion, up 52 per cent compared with the same period last year. Some 1,100 available projects raised investment capital with total value of $8 billion, posting a year-on-year increase of 57.6 per cent. Foreign investors also contributed capital or bought stake with total value of $5.29 billion, up 57.6 per cent. The Foreign Investment Agency estimated foreign direct investment projects disbursed $16 billion, up 11.9 per cent over the same period in 2016. During the period, the processing and manufacturing sectors received the highest capital with $14.95 billion, equivalent to 45.2 per cent of the total. It was followed by electricity production and distribution and real estate business, with total values of $8.37 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively. Of a total 112 countries and territories investing in Viet Nam, Japan led with total investment capital of $8.94 billion, 27 per cent of the total, followed by the Republic of Korea and Singapore with total registered capital of $8.18 billion and $4.69 billion, accounting for 24.7 per cent and 14.2 per cent of total investment, respectively. Of the 59 provinces and cities where foreign investors have put in capital, HCM City has attracted the most foreign investment capital, with total registered capital of $5.68 billion, accounting for 17.2 per cent of the total investment capital. Bac Ninh Province ranked second with total registered capital of $3.28 billion, 9.9 per cent of the total. Thanh Hoa Province ranked third with total registered capital of $3.16 billion, equivalent to 9.5 per cent of total investment. VNS NINH BINH Floodwater from recent typhoons have damaged thousands of one-to-four-year-old peach blossom trees in Tam iep City in ong Son Commune in the northern province of Ninh Binh. The trees were being prepared for the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival which falls in mid-February, but have wilted and died, creating big losses for local farmers. There is a large area of peach-blossom trees in Tam iep City. This is the time of year when farmers enthusiastically get ready for the Tet holiday. However, the trees were submerged in flood water for a week last month, destroying 43ha out of 150ha. Pham inh Thao, a farmer in Village No 7, said that this year his family planted more than 130 peach blossom trees. Before the typhoon, the trees grew well and maintained beautiful postures which were expected to bring high profits, he said. But during the typhoons, more than 100 trees died, and the remainder are starting to wilt. Thaos family estimates it lost hundreds of millions of ong (VN100 million equals US$4,400). Another grower, Ninh Van Manh, a senior planter in the commune, said peach-blossom trees were very dependent on climate, so they were easily affected in the typhoons. More than 50 trees of Manhs family were submerged. To limit losses, Manhs family is putting great effort into caring for the remaining trees. According to preliminary statistics of the ong Son Commune Peoples Committee, more than 4,000 peach blossom trees died since last month. Chairman of the commune Farmers Association, Le Van Sy, said peach-blossom trees were a famous product of the commune. Sy said that in the short term, local authorities and the association advised farmers to replace the dead trees with new ones. They also suggested that farmers should dig drainage ditches and earth-up the trees more to cope with the abnormal weather. With the remainder of the trees, Sy said farmers should give them more fertiliser so they would develop roots. As well as destroying peach blossom trees, the prolonged typhoon last month also caused serious landslides in Tam iep City, affecting more than 30 households. Pham inh Cu, chairman of the ong Son Commune Peoples Committee, said that in the past, peach blossom trees had been the most valuable plant in the commune. On average, local farmers sell 4,000-10,000 trees per year at prices of at least VN300,000 ($13) per tree. The trees are sold in nearby provinces and cities such as Ha Noi, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Nam inh. Last year, the total income from selling peach blossom trees in the commune reached VN10 billion ($444,400). The trees create work for nearly 800 households with nearly 1,000 people in the commune. Head of the Tam iep City Economy Division, inh Huy Hieu, said that to develop the tree industry, since 2015, city authorities had supported local farmers with capital and technical guidance. VNS A NANG Filmmakers and cinema experts at the seminar Viet Nam Film Festival in National Cinema Development, held alongside the 20th National Film Festival, agreed that the event has evolved over the years to increasingly reach international standards. The seminar attracted managers, filmmakers, experts, producers and artists from the whole country. Though the film festival was first held in 1970, this year marked the first time it has included an event to review the role and significance of the festival in the history of Viet Nams cinema development. "The film festival has been meaningful to encourage and orient filmmakers making their contributions to develop the national cinema industry," said Ngo Phuong Lan, head of the Viet Nam Department of Cinema, at the seminar. "The film festival has changed its slogan to suit each period of its nearly 50-year history. It is closely approaching standards of international film festivals in the world." At the seminar, participants discussed the role of the national film festival in recognising and promoting the countrys best cinematographic works before and after unification in 1975. The festival supported revolutionary heroism-themed movies and honoured them during the war time. After the war and during the renewal period, the film festivals have highlighted movies that addressed contemporary social issues and the struggles of post-war society. "The film festivals have shown movies which help movie-goers get to know more about the national history," said Peoples Artist ang Nhat Minh. Awarding-winning works at the film festivals have not only become subjects for researchers and curricula at art schools, but also represent Vietnamese cinema at the regional and international film festivals and film awards. The 20th film festival launches the ASEAN Film Awards for the first time to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN. The two festivals illustrate the potential for national film festivals to support regional and international integration, according to film critic Tran Luan Kim, former chairman of Viet Nam Cinema Association. "Screening and awarding ASEAN movies within the festivals framework is a good idea," said Kim. The ASEAN Film Awards will honour the best movie from nine submissions by Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The awards will be announced at the film festival closing ceremony on Tuesday. The participants also discussed how to make the film festival popular and the importance of having favourable conditions for promoting filmmaking. Film producers also expressed that they need support from the cinema department to increase their competitiveness and reduce financial pressure. Themed Building A Modern and Human Movie Industry, the 20th National Film Festival includes activities such as free outdoor screenings, seminars, an exhibition on Vietnamese cinema and exchanges between actors, directors, producers and audiences. VNS HA NOI Valuable documents are being displayed at an exhibition titled A Century Alongside The Nations History to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Library of Viet Nam. Items include ancient books made from buong leaves of the Cham people and a collection of Han-Nom books, which were written by hand in Nom script (the ideographic Vietnamese script that was widely used between the 15th-19th century) and feature facts and information on geography, history, culture and education. Documents are displayed across four main themes the establishment and development of the library; products and services the library offers; valuable documents stored in the library; and the honourable awards granted to the library by the Government which include labour orders, first, second and third class; and independence order, first, second and third class. With more than 500 characteristic documents selected from more than 2.5 million, the exhibition will offer visitors an insight into the history of the library as well as the contributions it has made to the country over the last century. The exhibition is open until December 17 at the National Library of Viet Nam, 31 Trang Thi Street. VNS Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapores Minister of Foreign Affairs and 2018 chair of ASEAN, tells journalists that to understand the blocs history and challenges, it is important to examine the external environment and strategic forces that have shaped it over the last 50 years. What is your assessment of where ASEAN stands today and the future and present challenges it faces? Today, ASEAN-10 has a combined GDP of US$2.5 trillion and a population of 628 million people, which is larger than the European Union. As always, ASEAN continues to be affected by external developments. Number one, the geo-strategic balance of power is changing again. The key change is the rise of China. And that will continue over the next couple of decades. Another key external factor is that the previous global consensus in favour of trade liberalisation, of economic integration, of investments is becoming very shaky. The third thing which has changed is technology. Its transforming the way we live, work and play. Old jobs are disappearing, middle class wages are under pressure, and there are new jobs being created, but there is a skills mismatch. And it is why governments need to restructure economies, upgrade the workforce, upgrade infrastructure in order to create new jobs, and expand capabilities and skills in our people so as to provide them with new jobs. The fourth factor is more an internal factor; which is whether ASEAN will continue to prioritise unity, cohesion, and consensus. Without ASEAN unity, there will be no ASEAN centrality. And today, when we have an ASEAN Summit, an East Asia Summit, we have top leaders from America, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and even the EU. If ASEAN was not successful, dynamic, united, and there was no centrality, I dont think all these people would bother to come. So this is another thing which ASEAN member states will need to decide, because of our unique way of making decisions and achieving consensus. We must get the balance right between protecting our own national interests vis a vis advancing regional interests and making ourselves collectively have a louder voice, greater weight and more relevance to the rest of the world. Otherwise what we have achieved so far will become irrelevant. So my point is: if you look at the geo-strategic balance of power, you look at the fundamentals of economic growth, you look at the digital revolution and then you look at ourselves internally, and look at whether we will remain united all these are fundamental challenges. What will be priorities for Singapore as ASEAN Chair in 2018? So bearing these (above-mentioned) things in mind, when Singapore becomes the rotating chair of ASEAN next year, we have decided to focus on two themes resilience and innovation. Resilience because we have to deal with both short-term and urgent problems like terrorism, extremism, security threats, and even natural disasters typhoons, floods. So ASEAN both individual member states and collectively we need to be resilient and be able to cope with all these crises. The other area is innovation because there is a digital revolution. There is an urgent need to restructure economies to upgrade and up-skill our people, and to find new engines of growth. We hope that by addressing these challenges collectively, by interconnecting and sharing ideas, and creating a network of enterprises, entrepreneurs, smart cities, we will be able to harvest these new digital opportunities more effectively because we do so as one ASEAN. So thats why we will focus on these two themes of resilience and innovation. How important is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and what would be Singapores push for it next year? We believe in economic liberalisation, we believe in free trade, we believe in an inter-dependent world where we are all invested and cross-invested with each other. We believe this has been a formula that over the past 70 years, has been able to achieve both peace and prosperity and that ASEAN member states have been key beneficiaries of such a system: a multilateral, rules-based system, trade liberalisation and international law. We continue to believe in this and our first priority has been ASEAN integration, and thats why we have the ASEAN Economic Community. The point Im making is that we start at home first by making sure that there is optimal trade and investment within ASEAN. Now, having done that, ASEAN has free trade agreements. I talk about ASEAN as a whole - with six other parties, and these six other parties are China, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and India. So in a sense, the RCEP is actually just one more step beyond the existing agreements that ASEAN already has with these six. Its a very ambitious agreement because if you actually put RCEP together, I think its something like 40 per cent of the worlds GDP, nearly 30 per cent of global trade, its a very big bloc. Singapore obviously believes and supports this; we are doing our best to help facilitate the conclusion of these negotiations. Actually. we dont just believe in having a RCEP, our larger vision is to achieve a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP). And we believe that the RCEP is one of the avenues through which we can achieve this. Singapore and Viet Nam this year jointly proposed the annualisation of ADMM-plus from 2017 onwards. Can you elaborate on this initiative? Well, I cant go into details but basically the ASEAN Defence Ministers have been meeting regularly and I think that their view is that there are more challenges, for instance, dealing with terrorism, and extremism. They felt that closer and more regular interaction will enable them to be able to respond more effectively collectively. And its good for our defence security agencies to meet, to communicate and to collaborate more effectively -thats the genesis behind it. How realistic is a borderless ASEAN community? No other multilateral organisation has members who are as different, as diverse, as ASEAN. If you look at the EU, or you look at other international groupings, no grouping has as much diversity as ASEAN. We have to recognise that. Thats why we have the ASEAN Way consensus, consultation, compromise. We may take a lot longer to make decisions, and we dont engage in megaphone diplomacy. But sooner or later we will get there. So I think one very important lesson is: dont run ahead before you can walk. We dont want to make mistakes, like, say the EU. So I dont think we are going to get to a borderless ASEAN where we dont need passports and all that. But we can have a more integrated ASEAN. We can lower trade barriers. We can enable our entrepreneurs and our companies to work together more effectively to expand their business opportunities. I see it as a gradual process of integration, of interdependence, rather than, you know we are not going to have a common currency, we are not going to be borderless, you know, you will still need your passport. So thats our vision. So well do it in the proper sequence. - VNS The Vietnamese Government has focused on housing policy over the last decade, in particular building cheap apartments or reconstructing old or deteriorating houses. Photo cafef.vn Education, health care and housing are all essential needs. The Vietnamese Government has focused on housing policy over the last decade, in particular building cheap apartments or reconstructing old or deteriorating houses. Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam (Viet Nam Economic Times) newspaper talks to some experts on how to address increasing housing demand. Vu Van Phan, deputy director of the Housing and Real Estate Market Management Agency Housing development is the responsibility of the Government, society and people as a whole. In its strategy for housing development by 2020, Viet Nam aims to build some 12.5 million m2 floor space of social houses in urban areas and meet the housing demand for about 80 per cent of university/college students and some 70 per cent of workers in industrial parks. In addition, we also hope to help some 500,000 poor households in rural areas refurbish their houses. From now till the year 2030, Viet Nam will continue its efforts to improve the quality of social housing projects, particularly those for labourers. These residential areas will have essential infrastructure like transport, health care, education and cultural facilities. In the National Strategy for Housing Development by 2020 with a vision to 2030, the Government will also focus on building more commercial houses to address the needs of better off people. Under the current Housing Law, investment in housing development, particularly in cheap commercial housing projects, has to follow the market economy, with no subsidisation from the State. Nguyen Chi Dung, deputy director of the Ha Noi Construction Department Ha Noi faces many challenges in renovating its old buildings. The city recently called for investment in a project to renovate 28 old residential buildings. Up to now, 18 investors have expressed interest in the project. A principle in renovating the old buildings is that renovation costs should be borne by enterprises and residents. In other words, the interests of the people and the enterprises must be harmonised. At present, project financial problems have been settled between enterprises and residents, but planning has got stuck as many older residents dont want to leave. Following initial surveys, some investors find that twice as many people as are permitted to live in these residential buildings are occupying them. This had become a big problem for investors. Ha Noi authorities have called for the Governments help to solve the problem to ensure the project can be executed and the people and enterprises rights are protected. According to the law, in any old building classified as the D level all residents in that building must move elsewhere with support from local authorities. But many refuse to co-operate with local authorities and insist in living in their old apartments. If we want to renovate old buildings, besides having good mechanism or policy we also need to win support from people living in the buildings. Nguyen Manh Ha, President of the Viet Nam Association for Property Brokers Viet Nam has rather comprehensive mechanisms and policies on social housing development. They are appropriate with the countrys current socio-economic conditions. But applying these policies to reality remains a conundrum. Enterprises investing in real estate should consider it their responsibility to participate in the Governments policy of social housing development and in some other segments of the industry. Social policies, including social housing development, plays a very important role and is a driving force in the course of national development. Of course, to achieve the goal of developing social housing development as written in the National Strategy on Housing Development, we also need the involvement of the political system as well as the beneficiaries. Nguyen Xuan Quang, President of the Nam Long Investment Joint Stock Company Social housing and low cost commercial housing projects are important components in the national strategy for housing development and management. Of course, they are also closely associated with the urban development and management plan. In the last decade, we have made a very good legal corridor for the development and management of social housing schemes nationwide. Government Decree 100/N-CP/2015 on social housing management and development has achieved certain successes. It has helped many people with low incomes get apartments of their own in major cities like Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City. However, there remain two stumbling blocks in the course of social housing development. For one, land clearance and compensation fees are still high and the Government should give a framework on the costs for infrastructure construction and other activities in social housing development projects VNS. HA NOI The Vietnam News Agency on Monday opened a photo exhibition featuring the traditional friendship and solidarity between Viet Nam and Laos in Ha Noi. The exhibition entitled "Viet Nam - Laos relations forever stronger than mountains and rivers" is part of activities to celebrate the 55th anniversary of relations and the 40th year since the signing of the Viet Nam-Laos Friendship and Cooperation Treaty. Member of Politburo and Deputy Prime Minister Vuong inh Hue , General o Ba Ty who is also member of the Party Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, representatives of Lao embassy in Viet Nam and many officials from ministries and authorities attended the exhibition. VNS The Finance Ministrys proposal that employers pay taxes and social insurance to one agency to simplify things has met with a mixed response. Photo VNA/VNS Photo Duong Ngoc HA NOI The Finance Ministrys proposal that employers pay taxes and social insurance to one agency to simplify things has met with a mixed response. While the ministry feels that tax and social insurance agencies should be merged to simplify public administration and administrative procedures, opponents say they have vastly different, non-overlapping functions. The ministry argues that the merger would allow employers to fill tax and social insurance information in one application and send it to one agency, instead of two. It is also proposing that tax agencies inspect employers on both tax and social insurance issues, thus subjecting them to fewer inspections. The ministry is collecting public feedback on this and other draft amendments to the Law on Tax Management. According to the ministry, as of last year, tax and social insurance agencies were respectively overseeing around 600,000 employers and 300,000 enterprises or agencies who have to contribute social insurance for their employees. Different objectives Commenting on the Finance Ministrys proposal, Viet Nam Social Security General Director Nguyen Thi Minh said that objectives of tax agencies and social insurance agencies were different. Tax agencies mainly focused on enterprises/employers while social insurance agencies followed employees during their working tenures and retirement until their death, she noted. Minh stressed that social insurance was not merely a matter of collecting money. It also included advising, instructing, listing, assessing and paying the correct premiums. "This work cannot be transferred to tax agencies," she said. The deputy head of Social Insurance Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Tran Hai Nam, noted that tax agencies did collect premiums on behalf of insurance agencies in some countries, but they were not merged into one. "When tax agencies help collect premiums, administrative procedures and costs will be reduced, but there are other functions that will still have to be carried out by social insurance agencies," Nam said. Former Deputy Minister of Labour, Pham Minh Huan, said a positive impact of the merger would be that tax agencies have information about labour-related costs, so employers would find it difficult to make fraudulent social insurance payments. Former director of the Institute for Labour Science and Social Affairs, Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, also said that tax agencies could collect premiums on behalf of social insurance agencies, but they should not be merged. Taxes are for the State budget but social insurance is for employees who would benefit later, she said. If the agencies were merged, what would happen to health insurance or voluntary social insurance where participants pay the premiums on their own, she asked. There are three elements in the Vietnamese social security system that employers are required to cover: social insurance, unemployment insurance and health insurance. For social insurance, employers have to contribute 17 percent of an employees salary plus an additional 0.5 percent towards insurance against occupational hazards and accidents and disease insurance fund. Health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums are collected at three and one per cent of the workers wages, respectively. Employees also contribute social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance premiums at 8 per cent, 1.5 per cent and 1 per cent of their wages, respectively. VNS This week, three videos were posted online by a mother in northern Ha Nam Province showing a domestic helper slapping a one-month old infant on her face, head and back, throwing the girl in the air and putting a towel in her mouth. Photo vov.vn HA NOI This week, three videos were posted online by a mother in northern Ha Nam Province showing a domestic helper slapping a one-month old infant on her face, head and back, throwing the girl in the air and putting a towel in her mouth. The domestic helper was arrested and said she had lost self-control during the incident. She hit the infant when the parents were away because the infant cried so hard that she could not do housework. The case raises big questions about the skills of local domestic helpers in Viet Nam. According to a survey by the Gender, Family and Community Development (GFCD) Centre in 2015, 90 per cent of Vietnamese domestic helpers do not have professional training. The survey also showed that nearly 90 per cent of domestic helpers didnt have labour contracts with their employers, leaving them unable to claim benefits. Ngo Thi Ngoc Anh, GFCD director, said 98.6 per cent of domestic helpers are female, with an average age of 44.8. Each works about 11 hours a day. Due to limited awareness, many of them are afraid of attending training classes and signing work contracts as they would be restricted by the rules in such contracts. According to Nguyen Trong An, former deputy head of the Department of Child Protection and Care under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) there are no specific regulations on selecting domestic helpers, especially those hired to take care of children. Domestic helpers may demonstrate bad behaviour such as stealing, being lazy and commit more serious acts of violence against children. These violent actions may stem from a helpers psychological disorder, he said. Domestic helpers in countries such as the Philippines and the Republic of Korea must undergo health checks. In Viet Nam, due to demand outstripping supply, many families hire untrained helpers or those with unclear resumes, he said. Families find helpers by themselves or ask for an introduction from others. They might not know that their domestic helpers are infected with communicable diseases or suffer from mental illnesses. Families must be careful when selecting such employees, he said. According to Tong Thi Minh, head of MoLISAs Labour and Salary Department, domestic helpers have made important contributions to the global economy in caring for the elderly, children and the disabled. However, there remain some problems. Many unskilled domestic helpers steal things or become violent. In Viet Nam, a legal framework on the matter has been issued but in fact, both employers and employees are not fully aware of the labour laws. The content in work contracts is unclear. Criteria Ngo Thi Ngoc Anh, GFCD director, recommended five criteria to select domestic helpers. Firstly, domestic helpers must have a clear resume verified by authorities and must provide their relatives address so host families can contact them if necessary. The second tip is to check helpers skills in the sector. The employers should check helpers health to ensure they are not infected with communicable diseases that could be transmitted to family members as well as other illnesses. The helpers cautiousness, enthusiasm, personality and lifestyles should be taken into consideration. Last but not least, a work contract must be signed to clarify the responsibilities of the helper and the family. - VNS Innovative manufacturing is key to increasing productivity and sustainability as Viet Nam confronts the fourth industrial revolution ( Industry 4.0) challenges . Photo baocongthuong. n HA NOI Innovative manufacturing is key to increasing productivity and sustainability as Viet Nam confronts the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) challenges, experts say. They said at a roundtable discussion and workshop last Friday that keeping up with the latest trends and technologies was imperative for the economy to remain relevant and competitive. Organised by Viet Nams Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden the Swedish Trade and Investment Council, the event aimed to strengthen collaboration between the two countries by sharing experiences and practices on technological innovations. Swedish Ambassador Pereric Hogberg said that trade and investment between the two countries had been growing steadily, but there was room for further increase. The challenges that Viet Nam faces in ensuring sustainable manufacturing and establishing itself as a global hub can be met effectively with expertise and solutions from Swedish companies, he said. Innovation was an important factor in Swedens success, he added, noting that the country was ranked second in the Global Innovation Index. Deputy Director General of Viet Nam Industry Agency under Ministry of Industry and Trade, Pham Anh Tuan, said that with the orientation towards industrialisation as the core economic momentum, manufacturing was receiving significant attention from both the Government and private sector. Over the past few years, Viet Nam has seen a fast growing food and beverage manufacturing sector. Electronics and automotive components manufacturing were also growing quickly, fueled by major companies like Samsung moving their manufacturing and assembly operations to Viet Nam, he said. Staying relevant However, in order to stay competitive and relevant, Viet Nam needs to keep up with the latest trends and technologies in manufacturing, he added. Tuan said that Sweden was considered one of the most sustainable and innovative countries in the world and its companies had a long history of providing world-class manufacturing solutions within assembly tools, packing equipment, automation, digitalisation and information technology. Sweden is seen as one of the leading nations in applying Industry 4.0. Brian Hull, general director of ABB Viet Nam, said that Industry 4.0 did not mean the removal of all existing manufacturing infrastructure and building something new. The matter is to upgrade and improve existing ones, to keep innovating to increase efficiency, productivity and sustainability, according to Hull. "No single company can adapt to Industry 4.0 alone; it requires co-operative work," he added. For example, the ABB uses Microsoft platforms to develop and provide solutions to its clients. In Viet Nam, ABB has provided Heineken with medium voltage products, transformers, motor control centres, compact secondary substations, engineering packages, site management and so on. The ABB has provided Vinasoy a food company, with with automated pouch pick and place and box palletting systems that have resulted in greater safety and hygiene, consistency and precision in packing and less manpower. The use of robots for various applications in electronics manufacturer including pick and place, materials handling and machine handling can generate better quality and reliability, as also locally responsive support combination. Importance of data Alan Fam, Business Line Manager, General Industry at Atlas Copco, said that data was the most important factor in Industry 4.0. "Data has to be collected, processed and used to provide smarter and more efficient manufacturing solutions," he said. Fam spoke of manufacturing intelligence a software to gather a corporations manufacturing data from many sources for reporting, analysis and communication between enterprise-level and plant-floor systems. He said the softwares primary goal was to turn amounts of manufacturing data into real knowledge, driving business productivity. Nguyen Hoang Viet, manager of Technology Department at Thai Nguyen Province-based Song Cong Diesel Company said that the company provided mechanical parts for both domestic and international partners. He said his company was looking for investment and co-operation to improve its manufacturing technology towards improved productivity and efficiency while meeting domestic and international requirements. Nguyen Chi Hung, deputy director of Ha Noi-based Viet Nam Automatic Machinery Manufacturing said that many Vietnamese enterprises needed innovations, and his company consulted and provided suitable technologies to its customers. By learning about innovations and new technologies from major manufacturers, his company could become a bridge to connect technology providers with users, he said. Low starting point Earlier on Friday, in his meeting with the Swedish manufacturing delegation, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Hoang Quoc Vuong, said that Viet Nams readiness for Industry 4.0 was relatively modest because its starting point was low and not much value had been added to its industrial production process. Viet Nam wanted to develop its manufacturing sector with reasonable structure, and use advanced technologies to become more competitive so that it can join the global value chain at least in some industries, Vuong said. He also said that Viet Nam had been fostering the application of information technologies in management and operations, considering it a priority in its industrialisation and modernisation process. The country was also paying a lot of attention to preparing its human resources to master modern technologies and become innovative, he said. He noted that small and medium sized enterprises in Viet Nam faced difficulties in accessing credit and acquiring management skills especially in shifting to new modern technologies. VNS HAI DUONG Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am has called on society as a whole to collaborate in meeting the United Nations 90-90-90 Goals in HIV/AIDS prevention and control by 2020. am made the call during a meeting held in the northern province of Hai Duong yesterday in response to the National Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control (November 10 December 10) and World AIDS Day (December 1). The UN 90-90-90 Goals mean that by 2020, 90 per cent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 per cent of all people with a diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, while 90 per cent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. In his speech, am said HIV/AIDS epidemics appeared for the first time 35 years ago, and was discovered in Viet Nam 25 years ago with 250,000 infection cases and over 90,000 deaths reported so far. Thanks to efforts of departments, agencies and organisations, HIV/AIDS infections and deaths have fallen in recent years. On top of international support, the Vietnamese government will allocate more budget for the fight against the epidemic and issue health insurance for HIV patients, the Deputy PM noted. Viet Nam is the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to commit to the UN 90-90-90 Goals, he said, adding that awareness campaigns should be enhanced to make it easier for HIV carriers to be treated with ARV and protect them from discrimination. According to the Health Ministrys Viet Nam Authority of HIV/AIDS Control, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS reported that there are more than 36.7 million living HIV carriers now and around 35 million have died of the disease. 2017 is the 10th consecutive year that Viet Nam has seen decreases in the number of newly-discovered HIV infections, the number of transmissions to full-blown AIDS and the number of AIDS-caused deaths. Each year, about 10,000 new HIV infection cases are discovered in the country, with most infections transmitted through sexual contact. After the meeting, students and members of the armed forces took part in a parade to call on organisations and people to join the fight against HIV/AIDS. On the occasion, the Health Ministrys Fund in Support of HIV/AIDS Patients granted VN200,000 to 60 children under treatment in the provincial Centre for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. Representatives from organisations and businesses also offered gifts to local children living with HIV. VNS HCM CITY The HCM City Peoples Committee on Sunday hosted an investment seminar on its waste-to-energy project. Speaking at the event, ang Huy ong, deputy minister of planning and investment, said that burning garbage to produce electricity was similar to coal power technology. Therefore, the city authority has to carefully consider proposals submitted by investors to ensure technical parameters and capacity before signing contracts. Moreover, innovation also needs to be fostered for better environment protection, he said. A representative of HCM City said it plans to call for private sectors investments instead of allocating the State budget for development projects. By funding the project, investors can enjoy the land free for 11 years or a reduction of 70 per cent on land rent. Also, the city will adopt the subsidy policy for incineration generator projects. On the occasion, several experts stressed on waste-to-energy as the innovative solution in waste management. International and domestic companies also expressed their interest in the project. At present, the daily solid waste in HCM City is 8,700 tonnes, of which 76 per cent is to be buried and 14.7 per cent is for composite production. Additionally, there are about 2,000 tonnes of industrial waste, 400 tonnes of hazardous waste and 22 tonnes of medical waste. These numbers are expected to rise by 5 to 10 per cent in one year. HCM City aims to reduce the amount of buried waste to 20 per cent by 2025. All project bidding will be publicly organised. VNS U.S. schools have been trying for years to encourage more reading of nonfiction, but its not working. The national What Kids Are Reading report says childrens nonfiction reading is up less than 10 percent since 2009. No more than 30 percent of K-12 students read that stuff. What to do? Here are some clues as to what nonfiction seems most attractive to children these days. The best information comes from Renaissance, owner of the Accelerated Reader system encouraging reading of all kinds and all levels in more than 30,000 schools. The latest What Kids Are Reading report, based on Accelerated Reader data from nearly 10 million K-12 students during the 2015-2016 school year, shows third- through seventh- graders drawn to fiction classics such as Charlottes Web and Because of Winn-Dixie. They also like the 21st century childrens fiction juggernaut, the Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney. No nonfiction books appear on the reports top 25 list for third-graders. Just two nonfiction works show up on the fourth-, fifth- and six-grade lists: Smile and Sisters, graphic novels about the childhood of author Raina Telgemeier, a San Francisco cartoonist. The seventh-grade list has no nonfiction. The eighth-grade list has just one such book, Night, Elie Wiesels story of his childhood in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. The report includes books both assigned and unassigned by teachers, and this 1960 classic has been taught for many decades. Night is joined on the top 25 lists for ninth through 12th grade by just one other nonfiction book, A Child Called It Dave Pelzers tale of his childhood of abuse. It has withstood denials from some of Pelzers family and continues to connect with children. While nonfiction books didnt stand much of a chance among the top 25 overall, there are books that rank highly in the nonfiction category compiled by Renaissance. In the third grade, Penguin Chick by Betty Tatham is listed. Also highly ranked were Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates by Jonah Winter, Yonder Mountain: A Cherokee Legend by Robert H. Bushyhead, The Story of Ruby Bridges (a black first-grader at an all-white school in 1960) by Robert Coles and Young Thomas Edison by Michael Dooling. NEW HARTFORD Two Chinook helicopters touch down deep in a valley in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, in 2011 and 40 soldiers in full combat gear run out. Bullets start flying in from all directions. Everyone is pinned down. Unlike an elaborate sound stage on a Hollywood film set, this scene had no actors or stuntmen. This was real. Enemy forces had taken the Do Ab District and a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) was needed to conduct reconnaissance of the area. While planning for the mission, the more I thought about it, the more I thought, something just wasnt right, said Capt. Justin Foote, a Clive resident formerly of New Hartford and Nashua, then first lieutenant and Reconnaissance Platoon Leader, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), 34th Infantry Division (Red Bull Division), Iowa Army National Guard. I just had that gut feeling. I dont know why that is. God works in mysterious ways. Footes gut instinct was accurate. The only place the CH-47 (Chinook) helicopters could drop them off was in a pinch point between a raging river and multiple mountains. Everyone was taking shots at us from all directions, Foote said. We were all alone on the valley floor with towering mountain peaks on both sides of us. I sat down behind a large rock and told myself that this is it, the last time that I will be alive and I wasnt going to go down without a fight. Against all odds, these Red Bull soldiers, along with active duty aviation forces and a small force from the Afghan National Army, took back the district center of Do Ab. Footes platoon sustained minor injuries. Some had bullet holes in their uniforms and gear, but other than that, the group survived unscathed. Being in a combat zone can be very stressful, Foote said. Constantly being on stand-by as a member of the Reconnaissance Platoon made for some long days. However, Footes deployment was more than combat. With the help of his father-in-law and many other supporters, Foote gathered a few donated items to hand out to local children. As a father himself, it was hard for Foote to see so many children without the basic needs. Clothes, shoes, socks, school supplies, anything I could think of, I had shipped to me, Foote said. I would just pull off to the side of the road in a town and put new shoes on kids. Foote and his platoon gave out hundreds of items to local children they encountered while on patrols. It did not matter to them if it was a new pair of Under Armour shoes, or a rugged pair of hand-me-downs. They liked them just the same, Foote said. I think that was one of the best parts of Afghanistan. It was something I could personally do to make an impact. After his year-long deployment, Foote returned home to his wife and children. He faced challenges in ways many returning Soldiers do. His own children did not know him. His daughter was now 18 months old and his son was just three. It was hard to be a stranger to my own kids, Foote said. Reintegration to civilian life with family and friends was difficult for me. Foote decided to seek help for his reintegration issues. A lot of people dont seek help and struggle silently for too long, Foote said. As Foote maneuvered through reintegration, he remembered what he did in Afghanistan that brought him joy. Helping others. He started volunteering in his civilian life to help his fellow veterans. Now, Foote participates in a number of nonprofit organizations including Operation Middle Ground, Cedar Falls AMVETS, the American Legion in Parkersburg, and Retrieving Freedom Inc., which helps train service dogs for veterans and children with autism. I just wanted to do the right thing for my community, in Iowa too. Whether its through heroism or helping hands, Footes leadership was recognized and he was awarded the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award. Foote and his wife, Laura, attended the award ceremony in June, held at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. One of the highlights of my career so far, was to have my wife by my side as I received the MacArthur Award, Foote said. With nearly 20 years of service, Foote continues to serve in the Iowa National Guard and volunteer in his community. His military experiences have allowed him to see the needs of those around him and offer support where he can. Foote attributes his reintegration success and recognition to giving back to the community. On Nov. 7, he continued his community service with a program paying tribute to a fellow veteran who committed suicide. WATERLOO American Legion Post 138 at 728 Commercial St. has several events planned. Today, tenderloins, burgers and fries will be served from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday there will be bingo at 6:15 and 7 p.m., with food from 6 to 8 p.m. Brats, hot dogs and pork chops are planned at 11 a.m. Wednesday. A pepper tournament will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, and bingo is planned at 1:15 and 2 p.m. Sunday. Kiwanis Club meets Tuesday WATERLOO -- The Waterloo Noon Kiwanis Club will meet at noon Tuesday at the Waterloo Elks Lodge. Dr. Ruselle DeBonis will speak on "Poverty, Social Determinants and Health." Guests are always welcome to visit club meetings. Call President Julie Versluis, 233-1900 ext. 2016, for more information. Holiday activity set in Brandon BRANDON -- A Christmas "Winter Wonderland' open house will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Bear Creek Church, 5177 26th Ave., south of Brandon. Music will be provided by Barb Riggle on the keyboard, and guests are invited to sing along. Waverly cafe opens Dec. 5 WAVERLY -- Volunteers are gearing up to open the 506 Cafe again from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 5. The fundraiser lunch takes place at the Waverly Senior Center and supports both Rally Point Cedar Valley Veterans and the Waverly Senior Center. For $10, one can enjoy a holiday style meal with Christmas Eve chowder, turkey and beef sandwiches with poppy seed/mustard spread, swiss cheese and pickle spear, fresh lettuce salad, tater tots or sweet potato fries and pie. Lunch reservations are not required, but help in planning. Call 352-5678 for reservations and carry-out meals. AMVETS host cookie walk CEDAR FALLS -- The AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary will host a cookie walk from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Post No. 49, 1934 Irving St. There will be free coffee and hot cocoa. Proceeds go toward the Auxiliaries Hospitalized Veterans projects. Church will host community meal WATERLOO -- First Baptist Church, West Fourth and Baltimore, will host a free community meal from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the church social hall. Parking is available in the church parking lot. Call the church with any questions at 234-1537. The free meal is held the last Wednesday of every month. Cheese festival set at Hansen's WATERLOO Hansens Dairy will have its fourth annual Festival of Cheese from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Hansens Dairy Waterloo, 3015 Kimball Ave. Attendees can sample cheeses and hams and receive a discount for cheese purchased during the event. There will be free peppermint soft-serve cones, Sidecar Coffee and Hansens hot chocolate and egg nog. Attendees can register to win a cheese basket or Hansens ham. There will be crafts for the kids. The event is free and open to the public. Library hosts Santa event FORT ATKINSON -- The Fort Atkinson Library will host its annual fundraiser event, Supper with Santa, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Fort Atkinson Community Center. On the menu will be Dave's famous chili, Norske's chicken noodle, Norske's cream of broccoli, sandwiches, dessert and beverages. Carry-outs are available. Cost for adults will be $6.50 in advance and $7 at the door; children 10 and younger will be $4 in advance and at the door. Tickets are available from board members, Jeff Schmitt, Janice Myers, Theresa Burke, Bernice Pavlovec, Mary Schwamman and Penney Neuzil or at the Fort Atkinson Public Library, Citizen's Savings Bank and Lickety Split. Basket raffle tickets are available for $1, or 6 for $5. Kids' activities and "minute to win it" competitions will be held in the upper level of the community center for $1 per child. WATERLOO A Waterloo woman said there was no reason for a sheriffs deputy to shoot at her husband during an early Wednesday vehicle chase. Authorities said the deputy, who was on foot trying to set up anti-tire devices to end the pursuit, fired when the fleeing truck left the roadway and drove near him. Miranda Norelius said Eric J. Norelius, 35, was driving to work at Tysons when a Waterloo police officer attempted to stop him for speeding on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. She said Eric Norelius was barred from driving, and he didnt want to have her Ford F-150 pickup impounded, so he refused to pull over and had planned to return to his home on Allen Street and leave the vehicle. He went all over the place hoping he could lose the police, said Miranda Norelius, who talked to Norelius in the Black Hawk County Jail following the incident. He was trying to lose the police and then bring the car home. But thats still no reason why you shoot at someone that is unarmed. One sheriffs deputy has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings, and the Waterloo Police Department is investigating the shooting aspect, which is also standard procedure. I want him fired. You dont fire on someone who doesnt have a weapon, Miranda Norelius said. Eric Norelius, who wasnt injured by the gunfire, was arrested for misdemeanor eluding, driving while barred and interference, also misdemeanors. His bond was set at $3,600, cash only. The investigation is ongoing. Police said the pursuit started at about 4:45 a.m. Wednesday and lasted about half an hour along a route that wound into rural Black Hawk County and then returned to Waterloo and ultimately ending in front of his home. Miranda Norelius said authorities shot out the trucks tires and passenger-side window and Tasered and pepper sprayed Eric Norelius when he finally stopped on Allen Street. That was after the chase when the truck was in the front yard, Miranda Norelius said. She said she was home and heard the gunfire. Sgt. Gus Farmer with the Waterloo Police Department said there was no gunfire when the truck pulled over on Allen Street at 5:15 a.m., but that a deputy had fired at the vehicle about 20 minutes into the case as it passed through the area of Cedar Bend Street and Longfellow Avenue which is miles away from Allen Street. According to Waterloo police, as the fleeing truck traveled on Cedar Bend, a Waterloo officer and a deputy were out of their vehicles attempting to place Stop Sticks ahead of the chase. The truck drove across a grassy area off of the road, continuing the chase, and as the truck crossed the grassy area near the deputy, the deputy fired his service weapon in the direction of the truck. The pursuit continued for about 10 more minutes. After the chase ended, authorities seized the truck as part of the investigation. He said he just wanted to get the truck home, Miranda Norelius said. As long as the truck was home, they couldnt take it. Well, they took it anyway because it was used in a crime because he let the police chase him. APPANOOSE COUNTY Authorities are asking the public to exercise caution after a Cedar Falls deer hunter was found dead over the weekend. The Appanoose County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday it had found the body of 31-year-old Curtis Ross, who went missing while hunting over the weekend. An autopsy was conducted on Monday at the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny. The full autopsy results are pending laboratory tests, and the death is being investigated as a homicide, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. DCI official said the suspect or suspects are still at large and should be considered armed and dangerous. With shotgun deer season is approaching, authorities are asking for the public to be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity. Rosss body was found in a remote rural area of Appanoose County in the public hunting land around Lake Rathbun at 115th Avenue near Sandy Branch, according to the DCI. The case is currently under investigation by the Appanoose County Sheriffs office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Appanoose County Attorney, Appanoose County Medical Examiners office, Office of State Medical Examiner and the Wayne County Sheriffs office. The public is being asked for help in the investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call the Appanoose County Law Enforcement Center at (641) 437-7100. Kim Reynolds said last week she would not rule out campaigning with President Donald Trump next year as she seeks to remain Iowas governor. Not all of Reynolds GOP gubernatorial colleagues across the country feel the same as they prepare to navigate next years elections. Reynolds recently attended a meeting of the Republican Governors Association in Texas, where GOP governors discussed winning in next years mid-term elections while potentially facing some national political headwinds. A decisive victory for the Democrat in Virginias recent gubernatorial election grabbed the attention of some Republican governors, according to a New York Times report from the governors associations meeting. And other GOP governors acknowledged the challenge of running while the Republican president has an historically low approval rating. Trumps approval rating is just 39 percent nationally, according to Real Clear Politics average of recent polls. Any time the titular head of the party is underwater, obviously theres going to be issues there. You cant just ignore that, said Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, according to the Times. Reynolds does not appear to share Sununus concerns. Last week, she did not rule out campaigning with Trump next year, assuming she secures the Republican Partys nomination in the June primary election. Well take a look at that moving forward, but I wouldnt say no, Reynolds said. The disparity between Sununus and Reynolds perspectives may simply boil down to voter behavior in their respective states. In Sununus New Hampshire, Trump lost to Hillary Clinton by less than half a percentage point. In Reynolds Iowa, Trump defeated Clinton by more than 9 percentage points. Reynolds, along with then-Gov. Terry Branstad, did not shy away from supporting Trump during the 2016 campaign, even when other prominent Republicans were less enthusiastic about embracing their partys candidate. And it does not appear Reynolds feels any differently now. What kind of impact that could have on next years gubernatorial campaign if any remains to be seen. Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University, said he could see multiple scenarios play out. On the one hand, Goldford said, voter turnout historically drops in midterm elections, which then become more about appealing to the parties base supporters. In that regard, to the extent that Trump appeals to that more populist base, that could help (Reynolds), Goldford said. On the other hand, he added, campaigning with Trump could subject Reynolds to questions about the authenticity of her support for preventing and addressing sexual harassment and sexual assault. Trump has been accused of harassment by at least a dozen women and has supported Alabamas GOP U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by eight women. Campaigning with Trump also could motivate more Democratic and no-party voters to turn out and vote against Reynolds, Goldford said. It raises questions of her commitment to the prohibition and prevention of sexual harassment, and could continue energizing likely voters that might not have turned out otherwise, Goldford said. Reynolds is between a political rock and a hard place when it comes to campaigning with Trump, said Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University. Because Iowa voted for Trump, Reynolds needs to appeal to those voters, Schmidt said. But, he added, she also must appeal to no-party voters, the type polls show are not happy with Trump. Iowa voted for Trump, so she needs to harvest the voters that turned out for him. They like him. The base of the party in Iowa and around the country is still on board with Trump, Schmidt said. She also needs to argue that she can get enough of a slice of nonparty voters compared to the other GOP contenders, because there are not enough Republicans to win an election. ... Can she campaign with Trump and then pivot away from him for the general election? Iowa once envisioned four private companies managing its formerly state-run $4.3 billion Medicaid system, which serves 600,000. Thats down to two with one at capacity, leaving 215,000 people recently abandoned by a departing company in the lurch. Federal rules require more than one choice. The Medicaid health program was established in 1965 (along with Medicare) to assist those with low incomes, the disabled, children and people living in nursing homes. The federal government and states share costs. The program initially was administered by state employees, but is now managed by private companies in various degrees in 39 states, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The PwC consulting firm reported 54.7 million of the 70 million enrolled in Medicaid were in privately managed programs in 2016. Iowas switch from a well-run state program to privatization was the brainchild of former Gov. Terry Branstad without legislative input in December 2015. He cited undocumented savings of $51 million in the first six months, $110 million the first year and $232 million the next fanciful then and now. Companies were required to spend at least 88 percent on health services a monthly allotment for each person managed determined by numerous factors, including disability level. The remaining 12 percent around $500 million was for administrative expenses. Iowa contracted with WellCare, AmeriHealth Caritas, Amerigroup Iowa and UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley to manage Medicaid. Before the transition in April 2016, WellCare was out. An administrative law judge recommended rejecting it for failing to disclose three executives were convicted of misusing Medicaid money and it had paid $138 million to resolve overbilling Medicare and Medicaid. Earlier this year, the remaining three companies complained about staggering losses, each exceeding $100 million during the first year: AmeriHealth Caritas nearly $300 million; Amerigroup Iowa, $133 million and UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley more than $100 million. Now AmeriHealth Caritas is gone, too. The Philadelphia-based company managed care for 215,000, including most of the severely disabled. Its departure followed a dispute with the Iowa Department of Human Services, which wouldnt provide the data to justify Medicaid payment rates. According to the Des Moines Register, AmeriHealth market president Cheryl Harding wrote then-DHS Director Chuck Palmer in June that the states rates do not support a sustainable Medicaid managed-care program. The dispute focused on 11,250 people in the Intellectual Disability Waiver program requiring expensive services, including adult daycare to remain at home. Based on a consultants report, AmeriHealth which managed 80 percent of that group maintained it was shorted $53 million for nine months in 2016. On the other hand, AmeriHealth didnt make a great impression. It had threatened to stop reimbursing the 2,000 physicians and practitioners in the Mercy Health Network, a group of Catholic hospitals and clinics including Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo and Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls. Neal Siegel, a former West Liberty financial consultant who suffered severe brain injuries after a hit-and-run bicycle crash, sued the state after AmeriHealth cut his home health-care reimbursement from more than $7,000 to nearly $3,000. Six other Medicaid recipients are part of that action. Amerigroup has informed the state it cant take any AmeriHealths patients, which even if UnitedHealthcare can violates federal rules requiring more than one option. Meanwhile, privatization complaints have abounded, including the failure to pay providers in a timely fashion and cuts in services. During a three-month period ending last March, they soared from 343 to 1,268. Earlier this month, UnityPoint Health, which includes Allen Hospital in Waterloo, notified its nearly 54,000 Medicaid patients they could need new health-care providers because of a contract impasse with Amerigroup. (The Mercy Health Network resolved contract differences with AmeriHealth last spring after warning its 123,000 Medicaid patients.) Now the DHS has given the Medicaid reins to Michael Randol, formerly head of KanCare, Kansas privatized Medicaid program, which the Obama administration determined was substantially out of compliance. The Wichita Eagle reported, The states failure to ensure effective oversight of the program put the lives of enrollees at risk and made it difficult for them to navigate their benefits, the investigators found. They cited concerns about the transparency and effectiveness. Among the findings, Public feedback consistently describes a lack of engagement and adversarial communication from the state. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback blamed political bias, but Rachelle Colombo, the Kansas Medical Societys director of government affairs, disagreed. These are not new issues that are being brought to light. They deserve serious reconciliation, she said. That doesnt inspire confidence in Randol, aside from Kansas mind-boggling governmental incompetence. With Gov. Kim Reynolds predicting, We are anticipating another tough budget year, it will be imperative for privatization supporters to right the Medicaid ship as soon as possible. Q: Should you tip the carryout person that carries your groceries out to the car? If so, how much should you tip? And do they get to keep these tips? A: We checked with local staff at Fareway and Hy-Vee, who said tips are not expected and employees are not supposed to accept them. Q: Do Fareway, Hy-Vee and Aldis all accept Apply Pay? A: According to calls to the local stores, Hy-Vee does not accept it right now, while Fareway does. The Aldis corporate office did not return a request for information. Q: Can you print the phone number of the lady who was an artist at the Festival of Trees that displayed her paintings there with one that had a beautiful Christmas tree? A: It was artist Alice Dolgener; you can find her contact information on her website, http://artbyalicedolgener.com. Q: Is Hy-Vee corporate-run or employee-owned? A: Its both. An employee profit-sharing plan was established in 1960, letting employees share in the ownership of the company. At the same time, Hy-Vee is a corporation with some 240 supermarkets throughout the Midwest. Q: Do the people of Puerto Rico pay taxes? A: According to a recent New York Time report, Most people in Puerto Rico dont pay federal income taxes, but they do pay Social Security, Medicare, import, export and commodity taxes. Their federal tax bills add up to more than $3 billion a year. Q: Does the law that says you cant text while driving also apply to reading texts, or does it just ban sending them? A: Under the law, police can pull over drivers they suspect of using their phone while behind the wheel, writing, sending or viewing an electronic message. Q: Who owns United Technologies, the company buying out Rockwell Collins? Where are its headquarters? A: United Technologies is a publicly traded conglomerate based in Farmington, Conn. Q: How do they decide who gets called for jury duty? A: Jurors are randomly identified from a master jury list using an electronic data processing system. The master jury list is composed of names of citizens who are on the current voter registration list provided by the secretary of state or the current motor vehicle operators list or the nonoperator identification list provided by the Department of Transportation. The master jury list is updated on an annual basis. The master jury list may be supplemented with names from any other comprehensive list of persons residing in the county if deemed appropriate by the state court administrator, according to the Iowa Judicial Branch. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 22, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY By West Kentucky Star Staff Nov. 22, 2017 | 11:48 AM | PADUCAH, KY A West Paducah man was arrested Tuesday after police noticed a Facebook post in which he bragged about shooting a deer illegally. The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says detectives learned 35-year-old Robert Morris Sr. of West Paducah had killed a deer and posted a picture of the deer and rifle on Facebook. Morris, a convicted felon, is unable to lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition. Deputies went to Morris' home on Childress Road and saw the truck matching the one in his Facebook post. Detectives saw Morris standing beside the truck in hunting attire, and he reportedly admitted that he had rifle in the truck. They also found ammunition on him during a search. A search of the truck revealed a .243 bolt action hunting rifle, antlers from a deer and numerous other items used for hunting. Morris was arrested and booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, hunting without a license and illegal taking of a deer. By The Associated Press Nov. 27, 2017 | 04:52 AM | BIRMINGHAM, AL President Donald Trump came to the aid of embattled Republican Roy Moore by criticizing Doug Jones, the Democratic nominee in the hotly contested Alabama Senate race. In a pair of Sunday tweets, Trump said it would be a "disaster" for a Democrat to win the Dec. 12 election. The president's words could be a boost to Moore. Two women have accused Moore of sexually assaulting or molesting them decades ago, when he was in his 30s and they were teenagers. At least five others have said he pursued romantic relationships when they were teenagers and he was a prosecutor. He's denied the allegations. Moore quickly touted Trump's words on social media and in a fundraising appeal to supporters. Jones' campaign said Moore was "unfit" for office even before the allegations surfaced. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. 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highlights 'vital part' of nuclear power 27 November 2017 Share The nuclear sector is "integral to increasing productivity and driving growth" in the UK, according to the government's Industrial Strategy White Paper launched today. In the UK, a White Paper is a government report giving information or proposals on an issue. Unveiling the White Paper, Business Secretary Greg Clark said the strategy sets out a long-term vision for how Britain can build on its economic strengths, address its productivity performance, embrace technological change and boost the earning power of people across the UK. "Nuclear is a vital part of our energy mix, providing low-carbon power now and into the future," the document says, adding that the safe and efficient decommissioning of the country's nuclear legacy is an area of "world leading expertise". The nuclear sector, under the leadership of Lord (John) Hutton, is "in advanced discussions with the government on a range of ambitious proposals to increase competitiveness and achieve greater value at both national and regional levels", it says. Together with Richard Harrington, the minister for energy and industrial strategy at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Hutton co-chairs the Nuclear Industry Council (NIC), which was re-established in February 2017 following a review by government and industry. The NIC's primary role is to provide strategic leadership to the nuclear industry. Among its responsibilities is oversight of the development and delivery of a nuclear Sector Deal as part of the government's Industrial Strategy. Sector Deal The strategy states that industry-led proposals for a nuclear Sector Deal focus on how, working with the government, substantial cost reductions can be achieved across the UK's new build and decommissioning programmes. "There are shared interests in improving productivity and the opportunities to improve the UK's competitiveness, domestic capability and export growth. The sector's proposals cover the supply chain, nuclear R&D and skills, where the aim of the deal is to help deliver the diverse workforce needed for the future, supporting a potential 100,000 jobs from Cumbria, north Wales, Somerset, Essex and Suffolk," it says. Further details of their ongoing discussions will be announced in the coming weeks, it adds. Hutton, who is also chairman of the UK's Nuclear Industry Association, said the government's Industrial Strategy "recognises both that low-carbon, secure and reliable nuclear power is a 'vital part of our energy mix' and the wider economic contribution the nuclear industry can continue to make across the UK". He added: "Every year our power stations have generated home grown electricity for homes, businesses and public services, provided tens of thousands of skilled long-term jobs and avoided the emission of millions of tonnes of CO2. As we build new capacity to replace retiring power stations, and decommission old ones, the UK is well placed to develop supply chains, skills and international opportunities for the long term. Industry has made significant progress with government towards agreeing a sector deal which will maximise those opportunities and help improve productivity, foster innovation and reduce cost." Clean growth In its Industrial Strategy, the government has identified four "grand challenges", meaning global trends that will shape the country's "rapidly changing future". These include 'clean growth', which the government explained in its Clean Growth Strategy, issued by BEIS on 12 October. That strategy states the UK played a central role in securing the 2015 Paris Agreement in which, for the first time, 195 countries (representing over 90% of global economic activity) agreed stretching national targets to keep the global temperature rise below two degrees. BEIS said it had welcomed early work on sector deals in nuclear, auto manufacturing and industrial digitalisation, all of which are "central to productivity in the low-carbon economy". The strategy highlights the delivery of new nuclear capacity through the final investment decision last year on Hinkley Point C - under construction in Somerset, England - and the government's intention to "progress discussions with developers to secure a competitive price for future projects in the pipeline". It states the need to bring down the costs of nuclear power while maintaining safety by investing in innovation that will help plants to be built to time and budget. The government has asked the Nuclear Innovation and Research Office to convene a new advisory board, building on the success of the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board. The board will provide independent expertise and advice to support and inform the government's Nuclear Innovation Programme. The government also announced in that strategy that it will invest GBP7.0 million ($9.3 million) to further develop the capability and capacity of nuclear regulators to support the development of advanced technologies. Researched and written by World Nuclear News Related topics Staying out of debt is easier said than done, I know. However, its something you can do, and its something you should be practicing everyday. As Christians, we are in this world, but we are MEXICO CITY - Four American hikers stuck on Mexico's Citlaltepetl volcano, located at the border of the states of Puebla and Veracruz, have been rescued, while a fifth is still missing, Puebla's office of civil protection announced on Sunday. This handout photo released by the Health Ministry of the state of Puebla and the Advanced Medical Emergencies System (SUMA) shows paramedics moving on a stretcher one of four US citizens rescued when they were injured while climbing the inactive Citlaltepetl volcano in Puebla state, Mexico on November 26, 2017. [Photo/VCG] Two of the five mountaineers were found on Saturday night, before being taken for treatment at a Mexico City hospital. On Sunday, rescue workers found two more of the group, who are currently being treated at a medical center in Puebla."A fifth man is missing, who can only be rescued by land, and Mexico's mountain rescue service is handling it," said the civil protection office on Twitter.On Saturday, the five climbers were reported as stuck towards the summit of Citlalteptel, with several sources reporting they were in the area known as El Sarcofago (The Sarcophagus), 5,200m above sea level.The Citlaltepetl is Mexico's highest volcano and mountain and is more commonly known as Pico de Orizaba. Nov 27, 2017 | By Benedict A man in China recently became the first patient in the world to receive a 3D printed tantalum knee joint implant during knee surgery. The procedure was carried out at First Hospital Affiliated to Southwest Hospital, a hospital in Chongqing municipality in southwest China. It seems not a day goes by without some impressive milestone being reached in medical 3D printing. November 21 was no different, and that days breakthrough involved Zhang Jingui, an 84-year-old Chinese man, who was fitted with a 3D printed knee joint made from tantalum, a hard silver-gray metal. Carried out by doctors from the First Hospital Affiliated to Southwest Hospital, the procedure involved filling a large bone defect with the 3D printed implant. In a general sense, knee surgery of this kind isnt rare: a whopping 62 per cent of people in their fifties are afflicted with some sort of arthritis, and 2.2 to 3.5 per cent of Chinese people have reported suffering from knee osteoarthritis. These high numbers mean that Southwest Hospital alone performs around 400 knee replacement surgeries per year. Total knee replacement is the most effective way to treat late-stage knee diseases, as it can reduce the pain for patients and improve their quality of life, commented Yang Liu, a professor and head of surgery at Southwest Hospital and member of the National Key Research and Development Program of China. Traditionally, knee replacement procedures have involved the use of cement implants or bone grafts, both of which can cause problems that affect the lifespan and stability of the implant. Whats exciting about this latest procedure is that 3D printing was used to create the patient-specific implant, and that tantaluma hard metal that is less commonly used than titaniumwas used to fabricate the medical device. Usually, the high melting point of tantalum (3,020C) makes it impractical to use on metal 3D printers. However, with specialist equipment, Southwest Hospital was able to 3D print Zhang Jinguis knee implant in the material. One of the secrets to making it 3D printable was designing a porous 3D model, which was also tailor-made for the patients particular knee problem using visual data from CT scans. Using the scan data, staff were able to digitally reconstruct the defective knee before virtually simulating the implantation procedure. The 3D printing itself was carried out in collaboration with a local 3D printing bureau. According to the surgeons involved, the 3D printed tantalum implant is more compact and stable than a titanium implant would have been, factors that simplified the surgical procedure and reduced the risk of complication. Tantalum also offers better biocompatibility and improved bone ingrowth, meaning the patient can hopefully look forward to better freedom of movement and a longer life for his new knee. Despite being 84 years old, the history-making patient has already been able to complete some basic leg movements, and could be up and walking out of the hospital in just four to five days. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: by Paul Braterman EVOLUTION: What the Fossils Say and why it Matters, Donald R. Prothero (2nd edition) If you are interested in evolution, get this book. And make sure that your library gets it. And your children's high school library. Incidentally, it's incredible value; list price $35.00/27.95 from Columbia University Press, with over 400 lavishly illustrated pages. The book is a comprehensive survey of the fossil record, supplemented at times with other evidence, and framed as one long argument against creationism. It opens with a general discussion of the ideas behind current evolutionary thinking, moves on to a survey of specific topics in (mainly animal) evolution, from the origins of life to the emergence of humanity, and concludes with a brief discussion of the threat that creationism poses to rational thinking. The argument is laid out clearly in the seemingly artless prose of an accomplished writer in love with his subject matter, with plain language explanations that presume no prior knowledge, while the detailed discussions of specific topics give enough detail to be of value, I would imagine, even to a professional in the field. The author is an experienced educator and researcher, with thirty books ranging from the highly technical to the popular, some 300 research papers, and numerous public appearances to his credit, and the work is copiously illustrated with photos, diagrams, and drawings by the author's colleague, Carl Buell. These illustrations are an integral part of the work, graphically displaying the richness of the data at the heart of the argument. The first edition of this book appeared in 2007, when it was the year's American Association of Publishers outstanding book in earth science, and while progress in the past decade has been less dramatic than in the two decades preceding, nonetheless this update is most timely. The author's Prologue lays out the agenda: "Instead of the embarrassingly poor [fossil] record that Darwin faced in 1859, we now have an embarrassment of riches." To which one might now also add the records in molecular biology, embryology, and historical biogeography. The final paragraphs of the book summarise the motivation: "Evolution matters because science matters. Science matters because it is the pre-eminent story of our age, an epic saga about who we are, where we come from, and where we are going." As an integral part of the author's strategy, we have quotations from creationist writers that show their arguments to be at best uninformed, at worst consciously dishonest. To a UK audience, this may seem excessive. In a US context, I fear it is not. In any case, the creationists' errors serve to clarify the logic of the genuine science. There is an extensive bibliography at the end, and additional reading suggestions at the end of each chapter, although I would have welcomed some way of relating these to specifics in the text. We start with a chapter on The Nature of Science, where the author follows the usual line. Science, he tells us, Is distinguished from other forms of knowledge by its use of Popper's hypothetico-deductive method, based on the principle of falsifiability, while the word "theory" is only used in science for a hypothesis that is well-corroborated. And since our scientific knowledge is always revisable in the face of further information, we cannot strictly speaking use the term "fact" within science. I think this analysis is wrong, and damaging. It is of course correct to emphasise the central role of observational testing, but it gives far too narrow an account of the richness and boldness of the scientific process (see for example Carol Cleland's favourable comparison of the methods of scientific exploration of the specifics of the past, with those of the scientific search for time-independent general laws ). It reinforces the damaging impression, convincingly rebutted by Maarten Boudry among others, that science is qualitatively different from other ways of acquiring knowledge about the world. It is also demonstrably untrue that within science we reserve the term "theory" for what is well-corroborated (consider, for example, phlogiston theory, or the classical Greek theory of the Four Elements). Finally, this approach invites confusion, much exploited by creationists, between falsification (rare) and modification (commonplace, and essential to the development of science). We are not required to discard valuable theories merely because they are falsified in some detail. Instead, we accept in advance that they may need modification. But that this is no excuse for timidity. All our claims to knowledge of the world are in principle open to change, but this should not stop us from saying that, on the evidence, evolution is an established fact. One striking example of modification, discussed by Prothero, is the replacement of Darwinian gradualism in current thinking by what is known as punctuated equilibrium, where significant change occurs most frequently over short timespans in small isolated populations. So the fossil record is usually a series of (small) jumps, rather than a smooth continuum. Creationists, as we might expect, represent this shift as falsification of the central Darwinian doctrine of common descent, whereas in reality it is a logical consequence of population genetics. The reference to Darwin brings me to my one pedagogical problem with this book; the heavy emphasis placed on Darwin's own writings. Admitted, these were profound and prescient, and admitted, in addition, that he is much quote-mined and distorted, and that these distortions illustrate creationist tactics at their crudest, but to start from what Darwin said in 1859 is to place ourselves on the defensive, making everything we have learnt since look like an afterthought and leaving us fighting on ground of our opponents' choosing. In Chapter 2, Science and Creationism, the author describes creationism as peculiar to the US. If only this were true. The pseudoscientific creationism that rose to prominence in the US from the 1960s on has merged, in the UK as it has in the US, with old-fashioned biblical literalism. Nor is it limited to Christianity. It is being explicitly promoted within Islam by Adnan Oktar ("Harun Yahya"), and has been adopted by the pseudo-orthodox and fiercely anti-modern Haredi Jewish movement. I like the author's sympathetic treatment in this chapter of Genesis as a myth worthy of respect, fulfilling important emotional needs, as do the creation myths found in every society. At the same time, he tells us why on internal evidence we should regard Genesis as a composite multi-authored document. This undermines the naive biblical literalism on which creationism depends. The author returns to creationism in the final chapter, Chapter 16, Why does it matter? The chapter is subtitled Deceit in the Name of the Lord, and is the result of many years of discussion and argument. It is clear from the examples Prothero gives there that creationists knowingly lie, repeating falsehoods even when well aware of the counter-evidence. This shocks him, as it should. We lie to ourselves in order to protect valued core beliefs. And so, as he says, "Mountains of evidence about evolution will not shake them or make them pay attention, when they believe eternal torture in the underworld is the alternative." Other factors involved are confirmation bias, tribalism, and voluntary isolation from critics. I would add what philosophers call essentialism, the idea that things can be rigidly separated into different kinds. So creationists may disagree about whether Archaeopteryx is a flying lizard, or a bird with teeth and tail, but will be unanimous that it must be one or the other. As to why this matters, a democracy needs a citizenry who respect and understand science. Teaching creationism in US public schools is an attack on the Constitution. The attack on evolution is really an attack on all of science. Geology, palaeontology, astronomy, anthropology are all inconsistent with a literal reading of Genesis, and supernaturalism undermines science at its root. So how to proceed? Reach out to people who may be open to reason. This is now easier than ever, and the author speaks of hearing from people who realised, from reading his book, that their pastors were lying, or who had been appalled by their intolerance towards questioning. Prothero complains that professors in many smaller colleges are bullied by creationists. Here he greatly understates the problem. There are US universities totally committed to creationism, and one nationally recognised accreditation agency, Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), actually insists that its accredited colleges adhere to the doctrine of "The full historicity and perspicuity of the biblical record of primeval history, includingthe literal existence of Adam and Eve as the progenitors of all people, the literal fall and resultant divine curse on the creation, the worldwide cataclysmic deluge, and the origin ofnations and languages at the tower of Babel." The American public is appallingly ignorant in basic science, and the US is the only advanced nation where less than half the population accept that "human beings, as we know them, evolved from an earlier species of animals", although questionnaire wording is crucial and this may overestimate the problem. America's falling behind in technology undermines its economic future. Evolution denial threatens health and well-being, which depend on recognising evolutionary relationships. Ideological suppression of science corrupts society (consider e.g. Lysenkoism), and, as Prothero points out, the US now has creationists at the heart of government. An understanding of our place in the Universe depends on accepting the science, and this understanding is liberating and uplifting. In between the preliminary and final chapters, we have the meat of the text. A comprehensive summary of such highly informative material is impossible, so I will just pick out aspects that I found particularly interesting. Chapter 3, The Fossil Record, mentions the role of devout churchmen in establishing the reality of deep time, and their abandonment of 6-day literalism by the early 19th Century. A discussion of the Grand Canyon, and how crudely it is misdescribed by creationists, leads to a detailed description of its actual complex sedimentology, and of the faults and distortions of the rocks in the surrounding area. This gives us a taste of real geology, as opposed to the creationists' Flood Geology. There is a brisk dismissal of the absurdities of Noah's Ark, and a sideswipe at the bad Hebrew of baraminology, (bara min does not mean "created kind", but "he-created a-kind-of") the pseudoscience that purports to trace the present diversity of life to biblical "kinds" that could have fit inside the Ark. This chapter also explains the basics of radiometric dating, and mentions other problems with Young Earth chronology, such as tree ring counting, and annual layers in ice cores going back 680,000 years. Chapters 4 and 5 are the intellectual pivot of the book. Chapter 4, The Evolution of Evolution, links pre-Darwinian evolutionary thought to Enlightenment thinking, progress in other sciences, the discovery of serial succession in the fossil record, and the abandonment of belief among the educated (including the clergy) in a young Earth and a literal universal Flood. We have a history of Darwin's evolving thought, and his crucial contributions in extrapolating from artificial to natural selection, and in suggesting such selection as the agent of change. Next, the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis built around population genetics, dominant by the late 1940s. This defined evolution as change in allele (gene type) frequency in a population, and assumed gradualism, and that all changes were driven by selection. There is an excellent section on how radically this view has now been modified, with neutral drift, horizontal gene transfer, incorporation of viral genetic material, possible environmental influences, and junk DNA. Duplications in the genetic code ensure that some changes in DNA will leave its message unchanged, and such neutral mutations are especially useful as a molecular clock. The persistence of unused genes testifies to evolutionary pathways, while changes in regulatory genes can cause large changes even in a single generation. Kinds of evidence: the family tree of life, homology (evident in forelimbs), embryology, biogeography (placentals vs marsupials). Observed evolution in real time: Darwin's finches in the 1970s, diversification of European house sparrows in North America, salmon adapting to new habitats, lake versus ocean sticklebacks, industrial melanism, drug resistance in bacteria, pesticide resistance in insects and weeds. Chapter 5, Systematics and Evolution, clarifies the confusing relationship between the 18th-century (Linnaeus) classification of species, genus etc based on resemblances, and the new approach of cladistics. Cladistics demystifies classification by a simple idea derived from evolution. A clade consists of a parent species and all its descendants, and inherited features are used to define family trees. Traditional classification by specific characters was to some extent arbitrary, because it might depend on what characters you focus on, and any particular organism is a mosaic of what are now called primitive features, present in the ancestral species, and more recently evolved derived features. (These terms are unfortunate, because of the lingering suggestion that evolution corresponds to progress, but that is the vocabulary that we are stuck with, and the meaning is generally quite clear.) A cladogram is a branching diagram showing how species are related. Extinct species are shown as side-branches, to emphasise the fact that we can't know whether we are dealing with direct or collateral ancestors, grandparents or great-uncles. Cladistics puts in visual form the answer to the ever popular question "If we evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?" by showing modern humans and modern monkeys at exactly the same distance from their last common ancestor. Molecular comparisons, especially using the advances in DNA sequencing that have taken place over the past few decades, also allow us to establish cladograms completely independent of anatomical examination or the fossil record. One example is the placing of whales as a sister group to even-toed hoofed mammals of the pig-hippo family, first suggested on molecular evidence and only later confirmed from the anatomical structure of the ankle bones in whales' four-footed ancestors. The remarkable fact, of which Prothero could perhaps have made more, is the general overall agreement, of which this is just one example, between the phylogenies (family trees) derived using such different criteria. On a fine scale, or during periods of very rapid spreading out into new niches, the details of phylogeny remain fuzzy, perhaps inevitably so since populations are intrinsically diverse, but the overall correspondence is undeniable. Part II, Evolution? The fossils say yes, makes up the bulk of the book, and displays the enormous weight of the fossil evidence. Chapter 6, Life's Origins, is the one that overlaps most strongly with my own research interests. Here Prothero follows the general view among palaeontologists, a view that seems to me rather too optimistic. He is however up-to-date and well-informed, aware of the evidence for the deep antiquity of life, and of the reasons for believing that if already established, life could have survived the late heavy bombardment that the Earth experienced around 4 billion years ago. He gives more prominence than I would have liked to the Urey-Miller experiment, on the spontaneous generation of the building blocks of life, whose shortcomings1 are regularly pointed out by creationists. He also underestimates the difficulties with the "RNA world" hypothesis, and does not mention the central problem that information-carrying molecules (be they DNA, RNA, protein, or something else altogether) require the variable components to be lined up in the right order, like letters in words. Once we have any variable system that can replicate and undergo selection between variants, evolution becomes inevitable, but the origins of life problem is, precisely, how we ever got to that stage. Philosophically, Prothero is certainly correct in saying that creationists at this point regularly commit two major fallacies. They presume that because the origin of life problem has not yet been solved, that is good reason to think it insoluble, and they believe that the appropriate response to this situation is to invoke a miracle-working deity. This last belief in particular is pernicious, because such "explanation" can be used to answer any question whatsoever, leaving us with no motivation to do science. My own approach here is to say that the origin of life is indeed an incompletely solved problem, because it is a very difficult one, but that this is no objection to biological evolution, much as the origin of the elements was an incompletely solved problem until the 1950s, but that was not a reason for rejecting chemistry. Chapter 7 is titled Cambrian "explosion" or "slow fuse"? Here the creationist myth, based on a mass of half-truths, is that all major animal phyla (arthropods, nematodes, chordates, echinoderms, molluscs etc) somehow sprang into existence independently during the Cambrian. This, they claim, is evidence for separate creation, and by implication makes separate creation more credible throughout the entire record. Such is the claim put forward in Darwin's Doubt, a major publication from the Intelligent Design creationist Discovery Institute. As Prothero points out here, and has also pointed out in a devastating review of that book, all of this is simply untrue. Life had been around since 3.8 billion years before present, if not earlier. Before the Cambrian we had what is now called the Ediacaran fauna, complex organisms with strange shapes, so that the "explosion", which itself required some twenty million years, was part of an overall process that took four times that long. All of which has been known, at least an outline, for 70 years, so that the creationist appeal to the sudden appearance of life's diversity is at best wilfully ignorant, at worst knowingly dishonest. (There is also evidence in the next chapter, which could have been mentioned here, of how the various phyla are not independent at all, but related through Precambrian common ancestors.) The next few chapters discuss, in considerable detail, the evolution of invertebrates, chordates (the phylum that includes all vertebrates), amphibian and land vertebrates, dinosaurs (including of course birds), and mammals. Invertebrates make up 99% of the animal kingdom. Marine microfossils provide a continuous record of evolution, with worldwide correlation of sediments giving a timeline that has been calibrated using radiometric and palaeomagnetic dating. This is not, as creationists claim, circular reasoning, but its very opposite, independent confirmation using different methods, and the timeline is well enough established to be used in oil exploration. We have examples of intermediates between the different invertebrate phyla, evidence of their common deep ancestry. Such relationships, originally deduced from anatomy and from the fossil record, are now increasingly confirmed by molecular phylogeny. Examples include intermediates between molluscs and their worm-like ancestors, and between many-segmented worms and arthropods. As for chordates, the phylum that includes all vertebrates, embryos have been found from as far back as 600 million years ago, and molecular and developmental information suggests an even older deep relationship between chordates and echinoderms, the phylum that includes sea urchins. Further evidence against the separate creation of different phyla, and against the special role that creationists give to the Cambrian. We are shown how the characteristic tetrapod limb structure (one upper arm bone, two forearm bones, connecting bones in the wrist, digits) is present in the mid-Devonian Tiktaalik, emerges step-by-step from numerous well-documented earlier forms, and is in turn ancestral, step-by-step, to everything from a bird's wing to a human hand to a horse's hoof. Prothero tells the story of Archaeoraptor, to illustrate science in action, and creationist distortion. It was a composite put together by a fraudulent dealer from two genuine fossils, and although it was described in National Geographic in 1999, it was exposed before ever making it to a peer reviewed scientific publication. This successful piece of scientific detective work has not stopped creationists from using the episode for years afterwards in their attempts to discredit the science. I used to think that mammals had evolved from reptiles. I was wrong. Synapsids, the line that gave rise to mammals, branched off very early from the line that gave rise to reptiles. The defining difference is in the shape of the mammalian skull, where bones that in reptiles form part of the jaw have migrated to the middle ear. We have intermediate fossils showing both the old-style jaw joint still present in reptiles, and the style characteristic of mammals. Mammals recapitulate this migration of the ear bones from the jaw in the womb. The different placental mammal orders diverged rapidly after the extinction of the dinosaurs, and although the relationships between these orders are still rather ambiguous, within each order we have very clear lines of descent. For example, there are striking similarities in the early Eocene between the ancestors of horses, rhinos, and tapirs, although by the late Eocene these were clearly distinct. A very clear example of intermediate forms, in the most demanding sense of being intermediate between two groups that later separated. Palaeobiogeography complements the fossil record; camelids originated in North America, and spread to South America some 3 million years ago to give rise to llamas and alpacas and to Eurasia 7 million years ago. And so to Chapter 15, The Ape's Reflection? The Only Transition That Really Matters. Here is where people have the greatest problems in coming to terms with the science, since we correctly see ourselves as special, as moral agents, and (for some of us) as the possessors of souls. Creationists pay particular attention to this stage of our evolution, and Prothero gives numerous examples of how they misdescribe the record. The human fossil record dates back some seven million years, to the point where we diverged from our sister species, which gave rise to today's chimpanzees and bonobos. The diagram given in the text for the human fossil record shows more than twenty recognised species, two of them new additions in the 2nd edition. Fossils, for some of these species, are numerous (something else creationists regularly lie about), and the rooting of the hominin family tree among the apes is confirmed in detail by DNA comparisons. Human and chimpanzee DNA are more than 97% identical, and humans in the womb have monkey-like tails, with which, very occasionally, they are actually born. It is thought that for the small differences between chimpanzee and human DNA to have such dramatic effect, they must involve control genes, which affect how and when other genes manifest themselves, and baby chimpanzees are provocatively much more similar to humans than adults are. See for yourself in the image below, used by Prothero, and first published in 1926. To deny evolution is to deny reality. 1] The reaction requires a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, now thought unlikely on the early Earth. It produces a complex mixture of simple products in low concentration, and does not show how these could have been persuaded to join up to make biological polymers, let alone the well-ordered polymers required for biological activity. You will find more of my writing at Primate's progress, paulbraterman.wordpress.com. by Ashutosh Jogalekar Primitive science began when mankind looked upward at the sky and downward at the earth and asked why. Modern science began when Galileo and Kepler and Newton answered these questions using the language of mathematics and started codifying them into general scientific laws. Since then scientific discovery has been constantly driven by curiosity, and many of the most important answers have come from questions of the kind asked by a child: Why is the sky blue? Why is grass green? Why do monkeys look similar to us? How does a hummingbird flap its wings? With the powerful tool of curiosity came the even more powerful fulcrum of creativity around which all of science hinged. Einsteins imagining himself on a light beam was a thoroughly creative act; so were Ada Lovelaces thoughts about a calculating machine as doing something beyond mere calculation, James Watson and Francis Cricks DNA model-building exercise, Enrico Fermis sudden decision to put a block of paraffin wax in the path of neutrons. What is common to all these flights of fancy is that they were spontaneous, often spur-of-the-moment, informed at best by meager data and mostly by intuition. If Einstein, Lovelace and Fermi had paused to reconsider their thoughts because of the absence of hard evidence or statistical data, they might at the very least been discouraged from exploring these creative ideas further. And yet that is what I think the future Einsteins and Lovelaces of our day are in danger of doing. They are in danger of doing this because they are increasingly living in a world where statistics and data-driven decisions are becoming the beginning and end of everything, where young minds are constantly cautioned to not speculate before they have enough data. We live in an age where Big Data, More Data and Still More Data seem to be all consuming, looming over decisions both big and mundane; from driving to ordering pet food to getting a mammogram. We are being told that we should not make any decision pending its substantiation through statistics and large-scale data analysis. Now, I will be the first one to advocate making decisions based on data and statistics, especially in an era where sloppy thinking and speculation based on incomplete or non-existent data seems to have turned into the very air which the media and large segments of the population breathe. Statistics has especially been found to be both paramount and sorely lacking in making decisions, and books like Daniel Kahnemans Thinking Fast and Slow and Nate Silvers The Signal and the Noise have stressed how humans are intrinsically bad at probabilistic and statistical thinking and how this disadvantage leads to them consistently making wrong decisions. It seems that a restructuring of our collective thinking process that is grounded in data would be a good thing for everyone. But there are inherent problems with implementing this principle, quite apart from the severe limitations on creative speculation that an excess of data-based thinking imposes. Firstly, except in rare cases, we simply dont have all the data that is necessary for making a good decision. Data itself is not insight, its simply raw material for insight. This problem is seen in the nature of the scientific process itself; in the words of the scientist and humanist Jacob Bronowski, in every scientific investigation we decide where to make a cut in nature, a cut that isolates the system of interest from the rest of the universe. Even late into the process, we can never truly know whether the part of the universe we have left out is relevant. Our knowledge of what we have left out is thus not just a known unknown but often an unknown unknown. Secondly and equally importantly, the quality of the data often takes second stage to its quantity; too many companies and research organizations seem to think that more data is always good, even when more data can mean more bad data. Thirdly, even with a vast amount of data, human beings are incapable of digesting this surfeit and making sure that their decisions include all of it. And fourthly and most importantly, making decisions based on data is often a self-fulfilling prophecy; the hypothesis we form and the conclusions we reach are inherently constrained by the data. We get obsessed with the data that we have and develop tunnel vision, and we ignore the importance of the data that we dont have. This means that all our results are only going to be as good as the existing data. Consider a seminal basic scientific discovery like the detection of the Higgs Boson, forty years after the prediction was made. There is little doubt that this was a supreme achievement, a technical tour de force that came about only because of the collective intelligence and collaboration of hundreds of scientists, engineers, technicians, bureaucrats and governments. The finding was of course a textbook example of how everyday science works: a theory makes a prediction and a well-designed experiment confirms or refutes the prediction. But how much more novelty the LHC would have found had the parameters been significantly tweaked, if the imagination of the collider and its operator been set loose? Maybe it would not have found the Higgs then, but it would have discovered something wholly different and unexpected. There would certainly have been more noise, but there would also have been more signal that would have led to discoveries which nobody predicted and which might have charted new vistas in physics. One of the major complaints about modern fundamental physics, especially in areas like string theory, is that it is experiment-poor and theory-rich. But experiments can only find something new when they dont stay too close to the theoretical framework. You cannot always let prevailing theory dictate what experiments should do. The success of the LHC in finding the Higgs and nothing but the Higgs points to the self-fulfilling prophecy of data that I mentioned: the experiment was set up to find or disprove the Higgs and the data contained within it the existence or absence of the Higgs. True creative science comes from generating hypotheses beyond the domain of the initial hypotheses and the resulting data. These hypotheses have to be confined within the boundaries of the known laws of nature, but there still has to be enough wiggle room to at least push against these boundaries, if not try to break free of them. My contention is that we are gradually becoming so enamored of data that it is clipping and tying down our wings, not allowing us to roam free in the air and explore daring new intellectual landscapes. Its very much a case of the drunk under the lamppost, looking for his keys there because thats where the light is. A related problem with the religion of dataism is the tendency to dismiss anything that constitutes anecdotal evidence, even if it can lead to creative exploration. Yes, but thats an n of 1 is a refrain that you must have heard from many a data-entranced statistics geek. Its important to not regard anecdotal evidence as sacrosanct, but its equally wrong in my opinion to simply dismiss it and move on. Isaac Asimov reminded us that great discoveries in science are made when an odd observation or fact makes someone go, Hmm, thats interesting. But if instead, the reaction is going to be Interesting, but thats just an n of 1, so I am going to move on, you are potentially giving up on hidden gems of discovery. With anecdotal data also comes storytelling which has always been an integral part not just of science but of the human experience. Both arouse our sense of wonder and curiosity; we are left fascinated and free to imagine and explore precisely because of the paucity of data and the lone voice from the deep. Very few scientists and thinkers drove home the importance of taking anecdotal storytelling seriously as well as the late Oliver Sacks. If one reads Sackss books, every one of them is populated with fascinating stories of individual men and women with neurological deficits or abilities that shed valuable light on the workings of the brain. If Sacks had dismissed these anecdotes as insufficiently data-rich, he would have missed discovering the essence of important neurological disorders. Sacks also extolled the value of looking at historical data, another source of wisdom that would very easily be dismissed by hard scientists who think all historical data suspect because of its absence of large-scale statistical validation. Sacks regarded historical reports as especially neglected and refreshingly valuable sources of novel insights; in his early days, his insistence that his hospitals weekly journal club discuss the papers of their nineteenth century forebears was met largely with indifference. But this exploration off the beaten track paid dividends. For instance, he once realized that he had rediscovered a key hallucinogenic aspect of severe migraines when he came across a paper on similar self-reported symptoms by the English astronomer John Herschel, written more than a hundred years ago. A data scientist would surely dismiss Herschels report as nothing more than a fluke. The dismissal of historical data is especially visible in our modern system of medicine which ignores many medical reports of the kind that people like Sacks found valuable. It does an even better job ignoring the vast amount of information contained in the medical repositories of ancient systems of medicines, such as the Chinese and Indian pharmacopeias. Now, admittedly there are a lot of inconsistencies in these reports so they cannot all be taken literally, but neither is the process of ignoring them fruitful. Like all uncertain but potentially useful data, they need to be dug up, investigated and validated so that we can keep the gold and throw out the dross. The great potential value of ancient systems of medicine was made apparent when two years ago, the Nobel Prize for medicine was awarded to Chinese medicinal chemist Tu Youyou for her lifesaving discovery of the antimalarial drug artemisinin. Youyou was inspired to make the discovery when she found a process for low-temperature chemical extraction of the drug in a 1600-year-old Chinese text titled Emergency Prescriptions Kept Up Ones Sleeve. This obscure and low-visibility data point would have been certainly dismissed by statistics-enamored medicinal chemists in the West, even if they had known where to find it. Part of recognizing the importance of Eastern systems of medicine consists in recognizing their very different philosophy; while Western medicine seeks to attack the disease and is highly reductionist, Eastern medicine takes a much more holistic approach in which it seeks to modify the physiology of the individual itself. This kind of philosophy is harder to study in the traditional double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial that has been the mainstay of successful Western medicine, but the difficulty of implementing a particular scientific paradigm should not be an argument against its serious study or adoption. As Sackss and Youyous examples demonstrate, gems of discovery still lie hidden in anecdotal and historical reports, especially in medicine where even today we understand so little about entities like the human brain. Whether its the LHC or medical research, the practice of gathering data and relying only on that data is making us stay close to the ground when we could have been soaring high in the air without these constraints. Data is critical for substantiating a scientific idea, but I would argue that it actually makes it harder to explore wild, creative scientific ideas in the first place, ideas that often come from anecdotal evidence, storytelling and speculation. A bigger place for data leaves increasingly smaller room for authentic and spontaneous creativity. Sadly, todays publishing culture also rooms little room for pure speculation-driven hypothesizing. As just one example of how different things have become in the last forty years, in 1960 the physicist Freeman Dyson wrote a paper in Science speculating on possible ways to detect alien civilizations based on their capture of heat energy from their parent star. Dysons paper contained enough calculations to make it at least a mildly serious piece of work, but I feel confident that in 2017 his paper would probably get rejected from major journals like Science and Nature which have lost their taste for interesting speculation and have become obsessed with data-driven research. Speculation and curiosity have been mainstays of human thinking since our origins. When our ancestors sat around fires and told stories of gods, demons and spirit animals to their grandchildren, it made the wide-eyed children wonder and want to know more about these mysterious entities that their elders were describing. This feeling of wonder led the children to ask questions. Many of these questions led down wrong alleys, but the ones that survived later scrutiny launched important ideas. Today we would dismiss these undisciplined mental meanderings as superstition, but there is little doubt that they involve the same kind of basic curiosity that drives a scientist. There is perhaps no better example of a civilization that went down this path than ancient Greece. Greece was a civilization full of animated spirits and Gods that controlled mens destinies and the forces of nature. The Greeks certainly found memorable ways to enshrine these beliefs in their plays and literature, but the same cauldron that imagined Zeus and Athena also created Aristotle and Plato. Aristotle and Platos universe was a universe of causes and humors, of earth and water, of abstract geometrical entities divorced from real world substantiation. Both men speculated with fierce abandon. And yet both made seminal contributions to Western science and philosophy even as their ideas were accepted, circulated, refined and refuted for the next two thousand years. Now imagine if Aristotle and Plato had refused to speculate on causes and human anatomy and physiology because they had insufficient data, if they had turned away from imagining because the evidence wasnt there. We need to remember that much of science arose as poetic speculations on the cosmos. Data kills the poetic urge in science, an urge that the humanities have recognized for a long time and which science has had in plenty. Richard Feynman once wrote, Poets say that science takes away the beauty of the stars and turns them into mere globs of gas atoms. But nothing is mere. I too can see the stars on a desert night, but do I see less or more? The vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination; stuck on this carousel my little eye can catch one-million-year-old lightWhat men are poets who can speak of Jupiter as if he were a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent? Feynman was speaking to the sense of wonder that science should evoke in all of us. Carl Sagan realized this too when he said that not only is science compatible with spirituality, but its a profound source of spirituality. To realize that the world is a multilayered, many-splendored thing, to realize that everything around us is connected through particles and forces, to realize that every time we take a breath or fly on a plane we are being held alive and aloft by the wonderful and weird principles of mechanics and electromagnetism and atomic physics, and to realize that these phenomena are actually real as opposed to the fictional revelations of religion, should be as much a spiritual experience as anything else in ones life. In this sense, knowing about quantum mechanics or molecular biology is no different from listening to the Goldberg Variations or gazing up at the Sistine Chapel. But this spiritual experience can come only when we let our imaginations run free, constraining them in the straitjacket of skepticism only after they have furiously streaked across the sky of wonder. The first woman, when she asked what the stars were made of, did not ask for a p value. by Max Sirak (Click here or scroll down for audio version.) "As above, so below" is possibly the best known Hermetic aphorism. The phrase itself comes from The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus. An actual tablet that was translated into Latin during the 12th Century and quickly became a favorite of medieval alchemists, and then a bit later someone whom you may have heard of. His name was Isaac Newton. You know, the guy with the apple who "discovered" gravity. Well, turns out Ol' Zac was quite the mystic. In fact, some believe "As above, so below" is the seed which sparked Newton to begin searching for the similarities between ourselves and the stars. This principle is said to be represented symbolically in a couple places. One is the six-pointed Star of David, with its two equilateral triangles overlapping and pointing in opposite directions. Another is in the Tarot. The Magician card raises one arm above his head to the sky and drops the other below his waist to the ground. While I can't necessarily speak, authoritatively, to the origins of symbols that pre-date me, one by many thousands of years, or what precisely motivated a luminary of science to put forth ideas forever changing they way we look at our world, I do think the phrase "As above, so below" could use an addendum: "As it begins, so too it ends." In the last couple of years I've noticed six similarities between the beginnings of our lives and their ends. It's almost as though life is like one of those nifty pieces of art where a centerline divides two identical-though-reversed images creating a spectacular and intricate pattern when viewed together. I don't remember my birth and early development. And I'm not yet dead. I don't have any children of my own. And I've been fortunate enough to not lose anyone in my immediate family. However, I have thrown dirt on three grandparents and I've watched a majority of my friends trudge along the roads of parenthood. My dad's mom is 93. She's not as spry as she once was, but she's here and kicking. Albeit, not as swiftly. And, I've also got some kids running through my life becoming little people. Here, I sit. Perched at a midpoint, legs hanging and swinging, I watch. To my left, a slide into abysmal eternity. To my right, rug rats running the ramp to maturity. And I am in the middle, free like Newton, glancing in both directions and "discovering" enough similarities to say, "As it begins, so too it ends." Driving My birthday is in July. This means my parents had a choice. They could either make me one of the older kids in my school grade or a younger one. I was pushed ahead and therefore the last of my friends to hit any age-related milestones. By the time I could legally drink in bars, I was entering my senior year in college. I wasn't able to vote until after high school. My awkward fat-kid phase felt like it lasted forever, on account of being a late-bloomer. It also meant I was the last to get a drivers license. By the time I was behind the wheel, my friends had been zooming around for a year or more. I remember how exciting it was, piling into Josh's car, when he got his license. It was great! The freedom. The adventure. The ability to go where we wanted, when we wanted, with no dependence on mom or dad. As we age, similar situations arise. Only in reverse. Instead of moving toward liberation, we capitulate toward captivity as our licenses and our abilities to drive are revoked. Eventually, there comes a time when, again, there's only one person in our peer group who's able to drive. And, like it was when we were teens, we pile into his or her car, still savoring those feelings of freedom and adventure. Until they too are gone as our last friend is no longer able to operate the auto, then it's back to relying on others to get us where we want to go. Social Life Want to know a sick, sad truth? One "privilege" the longest lived of us get to look forward to is watching our friends die. Cool, huh? My grandma has been blessed/cursed to outlast em all. She has no social life. Or, as she likes to say, "I used to play cards. But now I don't. My friends are dead." This too is kind of like how it is at the beginning. We don't get any sort of say about who we do and don't spend our time with as babes. We come into this world and there are people already here. They choose who we see. We certainly don't. Then, one day, we are ushered off to a different place with more people our own age. When we're young it's daycare or pre-school. When we're old it's an assisted living facility or a nursing home. Acting out See, grandma likes to gamble. And when one of her home healthcare workers refuses to take her to the casino down the street, she gets nasty. Not unlike a child you might see in the ice cream aisle of the grocery store in mid meltdown. You know the scene: Tears stream. Voices scream. Hugging the ankles of their father or mother as said parent refuses to give them whatever the kid wants but shouldn't have. Yeah. Grandma doesn't need to spend any more time in her "casino." Even calling it that is generous. The place isn't some glitzy, glamorous temple to lady luck with slot machines ringing and cheers around tables. It's in a strip mall. It's a dark. It's dingy. If there were more teenagers, cigarette smoke, and energy drinks you'd swear it was a Chinese internet gaming den. Walking Oh man watching a kid learn to walk is the best. They're like tiny drunk people, all unsteady and swervy. Little steps. Irregular gait. Poor balance. No rhythm. (Wait. Am I talking about me dancing?) And all the while, mom and dad are nervous. Looking on they see every toddle, worry over every wobble, and quickly assess any dangers; a flight of stairs here, a sharp corner there. A fall, especially in certain places, could be disastrous. In September my parents came to visit. While here my dad got a call. His mom fell. She lost her balance while trying to open a drawer. Backwards she plopped. Luckily, she didn't break anything. Granda's hearty. But falls for seniors don't normally bode well. When we're born it's our parents who are vigilant. Toward our end it's a different set of caretakers. Only the watchfulness remains the same. Eating From milk or formula to pureed plants to the soft and gumable to sticky, hard, and crunchy. It makes sense. Babes don't have teeth when they come into this world. When it's time for us to go, baring stellar dental care, we may not have any when we shove off. It seems as though the sensitivity of our stomachs also flow and ebb with age. I've seen many of my parent friends be very careful about the level of spice in their children's food. Makes sense to me. It's mom and dad who are dealing with diapers. They're on the front lines of the back end. Similar stuff happens with seasoning as we season. Our tolerance for such, or our willingness to deal with the consequences of our culinary choices, seems to diminish with age. At each restaurant grandma and I ate, she made a point of making sure whatever she ordered was as bland as the chef would allow. (I assume this is because my grandmother is a delicate flower. Lord knows, bowel movements aren't quite couth discussion among our family.) Expectations Mike Tyson said it best. "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Ain't that the truth I'm not anti-preparation and planning. Both are good uses of time and have their place. But life (and death) are bigger than us and don't conform to our ideas about what they should be like. I've watched my first-time parent friends study and read. They took classes and flooded themselves with as much information, from as many sources as they could, in hopes of being ready for when the lil' en arrived. And you know what? All those plans got thrown out the window. Dealing with their newborn in real time wasn't the same as imagining it. There's a difference between on paper and in hand. The gap between knowing something on an intellectual level and feeling what it's like to go through it on a physical one is wide indeed. It's the same with losing a loved one. We all know our parents, friends, and family are going to die. And, in the instance of a slow decline, we may even think we've prepared for their departure. But guess what? Knowing it's going to happen isn't the same as it happening. Understanding in the abstract doesn't make the absence more bearable. It doesn't stave the strife. Practicing What I Preach This column has been about symmetry. The parallels between the various milestones of how lives start and end. And this principal, the end mirroring the beginning as beginning foreshadows the end, is something I keep in mind when writing. The best conclusions call back to their introductions. Referencing how a speech, essay, paper, etc. begins at it's end ties the work together and contains it. Like bookends, matching objects opposing each other while imposing continuity and order for what's shelved between. Newton's imagination and view of the world may very well have been colored by a Hermetic idea. Reconciling the forces and movements of the stars in the sky and the ground at his feet was kind of his jam. "As above, so below." Me? I'm more into the horizontal. Understanding our movements along the axis of life lived and coming to terms with them is what gets my creative juices flowing. Which is why I'm for adding a corollary to Hermes Trismegistus' vertical wisdom. "As it begins, so too it ends." I guess it's time to start working on a four-armed Magician card and a 12-pointed star *** Max is a book doula (Ghostwriter) with a podcast and a Twitter account. *** Audio Version Photo Credits 1) Tree http://prozit.com/na/218982169/on-flipboard-httpswww/218982/ 2) Floral image designed by Freepik from flaticon https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/floral-design-with-vertical-and-horizontal-symmetry_30127 3) Fat-Kid Max whoever took my 7th grade school photo 4) Mike Tyson Punch Out!! by Nintendo *** Research http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-11-09/sports/sfl-mike-tyson-explains-one-of-his-most-famous-quotes-20121109_1_mike-tyson-undisputed-truth-famous-quotes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Tablet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magician_(Tarot_card) by G. M. Trujillo, Jr. Among the gray crags and russet stalagmites of Hades, Sisyphus heaves a boulder. Zeus, the king god, banished him there after he tricked Thanatos and Persephone, thus making a fool of death and rebirth. He thwarted the gods, so they thwart him. He must endlessly haul the rock up a mountain, but before it reaches the crest, the enchanted boulder crashes back to the base. Sisyphus must retreat, heave again. Toil upward, slump downward. Already in the underworld, not even death may liberate him. So there he trembles and labors. His sinews creak; his lungs gasp. The gods tremble and gasp as well. With laughter. Homer and Ovid immortalized these poetic images, but why has Sisyphus inspired so much philosophical reflection? Traditionally, philosophers analyze the myth to understand the meaning of life. We see ourselves in Sisyphus and muse about the implications. Here, I continue that tradition by asking: how can Sisyphus endure his struggle yet judge his life worthwhile? I argue that Sisyphuss life is meaningful because of the relationships he has with others. The myth of Sisyphus affirms that social activity consecrates our lives with significance. Many interpretations consider Sisyphus only as an individual and thus neglect the fact that he lived with others, just as we do. Theories about meaning in life should reflect the profound and intricate nature of the social interactions we cherish. By exploring the social aspects of life, we stumble upon an insight: a persons life may be made meaningful when others view it as such, when we enjoy rich relationships with others. Maybe Sisyphus could find his life meaningful through an act of reflective defiance, constructing meaning for and through himself. Maybe his participation in rituals of the Greek afterlife contributes meaning to his existence. However, even when subjective interpretation or objective activities fail, our friends, family, and lovers anoint our lives with meaning. Imagine Sisyphuss exertion, heaving the rock without even the satisfaction of time to orient the monotonous drudgery. Watch as his thoughts and resolve pale like his skin in the sunless underworld. Feel the dirt cake around his ankles and in his matted beard. The grime of Tartarus not only shrouds his body but even his deepest memoriesolives on his tongue, love on his lips, the floods of passionate reason that welled inside him before his defiance. Now imagine that, in their devotion and love, his friends send him a signal. Maybe they petition Gaia to part her earthen body and guide a single ray of sun to him. Maybe they commission Daedalus to craft a songbird to navigate Hades, find Sisyphus, and sing. Maybe they bribe Hermes to send a message: Charon forbade us journey when we mentioned we wanted to heave the stone to give you solace. So we commemorate your feats each solstice by hurling boulders down Olympus. May you gain fortitude when you hear the rumbles. In each case, if Sisyphus, entranced by his exhaustion, feels the sun sear his shoulders or a melody caress his ear, he would remember his actions and his reasons for them. I am fated to heave a rock ceaselessly, he may resign. But teeth would glint through beard when he recognizes, The severity of my punishment testifies to the greatness of my schemes, for the gods torment only the exceptional. My friends remember this. His mortal cleverness that defied the immortal gods lived on as a symbol to his friends and community. And if his friends sent a sign, he would remember the meaning that belongs to his life. Such a sign given to us by others can make even a Sisyphean life worthwhile. Others anoint our lives when they value us. Meanings in life emerge from friendships and memberships in communities. An acknowledging smile at a stranger, a wave at a friend from afar, the pursuit of a mutual interest with a partnerall baptize our lives at varying depths in the river of lifes meanings. Social rituals and practices imbue life with significance by reminding us of our personhood and relation to others. The communities affected by us share meaning with us. Aristotle theorized that social ties and friendship are essential to living well. He was so certain of this he argued that no one would choose a life without friends, even if that life promised wealth, fame, health, and all other possible goods. The Stoicssages of self-sufficiency and champions of tranquility in the direst circumstancescelebrated friendship and human sympathy during adversity. We were never meant to endure life alone. We do not live by ourselves and should not. Even the most resolute of human beings falter under the stress of life. And during these times our friends are the ones who help us carry on, just as Sisyphuss closest friends would bear the rock for a moment to give him respite if they could. It is precisely from these relationships that meanings for life emerge. Negatively, divorce and death attest to the impact of social meanings in lives. Breaking up with a partner signifies not only a loss of time and life with that person, but also the withering of the part of the self that was animated by the beloved. The romantic total greater than the two lovers vanishes with the relationships end. Parting with a lover parallels the death of a loved one, though the finality amplifies the effect. People mourn the loss of beloved others not only because their friends are gone, but also because an aspect of themselvesthem as they were with their friendsatrophies and decays. The salience of their absence indicates the significance of their presence. Because we play supporting roles in each others lives, the story changes significantly when characters exit. We are at our best when we are around others we care about, especially when we help each other accomplish goals we value mutually. Relationships give meaning to our lives. The myth of Sisyphus disturbs us not because he must repeatedly and futilely heave a boulder up a mountain. The heart of its terror lies in the isolation that smothers Sisyphus. He interacts with nothing that reminds him that he is part of a community. Moreover, if Sisyphus were given a companion who suffered the same fate, maybe Tantalus or Prometheus must also roll boulders nearby, then we would judge Sisyphuss fate as more tolerable. Even if we do not find subjective significance, others adorn our lives with meaning when we enter social relationships. Life may corrode meaning, or reduce it to rubble, but our friends retrieve, polish, and present it to us. For example, wearied by war and travel and trapped on Calypsos island, Odysseuss life did not lose all meaning. Because his wife Penelope awaited his homecoming, and because his patroness Athena pled to Zeus for his return, Odysseuss life was meaningful in spite of his own inaction. Argos, his dog, was the first to remind him of this meaning when he again set foot on Ithacas shore. However, others may also play negative roles in our lives. If as individuals we can sanctify the lives of others with meaning, we may also deteriorate lives in apathy or vitriol. If the Fates spin for someone a Sisyphean existence, others may not only help her to recover, but they may also contribute to her torment. Imagine, if instead of Sisyphuss friends sending a ray of sunshine or a songbird, his enemies summoned a deluge of waste or a vulture to tear at his knuckles each time he grasped the rock. Even the most resolved defiance would evaporate in such torrid cruelty. Just as we can consecrate lives with meaning, we can condemn others if we show they are unloved or unacknowledged. The potency of our relations with others places a profound responsibility on us. We must consider our social interactions carefully. We should err on the side of sympathy and imbuing lives with meaning, rather than indifference or contempt. Let us hope that when our resolve fails, our friends find us first. We all have toiled as Sisyphus, and none of us saved ourselves. As readers of classics and philosophy in the leisure it takes to do so, we are not heaving boulders. But we know someone who is. We could abandon or ignore them. Or we could send for Gaia, Daedalus, or Hermes. * * * Al Hadeetha Copper Project Update Perth, Nov 27, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Alara Resources Limited ( ASX:AUQ ) ( ALULF:OTCMKTS ) (Alara or Company) hits major milestones on path toward construction of a 1Mtpa copper concentration plant at the Al Hadeetha Copper in Oman (the Project). Yesterday, Alara reported the Public Authority of Mining (PAM) had given clearance to the Ministry of Commerce to include mining activities on the commercial registration of Al Hadeetha Resources (see Note 1 below). This important step by PAM is seen as indicative of impending favourable action relative to the issuance of the Project Mining Licence and follows the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs granting a "no objection" for the Project earlier this month (see Note 2 below). Alara announced its maiden Ore Reserve (9.7Mt @ 0.88% Cu and 0.22g/t Au, 0.3% cut-off) for the Project's Washihi deposit in December last year (see Note 3 below). The Ore Reserve is based on the Company's Washihi mineral resource estimate (see Note 4 below) summarized in Table 1 (see link below). The Project includes three (3) exploration licences (i.e. Washihi, Mullaq and Al Ajal - see Figure 1 below) and entails development of the Washihi deposit by means of a single open pit mine and 1Mtpa processing facility to produce copper concentrates for export to overseas and/or a domestic smelter. The Project has an initial mine life of 10 years and NPV of US$97m (see Note 5 below). Oman has a history of copper mining that dates back thousands of years. However, the sector has become dormant in recent times as global investment in mineral exploration declined and operating mines were closed. Alara's six year investment into the Al Hadeetha Copper Project looks set to pay off as the Project is developed at a time when the Omani government are taking steps (see Note 6 below) to diversify the Sultanate's revenue streams and reignite the mining sector as a pillar of the Omani economy. Rising copper prices and these other recent developments bode well for the Project as it moves toward production, with copper supply deficits forecast to further deepen next year (see Note 7 below). Notes: 1 The Project company, Al Hadeetha Resources, is owned 70% Alara Oman Operations Pty Ltd and 30% Al Hadeetha Investments LLC.70% 2 Refer Alara's ASX Announcement of 2 November 2017 3 Refer Alara's ASX Announcement of 15 December 2016 4 Refer Alara's ASX announcement of 19 September 2016, 5 Based on copper prices ranging from $5,593/t to $7,000/t - refer Alara's Quarterly Activity Report dated 31 January and ASX Announcement of 24 January 2017. 6 Tanfeedh is a government initiative that aims at linking the strategies of the main vital sectors of Manufacturing, Tourism, Transport & Logistics, Mining and Fisheries to each other in order to diversify the national income resources and fulfil the objectives of the Ninth Five Year Development Plan 2016 - 2020. The establishment of Mining Development Oman by Oman's large sovereign wealth funds is another example. 7 ICSG forecast a 105,000 tonne shortfall in 2018 To view figures, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/F9DC90DA About Alara Resources Limited Alara Resources Limited (ASX:AUQ) (OTCMKTS:ALULF) is an Australian minerals exploration company with a portfolio of projects in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Alara has completed a Definitive Feasibility Study on the Khnaiguiyah Zinc-Copper Project in Saudi Arabia, an Advanced Scoping Study on the Daris and Washihi, Mullaq and Al Ajal exploration licences in Oman and a Feasibility Study for the Al Hadeetha Copper Gold Project, Washihi ore reserve. The Company is transitioning to establish itself as a base and precious metals mine development and production company. For more information, please visit: www.alararesources.com Company Forecast 6,800 U.S Customers by end of FY18 with Revenue Run Rate of US$15.3m Announce U.S. Update Sydney, Nov 27, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Big Un Limited ( ASX:BIG ) (or 'the Company') is pleased to provide an update on operational and sales activity following US expansion in Austin, TX and Los Angeles, CA. This quarter, over 800 US customers have been on-boarded to date. Following the establishment of two sales centres with a total of 29 seats, BIG anticipate on-boarding a further 600 US customers by the end of the quarter resulting in 1400 signed agreements by 31st December 2017. BIG US Sales Model Contracts on-boarded require a customer to sign a conditional agreement to take video technology and marketing products ranging in value from USD1,000 to USD12,000 pa. To date the sales team has been successful in converting customers into unconditional contracts at a rate of 50% and the ARPU of US customers is currently US$4,500 (AU$5,900). In addition to the 800 signed agreements achieved in Q1, and the expected 1,400 signed agreements in Q2 and the company expect to deliver a further 4,600 signed agreements by 30 June 2017 resulting in 6,800 signed agreements for FY17/18. At a conversion rate of 50% and an ARPU of $4,500 this would represent US$15.3m in sales revenue. The Company plan to expand US sales seats to 100 by the end of Q3 and therefore the above projections are conservative. Cash deposits in the US continue to grow and are expected to exceed Q1 FY18. Further updates will be provided in December 2017. US Sales Strategy The US sales team began offering high value video licensing packages to US customers in Q4 FY17. The Company offer video content as an integral element of a Big Review TV membership package, placing the emphasis on a 12 month membership experience based upon social video marketing across all three pillars of the business. US customers are not incentivized to pay money upfront and are signed onto a SaaS monthly payment arrangement, thus making it easier to on-board customers and facilitating faster growth than that experienced in Australia. US contracts are not discounted and the Company is actively in negotiations to secure US sponsorship options to further monetize the offer and increase cash flow. Expansion Strategy The Company began exploratory operations to build its video content library in the US in 2015 and is operational in New York, California and Texas. The early proof of concept phase resulted in over 1200 US businesses being filmed and BIG now owns approximately 25 terabytes of US content for its video content library. Following appraisal of US opportunities by the executive team, the Company has expanded its sales operations in the US by establishing a 15 seat sales office in Austin, TX and more recently a 14 seat sales office in Los Angeles, CA. with plans to increase to 100 seats Q3. In line with the Company's global expansion strategy, on 16/11/17 the Company announced the proposed acquisition of Tipsly LLC (Tipsly), a US hospitality platform. BIG's global expansion strategy includes partnering with local, trusted aggregators to facilitate swift and cost effective market penetration. The proposed acquisition of Tipsly was negotiated immediately prior to Tipsly's intended US launch and provides the Company with "ready to implement", sophisticated mobile and platform application code. Jason Short, Global CTO of Big Review TV Ltd commented "We are excited about our timely technology acquisition of Tipsly and expect their contribution to catapult our mobile strategy. Technology features such as GEO targeted content, ratings, following contributors, and commenting will provide not only us, but also our customers the ability to interact with our users directly". The Tipsly code is currently being integrated into BIG's video review app and is anticipated to be ready for soft launch in March quarter 2018. The launch will be fully backed with both digital and experiential marketing campaigns. "We have been developing Tipsly's code, application and platform over the last 3 years and were planning to launch in late 2017. When we realized that the missing link was the ability to incorporate video content into the business model, we started discussions with the management team at BIG. Following BETA testing, Tipsly had everything ready to launch including relationships with advertisers, marketing agencies, an Uber ride-share program and a database of over 140,000 SMEs. By partnering with BIG, I feel that we have struck a win/win situation for both companies" says Tipsly Co-Founder and CEO Ryan O'Rear who will remain with BIG to help run the US hospitality vertical using the new BIG mobile video review app that incorporates Tipsly technology. The Company previously advised on 16/11/17 that due diligence regarding the second part of the Tipsly acquisition is ongoing. US Business Strategy & Three Pillar Application Pillar One - Video Licensing Subscription - 5.2 million US SMEs suitable for BIG packages - Sales expansion planned to target key US states - Negotiations on foot with US partners to target US SME space Pillar Two - Video Content Curation & Monetisation - Significant opportunity and demand for short form native video content e.g. Facebook - BIG video library and ability to re-purpose and market content for US brand sponsorship - Negotiations commenced with US partners to monetize video content Pillar Three - Video Platform & App - Significant US market opportunity for incentivized user generated reviews - Negotiations underway with high profile US brand ambassadors to promote large volumes of BIG app downloads - Significant market opportunity to monetise consumer analytics and Big Data US Outlook Commenting on the US outlook, Hugh Massie Chairman of Big Un Limited said, "The US outlook is huge. The sales process and metrics developed by the Company are highly scalable and exceptionally reliable. We have experienced 3 years of robust Australian sales data and we are now seeing these metrics mirrored and even surpassed by the recent US sales results. I am very excited by the Australian sales results that have been achieved to date. The sales revenue uplift from boosting our sales team headcount can now be predicted with a high degree of certainty. By taking a considered and strategic approach to rolling out our business model with targeted expansion in the US market we have ensured that expansion costs have been carefully managed with the foundation properly laid for a strong roll-out. The Company is now cash flow positive and at a tipping point. The resources and market opportunity in the US for BIG is exceptional. We have now established sales operations in Texas and California and plan further expans ion on the East Coast during 2018. We genuinely look forward to BIG becoming a successful and recognised brand in the US market in 2018". The Company is laser focused on rolling out the BIG business model into the US and will provide further updates on US operations and marketing plans in the coming weeks. BIG's US public relations campaign commenced on 22/11/17 with encouraging US media coverage to date including TV interviews and online coverage supplemented by brand promotion across the front of the NASDQ building in Times Square. See: http://www.abnnewswire.net/lnk/OFYWL9CP The Company anticipates further news on the launch and marketing of its Apple TV application, to be released before the end of the year. To view figures, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/W8CTGP6O About Big Un Ltd Big Un Ltd (ASX:BIG) is the parent company of Big Review TV Ltd. Big Review TV are innovative disruptors in the online video space delivering subscription based video technology products and services. The Company has operations across Australia and in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vancouver and was listed on the ASX in December 2014. Drilling Results Extend Baden Powell Mineralisation Perth, Nov 28, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Intermin Resources Limited ( ASX:IRC ) ("Intermin" or the "Company") is pleased to announce reverse circulation ("RC") drilling results from the 100% owned Baden Powell gold project located 60km north of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia. The drilling was designed to test for shallow strike extensions to previously identified mineralisation adjacent to an historic shallow open pit mine (see Figure 1 in link below). HIGHLIGHTS - Stage 2 drilling comprising three holes for 590m has been completed at the 100% owned Baden Powell prospect on the Bardoc Tectonic Zone (BTZ) 60km north of Kalgoorlie-Boulder - Reverse circulation drilling intercepted significant mineralisation ~120m north along strike of hole BPRC1703 which returned 17m @ 3.00 g/t Au from 104m downhole including a high grade core of 7m @ 5.95g/t Au from 111m (see Note 1 below) - Best downhole intercepts include (see Note 2 below): o 14m @ 1.87 g/t Au from 129m (BPRC1708) o 10m @ 1.30 g/t Au from 183m (BPRC1701) -- includes 2m @ 3.93 g/t Au from 183m Commenting on the drilling results, Intermin's Managing Director Mr Jon Price said: "The results from Baden Powell are encouraging given they have extended the strike length of the mineralisation and demonstrated the system is developing at depth. Follow up work is planned for the second half of 2018. The Company is certainly spoilt for choice as we plan the large scale self-funded drilling program for 2018. Anthill and Jacques Find will be prioritised given recent drilling success and we eagerly await results from the current drilling at Blister Dam due early in the March Quarter." Overview The 2017 drilling program at Baden Powell comprised eight RC holes for 1,164m and was completed in two parts. The first five holes were reported to the ASX (29 August 2017) and highlighted the new discovery in BPRC1703 (17m @ 3.0 g/t Au from 104m). The final three holes for 590m were only recently completed. Hole BPRC1708 and BPRC1702 were drilled north of the old pit with both holes returning thick mineralised intersections. The results are encouraging as it shows the Baden Powell system developing at depth. BPRC1702, 40m north of BPRC1702 returned 1m @ 0.56 g/t Au. Unlike BPRC1703, this hole lacked the quartz and sulphide veining and appears to be part of a "barren zone". Next Steps The results from the 2017 program are encouraging as most holes intersected significant mineralisation at depth. These holes are the deepest completed at the project and have provided encouragement to conduct further drilling. It is likely that given the Company's recent drilling success at the Anthill and Jacques Find projects these will be prioritised for substantial follow up in 2018. Intermin will instead focus on low level exploration work at Baden Powell, namely completing a soils-mapping program over M24/959 and possibly an Induced Polarisation ("IP") survey. The IP survey may help fast track targeting of potential locations of an interpreted high grade structure intercepted in hole BPRC1703. Any IP targets discovered would be drill tested early in 2019. All gold assay results from the program have been received with drill hole collar details and significant downhole intervals >1.00g/t Au included in Table 1 (see link below). Notes: 1 See ASX announcement dated 29th August 2017 2 See Table 1 on Page 3, Competent Persons Statements on Page 5, Forward Looking Statement on Page 6 and JORC Tables on Page 7 To view tables and figures, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/606I3HAO About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. Czech optical specialist Meopta will support vital line-of-sight technology for BAE Systems' CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) as part of a Memorandum of Understanding with defence and security company Saab. Above: The CV90 vehicle. Copyright 2017 BAE Systems The agreement, signed at NATO Days 2017 in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, will cover potential local production of key components for the CV90s fire control system, of which Meopta and Saab are subcontractors. The Universal Tank and Anti-Aircraft Fire Control System (UTAAS), developed by Saab with production supplier Meopta, is produced specifically for the combat-proven CV90. There are more than 1,200 CV90s in operation with seven nations: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. BAE Systems is offering the CV90 to replace the Czech Armys fleet of BMP II IFVs and has joined forces with Czech industry to strengthen the offer while promoting local investment and job creation. Adding Meopta to a team already consisting of numerous Czech companies, among them VOP CZ and Ray Service, further builds on BAE Systems relationship with Czech industry. BAE Systems is committed to offering the Czech Army a modern, adaptable combat vehicle with cutting edge technologies, said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, general manager of BAE Systems Hagglunds business. As we continue to pursue the BMP II replacement programme, we are pleased to see one of our key suppliers expand their own range of services in support of one of the nations most important defence programmes. The modular integrated UTAAS technology provides direct fire capability, which is a critical operational feature. This allows the CV90s gunner to take aim independently of the vehicles movements while the fire control system automatically aligns the gun. In combat situations, this means firing can commence quicker than with conventional target alignment technology, providing a crucial advantage in battle. Meoptas participation in BAE Systems Czech CV90 offering could extend to other future opportunities. BAE Systems recently participated in the Czech-Swedish Industry Days organised by the Czech Ministry of Defence in Prague. Representatives from 20 local Czech companies including Meopta, Ray Service, and VOP CZ were joined by Swedish businesses for a three-day event focused on building local industry relationships across the defence sector. Get AfricaFocus Bulletin by e-mail! Format for print or mobile Zimbabwe: After Mugabe, Looking Forward AfricaFocus Bulletin November 27, 2017 (171127) (Reposted from sources cited below) Editor's Note "While Zimbabweans understandably embraced military intervention because it led to the ouster of Mugabe and prevented his wife Grace from succeeding him, they must also embrace the fact that it comes with further, less palatable consequences. The episode demonstrated once again that the military is a critical arm of the state which has become the kingmaker in Zimbabwean politics." - Alex T. Magaisa The trend lines for searches for Zimbabwe and for Mugabe both rose dramatically in the last two weeks (see http://tinyurl.com/ycnmc33s for a Google search graph). Predictably, global attention has begun to decline. But the juxtaposition of hope and pessimism has been a recurrent theme, with varying degrees of nuance and depth. While the consensus now seems to be that the transition primarily features continuing control by ZANU-PF and the military rather than more far-reaching changes, new President Emmerson Mnangagwa faces formidable challenges of economic crisis and high public expectation for meaningful change. Key tests over the next months are likely to be whether the new administration begins to address day-to-day economic issues and whether it refrains from closing off the space newly opened for free expression by the press, civil society, and ordinary Zimbabweans. The two AfricaFocus Bulletins released today contain a selection of links and excerpts from commentators who provide insights going beyond most news coverage, both looking back and looking forward. This Bulletin, looking forward, includes a summary report from Harare from IRIN News, additional links particularly on the economic challenges ahead, and excerpts from an essay written after the inauguration of the new President Emmerson Mnangagwa by commentator Alex T. Magaisa. Another Bulletin, looking back, highlights a Reuters special report on the events leading to Mugabe's downfall, an article by Sarah Ladipo Manyika on the best (fiction) books of the Mugabe years, a short personal essay by Petina Gappah, one of the authors cited by Manyika, followed by excerpts from an extensive historical review by Paul Tiyambe Zeleza and from a passionate personal reflection by Leon Jamie Mighti. It is available on-line at http://www.africafocus.org/docs17/zim1711a.php. Also a very useful overview analysis is Tim Scarnecchia, "The New Old Man in Zimbabwe," Nov. 25, 2017 http://africasacountry.com direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/y9aahsdg This statement from civil society groups expresses widely shared sentiments, but implementation will be at best piecemeal. "Expectations of and Requests to the Emerging Government of Zimbabwe From the Civil Society in Zimbabwe," Kubatana.net (Harare), Nov. 23, 2017 http://allafrica.com/stories/201711240390.html For a detailed news report on the economic situation facing Zimbabwe, see Felix Njini and Michael Cohen,"Mnangagwa's Task: Rebuild Zimbabwe's Economy From the Ground Up," Bloomberg, Nov. 23, 2017 http://tinyurl.com/y8wduxpr Also including commentary and links on the economic options facing Zimbabwe is Patrick Bond, "Zimbabwe witnessing an elite transition as economic meltdown looms," Pambazuka News, Nov. 23, 2017 http://tinyurl.com/y8l2xy7x For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins on Zimbabwe, visit http://www.africafocus.org/country/zimbabwe.php ++++++++++++++++++++++end editor's note+++++++++++++++++ Is Zimbabwe's new president up to the task? IRIN, 24 November 2017 http://www.irinnews.org/ - direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/y9pvnwzt President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Credit: IRIN file photo. Harare - After a tumultuous two weeks of political brinkmanship, Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in today as Zimbabwe's new president, replacing the ageing Robert Mugabe who has led the country since independence. In his inauguration at a packed national stadium, Mnangagwa delivered a positive speech promising to "rebuild our great country", to crack down on corruption, strengthen the "pillars of democracy", attract foreign investment, and to hold elections as scheduled in 2018. "He gave reassurances that he would re-engage international partners," said political analyst Ibbo Mandaza. "That is all because the international community is insisting on that because it's backing him." But how much change is really on the cards and what are the major challenges ahead? Mnangagwa, 75, will lead a deeply divided party, seemingly bankrupt of fresh ideas, but with the weight of the country's hopes for better times on his shoulders. Mnangagwa served Mugabe for four decades as his enforcer and heir apparent, but after a spectacular falling out and dismissal as vice-president, he left for South Africa until a palace coup cleared the way this week for his return. He arrived in Harare on Tuesday to rock star status as jubilant crowds cheered Mugabe's resignation but it was novel celebrity standing for a man more usually feared as a former spy chief and ruling party hardliner. Mnangagwa himself seemed swept up in the moment. He told supporters at ZANU-PF party headquarters: "I appeal to all genuine, patriotic Zimbabweans to come together; we work together. No one is more important than the other. We are all Zimbabweans." Despite trying to cultivate a new, kinder image, the lawyer and former guerrilla leader repeated the same old revolutionary slogans at party headquarters, including "Pasi nemandu!" or "Death to the enemy!" "Mnangagwa has a lot to prove," said Kuda Hove, a Harare-based lawyer. "People are already sceptical, because it's still ZANU-PF in form and deed." Mugabe's exit "certainly represents the end of a painful era, but then it is also possible that Mnangagwa's entry could usher in a new error", he added. National unity? ZANU-PF looks set to govern alone. Mnangagwa has now spurned calls for the repeat of a coalition with the Movement for Democratic Change that led to a period of economic stability after deeply flawed elections in 2008. The country's trade union movement and the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a 115-member civil society grouping, had both urged the creation of a broad-based transitional administration until fresh elections. "It is time to open a new page," said trade union secretary-general Japhet Moyo, and condemned what he fears will be the retention of "career ministers" by Mnangagwa, some of whom were well known "thieves and thugs". Will next year's elections be free and fair? "The military has helped steal elections before and there is no reason to suspect that it will not help [to do so] in future elections, whenever they are held," noted Mandaza. Opposition MDC spokesman Obert Gutu said political reforms are urgently needed to remove the "pillars of repression and oppression" put in place by Mugabe, but added that he was "cautiously optimistic" that this could be achieved. University of Zimbabwe political science researcher Eldred Masunungure told IRIN that any changes, especially to the working of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, would need time to be "internalised and institutionalised". He said he feared Mnangagwa might "put big and heavy spanners in the reform works". Elections next year could not come at a worse time for the MDC. Veteran leader Morgan Tsvangirai is gravely ill, and the succession issue within his party is far from settled. he biggest challenge for Mnangagwa is the state of the economy. Zimbabwe has been in crisis for close to two decades. Unemployment is sky-high (90 percent is the oftencited figure, although the data is disputed), and there are biting cash shortages and crumbling social services. Between 2000 and 2008 Zimbabwe's GDP nearly halved, the sharpest contraction of its kind in a peacetime economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. As a consequence, one in five Zimbabweans lives in "extreme poverty". Mnangagwa recognises the challenge. "We want jobs, jobs, jobs!" he told the crowd at ZANU-PF headquarters. "We need also the cooperation of our neighbours in [the regional development bloc] SADC, the cooperation of the continent of Africa; we need the cooperation of our friends outside the continent." The problem is that the structural reforms needed to attract foreign support will be painful. The World Bank has called for a sharp reining in of public spending, including cuts to public sector salaries and moves to tackle Zimbabwe's debt. The country owes $9 billion to foreign lenders and has been in default for nearly 20 years. "It looks like workers' woes might persist," said Tafadzwa Choto, who heads the Zimbabwe Labour Centre, a pro-workers NGO. "There is need to reconfigure parastatals (state-linked companies) and remove cronyism and nepotism, but this will not be easy for [Mnangagwa] because he has too many people to accommodate in the new dispensation." Zimbabweans are expecting free and improved social services. Years of neglect have starved a once-proud health service, and left power and sanitation systems unable to cope with demand. Rudo Gaidzanwa, a sociology professor, has a list of what she considers "essentials" for the government to spend its money on, and it's long from better transport to refuse collection. "The new government must also be able to provide free medical care and schooling up to secondary school, in addition to [better] housing and other infrastructure," she told IRIN. Such high public spending would be diametrically opposed to the cost-cutting regimen the IMF and the World Bank has in mind. Matabeleland massacre The people of Matabeleland are a constituency Mnangagwa will struggle to win over. As minister of state security, he was responsible along with Mugabe and current Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi, for the killing of an estimated 20,000 Ndebele people between 1983 and 1987. The campaign, known as Operation Gukurahundi (the rains that wash the chaff), was carried out by the North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade made up of mainly Shonaspeaking soldiers. Whole villages were purged with incredible brutality for the merest suspicion of supporting a small dissident armed group backed by apartheid South Africa. It still remains an emotive issue in Zimbabwe between the Shona and the minority Ndebele, who make up roughly 20 percent of the population. "It is very important for the administration to acknowledge and address the issue of the Gukurahundi massacres as we have never felt a part of the nation since the genocide," explained civil society campaigner Dumisani Nkomo. Stability If Mnangagwa is to make headway with this long list of challenges, he is going to the need political support. But ZANU-PF is badly divided. The succession issue pitted Grace Mugabe and her so-called Generation 40 supporters against Mnangagwa's Team Lacoste. Key G40 members were on the military's arrest list when they rolled their armoured vehicles onto the streets. The split within the ZANU-PF is also along regional lines. It was Mnangagwa's Masvingo and Midlands Karanga powerbase that challenged the continued rule of Mugabe's Zezuru Mashonaland-based clan. The Karanga are the largest Shona clan. There are also concerns that the military's decision to step in to support Mnangagwa despite their insistence (with one eye on the region and the other on Western donors) that it was not a coup has reinforced its already influential position. The hard truth emerging for many Zimbabweans is that they're already seeing strong similarities between the Mnangagwa era ahead and the Mugabe era that just ended, or as Mandaza put it: "The securocrats will remain in charge of state systems and processes, and the politicians will serve at their pleasure, as has been the case for a long time." strs-oa/ag Legal charade threatens new government Big Saturday Read, November 24, 2017 Alex T. Magaisa https://www.bigsr.co.uk Direct URL: http://tinyurl.com/yctybnrw [Excerpts only] November's drama In Zimbabwe, November is known as Mbudzi, the month of the goat. Traditionally, it is a sacred month. No rituals can be performed during the month of Mbudzi. No matter how big the event, tradition prescribes that the month of Mbudzi must be avoided. However urgent it might be, it has to wait. It is ironic that the most dramatic political transition in a generation chose the sacred month as one mighty figure fell by the wayside, while another rose to take the throne. Emmerson Mnangagwa became Zimbabwe's new leader at a grand ceremony in Harare on 24th November 2017. The event completed a dramatic series of events that began three weeks earlier when he was sacked as Vice President by his then boss, Robert Mugabe when he was President of the country. Mugabe stayed away from his protege's crowning moment. The veteran politician's world collapsed on Tuesday 21st November when circumstances left him with no choice but to resign. After 37 years in power, his own party had commenced proceedings to remove him from office. It was a dishonourable end to a long and controversial career. Mugabe's resignation followed an extraordinary military intervention on 15th November. There were mass protests on Saturday 18th November in Harare and Bulawayo, calling for Mugabe's resignation. On Sunday, Mugabe stunned the world when, against all odds, he refused to resign. This prompted an ultimatum from his party to resign or face impeachment. The party also sacked him from his position as leader. Unable to hold the tide, Mugabe was eventually forced to jump, his letter arriving midway through the joint parliamentary seating which was considering his removal. Mnangagwa, who had taken temporary exile following his sacking, returned home on Wednesday 22nd November. Two days later, he was sworn into office as president. It completed a dramatic power struggle in the ruling party, ZANU PF, which revolved around Mugabe's succession. On the one side was G40, a faction which backed President Mugabe's wife, Grace and on the other, there was Lacoste, which favoured Mnangagwa. For a while, it seemed G40 had won the political battle, with Lacoste seemingly buried after Mnangagwa's sacking. Lacoste then made a stunning comeback when it invoked the force of the gun as the military intervened. In the end, the gun led the politics. Rented power While Zimbabweans understandably embraced military intervention because it led to the ouster of Mugabe and prevented his wife Grace from succeeding him, they must also embrace the fact that it comes with further, less palatable consequences. The episode demonstrated once again that the military is a critical arm of the state which has become the kingmaker in Zimbabwean politics. While the drama that accompanied the latest intervention surprised many people, it was by no means the first time that the military had played a decisive role in Zimbabwean politics. In 2008, the military intervened after Mugabe was defeated by his nemesis, Morgan Tsvangirai. The intervention ensured that Mugabe retained his position as president, but it also meant he would forever be indebted to the military. Despite the charade of elections, Mugabe's source of power was no longer the people but the military, who refer to themselves as "stockholders". However, Mugabe seems to have forgotten this and when he saw the huge crowds that attended his rallies, he thought it was out of love and respect. He did not realise the majority of these people attended out of fear or coercion. He forgot that the power he was renting had landlords who could evict him at any time. They had stopped Tsvangirai in 2008 and now they evicted him and installed their own choice at a time when Mugabe wanted to promote his wife. ... Futility of elections? More importantly, the events of the past three weeks are a grim reminder of the reality that the military will step in to determine the course of politics, including the outcome of the next election. After taking such drastic measures to protect Mnangagwa, stretching and in some ways, breaking the boundaries of the law, it is impossible to imagine the military standing by and watching their preferred candidate lose an election and power. Not after taking such risks. Their intervention in 2008 was critical and without their intervention last week, Mnangagwa would not have taken the oath of office yesterday. The difference is that the 2008 intervention was widely condemned while the 2017 intervention was generally accepted and celebrated. Should it become necessary to intervene again if their preferred candidate lose in 2018, there will be nothing to stop them. Nevertheless, the military might not even need to intervene in 2018 if Mnangagwa plays his cards right and does not squander the opportunities between now and the next election in less than 10 months. For someone who has come to power through a tenuous legal path, Mnangagwa is enjoying a huge amount of goodwill both among Zimbabweans and the international community. After years of suffering under Mugabe's rule, there are many Zimbabweans who are willing him to succeed because his success would translate into material benefits for them. They are tired of the politics and want to get on with their lives. Nations within the international community are also trying to place themselves strategically in relation to the country. Thus, there is promise of re-engagement between Zimbabwe and the West after years of a toxic relationship. China, Zimbabwe's all-weather friend is also hoping to maximise on its established position. Opposition's new challenge In addition, the irony of what has happened in the last three weeks is that it is now ZANU PF that has undergone radical renewal while the opposition is now stuck with the negative label of failing to embrace change. With Mugabe now off the stage, the "Mugabe Must Go" slogan is gone too. With the 93-year old gone, the argument that ZANU PF is led by an old man has also lost traction. ZANU PF is experiencing a new verve that it last enjoyed in the eighties, after a victorious liberation war. It is the opposition that is now lumbered with accusations of failing to renew and embrace change. The fact that ZANU PF has undergone leadership change is now placing enormous pressure upon the opposition to also consider a similar path. Indeed, if Mnangagwa walks the talk and manages to create a picture of a country that respects the rule of law, property rights and civil liberties, he will begin to appear like a born again democrat in some eyes. In particular, if Mnangagwa delivers on the economic and social front, he could well win the next election without having to rig or rely on the gun. But rest assured, the gun will always be there in reserve, should it become necessary to prevent the loss of power. This belief that he can turn things around and the might of the gun behind him have given Mnangagwa the confidence to declare that elections will be held as scheduled less than 10 months after assuming a long-awaited office. It's the conduct of a man who knows the momentum is with him. The opposition must now reorganise itself because this election will be a lot harder against Mnangagwa and the new ZANU PF that it would have been against Mugabe and decaying and disaffected ZANU PF. Legal oddities One of the most conspicuous features of these dramatic three weeks has been the persistent struggle that the authors of Mugabe's ouster have had over the legality of their actions. Right from the beginning, they have endeavoured to create a veneer of legality even where the boundaries of the law have been straddled. Hence, when took over the television station and announced their intervention, they included a disclaimer that it was not a coup. Even as Mugabe told South African President Jacob Zuma that he was under house arrest, the military still maintained a facade of civilian control. They allowed him to participate in the rituals of his office, including officiating at a graduation ceremony and even calling a Cabinet meeting when it was an exercise in futility. This performance was designed to demonstrate that the President was still in charge and that there had been no unlawful change of government, notwithstanding the fact that the military was the de facto authority. However, efforts to create the veneer of legality continued even on the day that Mnangawa was inaugurated. Over at the courts, the Judge President, Justice George Chiweshe issued two court orders which can be summed up collectively as a legal oddity. The represent a desperate effort to present a facade of legality over the events of the past three weeks. [detailed explanation in full article at http://tinyurl.com/yctybnrw. The two court orders refer to nullification of the sacking of Mnangagwa by Mugabe on 6 November and to another court judgement that "effectively endorses an interpretation given by the military generals to section 212 of the constitution that it permits military intervention in the affairs of the executive in order to defend the constitution."] All in all, if they are allowed to stand, both judgments may come to haunt Mnangagwa's government. The second order is more sinister because it gives an odd interpretation to the constitution and upsets the constitutional order by effectively legalising military intervention in the affairs of government. It says the military can take over governmental functions that would still be constitutional and legal. In the extreme form it is tantamount to legalising a coup. This is a dangerous precedent which upsets and undermines the command structure as provided for under the constitution. It is hard to imagine why any president would want a command structure that is upside down, where he must always look behind his back to check what the boys in uniform are doing. It is prudent for the new government and any other rights groups to defend the constitution by referring this matter to the Constitutional Court, which is the highest court in the land, for a definitive and wiser interpretation. Otherwise, in a misguided effort to legalise the new government and sanitise the military intervention, this judgment actually creates a dangerous concoction which could poison the government from the very beginning. AfricaFocus Bulletin is an independent electronic publication providing reposted commentary and analysis on African issues, with a particular focus on U.S. and international policies. AfricaFocus Bulletin is edited by William Minter. AfricaFocus Bulletin can be reached at africafocus@igc.org. Please write to this address to suggest material for inclusion. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the original source mentioned. For a full archive and other resources, see http://www.africafocus.org King Mohamed VI of Morocco touched down Sunday in Abidjan for a state visit in the build-up to the European Union-Africa summit to take place in Abidjan late this month. The trip comes on top of several other visits by the monarch in the West African country known as one of the regions economic powerhouses. The King has kick-started several projects covering several areas including economy. The kingdom and the Ivorian government in 2015 signed an agreement for rehabilitation of Cocody Bay including the construction of four dams and the restoration of four others. The agreement allocated the sum of 425 million euro for the projects which will cover a four-year period. King Mohamed VI was welcomed by President Alassane Drame Ouattara; one of the Moroccan monarchs staunch allies on the continent. Both leaders will hold a meeting on today Monday at noon at the Ivorian state house. King Mohamed on 29-30 will take part in summit. The King who has become undoubtedly an icon figure on the continent since Morocco returned to the African Union; 33 years after withdrawing from Organization of the African Unity. This will be the kings first ever participation in such an event which will bolster partnership between the African continent and the EU bloc in many areas including security, peace and migration. King Mohamed VI will be attending the event despite the presence of the Western Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) proclaimed in 1976 by the Front Polisario. The EU does not recognize the SADR and has backed Moroccos peaceful autonomy plan. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Date: 10 November, 2017. Place: White Rock, Province of British Columbia, Canada. Just a couple of weeks ago, on 10 November, a very strange incident was witnessed near the small city of White Rock, British Columbia. According to an anonymous report published on Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) online database, a Canadian family affirmed to have seen three red orbs moving across the sky. At approximately 10:30 pm, we returned home and were in our family room, when my son said: hey! Look at the bright red light outside. I thought he was kidding around, but when I looked out the window sure enough there was a large red orb sitting stationary over Blaine, Washington [United States]. We live in White Rock, British Columbia, overlooking Semiahmoo Bay which faces Blaine, the author of the report affirmed. According to the witness, the object did not have any edges; it had a perfect round-shaped appearance. I quickly grabbed my high power spotting scope to see if I could get a better look to see if there was a definitive shape or hard edges to the object, as it just looked like a red ball. Even with the scope, that is all it looked like zoomed in, he stated. As I watched the orb start to ascend, I noticed another one a bit lower down and to the left appear, and was ascending towards the higher one. After watching for about a minute or so, a third one appeared coming from the Canadian side of the border and it looked like it flew right over the customs border checkpoint at about 300 feet or so off the ground, the British Columbia resident explained. As I watched this unfold, the first one began to go into a fairly large cloud over Blaine, and as it disappeared, the second had caught up a bit and went into the cloud nearby. The third started to ascend after I watched it fly level for about half a mile or so and followed the other two into the same approximate area of the cloud, he added. Finally, all three objects disappeared into the strange cloud, and never came back. I watched for quite a while after they went into the cloud, but they didnt return. The whole sighting lasted about 4 or 5 minutes from the time we first saw the orbs, the Canadian citizen asserted. Draw your own conclusions For more information: https://mufoncms.com/cgi-bin/report_handler.pl?req=view_long_desc&id=87924&rnd= Learn Ways to Save Money - HERE Airlines have cancelled all flights to and from the Indonesian island of Bali due to volcanic activity. However, the threatened eruption of Mount Agung has so far had only a localised effect, with no sign yet of the wider disruption to global air travel on the scale of Eyjafjallajokull incident in Iceland in 2010. Airlines including Cathay Pacific, Air France KLM, Qantas, Virgin, Air Asia, Jetstart and Garuda Indonesia were reported to have halted all their flights to and from Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport on Bali. Indonesian flag carrier Garuda said that all flights to Bali, and to the neighbouring island of Lombok, would be cancelled until 07.00 28 November. Cathay Pacific Cargo said its operations at Denpasar had been affected by the with volcanic ash cloud reported in the vicinity of the airport, causing limited visibility and potentially difficult conditions for flight operations. The airport had been closed by the Indonesian Authorities until further notice, with all Cathay flights cancelled until further notice. The carrier added: The situation remains volatile and can change very quickly. Indonesia has issued its highest red alert for aircraft, warning that the ash cloud could reach 19,654 feet or higher. However, the problem appears, for the present at least, to be localised and there are no signs as yet of a wider shut-down of operations as occurred in the wake of the Icelandic eruption in 2010. Then, carriers grounded flights as a safety precaution for fear that aircraft engines could ingest particles of ash that had been spread over a wide area due to the climatic conditions. Meanwhile the Indonesian authorities were reported to be evacuating people from the immediate vicinity of Mount Agung. The last full-scale eruption of Mount Agung was in 1963, when more than 1,100 people died. Read more airline cargo news Share this story Birmingham's Karen Davis has been named Lake Homes Realty's new national director of brokerage operations. Lake Homes Realty is the largest lake-focused real estate company in the United States, headquartered in Birmingham, with licensed real estate brokerage operations in 16 states. The company says Davis will oversee existing and new real estate brokerages, assist brokers and agents, manage the compliance team and refine brokerage back-office operations. "I have been watching the growth of Lake Homes Realty since the beginning and was very impressed with what had been accomplished and the plans for the future," Davis said in a statement. "When they approached me about coming to work here, I saw it as an opportunity to be a part of something exciting that had really never been done before in real estate." Davis, a licensed broker in Alabama and Georgia, has more than 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, having worked for Birmingham's Signature Homes, a multi-state construction and real estate company. Lake Homes Realty CEO Glenn S. Phillips said Davis is "a fantastic addition to our management team. We've known her for several years and have seen her be an incredible professional, as well as a genuine and caring person." Honda says its electric vehicles will be able to charge within 15 minutes by 2022. Nikkei Asian Review is reporting the Japanese automaker will release a selection of fully electric automobiles within five years that can run for 150 miles on a 15-minute charge. One of the biggest hurdles to the expansion of the electric vehicle market, analysts say, is the time needed to recharge electric batteries in comparison to filling up the gas tank. Many electric vehicles take about 30 minutes to reach only an 80 percent charge when using a higher-speed charger, Nikkei reports. Honda plans to release mass-market electric vehicles in Europe in 2019 and in Japan the following year. It is one of several automakers, like Mercedes-Benz, making the push. There were 470,000 electric vehicles around the world last year, according to the Tokyo-based research firm Fuji Keizai, which is about half of one percent of the total number. That share is expected to climb to only 4.6 percent by 2035. It's been nearly a year since Onur Genc took over as CEO of BBVA Compass, and that year has seen the company position itself both in its traditional bank locations and for the digital future. "It's been fun," Genc said during a phone interview. "These have been exciting times for us." Genc oversees the bank, which reported an 8 percent increase in net income for the third quarter despite the effects of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. BBVA Compass encompasses more than 10,500 employees at 649 branches across seven states. Genc said the company continues to invest in its branches. Turnover among employees is down significantly in the company over the last two quarters, and he thinks that's due to an emphasis on the personal side of business. "The key challenge is to make sure we're all on the same page," he said. "We are people serving people. As an executive, you're trying to make sure we all act along the same lines and have the same vision. If we all share the same passion of customer service, we're going to be successful." But while at the same time emphasizing the flesh and blood of banking, BBVA Compass is also exploring the digital. The company's mobile banking app has been rated the best in the world in terms of its functionality and ease of use, by the Javelin Strategy & Research's 2017 Mobile Banking Scorecard. Genc said most customers still prefer banking through branches, taking advantage of personal interaction to get questions answered about banking products. However, the millennial market is a different story, which means the future could potentially be very different. Close to 40 percent of millennials have not visited a bank branch in the last year, Genc said. "There's a correlation with age, because the ratio is reversed in other demographics," he said. That means BBVA Compass is working toward satisfying this market with easy-to-use digital portals to access banking products. For example, the BBVA Compass app allows customers to check their balance with the bank, or with other bank accounts at different institutions. It also allows quick withdrawals, digital deposits, balance transfers and quick online applications for digital express personal loans, among other features. "You don't need to go to the branch," he said. "It's something that has been very successful through the mobile channel. We're very excited about the numbers." Funds from these express loans can be accessed the same day as the application for some applicants. To familiarize customers with the features and the application process, BBVA Compass began mailouts earlier this month to customers. Genc was previously the deputy CEO of Garanti Bank, the second largest private bank in Turkey, of which BBVA is the largest shareholder. Before that, he started out as a financial controller for American Airlines and had leadership roles with McKinsey & Company, rising to senior partner. Genc said he's seen many different banking markets around the globe. The competition in the U.S. market makes it a different animal. But banking is a "noble profession," Genc said, which makes a personal connection that much more important. "We are in the people business," he said. This post was corrected at 3 p.m. Nov. 27 to give the number of bank branches and the name of the mobile app study. A Gadsden man was arrested Sunday on drug and attempted sex abuse charges in Auburn. Auburn police responded to a suspicious incident call at a bar in the 100 block of East Magnolia Street about 2 a.m., according to authorities. When officers arrived on the scene, they were met by employees of the bar who were detaining the suspect identified Monday as 22-year-old Devonte Rashaud Hunter. Investigators learned that a 20-year-old female patron of the bar reported that she was forced into a restroom by Hunter. Once in the bathroom, she said Hunter grabbed her, threatened her with a handgun in an attempt to coerce her to perform a sexual act. She fled and notified bar security. Hunter was identified and detained until police arrived. Officials said he also was in possession of marijuana. Hunter is charged with first-degree attempted sodomy and second-degree possession of marijuana. He was booked into the Lee County Jail with bond set at $15,000. A convicted felon is in trouble again, this time accused of being in possession of about 100 pounds of synthetic marijuana. Derrick Traylor, 39, is charged with drug trafficking, said Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit Deputy Commander Phil Sims. The arrest took place on Nov. 21, and was announced Monday. Traylor was previously convicted of first-degree robbery and unlawful possession of a controlled substance in Etowah County. On Nov. 21, drug agents intercepted two packages that were set to be delivered to a home in east Gadsden, Sims said. The packages contained about 100 pounds of Spice that was being shipped into Alabama from another state. Lawmen set up surveillance on the home while other agents conducted a controlled delivery. The packages were left on the front porch when no one answered the door, he said. A short time later, a grey SUV driven by Taylor arrived at the home. He got out of the SUV, picked up the packages and put them in his vehicle. Authorities then approached him and took him into custody without incident. He was taken to the Etowah County Detention with bond set $100,000. Agencies that took part in the investigation include the Gadsden Police Special Projects Team, Alabama National Guard Counterdrug Program, and FBI North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force. The suspect in four killings Sunday in Louisiana was captured Monday morning in Alabama. Taurus Ike Hamilton, 23, was taken into custody about 11 a.m. at Walmart in Tuscaloosa, according to Louisiana lawmen. Hamilton's mother, Belinda Folse, was also arrested, Zacary Police Chief David McDavid told AL.com. The first shooting happened about 4:35 p.m. at a gas station at the intersection of Main Street and Plank Road. The chief said a fight erupted, subsided and then flared up again. That is when authorities say the suspect - later identified as Hamilton - pulled a gun and shot and killed Christopher Price. McDavid said they were working that investigation when they heard of another homicide investigation not far away - just a few miles. "We learned there was another shooting up the roadway,'' McDavid said. The triple shooting happened at a home in East Feliciana Parish. Sheriff Jeff Travis said all three victims had been fatally shot. On Monday, he identified them as Gerald Tate, Gerald Parker and Laquan Whitfield. The sheriff told AL.com Monday they were quickly able to identify Hamilton as a suspect in their homicide investigation as well. Hamilton, he said, was the father of Whitfield's four children. Whitfield was currently dating Gerald Tate. Parker was Tate's father, and the owner of the home where the triple murder took place. Authorities said they don't know of any link between the victim at the gas station and the three victims at the East Feliciana home. Travis said his agency, along with Zachary police and state investigators worked throughout the night trying to track down Hamilton. Their investigation led them to believe he was in Alabama, and that is when they joined forces with the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, its Metro Homicide Unit and Tuscaloosa police. Tuscaloosa County Sheriff Ron Abernathy said deputies were giving information that Hamilton and Folse were possibly traveling on Interstate 20/59. He said deputies spotted the suspect vehicle at the 62 mile marker near Fosters and confirmed it was the suspect by the tag number. They stopped the vehicle at mile marker 64 at the Black Warrior River Bridge. Folse was taken into custody. They then determined Hamilton was at another location off of Skyland Boulevard - Walmart. Abernathy said a perimeter was set up and Hamilton was arrested. Zachary police have charged Hamilton with second-degree murder in the gas station shooting. They have charged his mother with accessory to second-degree murder because McDavid said she drove her son away from the gas station. East Feliciana Parish authorities have charged him with three counts of first-degree murder. Hamilton and Folse are being held in Tuscaloosa awaiting extradition to Louisiana. Louisiana authorities said they are thankful for Hamilton's arrest. "We figured he would go out and kill more people,'' McDavid said. Travis said his parish only recently had a serial killer. That, followed by a triple killing, is unusual for their rural county. "It's a sign of the times,'' the sheriff said. "Violence is reaching out inter every corner of the country." Alabama traffic fatalities over the long holiday weekend dropped dramatically compared to deaths for the same time period last year. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Monday reported it investigated six traffic deaths, which is 10 fewer than the 16 reported last year. Those numbers do not include deadly crashes worked by municipal police departments, county sheriff's offices or any other law enforcement agency. For ALEA, the holiday period began at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22, and ended at midnight on Sunday, Nov. 26. Troopers said there were two days during which there no fatalities. The six fatalities happened in Bibb, Sumter, Butler and Autauga counties. The majority, authorities said, were single-vehicle crashes but one of them included a passenger vehicle and a train. That incident happened at 8:32 p.m. on Thanksgiving night in Butler County. Authorities on Monday identified one of the victims as Brittany Harris, 22, of Greeneville. Harris and another passenger were killed when the 2003 Ford Explorer driven by Justin Dewayne Stinson, 30, of Greenville struck a CSX Train on Solomon Hill Rd. The passengers, who were not using seatbelts, were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Stinson was transported by life flight to Baptist South in Montgomery due to injuries sustained in the crash. The second passenger has not been positively identified. Of the six fatalities, five were passengers and one was driver. Only of the victims was using a seat belt. For the same time period last year, troopers investigated 16 traffic fatalities. ALEA originally reported 14, but two of the injured later died. In the days leading up to, and during, this year's holiday travel period, ALEA promoted #ArriveAliveAlabama. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said it won't hear the appeal of an Alabama death row inmate who was convicted in the 2007 killings of his parents in Tuscaloosa. James Scott Largin, 46, earlier this year had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court a December 2015 ruling by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upholding his conviction and death sentence. On Monday the high court, without opinion, refused to review his case. Largin was sentenced to death by a Tuscaloosa County judge in 2009 for his capital murder conviction in the deaths of his parents, Jimmy, 68, and Peggy, 56. "Peggy and Jimmy Largin were at home on the night of March 15, 2007, when they were shot multiple times with a .22 caliber rifle and their bodies were thrown down the stairs leading to the cellar in their home. Autopsy results showed that both victims died as the result of close-range gunshot wounds to the head," according to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals ruling. "This Court has independently weighed the aggravating and the mitigating circumstances as required by (Alabama law) ... We are convinced, as was the circuit court, that death was the appropriate sentence for Largin's capital crimes," the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals stated in its order. He was arrested after University of Alabama police found his parents' car near the campus a few days after the murders, the Associated Press reported at the time. A prosecutor at Largin's original trial said Largin showed no remorse over the murders. The judge agreed with the jury's recommendation that Largin be given the death penalty. His defense attorneys argued for life in prison without parole. Thousands of felons across Alabama have registered to vote in recent weeks, according to Pastor Kenneth Glasgow, who is heading up a statewide effort to get felons to the voting booth. Glasgow's goal is to get as many felons as possible signed up to vote before the end of the day Monday, the deadline to be able to cast a ballot in Alabama's Dec. 12 U.S. Senate special election. "In the last month, I think we registered at least five- to ten-thousand people all over the state," Glasgow, president of Dothan's The Ordinary People Society (TOPS) advocacy group, said Monday. "I've got people all over the state registering people with my TOPS branches in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Montgomery, Enterprise, Dothan, Abbeville, Geneva, Gordon, Bessemer, we have a lot." For generations, most Alabamians convicted of a felony were barred from ever voting in the state again, but the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act, a new law passed by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Kay Ivey in May, cleared the way for thousands of felons to restore their voting rights. The law lists several dozen felony convictions that are considered crimes "of moral turpitude," which means that anyone convicted of one of them loses the right to vote; other felons are now eligible to restore that right. Previously, the list of crimes that some registrars considered to be "of moral turpitude" was not clearly defined, and many felons simply believed they could never regain the franchise. AL.com tagged along with Glasgow earlier this year as he helped register a felon at Dothan City Jail to vote. Spencer Trawick lost the franchise in 2015 when he was convicted of third-degree burglary, a felony. But Glasgow informed Trawick in June - while he was still incarcerated at the Dothan jail - that he was able to regain his voting rights due to the passage of the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act. And Trawick went ahead that same day and filled out the required registration forms as Glasgow watched. "I'm actually delighted about it, really," Trawick said at the time. "A lot of people get felonies and they just feel like their whole world's shattered because there's a lot of things that you can't do, but now that they passed that law a lot of people are going to run towards it." A retired Marine colonel who once served as a top aide to White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly plans to launch a long shot write-in campaign Monday afternoon to become Alabama's next senator, with just 15 days left in the campaign. Lee Busby, 60, of Tuscaloosa said he thinks that the allegations of sexual impropriety against Republican nominee Roy Moore have created an opportunity for a centrist candidate to win more than a third of the state's votes in the Dec. 12 special election. "I think you can flip this thing. If this were a military operation, the left flank and the right flank are heavily guarded," Busby said. "I think that gives you an opportunity to run straight up the middle." Busby, who was lacking any formal campaign structure or even a working website as of Monday morning, said he is counting on social media to spread the word about his campaign. He said he plans to run as an independent on his record as an investment banker, military leader and defense contractor and entrepreneur. He spent the weekend working on a logo and said he is just starting to explore the legal requirements for raising money for a campaign. Busby retired from the Marine Corps in 2013, and has focused on his most recent passion, as a sculptor in clay of U.S. military veterans from the Iraq and Afghan wars. His artistic work was recently featured in Southern Living. "I just don't believe that either one of them are qualified to be in the U.S. Senate," Busby said of Moore and Democratic candidate Doug Jones, noting that both men's professional experience was in the law. He said he attended a fundraiser for Jones this year but did not donate. As for the allegations of Moore having inappropriate contact with teenage girls, which Moore has denied, Busby said he was not certain of the truth. "It has created enough distaste in my mind," he said. "As a voter, I don't need to get to the bottom of it." Republican leaders in Washington and Alabama have effectively ruled out running a write-in campaign against Moore because they think it would split the Republican vote, all but ensuring a victory for Jones. Busby, who is divorced with four grown children, argued that his campaign could attract voters from Jones as well as Moore supporters. "The people of Alabama are not going to be represented by someone who supports a liberal abortion policy," Busby said. "I'm extremely concerned about the Democratic Party in Alabama. I don't think they reflect Alabama's views." Polls suggest that the race has tightened in recent weeks as Republican leaders in Washington have cut ties with Moore after the allegations against him were circulated. A Nov. 21 survey for the Raycom News Network found that about 3 percent of the state's voters planned to write in a candidate's name on Election Day. Under state law, write-in candidates will be counted as long as they are for a living person otherwise eligible for the office. Busby said he voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich in the 2016 Republican primary, and Donald Trump in the general election. He said he supports Republican efforts to lower taxes, though he has not examined the House and Senate tax reform proposals. He said he wants to repeal Obamacare and that life begins at conception, though there should be exceptions in antiabortion laws for cases of rape, incest or threats to the life of the mother. "At some point, it becomes a human life," he said of an unborn fetus. "And you have to protect those who can't protect themselves." After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Busby served as an officer in Baghdad, Ramadi and Fallujah in Iraq, and later worked as a defense contractor training soldiers in Afghanistan. He served as the vice chief of staff to John Kelly, when the current White House chief of staff was a three-star lieutenant general commanding the Marine Forces Reserve. Busby said he had not spoken to Kelly about his plans, but he foresees talking with him if his last-minute campaign gains traction. "It may make an interesting phone call," he said. Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a rumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be imminent. The airport was closed for 24 hours from Monday morning, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, after Mount Agung, which killed hundreds of people in 1963, sent volcanic ash high into the sky, and officials said cancellations could be extended. Bali, famous for its surf, beaches and temples, attracted nearly 5 million visitors last year, and its airport serves as a transport hub for the chain of islands in Indonesias eastern archipelago. Formation of an independent Kurdistan would be disastrous for all peoples of the region, including the Kurds themselves. Who can blame the Iraqi Kurds for wishing to establish a separate and autonomous state for themselves? Certainly no Iraqi who still cares to remember the murderous history of Saddam Husseins Anfal genocide and Halabja massacre of the Kurdish population, predicated on a long history of denying their identity and trying to Arabise them. Who can blame the Kurds in Iran if they too wanted to join forces with their fellow Kurds across the border and form a new country with them? Certainly, no Iranian who cares to recall the slaughter of Kurds early in the course of the Islamic revolution, and in fact their systematic repression before it all of that rooted indeed in a ghastly racist history of Persian-supremacy denigrating the very language and proud culture of the Kurdish people. Who can blame the Kurds in Turkey if they too wanted to join Iraqi and Iranian Kurds to form a nation-state of their own? Certainly not Recept Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters of their brand of Turkish nationalism and an entire history of the persecution of their own Kurdish population, again trying to deny their history and identity and calling them Mountain Turks? Who can blame the Syrian Kurds if they too wished to join other Kurds and break away from Syria? Certainly no Syrian who still suffers through the bloody regime of Bashar al-Assad and the long and languorous history of denying Kurds their civil liberties and rights. Who can blame any Kurd anywhere in the Arab and Muslim world demanding a state of their own? Certainly, no American administration that has historically used and abused the Kurds for their own imperial and strategic purposes, most recently to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and then abandoned them to their own devices when it comes to their wish for independence. The perils and promises of Kurdish nationalism The cause of Kurdish separatism in any country where Kurds currently live is of course perfectly understandable, but it is alas no cause for celebration in a region already plagued with ethnic nationalism of multiple vintages. The partition and dismantling of four sovereign states Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran to carve an autonomous Kurdistan (much to the delight of the Israeli settler colony) is as much disastrous for the entirety of the region as for the Kurds remaining within these states and is enormously consequential for the eventual resurrection of multiple, pluralistic, tolerant, and cosmopolitan nations. No Iranian, Turk, or Arab can or should even try to pontificate to Kurds about Kurdish independence. Only Kurds themselves can critically think through and act upon their decisions. They need to ask themselves if the racialised ethnic nationalism of their own kind is indeed an answer to the calamitous racialised ethnic chauvinism from which they are justly running away. {articleGUID} Suppose to Benjamin Netanyahus utter delight all these nation-states built around the Kurds completely broke down to all their racialised, ethnicised, communities. Instead of Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria as we know them now all of them multilingual, multicultural, multifaceted mosaics of people ploughing through the thick and thin of their shared postcolonial history we were to have myriads of ethnically pure Kurdish, Baluchi, Arab, Persian, Turk, Turkmen, Yazidi, Azeri, ad absurdum ethnic states. Who will benefit from the fragmentation of this Bantustan? Will this potential scenario advance or hinder the cause of peace, justice, democracy, and prosperity for the people of these fragmentations? What will these fragments have gained, what will have they lost? Israelification of the Arab and Muslim world I have lost count of how many pieces the bastion of liberal Zionism Haaretz has published in support of Kurdish independence how much ludicrous crocodile tears and false solidarity going deep into Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, believe it or not! They simply have no shame. But why would this lasting vestige of European colonialism in Palestine be so adamant in its support for an independent Kurdistan? There are many wicked reasons for it but one in particular is important to highlight. The Israeli settler colony is constitutionally discomforted by any pluralistic nation in the region for it exposes the ethnic racism at the roots of Zionism. The more ethnically fragmented the region in which they live the paler will appear the European settler colony in their midst. Let the entire Arab and Muslim world break down and fracture into tiny ethnic, xenophobic, racist colonies so Israel feels perfectly at home in Palestine. Divide them to their tiniest racialised denominators so you can rule them better. {articleGUID} That the liberal Zionist gang gathered at Haaretz is now leading the pro-Kurdish independence chorus in English is the clearest indication that when it comes to greasing the brutish machinery of Zionist colonisation of Palestine and active destruction of historical nation-states in the region, they are more hardcore than their hardcore comrades on the right. Israel, however, is not the only entity opposing that multicultural cosmopolitanism. Every single long-standing ethnic nationalism dominant in the region and their ruling regimes Arab, Iranian, or Turkish have historically brutalised the Kurds (along with other populations) in their midst precisely because their rule is so constitutionally illegitimate in face of the truth and reality of that pluralistic cosmopolitanism. But neither the Zionist support for an autonomous Kurdistan nor the anti-Kurdish hysteria opposing it should detract an iota of attention from the fact that a whole history of Kurdish suffering in the hands of these states has given them every moral right to demand and exact a measure of autonomy for themselves. But, and there is the rub, the addition of yet another state-sponsored ethnic nationalism on the model of the four states in which Kurds are located will not be a recipe of political liberation or cultural emancipation. Quite to the contrary: It will do precisely the opposite and entrap the Kurds within a smaller gathering inside multiple encampments of religious and ethnic sectarianism in the region. Adding a Kurdish ethnic nationalism to the already metastasised Turkish, Arab, and Iranian chauvinism will turn the entire region even more pronouncedly into the mirror image of the militant sectarianism of the Zionist settler colony. The battle for democratic pluralism The bloody persecution of Iranian Kurds early in the course of the Islamic revolution in Iran (1977-1979) was not because they were separatists. It was because the Iranian Kurdistan had become the cornerstone of a potential revolutionary opposition to the militant Islamists in Tehran brutalising the revolution towards their sectarian monopoly. That emancipatory politics should always remain the model of Kurdish democratic aspirations. If Kurds were to remain where they are and become integral to the transnational liberation movements of their respective countries, by their very presence they will force those states to transform their wretched identity-politics into emancipatory civic liberties. If they remain and struggle for their civil liberties, they will liberate their cause from ethnic nationalism and set an example for those with whom they share their fate. If they partition and leave, they will replicate and exacerbate the ethnic racism from which they are running away. If they stay and fight for their liberty in the company of those around them (Arabs, Iranians, or Turks), they will pivot towards a far more emancipatory future. {articleGUID} In the face of the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan one cannot be absolutist, pessimistic, or nihilist. The alternative to an independent Kurdistan in Iraq cannot and should not be business as usual and the dissolution of Kurdish communal or even national aspirations into the larger frame of dysfunctional or despotic ruling regimes. However justified, Kurdish ethnic nationalism is reactive and reactionary, not proactive and progressive. It plunges the region, Kurds included, further down the drain of retrograde parochialism, racism, nativism, ethnic nationalism, and hateful jingoism. It is a reaction that the ruling regimes in Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey deserve, but that will irreparably damage the future of a democratic pluralism for Arabs, Iranians, Turks, and particularly for Kurds themselves. The intensification of Kurdish separatism in Iraq is a symptom not a cause of the further disintegration of the Arab and Muslim world. If the response to the legitimate desire of Kurds for autonomy is military manoeuvres armed confrontation, shutting down of water resources, and even more racist anti-Kurdish jingoism the dismantling of the current map of the region does not need any help from the Israeli settler colony. Palestinian uprising against the colonial occupation of their homeland is a blueprint for national liberation movements around the globe. As they carved a Zionist settler colony in Palestine, European colonialists could have easily mapped a Kurdistan in the region. That they did not do so was because of their own colonial interests. The political map of every single country in the region today is the result of the encounter between the last Muslim empires Mughal India, Qajar Iran, and the Ottoman Empire confronting French and British imperialism. The result is the cluster of the current nation-states, in all of which the state is there to repress not to represent the nation. The addition of yet another repressive nation-state abusing and misrepresenting its people will not solve that historical problem. It will only exacerbate it. The battle for democratic pluralism must be fought for and won from within these very colonial states. In that perfectly plausible aspiration, Kurds and their democratic dreams will travel precisely in the opposite direction of the wishes of the Israeli settler colony and become a model for Europe now facing its own degenerative separatist movements all the way from Cyprus to Catalonia. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. In a depressing turn of events, the government of Pakistan surrendered to hardliners on Monday morning and accepted their demands for the resignation of the countrys law minister Zahid Hamid. This capitulation of the democratically elected government came after countrywide clashes between the police and protesters which resulted in at least six deaths and hundreds injured. Protesters believed that the law minister had amended the declaration of faith which confirmed belief in the finality of Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad in the Election Act of 2017. Therefore, to them, he insulted Islam and his actions amounted to blasphemy. The parliament undid the amendment and called it a clerical error. Hardline political party Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) organised a weeks-long sit-in which escalated into clashes the past few days. Ordinary citizens looked on helplessly at the chaotic unravelling of the state. Cable news channels and social media networks like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter were blocked across Pakistan for over 24 hours. The crisis was resolved through the arbitration of the military. Hamid was intimidated into releasing a video on social media in which he apologised for hurting religious sentiments and reassured the sectarian hardliners that the persecuted religious minority Ahmadis of Pakistan are non-Muslims to him. It was a statement which was supposed to highlight the strength of the ministers faith. The governments capitulation to TLYRs demands sends yet again a message to ambitious clerics that the use of religion in Pakistan for political gain works. Appeasing hardliners Interestingly, the TLYRs supporters belong to a South Asian Islamic movement of the Hanafi school called the Barelvi, which traditionally has been considered tolerant and closer to Sufi thought. Since 9/11 the Pakistani government and Western countries engaged in the war on terror and invasion of Afghanistan have labelled them as moderates. They have been perceived as a counterforce to more extreme and sectarian militant outfits. The US even gave funding to Barelvi groups for denouncing terrorist attacks in Pakistan. But the deliberate ideological weaponisation of conservative religious groups perceived as moderates did not neutralise fighter groups as expected. Instead, they were empowered and allowed to grow increasingly conservative and confrontational. For decades they were allowed to practise their bigotry on non-Muslim citizens. They have been allowed to use religion in politics and themselves have been used in power games between various civilian and military forces. Today, their tactics of fabricating alleged incidents of blasphemy to trap minorities and even Muslims to gain popularity and whip up religious sentiments for political or economic gains are being used on the government. The events of the last few weeks have demonstrated exactly how effective of a tool they are. They are easily able to mobilise large groups of men, wreak havoc, attack government officials houses, block highways, get ministers to resign and destabilise governments. What is clear is that the state has not learned anything from its history of appeasement of hardliners and has again given in. It has simply failed to enforce its writ where it most needed to, but it has no qualms in treating voices critical of its policies without mercy. The hypocrisy is what is utterly soul-crushing. A year of human rights violations The reason why this entire episode hurts the civil society, media and minorities so much is that 2017 has already been a year of a deteriorating human rights situation. It started with the abduction of five activist bloggers, four of whom were released after torture and scathing smear campaigns. The four fled the country and one is still missing. Then a Muslim progressive student was brutally lynched to death in broad daylight by his fellows inside the universitys vicinity over allegations of insulting Islam on Facebook which he hadnt done. Throughout the year there were other forced disappearances of activists, academics and journalists, faith-based target killings of religious minorities, and violence against journalists and human rights defenders. And of course, there was continuous political manipulation of religious issues, inciting hate and dangerous speech against persecuted groups. The government has kept instilling fear among citizens by making it clear that Pakistani online spaces will be monitored for blasphemous content. The state authorities frequently sent mass text messages to citizens asking them to report blasphemous speech on the internet and in the press. Interestingly, Pakistani political leaders, including disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, have repeatedly spoken out against Islamophobia in the West. But they havent expressed any sincere concerns over religious tolerance and rights of marginalised minorities in their own homeland. If Pakistan could give any advice to the West on Islamophobia, it would be this: Do not take our example, be more inclusive and do not let the political or religious right dictate government agenda! The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. AJ+ tells the story of the divide between those who live off the land and those who want to profit from its oil. Alaska is usually in the news for one of two reasons: its oil industry or climate change, or sometimes both. While the effects of climate change permafrost melting and villages along the coastline eroding away are real, for Alaska, whose economy has thrived on oil for the past 50 years, simply stopping the drilling for oil is out of the question. But for many Alaska Natives, the indigenous people of Alaska who encompass 227 different tribes and speak 20 distinct languages, living off the land is still a way of life. Alaska Natives are hit first and hit hardest by global warming and climate change, says Faith Gemmill, who is an Alaska Native Neetsai Gwichin, and the executive director of environmental group Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands (REDOIL). Many Alaska Natives still live in villages off the road system. They still hunt and gather for sustenance. Despite the billions of dollars of oil profits the state has seen, dozens of Alaska Native villages have never been equipped with basic resources, like running water, leaving residents to use outhouses and honey-buckets, and to refill giant barrels of water in their homes. We are in a resource state, and we live in third-world conditions, says Gemmill. But not all Alaska Natives live this way. Some work for Alaska Native-owned corporations, which can make big profits from the oil industry. {articleGUID} The Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, which made Forbes list of Americas Largest Private Companies, had revenue of $2.4bn last year. This means that Alaska Natives in that north slope region of Alaska, each of whom are shareholders in ASRC, benefited from those profits. This has created a divide between those who live off of the land, making little money from the oil industry and seeing the effects of climate change firsthand, and those who profit from its natural resources. AJ+ travelled to Alaska to explore this divide in its latest installment of its Untold America series. In Part 1, AJ+ explores the complicated relationship between Native corporations and the oil industry, and asked how Alaska Natives ended up with corporations not reservations in the first place. In Part 2, AJ+ introduces the Alaska Natives fighting to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), where a 40-year battle over whether to drill for oil has resurfaced. Earlier this month, legislation to allow drilling in ANWR was pushed forward in Congress. A Senate committee approved that legislation on November 15, moving it towards a full Senate vote. The refuge is a critical habitat for polar bears, and its the calving grounds of the porcupine caribou herd, which has the longest migration route of any animal on earth. The Alaska Native Gwichin people depend upon the caribou to survive. AJ+ travelled to Arctic Village, which sits on the southern edge of the refuge, to learn about the importance of this fight. In Part 3, AJ+ explores how Alaska Native women are healing from generations of trauma. One of the women taking the lead is Marjorie Tahbone, or Kunaq as she is known in her native Inupiaq language. Tahbone, whos from Nome, Alaska, is a graduate student at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She is bringing back the traditional art of facial tattooing for women a practice once banned by Christian missionaries in Alaska to help women heal. And in Part 4, AJ+ asked Alaska Natives: What do people get wrong about your community. Greece plans to sell 66m euros worth of surplus bombs and missiles to Saudi Arabia amid ongoing war in Yemen. Athens, Greece A political dispute in Greece over a controversial arms deal with Saudi Arabia is deepening, with opposition politicians and critics decrying plans to sell 66m euros ($78.7m) worth of surplus missiles and bombs to the Arab Gulf country. Opposition politicians have accused the government, which is currently headed by the leftist Syriza party, of not following the proper procedures for an international agreement, while critics have decried selling weapons to a country engaged in war. Saudi Arabia is currently leading a coalition of countries waging war in neighbouring Yemen, the poorest country in the Arab region. Legislators from New Democracy, the centre-right opposition party, claim that Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, illegally employed a private broker to negotiate the terms of the agreement with Saudi Arabia, a charge the defence minister denies. Greek law stipulates that such agreements must be handled by government officials. New Democracy has previously called for Kammenos to resign over the deal, saying in a statement that provocative agreement was executed without a trace of transparency. During a heated debate in the Greek parliament on Monday, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for an investigation into the arms deal and the alleged role of a private broker. In response, Alexis Tsipras, prime minister, accused New Democracy and a media lobby of using the deal to unfairly target the government. {articleGUID} Tsipras claimed the broker, Greek national Vassilis Papadopoulos, was procured by Saudi Arabia, an assertion that country has previously denied in media statements. Meanwhile, the deal has also prompted internal objections from a handful of Syriza members, such as legislator Giorgos Kyritsis, who argued that Greece should not sell weapons to Saudi Arabia on political and moral grounds. The legal objections are a spin by New Democracy, and they wont get anywhere with it, he told Al Jazeera, but political part of the story is that we shouldnt sell arms to countries that may use them in wars, especially when there are situations with violations of human rights. Kyritsis said: Me and [some] other members of Syriza think that it would be better if we scrap this deal because there is no reason for us even if we need the money to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia They could be used against Yemenis. At the time of publication, Nikos Voutsis, president of the Hellenic Parliament [the parliament of Greece], and Kammenos had not replied to Al Jazeeras requests for a comment. War in Yemen The US and the UK have supported the Saudi government as it continues to lead a coalition of countries blockading and bombing Yemen, where it says it is fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Last week, the Saudi-led coalition said it would ease its air-tight blockade of Yemen. More than 8,600 people have been killed and 49,960 injured during the ongoing war in Yemen, which started in March 2015, according to the United Nations. Of the total number of deaths, 60 percent are civilians. More than 20 million Yemenis among them 11 million children are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to UN agencies. The Saudi embassy in Athens had not replied to Al Jazeeras request for a comment at the time of publication. On Monday, the Greek branch of Amnesty International published a statement calling on the government to abandon the deal. According to Greeces Arms Trade Treaty, which was signed in March 2016, the government should not sell weapons or military equipment to any country that will likely use them to violate international law, the rights group said. Amnesty International urges Greece to immediately withdraw the sale and transfer of military equipment to Saudi Arabia, the statement said, adding that no conventional weapons, ammunition and military equipment should be sold to any parties involved in the conflict in Yemen. Thanos Dokos, the director of the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy think-tank, said that the deal is not indicative of Greek plans to expand its role in the Middle East. It was just an opportunity for the Greek government to sell surplus weaponry and cover financial needs and for the other side [Saudi Arabia] to obtain more weaponry for the war in Yemen, he told Al Jazeera. Explaining that the debate is multi-pronged, Dokos said: The communist party [and other leftists] are delighted to find an opportunity to criticise the government on ethical grounds and moving forward it will probably be used by the opposition [New Democracy] in its wider criticism of the government. The opposition is basically saying youve accused of being corrupt in the past, but you are no better yourselves. Dark side to these transactions Syriza came to power in January 2015 after campaigning on a left-wing programme. Yet, it became the target of criticism for reneging on pledges to end the countrys austerity measures, fumbling the mass influx of refugees since 2015 and maintaining close military ties with Israel, among other grievances. Savas Michael-Matsas, leader of the leftwing Revolutionary Workers Party, argued that both the government and the opposition were attempting to hide the truth. {articleGUID} There is always a dark side to these transactions, he told Al Jazeera. We are against selling weapons to Saudi Arabia as they kill the Yemeni people and foment war all over the Middle East, whether its by the Greek government or the United States. Nonetheless, Michael-Matsas argued that New Democracy has focused on the alleged role of a private broker to score political points. New Democracy and the rightwing have been involved in a thousand scandals, he continued. Its important to note that they are not criticising the criminal act of selling arms to a country [Saudi Arabia] which is carrying out a genocidal war in Yemen, preparing for a war in Iran and inciting more war in Lebanon. Earlier this month, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) also decried the deal in a statement. The KKE firmly opposes agreements of military character that Greek governments sign with countries which participate in interventions against other people, such as the case of Saudi Arabia [in Yemen], the party said in a statement. Seraphim Seferiades, a politics professor at Panteion University in Athens, said the Saudi arms deal is only the latest move in a long list of policies former supporters of the Syriza government perceive as betrayals. People have stopped measuring the party up to the notion of leftwing government, he told Al Jazeera. Despite the fact that Syriza is still employing left-wing rhetoric, they have been doing the exact opposite in reality. Harare, Zimbabwe Zimbabwes former minister of finance and economic development has been denied bail in his corruption trial. Ignatius Chombo, an ally of ousted Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe, is being held in the interests of his safety and to prevent any interference with state witnesses, a magistrates court said on Monday evening. Chombo was arrested on Friday and charged with corruption and abuse of power. Speaking after the hearing, Chombos lawyer, Lovemore Madhuku, told Al Jazeera that he was very disappointed with the courts decision. There was absolutely no basis for the assertion that he will interfere with state witnesses, nor was there reason to assert that he would abscond and escape the charges, he said. Madhuku said Chombo could be remanded at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, just outside the capital, Harare, until December 8. However, Madhuku said he would be preparing an urgent motion with Zimbabwes High Court to have the ruling overturned within the next 48 hours. The charges against Chombo stem from his time as minister of higher education from 1995 to 2000, and as minister of local government, public works and urban development from 2000 to 2015. They come after a military operation led to Mugabes resignation last Tuesday, ending his nearly four decades in power. Mugabes successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, was inaugurated as the countrys new president on Friday. Chipangas bail denied Also on Monday, Kudzanai Chipanga, the head of the ruling ZANU-PF Youth League, was denied bail and will be remanded in custody until December 8. Magistrate Josephine Sande refused to grant Chipanga bail, on the grounds that his security may be at risk if he is released. Shortly before his arrest on the weekend, Chipanga, a close associate of former First Lady Grace Mugabe, was confronted by protesters who shouted threats at him for his pro-Mugabe stance. He faces charges of fraud and slander for his criticism of the head of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantino Chiwenga. The charges carry a potential 20-year prison sentence. Chiwenga had cautioned the then president against carrying out a series of purges within his ruling ZANU-PF regime, shortly before the military action that led to Mugabes resignation. As part of that action, known as Operation Restore Legacy, the military arrested several of Mugabes allies. At least four ministers, including Mugabes nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, the former minister of public service, labour and social welfare, have fled the country. An army spokesperson, Colonel Overson Mugwisi, said some government officials are still in military custody, but said details of their detention will be given at a later stage. Follow Tendai on Twitter and Instagram, @i_amten. Assad delegation yet to confirm attendance in Geneva talks, UN envoy says, amid ongoing bombardment of Eastern Ghouta. The UN special envoy for Syria says the government delegation has not yet confirmed that it will attend the latest round of UN-mediated talks with the opposition in Geneva. The eighth round of Geneva talks is supposed to focus on the issue of elections and a constitution, two of the four so-called baskets of reforms laid out by the UN for a political settlement to the Syria crisis. The government did not yet confirm its participation in Geneva but indicated that we would be hearing from them soon, Staffan De Mistura said. Naturally we hope and indeed expect that the government will be on its way shortly. {articleGUID} De Mistura said there was a real danger of the concrete fragmentation of Syria, and that he was ready to engage with all those who came to the talks. Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from Geneva, said that the talks in the Swiss city, due to begin on Tuesday, were probably not going to start on time. The opposition are already here, he said. The Syrian government delegates have postponed their flight to Geneva because they are angry that the opposition still say that [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad must go. Syrias opposition groups agreed last week, following a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to send a united delegation to Geneva, a move seen as a boost to prospects for a breakthrough. However, our correspondent said there are some who believe there is another reason why the government delegation has delayed its arrival. The @UN Special Envoy for #Syria Staffan de Mistura will brief the UN Security Council today 27 November at 16.00 CET > Watch here now: https://t.co/TMoKiPmFcw #SyriaTalks pic.twitter.com/SIXtkU3SXv UN Geneva (@UNGeneva) November 27, 2017 Its also been suggested that maybe they want to continue the bombardment on Eastern Ghouta for a little longer before they come to the negotiating table, potentially with a strengthened hand, he said. During a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi last Monday, al-Assad said he was ready for dialogue with all those who want to come up with a political settlement. More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syrias six-year war, and over half of its population has been displaced. Veteran opposition leader and former presidential candidate was accused of incitement and spreading fake news. An Egyptian court has dropped a case against prominent opposition leader Ayman Nour that sought to strip him of his citizenship. The veteran opposition leader told Al Jazeera that the case against him was politically motivated and that it never had a legal basis. Legal action should be taken against the lawyers who bring forward these kinds of malicious cases and abuse the right of litigation These cases are clearly malicious and have no legal or constitutional basis, he said. This is perhaps the third time Ive had such a case against me It is a form of blackmail and a form of distortion. Nour, who ran against former President Hosni Mubarak in 2005, was accused of incitement against the state and its institutions through a private TV channel he operates from Turkey. According to the lawsuit, the Al Sharq television channel, which is owned and managed by Nour, was used as a tool to spread false news and incite violence against the Egyptian state. Nour told Al Jazeera in a separate interview, before the charges were dropped, that several cases had been brought against him asking for the revocation of [his] citizenship. He added: Egyptian citizenship obtained by a natural-born citizen cannot be revoked These talks only reflect the states ignorance of the law. Nour, the leader of the Ghad al-Thawra (Tomorrows Revolution) party, had previously voiced fears about the Egyptian government going after a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) he had established. I have a charity centre called the Nour Cultural Centre which I founded, he said. I built this centre in the heart of Cairo with my own money in 1995. After 22 years, I found out last week that they want to demolish the centre because it has Nour in its name, and a governor made statements claiming the name is inappropriate. So I sent out a tweet that infuriated them. I said Im happy to change the name of the centre, you can name it the Sisi centre or the Mohamed bin Zayed centre or the Mohamed bin Salman centre. If one of those names pleases you, then I approve. Just leave the centre so people can benefit from it. Nours background Nour first rose to prominence in 2005, when he ran in Egypts first multi-candidate presidential election. He lost to Hosni Mubarak, obtaining 7.6 percent of the vote, in a ballot widely regarded as not free. Months after the election, he was sentenced to five years in jail on forgery charges, in what many saw as a politically-motivated conviction. He was released in early 2009. Nour received a full pardon by the former military government three years later, but, due to legal reasons, he failed to qualify to run for president during the 2012 election, according to local media. A year later, when Abdel Fattah el-Sisi took power during a military coup, Nour left Egypt for Lebanon. From there, he went to Turkey after learning that his life may be in danger, a move he says was prompted by a tip-off from Lebanese intelligence. The opposition leader has been in Turkey since 2015, with an expired passport which has not been renewed. Until now, I do not have freedom of movement and freedom to return to my country, Nour told Al Jazeera. I want to return to Egypt. I cant because I dont have a passport. I want to return and live in my country. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Vall has visited the site of the $5bn project, which will one day be Africas biggest hydroelectric dam. Ethiopia is pushing on with construction of its massive new dam, despite growing objections from Egypt. The controversial project has strained relations between the two nations, because Egypt, which lies downstream, sees it as a risk to its water supply from the Blue Nile. Egypt has long held the majority rights to the Nile and relies almost entirely on the river for its water needs. Construction has never stopped, and will never stop, until the project is completed [] We are not concerned by what Egypt thinks Ethiopia is committed to benefitting from its water resources without causing harm to anyone, Ethiopias Minister of Irrigation, Water and Electricty, Seleshi Bekele, said. Once completed, The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will be Africas largest hydroelectric power plant and will help solve a national energy crisis in Ethiopia. As rhetoric over the project heightens, sources have told Al Jazeera that there is maximum security around the dam, with an undeclared no-fly zone and anti-aircraft defenses. There have also been rumors on social media in Ethiopia about possible air strikes by Egypt aiming to destroy the 1.7 kilometre dam. More than 60 percent of the dams construction has already been completed, according to engineers on the site. The final capacity of the dam will exceed 6,000 megawatts, which will allow Ethiopia not only to satisy domestic power needs, but will also allow it to become a major exporter of electricity to regions as far away as South Africa and Western Europe. Al Jazeeras Mohammed Vall has visited the site of the $5bn project, which will one day be Africas biggest hydroelectric dam. After months of stalemate, talks are expected to focus on new constitution and elections. Syrias government and opposition will start a new round of UN-brokered talks in Geneva on Tuesday, but there is little optimism for progress towards ending the seven-year conflict. After months of stalemate, the talks are expected to focus primarily on a new constitution and elections, two of the four so-called baskets of reforms laid out by the United Nations for a political settlement to the Syria crisis. The UNs special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said he hoped the warring factions would start a fresh round of negotiations without preconditions and within the framework of the UN Security Councils resolutions. We are all moving, I hope, in the direction of implementing Resolution 2254 and a political solution long overdue in Syria, said De Mistura from Moscow on Friday, at the end of a frantic week spent between the Saudi and Russian capitals in a bid to ensure that both the government and the opposition would come to Geneva ready to lay the groundwork for a political solution. De Mistura announced earlier that he would press hard for particular up-front attention on a new constitution and UN-supervised elections, two of the four baskets, which also include a non-sectarian transitional government and counterterrorism measures. Discussions will also address the issue of detainees, abductees and missing persons, De Mistura said, along with the need for full humanitarian access in any besieged or hard-to-reach-areas, including Eastern Ghouta. De Mistura said a follow-up round of talks would likely take place in December. The opposition front Some 50 delegates representing different factions within the Syrian opposition arrived in the Swiss city of Geneva over the weekend in preparation for the talks. The unity of the opposition front will be put to the test on Tuesday. Disagreement over the future role of President Bashar al-Assad in a transitional government has considerably weakened the oppositions capability to negotiate a favourable way out of the crisis over the past few months. Statements issued by the opposition after a two-day meeting in Riyadh last week did not clarify how this critical issue would play out. According to a statement issued by the Riyadh conference on Friday, the participants stressed that the transition cannot happen without the departure of Bashar al-Assad and his circle at the start of the interim period. Hours later, however, Nasr Hariri, the new chief negotiator for the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Syrias main opposition group, told reporters that the opposition was ready to discuss everything on the negotiating table without preconditions. Early last week, Hariri replaced Riyad Hijab, a former Syrian prime minister, who led the HNC for almost two years. Hijab, a hardliner, hinted in a statement that the HNC had faced pressure to make concessions in favour of Assad. His departure led to speculation that the group may soften its stance towards the Syrian president and his role in the transitional period. Significantly, Hijabs resignation came as Assad made a televised appearance next to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, where the Russian leader, a staunch supporter of Assad, held a meeting with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts to discuss the Syria crisis. It is important to reach a political settlement now, and Assad is ready to work with anyone who wants peace, said the Russian president, who later announced he would convene a Syria Congress at the beginning of December in Sochi. Appearing strong in the wake of the successful fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and major territorial gains after two years of Russian and Iranian military interventions that reversed the conquests of the opposition, Assad now has the upper hand in the negotiations. Lasting conflict Analysts were sceptical that the Geneva talks would make any progress towards a political settlement. There will not be a formal Geneva-style diplomatic settlement, whether under UN auspices or other, said Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. According to Sayigh, the Russia-backed Astana talks, a parallel track to the UN-sponsored peace process, aim to reintegrate the Syrian opposition under the current state system. Marwan Kabalan, an analyst with the Doha Institute, noted that the fate of Assad would long remain a contentious issue: A significant part of the country in the north and south, holding most of the oil and water reserves, is not under the control of the regime. This means the conflict will last much, much longer than people expect. The final communique from the opposition in Riyadh focused primarily on rejecting Irans interference in Syria. Saudi Arabia has thrown its weight behind a number of opposition groups and has pushed for the removal of Assad in a bid to contain Irans growing hegemony in the region. But the Sochi meeting was emblematic of a new geopolitical reality, wherein Assad and his allies will continue to play a dominant role in Syria and the rest of the region. Humanitarian crisis Syrias civil war, now in its seventh year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and created the worlds worst refugee crisis, driving more than 11 million people from their homes. In its 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview on Syria, published last week, the UN said that the scale and severity of needs across Syria remain overwhelming. Some 13 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 5.6 million in acute need due to limited access to basic goods and services. Of the 5.5 million Syrian refugees worldwide, most of whom remain in neighbouring countries, a very limited number have returned to Syria. In 2017, around 720,000 people returned to their areas of origin. The Palestinian faction Fatah has denied making the disarmament of Hamas military wing, the Qassam Brigades, a condition for ongoing Palestinian reconciliation talks. Osama al-Qawasmi, spokesman for Fatah, told Al Jazeera on Monday that the weapons of the resistance were a red line. Pointing out that it is only Hamas that has spoken to the news media on the disarmament question, al-Qawasmi said: Fatah wants to discuss with Hamas the issue of security. The Palestinian government will not be able to operate and implement its projects and security plans in the Gaza Strip if it is without a security arm. Al-Qawasmis statement followed a press conference earlier on Monday by a senior Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, in the Gaza Strip, who elaborated on the results of the reconciliation talks held in Cairo a few days ago. The meeting was attended by all 13 Palestinian political factions, led by Fatah and Hamas. Al-Qawasmi said implementation of the reconciliation agreement that was signed on October 12 in Cairo is progressing slowly, adding that Fatah has maintained from the outset that the path of ending the division, which lasted for 11 years, is not paved with flowers. For his part, al-Hayya said that the subject of the weapons of resistance is not up for discussion and that ending the long-running blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt remains a priority. Hamas will push the Palestinian government to lift sanctions on the Gaza Strip, al-Hayya said, adding that neither Hamas nor the Palestinian people will be able to wait until Fatah is convinced of what it calls the empowerment of the government. He also called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the reconciliation talks and to set the date of the general elections, which Hamas is prepared for at any time. The strategy to undermine the Riyal has failed but could backfire on the other dollar-linked currencies in the region. Ever since the blockade was imposed on Qatar, Qatari officials observed concerted efforts to harm its economy. In March, the Qatari Central Bank asked the United States to investigate UAE-owned banks in the US for engaging in bogus foreign exchange deals aimed at undermining the Qatari riyal. Khalid Alkhater from Qatars central bank explained what is happening, in a November interview with Reuters. Alkhater was the architect of Qatars monetary policy in the 2008 global financial crisis. Illiquid bonds Artificially low prices: Alkhater said part of the strategy to undermine the Riyal involved trading Qatar government bonds at artificially low prices to suggest the economy was in trouble. This failed because the market in Qatari bonds was illiquid, so trading in high volumes was difficult, and because Qatar had taken precautionary steps, said Alkhater. Email leaks: According to The Intercept, a plan for the UAE to weaken Qatars economy was found in the email account of Yousef-al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to the United States. Investigation: In March 18, Qatars central bank requested US regulators to investigate NBAD Americas, the US subsidiary of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) for waging financial warfare against it. The investigation was launched by Qatar in December 2017, for what it said were attempts to harm Qatari economy through the manipulation of its currency. We know blockading countries and their agents are attempting to manipulate and undermine our currency, securities and derivatives, as part of a coordinated strategy to damage Qatars economy, Qatars Central Bank Governor Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani said in a December statement. We will not stand by while our country is attacked in this manner, he added. Its deliberate economic warfare, a strategy to cause fear or panic among the public and investors to destabilise the economy. Gas reserves Sell in Riyals. Alkhater said that Qatar, the worlds top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, could consider taking payments for LNG exports in Riyals rather than dollars, which would create global demand for its currency. No risk of devaluation. Most independent analysts think Qatars economy, with huge gas and financial reserves, can weather the storm and do not see any serious risk of a devaluation of the Riyal, whose dollar peg of 3.64 Riyals has been enshrined in law since 2001. Central bank governor Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani, in office since 2006, said last month that the government and the central bank could support the banking system with both state reserves and the holdings of Qatars sovereign wealth fund. Offshore banks Bank manipulation. Alkhater blamed low quotes for Qatars Riyal in the offshore market on some banks which he said were from nations boycotting Qatar, without naming the institutions seeking to manipulate the market by exchanging the currency at weaker levels than on the onshore market. He did not provide evidence. According to The Intercept, a plan to weaken Qatars economy was prepared for the UAE by Banque Havilland, a Luxembourg-based bank. However, there is no conclusive evidence that the plan was indeed executed. Offshore rate. The Riyal changed hands onshore last week very close to its official peg of 3.64 to the US dollar, but on November 21 it traded as low as 3.8950 offshore on the Reuters conversational dealing platform. Effect on stock market. Equity index compiler MSCI cited this gap on November 22 when it said it might use offshore foreign exchange rates to value Qatars stock market, potentially changing the weighting of Qatari equities in MSCIs emerging market index. MSCI said it would take feedback from the investment community on the proposed currency shift until December 1, and would announce its final decision by December 5. said it would take feedback from the investment community on the proposed currency shift until December 1, and would announce its final decision by December 5. Qatars central bank responded by saying it would provide currency needs to all investors and was working with banks to ensure transactions could be conducted normally. Mutual destruction Oil prices. It could spark contagion across a region which is tied to the US through dollar pegs, and which is already suffering from financial distress and economic difficulties due to low oil prices, he said, calling attacks on Qatars Riyal a weapon of mutual destruction. French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to transform his countrys strained relationship with Africa. The comments come as he begins a four-day visit to the continent. French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to transform his countrys strained relationship with Africa. The comments come as he begins a four-day visit to the continent. France is often criticised for its colonisation of some African nations, but Macron wants to improve his countrys ties to Africa. Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler reports from Paris. Lawyers of pro-independence protesters dismiss move as meaningless, as most of the accused are booked in multiple cases. Indian-administered Kashmir The Indian government has offered amnesty to first-time stone-throwers in Indian-administered Kashmir, a move legal experts dismissed as meaningless since most of the accused were framed in multiple cases. Lawyers for the pro-independence protesters in Kashmir say this would provide little relief to those who are facing jail for mostly minor offences committed in a period following the first wave of unrest in 2008. This announcement of amnesty is a drama, Shafaqat Hussain, a lawyer who has been fighting human rights cases in Kashmir for two decades, told Al Jazeera. I have handled thousands of such cases, and in my experience, most of these young people have been booked in multiple cases in multiple police stations. Even minors are not spared, they have been booked in many cases, he said. Hussain said that in most instances, the state fails to provide evidence and the court honourably acquits these youngsters but it ruins their life because it takes years of trials in the court. They already suffer the punishment, he said, adding that these people are not able to get passports or jobs in government departments. Mere political stunt Lawyer Mir Urfi, who has argued hundreds of such cases in court, said that people charged in cases in 2010 when the second civilian unrest led to a lengthy shutdown and protests have already faced six to seven years of court proceedings. Who will compensate their years? At the end they are being acquitted by the court, she said. Only people who have been booked in 2015, 2016 will benefit, but among them, no case has been withdrawn so far. Urfi said that she had seen many cases where people are given amnesty from legal procedures, but they continue to face unofficial harassment from the police. When there is a strike call, these people are called to police stations a night before. If there is an amnesty in real sense, then all this harassment should end, which will help the young people lead a normal life, she said. Separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani called the amnesty a mere political stunt. In a bid to label those pursuing freedom as stone throwers, the authorities in New Delhi and their puppets in the state were annoyed and dejected when people vehemently took to the streets to protest against the forced occupation from 2008 to 2016, Geelani said in a statement on Saturday. Fifteen-year-old Yaseen, a resident of Kashmirs main city, Srinagar, was charged in a stone-throwing case last year. His cousin, Ali, said that the government has time and again made false promises. He is facing a court trial, and he has been booked with seven charges. The police has no video or photo evidence against him, but he has been falsely implicated even though he is a minor, Ali said. His education has been impacted. He is not able to lead a normal life due to the mental trauma he is facing. {articleGUID} Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehboooba Mufti, who announced the amnesty last week, said that it had been made on the recommendation of the New Delhi-appointed interlocutor, Dineshwar Sharma, a former intelligence chief who recently visited Kashmir for a dialogue with stakeholders in the region. Sharma, who is currently on his second visit to Jammu and Kashmir, has been tasked with holding talks with Kashmiri leaders including separatists a departure from the Modi governments rigid policy in the past three years. Kashmir police chief Munir Khan told Al Jazeera that they had started the process of withdrawing cases against first-time offenders who were charged between 2010 and 2017, but he did not disclose how many cases are being withdrawn. The cases of students and other young men will be reviewed. The process will take another five to six days to complete, Khan said. Last year, the region was rocked by some of the most widespread civilian uprisings in the two decades of conflict following the death of rebel commander Burhan Wani. In the crackdown that followed, more than 100 civilians were killed and hundreds were blinded by police who shot at the protesters with iron pellets. Several thousand civilians were charged, mostly for rioting. Civilian uprisings have become the main feature of the conflict in the past decade as rebel groups, which have been active since 1989, have declined in strength. The rebels are fighting for the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir to either become independent or merge with Pakistan. India maintains roughly half a million soldiers in the territory. Before last years unrest, amnesty for stone-throwers was announced after the 2010 uprising by the then-government in the disputed region. But human rights defender Khurram Parvez said that it was not implemented, either. How can we trust the amnesty announced by the government. A similar amnesty was announced by the state in 2011, but nothing was done on the ground. We have not seen any cases being withdrawn. There are people as old as 70 who have been booked in stone-throwing cases; this means nothing, Parvez said. Dr Radha Kumar, an Indian academic and author who was appointed as an interlocutor to Kashmir in 2011 by the Congress-led government in New Delhi, described the amnesty as a much-needed step and said it needs to be taken forward in shape of a political dialogue. If we dont take the step towards political dialogue, there is high risk that the violence will start again; political problems need to be acknowledged. Lessons need to be learned from past experiences in Kashmir, Kumar told Al Jazeera. Amid rising attacks on UN soldiers, government says election to be held in April next year, not as previously scheduled. Mali has announced the postponement of regional elections scheduled for December to April, amid security concerns following attacks by armed groups. The announcement comes two days after four UN peacekeepers and a Malian soldier were killed and more than 21 others injured in two separate attacks. The deadly attacks were claimed by the al-Qaeda-linked Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen. Fridays attacks took place while troops from the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, known as MINUSMA, were carrying out a joint operation with Malian forces near the border with Niger. We have decided to reschedule the elections to the month of April 2018 in order to have more time to organise absolutely inclusive elections, Tieman Hubert Coulibaly, minister for territorial administration, said on Sunday. The West African country is set to hold a presidential election in July, and it is not clear if the delay in the regional polls will have an effect on the vote. Armed groups seized the countrys vast desert north in 2012 before being forced back by French military intervention in 2013. France has 4,000 soldiers in its former colony. But, over the last two years, armed groups have re-emerged as a major threat to security in Mali and across its vast, porous desert borders in Niger, Burkina Faso and beyond. The UN mission, which has more than 11,000 troops and was established in 2013, is one of the most dangerous peacekeeping operations in the world, with troops and convoys regularly coming under attack from armed groups. According to UN figures, more than 146 members of the mission have lost their lives since 2013. Last month, three UN peacekeepers from Chad were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine. A fourth peacekeeper died later from his wounds. Footage shot by refugees appears to show police and Papua New Guinean immigration officers hitting refugees with metal bars. Papua New Guinea police have evicted the remaining 328 men from the former Australian-run camp on Friday, and in some cases by force. Footage shot by refugees appears to show police and Papua New Guinean immigration officers hitting refugees with metal bars. One refugee told Al Jazeera he was beaten with wooden and iron bars. Al Jazeeras Andrew Thomas reports from Manus Island. Mexican Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade will step down on Monday, as the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) gears up to pick its candidate for the 2018 presidential election, two well-informed sources have told Reuters. One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Meade would announce his intention to seek the presidency of the PRI when resigning. The office of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto late on Sunday said it would hold an event at 10am local time on Monday, without specifying what it entailed. Several Mexican media said Meade would announce his resignation at 10am. A spokesman for Meades office said he was unaware of any plans for the minister to resign on Monday. Pena Nieto is barred by law from seeking a second term, and his party faces a major challenge from twice presidential runner-up, former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a leftist who has led early polls for the July 2018 election. Meade would be replaced as finance minister by Jose Antonio Gonzalez Anaya, currently head of state oil firm Pemex, one of the two sources said. Meade has, for months, been one of the leading prospective PRI candidates, both due to his reputation for competence as a minister across two rival administrations, and because he has avoided the taint of corruption that has battered the party. The 48-year-old has also been a top pick to succeed the departing Agustin Carstens at the helm of the Mexican central bank. The second sources added that if Meade was not stepping down to run for the PRI, he would be going into that job. Meade is not a member of the centrist PRI, which changed its statutes in August to make it easier for outsiders to run for the presidency. Officials say his reputation for honesty and cross-party appeal will be vital if he hopes to defeat Lopez Obrador. On Thursday, the PRI announced it would begin registering presidential hopefuls on December 3, and that a national convention would formally elect the candidate on February 18. Education Minister Aurelio Nuno, 39, Pena Nietos former chief-of-staff and one of his closest allies, as well as Health Minister Jose Narro, are the most likely alternatives to Meade if he does not seek the candidacy, senior officials say. Tegucigalpa, Honduras Hondurans remain on edge hours after polls closed in the presidential election as official results were suspended and two candidates declared themselves the next president of the Central American country. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) released its first report of preliminary results nearly 10 hours after polls closed showing Opposition Alliance candidate Salvador Nasralla in the lead with 45.17 percent with 57 percent of the ballot boxes counted. By early on Wendesday, Nasrallas lead had dropped to under one percentage point with just over 75 percent of the ballot boxes counted. Nasralla leads 42.63 percent of the vote, followed by President Juan Orlando Hernandez with 41.66 percent. Ramiro Lobo, the magistrate of the tribunal told media on Monday morning that the trend of the results was irreversible. Political analyst Victor Meza, director of the Honduran investigative centre known as CEDOH and former interior minister, agreed. The trend is irreversible and Mr. Nasralla won the election, Meza said. The victory of the opposition represents the defeat of presidential continuity, political authoritarianism, and also the defeat of corruption, he added. The Liberal Partys Zelaya acknowledged Nasrallas victory on Monday. Hernandez has not accepted defeat. The electoral body has said complete official results, including for Congress and other offices, may not be released until Thursday. But additional preliminary results of the presidential race could be presented later on Monday. We hope that they do it based on the real results and that there will not be any attempt to falsify the statistics to make it appear that the defeated president still has the possibility to achieve victory, Meza said. Both candidates claim victory Hernandez of the ruling conservative National Party had claimed victory early, while Nasralla also alleged on Sunday night that he had enough information, despite the lack of official results, to declare himself president. The election, which marked the first time a president has sought re-election, was marred by controversy before the polls had opened. {articleGUID} The opposition, which had claimed during the campaign that the government was preparing to rig the elections, raised concerns of electoral fraud after the polls closed. They already stole the election from us once, Xiomara Castro told Al Jazeera, referring to her 2013 presidential bid as a candidate with the left-wing Libre Party. Hernandez won over Castro amid opposition accusations of electoral fraud. We must not allow four more years of suffering and pain like we have had to live these past four years with the government of Juan Orlando Hernandez, continued Castro, former First Lady of former President Manuel Zelaya, who was removed in the 2009 US-backed military coup. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal was expected to release preliminary results around 7pm local time (01:00 GMT), but the body suspended the process for nearly seven hours, saying that it would be irresponsible to release partial results when there could be a dramatic change in the trend of the results. Despite the lack of official results, Hernandez declared himself the winner at approximately 8pm local time (02:00 GMT). Hours later, Nasralla, who said he had information from inside the vote counting process, claimed victory. Supporters at the Opposition Alliance headquarters broke into chants of Out with JOH. The Liberal Party, which throughout the campaign remained in a distant third place, also raised concerns about irregularities. Unusual decision An unusual decision that has never happened in the history of Honduras, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal decided to close voting at 4pm when it always gets extended for another hour, Octavio Pineda, general secretary of the Liberal Party, told Al Jazeera. This indicates in some way the manipulation of the Tribunal by the governing party, he added. Opposition Alliance supporters celebrated outside the Supreme Electoral Tribunal in the early hours of Monday morning as riot police lined the premises. The coalition called for its supporters to take to the streets in front of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal to defend their vote on Monday afternoon. Hernandez is controversially seeking a second term in office despite a constitutional ban on re-election. He has justified his re-election bid through a 2015 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the article of the constitution on presidential term limits, which critics say was illegal. The president, a close US ally, has championed economic policies focused on attracting foreign private investment. {articleGUID} Hernandez has also strongly advocated militarisation as the solution to the countrys public security woes. His term in office has been rocked by controversy. A massive corruption scandal came to light in 2015 implicating the National Party in an embezzlement scheme that allegedly funnelled millions of dollars from the resource-strapped social security institute into Hernandezs 2013 presidential campaign. About 6.2 million Hondurans were eligible to vote on Sunday for president, 128 members of Congress, 20 representatives to the Central American parliament, 298 mayors, and other local officials. Federal law minister steps down, acceding to key demand by hardline religious groups who blocked Islamabad highway. Islamabad Pakistans federal law minister has resigned, acceding to a key demand made by thousands of protesters who have blocked a major highway into the Pakistani capital for weeks, the state radio broadcaster reported. An agreement has been signed that would see the demonstrators in Islamabad and other cities disperse, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal told the Islamabad High Court during a hearing on Monday, ending a weeks-long standoff that threatened to escalate into countrywide violence. On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in, Muslim scholar and protest leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi told a crowd of around 2,500 demonstrators in Islamabad on Monday, AFP news agency reported. The agreement would also see all protesters who were arrested during the sit-in, which began on November 8, be released within three days. The government will also take responsibility for paying for any damage caused to both public and private property during the protest. An inquiry will also be ordered into a government security crackdown on Saturday which saw thousands of riot police fire tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon in an attempt to disperse the protesters. Demonstrators fought back with stones, sticks and metal rods, and were able to beat back the authorities. At least five people were killed and more than 217 mostly members of the security forces wounded in those clashes. Minister accused of blasphemy Law Minister Zahid Hamid had been accused by clerics of committing blasphemy due to a change in the wording of an oath taken by parliamentarians in the South Asian country. The protesters, led by Rizvi and other scholars, perceived the change in wording as representing a softening of the states position against members of the Ahmadi sect, who are not permitted to identify themselves as Muslims in Pakistan. The oath was hastily amended back to its original wording, but protesters held the capital under siege for weeks, demanding that Hamid resign from the cabinet. According to the agreement signed on Monday, the government will also make public an internal inquiry into how the wording of the parliamentary oath was changed. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) political party, led by Rizvi, has also agreed not to issue any religious edicts [fatwas] against Hamid. Blasphemy is a sensitive issue in Pakistan, and certain forms of it can carry the death sentence. Increasingly, those accused of blasphemy have also been subjected to violent attacks by mobs and charged protesters. Since 1990, at least 73 people have been killed over alleged blasphemy, according to an Al Jazeera tally. They include those accused of blasphemy, members of their families, lawyers who have defended them and judges. Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras Web Correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim. The pontiff who has earlier spoken against military atrocities is under pressure not to use the word Rohingya. Pope Francis has arrived in Myanmar on his first trip to the Southeast Asian nation, where tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees have faced brutal military crackdown in the past three months. His trip comes as the Myanmar government is accused of ethnically cleansing its Rohingya Muslim minority, more than 600,000 of whom have taken shelter in neighbouring Bangladesh. The 80-year-old leader of Roman Catholic Church who has spoken against persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters in the past has been advised not use the word Rohingya. On his first day in Myanmar, Francis met general Min Aung Hlaing, a senior army commander who is in part behind the persecution of the Rohingyas in Myanmar. In a post on his Facebook page, Hlaing wrote that he told the Pope that there was no religious discrimination in the country. Neither Francis nor general Hliang clarified if the Rohingya issue was discussed. {articleGUID} Ro Mayyu Ali, a Rohingya Muslim who fled to neighbouring Bangladesh in September, said he hoped the pope would use his visit to speak up for the persecuted minority. I will never forget the moment you stopped your white popemobile and kissed the separation wall, a barrier between Palestine and Israel, during your visit to Bethlehem in 2014. It was a massive political statement, Ali told Al Jazeera. I hope you use this opportunity to use speak up for some of the 620,000 Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh and witnessed gang rape, mass killing, and seen their children burned alive. Francis has previously condemned the atrocities, including mass killings and gang rapes, committed against the Muslim minority. He is also expected to meet with refugees in the coming days. Rohingya is a very sensitive topic, it is a very sensitive word here in Myanmar, particularly when it comes to dealing with the government, said Al Jazeeras Scott Heidler, reporting from outside the archbishops house in the countrys largest city of Yangon. The archbishop himself has advised the pope not to use that term here because it is something the government doesnt recognise, Heidler added. Ethnic cleansing According to the United Nations, security forces in Myanmar reportedly burned down entire villages and opened fire at people fleeing burning homes. Myanmars ruling party has objected to the use of the term Rohingya to identify the mostly Muslim minority, demanding that they be called Bengalis despite the persecuted group living there for generations. {articleGUID} But what a lot of people are saying herewhat they really want is for him [Francis] to focus on peace in this nation, the Al Jazeera correspondent said. Obviously, the international community expects him to focus on the Rohingya issue because that is a crisis viewed by the worldas ethnic cleansing, he said. Besides senior general Hliang, the pontiff is also expected to meet Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has blamed the Rohingya for the crisis. The UN, as well as the United States, have said the violent actions taken by Myanmars armed forces and local vigilantes amount to ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya minority. In 2012, Myanmars armed forces began to force Rohingya into refugee camps, both in Rakhine state and across the border into Bangladesh. The ongoing crisis is being described as the worlds biggest forced exodus this year. Last week Bangladesh government signed a deal with Myanmar on the repatriation of Rohingya but details of the deal have still not been made public. Now we have order and prosperity and time has come for changes in the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen Republic, said he was ready to step down, leaving it to the Kremlin to choose his successor. Kadyrov, 41, has been accused by human rights bodies of arbitrary arrests and torture of opponents, zero tolerance of sexual minorities and tough political declarations that have embarrassed the Kremlin. A former rebel who had led Chechnya since 2007, he was endorsed by President Vladimir Putin in March last year to carry on in the job, while being warned that Russian law must be strictly enforced in the majority-Muslim region. Asked in a TV interview if he was prepared to resign, Kadyrov replied: It is possible to say that it is my dream. Once there was a need for people like me to fight, to put things in order. Now we have order and prosperity and time has come for changes in the Chechen Republic, he told Rossiya 1 nationwide channel in comments aired early on Monday in central Russia. Asked about his would-be successor, Kadyrov replied: This is the prerogative of the state leadership. If I am asked there are several people who are 100 percent capable of carrying out these duties at the highest level. He did not elaborate. Kadyrovs unexpected statement comes as Putin, 65, is widely expected to announce he will run for his fourth term as president in elections due in March. The former KGB spy is widely expected to win by a landslide if he chooses to seek re-election, but some analysts have said his association with politicians like Kadyrov may be exploited by opponents during the campaign. Chechnya, devastated by two wars in which government troops fought pro-independence rebels, has been rebuilt thanks to generous financial handouts from Russias budget coffers. It remains one of Russias most heavily subsidised regions. Describing Putin as his idol, Kadyrov said in the interview: I am ready to die for him, to fulfill any order. Kadyrov also strongly denied a Chechen link to the killing of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov in 2015. In June, a Moscow court convicted five Chechen men of murdering Nemtsov, one of Putins most vocal critics. Nemtsov had been working on a report examining Russias role in Ukraine. His murder sent a chill through opposition circles. I am more than confident these (Chechen) guys had nothing to do with that. According to my information, they are innocent, Kadyrov said in the interview. An agreement signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar concerning the voluntary repatriation of more than 600,000 Rohingya, exonerates Myanmars security forces of any responsibility for their displacement, and places the persecuted minority in harms way, according to a Bangladeshi opposition politician. Bangladeshs main opposition party criticised the government for selling itself to the Myanmar government in order to get an agreement to remove the Rohingya. Where are you sending the Rohingyas? They fled from the grasp of a tiger in fear of death, but youre again pushing them towards the same tiger, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP secretary-general, said on Sunday. One will get an impression going through the deal that the government has accepted whatever Myanmar said. With whole villages burned to the ground, where will the Rohingya live? by Olof Blomqvist, Amnesty International The agreement, signed on November 23 by the countrys two foreign ministers, blames a Rohingya rebel group rather than Myanmars army, which carried out a campaign of arson and murder against the persecuted minority. The text of the agreement contradicts the nearly unanimous conclusion of the international community, including that of Bangladesh, which blamed the mass exodus on atrocities by the Myanmar military. At an OIC Contact Group meeting in New York in October, Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh prime minister, described the events in Myanmar as ethnic cleansing and stated that the ongoing military operations by the Myanmar authorities have created havoc in the Rakhine State. {articleGUID} Human rights organisations told Al Jazeera there were several concerns with the agreement which also suggested that Myanmar had taken the necessary measures to halt the outflow [of the Rohingya]. Olof Blomqvist, a researcher with Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera it was far too premature to start talking about repatriating the community. With whole villages burned to the ground, where will the Rohingya live? he said. Rohingya are still fleeing across the border into Bangladesh on a daily basis, and back in Myanmar, they are living under a system of state-sponsored discrimination and segregation that amounts to apartheid. While Rohingya refugees have the right to return to Myanmar, under international law, no one should be forced back to a situation where they could face persecution or serious rights violations. Textbook case of ethnic cleansing The seven-page agreement stated that the Rohingya which are only referred to as Muslims had taken shelter in Bangladesh following the terrorist attacks on 9 October 2016 and 25 August 2017. These dates refer to the attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on law police and security posts in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. {articleGUID} In October 2016, the ARSA attacked three police posts in Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships killing nine police officers and in August 2017, it attacked about 30 security posts in the state. However, following both incidents, the international community blamed the exodus about 87,000 after October 2016 and over 600,000 since August 2017 on human rights violations carried out by Myanmar security forces. In September, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called the actions of the Myanmar army a textbook case of ethnic cleansing a view subsequently echoed by the US. A UN report also concluded that the Myanmar security forces purposely destroyed the property of the Rohingyas [and] scorched their dwellings and entire villages in northern Rakhine State, not only to drive the population out in droves but also to prevent the fleeing Rohingya victims from returning to their homes. There are also significant concerns about the practicalities of the agreement which says that the Myanmar government will encourage those who have left Myanmar to return voluntarily and safely to their households and original places of residence or to a safe and secure place nearest to it of their choice and will not have to be settled in temporary places for a long period of time. Although the Myanmar government has pledged to construct new houses, no timeline has been set. There is a real risk that returnees, like tens of thousands of other Rohingya in Rakhine state, will end up in displacement camps in deplorable conditions, not least because the government continues to restrict aid groups access, Blomqvist said. The agreement also requires that the Rohingya prove that they are resident of Myanmar and sets out a list of documents that can be used as evidence of residency. But Amnesty International considers it completely unrealistic to ask many of the fleeing Rohingya to prove residency who will have lost crucial documents during their flight in panic into Bangladesh. This insistence on verification could likely make it impossible for many thousands to return, Blomqvist added. Use of clip of Palestinian fighter at Islamic Coalition against Terrorism conference in Riyadh stirs social media storm. Palestinians and Arabs on social media have reacted with anger after a newly formed, self-proclaimed anti-terrorism coalition opened their first meeting in Riyadh with a video that included a scene of a Palestinian fighting Israeli occupation forces. Mondays summit of the Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism was attended by representatives from 41 Muslim countries and was led by Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It is unclear whether the inclusion of the clip was deliberate. People on social media characterised the incident as a form of Arab normalisation with the Israeli occupation, at the expense of Palestinians. The image of the Palestinian dates back to 2001, during the second Palestinian uprising (intifada) against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Social media lit up after the video presentation, with many Palestinians and Arabs showing their discontent on Twitter about the usage of the image. " " # 2001 # ! .. #__ pic.twitter.com/Nrj3dxnNrY (@mohamed_mdn) November 27, 2017 This image from the video that was shown in the opening session of the Council of ministers of defence of the Islamic Coalition to Combat Terrorism in Saudi Arabia is from 2001 and is a Palestinian resistance fighter clashing with the occupation army in the south of occupied Jerusalem. To those who are hurrying to normalise with the occupation, it was and will always be: resistance is not terrorism, one Twitter user wrote. .# . " pic.twitter.com/m5KYi4BSPK Izzadeen Ahmad () (@IzzadeenAhmad) November 26, 2017 This is resistance and the highest degree of honour and dignity, which you lack. Terrorism is what you have carried out against your oppressed people for decades, another tweeted. https://twitter.com/Q8BRA/status/934794220140990465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw People do not care what your criteria for classifying terrorism is. Terrorism is all who normalise with Israel. Palestinian resistance has more honour than you. https://twitter.com/IsmaelAhmed11/status/932572443021070336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The heads of Arab states have no values when they call those who lift our [Arab and Islamic states] heads high, terrorists. Others said there was no question that the usage of the image was deliberate. https://twitter.com/HichamLuxe/status/934816189351686144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Do you think it was a mistake or a coincidence? No; it was intentional to strike Palestinian resistance and to normalise with the Zionists, and this is only to pave the way. Avichay Adraee, Israeli army spokesperson, also weighed in, describing the inclusion of the clip as proof of agreement over what is terrorism. The Arabs speak the truth, whether it was a mistake or intentional. Terrorism is terrorism [] There is no need for Hamas and its supporters to be angered, for no one should be ashamed of what they are. What happened today is that the disease was detected. Will it be eradicated? he said on Twitter. The incident comes as Saudi Arabia is facing criticism from Palestinians after Israeli officials openly discussed covert ties and normalisation with Riyadh. In June, the Arab world reacted similarly after the Saudi foreign minister called on Qatar to end its support of Hamas, the Gaza-based movement. Adel al-Jubeir characterised Hamas as a terrorist organisation amid a rift between Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. Thousands of social media users stressed that resistance is the right of the Palestinian people in order to gain freedom from Israeli occupation. They also said that speaking about Hamas as a terrorist movement is doing a service to Israel and echoes the statements of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister. At the time, Salim al-Menhali, a UAE-based professor of international relations, said: It is normal that Hamas is resistance, not terrorism, for it does not attack anyone; it defends Palestine from the occupiers What is not normal is for Hamas to be attacked to please the enemy. Suspected Russian and Syrian warplanes target the east and south of the country, despite de-escalation agreement. At least 80 people have been killed in just over 24 hours in suspected Russian and Syrian government shelling in the eastern and southern parts of Syria. The majority of those killed were civilians. In the eastern province of Deir Az Zor, suspected Russian warplanes hit al-Shafah village on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River on Sunday, killing about 51 people. Four others were killed in an attack on the village of al-Darnaj, also on Sunday, raising the death toll in the province to 55. Deir Az Zor province is one of the final Syrian redoubts of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) after the armed group was pushed out of its main strongholds, including Raqqa and Deir Az Zor city. Meanwhile, in Eastern Ghouta, a district just outside the capital Damascus, at least 25 people were killed in alleged Russian and Syrian government shelling on several opposition-held areas on Sunday. The attacks targeted a local market in the residential neighbourhood of Misraba, where 16 people were killed. At least nine others were killed in shelling on the neighbourhoods of Medyara and Douma. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a war monitoring group, the figure of 25 includes five children and three women. Deal violated Eastern Ghouta has consistently been targeted despite being listed as a de-escalation zone, where military activity is prohibited under an agreement endorsed by Turkey, Russia and Iran, which was signed in September. But due to its strategic location near the capital, where the government of President Bashar al-Assad sits, the attacks there have not halted, in violation of the agreement. Fadel Abdul Ghany, head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights, said Eastern Ghouta was the main target for the Syrian government now. The regime is not interested in de-escalating. After they took back Aleppo, they went to Deir Az Zor, and now its Ghouta. Its their main target now, Abdul Ghany told Al Jazeera. Since the implementation of the agreement, at least 250 people have been killed in suspected Russian and Syrian government air raids in the district, according to medical centres and civil defence workers. The armed opposition in Eastern Ghouta has managed to keep Syrian government forces at bay during the war. In turn, the government has imposed a siege on the area to pressure the armed opposition, causing a humanitarian crisis, with severe shortages of food and medicine. Under the so-called de-escalation zones agreement, opposition groups and government forces are required to halt hostilities, including air raids, for a period of six months, to protect civilians living in those areas. More than 2.5 million people are believed to be living in the zones, which include, fully or partially, Eastern Ghouta and the provinces of Idlib, Homs, Latakia, Aleppo and Hama. Syrias conflict evolved from a violent government crackdown on protests against the president in 2011 to become a devastating war that has drawn in world powers, including Russia and a US-led international coalition. Russia has led negotiations on finding a solution to the conflict since its game-changing military intervention on the side of al-Assad in 2015. President Donald Trump has referred to US Senator Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas at a ceremony to honour Native Americans who helped win World War II on Monday. You were here long before any of us were here. Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas, Trump said to the code talkers, Native Americans who used their languages such as Navajo, Choctaw and Seminole to transmit sensitive military plans that US enemies could not translate. Though the term code talkers is most closely associated with the Navajo men honoured on Monday for their service in World War II, Native Americans of various tribes were instrumental in securing US victories in both world wars through the use of their languages. {articleGUID} Pocahontas is a reference to a teenage Native American who, according to historical anecdote, saved the life of one of the first English colonists in present-day Virginia. {articleGUID} Pocahontas story is popular in the US, especially after Disney produced a 1995 animated film based on historical legend. Trump has used the name to disparage Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts known for her consumer protection policies. Warren claimed in the past that she was 1/32 Cherokee, though this was based on stories told to her by her parents and grandparents. Warren was a professor at Harvard Law School and was counted as a Native American by former spokesperson Mike Chmura when asked about the lack of diversity in the schools faculty. Goofy Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas, pretended to be a Native American in order to advance her career. Very racist! Trump tweeted in 2016. Trump last used the term to describe Warren on November 3, a few days into National Native American Heritage Month. The use of Pocahontas is controversial among Native Americans, some of whom think Disneys portrayal and use of the historical figure are degrading. Al Jazeera contacted the Cherokee Nation for comment on Trumps use of the term in front of the Native American veterans, but requests were not immediately returned. Allies of former president have also been arrested as part of Operation Restore Legacy that saw Mugabe quit his post. Harare, Zimbabwe The military in Zimbabwe have announced the end of an operation that saw the army place former President Robert Mugabe under military confinement resulting in his resignation. The announcement came after the inauguration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday. As part of the mission named Operation Restore Legacy launched on November 15, the African countrys military also arrested allies of Mugabe, including former Minister of Finance and Economic Development. Robert Mugabe resigned last week after nearly four decades as the countrys leader following his dismissal as the leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party. {articleGUID} Army spokesperson Colonel Overson Mugwisi said there were some government officials still being held in military custody, but details on those detentions would be given at a later stage. Earlier, former Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Ignatius Chombo, arrived at the Harare Magistrates Court for his bail hearing under heavy military escort and in handcuffs. Chombo, an ally of the former president, was arrested on Friday and charged with corruption and abuse of power. The charges stem from his time served as minister of local government, public works and urban development from 2000 to 2015. Head of the ZANU-PF Youth League, Kudzanai Chipanga, a close associate of former First Lady Grace Mugabe, also appeared and is due to have his bail hearing later on Monday. Chipanga faces charges of fraud and slander for his criticism of the head of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantino Chiwenga. Shortly before the military action, Chiwenga issued a caution to the then President Mugabe against the series of purges in the ruling ZANU-PF regime. Dangerous precedent This precipitated a military takeover and an operation targeting criminals surrounding the former president on November 15. Mugabe was then held under house arrest, and his eventual resignation led to Mnangagwa taking over as the countrys third president since independence in 1980. It seems there is selective application of the law depending on whether one has fallen out politically with those who are running things by Beatrice Mtetwa, Human Rights lawyer Amid reports that farms and houses owned by allies of Mugabe were attacked, army spokesperson Colonel Mugwisi said looting and illegal occupation of properties will be met with the full wrath of the law. But human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa believes the military superseded the constitution. Mtetwa told Al Jazeera she was extremely worried by the High Courts recent judgement legalising the military operation, adding that it set a dangerous precedent for the future. {articleGUID} Whats the point of having a constitution if youre not going to respect whats in the constitution? she asked. The human rights lawyer added that it seemed there was an attempt to sanitise the military operations, particularly the detention of certain top officials in the ruling party, including Chombo whose corruption charges date back to the 2000s. It seems there is selective application of the law depending on whether one has fallen out politically with those who are running things, she said. Mnangagwa, Mugabes longtime heir, is expected to name his cabinet shortly. Follow Tendai on Twitter and Instagram @i_amten Carvell Wallace talks to Americans grappling with the state of the union while dealing with his own fractured history. YouTube accused of running ads next to inappropriate videos of children that attract many paedophiles. YouTube is the worlds most popular video-sharing site. Billions of users watch and upload videos on the website, which makes it a natural fit for advertisers. But the company has come under fire after a UK-based newspaper found adverts running alongside inappropriate videos of children and comments. The Times investigation found there were many videos of pre-teen girls, which were then liked and commented on by hundreds of paedophiles. One such clip of a young girl drew 6.5 million views. Several companies, including chocolate maker MARS and Deutsche bank, have pulled their ads from YouTube in response. The newspaper said the website allowed sexualised imagery of children to be easily searchable. It also criticised the company for not monitoring its content. So, will YouTube do more to monitor and remove certain content? Presenter: Laura Kyle Guests: Nishanth Sastry Senior Lecturer in Informatics at Kings College London. Susan Rose Marketing and Reputation Expert at Henley Business School. Aral Balkan Who describes himself as a cyborg rights activist. A government minister steps down after days of disruptive protests over accusations of blasphemy. Thousands of Pakistanis have ended a three-week sit-in near the capital after a government minister resigned following accusations of blasphemy. Law Minister Zahid Hamid stepped down after facing criticism for changing the wording in an electoral oath. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan political party, (TLP), said the words I believe, which replaced the clause I solemnly swear in a proclamation of Muhammad as Islams last prophet, amounted to blasphemy. Hamid apologised on Monday, and called the change a clerical error. The TLP says the change in wording represented a softening of the states position against the Ahmadi sect. Ahmadis were banned from identifying as Muslim within Pakistan in 1974. So, what is the role of religious movements in Pakistan, and how powerful are they? Presenter: Laura Kyle Guests: Naveed Ahmad investigative journalist and academic Ahmed Rashid writer and author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia Nadia Rahman Relief and Protection Manager, Amnesty International Meet the Tunisian woman who revived the traditional art of carpet weaving that had all but disappeared in her village. The small town of Mansoura is a Tunisian town that is seldom visited by those who live outside. But it is a place where an ancient North African craft has found new life. Sihem Ben Aissa learned the art of carpet weaving from her mother. She has passed on the skill to her two daughters, Sarah and Nour, who help her with designs for modern versions of traditional carpets. Growing up with a mother like mine influenced me. We do see the world differently, but the customs and the traditions we were taught remain the same, says Sarah Bouzayene, Ben Aissas eldest daughter. If I find a loom dumped outside I want to bring it home with me, I swear. Because it runs in my blood. by Sihem Ben Aissa Ben Aissa has managed to revive a craft that had all but disappeared from her village. She works with four or five other women weaving carpets and distributes these through a crafters network. I dont want to work for a merchant. I dream of having a big carpet company. My own carpet company Thats my dream, thats my wish, she says. But keeping the carpet trade alive is no easy task. Before we used to make good money, thank God. But not anymore, Ben Aissa says. All our crafters have the same problems, but we cant abandon out handcraft. Youll see, if I find a loom dumped outside I want to bring it home with me, I swear. Because it runs in my blood. English News Leniency towards USA / UN will prove costly to India due to Pakistan, China and Sunni-NATO Alwihda Info | Par Hem Raj Jain - 27 Novembre 2017 Bengaluru, India Dear Editor Sub:- (i)- India (despite UN) foolishly entering into US camp against China (ii)-Sunni-NATO (headed by General Sharif) meeting at Riyadh should be eye-opener to India (iii)- Release of Hafiz Saeed bound to be security challenge for India due to unresolved Kashmir problem (iv)- PM Modi turning-out to be paper tiger, poverty-phil and anti-Globalization (v)- PM Modi unnecessarily lenient towards USA / UN (vi)- UN veto-wielding permanent members are more a problem than solution to global problems (vii)- Obeisance by poverty-loving PM Modi to exclusive-private-capitalist Prez Trump depriving India of ~ $ 16 Trillion State-capital (viii)- Not solving Kashmir problem (by retrieve of PoK) is proving PM Modi to be merely a paper tiger (ix)- India unnecessarily allowing UN permanent member China to be irresponsible by not pressing for UN Judicial Commission for Indo-China border settlement (x)- India dangerously overlooking danger to Globalization by imminent Sunni-Shia war by not demanding UNPKF and UNEC for solution of NAME region (xi)- India is unnecessarily not demanding global currency (with proper asset back-up) through UN, a sine-quo-non for globalization ---People of India had very high hopes from PM Modi but sadly he is turning-out to be paper tiger, poverty-lover, anti-Globalization and unnecessarily obeisant to USA and if PM Modi does not do course correction in view of the following then it may be too late for India as mentioned below:- (1)- India is foolishly entering into US camp (including Japan, Australia, South Korea etc of Pacific region) against China especially when there is United Nation through which all the global problems should be solved. USA is incapable of solving such and other problems through UN due to two reasons (i)- USA is pathetically incompetent to develop international laws through UN and (ii)- The present system of veto to 5 permanent members of UN is creating more global problems than solving these as is evident from Ukraine / Crimea problem, Problems in NAME region, South China Sea problem etc - all these problems in which permanent members of UN are mainly responsible / culprits. (2)- Sunni-NATO (as popularly known, headed by General Sharif of Pakistan and sponsored by Saudi Arabia) meeting at Riyadh should be eye-opener to India. On November, 26 there was a meeting of Sunni-NATO of 41 Sunni Muslim countries in Saudi Arabia about which Pakistans former army chief and the coalitions military commander, Gen Raheel Sharif reportedly said that A number of our member countries are under tremendous pressure while fighting well established terrorist organizations due to capacity shortages of their armed forces and law enforcement agencies". How much time Pakistan will take in succeeding at Sunni-NATO to include India also in one of such well-established terrorist organizations / countries [due to alleged excesses by security forces (under protection of unnecessarily draconian laws like AFSPA, SPA etc) of Hindu India on mostly Sunni Muslim Kashmiris] is any bodys guess. (3)- It is adding to the problems of India with Pakistan especially in present situation when Hafiz Saeed (designated terrorist responsible for 26/11 too) is freed by court of Pakistan. India is such a naive & foolish country that it has not pressurized foreign countries including USA (whos citizens were killed in 26/11 at Mumbai) to initiate criminal proceedings in their countries against Pakistan and its militant-Jihadis responsible for 26/11. With the result Hafiz Saeed is coming closer and closer to wielding reins of power in Pakistan through elections (by his political party) where he may not become King (PM or CM) but certainly the King-maker given the fact that he enjoys substantial support among Pakistanis due to his support to Kashmir cause and his philanthropic NGOs all across Pakistan. In a nutshell the release of Hafiz Saeed is bound to be security challenge for India due to unresolved Kashmir problem. Over-dependence on USA to bailout India on Kashmir is self-defeating and cowardice on the part of India especially when Pakistan (and its militant-Jihadis) much smaller than India talks 24x7 openly about snatching Indian side of Kashmir from India. Not solving Kashmir problem (by retrieving PoK militarily if necessarily) is proving PM Modi (with self-boasted 56 inch chest) to be merely a paper tiger. (4)- China with merely ~ $ 4 Trillion spare capital has become world power hence what India will become with ~ $ 16 Trillion spare State-capital is any bodys guess. But such a graceless obeisance by poverty-loving PM Modi to exclusive-private-capitalist Prez Trump is depriving India of ~ $ 16 Trillion State-capital. Americanism is nothing but joint-capitalism where in addition to private capital the State-capital is also deployed profitably for the welfare of the people. But Prez Trump is against State-capital (which he calls socialism) without realizing that it is anti-Americanism and which is evident from his this years speech at UNGA (though USA has used State-capital born out of fiscal deficits which has increased public debt up-to ~ $ 16 Trillion. Like other countries USA has also squandered this State-capital by not deploying it profitably especially for the purpose of removing unemployment). Now PM Modi has gone one step further in his allegiance to exclusively-private capitalism when he is not recovering State-capital of ~ $ 16 Trillion as mentioned at http://www.alwihdainfo.com/Now-India-bound-to-get-Rs--1000-Trillion-income-tax-as-Delhi-Police-steps-in_a31456.html and http://www.newsnation.in/article/121125-news-nation-disclosure-on-blackmoney-kharabpati-farmers-take-agriculture-route-t.html . It is hoped PM Modi will cease to be poverty-loving and will recover and use this State capital of ~ $ 16 Trillion for converting presently-poor-India [where there is huge unemployment and farmers (especially small and marginal) are practically starving and reportedly over 12,000 farmers are commit suicide every year] into prosperous-India. (5)- Unlike dispute with Pakistan (which is a political dispute about Kashmir) the dispute with China is a legal dispute about international-border and which can easily be resolved by referring it to UN Judicial Commission for Indo-China border settlement. But India is unnecessarily allowing UN permanent member China to be irresponsible by not pressing for said UN Judicial Commission especially given the fact that China is a permanent member of UN hence enjoying all the privileges of permanent member of UN hence under legal obligation to resolve Indo-China border dispute especially when it can easily be solved though UN Judicial Commission. But India is foolishly allowing China to be an adversary (especially through Pakistan) and which has engendered security scenario of India. (6)- Prez trump is against Globalization and is trying to drag USA in isolationism for the simple reason that USA is pathetically incompetent to develop international laws through UN. But India (a secular democracy of ~ 1.3 billion people and that too in Asia hence needs Globalization) should work for Globalization. For this India should understand that without global political order and without global currency Globalization is impossible. Hence India should demand global currency (with proper asset back-up) through Central Bank at UN and its branches in every member country of UN. (7)- India is dangerously overlooking danger to Globalization by imminent Sunni-Shia war encouraged by USA. While addressing ~ 50 Muslim countries at Riyadh, on May 21, 2017 the US President Trump instigated these Muslim countries to take the responsibility of changing regime in Iran and eradicating Shia terrorism from NAME region (directly and not through UN). This speech of Trump at Riyadh was made in the backdrop of Sunni-NATO which is bound to trigger global-Shia-Sunni-war. Prez Trump is thus acting unethically therefore India should demand that:- (i)- Instead of present veto system there should be voting rights to every member commensurate with its contribution of men (including martial), money and material to UN and its record about human rights. (ii)- Instead of creating more global problems through Sunni-NATO, the problem in NAME region should be solved through UN Peace Keeping Force (UNPKF) & UN Election Commission (UNEC) in which India can contribute immensely by providing manpower (military, paramilitary, police and civilians) in millions. (iii)- There should be International Political Parties (IIP) registered at UN because in many countries (especially in Muslim countries) if politics is left to local people then it ultimately comes under the strangulating influence of the medieval-thinking religious leaders and blood-thirsty-Jihadis (who do not understand the true meaning of Jihad) in these countries. (iv)- Merely democracy is not enough to ensure human rights in any country as is evident from the case of India too where communal rights (rather massacre of minorities) have taken place in the past (like 1984 Delhi riots, 2002 Gujarat riots etc) and may take place in near future also at all India level in view of Hindus obstinacy to build temple of Lord Rama at the site of destructed Babri Mosque (even if Supreme Court judgment goes in favor of Muslims). Hence instead of optional-protocol OP-1 (at UN) there should be mandatory-protocol MP-1 of ICCPR at UN where individual citizen can move UN for securing his / her human rights even by military intervention of UN in any erring member of UN. (v)- Nukes of all member countries should be brought under one command & control of UN for ultimate elimination of nuclear & other WMDs. Let us hope that PM Modi will stop (to be unnecessary obeisant to US, paper tiger, poverty -lover and anti-Globalization) by giving-up his self-defeating policies and instead will do the above mentioned so that India not only has a chance to survive in this age of radical Islamic terrorism (sponsored by Pakistan and irresponsibly supported by UN permanent member China, as far as India is concerned) but will be able to contribute substantially in ushering the mankind in peaceful, just and prosperous Globalization through UN. Regards Hem Raj Jain (Author of Betrayal of Americanism) Bengaluru, India Dans la meme rubrique : < > Small county in NW China scores big with soccer China sees prosperous development of offshore wind power generation China speeds up efforts to expand, renovate expressways Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena) Two disturbing scientific reports have surfaced recently from Europe. The first is that a plume of radioactive particles has been detected drifting across northern Europe with a suspected source from within Russia. The second report is a post-mortem concerning the Chernobyl Nuclear Facility meltdown, in that report, it was concluded that the very first explosion at the nuclear facility was the result of a supercritical, rapid, and uncontrolled nuclear fission chain reaction, or as the popular press calls it, a nuclear explosion. These reports derive their conclusions from the detection of an isotope of Xenon gas which can only be produced by nuclear fission. There are currently over 400 Uranium-based nuclear reactors operating all over the industrialized world. Since the introduction of nuclear power plants, four have had serious malfunctions. The first of these was in 1959 in Simi Valley, California when a liquid sodium cooled reactor suffered a partial meltdown. The next accident occurred in 1979 at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania when another partial meltdown occurred. Following that accident was the Chernobyl disaster, which was then followed by the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan which suffered a meltdown. Uranium-based reactors have numerous safety features built into their designs, yet catastrophic failures have occurred. Considering the alternative is fraught with difficulties. The long shadows of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima have made the debate over nuclear power a minefield for politicians and policymakers alike. All the incidents from 1959 to present have a common thread and that is that they were all designed on the principle of using solid fuel Uranium rods. The lesson to be learned from these incidents is that it does not matter how many safety precautions are in place; eventually Murphys Law will prevail, and an unanticipated scenario will occur and cause a problem. This is because conventional solid fuel reactors cannot be designed to failsafe, no matter how hard we try. But there is a solution to this problem: Generation IV reactors based upon Thorium instead of Uranium. In 1942, the first-generation nuclear reactor design was successfully operated at the University of Chicago. The fuel was made of Uranium, with graphite bricks moderating the nuclear reaction to ensure against a runaway chain reaction. It was understood very quickly that using graphite presented a serious fire risk (case in point: the Chernobyl reactor used graphite as the moderator) so the designers began looking for other nonflammable ways to moderate the nuclear reaction. As an alternative to the graphite-moderated reactor design, work began on a second-generation heavy water reactor. The first of these was put into operation in 1944 at the Argonne National Laboratory. The problem with the heavy water reactor is that it had to be operated under extremely high pressure, giving rise to the possibility of piping failure or a radioactive steam explosion risk. This is the design that was employed at Three Mile Island and Fukushima. The third generation reactor design was the result of the Cold War arms race between East and West. These political tensions created a significant demand for Plutonium as a weapons material, Fast Breeder Reactors designs satisfied this demand. The Fast Breeder Reactor relies on liquid sodium as a coolant. The first liquid-sodium cooled reactor was built in 1957 in Simi Valley, California. The risk with this design is that sodium is explosive when it comes into contact with water. This design is inherently unsafe since the liquid-sodium piping is used to create steam for power by passing the piping through a boiler filled with water. The wall of the piping is all that stands between the liquid sodium and the water; a leak in that piping would be disastrous. Continuing this trend was an insanely bad idea that fathered a fourth generation of nuclear reactor design. Someone in the U.S. Air Force hierarchy decided that if the Navy has nuclear-powered vessels, then the Air Force should have nuclear-powered bombers. Even though the scientists involved thought that this was a bad idea, they did see an opportunity to design a new type of reactor which did not use Uranium fuel rods. To head the project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) selected Dr. Alvin Weinberg, the same scientist that taught Admiral Rickover how to operate the Navys nuclear fleet. This crazy idea began to get traction, and therefore funding from Washington. Dr. Weinberg knew that a flying nuclear reactor had to be exceptionally safe, lightweight, and small to operate for aviation applications. His solution was to go into an entirely new direction than the standard Uranium reactor. Dr. Weinberg decided to use liquid fluoride-thorium salt as the fuel. The advantages of this design over Uranium reactors are numerous; but most important was inherent safety. Thorium is a metal which, when combined with Fluoride, forms an insoluble salt; and when it is heated, it turns into a stable liquid. While it may seem as though molten salts are dangerous, in fact, such salts are currently used as the heat exchange medium for solar power generation in California. Additionally, there is an experimental molten salt solar concentrator at Sandia National Laboratory, so the idea of using molten salt to provide energy is not as farfetched as it might seem. Unlike conventional nuclear reactors, the molten salt reactor can be designed to failsafe. An experimental Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (LFTR) was designed and built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1964 under the project title of Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). Developed by Dr. Weinberg, the reactor was so inherently safe that operation of the reactor almost boring. Even the waste products from a LFTR design are safer. They do not need long-term storage (e.g. 10,000 years for Uranium waste products). Safe storage is only needed for 300 years before becoming inert. MSRE was operated successfully from 1965 to 1969. However, as with many successful projects that the government embarks upon, the MSRE project was ended and the reports were shelved. Within the pages of those dusty reports, it is revealed that there are numerous advantages of LFTR designs over solid fuel Uranium reactors. For Instance, the melting point of the Fluoride-Thorium salt is in excess of 2000o F. If a reactor containment vessel breach were to occur and the molten salt were to spill out of containment, it would quickly solidify and plug the leak. During operation, a failsafe salt plug at the bottom of the reactor vessel is actively cooled so that it will remain in a solid state. This cooled plug keeps the molten salt from draining into a fail-safe tank which would stop the reaction. In the event of a power failure, like the one in that occurred in Japan at the Fukushima facility, the lack of power would result in this salt plug melting, and the molten salt would drain into a fail-safe tank where it would cool and solidify without an incident. The LFTR design has proven to be self-correcting. In one instance, there were indications that the reactor began to overclock and approach dangerously high temperatures. Before the operators could react and correct the problem, the molten salt began to thermally expand and decrease the density of the nuclear material. The nuclear reaction slowed down, dropping temperatures. The problem self-corrected before the operator could intervene. Now that the Twenty-First Century has dawned, this may be the time to renew interest in molten salt reactors for three very good reasons. The first is that the United States will be retiring many of the 99 nuclear power plants currently in operation at a more accelerated rate in the coming decade, and these power plants are not being replaced. Secondly, Thorium is three times more abundant than Uranium. Perhaps the most surprising reason for renewed interest is that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is not telling the industry what direction to take, a significant departure from the past. As demands upon the electrical power grid continue to grow, the LFTR design is poised to provide a safer solution for future power needs not just in the U.S. but worldwide. The case of Second Lt. Spenser Rapone, West Point graduate and U.S. Army officer, has raised a number of issues relative to our military, our Bill of Rights, and our common defense. Lt. Rapone is the West Point graduate who displayed, while in uniform, expressions of support for communism and socialism. He allegedly was critical of national command authority as well. The Army has begun an investigation into how this young officers perspectives and anti-authority leanings were not uncovered prior to his graduation despite concerns from some of his academic officers at West Point. When I personally condemned his actions and recommended disciplinary action, I received a number of widely varying comments on social media about the young officers actions and the discipline suggested. The vast majority condemned him and called for various forms of punishment. Most agreed with my perspective that he should be dismissed from the military and forced to repay the cost of his West Point education. A number of other people suggested that taking any action against this person was unconstitutional because it violated his freedom of speech. When myself and fellow veterans noted that military personnel, while in uniform, have limits on our freedom of speech, the debate went viral. There are three documents that are relevant to this discussion. One is the Constitutions Bill of Rights, one is the oath of office as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military, and the other is the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). First, as a cadet Rapone would have taken an oath of office upon joining the U.S. military and again when he was commissioned at graduation from West Point. That oath of office states: I, _____, having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God." Once an officer is commissioned, the UCMJ is the standard under which all in the military submit. In the case of Lt. Rapone the following are some of the provisions of the UCMJ that he would be suspected of violating. Please note that I am not an attorney; however, I am a retired Marine Reserve Colonel and former commanding officer and would have recommended such an investigation of violating the following articles of the UCMJ by any one in a similar situation to Lt. Rapone. Article 83 fraudulent enlistment, appointment, or separation Article 84 unlawful enlistment, appointment or separation Article 88 contempt towards officials Article 89 disrespect toward senior commissioned officer Article 94 mutiny or sedition Article 107 false statements Article 117 provoking speeches or gestures Article 133 - conduct unbecoming an officer a gentleman Article 134 General article Finally, with the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution states in the First Amendment that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances. The Bill of Rights says that Congress shall make no law relating to these rights. It does not mean that an employer or the military cannot regulate such freedoms, while you are in that organizations employ as well as place other restrictions on your conduct that reflect poorly on the organization you work for. What this young officer allegedly did was serious. It undermined the entire fabric of military discipline. It undermined command-and-control and potentially put soldiers at risk. All officers and enlisted personnels Bill of Rights are limited once we take that oath of enlistment or office. The misguided perception in our society that you can say whatever you want whenever you want is perhaps even more troubling. A society that lacks discipline in the very forces that it relies upon to defend it in times of national crisis is in grave danger. Misunderstanding your Bill of Rights wreaks havoc on young persons lives when they use it inappropriately. I am stunned that this officer could have made it through a screening process to get the West Point, four years at West Point, and the security clearance review for a secret clearance and his anti-U.S. beliefs not have been uncovered. This failure is symptomatic of a societal failure at understanding our Bill of Rights, our responsibilities when we take an oath of allegiance and office, and a systemic failure of the control mechanisms designed to protect us. This seemingly trivial event at a West Point graduation warrants a full-scale congressional investigation of how it happened. Is the next September 11 crisis just ahead of us because of the failures of the very systems designed to protect us from an enemy within? Col. Frank Ryan, CPA, USMCR (Ret) represents the 101st District in the PA House of Representatives. He is a retired Marine Reserve Colonel and served in Iraq and briefly in Afghanistan and specializes in corporate restructuring. He has served on numerous boards of publicly traded and non-profit organizations. He can be reached at FRYAN1951@aol.com. In case you missed it -- which, sadly, no less than the U.S. Secretary of State made difficult --November 20 was International Transgender Day of Remembrance. The day focuses on memorializing the worlds gender-deluded who were victims of violence. By my estimate -- I didnt count them all -- the list contains about 300 people. Likewise, many liberal outlets in the American mainstream media -- redundant, I know -- took the opportunity to paint violence against the gender-deluded as some sort of epidemic. The headline in the largest newspaper in my state declared, Violence against transgender people at all-time high in Georgia, nationally. Evidently an annual all-time high when it comes to the murder of individuals in the U.S. who choose to live a gender lie is 25. After the 11th death, which occurred in May of this year, one news outlet quoted a transgender activist declaring, We are facing a national epidemic of violence [against transgenders]. More American Christians were recently killed in a single day as they peacefully gathered to worship their Creator. Following this horrific event, virtually no one in the mainstream American media wanted to talk about how Christians in the U.S. are suffering an epidemic of violence or even that we are merely increasingly under attack. To further the perverse LGBT agenda, the liberal American media would rather promote a lie than reveal the plight of Americans who seek the Truth. Of course, an agenda built on lies must be furthered with lies. Murder is always tragic, and leave it to liberals to use the death of murdered Americans deceptively in order to advance their preferred -- and again false -- narrative. Whats more, worldwide, tens of thousands of Christians are martyred every year and the liberal-led media typically -- and predictably -- yawns. Throughout the stories highlighting International Transgender Day of Remembrance was the implication that transgenders are being killed as the result of hate toward those who foolishly choose to live as the opposite sex. This was certainly the case with the American media and the 25 transgenders killed in the United States. Of course, an additional implication is that this hate is the result of ignorant and irrational bias against the gender-deluded from conservatives and Christians. As is often the case with liberal narratives, few things could be further from the truth. I examined online reports of each of the 25 American individuals on the Human Rights Campaigns Violence Against the Transgender Community list for 2017. I looked specifically for mainstream media accounts -- such as the Chicago Tribune, the Times Picayune (more than once), the Baltimore Sun, the Miami Herald, and so on. In other words, I looked for news publications that had almost every reason in the world to stick to the LGBT agenda on transgender deaths. Though the articles often hopefully hinted that a possible hate criminal was behind the murders, there was not one single person the media could definitively claim was the victim of a hate crime. Quite the contrary, more than one transgender person died as the result of violently attacking the police. Others were involved in dangerous activities such as prostitution, gang activity, or drug use, and still others had shown themselves to be prone to violence. In other words, much -- if not most -- of the violence against transgenders is due to the poor lifestyle choices of those who reject simple science and morality. If the mainstream media really wanted to tell the truth when it comes to death and the gender-deluded, it would do well to note the dangers of denying basic biology and the tragic results that often accompany attempting the impossibletransitioning from one sex to another. Instead, the media again embraces a lie and is guilty of malpractice. Along with the dangerous and sometimes deadly consequences of mutilating an otherwise healthy body with unnecessary drugs and surgeries, those who suffer from gender delusions face a whole host of health issues that a media that truly cared should be eager to report. For example, the risk of cancer significantly increases when ones body is subjected to gender reorientation drugs. The suicide rate among the gender-deluded is far above that of the general population. A staggering number of youth who struggle with their gender engage in self harm. Worse still, many parents whove bought the liberal lie on gender are guilty of child abuse. Because their parents, their schools, their churches, and their media refused to tell them the truth about their gender, many older teens and young adults have found themselves scarred for life. Death, disease, and despair do stalk the gender-deluded community, but not for the reasons most corrupted by liberalism would have us believe. Again, those struggling with their gender identity need serious physical, mental, and spiritual help. They do not need accommodation in living a lie. Trevor Grant Thomas At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason. www.trevorgrantthomas.com Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com At the end of his eminently important and succinct book, titled Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War, author Dr. Sebastian Gorka includes the original secret telegram written in 1946 at the onset of the Cold War, wherein the American diplomat and Russia expert George Kennan explains "how the behavior of the Soviet Union cannot be understood unless an individual understands the totalitarian ideology that drives it. This 'fanatical' ideology of communism is absolutist and global and will not countenance peaceful coexistence with America or any democracy." Keenan describes how "Democratic-progressive" elements abroad are to be utilized to maximum to bring pressure to bear on capitalist governments along lines agreeable to Soviet interests." In a book purchased in the USSR in the early 1960s, titled Face to Face: The Story of N.S. Khrushchov's Visit to the U.S.A., a young American, who later became my husband, came face to face with the propaganda of communism when he read "that with great patience and persistence, the head of the Soviet Government continued to discharge the great mission he had undertaken, to remove the ice piled up by the 'cold war,' to open the eyes of people deluded by malicious [American] propaganda, to explain to them the essence of the idea of peaceful coexistence to blaze the trail to peace and friendship among all peoples irrespective of what social system they live under." Only one problem: the book neglected to mention the 50 million people who would perish under communism or this so-called peaceful coexistence. Just ask the Victims of Communism. And almost sixty years later, as American leftists align themselves with communist ideology, we can see that they act, not in the interests of America, but in the interest of an ideology that has always sought to destroy America. And, horrifyingly, as W. August Mayer has written in Islamic Jihad, Cultural Marxism and the Transformation of the West, "the morphing of the Democrat party over the last century from the conservative, traditional liberalism of President Grover Cleveland to the statism of Barack Hussein Obama" is a "downward slope to totalitarian rule towards which political gravity irresistibly draws us ever nearer." Only a few years before the Keenan analysis, a document was carefully hidden and preserved in a kerosene can in the hopes that it would be discovered once World War II concluded. In his searing diary written under the most excruciatingly difficult times, Chaim A. Kaplan in his Scroll of Agony: The Warsaw Diary wrote an "extraordinary first person record of the Nazi occupation and destruction of Warsaw's Jewish community." Kaplan is believed to have died in late 1942 or early 1943, but his words reverberate to this day. These documents stand as testaments to the nature of totalitarianism whether it be Nazi socialism, Russian communism, or jihadist fascism. As Kaplan wrote: If anyone in the democratic lands is attempting to write a book on the nature of Nazism, I know without seeing it that the author will not be able to express the truth of Nazism's cruelty and barbarism. Nazism has two faces. On the one hand, it is full of hypocrisy and submissiveness when it is necessary to obtain some benefit from someone; and on the other hand, it is full of brutal strength, trampling all humanism under foot, hardening its heart against the most elementary human emotions. Reading the above, it is impossible not to substitute Nazism for Islamic jihadism. In fact, as has been well documented, the two have been intertwined since the beginning of World War II, when, in November 1941, the grand mufti met with Hitler, who told him the Jews were his foremost enemy. The mufti offered Hitler his "thanks for the sympathy which he had always shown for the Arab and especially Palestinian cause, and to which he had given clear expression in his public speeches[.] The Arabs were Germany's natural friends because they had the same enemies as had Germany, namely ... the Jews[.]" As a result of this meeting, "Germany would furnish positive and practical aid to the Arabs involved in the same struggle [since] Germany's objective [was] ... solely the destruction of the Jewish element residing in the Arab sphere[.]" In return, the mufti recruited "20,000 Muslim volunteers for the SS, who participated in the killing of Jews in Croatia and Hungary." In a "letter released by the National Library of Israel Archives in March 2017, SS Chief Heinrich Himmler heaps praise upon Mufti al-Husseini, stating that the Nazi leadership has been closely following the battle of freedom-seeking Arabs and especially in Palestine against the Jewish invaders. Himmler ends the letter by bidding the Mufti warm wishes for the continuation of your battle until the big victory. This letter was delivered in the Fall of 1943, two years after the Mufti's famous meeting with Adolf Hitler." Many writers have meticulously examined the close philosophical ties between the jihadists and the Nazis, but "only one who feels the taste of Nazi rule in all his 248 organs and 365 sinews; only one who has bared his back to the lashes of its whips; only one who has examined the various nuances of its administrative and legal tactics in relation to the Jews, unequaled in hard-heartedness, sadistic cruelty, warped sensibility, petrification of human feeling, and stupidity only such a writer ... might be able to give a true description of this pathological phenomenon called Nazism." Daily, the West hears of the atrocities committed against young Christian and Yazidi women by ISIS and other jihadist murderers, and little is done for these people. At the same time, alleged Muslim refugees are allowed into western Europe only to wreak havoc on France, Germany, and Great Britain because the leaders of these countries will not acknowledge "this pathological phenomenon." These feckless leaders will not state outright that "only those afflicted with a disease of the soul are capable of being joined to a party such as this. Only one who has a defect of the soul and the senses is able to be numbered in its ranks. It is not impossible for an entire class of human beings to suffer a mental illness, and attempt to put into practice a diseased, unclean ideology by such barbaric means as the human race has never recognized and never known, and which it would have been incapable of inventing even in the remotest Dark Ages." Will the remnants of these communities write about their own people as did Kaplan? The gigantic catastrophe which has descended on Polish Jewry has no parallel, even in the darkest periods of Jewish history. First, is in the depth of the hatred. This is not just hatred whose source is in a party platform, and which was invented for political purposes. It is a hatred of emotion, whose source is some psychopathic malady. This is the face of jihadist terror today. Despite the overwhelming acts of terror around the globe, the world still appears to be in denial. Thus, Dr. Gorka repeatedly reiterates that unless we perceive the endgame as the jihadists do, we are not mentally, tactically, or physically ready to save ourselves. Every person who opposes the sickening aspect of jihadist terror must realize that this war they have unleashed "serves only one purpose: the realization of Allah's sovereignty here on earth." Nothing else will suffice. The infidel must be overcome or murdered since, in the jihadist mindset, "all war must serve only the objective of re-creating the caliphate, the theocratic empire of Islam, so that Allah's writ may once again reign supreme." And the most critical target of importance in this war of ideas is the "soul of the enemy. The infidel foe must be converted to Islam or crushed." So when American schools start by teaching the practice of Islam, which, in essence, is the indoctrination of the religion; when hijab day is celebrated so as to make the head cloth a fashion statement; when legitimate concerns about mass Muslim immigration to the United States are fluffed away as "not being who we are," let that person be reminded of mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who revealed that "al Qaeda's plan to kill the United States was not through military attacks but immigration and 'outbreeding non-Muslims' who would use the legal system to install sharia law," we need to fight tooth and nail to thwart each and every attempt to islamify this country. The fact that "jihadism" can be substituted for USSR "in a threat analysis from seventy years ago without any loss of accuracy" and that Nazism can also be substituted without any loss of truth exemplifies the unholy alliance among these three hateful ideologies. Consequently, political correctness and a distorted sense of morality only aids the enemy. While it is critical not to do a "disservice to those Muslims who are most immanently in danger" by the jihadists, it is equally incumbent upon every congressional leader and the president to rectify the deliberate erasure under Obama of any reference to jihad. That is, "the politically motivated censorship of government analysis, training, and education must end." How can our analysts, armed services, and FBI know how to perceive the enemy when all references to their ideology and ultimate goals are deliberately scrubbed? Moreover, the Muslim Brotherhood must be designated as a terrorist organization. Subversion, infiltration, and intimidation are always the weapons of choice by those who despise Western values. If we don't lose our souls, we can and will win this war that threatens us but only if we stay strong and understand that this totalitarian, religiously motivated cancer must be completely eradicated will we be victorious. Eileen can be reached at middlemarch18@gmail.com. The Senate is facing a small window of opportunity to pass tax reform before other, vital Senate business takes precedence. Chief among the other issues the Senate must address is a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown on December 8. But it is tax reform that has taken on a serious urgency. Without passage by the Senate in the next few days, the issue is likely to die before the next Congress is seated in early January. And for Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, that scenario is simply unacceptable. Many observers including many GOP lawmakers on the Hill see passage of the tax reform bill as essential to their hopes to hang on to the House in the 2018 election. McConnell faces a daunting tax. At least a half dozen GOP senators have serious issues with the tax reform package as it is currently written. Senator Ron Johnson has already come out against the bill, objecting to small business "pass through" language that would raise taxes on many companies. The Senate can't fix the pass through language without breaking the rules on tax reform, which require specific targets to be met while not raising the deficit over a ten-year period past a certain point. Politico: An influential and independent-minded bloc of deficit hawks, including Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Jeff Flake of Arizona, have aired deep concerns about the tax bill's red ink, even accounting for any economic growth that a tax overhaul might generate. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Jerry Moran of Kansas have voiced concerns about including in the tax proposal language that would repeal Obamacare's individual mandate. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), so far the only declared "no" on the tax legislation, has argued that the overhaul unfairly disadvantages small businesses although to fix the bill to his liking, the changes would likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) has expressed similar concerns on so-called pass-throughs, according to Republicans. GOP aides expect changes this week to the version of the tax plan that passed the Senate Finance Committee. Those adjustments could come before the legislation hits the floor or through amendments as the bill is considered. Senate Republicans are discussing an increase in a tax deduction for pass-through businesses in an effort to win over Johnson and Daines, according to a person familiar with the talks. Allowing taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 in property taxes, as proposed in the House bill, is also under consideration, as is barring corporations from writing off their state and local taxes. The proposed changes were first reported by The Washington Post. Finding the money to pay for those changes could be an issue, too. Republicans can cut taxes by no more than $1.5 trillion over a decade meaning that as of right now, they have well under $100 billion to play with in the Senate bill. Thune stressed that some Senate Republicans have raised "legitimate concerns," and said senators will have "plenty of opportunities" to change the bill when it comes to the floor later this week. But Republicans also believe that the need for a big legislative accomplishment ahead of next year's midterm elections will help sway any holdouts. "For every Republican senator, the fate of the party is in our hands, as well as that of the economy," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on CNN's "State of the Union." The "deficit hawks" are a day late and a couple of hundred billion dollars short. The numbers being used by the GOP are fantasy numbers, bearing no relationship with the reality of what the bill will actually cost us in increased budget deficits over the next decade. But this is the way the government operates these days using smoke and mirrors to get the result it wants. Along with objections to tax reform issues, there is also the personality conflict with Trump by Senators Corker and Cornyn to consider. Both senators are retiring, and given the viciousness of the war among those three personalities, it is not impossible to imagine one or both of them blowing up tax reform just to hurt Trump. Trump will pay a visit to the Senate on Tuesday, ostensibly to lobby for the bill. Whatever negotiating skills Trump has will have to be put to good use as he tries to fashion a bill that a majority of GOP senators can get behind. McConnell won't bring the bill to the floor for a vote unless he is assured of passage. At this point, that seems a tall order to fill. It was some time since I had been to Magalluf. Coming in along the coast from Palmanova, was to realise that it still has the power to, depe... Thirty-five hundred years ago, slaves toiling in the harsh mines of the Sinai scribbled some graffiti on the desert rocks. One of them wrote: "Moses then provoked astonishment." That, plus a lot of other inscriptions, deserves more than a passing glance. Most of us know about the Exodus and Moses, courtesy of Cecil B. DeMille and Charlton Heston. But archaeological evidence of those events has been slow to come by. Now, in a new book, The World's Oldest Alphabet, Douglas Petrovich has deciphered the Sinai inscriptions, and for the first time outside the Bible, we can read how the slaves looked at things: "He sought occasion to cut away to barrenness our great number, our swelling without measure." (Sinai 349) "Our bond servitude had lingered. Moses then provoked astonishment. It is a year of astonishment." (Sinai 361) Anyone familiar with the Book of Exodus will immediately spot parallels with the account of Pharaoh's attempt to reduce the number of newborn Israelites and the subsequent actions of Moses. (Many of the Sinai inscriptions can be viewed with a simple Google search.) So much, then, for the dismissive arguments that the Israelites could never have numbered enough to be considered a threat to Egypt. Or that there never was an Exodus. Or that Moses never existed. So much, then, for the JEPD theory of the Pentateuch (written, according to the theory, by a variety of late authors with varying concepts about the nature of God). So much for the idea that the Israelites never lived in Egypt at all, or were just a group of wandering tribes who made up most of their history centuries later. All washed away like Pharaoh's chariots. All this should be headlines, but it isn't. Petrovich also demonstrates how the first alphabet was likely created not by paleo-Canaanites or Phoenicians, but by the Hebrews, who developed it by adapting Egyptian picture images for their own use during their 400-year stay in Egypt. This, in fact, was probably the world's first truly phonetic alphabet. History, which usually credits that to the merchants in the Levant, may have to be revised on this score also. The book is not an easy read. It is a scholarly work, laden to overflowing with citations, notes, references, and cross-checking. It is a philologist's delight. It is not written for a popular audience. (The author intends to follow it up with another volume on the Israelites in Egypt.) If we were less preoccupied with safe spaces, trigger warnings, the introduction of all-inclusive pronouns, gender-neutral everything, and the latest Hollywood scandals, we might have taken notice of more important discoveries. But a self-absorbed society and the mainstream media's agendas have kept the focus elsewhere. This is to be regretted, because in the meantime, genuinely significant news has been passing us by. The archbishop of Canterbury justified a possible meeting with President Trump (apparently to appease those who might consider it abhorrent) by rationalizing that he meets lots of people he disagrees with, including mass murderers. The Most Reverend Justin Welby went on to say it's his job to do this, as he testifies to the love of Christ and "draws people in a different way" in which it seems he means in a different direction from the one in which they are headed. If you read his original remarks as reported on ITV, I think you'll agree with my paraphrasing. You might also agree that the controversial principal leader of the Church of England is comparing the democratically elected president of the United States to mass murderers. Additionally, he seems to be contradicting our president's own claim of being a Christian because it sounds as if the archbishop wants to pull Trump "to the love of Christ" inferring that Trump does not now know the love of Christ. The original Associated Press (AP) article focused mainly on the archbishop's remarks during an ITV interview, in which he stated that "he 'really genuinely' can't comprehend why fundamentalists have provided such a strong base for Trump." (In the same interview, and in his usual way of playing the sneering globalist who chases everyone with a hot poker, he also made controversial remarks on Brexit, the Irish border dispute, and the British economy.) The Drudge Report chose to link to the NBC story, which was the original Associated Press story with a little tweaking. One sentence in the NBC story stuck out like no other: He (the archbishop) noted that he's met with worse people than the president of the United States. This didn't sound like the good journalism of yesteryear (God rest its soul). It's a pretty heavily weighted sentence to be thrown in the middle of a straight news story with no directly attributable quote from the archbishop to back it up. But had the archbishop really said something so similar as to justify such a broad, geopolitically demeaning sentence, or was something taken slightly out of context? I can't be sure, as of this writing, because I can't find the entire interview online. However, it still struck me as odd until I glanced at the bottom of the report, which said NBC intern Yelena Dzhanova had "contributed to the story." (Later it was switched to say only, "Contributor: Yelena Dzhanova.") A quick search found the Baruch College grad on LinkedIn. Another quick search revealed the kind of liberal snowflakes NBC is hiring to tweak its AP stories into particularly loathsome anti-Trump drivel. In a digital media project for Baruch, still published online, we see Ms. Dzhanova's "Abstract Response to The Handmaid's Tale," which no doubt reflects her own views. In it she says: In the beginning, women created the earth ... and women said 'let there be light' ... and women said 'let there be a firmament ... let there be land and water and grass and a fruit tree' ... and women said 'let there be day and night' ... and women then said 'go forth, be fruitful and multiply.' Multiply, create more humankind or don't. The choice is yours. If you marry among one another ... and a heterosexual marriage can dilute or eliminate a lesbian experience ... You are given no boundaries, no constraints, no borders, no boxes, no limits. Now that you have risen, you can live on this earth and depend on one another[.] At the end of the short, chaotic social justice rant, Dzhanova credits "Compulsory Heterosexuality and the Lesbian Existence," "The Handmaid's Tale," and "Identity, Complicity and Resistance in The Handmaid's Tale." I wonder if Dzhanova would be so bold as to rewrite portions of the Quran instead of the Bible to better fit her LGBT feminist agenda? It seems that it was also NBC writer Dzhanova who tweaked the end of the AP article, adding: "Though he said he'd meet Trump, [the archbishop] also said, 'It'd be unlikely I'd do more than shake hands with him.'" Overall, one can see that despite the archbishop's comments being overtly insulting to a sitting U.S. president and the people who elected him, NBC news has no problem hiring interns so steeped in pre-existing agendas that they can easily grind salt into an existing AP story just to make sure any open wounds are painfully exploited to their full potential. Some terrorists being held at the Guantanamo military prison in Cuba were allowed to create artworks while whiling away the hours during their incarceration. Now some of that artwork is on display at John Jay College, and the Pentagon is none too pleased. It appears that the school is not only facilitating the showing of this "art," but also involved in the potential sale of several pieces. The Pentagon wants to incinerate the artwork, but some professors have started a petition to stop it. New York Post: Thirty-six paintings and sculptures by Gitmo detainees have been on display at John Jay College, but the Department of Defense now wants them destroyed, and administrators at the taxpayer-funded school are bracing for a possible seizure of the works. In the last few days, more than 350 people rushed to sign a John Jay professor's online petition protesting a Pentagon policy that would see most of the Gitmo Picassos' works incinerated. "Let them know that burning art is something done by fascist and terrorist regimes but not by the American people," reads the petition to the Department of Defense, President Trump and the Joint Task Force Guantanamo, among other branches of the military. "Art is an expression of the soul. This art belongs to the detainees and to the world." Art is, indeed, an expression of the soul. But you would think it a prerequisite in defining art for the artist to possess a "soul" in the first place. These are conscienceless, cold-blooded killers. If they had any kind of a "soul," they wouldn't have helped bring down the Twin Towers or murder other innocents to satisfy their bloodlust in service to their twisted ideology. The exhibit, titled "Ode to the Sea: Art from Guantanamo Bay," opened Oct. 2 on the Upper West Side campus of John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Curated by John Jay art crime professor Erin Thompson with archivist Paige Laino and artist and poet Charles Shields, the free exhibit is on view in the President's Gallery until the end of January. The exhibition catalog includes an e-mail address for people interested in buying the art. "Please contact curator@artfromguantanamo.com if you are interested in purchasing artwork made at Guantanamo by artists who have since been cleared by military tribunals and released," it reads. The art was obtained through the detainees' lawyers. Ramzi Kassem, one of the lawyers and a professor at CUNY School of Law who works with a legal clinic that represents Guantanamo detainees, recently told The Miami Herald that, as a result of the school's exhibit, "art would not be allowed out of the prison . . . and would be incinerated instead." In the past, prisoners at Guantanamo could fill out a form to have their art reviewed by prison authorities for release to their lawyers. The lawyers could safeguard the work until their release or send it on to the families of the detainees. Now that process has been halted. The Department of Defense's abrupt change in policy has further politicized the already-controversial exhibit at John Jay. In 2015, artworks by Adolf Hitler sold for $450,000. There is obviously a market for terrorist art some of it created by people who helped al-Qaeda carry out its attacks on the U.S. in 2001. How do you think the families of 9/11 victims would respond to the terrorist-sympathizing professors at John Jay? "A lot of guys who passed away during 9/11 went to John Jay College, including my brother. I can't understand how this college in particular would allow such a thing. Where's their decency? Where's their dignity? They're delivering the completely wrong message. It's denying and softening what happened. What's next, hanging up the art of John Wayne Gacy?" Michael Burke, of The Bronx, whose brother, FDNY Capt. Billy Burke, 46, died on 9/11 "It's like a slap in the face, completely out of nowhere. Let them display that at Guantanamo, not here. It's a terrible precedent to set." Jim McCaffrey, of Yonkers, retired FDNY lieutenant whose brother-in-law, FDNY Battalion Chief Orio Palmer, 45, died on 9/11 "I feel completely betrayed. Someone's job should be on the line for this. Using taxpayer money to hang the artwork of criminals in our college for criminal justice makes my blood boil. This is going way too far and is rubbing our noses in the loss we have to carry with us every day." Rosaleen Tallon, of Yonkers, stay-at-home mother whose brother, firefighter Sean Tallon, 26, died on 9/11 "I think it's sick and insulting. I was down in Guantanamo and saw these guys in court. [They] have no respect for anyone. They murdered our kids and families and don't deserve their art shown anywhere. The families weren't consulted about this at all. It's like having Hitler do a drawing and hanging his work up. It's a complete disgrace. [Mayor] de Blasio and [Gov.] Cuomo should be held accountable." Jim Riches (right), of Brooklyn, retired FDNY deputy chief whose son, firefighter Jimmy Riches, 29, died on 9/11 Displaying the art by Guantanamo detainees is a political statement, not an artistic endeavor. John Jay College claims that many of the prisoners were tortured at least, that's the story we hear from their lawyers. It is impossible to independently verify torture because so many of the detainees had been injured attacking guards and even trying to escape. But the very existence of Gitmo is an affront to many of the John Jay professors. Hence the political statement in arrogantly displaying their "art." These terrorists displayed no regret for their actions and no sympathy for their victims. Perhaps someone should inform the administration at John Jay that art has context, and in this case, the context is abhorrent. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is on the war path. Sunday night, the CFPB's deputy director, Leandra English, filed a lawsuit against President Trump for seeking to replace her with his own candidate. In her mind, that position is hers, like some sort of owned property, and she isn't about to be dislodged. It goes to show the tremendous problem President Trump will have in clearing the swamp. The CFPB situation is a bit worse than other cases of Obama holdovers unwilling to leave their posts. The Los Angeles Times reports: The battle over control of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau escalated Sunday as the deputy director sued to stop President Trump from installing his own appointee as temporary head of the agency.Leandra English, who was promoted to deputy director Friday, filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, saying Trumps appointment of Mick Mulvaney as acting director of the bureau was unlawful. She requested a temporary restraining order to block him from taking the position. It's absolutely incredible that a full-blown lawsuit would be filed to retain the position of acting director, a mere transitory post that is sure to be replaced with a real director when the Senate confirms one. Evidently, she's counting on Congress being unable to confirm a new director, confident Democrats will obstruct any Trump nominee, leaving her in the catbird seat. Or else there are documents to destroy, and she and her cronies need more time. It's absolutely odd that she would fight this hard for a transitory job. She must think there's something big at stake. It's also quite likely she won't win her case on legal merits, though she may be betting on a left-wing judge who will bend the law any way he wants. The dispute between Trump, who has named Mick Mulvaney acting director, and English, who was named deputy director and thus acting director under her own interpretation of the law in the wake of Richard Cordray's exit from the director's job, has been judged in favor of Trump by none other than CFPB's own left-wing attorney. And still she persists. As I noted here, the CFPB is a monster of an agency, notable in its structure of being of the Democrats, by the Democrats, and for the Democrats. Ronald L. Rubin, a former CFPB attorney, wrote in National Review last September that the independent agency was structured by Democrats in 2009 to maintain total Democrat power over the agency no matter who is president. This lawsuit absolutely demonstrates that entrenchment fighting to stay entrenched. Looks as though the long arm of Robert Mueller may extend to Paris. Seems French police arrested a sitting Russian senator for tax evasion in violation of his diplomatic immunity. Suleiman Kerimov was grabbed by French authorities, to the great displeasure of Russian officials. There may be more to the story. According to Itar-Tass: Meanwhile, the press service of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) did not provide a clear-cut answer when asked by Izvestia whether Kerimovs arrest could be linked to the so-called "Russiagate investigation" in the US led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. It said that the FBI could neither confirm nor deny the existence of the probe and could not comment on the issue. According to the US media, Kerimov had contacts with Russian citizen Rinat Akhmetshin whose activities were aimed at upholding Moscows interests. According to The New York Times, Akhmetshin, who received US citizenship in 2009, has close ties with the Russian government and "is associated with a former deputy head of the Russian intelligence service, the FSB." For his part, Akhmetshin has rejected these allegations. Meanwhile, RBCs source in the Russian Federation Council said that the senators arrest could become "a new stumbling block in relations between Russia and the West. "Of course, this indicates that any high-ranking member of the Russian elite can be caught in the crossfire. That can been seen as an element of [Western] pressure in the run-up to the presidential election," Yevgeny Minchenko, head of Minchenko Consulting Communication Group, said in an interview with the paper[.] If this theory is correct, it means American intelligence is tampering with Russian elections. It also means they are trying to strong-arm the Russians into giving Mueller dirt to bring down Donald Trump. While we all know there is a conspiracy in the Deep State to find grounds to impeach the president, it appears that the Deep State is actually working overseas and using national security assets and friendly foreign agents. The selective moral outrage at Russia for "tampering" with U.S. elections is beyond hypocritical; the Obama administration tampered with numerous elections. Obama spent U.S. tax dollars to promote the election of Raila Odinga in Kenya and to likewise enshrine abortion in the Kenyan constitution in violation of the Hyde Amendment. He meddled in the Israeli elections to oust Benjamin Netanyahu. He helped push Hosni Mubarak out of Egypt and Moammar Gaddafi out of Libya. He meddled in Macedonia and in Albania. In fact, a number of senators are demanding an investigation into Obama-era election tampering. It should also be pointed out that seizing a foreign legislator can be interpreted as an act of war. It certainly will not serve American or European interests to start a series of retaliatory arrests. The Russians can play that game, too. This is a dangerous act of brinkmanship. This is a story that will probably not have legs here in the American media, but it certainly something we should worry about, as it shows just what lengths the Deep State is willing to go to in order to keep power and remove the duly elected president. Read more from Tim at The Aviary: www.tbirdnow. When I hear the term "white privilege," it is as if someone just scraped his fingernails down a chalkboard. My white family comes from the Appalachian coal regions of Pennsylvania and for generations never had "privilege." My maternal grandfather immigrated from Ukraine when he was only fifteen years old, became a coal miner, and never went to high school. He faced prejudice and bigotry for having an accent and for being of Slavic heritage. He endured incredible hardship for decades and died at 62 from black lung disease. Good health care was lacking, and two of his six children died in early childhood. For much of his life, he went to work in the dark, worked all day in the dark, and then came home in the dark. He befriended rats in the coal mines, since experience taught him how rat behavior could alert you to impending danger. My grandfather's history is not unique. White immigrants such as Italians, Irish, Polish, and other Slavic peoples also struggled in poverty and faced ethnic hatred and bigotry in America. Professor Ed Falco writes, "[T]he largest mass lynching in U.S. history took place in New Orleans in 1891 and it wasn't African-Americans who were lynched[.] ... It was Italian-Americans. "After nine Italians were tried and found not guilty of murdering New Orleans Police Chief David Hennessy, a mob dragged them from jail, along with two other Italians being held on unrelated charges, and lynched them all." An editorial in the New York Times referred to the victims of the lynchings as "sneaking and cowardly Sicilians, the descendants of bandits and assassins." Did you know that during World War II, Italian-Americans who were believed to be loyal to Italy were put in internment camps in the U.S.? Thousands of others with Italian heritage in the U.S. were also placed under surveillance. Italian-Americans never received any reparations from our government. Jay Dolan, a writer from Notre Dame University, noted that the Irish in America in the 1840s and '50s "were preferred to the [African-American] slaves when it came to working on the docks, because, as one official put it, 'The niggers are worth too much to be risked here; if the Paddies are knocked overboard, or get their backs broke, nobody loses anything.'" Anyone who lived during the 1960s and '70s in America must remember the relentless derogatory ethnic "Polack" jokes. The Polish jokes in the 1970s were particularly offensive so much so that the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs complained to the U.S. State Department. Poor white folks have been slurred from the very beginning days of our nation, being called "crackers" and "squatters." The term "white trash" was first coined in our country in 1821. Today, 17.3 million white Americans (about twice as many as African-Americans) are listed as living in poverty. More than 4 million white children live in poverty. These unprivileged white people live desperately, with widespread alcoholism, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, and unemployment. Their children can only dream of a college education. Is it white privilege to be called "trailer trash"? Is it white privilege to be a hopeless unemployed white American in the crumbling Rust Belt region? Where is the privilege in the white ghettos of Appalachian America? Charles Murray, a conservative scholar, wrote Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, a book on the plight of white America. He recently attempted to discuss this book with college students at elite Middlebury College and was violently prevented from speaking. Do liberal Democrats even care about the struggles of the millions of impoverished, unprivileged, and forgotten white people in our country whom Hillary Clinton labeled as "deplorables"? Charles Murray warns, "Our nation is coming apart at the seams." Nobody better represents the Washington, D.C. political-media establishment than Cokie Roberts. For those who don't know, the NPR correspondent and ABC News commentator is the daughter of two former Democrat members of the House of Representatives, her mother replacing her father after his death. Her father was the majority leader of the Democrat Caucus during the long period where the Democrats ran everything in the House. Had he not perished in a plane crash in 1972, he might well have become speaker. And her husband, Steve Roberts, is another member of the D.C. media establishment. In a moment of casual honesty yesterday, Cokie Roberts admitted on This Week that everyone knew about the dangers of being groped by John Conyers, who "icon" Nancy Pelosi seems to believe should be allowed his perversions and even crimes, on the model of other progressive "icons" like Ted Kennedy. RADDATZ: But they probably will be talking about. And what about Conyers and Franken? Nothing's happened since. What happens to them? BACON: It's not clear that any Democrat so far have said they should resign. You saw Kathleen Rice. Other than that, you haven't seen a lot of them. I'm curious. My question of this whole process is, saying it should go to the ethic committee a real thing or is it just a stalling tactic? And that's what we don't know yet. They've set up a process, but does the process matter, and is the process going to the lead like it's hard for me to see... ROBERTS: It's like rehab, you know he's going to rehab. BACON: ...going to do anything other than the obviously. We know what happened, essentially. So, does that lead to a resignation, or does that just lead to a stalling process? And that's what I don't know yet. KLEIN: Can they weather the storm, right? One of these happens, another one happens. And if it just becomes noise, then maybe they can hang on. ROBERTS: And you know they are so used to it. I mean, the culture of Capitol Hill for so many decades was men being bad. And... RADDATZ: So, we talk about that. We have talked about it weeks and weeks. But does anything really change? ROBERTS: No. RADDATZ: We ask that question. I mean, this seems unprecedented how many. But do you think people are really talking about it as if things will change? PALMER: I don't think that the culture has we haven't seen major shift, right? And I would also just point out, members policing themselves, a very bad track record of it, whether it's about these kind of scandals, whether it's about how they use their finances. There is nobody is saying that they're going to change the whole process by which this is done, that they're going to throw out members if they actually have sexual harassment cases. This is a big problem for them. ROBERTS: The fact that people are willing to be public can change things. I mean, we all talked about for years RADDATZ: A little bit at a time. ROBERTS: Don't get in the elevator with him, you know, and the whole every female in the press corps knew that, right, don't get in elevator with him. Now people are saying it out loud. And I think that does make a difference. [Rush transcript via Grabien.] Sherlock Holmes noticed the dog that didn't bark. Americans should pay close attention to the scandal that didn't leak. Information from the Mueller investigation leaks like a sieve. Information from intelligence committees and intelligence agencies has a way of showing up in newspapers. It seems every private conversation anyone surrounding Trump had with Russians and any meeting and inadvertent handshake shows up in the press. The illegal unmasking of information around people who know Trump is rampant. Ben Rhodes has said the White House could plant lies about the Iran deal with selective reporters, and they would just print what they were told. We know from DNC leaked emails that there were reporters that would just print what Democrats allowed. Fusion GPS was able to plant false information with the media that was paid for by Democrats, and the media just reported it as genuine intelligence. Somehow, Washington Post reporters magically were able to come up with a story about four women in Alabama from around 40 years ago after Roy Moore won a primary. But no one seems to have ever leaked a story or reported a story about an over 20-year-old slush fund where politicians paid off people who complained with taxpayers' money. We don't know how the fund was set up, where the appropriation came from, who approved each payoff and how the amount was decided, who drew up the documents that required secrecy, and whom the complaints were about. Why will Congress leak so many classified documents but nothing about the slush fund? So long as nobody is watching, politicians from both parties do not care about using taxpayer money to pay off people, nor do they actually care about anyone who was abused. Otherwise, there would have been many expulsions relating to the claims paid. They care about protecting themselves nothing else. The swamp is extremely deep. It consists of politicians from both parties, bureaucrats, a bevy of reporters who will report what they are told, lobbyists, and others. They have amassed a great deal of power, and they will not let an outsider take that away. Reporters should be digging deep into this slush fund, but they seem to have as much interest in that as they do in who killed Seth Rich and why. We hear about this surge in Obamacare enrollments. The San Francisco Chronicle is even asserting that "the public embrace of the Affordable Care Act amounts to a stark rejection of administration and Republican policy." Maybe we can call it something like the revenge of the ACA. The editorial spends a lot of time bashing Trump, but it does not say anything about the economic state of the people signing up. In other words, are these ACA policyholders going to pay their own premiums, or will they be subsidized in some fashion? We don't know, and the answer matters a lot. A week ago, the New York Times wrote another article about Obamacare. It gave us a glimpse about the dilemma of the middle class, or the people who have to pay their own way. This is how they described the state of the ACA: The situation here in Charlottesville is an extreme example of a pattern that can be seen in other places around the country. The Affordable Care Act is working fairly well for people who receive subsidies in the form of tax credits, said Doug Gray, the executive director of the Virginia Association of Health Plans, which represents insurers. But for many others, especially many middle-class families, he said, "the premium is outrageous, and it's unaffordable." The New York Times is simply stating the case I hear from friends and acquaintances. In other words, the people subsidized can get a policy, whereas the people required to pay can't afford it. As I have seen, many people are simply avoiding signing up and hoping they pay the fine or work out a pay arrangement with the hospital. Enrollment surge or not, the premiums are way too expensive. And that's the Affordable Care Act for you! PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. In 1787, Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, was scheduled for a grand tour of the newly acquired lands of Crimea and New Russianow part of Ukrainewhich she gained by defeating the Ottoman Empire and after signing peace treaties with the Cossack Hetmanate. The trip was to be arranged by Gregory Potemkin, the governor of the region, who was clearly Catherine's favorite and one of her numerous lovers. The region had been devastated by the war, and one of Potemkin's major tasks were to rebuild it and bring in Russian settlers. In 1787, as a new war was about to break out between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, Catherine II with her court and several ambassadors made an unprecedented six-month trip to New Russia. The purpose of this trip was to impress Russia's allies prior to the war. Fireworks in honor of Catherine the Great on the Dnieper River. As soon as Potemkin heard of the upcoming visit, the cunning governor put of a big show of sham prosperity by hastily erecting many fake villages on the banks of the Dnieper River and along Catherine's route in order to impress the Empress and her diplomatic friends. The story goes that as soon as the barge carrying the Empress and ambassadors arrived, Potemkin's men, dressed as peasants, would populate the village. Once the barge left, the village was disassembled, then rebuilt downstream overnight. Modern historians agree that these accounts are mostly exaggerated, at best, or completely fictionalized, at worst. Still, the legend stuck. Today, the term "Potemkin village" has come to signify any deceptive or false construct meant to deceive others into thinking that a situation is much better than it really is. Time and again various regimes and government have used such fakery with varying degree of success. In 1944, when delegates from Red Cross came for inspection of the Theresienstadt concentration camp, the Nazis presented Theresienstadt as a model Jewish settlement. Prior to the visit, the Nazis deported many Jews to Auschwitz to minimize overcrowding. They built fake shops and cafes to imply that the Jews lived in relative comfort. In reality, more than 33,000 inmates died there as a result of malnutrition, disease, or the sadistic treatment by their captors. In 2010, in Cleveland, USA, fake doors and windows painted on plywood panels were used to disguise vacant houses in a blighted part of the city. Take a close look at the windows of this house. The flowers are painted on wooden boards to fool passersby into believing that the house is sound and occupied. Photo credit: Chuck Crow Photo credit: Chuck Crow In Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, during the 2013 G8 summit, large photographs were put up in the windows of closed shops in the town so as to give the appearance of thriving businesses for visitors driving past them. Here, you can see a "pretend" butcher shop in the village of Belcoo in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, near Enniskillen. Some vacant stores and shops in the village have large wraparound stickers on the windows to make them look occupied. Photo credit: Bryan O'Brien / The Irish Times A "pretend" office supplies shop in the village of Belcoo in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, near the site of G8 summit. Photo credit: Bryan O'Brien / The Irish Times Recently, in a new book, photographer Gregor Sailer documents the phenomenon of Potemkin Villages from around the world. Sailer photographed faithful replicas of European cities in China to mock towns built for vehicle testing or combat training. The following images are from the book. Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Photo credit: Gregor Sailer Madeleine McCann: Luisa Todorov gets scoured Madeleine McCann was not kidnapped by Luisa Todorov. It wasnt me, says the woman. You will recall that criminologist Heriberto Janosch Gonzalez featured in the Daily Mirror beneath the words: Maddie hunt woman is awaitress. Scotland Yard detectives want to speak to a female dressed in purple who was seen by two people standing outside the youngsters apartment, said the Mirror. And criminologist Heriberto Janosch Gonzalez claims to have identified the woman as Bulgarian waitress Luisa Todorov. News was that 58-year-old Luisa and her husband, Stefan, 50, were working at the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished in 2007. Both gave statement to the police at the time. They both denied having any knowledge of the case and have not been spoken to again for over a decade. Why police would have spoken with either of them again is moot, as the Mirror gave readers the side-eye and stated: British police are now scouring the globe for the pair so they can ask them if they saw anything suspicious. Scouring the globe? Not looking to speak with them. Scouring. Thats what you do when you want to reveal whats beneath the dirt and grime. You scour. Is scouring the way to find two innocent people? The paper then noted: Luisa is believed to be the woman seen standing by a lamp post just outside the apartment at 8pm on May 3, 2007. Gonzalez was quoted: Examining all the known statements it seems highly likely the police are seeking the Todorovs. They are the only known people with a clear link to Bulgaria. I have been unable to trace them in Portugal and believe they could have moved away. It is widely known that many workers at the Ocean Club were made redundant so it is possible they went to Bulgaria seeking work. And to todays Mirror news, we get an update. Get this: A criminologist claimed to have identified Luisa Todorov as the mystery person police are said to be searching for. And we discovered she lives less than a mile from Praia da Luz in the Algarve, where Maddie disappeared. She isnt living in Bulgaria. No-one had to scour the globe to find her. And she isnt the woman in purple. Indeed, who is? And why is she newsworthy? It was British expat Jenny Murat who introduced us to her. She said: She caught my eye because she was dressed in purple-plum clothes. It struck me as strange. Its so usual for anyone, particularly a woman, to be standing alone on the street in our resort, just watching a building. The next morning, we heard that a little girl had gone missing, and I later told police about the woman Id seen right outside. I didnt recognise her and dont have a clue who she is, but she seems a bit suspicious. Murat is, of course, mother to the innocent Robert Murat, who was monstered and libelled. Odd that her words are now being used to zoom in on another foreigner living an working in Portugal. Indeed, it was Mirror journalist who introduced us to Robert Murat, telling readers that he found him creepy. Now Luisa is in the crosshairs. These are some of the reactions to her name: Madeleine McCann: Mystery woman in purple sought by Met police identified as waitress Indy Woman in purple mystery witness tracked to Bulgaria. Waitress Luisa Todorov, seen twice near the holiday apartment on the night Maddie disappeared, could be a significant witness International Business Times Madeleine McCann mystery woman spotted outside Portugal apartment is identified Leicester Mercury MADDIE CLUES Madeleine McCann cops hunt Bulgaria for waitress believed to be woman in purple The Sun Madeleine McCann: Police hunt waitress believed to be mysterious woman in purple Daily Express Today she tells the Mirror: Ive no idea about any woman in purple. It wasnt me. I spoke to the police a long time ago about the Madeleine case. I dont really want to talk about it, nobody around here does, it brings back lots of bad memories. Nobody knows what happened to her. If the British police want to speak to me thats fine, but I dont know anything. The restaurant worker, originally from Madeira, gave a statement to Portuguese police five days after Maddies disappearance, along with husband Stefan, 50. He also worked at the Ocean Club resort, in the kitchens, and is believed to have returned to his native Bulgaria without being quizzed again. He worked in the kitchens? But the Express told us: Luisas husband Stefan Todorov, 50, was working at the Tapas bar, where the McCanns and their seven holiday friends were dining when Madeleine was abducted. Over in the Sun, Luisa Todorovs innocence is a twist as waitress denies she is the mysterious woman in purple. Its not a twist, is it. Its woman stating a fact. Luisa Todorov was named as the woman that police wanted to speak to, after a shadowy figure was spotted by witnesses the night the three-year-old went missing. Can you be shadowy dressed distinctively in purple and standing in full view? But the hung continues. after all, the Indy reported: Detectives working on Madeleine McCanns case have travelled to Bulgaria in search of a paedophiles widow known as the woman in purple On the evening of Madeleines disappearance an eyewitness saw a woman startng [sic] intently at the apartment block next to where the McCanns were staying in Portugal. The woman is believed to have been the wife of a man of a convicted peadophile, who has is now believed to be dead. Such are the facts. Anorak Posted: 27th, November 2017 | In: Madeleine McCann, Money Comment | TrackBack | Permalink (ANSA) - Venice, November 27 - The 57th edition of Venice's international art Biennale that closed on Sunday registered a record 615,000 visitors, up 23% from the previous edition, its president, Paolo Baratta, said Monday. Overall, 31% of visitors were under 26 years of age while 15% were students. Christine Macel was the curator of this edition of the event called "Viva Arte Viva", which opened on May 13. Culture Minister Dario Franceschini expressed pride for the "beauty and quality" of the artwork exhibited at the Biennale, calling it an "excellence in the international art scenario that contributes to the image and prestige of Italy in the world". Visitors included President Sergio Mattarella and Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini. Wrapping up the event, Baratta hailed the public's "growing familiarity with contemporary art". "We like to think that this attendance is the outcome of a desire to have art and artists as travel companions", he continued. The Biennale president said he was interested in the "growing desire to know" contemporary art rather than the value of contemporary artworks on the market. "For this reason, we consider important data like the fact that there more visitors for as many as nine weeks than during opening days". "The Biennale maintains its mission if it knows how to go along its path, or rather its crest, arming itself and visitors with the necessary foil to avoid temptations, banality, conformism and to discuss different truths that artists want to express for us and, finally, verify and appreciate the artwork". The event showcased the work of 120 artists. A total of 86 nations participated including, for the first time, Antigua and Barbuda, Kiribati and Nigeria. Three countries were also present after a long absence, including Bolivia, which had attended in 1966, Malta (the last time was in 1999) and Tunisia (first and last time in 1958). photo: an installation by US artist Sheila Hicks Exhibits: Egyptian archaeological treasures in Viterbo Palazzo dei Papi to host copy of Tutankamun's treasure (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, NOVEMBER 27 - An exhibit will be held in Viterbo from May until November next year on copies of Egyptian archaeological treasures, the Italian fundraising society Societa Italiana di Beneficienza (SID) has announced. SID is the sponsor of the initiative presented as an unprecedented event in Italy. The exhibit will be held in the Palazzo dei Papi, the president of SIB, Sicilian philanthropist Eugenio Benedetti Gaglio, told ANSAmed. The exhibit will showcase, among others, perfect copies of the entire treasure of Tutankhamun, with the famous golden death mask, the sarcophagus of the Pharaoh who died young and became a symbol of Egyptomania. Now Benedetti Gaglio has said that the exhibition will include some 150 pieces such as ''the eight Sphynxes, a perfect marble copy of those in the triumphal entry to the great temple of Karnak'' in Luxor. The pieces of the treasure of Tutankhamun to be exhibited will also include the ''lid with the canopic jar, the famous little Pharaoh throne, the great 'naos' and the collection of jewels presents''. The reproductions, at the end of the show, will be put on sale and, in particular, there is a ''deluge of requests'' for the sphynxes, said Gaglio. These are very expensive large pieces that can only be afforded by companies, institutions and the wealthy. Visitors will be able to buy ''2-3,000 replicas of objects of small dimension, which are exactly similar to the originals extracted from Egyptian tombs, all with a certificate of authenticity put on sale through us at a special price by the Egyptian ministry of antiquities'', said the former businessman. The economic aspect, the foundation stressed, is only marginal: the spirit of the initiative is to renew relations between Italy and Egypt that are currently damaged, through an archaeology that is accessible to almost everybody, without necessarily needing to go to Cairo to admire it. The choice of setting it up in Etruscan Lazio, with its almost unique parallelism to the Egyptian cult of the dead, gives further meaning to the show that is part of two other initiatives organized by SIB next year in Italy, aimed at promoting cultural and religious dialogue between the two shores of the Mediterranean. They are an exhibition of Coptic art, with the reproduction of rare icons in a holy Italian site still to be defined, and a series of four Egyptian folk music concerts. (ANSAmed). 'The Preacher', film on moderate imam, still divides Egypt Cairo festival showcases difficult regime-religion relations (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, NOVEMBER 27 - From a Salafi imam to a moderate popular preacher: the Cairo International Film Festival is showing both Amr Salama's 'Sheikh Jackson' (2017) and Magdy Ahmed Ali's 'The Preacher' (2016). The festival runs through November 30. The film, adapted from a novel by Ibrahim Eissa and a box-office hit, focuses on the story of a famous television preacher, Sheikh Hatem, who is also moderate and tolerant. He is young, brilliant and deals with religious issues with intelligence and irony. He is successful, has a beautiful wife, a child and a luxurious home. The film focuses on relations between the religious establishment and state bodies, the media, extremism, relations with Christians and intolerance towards other types of Islam. Sheikh Hatem's mentor is a Sufi master who is killed with some others of his religious order, burned in the home where they were meeting. A bomb then explodes in a Coptic church in Cairo, where the film was shot. In order to quell the indignation of the Christian community, imams meet with their Coptic counterparts and Sheikh Hatem's last preaching was inside a church. Its screening has been banned in Kuwait and some parts have been censored in Lebanon. The trailer can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IaKxXC5sgg. (ANSAmed). (by Patrizio Nissirio) CISTERNINO (BRINDISI) - The need to keep Mediterranean cities and towns open to tourism while making it sustainable to preserve their rich artistic and archaeological heritage, the environment and residents' lives was at the center of the last day of the Fifth Conference 'The most beautiful towns of the Mediterranean' in the Puglia town of Cisternino, near Brindisi. Cisternino is a place that welcomes a high number of tourists with high-quality facilities offering, among other things, gastronomic excellence that can set the example at an international level. The municipality, in cooperation with the association ''I Borghi piu Belli d'Italia'' (Italy's most beautiful villages) and the Puglia region, hosted three days of events with administrators, professionals and operators in the historic, artistic-architectural and food sector who shared their experience to focus on development and conservation strategies. No aspect was neglected: from historic and cultural issues to bureaucracy and the difficulty to create a network with operators in the same region or various Mediterranean countries. During the last day of events, journalists, academics, diplomats and culture ministry officials stressed that specific strategies can be immediately implemented to improve what is offered to visitors while limiting the dramatic impact for certain areas - including downtown Rome and Venice, the island of Santorini or the most touristic cities of Morocco or Puglia - that risks to change these sites. The idea is to invest in high-quality services that attract visitors not interested in cheap souvenirs. The conference was also an occasion for Cisternino, as well as other centers in the area, like Ceglie Messapica and Ostuni, to promote their extraordinary culture and food to an international audience. A virtuous example is represented in Cisternino by the Frantolio D'Amico, inspired by Puglia's ancient olive oil-making tradition. The high-quality oil mill has opened its doors to visitors and tourists as well as to students to make them discover this local treasure. ''The driving force is passion, but we also carry out research, in connection with the university, to improve quality'', said Piero D'Amico, whose oil mill has a century-old tradition. ''We also work on communication, on which we spend about 29% of our budget, including the site, packaging, etc. We work with other producers to carry out tests together''. The result is an olive oil of great quality with 0.01% of acidity, 75% of which is exported. ISTANBUL - Turkish authorities are continuing to carry out a large number of arrests under a state of emergency following a failed coup in July last year. Over the past week, a total of 1,291 people were detained on ''terrorism'' charges, according to the Turkish interior ministry. Over half of those arrested, a reported 663, are suspected of ties with the alleged network of exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for the coup, a regular occurrence since July 2016. Massive operations against suspected members of the Kurdish PKK have also been carried out with 486 arrests during an operation in which, according to Ankara, 14 militants were ''neutralized'', including three who were killed. In addition, 133 suspected ISIS affiliates and nine alleged members of far-left groups were detained. Over 50,000 people have been arrested on terrorism charges in Turkey since the attempted coup. BRUSSELS - Roughly 60% of Africa's population is under 25 years of age - a driving force for potential growth that is however in part migrating to Europe with Italy as the first country of arrival. And the need to invest in youths in Africa is at the top of the agenda of the fifth EU-African Union summit scheduled on November 29-30 in the Ivory Coast, which will gather heads of State and government from the European Union and African Union. Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni is scheduled to travel to the capital Abidjan, in the last leg of an African tour that will take him to Tunisia, Angola, Ghana and the Ivory Coast - a sign of the value Italy gives to relations with Africa. Other European leaders at the summit will include Emmanuel Macron, Mariano Rajoy and EU leaders Jean Claude Juncker, Donald Tusk, Antonio Tajani, Federica Mogherini. Angela Merkel has not yet been confirmed as a participant. The year 2017, also from Brussels' perspective, must end as a key year in relations between the two continents: the summit vies to define priorities as far as economic cooperation is concerned, the creation of jobs, security, the management of migrants and the fight against climate change. The European Parliament, with President Antonio Tajani, over the past few months has in particular stressed the need for a new EU-Africa partnership. Tajani organized over the past few days, ahead of the summit in Abijan, a conference with different 'playmakers' that will be in the Ivory Coast. ''Africa's problems are also Europe's problems - said Tajani -. The time has come to put Africa on top of the Union's agenda''. The proposal brought forward by Tajani is to push forward the investment fund for Africa to at least 40 billion in the next EU budget, from the current 33. The estimate in the EP is that, starting with these funds, thanks to joint efforts with the European Investment Bank, it is possible to mobilize public and private investments for some 500 billion. ''The continent's transition towards a sustainable industrial basis, an efficient agriculture, renewable sources, adequate infrastructure for water, energy, mobility, logistics or digital - concluded Tajani - need to be supported through a 'Marshall plan'. The European Union needs to contribute in its own interest''. The declaration, also signed by institutions such as ACI, AFRAA, AASA and London Heathrow Airport, is aiming to stop the illegal wildlife trade of tusk, rhino horn, tortoise shell etc. as well as increasing passenger, customer, client, and staff awareness about the nature, scale, and consequences of the illegal wildlife trade. The declaration was approved today by Turkish Airlines at a signing ceremony held at the Turkish Airlines Istanbul Headquarters, attended by Bilal Eksi, Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman and CEO, and IATA Director General, Alexandre de Juniac. With this declaration, we as Turkish Airlines are not only underlining one of the most important environmental issues of our times, trafficking of wildlife, but we are also setting an example of responsibility. Today with this signature we hope that we are contributing to the level of awareness on the issue and smoothing the path for legal enforcement procedures against the traffickers. quoted Mr. Bilal Eksi, Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman and CEO during the signing ceremony. IATA Director General, Alexandre de Juniac said; The illegal wildlife trade threatens to extinguish many of the worlds most iconic and special creatures. The global connectivity built by the aviation industry is being exploited by traffickers, but through coordinated action with our industry partners, and assisting the proper authorities, we can help to end this dreadful trade. We welcome Turkish Airlines commitment to join this fight, symbolized in its signature to the Buckingham Palace declaration. Shekhar Kapur speaks about the source of inspiration for artistes, his first days as a filmmaker and how the Indian Constitution saved Bandit Queen. Shekhar Kapur has spent over 40 years in the film industry, growing as a filmmaker and a creative individual. However, there is nothing he would like more than to go back to the naivete of his Masoom days. When I was making Masoom, I did not know the very basics of filmmaking, but people still tell me that it was my best work. Sometimes, I truly wish to get back some of that naivete that I had as a filmmaker because I didnt know. So, anything was possible, he said, while speaking at a masterclass at The International Film Festival of Goa. It is this unknowing state of mind that the filmmaker spoke of when Sushant Singh Rajput, who was introducing him asked him a rather convoluted question, Do you know what it is you are doing, when you do what you do? Shekhar promptly answered that he doesnt know. Asked about his process as a director, he said that it is a process of panic. I constantly try to bring myself to a state of panic. Because it is only in these moments of panic that you truly gain creative inspiration, he mused. So, when I am making a film, I always ask the actor what they would want to do with the scene. It also creates a chance for the actors point of view to challenge my own, and it is when I am challenging myself that I am creating, he explains. Each profession has its own riyaz. Asked what the riyaz can be for a filmmaker, Shekhar responds that its in the storytelling. We are all constantly telling stories. For a filmmaker, however, those stories have to have conflict. Any contradiction or conflict is a story. An artiste creates harmony in that conflict. For me personally, the story of an individual also has to tell the story of society at large, he explains. Speaking about patterns in storytelling, Shekhar says that each individual on a set tells a different story. For instance, when I was working with Pyarelalji for Mr India, there is a scene where Anil Kapoor is helping those kids wash up and brush their teeth. Its a funny scene, so I asked him to make some funny music. Instead, he composed an emotional, heart-wrenching score for that part. The reasoning was that it was a foreshadowing of the fact that Mr India loses them in the end. Thats what I look for in a music director, Shekhar said, excitedly. Though he had to fight for years for the release of his movie Bandit Queen, the director still believes in the power of the system. Although I had to go through years of struggle on different levels for Bandit Queen to release, I still believe that a certain censorship is needed for films. And ultimately, it is the intent behind the scene that matters. Our own Constitution says that. Our Constitution saved the movie, he grins, winningly, before he is bombarded with the next volley of questions. Smugglers somehow sensed the presence of SSB personnel nearby and they ran leaving behind the sack which had 12.5 kg of charas. Charas that has been recovered is worth Rs 2.5 crore in international market near Indo-Nepal border. (Photo: Representational) Bettiah: The Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) has recovered a huge quantity of charas, worth around Rs 2.5 crore in the international market, near the Indo-Nepal border in West Champaran district, an official said on Monday. "About 12.5 kg of charas, worth Rs 2.5 crore, was seized near the Inarva border out post late last night. Although the smugglers were spotted by SSB personnel, they fled dropping the sack containing the narcotic", Deputy Commandant, 44th Battalion SSB, Ajay Kumar Rajak, said. He said "we had received information that some narcotics were being smuggled into the Indian territory along the Don Canal. Accordingly, Assistant Commandant Rajiv Kumar was directed to conduct a search in the area. His team spotted some persons carrying a sack". However, the smugglers somehow sensed the presence of the SSB personnel nearby and they ran away leaving the sack behind. The sack contained 12.5 kgs of charas. The contraband has been handed over to Inarwa police. Further investigations are on, Rajak said. The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of celebrating the recent release of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind, terrorist Hafiz Saeed. Further intensifying his attack on the Opposition Congress, Modi said the grand old party did not allow Narmada water to come to Kutch region and has always wanted Gujarat to lag behind. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) Bhuj: Launching his political campaign in poll-bound Gujarat on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at Congress and said, "India was attacked on 26/11 and in Uri. You can see how India responded in wake of both attacks. This explains difference between their (Congress) government and ours (BJP). Indian Express reported that on that side, dead bodies were taken in trucks so at least you (Cong) don't lie." The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of celebrating the recent release of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind, terrorist Hafiz Saeed. "A Pakistani court released a Pakistani terrorist and the Congress is celebrating. I was surprised why. And this same Congress refused to believe our own Army on surgical strikes and preferred to believe the Chinese Ambassador," Modi said. Invoking the "Iron Man of India," Modi accused the Congress of insulting Sardar Patel. "We are not here for power, we are here for 125 crore Indians. We want to take India to new heights of glory," he said. "Congress is unhappy about demonetisation. They keep attacking me but I want to tell them... I have grown up in the same land as Sardar Patel. I will ensure that the poor get their due. We will not allow this nation to be looted," he said. The Prime Minister also alluded to allegations thrown at him during the campaign by Congress leaders, including party vice president Rahul Gandhi. "This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," he said. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Rahul had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. "The Gujarat election is a contest between trust on development and dynastic politics," the Prime Minister said. Taking another dig at the Opposition party, which is making all efforts to dislodge the long-ruling BJP in Gujarat, Modi asked, "When our soldiers were standing eye-to-eye in Doklam for 70 days, why were you hugging the Chinese ambassador." The Prime Minister also attacked the Congress over dynastic politics. "On one side there is Vikas (development) and Vishwas (trust) while on the other side there is Vanshwad (dynasty). Gujarat will never forgive the Congress party and this has been the case for long. Congress has never liked Gujarat, has always preferred to see it lag behind," Modi said. "Does any Congress leader talk about Kamraj, Acharya Kripalani, Subhas Babu, UN Dhebar (who belonged to Gujarat)...no because they only talk about one family," the PM said. Further intensifying his attack on the Opposition Congress, Modi said the grand old party did not allow Narmada water to come to Kutch region. "Officers did not want to get posted to Kutch region as the water here was black in colour. Congress did not allow Narmada water to come to Kutch region. What if the Narmada waters had come to Kutch 30 years earlier? It would have made such a big difference," the Prime Minister said. Referring to the 2001 earthquake in Kutch, Modi said, "When earthquake struck Kutch region in 2001, Atal Bihari Vajpayee sent me to the region to work among its people and that taught me a lot." "The development work in Kutch after the 2001 quake is for all to see. Who imagined that Kutch can do so well in agriculture. People from the nation are coming here to enjoy the Rann Utsav," the Prime Minister said. Narendra Modi praised the people of Kutch for their resilience. "When big earthquakes take place, people say see this building has fallen but in Kutch people say this school, this hospital, these buildings were made after the earthquake. All this was done on war footing by the Army of Kutch which consists of its people," Modi said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address between 32 and 35 rallies in his home state Gujarat in the coming fortnight, where Assembly elections for a total of 182 seats will be held in two phase - December 9 and 14. Later on Monday, the Prime Minister will address rallies in Jasdan town of Rajkot, Dhari in Amreli and Kamrej in Surat district. Amreli is dominated by the powerful Patel community. The Prime Minister 'requested' the grand old party to 'not mock the poor and my poor origins'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the people of Jasdan to not let the Congress destroy the composite culture of Gujarat. (Photo: Twitter/ANI) Rajkot: Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he took a swipe at the Congress party during a campaign rally in election-bound Gujarat on Monday. Modi, who is leading the BJP's campaign in his home state that is going to polls on December 9, was addressing the rally in Jasdan, Rajkot, when he accused the Congress of defaming Gujarat. Modi also said that the Congress dislikes him because of his poor origins. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become PM. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation, he said. The Prime Minister requested the grand old party to not mock the poor and my poor origins. Further attacking the Congress, Modi said the party has the tendency of pitting one caste against the other. He asked the people of Jasdan to not let the Congress destroy the composite culture of Gujarat. Read: Difference in response to Uri, 26/11 terror attacks tells about Cong: Modi bats for BJP Earlier on Monday, the Prime Minister had alluded to allegations that the Congress leaders, including party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, made against him during poll campaigns. "This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," Modi had said. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Rahul had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. Modi will address between 32 and 35 rallies in his home state, Gujarat, in the coming fortnight, where Assembly elections for a total of 182 seats will be held in two phase December 9 and 14. Later on Monday, the Prime Minister will address rallies in Dhari in Amreli and Kamrej in Surat district. Amreli is dominated by the powerful Patel community. Hadiya, who flew from Kochi to Delhi under tight security, is expected to tell judges if she married Shafin of her own free will. Born Akhila Ashokan, Hadiya was in college when she met Shafin Jahan, 26, who had returned to Kerala from the Middle East, through an Islamist matrimonial website. (Photo: File) New Delhi: All eyes are set on the Supreme Court's hearing in Kerala 'love jihad' case due on Monday. Hadiya, the young woman from Kerala who married a Muslim man, will speak before the Supreme Court on her family's allegation that she was kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam for the purpose of terror recruitment. The 25-year-old flew from Kochi to New Delhi under tight security for the hearing. Hadiya is expected to tell judges if she married Shafin Jahan of her own free will. A look into the Kerala 'love jihad' case: - On her way to Delhi from Kochi on Saturday, Hadiya told reporters at the airport: I am Muslim. I want to go with my husband. Nobody forced me to convert - Hadiya's husband Shafin Jahan filed a complaint stating that attempts were being made to reconvert her to Hinduism - Parents of Hadiya, whose marriage to a Muslim man has been annulled by the Kerala High Court, allege that she is incapable of taking independent decisions because she is mentally unstable - Hadiya had said she embraced Islam on her own and the court should ensure her adequate protection to live with her husband Shafin Jahan - Ever since the Kerala High Court annulled Hadiya's marriage in May, she has been under virtual house arrest at home in TV Puram, Kottayam - Born Akhila Ashokan, Hadiya was in college when she met Shafin Jahan, 26, who had returned to Kerala from the Middle East, through an Islamist matrimonial website. The site is affiliated to the Popular Front of India, which, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) alleges, has links to terror - Hadiya's father contested the marriage and alleged that Shafin Jehan was trying to recruit her for terror and take her to Syria. On his petition, the marriage was cancelled by the Kerala High Court - Shafin Jahan challenged the annulment in the Supreme Court, which said it wants to hear her version. In October, the apex court had said Hadiya's consent as an adult is "prime". - Hadiya's father has demanded for an in-camera hearing or one that is closed to the media, alleging that a public hearing would turn into a "reality show". The judges have said they will decide only when Hadiya arrives to testify - Earlier in November, a team of the National Commission of Women (NCW) visited Hadiya in her father's house and declared her "happy and safe". The team's visit followed activist Rahul Easwar sharing a video in which she accused her father of physically abusing her - NIA recently questioned Hadiya's husband Shafin Jahan for six hours. The country's top anti-terror agency is inquiring into 89 Hindu-Muslim marriages in Kerala. Tej Pratap Yadav's enraged comment came with the scale-down in Lalu's Z-Plus security and withdrawal of National Security Guards. This is not the first threat to a political leader by Tej Pratap, who earlier had threatened the Bihar deputy CM after being invited to his son's wedding. (Photo: PTI) Patna: Former Bihar cabinet minister and the older son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tej Pratap has said that he will get Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'skinned' if any harm is done to his father Lalu Prasad. Tej Pratap's remark comes in the wake of the Centre's decision to scale-down the Z-Plus security of Lalu Prasad Yadav and withdrawing of National Security Guards (NSG) from the Bihar leader's protection. "This is a conspiracy to get him (Lalu) murdered, but we will give a befitting reply to them (the Centre). We will get Narendra Modi skinned (Hum Narendra Modi ki khaal udedhva denge); go and tell him," Tej Pratap said. When media persons sought clarification over his derogatory remarks for the Prime Minister, Tej Pratap reacted and said, "If something happens to my father then will you (media) take responsibility? Who will take responsibility if he is murdered? Isn't my father's life precious?" Also read: Public will teach Tej Pratap lesson for threatening PM: Bihar deputy CM The Centre reportedly thinned down the security of the RJD leader after the home ministry reviewed the security of the VIPs. However, more than 30 personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will still provide a shield to the RJD supremo. This is not the first threat to a political leader by Tej Pratap. Last week, after being invited to the wedding of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi's son, Tej Pratap said if he were to grace the occasion, it would be to assault Sushil Modi, who is a senior BJP leader, and "expose him". Sushil Modi responded by relocating the wedding for "security reasons." Apparently satisfied with his impact, Tej Pratap generously said the BJP leader should proceed with his plans "without fear". On Sunday, Lalu Prasad Yadav was removed from the group of VVIPS who are given Z plus security, the maximum protection offered to politicians. The Z-plus cover is viewed often as a status symbol. Tej Pratap and his brother Tejashwi Yadav were given top positions in the Bihar government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar till July because their father's party RJD had the maximum seats in the Bihar legislature. But after the Yadavs were named in a corruption case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), they were dumped by Nitish Kumar as allies, along with the Congress. Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife and former chief minister of Bihar Rabri Devi, last week warned that there is no paucity of people in Bihar who are willing to assault the Prime Minister - her assertion was in response to a senior BJP leader demanding that criticism of Modi should be met with "hands being chopped off". The girl, raped on the pretext of marriage, was expelled because the school said she would tarnish their reputation. The 15-year-old victim, a class 11 student, had allegedly been raped by an Army man on the pretext of marriage. (Photo: ANI) Latur (Maharashtra): A rape victim on Monday was expelled from a school in Maharashtra's Latur district in the name of maintaining dignity of the institution. The 15-year-old victim, a class 11 student, had allegedly been raped by an Army man on the pretext of marriage. The victim, on Monday, said, "My school has suspended my admission saying their reputation can be tarnished if I continue to study here." Meanwhile, the victim's uncle alleged that when they went to a police station to lodge an FIR, the police demanded Rs 50, 000 bribe to lodge their complaint. Later, the victim approached Latur's Superintendent of Police (SP) Shivaji Rathor and hence the FIR was registered on Sunday. A medical examination of the victim has been conducted and a case under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered in this regard. Chittor was the scene of the battle that took place between Alauddin Khilji and Rajput king Ratan Singh. Members of Film and Television Industry hold placards as they shout slogans during a protest to demand the release Padmavati in Mumbai. (Photo: PTI) Jaipur: Over 300 people, including 20 women, were detained and later released in Rajasthans Chittorgarh on Sunday during a protest against Bollywood film Padmavati, which is mired in a major controversy. The locals held a protest rally from Padanpole to the collectors office but the police prevented them and 304 persons courted arrest. These included 20 women, SHO, Chittorgarh police station, Om Prakash said. He said the action was taken under Section 129 of CrPC (Dispersal of assembly by use of civil force) and those detained were taken to the Indira Gandhi stadium and released. The protest was peaceful and elaborate security arrangements were in place for maintaining the law and order, he added. Chittor was the scene of the battle that took place between Alauddin Khilji and Rajput king Ratan Singh. Amid rumours of a romantic dream sequence between Rajput queen Padmavati and Khiljis characters in the Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed film, many Rajput groups have been up in arms against the movie, alleging that it distorts history. Historians, however, are divided on whether Rani Padmavati existed. The forces currently deployed in the strife-torn parts of West Bengal are to be shifted to poll-bound Gujarat. The Calcutta HC had earlier stayed the withdrawal of CAPF from Darjeeling hills, a scene of unrest over statehood demand. (Photo: File/AP) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday permitted the Centre to withdraw four of the eight companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) from strife-torn Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal for deployment in poll-bound Gujarat. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud agreed to the Centre's plea to relocate half of the remaining paramilitary forces from the state's strife-torn districts to the poll-bound state. The apex court had earlier on October 27 permitted the Centre to withdraw seven of the 15 companies of CAPF from Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts for deployment along the borders of Jammu and Kashmir and in the north-eastern states and to the poll-bound states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The Calcutta High Court had earlier stayed the withdrawal of CAPF from Darjeeling hills, the scene of unrest over the statehood demand, till October 27 after the state government approached it opposing the Centre's decision. The court had earlier issued a notice and had sought the Centres response. New Delhi: Within a day of Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad cautioning the courts not to encroach into policy domain, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a PIL filed by Ashwini Kumar, a former law minister, for a direction to ratify UN Convention Against Torture. A bench of CJI Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud told Mr Kumar it respects the governments political compulsions and will not compel the Centre to ratify the UN Convent-ion against Torture or command it to frame a standalone anti-torture legislation. The court had earlier issued a notice and had sought the Centres response. The CJI asked Mr Kumar, How can we compel the government to make a law? Can we ask the government to ratify a treaty by way of a mandamus? The government has to take a political decision on whether it should ratify the treaty or not. Mr Kumar said the government has given a commitment to the international community to address torture, especially custodial torture. The government has made a commitment to the international community. Justice Chandrachud said, It is conscious of its obligations. We would be crossing judicial limits by issuing a mandamus to the government. We have to respect the political compulsions of the government. Attorney-general K.K. Venugopal submitted that the government is considering an anti-torture law. The Law Commission of India has already recommended the Centre to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture and frame a standalone anti-torture law, directly making the State responsible for any injury inflicted by its agents on citizens. The former law minister argued that the government was in breach of its constitutional obligations under Article 21 and also in breach of its international treaty obligations under Articles 51 and 253 of the Constitution and said that the NHRC was helpless since it cannot enforce its directions nor can it accurately record all the cases of torture in custody. The banned JuD head, who carries a $10-million American bounty on his head for terror activities, walked free on Friday. Last week, the US had also demanded immediate re-arrest and prosecution of Hafiz Saeed. (Photo: File | AP) New Delhi: After the US, France has also reportedly conveyed its anguish to Pakistan over the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who heads the United Nations-proscribed outfit of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). French diplomatic sources were cited on Monday by news agencies as saying that France has conveyed its deep concern to Pakistan over the release of Saeed, adding that France and India will continue their relentless efforts to combat terrorism. Incidentally, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit New Delhi early next year. According to reports last week, the US had also demanded immediate re-arrest and prosecution of Saeed, warning Islamabad that there would be repercussions for bilateral ties if it fails to take decisive action against the notorious terrorist. Expressing outrage that a UN-proscribed terrorist is being allowed to walk free in Pakistan, India had last Thursday described the move by a Pakistani court to release Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed as an attempt by the Paklistani system to mainstream proscribed terrorists, adding that Pakistan has not changed its policy of shielding terrorists. In its statement, the ministry of external affairs had said, His release confirms once again the lack of seriousness on the part of Pakistani government in bringing to justice perpetrators of heinous acts of terrorism, including by individuals and entities designated by the United Nations. It also appears to be an attempt by the Pakistani system to mainstream proscribed terrorists. The banned JuD head, who carries a $10-million American bounty on his head for terror activities, walked free on Friday. This was announced by Madhya Pradesh education minister Vijay Shah here on Monday. Earlier, the new practice of answering roll call by students with Jai Hind was introduced in Satna district in MP. Bhopal: Students of government as well as private schools in Madhya Pradesh will now be required to answer roll calls in their classes with chant of Jai Hind. This was announced by Madhya Pradesh education minister Vijay Shah here on Monday. Earlier, the new practice of answering roll call by students with Jai Hind was introduced in Satna district in MP. The state government has now decided to extend the system to all the government schools in MP. Even the private schools will also be asked to introduce the practice for their students, the minister said. More than one lakh students studying in the government-run schools in the state will now answer the roll calls with Jai Hind, official sources said. From January one this year, the MP school education department has made singing of national anthem and hoisting of national flag mandatory for all the schools in the state. Victim would record her statement in front of magistrate after her medical examination. The girl, a class 6 student, resident of Tailiyo ka Mohalla in Khanpur town, was allegedly abducted on Sunday by Vijay Singh (22) while she was playing outside her home. (Photo: Representational) Kota: A 12-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly abducted and raped by her neighbour on the pretext of taking her to a relatives birthday party in Jhalawar district, police said on Monday. The girl, a class 6 student, resident of Tailiyo ka Mohalla in Khanpur town, was allegedly abducted on Sunday by Vijay Singh (22) while she was playing outside her home, Sub Inspector (SI) at Khanpur police station Surendra Singh said. The accused fled from the town after committing the crime, he said. The minor girl was alone at home as her parents are daily wage labourers and were on work when the accused took her on his motorcycle on the pretext of taking her to a birthday party, the official said. The victim narrated the plight to her parents following which they approached the police and lodged a case against the accused, he said. Meanwhile, the police van of the Khanpur police station, taking the victim and her parents overturned on Monday on the way to a community health centre (CHC), he said. However, none of the six in the van sustained injuries besides the father of the victim, who sustained minor hand injuries, the official said. The girl has now been sent to district headquarter Jhalawar for medical examination, he added. The accused has been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the SI said. The victims statements would be recorded before the magistrate after the medical examination, he said, adding the accused has been absconding and efforts were underway to nab him. An Australian woman owes her life to these alert officers who quite literally rescued her from being crushed. The dramatic footage shows the exact moment she was rescued. (Photo: Youtube/CGTN) An Australian woman owes her life to these alert officers who quite literally rescued her from being crushed. The unidentified woman in her drunken state was attempting to cross the train tracks at a suburban station in Melbourne late at night and did not see the oncoming train. The dramatic footage shows the exact moment she was rescued. The three Protective Services Officers (PSOs) rushed to the help, and pulled her up just seconds before the train arrived. Two of the officers have been identified as officer Steve Goldman and officer Ben Mitchell, all three received official commendations for their bravery. A senior officer of Victoria Police, Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations Andrew Crisp called the officers' quick-thinking "extremely brave" and termed the woman's choice to cross the track "irresponsible." According to her, the remaining ones would be met in the next few months. Kolkata: Giving a clarion call for investments in West Ben-gal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday described that the state has become a favourite destination for industrialists. She also claimed the environment to be business-friendly. Blaming the former Left Front government, Ms Banerjee, however, noted that it would take some time for some legacy issues to disappear. Bengal is progressing like anything. It is emerging as an industrial destination now. We do not allow any strike or lockout... In Bengal we have our own infrastructural facilities. In terms of ease of doing business we were at number 30 earlier, Ms Banerjee said in her address to Horasis Asia conference in New Town. She elaborated, Three years ago we came to down to 15. Now we are third in India. In a bid to draw investments Ms Banerjee told the industrialists, If you want to invest here, there is a tremendous potential. In the engineering industry we were number one earlier. Enough scope is there in the jute industry, textile industry, manufacturing industry, service oriented industry, IT industry, mining industry, agriculture industry and tourism industry. She added, Wherever you think it is fit for you, you can invest. Come and invest. Join like our family members. Please do not forget Bengal. This is the future. Ms Banerjee informed that the state has met 336 of the 372 parameters of ease of doing business. According to her, the remaining ones would be met in the next few months. Every towing vehicle will now have an officer above the rank of assistant sub-inspector who will have e-challan equipment and walky-talky. The new rule is issued because woman was feeding her baby in the car while her car was being towed in Malad. (Photo: File) Mumbai: Before towing away a vehicle from no-parking area, police should make an announcement on megaphone and ask if its owner is around, as per the new set of rules issued by the Mumbai traffic police. Further, a vehicle should not be towed away even from no-parking area if someone is sitting inside, the new rules say categorically. Presently, a vehicle parked in no-parking area is towed away without inquiring if the owner is nearby, and the owner has to visit the concerned police station to get it released by paying fine plus towing charges. With the new rule, the vehicle owner, if he or she is nearby, can rush to the vehicle, pay the fine on the spot and drive away. He or she won't have to pay towing charges. Joint commissioner of police (traffic) Amitesh Kumar issued these new guidelines to traffic cops. This new rule is issued by the authorities due to a controversial incident that happened in suburban Malad where a car was towed away when a woman and her baby were sitting inside. Every towing vehicle will now have an officer above the rank of assistant sub-inspector (ASI). Every official on the towing vehicle will have e-challan equipment and walky-talky. Modi in the 38th edition of his 'Mann ki Baat' address, shared the boy's story with the country. Tushar, an eight-year-old 'Divyang' boy from Madhya Pradesh's Kumhari village, made headlines for his single-handed efforts in making his village open defecation-free (ODF). (Photo: ANI) Balaghat: Tushar, an eight-year-old 'Divyang' boy of Madhya Pradesh's Kumhari village, made headlines on Sunday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 'Mann ki Baat' narrated an account of the lad's single-handed efforts in making his village open defecation-free (ODF). The honour of being mentioned by the Prime Minster has brought joy to the whole village, and especially the parents of the boy. "It's a matter of pride for us that my son, who is mute and deaf, brought laurels to our village," Tushar's mother, Anju Urade said. Since Tushar is a differently-abled boy, his mother also appealed to Prime Minister Modi to help in his treatment. "We can't afford his treatment. We appeal to Modiji if he can help us in getting him operated in India or outside, if his condition can be treated," she said. Tushar's mother wants him to reach greater heights in life, and requested the government to also provide money to aid his education. Santosh Urade, the proud father of the child, said that Tushar's achievement would be an inspiration to all. Earlier on Sunday, the Prime Minister in the 38th edition of his 'Mann ki Baat' address, shared the boy's story with the country. "You will be amazed to know that Tushar, an eight year old differently-abled, 'Divyang' boy from Madhya Pradesh, had taken a firm resolve to make his village Open defecation free. Such a young child, but his grit and determination were larger and mightier. He cannot speak but he made a whistle his weapon," Prime Minister Modi said. He told that Tushar woke up every morning at 5 am, and awoke everyone else by visiting households of his village and using gesticulation to convey the message to others of not defecating in the open. "He visited 30-40 households each day, and gradually Kumahari village became open defecation free," PM Modi continued. "Our Divyang brothers and sisters are firm in their resolve; they are competent, capable, courageous and determined. Today, they are doing well in every field," the Prime Minster added. Homosexuality is not outlawed in Egypt, but gays have previously been charged with debauchery in the deeply conservative Muslim society. The stepped-up measures follow an outdoor concert in Cairo on September 22 by Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila, when the flag representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community was raised.(Photo: AP/Representational) Cairo: An Egyptian court Monday sentenced 14 men convicted of being homosexuals to three years in jail each for "abnormal" sexual relations, a defence lawyer said. Ishaq Wadie said the men were released on bail of 5,000 Egyptian pounds (USD 283, 230 euros) each until an appeals trial. The trial of three other suspects was delayed over procedural reasons, the lawyer said. Homosexuality is not expressly outlawed in Egypt, but gays have previously been charged with debauchery in the deeply conservative Muslim society. In recent months, authorities have cracked down on people who practice so-called "abnormal" sexual relations, which in Egypt means homosexuality, or for inciting debauchery. The stepped-up measures follow an outdoor concert in Cairo on September 22 by Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila, when the flag representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community was raised. Thirty-one people have been arrested since the show, 10 directly linked with the event, according to judicial and security officials. London-based rights watchdog Amnesty International said the number was more than 70 people, some of whom had been subjected to anal examinations. On November 9, Amnesty condemned a draft bill in the Egyptian parliament that would criminalise homosexuality. The bill lays jail terms of between one and three years for first time offenders, whether the act takes place in public or a private place. Repeat offenders would receive five years. "This deeply discriminatory bill would be a huge setback for human rights and another nail in the coffin for sexual rights in Egypt," said Najia Bounaim, North Africa campaigns director at Amnesty. Pontiff meets Army Chief who faces charges of grave atrocities against Rohingyas. Pope Francis is welcomed upon his arrival at the airport in Yangon. (Photo: AP) Yangon: Pope Francis met Myanmars powerful Army Chief on Monday at the start of a highly sensitive trip to the majority-Buddhist country, which is under fire internationally for a brutal army crackdown that sparked an exodus of Rohingya Muslims. The 80-year-old Pope, the first to travel to Myanmar, received senior General Min Aung Hlaing at the archbishops residence in Yangon, where the pontiff will stay during his visit. The UN and US accuse the Army which the general controls of ethnic cleansing in a campaign that has driven more than 620,000 Rohingya from Myanmars northern Rakhine state into neighbouring Bangladesh since August. The military crackdown on the reviled Rohingya looms large over the popes four-day trip. He has called the Rohingya his brothers and sisters in repeated entreaties to ease their plight. During a 15-minute meeting the Pontiff and the Army Chief spoke of the great responsibility of the countrys authorities in this moment of transition, the Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said. Myanmar was ruled by a junta for five decades until a civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi came to power last year. Earlier on Monday Pope was welcomed at Yangons airport by children from different minority groups in bright bejewelled clothes, who gave him flowers and received a papal embrace in return. Nuns in white habits were among devotees waving flags as his motorcade swept past the golden Shwedagon Pagoda. I saw the Pope... I was so pleased, I cried! Christina Aye Aye Sein, 48, told AFP after the popes convoy received a warm but modest welcome. His face looked very lovely and sweet... He is coming here for peace. Myanmars estimated 700,000 Catholics make up just over one percent of the countrys 51 million people. India and Russia signed a key agreement, asserting that there are no good or bad terrorists and the menace should be fought jointly. The agreement between the two countries was signed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev after they held wide-ranging talks. (Photo: PTI) Moscow: India and Russia Monday agreed to help each other in combating terrorism as the two strategic partners signed a key agreement, asserting that there are no good or bad terrorists and the menace should be fought jointly. The agreement between the two countries for cooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism was signed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev after they held wide-ranging talks. The ministers underlined that cooperation in the field of security is an important aspect of this bilateral relationship further strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism, extremism and radicalism, a statement issued by the Indian embassy said. They agreed that terrorism must be fought in unification and there were no good or bad terrorists, it said. "The new agreement between India's MHA and Russia's interior ministry will replace the October 1993 agreement between both the countries. This agreement will help in expanding and deepening cooperation on issues related to internal security," Singh tweeted after signing the pact. The Indian embassy statement said the two leaders agreed to cooperate in combating new challenges, enhance exchange of information, cooperate in building a data base and in training of police and investigative agencies. Indian and Russian representatives also signed the joint action plan for countering the threat posed by narcotics and the agreement will provide legal framework for bilateral cooperation in this field. The pact was signed by Indian ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran and deputy minister for internal affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Zubov in presence of Singh and Kolokoltsev. The agreement on internal security is an updated and more comprehensive agreement on cooperation on security between the MHA and the Russian ministry of interior. This pact provides a comprehensive approach for help in security related issues, including information technology crimes, counterfeiting currency, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, trafficking in human beings, economic crimes, crimes related to intellectual property, cultural property amongst others, the statement said. During the meeting, the ministers emphasised the strength of the relationship between India and Russia that has been consolidated in the past 70 years in all areas. Before leaving for Russia, Singh said India and Russia share a special relationship which has withstood the test of time over the decades. Singh was scheduled to visit Russia on September 18, 2016, but he had cancelled it following a terror attack on that day at the Brigade headquarters in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 19 Army soldiers were killed. Pope Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue following last week's tentative agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Pope hopes to encourage efforts to contain a crisis that has seen many Rohingyas forced from their homes and left languishing in squalid refugee camps over the border in Bangladesh. (Photo: AFP) Rome: Pope Francis set off on his 21st and possibly most delicate overseas trip yet, a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. The 80-year-old pontiff's plane left Rome en route for Yangon, Myanmar's main city, shortly after 2100 GMT. He will touch down around 0700 GMT Monday hoping to encourage efforts to contain a crisis that has seen many of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority in the mostly Buddhist Myanmar, forced from their homes and left languishing in squalid refugee camps over the border in Bangladesh. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Aides say Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue and further efforts to alleviate the crisis following last week's tentative agreement between the two countries to work towards a return of some of the Rohingya to Myanmar. The IMCTC is a coalition of 41 Muslims countries and currently led by former Pakistan Army Chief General. Since IMCTC only includes Sunni Muslim countries and so far excluded Iran, Iraq and Syria, it was feared that it could be considered as anti-Shiite grouping. (Photo: AFP) Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa Monday left for Riyadh to attend a counter-terror conference hosted by Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar are also accompanying the prime minister and the Chief of Army Staff on a day-long tour, Radio Pakistan reported. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opened the maiden meeting of defense ministers of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition in Riyadh Sunday. Read: Saudi Arabia begins first Islamic counter-terrorism summit The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) is a coalition of 41 Muslims countries and currently led by former Pakistan Army Chief General (retd) Raheel Shareef. The Saudi Crown Prince had announced about the formation of IMCTC in 2015 but it took more than two years to take it a shape. Since IMCTC only includes Sunni Muslim countries and so far excluded Iran, Iraq and Syria, it was feared that it could be considered as anti-Shiite grouping. Shareef, in his address to IMCTC defence ministers Sunday, had said that it was a counter-terrorism alliance and not against any country or any sect. The delegation, led by the prime minister, is expected to hold meetings with the Crown Prince and other officials. During the meetings, bilateral relations, regional and international situation would be reviewed, it said. by Mathias Hariyadi At least five thousand passengers and tourists are looking for alternative ways to leave the island. Ash and debris have reached 4,000 metres. Several villages are in the dark. When Mount Agung erupted in 1963 and 1964, thousands died. Jakarta (AsiaNews) Denpasar International Airport has announced the cancellation of at least 445 flights including 196 international flights because of the dense cloud and smoke over the area as the Mount Agung continues to spew dangerous volcanic ash and steam ahead of an expected major eruption. The volcano is the highest mountain and most active volcano of the island of Bali, Indonesias main tourist destination. Some five thousand passengers are grounded and seeking alternative ways to get off the island. Indonesia has a number of airports capable of handling international flights: Juanda in Surabaya (East Java), Lombok Praya (Lombok Island), Sultan Hasanuddin of Makassar (South Sulawesi), Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan in Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), Adi Soemarmo in Surakarta, Ahmad Yani at Semarang, Adopted in Yogyakarta (all three in Central Java). The decision to close Denpasars Ngurah Rai International Airport was taken early this morning. The volcano began erupting last Friday, billowing ash and rock debris up to 4,000 metres above the mountain summit, enveloping the area in ash clouds. The falling ash has darkened the area around the airport and created problems for three villages, Besakih, Pempatan and Rendang. Winds have also pushed the ash to the southeast, affecting the villages of Amlapura, Amed, and Padangbai. Mount Agung began erupting in September, threatening Balis tourism industry. Locals were forced to flee the most dangerous areas, seeking safety in emergency shelters. Thousands of people and their pets spent time in shelters and then returned until they were forced to evacuate again on Friday. On the slopes of Mount Agung lies the ancient Hindu temple of Besakih, which is likely to have suffered damages from the falling ash. The latest major series of eruption occurred in 1963 and 1964, killing thousands. by Loula Lahham The dead include 27 children. There are 128 wounded. The mosque attack is the first of its kind and the deadliest in the history of modern Egypt. More attacks are feared. It is impossible to protect all mosques. The goal is to weaken the government ahead of next years presidential elections. Survivors tell their stories. Gunmen shot at people fleeing. Cairo (AsiaNews) The last group of victims was buried on Sunday. Local authorities issued 309 death certificates for the families of the victims, a first in the history of Egypt. The death toll includes 27 children, whilst the number of wounded reached 128, distributed in six hospitals in northern Egypt and Cairo. Fridays carnage in the Sinai Peninsula is the first of its kind since Islamist President Mohamad Morsi was removed from office in July 2013. It could happen again, given the large number of mosques filled with millions of believers for Friday prayers. "It is impossible to avoid this kind of attack because it is almost impossible for police forces to secure the mosques, said Hani Al-Aassar, a national security specialist at the Al-Ahram Center for Political & Strategic Studies. The latter have become easy targets for terrorists. The aim of this type of operation is to turn the war on terror into chaos and allow all elements of society to enter the battle so that it can become a civil war. Thus, the state will no longer be able to fight terrorism and any collaboration by citizens with the security forces will be punished by the Islamic State." For Ahmad Zaghloul, a researcher specialising in Islamist groups, deadly attacks like the one against the Sinai mosque have already taken place in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Africa by the terrorist group Boko Haram. "I think that the carnage of the Al-Radwa mosque is the work of the Wilayah Sina (Sinai Province), the Egyptian branch of the so-called Islamic State group, because Al-Qaeda has always opted against attacking mosques." Finally, researcher Samir Ramzi believes that terrorists will expand the range of possible targets to include Sunni civilians. "They will possibly target gatherings of people, regardless of religion, especially with the approach of the presidential elections in 2018. They will be smart to pick unusual targets, other than churches and security points to weaken the state." As experts express their views, witnesses, wounded but able to speak about what exactly happened, are starting to tell their stories. "As soon as I went up to the pulpit to say the sermon I had prepared for the Friday prayer, the grenades exploded, said Abdel-Fattah Rezeik, imam of the mosque that was attacked. Of course, that stopped me. There was chaos everywhere. I fell to the ground because the body of worshipper fell on me. The terrorists thought I was dead. Those who managed to get out of one of the three doors of the mosque were gunned down by automatic weapons." The militarys reply was quick. The Interior Ministry declared the highest level of alert in all governorates and air strikes were carried out in northern and central Sinai Peninsula, killing 45 terrorists. To recapitulate, last Friday, during the usual prayers, masked terrorists attacked the Al-Rawda mosque in Bir Al-Abd, a village west of Al-Arish, in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, with explosives and automatic weapons, killing 309, including 27 children, and wounding 128 others. The victims included soldiers and Sufis. No terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the carnage, but observers believe that it is probably the work of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Sinai Province (Arabic: ad-Dawlah al-Islamiyah fi 'l-Iraq wa-sh-Sham Wilayah Sina) Since Islamist President Mohamad Morsi was ousted in 2013, Egypt has been the scene of attacks by Islamist groups against the security forces in several parts of the country, especially in northern Sinai, where the Islamic State group is particularly active. Behind the scenes of the attack and revelations The terrorists shouted Allahu akbar (God is [the] greatest), as children screamed in fear. No Egyptian broadcaster cited messages of condolence sent to the authorities by Pope Francis, the Catholic and Orthodox Churches of Egypt. For an Egyptian Catholic journalist, this is a significant fact. Three hundred and nine deaths are the second highest death toll in a terrorist act, worldwide as well, after the events of September 11 in the United States. This is the highest death toll in the history of modern Egypt. The explosion of the Russian airplane over the Sinai killed 224. The Assiut attack in 1981 left 118 people dead, the Sharm Al-Sheikh explosions of 2005 killed 88, whilst the Luxor attack in 1997 saw 62 tourists killed. All the witnesses described the attackers in the same way: very young, wearing military trousers and black t-shirts, hooded, long hair and bushy beards. Two of them carried black flags with There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God written on them. Other witnesses said that the attackers surrounded the mosque with 4x4 vehicles and threw bombs inside the building. After they exploded, the gunmen shot at the panicked worshippers trying to flee and set fire to their cars to block the streets leading to the mosque. The attacked mosque belongs to the Sufi community (a moderate spiritual Islamic movement to which approximately 60 per cent of the Egyptian population belongs, but are considered heretical by the Islamic State). In 2016, the latter beheaded one of the greatest Sufi spiritual leaders he was 98 years old. According to the Islamic State security chief, Sufis are dangerous because of their rituals and close collaboration with the Egyptian security forces. During the funeral of most of the victims on Saturday, during the midday prayer, bells tolled in every Egyptian church. The border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, which was set to reopen on Saturday, will remain closed until further notice, a Palestinian official said on Friday. Clean-up and repairs at the mosque are currently underway. Prominent Egyptians plan to pray at the mosque next Friday as a sign of solidarity. A mother lost her husband and three children in this massacre. They said Today, everyone accuses others of being apostate. We shall not finish with such accusations. Khaled Montasser, doctor and secular thinker We condemn this crime and ask for heavenly mercy on behalf of our dead brothers and sisters. Together, Christians and Muslims, we shall fight terrorism. Father Benyamin, pastor in Anba Rweiss The Coptic Orthodox Church and her spiritual leader, Pope Tawadros II, and our Holy Synod, offer their sincerest condolences to our Muslim brothers and sisters. We stand wholeheartedly with them because we went through the same tragedies. Father Boulos Halim, spokesman for the Coptic Orthodox Church We have celebrated the prayer of the deceased in all of Egypts mosques and we feel united in the fight against terrorism. Sheikh Hani Saad, imam of the Al-Azhar Mosque The Armed Forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and bring security and stability with force very soon. The Air Force destroyed several vehicles used in the attack and targeted several terrorist homes with weapons and ammunition. Tamer Al-Rifai, military spokesman by Vladimir Rozanskij A decision by the parliament of Kiev. 30% of families celebrate Christmas as in the West. For the Orthodox Church under Moscow this is a move to marginalize the Church of the Russian "invaders". Fears the celebration will be swamped by consumerism. Gratitude among mixed Catholic and Orthodox families. The fruit of the "two lungs" of Christianity. Moscow (AsiaNews) - The Ukrainian Parliament, the Rada, has included a new holiday in the National Labor Law: December 25, Christian Christmas according to Western tradition, which is added to the orthodox festival of January 7, for the Julian calendar. In exchange, May 2, the day after Labour Day, has been removed. Parliament's decision has triggered many reactions, very critical from the orthodox world. Metropolitan Agafangel (Pahkovskij), head of a secessionist branch of Ukrainian orthodoxy, opposes the move saying he has "lost hope that Ukraine could one day become an Orthodox country." According to the prelate, this will unleash the propaganda of Western Christmas to make it become the main national religious festival, with the complicity of the orthodox Patriarchate of Kiev, who will demand that the Gregorian calendar bee accepted in keeping with their "masters in Istanbul" , that is, the Patriarchate of Constantinople. According to representatives of the leading Ukrainian orthodox community, who are obedient to the Moscow Patriarchate, the Rada's decision does not correspond to the real orientation of the population. In this sense, the head of information of the pro-Russian Church, Archbishop Kliment of Irpensk expressed himself. Recalling that the January 7 Christmas is also traditionally observed by Russians, Georgians, Serbs, the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and even the Ukrainian-Greek Catholic Church, Kliment emphasized that "Christ was born for us once, not twice ... with this decision Rada has shown that it does not take the opinion of the Ukrainians into account. According to all polls, the overwhelming majority of people celebrate January 7, or at least it was so until the election of these new deputies, and so it will be after them. The Bishop spokesman explained the data that 80% of Ukrainians believe Christmas and Easter are the most significant celebrations in the calendar year, and the same percentage of citizens "does not trust these MPs; there is the impression that this is an attempt to transform Christmas from a religious event into a farce, to weaken people's trust in the Orthodox Church and thereby regain consensus. Indeed, for months harsh words have been exchanged between the orthodox obedient to Moscow, which represents half of all the country's orthodox, and the protagonists of Ukrainian politics, starting with President Petro Poroshenko, accused of harassing the Church of the Russian invaders. The controversy widened to relations with other confessions, especially the patriarchate of Kiev and the Greek-Catholics, accused of illegally throwing pro-Russian priests out of churches and expropriating them. The MPs justified their decision by recalling that, according to official data, about 30% of religious communities registered in the country celebrate Christmas on December 25, and they must be granted this right. For example, in the western region of Sub Carpathian Rus, December 25th has been a holiday for several years. Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki, head of the Roman Catholic episcopate in Ukraine, commented on the Rada decision expressing gratitude for a move which, in his view, was highly anticipated by believers of Latin tradition. "We reflected a great deal before submitting this request," said Msgr. Mokrzycki - "we discussed this at all levels. Christmas proclamation on December 25 is not just a gift to Latin Catholics: Protestants, many Greek-Catholics, and many Orthodox people join us in this celebration." Catholics of Latin and Byzantine rites have always celebrated Christmas twice, without creating any scandal, and "this is why we rejoice today, because Christmas can really bring together all the families, especially the many families of mixed traditions; so far, many Latin Catholics were forced to go to work on Christmas Day, and many parishes were forced to move the celebrations to the evening. Now we can experience a real holiday feeling throughout our homeland, throughout Ukraine, "concluded the bishop. Even in Russia December 25, despite being a working day has become increasingly important in recent decades, if not for commercial reasons. The "Christmas" of December 25 is associated with New Year's Eve and the figure of Santa Claus (the "Grandfather of the Russian Fables"), while Christmas Day is celebrated on of January 7 followed by the weeks of "Carnival celebrations" complete with costumes and masks. Among the Eastern Slavs, in general, the contamination of Eastern and Western Christmas traditions expresses the "bivalent" nature of Christianitys "two lungs", Eastern and Western, and the traditions of these lands. by John Ai Online videos showing protests, criticisms of the authorities, and complaints, have been censored. Parents have complained of sexual abuse involving their children. Naked doctors are said to have examined naked children. The military and Meng Jianzhu, a former secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, are said to be involved. The government plans a nationwide inspection of all nursery schools. Beijing (AsiaNews) Public outrage continues over a case of child abuse, where children may have been drugged and made to stand naked at a nursery in Beijing run by educational services provider RYB Education. Many want the truth and accuse the authorities and the military of being implicated. Police arrested a 22-year-old RYB teacher on Saturday and the head of the RYB nursery school was fired. Official media have reported that many people are apologising on the web for spreading unverified claims, yet comments and videos on the matter have been censored. Online reports indicate that Meng Jianzhu, a former secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China, went to Hainan to inspect a RYB nursery. Meng Liang, a shareholder in RYB Education, is suspected by many of having ties to Meng Jianzhu. Official media have reported that a Beijing woman and a Shenzhen man spread rumours about the involvement of government officials. The police found them and forced them to apologise. But the articles did not mention the name of Meng Jianzhu. Members of the military are also suspected of involvement in the scandal. The husband of the nursery director once served in the Tiger Regiment. The nursery stands on land that belongs to the military and members of the military have been accused of molesting children. The Tiger Regiment has denied the allegations, noting that when someone leaves the military he no longer has any connection with it. Official media have reported that the arrest of a woman named Liu who published pictures of soldiers molesting children. Government authorities and nursery administrators have rejected requests by the parents to see videos from the nurserys own CCTV videos. A woman has said that the children were stripped for "medical visits" by naked "doctors". Parents have also said that their children were given injections and pills. The videos parents posted online accusing the nursery were all censored. Official media have focused on child abuse, but have refrained from mentioning claims of sexual abuse. RYB Education Inc. is the first Chinese educational services provider to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. After the scandal became public, the value of its shares plunged. The company plans to spend US $ 50 million to buy back shares to stabilise their value. Some lawyers have offered their services to the childrens families to sue the company in New York. In October 2016, four teachers employed at the RYB nursery school in Siping were convicted on charges of abuse. In early November, another child abuse scandal broke out at a Shanghai nursery. The authorities have announced a nationwide inspection of pre-school facilities to prevent any abuse. Yangon (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis is in Myanmar. The papal plane landed in Yangon, the first stop of his trip, at 13.22 local time. Thus begins his 21st apostolic journey that will then take him to Bangladesh. The Pope was welcomed aboard the plane by the Apostolic Nuncio Msgr. Paul Tschang In-Nam and the head of the protocol. The Pope was officially at Yangon welcomed by a Minister of the President of the Republic Htin Kyaw. Bishops from Myanmar and a hundred children and ethnic groups in a traditional dress were also present. The welcome ceremony was a Guard of Honor, without any speeches. The Pope then headed to the Archbishopric of Yangon where he will reside during his stay in Myanmar. After the celebration of Mass in private, dinner and a period of rest is scheduled. A ship has sailed to the port of Saleef, in an area controlled by Houthi Shiite rebels. At the United Nations cargo there was a commercial vessel containing 5,500 tonnes of wheat flour. WFP: loosening the blockade "positive signal". Unicef: 11 million children in "desperate need". Sana'a (AsiaNews / Agencies) - During these hours, a United Nations ship loaded with food and first aid supplies is sailing into a Yemen port, in an area controlled by Houthi Shiite rebels. For the first time since the Saudi blockade at the beginning of the month and following numerous appeals, the top international body has been able to complete aid delivery to a war-torn population. On November 25, a plane containing medicines was able to land at Sana'a International Airport, in the Yemen capital. Inside, there were 1.9 million doses of vaccines; however, for UNICEF experts it is only a small fraction of what is needed. Yesterday, however, an UN cargo containing thousands of tons of food arrived at the port of Saleef. According to Stephen Anderson, Yemeni Director of the World Food Program (WFP), it carries enough food for 1.8 million people in the northern areas of the country, controlled by the Houthi. Because of the Saudi blockade, the ship has been moored for more than two weeks off the coast while waiting for permission to enter. Th UN cargo was carried by a commercial vessel containing 5,500 tons of grain flour, which was moored at the port of Hudaydah, south of Saleef, also controlled by the Houthi. "This is a positive signal," says Anderson, "because humanitarian aid alone will fail to respond to the overall needs of the North Yemen population." Since January 2015, Yemen has been the scene of a bloody civil war opposing the countrys Sunni elites led by former President Hadi, backed by Riyadh, and Shia Houthi rebels, who are close to Iran. In March 2015, a Saudi-led Arab coalition began attacking the rebels, sparking criticism from the United Nations over heavy casualties, including many children. So far, some 10,000 people, including more than 3,700 civilians, have been killed, and at least 2.5 million have been displaced. In recent days, the apostolic vicar also confirmed to AsiaNews the gravity of the "disaster". The war has particularly affected children. According to UNICEF experts 11 million are in the "desperate need" of humanitarian aid. Geert Cappelaere, regional director of the UN childrens organization, points out that "today it is easy to say that Yemen is one of the worst places on Earth to be a child." "Today's - he concludes - estimates say that every 10 minutes a child dies in Yemen from an easily curable illnesses." Amazons Australian warehouse is finally open: so what? So, Amazon opened its first fulfilment warehouse in Australia last Thursday, to the sounds of the incumbent retailers either telling us that they will have no effect, or just not acknowledging the appearance of a giant shadow on the landscape. Back in 2015, Whole Foods founder John Mackey waved off Amazon, observing that groceries were a step too far for them. Pity for him he was absolutely wrong, and now works for Jeff Bezos. Does that sound like Gerry Harvey recently? It seems to me that the most valuable warehouse Amazon has is not the new behemoth outside Melbourne, but the data warehouse that has been capturing our digital footprints for the last decade. Last Christmas, my wife of 35 years was moaning that she did not know what to get me, while Amazon was regularly making suggestions of things I might like, and they were usually pretty good suggestions based on the data they collected. In one sense at least, Amazon knows me better than my wife. Scary, but just another example of the value of data. Via Amazon Web Services, the biggest in the cloud services business, and growing like crazy, Amazon has their hands around the throats of a huge pile of data on all of us. Add to that the data Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest, Twitter, and all the rest have on us that can be leveraged, and the world of boring old retail in a shop is no longer. Harvey Norman has a current market capitalisation of $A4.3 billion, Coles about 18 Billion, and Woolworths 35 Billion, and all are struggling. Amazon has a current capitalisation of almost $US1.6 Trillion, (a trillion is a million, million, I had to look it up to be sure) and rising steadily. Amazon is more than a huge retailer, it is a collection of businesses and dreams that spans a huge range of activities and interests of Jeff Bezos, who has built this giant in 21 years from a simple book selling landing page in 1996. We always think about on line as being about convenience and price, but it is more than that, it is an immersive experience, we are becoming digital natives. Our addiction to the screens and devices is advancing at a rapid rate. Nir Eyal documents the means by which we become addicted to technology, but as a suggestion, ask your teenager to switch of the notifications on their phone, and there would be a revolution. So, digital has become immersive, but that is what Bricks and Mortar retail currently has as their primary competitive advantage, you can go in, and touch, feel, try on the stuff, it is a tactile experience. What will happen as AI and VR explodes onto the scene, you may be able to try on clothes at home, change sizes, colours, combinations, how immersive will that be?? The reality is that Amazon could buy Woolies and Coles out of petty cash and barley notice the bump in their cash flow. The same could be said about Alibaba, Chinas answer to Amazon, that is in fact bigger on most measures, but is an entirely different business model, so is unlikely to venture into the space Amazon is carving out. Last Thursday was no more than just another day, the opening of Amazons warehouse, just another small brick in the wall Amazon is building. We all knew the opening was coming, but it is just that the pace is picking up, and the retail incumbents are being left behind, as our lives change. Allen Roberts is a guest contributor to Australian Food News and writes another of his regular articles here. He is the Director of Strategy Audit www.strategyaudit.com.au and has worked in the food sector for more than 35 years. To read his full biography click HERE. Related articles Health Star Ratings increasingly popular with shoppers Independent monitoring conducted by the National Heart Foundation has found the Health Star Rating System is increasingly popular with shoppers. The Heart Foundation found that more than three in five Australians who brought a product with a Health Star rating (HSR) said it influenced their purchasing choice. One in two shoppers said they had brought a product they normally would not because of the HSR. Australians trust the HSR to inform healthy food choices The Chair of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation, the Assistant Minister for Health, Dr David Gillespie, said the findings showed Australians trust the HSR system to inform healthy food choices. They understand it. And, more and more, theyre using it to inform their choice of food products when they walk along the supermarket aisle, Minister Gillespie said. At least 150 companies are now using the HSR system with more than 8, 400 supermarket products displaying a HSR. Most Australians find HSR easy to understand finds study The survey found most Australians (74 per cent) find the HSR easy to understand and 75 per cent find it easy to use. The study findings were based off an online survey which was answered by 2, 500 shoppers. The HSR was first implemented three years ago. In a release, the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation said the Heart Foundations findings showed that the HSR is being adopted as a natural part of Australias food buying behaviour. The findings also indicate the food industrys uptake of and adherence to the system and its guidance documents, the release said. Five-year review of HSR underway The forum said the implementation of HSR has been progressing well but said there is always room for improvement. The formal five year review of the Health Star Rating system is currently underway. The Ministerial Forum encourages stakeholders to participate in consultations and looks forward to receiving the report of the independent review in 2019, the forum said in its statement. Related articles Melbourne Polytechnic now offering qualifications in greengrocery A Melbourne TAFE is now offering courses in greengrocery. From February 2018, Melbourne Polytechnic is offering a Certificate II and Certificate III in Greengrocery. Melbourne Polytechnic says it is the first education facilities in the world to offer qualifications in greengrocery. Fotina Babalis, Melbourne Polytechnic Service Delivery Manager at Melbourne Market Authority, said there are a number of outcomes to the new study course. There are a number of outcomes, but one of the most important outcomes is that we have employees that will be trained to work and remain within the wholesale or retail arm of greengrocery, Babalis said. It has been very challenging to retain employees; [store owners] would train them in-house and theyd work for a while and then theyd leave for other opportunities. Babalis said the qualifications is something the industry has needed for some time. This industry has a high turnover of staff and so we are hoping that by undertaking these courses, staff can be properly trained and be retained throughout the industry. The certificates were developed in partnership with Melbourne Polytechnic, Melbourne Market Authority and skilled greengrocers. Throughout their studies, students will learn how to identify different fruit and vegetable varieties and how to give advice to customers. The students will also learn how to package and display items, how to handle and store produce and how to place orders from suppliers. Anyone from school leavers right through to those already in the industry can undertake either of the available certificates. Related articles SA Food 2017 industry award winners announced Recipient of The University of Adelaide Education and Training Award Haighs Chocolates at the FoodSA awards Gala dinner 2017. Pic James Knowler / JK+Crew The winners of the 2017 South Australian Food Industry Awards have been announced. Taking home this years Duncan MacGillivray Entrepreneur Award was Tom Robinson and Roger Edwards for turning pipis into a gourmet food product. The 2017 San Remo Hall of Fame inductee was Nippys beverages. Food South Australia Chief Executive Officer, Catherine Sayer, said the 2017 winners typify the diverse range of food and beverage products manufactured in South Australia. Our state is home to highly skilled entrepreneurs and to businesses of all sizes who are contributing significantly, and consistently, to South Australias economic growth, Sayer said. It is critical to recognise and build on best practice, and this is something our industry does well, partly through these awards. The South Australian Food Industry Awards program, hosted by Food South Australia, and supported each year by Primary Industries and Regions SA, has become a benchmark for industry excellence, she said. The awards have been running for 19 years. Complete list of winners The full list of the 2017 South Australian Food Industry Award Wines are as follows: San Remo Hall of Fame Inductee: Nippys Duncan MacGillivray Entrepreneur Award: Tom Robinson and Roger Edwards Bickfords Group Leader Award: Kris Lloyd University of Adelaide Education Award: Haighs Chocolates Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Education Foundation of South Australia Business Excellence Award: Beerenberg Farm (More than 15 FTEs) and Skara Smallgoods (15 FTEs or less) (More than 15 FTEs) and (15 FTEs or less) Visy Export Award: Beston Global Food Company South Australian Research and Development Institute Innovation Food Award: Raw Nation Wholefoods (More than 15 FTEs) and Greenwheat Freekeh (15 FTEs or less) (More than 15 FTEs) and (15 FTEs or less) Food Processing Equipment Innovation Business Award: Wakefield Grange Foodland SA New Product Award: MOO Premium Foods Boysenberry and Super Acai Yoghurt (More than 15 FTEs) and Section28 Artisan Cheeses Los Hermanos cheese (15 FTEs or less) Boysenberry and Super Acai Yoghurt (More than 15 FTEs) and Los Hermanos cheese (15 FTEs or less) Peats Soil and Garden Supplies Sustainability Award: Ceravolo Orchards (More than 15 FTEs) and Skara Smallgoods (15 FTEs or less) (More than 15 FTEs) and (15 FTEs or less) Thomas Foods International Primary Producer Award: Ceravolo Orchards (More than 15 FTEs) and Bultarra Saltbush Lamb (15 FTEs or less) (More than 15 FTEs) and (15 FTEs or less) Moore Stephens South Australia Service Provider Award: HMPS (More than 15 FTEs) and Wakefield Grange (15 FTEs or less) (More than 15 FTEs) and (15 FTEs or less) PIRSA Regional Award: Sundrop Farms Statewide Super Consumer Award: Robern Menz Related articles By Feras Dayoub, Research Fellow with the Australian centre for robotic vision, Queensland University of Technology Besjunior/Shutterstock Industrial robots have existed since the 1960s, when the first Unimate robotic arm was installed at a General Motors plant in the United States. Nearly six decades on, why dont we have capable robots in our homes, beyond a few simple domestic gadgets? One of the reasons is that the rules and conventions that govern our everyday lives are not as perfect as the rules that govern the process of, say, assembling a car. Our everyday rules do not cover all possible scenarios. This makes them filled with inconsistencies that will render useless any robot that strictly follows them. Read more: Will technology take your job? New analysis says more of us are safer than we thought, but not all For robots to play a more involved role in our lives, such as personal caregivers or reliable home cooks and chefs, they will have to move away from following the simple rule-based operating procedures used by current robots. Lets improvise One potential solution is to build robots in a way that when they face a tricky situation, they can improvise. They would do this by using their past experiences from training, combined with some context of their current situation. This approach will most likely lead to them making very complex decisions. But there is no guarantee that the robot will choose an action that follows the social norms. These actions may appear to us humans as cheating and sometimes rude or even unfair. So how are we going to teach a robot to act in a courteous, ethical and honourable way? Is this even a reasonable expectation? Can robots improvise? Consider your washing machine. One morning you are late, and in a hurry you put your clothes into the machine and pick the wrong washing program. A machine that simply follows the programmed rules will happily run and potentially ruin your favourite clothes. How annoying. For an artificial intelligence (AI) powered washing machine to avoid this situation, it would have to go through a complex decision process to improvise. The machine might use its cameras to detect the brands of the clothes youre putting in the machine and then look them up online to find out the best washing program. But you were in a hurry and you mixed multiple types of fabric together. This means that one washing program will be fine for some clothes but completely ruin others. A simple AI might decide to pause the machine and message you to ask for your decision. Ah, but because you were in a hurry, you have left your phone behind. And the AI knows you need that washing done today so again, it must improvise. Decision time The next level of decision is for the AI to decide which of your clothes is the most sentimental to you, and save it. This is a much more complex process. The AI now has to go through years of your recorded history to detect significant moments in your life and check if you were wearing any of the clothes you mindlessly put in the machine. But what is a significant moment and how can an AI detect it? The AI-powered washing machine has now decided which washing program to run. It is for your heavily dirty white cotton t-shirt from your first year in college. It is using hot water and a long rinse. This improvised decision may have ruined some of the other clothing but it resulted in you having your favourite t-shirt ready for you to wear that evening to a reunion with old friends (the AI had checked your diary). How likely is all of this? Robotics and AI researchers around the world are already demonstrating robots that can learn and improvise. The robotic marimba player Shimon has played in a jazz band since 2015 to packed music venues. It listens to the music of the human band members as they improvise, and joins in. Improvising musical robots are one thing, but cheating or deceitful robots are an altogether scarier idea. In 2010 researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology demonstrated how one robot could deceive another robot by exploiting its vulnerabilities. The experiments involved the robots playing hide-and-seek. One robot would pretend it was in one location while secretly hiding in another. The benefits of enabling robots and AI to cheat are studied as part of research in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Some of the results reported so far reveal that a cheating robot has more human-like attributes, that lead to a more natural interaction between it and the people with whom it interacts. The philosophical debate This topic of machine morality is deep and complex with no straightforward answers but its a recipe for a debate that emerges from the philosophy of morality. This debate began with the science fiction literature from the mid-20th century specifically Isaac Asimovs Three Laws of Robotics introduced in his 1942 short story Runaround. As robots and AI become more capable, this debate is becoming central to our lives. Read more: An AI professor explains: three concerns about granting citizenship to robot Sophia Philosophical thinkers have already been asking questions about the challenge of moral machines and machines and moral reasoning with a message to the HRI community that we should: [] be careful what one wishes for it may come true. Therefore, we should be very careful about what abilities we program into computers, and what responsibilities we assign to them. In the end, if the machines are coming, it is humans who are constructing them. We are still asking questions today about the morality of machines, and whether we can teach AI and robots to understand about right and wrong. We have a long way to go before we can build sophisticated robots with a moral compass. The ongoing debate on the issue will not only help us build better robots but it will also make us reflect on our own ethical practices, hopefully leading us towards a better humanity. Jonathan Roberts is a Chief Investigator at the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Professor Michael Milford is a Chief Investigator at the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, an Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Microsoft Research Faculty Fellow and Founding Director of the education startup Math Thrills Pty Ltd. He receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Queensland Government, Caterpillar Corporation, Mining3, Microsoft, the Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development and AMP. Feras Dayoub does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Originally published in The Conversation. Photo: Tesla Tesla has posted the prices for its upcoming electric truck, the Tesla Semi, showing a base price of $150,000 for the base model. The base model will have a 300-mile range, less than the 500-mile figure given by company founder and CEO Elon Musk at the Tesla Semis introduction in late November. The 500-mile range version will sell for $180,000. The company is already accepting reservations for the vehicle at $20,000 a pop. The truck is expected to go into production in 2019. If you balked at the aforementioned base prices, Tesla will also offer a limited-edition Founders Series truck for $200,000, requiring a $200,000 reservation. Tesla will only produce 1,000 Founders Series Tesla Semis. Teslas vice president of truck and programs, Jerome Guillen, gave a presentation at an electric truck conference in Europe. While he was speaking about the Tesla Semis future in the European market, he did offer a few more details about the truck. For one thing, Guillen said Tesla would be its own first customer, using the Tesla Semi to haul cargo between its facilities in Freemont, Calififornia, and its Gigafactory just outside of Reno, Nevada, a route of about 260 miles. Most of what Guillen presented to the audience in Europe was a rehash of specs and expected performance marks that were given at Teslas official launch. However, he did comment that the truck would have a similar cargo capacity to diesel trucks, implying that the weight of the Tesla Semi would not be significantly more or less than an average Class 8 truck something many skeptics doubt is possible. Guillen did not give an expected launch date for the Tesla Semi in the European market, but promised a vague timing that would come after things are good in the U.S. Erich Sixt, CEO of Sixt SE, spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of Sixt's new North American headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. Photo courtesy of Sixt. If you ask the CEOs of global companies particularly the ones representing mainline industries where they see the growth potential for their brands, they might mention the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) countries. With a footprint in 118 countries, Pullach, Germany-based Sixt SE is the fifth largest car rental company in the world, but its growth aspirations arent concentrated on emerging markets. Its the U.S. in the next decade, said Erich Sixt, CEO of Sixt SE, from the companys new U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, which he came to christen on Nov. 17. Sixt bought the building and spent $10.4 million to renovate it, and the move is expected to create 300 local jobs. This new headquarters shows our commitment to the United States, Sixt said. It has room for expansion, which were planning. When asked about the challenge to grow in the U.S., the oldest car rental market, Sixt replied: When I started in Munich in 1969, I was a lonely cowboy with one location and 200 cars. There were the global companies, Hertz, Avis, and Europcar. [To grow] we took pieces of the cake away from the competition. Sixts U.S. fleet has grown three times as fast as it did from 1969, Sixt said. Sixt referenced the companys market share in Miami, which has grown to 11.8% since opening in 2011. Growth Now In the U.S., Sixt first planted its flag in leisure destinations popular with Europeans, particularly in Florida. But to be a relevant national player, We have to expand as quickly as possible into the major U.S. airports; its a must for us, Sixt said. Sixts goal is to open in the top 30 airports and then concentrate on growing its corporate business. In addition to contracted international accounts, the corporate focus would also be on small to midsize companies that are service-oriented but less price sensitive: The lawyers, the auditors, people who like to drive nice cars, Sixt said. Airport locations would be complemented by downtown locations. Insurance replacement business will come, but only after the company has achieved greater nationwide coverage, Sixt said. Sixts original U.S. plan included growth through franchising. Many of those initial franchises have been bought back by Sixt, though a franchisee base remains. The immediate goal now is to expand through corporate-owned stores. Once weve reached our goal of covering the major airports, we can revert back to franchising, but not in the near future, Sixt said. While the immediate focus in Europe and the U.S. will be on corporate growth, franchising will still be part of the strategy in the rest of the world, Sixt said. Growth How? The Sixt European fleet is comprised of 61% premium vehicles; the U.S. fleet is slightly less but trending upward, Sixt said. Sixt claims the largest BMW and Mercedes-Benz fleet worldwide. The Sixt value proposition is predicated on renting these types of premium vehicles for economy car prices. Along with a high-touch employee base and premium branding cues such as orange-lit counters, this would seem to present greater cost-management challenges than other rental companies. This is where managing overall vehicle depreciation is paramount, Sixt said, which is accomplished through smart fleet buys as well as its state-of-the-art pricing and yield management systems, developed by hundreds of programmers in Ukraine, India, and southern Germany. If youre smart, the depreciation on a luxury car can be less than on an economy car, Sixt said. If you purchase the right car with the right equipment and understand what the consumer wants, you can have low depreciation. Sixt has grown in the U.S. without traditional marketing, and that strategy wont be altered. If I were to invest $50 million in marketing now, wed have a growth rate we simply could not digest, Sixt said. Sixt said the companys U.S. operations are profitable. On pricing, Sixt sees the U.S. competition acting rationally, which bodes well for 2018. Evolution Ready Regarding the potential disruption brought on by the evolution of transportation, Sixt believes there is more noise than action at this point, and that the majority of renters still want the human factor found at the rental counter. People are talking and talking, he said. Autonomous driving will come later than most people think. For us, it doesnt matter if they drive the car or its driven by a computer. They still need a car. That said, Sixt referenced the companys present mobility initiatives DriveNow, its carsharing partnership with BMW, and myDriver, a premium ride-hailing service that complement Sixts fleet management and retail leasing businesses. Sixt has the telematics capabilities to turn the traditional fleet to carsharing at any given moment If we can do it profitably, he said. For now, Sixt is concentrating on the potential to grow in the U.S., embodied by the new headquarters. It looks better than our headquarters in Germany, Sixt said. Its like walking into a start-up company. Ive become younger here. On the importance of the U.S. market, Sixt doesnt mince words. In 10 years time, Europe will be a branch of the U.S. he said. The place where were sitting right now could be the headquarters of Sixt worldwide and the CEO will move from Germany to Florida. A meditation and sharing support group that brings together the practice of meditation, Buddhist teachings and the 12 steps of recovery integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation. The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests. There are no requirements to attend our meetings. Suggested donation: $5 The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests. There are no requirements to attend our meetings. Suggested donation: $5 Kenyans have nothing to lose if Raila Odinga retires peacefully. -BUZEKI said. PHOTO| FILE Raila Odinga has been urged to respect the rule of law and go down for President-Elect Uhuru Kenyatta. He was called to stop the National resistance movement as it will kill the economy of Kenya which is now staggering already.Bundotich Zedekia Kiprop, popularly known as Buzeki, said in Kuresoi on Sunday that Raila should spare Kenyans the agony, go home and leave citizens to chart their destiny."The swearing in of a President is respected globally and if Raila will interrupt it, he deserves to be dealt with properly," he said at a church service."We owe him nothing in his twenty years of seeking the presidency. He should now spare us and retire in peace."He said Kenyans have been rallying behind Raila since 1997 and hence he should let go of the claim to the presidency after the unsuccessful attempts.When I failed to secure Uasin Gishu governor seat, I supported Mandago," Kiprop said adding despite being out of office, he still feels he is a leader."I have been serving people several years back before I contested for governor. I will still do because I am a leader, " he said.He said that Raila Odinga has nothing to show to Kenyans that why he keeps on failing and Kenyans have nothing to lose and mind if he goes home in Bondo.BUZEKI who failed to get the Uasin Gishu top seat to Jackson Mandago urged the people of Kenya to deny any calls from Raila Odinga as he is the "Lord of Poverty and debts". Nicholas Mrima Wanyepe arrested and detained in Kilifi police cells. PHOTO | Courtesy GSU officers disperse angry supporters of Nicholas Wanyepe who were on April 23, 2017 protesting at the ODM Kilifi officers after he lost the Kilifi South parliamentary ticket to businessman Ken Chonga. PHOTO | KAZUNGU SAMUEL | NATION MEDIA GROUP Kilifi south ODM candidate Nicholas Mrima Wanyepe spends his night in police cells in Kilifi Police station following orders to arrest him from "above". Wanyepe was arrested following allegations that he knew where Raila Odinga will be swearing-in tomorrow.The Police claim that he had clue and evidence to show that Raila Odinga swearing-in ceremony will be conducted tomorrow. "We heard that you know where the swearing ceremony for Raila Odinga is already set." one Police officer said.Nicholas Mrima Wanyepe, who contested the partys primaries early this year but was defeated by current Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga was arrested on Saturday in Mtwapa and transferred to Kilifi Police Station.Police said he was arrested for possessing material that may incite the public against the Government. But local activists said Wanyepe was detained for handing out NASAs branded National Resistance Movement NRM T-shirts."I had no intention or any information about where Raila Odinga will be swearing in. I even do not anything regarding the ceremony. Nairobi ODM leaders will be in a good position to explain that. " Said Wanyepe.Kilifi County Commander Ben Kogo said Wanyepe would be arraigned in court today. I am out of Kilifi but that is what I was briefed. He is in custody and we shall take him to court on Monday, said Kogo.According to Charles Omollo, a youth leader from Kilifi, Wanyepe was arrested while coming from church. According to the charges, the police claim he knows where NASA leader Raila Odinga will be sworn in, said Omolo.Police also are in Man-hunt for another ODM official in Kilifi who declared that they do not recognize Uhuru Kenyatta as the President of Kenya in Public. The Man named by the coast region coordinator Nelson Marwa is among the people who pushed for Peoples assembly in Kilifi county assembly. Some drivers are taking matters into their own hands to keep from waiting in line at a busy Bradenton intersection. No right turn lane on 43rd Street at Cortez Boulevard Some drivers cut through businesses, which is illegal Have a Traffic Inbox story for Chuck? Click here The problem area is southbound on 43rd Street into the light at Cortez Boulevard. "All the way to the next light, probably at least a half a mile," resident Rick Blevins said when asked about the traffic backup. There are two southbound lanes at the light: one left-turn lane and the through lane. A right on red is legal at the through lane, but drivers apparently get impatient at the stopped cars in front of them. A right turn lane would make the overall wait less for everyone. Blevins said some drivers get creative to keep from waiting in line. "You do see a lot of people cutting through CVS, or sometimes if you're smart enough, people cutting through Ironwood and Pinebrook to get to Cortez," he said. A blue Corvette was one of several vehicles observed by Spectrum Bay News 9 entering the parking lot off 43rd Street and out on the other side at Cortez. That action is illegal in Florida and could result in a $158 fine and driver's license points. "Just widen it up a little bit and put a right turn lane in," Blevins said. "You've got the folks here in the middle that can go straight, people in the right turn lane can turn right and everybody can get to where they're going, on time." There is plenty of available right of way on both sides of the road. According to Nick Azzara with Manatee County, they are budgeting now for many new projects. Real Time Traffic Expert Chuck Henson looked at the list of projects on the books funded by the half-cent tax. Almost $16 million has been allocated for improvements on 43rd Street, but that work does not include the intersection. An Orlando man accused of shooting at two people during a road rage incident on Floridas Turnpike Saturday has been arrested, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Suspect arrested in road rage shooting Kwanza Jermaine Donald charged with 2 counts attempted murder RELATED: Troopers search for suspect in road rage shooting on Florida's Turnpike Kwanza Jermaine Donald, 33, is charged with two counts of attempted murder. Troopers said he fired 13 rounds from his gun Saturday while driving southbound on the turnpike near State Road 50. A 37-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl from Miami in a Chevrolet Impala were shot. Both were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center with minor injuries. Donald contacted law enforcement earlier Sunday, according to Sgt. Kim Montes. He said he shot at people he believed were trying to kill him, an arrest report said. Donald told investigators someone was trying to kill him while he worked for FedEx in Houston, Texas. When asked why he fired at the other vehicle on the turnpike on Saturday, Donald told investigators the vehicle "resembled the vehicle that had been shooting at him in Texas." He has been commuting back and forth from Florida to Texas, the report said. After being interviewed by troopers, Donald was placed under arrest. A handgun was also located inside his vehicle, troopers said. Troopers reviewed surveillance video from the scene and were able to identify his vehicle. Donald is being held in the Lake County Jail. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Sitting outside her motorhome at Indian Springs Campground and RV Park in Kountze, one word came to Lyska Shaffer's mind while reflecting on 85 years of life: Perfect. "I think I've pretty much lived a perfect life," Shaffer said. "I'd do it all over again." Shaffer knew she was a thrill-seeker from a young age, and as the years went by, her desire to take off on daring adventures only grew. Growing up in Beaumont, she once jumped off the roof of her garage with arms spread wide while holding a bedspread like she was skydiving. Decades later, Shaffer no longer pretends. She's jumped from planes, ridden across the country on her motorcycle and done just about anything else she could think of to get an adrenaline rush. "I want to be scared," Shaffer said. "That's why I do these things, I like that feeling in my stomach that let's me know I'm alive." Shaffer, a South Park High School graduate, married her now late husband, Grady, on her 17th birthday in 1949. The couple had four boys in the next five years. Once the children were old enough to travel, Shaffer was eager to make up for lost time. The entire family would pile into their motorhome with a cross-country destination circled on the map. "We'd just pack up and hit the road," said Kent Shaffer, the youngest of Lyska Shaffer's boys. "It didn't matter where we were going, we all loved to travel together." A trip to Yellowstone National Park particularly sticks out in Lyska Shaffer's memory, camping in the woods and sleeping by the fire in tents. "All we had was a little gas money and about $30 to spend," she said. "That was the most fun I've ever had. We were poor, but we didn't know it." It was on one of these cross-country trips that Lyska Shaffer first found the inspiration to ride motorcycles. While camping in Colorado, she met a woman riding a motorcycle by herself through the countryside. "I sized her up and thought, 'If she can do it, I can do it,'" she said. So when her husband gave her a diamond watch a few years after, Lyska sold it and bought a Yamaha 500 motorcycle. Six weeks later, she had her motorcycle license and was riding across the country with her 10-year-old adopted daughter on the back. Lyska kept riding that motorcycle until she bought a new Honda 500 about 15 years ago. That was around the same time she had both her knees artificially replaced. Still, she wanted more. So she went back to her childhood dream of skydiving. Lyska first started looking for places to skydive five years ago, but her search was more difficult than anticipated. She was turned down by multiple skydiving locations because of her age and her artificial knees created a health risk. In 2014, she finally found a company that would let her jump. Lyska traveled to Skydive Spaceland outside of Houston, flew thousands of feet up in the air, then took the plunge along with an instructor on a tandem dive. "They made me do the tandem because my knees probably couldn't take the landing," Lyska said. "After that first moment of truth jumping out, it's kind of boring to be honest." Christy West, communications director for Skydive Spaceland, said customers Lyska's age and older are not uncommon. The company's had people in their mid-90s make the jump, West said. "It's absolutely a bucket-list item for a lot of people that age," West said. "It's pretty great to see people living their lives the way they want to and not holding anything back." Lyska has jumped multiple times since then, but said she now only goes back if someone she knows wants to try it for the first time. Skydiving costs about $200 dollars per jump, and Lyska has more important things to spend her money on, she said. Lyska's Bevil Oaks home, which her husband built just a few years after they were married, was flooded during Tropical Storm Harvey. She lost everything inside and outside of the home, including her 1977 Dodge van with red, white and blue interior. "Bevil Oaks flooded before and the house was completely fine," Lyska said. "I didn't realize how different this time would be." So Lyska took her motorhome, which she financed in February, and evacuated to Indian Springs Campground and RV Park. Her brother Ronnie Stockholm owns and operates the campground. Stockholm, 71, is just a few years older than Lyska's children and often took trips with the family. "Ronnie is like one of my boys," Lyska said. "He has so much goodness in his heart." Lyska hopes to move into a smaller home in Beaumont by Christmas. For now, she's planning her next thrill while living full-time at the campground. She wants to go white-water rafting and ride donkeys down through the Grand Canyon. "I'm not afraid of anything, and I want to try everything," Lyska said. "That's always how I lived my life, and I'm not going to stop now." MFaye@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/mattGfaye This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate For days after Harvey flooded her Sour Lake neighborhood, Deanna Coburn's farm was silent, without its usual chorus of bleating goats and crowing roosters. Her chickens fled to the highest parts of the roosts, the ducks struggled to keep their head above the strong current of water pouring out of Pine Island Bayou, and her goats and pigs took refuge on stacks of pallets and hay, barely above the water. Once the water receded, she hoped the worst was over, but months later, she's still worrying about Harvey's effects on Cozy Critters Farm. She checks the goats' eyelids daily for signs of infection and her chickens took weeks to start laying eggs again. When it rains, they're skittish and scared. She's lost several goats already, and isn't sure how many more she'll lose. > > ICYMI: Man behind 'MTV Cribs: Harvey Edition' video helped others with donations Across Southeast Texas, Harvey's toll on animals and agriculture is still unclear. Jefferson County Agriculture Agent Allen Homann said he still can't estimate how many animals died in the floods, and how many died later even after they were rescued by boats from swamped pastures. The impact of the storm on land will likely cause future problems. Flooding damaged grass that ranchers were relying on to feed their cattle through the fall, forcing them to spend more on hay and feed, Homann said. Business will hurt, too. Some who lost cattle may decide to sell the rest of the herd and leave the industry, while others will need to spend money to replenish their numbers. "It's been two months of just trying to get by and keep the cattle going," Hamshire rancher Harold Clubb said. "Basically what we're going to have to do is just try to get by until spring." The parasite threat As Kirby, a goat bottle-fed as a kid, rubbed his head against the fence, looking for attention, Coburn held his face still and checked his eyes, looking at the colors of his eyelids. "If it's white, it's too late," she said. The color indicates a parasite causing anemia. Barber pole worms, which can be deadly, thrive in grass in warm, humid conditions, and infect the goats that eat the grass. > > MORE: PA plant had largest wastewater spill in Texas after Harvey Harvey and the weather that followed - cool, dry days before a stretch of heat and humidity - created perfect conditions for parasites and insects to thrive, Homann said. "That's kind of just mother nature at its finest," he said. "With the amount of water running through and flooding, you can't control stuff that's that extreme." Rancher Mike Doguet said an infestation of armyworms followed the storm. "We got the flood, then we got armyworms, the only thing left was locusts," he said. The worms "eat everything green," and destroy fields, he said. While the insects are an annual occurrence, this year's infestation was far worse than normal, forcing him to treat his ranch and turf farm. Coburn is hoping for a cold, dry winter to kill the parasites, so she won't still be dealing with them come spring. Animals standing in floodwaters and being forced to swim has brought about other concerns. Hoof and skin rot and swollen legs were common among animals in flooded pastures. Doguet, who was able to move his cattle to higher ground for most of Harvey, said he had to treat his herd for pneumonia after the storm. > > HARVEY AFTERMATH: Beaumont ISD trustee resigns due to Harvey It was caused by the water and stress, he said. "We had calves starting to get sniffy noses, you can tell. We did have to give them antibiotics to get them back in good shape." Several of Coburn's goats have died from other bacteria issues despite her best efforts at de-worming, she said, and some of her pregnant goats lost their kids. Clubb said some of his cattle lost 200 to 300 pounds, both because they couldn't eat and from stress. "After the storm, they just stood there for a while," Clubb said. "You couldn't move them or drive them. They'd been in water where they had to swim, you just couldn't get them to move. They were afraid to go anywhere, because it got worse in any direction they went." "It's just been hard on them. A lot of them got lame, some lost weight. It's hard to describe the full effect it has on a cow," Clubb said, Coburn estimates it will take a good year or so for the animals to fully recover. "If it rains, they freak out," she said. "They run, they have PTSD." Impact on diet "The main long-term effect for the agriculture side is the supplemental feeding of the animals through the winter," Homann said. That's due to two problems. Hay that was stored was flooded and destroyed, and the flooding and oxygen depletion damaged the grass. "Just like people, you can only hold your breath for so long because it goes downhill," he said. When grass is deep underwater without air, it loses nutrients and the root structure is damaged, he said. > > MORE: SETX town tops state for FEMA assistance applications post-Harvey He's suggesting that people aerate their fields to let oxygen back into the roots, which will help the grass grow back better in the spring. Homann also recommends getting soil tested to see what nutrients are lacking, so they can target it with the right fertilizer in the spring. He admits that's a long-term approach to an immediate problem. "We basically won't have regular grazing until next April or May," Clubb said. For now, "it's just trying to get by." He estimated that he'll use twice as much hay as in a normal year, an extra expense to take on after the storm. Businesses hurting Business will take time to bounce back, as well. Clubb said he'll have fewer cows to sell this year, and will need to spend more to buy more to replace those who drowned or died after the storm. "You've got added expenses and less potential income, you've got to get friendly with your banker," he said. Smaller-scale businesses like Coburn's are hurting, too. She's got fewer chickens and turkeys to sell, because the storm hit when she would normally have been incubating them. There aren't many buyers for animals or eggs, either, she said, because money is tight and people are focused on rebuilding more than anything else. The animals she has been able to sell have been at a loss. Buyers paid $25 each for piglets that usually sell for more than $100, she said. She's thinking about downsizing the farm, because she and her husband need to focus time and money on repairing their home and barn, and caring for the remaining animals. That's the same decision many ranchers are going to be considering, Homann said. "Those guys that lost cattle are deciding, 'do we buy more, do we start over, do we sell the rest of what we've got?'" he said. Harvey's long-term effects on agriculture in the area won't be known for at least a year, he said. "We'll have to have a year or two of data to see the kind of local markets and if they've changed," he said. LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they will not hear the Jefferson County Courthouse shooter's appeal of his 2013 death penalty conviction. Bartholomew Granger, 46, filed an appeal with the nation's highest court on Aug. 15, after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied his appeal in May. A North Carolina man that led police on vehicle chase through Vidor was held at gunpoint by a Southeast Texas motorist after trying to steal his vehicle, according to information from the Vidor Police Department. Diego Gomez, 22, has been charged with evading arrest and aggravated kidnapping. The Monroe, N.C. man may also face charges in Louisiana. Bengali Muslims in the northeastern Indian state of Assam await the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) later this year, as millions of alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh face the risk of being rendered stateless. The NRC, which is being updated for the first time since 1951, is aimed at detecting and deporting an estimated 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants living in India, according to the government. The updated registry is slated to be released on Dec. 31. In Dhaka, government officials repeatedly refuted New Delhis claim of an illegal influx, making deportation almost impossible since Bangladesh does not accept those who have crossed into India as its citizens. We are having sleepless nights, Faiz Rehman, a resident of Assams Muslim-dominated Barpeta district, told BenarNews. I have been living in India since the 1960s, but I have no documents to prove it. If my name is left off the NRC, where will I go? he said. Rehman is one of almost 500,000 Bangladeshi-origin Muslims living in Assam who fear being left out of the NRC since Indias ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state last year while promising to flush out all illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. The NRC is being updated to include names of people, or their descendants, who are in the 1951 registry and those with legally admissible documents issued up to March 24, 1971, the state government said. It aims to detect and expunge all undocumented Bangladeshi immigrants and those who settled in India after the birth of Bangladesh in 1971. About 265 km (165 miles) of Indias 4,096-km (2,545-mile) border with Bangladesh is in Assam, which boasts the second highest number of Muslims 34 percent among all Indian states. The government admitted that many poverty-stricken Assam residents who did not have valid identification documents would bear the brunt of the NRC. But it is the only way to check the illegal influx of Bangladeshis, Prateek Haleja, an NRC coordinator in Assam, told BenarNews. No genuine Indian citizen will be left out of the final list. But those who came from Bangladesh before1971 should have known that they will be asked to show documents sooner or later, he said. Haleja said those who could prove their family members were listed in Indias electoral rolls from 1952 to 1971 would be considered genuine Indian citizens. Threats of protests Assams minority rights groups have threatened statewide protests if the states Muslim population is excluded from the NRC. Assam will burn if 500,000 Muslims are left out of the NRC, Arshad Madani, president of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, said at a news conference in New Delhi on Wednesday. The BJP wants to throw Muslims out of the country. When [thousands] of people are left out of the NRC and branded as foreigners there will be repercussions among the people, Madani said. The BJP said that Madanis statement indicated some groups are against a smooth transition of the registrys update. How come Madani knows that 500,000 people will be excluded from the register when the draft has not been prepared. BJP has, time and again, made it very clear that no foreigners name will be included and no Indian citizens name will be excluded from the NRC, BJP spokesman Pramod Swami was quoted as saying in the Times of India. The All Assam Minority Students Union said it plans to mobilize a crowd of almost 12 million people for a rally in Guwahati, the states capital, on Nov. 27 to exert pressure on the government to ensure that no genuine Indian citizen is left out of the NRC. We will see to it that the names of each and every genuine Indian Muslim are included in the list, Ainuddin, general-secretary of the students union, told BenarNews. The state government has asked New Delhi for additional security forces following reports that some groups may try to instigate communal tensions leading to the registry publication, an Assam government official told BenarNews on condition of anonymity. Rebel Bangladesh Rifles soldiers take position in front of their headquarters in Dhaka during a mutiny that killed 74 people, Feb. 25, 2009. Bangladeshs High Court on Monday upheld death sentences for 139 people, mostly members of the former Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), who were involved in a mutiny and massacre in February 2009. As many as 57 army officers were killed during the massacre of 74 people that took place over two days at the Dhaka headquarters of BDR, which was later renamed the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). The court observed that the carnage was pre-planned and was carried out to destabilize the then newly elected government and the country as well, Attorney Gen. Mahbubey Alam told reporters, quoting from the 1,000-page verdict and referring to the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who remains in power eight years on. In 2013, a trial court in Dhaka sentenced 152 people to death and 160 others to life in prison over the mutiny. Four received seven-year jail terms and 69 were acquitted. Never had so many defendants been tried in a single case in the history of Bangladesh, which was born in 1971. On Monday, High Court justices Md Nazrul Islam Talukder, Md Shawkat Hossain and Md Abu Zafor Siddique High court acquitted four of the 152 on death row and commuted the sentences of eight others to life in prison. One prisoner had died already, bringing the count to 139. Of the 160 originally sentenced to life, 146 saw their sentences upheld. Along with the eight who had been on death row and 31 who had been acquitted by the trial court, the total number of defendants serving life sentences is 185. The court wrapped up the judgment at around 4:30 p.m. Monday, a day after it started pronouncing the verdict. All the three judges are unanimous in the verdict, Alam told reporters. The High Court has delivered an appropriate judgment. The defendants can appeal to Bangladeshs Supreme Court. Reactions mixed The mutiny began during an officers meeting at BDR headquarters on Feb. 25, 2009. At 9:27 a.m., one of mutineers entered the meeting and pointed a gun at then-border guard chief Maj. Gen. Shakil Ahmed. Other mutineers stole thousands of weapons from BDR headquarters before embarking on a killing spree in the barracks. In addition, mutineers stormed the BDR chiefs home, killing his wife, guests and staff before burning down the building. Relatives of the slain army officers said they were satisfied by the courts verdict and eager to proceed with the executions. We have lost everything during the mutiny. The court, though late, has given its judgment. We became hopeless and [were relying entirely] on the state, Nehrin Ferdaus, the widow of slain Lt. Col. Md Mujibul Huq, told BenarNews. Now we want to see implementation of the verdict. Relatives of defendants, on the other hand, gathered in the court area beginning on Sunday, hoping for acquittals or to see death sentences commuted. Nayek Subedar Ali Akbar, who has been in the prison for seven years, was among those acquitted by the high court. We were in pain. The allegation of my husbands involvement in such a heinous crime made us ashamed. We were humiliated in the society. But I knew it well that my husband was innocent, his wife, Rehana Akter, said through tears. Courts ruling In its verdict, the court found that an intelligence failure led to the BDR mutiny, and it urged the government to investigate the cause of the uprising. The BGB authorities should make an inquiry into the matter by forming a probe committee. They should make the probe report public as early as possible, the court said. Either internal or external quarters were involved in hatching a conspiracy to uproot, dethrone and depose the newly formed government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following the parliamentary election in 2008, the court observed. The mutineers hatched a conspiracy to destabilise the country, damage the countrys internal security and stability and hamper Bangladeshs participation in the U.N. peacekeeping mission. The court also issued a seven-point recommendation to avoid any recurrence in the future. The authorities should provide fast decision or reply to all problems of BGB members, pay outstanding dues, consider leave matters and mitigate all the grievances, if any, the court said, listing some of its recommendations. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Hassan Mahmud Ali (left), shakes hands with Kyaw Tint Swe, Myanmars union minister for the Office of the State Counselor, after they signed an agreement on the return of Rohingya Muslim refugees, in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, Nov. 23, 2017. Retired Bangladeshi diplomats, refugees and opposition leaders cast doubt Monday on the implementation of a new agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims who fled violence in Myanmars Rakhine state since October 2016. Reactions from a cross-section of the Bangladeshi society came after officials in Dhaka revealed details of the agreement, which stipulates that the two countries will work together to start the voluntary repatriation process within two months from Nov. 23, the day they signed the document in Naypyidaw. We want to go back to our homeland Arakan if our security and safety are ensured, Mohammad Nur, general secretary of the Kutupalong camp in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district that houses about 300,000 Rohingya refugees, told BenarNews. Arakan is the old name for Rakhine state. The agreement does not identify the Rohingya by their ethnic groups name and covers only about 700,000 members of the minority who escaped to southeastern Bangladesh in two waves since late last year, including more than 620,000 who fled from an outbreak of violence in Rakhine in late August 2017. Another 300,000 or so refugees, who fled earlier cycles of violence, are sheltering across the border in Bangladesh. Buddhist majority Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as one of the countrys official ethnic groups. It has denied the group citizenship in Myanmar since 1982, effectively rendering them stateless. We, the Rohingya, must be recognized as one of the 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar and our citizenship must be given back, Nur said. Mustafa Kamal, a former Bangladeshi foreign secretary, questioned whether the bilateral agreement could ensure the safety of refugees who opt to return to Myanmar. The agreement was signed in line with the demands of Myanmar, he told BenarNews. This agreement cannot ensure the safety, security and dignity of the Rohingya. So, I think hardly any Rohingya would go back. Only U.N. peacekeepers could ensure the security of returning refugees, he said. Bangladesh has made a mistake by agreeing to resolve the problem bilaterally. We should have internationalized the issue. The agreement reflected the desire of Myanmar, not Bangladesh, Kamal added. The United States and the United Nations have accused members of Myanmars military of carrying out ethnic cleansing after launching a brutal counter-offensive at the end of August, when Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgents attacked police and army posts in Rakhine. Human rights groups had documented cases of rape, killing and burning of Rohingya homes and villages in Rakhine. Terms of deal The signed memorandum of understanding between Bangladesh and Myanmar, a copy of which was obtained by BenarNews, does not state a deadline for finishing the repatriation process. Its also unclear how many refugees would want to return after fleeing from the violence. The document states there will be no legal consequences for refugees who decide to return to Myanmar unless they were involved with ARSA insurgents who were labeled as terrorists in the agreement. Myanmar will not criminalize (prosecute or penalize) returnees for illegal exit and return unless there are specific involvement in terrorist or criminal activities, the document said. The agreement also required the refugees to show proof of past residence in Myanmar. But, according to Rohingya activists, documents kept by many refugees were burned in their houses when they fled. The reality is different On Saturday, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said the returnees would live in temporary shelters in Myanmar for a short time. He did not provide details. The agreement has protected Bangladeshs interests. We are happy with it, he told a news conference. The main issue is Myanmar has agreed to take its nationals back. Ali said the two sides had also agreed to allow the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to participate in the repatriation process. But Vivian Tan, a UNHCR spokeswoman, told CNN on Monday that the U.N. agency had not been consulted about the agreement between Myanmar and Bangladesh, even though the memorandum calls for significant UNHCR involvement. Humayun Kabir, a former Bangladesh ambassador to the United States, questioned Alis claim that the repatriation deal would serve Dhakas interests. We can expect that the Rohingya would go back. But the reality is different. Their houses were burned down. Their women were killed and raped by the military and the Buddhist groups, said Kabir, who is now vice president of the Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, a private think-tank. The Rohingya are unlikely to go back, unless there were guarantees from the international community, Kabir told BenarNews. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary-general of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, agreed that the repatriation deal was skewed in favor of Myanmars interests. We are too upset. How much will they [Rohingya] have to go back? We do not know whether they would be safe in Myanmar, and would not be the victims of genocide again, he said. Anas Madani, the likely future leader of the conservative Muslim group Hefazat-e-Islam, told BenarNews that its members would like to see the Rohingya Muslims go back to Myanmar. But their safety and security must be ensured. Their government, with the support from the international community, must work out a mechanism to ensure the safety and security of our Rohingya brothers, he said. Human rights groups, meanwhile, have described the bilateral agreement as a public relations stunt. Six hundred twenty thousand Rohingya refugees have only just escaped one of the most brutal cases of mass persecution in recent times, Bill Frelick, refugee rights director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. The idea that Burma will now welcome them back to their smoldering villages with open arms is laughable. Passengers gather at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali after flights were canceled because of volcanic activity at Mount Agung, Nov. 27, 2017. (AFP) Balinese Hindus take part in a prayer ceremony in hopes of preventing Mount Agung from erupting, Nov. 26, 2017. (AP) A disaster management officer places a mask on a child at a shelter in Bebandem Village in Bali, Nov. 26, 2017. (Antara Foto/Nyoman Budhiana/via Reuters) A tourist poses for a photo at a temple in Karangasem, Indonesia as Mount Agung erupts in the background, Nov. 27, 2017. (AP) Villagers walk to pray near their makeshift shelter in a camp, Nov. 27, 2017. (Reuters) Women wait for customers at a market as smoke rises from the volcano, Nov. 27, 2017. (AP) The Indonesian government issued its highest alert on Monday for Mount Agung, a volcano on Bali that began to erupt a few days ago, forcing mass evacuations, closing the islands main airport and stranding tourists. Nearly 30,000 local residents have already left their homes for makeshift shelters on the island, which is Indonesias top tourist destination. The number of evacuees could reach 150,000 as thick smoke shoots from the spewing volcano, the Bali Disaster Management Agency reported. Agung means great in Indonesian. The volcano last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1,000 people. In recent weeks, Balinese authorities have been closely monitoring volcanic tremors at Mount Agung, warning of a possible eruption after these had picked up in intensity. Resident Nengah Narti, 45, evacuated three days ago from Besakih Village to a center about 5 km (3.1 miles) away. This was her second evacuation. She was able to return to the village about 6 km (3.7 miles) in late October after a risk alert issued in September had been lowered. At that time, I went back to my home because there were no more tremors, she told BenarNews. She questioned the governments response in assisting evacuees. The government says that we have to stay here to make it easier to get assistance, but in reality I have not received anything, she said. Meanwhile, Balis Ngurah Rai International Airport closed on Monday and could reopen later this week, depending on conditions. We will always update and offer the latest information to all the airlines patrons, airport General Manager Yanus Suprayogi told BenarNews. We do not want to take risks if we stay open with the current conditions, he told a press conference a day earlier. The Bible has been under attack in the western world for over 200 years but never more intensely than today. These attacks have taken different forms and have come from many different corners of the academic world, from philosophers, to scientists, to textual critics. In the specialized world of archaeology the attacks have increased dramatically in the past 50 years. Once a specialization filled with Bible believing individuals, the field of archaeology is now overrun with atheists and skeptics, agnostics and those committed to the destruction of the Bible as a source of true historical information. These attacks on the Bible are a part of a sweeping movement in western culture. Spearheaded by academic elitists in the university and the public educational system, the news and popular media, and the entertainment industry, these revisionists cloak themselves with supposed objectivity, purity of motives, and the superiority of science over the "uninformed", "unscientific", religious community. They regularly mock those who question their world-view and their conclusions by name-calling and the worst forms of anti-Bible and anti-Christian propaganda. They have powerfully infected the church by turning Bible believing Christians against the very Scripture which is the foundation of truth and life in this world. Instead of contending for the Bible, Christian academics, pastors, and lay-persons are making egregious accommodations to these destroyers of faith and truth. In these days of intense spiritual battle, God has called ABR to step into the gap to contend for the truth and to assist the church in this critical hour. ABR is a non-profit ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible and to give answers to questions being asked by believers and non-believers alike. We do this by using original archaeological fieldwork and research along with studies in other apologetic disciplines. We take on the bold claims of skeptics and critics. We challenge the bizarre anti-biblical propaganda that is purveyed upon the public as gospel through television and print media. We uphold the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is God's message for the salvation of all mankind! Translations on this website are prepared by a third-party provider. Some portions may be incorrect. Some itemsincluding downloadable files or imagescannot be translated at all. No liability is assumed by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for any errors or omissions. Any user who relies on translated content does so at his/her own risk. This country takes in the most refugees Von: By DIRK HOEREN Germany takes in by far the most refugees being resettled within the EU. Since the beginning of the EU programmes in 2015, 13 122 refugees have been moved to Germany from Greece, Italy, and Turkey more than twice as many as, for example, to France (5868). From Greece, 5198 refugees were brought to us. 4127 refugees came from Italy. In the context of the EU-Turkey-deal (in force since April 2016), we took in 3797 Syrian refugees from Turkey. Half of the EU states have not taken in any refugees from Turkey, including Denmark, the UK, and Poland. Lesen Sie auch PS: Sind Sie bei Facebook? Werden Sie Fan von BILD.de-Politik! For Immediate Release, November 27, 2017 Contact: David Steele, Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, (520) 321-1111 (o), (520) 970-2620 (m), davidss@simginc.com Marc Fink, Center for Biological Diversity, (218) 464-0539 (o), mfink@biologicaldiversity.org Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, (602) 253-8633 (o), (602) 999-5790 (m), sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org Roger Featherstone, Arizona Mining Reform Coalition, (520) 777-9500 (w), (520) 548-9302 (m), roger@azminingreform.org Lawsuit Filed to Overturn Approval of Destructive Arizona Copper Mine Outstanding Arizona Waters At Risk TUCSON, Ariz. Four conservation groups filed suit in federal court today to overturn the U.S. Forest Services approval of a controversial open-pit copper mine in southern Arizonas Santa Rita Mountains. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, says the massive Rosemont Copper Mine would violate nearly a dozen state and federal laws, threaten critical water resources and destroy Coronado National Forest land. The lawsuit was filed by Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition and the Sierra Clubs Grand Canyon Chapter. We finally have our day in court before an impartial judge who will consider all the facts and render justice, said Gayle Hartmann, president of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas. We are confident that once all of the facts are presented in court, the Rosemont mine will be found to be illegal and not allowed to proceed. Hudbay Minerals, Rosemonts Canadian owner, wants to blast a mile-wide, half-mile-deep pit in the Santa Rita Mountains and pile potentially toxic mine tailings and waste rock hundreds of feet high in the Cienega Creek watershed, which replenishes Tucsons groundwater basin. More than 5,000 acres would be harmed by the mine, including nearly 4,000 acres of public land that would be covered by the mines waste dumps, open pit, processing plant and infrastructure. The pit and waste dumps would remain as a permanent scar and environmental hazard on public land. The mine also would destroy prime jaguar habitat, land thats critical to the survival and recovery of jaguars in the United States. Earlier this year the Forest Service approved the record of decision for the Rosemont mine, declaring that the project complies with environmental laws and regulations and should proceed. The decision authorizes Rosemont to build and operate the mine for its projected life of 30 years. The Rosemont mine would permanently destroy endangered species habitat and pollute some of Arizonas most important waterways, said Marc Fink, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. The Forest Service should be working to protect rivers, streams and wildlife in the Coronado National Forest, not greenlighting this destructive project. Todays lawsuit urges the court to overturn the Forest Services approval of the Rosemont mine and prevent the project from proceeding. This mine is being proposed in the heart of important wildlife habitat and an important watershed that feeds several Arizona waters, including Davidson Canyon, an outstanding Arizona water, said Sandy Bahr, chapter director for Sierra Clubs Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter. Arizonas waters and wildlife are too precious to risk for the short-term profits of a foreign mining company, especially as the consequences will last for centuries. Once these waters are degraded and the streams eliminated, the damage is done and irreparable. We need to stop this mine, now. This mine proposal is the wrong mine, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, said Roger Featherstone, Director of the Arizona Mining Reform Coalition. Since the Forest Service chooses to protect the mining companys interests instead of our communities and the environment, we have no choice but to go to court. The suit spells out the devastating illegal impacts that will be caused by the proposed Rosemont Mine, including: The mine pit would be pumped or dewatered during the active mining phase and then would act as a hydraulic sink to the regional aquifer in perpetuity. The mine would reverse the natural direction of groundwater flow toward and into the mine pit, forming a lake in the pit more than 1,200 feet deep, permanently altering the hydrology of the Santa Rita Mountains. The mines dewatering is predicted to severely reduce or eliminate streams within the Cienega Creek Natural Preserve, the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, Davidson Canyon, and other springs and seeps including designated Outstanding Arizona Waters, as well as local residential wells. The mine would use more than 30 billion gallons of precious southern Arizona water (4.8 million gallons per day). After active mining ends, up to 230 gallons per minute would be lost due to evaporation from the pit lake. The Forest Service approval of the Rosemont Mine would allow for the creation of the mine pit lake after active mining ends. This pit lake is predicted to be extremely hazardous to wildlife due to the toxicity of pit lake water resulting from chemical pollution and the physical disturbance of naturally occurring substances. According to the environmental impact statement, the mine pit lake water quality could exceed standards for cadmium, lead, copper, mercury, selenium, and zinc, among other pollutants. The Arizona Game and Fish Department formally objected to the Forest Services approval, stating that the contaminated pit lake would violate federal and state wildlife protection laws. The Forest Service failed to require any mitigation for harm to wildlife from contact with the toxic pit lake water. Despite not knowing where the smelting or processing of the concentrated copper ore would occur, the Forest Service authorized Hudbay to transport the ore for decades via more than 50 trucks trips per day, seven days a week. Tucson, Douglas, Naco and Nogales are all potential targets for this heavy truck traffic. Rosemont is awaiting a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision on its Clean Water Act Sec. 404 permit for the project. The district engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District recommended denial of the permit, which is now under consideration by the division commander. The mine also faces another lawsuit filed in September by the Center for Biological Diversity that challenges the biological opinion prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which led to the approval of the Rosemont mine by the Forest Service in June. Read about the Center for Biological Diversity's numerous other lawsuits against the Trump administration. NAIROBI, Kenya - The InfoTrade in Kenya web portal has been officially launched to ensure increased international trade efficiency. RAJESH RAJENDRAN NAIR via 123RF Traders in Kenya stand to benefit from increased efficiency following the launch of InfoTrade in Kenya, which has consolidated more than 120 documents and procedures required for import and export business in Kenya on one online platform. The portal is estimated to serve at least 1.5 million users per month and consolidates 73 documents under exports, 52 under imports and one under transits (cross border trade) thus ensuring a shorter period in the export and import processes. It will now take a trader a maximum of five minutes to access summarised information on international trade procedures in Kenya. Completion and launch of the information portal makes Kenya the first country in the East Africa Community (EAC) to fulfil Article 1 of WTO Trade Facilitation agreement which requires member states to publish their trade procedures online, displaying them step-by-step, with contact information on enquiry points, access to forms and other required documents and all relevant trade and customs laws. Kenya Trade Network Agency (KenTrade) implemented the portal with financial support of approximately US$ 498, 000 from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through TradeMark East Africa (TMEA). The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) provided technical assistance. Presiding over the launch, the National Treasury principal secretary, Dr Kamau Thugge said, The InfoTrade Kenya portal is part of the Governments initiative to facilitate trade in line with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation, to which Kenya is a signatory and obliges governments to be transparent and to provide information to businesses. He explained that the Government has been at the forefront in streamlining international trade procedures through the implementation of National Electronic Single Window System also known as KENYA TRADENET that has seen improvement of Kenyas rating in the latest World Bank Ease of Business Index. Kenya advanced by 12 points to position 80, emerging third in Sub Saharan Africa after Rwanda and Mauritius in the Trading Across Borders category. Trade facilitation The InfoTrade Kenya portal is part of the Governments initiative to facilitate trade in line with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation Principal Secretary, State Department of Trade, Dr Chris Kiptoo who also attended the event noted that the InfoTradeKenya platform was complimentary to the Kenya Trade Portal which was launched in October 2017. The latter, he clarified, is aimed at promoting Kenyan suppliers to the international market by linking them to global traders. On the other hand, the InfoTrade Kenya portal was intended to increase access to information on international trade procedures and regulations, cut back unwarranted penalties resulting from documentation errors and enhance trade efficiency. Dr Kiptoo said that the two portals will be integrated in order to offer seamless information to traders. Also speaking at the launch KENTRADE CEO Mr. Amos Wangora said If you are a trader, the portal will enable you to access all the relevant documentation requirements for imports and/or exports of your respective commodities from the comfort of your office or place of business. Our aim is to boost Kenyas efforts to become a globally competitive player in the overall share of trade in the world. It provides the current, potential traders and other stakeholders with total transparency on rules and procedures pertaining to import and export formalities, through detailed, practical and up-to-date descriptions of steps to go through, as seen from the users point of view to assist them to make informed business decisions. Wangora added that the InfoTrade Kenya Portal together with the Kenya Trade Net System (National Electronic Single Window System) would provide an end to end solution on regulatory and documentation requirements in the country and to streamline and simplify trade processes for the business community. TradeMark East Africa, chief executive officer, Frank Matsaert, said, Reducing the barriers to trade in Kenya to increase its trading opportunities internationally remains a key mandate for TMEA. We are proud to have partnered with KenTrade and UNCTAD to provide a portal that makes international trade information available, thus simplify the process of exports and imports and reduce the time taken. This portal complements TMEAs other work with government agencies including improving roads, the port, border posts and automation of key trade processes. Ultimately, these interventions will create a conducive business environment in Kenya, promoting job creation and reducing poverty. UNCTADs head of the business facilitation programme, Frank Grozel, said that the portal uses UNCTADSs eRegulation content management system that enables transparency and efficiency in Trade therefore helping decision makers and implementers objectively analyse their progress towards effective trade facilitation. Benefits of the InfoTradeKenya portal to traders and government include: The Cape continues to experience rampant shack fires that devastate those with property in the informal sector. Dave Lindup, managing director of Magnastruct, however, has come up with a green solution. Fire is a serious hazard throughout South Africa in informal settlements and it is estimated that, on average, over the last five years there have been 10 shack fires a day, with someone dying as a result every other day, says Lindup whose Cape-based company manufactures boards designed to help prevent the spread of fires. Magnaboards are made from magnesium oxide, which Lindup says is superior in every category compared to traditional wood, gypsum and cement-based products. Zero-flame spread Magnaboard has a zero-flame spread and smoke development rating, a huge advantage considering that informal houses are generally built very close to each other, so fires can easily spread very rapidly from one to another, says Lindup. In a fire test held at an informal housing settlement in Pniel near Stellenbosch, one of the homes was made out of Magnaboard while the other shacks were constructed with conventional materials. When the fires were started the shacks made of conventional materials burnt, buckled and collapsed, whereas the fire in the informal house made of Magnaboard could be contained and extinguished. Lindup says Magnaboard is a green recyclable product with many characteristics welcomed by the built industry. The fire retardant application has been a breakthrough for local government, business and NGOs so there is no excuse for not using fire retardant materials for building, particularly when it comes to informal housing, says Lindup. The directors of Nova Property Group, which arose from the failed Sharemax scheme, have agreed to seek an independent "fairness opinion" on the structure of their proposal to list the group's R2.25bn property portfolio on the JSE. Under pressure from angry debenture holders in Nova, the board said on Friday it would seek the opinion of independent auditors. This would give a view on whether Nova properties had been correctly valued and whether it is reasonable that Nova's seven directors receive a 43.1% stake in the listed entity while 19,700 debenture holders receive 34.45%. Nova took on Sharemax's property assets in 2012, after the Reserve Bank shut Sharemax for unlawfully taking deposits. By that time, about 20,000 people, most of whom would become debenture holders in Nova, had invested nearly R5bn into Sharemax properties. The debenture holders, most of them pensioners, met in Pretoria on Friday to debate the merits of a proposal to convert their debentures into shares in a new company holding Nova's property assets, which is to list on the JSE. This would not only capitalise their claims against Nova, which total R1.68bn, but potentially give them more liquid, valuable instruments. The listed entity would have a net asset value per share on listing of about 52c. Attorney Graeme Polson, who chaired Friday's meeting, repeatedly asked debenture holders, many of who lost millions in Sharemax investments, to refrain from making emotional statements or attacking the morality of Nova's directors. "There are people in their graves without money and their children are here fighting for what you've stolen from them," retorted one debenture holder. MD Dominique Haese and chairman Connie Myburgh have faced criticism from debenture holders over the handsome salaries they have paid themselves, as well as the 97% stake in Nova that they bagged in 2012 at no cost. This was due to the decision by most Sharemax investors to receive debentures rather than shares in Nova. This arrangement was made clear to then Sharemax investors at investor meetings and in the scheme circular, Haese said on Friday. But debenture holders again took issue with the historical arrangement at the meeting, suggesting that it was a sleight of hand on the part of Nova's directors and that they were not aware of it at the time. Voting on the proposed listing has been postponed to March 2018, before which time the fairness opinion would be made available. An investor that is to inject R400m of equity into the group was still undertaking a due diligence, said Myburgh. Source: Business Day The global upswing in economic activity is strengthening - economic growth is projected to rise to 3.6% in 2017 and 3.7% in 2018, driven by rising consumer and business confidence - according to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) latest World Economic Outlook Report. Brian Jackson via 123RF The question is how will this growth impact South Africa's travel and hospitality industry going forward? Sigal Geva, COO at Premier Hotels & Resorts shares: As global economic growth is currently being led by Japan, Russia, emerging European markets such as Hungary and Croatia, along with emerging Asian markets like India and China, we anticipate an increase in tourism from these countries. Furthermore, China is expected to become the country with the highest propensity for travel abroad by 2022 and one of our biggest source markets. The easing of South Africas visa requirements has already seen enormous growth in Chinese visitor numbers and we foresee this to be a continuing trend. China is already the largest source of tourism expenditure in the world, with this set to grow by 10.9% over the next five years, propelled largely by GDP per capita and the increase in middle-class households. On the other hand, with downward growth in the United States and the United Kingdom - due to the rocky Trump administration and Brexit - we believe that there may be a slowdown in tourists from these markets. That said, the rands devaluation has made South Africa a highly affordable, and therefore attractive travel destination, adds Geva. Prices impact decissions of travellers With global economic growth gaining momentum, OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) predicts higher demand for its crude oil. This demand, in turn, influences oil prices which are expected to rise by 5% in 2018. Airline prices will consequently be affected, with a 3% increase predicted for air prices in the Middle East and Africa region. Geva says that this increase, which is slightly lower than the global projection of 3.5%, could possibly impact the decision of cost-conscious international tourists to visit South Africa, given the 0.3% increase forecasted for Latin America. She continues: They might be willing to overlook this, however, with hotel prices in the MEA region set to increase by only 0.6% in 2018, in contrast to the global prediction of 3.7%. PwCs Hotels Outlook: 2017-2021 forecasts moderating growth in tourism to South Africa, with the result being the average daily rate rising from R1,160 in 2016 to R1,650 in 2021. The report also projects that despite the slowdown in tourism, guest nights will grow faster than room supply and the occupancy rate for hotels will rise to 64.3% in 2021. Car rental prices will also be affected as the global industry improves, with market growth estimated at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% from 2017 to 2022, fuelled by a broader economic recovery. In the New Year, the MEA region will see the price of car rentals, as well as ridesharing, increase by 1%. In 2018, global economic growth will see new markets being introduced to South Africa, taking advantage of relatively low price increases affecting our air travel, accommodation and road transport. Domestic tourism is also likely to flourish due to the global rise of travel and lodging prices far exceeding those in South Africa, coupled with the countrys depreciating currency. The growth of the global economy can help bolster the South African travel and hospitality industry and ultimately, our own economy, concludes Geva. MSC Cruises has added a new marine safari experience destination to its South Africa itineraries, Pomene Bay in Mozambique, with MSC Sinfonia calling there for the first time as part of her inaugural season in the region. Image Supplied Pomene Bay is a remote and unspoiled peninsula, 605km north of Mozambiques Capital Maputo and 170km south of Vilanculos. It will offer a unique marine safari experience, complete with its own beach club, the MSC Pomene Safari Beach Club, exclusively for MSC Cruises guests sailing on MSC Sinfonia from Durban, South Africa. Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises executive chairman said: The addition to South African itineraries of Pomene Bay will be a game-changer for cruise holidays in the region. It is a reflection of our ongoing commitment to innovation, also when it comes to destinations and guest experiences. Preservation of marine environment top of mind Vago continued: Our vision for creating this unique marine safari experience is to give our guests exclusive access to some of the most beautiful and remote destinations in the world, as we are already doing for example with the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Caribbean. We want guests to discover the rich and varied marine life that inhabits the waters around Pomene Bay within a context that puts the preservation and respect of the local environment as our top, uncompromising priority. At MSC Cruises, as a company with over 300 years of seafaring tradition we have a passion for the sea and we respect the environment in which we operate, concluded Vago. For this reason, wherever possible we create opportunities to protect and preserve the natural habitat of some of the amazing destinations that we have the privilege to call. We hope that in the future we can establish Pomene Bay as an official marine reserve. In the meantime, we committed to developing its facilities in harmony with the natural surroundings and with a strong environmental focus. We are also working with the local community to ensure a positive, long-term impact. MSC Cruises developed this destination with careful consideration of the local ecology and economy and in close cooperation with the local community. There is a no trash policy and all garbage will be taken back on board and delivered to the adequate port facilities in Durban. All construction and refurbishing works have been carried out in a way to protect the environmental integrity of the peninsula and an energy-efficient infrastructure will help put a sustainable operation in place. To create a positive economic impact, MSC Cruises employed local people for the renovation and construction work and will employ local people to deliver the shore excursions and activities, upskilling them to meet international tourism standards. The development of Pomene Bay is part of an unprecedented, ten-plus-year 9bn investment plan, which includes the building of up to 11 next-generation smart ships, coming into service between 2017 and 2026, as well as the development of the Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas. More reasons to cruise Ross Volk, MSC Cruises country manager South Africa said: The addition of Pomene Bay will give guests more reasons to cruise with MSC Cruises. Portuguese Island represents a day of fun and festivities, Pomene Bay will enhance the cruise experience with an element of tranquillity, serenity and discovery, bringing something fresh and exciting to our itineraries. Image Supplied Pomene Bay, Mozambiques hidden gem, is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled destinations in the region. Uniquely positioned in the Mozambique Channel, the beautiful stretch of coastline offers breath-taking white sandy beaches and crystal clear, blue waters. Thanks to the warm currents from the Indian Ocean, the area is home to a rich variety of marine life; plants and birds, with a wide variety of tropical fish, turtles, dugongs and flamingos, to name just a few. The spectacular mangrove forests surrounding the bay are part of the Pomene Nature Reserve, a protected marine area that has managed to preserve its authentic and wild beauty thanks to its remote location. MSC Sinfonia will call once a week for a full day as part of an itinerary that also includes the Inhaca Archipelago on Portuguese Island. The MSC Pomene Safari Beach Club, will offer a range of facilities dedicated to the guests, including a Club House complete with swimming pool, three beach bars and spa services from the MSC Aurea Spa in two private cabanas. A further eight cabanas able to accommodate up to six people each and six private cabanas can be booked for the day. For the kids, there is a jungle gym play area that will host animations, games and activities. To ensure an authentic look and feel, local artists have provided carvings and light fittings for the buildings and many of the furnishings have been made locally. Guests are able to visit a nearby fishing village, where they can purchase local handicrafts. During their day at the beach, guests can choose to explore the area at their leisure and rent equipment to discover the ocean with snorkels, kayaks or stand-up paddle boards. A whole range of quality organised excursions are available, designed to meet differing holiday needs and showcase the highlights of the bay. Motion Icon's escalator step branding offers unlimited creative visual opportunities for brands looking to a new advertising channel that delivers ROI and hyper proximity communication. Tanaiste and Minister for Business Frances Fitzgerald today announced 40 new jobs in Dublin. The jobs come as US firm Md7 doubles the size of its International HQ in Dublin. Md7 is a turnkey site development and real estate optimization company serving the telecommunications industry since 2003. "The roles we are creating here include a range of skill sets, all of which will require third level qualifications. We have expanded in order to support the operations of our growing business and to serve our customers in Ireland, the UK and Europe," said Md7 President and CTO Mark Christenson. Minister Fitzgerald described the announcement as "very good news". "All these jobs require third level qualifications and the development builds on the Governments policy of developing new niche areas in the telecommunications sector," she said. A Brazilian man who killed an Irish man in October of last year after being beaten up and racially abused by him has been jailed for eight years. Juraci Da Silva was living at Park Lane apartments in Waterford having moved to Ireland for work a few months beforehand. Mr Da Silva moved to Waterford in August 2016 after being recruited to work in a local meat factory. Just before 3am on Oct 8, 2016, his trial heard he met James Banville and Conor Hogan in an alleyway known as Cross Lanes. Mr Da Silva had never met them before and was attacked for no reason. Witnesses said they used racial insults. They attacked him a second time near his home just 20 minutes later. Afterwards, Mr Da Silva chased after them and stabbed both men. Mr. Banville did not survive. Mr Da Silva was cleared of murder last month but found guilty of manslaughter. Judge Michael White said it was an aggravating factor that he went after the men at a time when he was no longer under threat. He said he had a 14 year sentence in mind but considering all the mitigating factors, he decided to jail him for eight years. A dog walker has described coming to the assistance of a student who alleges she was attacked by a man she met on Tinder. The 36-year-old Dublin man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault of the foreign national at UCD campus, Belfield, south Dublin on July 23, 2014. On day five of the trial, Criona Cullen told Paul Burns SC, prosecuting, that she was out walking her dogs around the campus at around 10pm on that night. She saw a woman who called to her can you help me, she testified. She said the woman's English was very poor. She asked the woman was she hurt and the woman explained, in bad English, that she had met a man on Tinder and he had brought her to the campus but she didn't know where she was. Ms Cullen said that the woman told her she had been in a car with the man and he had tried to have sex with her but she didn't want to. She told Ms Cullen that she managed to get away, the witness said. Ms Cullen told counsel that the woman looked distressed. She said she told the woman she would help her and offered to either organise to get her home from her house or help her get a taxi from the campus. She had no idea where she was. She said she wanted to go home, Ms Cullen said. The witness said she hailed a taxi down for the woman. She gave her phone number to the taxi driver and told him if there was any issue with the woman being able to pay for the fare, she was happy to pay it. A flatmate of the complainant told the trial that he met the complainant in the taxi when it arrived at their premises in Dublin city centre. He said she seemed really scared and afraid. Something serious had happened. She said that a guy tried to rape her, the man said. He told Paul Flannery SC, defending, that his flatmate told him the man had taken her to an abandoned area. The trial continues before Judge Cormac Quinn and a jury of six men and six women. The Health and Safety Authority is investigating after a man drowned in Leitrim yesterday afternoon. Its understood the married man in his 50s was involved in an incident while examining a lock on the Shannon-Erne waterway near Leitrim village. The HSA has confirmed an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the mans death is underway, after his body was recovered from the River Shannon at approximately 7pm last night. In a statement to Shannonside FM this afternoon Waterways Ireland has offered sympathies to the family and friends of the man who they have described as their "esteemed colleague". By Ann OLoughlin The sister of a man whose body was taken from the River Liffey in 2008 claims her family are not being afforded fair procedures in an official inquiry into the garda investigation into his death, the High Court has heard. The body of 24-year-old John Kelly, from Tallaght, Dublin, was recovered from Britain Quay on October 16, 2008. His family campaigned for an inquiry into his death and last May, then Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald appointed former High Court judge, Daniel Herbert, to head an inquiry. It was to look at, among other things, the content and significance of information provided by the gardai in relation to the injuries of Mr Kelly and the condition and whereabouts of his clothes, along with any forensic examination of those clothes. The inquiry was also to look at any testimonies given by witnesses to the death and the response of gardai to emergency phone calls surrounding the death. Today Mr Justice Donald Binchy granted Michael Lynn SC, for Mr Kellys sister Emer, permission to bring judicial review proceedings challenging the procedures of the inquiry. The application was on a one-side only represented basis. Ms Kelly claims the family have been given inadequate notices of witnesses being called by the inquiry. They got 24-hours notice that a doctor who was to give evidence and were unable to attend to cross examine him, Mr Lynn said. The doctors evidence was not taken and when the re-arranged sitting to hear him was to take place, they got just two days notice, he said. The challenge was being brought on the constitutional right to fair procedures grounds and under the European Convention on Human Rights entitlement of right to life, counsel said. Mr Justice Binchy granted leave to bring proceedings but said he would not grant an order halting the inquiry until he heard from the other side. He adjourned that matter to next week. A family-of-six endured a horrific and terrifying ordeal when a number of men broke into their home in Pallasgreen in Limerick in April 2012. The men threatened them at gunpoint and assaulted them. Weeks later, Gerry and Ann Garveys three elderly neighbours were subjected to a brutal and frightening assault when they were attacked and robbed by the same men. On Friday the three men, 54-year-old Patrick Roche, his son Philip Roche aged 24, both with addresses in Clondalkin in Dublin, and a son-in-law Alan Freeman with an address in Tipperary town were given lengthy prison sentences for their parts in the two violent robberies. Gerry and Ann Garvey spoke on Today with Sean O'Rourke on RTE Radio 1 this morning to tell their story. Gerry told Sean about being pinned to the ground with the butt of a shotgun pressed against his forehead for some time. "It's quite a frightening moment, you feel completely helpless, there's absolutely nothing you can do to help yourself or your family," he said. Ann spoke of how the men returned six weeks later, and how her neighbours were left for dead as a result of the assault upon them. "Those three people, they were left for dead. It was an incredible situation, it went on for two and a half hours," she said. "Nearly six years on, they don't go out. We don't see them." Speaking of the cost to the tax payer, Gerry said that the trial of the three men cost was over 1 million. He spoke of prevention being better than cure, looking for even half of that to be put towards preventative measures that would help gardai, that that would be money better spent. Listen to the interview in full here: An air strike on a Syrian village held by the Islamic State group has killed at least 25 people, all of them civilians, according to activists. The Deir Ezzor 24 activist group blamed Russian warplanes for the strike yesterday on the village of Shaafa in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour. The village is near the town of Boukamal, which Syrian troops and their allies captured this month. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gave a higher death toll, saying 53 people were killed, including 21 children. The Russian defence ministry said six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers scrambled from Russia and carried out an air strike on "terrorists' objects" in Deir el-Zour. Syria's violence has not abated ahead of the resumption of UN peace talks in Geneva tomorrow. More to follow. The peace talks will begin as scheduled even though the government delegation might not arrive on time, a diplomat has said. The opposition had announced last week it was prepared to enter direct talks with the government without preconditions, although some opposition figures have demanded President Bashar Assad relinquish power once the country enters a transitional period. The government has not named its delegation to the talks and the pro-government Al-Watan daily said the state's team is not expected to head to Geneva on Monday as scheduled, claiming the opposition demands for Assad to leave are "hidden conditions". In Geneva, a diplomatic official close to the negotiations said that despite indications the government delegation had delayed its arrival, there was nothing to suggest the talks would not start on Tuesday as scheduled. The UN's deputy envoy to Syria, Ramzy Ramzy, said after meeting Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad on Saturday in Damascus that the talks would cover four main topics, a new constitution, governance, elections and combating terrorism. The UK government has been warned it faces a "very substantial rebellion" from Tory MPs if it fails to find the money needed for the armed forces. New British Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was urged to ensure Chancellor Philip Hammond "digs deep in his pockets" and tells Theresa May about her duty to defend the country. UK Conservative James Gray's warnings of a rebellion came after Mr Williamson sidestepped questions over accusations he did not make any formal representations to Mr Hammond for more defence money before last week's Budget. Mr Williamson, making his debut at the despatch box in his new role, said he wanted to understand the threats faced by the UK, with a defence review ongoing across the British government. The UK Labour party joined senior Tory MP Julian Lewis in putting fresh pressure on Mr Williamson about potential cuts at Defence questions. UK shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith said Tory backbenchers were in "open rebellion" on the issue, with reports over the weekend that defence minister Tobias Ellwood could quit. Mr Williamson told MPs he was yet to have a formal meeting with the Chancellor. Speaking in the Commons, Mr Gray said of Mr Williamson: "His background ideally suits him to fighting the corner in the review that's coming along. "So will he please speak to the Prime Minister and remind her that her primary duty is the defence of the realm? "Will he speak to the national security adviser, and indeed the Secretary of State at the Cabinet Office, to remind them that they must not use this review as some kind of camouflage to cut our services? "Will he speak to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make sure he digs deep in his pockets to produce the money we need? "And above all, will he speak to the Chief Whip to remind him if he does not do so he's going to be facing a very substantial rebellion?" Mr Williamson replied: "I can assure him I will speak to every single one of those people that he has outlined. "As he rightly points out, the defence of our nation is the first and primary responsibility of every government - that is one I take exceptionally seriously." Mr Williamson added he would "do everything I can" to deliver for the armed forces. UK Conservative former defence minister Mark Francois also told Mr Williamson: "The defence of the realm is the first duty of government above all others." Mr Ellwood was earlier cheered by Labour MPs as he rose to answer a question about cadets. UK Labour former minister Chris Bryant asked the minister to visit his Rhondda constituency, noting "he may have some spare time in the near future". Mr Ellwood replied: "I'm not sure how useful I'd be if I had spare time in the future." For Labour, Ms Griffith warned it was not possible to "do security on the cheap" and said it was "surreal" to hear suggestions that Mr Williamson had made no formal pre-Budget requests to the Chancellor for more money. In response to whether he did make any representations, Mr Williamson replied: "What we have to do is to ensure that we understand what the needs are for our defence, our armed forces, going forward. "She may wish to rush into things and actually just demand and demand and demand. "What I want to do is to make sure that we have the arguments ready, understand the threats that this country faces and make sure that we deliver for our armed forces. "That is what the focus is going to be. I have many conversations with the Chancellor and I'm looking forward to many, many more going forward." Ms Griffith said she would "take that as a no", adding: "We are hearing the marines may be cut by 15% and the Army reduced to 70,000, something which would seriously put our international credibility at risk. "With his own backbenchers in open rebellion and one of his ministers threatening to quit over cuts, just how bad do things have to get before the Secretary of State does his job, stands up for defence and tells the Prime Minister and Chancellor that enough is enough." Mr Williamson said it was "a little bit rich" for Labour to lecture the Tories on defence and the Government was committed to increasing defence spending Mr Lewis, chairman of the UK Defence Select Committee, told Mr Williamson: "When he does speak to the Chancellor, will he take the opportunity of reminding him that in the Cold War years we spent 5% of GDP on defence. "Now, we spend barely 2% of GDP on defence, and perhaps a target nearer to 3% of GDP on defence might prevent our armed forces being further hollowed out?" Mr Williamson replied: "I've always seen 2% as a base as against a ceiling, and I will certainly be taking on board his thoughts and comments going forward." Families of the British men held in an Indian jail on weapons charges for four years have spoken of their relief and said their "dreams had come true" after all six were acquitted. The men, known as the Chennai Six, were first jailed in October 2013 while working as security guards on a ship to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean. The family of Nick Dunn, from Ashington, Northumberland, gathered together as they awaited news from the court in India. On hearing the men had been cleared his sister Lisa said: "The longer it went on, as much as you still have an element of hope, it does dwindle after having so many delays and setbacks. "But that hasn't happened today and we've had the best news ever. "It will make all of our Christmases, all of our dreams have come true today." Mr Dunn's father, Jim, said: "Absolutely fantastic, the best news in the world. "We haven't been a full family for a long time now. Nick won't fully realise it's over until his feet touch down in Newcastle." Customs officials initially boarded the vessel and were said to have found 35 guns and almost 6000 rounds of ammunition. Charges against the British men were dropped but they were forced to remain in India while prosecutors pursued an appeal. The men were Billy Irving, 37, from Argyll and Bute, Mr Dunn, 31, John Armstrong, 30, of Wigton, Cumbria, Nicholas Simpson, 47, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, Ray Tindall, 42, of Chester, and Paul Towers, 54, of Pocklington, East Yorkshire. Yvonne McHugh, partner of Billy Irving, said she was "over the moon" the men had been acquitted and also that it was a "dream come true". She added: "We are just waiting to hear how soon they'll be home. "That's the biggest hurdle we faced and all of them have been acquitted." Although the men have been cleared, Ms McHugh said she would be unable to speak to Mr Irving as he is not yet out of prison and does not have a phone. She said: "I won't be able to speak to him until he's out of prison, we just want them home as soon as possible. "I'm absolutely ecstatic and feel proud we've managed to do this after four years." A post on "The Chennai 6" Facebook page earlier said families were "understandably delighted" at the news. They are now waiting to hear when they will be allowed home from India to their families. The post said: "We now wait to hear as and when the men will be allowed home to their families. "This may take some time whilst the authorities decide whether they agree with the outcome or wish to appeal. "If they wish to appeal the men might be released from prison but not allowed back to the UK. "But the families are delighted that finally common sense and justice has prevailed." News of their acquittal reached Downing Street which said it will continue to offer consular assistance to the men. Theresa May's official spokesman said: "The government, from the Prime Minister down, has worked hard for over four years to support the men and their families and we share their happiness at the court's decision to give a full acquittal to each of the men. "We are now working with the Indian authorities to discuss the next steps. We will continue to offer the men and their families consular assistance for as long as it is needed." British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: "Since I became Foreign Secretary, this case has been a top priority for everybody at the Foreign Office (FCO) and today's verdict is fantastic news. "The FCO has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to reunite these men with their families. The importance the UK Government places on their case cannot be understated. "The men, their families and their supporters, who have campaigned unrelentingly, must be overjoyed. "I share their delight and I hope they can return home as soon as possible." President Donald Trump used an event honouring Native American veterans to hit out at Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren, whom he has long derided as Pocahontas. Mr Trump welcomed three Navajo code talkers from the Second World War to the Oval Office. He called them "incredible" and "very special people". During remarks on Monday praising their service, Mr Trump said: "We have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. "They call her Pocahontas. "But you know what, I like you." Trump made a "Pocahontas" jab at Elizabeth Warren while honoring Native American war veterans pic.twitter.com/tnpC0Urt7X BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) November 27, 2017 The Republican president has repeatedly mocked the Massachusetts senator for claims she has made about being part Native American. Native American leaders have called Mr Trump's past attacks on Ms Warren offensive and distasteful. Some Democrats have called the remark racist. Ms Warren quickly denounced Mr Trump's comments. "This was supposed to be an event to honour heroes, people who put it all on the line for our country, who, because of their incredible work, saved the lives of countless Americans and our allies," Ms Warren said in an interview on MSNBC. "It is deeply unfortunate that the president of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honouring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur." The president has long feuded with Ms Warren, an outspoken Wall Street critic who levelled blistering attacks on Mr Trump during the campaign. He has seized in particular on questions about her heritage, which surfaced during her 2012 Senate race challenging incumbent Republican Senator Scott Brown. During that campaign, law school directories from the Association of American Law Schools from 1986 to 1995 surfaced that put Ms Warren on the association's list of "minority law teachers" when she was teaching at the University of Texas and the University of Pennsylvania. Ms Warren said she listed herself with Native American heritage because she hoped to meet people with similar roots. In a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, Ms Warren said she and her brothers were told of the family's heritage by their parents, the late Don and Pauline Herring. Mr Brown pressed Ms Warren to release more information about how she described her heritage to potential employers. Ms Warren said she never sought proof of ancestry because she did not think it was necessary. AP Three children and two men in the UK who died in a horror crash in a suburban street were all travelling in the same stolen car when it hit a tree, according to the police officer leading the investigation. British Detective Chief Inspector Jim Griffiths described the "catastrophic" scene he witnessed after the collision on Stonegate Road, in Leeds on Saturday night. Brothers Ellis and Elliott Thornton, aged 12 and 14, died in the collision along with 15-year-old Darnell Harte, Anthoney Armour, 24, and Robbie Meerun, also 24. Speaking at the scene on Monday, Mr Griffiths said all five were in the black Renault Clio when it crashed. It is understood a total of six people were in the car at the time. The sixth person, a 15-year-old boy, was arrested and remains in police custody. It is believed he is hospital in a serious, but not life-threatening, condition. A second 15-year-old, who is understood not to have been in the car, was arrested in the area but later released under investigation. Mr Griffiths said: "When I arrived here in the early hours of Sunday morning this was a catastrophic scene. "All the witnesses, all the police officers, all the emergency services that were here would have seen, absolutely, a scene of total carnage. "It would have been a horrendous situation for anyone." People living nearby have described a terrible scene of bodies lying in the road and a car reduced to a mangled wreck, barely recognisable as a vehicle. Mr Griffiths said: "The car was in a terrible state when I arrived. It's difficult to describe it, really. "It was a vehicle that had obviously been involved in a very serious crash, with very tragic consequences." The detective said the car had been stolen in the Headingley area of Leeds at about 6.30pm on Saturday. He said it was "believed to have been driven around the Leeds area during that time". Mr Griffiths appealed for anyone who saw it between that time and the crash, just before 10pm, to contact him. He said: "We are continuing to carry out inquiries to establish the full circumstances of the collision itself and the circumstances surrounding it. "At this stage we believe that all those involved were travelling in the Clio at the time of the collision and that it was the only vehicle involved. "We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who has seen the Clio and the manner of its driving in the time leading up to the collision." Superintendent Matt Davison, who heads neighbourhood policing for the Leeds District, said: "This is a very tragic set of circumstances and our thoughts and condolences go out to everyone who has been affected by it." He said: "Clearly the families have suffered a devastating loss and we appreciate that emotions will be running high in the community. "We would ask that people focus on supporting each other and on supporting the police investigation, which will ensure that the circumstances of this incident are fully explored and that the criminal justice process is satisfied." Relatives of the brothers were among a succession of people who went to look at the growing shrine of flowers, balloons, candles and messages at the scene in Stonegate Road. Update 1.39pm: Pope Francis has arrived on a visit to Burma and Bangladesh to encourage their tiny Catholic communities and reach out to some of Asia's poorest people, but the big question was whether he would utter the word "Rohingya". Francis immediately dived into the Rohingya Muslim crisis by meeting Burma's powerful military leader, General Min Aung Hlaing and three officials from the bureau of special operations. The general is in charge of the security operation in Rakhine state, where a military crackdown against the Muslim minority has sent more than 620,000 Rohingya into neighbouring Bangladesh. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke did not provide details of the private 15-minute meeting at the archbishop's residence, other than to say: "They spoke of the great responsibility of the authorities of the country in this moment of transition." Rohingya in recent months have been subject to what the UN says is a campaign of "textbook ethnic cleansing" by the military in Rakhine. Burma's local Catholic Church has publicly urged Francis to avoid using the term "Rohingya" because it is shunned by many locally as the ethnic group is not a recognised minority in the country. However, Francis has already prayed for "our Rohingya brothers and sisters", and any decision to avoid the term could be viewed as a capitulation to Burma's military and a stain on his legacy of standing up for the most oppressed and marginalised. Mr Burke did not say if Francis used the term in his meeting with the general, which ended with an exchange of gifts: Francis gave him a medallion of the trip, while the general gave the pope a harp in the shape of a boat, and an ornate rice bowl. Upon arrival in Rangoon, the pope was greeted by local Catholic officials and his motorcade passed by thousands of Burma's Catholics, who lined the roads wearing traditional attire and playing music. Children in traditional dress greeted him as he drove in a simple blue car, chanting "Viva il papa!" (Long live the pope) and waving small plastic Burmese and Holy See flags. En route from Rome, Francis greeted journalists on the plane and apologised for the expected heat, which was 32C on his arrival and is expected to rise. On Tuesday, he will begin the main protocol portion of his week-long trip, meeting the country's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and delivering a speech to other Burmese authorities and diplomats. He will greet a delegation of Rohingya Muslims and meet Bangladesh's political and religious leadership in Dhaka. Masses for the Catholic faithful and meetings with the local church hierarchy round out the itinerary in each country. The trip was planned before the latest spasm of violence erupted in August, when Rohingya militants attacked security positions in Rakhine. Burmese security forces responded with a scorched-earth campaign that forced more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, where they are living in squalid refugee camps. AP Ealier: Pope arrives in Myanmar to Catholic crowds but will he use the word 'Rohingya'? Pope Francis has arrived in Myanmar in the start of a tour which will include visiting Catholic communities in neighbouring Bangladesh but the big question is whether he will utter the word "Rohingya". The pontiff's trip has been designed to encourage their tiny Catholic communities and reach out to some of Asia's most peripheral and poor. But the "will he or won't he?" issue has dominated debate before the trip, which began on Monday and ends with a youth rally in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka on December 2. Upon arrival in Yangon, the pope was greeted by local Catholic officials and his motorcade passed thousands of Myanmar's Catholics, who lined the roads, wearing traditional attire and playing music. In Myanmar, Francis will meet separately with the country's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, its powerful military chief and Buddhist monks. He will greet a delegation of Rohingya Muslims and meet with Bangladesh's political and religious leadership in Dhaka. Myanmar's local Catholic Church has publicly urged Francis to avoid using the term "Rohingya", which is shunned by many locally because the ethnic group is not a recognised minority in the country. Rohingya in recent months have been subject to what the United Nations says is a campaign of "textbook ethnic cleansing" by the military in poverty-wracked Rakhine state. Francis, though, has already prayed for "our Rohingya brothers and sisters," and any decision to avoid the term could be viewed as a capitulation to Myanmar's military and a stain on his legacy of standing up for the most oppressed and marginalised of society, no matter how impolitic. "Being a religious leader - Catholic leader - means that he is well-regarded, but of course there is this worry if he says something, people might say, 'OK, he just came to meddle,'" said Burmese analyst Khin Zaw Win, a former political prisoner. "So, I think a lot of diplomacy is needed, in addition to the public relations." The trip was planned before the latest spasm of violence erupted in August, when Rohingya militants attacked security positions in Rakhine. Myanmar security forces responded with a scorched-earth campaign that forced more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, where they are living in squalid refugee camps. The signals from the Vatican going into the trip were mixed: The Vatican spokesman used the term "Rohingya" in a pre-trip briefing and said "It's not a prohibited word" as far as the Vatican was concerned. But the Holy See's top diplomat, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, avoided it in an interview with Vatican media on the eve of the trip. The debate is not just semantic: Myanmar's government and most of the Buddhist majority consider them Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living illegally in the country, though Rohingya have lived there for generations. "It's going to be a tricky situation (if he uses the word), I think because most of the people can't accept it," said farmer Win Myaing. Seaman Kyaw Thu Maung said the issue is difficult because the term "Rohingya" carries so much political weight for all of Myanmar's people. "But my feeling is that if the pope is going to talk about the Rakhine issue, the people aren't going to like the pope anymore," he said. Tens of thousands of travellers have been stranded in Bali after the threat from a volcano closed the tourist island's international airport. Indonesian authorities raised the alert for Mount Agung to the highest level on Monday, and said the airport would be closed for 24 hours. The volcano has been hurling clouds of white and dark grey ash about 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) into the atmosphere since the weekend. Video released by the national disaster agency showed a mudflow of volcanic debris and water known as a lahar moving down the volcano's slopes. Tests indicated ash had reached the island's airspace, leaving tourists facing flight information boards showing rows of cancellations as they arrived at the busy airport expecting to catch flights home. Airport spokesman Air Ahsanurrohim said 445 flights were cancelled, affecting about 59,000 travellers. The closure is in effect until Tuesday morning, but officials said the situation would be reviewed every six hours. Bali is Indonesia's top tourist destination, with its gentle Hindu culture, surf beaches and lush green interior attracting about five million visitors a year. Geological agency head, Kasbani, who goes by one name, said the alert level was raised because the volcano had shifted from steam-based eruptions to magmatic eruptions. "We don't expect a big eruption but we have to stay alert and anticipate," he said on Indonesian TV. The exclusion zone around the crater was widened to six miles, from a previous three to five miles. Ash up to half a centimetre (less than half an inch) thick settled on villages around the volcano over the weekend, and soldiers and police distributed masks. The volcano's last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people. Indonesia sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire" and has more than 120 active volcanoes. Mount Agung's alert status was raised to the highest level in September following a dramatic increase in tremors from the volcano, which doubled the exclusion zone around the crater and prompted more than 140,000 people to leave the area. The alert was lowered on October 29 after a decrease in activity, but about 25,000 people remained in evacuation centres. Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency says as many as 100,000 villagers need to leave the expanded danger zone, but that less than half that number have left. Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference in Jakarta that the extension of the danger zone affected 22 villages and about 90,000 to 100,000 people. Nugroho said about 40,000 people had evacuated but others had not left because they felt safe or did not want to abandon their livestock. Under-fire US senator Al Franken has said he does not remember whether he touched women inappropriately while having his picture taken with them at campaign events. The Minnesota Democrat's comments are the latest indication that he has no plans to step down amid allegations of sexual misconduct. One woman claims he forcibly kissed her on a visit to entertain US troops in Afghanistan and took a sexually suggestive photo while she was sleeping. Three others allege he grabbed their buttocks while posing with them for photos during separate campaign events in 2007, 2008 and 2010. "I take thousands and thousands of pictures, sometimes in chaotic and crowded situations," Mr Franken said in an interview aired by CBS. "I can't say I haven't done that. I'm very sorry if these women experienced that." He added that he has to be "a lot more sensitive, and a lot more careful" when he poses for pictures and when he meets someone: "I'm going to make sure that this does not happen again." His interviews with Minnesota media outlets over the weekend were his first since he was swept into a nationwide tide of sexual misconduct allegations. Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore is accused of initiating sexual conduct with teenagers during the 1970s, and Michigan Representative John Conyers is giving up his leadership position as top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee amid a congressional probe into claims of sexual harassment. Both men deny the allegations. Mr Franken told the Minneapolis Star Tribune he does not remember the specific photos, but said such groping is "not something I would intentionally do". Asked whether he expected other women to step forward with similar allegations, he said: "If you had asked me two weeks ago, 'Would any woman say I had treated her with disrespect?', I would have said no. So this has just caught me by surprise. ... I certainly hope not." The first woman to come forward was Los Angeles radio host Leeann Tweeden. She released a photo earlier this month showing the then-comedian grinning while reaching out towards her chest, as if to grope her, as she slept on a military aircraft in 2006. Mr Franken told Minnesota Public Radio on Sunday the photo was "inexcusable". "What my intention was doesn't matter. What matters is that I am chained to that photo," he said. "She ... didn't have any ability to consent. She had every right to feel violated by that photo. I have apologised to her, and I was very grateful that she accepted my apology." Ms Tweeden said he also forcibly kissed her while rehearsing for a show, but Franken has said he has a different recollection of the rehearsal. He faces a Senate ethics investigation - which he welcomed in the wake of Ms Tweeden's allegation - athough it is unclear when that may begin. Mr Franken, who has not faced widespread calls to resign, said he will fully co-operate. He missed Senate votes after the first accusations were made public. He said he spent the holiday break with his wife and the rest of his family, and when he goes back to work he will ask tough questions about proposed tax legislation that "would affect Minnesota and the rest of the country in a terrible way". AP Zimbabwe's security forces have reported incidents of looting and illegal occupation of farms and houses following the resignation of Robert Mugabe and the inauguration of his successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa. However, the military and police said in a joint statement that the "situation in our country has returned to normalcy" after a crisis during which the military staged a takeover and crowds demonstrated against Mugabe at the end of his 37-year rule. Police, largely absent from the streets of Harare during the tumultuous leadership transition, will assume its role "as stipulated in the constitution" and conduct joint patrols with the military, including in the capital's central business district, the statement said. Many Zimbabweans applauded the military for its role in Mugabe's resignation on November 21, but resent the police for alleged corruption. At Mr Mnangagwa's inauguration as president on Friday, military commander General Constantino Chiwenga drew cheers from tens of thousands of spectators in a sports stadium, while the police commissioner, General Augustine Chihuri, was booed. Mr Mnangagwa, once a close confidant of Mugabe whose November 6 dismissal as vice president led to Zimbabwe's momentous leadership change, has urged people not to settle old scores as a new government seeks to rebuild the economically struggling country. However, the statement from the security forces said there were some problems. "Law enforcement agents are already receiving reports of looting and illegal occupation of other people's properties, particularly farms and houses," it said. The statement described such actions as criminal and against the spirit of reconciliation that the new government seeks to build, saying they "will be met by the full wrath of the law". Colonel Overson Mugwisi and Charity Charamba. Land is a contentious issue in Zimbabwe, where Mugabe's government, starting around 2000, initiated land seizures and evictions of farmers from Zimbabwe's white minority, which relinquished power in 1980 after a guerrilla war by black nationalists. Mugabe said the often-violent reform programme was meant to redistribute resources to poor blacks, but many prime farms instead ended up in the hands of ruling Zanu-PF party leaders, party loyalists, security chiefs, relatives and cronies. More recently, the situation was further complicated by rifts within the ruling party that led to the military intervention and the victory of Mr Mnangagwa over a faction linked to Mugabe's wife Grace, who previously had presidential ambitions. AP Latest News MFAA elects board members One re-elected, two newcomers welcomed ANZ raises fixed rates Forty other lenders have hiked at least one fixed rate in the last month, data shows National Australia Bank ( NAB ) has reached the fifth anniversary of NAB Commercial Broker by celebrating a number of key milestones.First established in 2012, the channel has grown to represent around a quarter of the banks new business lending flows and accounts for around 22% of the broader commercial market.This upwards trajectory includes year-on-year settlement growth of over 40% with the number of broker loans written increasing by 27% annually.NAB Commercial Broker formed its first aggregator partnership with FAST in 2012. It now has agreements with 20 aggregators with around 1,300 brokers writing loans for the platform.NAB Commercial Broker was created in recognition of the growing trend towards the use of commercial brokers and these figures clearly demonstrate the success of brokers in catering to Australias business community, said general manager of NAB Commercial Broker, Chris Thomas.The group has also expanded its broker support team to 60 staff members who service NAB Business Bank, NAB Asset Finance as well as Small Business, Franchise, Agribusiness, Health, Private and Corporate.Throughout the year, the bank has expanding its support for brokers within the commercial and small business lending space including through its Hows Business? campaign which launched in July.Our small business team has received terrific feedback from many brokers who are now assisting a client with their business needs, where in the past the client only sought their help for a home loan, Thomas told Australian Broker.Diversifying into commercial lending can offer brokers access to additional revenue streams while expanding their value proposition beyond mortgages, he said.Our aim is to make diversification a real possibility for brokers, by continually improving our digital lodgment process to ensure it is smooth and simple.With a growth mindset amongst small business owners, there is an increased demand for brokers who offer a diverse range of services, he added.In the coming year, NAB will continue to invest in its business development managers to provide a greater on-the-ground presence for brokers in capital cities and regional communities.We are also investing in improved technology to enable a digital experience to complement the personal relationships we have with brokers via the many business banking centres we have across the country. A 24-year-old man is facing a slew of felony charges for illegal straw purchase of 21 guns at gun stores, almost exclusively in Bucks County. Leonard Truesdale was arraigned on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, on 21 counts each of making false statements on firearm purchase forms, criminal conspiracy to make false statements on firearm purchase forms and selling or transferring... This NCIS: Los Angeles episode sees Joelle Taylor pop up in Callens life again, this time with claims that she was kidnapped and hes the only one she can trust. But can he trust her? Fool Me Twice sees the team refuse to be played by Joelle yet again, but as they learn once the truth comes out, something they thought was over for them may not be. NCIS: Los Angeles Recap: How Does Kensi React to Seeing Asakeem Again?>>> What to Do When Your Ex Needs to Wear Your Girlfriends Clothes A woman with a hood over her head attacks her interrogator. Two guards come in to chain her to the floor. But as the interrogator cleans up, he realizes hes missing a collar stay. When he gets back to the room, the guards are dead and the prisoner is gone. That prisoner is Joelle, who goes to Callen and tells him she needs his help. Joelle claims she quit the CIA and didnt know everything the rogue group was doing. To her displeasure, Callen just puts Kensi and Deeks on overwatch with her family. He doesnt trust her, but theres a kid involved. While he says that whatever trouble shes in has nothing to do with him, she disagrees, saying, It has to do with national security. Joelle tells Sam and Callen that she let her guard down and got into a routine a couple months out of the CIA. She was grabbed at a stop sign after dropping her kid off at school, and she thinks that someone drove her car away. She never saw their faces; they put a hood on her right away. Based on what she was asked by someone with an American accent, shed say he worked for a foreign intelligence agency. She gave them the intel she had, but it was six months old. She tells them how she escaped and where she was held, but she doubts theyre still there and worries theyll go to her house. Once alone, Callen asks his partner what he thinks. Sam says Joelle would be the perfect target (former CIA, falls into a routine, history of corruptibility), but maybe shes too perfect. They cant ignore the threat, especially not with video of her kidnapping (but was it staged?), Mosley says, but warns them, She fooled you once, boys. Dont let it happen again. Her husband, Nick, knows enough not to ask questions, Joelle tells Callen. But when they get to her house, Nick reluctantly accepts that shell explain later when she sends him and their son with Kensi and Deeks. While she wants to stay at home, Callen refuses to give her home field advantage and takes her to Sams boat. Meanwhile, Sam and Harley check out the warehouse where Joelle was held. But just as he notices a camera on in the corner of the room where she was held, a steel door slides shut, closing them in as a fire starts. Sam breaks through a wall and gets them out of there, but hes really worried about his boat now. He doesnt trust much when it comes to Joelle, especially since, as Harley points out, she played them for years, which no one has done before. Quiz: Who is Your TV Boss?>>> And You (and They) Thought They Were Done with That Rogue CIA Group It mustve been meant for her, Joelle says when Callen informs her of what happened and continues to insist shes not lying. But when she goes to leave, he warns her that if she does, her family goes back home. She stays. Kensi questions Nick about an affair he had, but he tells her that it ended three months ago, shes not a threat and his wife knew the entire time and just didnt stop it. It killed him when Joelle slept with other men for her job, but he couldnt do anything about it. She couldve stopped him and didnt, making him wonder if everything was based on a lie. After finding out from Sabatino that Joelle lied about leaving the CIA and is still active, Sam and Callen confront her. She didnt think Callen would help if he knew the truth, she says, admitting that she was kidnapped by the rogue CIA group to which she used to belong. They took them down, they argue. No, not the man behind the curtain, she reveals, and he wants to rebuild. Join or die, he told her, but shes done with them. She doesnt need them to trust her. She just needs them to keep her family safe. Thats what gets them to believe her; shes been consistent about wanting to protect her family. Then cameras in Callens house pick up men who look like Joelles kidnappers. Theyre gone by the time LAPD and agents get there. Mosley wants to turn it all over to the CIA, claiming its not their problem. But Sam argues that if the rogue group is still active, theyre a threat to NCIS. He buys the team two hours when he points out that they have to investigate the kill room in the warehouse that almost took out him and Harley, and a burned router inside leads to an international mining company that did business with the corporation that owned the warehouse. The team sets up at the company, with Kensi and Deeks going around the office with 3D microphones so Joelle can listen to voices to see if the man who interrogated her is inside. While waiting, she calls Callen out on not approving of her having a family and her job, even bringing up Sam being in the same position and what happened to Michelle, but Callen points out that Sams wife knew the risks. Does Joelles husband? Joelle recognizes the voice of her interrogator. Hes Colton Leach, the VP of Operations of the company, but theres no indication that hes CIA. The company has interests in the Middle East, where the rogue group did their wet work, but its not enough for them to move on him. Then more masked men show up and box in the food truck that Callen and Joelle are in. While everyone starts shooting, Joelle runs inside to go after Leach after Callen gives her a gun. When Kensi tries to stop Leach from leaving, even showing her badge, he chooses to go with his own men, and Callen ends up finding him and Joelle on the roof. Leach has been shot in the stomach, but he warns Joelle that hes not it. Hes part of a group called the Syndicate, and theyre not CIA. They just own a piece of the agency, but it turns out that the CIA isnt good at securing the Middle East. They want Joelle to be part of their new, better plan. But just as shes lowering her gun after he tells her the CIA doesnt understand that shes not made for civilian life, Leach pulls a gun. Callen shoots him, but Joelle is shot and Sam tells the team when he returns to the office that she didnt make it. As for how the men found Joelle, Harley discovers that there was an app running in the background on Nicks phones, tracing his calls, and Callen had let Joelle call her husband. It leads back to the woman with whom he was having the affair, and shes MIA. She was keeping an eye on Joelle through Nick. Speaking of Joelle shes not really dead. She just believes that her family will be safer if they believe she is while she hunts down the Syndicate. Are you disappointed that theres another piece to that rogue CIA group? Do you want to see Joelle again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. NCIS: Los Angeles season 9 airs Sundays at 9/8c on CBS. Want more news? Like our Facebook page. (Image courtesy of CBS) In this episode of Outlander, titled Uncharted, Claire meets an unusual man on the island of Saint-Domingue and worries how shell reunite with Jamie, the Artemis encounters rough waters and a couple weds. Claire successfully escapes the Porpoise and makes landfall on an island. Shes a bit discouraged since she has no idea where she is or how or where to find Jamie. A more immediate concern is the lack of fresh water. (She didnt think to grab a flask of water before jumping ship?) As a doctor, Claire knows she can only survive three days without it. Outlander Recap: Claire Learns Life or Death News About Jamie>>> Is This Outlander or Survivor? She wanders inland, hoping for a road where she can hitch a ride to a nearby port and buy passage to Jamaica. After a day, it looks like this island could be of the Gilligans Island variety. Her first night in the wilderness, shes able to use two stones and light a fire but wakes up with her legs covered in fire ants. Claire ventures into the jungle and spots some cocunuts, but theyre too high for her to reach. She falls asleep at the base of a tree and awakens to a giant snake slithering across her body (literally a snake, not a certain part of Jamies anatomy). Unlike most women myself included who would jump up and start screaming bloody murder, Claire maintains her composure until the snake goes merrily on its way. Everybodys Gone Nuts By day three, Claire is becoming a bit delirious and stumbles upon a man preaching and then passes out. When she opens her eyes, there are no snakes, but she is tied to a bed. A woman, Mamacita (Vivi Lepori), gives her some water and explains that she cant free Claire or shell scratch her ant bites, which the woman has treated with some green paste. Mamacita removes Claires clothes and takes a keen interest in the zipper on the corset. Claire passes out again, and the next time she wakes up, shes greeted by a very cheerful Englishman, who introduces himself as Father Fogden (Nick Fletcher) and welcomes her to Hacienda de la Fuente. Fogden proves to be a solicitous and gracious host. He unties Claire and offers her food and water, warning her to drink slowly. She tells him shes a doctor, and hes shocked, but Claire insists its quite common in the American colonies. Fogden believes Claires arrival to be a good omen since one of his goats just gave birth the first newborn in some time. Claire learns that shes on the island of Saint-Domingue. Claire explains that her husband is traveling to Jamaica, and she needs to find him. There is a village a days walk away where she can catch a ride on a fishing boat. Claire is ready to leave immediately, but Father Fogden insists it is too dangerous. More specifically, Coco an actual coconut thinks its not a good idea. (Yes, Coco bears a resemblance to Wilson the volleyball.) This island has an unsavory element known as Maroons escaped slaves who have fled their masters and seek refuge in the hills. Father Fogden also warns of pirates. So, all in all, either Claire takes her chances with Maroons and pirates if Father Fogden is telling the truth, which is unlikely since he talks to coconuts or she hangs out with a guy who talks to coconuts. Claire, Father Fogden and Mamacita sit down to dinner, and while Mamacita is no fan of Claires, Father Fogden opens up about his past. Fifteen years prior, Fogden was working with the poor in Cuba. He met a woman, Emenegilda, and they fell in love. In addition to Emenegilda being married to a very cruel and wealthy man, Fogden was a priest, so they were forced to flee Cuba and ended up on Saint-Domingue. Unfortunately, Emenegilda became ill not long after their arrival and died. Fogden offers Claire some yupa to smoke, which he promises has some euphoric effects. This probably explains why the guy is talking to a coconut hes high all the time. Claire wisely refuses and asks how to get to the nearby village. She plans to leave in the morning. Fogden wont let Claire make the trip alone; he insists on accompanying her. He also doesnt want her to leave for at least a week. Claire emphasizes the urgency of her journey, but Fogden isnt swayed. Mamacita, on the other hand, wants Claire out immediately. She thinks Claire is a whore. (Why does every woman who meets Claire in the 18th century immediately call her a whore?) Mamacita thinks theyve done their Catholic duty, but Fogden argues that Claire has brought them good fortune and is welcome. The two argue because Mamacita is convinced that Fogden is hoping Claire will replace her daughter, Emenegilda. In this particular hacienda, Mamacita has the last word well, her and Coco. Quiz: Which TV Sidekick Are You?>>> Arabella, Abandawe and the Artemis The following morning, Mamacita brings Fogden the skinned head of one of his goats, Arabella, claiming a sailor is responsible for the beloved goats death. Fogden retrieves a jar of black insects and dumps them on Arabellas skull, and they immediately begin to consume what remains. Fogden tells Claire they come from a sacred cave known as Abandawe. This rings a bell with Claire because the fortune teller in Edinburgh warned her of this very place. Fogden says Abandawe is a place of great power, and many have disappeared there. Fogden laments that his Arabella was killed by a Chinaman. (Mamacita broke this news in Spanish, one language Claire doesnt speak.) Claire suspects the man in question could be Willoughby and learns there were many sailors and broken sails on the beach. Claire asks how to get to the ship, and while Fogden is distracted by goat grief, Mamacita instructs Claire to run through the jungle and just keep on going. The Artemis ran into some trouble and broke one of the main sails. Many crew members died, including Captain Raines. Jamie, Fergus, Lesley and Hayes, along with the rest of the survivors, repair the mast and prepare to set sail. Claire rushes through the jungle towards the beach and gashes open her arm on a branch along the way. She reaches the beach and sees the Artemis in the distance and begins to scream Jamies name, but hes too far away. Claire stole a small mirror from Fogdens house and uses it to catch the light, sending a signal to the boat. Jamie spots his wife and goes rushing back for her. Hayes and Lesley comment how Jamies wife has a tendency to turn up in the most unlikely places. (Thats putting it mildly.) Willoughby stitches up Claires arm, and she tells her husband about the warrants. Willoughby regrets that they didnt cut the body up, leaving nothing for anyone to find. (Hes a dark one.) Claire assures her husband that Captain Leonard is an ambitious man, and he wont stop until he finds Jamie, but Jamie has no intention of stopping until he finds Ian. On a less dismal note, Jamie shares with Claire that he has given Fergus and Marsali his blessing. He thinks that with all the death and suffering, it might be a good time to find some joy a wedding. Good thing Claire knows a priest. First, Willoughby has to apologize for Arabella. He offers up a chicken as a mea culpa. To his credit, Fogden decides to let bygones be bygones, citing that he too was once a stranger in a strange land. Then they get high on yupa. Claire tends to Marsali before the ceremony, asking if theres anything Marsali wants to know. Shes a bit surprised when Marsali inquires about birth control. She does want babies, but she saw how unhappy her mother and Jamie were together, and she wants what Jamie and Claire have. She wants some alone time with her new hubby before pushing out bairns. Claire assures Marsali she can be of assistance in that area. During the ceremony, Fogden asks Fergus for his full name, but like Madonna and Prince, Fergus explains that hes just Fergus. Fogden insists that a surname is necessary, so Jamie informs the priest that Fergus full name is Fergus Claudel Fraser. Please, Sir, May I Have Some More? Back on the ship, Claire enjoys some turtle soup made for her especially by Willoughby. It contains a whole lot of sherry, so Claire is buzzed. Shes also got a huge gash in her arm and has a fever. Good thing she brought that penicillin from the future. Jamie tries to give his wife the shot but cant bring himself to stick her with the needle. (Insert filthy joke here.) Once shes full of antibiotics, Claire really starts to feel frisky. And when Jamie talks about her nipples being like big, round cherries, all of us ladies know why. He does make a valiant attempt to fight off his drunken, infected spouse, but the power of the turtle overwhelms them, and sex ensues. How will Claire and Jamie avoid Captain Leonard? Are the bones that Abernathy and Claire examined in Boston related to Abandawe? Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Outlander season 3 airs Sundays at 8/7c on Starz. Want more news? Like BuddyTVs Facebook page. (Image courtesy of Starz) India Americans shopping on .com this holiday season may find that the best deals for popular gifts like leather shoes and luxury bedding are coming from an unexpected source: Indian merchants. Over the coming weeks, over 4 crore Tata Teleservices customers will be automatically shifted to the Airtel network under an intra-circle roaming (ICR) arrangement, according to the two companies. However, Telecom regulator Trai is looking to raise objections to the transition. The embattled Essar Group on Monday announced the closure of its BPO arm Aegis sale for Rs 2,000 crore and said it has been able to pare debt by Rs 75,000 crore, thanks to the proceeds from the recent sale of its refinery business. The company announced the conclusion of the Rs 2,000- crore sale of Aegis to Capital Square Partners (CSP), marking its exit from the business process outsourcing (BPO) business. Earlier, it had concluded a $13 billion deal to sell its oil business to Russia's Rosneft. A July media report had pegged the total debt of the group at Rs 1.38 trillion. Some reports had said the Rosneft deal alone would have helped it pare debt by Rs 70,000 crore. However, it was not immediately clear about the levels to which the debt of the group has come down to. The diversified conglomerate has been selling off assets to pare its high debt, which has seen it exiting the oil business and also sell realty holdings, apart from Aegis, the BPO arm. "Net proceeds from this sale (of Aegis)...will be used to retire our debt at the group level," Essar said in a statement. "The closure of this transaction is in line with Essar's intent to reduce the leverage that is complemented by an asset monetisation programme. The proceeds from the sale of Aegis and Essar Oil have enabled Essar to retire almost Rs 75,000 crore of debt," it added. The Aegis sale was announced on this April 3 and involved AGC Holdings Mauritius, a wholly-owned portfolio company of Essar Global, selling 100 per cent stake in ESM Holdings Mauritius, the holding company of Aegis, to CSP, a Singapore-based private equity fund. The statement said Essar had acquired Aegis Communication in 2003 and it has now grown over tenfold to become a significant player in the outsourcing industry. Aegis is present in nine countries, including India, South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, England, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Peru and Malaysia. Under Essar, it carried out 19 acquisitions and all of them were successful, the statement said. "The closure of this transaction is yet another validation of Essar Global Fund's commitment to reduce its leverage by monetising the non-core businesses," Uday Gujadhur, director of AGC Holding, said in the statement. "We are keenly looking forward to working with the Aegis management team to grow its global footprint and enhance its capabilities and excellence in service to its customers," CSP managing partners Sanjay Chakrabarty and Mukesh Sharda said in a joint statement. Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, is all dressed up to welcome Ivanka Trump, whos leading the US delegation for the eighth edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. From Taj Falaknuma, venue for state dinner to be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to Hitec City, where the summit is being organised for the next three days, Ivanka is the theme. But thats not the only global attention that the city has been getting. A senior official in the Telangana government pointed out that leading global brands such as Amazon, Walmart and IKEA are investing top dollars here. American retail major Walmart, which set up its first Hyderabad store a few years ago before Telangana happened, is gearing up to open two to three more cash and carry outlets in the city. Hyderabad is a three-to-four-store market for Walmart, a company executive told Business Standard. Theres no other city in India that Walmart has so far identified as a three-to-four-store market. Agra and Bhopal have two Walmart stores each and thats the highest so far for any city. ALSO READ: GES 2017: Ambani, Godrej, Adani to join PM Modi at Ivanka dinner Seattle-based e-commerce giant Amazon, too, has been upbeat on Telangana. The Jeff Bezos-led group set up Indias biggest fulfilment centre in Hyderabad some six months ago, spread over nearly 400,000 sq ft with close to 2.1 million cubic feet of storage space. Along with this, Amazon has five fulfilment centres in Telangana offering around 3.2 million cubic feet of storage. Also, its biggest campus, anywhere outside the US, will be ready at Gachibowli (Hyderabad) in 2019. Company executives at Walmart and Amazon, corporate rivals, attributed the global brands interest in Telangana to transparent industrial policy, single-window clearance and overall ease of doing business. In fact, IT minister in the state K T Rama Rao or KTR as hes popularly known, and son of chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, is just one phone call away, an industry representative said. Top bureaucrats in the ministry, too, are readily accessible, he added. Swedish furniture major IKEA, too, recently launched its first experience centre in India in Hyderabad. Its first signature store in the country, spread over around 400,000 sq ft, is also coming up in Hyderabad next year. IKEA has committed the largest single-brand retail investment in India till now at Rs 10,500 crore. Multinationals in IT sector such as Microsoft, Apple and Google have major presence as well in Hyderabad. Amazon set up Indias biggest fulfilment centre, spread over 400,000 sq ft with close to 2.1 million cubic feet of storage space, in Hyderabad some six months ago. Photo: Bloomberg B V P Rao, advisor to the Telangana government, said, while Hyderabad has been known for its information technology and pharmaceuticals prowess, we are consciously developing defence & aerospace as a new pillar. Whether its for manufacturing, servicing or training in defence & aerospace, the Telangana government is on an overdrive to make it big. The states focus on logistics and warehousing is also attracting industry in a significant way, Rao said. The largest incubator in the country, t-hub, located in the Hitec City of Hyderabad, is another example of how Telangana is dealing with industry. In the past two years, since its inception, t-hub has assisted around 350 start-ups. Work has already begun for the second phase of expansion of t-hub which will mean shifting into a building spread over 365,000 sq ft space. According to CEO of t-hub, Jay Krishnan, in the next three years, Hyderabad will be among the top 10 global start-up destinations. While t-hubs current five-storey office is already attracting global investors and start-ups from across the world, Krishnan is clear that e-commerce is kept out of the way at the incubator because that is an over-crowded space already. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) will be shifting its imported cargo to Mumbai Port Trust warehouses from January to reduce the cost and time taken in transactions. Gains from sale-and-lease-back of aircraft helped GoAir post a 36 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit during FY 2017. Net profit for fiscal-year 2017 was Rs 205.25 crore as against Rs 150.24 crore in the previous year. Chinese mobile handset major Xiaomi has replaced Samsung at the top position in the countrys urban market. The Beijing-headquartered company, which entered India three years ago, has managed to garner a higher market share in the top 50 cities during the September quarter. Terrorism has become a constant global threat and humanitarian forced will have to fight unitedly to defeat it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday as the country paid tributes to those who sacrificed their lives during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a convention to mark the party's 5th Foundation Day at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) Delhi Chief Minister on Sunday accused the BJP of dividing India on Hindu-Muslim lines and said it had done in three years what Pakistan and its ISI could not do in 60 years. "Pakistan's biggest dream is to divide Hindustan on the lines of Hindus and Muslims. Those who're dividing the country on the lines of Hindus and Muslims are ISI agents," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said at the party's Conference here. "Under the veil of patriots, they're anti-nationals. They want to weaken the country. This dream has been harboured by Pakistan. What Inter-Services Intelligence could not do in 60 years, the BJP has done in three years," he said and asked voters in Gujarat to defeat the BJP. Thousands of party workers participated in the conference at the Ramlila Maidan here, from where the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare started and later gave birth to the AAP party in 2012. The event drew participation from 22 states. Talking about the December Gujarat elections, Kejriwal said: "I request the people of Gujarat to give your vote to the candidate or party who can defeat the BJP." "If somewhere, the AAP is winning, give your vote to AAP. If any other party is winning, give the vote to them. But defeat the BJP," Kejriwal said. Speaking on the occasion, AAP founder-member Kumar Vishwas said the party had moved away from the path it set out on and has to find the right way forward. "Don't you think we have gone somewhere else from where we were moving to five years ago? We have to find the right way," the AAP leader said. He also called for introspection on the part of the AAP leadership and cadres. "We should think about ourselves as to where we started five years ago and where we are now."A Vishwas said some party leaders do not talk about social activist Anna Hazare, under whose leadership many of them participated in the 2011 anti-corruption movement. "Anna was the creator of this campaign." Referring to the AAP Council meeting held this month, he said his name was not in the list of speakers at the event. However, he said, he will not go anywhere and stay in the party. In October, AAP revoked the suspension of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who had accused Vishwas of being a traitor. In May, Khan was suspended, days after making the accusation and Vishwas was named AAP incharge of Rajasthan. While thousands of party volunteers in the crowd sported the trademark AAP white cap with the party symbol "broom", many like Munesh Rani, 53, had the broom symbol and "AAP" painted on their cheeks. AAP party flags with Kejriwal's face and party symbol dotted the ground as volunteers waved them as AAP leaders spoke from the stage. Party leaders, including Delhi Ministers Manish Sisodia and Gopal Rai, AAP Spokesperson Ashutosh, Secretary Pankaj Gupta, as well as Punjab MP Bhagwant Mann spoke on the occasion, as were a large number of AAP MLAs from Delhi and Punjab as well as AAP corporators from the national capital. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. The Madras High Court today acquitted 35 crew members of a private US ship, who were convicted by a trial court last year, for illegally entering Indian waters with weapons in 2013. Allowing their appeal, Justice M Basheer Ahamed set aside the lower court's January 11, 2016 order which sentenced the crew to five years rigorous imprisonment. The high court held that the charges against them had not been proved. The arrested included 10 Indians. The lower court in Tuticorin had found the crew of US company owned ship 'Seaman Guard Ohio' guilty of violating Indian laws by possessing weapons. It had also slapped a fine of Rs 3,000 on each of them. Justice Ahamed also directed that the fine amount paid by the crew members be returned. 'Q' branch police had filed the case against the crew members for illegally entering Indian waters with weapons. The crew, arrested on October 18, 2013, after their ship was intercepted by the Coast Guard off Tuticorin port, were granted conditional bail by the High court Bench here in March 2014. They were arrested after the Coast Guard found the ship carrying arms illegally in Indian waters off Tuticorin. They faced charges under the Arms Act and the Essential Commodities Act which was invoked as the ship had allegedly bought diesel from a local agent in violation of law. US firm 'AdvanFort International', which owns the ship, has maintained that the vessel was involved in anti-piracy operations and had not strayed into Indian waters. Pushing the Bharatiya Janata Partys campaign in Gujarat into high gear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he was ready to sell tea but would never sell the country. Prime Minister on Sunday suggested installing "justice clocks", which would rank the best performing courts of the country, at various court premises to encourage competition among judges in disposing of cases. Addressing a gathering at a Law Day event in New Delhi, Modi said competition helps in faster development. As of now, such a clock is installed at the office of the department of justice here, which shows the best disposal of cases among courts. Two events happening in Hyderabad on Tuesday underscore the importance of this southern city as a booming tech hub, a key centre for entrepreneurship and the top ranking city in terms of quality of life. Kerala Police has said that they are monitoring messages on social media as a lot of threat messages are spreading through social media, claiming to be that of . "Every aspect of such messages is being enquired into by Police, including the veracity of them. While enquiring into such aspects, we also normally give certain alert messages to the authorities concerned, as a precaution and to remain alert. We are keeping a watch on the critical infrastructures of public interest. We are alert," stated a press statement from the state police chief Loknath Behera. The press release further stated that the above mentioned things are part of "normal policing activities." "In this context I would like to inform the public that these are part of normal policing activities and there is no need to panic," stated the state police chief. He further requested people to not to fall for such messages and help the police to keep them from spreading. A package of measures to reduce air pollution levels significantly in the National Capital Region (NCR) around Delhi by the winter of 2018 is expected to be formulated soon and implemented within a specified time frame. The Kerala Police has said that it was looking into the "threat messages", claiming to be that of the Islamic State terror group, being spread on social media and asked people not to panic. The official statement was released by the police yesterday after some "threat messages" were reportedly being circulated through social media. "The police was on an alert and also requested people not to fall prey to such messages and keep off from spreading them," Kerala Director General of Police Loknath Behra said. "A lot of threat messages are spread through social media, claiming to be that of the ISIS...Every aspect of such messages are being inquired into by the police, including the veracity of them," Behra said in a statement here. The state police chief further said that while probing into such aspects, the police also normally give certain "alert messages" to the authorities concerned as a precaution and to remain alert. "We are keeping a watch on critical infrastructures of public interest...We are alert," he said, adding they were part of the normal policing activities and there was no need to panic. Pushing the BJP's campaign in Gujarat into high gear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi why his party applauded the release of a terrorist in Pakistan and why he hugged the Chinese ambassador during the Dokalam standoff. Modi, who started his high-voltage campaign with a rally in Kutch district's Bhuj town, launched a stinging attack against the Congress party. "You are happy to hug Chinese ambassador, you are clapping on the release of Hafiz Saeed, you cannot respect Indian Army's surgical strike. But why did you speak up about it? You could have just remained silent," he said. Gandhi had recently tweeted: "Narendrabhai, baat nahi bani. Terror mastermind is free. President Trump just delinked Pak military funding from LeT. Hugplomacy fail. More hugs urgently needed." The tweet had come after the release of LeT founder and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed by a Pakistan court. Modi said the election in his home state is a contest between trust on development and dynastic politics He was addressing a BJP rally in Kutch district's Bhuj town ahead of the first phase of the elections on December 9. "Recently Pakistani court released a terrorist, I cannot understand why these Congress people are clapping here," Modi said in his speech delivered in Gujarati. He also alluded to allegations by Congress leaders, including the Congress vice president. "This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," he said. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Gandhi had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. Taking a dig at the opposition party, which is making all out efforts to dislodge the long-ruling BJP in Gujarat, Modi asked, "When our soldiers... were standing eye-to-eye against the Chinese soldiers for over 70 days, at that time you were hugging the Chinese ambassador here... "For whose benefit did you do this? I am asking you," Modi said, without taking any name. He referred to the Mumbai 26/11 terror strike and the attack in Uri and asked what was the difference between one government and another, one leader and other. The meaning of living and dying for the country can be known by the response, Modi said. "They killed our soldiers in Uri, our soldiers went inside their territory, conducted a surgical strike and came back. The next day a newspaper said they (in Pakistan) carried bodies in trucks," he said. Modi alleged that the Congress raised questions on the surgical strike in September 2016. "They could not respect Indian Army, they asked questions like none of our soldiers was injured? None of them died? Have you any photo or video evidence? Had they gone to shoot a movie in Pakistan?" he said. "When you go to the house of the poor and eat rotis, you ensure that you are filmed, but does that mean that a surgical strike should be filmed?" the prime minister asked. Modi will address a series of campaign meetings today and on Wednesday in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, which go to the polls on December 9. The second phase of elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held on 14. The votes will be counted on December 18. Home Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Moscow on Sunday for a three-day visit. The high-level visit is going to focus on strategic and security partnerships between the two countries. Sunday happens to be the birth anniversary of Verghese Kurien, the man known for his work towards revolutionising India's dairy industry. He is called the 'Father of White Revolution' in India for transforming the country from a milk powder importer to the world's largest milk producer and an exporter. During his association with India's dairy industry, its annual milk production increased from 20 million tonnes in 1970 to 80 million tonnes in the 1990s. Retired Admiral L Ramdas on Monday sought a special judicial enquiry to investigate the sudden death of a CBI Special Judge Brijmohan H Loya on December 1, 2014 when he was on a private trip to Nagpur. At the time of his death, Justice Loya, 48, was hearing the politically sensitive Sohrabuddin A. Sheikh 'encounter' case while he was in custody of the Gujarat Police in November 2005 in which an accused was BJP President Amit Shah, later acquitted. In his letter dated November 24 to Chief Justice Dipak Misra and released to the media on Monday, Admiral Ramdas said: "Justice Loya, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court to investigate the murder of Sohrabuddin (A. Sheikh), dies under mysterious circumstance while on a visit to Nagpur." The silence of the two judges, who apparently persuaded the late Justice Loya to travel to Nagpur (Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Sunil Shukre) and accompanied him, was very disturbing, to say the least, he added. "The inaction of the judiciary about this sequence of events thus far is indeed surprising. This is all the more puzzling in the context of recent revelations by family members of the late Justice Loya who have raised certain questions, apprehending foul play in the circumstances leading to his sudden death," Admiral Ramdas said in his letter. He added that a judicial probe at this point, at least to respond to the queries raised by the family and to uphold the image of the judiciary in the eyes of the people, was "absolutely necessary". "As a former Chief of Indian Navy, I feel strongly that it is critically important to clear any doubts about this entire incident. Therefore, in the larger interests of the nation and its people, and above all in upholding the Constitution and the image of our entire legal system, a high-level judicial enquiry should be initiated immediately," Admiral Ramdas said. Scientists have taken an important step forward in their quest to develop an effective vaccine against - the world's deadliest infectious disease. (TB) kills more people than any other infection, with an estimated 1.7 million people worldwide dying from it every year, researchers said. The airborne disease is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, but despite 20 years of intense global efforts no effective vaccine has been developed, they said. Recent efforts have focused on the response of conventional human T cells - a type of white blood cell essential to fighting off infection - to protein fragments found in Mycobacterium (Mtb), the bacteria that causes TB. Now, researchers from the universities of Southampton and Bangor in the UK, have shown that certain lipids - fatty substances essential to cell structure that are found in abundance in Mtb - could trigger an immune response from other, 'unconventional' types of T cells. In the study published in the journal PNAS, the team showed that a group of lipids called mycolic acids - a major component of the Mtb cellular envelope - could be key to determining an immune response. The study showed that the geometry, chemical make-up and movement of the mycolic acids' long lipid 'tails' when they are embedded in a type of human protein called CD1b determines the response of the body's unconventional T cells. "This is an exciting discovery with potential therapeutic implications for TB patients. We have shown that synthetic lipids related to those in the cell wall of Mtb are selectively targeted by T-cells," said Salah Mansour, from the University of Southampton. "Our findings could help drive advances in vaccine development through the intelligent design of the lipid components of future TB vaccines," said Mansour. "This is a very exciting result of a collaboration between organic chemists and immunologists, which could provide a real opportunity for improved protection against TB," Juma'a Al Dulayymi, from Bangor University added. Restrictions were today imposed in parts of Srinagar to maintain law and order in view of a strike called by separatists. Restrictions have been imposed in seven police station areas of Srinagar, District Magistrate (deputy commissioner), Srinagar, Syed Abid Rashid Shah told PTI. Shah said while strict restrictions have been imposed in Rainawar, Safakadal, Nowhatta, Khanyar and M R Gunj police station areas of the city, partial restrictions were in force in Maisuma and Kralkhud areas. The curbs have been imposed as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order, he said. The separatists, chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Yasin Malik, have called for a shutdown today to protest the alleged harassment of people in the valley by security forces and ill-treatment of youth languishing in jails. The strike affected normal life across the valley. Most of the shops, fuel stations and other business establishments were shut across Kashmir, officials said. They said public transport was off the roads at most places, but private cars, cabs and auto-rickshaws were seen plying. Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh born and raised in Scotland visiting India for his wedding, was taken into custody by the Punjab police along with three other men on November 4. The case has raised alarm among Sikhs in India and across the Sikh diaspora with concerns being raised about the due process around Johals arrest and subsequent allegations of torture. The states which recently announced farm loan waivers are unlikely to see any impact on their market borrowings through state development loans (SDLs), says a report. States borrow from the markets through state development loans (SDLs) to fund their fiscal deficit. Five states--Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh--have announced farm waivers involving over Rs 1.2 trillion bank loans to tens of millions of farmers. When these states will raise their market borrowings through SDLs, the yield will be higher comparing to those states which have not announced farm loan waivers, according to a weekend report by SBI Research. "Interestingly, our findings suggest that, has no impact on the yield of these states. In FY18 till November 14, data suggests that Maharashtra is borrowing at a low yield rate than the median range of 7.43 per cent," the report said. It said markets do not differentiate between different financial conditions of the states, notwithstanding their very different financial conditions. "All the states that are fiscally better managed may explore the feasibility of disseminating their best fiscal practices through various channels to attract lower yield," the report said. State development loans are issued by RBI through an auction-based system since 2006-07. Though these bonds are backed by government guarantee the yields on SDLs varies from one states to another and largely remain above the government securities yield. Such a yield differential could possibly be attributed to the fiscal marksmanship of individual states, the report said, adding state-wise data on SDLs borrowing indicate that the bigger states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, UP, Gujarat, Bengal, Andhra and Karnataka borrow more than 60 per cent of the market borrowings through SDLs. Northeastern states borrow the least because of more Central assistance. Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand are the states which have seen a rapid spurt in market borrowings over the years. In FY12, total amount of SDLs borrowed from the market was Rs 1.6 trillion that jumped rapidly to Rs 3.6 trillion in FY17, clipping at 18.2 per cent per annum. The weighted average yield of SDLs on yearly basis of all the states has come down from 9.17 per cent in FY14 to 7.60 per cent in November 2017. States that frequently borrow from markets with higher ticket size are attracting better yield than those states which are not frequent in the market, it added. Reacting to relatively better price realisation as compared to other varieties of pulses, farmers had till last week planted gram (chana) on around 1.3 million hectares, around 14 per cent more than in the same period last year. West Bengal's chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Monday said her government is going to invest $15 billion in the next five years to improve infrastructure to encourage investments. Not only will it help to construct roads, flyovers, ports, power and several other projects but it will also boost industrial development and investor confidence. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is inviting applications for the post of Specialist Grade-III (Radio-diagnosis) under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Candidates willing to take up the post can apply for the same till November 30, 2017 (Thursday). The number of vacancy is 10 reserved for UR (1), OBC (6), SC (2) and ST (1). The qualified candidates would be paid as Rs.15, 600-39,100 with Grade Pay Rs.6600/- plus N.P.A as admissible. So far the job location is concerned, the candidate would be liable to serve anywhere in India. The post carries probation of one year. In a stinging attack on the Congress in poll-bound Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the upcoming Assembly election is a fight between trust on development and dynastic politics. He was addressing a BJP rally in Kutch district's Bhuj town ahead of the first phase of the elections on December 9. He also alluded to allegations thrown at him during the campaign by Congress leaders, including party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. "This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," he said. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Gandhi had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. "The Gujarat election is a contest between trust on development and dynastic politics," the prime minister said at the rally. Taking another dig at the opposition party, which is making all-out efforts to dislodge the long-ruling BJP in Gujarat, Modi asked, "When our soldiers were standing eye-to-eye in Dokalam for 70 days, why were you hugging the Chinese ambassador." The Prime Minister will address a series of campaign meetings on Monday and on Wednesday in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, which go to the polls on December 9. The elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be on December 18. In an apparent bid to scuttle dissent, the Congress has asked around 50 of its candidates over phone to file their nominations tomorrow, the last date for filing of nominations for the second phase of Assembly polls in Gujarat, party sources said. Monday is the last date for filing of nominations for the second phase of Gujarat polls, but the Congress is yet to announce its list of candidates for all the 93 seats of north and central Gujarat which would go to polls on December 14. The sources said that all the sitting Congress legislators including Kalol MLA Baldevji Thakor and MLA from Kadi(SC) seat Ramesh Chavda have been given the "mandate" by the party on Sunday. "We have already given mandates to 50 of our candidates. They have been informed over phone that they are selected," said a senior party leader. Narendra Ravat will contest from Sayajigunj seat of Vadodara, currently held by the BJP. "I was informed over the phone that I am selected for Sayajigunj seat," Ravat told PTI, adding that he has already started his preparations and will file his nomination tomorrow. Similarly, Thakor and Chavda too admitted that they have been given mandate by the party. "The mandate is now in my possession and I will file my nomination tomorrow," said Thakor. The polling for the two-phase elections in Gujarat, having total 182 seats, will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18. Eighty-nine seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region are going to polls in the first phase while the remaining 93 seats in central and northern region would go for polls in the second phase. Frank Micelotta/Hulton ArchiveLast year, word came that Frances Bean Cobain and her estranged husband, Isaiah Silva, were arguing over ownership of Kurt Cobain's Martin D-18E guitar, which the late Nirvana frontman famously played during the band's MTV Unplugged performance. Well, the ex-couple is still fighting about it -- and now, mom is getting involved. According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Frances plans to call her mom Courtney Love as a witness to testify about the guitar, which Silva claims Frances gave him as a wedding present in 2014. The guitar is estimated to be worth more than a million bucks. Frances denies giving Silva the instrument, and is demanding its return. Last year, Courtney told TMZ that the guitar is a "treasured heirloom of the family," and described Silva's relationship with her daughter as "very dangerous and toxic." In addition to Courtney's testimony, The Blast reports that Frances will also provide evidence that includes pictures of the guitar, receipts for its purchase, and text message from Silva to an unnamed third party. Frances and Silva broke up in March of 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound Gujarat on November 27 and 29 to spearhead the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) campaign for the Assembly elections. On Monday, he is scheduled to visit Kutch and Saurashtra region to address four public meetings ahead of the December 9 and 14 elections. He will arrive in Bhuj on Monday morning to address a public gathering at R R Lalan College's ground around 9 a.m. Thereafter, he will visit Saurashtra region's Jasdan and address a public meeting at Vichhiya Road at 11 am. Around 1 pm, he will visit Chalala and address a public gathering at the Gayatri Mandir Maidan on the Chalala-Dhari Road. His last public address will be at Kadodra Aankdamukhi Hanumanji Mandir at around 3 pm, after which he will fly back to Delhi. He will return to the state on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday continue the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) Gujarat campaign blitz with a rally in Bhuj. This will be followed by several public meetings in Kutch, Jasdan, Dhari, and Kamrej. A group of students from Arunachal Pradesh on an excursion tour sponsored by ITBP, called on the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju, here today. Shri Rijiju inspired the students to reach new heights in their career by following the ideals of hard work and discipline. He exhorted the students to excel in their education and to be role models in their life. He emphasised on instilling qualities with a sense of responsibility and accountability towards society and nation as a whole. He said, a learning mind can help prosper the growth and development of country. . . The Minister said that learning and knowledge with mastery in specialization can be drivers for their success in future. Shri Rijiju emphasised on learning the cultural heritage of country with an attitude to societal transformational change for betterment of the country. . . The students of classes 9th to 12th from Government Secondary Senior School and presently studying demonstrated their eagerness to learn and to be Champions of change for societal and nation building. . . When seen from the perspective of reason and rationale, the gift of life is the ultimate gift that one could give and organ donation is, therefore, a God like act and needs to be encouraged." This was stated by Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of State (HFW) on the occasion of 8th Indian Organ Donation Day, organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), here today. Urging all to come forward and donate their organs, Smt. Anupriya Patel said that apart from promoting organ donation, it is important to improve infrastructure and capacity of Government Hospitals for undertaking transplantation so that even those who cannot afford transplantation may also benefit. Smt. Anupriya Patel also administered the pledge to the participants to donate organs. Dr. C. Vijaya Baskar, Minister of Health, Government of Tamil Nadu was also present at the function. . . Speaking at the function, Smt Anupriya Patel stated that it is important to understand that in India it is mainly the living donors who are donating organs and only about 23% of the organ transplant is being done with organs obtained from the cadavers. There is a need to promote cadaver or deceased organ donation rather than relying on living donors in order to avoid the risk of commercial trading of organs and also to avoid the inherent risk to the health of the living donor, Smt Anupriya Patel added. . . Dr. C. Vijaya Baskar, Minister of Health, Government of Tamil Nadu, expressed happiness at the announcement of Tamil Nadu being adjudged the Best State in Organ Donation for the third time in a row. He highlighted the exemplary work that Tamil Nadu had done by retrieving 5933 organs from 1056 donors; and had been the first state in India for various initiatives like mandatory certification of Brain Stem Death, streamlining organ distribution and setting up green corridors. He informed the participants that Tamil Nadu is also supplying free immunosuppressant drugs and is providing sanctions of upto Rs. 35 Lakh under the Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme for facilitating organ transplants in the private sector. . . Smt Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health), applauded Shri K. K. Sharma, Director General, BSF, for his efforts towards motivating 70,000 personnel to pledge their organs, and also congratulated the state of Tamil Nadu for leading the nation in the field of organ donation. She urged the religious leaders and youth to take forward the movement of organ donation and highlighted the importance of ownership at the highest level, and connectivity at the lowest level to build up a successful and transparent organ donation program in the country. She not only pledged her organs, but also reaffirmed her commitment towards the cause. . . At the event, Smt. Anupriya Patel felicitated Shri K.K. Sharma, DG, BSF, and the families of deceased organ donors from various parts of the country. The best performing states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Telangana also received awards whereas JIPMER, Puducherry was announced as the Best Budding performer in Organ Donation and Transplantation. Yashoda Hospital, Telangana, PGI, Chandigarh and Sahidri Speciality Hospital, Pune were declared as the top three Best Hospitals in the country for their contribution. Transplant co-ordinators, Dr. Patricia Namitha Maria Viego, Karnataka; Dr. P. Periyanayagam, TN; Ms. Sangeeta Sherawat from Safdarjung Hospital and Mr Balram from AIIMS bagged the prizes for best transplant co-ordinators. Non-government organisations like the Mohan Foundation, Organ India, NSS, and Kidney Foundation of India were also felicitated for their efforts. . . Also present at the event were Dr. Jagdish Prasad, Director General Health Services, Dr. R.K. Vats, Addl. Secretary, Health Dr Sudhir Kumar, Joint Secretary, MoHFW, Shri K. K. Sharma, Director General BSF, Dr. Vimal Bhandari, Director, NOTTO and senior officers from BSF, CRPF and the students and representatives of various development organizations. . . The alert for a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia's resort island of Bali has been raised to the highest level, officials said on Monday, with fears a significant eruption could be imminent. . "The volcano's alert level has been raised to the highest level," said senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika. "Constant tremors can be felt. The closure of I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport on the Indonesian island of Bali due to a volcanic eruption has affected 445 flights, including 196 routes, its operator said on Monday. PT Angkasa Pura, the operator, has prepared five alternative airports for airlines to divert their inbound flights, including ones in neighboring provinces, it said in a statement. Bali airport's official website showed flights operated by Singapore Airlines, Sriwijaya, Garuda Indonesia , Tiger Air, Malaysian Airlines and Jetstar had been cancelled. Malaysia Airlines will cancel all flights between Kuala Lumpur and Denpasar-Bali today following the volcanic activity at Mount Agung in Bali. "The airline is monitoring the situation closely and will adjust its flight operations into and out of Ngurah Rai Airport when necessary," a statement by Malaysia Airlines read. Thereafter, Malaysia Airlines will allow affected passengers to - apart from a full refund or deferment of travel until end of February 2018 - a change of destination (subject to seat availability) to Jakarta, Surabaya or any ASEAN destination the airline flies to. Jet Airways 9W4622 from Bali Denpasar Airport (DPS) to Singapore has also reportedly been cancelled. Indonesia has raised an alert for the volcano on the tourist island of Bali and have ordered evacuation of people within 10 kilometres. The eruption at Mount Agung has become magmatic, the country's disaster management agency said, warning that a larger eruption could be imminent. As a result, the alert status for the surrounding area has been raised to level 4, the highest level. Mount Agung spewed smoke reportedly as high as 4,000 m above its summit and disrupted at least 28 flights departing and arriving at the island. The region around Mount Agung has been on alert since late September when more than 140,000 people were told to evacuate over fears of an imminent eruption. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing nearly 1,600 people in one of Indonesia's most devastating eruptions. More than a decade ago I wrote a play called Breakfast with Mugabe which was directed by Antony Sher and produced by The Royal Shakespeare Company in 2005. The play suggests why the former Zimbabwean leader spiralled into paranoia and then remarkably recovered in the build-up to the 2001 presidential elections in Zimbabwe. The Oxford and Cambridge Club, one of the UK's most elite gentlemen's clubs open to alumni of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, has called in the police and private investigators after being hit by the theft of online data of its 5,000 members. A backup computer drive, described as the size of a toaster, was taken from a locked room inside the club's headquarters in Pall Mall, central London, earlier this month. The information on the hard drive includes members' names, home and email addresses, phone numbers, some bank account details, dates of birth and even photographs. Queen Elizabeth II's husband, Prince Philip, and son, Prince Charles, who are both honorary members, are not affected by the break-in, The Sunday Telegraph reported. Alistair Telfer, the club's secretary, has written to all members by email and followed it up with a letter seen by the newspaper urging them to check bank accounts regularly for "suspicious activity". "We have been advised that we should write to confirm that there may have been a data breach at the Club which could possibly result in disclosure of your personal data held on the Club computer system," he wrote. He adds: "This situation has arisen as a result of the theft of a storage disk, and not as a breach of the cybersecurity system, and although the data contained on the disk is protected by multiple layers of security and heavy password protection, we have been advised by data specialists that there is a very remote chance that information could be obtained. "The management team would like to extend their apologies for the inconvenience caused by this unfortunate incident." The club stressed that no credit or debit card details were contained in the database. The club's management has called in Scotland Yard and also hired private investigators to get to the bottom of the theft. Metropolitan Police officers are studying CCTV footage as part of their investigation. The young Egyptian imam who survived the Sinai mosque massacre that killed 305 people vowed today from his hospital bed to go back and resume the sermon he never finished. Mohammed Abdel Fattah, 26, was delivering the Friday sermon at the North Sinai Rawda mosque when blasts erupted. "I was only two minutes into my sermon when I heard two explosions outside the mosque, and then I saw worshippers running in horror," he said. "Then people entered the mosque and began firing at everyone who was still standing," the preacher said from his hospital bed in the Nile Delta town of Al-Husayniya. Abdel Fattah -- who has been imam for two years at the Rawda mosque frequented by Sufis -- said his sermon on that tragic day was about "Mohammed, the prophet of humanity". The imam fell from the raised minbar, or pulpit, when the attack broke out and was trampled by worshippers who tried to flee the carnage. And when he hit the ground, people stepped over him, before the bodies of those shot by the attackers piled on top of him, pinning him down and preventing him from lifting his head to see what was going on. "As soon as the shooting started I fell. I didn't see or feel anything except for the two or three bloodied bodies that fell on top of me," he said. Among the first casualties was 62-year-old Fathy Ismail, the mosque's muezzin who called the faithful to prayer. Authorities said up to 30 militants in camouflage clothing and flying the black banner of the Islamic State group surrounded the mosque and opened fire on the faithful during the main weekly prayers. Abdel Fattah suffered bruising, but his health appears to be improving and he hopes to be back on his feet to continue the sermon that was brutally interrupted. "If my health allows it, I will return next Friday week (to Rawda mosque) and finish my sermon," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) arrived in Myanmar on Monday on his first papal visit to the country as part of a six-day two-nation South Asia tour. Francis has become the first pope to ever visit Myanmar. His visit comes amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis after the Myanmar military carried out operations against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine forcing some 620,000 Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh. He arrived in Yangon where he will stay at the archdiocese's headquarters where he will hold an interfaith dialogue with Myanmar religious leaders, reports Efe news. On Tuesday, the pontiff will head to the capital city Nay Pyi Taw, where he will be officially welcomed by President Htin Kyaw and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. is also scheduled to attend a major Mass on Wednesday, after which he will hold a meeting with the Supreme Council of Myanmar's Buddhist monks and another meeting with bishops. On Thursday, he will officiate a new Mass dedicated to the children at the Cathedral of Santa Maria, and then meet Army chief General Min Aung Hlaing. According to some observers, the Pope is likely to act as a mediator for the humanitarian crisis in Bangladesh, which the UN has dubbed a "textbook example of ethnic cleansing". The military operation - which has killed hundreds of people and led to multiple rapes, burning of villages as well as crops since the end of August - has forced more than 620,000 Rohingyas to flee to Bangladesh. The President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Myanmar, Bishop Felix Lian Khen Thang, did not deny the Pope's possible role in mediation. The Holy Father can accelerate the reconciliation process between the two parties, the Bishop told Efe. The visit was organised before the crisis, when the Pope met Suu Kyi at the Vatican in May. After Myanmar, the pope will travel to Bangladesh on Thursday, becoming the first Catholic leader to visit Dhaka since 1986. In Bangladesh, Francis is scheduled to meet a small group of Rohingya refugees in a symbolic gesture. Pope Francis set off on his 21st and possibly most delicate overseas trip yet, a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. The 80-year-old pontiff's plane left Rome en route for Yangon, Myanmar's main city, shortly after 2100 GMT. He will touch down around 0700 GMT on hoping to encourage efforts to contain a crisis that has seen many of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority in the mostly Buddhist Myanmar, forced from their homes and left languishing in squalid refugee camps over the border in Bangladesh. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Aides say Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue and further efforts to alleviate the crisis following last week's tentative agreement between the two countries to work towards a return of some of the Rohingya to Myanmar. Reporters working inside Myanmar's Rakhine state to document the Rohingya crisis have gone missing, raising fears that they have been deliberately targeted by the military, a media report said on Monday. Young Rohingya volunteers had been secretly reporting on the persecution of the Muslim minority in Myanmar since 2012, sending photos, videos and audio clips out of the country using smartphones, the Guardian report said. Human rights groups have claimed the Myanmar military have killed and abducted many of the reporters to "sabotage" the networks and that there was now very little reporting on what is happening in the closed state of Rakhine. Rohingya refugee Mohammad Rafique, who edits the Rohingya community news portal The Stateless, said that "over 95 per cent" of Rakhine's mobile reporters had gone missing since the crackdown began. "Security forces and Rakhine militia are still committing rapes, killings and arson in the Rohingya villages. But (as) the Rohingya mobile reporter network (is) dysfunctional there now, the detailed information of the violence, which we need to produce credible media reports, is not reaching us. " media reporters and human rights activists too gather persecution and violence-related information from the Rohingya mobile network. They all, including our community's media outlets, are being starved of information from Rakhine now," the Guardian quoted Rafique as saying. When riots broke out between Buddhists and Rohingya in Rakhine in 2012, the authorities deployed the military, with allegations surfacing that the Army committed human rights abuses in the Rohingya villages. The Rohingya community leaders then set up the network of undercover citizen reporters, who began documenting incidents and sending reports out of the country, mostly for use by Rohingya media outlets. Ko Ko Linn, a Bangladesh-based Rohingya community spokesperson, said 2,000 had been active in 2016. Noor Hossain, 25, a former mobile reporter who fled to Bangladesh in early September, said they took extraordinary risks to gather information. Phil Robertson, of Human Rights Watch, said: "With Rohingya reporters being absent on the ground, much of the eyewitness video and other information they provided has been lost... "It's clear that the Myanmar military has been systematically committing atrocities against the Rohingya - but the community's own monitors are not there to report it anymore." (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Saudi Arabia's assertive crown prince on Sunday opened the first high-level meeting of a kingdom-led alliance of Muslim nations against terrorism, vowing that extremists will no longer "tarnish our beautiful religion." Mohammed bin Salman's words come as the Islamic State group, which sparked the creation of the alliance, has been driven out of Iraq and lost its self-described capital in Syria. However, the alliance doesn't include Iran, Iraq or Syria, while member nation Qatar sent no one to attend the one-day Riyadh gathering amid a diplomatic standoff between Doha and four Arab nations led by the kingdom. Saudi Arabia announced the alliance in December 2015, when the crown prince was still only the kingdom's defence minister. Since then, his father King Salman has elevated the 32- year-old prince to be next in line for the throne in the oil- rich kingdom. The crown prince also recently put a number of wealthy princes, businessmen, military leaders and under arrest over corruption allegations at various luxury hotels in Riyadh. The alliance initially announced with 34 nations, now includes 41, according to the Saudi government. Addressing the defence ministers and other high-ranking officials, Crown Prince Mohammed said today's meeting sends "a strong signal that we are going to work together and coordinate together to support each other." "The biggest danger of this terrorism and extremism is the tarnishing of the reputation of our beloved religion. ... We will not allow this to happen," he said. "Today we start the pursuit of terrorism and we see its defeat in many facets around, the world especially in Muslim countries. ... We will continue to fight it until we see its defeat." The crown prince also offered his condolences to Egypt, which suffered an attack Friday by Islamic militants on a mosque in northern Sinai that killed 305 people. "This is indeed a painful event and it is a recurrent and strong reminder the dangers of this terrorism," he said. The meeting did not include Iran, which has aided embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad in his country's civil war and backed Shiite militias crucial in pushing the Islamic State group out of Iraq. The Sunni kingdom is the Shiite power's archrival in the Mideast and remains concerned about its influence in the region after Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Saudi Arabia also leads a coalition of nations fighting in Yemen against Shiite rebels there who have Iran's backing. Saudi Arabia also made a point to put Qatar, absent from the gathering, at the end of the list of 41 countries that belong to the anti-terrorism alliance. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties to Doha in June, partly over allegations that Doha supports extremists and has too-close ties to Iran. Saudi Arabia also closed its land borders, seaports and airspace to Qatar. Zimbabwe has a new leader. Robert Mugabe is out. His former ally turned rival, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is in. What now? Pakistan's Law Minister Zahid Hamid has tendered his resignation following the deadly clashes across the country between police and protesters belonging to hardline religious groups, the state broadcaster said on Monday. The protesters had staged a sit-in in the capital for about three weeks demanding the removal of Hamid for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. They alleged the action undermined Islamic beliefs and linked it to blasphemy. ALSO READ: Pakistani police battle Islamist hardliners near Islamabad Hamid, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, presented his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to bring the country "out of a state of crisis", Radio Pakistan reported. The resignation came as part of an agreement reached between the government and the protesters overnight. The deal came after a two-day face-off in Islamabad and other parts of the country between protesters and security forces that saw at least six people killed and hundreds injured. Outstation cab aggregator start-up AHA Taxis on Monday announced receiving of pre-series A funding by Lead Angels and its investors ah! Ventures for an amount undisclosed. Aha Taxis, which is operational in over 4000 destinations across India, will utilize the funds in technology and further expansion in Bihar, Jharkhand and pilgrimage destinations in India. Working on the USP of offering one-way fare for hiring taxis for outstation trips, whereas the trade norm used to be to charge the return fare, AHA Taxis achieved BREAK EVEN with scale and reach to geographies where likes of UBER and OLA is not operating. "AHA Taxis has been positively changing the dynamics of outstation taxi market in India. With thousands of driver partners and pan India presence, we are now providing outstation taxis service in more than 4000 cities across India. Making it possible to travel from anywhere to anywhere in India with AHA Taxis isn't small achievement team," said CEO Amit Grover. "We are working on algorithms to optimize reverse fill rates. Auto allocation; taxi routing, shortest path algo to control pricing and availability. With the help of machine learning, the system would be able to learn seasonal demand, price and supply relation, and predict upcoming demand from selected cities and routes," said CTO AHA Taxis, Praveen Samariya. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A massive anti-Pakistan protest was held in the Tarar Khel area of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as locals, including women and children, raised slogans demanding an end of Pakistani occupation. A march was carried out by the protestors shouting pro-independence slogans blaming the Pakistan Army and the police for atrocities on innocent civilians. They blamed Islamabad for its discriminatory policies for the past 70 years. The protest was held after a successful district convention of Sudhnotti at Tarar Khel led by former senior vice chairperson of United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) Naila Khaneen. A large number of political activists, members of civil society and students participated in the convention. The residents of the PoK have been facing numerous issues as they allege they are treated as second-class citizens under the Pakistani occupation. In recent days, several incidents have been reported where the security forces kidnapped and tortured the political activists, especially the youth, who raised their voices against the Pakistani occupation and exploitation of their natural resources. Earlier in the month, the UKPNP held a series of demonstrations and conventions against the kidnapping of political activists from the PoK. People held banners that said: "Stop abductions and enforced disappearances in so-called Azad Kashmir," and carried out a rally in Rawalpindi. They shouted slogans for freedom from Pakistan and also asked China to leave their occupied territory. A convention was also held at the Rawalpindi Press Club, wherein the speakers raised several issues concerning the people of PoK. People chanted anti-Pakistan slogans and demanded an end to forceful occupation of the PoK and Gilgit Baltistan. They also called for an immediate withdrawal of Pakistani forces from their territory as per the United Nations Security Council resolution. The Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, also known as 'Azad Kashmir', has a prime minister and a president, but is ruled from Islamabad. Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is the chairman and chief executive of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council who manages all affairs related to the PoK. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lashed out at the Congress Party and said Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) drive against corruption rattled the grand old party. While addressing a rally here, Modi said "Our efforts against corruption have naturally troubled the Congress". Prime Minister Modi also highlighted the endeavours of the BJP which strengthened the economic condition of Amreli district. "Amreli district is on the coast and it is the BJP Government in Gujarat that worked on harnessing the coastal strengths of this district. We focused on the blue economy". "The BJP Government in Gujarat got dairies to Saurashtra. Amreli is emerging as a hub for dairy and cooperative sectors over the last two decades," PM Modi added. Earlier in the day too, Prime Minister Modi attacked the Congress over numerous scams that allegedly took place under the UPA's tenure. The prime minister said he might have sold tea to earn a living, but never sold his nation. "The Congress dislikes me because of my poor origin. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become the prime minister. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation," Prime Minister Modi said, while addressing a rally in Rajkot. The elections in Gujarat will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. While, the counting of votes will be on December 18. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FICCI has been appointed by the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) as National Guaranteeing Association under the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods under the Cover of TIR Carnets or the operation of TIR System in India. TIR is an internationally successful customs transit system that enables movement of goods between countries affiliated to the TIR Convention, a 1975 UN-ratified agreement allowing for duty-free movement of freight across nations. It is overseen by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and managed by IRU, Geneva. TIR stands for "Transports Internationaux Routiers." India ratified the convention on June 15, 2017, and today, it has 71 contracting parties and 58 operational countries, including India. It covers the whole of Europe and reaches out to North Africa and the Middle East. More than 35,000 operators are authorized to use the TIR system and in 2016 around 1.5 million TIR Carnets were issued. Ultimately, the system facilitates and encourages international trade, and thereby creates benefits for individuals and nations. TIR will be a boon to India's trade and aims to integrate the economy with global and regional production networks through better connectivity. It can be an instrument for movement of goods along the International "North-South" Transport (INSTC) Corridor and would be helpful in boosting trade with the Central Asian Republics and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), particularly using ports in Iran like the Chabahar port. "I would like to acknowledge and thank the CBEC for its proactive role in early ratification of TIR system in India. He stated that the system which removes cross-border barriers is one of the successful examples of Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) Model in international trade facilitation and will effectively contribute Government of India's 'Ease of doing - Make in India' initiative," said Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Secretary General, FICCI. "FICCI will deliver its best for the smooth implementation in India and look forward to working closely with CBEC and IRU for the successful first TIR pilot in early 2018," added Nirankar Saxena, Assistant Secretary General, FICCI. FICCI, in its capacity as an apex organisation is already recognised as National Guaranteeing Association of India under the ATA Carnet System since 1989. ATA Carnet covers several areas for use including trade fairs, shows, exhibitions, meetings etc. for temporary export / import into a country, which is a signatory to the conventions governing ATA Carnets. It is administered worldwide by the World ATA Carnet Council (WATAC), Paris in association with the World Customs Organization (WCO). At present 77 countries recognise ATA Carnet including India. A large number of Indian exporters are benefited and a number of Carnets were issued by FICCI contributing to the growth of exports from India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that Congress was scared of defeat in ensuing Gujarat elections. "After campaigning in Kutch, Rajkot, Amreli districts, I have come to Surat. I am seeing energetic response from people. I also see that Congress is scared of defeat and unable to match the Bharatiya Janata Party's focus on development and good governance," Prime Minister Modi said while addressing a rally here. The Prime Minister also said the arrogance of the Congress party was at a record high even after so many years have passed since they ruled in Gujarat 22 years ago. "Things are very different in Gujarat from the time they ruled in Gujarat 22 years ago. Society is no longer divided, there is progress now," Prime Minister Modi said. Earlier, while addressing a rally in Bhuj, Prime Minister Modi also launched a scathing attack on the Congress for criticising the Centre for the release of 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed from house arrest. "A Pakistani court released a Pakistani terrorist and the Congress is celebrating and calling it our failure. I don't know why they are celebrating this," the Prime Minister said. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had, earlier, taken a dig at Prime Minister Modi following the release of Saeed, saying that the former's 'Hugplomacy' with U.S. President Donald Trump has failed. Addressing a rally in Rajkot, Prime Minister Modi took a dig at the Congress for making a reference to his beginning as a tea vendor in a picture tweeted by their "volunteer" group last week. He attacked the grand-old-party over the numerous scams that allegedly took place under the UPA's tenure. Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend at least 20 public meetings and rallies in the next 15 days ahead of the assembly polls to be held on December 9 and 14. Gujarat has a total number of 182 assembly seats and the polling will be held in two phases. Voting in 89 constituencies of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region will be held in the first phase while the remaining 93 constituencies in central and northern regions will be held in the second phase. The votes will be counted on December 18. The Congress is eyeing to dethrone the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. The last Congress government in Gujarat was led by Chhabildas Mehta from February 17, 1994 to March 13, 1995. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a veiled attack at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi saying those "slinging mud on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will help the lotus bloom even more," referring to the saffron party's election symbol - the lotus. Alluding to Rahul, the prime minister said a large number of people had tried to malign the image of the state. "I am grateful for all the kichad (muck) being thrown at me. After all, a 'lotus' blooms only in kichad. So, I don't mind if more is thrown at me. Those slinging mud on us will help the 'lotus' bloom even more," he said, while addressing a rally in Bhuj of Gujarat's Kutch district. Urging the crowd to vote for them, the prime minister said the battle for Gujarat was between development (vikas) and dynasty politics (vanshvaad). The prime minister slammed the Congress further, saying that "Gujarat has never accepted the Congress, because it has meted out injustice since the time of Sardar Vallabhai Patel." He also urged the people to give a befitting reply to the insults made by the Congress and said they would not pardon the party. "How does the Congress have courage to come and disrespect people of Gujarat?" he questioned. Taking a jibe at the Congress, the prime minister said that some people love to spread negativity and pessimism. "My appeal to them is to stop doing that. They lack Neeti, Niyat, a Neta and a Naata with the people." Prime Minister Modi also accused the Congress of not being serious about development and said the Narmada waters could have reached Kutch 30 years ago, but didn't. "Officers did not want to get posted to Kutch region as the water here was black in colour. The Congress did not allow Narmada water to come to the Kutch region. What if the Narmada waters had come to Kutch 30 years earlier? It would have made such a big difference," the prime minister added. The Prime Minister also slammed the Congress for criticizing their demonetisation move and said, "I will ensure that the poor get their due. We will not allow this nation to be looted." Recalling the devastating earthquake that struck the Kutch distrcit in 2001, the Prime Minister said the mishap gave him valuable lessons. "When an earthquake struck Kutch region in 2001, Atal Bihar Vajpayee sent me to the region to work among its people and that taught me a lot," he said. Expressing his love for Gujarat, the Prime Minister said, "Gujarat is my Atma (soul), Bharat is my Parmatma.(God). This land of Gujarat has cared for me, Gujarat has given me strength." Prime Minister Modi, who is on a three-day visit to his home state, is expected to attend at least 20 public meetings and rallies in the next 15 days ahead of the assembly polls to be held on December 9 and 14. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said Monday that his country fully supports India for the membership of the United Nations Security Council as a new balance of power is emerging in the world. "We fully support India for the UN Council, but not other proposed countries," Kotzias remarked while replying to a question after delivering a special address on "Greece as a pillar of stability in southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean", organised by Observer Research Foundation and the Embassy of Greece in India. He noted that the old powers are declining while a new balance of power is emerging with countries like India and China. "It is a transformation time and difficult time" with forces of fundamentalism and terrorism trying to destabilise the world. He said for countries like India, it is in fact a coming back into top economies of the world, as it used share a dominant part of the GDP before colonisation - nearly one third of the world GDP. He said Greece and India could play specific role in stabilisation of the West Asia and also the eastern Mediterranean region. He said Greece is working with the policy of five lines of stabilisation in the region, with special focus on Egypt, Israel and Jordan to achieve it. ORF Chairman Sunjoy Joshi said India and Greece should work together to face the challenges of the times, like extremism, terrorism, and anti-globalisation forces. He also mentioned about the increasing prospects of economic cooperation between the countries, especially after the economic reforms introduced by the Indian Prime Minister which has considerably improved doing business in India. "We both stand to benefit as the new financial year begins," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bid to ensure compliance with the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Masters India partnered with BSNL to come up with 'GST Suvidha Kendras', across the country. Aiming to ease GST compliance in tier II and tier III cities, Masters India plans to ramp up the expansion by the end of this year. These Suvidha Kendras are powered by team of CAs and subject matter experts, so no queries and questions remain unanswered. The organisation has also released a mobile application which is available on Google app store so now you can create digital invoices on the go. The mobile app is in sync with our web application, so now you can very easily create GST ready invoices and file GST return. Prior to this, Masters India had collaborated with BSNL to provide a veritable set of solutions for the latter's user base. These solutions are exclusively crafted for BSNL users- both landline and mobile, available on a PAN-India level and have already brought GST compliance for the SME market. "The idea is to offer assisted filing environment for businesses so they can transit from previous taxation regime to GST with little difficulty. Through such Suvidha Kendra, we plan to help businesses with their GST related needs. We aim to provide registration, filing, and tax payment facility with excellent support, performance and data security while remaining to be an economical solution provider for most businesses," said Nishank Goyal, CEO, Masters India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China will host Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi even as global criticism continues to mount against her and the Myamarese Government of their handling of the Rohingya refugee crisis. China is among the few nations that has supported Myanmar's counter-insurgency operation in northern Rakhine state, and even vetoed a resolution on the crisis at the UN Security Council. It has termed the security operation in that country has legitimate. The state-run daily Global New Light of Myanmar said Suu Kyi would 'soon' depart to attend a Communist Party of China-hosted forum of political leaders in Beijing. Last week Myanmar's powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing visited Beijing and pledged closer cooperation between the two countries. Myanmar is in the international spotlight this week as Pope Francis makes the first visit by a head of the Roman Catholic church to the Buddhist-majority country. He has previously spoken out about the treatment of minority Muslims to whom Myanmar denies citizenship, but some Many in Myanmar refuse to recognise the name Rohingya, preferring to call them 'Bengalis' to suggest they belong in neighbouring Bangladesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dubbing the Nahargarh Fort incident as a conspiracy to instigate communal tension, Shri Rajput Karni Sena chief Lokendra Singh Kalvi on Monday demanded for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the matter. On November 24, a body was found hanging on the ramparts of Jaipur's Nahargarh Fort with a threat note engraved on the rocks against the protester of the movie 'Padmavati'. Kalvi said the message engraved on the stone seems to be a threat for the Karni Sena. "The Nahargarh incident was just to rake communal tension in the country. The threat has been issued for us. I want CBI to probe the case. CBI should probe whether Sanjay Leela Bhansali's people are involved in this matter," he told ANI. The death was initially speculated to be a suicide case, but when the police reached the spot they found a message written on the rocks stating - "We not hang effigies only, in protest of Padmavati". The brother of the deceased has also demanded an investigation into his death and alleged it to be a case of murder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's federal government on late Sunday night signed an agreement with the Tehreek-e-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLYRAP), laying down, apart from the suspension of Law Minister Zahid Hamid, a number of agreed demands. The development came in the face of the growing countrywide protests by religious zealots over the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat clause fiasco, after Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his team intervened following the military stepping-in to resolve the Faizabad sit-in through negotiations. The 'Faizabad dharna' started after the cleric, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and his followers demanded resignation of Hamid, as they saw the change in the words of an oath taken by the lawmakers as blasphemy. Though the change was reversed, the protestors continued to demand Hamid's resignation. The document, signed by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Interior Secretary Arshad Mirza, Khadim Hussein Rizvi, Pir Muhammad Afzal Qadri, Muhammad Waheed Noor and senior ISI official Major-General Faiz Hamid, said the government had agreed to the terms put forth by the religious staging sit-in for three weeks. In the agreement, the TLYRAP has said that they were only expressing their opinion on the amendment in Khatm-e-Nabuwwat clause and regretted the government's use of force on November 25, The Express Tribune reported. The provisions, as reported by The Express Tribune, are: - Law minister Zahid Hamid is suspended, the TLYRAP will not issue any 'fatwa' against him - The government had already reinstated amendments to the Election Act 2017 clauses 7A and 7B relating to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (the finality of the prophethood). They had 30 days to release the Raja Zafarul Haq report. TLYRAP has demanded the government prosecute those responsible for the 'clerical mistake' under the law and constitution of Pakistan - All the workers and participants of the sit-in who have been arrested by security officials since its start on November 6 should be released and all the cases against them be dropped. - Formation of an inquiry team to investigate the security action against TLYRAP sit-in on November 25. Those responsible should be prosecuted within 30 days - The federal and provincial government should compensate for all personal and public damages caused in the entire duration of the sit-in - The Punjab Government should fulfill demands previously agreed upon Hamid had earlier tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. His resignation will be accepted later in the day. Upon the declaration of demands from the concerned authorities, the religious party will end the protest and will also urge their allies to maintain peace in Pakistan. The protests which took place in Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resulted in at least one death and left dozens injured, besides the 250 injuries reported in Islamabad. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had warned it would not cover Faizabad sit-in during a police crackdown on the protestors. Following the PEMRA order, there was a media blackout in Islamabad, where almost all leading private TV channels went off air. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Law Minister Zahid Hamid has tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, in the face of the growing countrywide protests by religious zealots over the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat clause fiasco. The protests followed Saturday's crackdown by the police and paramilitary personnel on Islamabad sit-in staged by a religious group. Hamid's resignation will be accepted later in the day, sources told Geo News. "I was not directly responsible for the introduction of the controversial amendment to the Finality of Prophethood declaration for electoral candidates," said Hamid, adding, "In order to restore peace in the country, I have decided to step down from my position." Earlier on Sunday, Hamid also called on Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif in c to share his views on the present situation in Pakistan. The 'Faizabad dharna' started after the cleric, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and his followers demanded resignation of Hamid, as they saw the change in the words of an oath taken by the lawmakers as blasphemy. Though the change was reversed, the protestors continued to demand Hamid's resignation. The protests which took place in Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resulted in at least one death and left dozens injured, besides the 250 injuries reported in Islamabad. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had warned it would not cover Faizabad sit-in during a police crackdown on the protestors. Following the PEMRA order, there was a media blackout in Islamabad, where almost all leading private TV channels went off air. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A conference of the Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance will see the participation of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Bajwa. The conference will be held in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh today. It is expected that the focus of the conference will be crucial meetings related to the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), besides a review of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, the Express Tribune has reported. On Sunday, defence ministers of 41 nations forming the IMCTC unveiled the terms of reference of the alliance. Defence Minister Khurrum Dastagir represented Pakistan at the day-long meeting presided over by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. Pakistan had principally agreed to be part of the coalition but withheld its decision regarding the extent of its role till the Terms of Reference were finalised. Meanwhile IMCTC chief and former Pakistan army chief General (retired) Raheel Sharif has rejected the impression that the group was sectarian in nature and had any sinister plans. He said the sole objective of the alliance was to counter terrorism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a yet another gloating bid, United States President Donald Trump boasted about his administration's progress, saying that he has 'the economy booming' and that he has 'possibly done more than any 10 month President.' "Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia, Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump tweeted. Trump's tweet comes in the backdrop of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, reported the Hill. The President's tweet also comes as he returns to Washington after spending his Thanksgiving holiday at the 'winter White House,' Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is expected to visit Capitol Hill on Tuesday ahead of a possible vote on tax reform this week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Another royal wedding looms as England's Prince Harry and American television actress Meghan Markle have announced they are engaged. The announcement came from Clarence Palace. The couple met last year, and their relationship was confirmed by Kensington Palace in November after months of speculation, reports The Guardian. The official statement posted on Kensington Palace's official Twitter handle read, "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle. The wedding will take place in spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course." Adding, "His Royal Highness and Ms Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle's parents. The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace." Fifth in line to the throne Harry, 33, has been dating the 36-year-old star, who found fame in the US drama 'Suits', since the summer of 2016. The couple's 16-month whirlwind romance blossomed when they met through mutual friends in London and the pair have been almost inseparable in recent months, with Markle said to have virtually moved in to Harry's home at Kensington Palace. The 'Suits' actress was said to be in the process of moving to Kensington Palace amid speculation that Prince Harry could have already proposed. Markle spoke openly about her relationship for the first time in a Vanity Fair interview in early September. She noted, "We are a couple. We are in love. I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us." The wedding will be Markle's second. She was previously married to movie producer Trevor Engelson. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A rape victim on Monday was expelled from a school in Maharashtra's Latur district in the name of maintaining dignity of the institution. The 15-year-old victim, a Class 11 student, had allegedly been raped by an army man on the pretext of marriage. The victim, on Monday, said, "My school has suspended my admission saying their reputation can be tarnished if I continue to study here." Meanwhile, the victim's uncle alleged that when they went to a police station to lodge an FIR, the police demanded Rs. 50, 000 bribe to lodge their complaint. Later, the victim approached Latur's Superintendent of Police (SP) Shivaji Rathor and hence the FIR was registered yesterday. A medical examination of the victim has been conducted and a case under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered in this regard. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das has been appointed as India's G 20 Sherpa for the development track surrounding the summit. He will hold the position till December 31, 2018, the Ministry of Finance tweeted on Monday. There are two tracks in G 20- Finance Track and Development Track. While the Finance track is managed by Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary (Economic Affairs) as India's deputy to G -20, the Development track is coordinated by the Sherpa. "The Department of Economic Affairs will provide necessary support to the Sherpa," the Finance Ministry said. Das retired as Economic Affairs Secretary in May. Das has been associated with the Government of India for almost 37 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tej Pratap Yadav on Monday drew flaks after he threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi for downgrading his father and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's security cover. While the union ministers demanded apology from Tej Pratap, Bihar ministers also slammed him for his derogatory remark. Speaking to ANI, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "These statements by Tej Pratap showed that the corruption shops of Congress and its allies have been shut down. And that is why they are venting out their anger like this. These people will destroy their party." Union Minister Giriraj Singh also tore into Tej Pratap and sought his apology in the regard. "I think Lalu Prasad will have to answer this. We are getting to see Lalu's true faces since he is out of politics. The nation will not accept this. He should seek apology for this statement. I think Lalu ji is making his wife and son say such things, Singh told ANI. Former Bihar cabinet minister, Tej Pratap, earlier in the day, threatened to skin Prime Minister Modi for scaling down his father's security cover. Meanwhile, Bihar Urban Development Minister Suresh Sharma branded Tej Pratap Yadav 'mentally unstable.' Speaking to ANI, Sharma said "Only a person who is mentally unstable will make such statements, a politically sane person will never make such statements". Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi also reacted strongly to his statement and said he would be taught a lesson by the public. Tej Pratap, earlier in the day, threatened to skin Prime Minister Modi for scaling down his father's security cover. "This is a conspiracy to get him (Lalu) murdered, but we will give a befitting reply to them (the Centre). We will get Narendra Modi skinned (Hum Narendra Modi ki khaal udedhva denge); go and tell him," Tej Pratap said Tej Pratap's remark came in the wake of the Centre's decision to downgrade his Z-Plus security cover and withdraw the NSG ( Security Guard) security cover provided to Lalu Yadav. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Kingdom's International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, pledged the support of her government to stranded Rohingya refugees and the Government of Bangladesh. London has announced an aid-related support of 12 million pounds that will help around 750,000 Rohingya women and girls globally over the next three years. Mordaunt, according to a daily Star report, has also pledged to help increase protection for Rohingya women and girls against sexual violence and exploitation The UK's total support is now 59 million pounds since 25 August 2017, a British High Commission statement issued in Dhaka said. Mordaunt recently visited the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, but had then warned that global funds for the Rohingya crisis would be drying up in 100 days. Mordaunt praised the Bangladesh government and local communities for their continued generosity in helping the Rohingya people. She also urged other countries to follow the UK's lead by promising longer-term support to avert disaster. "We cannot turn our backs on those trapped in crisis. Other countries must follow our lead and do even more to help children overcome the trauma of war, reunite them with their families and give a future to the next generation," she said. Mordaunt pledged to help increase protection for Rohingya women and girls against sexual violence and exploitation and She met some of the 624,000 innocent men, women and children on November 25 who have been tragically driven from their homes in Myanmar and forced to make the treacherous journey to Bangladesh, relying on aid to survive and heard harrowing stories of brutal abuse. She also met UK experts delivering life-saving treatment including medical, counseling and psychosocial support to female survivors. She said the UK is absolutely determined to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls and we are increasing protection for Rohingya women and girls against sexual violence and exploitation. "We're stepping up our leadership - working closely with women leaders and grassroots charities - to help more survivors in some of the world's poorest countries overcome the traumas of violence," she said. On Sunday, Mordaunt met State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam and praised the role of Bangladesh government in dealing the Rohingya crisis and appreciated the generous approach of Bangladeshi people towards the Rohingya people. Shahriar appreciated the active role of the UK government in mounting pressure on Myanmar Government on Rohingya issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan may soon be asked by the Government of the United States to ink a proposal aimed at formalising procedures to return deported Pakistani citizens from the United States. Pakistan is expected to enter into first round of negotiations on an initial draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) proposed by Washington, reports the Express Tribune. The draft of the proposal has been handed over to the Pakistan Foreign Office. Copies of the same have reportedly been forwarded to the Inter-Services Intelligence, the Intelligence Bureau, and the Interior Ministry to get their comments. Further negotiations will take place thereafter. American law provides that if an individual is ordered removed from the country but they do not have travel documents - which people facing deportation often deliberately 'lose' - the authorities cannot deport them back to their home country. The same applies if a person's home country cannot be determined. Since 2012, half-a-million Pakistanis have been deported from the United States. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is required by the US laws to secure travel documents of the person ordered removed from the country before undertaking the process of physical deportation. Simply put, it usually means 'no passport - no deportation'. The draft MoU, available with The Express Tribune says that the purpose of this agreement is "to cooperate on the efficient and timely issuance of travel documents for Pakistani nationals ordered removed from the United States". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala woman Hadiya, who has been at the centre of 'love jihad' controversy, on Monday told the Supreme Court that she wanted to be with her husband Shafin Jahan. The 24-year-old has been in the headlines after she became a Muslim following her marriage to Jahan. Hadiya said she had married Jahan out of her own will and not forcibly. The apex court will now hear the case in the third week of January. During the course of hearing, Hadiya, who was born as Akhila Ashokan, also said she wanted freedom and see her husband after the top court asked whether she would prefer to continue studies. The top court has now directed Hadiya, who, currently, is in the custody of her parents, be taken to college for her studies and that college should allow facility of hostel to her. Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Hadiya's husband Jahan argued that when Hadiya was here, the court should listen to her, not the NIA, and that she was entitled to make decisions of her life. Sibal further said that instead of asking Hadiya what "she wants everyone is talking about the venom filled in news channels". The top court also ordered Hadiya's college dean to be her guardian after she requested for it. Meanwhile, counsel for Hadiya's father, Rajendran, argued that the material submitted by Investigation Agency (NIA) should be looked into while saying a modus operandi exists for conversion. Earlier, the NIA had submitted a status report in a sealed cover to the top court in connection with the case. The apex court has been hearing Hadiya's case after Jahan approached the top court following Kerala High Court annulling his marriage with Hadiya. While Hadiya's parents have been alleging that her marriage was a case of love jihad and that she was converted to Islam forcibly, Hadiya has refuted these claims so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On 9 December 2017 Krishna Ventures will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on 9 December 2017, to consider the Un-audited Financial Results for the quarter and half year ended on 30th September, 2017 and such other matters with the permission of the chair. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) L&T rose 0.58% to Rs 1223.30 at 11:06 IST on BSE after the company said its construction arm has won orders worth Rs 3572 crore across various business segments. The announcement was made before trading hours today, 27 November 2017. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 90.03 points, or 0.27% to 33,589.21. On the BSE, 27,000 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 1.94 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 1,230 and a low of Rs 1,217 so far during the day. The stock hit a record high of Rs 1,274 on 10 November 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 868.43 on 23 December 2016. The transportation infrastructure business of L&T Construction won contract worth Rs 1358 crore for the construction of a new South Parallel runway, apron and associated works at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, on EPC basis from Bangalore International Airport. The metallurgical & material handling business of L&T Construction bagged orders worth Rs 1264 crore. The power transmission & distribution business of L&T Construction has bagged orders worth Rs 595 crore in the international market. The buildings & factories business of L&T Construction bagged orders worth Rs 355 crore. L&T's consolidated net profit surged 31.86% to Rs 2020.30 crore on 6.40% rise in net sales to Rs 26446.76 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016. L&T is a major Indian multinational engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ramco Systems was up 3.36% to Rs 427.30 at 12:08 IST on BSE after the company said it has won an order from Al Jazeera Support Services Company. The announcement was made during market hours today, 27 November 2017. Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 92.58 points or 0.27% at 33,586.66. On the BSE, 10,000 shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 9,790 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 435 and a low of Rs 415 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 467.95 on 2 November 2017 and a 52-week low of Rs 286 on 15 December 2016. Ramco Systems said it has won an order from Al Jazeera Support Services Company, a closed joint stock company, providing rental manpower needed by government, business sectors and individuals, to implement Ramco ERP for services suite. On a consolidated basis, Ramco Systems reported net profit of Rs 6.50 crore in Q2 September 2017 compared with net loss of Rs 1.10 crore in Q2 September 2016. Net sales rose 2.5% to Rs 115.15 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016. Ramco Systems is a fast-growing enterprise software player disrupting the market with its multi-tenant cloud and mobile-based enterprise software in the area of HCM and global payroll, ERP and M&E MRO for aviation. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With effect from 25 November 2017 Sarthak Industries announced that Sartajsing Chhabra Pratamsing has resigned from the post of Director of the Company from the closing hours of 25 November, 2017 due to his personal pre-occupation. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nine soldiers were killed when Taliban insurgents attacked an Army checkpoint in Afghanistan's Nimroz province on Monday. "Armed militants attacked the checkpoint in Khash Rod district along a main road, killing nine soldiers," a government spokesman told Xinhua news agency. Several militants were also killed and wounded during the gun battle, but their number could not be verified, he said. One trooper was also wounded and the checkpoint was destroyed. --IANS umer/ksk/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A local court on Monday sent an Army Colonel arrested on charges of raping a fellow officer's daughter to 12 days in judicial remand. The 21-year-old woman, an adopted daughter of a Lt Colonel, filed a police complaint on November 20 against the 56-year-old accused posted at the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) here. The Lt Colonel is also posted at the ARTRAC. After preliminary investigations, a case under the Indian Penal Code was registered and the Colonel arrested on November 22. In her complaint, the woman said she was called by the Colonel to his residence with a promise to introduce her to people associated with the modelling industry. She accused the Colonel of forcing her to drink alcohol and raping her. He even allegedly threatened to 'ruin' her father's career if she revealed the crime to anyone. A police official said the medical examination and forensic lab reports of the young woman were awaited. Police did not disclose the identity of the accused officer. --IANS vg/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland Ltd on Monday said it has entered into a Mutual Cooperation Agreement with Japan's Hino Motors Ltd for engine technology. In a statement issued here, Ashok Leyland said under the agreement, it will utilise Hino's engine technology for Euro-VI development. The Indian company will also support in development of Hino's engine parts purchasing in India for its global operations. Hino and Ashok Leyland have had a cooperative agreement for engine production in India since 1986. By this mutual cooperation agreement, both companies will leverage each other's strengths in diesel engines to enhance their competitiveness, the statement said. Ashok Leyland will enhance its competitiveness by jointly developing engines for BS-VI compliance in India through the engine technology of Hino Motors. "We believe in long term partnerships, and have great respect for Hino Motors. This cooperation between our companies would be mutually beneficial and enable both of us to produce globally competitive products," Vinod K Dasari, Managing Director & CEO, Ashok Leyland was quoted as saying in the statement. "We believe this cooperation with Ashok Leyland takes advantage of the strengths that the two companies have cultivated.A Hino will enhance its global competitiveness by utilising Ashok Leyland's parts procurement capabilities in India," Yoshio Shimo, President & CEO, Hino Motors was quoted as saying in the statement. --IANS vj/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ngurah Rai International Airport on the Indonesian island of Bali suspended operations on Monday due to an increased alert level of the Agung volcano on the island. Mount Agung, which has been ejecting ash and lava since November 25, has now an "imminent" risk of a major eruption, Efe news reported quoting an official. Hundreds of flights have been cancelled, and tens of thousands of passengers have been affected. The airport closed early on Monday and will remain so till Tuesday with regular six-hour checks, said the Director of Information for the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, in a statement. "Due to the closure, all flights both arriving and departing from Ngurah Rai Airport will be cancelled until further notice," the statement said. "Continuous ash puffs are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions accompanied by a weak sound of boom," Nugroho added. The decision to close the airport came one hour after authorities raised the eruption alert level from three to four (the maximum) and extended the safety radius around the crater of the volcano to 10 km. Located in the east of the island, in the district of Karangasem and far from most tourist attractions, Mount Agung has been spewing ash between 2,000 and 3,400 metres high into the sky in the last few hours. The ash cloud also caused the closure of the international airport on the island of Lombok on Sunday afternoon, which triggered the authorities to recommend the use of protective masks for the population. Residents of Karangasem district who have not left the security zone on their own are being evacuated, although the authorities have not yet provided a number of those affected. This is Mount Agung's first volcanic eruption since 1963, when the ejection of magma lasted almost a year and caused more than 1,100 deaths. Bali is the main tourist destination in Indonesia, with an annual influx of around 5.4 million foreign tourists, according to official data. The Indonesian archipelago sits within the so-called "Ring of Fire" of the Pacific, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity that is shaken by thousands of tremors every year, most of small magnitude. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Microsoft Corporation co-founder Bill Gates has been elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the organisation announced on Monday. The government-backed academy has named a total of 67 experts from the country and 18 foreigners, including Gates, who besides his well-known engagement in the technological sector also owns the firm TerraPower, which is involved in designing nuclear reactors, reports Efe bews. The organisation said that with the election of its new members it seeks to promote international exchange and collaboration for building a first rate global academy. The US philanthropist and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang recently signed an agreement for collaboration on the development of nuclear technology. The agreement led to the creation of Global Innovation Nuclear Energy Technology, made up of the China National Nuclear Corporation and TerraPower, with the aim of completing the design of a TMR reactor, which reduces the need for uranium enrichment and re-processing. China and the US began discussing the TMR reactor project in 2011. --IANS ksk/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China should continue to upgrade public toilets as part of its "toilet revolution" aimed at developing domestic tourism, President Xi Jinping said. "The construction of clean toilets is an important part of pushing urban and rural civilisation, and more efforts should be made in both cities and rural areas to upgrade public toilets to improve people's quality of life," Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying on Monday. Along with the "toilet revolution", China should construct better public facilities and services to boost the tourism industry, the President added. The China National Tourism Administration launched an action plan last month to install or upgrade 64,000 toilets at tourist destinations across the country from 2018 to 2020. The "toilet revolution" was launched in 2015 and China's tourism industry has upgraded 68,000 toilets since then. Toilets at China's tourist sites have a bad reputation, with visitors often angered by insufficient toilets, unhygienic conditions and lack of sanitation workers. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 33-year-old contract killer involved in over two dozen cases of murder, robbery and extortion was arrested here early on Monday, police said. The arrest was made around 2 a.m when Abdul Munnar, a native of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, was heading to Okhla with an accomplice. "We were looking for Munnar for the last few days. We received a tip that he would come to Moolchand (area). We laid a trap after barricading all major roads," a police officer said. When Munnar and his accomplice neared the Lady Sri Ram College on a motorcycle, police teams asked them to stop, but they tried to escape. "Our men chased them. The accomplice fired at the police. However, the police officers were able to overpower Munnar. But his accomplice managed to escape. A pistol and three cartridges were recovered from Munnar," Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said. Munnar is an associate of notorious Uttar Pradesh-based gangsters Shaukat Pasha and Satya Prakash. He was also wanted in sensational Samajwadi Party leader Md. Zaid murder case of Lucknow, the officer added. Munnar told the police that he had taken a "contract" to kill his friend Md. Zaki in Delhi's Okhla area. On Thursday night, he shot Zaki in his leg near Okhla Mandi Road as he had received only Rs 50,000 as advance payment for executing the job out of Rs 5 lakh offered by Zaki's wife. He was waiting for full payment to eliminate him, Baaniya added. "During interrogation, Munnar disclosed that Zaki's wife gave him contract to kill her husband as the couple has a matrimonial dispute. She wanted to leave Zaki but he was not ready," he said. "In fact, the woman wanted to settle in Dubai after marrying one of her 'Facebook' friends. "Munnar did not trust her and wanted full payment in advance as she was planning to flee to Dubai. He shot Zaki in his leg to win her trust that he can actually kill him once paid the entire amount," the officer added. --IANS sp/nir (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was injured in a petrol bomb attack here on Monday, police said. Police said the attack on CRPF personnel took place in the city's Safa Kadal. "A CRPF jawan sustained minor injuries when miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at CRPF personnel deployed on law and order duty in Safa Kadal area of Srinagar. The trooper was discharged from the hospital after first aid," a police officer said. Authorities had imposed restrictions in Safa Kadal on Monday to foil protests called by separatist leaders. --IANS sq/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Monday announced he will contest the Gujarat Assembly elections as independent candidate from Vadgam constituency in Banaskantha district. The Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch leader, social activist and lawyer made the announcement on his Twitter handle, hours after the opposition Congress declared its third list of 76 candidates, which failed to show candidature for Vadgam. Mevani had earlier shown disinterest in contesting the elections and had expressed support for the Congress. His announcement came after the Congress brought out its third list of candidates for the second phase of Gujarat Assembly elections. In a tweet, he said: "Friends, I'm contesting from Vadgam-11 seat of Banaskantha district of Gujarat as an independent candidate. We shall fight, we shall win." The Congress in its third list failed to show any candidature for Vadgam constituency, which will be contested on December 14. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal congratulated Mevani and expressed his best wishes to the young activist. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in an official statement said, "When the Dalit agitation leader Jignesh Mevani is contesting the Vadgam seat as an independent, the AAP won't be fielding any contestant for the seat and as appealed by him, the party believes that it should be a straight fight between him and the BJP." Mevani will file his nomination papers on Monday, the last day for filing nominations for the second phase of the elections. The young Dalit leader had made the headlines after he led the Dalit pride march from Ahmedabad to Una to protest the thrashing of Dalit skinners from Saurashtra region who were attacked by cow vigilantes last year. Earlier, he had expressed his wish not to join any political party or contest. He had also met Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and announced his support for the grand old party. --IANS amc/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued notice to the Gandhinagar Archbishop Thomas Macwan and asked him to explain the reasons for writing a letter to the Bishops of the country to pray that only such people are elected in Gujarat who would remain faithful to the Indian Constitution and respect every human being without any discrimination. The ECI has through the District Collector issued notice to the Archbishop, asking him to explain the intention and aim in writing the letter in which he had asked Bishops to organise prayer services in the country for the Gujarat elections. In his letter to the Bishops, Macwan had written, "The results of the Gujarat elections are significant and will influence the future course of our country. The secular and democratic fabric of our country is at stake. Human rights are violated and the constitutional rights are trampled. There is a growing sense of insecurity among the minorities, Other Backward Caste (OBC), Scheduled Caste (SC), poor et al. And nationalist forces are on the verge of taking over the country." "In his letter he had written that nationalist parties are damaging the country. So we want to ask him how they are damaging the country. We have just called him up to give us an explanation for the writing of such a letter to the community," Collector, Gandhinagar, Satish Patel, told IANS. Thomas Macwan had earlier told IANS: "By so-called nationalist forces, I just referred to all those people who are narrow minded in their thinking of nationalism. They are narrow minded in terms of language, caste, creed, religion, financial status. And that's why I have written that letter. There is no controversy, whatever I have asked for the bishops is to pray for the betterment of the country that's all." --IANS amc/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Luanda, Nov 27 (IANS/AKI) Italy's economic recovery offers an opportunity to strengthen its trade links in the energy and defence sectors but also in new ones including agriculture and infrastructure, Premier Paolo Gentiloni said on Monday. "Now that the Italian economy is picking up, it is the moment to build closer ties with friendly countries in the traditional sectors of defence and energy and also in new ones," Gentiloni said during a visit to Angola. "These include agriculture and animal husbandry, but (bilateral) cooperation could also be extended to sectors like infrastructure, transport and training," he said. Gentiloni earlier on Monday hailed a deal inked during his visit to Angola between its state oil company Sonangol and Italian oil and energy giant Eni under which Eni will expand its operations in the African country. He said that the two "key" accords signalled the expansion of Eni's operations in Angola and its development of a joint energy strategy with Angola's state oil company. "The choice of Angola as the first leg of my visit to Africa is not fortuitous but stems from our long-standing relations," Gentiloni said at a press conference with Angolan President Joao Lourenco. Besides their "historic cooperation" in the fields of energy and defence, Italy and Angola have potential to do business in the food and agriculture sectors, said Gentiloni, who is visiting Angola, Tunisia, Ghana and Ivory Coast on his five-day African trip which concludes on Wednesday. Eni on Monday inked an agreement to strengthen its presence in Angola's upsteam, downsteam, trading and renewable sectors and deepen its strategic alliance with Sonangol, Eni said. It will operate the Cabinda North block and control 48 percent of the block's rights under the deal as against 15 per cent so far, as per the deal signed by Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and Sonangol Chairman Carlos Saturnino in Luanda in the presence of Gentiloni and Goncalves, the statement said. Eni has been present in Angola since 1980 through its subsidiary Eni Angola and currently produces 155,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, the company stated. --IANS/AKI vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of Egyptian journalists gathered here for a silent vigil to honour the victims of last week's attack on a mosque in the Sinai Peninsula that killed more than 300 people. Despite a ban on public demonstrations, more than a dozen people congregated outside the offices of the journalists union in Cairo on Monday amid a large police presence, Efe news reported. Participants, holding candles and Egyptian flags, condemned the attack as contrary to the teachings of all religions. Last Friday's assault on al-Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abd, 40 km west of the North Sinai capital of el-Arish, left 305 people dead -- including 27 children -- and 128 others wounded. As many as 30 assailants, one of them carrying an Islamic State banner, surrounded the mosque and opened fire on worshippers from the windows and door before entering the sanctuary to continue the slaughter, according to Egypt's public prosecutor. Witnesses said the perpetrators fled before security forces could reach the scene of the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt's recent history. Several militant groups are active in that area of Sinai, including Al-Wilayat Sinai, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS) and has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks. The al-Rawdah mosque is attended by adherents of the current of Islam known as Sufism, which some fundamentalist Sunnis regard as heretical. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a CBI probe into killing of Junaid Khan on a train in Haryana's Faridabad in June this year. Junaid was stabbed by the accused following an argument on board. Justice Rajan Gupta rejected the plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe saying that there was no evidence to show that the police investigation into the killing was not proper. Junaid's father, Jalaluddin, had filed the petition on October 26 through his counsel, seeking a probe by an independent agency. He had demanded a stay on the trial in a Faridabad court in this regard. The 16-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on a local train at Ballabhgarh in June this year following an argument over seats. The murder triggered nationwide outrage. Junaid and his cousins Hasim Moin and Shakir Moin had boarded the EMU train going from Ghaziabad to Mathura after Eid shopping on June 22. The accused, along with around a dozen other persons, boarded the train at Okhla and ordered Junaid and his brothers to give them their seats. When they refused, they brutally beat the three and also stabbed them and dumped them at Asaoti railway station in Palwal district. Police made five arrests in the case. --IANS js/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court here on Monday deferred hearing on the bail plea of alleged hawala dealer Muhammad Aslam Wani, accused in a money laundering case. Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma deferred the hearing for December 1 as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought more time to file a reply on the plea. Wani's counsel M.S. Khan has moved the bail stating that "since the section 45 PMLA has been declared unconstitutional, the present application is being filed in view of this changed circumstance". The Supreme Court last Thursday struck down Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), paving the way for accused to get out on bail as per the provision applicable to other offences. The ED in September filed a charge sheet against Wani and Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah under the provisions of the PMLA. Wani was arrested on August 6. He had reportedly confessed that he had passed on hawala money amounting to Rs 2.25 crore to Shabir Shah. Shah was arrested on July 25 on charges of money laundering in a case dating back to 2005 when the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested Wani. In the 2005 case lodged by the Special Cell, the court had acquitted co-accused Wani of the charges of criminal conspiracy and other offences but convicted him under the Arms Act, his defence counsel told the court. The ED submitted that conviction under the Arms Act is a triggering point to take action under PMLA. Both of them have denied the charges. --IANS akk/rn (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin's son Syed Shahid, arrested in a six-year-old terror funding case, on Monday moved a bail plea in a court here. District Judge Poonam Bamba, during the in-camera proceedings, asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file a reply on his bail plea and listed the matter for December 15 for further hearing. The court also extended his judicial custody till December 22. Shahid, 42, a Jammu and Kashmir government employee, was arrested here on October 24 after he was called for questioning at the NIA headquarters. The agency alleged that Shahid was collecting funds from Aijaz Bhat, a Srinagar resident now based in Saudi Arabia and a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, on the direction of his father Salahuddin, who is on the run. The NIA said Shahid was one of Bhat's several contacts who were in telephonic touch "to receive the money transfer codes". The money was meant to fund Hizbul Mujahideen's militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Shahid, who lives with his family in Soibugh village of J&K's Budgam district, works as a village agricultural assistant in the state Agriculture Department. His contractual job was confirmed by the government in March this year. The 2011 terror funding case pertains to terror money sent through hawala channels by militants based in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA had filed two chargesheets against six accused in the case in 2011. Four of them -- Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, one of the closest aides of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammed Sidiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmad Dagga -- are currently in Delhi's Tihar Jail. Two of the accused, Mohammad Maqbool Pandit and Aijaz Bhat, are on the run and have been declared proclaimed offenders. Pandit, like Aijaz Bhat, has been an active Hizbul Mujahideen militant and is currently based in Pakistan. Aijaz Bhat, according to NIA records, received arms training with the Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PaK) in the early 1990s. He never returned to Srinagar and began working for the militant group in Pakistan. He is said to have stayed in Sialkot before shifting to Saudi Arabia for generating funds for the group's activities in Jammu and Kashmir. An NIA official said the agency, through phone records, found that he was in touch with Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, a Srinagar-based lawyer, in 2011. According to NIA, the lawyer separatist had procured over Rs 4.50 crore from Pakistan through hawala channels within three years after 2008 for funding militant activities in the Kashmir valley. Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, Ganai, Liloo and Dagga were arrested on January 22, 2011 and Rs 21.20 lakh was recovered from them. After their arrest, Aijaz Bhat used to send money to Shahid. The Hizbul founder's son, according to an NIA official, received at least four instalments of money in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Shahid is the third son of Salahuddin, who also heads the United Jehad Council, the amalgam of Kashmir militant groups based in Muzaffarabad in PaK. Salahuddin unsuccessfully fought the 1987 Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He then crossed over to Pakistan and founded the Hizbul Mujahideen -- the largest militant group in Jammu and Kashmir. Salahuddin has five sons and two daughters, who are all employed with the state government. --IANS akk/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster on Monday described Hyderabad as marvel for ease of doing business and a model for the rest of India. The pat for the southern city came at a news conference he addressed on the eve of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), beginning here on Tuesday. He said he was impressed with the policies launched in Hyderabad to attract investment. "Enormous amount of US investment has come into this city. Major US tech firms have their significant hubs here and this city is a marvel for ease of doing business," said Juster referring to the transformation since 2004 when he had last visited Hyderabad. He lauded the Telangana government's industrial policy, which provides for all approvals for a business in 15 days and also holds officials accountable for their actions. "It is the model for rest of country. When you see this type of reform process undertaken, the response from private sector will be increased investment as seen in Hyderabad. We hope to see elsewhere in the country as well," said Juster who is attending the first major event after taking over as the new Ambassador. Asked about Moody's upgrading India rating, he complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi for significantly moving India up the ladder in terms of ease of doing business. "This is very important part in terms of economic reforms process that will help encourage US investment but the investment decisions are made by the private sector and not by the governments. These are really driven by the market place," he added. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, said five states had applied to host GES and two of them were shortlisted. He said Hyderabad was selected purely on the basis of merit. Stating that Hyderabad has created energy, tremendous vibrancy and huge amount of dynamism, he said it could beat other cities hands down. --IANS ms/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Yes, I sold tea but not the nation", said Prime Minister Narendra Modi paying back Congress in the same coin for its "chaiwala" jibe. "The Congress dislikes me because of my poor origins. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become Prime Minister. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not commit the sin of selling the nation," Modi said while addressing a rally here in Gujarat. "They (Congress) have insulted the poverty...they have insulted the mother... I am son of this soil and have been your friend of good and bad days," he added. Modi's remarks come in the wake of a Youth Congress magazine publishing a meme calling Narendra Modi a "chaiwala" (tea vendor). Modi has himself said that he used to sell tea along with his father at their small tea stall in Gujarat before he joined . Accusing the Congress of spreading lies, Modi said that the opposition party has been engaged in creating an atmosphere of pessimism. "Gujarat is my Atma, Bharat is my Parmatma. This land of Gujarat has cared for me; Gujarat has given me strength... They are coming to Gujarat and spreading lies about a son of Gujarat. Earlier they did that with Sardar Patel also. Gujarat will never accept this. No Gujarati will accept the lies that they are spreading," he said. --IANS bns/vsc/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Denmark reviewed various of aspects of bilateral ties during a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Danish Foreign Affairs Minister Anders Samuelsen here on Monday. "The two Ministers held discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. "The discussions between the two Ministers focused on building of cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, science and technology, environment and renewable energy, shipping, food processing, healthcare, culture, tourism etc.," it said. The meeting also assumes significance as India is negotiating a free trade agreement with the European Union India's economic ties with Denmark have strengthened with growing trade and investments from both sides. Annual bilateral trade has increased to around $2.8 billion. Indian companies have established their presence in Denmark's IT, renewable energy and biotechnology sectors, while over 125 Danish companies have invested significantly in sectors like renewable energy, shipping, IT and food processing in India. The Scandinavian country was also a partner country at the World Food India 2017 held in New Delhi. Samuelsen will visit Hyderabad to participate in the Eighth Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 to be held from November 28 to 30. He will speak at Master Class Session of GES 2017 on the theme aEasy Entrepreneurship - Public Sector Perspective' on November 29. The visiting minister is also likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hyderabad on Tuesday. --IANS ab/him/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Doctors from city-based BLK Super Specialty Hospital said on Monday that they successfully performed the first ever kidney transplant in Tanzania in partnership with Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam. "It is a matter of great honour that the first ever kidney transplant in Tanzania was performed by a team of Indian doctors," Naresh Kapoor, Executive Director, BLK Super Specialty Hospital, said in a statement. "Such surgeries are enormously complicated with significant risks. Hence, the success of this first ever kidney transplant enlivens hope for the people of Tanzania. I congratulate our team on the success," Kapoor said. The surgery was conducted on a 30-year-old Tanzanian woman who was suffering from end-stage kidney disease and was on haemodialysis for over a year. "The kidney donor was her 27-year-old brother," said H S Bhatyal, Head of Urology and Kidney Transplantation at the hospital. The doctors also acknowledged the support of a team of doctors at Muhimbili National Hospital in conducting the surgery. "Both donor and recipient are recuperating well and should return to normal activities soon. They are under our care and supervision," Sunil Prakash, Director & Head of Nephrology at BLK hospital said. With a broader aim to promote cooperation and mutual understanding between the two countries, the New Delhi-based hospital established partnerships with Muhimbili National Hospital as well as other healthcare institutes in the region such as the JakayaKikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) and Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute. "We have established credible linkage with countries in Africa through a number of collaborative programmes with an objective to build healthcare capacities locally in the countries such as Tanzania," Kapoor said. "This surgery will certainly boost Indo-Tanzanian relationship in the field of healthcare," he added. --IANS gb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday asked a batch of petitioners to mention next week their plea for extension of interim relief on linking bank accounts and mobile numbers with the Aadhaar scheme. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud asked senior counsel Shyam Diwan to mention the matter next week. The deadlines for linking of bank accounts and mobile numbers with Aadhaar are December 31, 2017 and February 6, 2018 respectively. The court had earlier said that it would commence the hearing on the batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar in the last week of November. Former Karnataka High Court judge Justice K.S. Puttuswamy and others have challenged the validity of Aadhaar Act on the ground it violates the fundamental right to privacy. --IANS pk/in/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ishaan Khatter was named the Best Actor for his debut film "Beyond The Clouds" at the International Bosphorus Film Festival in Turkey. The actor dedicated the accolade to his mother and actress Neelima Azeem and Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi. "This is an absolute honour. My mother is here in the audience -- Everything I earn from my work will always, first and foremost, be dedicated to you. Thank you for giving me the gift of life and art. Firstly (for this piece of work) the award goes out to Majid Majidi - the masterful, wonderful, absolute legend of a man.. who trusted me and gave me this film as my first leading performance," Ishaan said after receiving the award. "Thank you sir and I will forever be indebted to you for that. I have to thank the cast and crew of this movie, we did this together. Malavika Mohanan -- you and I will always share this experience. And thank you to Shareen, our producer. Thank you all," he added. Majidi's maiden India set project "Beyond The Clouds", which celebrates the triumph and adoration of life against a Mumbai backdrop, was screened at the International Bosphorus Film Festival in Istanbul, and was competing as part of the International Feature Film Category, read a statement. The film won Hassan Hassandoost the Best Editing award. Ishaan was present at the festival in support of his film along with Majidi, Malavika, producers Shareen Mantri Kedia (from Namah Pictures) and Vibha Chopra from (Zee Studios International) along with Neelima. Filmmaker Karan Johar, who is producing Ishaan's next film "Dhadak", also congratulated the whole team, and tweeted: "Huge congratulations to Ishaan on his very first Best Actor award! So proud of you!!! And many more to come." "Beyond The Clouds" had its Indian premiere as it was the opening movie of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on November 20. Produced by Zee Studios and Shareen Mantri Kedia and Kishor Arora of Namah Pictures, "Beyond The Clouds" narrates a heart-warming tale of a brother and sister, and how they find happiness in separation and turbulent time. The film explores serious issues like separation, but Majidi has not narrated a depressing tale, but with a ray of hope. "Beyond The Clouds" is scheduled early 2018. The music of the film is given by award-winning composer A.R. Rahman, cinematography by Anil Mehta and Hindi dialogues have been penned by Vishal Bhardwaj. --IANS sug/rb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor John Boyega, who will revisit his character of Finn in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", says walking onto the sets of the upcoming film felt like visiting Disneyland. "It's amazing. The fundamental thing is unity on a set like this. It's so massive, so many ideas, so many challenges... It's good to have unity of cast and crew who believe in the same vision of making a great movie and have a great time doing it. "That's the fundamental goal, so if something goes wrong, there is a fixation on how to get around the obstacle. And that's something I enjoy on a 'Star Wars' set. When the people are solid, it's smooth," Boyega said in a statement. Asked about walking onto a set like this, he said: "Totally immersed. Like a 12-year-old kid that goes to Disneyland, but Disneyland is on level 10. That's what it's like but then you have to do your job because you are part of it. "I've tried to do fan stuff and be an actor in the film. I think I'm doing well so far with the balance, but it's crazy because there is so much going on. There are major sets on this one and practical effects again. They have outdone themselves with the sets they built. It makes me feel like I'm on another planet, which is good." The film also stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o and Andy Serkis. "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", written and directed by Rian Johnson, will release on December 15. --IANS nn/rb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A CRPF constable was killed and two of his colleagues were injured when Maoists opened fire on security forces in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, an official said on Monday. The attack took place on Sunday around 7.50 p.m. in Talwargarh area. The dead constable was identified as Manjunath Jakkanavar, 31, a resident of Dharwad in Karnataka. The two injured Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were flown by helicopter along with the body of the slain constable, CRPF Deputy Inspector General M. Dinakaran told IANS. Dinakaran said the Maoists attacked a CRPF unit and the Maharashtra Police when they were searching the area. The Maoists first attacked the security forces around 5.40 p.m. But the troops retaliated. "The Maoists fled the scene but returned again around 7.50 p.m. in larger numbers. They fired on the troops. The security forces again retaliated but lost our constable," Dinakaran said. --IANS rak/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The condition of 90-year-old Buddhist monk Pragyanand, who gave "diksha" to Bhim Rao Ambedkar continues to be critical, doctors at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) said here on Monday. He was admitted to the medical college after he complained of breathlessness and chest pain. Doctors said he had been shifted from the trauma centre to the Gandhi Ward where he was under 24x7 observation by experts. Pragyanand was born in Sri Lanka and has been staying in India since 1942. He was one of the seven Buddhist monks who gave the "diksha" to Ambedkar on April 14, 1956 at Nagpur. His close aide Bhante Suman told IANS that while the monk had been suffering from many old age-related diseases for the past two years, his condition became critical in the last two days following severe chest congestion and difficulty in breathing. Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of KGMU Dr. S.N. Shankhwar told the media that Guru Pragyanand was critical and that efforts were underway to "ease out the congestion" and improve his serious physical condition. --IANS md/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea has fortified a part of its border with South Korea from where one of its soldiers defected to Seoul earlier this month, a media report said on Monday. A photograph posted on Twitter by Acting US Ambassador to South Korea Marc Knapper showed a small group of civilian workers, monitored by North Korean soldiers, digging a deep trench at the point where the defector abandoned his vehicle and ran across the demarcation line separating the two countries on November 13, the Guardian report said. Security camera footage released by the UN command last week showed the soldier, who is known only by his surname Oh, get out of the vehicle after getting it stuck in a shallow ditch. He then runs across the border in the Joint Security Area (JSA) as his compatriots shoot at him from behind. The soldier, who was shot five times, collapses in a pile of leaves near a wall, before being dragged to safety by South Korean forces. Oh is currently in a stable condition after undergoing operations to treat his wounds and remove parasitic worms, according to Lee Cook-jong, a surgeon at Ajou University hospital south of Seoul. North Korea has also erected a gate on the bridge the soldier used during his high-speed drive towards the JSA, according to the Korea Times. The regime has also placed more machine guns in the area. South Korean military officials will question Oh as soon as he has recovered from his injuries. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday urged people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the ongoing urban body polls and not to focus on the candidates. Addressing a public rally in Balrampur, Aditynath said people should focus on the party symbol "lotus" and not see the candidates the party had fielded. "We are committed to development of the entire state and will light up Uttar Pradesh towns and cities as we did in Ayodhya on Diwali-eve," he said while also promising 14 lakh jobs for the unemployed youth in the coming days. The previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) governments and their leaders worked only for their own prosperity and development and did not focus on the people, he alleged. He also said that the state government was committed to the welfare of farmers and doubling their income by 2022, as declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Adityanath also detailed the works undertaken by his government in the past seven months in the field of power and said very soon the result of the projects and schemes initiated would start showing results. --IANS md/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To help existing on-premises VMware workloads move to Azure Cloud, Microsoft on Monday announced new migration offerings for customers as additional solutions. This includes migrating VMware-based applications to Azure, integrating with Azure, and deploying VMware virtualisation on Azure hardware, the company said in a blog post. "On November 27, Azure Migrate, a free service, will be broadly available to all Azure customers. While most cloud vendors offer single server migration capabilities, 'Azure Migrate' helps you through the journey of migrating an entire multi-server application," the post read. "Azure Migrate" will help VMware customers through the journey of migrating an entire multi-server application. "There are many Azure services that you can use together with VMware workloads without any migration or deployment, enabling you to keep your entire environment secure and well-managed across cloud and on-premises," said Corey Sanders, Director of Compute, Azure. Azure Migrate can discover on-premises VMware-based applications without requiring any changes to the VMware environment. Azure is the Hybrid Cloud that enables consistency across application development, management, security, data, and identity. --IANS na/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Islamabad High Court on Monday strongly criticised the Pakistan Army for mediating between the government and anti-blasphemy protesters, who have been blocking a key highway for 20 days demanding the resignation of the country's Law Minister over the recent amendment to a federal law that referenced to Prophet Mohammed. The government finally caved in to the demands of the hardline Islamist protesters, led by the Tehreek-e-Labaik party, earlier on Monday with the resignation of Zahid Hamid and the release of arrested protesters, Efe news agency reported. "Who is the Army to play the role of mediator?" asked judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui during a hearing where Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was summoned to explain the developments related to the Islamist protests that have been roiling the country for over three weeks, court spokesperson Adnan Majeed told Efe. The judge expressed alarm that the agreement was signed by an Army officer, Major General Faiz Hameed, among others, according to a court order accessed by Efe. This is the same court that had ordered the government on Saturday to clear the highway blockade by the protesters, who considered the amendment -- that was withdrawn later -- an act of blasphemy, a serious crime in Pakistan that carries the death penalty. Following the order, the Pakistani police had cracked down on the protesters resulting in clashes that killed six people and injured hundreds, but failed to disperse the protesters. The government had subsequently ordered an Army deployment to control the situation. However, Siddiqui confirmed on Sunday that Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa played the role of a mediator instead of deploying troops to control the situation. "The Army needs to stay within their Constitutional duties, it is baffling how the Army remained neutral in the office of law-breaking protesters in the country," the judge said. --IANS him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi suffered from an "unhealthy mentality" and accused him of making irresponsible statements. "The Prime Minister suffers from an unhealthy mentality, which is an issue of national concern," party spokesperson Anand Sharma told the media here. "He feels that nothing happened in Gujarat and the country before he came," he said, adding that he was making his comments with "respect" to Modi's office. "Unhealthy mentality is when a person says the universe was not created before me, India did not have an identity before I came... He (Modi) always says this is happening for the first time. "He needs to be told that India became a nuclear power in 1974, we went to space, Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan had already been launched... India was recognised worldwide. "If he feels nothing happened before he came, it is the responsibility of the opposition to correct him," Sharma said. Sharma countered the BJP charge of dynastic in the Congress, saying the last member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to take oath of an important post was when Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister in 1984. "It means 32-33 years have gone... For 10 years, Congress was in power and I need to remind him (Modi) that Rahul Gandhi is an elected member of Parliament," Sharma added. --IANS ao/vd/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi suffered from an "unhealthy mentality" and accused him of making irresponsible and untrue statements. The party also accused Modi of misleading the people of Gujarat on the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru. "The Prime Minister has said the country's first Prime Minister had not done anything for Gujarat. It is wrong and far from the truth. We condemn it," party spokesperson Anand Sharma told the media here. The Prime Minister suffers from an "unhealthy mentality, which is an issue of national concern", Sharma said. "He feels that nothing happened in Gujarat and the country before he came," he said. "Unhealthy mentality is when a person says the universe was not created before me, India did not have an identity before I came... He (Modi) always says this is happening for the first time. "He needs to be told that India became a nuclear power in 1974, we went to space, Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan had already been launched... India was recognised worldwide. "If he feels nothing happened before he came, it is the responsibility of the opposition to correct him. Whatever he is saying is untrue. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is very nervous. They are rattled over the increasing support for the Congress in Gujarat." Sharma countered the BJP charge of dynastic in the Congress, saying the last member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to take oath of an important post was when Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister in 1984. "It means 32-33 years have gone... For 10 years, Congress was in power and I need to remind him (Modi) that Rahul Gandhi is an elected member of Parliament. "He has forgotten that the Congress gave Prime Ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri and Manmohan Singh who came from humble backgrounds." He added: "The Congress has never told the BJP who it should elect as its leader. The Prime Minister should stop worrying about the Congress and focus on his party instead." The Prime Minister was trying to mislead the people of Gujarat by giving wrong statements and trying to lure the voters, Sharma said. "He (Modi) should not give certificates of honesty to his own government." Attcking the Modi government for delaying the winter session of Parliament, Sharma said: "The Modi government is running away from accountability. That is why the Prime Minister never convened Parliament ahead of the Gujarat polls." --IANS sid/nir/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pope Francis on Sunday began a trip that will take him to Myanmar and Bangladesh, where he will be until December 2 and on which he will meet with representatives of other faiths with the harsh persecution of the local Muslim Rohingya minority in the background. The Alitalia Airbus A330 took off from Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 10:10 pm with the Vatican delegation and 69 journalists on board, Efe news agency reported. Among the members of the Curia accompanying the pontiff are Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Fernando Filoni. The aircraft is scheduled to land in Yangon, Myanmar - formerly known as Rangoon - on Monday at 1:30 pm and afterwards the pope will be ferried to the local archbishopric to rest. Although nothing is on the pontiff's agenda for Monday, Francis might surprise people with a last-minute visit or event of some kind. On Tuesday, Francis will begin his official agenda and will meet with Myanmar President Htin Kyaw and with Nobel Peace Prize winner and de facto government opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Naipyidaw, the Burmese capital. Some 650,000 Catholics live in Myanmar representing a little more than 1 percent of the population of 53 million. Overall, Christians make up just over 6 percent of the country's population. The pope will also meet with local Buddhists and will celebrate two Masses for the Catholic faithful in Myanmar. In contrast to Rohingya Muslims, Christians in Myanmar have not faced significant violence or persecution and local Christian leaders say that they enjoy "peaceful coexistence" in the largely Buddhist country formerly known as Burma, which was ruled by the British for about a century until its independence in 1948. On November 30, the pontiff will fly to Bangladesh on the second leg of his Asia trip. --IANS ahm/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Protesters clashed with security forces in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, in which a woman was injured, police said. The clashes erupted after security forces launched an operation against militants in Hajin area. Police said as security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Hajin area, protesters clashed with them to disrupt it. The woman, who sustained pellet injuries in her legs, was shifted to a hospital for treatment. --IANS sq/tsb/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Monday permitted the Centre to withdraw upto four companies of the central security forces from the trouble-torn areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong in West Bengal. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud allowed the withdrawal as Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told the court that the situation in these districts was under control. Venugopal also told the court that there was free movement of traffic and goods, including fuel on the highway going to Sikkim. In fact the Centre wanted to withdraw all the central security forces from the trouble-torn areas of the state facing agitation for a separate Gorkha State. As the plea was opposed by the West Bengal government, the Centre told the bench that the central government alone could decide on the deployment or withdrawal of security forces depending on the assessment of the ground situation. Earlier the court had permitted the Centre to withdraw seven companies of its security forces for deployment in then election-bound Himachal Pradesh and other areas. The court on Monday was told by the West Bengal government that since elections in Himachal Pradesh were over, there was no requirement for withdrawing the security forces from Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The Centre has moved the top court challenging a Calcutta High court verdict setting aside the central government's order for withdrawing the security forces from the trouble-torn districts facing the Gorkha agitation. --IANS pk/in/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday ordered a probe into the alleged irregularities in the voter list for the Sunday municipal body polls and asked Lucknow Divisional Commissioner Anil Garg to investigate, officials said. State Election Commissioner S.K. Agarwal has asked Garg to submit the report by December 15. There have been many complaints of missing names in the voters list and even many prominent political personalities like former Union Minister Kalraj Mishra and three-time Lucknow Mayor Dauji Gupta were deprived from voting because their names did not figure in the list. Lucknow, along with 24 other urban municipal bodies, went to the polls on Sunday. SEC officials said that prima facie it appears that the district administration did not discharge its duties well enough and hence the probe. "No one found guilty will be spared," Agarwal said. Former Bharatiya Janata Party chief of the Uttar Pradesh unit, Laxmikant Bajpayi, and other politicians have openly aired their disenchantment with the voter list. Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also tweeted on how the missing names of even senior BJP leaders spoke volumes of the chaos in the urban body polls. With regard to similar complaints received from other places too, poll panel officials said they would also be reviewed and if needed orders for a probe issued. Two phases of polling for the urban bodies have already taken place on November 22 and 26 and the third and final phase will be held on Wednesday, campaigning for which ended on Monday evening. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself is spearheading the BJP's campaign in what is being seen as a test of his government's functioning in the last seven months. --IANS md/him/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A decade-and-a-half back he had ruffled many feathers in West Bengal's Left Front establishment with his bold play "Winkle Twinkle". Now a senior minister in Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress government, Bratya Basu, whom many regard as the most powerful contemporary Bengali playwright, concedes the twin roles at times trigger conflict of interest. But the playwright-actor-director averred he finds a way out using metaphors in his writings when faced with such a conflict. "Yes, there is a conflict. But when I'm determined that I want to write, a metaphor comes, so there's a way out," the minister, celebrated for his writings that break free of straitjacketed norms, told IANS in an interview here on the sidelines of the Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsav. For example, in the Kaushik Ganguly directed "Darjiparar Marjinara", penned by Bratya, prostitution is used as metaphor for exploitation and oppression. Or consider the play "Boma" (2015), said to be a take on modern-day politics, based on the 1908 Alipore bomb case in which nationalists such as Aurobindo Ghosh were among the 33 on trial in the wake of the attempt on the life of Presidency Magistrate Douglas Kingsford at Muzaffarpur by Bengali revolutionaries Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki in April that year. Notwithstanding the political undertones in his writings, Bratya said he keeps separate from theatre. "It is going parallel... I don't know what will happen when both (theatre and politics) come face to face," said the 48-year-old multifaceted man, whose expanding oeuvre is now embellished with acting roles and directorial ventures in films. An academician, armed with a post-graduate degree in Bengali literature, Bratya now handles the crucial Information Technology portfolio in the state cabinet, after stints with the high profile education and tourism ministries since 2011 when he entered the assembly by humbling CPI-M heavyweight Gautam Deb. Bratya is equally adept at "balancing the stage", having started out with the theatre group Ganakrishti while in college to launching his career as a dramatist with the play "Ashaleen" (1996), described by theatre critics as the first post-modernist Bengali play. In 2008, he formed the Bengali theatre group "Bratyajon". He has constantly pushed the envelope, introduced new socio-political trends and not shied away from speaking the truth with plays such as "Aranyadeb", "Winkle-Twinkle" (an allusion to Washington Irving's classic Rip van Winkle) and the anti-establishment play "Ruddhasangeet" (Stifled Songs of the Marginalised). Apart from directing films like "Raasta", "Teesta" and "Tara", Bratya has also stepped in front of the camera to act in several movies including "Kaalbela", "Hemlock Society" and "Muktodhara". Having flirted with ultra-left during his student days at Presidency College (now university) -- "I was one of the founder members of (student body) Independent Consolidation (IC) at Presidency" -- Bratya found himself in the vortex of Bengal's political cauldron towards the second half of the last decade when he joined the growing tribe of civil society representatives upset with the Left Front's handling of anti-land acquisition peasant movements in Singur and Nandigram. He soon emerged as one of the most powerful anti-Left Front voices in television debates and public meetings. It was not long before an impressed Banerjee requested him to contest the assembly polls. "I don't think it was my conscious effort or my choice to join . It was the situation. In 2011, she (Banerjee) asked me to fight the elections and I won. I'm still enjoying this," the minister said pensively, but pointed out he has never set aside theatre for politics. How does he see through his commitments in both arenas? "I don't know how I balance. Each has a different facet. I ask myself how would I balance, how do I manage it? I am still an agnostic. This is all part of life; so I am enjoying living it. I ask myself every day, 'What you do, is it fulfilling?'," he observed in-between puffs of smoke. Bratya said he was ignorant of politics from 1990 till 2002, when he wrote "Winkle Twinkle". The play was sharply criticised by the CPI-M mouthpiece, Ganashakti. It revolves around a political prisoner shot dead in police custody in January 1976 in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Akin to Rip van Winkle, he returned in the year 2002 and discovered everything had changed. "I don't consider 'Winkle Twinkle' an anti-Left play... this is the depiction of two different time periods. It shows a conflict between two different times. Politics is a part of this. It is not hardcore political theatre... I won't believe that," he averred. Bratya concedes politics has deepened his understanding of society. "I've learnt a lot from politics. I've matured as a human being. I've actually learnt how people are living in this world.... politics is an eye opener." Theatre, he said, has taught him discipline. "From theatre I have learnt discipline, time management and to obey your leader because when I am doing theatre... there I am a leader. So when I am doing politics there should be a leader," he said. (Sahana Ghosh can be contacted at sahana.g@ians.in ) --IANS sgh/ssp/vm/ky/tb (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Denouncing the protests against Sanjay Leela Bhansali's upcoming film "Padmavati", the Bengali film fraternity on Monday called for a "15-minute black out" in the entire industry on Tuesday afternoon. Terming it a token protest against the ongoing agitation in parts of the country over the release of Padmavati, National Award winning Bengali filmmaker Gautam Ghose said the industry would welcome a debate over the film only after it was released and seen by people. "As a token protest against the untoward incidents that are happening surrounding Padmavati, we will hold a blackout for 15 minutes from 12 noon to 12. 15 p.m tomorrow (Tuesday). It would be a complete blackout of all departments starting from the studio to post-production units," Ghose said at a press conference on Monday. Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, producer Shrikant Mohta and other heavyweights of the industry were also present. "It is true that in a democratic country, there should be voices of dissent and debate. We welcome the debate about Padmavati. But the debate should start after the release of the film," Ghose clarified. "It is important that we find out why this is happening. This has no logic. Let us first see the film. There is a censor board to take care of things," he said. On Sunday, Indian Films & Television Directors' Association (IFTDA)'s president Ashok Pandit called for a 15-minute tools-down for the entire Indian film industry opposing the escalated Padmavati protests. The members of the film fraternity also criticised BJP leader Surajpal Amu's comments against state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for welcoming the film in Bengal. "In West Bengal, our Chief Minister has taken a different stand. She has invited the Padmavati unit to release the film here. And now, bad things are being said against her. Where are we heading with all this. It seems we have gone back to the medieval ages," Ghose said. "The Chief Minister has only talked about releasing the film here. She has not hurt or said anything wrong about anyone. The comments against her are shameful," Mohta added. On November 25, Haryana BJP leader Amu threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that she would meet the same fate as "Shurpanakha", a demoness from the epic Ramayana whose nose was cut off by Lakshman. --IANS mgr/ssp/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US-India Business Council (USIBC) has launched a collaborative initiative with key women leaders to offer leadership, mentoring, and development opportunities for women entrepreneurs and innovators. The announcement was made during USIBC's Road to GES event "Creating the Foundations of Innovation" that saw participation from industry and government leaders who will spearhead this initiative. They include Nivruti Rai, country head, Intel India; Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairman & MD, Biocon Limited; Vanitha Narayanan, chairman, IBM India; Vani Kola, managing director, Kalaari Capital; and Amita Vyas, producer, Girl Rising. The USIBC initiative titled Women for Women Innovators, Social Leaders & Entrepreneurs (WISE)will work with the vision of "women supporting women to participate in creating the future of India". "We are delighted to work with an esteemed group of women leaders as part this collaborative initiative in equipping today's women entrepreneurs with the skills and direction they need to drive India's economy forward," said USIBC President Nisha Biswal. "The US-India commercial corridor is driven by innovation and women entrepreneurs are central to this endeavour. However, women still remain under-represented in the economy. USIBC remains committed to working with industry partners and the government of India to encourage women entrepreneurship to grow and succeed," she said. --IANS ms/him/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Longest-serving member of the US Congress John Conyers has said he is stepping aside as top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee while sexual harassment allegations are investigated. Denying the accusations again, Conyers said on Sunday he was stepping down "to clear his name", the BBC reported. A staff member had alleged she was fired for refusing to "succumb to sexual advances" from the Michigan Democrat. A prominent civil rights leader, Conyers first joined the Congress in 1965. The House Ethics Committee has launched an investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment and age discrimination involving the staff. On Sunday, Conyers, 88, tweeted that he would like to remain as ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, but that he could not "in good conscience" allow the charges to "undermine" House colleagues. It was reported on Tuesday that he had paid $27,000 in 2015 in exchange for the confidentiality of a former staff member, who alleged she was fired for rejecting sexual advances, the BBC said. Conyers was also accused of repeatedly making sexual advances and inappropriately touching other female employees, according to signed legal documents seen by Buzzfeed. Conyers said that many of the allegations "were raised by documents reportedly paid for by a partisan alt-right blogger". --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Major publishing houses from 16 countries have signed memorandums with China's Foreign Languages Press (FLP) to translate and publish the second volume of President Xi Jinping's book on governance. The countries are: Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Albania, Romania, Kenya, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, according to the FLP. Published in both Chinese and English on November 7, the second volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" is also in the process of being translated and published in other languages including French, Russian and Spanish, reports Xinhua. The new volume comprises 99 of Xi's speeches, conversations, instructions and letters. The articles are divided into 17 topics, and the book adds some annotations. The second volume depicts the practices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Xi at the core in uniting and leading Chinese people to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era, the FLP said. The newly-published volume is expected to help the international community better understand Xi's thought, the FLP added. The first volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" has sold 6.6 million copies in 24 languages around the world since it was published in 2014. --IANS ksk/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The wedding venue of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modis son Utkarsh, slated for December 3, has been shifted to the Veterinary College ground in Patna. A statement issued by Modis personal assistant said the decision to move the location from Sakha Maidan in Rajendra Nagar was taken after weighing the threat perception. Readers of Whispers might remember an earlier post in the section about the emergence of a video purportedly showing Tej Pratap, former minister and elder son of Lalu Prasad, threatening to disrupt the wedding. Prasad had, however, dismissed the alleged threat and assured the deputy CM there was nothing to worry. This fortnight is likely to be driven by macro-data and news flow. The bulk of Second Quarter 2017-18 (Q2, July-September 2017) results are in. The GDP data is released this week. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has a policy review next week and PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) data will also come in. The consumer sentiments index has risen sharply during November. It is likely that the index would end up being about 6 per cent higher than its level in October. This would be a substantial jump during a month because ever since the index was launched in January 2016, it increased by more than 3 per cent during a month only once. The average monthly increase in the index has been negative. The mean monthly change in the index has been -0.32 per cent and the median, -0.53 per cent. The increase in the consumer sentiment index during November is therefore extraordinary. Change is afoot in Saudi Arabia Shyam Saran The West Asian kingdom is rapidly shedding its image as an insular Islamic state. Nowhere is this change more ... The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which was founded on November 26, 2012, turned five this Sunday. At a public rally to mark the occasion, party chief Arvind Kejriwal asked people in Gujarat to vote for any party that could defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress is the principal opposition party in Gujarat and the only party in the state with the wherewithal to challenge the BJP. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra demanded CBI probe in the murder of two journalists, Santanu Bhowmik and Sudip Dutta Bhowmik in Tripura. Patra, who arrived here on Saturday, is on a two-day visit to the state, where he will interact with party workers and locals to learn about the present law and order situation in the state. "Why this double standard, if Chief Minister Manik Sarkar could demand for CBI probe in the murder of Bangalore-based journalist Gauri Lankesh why he is not proposing for it in the murders of two journalists who are son of the soil, is you because as people are suspecting that you are involved in them?" asked Patra, while addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here. Tipura is seeing agitation from journalists after two journalists were killed in a span of two months time. Patra further alleged that there have been efforts to cover up the murder of Sudip Dutta Bhowmik right from the beginning because "Sudip might be having some documents, publishing which the Chief Minister would face the consequences." The BJP leader also said Manik Sarkar has "blessed and given coverage" to those who have murdered the journalist, which is why the culprits are bold enough to commit such heinous crime. Patra added, "Tripura under Manik Sarkar is the best example of the popular saying that wherever there is Left there is nothing left for the economy. The Chief Minister's own constituency Dhanpur lack basic amenities like drinking water, employment and hospital." He also targeted Sarkar for the Rose Valley scam and not handing the Rs 35,000 crores scam to the CBI for investigation. "Since he is complicated himself, which can be easily understood as intentionally the money involved was shown as just Rs 15, 000," he added. The BJP leader also wanted to know from Sarkar who are the other three Ministers (other than himself and Bijita Nath) who are involved with the Rose Valley. The BJP leader declared that the BJP will not call the Left Front government henceforth because it has become an "organised syndicate of crime, corruption and cayed (suppression of freedom of speech)." "Tripura should have been a place of joy because of its natural resources but the Left government has brought a sense of 'Bhoy' (insecurity)", he said. Earlier on November 23, normal life was totally paralyzed due to the dawn-to-dusk strike called by the Opposition BJP and Congress in Tripura to protest the killing of journalist Sudip Datta Bhowmik. Bhowmik was allegedly killed by the Tripura State Rifles after calling him inside the Commandants office of the second battalion at R K Nagar. Pushing the BJP's campaign in Gujarat into high gear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi why his party applauded the release of a terrorist in Pakistan and why he hugged the Chinese ambassador during the Doklam standoff. Two Chinese cargo ships collided off the coast of south China's Guangdong Province today, leaving 12 crew members missing. A bulk ship carrying 5,000 tonnes of sand sank in the sea waters near the Pearl River estuary after colliding with a ship loaded with 5,038 tonnes of steel at about 3 am, the Guangzhou maritime search and rescue centre said. Two crew members from the sunken ship have been rescued but the rest 12 remain missing. Eleven sailors from the steel ship have also been rescued. Thirty rescue ships, one helicopter and other ships nearby have joined in the search for the missing ones, state- run Xinhua agency reported. The two ships were registered in the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Fujian. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fourteen Naxals were arrested from separate places in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district today during anti-Maoist operations by different teams of security forces, the police said. Five Naxals each were arrested from Chintalnar and Chintagufa police station limits, while four were held from Chhindgarh police station area, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dantewada range) Sundarraj P told PTI. Joint squads of personnel belonging to District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and district force were involved in the operations, he said. The arrested ultras were active as janmiltia members and belonged to Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangthan (DAKMS) - a frontal wing of the Maoists, the officer said. They were allegedly involved in various incident, including attacks on police personnel and killings, the DIG said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For the first time after resumption of the cross-LoC bus service on the Poonch-Rawalakot route this month, 21 residents of Jammu and Kashmir today travelled across the border to meet their relatives, officials said. As many as 51 Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) residents also arrived here, while four PoK residents returned by the bus, they said. The weekly bus service, popularly known as 'paigam-e- amun' or message of peace, resumed on November 6 after remaining suspended for nearly four months owing to heavy Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. While 126 residents of PoK came to this side since the resumption of the service, nobody travelled from here apparently due to apprehension of ceasefire violation and subsequent suspension of the service, the officials said. Of the 126 PoK residents, 14 returned last week. With the arrival of a fresh batch of 51 PoK residents today, a total of 177 passengers have arrived here from across the border. Billed as the biggest confidence building measure, the bus service was started on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route in the Kashmir Valley in April 2005 and the Poonch-Rawalakot route in the Jammu region on June 20, 2006 to facilitate easier trade and travel between the divided families of Jammu and Kashmir and PoK. The trade between the two parts of Kashmir started in October 2008 on barter system. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said three Pakistani nationals, including a nine-year-old girl, would be given visa for their medical treatment in India. Responding to a request by Danish Memon for a visa to his nine-year-old daughter Maria for treatment of thalassemia here, she asked the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to issue the travel document immediately. "Maria Danish - I am asking Indian High Commission in Pakistan to issue your visa immediately," she tweeted. Replying to another request by one Mariam Asim for medical visa for her father, Swaraj said India would issue the visa. "Pls contact Indian High Commission in Pakistan with your papers. We will issue the visa," she tweeted. The external affairs minister also assured another Pakistani woman, Fariha Usman, of granting visa after she requested her for it. Pakistan earlier accused India of "politicising" humanitarian issues. On Thursday, Pakistan had accused India of selectively issuing medical visa to its citizens and that it was not a gesture of compassion but "cold blooded politicking". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A car swerved out of control and fell into a canal killing five persons in the Aligarh district, police said here today. A police spokesperson said that the incident took place on the Aligarh-Palwal Road in the Khair area yesterday night. The deceased have been identified as Naveen, Bharat, Ankit, Akash and Ankit. All of them are in the age group of 17-35 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At least five members of a family were killed and two others injured when motorcycle-borne armed men opened fired at them in the restive northwest Pakistan today, police said. The family was attacked apparently for an old enmity in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering north and south waziristan tribal agencies. The head of the family, a former personal secretaryof the National Assembly member Ayesha Gulalai, was also killed by motorcycle-borne armed men a few weeks ago. The injured were rushed to district hospital while the dead bodies were handed over to relatives after post-mortem, the police said, adding that an FIR had also been registered. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one of the four administrative provinces of Pakistan, located in the northwestern region of the country along the international border with Afghanistan. For decades, the city of Peshawar, capital of the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has faced the threat of militants, due to its proximity to the restless tribal areas and the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In September, at least three policemen were killed by two Taliban gunmen in the province. Last week, a Pakistan Army Major was killed in a shootout with militants during a raid on a terrorist hideout in the tribal region of Dera Ismail Khan. On November 13, an Army Captain along with a soldier was killed in a cross-border attack by terrorists from Afghanistan in Bajaur Agency. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leading discount brokerage firm 5Paisa Capital today said it is looking at increasing its customer base by 50,000 over the next year and unveiled a unique investor education initiative 5P School to leverage rise in new investor numbers over the next two years. The online courses offered by 5P School are free of cost and are aimed at educating a broad range of people such as long-term investors, traders and particularly the novice market players seeking to enter the market. *********** Mylan launches cancer drug Bevacizumab * Mylan Pharmaceuticals today launched ABEVMY (injection Bevacizumab), an anti-angiogenic drug approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). The drug is used to treat metastatic colorectal, non-small-cell lung carcinoma, glioblastoma, ovarian, cervical and renal cancer as part of specific regimens for Indian patients, a statement said. A benefit for patients is its price for each therapy cycle, which is comparatively lower than the existing options, it added. *************** Mirc Electronics introduces 15 new washing machine models * Mirc Electronics, the manufacturer of Onida appliances today said it has strengthened its washing machines product portfolio has launched 15 new washing machine models in front load, top load and semi- automatic category. The company's facility in Roorkee, can manufacture 7.20 lakhs washing machines per annum on three shift basis, the company statement said. Onida has sold 1.80 lakhs washing machines during the last financial year and with launching these new models, the company is expecting this number rise. ******************* MTV Dropout winners funded by Amit Patni, Venture Catalysts * Integrated incubator Venture Catalysts today said it has invested Rs 25 lakh in the start-up idea pitched by ERA, the winning team on the reality show MTV Dropout. Venture Catalysts also served as the investor and incubation partner for the show, which enables aspiring entrepreneurs to turn their disruptive ideas into a viable business, a statement said. Venture Catalysts will mentor the entrepreneurs and host the team at its co-working facility for 6 months, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gold weighing 804 grams has been seized by customs officials from a passenger who arrived at Mangaluru International airport from Dubai. The passenger,identified as Ahmed Tahir fromKasaragod in Kerala, was intercepted by the officials on suspicion yesterday. A check revealed the gold concealed under the sole of his footwear. The value of the seized gold was Rs 24 lakh, customs officials said. They said that the passenger, on being questioned, admitted that he smuggled the gold on the directions of another person. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A delegation of BJP legislators today met Lt Governor Anil Baijal and sought his intervention in the matter related to reconstitution of the Delhi Waqf Board by the Arvind Kejirwal government. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, who led the delegation, alleged the government was reconstituting the Board in "violation" of the Waqf Act, 1995. "The Delhi government is bent on reconstituting the Waqf Board in utter violation of the Waqf Act 1995 and the Waqf (Amendment) Act of 2013, throwing moral propriety and ethical considerations to the winds," Gupta said in a statement. He also charged that Amantullah Khan, the "tainted" former chairman of the Waqf Board, was being reappointed to the post. Khan is facing cases of criminal breach of trust which are being probed by the CBI, he alleged. The delegation also complained to the LG that "ineligible" persons were being nominated to the Board. Section 14 of the Waqf Act stipulates nomination of a Muslim person having professional experience in town planning, business management, social work, finance or revenue, agriculture and development activities, to the Board by the government. "But it has come to our notice that a woman politician without any formal or professional degree has been nominated as a member of the Board," Gupta alleged. Section 14 also stipulated nomination of one person -- a recognized scholar in the Shia and Sunni Islamic theology. "This rule is being violated as no such person has been nominated to the Board," the BJP legislators claimed. The Delhi Waqf Board comprises seven members, who elect the chairman. Khan was elected as a member of the Board last week. The AAP MLA was chairman of the Waqf Board for 6 months last year. He had resigned amid allegations of irregularities during his tenure and raids on the office of the Board by the Anti-Corruption Branch in September 2016. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malayalam film actor Dileep, facing charge of conspiracy in the abduction and sexual assault of a south Indian actress, today moved a court alleging the police leaked the copy of the supplementary charge sheet to media before submitting it to the court. In his petition filed at the judicial magistrate's court in nearby Angamaly, the actor submitted that an explanation should be sought from the investigating officer of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case. Dileeps counsel submitted that the contents of the charge sheet were reported by the media before it was submitted in the court. The SIT had on November 22 filed a nearly 1500-page supplementary charge sheet against five people, including Dileep. It had earlier filed a charge sheet against seven others including prime accused Pulsar Suni. Dileep, who faces different charges including that of conspiracy, has been named the eighth accused. Four other people have also been arraigned in the charge sheet, taking the number of accused in the case to 12. Dileep's former wife and Malayalam actress Manju Warrier, whose statement was recorded by the police in connection with case, is a witness. The actor was granted bail by the high court on October 3 with stringent conditions, 85 days after his arrest. The police have charged Dileep with hatching the conspiracy with other accused to abduct and assault the actress in a moving car and film the act. The actress, who has worked in Tamil and Telugu films, was abducted and allegedly sexually assaulted inside her car for two hours by Pulsar Suni and his accomplice, who had forced their way into the vehicle on February 17 night and later escaped. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian energy giant Adani's controversy-hit Carmichael coal mine project in Australia may not receive a 900 million dollar loan after the Labour party- led Queensland government said it will exercise its veto to not support the financial assistance. The 16.5 billion dollar Carmichael coal mine project, one of the world's largest, will start construction after being given the green light by the federal and Queensland state governments. The Adani group had applied for Northern Australia Infrastructure facility loan (NAIF) worth 900 million dollars for building a train line to connect its mine to the coast. Earlier this month before the election day, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that her Labor party would veto the NAIF loan if it retains the power in the state. However, after reports of conflict of interest emerged, Palaszczuk said her government will exercise its 'veto' to not support the NAIF loan to remove doubt about any perception of conflict. "This afternoon I announce that my government has had no role to date in the Federal Government's assessment process for Adani now we will have no role in the future," she said and denied any conflict of interest. "To action my decision, I propose to write to the Prime Minister to notify him that my government will exercise its 'veto' to not support the NAIF loan and to remove doubt about any perception of conflict," she was quoted by 'The Australian' as saying. Yesterday, media reports said that Labour could form a majority government with Palaszczuk on track to win the necessary 48 seats. A spokesman for the premier was quoted by a media report as saying that it was now up to Adani to ensure the project was financed. "We expect them to get on with it," he said. Palaszczuk's team has won 43 seats in the 93 seat parliament and is leading in four of the undecided electorates, which would be enough to form the government. More than 800,000 people voting before election day, according to the Queensland Electoral Commission. Meanwhile, in a statement released today, Adani said job creation for regional Queensland was well underway across Adani's mine, rail and port projects. It also announced the next step in its regional employment strategy which would involve Downer Group, the major mine contractors, who will be touring parts of regional Queensland to meet directly with jobseekers at employment fairs over the next several weeks. Adani said it hoped that this regional employment roadshow will help to create a positive outlook for the regions moving forward into 2018. "As our project continues to move forward, we are excited to bring regional Queensland workers on board to help us start building our mine, rail and port projects," said Jeyakumar Janakaraj, CEO and Country Head of the Adani group. "Groups hoping to stop us have failed, because we have already started," he said. The Carmichael project, expected to create hundreds of jobs in Australia, has been facing opposition from environmentalists and indigenous groups. The Indian energy giant has for more than five years battled the opposition to any expansion of the Abbot Point port, saying it will cut into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The Adani group entered Australia in 2010 with the purchase of the greenfield Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland, and the Abbot Point port near Bowen in the north. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Asian Development Bank will provide a USD 150 million loan to Nepal to improve its urban infrastructure, Finance Ministry said today. The Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Nepal's Ministry of Finance signed the loan agreement in Kathmandu, a ministry statement said. Shankar Prasad Adhikari, Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, and ADB country director Mukhtor Khamaudkhanov signed the agreement for investment that will cover eight municipalities located in southern Terai and far west of Nepal. The ADB is ever ready to collaborate with Nepal in the implementation of Nepal Government's national urban development strategy, Khamudkhanov said. The ADB has pledged to provide a loan assistance of USD 150 million, around Rs 15.4 billion, to Nepal for the implementation of Regional Urban Development Projects, the statement said. The Ministry of Urban Development is the executing agency of the project while implementing agencies are the concerned municipalities and the Kailali-based office of Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, the statement said. The project will be completed within five years and is expected to enhance urban infrastructure in the Terai region, reduce the flooding duration to less than an hour in its eight municipalities. It includes the construction and rehabilitation of 200-km storm water drains, improvement of 240-km-long roads, construction of at least 40-km-long footpaths, building four sanitary landfills and resource recovery centers, as well as construction of 20-km-long sewers. Earlier, the ABD said it will provide USD 152 million to Nepal for the implementation and enhancement of its power transmission and distribution. The bank had approved a USD 80 million loan in 2013 to Nepal to rehabilitate its sewerage network and build treatment plants to deal with over 90 million litres of wastewater a day in the capital Kathmandu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An alleged criminal, wanted in cases of contract killings, was arrested following a shootout in south Delhi, police said today. The police received an information about Munnar alias Khalifa's presence in Moolchand last night, they said. He was going on a motorcycle with an accomplice when he was tracked by the police team, the police said. He fired at the police team but was arrested while his accomplice fled from the spot, they said, adding he was nabbed from the service road near Moolchand Metro station. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Amsterdam-bound Indian passenger was today apprehended at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying a live bullet in his bag, official sources said. The man, identified as Rajinder P, was going through security checks at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport at about 12:40 AM when a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel detected a bullet-like object in his cabin luggage, they said. A bullet were seized from the man's bag. He was handed over to the police as he could not produce valid documents for carrying the ammunition, the sources said. He was travelling to Amsterdam, they said. Carrying arms and ammunition on board an aircraft without authorisation is banned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a fresh jolt to the YSR Congress, yet another MLA from the party today crossed over to the Telugu Desam in Andhra Pradesh, taking the total count of legislators who have switched loyalty to 23. Giddi Eeswari, the tribal legislator from Paderu constituency in Visakhapatnam district, joined the ruling party here, with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu formally welcoming her into the TDP fold. Incidentally, Eeswari once reportedly threatened to "chop off" Naidu's head if he went ahead with permitting bauxite mining in the Araku-Paderu Agency area of Visakhapatnam district. Last year, when legislators from the Jaganmohan Reddy- headed YSRC were making a beeline to join the Naidu-led party, Eeswari alleged she was offered "crores of rupees" to shift loyalty to the TDP but refused. "Now they (the YSRC) are accusing me of receiving Rs 25 crore for jumping over to the TDP. This is totally false. I was a teacher and a tribal who follow ethics. It is untrue that I was offered the money," the first-time MLA told reporters after meeting the chief minister. Eeswari said she joined the TDP "with a lot of pain" as (YSRC chief) "Jagan let us down". "We have toiled for the YSRC for years but now Jagan is bringing in tribals from the plains and thrusting on us. We tried to prevail on him against it but to no avail. Hence, I decided to join the TDP," she said. "I placed only one demand before the Chief Minister - that bauxite mining be not permitted at any cost in the Agency area and safeguard the interests of tribals," the MLA said. Defection from the YSRC, the only opposition party in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, began in February 2016 and so far 23 lawmakers have crossed over. One of them, however, passed away in March this year. Of the remaining 22 legislators, four were made ministers in the Chandrababu Naidu Cabinet. Petitions seeking disqualification of these lawmakers were pending before Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao. The speaker, however, has pointed out that the issue was held up because of an ongoing litigation in court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat today held talks with Kyrgyz armed forces chief General Raimberdi Duishenbiyev on ways to expand security and defence cooperation between the two countries. The two sides deliberated on the current security scenario in the region and explored ways to deepen existing cooperation, official sources said. Gen Duishenbiyev, who is the Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Kyrgyzstan, arrived here yesterday on a six- day India visit. Bilateral defence cooperation between India and Kyrgyzstan has been on an upswing with armed forces of the two countries having regular joint exercises. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I have just spoken to Pradeep Rawat Indian Ambassador in Jakarta @IndianEmbJkt. We have set up a facilitation centre at the airport and are providing assistance to the stranded Indian nationals there. I am in constant touch with our mission. @cgibali Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) November 28, 2017 Just got report that airport is closed today as well. India in Bali (@cgibali) November 27, 2017 As Indonesia raised alert to the highest level, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said she was monitoring the situation closely and that the Indian Mission there would provide assistance to Indians requiring help.The Indian Consulate in Bali has opened a help desk at the city airport to provide any assistance to the Indians stuck there.Swaraj said she was in touch with Pradeep Rawat, the countrys ambassador to Indonesia, and the consulate on the resort island.Massive columns of thick grey smoke that have been belching from Mount Agung since last week have now begun shooting more than three kilometres (two miles) into the sky, forcing flights to be grounded.The airport in Bali's capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has been closed, a move expected to affect tens of thousands of passengers. Indonesian officials say Agung continues to erupt and spew water vapour and ash between 2,000 and 3,400 metres high above the crater. There is also seismic activity in the area. The Bali airport on Monday cancelled 445 domestic and international flights, leaving at least 59,000 passengers stranded. Bali is the main tourist draw in Indonesia, with an annual influx of around 5.4 million foreign tourists, according to official data. At least 22 towns near the mountain have been affected by the ash and authorities have recommended the use of protective masks for the population. Located in the east of the island, in Karangasem district, Mount Agung is far from most tourist attractions. The Bangladesh High Court today upheld the death sentence of 139 and the life imprisonment of 146 convicted soldiers of the then Bangladesh Rifles over the killing of 74 people, including 57 Army officers, during the 2009 mutiny. The judgement comes after the court started delivering the verdict yesterday in the death sentence of the total 152 convicted soldiers at the border guards' headquarters here. "One thirty nine will have to walk to gallows and 146 will be imprisoned for life," attorney general Mahbubey Alam told a media briefing, quoting the long verdict delivered by a three-judge High Court bench. The judgement comes four years after a lower court in Dhaka handed down capital punishment to 152 and life term to 158 soldiers of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR). A bench yesterday started reading out the entire judgement on the death reference and appeal hearing of the trial of what is said to Bangladesh's biggest ever criminal case. A Dhaka court had awarded death penalty to 152 jawans and non-commissioned officers of the BDR, which was renamed as the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), in November 2013. The court had sentenced 158 to life imprisonment, 251 to imprisonments up to 10 years for the February 25-26, 2009 carnage, when 74 people, including 57 military officers serving in the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), were killed. "It appears from discussions and reviews before and after the BDR mutiny that it was a conspiracy by a quarter with vested interest to hamper the stability of the state and socio-economic safety," said the bench in its observation part of the judgement. The bench observed that it was "an attempt to destroy a trained and skilled professional force through conspiracy". The BDR jawans had been accused of masterminding the mutiny plots, torturing and killing their officers, looting their belongings or keeping their family members captive during the rebellion. They had also killed eight civilians, eight fellow BDR soldiers who apparently were opposed to the revolt and an army soldier apart from the 57 military officers. Legal experts had called it the country's biggest ever criminal trial in which some 800 ex-paramilitary soldiers had been accused of the murder of 74 people, including 57 military officers during the revolt in February 2009. The BJP today announced its Maharashtra unit vice-president Prasad Lad as its candidate for the Legislative Council bypoll slated for December 7. Soon after his candidature was announceed this morning, Lad, who joined BJP last year, filed his nomination papers at Vidhan Bhawan. There was speculation till recently that BJP may field former chief minister Narayan Rane but mounting pressure from Shiv Sena to the proposal forced the party leadership to drop the plan. The bypoll is being held for the seat vacated by Rane who quit the Congress party in September. On October1 Rane had formed a new political party called Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha, saying he would support the BJP-led NDA. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with senior party leaders, including state unit chief Raosaheb Danve, at his official residence Varsha in south Mumbai. Fadnavis was in Gujarat today addressing BJP campaign rallies. Congress has fielded former legislator from Solapur Dilip Mane, who filed his nomination today, to take on Lad, who was with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) earlier. The winner will need votes of at least 145 MLAs in the 288-member Lower House. In the Assembly, the BJP has 122 members, followed by Shiv Sena (63), Congress (42), and NCP (41). Though the Congress-NCP alliance is behind the ruling combine in the Assembly in terms of number of members, MPCC chief Ashok Chavan told reporters here today that Mane will emerge victorious due to an 'invisible arrow'. The bow and arrow is the symbol of Shiv Sena. "Sena is unhappy over issues like farmers loan waiver. It recently repeated its threat to pull out of the government. Going by the political situation, the 'invisible arrow' will help Congress win the poll," Chavan said. On November 23, senior BJP minister Chandrakant Patil met Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, ahead of the Council bypoll. The candidature of Lad, said to be close to Fadnavis, has come as a disappointment for some in the BJP who felt the party's state unit chief spokesperson Madhav Bhandari deserved the Council bypoll nomination. Fadnavis had recently said Rane would be made a cabinet minister from the BJP quota. The cabinet expansion now looks unlikely before the winter session of state legislature, beginning in Nagpur on December 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today accused BJP of spreading 'lies' over the murder of a panchayat member in Dharwad to tarnishthe image of minister Vinay Kulkarni as he was involved in a movement seeking religion tag to the Lingayat community. His comments came on a day when BJP staged protests in different parts of the state demanding the resignation of Kulkarni and a CBI probe into the case. Kulkarni is at the forefront of the movement, demanding separatereligion tag to dominant Lingayat community, which isconsidered to be the BJP's support base in north Karnataka. "It is a conspiracy by (state BJP President B S) Yeddyurappa and his party totarnish his (Vinay Kulkarni) image as he is involved in the Lingayat movement. There is nothing against him," Siddaramaiahtold reporters in Gadag district. BJP during the recently concluded Assemblysession had raised the issue of "pressure" exerted on thefamily of Yogish Gowda, who was hacked to death last year, towithdraw the case allegedly at the behest of Kulkarni, a charge denied by him. Siddaramaiah dismissed allegations that the Adviser to the Home Minister was trying to cover up the issue. "They (BJP) are just going around spreading lies. BJP people have made spreading lies their profession. They don't know to speak the truth," he alleged. Hitting the streets over the issue, BJP staged demonstrations demanding resignation of Kulkarni. Yeddyurappa led the brief protest in Vijayapura district and said similar agitation was staged in all districts. BJP raised the issue in the assembly last week in the backdrop of the family recently claiming that they were beingpressurised by a police officer to withdraw the case allegedly at the behest of District in-chargeMinister Kulkarni. The minister has been maintaining that he was in noway connected with the case and the charge was an attempt to malign him. Meanwhile, an audio clip in which the minister duringa telephonic talk purportedly put pressure on the advocate of the victim was also aired by local TV channels. Kulkarni had denied the charge and said he was not even aware of it (theaudio clip). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain today appointed Karen Pierce as its new Ambassador to the UN, replacing incumbent Matthew Rycroft under whom it suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of India in the recent election to the Court of Justice. Pierce is the first woman appointed to this role, and is uniquely suited for the position having previously served as Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, and more recently as the Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, the UK Mission to the UN said in a statement. Britain's Permanent Mission to the United Nations did not give any reason for appointing Pierce as new ambassador to the world body, which comes days after it failed to get its judge Christopher Greenwood elected to the Court of Justice (ICJ) after India's Judge Dalveer Bhandari consistently received nearly two-third of the votes in the UN General Assembly. Bhandari was on Tuesday re-elected to the ICJ as the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly threw its weight behind him, forcing Britain to withdraw its candidate from the hard- fought race to the world court. This is for the first time in 70 years that Britain would have no judge in the 15-member panel of the ICJ. Political analysts and editorials in British media have described it as a diplomatic failure of the Therasa May government. "Britain has a proud history of working for positive change through the United Nations, not least in addressing the problems in Libya and Syria," British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement without addressing the reason for sudden replacement of Rycroft. Rycroft has been in the post since 2015 and will handover in January 2018 when he returns to London to take up his new role as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Development. "I know Karen has the diplomatic skills, energy and patience to continue this vital work, and I congratulate her on her appointment," Johnson said. In a statement, Pierce said the UK had long been a strong supporter of the UN and its role at the heart of the global rules-based international system at a time when it is coming under challenge. "Through our role as a permanent member of the Security Council and position as the UN's third largest donor, the UK will continue to work with to tackle the pressing security, stability, development and prosperity challenges of today," she said. "Our security and economic interests depend to a large extent on a strong and effective United Nations...I undertake to ensure we are an active force in New York for progress and partnership," Pierce said. A parliamentary panel today questioned top officials of the government and a paramilitary force over the imposition of AFSPA in Assam, saying whether it can be restricted to only sensitive districts of the state. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, headed by senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, was today briefed by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and senior officials of the Assam Rifles on the "security situation in the northeastern states of India". During the meeting, the panel members asked the officials about the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act or the AFSPA in Assam and the present situation, a member who was present in the meeting said. "Panel members also asked whether the AFSPA can be scaled down to a few sensitive districts in Assam as was done in Arunachal Pradesh," the member said. The panel also questioned the officials about various insurgent groups active in the state, especially the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). The government officials said that the situation in the state was better after the imposition of the AFSPA, the member said. The controversial AFSPA was extended for six more months beginning September this year in the entire Assam by declaring the state "disturbed". The stringent law was first imposed in the state in 1990 after violence perpetuated by the ULFA had created severe law and order crisis. In Arunachal Pradesh, the AFSPA has been imposed in two districts -- Tirap and Changlang -- and some police station areas in a few other districts due to the presence of ULFA, NDFB and several Naga insurgent groups. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre has withdrawn RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's 'Z+' VIP security cover of NSG commandos, drawing an angry reaction from his son, who accused the NDA government of hatching a "murder conspiracy". The former Bihar chief minister will now be given 'Z' category security and be guarded by an armed commando squad of the Central Reserve Police Force, in accordance with the protocol of the scaled down cover, official sources said. Yadav will not have National Security Guard black cat commandos guarding him any more. The NSG only provides 'Z+' security cover. The decision was taken after the Union home ministry recently reviewed the threat levels of various VIP protectees, the sources said. Lalu Prasad's son Tej Pratap Yadav, a former minister and an MLA, hit out at the move. "They are hatching a murder conspiracy against him (Lalu)," an angry Tej Pratap told reporters outside the state Assembly. "If my father is killed who will take responsibility for this?" he asked. If there is any physical attack on Lalu Prasad, the blame shall lie with prime minister Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, Tej Pratap said. Tejashwi Yadav, the former deputy chief minister and the younger son of the RJD supremo, also attacked the Centre for downgrading Lalu Prasad's security. "By downgrading his security, the Centre is trying to frighten Lalu, who is working towards opposition unity. This is very mean-minded politics on the part of the BJP-led NDA government," Tejashwi Yadav told reporters. He also expressed apprehension that with a less strong security cover, the RJD chief had become vulnerable and "now the Centre shall be held solely responsible if anything happens to Lalu". Tej Pratap's remarks against the prime minister come days after he made objectionable comments against Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, threatening to disrupt the marriage ceremony of his son on December 3. Citing security reasons, Sushil Modi changed the venue of his son's wedding to Veterinary College ground from Shakha field in Rajendra Nagar in the state capital. Sushil Modi scoffed at protests over the scaling down of Lalu Prasad's security, saying, "Lalu se log darte hain...Lalu ko kisse dar lagta hai (People are scared of Lalu. Who does he fear)'". Besides, Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Centre also decided to withdraw 'Z+' CRPF VIP security cover of former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. Hindustani Awam Morcha president Manjhi told reporters, "I do not know on the basis of whose report the Centre has taken such a decision. I still face threat to my life." Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha is a part of the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar. The winter session of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature began today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An auto-rickshaw driver, the prime accused in the case of raping a woman here a few days ago, allegedly attempted suicide inside a jail today by stabbing himself with a "piece of broken glass", police said. Mohd Irfan (29) was arrested on Friday in the case, almost a week after raping the 22-year-old woman along with his two accomplices. "He was taken to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here, where his condition was stated to be out of danger," Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Ranjodh Singh said. Irfan, who was lodged in the Burail jail here, allegedly broke a mirror installed outside the barrack for inmates, he said. "He stabbed himself multiple times in the stomach with a peice of broken glass," Singh said. After his fellow inmates raised an alarm, Irfan was taken to a dispensary in the jail premises. Later, he was taken to the GMCH in sector 32 here, he said. "His condition is stable," the SHO said, adding Irfan will be booked for attempt to commit suicide. Irfan, a migrant from Uttar Pradesh, was residing in Zirakpur, near here. The Chandigarh Police on Saturday nabbed two accomplices Kismat Ali and Mohammad Garib -- (both 21 years old) of Irfan from Uttar Pradesh's Amethi and Faizabad districts, respectively. The police had yesterday all the three accused had planned to rape the woman, hailing from Dehradun, on November 17. She had taken the auto rickshaw after attending a stenography class from sector 37 here. Ali and Garib were already sitting in the auto, according to a complaint filed by the woman, the police had said. Irfan allegedly drove her to an isolated place in sector 53 here, instead of taking her to Mohali where she had been staying as a paying guest, they had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang made clear today that China would keep pouring billions of euros into central and eastern Europe despite EU concerns, as he attended a regional summit in Hungary. Li said that China's Development Bank would make available the equivalent of two billion euros (USD 2.4 billion) to a new interbank association between the region and China to be inaugurated later in the day. In addition a second stage of an investment fund has been launched, capitalised with USD 1 billion, "most of which will be channeled to CEE countries," he said in Budapest. The sixth annual gathering of the Central and Eastern European Countries group (CEEC) brings Li together with counterparts from 16 nations that have already benefitted from vast amounts of Chinese investment. This has raised worries in Brussels and in western Europe about growing Chinese influence in these countries, many of which are members of the European Union or are hoping to become so. The investments have focused on infrastructure projects that will help bring Chinese goods into the region, part of President Xi Jinping's "Belt and Road Initiative". Li said however that the EU had no reason for concern. "Our cooperation is open and transparent. We have seen to it that it is conducted in the broader context of China-EU relations, by keeping the relevant EU regulations and... international regulations," he said. Hungary's right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has often been at odds with Brussels over a range of issues, said that Chinese investments were a "great opportunity" and that "all of Europe will benefit". "The EU shouldn't close its doors," Orban said. "The world is changing. China has the resources to enable developments that would be impossible with EU funding alone." After Hungary Li was due to travel to Russia for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Sochi on Thursday and Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress has claimed credit for the Hyderabad metro rail project, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow, but the ruling TRS hit back at the opposition for allegedly not planning it properly. Claiming that Hyderabad metro rail is an "achievement of Congress", Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged yesterday that the present TRS government was wrongly trying to take credit for the project. Congress held a power-point presentation on the Hyderabad metro project its office here yesterday. Reddy also alleged that neither the TRS government in Telangana nor the BJP government at the Centre made any contribution to the project. The present launch is a case of 'hard work for caterpillar, publicity for butterfly', he claimed. Reddy said the then Chief Minister (of undivided Andhra Pradesh) Y S Rajasekhara Reddy secured approval for metro rail from the Centre in 2007. The Concession Agreement was signed on September 4, 2010 and the metro rail works were launched by the then CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy on December 25, 2012, he said. Countering the Congress comments, state Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav said the previous Congress governments could not plan the project properly. "Could not understand what is your claim. Yesterday, you made some noise. What for? (You say) it is a project done by us. Ok. Because, you had governments then. You could not do even proper planning," he said. The much-awaited Hyderabad Metro Rail will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister tomorrow and start commercial operations from November 29. The 30-km-long first phase of the metro rail project between Miyapur and Nagole, having 24 stations, would be launched by the prime minister at 2.15 pm tomorrow at Miyapur station. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress and the BJP today demanded a probe into the AAP's funding after the ruling party in Delhi was issued a notice of Rs 30 crore by the Income Tax department over the donations received by it. At a press conference, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said the centre should order a thorough probe into the funding of the Aam Aadmi Party. "The Centre should order a probe instead of doing a lip service and going soft on the AAP," he said. It is strange that the AAP, which professed to change politics by being transparent in its fund collection has been issued a notice for Rs 30.7 crore by the I-T department for recovery of taxes, he said. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said instead of indulging in blame game, the AAP should satisfy the authorities over the issue of the notice served to them by the I-T department. "Right from its formation, the AAP's financial issues have been under suspicion and today's notice comes after a long hearing at the Income Tax department. So the party has no reason to claim innocence," he said. The Aam Aadmi Party was today served a notice of Rs 30 crore by the Income Tax department over the donations received by it, a move Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal dubbed as the "height of political vendetta". Income Tax Department sources said the notice was issued by the assessing officer under section 156 (notice of demand). They said it was issued in the "normal course", where ITRs are picked up for scrutiny by the assessing officer. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A CPI(M) lawmaker of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has courted controversy after a video clip showing him insulting a woman deputy collector in the district went viral. The incident happened yesterday during a protest by local residents at the nearby Parassala town seeking compensation for the families of two workers killed in a quarry mishap on Friday. When Deputy Collector S J Vijaya reached the spot to announce the compensation to end the road blockade, MLA CK Hareendran allegedly began gesticulating and shouting at her over the compensation amount to be given the victims' family. The incident led to an outcry and protest from various quarters, following which Hareendran, representing Parassala Assembly segment, tendered an apology today. "If any of my words had caused pain to the official, I apologise unconditionally," Hareendran told a television channel. Kerala Women's Commission Chairperson M C Josephine also intervened and sought an explanation from Hareendran. Josephine said public servants should not use "unsavoury" words especially towards a woman even though they lose temper. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala condemned the MLA's behaviour and demanded that a criminal case be registered against him for "insulting" womanhood. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A CRPF jawan received minor injuries in a petrol bomb attack by miscreants in the Safakadal area of the city today, the police said. Unidentified miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at the CRPF personnel deployed on law-and-order duty at the Malik Angan locality of Safakadal, resulting in minor injuries to one of the jawans, a police official said. The injured jawan was taken to the police hospital here, from where he was discharged after receiving first aid, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani today announced to contest the Gujarat polls from the Vadagam (SC) seat in Banaskantha district as an Independent candidate with the indirect support of the Congress. Mevani, the face of last year's Dalit agitation in Gujarat, also received the backing of the AAP. He declared his candidature as sitting MLA Manibhai Vaghela said the state unit of the Congress had asked him not to enter the fray "as a part of an agreement" with the Dalit activist. Vaghela said the Congress had given its indirect support to Mevani for the Vadgam seat, reserved for scheduled caste (SC) candidates. "The party has asked me not to contest from the Vadgam seat this time. Though Mevani will contest the poll as an Independent, he will have the Congress support. Thus, there won't be any Congress candidate on this seat," Vaghela told PTI. Mevani has been a vehement critic of the ruling BJP in the state. He shot to fame when he led a massive protest against the Una Dalit flogging incident last year. Later in the day, the Aam Admi Party said it will not field any candidate against Mevani. "The AAP has decided not to field any candidate from Vadgam from where Dalit protest leader Jignesh Mevani is contesting as an Independent candidate. "Looking at the appeal made by him, the party believes that the contest should be between the BJP and Jignesh Mevani," the party said in a statement. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal extended best wishes to the 34-year-old Mevani through Twitter. Mevani also took to the micro-blogging site to announce his candidature. He wrote, "Friends, I'm contesting from Vadgam-11 seat of Banaskantha district of Gujarat as an independent candidate. We shall fight, we shall win." "All political parties opposed to the BJP are saying that Jignesh Mevani is a symbol of struggle against the ruling BJP, and they believe the contest should be between these two people only. "We have appealed to all political parties to support me," Mevani told reporters. The AAP has announced candidates for over 30 seats in Gujarat so far. The Delhi-headquartered party has maintained its contest is with the ruling BJP. In a message posted on social media, Mevani claimed that he decided to jump into the poll fray after being "persuaded" by youths and numerous agitators. He even requested other opposition parties as well as aspiring independents not to file their papers. "As the ruling BJP is our key enemy, I request the aspiring candidates of other parties and independents not to file papers so that we can have a direct battle with the BJP. This is people's battle against dictatorship and we will continue our fight after winning this election," he said. Mevani will be in a direct contest with BJP's Vijay Chakravarthi. Earlier this month, Mevani had a meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi during the latter's visit to south Gujarat. After the meeting, Mevani had said that the opposition party assured him that more than 90 per cent of his demands would be incorporated in its manifesto. Stopping short of declaring open support to the Congress after the meeting, Mevani had said that he would ask his community members to defeat the BJP in the Gujarat polls. The Dalit leader maintained that he had no plans to join any political party. Of the three young caste leaders, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor has already joined the Congress, while Patidar leader Hardik Patel recently announced his decision to back the opposition party after accepting its proposed reservation formula. The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases - on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The success in divestments and encouraging goods and services tax collections will help government reduce pressure on the fiscal math, says a report. "Disinvestment drive and GST rollout will reduce pressure on fiscal arithmetic," domestic rating agency India Ratings said in a report today. It can be noted that government has reiterated its commitment to narrow down the fiscal deficit to 3.2 per cent for fiscal 2018. Front-loading of expenditure, where government has exhausted 96 per cent of the deficit by August, and also a slowdown in growth which led it to even mull a stimulus, had put question marks over whether it government will be able to meet the fiscal deficit target or not. The report said successful subscription of Bharat 22 exchange traded fund launched last week has helped government move closer to its FY18 divestment target of Rs 72,500 crore and it has raised Rs 52,300 crore by the end of November. It said government can exceed its capital receipts target through divestment alone in the remaining four months, depending on ONGC's acquisition of 51.11 per cent government stake in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. This will bring in at least an additional Rs 32,000 crore to divestment kitty. Without elaborating, the report said the divestment strategy has a potential to generate Rs 1 trillion and also provide buffer against lower surplus transferred by the Reserve Bank and the likely shortfall from the telecom sector. On GST, it said even though there can be an adverse impact of Rs 11,000 crore on the Central finances due to a commitment of a 14 per cent revenue sharing with the state from central GST to meet their projected shortfall, the final results will not be so bad. "However, GST collection is encouraging and likely to further improve going forward with higher return filing compliance," it said. The agency said government front-loaded capital expenditure and the same is now slowing down. It said the proposed bank recapitalisation and highway building work under the Bharatmala scheme will not entail any budgetary allocation this year. A DMK MLA today moved the Madras High Court against erection of hoardings, arches and flex boards on roads for the centenary celebrations of late AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran in Coimbatore, alleging they posed a safety hazard and cited the death of a techie in an accident. In his public interest litigation petition, N Karthick sought that these structures be declared illegal. He made the plea while referring to the November 25 death of a software engineer after being run over by a heavy vehicle. The accident occurred when he fell down from his two-wheeler allegedly after hitting a wooden structure erected for the centenary celebration on a main road. The MLA, who represents Singanallur constituency in Coimbatore, also prayed for a direction to the government to pay compensation to the family of 32-year old Raghupathy, who was working in the US and had come here on a vacation. He alleged that Raghupathy met with the accident after hitting a wooden structure erected by the AIADMK for setting up a huge decorative arch on the Avinashi Road in connection with the MGR centenary function to be held on December 3. Raghupathy fell down and was run over by an unidentified heavy vehicle, resulting in his death on the spot, the petitioner said, adding those who erected the arch should be brought to book. He claimed that similar incidents were taking place in the state wherein the lives of the public had been taken away in accidents due to the illegal erection of hoardings, banners, arches and flex-boards on public roads. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Malaysian doctor has testified in the trial of two women accused of murdering the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader that the victim's pupils contracted and his underwear was soiled with feces, both signs of poisoning. Siti Aisyah of Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam, the only suspects in custody, pleaded not guilty at the start of their trial on October 2. They were accused of smearing the banned VX nerve agent on Kim Jong Nam's face at a crowded airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on February 13, killing him within two hours. Nurliza Abdullah, a government doctor who conducted the autopsy on Kim's body, told the court Monday that the pupil constriction and the large excrement found in Kim's underwear both pointed to poisoning. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to give a lesson on terrorism to a party whose history was full of lives lost in fighting terrorism. Accusing the BJP of trying to politicise the issue of terrorism, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also questioned Modi over his "silence" on the issue of corruption. Surjewala targeted Modi for saying at a poll rally in Gujarat today that the Congress had applauded the release of a terrorist in Pakistan and party vice president Rahul Gandhi hugged the Chinese ambassador during the Dokalam standoff. "At least don't give lessons to a party whose history is replete with sacrifices while fighting terrorists," he told the BJP. The Congress spokesperson, while talking to reporters here, hurled several charges and questions at the BJP. "Wasn't the ISI, which is behind terrorist activities in India, brought to Pathankot and Uri by the Modi government after terror incidents there," Surjewala asked. "Haven't terror incidents increased during the (rule of) the Modi government? Hasn't the PDP-BJP government in J&K (Jammu and Kashmir) made separatist and terror sympathiser Asiya Andrabi a poster girl? Wasn't a BJP official found to be an ISI agent," he asked. He said the entire country was united in its fight against terrorism. "The BJP might see politics in terrorism, but I would like to tell my BJP friends and PM Modi that the history of the Congress is full of martyrdom in fighting terrorism and thousands and lakhs of Congressmen have sacrificed their lives for India," he said. Surjewala also attacked Modi over "corruption in the case of BJP President Amit Shah's son Jay and national security advisor Ajit Doval's son Shaurya, among others". The prime minister did not fulfil promises made to the people of Kutch in 2013 on providing water to their land, he said, responding to Modi's remark that the Congress had stalled water supply to the region. "Why did Narmada water not reach the land of Kutch? Has he (Modi) forgotten that he said in 2013 all dams and canals will be made in 16 months," he asked. Surjewala believed Modi looked "worried" while addressing the people of Gujarat. "Modiji was looking worried and agitated. Don't be frightened. Just tell us what happened in 22 years in Gujarat? What happened to Gujarat businesses (after note ban and GST)? Why are traders in Surat and Rajkot, farmers of Kutch- Saurashtra feeling cheated? Just answer these questions," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A signed letter written by German scientist to his closest friend Michele Besso, expressing joy at the success of his theory of relativity, may fetch up to $30,000 at an auction. The letter is postmarked Berlin and dates December 10, 1915. "The boldest dreams have now been fulfilled," Einstein wrote in the letter, rejoicing in his theory's success. Einstein had set out the key elements of the general theory of relativity in four magisterial papers submitted to the Prussian Academy of Sciences between November 4 and 25, according to the British auction house Christie's. Einstein's general theory of relativity is one of most important developments of 20th-century physics. Published in 1916, it explains that gravity is in fact curvature of space and time. Recent observation of gravitational waves - ripples in the fabric of space and time - successfully confirmed this theory, 100 years after it was put forward by the renowned scientist. The postcard, written in German, opens with news of an intended journey to Switzerland, after Einstein was assured that his eldest son, Hans Albert, wished to spend time with him. Einstein signed off the letter with 'greetings from your happy but rather worn out Albert'. The postcard is a part of a collection of letters written by Einstein to his college friend Besso currently up for online auction at Christie's. The bidding for the items in this collection closes on December 6. The Bombay High Court today asked the Maharashtra government and the local civic body to explain under what provisions they had leased an area measuring 11,551 square metres for one rupee per annum for the construction of a memorial for Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray. A bench of justices Naresh Patil and Rajesh Ketkar was presiding over the final hearing of two Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed earlier this year by two social activists opposing the construction of the memorial. The bench has now directed the state to file an affidavit within two weeks clearing its stand on the issue. "The state and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will have to explain to us under what provisions did they lease the land for just rupee one. Can this be done as per existing statutes?" the bench said. As per the BMC's admission in court, the Thackeray Memorial Trust headed by Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray was constituted and a plot of land in Dadar, which currently hosts the Mayor's bungalow, belonging to the BMC was given to the trust on lease for construction of a memorial for Bal Thackeray. In April this year, the Maharashtra legislative assembly decided to lease the land to the trust at the rate of rupee one per annum for 30 years. The PILs alleged that the approval for the memorial violates a previous Supreme Court order and a circular issued by the Centre that prohibits the conversion of government bungalows into memorials. The pleas claim that if such a memorial is to be constructed at all, it must be funded by the followers of Bal Thackeray and not by taxpayers' money. The state government, however, has maintained that the plot was chosen for the memorial after due deliberation. "A high-level committee was set up in 2014. The committee held various meetings and explored the possibility of setting up such a memorial at various places including the premises in contention - the mayor's bungalow. The said property belongs to the BMC and this proposal was accepted by the government," an affidavit filed by the state last month in the HC contended. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The families of six formerBritish soldiers lodged in a Tamil Nadujail expressed "sheer relief" after an Indian court acquitted them over an illegal weapons charge today. The so-called "Chennai Six" had been arrested in October 2013 and sentenced for carrying arms on a commercial US ship. They were held while working for an anti-piracy security company protecting commercial ships off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean and have pleaded their innocence ever since. "I just feel sheer relief finally we are getting our family back together," said Yvonne MacHugh, the fianc of Billy Irving, one of the six men. "Finally all the men are going to be home with their families. They have been acquitted of all charges, so they have done no wrongdoing and finally we have proven that," she said. The Madras High Court today ruled that all charges against the six men and 29 others arrested with them be dropped with immediate effect, and the fines they were ordered to pay be refunded. The Madurai bench directed that all crew members of MV Seaman Guard Ohio can apply to the Indian authorities to get back their passports after which they will be able to travel home to the UK. "They still need to get police clearance before they can come home, so there are steps being taken to try to ensure that everything's in place," said Joanne Tomlinson, the sister of another British ex-soldier John Armstrong. She was among the friends and family members who had been leading a campaign in the UK, including lobbying ministers and Downing Street, to secure the release of the men. Besides Armstrong and Irving, the other British former soldiers who have been in a Chennai jail for four years include NickDunn, Ray Tindall, Paul Towers, and Nicholas Simpson. In October 2013, Indian coastguards boarded their vessel and arrested them along with 29 other crew members for taking weapons into India's territorial waters. The charges were initially quashed when the men argued the weapons were lawfully held for anti-piracy purposes and their paperwork, issued by theUK government, was in order. But a lower court reinstated the prosecution and they were convicted in January last year and sentenced to five years injail. Since then there have been a series of appeals, includingBritish Prime Minister Theresa May raising the matter with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during her visit to India in November 2016 as well as Britain's High Commissioner in India, Dominic Asquith, visiting the men injailinChennai. The sailors were aboard the American-owned ship which reportedly offered armed protection to vessels sailing through an area known as "pirates' alley" between the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. US firm 'AdvanFort International', which owns the ship, has maintained that the vessel was involved in anti-piracy operations and had not strayed into Indian waters. Customs officials and police found 35 guns, including semi-automatic weapons, and almost 6,000 rounds of ammunition on board the ship, which allegedly did not have permission to be in Indian waters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day before the Winter session is scheduled to get underway in the State Assembly, all the three major political parties of Odisha today launched agitations centering on farmers' issues. While the ruling BJD and opposition Congress leaders submitted memorandums to the Preisdent of India through the Odisha governor, the BJP activists staged a demonstration here. Although both the BJD and the Congress demanded a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) on paddy from Rs 1,550 per quintal to Rs 2,930 per quintal, the saffron brigade demanded Rs 500 bonus for farmers on sale of every quintal of paddy. The ruling party members, inclduing ministers and MLAs, participated in a dharna near Raj Bhavan before a delegation met Odisha governor S C Jamir. The BJD leaders also said the party would intensify its stir for the enhanced MSP. "We will take the agitation to the gram panchayat level," said BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra. Government chief whip and senior BJD leader Amar Prasad Satpathy said the state Assembly had earlier passed an unanimous resolution to demand paddy MSP at Rs 2,930 per quintal. A House Committee headed by Assembly Speaker had also decided to meet the prime minister to press the demand. However, the prime minister did not give time to meet the delegation from Odisha. The BJD has asked the Centre to seek apology from farmers. If the Centre fails to meet our demand by November 27, we will start agitating in all 30 districts, BJD general secretary Sanjay Das Burma had said. A face-off ensued between the agitating BJP activists and police near the Rabindra Mandap here while the former were trying to barge into the State Secretariat after breaking the barricades. The BJP agitators wanted to meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat and were marching towards the office building when they were stopped by police following which a minor scuffle ensued. A number of BJP leaders were arrested by the police after the face-off. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Hyderabad Police today arrested five persons in connection with the Basheerbagh robbery incident wherein three employees of a Mysuru-based gold unit were robbed off cash worth Rs 1.26 crore yesterday. The incident occurred last evening when the trio were leaving for Mysuru when a gang of five persons attacked them and snatched the bags containing cash. The trio had come to Hyderabad on November 25 to purchase gold, but had decided to return after they couldn't get the precious metal at the desired rate, a release from Hyderabad Police said. "Due to swift action with the use of technology and by verifying the CCTV cameras, the Hyderabad Police cracked the dacioty case within six hours of lodging of the complaint and apprehended five persons and recovered the total cash of Rs 1.26 crore," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following are the key quotes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies in Bhuj and Jasdan in Gujarat today: On the 'chaiwala' meme posted by the Youth Congress and his humble origins: "They are feeling uneasy because a chaiwala (tea seller) became the PM. We used to read in books how downtrodden gets harassed by those in the higher strata. But I never imagined they would stoop so low. It is the misfortune of this country that some are hell bent on stooping as low as they can. "Some people send me messages regularly and threaten me that they will once again turn me into a tea seller. I want to tell them that I am Modi, who is ready to sell tea but will never commit the sin of selling the entire country. "You should not complain if a poor man's son becomes the Prime Minister of this country. Are you unhappy because a tea seller has taken away your throne? Were you under the impression that it was your inherited property? "Why are you mocking poverty? Why are you insulting a poor mother?" On the Dokalam standoff and Hafiz Saeed: "When our soldiers were standing eye-to-eye in Dokalam for 70 days, why were you hugging the Chinese ambassador? For whose benefit did you do this? "You are happy to hug the Chinese ambassador, you are clapping at the release of Hafiz Saeed (LeT founder). You cannot respect Indian Army's surgical strike. But why did you speak up about it? You could have just remained silent. "Recently a Pakistani court released a terrorist, I cannot understand why these Congress people are clapping here." On the Uri terror attack and surgical strike: "They killed our soldiers in Uri, our soldiers went inside their territory, conducted a surgical strike and came back. The next day a newspaper said they (in Pakistan) carried bodies in trucks." On Congress raising questions over the surgical strike: "They could not respect the Indian Army, they asked questions like none of our soldiers was injured? None of them died? Have you any photo or video evidence? Had they gone to shoot a movie in Pakistan? "When you go to the house of the poor and eat rotis, you ensure that you are filmed, but does that mean that a surgical strike should be filmed?" On allegations levelled against him by the Congress: "I had written a poem, which said Gujarat is my atma (soul), while Bharat is my parmatma (God). Gujarat is my mother and I am her son, I have grown up in this soil, you Gujaratis know my plus and minus points, what was good in me has evolved due to this 'mitti' (soil) due to my mother (Gujarat). "But, they have the courage to abuse the son of Gujarat who has no stain on his public life. You come to this land and make baseless allegations. "You think that any Gujarati will forgive you? Can Gujarat forgive this attack on its child? "The Congress should understand, the day when you committed atrocities on Sardar Patel, Gujarat tolerated the insults, but times have changed...they will not do so again. "Many leaders have come here and sprayed 'kichad' (muck). Farmers prepare their land before the start of the monsoon season. In the same way too much muck has been sprayed here. It is good as it will help kamal (BJP's election symbol lotus) to bloom in this muck." On issues in Gujarat elections: "The Gujarat election is a contest between trust on development and dynastic politics." On Congress' treatment of Patel Chief Ministers: "The first Janta Morcha government was formed before the Emergency (1975-77), when the entire country was turned into a jail by (then PM) Indira Gandhi. "Babubhai Jashbhai Patel become the first Patel CM of Gujarat because the Jan Sangh was in his support. But, the Congress did not like this and dislodged him within nine months (June 1975 to March 1976). "The fourth CM was the daughter of the Patel community. They (Congress) once again started conspiring against her using money power and by instigating people. "They fanned violence to disturb her. This Congress party harassed four Patidar CMs, just because the people of Gujarat never accepted the party. They can take any path to bring disrepute to the state." On the AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal: "Some years back, a new party (AAP) came to power in Delhi. At that time, people thought that good days will come. Now, that person has a habit of running away after throwing a stone on someone, hiding away after abusing someone and going away after spitting on someone." "He is doing that daily. But, I was under the impression that leaders of Congress, a 132-year-old party, will, at least, not learn such bad habits. But, they might have thought that this is the best way to get cheap publicity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Four employees of Tripura Gramin Bank, who were kidnapped from Gomati district three days ago, are still untraced but police have recovered the car and the motor bike in which they were travelling. Sub-divisional police officer of Ambassa, Pranab Debnath said the car was recovered from near Ambassa municipality office in neighbouring Dhalai district and the bike was recovered from South Maharanipur in Gomati district last evening. The Taidu branch of Gramin Bank has been closed indefinitely after the kidnap at Taidu on Friday when the four were on way here after office hours and a notice has been put up in the bank's notice board communicating it. Superintendent of police of Gomati district, Bijoy Debbarma said a massive search operation by police and paramilitary Tripura State Rifles (TSR) is on at Taidu and adjacent Ambassa to trace the kidnapped bank employees. BSF was alerted so that the kidnappers cannot sneak into neighbouring Bangladesh with the captives. State Director General of Police A K Shukla, Inspector General (Law and order), K V Srijesh and Deputy Inspector General (Southern Range) Arindam Nath yesterday visited the spot at Taidu and the adjacent areas yesterday. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Sudip Burman said the party would launch a movement from tomorrow unless the kidnapped persons returned home unharmed. "We will review the situation in the evening today and take decision on the movement we will launch from tomorrow," Burman said. The four kidnapped were the manager of Taidu branch of Gramin bank Tanmoy Bhattacharya, assistant manager Sujit Dey and two other staff members Raktim Bhowmick and Subrata Debbarma. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the US, France has also conveyed its anguish to Pakistan over the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who heads the UN- proscribed outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). French diplomatic sources said here that Paris has conveyed its deep concern to Pakistan over the release of Saeed whose outfit was listed as a terror group by the Sanctions Committee of the UN. They said France and India will continue their "relentless" efforts to combat terrorism, and enhancing cooperation to deal with the menace will be an important aspect of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit here in early 2018. In a strong reaction, India on Friday expressed outrage over Saeed's release, calling it an attempt by Pakistan to mainstream proscribed terrorists and a reflection of its continuing support to non-state actors. On Saturday, the US also demanded immediate re-arrest and prosecution of Saeed, warning Islamabad that there would be "repercussions" for bilateral ties if it fails to take "decisive action" against the notorious terrorist. The banned JuD head, who carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, walked free on Friday after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under house arrest since January this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A state-owned French rail company today submitted its report on upgrading the Delhi-Chandigarh railway route and reducing travel time between the two cities by almost an hour and 30 minutes. The 245-km corridor project will be the first semi-high speed venture of the Railways with French aid which would enable some trains to run at a maximum speed of 200 kmph. "SNCF, France's state-owned rail company, started the study in January 2016 and submitted the final report today," Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena said. The study was under the consideration of the railway board, he told PTI. Sources said that in its over 1500-page report, the company stated that the upgrading of the route would cost more than Rs 10,000 crore. The figure, however, could not be confirmed officially. The journey, which is at present covered in three hours and 30 minutes by the Shatabdi, travelling at a maximum speed of 110 kmph, will take around two hours and two minutes with a halt in Panipat and Ambala after the upgrade. The project is expected to be launched in January 2018 when French President Emmanuel Macron is likely to visit India, officials said. The Railways plans to upgrade 4000 kilometres of networks across seven routes, which include Mumbai-Goa, Chennai- Hyderabad, Mysuru-Chennai and Delhi-Kanpur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The city is all set to host the eighth edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which will be inaugurated by Prime Minster Narendra Modi tomorrow. Union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Nirmala Sitharaman and Suresh Prabhu will be attending the summit, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant today told reporters here at a joint press conference with US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster. After the inauguration, US President Donald Trump's daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump and Indian Defence Minister Sitharaman will be participating in a panel discussion on opening up of opportunities for women entrepreneurs, Kant said. The discussion will be moderated by John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus CISCO, he said. Ivanka will lead a delegation from the US at the three- day event. The closing session of the GES will bring together key influencers who support, promote and fund women entrepreneurs, Kant said. The closing session will be moderated by Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, he said. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will also participate in the GES, he said. More than 10 countries, including Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Israel, will be represented by their all-women delegation at the summit, Kant said. With the theme of 'Women First, Prosperity for All', this will be the first GES in which women are expected to be majority (52.5 per cent) of the participants, he said. The theme of this year's summit demonstrates the commitment of the US and the Indian governments to the principle that when women are economically empowered, their communities and countries thrive, he said. "Women entrepreneurs help drive innovation and job creation as well as address the world's greatest and most critical challenges," Kant said. Replying to a query, Juster lauded Modi for the recent World Bank's ranking of India on the ease of doing business index. "The important point is that the economic reform process will obviously increase US investments (in India)," he said. He however said the investment decisions are made by the private sector and are driven by market forces. On the GES, Juster said both India and the US focus on innovation and events like this will boost the process further in this regard. Refusing to speak on the recent H1B visa issue in the US, Juster said his country is doing a comprehensive review of the visa policy, which is yet to be announced. He however said the visa policy is not specific to any country and is aimed at attracting talent and innovation to the US. The three-day GES will be held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Noted activist Aires Rodrigues was booked by the Goa Police today for allegedly sexually harassing a woman by linking her with a state minister through his social media posts. The middle-aged married woman, a resident of Siolim village, has lodged a formal complaint against Rodrigues with the Anjuna Police this evening. Police have registered an FIR against Rodrigues under sections 354 (A) (iv)(sexual harassment), 509 (words or gesture to insult modesty of a woman), and 500 (punishment for defamation), an official said. The woman alleged that Rodrigues on November 4 circulated a video on social media purportedly showing the minister with the woman. On November 5, Rodrigues circulated a message that he had sought an appointment with Goa Governor Mridula Sinha to update her on the alleged sex scandal, according to the complaint. "The complainant said Rodrigues circulated her picture on whatsapp linking her to the alleged sex scandal on November 7," the official said quoting the complaint. The woman said she was not able to move out of her house after she came to know about the post. She alleged that her image was tarnished by the post which has disturbed her marital life. "The complainant states that due to the said act of Aires Rodrigues, her family has been disturbed and through this act her modesty has been outraged in public life," the official said. The woman claimed that she and her husband confronted Rodrigues at his office and that he admitted that he had circulated the said post without any basis and facts. When contacted, the minister Vinod Paliencar, who represents Siolim seat, lashed out at Rodrigues. "It is wrong if any woman's name is being tarnished by certain individual at the behest of someone. All my voters in Siolim are my people. I meet hundreds of people everyday," he said. Paliencar said the incident shows the "culture and upbringing of the social activist who also has a daughter". Rodrigues could not be contacted for his reaction. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Goa Congress president Shantaram Naik today accused the BJP-led state government of harming the rights of traditional fishermen by not preparing the Coastal Zone Management Plan. He said the government has "delayed" sending the plan to the Centre. Addressing reporters, the Congress leader claimed the state government was delaying the approval to the Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management's draft plan. The Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently directed the Goa government as well as other states against granting new construction licences in violation of CRZ Regulations within 100 metres of the High Tide Line (HTL) until July 2018. Naik said the facilities required for local fishing communities such as fish drying yards, auction halls, net mending yards, traditional boat building yards, ice plants, ice crushing units, fish curing facilities are permitted under the Coastal Regulation Zone notification. He said the CRZ notification provides protection for turtle breeding, protection of mangroves, sand dunes, khazan lands and others. The Congress leader also asked the government to clear the air on the "delay" in approving Coastal Zone Management Plan. "A balance has to be maintained between the rights of communities residing in the coastal areas and the tourism and environment," Naik said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre is determined to not let the Delhi smog-like situation recur, Environment Secretary C K Mishra said here today and asserted that no single authority can be held responsible. If harsh measures are called for, "so be it", Mishra said at an event hosted by WWF India where he launched a report on 'Clean Energy Innovation Ecosystem in the SME sector in India'. "We recently witnessed the Delhi smog, but no single authority can be held responsible for it. If the government has failed, then those who are emitting should also take responsibility," he said. To address environmental issues, individual efforts need to galvanise into a collective goal for the government and society as whole, Mishra, who also holds the portfolio of climate change, said. "But, as a government, we are determined to not let the Delhi smog-like situation happen again. And, we are concerned not just for the capital but for the whole India. "If harsh measures are needed to ensure that, then so be it. Because we care for human lives," he said. The government should provide financial assistance and support to people who are the victims of their inaction and omissions, including wrongful incarceration, the Delhi High Court said today. The court's observation came as it asked the AAP government and the legal services authority here to examine the feasibility of framing a scheme to compensate the victims of inaction or omission by the authorities. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar issued the directions while noting that groundwater in Mustafabad locality of Shiv Vihar area of northeast Delhi has been polluted by carcinogenic discharge from industrial units which are allegedly illegally operating there, due to the inaction of the local authorities. The court said that as a result of the polluted groundwater, several persons of the area are suffering from cancer. "The court is concerned with the inaction and omissions of the local authorities, resulting in contamination of groundwater which has resulted in several people suffering from cancer. "It cannot be denied that it is the responsibility of the authorities to provide financial assistance and support to the victims and their family," it said and asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to give their recommendations in four weeks. The direction came during the hearing of a PIL initiated by the court after a news report highlighted the plight of the residents of the colony. The report had said that the untreated effluents were contaminating groundwater, the main source of drinking water in the area, and it was linked to the high rate of cancer in that area. Two deaths and eight suspected tumour cases have been detected in the locality, it had said. The bench from time to time has been issuing directions, including ordering a CBI probe into how the industrial units were allowed to operate there as well as calling for testing of water samples to find a solution to the problem. The court today issued the notice to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the power distribution company of the area, asking them to indicate the procedure followed by them while granting water and electricity connections to such units. "In view of the nature and magnitude of the problem, the issues need consideration," the bench said while making DJB and the discoms of the area a part of the public interest litigation. The DJB and the discoms have to indicate their stands before the next date of hearing on December 20. The court told the CBI to start taking action against those who have violated the law by setting up illegal industrial units and those who allowed it to happen. The direction was also issued to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to provide the reports of the water sample tests to environmentalist Sunita Narain who has been appointed as amicus curiae by the court. DPCC, represented by advocate Sanjeev Ralli, said the reports will be ready in 15 days. The Delhi government, represented by standing counsel Ramesh Singh, said 28 families have been identified in the area for grant of compensation under its various welfare schemes. The CBI said its probe was underway as the court asked it to file a status report by January. The government has transferred worth nearly Rs 507 crore to Bharat 22 ETF, says a regulatory filing. "The Ministry of Coal... on behalf of the President of India has transferred 1,92,99,613 equity shares to 'Bharat 22 ETF' at a value of Rs 5,06,51,14,597, which is 0.31 per cent of total equity share capital of the company," Coal India said in a filing to BSE. "Post transfer, holding of President of India is 4,87,56,71,716 equity shares, which is 78.546 per cent of equity share capital of the company," the filing said. The Bharat 22 Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), comprising scrips of 22 blue-chip companies, this month attracted robust bids, with the portion reserved for anchor investors getting subscribed six times to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore on the opening day. The ICICI Prudential MF-managed Bharat 22 ETF's new fund offer (NFO) has a size of over Rs 8,000 crore. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Greece today advocated reforms in the United Nations and backed India's bid for permanent membership in the Security Council, asserting that New Delhi "cannot be kept out" of one of the most important world bodies. Foreign Affairs Minister of Greece Nikos Kotzias said that his country fully supports India for the membership of the UNSC as a new balance of power is emerging in the world. The minister noted that the old powers are declining while a new balance of power is emerging with countries such as India and China. "We support reforms in the United Nations and India's seat in the Security Council. We are not supporting other proposals," Kotzias said. He was responding to a question after delivering a lecture on "Greece as a pillar of stability in Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean", an event organised by the Observer Foundation Research and the Embassy of Greece. "India is the second most populous nation. In 10-20 years, or even before, it will be the most populous state. You cannot keep such a nation-state outside the Security Council," the foreign minister added. The minister said Greece and India could play specific role in stabilisation of the West Asia and also the eastern Mediterranean region. He said Greece is working with the policy of five lines of stabilisation in the region, with special focus on Egypt, Israel and Jordan to achieve stability in the region. Asked whether Greece would be able to play a leading role in the region, considering the economic slowdown it witnessed, the minister said the GDP of Greece is very small, nearly Euros 250 billion, in comparison to the world, medium in regards to European Union, but large in regards to the region. He asserted that despite the economic slump, the country has strong democracy which is "embedded" in the Greek society. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Greece today agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in a range of key areas including trade, maritime security and energy and inked a pact for launching the first direct flight service between the two countries. Greece also extended support to India's bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias held extensive talks covering the entire expanse of bilateral relations besides delving into major regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. In a statement, the external affairs ministry said the discussions between the two ministers focused on building closer cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, agriculture, maritime sector, culture and tourism. "The two ministers held discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest," the ministry said. Later, speaking at a think tank, Kotzias said that Greece fully supports India's bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council as a "new balance of power" is emerging in the world. Observing that the world was passing through a difficult time, he said forces of fundamentalism and terrorism are trying to destabilise the world. After their talks, Swaraj and Kotzias inked an air services agreement and another pact on cooperation in the field of new and renewable energy. The air services agreement will allow Indian airlines to operate to Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion. Similarly, the Greek airlines will also be able to launch flight services to major Indian cities. At present there is no direct air connectivity between India and the southeastern European nation. On talks between the two ministers, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the discussions covered all aspects of bilateral relationship and that the two leaders reaffirmed commitment to further expand cooperation in mutually beneficial spheres. The volume of bilateral trade has gradually declined, primarily due to the economic recession faced by Greece. The country has been dependent on bailout packages to deal with its borrowing needs since 2011. The size of bilateral trade between India and Greece was USD 606.93 million in 2009-10 which fell to USD 445 million in 2015-16. Greece's exports to India include cotton, marble and granite, aluminium foils and calcium carbonate while main Indian exports are petroleum products, automobile components, electrical transformers, frozen shrimps and cashew nuts. Indian companies have established their presence in infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and steel sectors in Greece while the Greek companies are present in the fields of IT and construction in India. "The sectors such as agriculture, shipping and tourism also offer scope for cooperation," the ministry said. About 10,000 Indian nationals are living in Greece and most of them are employed in factories or in construction sector. Kotzias is on a four-day visit to India which will conclude tomorrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A team of anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Gujarat police today took away, for interrogation, terror suspect Tauseef Khan, an accused in the Ahmedabad serial blasts of 2008. Tauseef, who was arrested here by the Bihar ATS a few months ago, had been lodged in the Gaya Central Jail. He was taken to Ahmedabad by a chartered plane amid tight security. The ATS team was led by inspector S L Chaudhary. "Tauseef is named in a total of 39 cases, all relating to terrorist activities, in various police stations of Ahmedabad and Surat", Chaudhary told reporters. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (City), Gaya, Alok Kumar Singh, "Tauseef was arrested, along with two of his associates, on September 14 from the Bhagat Singh Chowk under Civil Lines police station area". "He has been taken to Ahmedabad for interrogation by the Gujarat ATS team, which arrived here yesterday and obtained transit remand from a local court", Singh said. An engineering graduate, Tauseef worked as a teacher in a school in a Gaya village where he allegedly promoted anti-national sentiments among his students. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkish spies working in Sudan have repatriated a businessman accused of links to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen after he was caught in a joint operation, state media reported today. Memduh Cikmaz is accused of giving millions to the movement run by US-based Gulen, who Ankara claims ordered the July 15, 2016 attempt to end President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rule. Cikmaz was captured in a joint operation involving Sudanese intelligence after the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) located him two months earlier, security sources told Anadolu agency. Cikmaz, with business interests in petrol stations and brick factories, was returned to Turkey early today, the agency said. He had gone to Sudan in January 2016 but sources told Anadolu he continued to send millions of dollars to the movement. Cikmaz was accused of "managing an armed terror organisation" in a previous arrest warrant. Anadolu described him as the Gulen group's "money vault". The agency said MIT had created a special team to locate suspected Gulenists abroad. Turkey refers to Gulen's group as the "Fethullah Terrorist Organisation" (FETO) but the movement insists it is peaceful and promotes education, denying any terror links. Its network stretches from Turkey to Africa and Central Asia to the United States. Gulen denies Turkey's accusations of involvement in last year's failed coup. Ankara launched a widespread crackdown on the group, arresting more than 50,000 people over alleged links since July last year. During high-level diplomatic visits, Ankara has also urged Pakistan and Tanzania to crackdown on the Gulen network, especially its schools. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In yet another controversial remark, Jammu and Kashmir's former chief minister today dared the Centre to hoist the flag at Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar city before talking about unfurling it in PoK. Abdullah's remarks drew criticism from the BJP, with Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh saying the Conference leader was strengthening the separatists and militants. He said the tricolour was being hoisted in all parts of the state, including Lal Chowk. Abdullah, who had recently claimed Pakistan Occupied Kashmir cannot become a part of India, said he only told facts and that what he spoke about PoK was the "truth". "They (Centre and BJP) are talking about raising flag in PoK. I ask them first you go and raise the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. They cant even do that here and they are talking about PoK," he said. "If you dont like to hear the truth, then live in the untruth. The truth is that (PoK) is not our part and this (J&K) is not their part. That is the truth," Abdullah said defending his comment that PoK does not belong to India. He was speaking to reporters after paying floral tributes to Congress leader and MP the late G L Dogra on his 30th death anniversary. Asked whether he was not hurting the Indian sentiment by making such comments, he retorted, asking "What is Indian sentiment? You think I am not an Indian? "Whose sentiments are you talking about? Those crooks, who dont sees our miseries. Who dont see the miseries of our border people? How they suffer when shelling starts?" When asked to comment on the recent killing of an armyman on leave, he said the Centre should be asked the question as it claimed peace had returned to Kashmir after demonetisation. Abdullah deprecated the incident where two students did not get up when the anthem was being sung in Rajouri district a few days ago. Honour to the nation is important and national anthem is most honourable, he said, adding the government should take action against them until they apologised and gave an undertaking that they would not repeat it. The National Conference leader said he was not aware if cases against stone pelters were being withdrawn. He wished "good luck" to the Centre's special representative Dineshwar Sharma who is holding talks with stakeholders to restore peace in the restive state. Abdullah's comments on PoK and the national flag prompted criticism from Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh. " is strengthening separatists and militants with his controversial remarks because he is frustrated. He has forgotten that tricolour is being unfurled in all parts of the state including Lal Chowk", told reporters. Pushing the BJP's campaign in Gujarat into high gear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today attacked the Congress and said he is ready to sell tea but will never sell the country, and asked Rahul Gandhi why he had applauded the release of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed. Modi, who started his high voltage campaign with rallies in Bhuj in Kutch district, Jasdan in Rajkot, Chalala in Amreli and Kadodara near Surat, took on the opposition party on issues related to China, Lashkar-e-Taiba's Hafiz Saeed, the surgical strike as well as corruption. He accused the Congress vice president of applauding the release of a terrorist in Pakistan and asked why he hugged the Chinese ambassador during the Dokalam standoff. "You are happy to hug the Chinese ambassador, you are clapping at the release of Hafiz Saeed, you cannot respect Indian Army's surgical strike... But why did you speak about it? You could have just remained silent," he said in Bhuj, not specifying how and where Gandhi had hailed Saeed's release. Gandhi had recently tweeted: "Narendrabhai, baat nahi bani. Terror mastermind is free. President Trump just delinked Pak military funding from LeT. Hugplomacy fail. More hugs urgently needed." The tweet had come after the release of LeT founder and 26/11 mastermind Saeed by a Pakistan court. Hitting out at the Congress over a recent meme targeting his "chaiwala" past, the prime minister said in Jasdan that he is being targeted by the main opposition party because of his humble background and for being born to a "poor mother". "They are feeling uneasy because a chaiwala became the PM. We used to read in books how the downtrodden get harassed by those in higher strata. But I never imagined they would stoop so low," Modi said in his speech in Gujarati at Jasdan ahead of the first round of polling on December 9. He said he gets messages from people threatening him that they would once again turn him into a tea-seller. "I want to tell them that I am Modi, who is ready to sell tea but will never commit the sin of selling the entire country," he said, in an apparent reference to scams during the Congress-led UPA rule. "Why are you mocking poverty? Why are you insulting a poor mother?" he asked. In an apparent bid to woo the influential Patidars, who seem to be drifting towards the opposition party, Modi said the Congress "harassed" four former chief ministers of the community because of a "grudge" against Gujarat. Babubhai Jashbhai Patel, Chimanbhai Patel, Keshubhai Patel and Anandiben Patel belonged to the Patidar community. Without directly accusing the Congress of fanning the protests, Modi said the opposition had done everything to "disturb" the BJP's Anandiben Patel-led government. "They fanned violence to disturb her. This Congress party harassed four Patidar CMs just because the people of Gujarat never accepted the party." At the Bhuj rally, Modi pitched the election as a fight between trust on development and dynastic politics. He asked the people of Gujarat not to forgive Congress leaders as they had levelled baseless allegations on the "son of Gujarat" who has a stainless public life. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Gandhi had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. He also alleged during his campaign that Modi is not a "chowkidar" (watchman) but a bhagidar (partner) in "corrupt" practices in BJP president Amit Shah's son Jay Shah's company. Modi said he had written a poem, saying that Gujarat is his 'atma' (soul), while Bharat is his 'parmatma' (God), that Gujarat is his mother and he her son. "I have grown up on this soil, you Gujaratis know my plus and minus points, what was good in me has evolved due to this 'mitti' (soil) due to my mother (Gujarat)," he said, seeking to emotionally connect with voters. The prime minister said Gujaratis will not forgive those attacking its child. Recalling Sardar Patel, he said the Congress should understand that Gujarat tolerated insults when atrocities were committed against him but the times had changed and they would not do so again. Modi said many people have come here for election campaigning and "sprayed muck". "Farmers prepare their land before the start of the monsoon season. In the same way, much muck has been sprayed here. It is good as it will help the lotus (BJP's election symbol) bloom." Modi referred to the 26/11 terror strike and the attack in Uri and asked what the difference was between one government and another, one leader and another. "They killed our soldiers in Uri, our soldiers went inside their territory, conducted a surgical strike and came back. The next day a newspaper said they (in Pakistan) carried bodies in trucks," he said. Modi alleged that the Congress raised questions on the surgical strike in September 2016. "They could not respect Indian Army, they asked questions like none of our soldiers was injured? None of them died? Have you any photo or video evidence? Had they gone to shoot a movie in Pakistan?" he said. The second phase of elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held on December 14. The votes will be counted on December 18. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Legendary actor Susan Sarandon said if Hillary Clinton had won last year's US Presidential Elections, the US would be in war zone today. In an interview with The Guardian, the 71-year-old actor said she still sticks to her comment on the Democrat representative, when she said Clinton was more "dangerous" than current US President, Donald Trump. "Not exactly, but I don't mind that quote... "I did think she (Clinton) was very, very dangerous. We would still be fracking, we would be at war (if she was president). It wouldn't be much smoother," Sarandon said. Indirectly defending Trump on the charge of deporting immigrants, the "Feud: Bette and Joan" star took on former POTUS Barack Obama, saying he did the same but "sneakily". "Look what happened under Obama that we didn't notice. She would've done it the way Obama did it, which was sneakily. He deported more people than have been deported now. How he got the Nobel peace prize I don't know. "I think it was very important to have a black family in the White House and I think some of the stuff he did was good. He tried really hard about healthcare. But he didn't go all the way because of big pharma," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Denmark today decided to ramp up cooperation in key sectors such as trade and investment, energy and shipping, during talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Danish counterpart Anders Samuelsen. The external affairs ministry said two ministers held discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. "The discussions between the two ministers focused on building of cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, science and technology, environment and renewable energy, shipping, food processing, healthcare, culture and tourism," the ministry said. Samuelsen is on a five-day India visit from November 26- 30. He is also travelling to Hyderabad to participate at the 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit. Today's talks between Swaraj and Samuelsen were focused on boosting bilateral trade and investment. India's economic ties with Denmark are on an upward trajectory. The annual bilateral trade has increased to around USD 2.8 billion. Indian companies have established their presence in IT, renewable energy and biotechnology sectors of Denmark. Over 125 Danish companies have invested significantly in the sectors of renewable energy, shipping, IT and food processing in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India and Russia today agreed to help each other in combating terrorism as the two strategic partners signed a key agreement, asserting that there are no good or bad terrorists and the menace should be fought jointly. The agreement between the two countries forcooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism was signed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev here after they held wide-ranging talks. The ministers underlined that cooperation in the field of security is an important aspect of this bilateral relationship further strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism, extremism and radicalism, a statement issued by the Indian embassy said. They agreed that terrorism must be fought unitedly and there were no good or bad terrorists, it said. "The new agreement between India's MHA and Russia's interior ministry will replace the October 1993 agreement between both the countries. This agreement will help in expanding and deepening cooperation on issues related to internal security," Singh tweeted after signing the pact. The Indian embassy statement said the two leaders agreed to cooperate in combating new challenges, enhance exchange of information, cooperate in building a data base and in training of police and investigative agencies. Indian and Russian representatives also signed the joint action plan for countering the threat posed by narcotics and the agreement will provide legal framework for bilateral cooperation in this field. The pact was signed by Indian ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran and deputy minister for internal affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Zubov in presence of Singh and Kolokoltsev. The agreement on internal security is an updated and more comprehensive agreement on cooperation on security between the MHA and the Russian ministry of interior. This pact provides a comprehensive approach for help in security related issues, including information technology crimes, counterfeiting currency, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, trafficking in human beings, economic crimes, crimes related to intellectual property, cultural property amongst others, the statement said. During the meeting, the ministers emphasised the strength of the relationship between India and Russia that has been consolidated in the past 70 years in all areas. Before leaving for Russia, Singh said India and Russia share a special relationship which has withstood the test of time over the decades. Singh was scheduled to visit Russia on September 18, 2016, but he had cancelled it following a terror attack on that day at the Brigade headquarters in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 19 Army soldiers were killed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A team of doctors from India, in collaboration with a hospital in Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam, has performed the "first ever" kidney transplant in the African country. According to a statement issued by the Delhi-based BLK Super Speciality hospital, the surgery was conducted at the Muhimbili National Hospital on a 30-year-old Tanzanian woman, who was suffering from an end-stage kidney disease. "It is a matter of great honour that the first ever kidney transplant in Tanzania was performed by a team of Indian doctors," said Naresh Kapoor, executive director of the BLK Super Speciality Hospital. "We have established a credible linkage with African countries through a number of collaborative programmes, with an objective to build healthcare capacities locally in countries such as Tanzania. This surgery will certainly boost the Indo-Tanzanian relationships in the field of healthcare," he added. The woman, on whom the surgery was performed, was on haemodialysis for over a year. "The donor was her 27-year-old brother, who donated one of his kidneys to save his sister's life," said Dr H S Bhatyal, the head of the Urology and Kidney Transplantation department at the BLK Super Speciality Hospital. Both the donor and the recipient were recuperating well and should return to normal activities soon, Dr Sunil Prakash, director and head of the Nephrology department at the BLK Super Speciality Hospital, said. According to the statement, while announcing the historical medical achievement, the health minister of Tanzania, Ummi Mwalimu, said, "We are very thankful to the Indian doctors as such surgeries would provide cost relief and enable many Tanzanians to access world-class health services. The success of this kidney transplant has laid a noble foundation for the introduction of other organ transplantations in the country. "This brings hope to a number of patients waiting for transplant operations in the African nation. The medical collaboration (between India and Tanzania) is set to grow stronger in the coming days. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ivanka Trump, the advisor and daughter of US President Donald Trump, has said the Global Entrepreneurship Summit co-hosted by India and America is a testament to their growing economic and security partnership. Ivanka will be leading a delegation of senior Trump administration officials and entrepreneurs at the three-day Summit in Hyderabad beginning tomorrow. To be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, more than 1200 young entrepreneurs, a majority of whom are women, from 127 countries would attend the summit. In addition some 300 investors and ecosystem supporters are also attending the mega event. The worlds largest gathering of young entrepreneurs is being co-hosted by India and the United States. It is "a testament to the strong friendship between our two people and the growing economic and security partnership between our two nations," Ivanka Trump told reporters during a preview of her India visit. Ivanka, 36, has travelled to India before, but this is her maiden trip to the country as a senior presidential advisor. Accompanied by several top administrations official, a large number of Indian Americans are part of her delegation, which numbers 350 from 38 states. Prime Minister Modi had personally invited Ivanka to participate in the GES, which is being held in India for the first time, when he travelled to the US in June. This year's summit theme, 'Women First, Prosperity for All', demonstrates the Trump administrations commitment to the principle that when women are economically empowered, their communities and countries thrive, she told reporters last week. Five per cent of entrepreneurs at GES are 30 years or younger. The youngest entrepreneur is 13 and the oldest entrepreneur is 84. Ivanka said she aims for this summit to serve as an open and collaborative environment for the exchange of ideas, to broaden networks, and to empower entrepreneurs to take their ideas and passion to the next level. "The US and India will continue to work together to increase economic opportunities and inclusive growth. I very much look forward to my visit and to seeing Prime Minister Modi and Foreign Minister Swaraj once again," she said. The summit would also be the first major engagement of the new American Ambassador to India, Ken Juster. "Amazing first week in India! Thanks so much for the warm welcome. Looking forward to exploring this fascinating country. Excited to begin my journey in Hyderabad at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit!" he tweeted last week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani today announced his decision to contest the Gujarat polls from the Vadagam (SC) seat of Banaskantha district as an Independent candidate with outside support of the Congress. The moves comes after sitting MLA Manibhai Vaghela said the state Congress asked him not to contest the polls from the seat "as a part of an agreement" with Mevani. Vaghela said the Congress has given an indirect support to Mevani for Vadgam seat, reserved for a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate. "The party has asked me not to contest from the Vadgam seat this time. Though Mevani will contest the polls as an Independent, he will have Congress' support. Thus, there won't be any Congress candidate on this seat," Vaghela told PTI. Mevani today announced that he will file his nomination as an Independent candidate for the Vadgam seat. In a message posted on social media, the face of the Dalit agitation in Gujarat claimed that he decided to jump into the poll battle after being "persuaded" by youth and numerous agitators. He even requested other opposition parties as well as aspiring independents not to file their papers. "Since the ruling BJP is our key enemy, I request aspiring candidates of other parties and independents not to file their papers, so that we can have a direct battle with the BJP. This is people's battle against dictatorship and we will continue our fight after winning this election," he said. Mevani will be in a direct contest with BJP's Vijay Chakravarthi. Earlier this month, Mevani had a meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi during the latter's visit to south Gujarat. After the meeting, Mevani had said that the opposition party gave him an assurance that more than 90 per cent of his demands will be incorporated in its manifesto. Stopping short of declaring an open support to the Congress after the meeting, Mevani had said that he would ask his community members to defeat BJP in the Gujarat polls. Mevani, who has been critical of the ruling BJP in the state and shot to fame after the Una dalit flogging incident last year, had discussed 17 demands of his community in the meeting with Rahul Gandhi. The Dalit leader maintained that he had no plans to join any political party. Of the three young caste leaders, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor has already joined the Congress, while Patidar community leader Hardik Patel recently announced his decision to back the opposition party after accepting its proposed reservation formula. The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases - on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court in Chhattisgarh's Raipur district today extended till December 11 the judicial custody of senior journalist Vinod Verma, arrested in connection with a case of alleged blackmailing and extortion. The court of Judicial Magistrate First Class Bhavesh Kumar Watti extended the judicial remand of Verma till December 11. This is for the second time that his judicial remand has been extended, the journalist's lawyer Faisal Rizvi told reporters. Verma was produced in the court after his judicial remand ended today, he said. Following the journalist's arrest on October 27 from his Ghaziabad residence by the Chhattisgarh Police, he was sent to judicial custody on October 31 for 14 days. Later, his judicial remand was extended up to November 27. After his arrest, Verma had said that he had a sex tape of a Chhattisgarh minister. According to the Raipur police, a case of blackmail and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station based on a complaint by a BJP leader Prakash Bajaj who said he "was being harassed over the phone by an unidentified caller who told him that he had a CD of his 'aka' (master)". After investigation, a search team was sent to Delhi and Verma was held from Ghaziabad in this connection, the police had said and also claimed to have recovered 500 "porn" CDs, a pen drive and a laptop from him. The Chhattisgarh government had recommended a CBI probe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An irate mob today allegedly ransacked a private hospital in Kalyan following the death of a 22-year-old man, police said. Rohit Bhoir from Warap was admitted to the hospital after he suffered a heart attack on Sunday, a senior police official said. Warap died at the hospital today. Following his demise, his relatives ransacked the hospital, the official said, adding a case would be registered at the MFC police station. Meanwhile, Bhoir's kin also allegedly thrashed a local scribe, who had gone to cover the incident, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre has withdrawn Lalu Prasad's Z plus VIP security cover of NSG commandos, evoking angry reactions from the RJD supremo and his two sons, who cried conspiracy, with one even threatening to "skin" Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lalu Prasad accused the Narendra Modi government of hatching a "conspiracy" to frighten him so that he gives up his "relentless fight for preserving communal harmony and social justice". The RJD chief, addressing a press conference in Patna, said, "Lalu is not someone who can be frightened into submission. The public of Bihar will protect me. But if anything happens to me, the Nitish Kumar government in the state and the Modi government at the Centre shall be jointly responsible". His two sons Tej Pratap Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav reacted angrily to the government's decision. Tej Pratap, the elder son of the RJD boss, went ballistic, threatening to get Modi "skinned". "They are hatching a murder conspiracy against him (Lalu)...If something happens to him, we will get the prime minister skinned (khal utarwa lenge)," an angry Tej Pratap Yadav told reporters outside the state Assembly. "If my father is killed who will take responsibility for this?" asked Tej Pratap, a former minister and sitting MLA. When reporters said he was making derogatory remarks against the prime minister, he defended his comments and told the media persons to "go and tell him (PM)". Asked about Tej Pratap's remarks, Lalu Prasad diapproved of the kind of language he used against Modi but noted "the blood of anybody will boil if he finds his father at the receiving end of such a conspiracy". Tejashwi Yadav, the former deputy chief minister and the younger son of the RJD supremo, also attacked the Centre for downgrading Lalu Prasad's security. "By downgrading his security, the Centre is trying to frighten Lalu, who is working towards opposition unity. This is very mean-minded politics on the part of the BJP-led NDA government," Tejashwi Yadav told reporters. He also expressed apprehension that with a less strong security cover, the RJD chief had become vulnerable and "now the Centre shall be held solely responsible if anything happens to Lalu". The former Bihar chief minister will now be given 'Z' category security and be guarded by an armed commando squad of the Central Reserve Police Force, in accordance with the protocol of the scaled down cover, official sources said in New Delhi. Yadav will not have Security Guard black cat commandos guarding him any more as they were withdrawn yesterday. The NSG only provides 'Z+' security cover. The decision was taken after the Union home ministry recently reviewed the threat levels of various VIP protectees, the sources said. Hitting out at the central government, Lalu Prasad said, "We are the most vocal opponents of the Modi government which is driving the country towards dictatorship. Democracy is under threat." "We have been fighting them resolutely. That is why my family and I have been implicated in so many false cases...so that we get scared of the possibility of going to jail and give up our fight," he said. Lalu Prasad claimed that the decision to downgrade his security cover, which was provided to him under the UPA government, was another conspiracy by the Modi government to silence him. "What else explains the move. They have not run short of security personnel. Every two-bit BJP leader enjoys Z plus security," the RJD chief alleged. "I am travelling far and wide as part of my 'BJP bhagao, desh bachao' campaign. This has rattled the party which thinks that by making me worry about my own safety it will be able to contain me," he said, adding that he would not give up his fight. Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi scoffed at the remonstrations over the scaling down of Lalu Prasad's security, saying, "Lalu se log darte hain...Lalu ko kisse dar lagta hai (People are scared of Lalu. Who does he fear?)'". On Sushil Modi's jibe, Lalu retorted, "BJP leaders are always darpok (cowards)". Besides Lalu Prasad, the Centre also decided to withdraw 'Z+' CRPF VIP security cover of former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. The Hindustani Awam Morcha president Manjhi told reporters, "I do not know on the basis of whose report the Centre has taken such a decision. I still face threat to my life." Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha is a part of the Democratic Alliance in Bihar. Lalu Prasad also questioned the withdrawal of security cover of Manjhi, saying, "It is well-known that he faces threat to his life from naxals." Tej Pratap's remarks against the prime minister come days after he made objectionable comments against Sushil Modi, threatening to disrupt the marriage ceremony of his son on December 3. Citing security reasons, Sushil Modi changed the venue of his son's wedding to Veterinary College ground from Shakha field in Rajendra Nagar in the state capital. As many as 20 states saved Rs 500 crore in the last one year on their electricity bill, an official of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) said. Nearly 40 lakh LED street lights were installed by 20 states which helped 20 states in saving Rs 500 crore in last one year, EESL managing director Saurabh Kumar said at a press conference here today while throwing International Symposium to Promote Innovation and Research in Energy Efficiency (Inspire-2017) open. Inspire-2017 will culminate on December 1. He said that Rajasthan saved Rs 144 crore in last three years by installing LED street lights. More than a hundred international delegates representing countries such as the United States, Singapore, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Korea, Turkey, Nepal, Thailand, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, and the UK will attend the symposium. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today freed a Kerala woman, alleged to be a victim of 'love jihad', from the custody of her parents and sent her to college to pursue her studies, even as she pleaded that she should be allowed to go with her husband. After a prolonged proceedings in the open courtroom, the top court did not accede to Hadiya's plea that she should be allowed to go with her husband. She also told the court she wanted "freedom" to live and profess Islamic faith. The apex court, which interacted with 25-year old Hadiya for nearly half-an-hour in the courtroom against the wishes of her father who had sought an in-camera interaction, directed the Kerala police to provide her security and ensure that she travelled at the earliest to Salem in Tamil Nadu to pursue homepathy studies at Sivaraj Medical College there. Hadiya was in the custody of her parents for almost six months, after the Kerala High Court had on May 29 anulled her 'nikah' with Shafin Jahan. Hadiya, a Hindu by birth, had converted to Islam several months before her marriage. The court fixed the plea of Jahan, challenging Kerala High Court's order annulling his marriage with Hadiya, for hearing in the third week of January next year. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra also appointed the dean of the college as her local guardian and granted him liberty to approach it in case of any problem. The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, directed that Hadiya should be treated as any other student in the college. The top court also acceded to the request of Hadiya that she be first allowed to visit her friend's home as she has been mentally harrassed for past 11 months and allowed her to visit her friend before going to Salem to attend college. Hadiya, when asked by the bench to name any nearest relative or acquaintance at Salem to be named as the local guardian, said she only needed her husband in that role. She said her husband can take care of her expenses of studies and she does not need state's expenses to pursue her professional course. The bench posed questions in English, while Hadiya replied in Malyalam, which was translated by senior advocate V Giri who appeared for Kerala government. During the hearing, which continued for almost two-and- half hours till 5.30 PM, Hadiya's parents, her in-laws and her husband were present in the packed courtroom. The bench asked questions about her ambitions, life, studies and hobbies, which she replied comfortably and said she wanted to do internship of house surgeonship, a course of 11 months and wanted to stand on her own in life. The court directed the college and the university to re-admit Hadiya and grant her hostel facilities. At the outset, senior advocate Shyam Diwan, appearing for Hadiya's father Asokan K M, said his daughter should be questioned in-camera as this was a case of indoctrination backed by huge organisational support. He claimed there was a highly communally charged atmosphere which could have wider ramifications and insisted on his plea for in-camera proceedings. Diwan also placed an alleged transcript of conversation between one alleged offshore ISIS handler and Hadiya's husband, saying it showed that Jahan had links with an organisation called Popular Front of India and a larger conspiracy of indoctrination was happening on the ground. He said in social networking sites, there was a conversation between one Abdul Rashid and Jahan in which he has been found asking how much money he can get to make a person join the ranks of militant outfit ISIS. Additional Solcitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for NIA, said there were compelling evidence to show a well-oiled machinery which indulges in indoctrination and coversion. "NIA's job was to give solid facts and it has been found during investigation that 11 cases were detected by Kerala police and seven such cases involved the same organisation and person. "The real question is how to establish whether a person is indoctrinated, brain-washed or programmed due to which his or her individual autonomy is compromised," Singh said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Jahan, said this audio recording was nothing new and was being in circulation for past one year. "What indoctrination? She has been with her parents for past 11 months. National Commission of Women, NIA all interrogated her but state commission for women was not allowed. She is entitled to speak her mind and has her own individual autonomy and the court should hear her,"Sibal said. The bench intially said it would first decide whether to interact with her first and then peruse materials of NIA or first peruse the material and then hear her. "It is a question of what comes first. We have to decide that first. Her father says it is a larger conspiracy but this is also a matter between two adults. Would this case not have the bearing on other cases," the court observed. Justice Chandrachud posed at what stage the autonomy of an individual is breached, what could be the impact and at what time can the court intervene. He also referred to the 'Stockholm syndrome' where a person, who is a hostage, starts believing in his kidnappers. "Although this is not your case, but in such cases there is a free consent of person who is major, but due to this syndrome, he can't take decisions freely. His individual autonomy is broken," Justice Chandrachud said. The Kerala government said the court should first peruse the materials and then talk to the woman. "The sequence has to be different at the appellate court. We as a state deal with this scenario everyday at ground level. The court should first look into the material and then talk to her," Kerala counsel Giri said. To this, the bench said "we are under oath to protect the constitutional values. Constitution does not give us the power to abdicate from hearing a case. We are trying to figure out a way to proceed. We don't see such cases every day." The bench then called Hadiya and asked questions while making it clear that case will be heard on merits in the third week of January. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court has sent a 40- year old man to jail for 14 years for raping an 8-year old girl, saying such people had perverted minds, carried "animal streak" who would ravish anyone. Asserting that they should be dealt with firmly, Additional Sessions Judge Seema Maini, while awarding rigorous imprisonment to north Delhi resident RajvinderSingh , said the victim was of tender years and "her suffering at the hands of the convict cannot be expressed in words." The victim "has been left to lead a life devoid of life," the judge said in her verdict, adding that such victims "lose interest in life" and develop misandry, hating men all their lives and losing faith and trust in all relationships. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on the convict to be given to the victim child, who would also be given Rs three lakh as compensation as per the provisions under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. "It needs to be kept in mind that a penetrative sexual assault/rape are offences, which are the outcome of perverted and evil minds of people who not just lack sensitivity and emotions but are carriers of animal streak in them, who ravish anyone who comes in their sight ... irrespective of the victim's age and circumstance. Such sexual offences have far reaching ramifications," the court said. According to the complaint, Singh, a neighbour of the victim had on August 18, 2014, taken the girl to his house and raped her. Singh claimed that beinganeighbour,the victim's parentsoftenquarrelledwithhimduetowhichhehasbeen falsely implicatedinthecase.He also sought leniency saying his wife had expired and has to take care of his four minor children. Dismissing his contention as flimsy, the court said "such an offence having been committed with the child, makes it imperative that the offender is dealt with a firm hand and the mitigating circumstances of the convict cannot be given precedence over the pain, suffering and trauma of the victim child. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 55-year-old man today allegedly jumped before a Delhi Metro train today in an apparent suicide bid, officials said. The incident occurred around 12:45 pm at ITO station. V K Anand, a resident of Tilak Nagar area in west Delhi, jumped before a train going to Escorts Mujesar from platform number one, officials said. He was rushed to a hospital by metro authorities with injuries on his head and legs. Apparently, it is an attempt to suicide. The police are probing the matter, the officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 29-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by his friend following a quarrel over a jacket in east Delhi's Anand Vihar, the police said today. The accused, Shankar (30), was arrested from the spot. Yesterday, Shankar had gone to drop Balbir to Anand Vihar from where the latter was to catch a bus to his village in Uttar Pradesh for attending a wedding, the police said. When they reached the bus stop, they consumed liquor. Balbir then asked Shankar for his jacket which he refused leading to a quarrel, they said. During the quarrel, Shankar hit Balbir on the head with a stick and the latter lost consciousness. Shankar was nabbed from the spot while Balbir was rushed to LBS Hospital, where he was declared brought dead, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Sensex today scrambled for ways, but closed above the base line for the eighth straight session even as Standard and Poor's kept India's sovereign credit rating unchanged. The broader too moved sideways multiple times before ending a tad higher. "Market traded in a narrow range due to status quo in sovereign rating where investors expected a positive revision. Later, the market reversed from the day's low and managed to close on positive note with an expectation of improvement in Q2 GDP data during the week," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services Ltd. The outcome of the upcoming OPEC meeting on oil supply and F&O expiry this week kept investors on the sidelines. The 30-share barometer opened lower and stayed in the red for the most part of the day. But sudden buying in the last one hour of trading took it to 33,724.44, up 45.20 points, or 0.13 per cent, from its previous close. The index had risen 918.80 points in the past seven sessions. The 50-share ended flat, up by 9.85 points, or 0.09 per cent, at 10,399.55. Intra-day, it moved between 10,340.20 and 10,407.15. The market floated on domestic institutional buying and positive leads from Europe. The uptrend in the previous seven sessions came on the back of Moody's upgrading India sovereign rating and better- than-estimated earnings by some blue-chip companies. Investors turned cautious as Standard and Poor's kept its sovereign rating for India unchanged at 'BBB-minus' with 'stable' outlook, citing vulnerabilities stemming from low per capita income and high government debt. The rating decision came after trading hours on Friday. Marked by volatility, power, realty, infrastructure, consumer durables and capital goods stocks saw gains, helping both the key indices close higher for the eighth straight day -- their longest winning run since June 23, 2015. Domestic institutional investors stood firm as they purchased shares worth Rs 427.63 crore on Friday, provisional data showed. But foreign portfolio investors net sold shares worth Rs 416.28 crore. Other Asian closed lower, ignoring a strong lead from Wall Street. European shares were in the green. Market heavyweight NTPC surged the most by 3.13 per cent. Axis Bank came in second, up 2.73 per cent. ONGC, SBI, Wipro and L&T too advanced. The BSE realty index was the prime mover, rising 1.24 per cent, followed by power, infrastructure and consumer durables. Pace of buying picked up in broader markets, lifting the BSE small-cap index by 0.77 per cent and mid-cap 0.52 per cent. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Larsen&Toubro has sought "additional financial support" from Telangana to cover cost overruns in the Rs 16,000-crore metro rail project that stemmed from delays in its implementation, sources privy to the development said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the first phase of the 72-km project tomorrow, touted to be the world's largest such project on public-private partnership in the sector. L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, the developer of the project, has sought "additional financial support" from the Telangana government to cover the cost overruns due to delays in projects, leading to an extension of time, the sources said. The cost overruns work out to over Rs 3,000 crore, the sources added. "The company is also learnt to have sought an extension period of two years," an industry source said, adding that any decision is likely after consultation with the Centre as the urban development ministry is also part of the project. The project, which was originally slated to go on stream in July this year, was extended till November 2018 and Telangana minister K T Rama Rao recently confirmed it. Conceived in 2009, the 72-km project has overcome many hurdles such as default by first concessionaire Maytas Infra-led consortium and now, the present developer and subsequent developments, crucial land acquisition by the state government and logjam for some time over route alignment, among others. L&T, however, did not respond to the queries in this regard. A senior state government official said, "There would be cost escalations as the project got delayed." He, however, said the government issues will be settled in accordance with the concession agreement. The project has got stuck in delays as L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) had over three years ago written a letter to the Telangana government offering to quit the Rs 16,000-plus crore project as the last resort if "issues" were not resolved. When asked if L&T offered to hand over the project to the government, the then chief executive and MD V B Gadgil had replied: "In case, the issues do not get settled." "That (to quit) is one solution we have told them in case both of us are not able to resolve," he had said after a meeting with the chief minister and the chief secretary in 2014. L&T has also written a letter to the state government on the matter. L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) is an L&T subsidiary, which is developing the metro at a total cost is Rs 16,375-Rs 14,132 crores for the metro rail system and another Rs 2,243 crore for the real estate development. According to available data, the concession agreement for the project totalling 72 km metro lines with 66 stations was executed in September 2010 while financial closure was achieved in April 2011. The first phase comprises 30 km and 24 stations while the second phase of the remaining corridor barring a 6-km stretch -- near Charminar -- is expected to be commissioned by November 2018. Russia's Defence Ministry today denied a report that alleged Moscow's air strikes had killed 34 civilians in the Syrian village of Al-Shafah. It called the report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights "another falsehood," adding the Russian military targets "only unpopulated areas and international terrorist groups." "Russian army planes did not hit Al-Shafah in the Deir Ezzor province," it said in a statement. Yesterday, the Britain-based monitor accused Moscow of killing 34 civilians, among them 15 children, in an air strike on the village Al-Shafah which lies on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. The Observatory relies on a network of sources inside Syria, and says it determined whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used. Russia is a close ally of Syria's President Bashar al- Assad, and in September 2015 began a military intervention in support of his government that has gradually helped Damascus regain territory. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai trounced underdogs Tripura by 10 wickets in their Group C Ranji Trophy game on the third and penultimate day here today to storm into the quarter finals of the national tournament. The 41-time champions chased a paltry target of 63 in just 6.2 overs with young find Prithvi Shaw (50 not out) and first innings centurion Jay Bista (13 not out) taking them home. Shaw, who was at his best, laced his 26-ball innings with eight hits to the fence as Mumbai raced to a thumping victory at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai bagged seven points, including the bonus point, to leapfrog earlier leaders Andhra Pradesh (19 points) and book a knock-out berth with a tally of 21 points. The second spot in the group is a toss-up between Andhra and Madhya Pradesh. Mumbai declared at their overnight score of 421 for 8 to take a huge 226-run first innings lead before their bowlers put up a spirited show to bundle out Tripura for 288 in their second innings. For the visitors, only Yashpal Singh (82 off 127 balls) and keeper Smith Patel (68 off 111 balls) showed some resistance, but all their lower-order batsmen failed to make a mark, making a beeline to the pavilion. For the hosts, left-arm spinner Karsh Kothari (4-72) and pacer Dhawal Kulkarni (4-69) were the chief wicket takers. Kothari, stuck at the stroke of tea and then after the break. At tea, Tripura were 222 for 5, four runs behind Mumbai. After tea, Kothari removed Mura Singh off the first ball, caught by Surya Kumar Yadav. He then dismissed a well-set Yashpal Sharma, stumped by skipper Aditya Tare. At one stage in their second innings, Tripura were struggling at 84-3, but then Patel and Sharma put on a 129-run stand for the fourth wicket. While Patel brought up his fifty in 83 balls, Sharma completed his half century in 68 balls. But before tea, Mumbai bounced back, dismissing Patel and new man Gurinder Singh (1). First it was Jay Bista who broke the Sharma-Patel stand after he cleaned up Patel, who struck 10 fours. And within no time, Kothari removed Gurinder, who was caught brilliantly by Surya Kumar Yadav in the slips. Earlier in the morning, Kulkarni gave the hosts their first breakthrough dismissing Tripura opener Samarat Singha who edged to wicket-keeper Tare on 7. Udiyan Bose (34) got involved in a 65-run second wicket stand with Ghosh before their partnership was broken by Kulkarni who had Bose caught at square-leg. At lunch, Tripura were 84 for 2 and after lunch, off the second ball, medium-pacer Akash Parkar, who picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in the Tripura first innings, cleaned up Ghosh (38). Brief scores: Tripura 195 and 288 (Yashpal Singh 82, Smit Patel 68; Karsh Kothari 4 for 72, Dhawal Kulkarni 4 for 69) lost to Mumbai 421 for 8 declared and 64 for no loss (Prithvi Shaw 50 not out, Jay Bista 13 not out). Mumbai 7 points, Tripura 0. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Myanmar's State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi will tour China, days after the visit of the Myanmarese military chief as Beijing seeks to deepen ties with Naypyidaw, amid the Rohingya refugee crisis. While Beijing has not confirmed the visit, Myanmar's state-run daily Global New Light today reported that Nobel laureate Suu Kyi who is facing criticism following a global outcry over the Rohingya crisis would visit China "soon". Asked about her visit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) is organising a global political dialogue from November 30 to December 3 on 'Forging of Community for Shared Future for Mankind and the Responsibility of Political Parties'. Several leaders of political parties from different countries are expected to attend the meeting, he said. "The details of who is going to attend I am not aware," Geng said. Leaders from over 200 parties and political organisations from more than 120 countries are expected to attend the meeting, state-run Xinhua agency had reported earlier. Suu Kyi's visit to China comes close on the heels of Myanmarese military chief Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing's visit to Beijing last week during which he met President Xi Jinping besides top Chinese military officials. The visits are taking place when Myanmar is facing severe global pressure over the plight of 600,000 Rohingya refugees who fled to Bangladesh from Rakhine state in recent months after alleged atrocities by Myanmar's military. China enjoyed longstanding and close ties with the Myanmar military for decades when Suu Kyi, as pro-democracy leader was under prolonged house arrest, and Beijing is seeking to play a mediatory role between Myanmar and Bangladesh to resolve the crisis. Since her election, Suu Kyi too has made efforts to improve ties with China with her visits to Beijing earlier. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who recently visited both countries, proposed a three-point plan to deal with the crisis which included a ceasefire in Rakhine state. Meanwhile, both Myanmar and Bangladesh reached an agreement for steady repatriation of refugees though no time table has been set for its completion. During his meeting with Hlaing on November 24, Xi said China pays great attention to the peace process in Myanmar, and is willing to play a constructive role in this regard for the security and stability in their border areas. Xi said the recent once-in-five-years Congress of the ruling CPC which endorsed a second term for him has adopted a blueprint for China's economic and social reform and development in the years to come. "It will not only inject great vitality into China's own development, but also bring new opportunities for various countries, including Myanmar, in their cooperation with China," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Alarmed at the receding water levels of the Naini lake, a freshwater body that caters to the drinking water needs of residents and visitors in Nainital, Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today called for developing a definite strategy to save it. The pressure on the famous eye-shaped lake, a showpiece attraction for tourists in the hill city, is immense. It is the only source of supply to Nainital, which derives its name from the lake. Though the lake receives flows from surrounding catchment basin, comprising the hill slopes and springs of the embracing Kumaon Hills, the water level fell 18 feet below the normal this summer. "We need to get into action mode for the conservation of Naini lake," Governor Paul said. "A number of seminars have been held on the subject from time to time and experts have come up with a slew of suggestions. It is time a definite strategy was drawn up in light of those suggestions and implemented to save the lake," he said at a workshop organised at the Raj Bhavan here by the United Nations Development Programme. The UNDP workshop discussed scientific and technological ways to conserve Naini lake. Citing Dhansa, Badkal and Surajkund, once counted among Delhi's major lakes, Paul said it was the "collective responsibility of everyone" to ensure that Naini lake does not meet the same fate. He said city residents could play an important role in conserving the lake. "Residents using their common sense can also make significant contributions to save Naini lake." At the event, Chief Minister Rawat said seminars were not enough. "It was time to devise well-defined strategies to save dying lakes like Naini, and revive old rivers like Rispana and Bindal," he said, referring to the rivers of the state capital Dehradun. "Target oriented, serious efforts need to be made in a time-bound manner to achieve the goal," Rawat said. The Uttarakhand government runs a "Rispana se Rishiparna" mission to facilitate the revival of the Rispana river. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The screening of the Tehelka sting CD in the 2002 Naroda Gam case had to be deferred by the special SIT court today after it was told that the video was with the Gujarat High Court. The court had made arrangements to screen the the CD of "Operation Kalank", which was published by Tehelka magazine in its November 7, 2002 issue, and also aired by Hindi channel 'Aaj Tak' in order to consider certain parts of it as evidence in the case. The court was told that the CD was currently with the High Court, which heard a batch of appeals against the verdict in the 2002 Naroda Patiya case. Special judge P B Desai said the screening will be held when the CD is brought back, and ordered arguments over the deposition made by journalist Ashish Khetan, who had carried out the sting operation. The court will hear the case again tomorrow. Former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and VHP leader Jaideep Patel - both of whom are facing trial in the case - figure in the sting operation. Bajrangi is reportedly seen in the video saying that Hindu organisations operating in Naroda Gam, Naroda Patiya, and Gulberg housing society, the scene of the post-Godhra riots, were mobilised to avenge the Godhra train burning incident in which 59 kar sevaks were killed. Naroda Gam massacre is one of the nine major communal riots cases investigated by the Special Investigation Team. Eleven Muslims were killed in Naroda Gam in Ahmedabad during a bandh called to protest the Godhra train burning incident. Altogether 82 people are facing trial in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mizoram Commerce and Industries Minister H Rohluna today said there is a need to increase production in agriculture and allied sectors, especially in view of trade expansion with south east Asian countries. Rohluna said entrepreneurship would be given thrust through the state government's New Economic Development Policy (NEDP), to enable young entrepreneurs prepare for trade linkage with such countries. On the crucial Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) that connects with Myanmar, the minister said it was making speedy progress on the Indian side. "The KMMTTP is a road project...which would open the waterway to the Sittwe port in Myanmar for the land-locked north eastern states," he said. Rohluna was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a summit organised jointly by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Export-Import Bank of India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There should be a mechanism in place under which legal aid is given to both the victim and the accused of sexual offences, the Delhi High Court said today. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also asked the counsel for the Delhi government to inform it about such a mechanism. It further suggested that when a case of sexual violence is reported to the police, they should also evolve a procedure of intimating the Delhi State Legal Service Authority (DSLSA). "We are concerned with the protection of legal rights of the accused as well as the victim," the bench observed. The court's suggestion came during the hearing of a plea by social worker Prashant Kumar, who has highlighted the absence of due care and a framework for appointment of personnel and volunteers at the special home for visually- impaired minor inmates. The plea, filed through advocate Ajay Verma, has urged the court to issue order to formulate regulation for the volunteers and donors who visit the special schools. The plea was filed in the backdrop of the arrest of 54- year-old Murray Dennis Ward, who has been remanded in judicial custody in a case of alleged sexual assault on three visually- impaired minor inmates of the National Association for the Blind (NAB) here. Acting on which the bench had asked the DSLSA to inform it about the compensation being paid to the three victims under the victim compensation scheme and legal aid was also provided to them. It had also sought to know whether legal aid was provided to them. To which, the DSLSA today informed the court that the victims were paid the compensation amount. Delhi Police's standing counsel Rahul Mehra said that the probe in the case was almost complete and the agency would be filing the charge sheet before the trial court soon. The court listed the matter for hearing on December 6. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Netflix has partnered with Ronnie Screwvala's company RSVP to release Bollywood project "Love Per Square Foot", starring "Masaan" actor Vicky Kaushal. It will be the Bollywood debut of Angira Dhar and features veteran actor Ratna Pathak, Supriya Pathak and Raghuvir Yadav. The film is expected to release on Netflix in early 2018. "Love Per Square Foot" marks the directorial debut of Anand Tiwari. It is a quirky romantic comedy that revolves around a two people, who enter a marriage of convenience to buy a flat in Mumbai. "How, where and when great stories are watched is changing every day. Our younger audiences chose their mediums. We love to disrupt and innovate in this space and this is a first of its kind for South Asia. "We are thrilled to come together with Netflix and break new ground by reaching film-lovers around the world directly with Netflix," said Screwvala, who founded the UTV group. Calling it a "gem", Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings said the streaming giant is looking for stories to bring joy to its subscribers. "We're always looking for stories that bring joy to Netflix members, and 'Love Per Square Foot' is a gem that we're proud to have on the service. "RSVP is a visionary partner, and we want to continue working with them and the best of Bollywood to deliver compelling stories to consumers around the world," Hastings said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A newly-wed Pakistani couple who married without the consent of their elders have been killed allegedly on the orders of a jirga, police said today, in the latest honour killing incident in the country. Abdul Hadi and Hussaini Bibi, who hailed from Kohistan in Sindh province married without permission from their elders about a month and a half ago, Dawn quoted Mominabad police as saying. They had rented a house within the jurisdiction of the Mominabad police station earlier this month. The murders took place some three days back, but the incident did not come to light earlier as family members of the couple kept the incident a secret. On November 24, some residents of the area spotted blood around the house that had been rented by the couple and reported it to the police. The victims' bodies were recovered by police from the Qaimkhani graveyard in Ittehad Town and sent to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Senior Superintendent of Police Orangi Abid Baloch said nine people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder and subsequent burial of a newly wed couple in Karachi on the directives of a jirga, an informal council of elders. Baloch said the two families as well as the girl's fiancee were involved in the murder, the Express Tribune reported. Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah expressed anger over the couple's murder. "This is Karachi, not a tribal area. How was a jirga held here?" he asked. Shah directed Inspector General (IG) of Police A D Khawaja to conduct a thorough investigation and present a detailed report of the incident as soon as possible. He also ordered the IGP to find out how a jirga was able to operate in the city, the report said. In September, police had exhumed bodies of a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, who had reportedly been electrocuted by their families on the orders of a jirga in Karachi. Activists say around a thousand Pakistani women fall victims to so-called honour killings every year in which the victims, mostly a woman, are usually killed by a relative for bringing dishonour to the family. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Green Tribunal has restrained the Delhi government from carrying out any construction activity on a pond in a southwest Delhi colony after a plea alleged that the authorities were damaging the water body and destroying the green cover there. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to the AAP government, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department (PWD) and others while seeking their reply within two weeks. The green panel's order came on a plea filed by local residents Rajinder Singh and Hari Prakash seeking restoration of a pond in village Asalatpur Khadar in Janakpuri here. "... Respondent no 5 (PWD) particularly respondent nos 1 (Delhi govt) and 2 (DDA) are directed not to carry on any construction activity in violation to the directions contained in our order dated September 22," the bench said. The plea has sought execution of its September 22 order directing the Delhi government and other authorities to ensure protection of the pond and pass relevant directions. "Till date, no order has been passed by any of the respondents. It is submitted that the applicant had sent a letter to respondents informing them about the directions of this tribunal and also about non-compliance with the same since more than four weeks had passed since order was passed. Despite this, the respondents have not taken any steps in compliance of order," the plea alleged. The petition, filed through advocates Rahul Chaudhary and Meera Gopal, claimed that rather than taking any steps for the revival of the pond, the authorities have started construction work at the site and destroyed the existing green cover by using JCBs (mechanical excavators). "Pass an order imposing penalty under Section 28 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 on the respondents for the failing to comply with the directions contained in order," the plea said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today took the custody of a Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist who was arrested along the Line of Control (LoC) in Handwara area of North Kashmir recently, officials here said. The terrorist, identified as Mohammed Amir Awan, was arrested by the Army on November 24 during an intensive search launched after an encounter in the area on November 21 that left three Lashkar militants dead. One soldier was also killed during the encounter. The matter was transferred to the NIA which registered a case yesterday and took the custody of the terrorist. During initial interrogation, the terrorist identified himself as Mohammed Amir Awan whose code in the Lashkar terror group was 'Abu Haamaz', the officials said. The terrorist told his interrogators that he hailed from Bardiya town of the port-city Karachi in Pakistan and was recruited and trained by the terror group. He was pushed into the Kashmir valley from Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK) for carrying out attacks on various important installations in the Valley, the officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after a powerful blast hit China's port city of Ningbo, police has ruled out the possibility of a human error behind the incident in which two people were killed and many injured. The explosion occurred early morning at a demolished factory in Jiangbei district of Ningbo City in Zhejiang province and also left two persons missing. It was country's worst industrial explosion in three years which also damaged nearby buildings and vehicles. The Chinese police today ruled out the possibility of a human error behind it and said further investigation was required into the cause of the blast, state-run People's Daily reported. Ningbo is one of China's major international cargo and container shipping ports. China had a number of industrial accidents in the course of its massive economic growth. Today's explosion resembled a series of explosions in 2015 in Tianjin port city which ripped through a warehouse, leaving 165 people dead, eight missing and 798 injured. The majority of those killed were firefighting crews who had gone to douse the flames. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkish-Iranian gold mogul Reza Zarrab will not stand trial in New York for allegedly defying sanctions on Iran, a US judge confirmed today at the start of jury selection. In a case that has inflamed tensions between Turkey and the United States, all signs now suggest that the 34-year-old businessman has cut a deal with prosecutors and agreed to plead guilty, which could potentially still see him testify. US District Judge Richard Berman told the start of jury selection in a federal court in Manhattan that Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla would be the only defendant in what is expected to be a three to four week trial. "He is the only defendant in this trial," said Berman of 47-year-old Atilla, charged on six counts of violating US sanctions on Iran, bribery and money laundering charges. Atilla, the deputy chief executive of Turkish lender Halkbank, was in court today. There was no sign of Zarrab. If Zarrab has indeed agreed to cooperate with US prosecutors, he could potentially be called as a witness in the case, a potential embarrassment for the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that has railed against the trial. His name was included on a nine-page list of people and entities that could either be mentioned or called to testify at Atilla's trial, listed as "alleged co-conspirator," according to The New York Times. The case has provoked the ire of Erdogan who has raised the issue repeatedly in official talks with US administrations under Barack Obama and President Donald Trump. Earlier today, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag urged Washington to drop the case, saying it had "no legal basis" and should be "dropped or terminated". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Odisha will get three Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) within a fortnight and 20 such facilities by the end of 2018, official sources said. The secretary for Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs of External Affairs Ministry, Dnyaneshwar Mulay said that the three PSKs will come up in Balasore, Bhawanipatna and Berhampur by the next fortnight. During a meeting between the chief minister and Mulay, Naveen Patnaik requested him to begin e-VISA service at the Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar. Patnaik also urged him to take action to bring back the 14 Odia labourers struck in Malaysia. "I will take up these issues and we will be able to tackle them with the help of minister of home affairs." Mulay said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The protesters belonging to the hardline religious groups today called off the sit-in in Islamabad and several other cities after Pakistan law minister Zahid Hamid resigned, meeting one of their key demands. Hamid's resignation comes in the aftermath of Saturday's deadly clashes between security forces and protesters, who had paralysed the national capital for three weeks. Six people were killed and hundreds injured in the clashes. An official of the Prime Minister House confirmed that the law minister last night sent his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who accepted it. Hamid's resignation cleared the main hurdle in the lifting of siege of the capital by protesters who demanded his removal for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. Activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) religious groups started protests three weeks ago. Official sources said an understanding was reached with protesters to call off the protest as their key demand had been accepted and the changes made in the law had already been taken back when parliament restored the original oath. Following the agreement and the subsequent resignation of Hamid, TLY chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi ordered his followers all over the country to end the sit-ins and go home. "We have decided to end the protest after assurance by the army chief and an agreement with government," he said at Faizabad interchange, where he was camping with over 2,000 supporters for last three weeks. He said that law minister resigned and government agreed to take action against those who were responsible for making changes in the oath about finality of prophethood. The right wing cleric, who parlayed life in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi, said his party was not in favour of violence. He said all of his supporters arrested during crackdown would be released by the government. He also expressed anger at media for not showing his announcement live and threatened that media persons would not be allowed to leave the venue until his announcement was shown on channels. But he later allowed reporters to go. Meanwhile, government opened the Islamabad Expressway linking the capital with its only airport and thickly populated suburban areas along the highway. The Murree Road has also been cleared but its link with Club Road is still not operational. Local channels showed sanitary workers sweeping the roads and cleaning the area of garbage dumped by the protesters. Radio Pakistan said that Hamid, the minister for law and parliamentary affairs, "voluntarily" presented his resignation to Abbasi to bring the country "out of a state of crisis". The protesters were demanding Hamid's ouster over his alleged role for changes in the oath about finality of prophethood in the recently passed elections laws. They had linked the action to blasphemy -- a highly contentious issue in the Muslim-majority Pakistan. Hamid said in resignation that the Election Act was formulated by a parliamentary committee comprising members belonging to all political parties. According to the agreement, government would take back all cases against protesters and make public the probe regarding the changes in the oath and also punish those who were responsible for crackdown on protesters. The agreement lauded efforts of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for playing key role in peacefully ending the stand-off, which became possible after an important meeting between Bajwa and Abassi yesterday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A top Pakistani court today lashed out at the government and the country's powerful military for the role assigned to the Army as the "mediator" in striking a deal with the hardline religious groups to end their prolonged sit-in in Islamabad and several other cities. According to official sources, Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid resigned as part of an agreement reached between the government and the protesters overnight. The protesters then called off the three weeks long protests. Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court (IH) heard the case about the protests that claimed the lives of six people and injured over 100 others. On Friday, he had issued contempt notice against Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal for failing to end protests. Justice Siddiqui expressed strong displeasure at the minister for failing to appear for the hearing and issued orders that he should present himself within 15 minutes. When the minister arrived after sometime, the judge pulled him up for failing to clear the roads by using state authority and instead making a deal with the protestors. "The court had asked the government to clear the roads and not for an agreement with protestors. What you have done is surrender," he said. He also used strong words against army's role to mediate the agreement, when the minister said the agreement with the protestors was reached with the help of the Army. "Who is the Army to play the role of mediator?...Where does the law assign this role to a Major General?" he asked. Justice Siddiqui told Iqbal that the government had constitutional right to call in Army to help civil administration in any emergency situation. Referring to ongoing Radd-ul-Fassad operation against militants and their supporters, the judge said: "Where is their Radd-ul-Fasaad now? Did they not see any Fasaad (anarchy) in this protest?" In more scathing words, the judge said the protestors could not sit at Faizabad if it were located closer to the Army's headquarters. He said that if someone in the Army loved politics, then he should resign and join politics. "Soldiers who are inclined towards politics should turn in their weapons," the judge said in his hard-hitting remarks. He also said that the "Army chief is an officer in an institution that comes under the state" and rhetorically asked "Is he above the law?" Talking about the agreement, the judge told the minister that "you have embarrassed the police and the administration." He further said, "You are supporting the impression that the Army is the cure for all illnesses." The judge also expressed fear for his life. "I know that after these remarks, I will also become a 'missing person' or get killed," he said. The powerful army, which enjoys considerable influence over policy decisions in Pakistan, has ruled the country for much of its life since it gained independence 70 years ago. The court also picked several faults in the agreement and said how the government can set free those protestors who have been booked under anti-terrorism laws. He also said that why an apology by the protestors was not included in the agreement for criticising judiciary. He adjourned the hearing until next Monday and ordered a probe report about who made changes in the law which resulted in the unrest should be presented in the court. Inspector General Khalid Khattak, Chief Commissioner Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Deputy Commissioner Captain (retired) Mushtaq, Director General Intelligence Bureau Aftab Sultan and secretary commander of the Inter-Services Intelligence were also present in the court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid has resigned after countrywide violent protests by hardline religious groups over his alleged role for changes in the oath about finality of prophethood in the recently passed elections laws, officials said today. Hamid's resignation was a key demand of the protesters who had staged sit-in in the capital for about three weeks and virtually paralysed Islamabad. An official of Prime Minister House confirmed that the law minister sent his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi last night. "The minister offered resignation to end the tension in the country," the official said. Radio Pakistan also reported that Hamid, the minister for law and parliamentary affairs, presented his resignation to Abbasi to bring the country "out of a state of crisis". It said the minister presented his resignation "voluntarily". Hamid's resignation has cleared the main hurdle in the lifting of siege of the capital by protesters who demanded his removal for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. They linked the action to blasphemy -- a highly contentious issue in the Muslim-majority Pakistan. Hamid said in resignation that the Election Act was formulated by a parliamentary committee comprising members belonging to all political parties. The minister is also expected to issue a detailed statement later, Radio Pakistan said. Official sources said an understanding was reached with protesters in Islamabad to call off the protest as their key demand had been accepted and the changes made in the law had already been taken back when parliament restored the original oath. State-media reported that government has succeeded to convince the protesters to disperse. So far there was no formal announcement about any agreement, but its copy has been circulated on social media. According to the agreement, government would take back all cases against protesters and make public the probe regarding the changes in the oath and also punish those who were responsible for crackdown on protesters. The agreement lauded efforts of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for playing key role in peacefully ending the stand-off, which became possible after an important meeting between Bajwa and Abassi yesterday. Meanwhile, protests are still going on in different parts of the country and the protesters have refused to disperse until a formal announcement by their leaders. Activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) religious groups started protests three weeks ago. They braved a massive operation on Saturday when more than 8,000 personnel of police aided by paramilitary Rangers and Frontier Constabulary lunched crackdown against protesters that saw at least six people killed and hundreds injured. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid today quit as the government "surrendered" to hardline religious groups, who called off their violent protests in Islamabad that had left six people dead and hundreds injured. An official of the Prime Minister House confirmed that the law minister last night sent his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who accepted it today. Hamid's resignation cleared the main hurdle in the lifting of siege of the capital by protesters who demanded his removal for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. His resignation comes in the aftermath of deadly clashes between security forces and protesters during the weekend, that killed six people and injured hundreds. The sit-in had paralysed the national capital for three weeks. Activists of Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLY) and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST) religious groups started protests three weeks ago. Official sources said an understanding was reached with protesters to call off the protest as their key demand had been accepted and the changes made in the law had already been taken back when parliament restored the original oath. Following the agreement and the subsequent resignation of Hamid, TLY chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi ordered his followers all over the country to end the sit-ins and go home. "We have decided to end the protest after assurance by the army chief and an agreement with government," he said at Faizabad interchange, where he was camping with over 2,000 supporters for last three weeks. He said that law minister resigned and government agreed to take action against those who were responsible for making changes in the oath about finality of prophethood. The right wing cleric, who parlayed life in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi, said his party was not in favour of violence. He said all of his supporters arrested during crackdown would be released by the government. He also expressed anger at media for not showing his announcement live and threatened that media persons would not be allowed to leave the venue until his announcement was shown on channels. But he later allowed reporters to go. Meanwhile, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of Islamabad High Court lashed out at the government and the powerful military for the role assigned to the Army as the "mediator" in striking the deal with the protesters to end their sit-in. "The court had asked the government to clear the roads and not for an agreement with protestors. What you have done is surrender," the judge told Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal. He also used strong words against army's role to mediate the agreement, when the minister said the agreement with the protesters was reached with the help of the Army. "Who is the Army to play the role of mediator?...Where does the law assign this role to a Major General?" he asked. In more scathing words, the judge said the protesters could not sit at Faizabad if it were located closer to the Army's headquarters. Justice Siddiqui told Iqbal that the government had constitutional right to call in Army to help civil administration in any emergency situation. He also said the "Army chief is an officer in an institution that comes under the state" and rhetorically asked "Is he above the law?" Later in the day, the government opened the Islamabad Expressway linking the capital with its only airport and thickly populated suburban areas along the highway. Radio Pakistan said that Hamid, the minister for law and parliamentary affairs, "voluntarily" presented his resignation to Abbasi to bring the country "out of a state of crisis". The protesters were demanding Hamid's ouster over his alleged role for changes in the oath about finality of prophethood in the recently passed elections laws. They had linked the action to blasphemy -- a highly contentious issue in the Muslim-majority Pakistan. Hamid said in resignation that the Election Act was formulated by a parliamentary committee comprising members belonging to all political parties. According to the agreement, government would take back all cases against protesters and make public the probe regarding the changes in the oath and also punish those who were responsible for crackdown on protesters. The agreement lauded efforts of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for playing key role in peacefully ending the stand-off, which became possible after an important meeting between Bajwa and Abassi yesterday. Citing military sources, Dawn reported that the army chief had opposed use of force against its own people since the population's trust in the institution of the army "can't be compromised for little gains". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa today left for Riyadh to attend a counter-terror conference hosted by Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar are also accompanying the prime minister and the Chief of Army Staff on a day-long tour, Radio Pakistan reported. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opened the maiden meeting of defense ministers of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition in Riyadh yesterday. The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) is a coalition of 41 Muslims countries and currently led by former Pakistan Army Chief General (retd) Raheel Shareef. The Saudi Crown Prince had announced about the formation of IMCTC in 2015 but it took more than two years to take it a shape. Since IMCTC only includes Sunni Muslim countries and so far excluded Iran, Iraq and Syria, it was feared that it could be considered as anti-Shiite grouping. Shareef, in his address to IMCTC defence ministers yesterday, had said that it was a counter-terrorism alliance and not against any country or any sect. The delegation, led by the prime minister, is expected to hold meetings with the Crown Prince and other officials. During the meetings, bilateral relations, regional and international situation would be reviewed, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistani troops opened fire at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district tonight in violation of the ceasefire, police said. "Pakistani troops resorted to firing in Jhangar forward area from 1845 hours to 1900 hours," a senior police officer said, adding that further details were awaited. Today's violation of the ceasefire came after a lull of over a week in firing by Pakistani troops at Indian posts. Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire for three consecutive days between November 15 and November 17 in Jammu and Poonch districts. An Army jawan was injured in the exchange of fire in Poonch. On November 2, a BSF jawan was killed when Pakistan Rangers attacked a patrol party along the International Border in Samba district. A girl was injured when Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch district on October 31. On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in Poonch. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Organ donation is a "godlike act", Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel said today, stressing the need to improve infrastructure and capacity of government hospitals for undertaking transplantation for the benefit of those who cannot afford it. She said there was a need to promote cadaver or deceased organ donation rather than relying on living donors to avoid the likelihood of commercial trading of organs and the inherent risk to the health of the living donor. "When seen from the perspective of reason and rationale, the gift of life is the ultimate gift that one could give and organ donation is therefore a 'godlike act' and needs to be encouraged," she said. Patel was speaking at the '8th Indian Organ Donation Day', organised by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). "Apart from promoting organ donation, it is important to improve infrastructure and capacity of government hospitals for undertaking transplantation so that even those who cannot afford transplantation may also benefit," she said while urging all to come forward and donate their organs. She said it is important to understand that in India it is mainly the living donors who are donating organs and only about 23 per cent of the organ transplant is being done with organs obtained from the cadavers. "There is a need to promote cadaver or deceased organ donation rather than relying on living donors in order to avoid the risk of commercial trading of organs and also to avoid the inherent risk to the health of the living donor," she said. Health secretary Preeti Sudan applauded K K Sharma, Director General, BSF, for his efforts towards motivating 70,000 personnel to pledge their organs, and also congratulated Tamil Nadu for leading the nation in the field of organ donation. She urged religious leaders and youths to take forward the movement of organ donation and highlighted the importance of ownership at the highest level, and connectivity at the lowest level to create a successful and transparent organ donation program in the country. Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar highlighted the exemplary work that Tamil Nadu did by retrieving 5,933 organs from 1,056 donors. He said Tamil Nadu was the first state in India for various initiatives such as mandatory certification of brainstem death, streamlining organ distribution and setting up green corridors. He said that Tamil Nadu was also supplying free immunosuppressant drugs and providing sanctions of up to Rs 35 lakh under the Chief Minister Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme for facilitating organ transplants in the private sector. Patel felicitated K K Sharma, DG, BSF, and the families of deceased organ donors from various parts of the country. The best performing states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Telangana also received awards while JIPMER, Puducherry, was announced as the best budding performer in organ donation and transplantation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On the first day of the winter session, the Punjab Assembly today paid tributes to those who laid down their lives on the line of duty, debt-ridden farmers and farm labourers who committed suicide, and the victims of the Ludhiana fire incident. Homage was also paid to political and other eminent personalities who had passed away since the last session of the Assembly. The House also paid respects to the students killed in the November 8 Bathinda road accident, as well as the teachers who lost their lives in another accident on Ferozepur-Fazilka road the day before. The Assembly also paid respects to soldiers from Punjab who died in Army operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Rich tributes were paid by the members of the Assembly to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's mother Rajmata Mohinder Kaur, and other deceased ex-MPs - Kanwar Vishvjit Prithvijit Singh and Mohinder Singh Kalyan. A two-minute silence was observed in the memory of the departed souls during the obituary references at the Assembly. After obituary references to 20 eminent personalities, Assembly Speaker Rana Kanwarpal Singh passed a resolution for conveying the condolences of the House to their respective families. The resolution was passed by voice vote. Apart from the three former MPs, the other eminent personalities to whom the House paid its respects were ex-MLAs Harmohinder Singh Pradhan, Balwant Singh, Raja Singh, Balbir Singh, Surjan Singh Joga and Raj Kumar. The suggestion to pay homage to the farmers who had committed suicide, as well as the teachers and students who died in the road accidents, came from the leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira, which the Speaker accepted. Meanwhile, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal attended the Assembly session for the first time after the formation of the Congress-led government in the state. Talking to reporters later, the SAD patron sought an increase in the duration of the winter session to discuss burning issues of the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to mislead the people of Gujarat on the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru with his "untrue" statements and said it reflected his "unhealthy mindset". Hitting back at Modi over his charge that the Congress propagated dynastic politics, the party's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the prime minister "has forgotten" that the Congress gave prime ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri and Manmohan Singh, who came from a humble background. Defending the Nehru-Gandhi family, the former Union Minister said none of the Gandhis were part of the government since the last almost three decades. He condemned Modi's claims that the Congress and country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did nothing for Gujarat and alleged that such a campaign emanated from the BJP's frustration due to its "impending defeat". "The prime minister has said that the country's first prime minister has not done anything for Gujarat. It is wrong and far from truth. We condemn it. "The prime minister is having an 'aswasth mansikta' (unhealthy mindset) which is an issue of grave concern for the country," he told reporters. Sharma said that the Prime Minister's remarks at an election rally in Gujarat today were "untrue". "The BJP is disturbed over the increasing support for the Congress in the state," he claimed. Sharma cited several projects initiated by Nehru in Gujarat like Amul cooperative movement, IIM Ahmedabad, Institute of Design, formation of Gandhinagar, the state's capital, ONGC's complex at Ankleswar and development of ports like Kandla and Dahej, besides setting up of airports. "It is not right on the part of the prime minister to speak like this. He should abstain from giving such statements as the Congress is capable of denying them with facts. "The prime minister is trying to mislead the people of Gujarat by giving wrong statements and is trying to lure the people of the state ahead of assembly elections," he alleged. Sharma asked what the Modi government had done for Gujarat and said it should be left to the people of the state and the country to judge its performance. "He (Modi) should not give certificates of honesty to his government," he said, alleging that the government was full of "tainted" people and was trying "to put a lid on big scams". "The Modi government is running away from accountability and that is why the prime minister never convened Parliament session ahead of Gujarat assembly polls and neither did he answer any of our questions," the Congress leader said. On Modi's charge of dynastic politics, Sharma said the Congress was led by stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gopal Kishna Gokhala and Madan Mohan Malviya. Countering the prime minister's attack on Nehru-Gandhi family, he said Rahul Gandhi, being an elected representative, was asked by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh to join him, but he did not do so during the 10 years of UPA government. "The Congress has never told the BJP whom it should elect as its chief. The prime minister should stop worrying about the Congress and focus on his party instead," he said. On the Rafale aircraft deal, he said the prime minister had no right to cancel the previous deal signed between the governments of India and France during the UPA. He alleged a scam in the deal as a public sector undertaking was ignored and a private entity without any experience in the defence sector was brought in. Earlier the prime minister, while campaigning in Gujarat today, hit out at the Congress over dynastic and alleged that the party did not do anything for the state. "On one side there is 'Vikas' (development) and 'Vishwas' (faith) while on the other side there is 'Vanshwad' (nepotism). Gujarat will never forgive the Congress Party and this has been the case for long. Congress has never liked Gujarat, has always preferred to see it lag behind," Modi said while campaigning in Kutchh region. Modi also alleged "Congress has shown contempt for Gujarat. They prevented Narmada waters from reaching people across the state, their reign was characterised by poor law and order, and they destabilised Chief Ministers from the Patel community be it Babubhai, Chimanbhai, Keshubhai and Anandiben. The Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to mislead the people of Gujarat on the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru with his "untrue" statements and said it reflected his "unhealthy mindset". Hitting back at Modi over his charge that the Congress propagated dynastic politics, the party's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the prime minister "has forgotten" that the Congress gave prime ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri and Manmohan Singh, who came from a humble background. Defending the Nehru-Gandhi family, the former Union Minister said none of the Gandhis were part of the government since the last almost three decades. He condemned Modi's claims that the Congress and country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did nothing for Gujarat and alleged that such a campaign emanated from the BJP's frustration due to its "impending defeat". "The prime minister has said that the country's first prime minister has not done anything for Gujarat. It is wrong and far from truth. We condemn it. "The prime minister is afflicted with an unhealthy mindset (aswasth mansikta) which is an issue of national concern," he told reporters. "I am saying it with respect. An unhealthy mindset is when a person says that the world was not created before him and India had no identity.... "He (Modi) always says that there was no achievement in India before him. Narendra Modi needs to be told that India was a nuclear power in 1974, India had ventured into space.... It is the Opposition's duty to correct him," the Congress leader said. Sharma said that the prime minister's remarks at an election rally in Gujarat today were "untrue". "The BJP is disturbed over the increasing support for the Congress in the state," he claimed. Sharma cited several projects initiated by Nehru in Gujarat like Amul cooperative movement, IIM Ahmedabad, National Institute of Design, formation of Gandhinagar, the state's capital, ONGC's complex at Ankleswar and development of ports like Kandla and Dahej, besides setting up of airports. "It is not right on the part of the prime minister to speak like this. He should abstain from giving such statements as the Congress is capable of denying them with facts. "The prime minister is trying to mislead the people of Gujarat by giving wrong statements and is trying to lure the people of the state ahead of assembly elections," he alleged. Sharma asked what the Modi government had done for Gujarat and said it should be left to the people of the state and the country to judge its performance. "He (Modi) should not give certificates of honesty to his government," he said, alleging that the government was full of "tainted" people and was trying "to put a lid on big scams". "The Modi government is running away from accountability and that is why the prime minister never convened Parliament session ahead of Gujarat assembly polls and neither did he answer any of our questions," the Congress leader said. On Modi's charge of dynastic politics, Sharma said the Congress was led by stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gopal Kishna Gokhala and Madan Mohan Malviya. Countering the prime minister's attack on Nehru-Gandhi family, he said Rahul Gandhi, being an elected representative, was asked by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh to join him, but he did not do so during the 10 years of UPA government. "The Congress has never told the BJP whom it should elect as its chief. The prime minister should stop worrying about the Congress and focus on his party instead," he said. On the Rafale aircraft deal, he said the prime minister had no right to cancel the previous deal signed between the governments of India and France during the UPA. He alleged a scam in the deal as a public sector undertaking was ignored and a private entity without any experience in the defence sector was brought in. Earlier the prime minister, while campaigning in Gujarat today, hit out at the Congress over dynastic politics and alleged that the party did not do anything for the state. "On one side there is 'Vikas' (development) and 'Vishwas' (faith) while on the other side there is 'Vanshwad' (nepotism). Gujarat will never forgive the Congress Party and this has been the case for long. Congress has never liked Gujarat, has always preferred to see it lag behind," Modi said while campaigning in Kutchh region. Modi also alleged "Congress has shown contempt for Gujarat. They prevented Narmada waters from reaching people across the state, their reign was characterised by poor law and order, and they destabilised chief ministers from the Patel community be it Babubhai, Chimanbhai, Keshubhai and Anandiben. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government today granted clearance to ICMR chief Soumya Swaminathan to take up a foreign assignment as deputy director-general of the WHO in Geneva, according to an official order. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved grant of cadre clearance to Swaminathan to take up the new assignment from December 1, 2017 to November 18, 2019, it said. Swaminathan is at present Director General Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-cum-Secretary, Department of Health Research. The ACC has also approved curtailment of deputation tenure of Swaminathan as DG ICMR to enable her to take up the assignment at the World Health Organisation (WHO), the order said. It has also approved a search-cum selection committee headed by cabinet secretary P K Sinha to identify Swaminathan's successor. P K Mishra, additional principal secretary to the prime minister, Prof P Balaram, former director, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, T Ramasami, former secretary, department of science and technology and P N Tandon, emeritus professor, neurosurgery, AIIMS, are other members of the panel. Swaminathan's appointment as the deputy director-general for programmes was announced early last month by the World Health Organisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court today granted three days to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file its response to a bail application filed by alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani, arrested in a money laundering case involving Kashmiri separatist Shabir Shah. The accused, who was earlier refused the relief, has moved a fresh bail plea, citing a recent Supreme Court judgement striking down a stringent condition for securing bail in money laundering cases. Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma posted the matter for December 1 after the advocate appearing for the central probe agency said he needed time to go through the apex court judgement. The application said the court had denied the bail while applying the rigour of Section 45(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which was struck down by the Supreme Court last week on the grounds that it was "manifestly arbitrary" and "unconstitutional" as it drastically intruded into the fundamental rights of the accused. "Since the section has been declared unconstitutional, the present application is being filed in view of this changed circumstance," the application, filed today by advocate M S Khan, said. The trial court had denied bail to the accused, terming the alleged offence as "grave and serious". The fresh application filed today submitted that a 2010 trial court judgement clearing Wani of terror funding charges in 2005 case, based on which the current money laundering case was lodged in 2007, was confirmed by the Delhi High Court on October 31. "The effect of confirmation of acquittal of the applicant (Wani) is that there is no material left to connect him with the co-accused (Shah) as it was not proved that money was recovered or was meant to be used for any illegal purpose (hawala)," the plea said. The ED had in September filed a charge sheet against Wani and Shah, whose bail application in the case was also dismissed on August 22. Wani was arrested by the ED from Srinagar on August 6 and is currently in judicial custody. Shabir Shah was arrested by the agency from Srinagar on July 26. The ED action against the two was in pursuance of an August 2005 case in which the Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested Wani, who is alleged to have claimed he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah. In 2010, a Delhi court had cleared Wani of terror funding charges but convicted him under the Arms Act. The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Shah and Wani. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Commerce & Industry Minister has asked the industry to set a timeline for achieving a $1 trillion in manufacturing revenue and take its share in GDP to 20 per cent. The share of manufacturing in GDP has been trending at 16-17 per cent for some years now and the previous Manmohan Singh government had set a target of taking this share to 25 per cent of GDP by the turn of 2025. "The government aims to increase the share of manufacturing in GDP to 20 per cent," the minister told a CII-organised event on the topic here today without offering a timeline to achieve the same. But instead he asked the industry to set a timeline for themselves to achieve this as also to take the value of manufacturing GDP to $1 trillion. "Without a number it is not possible for the industry to prepare a roadmap for achieving this milestone," he said. To help achieve this, the minister said government is working on getting into the top 50 slot in the World Bank's ease of doing business rankings. "We have jumped 30 slots to 100 in the ease of doing business ranking in 2018 (of the World Bank), and we want to be among the top 50. We are on the verge of a big economic growth and the recent upgrading by credit rating agency is also a recognition of a series of reforms undertaken by the government," he said. It can be noted that early this month, the World Bank ranked the country at the 100th slot in its ease of doing business report for 2018, climbing 30 notches from 2017 citing the central and state reforms. Prabhu also expressed optimism that exports will gather momentum going forward on the back of the revival in the economy which is on course to double to $5 trillion and become the world's third largest in over the next few years. He pointed out that government is establishing relationships with top Fortune 500 companies and will welcome all sorts of foreign investments that help in creating jobs. Promising to ease the problems being faced by exporters under the new tax regime, he admitted that "exporters are facing challenges in the goods and services tax (GST) regime and that his ministry is taking up the issue with the authorities concerned." "It is not possible for a small businessman to sit here and do business globally. We want to create a support system, especially for small businesses, by creating a brand equity for India globally. Linkages with global markets are necessary for promoting our products and we will do that," the minister said. He also said government is identifying specific products that can be sold in specific geographies globally through market research with the help of the Exim Bank, and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Taking note of the potential of countries like Russia and other geographies, he said, "we are working on a strategy for each of these markets. We are also looking at opening offices in 10 geographies to penetrate in global markets." He said his ministry will work on developing global supply chains for the agriculture sector. "We've the right to access global markets for our farm produce by removing all trade restrictive practices," he said. President Ram Nath Kovind today conferred the third Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) distinguished Indologist Award on Professor Hiroshi Marui of Japan at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Addressing the gathering, Kovind said Indian culture and its many attributes have evolved over centuries. He said the depth of time has given it a unique strength and character and it is integral, holistic, synthetic and accommodating. That is why it could survive the onslaughts of time and transcend the limits of space, he said. "Indianness is characterised by inclusive pluralism; it is rooted in the principle of 'Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah' that is -- dharma or the virtuous order, which when protected, protects all without exclusion," he said. Kovind said it was a matter of great satisfaction that the third distinguished Indology Award has been conferred on a scholar from Japan, a country with which India has had cross- flow of ideas, art, literature and religious philosophy for ages. "These have led to deep spiritual affinity and cultural understanding between the two peoples," he said. He said with Okakura Tenshin and his association with Swami Vivekananda and Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, a new chapter unfolded in the Indo-Japanese understanding. "Professor Hiroshi Marui has spent over 40 years working on Indian philosophy and Buddhist Studies. His many acclaimed publications and research papers are considered final authority on several subjects the world over," he said. Kovind said as the President of Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Marui has made significant contribution to propagate Indology amongst the youth in Japan. "I congratulate him for receiving this prestigious award and warmly thank him for his exemplary contribution to Indology," he said. Kovind said Indologists over generations have helped in a deeper understanding of India's history and civilisation. "We are truly grateful to Professor Hiroshi Marui for his contribution to Indology," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind will arrive here tomorrow on his four-day maiden visit to West Bengal, Mizoram and Nagaland after assuming office. After his arrival here, the President would be given a civic reception by the West Bengal government and Kolkata Municipal Corporation at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Mayor Sovan Chatterjee would be present. The president is also scheduled to interact with the scientific community on 'Vigyan Chintan - Scientific Ecosystem' at the Council Hall of the Raj Bhavan here tomorrow. On November 29, Kovind would visit the birth place of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore at Jorasanko and Netaji Bhavan, the residence of nationalist leader Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He would then attend the closing ceremony of centenary celebrations of Bose Institute, a premier research institute established by Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose. The president would visit the global headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission and Math at Belur Math on the same day before leaving for Mizoram's capital city Aizawl. Kovind is slated to inaugurate housing complexes for economically weaker sections under the 'Basic Services to Urban Poor Scheme' at Aizawl Raj Bhavan, on that day. On November 30, the president would address a special session of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly. He would later that day interact with various prominent citizens and NGOs in Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. On December 1, the concluding day of his visit, the president is scheduled to inaugurate the Hornbill Festival and State Formation Day celebrations of Nagaland, before leaving for Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind will arrive here tomorrow on his two-day maiden visit to West Bengal after assuming office. After his arrival the President would be given a civic reception by the West Bengal government and Kolkata Municipal Corporation at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and city Mayor Sovan Chatterjee would be present. The president is also scheduled to interact with scientific community on 'Vigyan Chintan - Scientific Ecosystem' at the Council Hall of the Raj Bhavan here tomorrow. He would also visit the birth place of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore at Jorasanko and Netaji Bhavan, the residence of the nationalist leader Netjai Subhas Chandra Bose on November 29. He would also attend the closing ceremony of centenary celebrations of Bose Institute, a premier research institute of the country established by Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose on that day. The president would visit global headquarters of the Ramakrishna Mission and Math at Belur Math on November 29 before leaving for New Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A priest of a temple in a village here was murdered by unknown assailants, police said today. The incident happened last night in Burja village, under the jurisdiction of Mant police station, Deputy Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar Yadav said. "It appears that Ramdas (60) was engaged in cooking when his throat was slit," DSP Yadav said. Ramdas, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, was a priest of a temple in the village, he said. He was involved in a dispute over a plot of land with another villager and the case is pending in a court, Yadav said, adding that the body was sent for postmortem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Britain's Prince Harry is to marry his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle, after they got engaged earlier this month, according to an official announcement today. Harry, fifth in line to the British throne, is engaged to Markle, confirming months of rumours that the couple was close to tying the knot. Markle a mixed-race American raised in California, an outspoken full-time actress, and a divorcee makes a surprising addition to Britain's monarchy. "The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle," Clarence House said in a statement on behalf of Harry's father Prince Charles. "The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course," it adds. The announcement confirms that the couple had got engaged earlier this month and that the 33-year-old Harry had informed Queen Elizabeth II of his intention to marry Markle. "Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Markle's parents. The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace," Clarence House said. Harry has been dating 36-year-old Markle since July 2016 and there has been increasing speculation of a wedding in the New Year ever since the actress moved her dogs to the UK from her Canadian home in Toronto. The star of the US legal drama 'Suits' has virtually moved into Kensington Palace and had been photographed shopping in Chelsea in London last week. It is unclear if the wedding will be a full church wedding, given that Markle is a divorcee. Historically, Britain's royals have frowned upon such weddings but that changed as the Queen gave her consent in 2005 for Prince Charles to marry Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who was also a divorcee. UK bookmaker Ladbrokes had stopped taking bets on the engagement last week and some press reports over the weekend indicated that British Prime Minister Theresa May had "cleared her diary" in expectation of an announcement. It had been reported last month that the couple went for tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, which was seen as a meeting to seek the monarch's blessing for an engagement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Giving a fillip to its industrial development agenda, the Punjab government today signed 50 MoUs, with a total investment of Rs 1200 crore, for the upcoming plastic clusters in the state, an official statement said here. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, in whose presence the MoUs were signed here, said the Congress government had already taken various initiatives, including elimination of truck cartels, to aid industrial development. The chief minister released a document titled "Investment Opportunities in the Plastic Sector", outlining the government's plans to promote investment in the plastic sector and the fiscal incentives for the MSME Plastic Processing Units, the release said. He said the government was mulling 50 per cent reduction in fixed charges of power for the industry. Singh added that industrial power tariff of Rs 5/unit would be effective from November 1, 2017, as was announced by the state government. Amarinder lauded the HMEL's World Class Cracker and Petrochemical Complex at Bathinda, which he said would open up vast opportunities in the plastic processing, plastic machinery, additives and related industries in Punjab. HMEL has already invested Rs 32000 crore in the state and is planning to invest of Rs 23000 crore more, which will facilitate Punjab's industrial development, the chief minister was quoted as saying. He added that the increase in availability of plastic raw materials would offer immense opportunities of exponential growth to the plastic processing industry. The state sought to develop plastic industry clusters in Sangrur, Patiala, Bathinda and Ludhiana, Singh said. The chief minister assured the plastic industry of full support in getting clearances at the district level by setting up a single-window system at the district level under the deputy commissioner. He further said his government will seek the Centre's assistance under Plastics Parks Development scheme to develop infrastructure for the industry. The MoUs, signed today by the Department of Industries and Commerce, envisage the creation of about 6000 jobs, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five state-run procurement agencies have purchased 26,174 lakh MT paddy in the state so far this season, the Punjab government said today. With the Reserve Bank of India releasing cash credit limit amounting to Rs 33,800.22 crore for procurement, the state government has paid Rs 27,409 crore to farmers and 'arthiyas' (commission agents) till November 26, the state cabinet was informed today. The Punjab Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, today reviewed the progress of paddy procurement in the state in the current season, which began on October 1 and will end on December 15. A detailed presentation was made to apprise the cabinet about the progress of ongoing paddy procurement. The cabinet expressed satisfaction over the procurement process, an official spokesperson said. The cabinet meeting was informed that as of November, 26,174 lakh MT Paddy had been procured by five state procurement agencies -- PUNGRAIN, MARKFED, PUNSUP, PSWC, PAFC and FCI, selected for procurement on MSP as per specification laid down by the Central government. The Centre has fixed Rs 1550 for common variety and Rs 1590 for 'A' grade paddy per quintal as minimum support price during Kharif Marketing season 2017-18. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Railway Minister was hospitalised today after he complained of uneasiness but was doing "fine" now, a senior railway official said. Before hospitalisation, Goyal visited suburban Elphinstone Road and Currey Road stations to take stock of ongoing construction of the Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) by the Army. Goyal complained of uneasiness after addressing a review meeting of senior Central and Western Railway officials at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus this evening. "After holding a review meeting with the officials, the minister complained of uneasiness due to acidity. An ambulance was called as part of protocol though he was fit enough to walk and preferred to travel in his own vehicle," the official. "He (Goyal) has been admitted to a private hospital and is fine now," he added. Goyal did not attend a scheduled press conference due to ill health. "Visited Elphinstone Road railway station and reviewed the progress of foot overbridge's construction. The Army has been working tirelessly to build the infrastructure within the given timeline," Goyal said in a tweet tonight. The Rajasthan Police has arrested 4,452 people in the past seven days in connection with various criminal activities in different districts of the state. At a meeting via video-conferencing, the police headquarters recently directed all district superintendents of police to act against criminals involved in bootlegging, crime against women, betting and illegal arms cases. Among those arrested, seven people were held for molestation of women, 124 for bootlegging, 253 for betting, and 68 for possession of illegal arms, according to a police statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Renewed Syrian army bombardment of rebel-held Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus today killed 14 people, despite a ceasefire deal for the region, a monitor said. Eastern Ghouta, one of the last remaining opposition strongholds in Syria, is among four so-called "de-escalation zones" set up earlier this year under a deal agreed by regime allies Russia and Iran, and rebel supporter Turkey. But despite the deal, violence has spiralled in the area in recent days. Today, air strikes and artillery fire on several parts of Eastern Ghouta killed at least 14 civilians, the Britain-based monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The deaths come a day after at least 23 civilians were killed in the region in regime air strikes and artillery fire, among them four children. The Observatory says regime bombardment of Eastern Ghouta has killed more than 100 people in the past two weeks. Rebels have also fired from the area into Damascus in deadly attacks of a kind rarely seen in the capital. Eastern Ghouta is already in the grip of a humanitarian crisis caused by a crushing regime siege of the area since 2013 that has caused severe food and medical shortages. Humanitarian access to Eastern Ghouta has remained limited despite the implementation of the ceasefire zone, and a United Nations official has named the region as the "epicentre of suffering" in Syria. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since its conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A research by IIT Kharagpur faculty in collaboration with the University of Rochester and ICTS, Bengaluru have paved way for futuristic technology development. Calling it a path breaking research, an IIT Kharagpur statement today said it has opened up possibilities for the development of quantum devices. Prof Sajal Dhara who joined the Department of Physics at IITKGP in 2016, has discovered along with his collaborators negative mass particles of polaritons which are composed of half-light and half-matter. Mass of such polaritons thus created is lighter than the mass of an electron by a factor of 0.00001, the statement said. Prof Dhara and his collaborators at University of Rochester and ICTS (International Centre for Theoretical Sciences) have discovered new insights on the mass of such particles which will lead to a giant leap towards futuristic technology development, the statement said. The research has been featured in the esteemed Nature Physics journal in their October 2017 issue. The collaborators involved in this work are Dr C Chakraborty, Dr K M Goodfellow, Dr L Qiu, Dr T A OLoughlin, Prof G W Wicks, Prof A N Vamivakas, all from University of Rochester and Prof Subhro Bhattacharjee from ICTS which is a centre of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). Elaborating on the research, the statement said, scientists can artificially create a combined particle state that is made of half-light and half-matter, known as polaritons. Light is an electromagnetic wave but it also shows particle properties with zero mass. On the other hand, matters are made of atoms with certain mass, the statement said. "The area of research is itself a promising field for the development of a future generation of technologies at room temperature," he said. The aim is to look for a particle other than electron to build advanced devices. This will witness a giant leap from smart electronic to smart polaritonic devices promising to increase manifold the speed and storage capacity at which tomorrow's devices like laptops and smart phones work. Polaritonics is an intermediate regime between photonics and sub-microwave electronics. Dhara has received substantial funding from MHRD, ISIRD (International Society of Invertebrate Reproduction and Development and the SERB (Science & Engineering Research Board) Ramanujan Fellowship research grant for developing his lab facilities at IIT Kharagpur. One of the long term goals of his 'Nanoscale Optoelectronics lab (set up for understanding the optical, electronic, and quantum properties of novel solid state nano-structures by nanoscale device design) would be to investigate the light-matter interaction for the development of futuristic technologies and basic science. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five armed and masked robbers allegedly looted around Rs 63 lakh cash from the office of a private company in Chhattisgarh's Janjgir-Champa district, police said today. The robbers barged into the office of Writer safeguard Pvt Ltd, which deals in protecting and collecting cash and valuables, located under Champa police station area late last night and looted Rs 63 lakh by breaking off one of the lockers,Janjgir-Champa Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav told PTI. The armed men, with their faces covered, arrived there on three motorcycles and took the key of the entrance of the office from two guards deployed there at gun-point, the officer said. According to Yadav, after committing the robbery, they escaped. The company has the contract of collecting cash from liquor shops. Usually, the firm immediately deposits the collected cash in the bank but as it was a Sunday the cash wasn't deposited, he said. A case was lodged against unidentified persons and probe was underway, Yadav added. Police teams were being sent to different locations to identify and trace the accused, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A court in Russia's second city Saint Petersburg sentenced a man to two years in a penal colony today for insulting high-ranking state officials on social media. Vladimir Timoshenko, 43, was found guilty of writing a post on popular Russian social network Vkontakte that "contained text of humiliating and insulting nature towards high placed officials," the court said in a statement. Timoshenko wrote the post in 2015 while serving a six year prison sentence, the statement added without clarifying what his previous conviction was. In the post, which has since disappeared from Vkontakte, Timoshenko called on Russians to rise up against an "unpopular regime." Prison terms for social media posts are not uncommon in Russia. In December 2016, a internet user was sentenced to two years in a penal colony for publishing an article criticising Russia's bombing campaign in Syria online. In May 2016, a Russian engineer was given two years and three months in a camp for sharing pro-Ukrainian articles on social media. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russian air strikes on Monday morning killed at least 53 civilians, including 21 children, in a village held by the Islamic State group in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province, a monitor said in a new toll. "The toll increased after removing the debris in a long day of rescue operation," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP, adding the strikes hit "residential buildings" in the village of Al-Shafah on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. The monitor previously gave a toll of 34. The Supreme Court today permitted the Centre to withdraw four of the eight companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) from strife-torn Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal for deployment in poll- bound Gujarat. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud agreed to the Centre's plea to relocate half of the remaining paramilitary forces from the state's strife-torn districts to the poll-bound state after being told that the situation in country's eastern part was returning to normal. "We will leave it to the government," the bench said after Attorney General K K Venugopal told the bench that the matter should be decided by the government. "We (government) have elections in Gujarat. These matters are to be decided by the government and the court should not venture here," Venugopal said. He said the Union of India was alive to the situation prevailing in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts and now "the situation there is returning to normalcy". The apex court considered the statement and permitted the Centre to withdraw maximum four out of eight CAPF companies. The court had on October 27 permitted the Centre to withdraw seven of the 15 companies of CAPF from Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal for deployment in poll- bound states of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Observing that law and order was a "state subject", the court had stayed the Calcutta High Court order restraining the Centre from relocating the paramilitary forces from the state and had asked the state government to respond to the Centre's appeal within a week. The High Court had asked the Centre to allow all 15 companies of paramilitary forces to remain in the state. The apex court on October 25 had agreed to hear the Centre's plea challenging the High Court order on withdrawal of security forces. The Calcutta High Court had stayed the withdrawal of paramilitary forces from Darjeeling hills, the scene of unrest over the statehood demand, till October 27 after the state government approached it opposing the Centre's decision. The Centre had said it needed to deploy the forces in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, besides the borders of Jammu and Kashmir and in the north-eastern states. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court today spoke to a Kerala woman in the alleged love-jihad case and sent her to Salem in Tamil Nadu to enable her pursue homoeopathic studies. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra directed the Kerala police to provide Hadiya with security and ensure that she travelled to Salem at the earliest. The apex court appointed the dean of the Salem-based homoeopathic college as Hadiya's guardian and granted him liberty to approach it in case of any problem. Hadiya has been staying at her parental home for several weeks. The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, directed the college and the university to re-admit Hadiya and grant her hostel facilities. During the hearing which went for over-two hours, the woman said she wanted to go with her husband Shafin Jahan. The top court fixed the hearing on Jahan's plea against Kerala HC order annulling his marriage with Hadiya to third week of January next year. Jahan had on September 20 approached the apex court seeking recall of its order directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of conversion and marriage of a Hindu woman with him. The Kerala High Court had annulled the marriage terming it as an instance of 'love jihad', following which he had approached the apex court. The top court had on August 16 directed the NIA to probe the incident under the supervision of retired apex court judge, Justice R V Raveendran. Jahan, who had married a Hindu woman in last December, had moved the apex court after the Kerala High Court annulled his marriage, saying it was an insult to the independence of women in the country. The woman, a Hindu, had converted to Islam and later married Jahan. It was alleged that the woman was recruited by Islamic State's mission in Syria and Jahan was only a stooge. Ashokan K M, the father of the woman, had alleged that there was a "well-oiled systematic mechanism" for conversion and Islamic radicalisation. The high court, while declaring the marriage as "null and void", had described the case as an instance of 'love jihad' and ordered the state police to conduct probe into such cases. Markets regulator Sebi today imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Finalysis Credit & Guarantee Company for failure to redress investor grievances. According to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), 13 complaints related to non-receipt of shares after transfer, among others, were pending against the firm. All the complaints were filed with the regulator during the period from February to May, 2013 in Sebi Complaints Redressal System (SCORES). "The lack of response by the noticee (Finalysis Credit & Guarantee Company Ltd) in resolving the complaint/ responding to Sebi has resulted in delay of more than four years in all the thirteen complaints and all the thirteen complaints continue to be pending as on date. "This is a deliberate act by the noticee and detrimental to the interest of the securities market and Sebi's endeavour for speedy redressal of investor grievance," the regulator said in an order. The regulator also noted that by not responding to its direction to appear before it for discussion regarding redressal of investor complaints, the firm has clearly indicated its unwillingness and disregard towards its responsibility to redress investor complaints. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Separatist JKLF leader Mohammad Yasin Malik was today arrested by the police and shifted to the central jail here as a preventive measure, his organisation claimed. "Police today cordoned the residence of Malik and arrested him. He was immediately shifted to the central jail, Srinagar," a JKLF spokesman said in a statement. He said that several JKLF activists including Bashir Ahmad Rather, Ghulam Geelani Rather, Fayaz Ahmad Mir and Mushtaq Ahmad Wani were already in police custody. The spokesman claimed that the arrest was carried out in the wake of a strike called by separatists. A blanket ban on the peaceful political activities of separatist leaders, arresting Malik and placing Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest has become a common practice, he alleged. A police official, however, refused to give details. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Lok Sabha member from Arunachal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to take up with the Chinese government the unusual receding of Siang river at Pasighat and a sudden change in its water quality. Ninong Ering, Congress MP from the East Constituency, apprehended that the change in water quality, which is unusual during the winter saeson, could be due to a possible diversion of the river in Tibet. While visiting the Siang River at Pasighat in East Siang district on Saturday, Ering said that the recent report of China constructing a tunnel of 1,000 km to divert the Siang (Brahmaputra) water to the Xinjiang province to the Taklamakan desert is likely to be true although China had denied it. He mentioned in the letter sent on Saturday, the report of Tsangpo (Siang/Brahmaputra) being diverted had appeared a few months back. Althogh China denied it, the matter remains an area of concern with the river suddenly undergoing a change in its appearance and character. After the report appeared, the river Siang has become muddy and slushy. It is already two months that the Siang has turned black and contaminated. It is an unusual phenomenon. "The reason for the river getting dirty is unknown. I have already put questions for discussions in Parliament under rule 377. But since it is not in session, I am requesting you to use your good office to seek the reason of the river being muddy in this season when the water is crystal clear. Construction of a 600-km long tunnel has already started in the Yunnan province as a rehearsal, Ering said in his letter. The Congress MP further said there is no other reason for the mighty Siang getting dirty in the month of November other than a heavy land excavation in the Chinese side and that has to be verified by an international team. When I saw the water, it looked like it was mixed with cement. It is a very serious issue and the Centre must take it seriously, the MP said. Ering said a large number of fish has also died in the Siang river in recent times and he got it confirmed from Tuting and Geling areas in Upper Siang district close to China border. He has also appealed to the External Affairs ministry and the Water Resources ministry to expedite measures to check the diversion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As it confronts the problem of rising air pollution and smog, the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana is looking at renewable energy plants to convert crop residue into electricity. Renewable energy plants are being established for utilising crop residue and there is a plan to generate 50 MW electricity from them, according to a state government release. In a meeting of a committee constituted to reduce pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), chaired by Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi here today, it also emerged that 2,955 cases of crop residue burning had come to light this year and 236 FIRs were registered, the statement said. Compared to last year, the cases of crop residue burning are considerably less this year, it said. The Manohar Lal Khattar government in the state will provide a subsidy of Rs 61 crore to farmers for optimum utilisation of crop residue by December 2017, it added. In the meeting, officials of the agriculture department said that farmers were being encouraged not to burn crop residue. Renewable energy plants are being set up for utilising the crop residue and there is a plan to generate 50MW electricity from these plants, the statement said. The urban local bodies department informed that a plantation drive was being planned in Gurgaon and Faridabad, and plantation was being carried out on sectors of dividing roads. The chief secretary directed the police commissioners of Gurgaon and Faridabad that the vehicles of people visiting shopping malls should be parked in the designated parking space and not on roads. He also directed making pollution checking centres online. Dhesi said that these centres would be established at all petrol pumps in the state for which the deputy commissioner concerned would issue licenses. The Haryana and Punjab governments have imposed a ban on burning paddy residue. The state authorities are providing subsidy on farm implements like happy seeder, rotavators and straw reapers for managing straw in a sustainable manner to stop the practice. The problem of crop stubble burning has assumed alarming proportions as it leads to severe air pollution levels. Only, recently, large parts of north India including New Delhi suffered under a thick blanket of smog for several days. Burning of paddy residue causes air pollution, smog and also lead to serious medical problems such as breathing issues, allergies and asthma attacks. It causes emission of smoke and toxic gases such as carbondioxide, carbon monoxide, methane and nitrous oxide. It also leads to poor soil health as the phenomenon eliminates essential nutrients, experts said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh today said the ongoing Inter-Regional Media Interaction Programme between Myanmar and India marks the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations of the two countries. Speaking at the inaugural session, Biren said the interaction would strengthen ties through "people-to-people" connectivity between the two neighbours. Talking about the media, the chief minister said in a democracy, it should be strengthened to play a crucial role in delivering good governance and creating good civic sense among the masses. The two-day programme will also focus on the media's role in promoting India's Act East Policy, and its role in highlighting about connectivity and trade between Myanmar and India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ten members of Sudan's controversial counter-insurgency unit have been killed in clashes with fighters loyal to a powerful militia leader in war-torn Darfur, the official SUNA agency reported today. Clashes between troops from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and fighters loyal to Musa Hilal erupted when a unit of RSF was ambushed near the hometown of Hilal in the state of North Darfur. "An RSF commander and nine other members were martyred when they were ambushed near Mustariaha," SUNA reported. Mustariaha is the hometown and bastion of Hilal, whose fighters have reportedly clashed with RSF troops in Darfur several times in recent months. The RSF commander and nine others were "ambushed by outlaws" when they had gone to check another ambush in the same area, the report said, referring to Hilal's fighters as outlaws. "The incident occurred when the RSF unit was in the area as part of the government's arms collection programme," it said. A separate statement issued by RSF confirmed the death toll. Tribal sources in the region said the clashes were fierce as both sides used light and heavy weapons. Darfur, a region of the size of France, has been awash with weapons since 2003, when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against President Omar al-Bashir's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of economic and political marginalisation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sudan's counter-insurgency forces have arrested a powerful militia chief from Darfur accused by the United Nations of human rights abuses in the war-torn region, the official agency said today. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrested Musa Hilal, a former aide to President Omar al-Bashir, near his hometown of Mustariaha in the state of North Darfur, said State Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Ali Mohamed Salem in a statement to parliament carried by SUNA. Mohamed Salem said Hilal's son Habeeb was also detained, but did not specify when exactly the arrests took place. "They were arrested after clashes in the area but the security situation there is now stable," Mohamed Salem said. "They will soon be brought to Khartoum." Yesterday, fierce fighting erupted between fighters loyal to Hilal and an RSF unit near Mustariaha, in which the RSF said it lost 10 members including a commander. Mustariaha is the hometown and bastion of Hilal, whose fighters from the Arab Mahamid tribe have regularly clashed with RSF troops in Darfur in recent months. The fighting Sunday had erupted when an RSF unit was ambushed as it oversaw a weapons hand-in near Mustariaha under a disarmament programme launched by the government across Darfur after it announced the conflict had ended early this year. Darfur, a region of the size of France, has been awash with weapons since 2003, when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of economic and political discrimination. The weapons are held by tribal militias, including some backed by government forces, and authorities now want them to be surrendered. But Hilal -- a former aide of Bashir -- and his fighters have refused to hand in their arms. During the initial years of the conflict in Darfur, Hilal and his fighters had fought on the side of government forces against black African rebels in the region. He is under a UN travel ban and on a list of individuals sanctioned for "human rights atrocities" during the early years of the conflict. The UN and rights groups have accused him of attacking several villages and even displaced people's camps. The UN and Washington say he played a key role in mobilising pro-government Arab militias that attacked black African rebels and villagers who had allegedly backed rebel groups. Hilal denies these accusations, saying that he organised his tribesmen in order to defend their lands and properties following a call by Khartoum. In 2008 Hilal was appointed as an adviser to Bashir, but a few years later a rift erupted between him and the government when he accused Khartoum of ignoring his political demands. Since then, he and hundreds of his fighters have often clashed with the RSF in Darfur, threatening the recent gains achieved in the region. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a market on Baghdad's outskirts today, leaving 11 people dead, a security official said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. "Five suicide bombers attacked a market and shops in the Nahrawan area" east of the Iraqi capital, a police captain told AFP. "The police killed three of them but the other two blew themselves up" killing 11 civilians and wounding 31, he said. He added that the blasts also wounded two security personnel in the district, 35 kilometres east of the Iraqi capital. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack in a message on its Amaq propaganda channel. IS said the assault had targeted members of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary alliance and claimed it had killed 35 people. The mostly Shiite Hashed fighters are at the forefront of the battle against the Sunni jihadists. IS has suffered a string of military defeats in both Syria and Iraq, where in 2014 it proclaimed a "caliphate" after seizing territories the size of Italy. Last week it lost control of the last town it had held in Iraq. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a market on Baghdad's outskirts today, leaving eight people dead, a security official said, adding police killed three other assailants. "Five suicide bombers attacked a market and shops in the Nahrawan area" east of the Iraqi capital, a police captain told AFP. "The police killed three of them but the other two blew themselves up, killing eight civilians and wounding nine," he said. He added that two security personnel were also wounded in the blast in the district, 35 kilometres southeast of the Iraqi capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Syrian peace talks set to open in Geneva this week hit a roadblock when President Bashar al-Assad's government refused to confirm it was attending and instead told the United Nations that no delegation would be arriving today. The eighth round of UN-led talks, scheduled to begin today, was seen as an opportunity to achieve progress toward ending the devastating six-year war after the opposition sent a united delegation to Geneva. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, however, told the Security Council that during weekend talks with his deputy, "the government did not yet confirm its participation in Geneva but indicated that we would be hearing from them soon." "Last night, we received a message that the government would not travel to Geneva today," De Mistura said via videoconference from the Swiss city. Assad said last week, after a meeting in Russia with President Vladimir Putin, that he was ready for talks. "Naturally we know, and indeed expect, that the government will be on its way shortly," De Mistura said, "particularly in light of President Assad's commitment to President Putin when they met in Sochi." Amid the uncertainty over the Geneva talks, Russia has proposed holding a "congress" to bring together the government and opposition in Sochi, the Russian resort city on the Black Sea. But so far it has set no date for that gathering. Moscow is seeking UN support for the Sochi meeting, but De Mistura told the council that it was "premature" for him to declare his backing for the initiative. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Notwithstanding a government ban, the 63rd birth anniversary of the slain LTTE chief Velupillai Prabakaran was celebrated by some leaders of a pro-Tamil party in his home town in northern Sri Lanka. Member of Northern Provincial Council M K Shivajilingam of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led the commemoration event held at Velvettiturai, where the LTTE leader's house was originally located prior to the end of the civil war in 2009, Tamil sources said. The participants cut a cake at a function which was attended by some TNA leaders and public, they said. Prabakaran's death in 2009 signaled the end to the three decade-long armed struggle by his organisation, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). During the civil war days, Prabhakaran used to deliver speech on the LTTE's annual policy on November 27. Meanwhile, the government announced that it was illegal to commemorate Prabhakaran's birth anniversary. "The LTTE is a banned organisation and remembering Prabakaran, who caused a lot of misery to even Tamil people should not be celebrated," Deputy minister of power and energy Ajith P Perera said. The government has also initiated a probe into the use of funds from the state's decentralised budget to renovate a cemetery for slain LTTE cadres. State minister of national policies and economic affairs Niroshan Perera said that a probe was launched following reports that TNA MP S Sridharan had allocated Rs 4 million out of his decentralised budget to renovate the LTTE heroes cemetery in Kilinochchi. He said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had been informed about the move and an investigation has now been launched. He said that there are certain guidelines which need to be followed when utilising funds from the decentralised budget. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The badly decomposed remains of ten people have been found on Japan's coast across the sea from North Korea, along with the wreckage of two boats, officials said today. The discovery comes just days after a group of eight fishermen, who said they were from North Korea, washed up on the same shore. Police said two cadavers were found in separate places on the edge of the surf on Sado island, which lies around 750 kilometres (450 miles) from North Korea across the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The bodies had begun to putrefy, and had nothing to identify them, senior local police official Hideaki Sakyo told AFP. However, he added, there were boxes of North Korean tobacco as well as boat parts and life jackets with Korean script nearby. A wrecked wooden boat with squid-fishing equipment was also found on the coastline. Separately, coastguard officials spotted eight bodies inside a battered wooden boat off northern Akita prefecture. High waves had prevented officials from investigating since the boat was first spotted on Friday, they said. Television footage showed a wrecked vessel with an eight-digit number on it, which washed up on Oga peninsula on Sunday. "Nothing else was found on the beach nearby, and so far we haven't found anything" that suggests a definite link with North Korea, a coastguard spokeswoman told AFP. Dozens of North Korean fishing vessels wash up on Japan's coast every year. Sometimes the boats' occupants have already died at sea, a phenomenon local media refer to as "ghost ships". Experts say some North Korean fishermen travel far out to sea in order to satisfy government mandates for bigger catches. But their old and poorly equipped vessels are prone to mechanical and other problems, including running out of fuel, and there are few ways for them to call for rescue. Surviving drifters frequently request to be sent home, but some of them are defectors who are eventually sent to South Korea. Japan and North Korea have a tense relationship, with Pyongyang routinely issuing verbal threats as well as firing missiles near or above Japan. But the Japanese coastguard occasionally rescues North Korean fishermen in maritime accidents in regional waters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities ordered a mass evacuation of people Monday from an expanded danger zone around an erupting volcano on Bali that has forced the Indonesian island's airport to close, stranding tens of thousands of travellers. Mount Agung has been hurling clouds of white and dark grey ash about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the atmosphere since the weekend. A mudflow of volcanic debris and water are known as a lahar was filmed moving down the volcano's slopes. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency raised the alert to the highest level on Monday and expanded the danger zone to 10 kilometres in places from the previous maximum of 7.5 kilometres. It said in a statement that a larger eruption is possible. Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference in Jakarta that the extension of the danger zone affects 22 villages and about 90,000 to 100,000 people. He said about 40,000 people have evacuated but have not left because they feel safe or don't want to abandon their livestock. "Authorities will comb the area to persuade them," he said. "If needed we will forcibly evacuate them." About 25,000 people were already living in evacuation centres after an increase in tremors from the mountain in September sparked an evacuation. Bali's airport was closed early Monday after ash reached its airspace. Flight information boards showed rows of cancellations as tourists arrived at the busy airport expecting to catch flights home. Airport spokesman Air Ahsanurrohim said 445 flights were cancelled, stranding about 59,000 travellers. The closure is in effect until Tuesday morning though officials said the situation will be reviewed every six hours. Bali is Indonesia's top tourist destination, with its gentle Hindu culture, surf beaches and lush green interior attracting about 5 million visitors a year. Some flights to and from Bali were cancelled on Saturday and Sunday but most had continued to operate normally as the towering ash clouds were moving east toward the neighbouring island of Lombok. "We now have to find a hotel and spend more of our money that they're not going to cover us for when we get home, unfortunately," said Canadian tourist Brandon Olsen who was stranded at Bali's airport with his girlfriend. Indonesia's Directorate General of Land Transportation said 100 buses are being deployed to Bali's airport and to ferry terminals to help travellers stranded by the eruption of Mount Agung. The agency's chief, Budi, said major ferry crossing points have been advised to prepare for a surge in passengers and vehicles. Stranded tourists could leave Bali by taking a ferry to neighbouring Java and then travel by land to the nearest airports. The geological agency head, Kasbani, who goes by one name, said the alert level was raised because the volcano has shifted from steam-based eruptions to magmatic eruptions. He told Indonesian television on Monday morning that he did not expect a big eruption but added: "we have to stay alert and anticipate." The volcano's last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people. Ash has settled on villages and resorts around the volcano and soldiers and police distributed masks on the weekend. In Karangasem district that surrounds the volcano, tourists stopped to watch the towering plumes of ash as children made their way to their schools. Indonesia sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire" and has more than 120 active volcanoes. Mount Agung's alert status was raised to the highest level in September following a dramatic increase in tremors from the volcano, which doubled the exclusion zone around the crater and prompted more than 140,000 people to leave the area. The alert was lowered on October 29 after a decrease in activity but about 25,000 people remained in evacuation centres. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court today extended the judicial custody of Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of globally-wanted terrorist Syed Salahuddin, in a 2011 terror funding case till December 22. District Judge Poonam A Bamba also decided to hear the bail application oved by Yousuf, arrested and currently in the judicial custody, on December 16. In his bail application, the accused said he was not required for the purpose of investigation and no purpose would be served by keeping him in further custody. The NIA had earlier alleged that the accused had links with proscribed terrorist organisation like Hizb-ul-Mujahedin. It had said the case was registered on the basis of information regarding funds from Pakistan being sent to Jammu and Kashmir through hawala channels via Delhi to fund terrorism. The NIA had in 2011 arrested several persons including one Ghulam Mohd Bhat with Rs 21.2 lakh, alleging that Yousuf was "one of the several Indian contacts of Bhat" who had been in telephonic contact with him for receiving money transfer codes. It had alleged that Yousuf's involvement was found in collecting funds from a terrorist outfit in Saudi Arabia as well as from other accused on directions of his father Mohd Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, self-styled supreme commander of the Hizb-Ul-Mujahiddin. Syed Salahuddin was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State in June this year. The NIA has claimed that so far Yousuf has received a total of nearly Rs 4.5 lakh through eight international wire transfers. The agency has filed two charge sheets against six people including Bhat, a close aide of pro-Pakistan separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammed Siddiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmed Dagga. The NIA had also registered two other cases related to terror funding -- one in November 2011 and the other in May this year. It had filed a charge sheet against 10 people including Salahuddin in the April 2011 case. In the recent case, the NIA arrested 10 people including some close relatives and aides of Geelani. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The textile industry in the region at any given time requires three lakh to five lakh workers, a member of Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF) said today. The industry in and around Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur and part of Bengaluru was facing shortage of labour, particularly skilled workers, ITF board member Srihari Balakrishnan said. He was speaking at a function organised to distribute certificates and appointment orders in ITF member mills trained under Skill Development Programme. Balakrishnan further said ITF has organised a job mela where 1,000 trained candidates were given certificates and 170 received appointment orders. Giving details of the scheme under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojna, ITF convenor Prabhu Dhamodaran said in the pilot phase the member-mills have skill-trained 18,500 workers and for the second, it has signed an MoU with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to train and employ 50,000 candidates. Tirupur Exporters' Association president Raja M Shanmugham said there was a need to tap the real potential of the textile industry in India, which has only four per cent share in the international market. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A rumbling volcano on the resort island of Bali could erupt at any moment, authorities warned today as they raised alert levels to maximum, accelerated a mass evacuation and closed the main airport, leaving tourists stranded. Massive columns of thick grey smoke that have been belching from Mount Agung since last week hae now begun shooting more than three kilometres (two miles) into the sky, forcing flights to be grounded. Some 40,000 frightened people have fled their homes around the volcano but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave, disaster agency officials said after raising the alert to its highest level. The exclusion zone around Agung, which is 75 kilometres from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta, has also been widened to 10 kilometres. "Continuous ash puffs are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions and a weak booming sound," the National Board for Disaster Management said. "The rays of fire are increasingly observed at night. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent." Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes. However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke up into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater. Then on Monday so-called cold lava flows appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava seen in many volcanic eruptions. "I'm very concerned because I left my house behind and I'm also worried about family," said 36-year-old farmer Putu Suyasa, who fled with some of his relatives from a village eight kilometres away from the volcano. "The mountain is spewing thicker smoke than before." Mt Agung last erupted in 1963, killing about 1,600 people in one of the deadliest eruptions in a country that has nearly 130 active volcanoes. The airport in Bali's capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has been closed, a move expected to affect tens of thousands of passengers. "I have to make sure that the runway has no ash," said Bali airport's general manager Yanus Suorayogi. While there was dismay from some tourists who were unable to return to their homes and jobs, others took events in their stride. "What can I say? We have to cooperate because this is a natural disaster," said Indian visitor Krisna Mustafa. Many were told that even in the best scenario it would be several days before they could leave. "My 7:00 am flight this morning got cancelled, just when we were about to board," said 23-year-old Indonesian tourist Merry Handayani Tumanggor. "Now we have to stay in Bali again -- the earliest we can go is on Friday, they say." The airport on nearby Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination east of Bali -- closed on Sunday as ash from Mount Agung headed in that direction, but reopened today. The Australian government put out a travel advisory on Sunday instructing travellers to exercise a high degree of caution. "Volcanic activity may escalate with little or no notice," it said."Past eruptions of Mount Agung have shown this volcano's potential to cause significant impacts... including the potential for widespread ash fall outside the declared danger area." Dozens of Balinese Hindus took part in ceremonies near the volcano on Sunday, offering prayers in the hope of preventing an eruption. Officials have said the activity could be a magmatic eruption -- one which involves the decompression of gas and results in the spewing of ash -- and advised people near the mountain to wear masks. Indonesia is the world's most active volcanic region. The archipelago nation with over 17,000 islands lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities. Last year, seven were killed after Mt. Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra erupted, while 16 were left dead by a Sinabung eruption in 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scientists have developed a swarm of robots measuring about the size of a blood cell that can be remotely operated to diagnose and treat illness in hard-to- reach areas of the human body. The robots, manufactured by coating tiny algae with magnetic particles, can be tracked in tissue close to the skin's surface by imaging the algae's natural fluorescence, and in hard-to-reach deeper tissue by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In tests, a swarm of robots a few millionths of a metre in length were guided magnetically to sites in the stomach of rats. Researchers, led by those from Chinese University of Hong Kong, developed micro-robots by coating a microscopic algae with non-harmful, biocompatible magnetic particles. The devices were tested in the stomach of rats and can smoothly swim in biological fluids, such as dilute blood and gastric fluid, according to the study published in the journal Science Robotics. Scientists, including those from Universities of Edinburgh and Manchester in the UK, suggest that the advance may lead to a way to deliver drugs to parts of the body that are otherwise difficult to treat. The robots could also sense chemical changes linked to the onset of illness within parts of the body, which makes them potentially useful as probes for remote diagnosis. The time taken for the robots to function and biodegrade within the body could be tailored by adjusting the thickness of their manufactured coating. In lab tests, the devices were found to release potent compounds from the algae core during degradation, which selectively attacked cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Further research could show whether this might have potential as a treatment, researchers said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump today slammed the allegedly biased news coverage of his administration, saying the media - except for Fox News - should compete for the "Fake News Trophy". "We should have a contest as to which of the networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favourite President (me)," Trump said on Twitter. "They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY!" Trump wrote on his account which he uses daily to communicate with his large support base. Trump returned to the White House last night after spending the Thanksgiving weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. He also said he is now focusing on the tax cut bill, which once passed by the Congress would bring in massive tax relief to the middle class. "The Tax Cut Bill is coming along very well, great support. With just a few changes, some mathematical, the middle class and job producers can get even more in actual dollars and savings and the pass-through provision becomes simpler and really works well!" he said. President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans scrambled today to make changes to a Republican tax bill in an effort to win over holdout GOP senators and pass a tax package by the end of the year. In a morning tweet, the president said, "With just a few changes, some mathematical, the middle class and job producers can get even more in actual dollars and savings." Trump and Senate leaders are trying to balance competing demands, as some senators fear the package would add to the nation's mounting debt, while others want more generous tax breaks for businesses. In a boost for the legislation, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he would back the measure. Trump hosted Republican members of the Senate Finance Committee at the White House today. Afterward, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said the plan is to vote on the current tax bill this week, then work out the differences between the Senate bill and one passed by the House earlier this month. "We think the Senate bill made some substantial improvements over the House bill but we'll work through those when we get to a conference committee with the House," Cornyn told reporters. But as of today, GOP leaders were still trying to round up the votes in the Senate to pass the bill. "We always have to deal with everybody. It's not any one particular person," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the Finance Committee. "These are tough times, these are tough issues, they're hard to deal with and we've had to deal with them." Trump suggested he is open to making unspecified changes to the way millions of "pass-through" businesses are taxed, a sticking point for some lawmakers. These are businesses in which profits are passed onto the owners, who report the income on their individual tax returns. The vast majority of US businesses, big and small, are taxed this way. Sen Ron Johnson, R-Wis, has already declared his opposition to the current bill, saying it doesn't cut business taxes enough for these types of partnerships and corporations. Johnson gets substantial income from such companies, including a manufacturer he helped found in Wisconsin and a commercial real estate company, according to his financial disclosure statements. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) America's first family will celebrate its first White House Christmas with a nod to tradition, as First Lady Melania Trump gives a personal touch to the annual celebrations. In fact, this year's theme - 'Time-Honoured Traditions' - was designed by First Lady Melania Trump to mark 200 years of holiday traditions at the White House. "The President, Barron, and I are very excited for our first Christmas in the White House," the First Lady said. Throughout December, the White House will host more than 100 open houses and many receptions. More than 25,000 visitors will walk the halls taking part in public tours. "As with many families across the country, holiday traditions are very important to us. I hope when visiting the People's House this year, visitors will get a sense of being home for the holidays. On behalf of my husband and Barron, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and joyous holiday season," the First Lady said today as the White House previewed the decorations. The highlight is the Christmas Tree which has come from Endeavor, Wisconsin. Measuring 18 feet and six inches tall, it features ornaments bearing seals from every state and territory. This year's gingerbread house highlights First Ladys vision for classic Christmas decor and reflects the southern exterior of the Executive Residence with her signature wreaths. More than 150 volunteers from 29 states spent 1,600 hours in decoration of the White House this year. In addition to the main Christmas tree, there are 53 other Christmas trees of various shapes and sizes and as many as 71 signature wreaths of the First Lady have been used, along with more than 1,000 feet of garlands, 18,000 feet of lights, more than 12,000 ornaments and more than 3,100 years of ribbon. For the several thousand guests who would be visiting the White House during the month-long Christmas celebrations at the White House, as many as 36 chefs and pastry chefs have been pressed into service. They have baked 31,000 cookies, 15,000 sugar cookies, 6,000 snowflake cookies, 4,000 First Lady star cookies, 2,000 Pecan Butterballs, 2,000 Walnut Thumbprints and Hazelnut Linzer bars. The gingerbread house required 200 lbs of baked dough, 100 lbs of pastillage dough, 5 lbs of gum paste, 20 lbs of chocolate and 20 lbs of icing. In the East Wing, visitors will find a tribute to armed forces members and their families with the Gold Star Family Tree, which has been decorated with gold stars and patriotic ribbon. Visitors here would be encouraged to write a message to their loved ones who are on duty or abroad on the digital tablets provided. After passing through the East colonnade, visitors will see the China Room, which honours the holiday traditions of dining and hospitality. The room is set up for a family Christmas dinner, with the table displaying the china from President Ronald Reagan. Then, visitors will see the Library, which features President Franklin D Roosevelt's 1866 edition of 'A Christmas Carol', as they recall the time-honoured custom of reading Christmas stories to loved ones. On the State Floor of the White House, the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall celebrated the first themed White House Christmas, which was the 'Nutcracker Suite' in 1961. The Green Room honours the festivities of crafts, paper, and classic design. The Blue Room holds the official White House Christmas tree, which is decorated with glass ornaments depicting the seal of each state and territory. The Red Room hosts delightful holiday treats, and has been decorated with peppermints, candy, and cookies. The State Dining Room holds a traditional gingerbread house, which depicts the south facade of the White House and features the first lady's signature Christmas wreaths. President John Adams and First Lady Abigail Adams hosted the first White House Christmas party in December, 1800. It was in 1953 that President Dwight D Eisenhower sent the first official White House Christmas card. This year marks the 50th year on display of the White House creche in the East Room. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The tussle between the executive and the judiciary continues to hog the headlines with the former reminding the latter of the separation of powers and the latter saying no arm of democracy can claim supremacy and there should be mutual respect among them. Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the judiciary and the executive were part of the same family and should work to strengthen each other, the tussle has once again come to the fore in speeches made by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra yesterday. Some legal experts today said public sparring on such critical issues should be avoided and neither the judiciary, nor the executive should step on each other's shoes in the interest of democracy. At a function to mark the Constitution Day yesterday, Prasad had reminded the judiciary of the principle of separation of powers between the judiciary, the legislature and the executive. He had said the concept of separation of power was as binding on the judiciary as it was on the executive. Responding to the remarks, the Chief Justice had said that "there should be mutual respect and there cannot be any claim for supremacy by any of the wings". Justice Misra had also said "we are not really interested to bring any kind of policy. ... But the moment the policies are formed, we are allowed to interpret and see that they are implemented." A day before, at another event, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the courts cannot perform the functions of the executive and the independence of the two will have to strictly maintained. Responding to questions on the debate, senior advocate Dushyant Dave told PTI it would be good for democracy if both judiciary and executive do not spar in public, as both have their own respective rights. "The government must realise that the judiciary has a role and they certainly can ask questions from the executive and the latter should not shy away from answering. The judiciary also needs to introspect and try not to interfere in the arena exclusively meant for the executive," Dave said. Senior advocate Aman Lekhi said each wing of the State has a well defined role under the Constitution and the role of the courts was to ensure rule of law. "I will not call it a tussle. The judiciary and the executive both are doing their work. The role of courts are absolutely different and they have a role to enforce the law. No government can claim immunity from scrutiny. The role of the court requires intervention if the situation demands," Lekhi also told PTI. Another senior advocate Raj Panjwani termed the scenario of tussle as 'unfortunate' and said proper caution should be maintained by both the wings. "This is unfortunate that basic principles of law have become a bone of contention. However, judiciary needs to refrain from stepping into the shoes of the executive. One of the modes which the executive could have resorted to is by filing appropriate application before the court instead of chest thumping in public," Panjwani said. On earlier occasions too, there have been instances where the executive and the judiciary disagreed with each other. Some months ago, then Chief Justice of India T S Thakur had asserted that the judiciary intervened only when the executive failed in its constitutional duties. In 2016, Justice Thakur had also cautioned that no organ of government should cross the "lakshman rekha" and stressed that the judiciary has been given the duty to watch that everything remained within the limit. Speaking at a function to celebrate Constitution Day last year, Thakur had also said the judiciary had every right to set aside any law made by Parliament, if it was against the Constitution or beyond the limits granted by the statute book. Recently, the apex court in a detailed judgement had held that privacy was a "fundamental right" when the government had argued that the citizens have a right to privacy but that was not absolute. In 2015, the top court and the government had been at loggerheads over the manner in which the appointment of judges was to be carried out. The apex court had struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act and asked the government to draft a new Memorandum of Procedure to lay down guidelines for appointments to the higher judiciary in consultation with the CJI and the collegium. This was followed by the subsequent embarrassments for the Union government in the Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh cases where the proclamation to impose central rule was challenged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Legal experts today cautioned that public sparring between the judiciary and the executive could be detrimental to democracy, a day after the Chief Justice of India and the Law Minister openly disagreed over judicial powers in the presence of the prime minister. At a function to mark the Constitution Day yesterday, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had wondered why the judiciary doesn't trust him and the prime minister to appoint "fair judges," in a reference to the National Judicial Appointments Commission judgement reviving the Supreme Court Collegium. In response, Chief Justice Dipak Misra had said that "there should be mutual respect and there cannot be any claim for supremacy by any of the wings". Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present at the function in the national capital. A day before, at another event on Saturday, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also said the courts cannot perform the functions of the executive and the independence of the two will have to strictly maintained. Responding to questions on the debate, senior advocate Dushyant Dave told PTI it would be good for democracy if both judiciary and executive do not spar in public, as both have their own respective rights. "The government must realise that the judiciary has a role and they certainly can ask questions from the executive and the latter should not shy away from answering," Dave said. "The judiciary also needs to introspect and try not to interfere in the arena exclusively meant for the executive," he added. Another senior advocate Raj Panjwani termed the scenario of tussle as 'unfortunate' and said proper caution should be maintained by both the wings. "This is unfortunate that basic principles of law have become a bone of contention. However, judiciary needs to refrain from stepping into the shoes of the executive. One of the modes which the executive could have resorted to is by filing appropriate application before the court instead of chest thumping in public," Panjwani said. Senior advocate Aman Lekhi said he will not prefer to call the public sparring a "tussle". "I will not call it a tussle," he told PTI. "The judiciary and the executive both are doing their work. The role of courts is absolutely different and they have a role to enforce the law. No government can claim immunity from scrutiny. The role of the court requires intervention if the situation demands," Lekhi added. This is not the first time that the two branches have had disagreements. Some months ago, then Chief Justice of India T S Thakur had asserted that the judiciary intervened only when the executive failed in its constitutional duties. In 2016, Justice Thakur had also cautioned that no organ of government should cross the "lakshman rekha" and stressed that the judiciary has been given the duty to watch that everything remained within the limit. Speaking at a function to celebrate Constitution Day last year, Thakur had also said the judiciary had every right to set aside any law made by Parliament, if it was against the Constitution or beyond the limits granted by the statute book. Recently, the apex court in a detailed judgement had held that privacy was a "fundamental right" when the government had argued that the citizens have a right to privacy but that was not absolute. In 2015, the top court and the government had been at loggerheads over the manner in which the appointment of judges was to be carried out. The apex court had struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act and asked the government to draft a new Memorandum of Procedure to lay down guidelines for appointments to the higher judiciary in consultation with the CJI and the collegium. This was followed by the subsequent embarrassments for the Union government in the Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh cases. The apex court had quashed President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh while in Uttarakhand it ordered floor test in the state Assembly which subsequently led to reinstatement of the Congress government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two more persons were arrested in connection with a kidney transplant racket busted at a charitable hospital in Dehradun district in September, the police said today. A doctor couple -- Dr Sanjay Das and Dr Sushma -- were arrested late last evening from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nivedita Kukreti said. They were on the run ever since the racket was unearthed on September 11, she added. A court here has sent the two to a 14-day judicial custody. Both the accused, natives of Bihar, used to work as anaesthetists at the Gangotri hospital, from where the racket was being operated, the SSP said. The latest arrests take the number of persons held in connection with the case to 14. Twelve persons, including the kingpin of the racket, Amit, were arrested earlier, Doiwala Station House Officer (SHO) Om Vir Singh Rawat said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United Nations said today that the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has eased restrictions at the main airport and two key ports, allowing the resumption of some humanitarian aid to the conflict- wracked country after a three-week blockade. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said three humanitarian flights landed and took off from the capital of Sanaa on Saturday, the first commercial cargo vessel docked in the port of Hodeida on Sunday, and a UN-chartered vessel docked at the port in Salif today. Despite the resumption, he warned that rapidly dwindling fuel stocks and the dire humanitarian situation are pushing at least 7 million people toward famine. Dujarric said the commercial ship carried 5,500 metric tons of wheat flour and the UN-chartered vessel carried 25,000 metric tons of bulk wheat. But he stressed that "it is important that there is unimpeded access for both humanitarian and commercial cargo to enter Hodeida and Salif ports, including those carrying fuel." "Fuel is urgently required to operate generators for hospitals, water well pumps and sanitation units and to facilitate the trucking of drinking water and staple food" to some 21 million Yemenis who need humanitarian assistance, he said. Dujarric said one of the flights Saturday delivered 1.9 million doses of diphtheria vaccines, enough to protect 600,000 children against whooping cough, tuberculosis, pneumonia and meningitis. "These vaccines will help to contain the current outbreak of diphtheria, which since August has seen more than 170 suspected cases and at least 14 deaths recorded in Ibb governorate," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A city-based university will launch a six-month cost effective certificate programme for valuation professionals. As per the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) norms company registered valuation professionals will have to get a six months certificate program from a university, Institution Of Valuers national vice-president Sandip Kumar Deb said. The international valuation standards 2017 became effective from 1st July 2017 and so far only Techno India has come forward for introducing the certificate course, he said. "Universities offer degree programme and above. But, we are introducing a certificate course of six months for valuation professionals to become company registered valuers in association with the Institution Of Valuers," Techno India university director & CEO Sujoy Biswas told PTI. IBBI is the authority with respect to registration, recognition and ancillary matters related to valuers until a statutory body Council of Valuation is created, Deb said. Biswas said once the certificate course is stabilised, masters programme of valuation studies will be introduced by the university. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States Justice Department today indicted three Chinese nationals for hacking American corporations, including Moody's Analytics and Siemens AG, for commercial advantages. Wu Yingzhuo, Dong Hao and Xia Lei conspired to hack private corporate entities to maintain unauthorised access to, and steal sensitive internal documents and communications from those entities' computers, federal prosecutors alleged. For one victim, information that the defendants targeted and stole between December 2015 and March 2016 contained trade secrets, the Department of Justice said. "Defendants Wu, Dong and Xia launched coordinated and targeted cyber intrusions against businesses operating in the United States, including here in the Western District of Pennsylvania, in order to steal confidential business information," said Acting US Attorney Soo C Song for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He said, "These conspirators masked their criminal conspiracy by exploiting unwitting computers, called 'hop points', conducting 'spearphish' email campaigns to gain unauthorised access to corporate computers, and deploying malicious code to infiltrate the victim computer networks." Among the victims were Moody's Analytics, Siemens AG and Trimble. The conspiracy began as early as 2011 and continued to May 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Justice Department charged three Chinese computer security experts on Monday with hacking and stealing materials from Moody's Analytics, Siemens, and Trimple, a GPS technology firm. The three were associated with Guangdong-based Guangzhou Boyu Information Technology Company, known as Boyusec, which some Western security analysts allege has links to the Chinese Ministry of State Security. The indictment named Boyusec co-founder Wu Yingzhuo, executive director Dong Hao, and Xia Lei, an employee. It said they hacked the email server of Moody's Analytics in 2011, obtaining access to the emails of a person described as a high-profile economist who represented the Moody's brand -- a description that matches Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi. Moody's did not confirm or deny that but said it had "worked closely" with the investigation, and had not lost any customer or employee data to the hackers. In 2014 the three Chinese hackers broke into German industrial giant Siemens' computer networks, stealing large amounts of files and data from its energy, technology and transportation businesses, according to the US indictment. It added that in 2015-2016 they stole newly developed hardware and software information from a new global satellite navigation system being developed by Trimble. The three were charged with computer fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, and theft of trade secrets. The indictment did not say what Boyusec did with the information, some of which had clear commercial value. "Once again, the Justice Department and the FBI have demonstrated that hackers around the world who are seeking to steal our companies' most sensitive and valuable information can and will be exposed and held accountable," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Dana Boente. A group of Sikh Americans today announced their support to the Panthic Front led by Sukhdev Singh Bhaur for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) election. The group in a joint statement said that the Panthic Front offers a credible opposition to the domination of the Akali Dal's Badal family in the SGPC power structure. "It is so critical that this institution is run efficiently by people who have a vision rather than by the people who are a rubber stamp in the hands of corrupt politicians," said Rajwant Singh, secretary of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation and founder of the National Sikh Campaign. Inder Paul Singh Gadh, chairman of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation in Washington, alleged that the current Akali leaders have ruined Punjab economically and have done enormous damage to the respect of Sikh institutions. "Sikhi spirit is down among the youth and they have no role models. All the 'jathedars' and religious leaders have a tarnished image. It is about time we ask our SGPC members to vote for the right people. So we urgently appeal to all SGPC members to vote for the Panthic Front candidate," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Vice President Mike Pence today met King Abdullah II of Jordan during which the two leaders discusses how best to move forward to ensure a stable and safe Middle East. "The meeting provided the vice president the opportunity to thank the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan for its steadfast leadership in the region, and its efforts in defeating ISIS and countering Iranian influence," the White House said. "Other important topics the two leaders discussed included the strengthening of the bilateral relationship and how to best move forward to ensure a stable and safe Middle East," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A villager was injured after being attacked by a bear in Jammu and Kashmirs Ramban district today, police said. Ghulam Nabi Mir, an employee of the state Public Health Engineering (PHE) department was attacked by the bear while he was on way home in the mountains of Darshipure in the Banihal area of Ramban, they said. He was rescued by locals and admitted to a hospital, police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Violation of fundamental, human and legal rights of prisoners, who have alleged they were subjected to severe physical torture at the Tihar Jail here, today came under the Delhi High Court's scanner as it ordered an enquiry into the incident. The high court termed as "very disturbing" the alleged attack on inmates lodged in a high-risk ward in jail number 1 of the central jail on the night of November 21. "We need to take a call. It (the incident) is completely unjustifiable. If this is the situation in Delhi, what about other places," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar remarked. It said the issue was "extremely serious" and required a "serious probe", before an intervention by this court. It appointed a three-member fact-finding committee, headed by a District Judge of a trial court, to enquire into the incident, in which 18 inmates were allegedly beaten up by the jail staff, and submit their report before it. "It is our duty to ensure their (inmates) life is safe and secure even though they are accused of serious offences," the bench said. The high court was hearing a PIL by an advocate Chinmay Kanojia, who has alleged that his client Shahid Husuf, currently being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and undergoing trial, was beaten up without any reason by the Tihar Jail staff. The plea by advocate Jawahar Raja said a particular community, including Husuf, were being targeted by the jail staff causing serious injuries to him and others. Moved by the plight of the inmates in various jails and the poor living conditions there, the bench asked the AAP government and Tihar Jail authorities "which law says that the prisoners should sleep on the floor". When the incident was brought to the attention of the high court on November 22, the court had set up a committee of senior high court judicial officers to look into the matter. The committee, in its report, opined that the inmates were beaten up without any justifiable reason. It said that despite unequivocal statutory guidelines, an incident has been perpetrated where prisoners were beaten up with such severity that it had resulted in them harbouring a constant fear of being killed by the prison authorities on one pretext or another. Taking note of report, the bench directed the fact finding committee that the 18 prisoners, who have received injuries, be produced before the medical superintendent of the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). It said that medical superintendent should set up a board to conduct medical tests of the inmates and give their report to the fact finding committee. The high court also asked the authorities and committee to preserve the CCTV footage of incident at the Tihar Jail. It fixed the matter for further hearing on December 19 and directed the authorities to ensure safety and security of the persons, who have been beaten up. During the hearing, the bench also expressed concern over less jails in Delhi and said the authorities should consider increasing the number of prisons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Miss World Manushi Chillar says she would love to work in an Aamir Khan film as the superstar is known to make socially-relevant movies. Manushi was recently crowned Miss World 2017 at a grand event held in Sanya, China. The medical studen from Haryana said she finds all the actors in Bollywood beautiful but Aamir and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra are her favourites. "I'll definitely want to work in an Aamir Khan film. I think he has some really challenging roles that he gives you. At the same time, his movies have a message and a connect to the society. So it'll be very interesting to do. In the actresses, my favourite is Priyanka Chopra," she told reporters here. Interestingly, the coveted title was last won by Priyanka for India in 2000, just a year after Yukta Mookhey brought the crown home. Manushi, a 20-year-old medical student from Haryana, had won Femina Miss India World 2017 in May this year. When asked if she has Bollywood plans up next, she said the film industry was not on her mind right now. "I am very excited how this year will turn out. I'll be travelling, visiting continents. We will be spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene where I'll be joined by my other Miss World sisters. That's what I am excited about right now. "Bollywood is something which isn't on my mind as of now. I really can't say anything about it," she added. Manushi said in the initial weeks of the beauty pageant, several contestants thought her to be an actor. "In the first week of the pageant they thought I was a Bollywood actress. But jokes apart, we all are very similar. We didn't have any pre conceived notions about each other. We go there with a fresh mind, there's a lot of curiosity to know each other," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Telangana readies to host White House advisor Ivanka Trump for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit-2017 (GES) tomorrow, strenuous efforts made by Andhra Pradesh to invite US President Donald Trump's daughter failed to bring results. Ivanka attending the much-hyped three-day event at Hyderabad will be Telangana's pride, but Andhra Pradesh's envy. The United States authorities had turned down the requests made by the Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra government to make Ivanka visit the 'sunrise' state, highly-placed sources said. AP's Economic Development Board (EDB) chief executive J Krishna Kishore pursued the issue with the US authorities on behalf of the state government, but to no avail, they said. The Andhra government, as part of its "brand building" efforts, had felt that a visit by the US president's daughter would bolster the southern state's image internationally. It also wanted to line up several US companies for investments in Andhra Pradesh, the sources said. The state government had informed the US Consulate authorities that they were ready to organise the event either in Amaravati or Visakhapatnam, and had sought Ivanka's time. Hyderabad: Security men checking the vehicles with sniffer dogs outside the venue of (GES-2017) in Hyderabad on Monday. PTI Photo The EDB CEO could not be reached for comment. The Global Entrepreneurship Summit-2017 will be inaugurated by Prime Minster Narendra Modi. Ivanka will lead a delegation from her country at the event. Over 1,500 delegates, including entrepreneurs and investors and CEOs of major knowledge-based companies, are expected to attend the summit. Xenophobic British citizens who believe that immigrants threaten their values and way of life were more likely to have voted in favour of the UK to leave the European Union, a study has found. The research shows that xenophobia was a strong predictor of a Brexit vote regardless of people's age, gender or education. In June 2016, almost 52 per cent of British citizens who participated in a referendum on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, commonly known as Brexit, voted to leave. Following this largely unexpected result, some explanations pointed to the role of a voter's age, gender or education in their voting behaviour while others wondered whether the "Leave campaign" might have mobilised xenophobic attitudes by emphasising a fear of foreigners. To investigate these questions further, researchers led by Agnieszka Golec de Zavala, at the Goldsmiths, University of London, measured the effect of xenophobia - or the belief that immigrants to the UK threaten the country - on voting behaviour. They found that this belief was strongly related to the tendency to vote in favour of Brexit and to be happy with the referendum's outcome, regardless of age, gender or education. The researchers then tried to establish what kind of people believe that immigrants threaten the UK. They found three distinct groups: authoritarians, who fear other groups will threaten the traditional status quo in their country; people high in social dominance orientation, who compete for their group's dominance over immigrants; and collective narcissists, who believe the UK is so great it is entitled to privileged treatment but complain this 'true importance and value' is not recognised by other countries. The research also found that people who just thought it was great to be British or just valued their British identity were not more likely to reject immigrants or vote for Brexit. Although other studies have implicated right wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation in voting for radical right-wing parties because of the perceived threat of immigrants, collective narcissism has almost never been examined in the context of political behaviours such as voting. The research introduces collective narcissism as a new variable to consider when making predictions for political behaviour. "From Brexit, Trump and support for Vladimir Putin in Russia to the nationalist, ultra- conservative government in Poland, studies from our and other labs show that collective narcissism systematically predicts prejudice, aggression and a tendency to interpret innocent behaviours as provocation to the national group," said Golec de Zavala. The researchers caution that as the study was conducted after the Brexit referendum, it may be that the 'yes' vote increased people's xenophobia. It is clear from the research that the vote was associated with prejudice, but this relationship might have been strengthened by the outcome of the referendum because people felt more empowered to express xenophobic attitudes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's Adani Enterprises Ltd faces a likely block on an A$900 million ($684 million) government loan to help build a giant coal mine in Australia, with the left-leaning Labor Party on track for re-election in a state poll. Queensland state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who originally supported Adani's application for the federally funded loan to build a rail coal haulage line, said three weeks ago her government would veto the concessional loan. The Labor party, which faced a strong challenge to return to power, was leading after three-quarters of votes were counted following Saturday's poll, according to Australia Broadcasting Corp. The mine's location 400 km (250 miles) from a Pacific Ocean shipping terminal means the challenge of financing infrastructure costs has been at the forefront of the debate over the project's economic viability. "The Adani coal mine could be complicated by a position taken by Labor during the campaign to block any financing of related infrastructure," Australia & New Zealand Bank said in a note on Monday. The loan amounts to only a fraction of the overall A$16.5 billion cost of constructing the Carmichael mine but was seen as a first step in reaching financial close on a project that has been delayed for years by environmental opposition. Adani was not immediately available for comment. Palaszczuk, who supports Adani and its promise of 10,000 mine and construction jobs, amended her party's position in the run-up to the election to oppose the taxpayer-funded loan under the A$5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Although the funds would come from the federal government, Queensland state retains the power of veto over applications made for projects inside the state. Adani is also seeking A$2 billion in outside financing to construct the first stage of the mine and was in talks with China Machinery Engineering Corp (CMEC) A number of lenders, including Deutsche Bank and Commonwealth Bank of Australia, have publicly said they will not provide funding, given opposition to investment in fossil fuels. "If the loan is blocked, it is a signal to potential investors that Adani's mega-mine is very, very risky, both politically and economically," said Maggie Mckeown, a campaigner for the Mackay Conservation Group, which is opposed to the mine. ($1 = 1.3163 Australian dollars) By Paul Sandle and Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - Britain pitched a new strategy for industry on Monday, pledging greater state intervention to tackle weak productivity and to help the world's sixth largest economy cope with the upheaval of leaving the European Union. Prime Minister Theresa May flagged the plan in January, seven months after Britain voted to leave the EU, adopting a hands-on approach to business that had largely been abandoned by her predecessors from the time of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. The 131-page document aims to reposition Britain so it can profit from the technological revolution by increasing research and development investment, improving technical education and building better infrastructure. "At its heart it epitomises my belief in a strong and strategic state that intervenes decisively wherever it makes a difference," Prime Minister Theresa May said in a forward to the strategy, entitled "Building a Britain fit for the future". May revived the once unfashionable concept of industrial strategy shortly before she won the top job in the political turmoil that accompanied the shock Brexit vote of 2016. In an attempt to underscore the importance of the new strategy, Britain said it had secured major investments from global healthcare company MSD, known as Merck & Co in the United States, and German-based diagnostics company Qiagen . While the Financial Times estimated the value of the investments at more than 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion), MSD said it was too early to give an investment figure and Qiagen also gave no number. Life sciences is one of four sectors being targeted by the government, which will also focus on construction, artificial intelligence and the automotive industry. "There is a pipeline of new announcements of investments over the weeks ahead that we now expect," Business Minister Greg Clark said. MSD's UK and Ireland managing director Louise Houson said the company was working in collaboration with the UK government to build on its "forward thinking and ambitious" strategy. Under pressure to soothe uncertainty over the impact of Britain's March 2019 EU exit, May said the strategy heralded a new approach to how government and business could work together. The launch, however, was overshadowed by Prince Harry's announcement that he is engaged to U.S. actress Meghan Markle. GLOBAL BRITAIN? Clark said Britain has some of the world's best universities and research institutions, as well as leading companies in sectors ranging from advanced manufacturing to financial services, life sciences and creative industries. But he said Britain's poor productivity - the amount of output per worker over a given period - was one of the weaknesses that it had to address. Employers say it is difficult to find workers with the skills they require and bottlenecks in infrastructure like roads and railways hinder business. Last week, budget forecasters cut the country's growth estimates for the next five years, largely because of reduced projections for productivity, the Achilles' heel of the economy for generations. Britain's economy is expected to grow by 1.5 percent in 2018, weaker than 2.0 percent growth among the world's advanced economies as a whole, according to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund. Rebecca Long-Bailey, a business spokeswoman for the opposition Labour Party, said the strategy was short on detail. "This is a White Paper made up of re-announced policies and old spending commitments, showing once again that this is a Government short on details and new ideas," Long-Bailey said. "Nothing in the White Paper will help give businesses the certainty or incentives they need to invest in the face of the government's catastrophic handling of Brexit." MSD said it would open a state-of-the-art life sciences discovery research facility in London by 2020, focusing on early bioscience discovery and entrepreneurial innovation. MSD said it viewed Britain as a world-leader in science, although a spokeswoman said Brexit raised "some very real concerns" for the supply chain, drug regulation and the ability to attract talent to Britain. The U.S. drugmaker intends to create 150 new research roles in London and move around 800 existing UK jobs to the capital. Qiagen said its plans to develop a genomics and diagnostics campus in Manchester, northern England, had the potential to create 800 jobs. The vote of confidence in Britain's life sciences sector was welcomed by the government after the last week that the European Medicines Agency would move from London to Amsterdam when Britain leaves the EU in March 2019. Brexit remains by far the biggest concern for British companies and multinationals with operations in Britain. With only months to go before many businesses need to make decisions on future investment, they are eager for clarity on how Brexit will work. However, talks with the European Union have made slow progress, and the government has only been able to reiterate its plan to seek a transition deal as soon as possible. ($1 = 0.7507 pounds) (Editing by Guy Faulconbridge) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Dave Graham MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The next meeting of U.S., Mexican and Canadian officials to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will begin on Dec. 11 in Washington, and they could reach agreement on some major chapters of the deal, Mexico's economy minister said on Monday. Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said that the Washington round, at which ministers will not participate, should register more advances in topics such as telecoms, e-commerce, technical barriers to trade and regulatory practices. "There are things we can make progress on," he told Reuters, adding that those chapters could close during the discussions. Guajardo said the talks would extend through the week from Dec. 11. Two other NAFTA sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the talks were scheduled from Dec. 11-15. One said they could involve meetings before and after those dates. The talks follow a round in Mexico this month where the three sides failed to make major breakthroughs on the most contentious issues, prompting the Trump administration to complain about the lack of progress. [nL3N1NR4K2] U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to pull out of NAFTA unless he can rework it in favour of the United States, spooking investors and putting pressure on the Mexican peso. Mexican officials had hoped to close chapters on telecoms and e-commerce in the November round. However, discussions over telecommunications became mired in disagreement over how to incorporate Mexico's 2013-14 reform, which imposed regulatory curbs on America Movil, the Carlos Slim-controlled company that dominates the market. A major element of the reform was struck down by the Mexican Supreme Court in August, yet U.S. negotiators wanted the NAFTA chapter to include the original version, officials say. Guajardo said he was confident that agreement could be reached in wording the telecoms chapter in a way that applied the rules for all three nations, not singling out Mexico. "I don't see it as an obstacle," he said. "It's simply a case of fine-tuning on how we express it." Mexico has major reservations about a number of U.S. proposals, none more so than a plan to raise the required North American content in autos to 85 percent from 62.5 percent, as well as ensure half the total content is from the United States. Guajardo said after the previous talks that Mexico would make a counter-suggestion on the auto proposal once the United States had explained the feasibility of its plans. [nS0N1LV03D] Mexico made a tit-for-tat counterproposal to one U.S. plan to limit Mexican and Canadian access to public tenders, earning words of grudging respect from the U.S. side. However, Guajardo said that strategy would not work on all the tough issues. "We can't project this solution for everything. Because there are things that are deep in our neighbours' hearts," he said, pointing to the auto content proposal. (Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Tova Cohen and Ari Rabinovitch TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd's new chief executive officer ousted the company's three top division heads on Monday as he works to turn around and streamline the operations of the debt-laden drugmaker. CEO Kare Schultz, who joined Teva on Nov. 1, said he will combine the Israeli company's generic and specialty drugs business, as well as the research and development groups for those units. Shares in the world's largest generic drugmaker, which have been in a year-long freefall due to narrowing profit margins in generics and a series of pricey acquisitions, jumped as much as 6.4 percent in New York trading on Monday. Various media had reported last week that Teva planned to cut up to one-quarter of its 6,860-strong workforce in Israel, and a few thousand more staff in the United States. "Teva is taking decisive and immediate action to address external pressures and internal inefficiencies," Schultz said, adding that the company is working on a detailed restructuring plan to be unveiled in mid-December. Teva said Michael Hayden, the chief scientific officer, Rob Koremans, head of global specialty medicines, and Dipankar Bhattacharjee, head of the global generic medicines group, would step down at the end of the year. The company is saddled with nearly $35 billion in debt after its $40.5 billion acquisition of Allergan Plc's generic drug business Actavis last year. Profits from generics have slumped since that deal closed, and the CEO who engineered the purchase was forced to step down earlier this year. The company also appointed Michael McClellan as permanent chief financial officer, after he held the role on an interim basis since July, and made five other executive changes at the top of the company. "It appears to us that the new CEO is approaching Teva with an ax in each hand, not hedge clippers or pruning shears," Wells Fargo analyst David Maris said in a research note. "We think the market will like this in the short run, but will eventually have serious questions as to whether this approach is cutting fat or muscle." Earlier on Monday, the Israeli Knesset's State Control Committee called an emergency meeting to discuss the reports of upcoming job cuts. Teva responded with a letter to parliament, saying it needs to take significant and comprehensive actions in order to secure its future. Teva, which has been selling off assets to help meet its debt payments, said in the letter it needed "deep, meaningful steps around the world," but did not give details. U.S.-traded shares rose 6.1 percent to $14.44 in mid-day trading and were up 3.6 percent to 5,042 Israeli shekels in Tel Aviv trading. (Additional reporting by Michael Erman in New York; Editing by Mark Potter and Jeffrey Benkoe) (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan made a strong case for broad-basing economic growth and generating more employment opportunities, arguing that short-term political solutions to the job reservation issue can damage the fabric of the country. On the solution to the problem of majority of people feeling discriminated, he said, "The only way to solve this is to broad-base economic growth. We need to focus on that as the ultimate solution rather than emphasise grievances.. (they are) politically in short-term very convenient but have potential to bring apart the fabric of this country." Rajan made these comments referring to rising populist nationalism and also agitation by powerful communities, including Patidar community in Gujarat which is feeling discriminated and is seeking reservation in jobs. "It (populist nationalism) has a potential to damage. I would define very simply as the majority community feeling aggrieved that it is being discriminated against. It exists across the world. It exists in India also. There are often underlying issues, for example an issue of job," the ex- Reserve Bank governor said in a recorded interview played at the Times Lit Fest 2017 here. Some strong communities in India have started protesting to press for reservations because they are not finding jobs, he said, adding that it is very important to tackle underlying economic issues, including unemployment. On the issue of "illiberal democracy, he said, it is worrying and this system needs to be tackled. "Illiberal democracy is not only function of leader, function of system which cowed out very easily to strong leader... the press, the business group, all of them tend towards bowing even though there are exceptions because their interests are all aligned," Rajan said. There are cosy relationships between political and corporate establishments, he said adding that often press is also owned by corporate establishment and independent voices tend to get suppressed. On increasing incidences of censorships and bans, the former central bank chief said, these are not a feature of any particular government and have happened again and again since independence. It is important to recognise that as a tolerant society India is better off having free speech with the provision that it should not propagate violence, Rajan said. On criticism from various quarters faced during his stint as RBI governor, he said, "We have to develop thicker skins." Citing example of flag burning incidents in the US, he said, once the Supreme Court decided to allow this as part of protest, the incidences slowly diminished. Rajan also said that India is a vibrant democracy and it has to be seen as a strength rather than as a weakness. "Growth in democracy is much more stable unlike authoritarian rule. It is beneficial because it tends to be egalitarian. It tends to take people along with. Democracy gives right, allows people to protest," he said. On the threat to Hinduism due to rising intolerance, Rajan said "it is a vast house and it can survive". "Hinduism is a tolerant religion which is the way it has always structured or evolved. So, I think specific incidence of intolerance is overstating the risk. My sense is that we have gone through this but Hinduism has survived," he added. The decisions contained in different decrees signed on Friday, November 24, 2017 concern mainly the Universities of Bamenda, Buea, Dschang, Yaounde I and Ngaoundere. ADS Since November 24, 2017, Cameroons higher educational landscape has been enriched with new specialized higher institutions of learning following a series of decrees signed by the President of the Republic Paul Biya. This concerns some of the countrys State universities. University of Bamenda President Paul Biya is one of the decrees created the National Higher Polytechnic Institute attached to the University of Bamenda. This is the first of its kind in the English Sub system of education and comes to satisfy one of the demands of the teacher trade unions of this sub system of education. In Decree N2017/582 of 24 November 2017 to amend and supplement some provisions of Decree N 2011/45 of 8 March 2011 to organise the University of Bamenda, the National Higher Polytechnic Institute is included among the faculties and institutions of the university. Another decree lays down the administrative and academic organization of the institute. University of Dschang From November 24, 2017, the University of Dschang has a Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences created by the decree of the President of the Republic Paul Biya. The decree further specifies the administrative and academic organization, as well as other modalities for the functioning of the faculty. University of Buea The President of the Republic in a separate decree transferred the Department of Law and the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences to the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University of Buea. The students, lecturers, non-teaching staff, equipment and materials are also transferred to the Faculty of Law and Political Science. University of Yaounde I The President of the Republic, Paul Biya still on Friday, November 24, 2017 signed a decree to amend and supplement some provisions of the University of Yaounde I. He created the Higher Technical Teachers Training College in Ebolowa attached to the University of Yaounde I. University of Ngaoundere In decree N. 2017/584 of 24 November 2017, the President of the Republic laws down the administrative and academic organisation of the Geology and Mining Exploitation School of the University of Ngaoundere. Emmanuel KENDEMEH ADS | BY Ricki Green | As Eyeota, the global leader in audience data, continues to gather momentum in Asia Pacific, the company has sourced industry veteran Peter Hunter to lead ANZ as general manager. Hunter brings more than 20 years experience across agency and sales with his skills in digital strategy, managing business growth, leadership, media, search and direct marketing. He will report directly to Andrew Tu, managing director Eyeota APAC, who is based in Singapore. Prior to joining Eyeota Hunter was commercial director at Quantcast ANZ where he led the rapid development of the team to establish them as one of the key new players in data-driven advertising. In addition to his ad tech experience, Hunter was an established regional leader in the advertising and performance marketing industry where, in 1999, he founded his first agency which he subsequently sold to TBWA in NZ. He has also served as CEO of Aegis Medias performance media company, iProspect, for APAC. and just before Quantcast, held a series of leadership roles within PHD with his last role as national head of business planning. Says Tu: With programmatic moving towards being mainstream in the ANZ region, Peters extensive knowledge and experience partnering with the largest brands and agencies will be critical in helping everyone navigate audience targeting and how best to maximize its impact on their business and commercial goals. Says Hunter: Having experience in both agency and sales has afforded me the chance to be at the forefront of our industry, first in fully addressable media and now in the complex nature of audience data, a critical piece at the center of advertising campaigns. Moving to Eyeota gives me the opportunity to play a key role in driving change and data innovation in the industry in what will be a pivotal time in marketing. | BY Ricki Green | New Zealand Police need to attract hundreds of new recruits a diverse range who can form a team that represents and understands all communities of New Zealand. So, Ogilvy and the NZ Police have teamed up to make this fast-paced recruitment video that speaks to a wide variety of New Zealanders. But, how do you choose a singular spokesperson when youre trying to talk to everyone? You dont. Thats why this recruitment film features over 70 actual cops. The Police band, Police dogs and cats, Eagle helicopter, the AOS, William Waiirua, Black Ferns and the police commissioner Mike Bush, all put their hands (or paws) up to be involved in the video to encourage New Zealanders to join NZ Police. Says Bush: New Zealand Police are striving to increase our overall staff numbers over next three years to meet our objective of being the safest country, and to deliver on the Governments signalled staffing increase. Says Karen Jones, deputy chief executive public affairs: We want to attract people who bring their own skill set, like problem solving and working in a team, and who are fit, or prepared to get fit. Most importantly we want people who care about making our communities safe. There are more than 30 different career paths within New Zealand Police and we will invest time in training these people to ensure they have the skills to handle any situation. Says Lisa Fedyszyn, group creative director, Ogilvy NZ: It was an extremely fun, yet at the same time, challenging project to bring to life. There were many important puzzle pieces we kept moving around to guarantee we delivered the right message with the right tone. Says Regan Grafton, executive creative director, Ogilvy NZ: We believe this video celebrates the kind of recruits New Zealand Police want on their team ones who bring their own unique and diverse qualities, skills and quirks to the job. The three minute video directed by Damien Shatford from The Sweet Shop, has been released on the New Zealand Police Facebook page, and recruitment site, with different durations rolling out in coming weeks over other media. Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, New Zealand Client: New Zealand Police. Deputy Chief Executive: Karen Jones Strategic Communications Manager: Jane Archibald Senior Marketing Advisor: Helen Flannery Media Support: Garry Boles Executive Creative Director: Regan Grafton Group Creative Director: Lisa Fedyszyn Group Creative Director: Jonathan McMahon Art Director: Sam Henderson Copywriter: Kent Briggs Design Director: Danny Carlsen Design Producer: Dave Preece Head of Operations: Siobhan Burke Agency Film Producer: Steen Beech Executive Director: Wendy Schrijvers Account Director: Christina Opferkuch Planning Director: Ben Fielding Group Media Director: Denelle Joyce Digital Media Manager: Nick Pickering Media Manager: Stephen May Production Company: The Sweet Shop Director: Damien Shatford Executive Producer: Ben Dailey Managing Director: Fiona King DOP: Andrew Stroud DA: Alistair MacDonald Senior Editor: Ben Marshall Head of Post Production: Martin Spencer Colourist: Dave Gibson Sound: Liquid Studios Executive Producer: Tamara ONeill Head Composer: Peter van der Fluit | BY Ricki Green | Advertising professionals became editorial experts last week as Fairfax Media hosted the Sydney Morning Herald Breaking the Story Agency Newsroom Challenge, a fun activity to engage agencies, deepen understanding of Fairfaxs premium positioning and quality independent journalism, as well as build brand advocacy. Fairfax editorial, commercial and marketing teams hosted 100 agency planners and buyers from 11 agencies for the amazing race / cluedo style challenge to create a distinct and interactive experience, and showcase high profile editorial talent, how it creates quality journalism, and its importance in todays society. Starcom was named overall winner. Participants included PHD, Bohemia, Wavemaker, Starcom, SPARK Foundry, Havas Media, Vizeum, Carat, OMD, M2M, Blue 449 and Medialab. Fairfax Media congratulates the following category award winners: Best story: Starcom Most factually correct: Carat Best headline: PHD Best photography: Blue 449 Says Andrew Mudgway, national agency sales director at Fairfax Media: In a world of busy, its easy for people to get lost in the siloes of their own world, but we know that the value for media agencies and clients comes from opening up and reminding people of our premium audiences and content. Were proud of our incredible editorial teams, and we wanted to bring agency planners and buyers into the fold and expose them to what our award-winning editorial team members are tasked with, hourly, and daily and that is creating high quality, independent journalism. The agencies competed with one another in a cluedo / amazing race style challenge around the streets of Sydney to crack the case and shape the biggest story of the year. Participants produced a quality piece of investigative journalism which was submitted to a team of Fairfaxs editorial talent including award-winning investigative journalist, Kate McClymont, SMH editor, Lisa Davies, Weekend Features Editor, Aparna Khopkar, and SMH News Editor, Nick Ralston. In a regular week, about 150 patrons would spend time at the club on its greens, while others use it as a venue for fundraisers fetching up to $40,000 in donations for their causes. End-of-year functions would bring in an additional 50-130 people each event. Your digital subscription includes access to content from all our websites in your region. Access unlimited news content and The Canberra Times app. Premium subscribers also enjoy interactive puzzles and access to the digital version of our print edition - Today's Paper. Well, not quite, but it could be after this bride and groom were spotted rowing to their ceremony in the middle of Lake Burley Griffin on the weekend. Welcome to Tuesday. We're in for a partly cloudy day with a medium chance of showers in the afternoon and the chance of a thunderstorm with a top of 28 degrees. The rest of the week is looking the same, with the start of summer forecast to be wet. Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. Photo: Contributed If you are a fan of ReminderFox, I have some bad news for you. Also, how do you know where your packages are? Reminders Last week, I mentioned the new version of Firefox was rolling out and judging by the email this week, lots of you have already upgraded. The overhaul to Firefox resulted in a sleeker, faster browsing experience, but it also broke some extensions. I find myself missing Shareaholic, but by far the most mentioned extension in my email is ReminderFox, which many of you love, but none of you can use any more. The authors made it quite clear that they have no intention of updating ReminderFox. So, what now? People are desperate to be reminded of things. If you use a reminder browser extension, what is it? Why do you like it? If you have another reminder program, please write and share what you use and why you like it. Send email to [email protected] and Ill let everyone know. In the meantime, although I never used ReminderFox, I have a great reminder/calendar system that I use. Google Calendar is excellent for calendar appointments and for reminders. I like it because I access the same calendar in my browser and on my phone, and I add/change/delete events from anywhere I can use the internet or on my cellphone. If you were a ReminderFox fan because it ran in your browser, youll be happy to hear that Google Calendar does that, too. You can pin the Google Calendar tab in any modern browser, so its always there, one click away. If you want a calendar thats a computer program rather than on the web, theres a lovely calendar app built into Windows 10. Click on Start, then on Calendar to begin using it. Someone made an informative video tutorial, available here. If you like the idea of a built-in, always available desktop app, but you use Google Calendar (or another online calendar) you can easily import that calendar into the app. I wrote about this earlier this year. Packages Its the time of year when we send and receive packages. Wouldnt it be great to know where those packages are? If you have a community mailbox as I do, it can be very handy to know your stuff has been delivered to that box when you need to answer the question, Should I stop and check the mail in the driving rain/swirling snow on my way home tonight? Of course, you can track every package that has a tracking number by visiting the website of the company shipping the package. But its more convenient to visit one website and track all your stuff from there. Packagetrackr is the one I like best. When you create an account there (Its free.) you can list all your packages and Packagetrackr remembers them. You can set it so you receive an email when things are delivered. You can also mark outgoing shipments to keep track of stuff youve sent or ordered for someone else. Ive been using PackageTrackr for years, but I have to admit it stumbles on some carriers. I tried ParcelMonitor, and it was better at tracking a package being shipped from China. As I write this, I am wearing the boots that Packagetrackr thinks are still in Edmonton. ParcelMonitor not only knows they were delivered, it knew when they were on the truck. ParcelMonitor isnt as full-featured as Packagetrackr, but when timeliness and accuracy are important, its great to have this site bookmarked. As the Holiday Stress Season approaches, please take care of yourselves and one another. Its important. Maybe set a reminder! This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Contributed One man is in hospital after an apparent stabbing in Burnaby, early Saturday morning. Just after 1:15 a.m. emergency crews arrived on scene at 142 Ellesmere Avenue. A man was in the back of a police car when firefighters arrived, according to the Burnaby Fire Department. The man was bleeding, so firefighters applied direct pressure until an ambulance came and transported him to hospital. The Burnaby RCMP and the fire department would not comment on what happened that led the man to be injured. Photo: The Canadian Press Officials in Maple Ridge say they will work with a group of homeless residents to increase safety at a local tent city. The city issued a news release Sunday saying staff had come to an agreement with lawyers for the campers and the agreement will see steps taken to address "life safety issues" identified during regular inspections of the site. The city was scheduled to appear in court on Monday to ask for an injunction to shut down the camp and had said in court documents that the site brought noise, odours, human waste and hypodermic needles to the neighbourhood. Lawyers representing the camp's approximately 80 residents had argued in court documents that dismantling the so-called tent city would cause significant harm because there is not enough shelter space or permanent affordable housing in Maple Ridge. Lawyers for both the city and the campers are not scheduled to appear in court on Monday to make the new agreement legally binding. The city says the deal will allow the province and homeless advocates time to help create a plan that will provide the campers with housing solutions. The B.C. government announced in September that it would spend $291 million on 2,000 modular housing units in an attempt to tackle the growing issue of homelessness across the province. Photo: Google Maps Officials say a loaded fuel barge that broke away from its tug off British Columbia's central coast is now being towed to a safe location and no pollution has been observed. Lt. Melissa Kia of the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre says another tug, the Gulf Cajun, began towing the 128-metre barge on Monday. A U.S.-registered tug boat, the Jake Shearer, was pushing the barge through Queen Charlotte Sound when it broke free southwest of Bella Bella on Sunday. The centre says the barge is the Zidell Marine 277, and is loaded with 3.5 million litres of diesel and 468,000 litres of gasoline. It says two crew members from the tug were able to board the barge, despite strong winds and rough seas, and they dropped an anchor off Goose Island. Kia says both people are safe on board the barge. The rescue co-ordination centre says winds have eased to about 37 kilometres per hour, with two-metre swells. Tweets from members of the nearby Heiltsuk Nation say improved conditions were a relief but the band's members continued to monitor the situation. Heiltsuk spokeswoman Jess Housty posted messages on social media saying they were responding with their best people who have experience from last year's sinking of the Nathan E. Stewart, which resulted in a spill of 110,000 litres of diesel. The rescue co-ordination centre said two Canadian Coast Guard vessels were at the scene. A B.C. Environment Ministry spokesman said because there hasn't been a spill, federal officials were leading the response. Photo: Pamela Webster UPDATE: 3:46 p.m. Bill and Pamela Webster of Naramata are ecstatic after watching their son, Matt Webster and his team win a Grey Cup. The Toronto Argonauts won their CFL best 17th Grey Cup, 27-24 over the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup and the Webster family was right there with them! "It was fabulous to see your child achieve their dreams," said Pamela Webster, mother. When Castanet asked Pamela if Matt will be bringing the cup home to Naramata, she seemed optimistic. "We haven't even thought that far ahead but if thats something that people would like we certainly can talk to Matt and see," she said. "We have never been Grey Cup parents before, so we dont know whats possible." Bill and Pamela Webster watched the game from the snowy, cold stands in Ottawa, but watching their son take the victory made the terrible weather more bearable, according to Pamela. Matt was drafted by Saskatchewan and played for Queen's in the CIS. Original: 7:43 a.m. The Toronto Argonauts won their CFL best 17th Grey Cup, 27-24 over the Calgary Stampeders in the 105th Grey Cup and the Webster family was right there with them! Bill and Pamela Webster of Naramata were on hand in Ottawa to celebrate the Grey Cup victory of the Toronto Argos with their son Matt Webster who plays defensive back for the Argos. Matt was drafted by Saskatchewan and played for Queen's in the CIS. Photo: Contributed George Thorogood to play the SOEC next year George Thorogood and the Destroyers are coming to the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton on May 10. The Rock Party Tour announced 23 new North American dates Monday. Proceeds from the tour are going to support he Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to help find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients. Over the course of the last four decades, George Thorogood, with his longtime legendary band, The Destroyers, has sold more than 15 million albums, released 16 studio albums including six gold and two platinum discs and performed more than 8,000 live shows. George Thorogood and the Destroyers catalog of hits include: Who Do You Love?, I Drink Alone, One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer, Move It On Over, Get A Haircut, and the anthemic Bad To The Bone. Tickets go on sale Friday December 1 at 10 a.m., starting at $36. UPDATE: 5:10 p.m. Searchers narrowed their hunt, Monday, for a single-engine plane missing en route from Penticton to Edmonton. The search area near Revelstoke has been reduced in size to a smaller area north of Revelstoke. Pilot Dominic Neron did not issue a mayday call, officials say. Neron, 28, a journeyman electrician from Spruce Grove, Alta., and his girlfriend, Ashley Bourgeault, 31, were on board the aircraft. UPDATE: 5 p.m. The search for a small plane that went missing after leaving Penticton Saturday has been called off for the evening. Katelyn Moores with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria says searchers are completely reliant on daylight and will resume tomorrow at first light. The B.C.-wide volunteer-run Provincial Emergency Air Program also tweeted it has suspended its search for the night, with plans to resume tomorrow. Poor visibility hampered the search Monday, which focused on an area about 45 kilometres northeast of Revelstoke where pilot Dominic Nerons cellphone was last pinged. UPDATE: 1:45 p.m. The former owner of a plane that went missing near Revelstoke says the terrain in the area where the aircraft was last heard from is rugged and forested. "The valleys are very close in It's very rough terrain," Eldon Gjesdal told CTV. He sold the single-engine Mooney to Dominic Neron of Spruce Grove, Alta., earlier this year. "We're just hoping and praying that he found a safe place to land," said Gjesdal. with files from CTV Vancouver ORIGINAL: 10:20 a.m. The search for two people on board a small plane that went missing out of Penticton over the weekend continues today. Dominic Neron and girlfriend Ashley Bourgeault took off from Penticton Regional Airport in the single-engine Mooney aircraft about 2:30 p.m. Saturday. They never arrived in Edmonton. Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre Victoria reported the plane overdue at 10:40 p.m. Saturday and began the search that night. JRCCV has tasked four aircraft to (a) search area, which is approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of Revelstoke in the Rogers Pass area, said Lieut. Melissa Kia. The pilot's cellphone last pinged about 32 kilometres northeast of Revelstoke. During the opening of winter season, you are going to see really low-lying cloud, and icing and precipitation becomes an issue for any type of search and rescue aircraft that would be in the area, said Kia. Weather conditions are hampering visibility today, making it difficult for spotters looking for debris or signs of a crash. You really have to be right over it to see it, she said. You are looking for a very small target. A Cormorant helicopter, one Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and two Parks Canada helicopters, one out of Arrow in Revelstoke and the second from Alpine in Golden, are searching right now. Nerons sister is praying that her brother is OK. "I pray he is OK," Tammy Neron said. "I don't know anything, and they haven't had any luck so far." Neron, of Spruce Grove, Alta., has owned the aircraft since Sept. 9, 2017. The Mooney aircraft was manufactured in 1963. Our thoughts and prayers are with the two individuals and with their families, said Kia. Photo: CTV A car crash in Burnaby claimed a life and seriously injured a second person Sunday evening. The car hit several other vehicles before crashing into a tree at Kensington Avenue and Joe Sakic Way about 6 p.m. The compact vehicle was heavily damaged in the collision. Firefighters found one person deceased and the other in critical condition. Kensington Avenue was closed for several hours as police investigated the scene. with files from CTV Vancouver Photo: Colin Dacre The B.C. Supreme Court upheld a publication ban Monday on the identity of a man accused of sex crimes against a South Okanagan minor in 2012. Following an unsuccessful challenge by local media in Penticton court, Justice Alison Beames reiterated the publication ban on the opening day of the trial. Beames dismissed the argument of local reporters who noted there is no familial link between the accused and alleged victim, and naming the accused would not identify the victim. The reporters said the publication ban application by the defence sought to protect the reputation of the accused, not the victim. The victim's father testified Monday against the publication ban. However, both the Crown and defence argued in favour of the ban, saying the victim and accused were often seen in public together in the unnamed small community where both live. Freedom of the press is obviously critical, Justice Beames said, adding she is mindful of the mandate of the open court system. On the other hand, in this case we have a young complainant who has not yet reached adulthood. She sided with the lawyers, and found that naming the accused increased the likelihood too much of the victims identity being known. Several other aspects of the trial are also covered under a ban. The accused is charged with sexual touching of a person under 16, sexual assault and sexual exploitation. The trial will likely run all week. Photo: Okanagan College Allan and Evelyn Markin A pair of former educators have made a $2,500 donation to the new Okanagan College childcare centre in Penticton. Allan and Evelyn Markin have been advocates of the college for years, with Allan serving as campus principal more than 15 years ago. I was involved in some of the early conversations where we recognized there were mature students and College employees with children, explains Markin. The need for child care was acute and is still an obstacle for parents in the region. Allan said during his time at the college between 1988 and 2003, he saw firsthand the sacrifices parents made for their kids, often at the expense of pursuing education. Its wonderful to see the centre develop from an idea to become a reality, and to see families in Penticton already benefitting from it, he adds. Specifically, the pair is supporting one of the kitchen spaces at the centre. You need to feed the mind to learn well, said Evelyn. The daycare opened in September through a partnership between Okanagan College and the Penticton and District Community Resources Society. See Castanets previous feature on the high-tech building here. South OkanaganWest Kootenay MP Richard Cannings is continuing to campaign for his private member's bill to require the federal government to consider the use of wood in federal infrastructure projects. The House of Commons held its first hour of debate on the bill Monday. Im happy to bring this bill forward for debate and want to thank all of my colleagues in all parties who have come to speak with me about their support for C-354 said Cannings. Wood technologies have come a long way, and as companies like Structurlam have shown us, we can build amazing structures with wood that are beautiful, environmentally friendly and cost competitive. Bill C-354 will help to further promote these advances and help to support forestry communities all across the country. The bill was initially introduced in April, and would also compel the federal government to consider reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through use of wood products. During the first hour of debate I heard many supportive words and some concerns raised about my proposal said Cannings, calling on other MPs to support the bill. We have a chance to help the Canadian forestry sector grow and flourish for decades to come. Erik Lamela of Tottenham Hotspur in action during a Premier League 2 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur training ground on November 18, 2017 in Enfield, England. (Harry Hubbard / Getty Images) LONDON Erik Lamela is in line to make his Tottenham Hotspur return after over a year on the sidelines through injury, manager Mauricio Pochettino revealed on Monday. Argentinian winger Lamela, a 30 million ($40.1 million, 33.6 million euros) signing from Roma in August 2013, last played in October 2016, having since undergone surgery on both hips. Advertisement He returned to training at the beginning of last month and is expected to be on the bench for Spurs' trip to Leicester City in the Premier League on Tuesday. "It is very good news because he is in contention for tomorrow," Pochettino told a press conference at Spurs' north London training centre. Advertisement "It's because after the training today he felt good and said, 'OK, I am ready to move on and be available if you want.'" Lamela's recovery period has been less than straightforward, with the 25-year-old even spending time undergoing treatment at former club Roma in January. He also had to rush to Argentina last December after his brother was hospitalised. Despite Lamela's long absence, Pochettino says he never lost faith in his compatriot's chances of making a full recovery. "No, never doubts. We trusted in our medical staff and him that he's a very competitive player, always focused on his recovery," Pochettino said. "After a year it's difficult for a player to be fit. It's not easy and the expectations need to be low. "Maybe similar to Danny Rose, after 10 months or a year it's similar. You need to provide them the time to be fit. "There's no pressure on him, only to feel he's a player in the competition again." Advertisement Midfielder Harry Winks is a doubt for the trip to Leicester due to illness, while centre-back Toby Alderweireld (hamstring) and midfield enforcer Victor Wanyama (knee) are both out. Spurs have fallen 13 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City after one win in their last four league games, but Pochettino said it was important not to lose sight of how far his team have come. "I think if you remember everything that happened three years ago, no-one would believe we would be talking about finishing first, beating (Borussia) Dortmund and Real Madrid and finishing first in the Champions League (group) and having the capacity in the last three seasons to fight for the top four and the Premier League," he said. "We were talking about in the next three or four seasons arriving to the new stadium and trying to reduce the gap to the top four and now we are involved in the battle for the best competitions in the world." After proposing to dismantle net neutrality rules, and setting off a firestorm of criticism, Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said his family has become the target of harassment. During an interview Monday on "Fox & Friends," viewers were shown cardboard signs that host Steve Doocy said were put up at Pai's home in suburban Virginia. One sign, appearing to refer to Pai's children, read: "They will come to know the truth. Dad murdered Democracy in cold blood." Advertisement Pai said those signs crossed a line, even as he noted the charged debate over net neutrality. "I understand that people are passionate about policy, but the one thing in America that should remain sacred is that families, wives and kids, should remain out of it. And stop harassing us at our homes." Last week Pai took aim at the signature Obama-era regulation designed to ensure that all websites are treated equally by internet providers. Under Pai's plan, those rules would be stripped, granting internet providers broad powers to determine what websites and online services their customers see and use. Republicans hold three out of five seats at the FCC. And Pai said he expects the plan to pass at a Dec. 14 meeting on a party-line vote. Advertisement Pai has said his proposal would restore a "light-touch" regulatory framework for internet services and would stop the government from micromanaging the internet. Broadband and wireless companies such as Comcast and Verizon applauded Pai's move. But internet companies and activists see the undoing of net neutrality as an invitation for corporate abuse, in which service providers block websites they do not like and charge Web companies for speedier delivery of their content. "They've listed your children's names on the signs and said that you were an evil man who murdered democracy," said Doocy. "How freaked out were your kids to know that whoever left that there knew who they were?" "It was a little nerve-wracking, especially for my wife," Pai said. Pai suggested that the intense criticism leveled at him for targeting neutrality rules can lead to the type of harassment his family experienced. "That's one of the things I think is very unfortunate about all the vitriol and hot air that's out there is that if you keep going out there and peddling this misinformation like, 'This is the guy who is going to break the internet and destroy democracy,' it's not surprising that some people get alarmed by it." A spokesman for the FCC did not respond to a request for comment about the incident. Craig Aaron, the president of Free Press, an advocacy group that supports diverse media ownership, told The Washington Post: "We condemn any racist comments or harassing messages sent to the chairman of the FCC. We don't think there is any place for that in the debate." Aaron said his group was not involved in the sign-posting incident at Pai's home. Critics of the Trump-era FCC have scrutinized the agency's handling of public comments submitted to provide feedback on the net neutrality proposal. Some advocates and officials, including New York Attorney Genera Eric Schneiderman, say thousands of fake or automated comments submitted to the FCC have unfairly skewed the policymaking process. The FCC has said that it lacks the resources to review every comment and that automated feedback came from both opponents of net neutrality and supporters. While the criticism over fake comments may not alter the commission's upcoming vote to repeal the rules, some experts say it may benefit supporters of the rules in any legal challenge to the FCC's plan. Armitage Avenue in the Lincoln Park area has become the go-to destination for online retailers to open bricks-and-mortar stores. Online home furnishings retailer Serena & Lily plans to move into a two-level shop, at right, next to Warby Parker. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) Armitage Avenue is adding yet another online retailer, reinforcing the streets reputation as Chicagos go-to spot for expanding from cyberspace to retail space. Online home furnishings retailer Serena & Lily plans to move into a two-level shop on the Lincoln Park street, according to its landlord, Acadia Realty Trust. Advertisement Serena & Lily leased the 4,743-square-foot space at 853 W. Armitage Ave., where it plans to open a shop in the spring, said Chris Conlon, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Acadia Realty Trust. The space previously was leased to BCBG, a clothing-store brand that went bankrupt. Serena & Lily, based in Sausalito, Calif., currently has just six shops and one outlet store, none of which are in the Midwest, according to the companys website. Advertisement The tenants immediately east of its planned Chicago space, Warby Parker, Marine Layer and Bonobos, are among a growing list of Armitage retailers that were primarily e-commerce companies before branching out into retail spaces to increase sales and brand awareness. Theyre not the only 21st-century companies settling into Armitages 19th-century architecture. Other brands on the street include Tie Bar, Interior Define, Peruvian Connection, Foxtrot and Black Tux. Streets near Armitage also have welcomed online brands in recent years, including a Blu Dot furniture store on Clybourn Avenue and a Monica + Andy childrens store on Halsted Street. When e-tailers like Serena & Lily tour the street, they like that other e-tailers are already there, said retail broker John Vance, a principal at Stone Real Estate, who was not involved in the Serena & Lily lease. It used to be that Banana Republic would go next to J.Crew, which would go next to White House Black Market, which would go next to Chicos. Now e-tailers dont want to be next to brands that have 200 stores unless that 200-store brand is really cool. They have like-minded customers. Higher-end brands also are choosing Armitage because demographics studies show high household incomes and large numbers of online orders coming from Lincoln Park, Vance said. Acadia Realty Trust was represented in the lease by brokers Anthony Campagni and Elan Rasansky of RKF. The Rye, N.Y.-based real estate investment trust owns several Armitage buildings, as well as retail properties throughout Chicago and other major U.S. markets. A spokeswoman for Serena & Lily, which sells a broad range of indoor and outdoor home furnishings, declined to comment. Serena & Lily, founded in 2003, has three shops and an outlet in California, and also has shops in Westport, Conn.; Wainscott, N.Y.; and Atlanta. The company plans to open a store soon in Summit, N.J., according to its website. Advertisement The clicks-to-bricks trend has boosted retail leasing at a time when many retail chains, disrupted by online shopping and fresh concepts, are paring their store counts or in some cases, going out of business entirely. Chicago is part of a broader national trend in which online brands often lease space near one another, Conlon said. Warby Parker and Bonobos are real success stories, and other brands want to gather around them, Conlon said. They feel like, If Warby Parker can do well there, thats also our customer, so I should be there too. Its not just about e-commerce. Its all about relevant brands wanting to be around each other. rori@chicagotribune.com Twitter @Ryan_Ori Outcome Health CEO Rishi Shah, left, and President Shradha Agarwal. Founded as ContextMedia in 2006, the medical advertising firm exploded in growth. Now investors are accusing it of lying about its performance to secure nearly $500 million in funding. (Chicago Tribune) A court has temporarily barred Outcome Healths founders from tapping $225 million they received from big-name investors, a ruling that company attorneys previously warned could further destabilize the troubled company. A Delaware Chancery Court judge on Wednesday granted the request by investors including units of Goldman Sachs and Googles parent Alphabet and a fund co-founded by Illinois gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker as part of their lawsuit filed Nov. 16 against Gravitas, an Outcome Holdings subsidiary that held the $225 million. The funds were set to be distributed to CEO Rishi Shah and President Shradha Agarwal, who control Gravitas, according to the complaint. Advertisement Advertisement The Delaware suit followed a lawsuit investors filed earlier this month in New York against Chicago-based Outcome Health, Shah and Agarwal, alleging fraud as the company secured $487.5 million in funding earlier this year and rose to a valuation of $5.5 billion. The New York suit asked the court to order that $225 million of those funds, set to be distributed to Shah and Agarwal, remain available. After a New York judge denied the request, the investors filed the Delaware suit, which asked the court to temporarily restrain Gravitas and its managers from moving the money. Sanford Michelman, attorney for Outcome Health and Gravitas, said the judges decision served to maintain the status quo until evidence can be reviewed. He also pointed out that Gravitas and Outcome Health are two separate entities and the $225 million is not part of the companys operating funds. The plaintiffs, I believe, very irresponsible actions are stifling the growth of the company because of their own misunderstandings, he said. Before the judges ruling, Gravitas said in a court filing that granting the investors request would feed into a vicious media cycle and further destabilize the company. Outcome Health places screens in doctors offices that run educational content about health topics for patients along with advertisements from drug companies. The screens and educational content are free to doctors. Outcome Health makes money off the ads. Since The Wall Street Journal reported in October that Outcome Health employees had misled advertisers about the companys performance, hospitals and advertisers have backed away from the fast-growing company, and investors have filed court documents indicating they received subpoenas from the Justice Department. Last week, more than one-third of Outcome Healths roughly 535 employees took a buyout. Advertisement In a court filing, the Goldman Sachs fund said before it made its investment, Outcome Holdings told the fund about a whistleblower letter sent to Shah last year. Outcome Holdings told the fund the claim did not have merit, according to the filing. Advertisement The letter said customers were purchasing services from the company, then called ContextMedia, based on false misrepresentations that it reaches thousands of physicians/practices when, in fact, Context reaches significantly less, the filing stated. Spokesmen from Goldman, Pritzker Group Venture Capital and Alphabets CapitalG declined to comment. amarotti@chicagotribune.com Twitter @AllyMarotti The Glencoe Park District is considering a plan to repair the Breakwater sculpture. ( Daniel I. Dorfman / Pioneer Press ) Glencoe's "Breakwater" sculpture is one step closer to being repaired, but questions about its future remain. At their Nov. 21 board meeting, Glencoe Park District commissioners tentatively directed staff to pay Barry Tinsley the Chicago-based artist who created the piece in the 1970s as much as $4,000 to fund part of the restoration of the sculpture, which has been deemed in poor condition by the Park District. Advertisement The Park District funds would be combined with a potential donation of as much as $5,000 from a member of the Hirsch family, which purchased the sculpture from Tinsley in the 1970s, according to the Park District. The family's foundation donated "Breakwater" to the Park District in the early 1980s and it has since been at its Old Green Bay Road location, just east of the village's Metra station. Advertisement The park district board directed staff in the fall to pay Tinsley to remove the sculpture for $3,720, instead of spending $2,000 to dispose of it, with commissioners reluctant to simply toss away artwork. But following news reports about the planned removal, members of the Hirsch family contacted the Park District seeking to keep it in town, according to Park District officials. Executive Director Lisa Sheppard said at the meeting she received phone calls expressing disappointment about the sculpture's removal and was aware of an informal social media campaign to keep it. The Park District held off removing the sculpture and Tinsley then met with Park District officials. In an October letter to Sheppard, he reported that $8,500 should fund one week of the restoration, which he said would involve welding connecting joints that would prevent water damage and thus he believed it would keep the sculpture in good condition for as long as 40 years. However, it remains unclear what would happen if the restoration costs exceed $9,000, as park board members said at the meeting they did not want to spend more than $4,000. Therefore, the deal has yet to be finalized. "We are still working out the logistics of the restoration," Park District spokeswoman Erin Maassen said in an email. Another question is if there would be a maintenance fund for future repair costs. Maassen said such a fund is being explored and officials are looking for donations. To prevent damage from children playing on the sculpture, Maassen said additional signs would be posted and other unspecified measures would be taken. It was also not clear when the restoration would begin, Maassen said. Advertisement Park board commissioners said it would be good for Tinsley to keep the piece out in the public, and not have it removed. "There is an advantage for him to keep a work of his out in the public sphere," Commissioner Steve Gaines said. Tinsley did not return messages requesting comment. Meanwhile, Park Board President Dudley Onderdonk, who said at the October board meeting that he did not think the sculpture was a good fit for Glencoe, said if it remains in place, there could be a marketing shift to get people to view the sculpture. "Perhaps we can do more to promote it if we are going to continue to own it," Onderdonk said. Also at the meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a 2.36 percent increase for its 2017 property tax levy. Finance Director Carol Mensinger said the Park District represents approximately 7 percent of a Glencoe resident's property tax bill. Advertisement Commissioners also unanimously agreed to a nearly $50,000 contract with Chicago-based landscape architectural firm Altamanu Inc., for design services to reconfigure the Takiff Center parking lot, with a goal of adding spaces and better traffic flow. In separate action, Altamanu representatives are scheduled to attend a Dec. 5 meeting at the Takiff Center to show preliminary playground plans for Vernon and Jefferson Park, Woodlawn Park, and Old Elm Park. Park District officials say they are seeking public input on the initial designs. The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer for Pioneer Press. Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, demonstrates in front of the Shia Islamic Centre of England in London on Nov. 25, 2017, calling for her release from prison. Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been held in Iran since April 2016, accused of spying. (Jonathan Brady / AP) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Iranian state television aired videos Sunday targeting a Briton and an American serving time on espionage charges, likely trying to pressure the U.S. and Britain as London considers making a $530 million payment to Tehran. The case of Iranian-British national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has gained momentum in recent weeks as British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson faces tremendous criticism at home over his handling of it. Advertisement Meanwhile, state television aired footage of an emotional Chinese-American national Xiyue Wang as U.S. President Donald Trump continues his hard line against Tehran and its nuclear deal with world powers. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, already serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly planning the "soft toppling" of Iran's government while traveling there with her toddler daughter, faces new charges that could add 16 years to her prison term. Advertisement On Thursday, Iranian state television aired a seven-minute special report on Zaghari-Ratcliffe. It included close-ups of an April 2010 pay stub from her previous employer, the BBC World Service Trust. It also included an email from June 2010 in which she wrote about the "ZigZag Academy," a BBC World Service Trust project in which the trust trained "young aspiring journalists from Iran and Afghanistan through a secure online platform." Zaghari-Ratcliffe left the BBC in 2011 and then joined the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency. Both her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, and Thomson Reuters repeatedly have stressed she was not training journalists or involved in any work regarding Iran while there. The state television report comes as the British foreign minister faces criticism after he told a parliamentary committee that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was "teaching people journalism" when she was arrested last year. Though Johnson later corrected himself, the Iranian television report made a point to highlight them. Speaking to The Associated Press on Sunday, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband said the report and other Iranian comments about his wife seemed timed to exert as much pressure as possible on the British government. He said the material appeared to be from his wife's email, which investigators from the hard-line Revolutionary Guard immediately got access to after her arrest. "It's trying to justify the new charges," Ratcliffe said. The report comes as Britain and Iran discuss the release of some 400 million pounds held by London, a payment Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi made for Chieftain tanks that were never delivered. The shah abandoned the throne in 1979 and the Islamic Revolution soon installed the clerically overseen system that endures today. Authorities in London and Tehran deny that the payment has any link to Zaghari-Ratcliffe. However, a prisoner exchange in January 2016 that freed Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and three other Iranian-Americans also saw the United States make a $400 million cash delivery to Iran the same day. That money too involved undelivered military equipment from the shah's era, though some U.S. politicians have criticized the delivery as a ransom payment. Advertisement Late Sunday, Iranian state TV aired a feature focused on Wang, a Chinese-born American graduate student at Princeton who is accused of passing confidential information about Iran to the U.S. State Department. He was arrested while conducting research on the Qajar dynasty that once ruled Iran for his doctorate in late 19th and early 20th century Eurasian history, according to Princeton officials, who confirmed to the AP that he was in Iran to learn Farsi and conduct research for his dissertation. Authorities have alleged he scanned some 4,500 pages of digital documents, paid thousands of dollars to access archives he needed and sought access to confidential areas of Tehran libraries. State TV aired footage of him in what appeared to be an Iranian courtroom, those around him blurred out, as well as footage of him emotional and later talking to a camera, as well as an image of his Iranian visa and a school ID. "About Iran in that regard, the more knowledge the United States possesses about Iran, the better for its policy toward Iran," he said in the footage. "There is no doubt about it. It is quite obvious." Wang was arrested on Aug. 8, 2016. Princeton, his wife and others had been quietly working toward his release when Iran publicly announced his prison sentence in July. Wang's wife, Hua Qu, told The Associated Press on Sunday that she hasn't spoken with the U.S. State Department about the video but she's reiterating the allegations against her husband are untrue. Qu notes the video's airing come just before the mid-December deadline for Congress to decide whether economic sanctions lifted under the Iran nuclear accord should be re-imposed. Analysts and family members of those detained in Iran have suggested that hard-liners in the Islamic Republic's security agencies use the prisoners as bargaining chips for money or influence. A U.N. panel in September described "an emerging pattern involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals" in Iran. Advertisement Others with ties to the West detained in Iran include Iranian-Canadian national Abdolrasoul Dorri Esfahani, a member of Iran's 2015 nuclear negotiating team, is believed to be serving a five-year prison sentence on espionage charges. Iranian businessman Siamak Namazi and his 81-year-old father Baquer, a former UNICEF representative who served as governor of Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah, are both serving 10-year prison sentences on espionage. Iranian-American Robin Shahini was released on bail last year after staging a hunger strike while serving an 18-year prison sentence for "collaboration with a hostile government." Shahini is believed to still be in Iran. Also in an Iranian prison is Nizar Zakka, a U.S. permanent resident from Lebanon who advocates for internet freedom and has done work for the U.S. government. He was sentenced to 10 years last year on espionage-related charges. In addition, former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission, remains missing. Bruce Shipkowski in New Jersey contributed to this report. College of Lake County police moved Lakeshore Campus operations to the Madison Street Mall area in Waukegan for better visibility, according to CLC Police Chief Tom Guenther. (Frank Abderholden / News-Sun ) Recent changes in security and structures for the College of Lake County's Lakeshore Campus in downtown Waukegan has helped cut down the number of incidents and made things safer, according to officials. "All of our campuses are safe statistically," said CLC Police Chief Tom Guenther, adding that with the recent improvements at the college's parking garage on Sheridan Road, "We think it's probably one of the most secure facilities in Lake County." Advertisement Improvements began in 2016, when police at the campus were moved to a new facility on the Madison Street Mall. In the new location, a retro facade stands out, with three old-style glass globes with "POLICE" stenciled on them, and the U.S. and Illinois flags prominently displayed above a large window that lets officers look out onto the mall. The visible storefront at 128 W. Madison increased foot patrols, and the removal of benches that encouraged loitering and public alcohol use have cut the number incidents police respond to in the mall area. Advertisement "Our calls are down 10 percent, unwanted-subjects calls were down 18 percent, suspicious incidents or subjects (are) down 50 percent, disturbances are down 33 percent, and alcohol-related incidents were down 300 percent," Guenther said. According to 2016 statistics for all three campuses posted at the CLC Police Department's website, the biggest percentage of incidents were thefts, at 39 percent, followed by trespass incidents at 26 percent and criminal damage to property at 20 percent. Students, faculty or visitors used the police department's escort service 230 times in 2016 at all three campuses, according to CLC police. The college also approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Waukegan Police Department that grants jurisdictional powers to CLC police officers in the Madison Street Mall area of the city's downtown. New fencing now closes off the Sheridan Road parking garage at the College of Lake Countys Lakeshore Campus in Waukegan to help reduce crime, according to CLC Police Chief Tom Guenther. (Frank Abderholden / News-Sun ) Changes were also installed at the campus parking garage, purchased from the city over a year ago, with the most visual being tall black gates that now surround the garage and allow the college to lock up the facility overnight. "When it was unsecured overnight, that led to access for people to do things out of the public's view," Guenther said. Other improvements at the garage include the installation of 12 security call boxes that put callers in touch with CLC police dispatchers. Other improvements include more LED lighting and increased patrols. "We also have plans to increase the (security) camera presence," he said. Advertisement As of Nov. 17, the four-level, 500-space garage with access off Sheridan will be open from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. It is closed on Sundays and on college holidays. Visitors must have a CLC hang-tag, sticker or daily pass displayed to use the facility, and those items are available at the Lakeshore Campus front desk at 33. N. Genesee St. Students need a printed copy of their CLC class schedule and a photo ID to get a parking sticker, and visitors must pick up a daily parking pass at the office. Any vehicle left within the garage after closing hours will remain overnight and can be accessed the following college business day, according to CLC policy. "The new hours and procedures are part of our ongoing effort to keep the Lakeshore Campus safe for all stakeholders," Guenther said. "All these improvements have significantly lowered crime, resulting in a much safer and more secure downtown Waukegan campus." fabderholden@tribpub.com Twitter @abderholden Chicago's Cardinal Blase Cupich will visit Puerto Rico on behalf of Pope Francis, as the island struggles to recover from the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Maria. (Rob Dicker / Lake County News-Sun) Chicago's Cardinal Blase Cupich will visit Puerto Rico on behalf of Pope Francis, as the island struggles to recover from the devastation by Hurricane Maria. In a letter to priests Monday, the archdiocese said Pope Francis asked Cupich to make the trip in the days before Christmas as a means of drawing close to the people and their pastors. Advertisement Cupich also serves as chancellor of Catholic Extension, a papal society that serves poor mission dioceses. Just days after Hurricane Maria made landfall Sept. 20, Catholic Extension provided $350,000 in emergency funding to the six dioceses on the island that have no other sources of income. In many dioceses, the local Catholic church is the main source of humanitarian relief such as food and shelter. While other relief organizations are sending funds and supplies en masse, Catholic Extension is focusing its efforts on keeping churches up and running so that they, in turn, can deploy resources and supplies to help the community, Catholic Extension said in a statement. Advertisement Rebuilding and repairing churches in Puerto Rico will be a priority down the road, Catholic Extension said. In the meantime, Cupich will head there for a three-day visit on Sunday. Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Cupich to express his deep concern, as a father would have for his sons and daughters suffering in his family, the archdiocese said in its announcement, and to let the people and pastors know that their situation weighs heavily on him. mbrachear@chicagotribune.com Twitter @TribSeeker RELATED [ Cupich suffers rare political defeat at hands of fellow U.S. bishops ] [ Cardinal Cupich: Thoughts and prayers for shooting victims 'are not enough' ] [ Asked about Trump, Cardinal Cupich says 'we get the leaders we deserve' ] An illustration from the M.F.K. Fisher translation of "The Physiology of Taste" fronts a chapter (or meditation) on gourmands. (Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune) Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was a French judge and politician who managed to survive revolution, the Napoleonic wars and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy, all the while exercising a considerable and nuanced appreciation for the pleasures of the table. He died at 70 in Paris in February 1826 shortly after publication of the book that would make him an immortal in the food world: "The Physiology of Taste or Meditations on Transcendental Gastronomy." Immediately popular then and considered a classic now, the book is an influential and oft-quoted source for all things culinary and more. Advertisement "He is one of the most important figures in history culinarily,'' says Jan Longone, adjunct curator of American culinary history at the University of Michigan's Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library in Ann Arbor. Some of the most respected voices of 20th-century culinary writing held his book in high regard. "It is a well-balanced expression of one thinking man's attitude toward life," wrote M.F.K. Fisher, the famed American food writer, after finishing her famous translation, published in 1949. And Craig Claiborne, former food editor of The New York Times, described it in 1978 as "the ultimate volume on the art of dining. It should be read by anybody who cares about food." Advertisement "The Physiology of Taste" is, as the subtitle promises, a series of meditations on topics ranging from the role of taste, the function of appetite, gastronomy and gourmets, obesity and fasting, death, cooking and restaurateurs. Giles MacDonogh, a London-based writer and author of a 1992 biography, "Brillat-Savarin: The Judge and His Stomach," says "Physiology" is one of the first books of popular science to explore food. The work acts as a filter for the various theories and research of the late 18th and early 19th century, he says, adding, "People today avoid the science bits.'' Much of the charm in "Physiology" for today's readers lies in what MacDonogh describes as "lyrical passages" where Brillat-Savarin tells stories of life lived and food enjoyed. (American readers will be fascinated by Brillat-Savarin's tale of exile in the young United States, where he played the violin in a New York City theater orchestra and went wild turkey hunting in the Connecticut countryside.) Brillat-Savarin's book has sociological value too. MacDonogh, speaking by phone from London, views it as an attempt to bring gastronomy to the newly emergent middle class in the years after the French Revolution. "Food had been the province of the nobility to 1789," he said. "All the chefs worked for the nobility until the revolution put these chefs out on the street. They went out and started restaurants and they altered the faces of Paris, France and the gastronomic world." The chefs' new customers, made rich by the revolution, were "interested in knowing how to spend money on the material pleasures the girls, ladies and food previously reserved for the upper class." This book, which Fisher notes was written over 25 years with no fanfare, surprised Brillat-Savarin's friends when it was finally published "for he had never flashed before them in its full colors the rich tapestry of his mind, but had instead woven quietly and in secret peace." Yet Brillat-Savarin became such a gastronomic legend that his name has entered the lexicon and the kitchen. A savarin is a ring-shaped cake often filled with pastry cream, creme chantilly or fruit, according to "The New Food Lover's Companion." Chef and cookbook author Jacques Pepin points to the garniture Brillat-Savarin of classic French cooking, a side dish always featuring truffles. And in the 1930s, a French cheesemaker developed a triple-creme cheese and named it Brillat-Savarin. "He was a man of many interests and lived a good, long life," says Longone of Brillat-Savarin. "You could not meet anyone with an interest in gastronomy who would not say he's the bible." Advertisement In his words Brillat-Savarin's "The Physiology of Taste" is best known for a series of 20 aphorisms that serve, or so he writes, "as a preamble to his work and as a lasting foundation for the science of gastronomy." Here are some of those aphorisms from M.F.K. Fisher's translation: "Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are." "Animals feed themselves; men eat; but only wise men know the art of eating." "Good living is an act of intelligence, by which we choose things which have an agreeable taste rather than those which do not." Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > "The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a star." Advertisement "Men who stuff themselves and grow tipsy know neither how to eat nor how to drink." "A dinner which ends without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye." "We can learn to be cooks, but we must be born knowing how to roast." "A host who makes all his guests wait for one late-comer is careless of their well-being." wdaley@tribpub.com Twitter @billdaley A rock apologia for she of the 40 whacks, Lizzie is the first production from Chicagos new Firebrand Theatre, which declares itself to be the worlds first and foremost feminist musical theater company. With an audacious claim like that youd better come roaring out of the den, and thats exactly what happens with the dynamic Lizzie, a thrilling all-female production that takes what generally has been perceived as a camp and pulpy piece of singing splatter theater and recasts it as a furiously performed declaration of feminist strength and survivorship in the face of abuse. Advertisement As directed by Victoria Bussert (a director with a level of experience you dont usually see working in a small studio in Wicker Park), Lizzie is a show tailor-made for its moment. With four fabulously committed, and technically accomplished, vocal performances from Liz Chidester, Jacquelyne Jones, Camille Robinson and Leah Davis, Lizzie deserves to be a smash hit for Firebrand, an Equity-affiliated company and the brainchild of the actress Harmony France. On Sunday afternoon, the Bookspan Theatre at the Den on Milwaukee Avenue was filled with people roaring their approval. This is the first Chicago production of the musical by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt and Tim Maner based, of course, on the tabloid story of Lizzie Borden, the infamous ax-wielding murderess of Fall River, Mass., who perhaps bludgeoned her stepmother and father in 1892. (She did not give them 40 and 41 respective whacks, for the record, but far less, if it was in fact she who whacked them at all.) The true-crime sensation has been dramatized many times: There are at least two additional musicals, an opera, a ballet, several TV movies, an upcoming Hollywood release, a play, a Freudian novel, a prequel and sequel and, well, you get the idea. Lizzie Borden is a long-standing thing. Advertisement The show owes something to Chicago and Sweeney Todd, of course. But musically speaking, with its combination of thrashy cords and outre lyrics masking a little clutch of poignant melodies, Lizzie most resembles Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a show with which it shares an origin in the 1990s. Lizzie came from an era when the notion of what could be a Broadway musical was less elastic, and thus it was developed in stages in downtown New York. Its one of those pieces that has been around for a while (Bussert has staged it before) but never really hit the mainstream like Hedwig. Ive long known about it and heard the score, but, prior to Sunday, I had never previously had the pleasure live. Its not a subtle piece, and you wait in vain for it to complicate its own themes, rather than merely intensify them as you go. Lizzie accepts the guilt of the title character even though she was acquitted and ascribes her violent acts to sexual abuse on the part of her father, coupled with the passion of her relationship with her neighbor and friend, Alice. (None of this likely was true, but so what?) Its actually not an easy needle to thread, making the anti-heroine sympathetic and credible while also staging a show that requires the front row to wear plastic garb, lest they get hit with blood and guts. But Bussert makes it work her most potent weapon is a killer, no-holds-barred performance from Chidester thats as forceful as anything you can see on a Chicago stage at present, a performance thats supported vocally and emotionally on three sides. The dominant energy of this musical sisterhood (Andra Velis Simon conducts an all-woman rock band) is defiance. The piece is constructed to be a great collective cry of passion and self-actualization and a warning of painful consequence for the patriarchy. And yet even with all of that, theres just enough of that historical (and glam-rock infused) distance to give the audience permission to enjoy the amped-up juice of the storytelling without fearing for their skulls. So Lizzie has been ignited by a Firebrand. Betcha those flames now will lick beyond Chicago. Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. cjones5@chicagotribune.com Review: Lizzie (3.5 stars) Advertisement When: Through Jan. 14 Where: The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes Tickets: $45 at www.firebrandtheatre.org Enjoy someone else's drama A great theater city deserves a great theater critic. Enter Chris Jones. Subscribe now and get 4 weeks of full access for only 99. [ In Tracy Letts' 'The Minutes,' a town council moves for blood ] [ 'Fade' is a fresh spin on the writer-in-Hollywood play ] [ They saved Shakespeare: 'The Book of Will' is a dramatic story well told ] On NBCs Chicago P.D., cops often lose their cool and rough up a suspect or two. But Officer Kevin Atwater, played by LaRoyce Hawkins, is something of an outlier. Unlike his co-workers, Atwater lives in a predominantly African-American neighborhood where gun violence is a reality. And perhaps this is what has made him a little more thoughtful about his approach to the job. Im grateful to be that voice to speak for both cultures, Hawkins said, the black culture and the cop culture. Advertisement As for Atwater: When they told me the character could be from Harvey? That was the most valuable gift they could give me as an actor because then I knew exactly who he was. Im from Harvey myself. I grew up with guys like him. I pull references for this character from Harvey, Illinois which in my humble opinion is one of the greatest microcosms of Chicago. Theres good, theres bad, theres ugly. But its where Im from. Harvey raised me. And its what breathes life into this character. As a theater major at Illinois State University, he realized something else about himself: I discovered that I was a soft narcoleptic. If you leave me alone long enough with my eyes closed in a dark space, it just kind of happens, whether Im supposed to be asleep or not. I just kind of knock out. My colleagues now at Chicago P.D., well go to the movies and theyll just know for a fact that Im going to be asleep by the the middle of it. Advertisement One time, it happened on stage. My worst moment Im in college and Im in this anti-war play called Bury the Dead by Irwin Shaw that features dead soldiers who sort of come back to life at the beginning of the play. I was the lead soldier Soldier No. 1 and when I rise from the dead, I inspire the other soldiers to rise from the dead. So chronologically, nobody else can rise until I do. It was the night before opening night and we were doing a dress rehearsal in front of faculty and staff and a few special students. And the way the director set it up was, he wanted us to be on stage already when the audience walked into the theater; youd see these dead soldiers slumped over and it sets the tone of what youre about to see. So we basically have to play dead for 15 or 20 minutes before the actual show starts. And what do I do, at the most important show before we open? I fall asleep. Like, a deep sleep. Like a meditative state. Mind you, the play has started and Im supposed to be waiting on my cue to rise and no other dead soldiers can rise until I do. So I started getting nudged by the other guys. We were all kind of laying on top of each other, like we were about to be buried in a ditch. Theres a priest saying a prayer over us and in the middle of the prayer, Im supposed to get up. And Im taking a nap. I guess the dramatic tension came and went and it was like, Oh, theres a mistake happening right now. The director had to yell cut because they couldnt wake me up! Im a very hard sleeper. They had to turn the lights on and I think for a minute people were worried. They were like, Wait, is he really dead? So we had to start the play over. What was going through his mind ... Advertisement I was mortified! And thats kind of haunted me ever since. Even now on set Im known for falling asleep in between takes. If you look at our Instagram for the show, its a running joke: Theres pictures of me falling asleep all over the set. But the thing is, I dont feel tired before it happens. I just fall asleep. What people dont know about actors is that our nightmares consist of us doing stuff like that missing cues or showing up late for work. Those are the days that I dread. If I was to ever wake up two hours after my call time on Chicago P.D. you might lose the only black actor on the show, because you just cant be that late on a job. The takeaway Naturally it made me more aware. Nobody let me fall asleep after that dress rehearsal. While we were lying there, I was always getting pinched. And since I was so worried about it, I kind of scared myself out of falling asleep. That play was the first time anything like that had happened and I didnt know I had a problem until then. If Im conscious about it, I can try to stay awake, but not always. I just fell asleep on somebody the other day who was trying to drop something off. Before I knew it, it was 2 in the morning, I woke up, I had missed all these texts. Later on in my college career, I was in a musical called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and I played the comfort counselor (who hands out juice boxes and consolation to students who have been eliminated) and for maybe 65 percent of the play I had to just sit there and watch these kids, and it would be very easy for me to fall asleep. So I decided my character was going to knit. I learned how to knit and I knitted for most of the play, just to keep me from falling asleep. Advertisement What was interesting was that my character was on probation from jail, so to see this tough guy knitting, I was like, This is going to be dope! And it kept my brain occupied. nmetz@chicagotribune.com Twitter @Nina_Metz [ RELATED: My worst moment: 'The Goldbergs' star Wendi McLendon-Covey on gifting suites ] [ My worst moment: Ally Walker on tippling and acting ] [ My worst moment: John C. McGinley on Oliver Stone, juggling two jobs at once ] So there is more to Ricks plan than sneak attacks, zombie sieges and profligate gunfire barrages. Thats what we learned at the outset of Sundays The Walking Dead, an episode that returned to the wide-angle view of the inter-tribal goings on in Virginia in the months after the mass infection. Instead of zooming in on one or two stories as in recent episodes, Sundays edition of the AMC series had viewers hopping all over the map: Alexandria, the Kingdom, the Hilltop, even the trash dump where the Scavengers live. Advertisement And right away we learned spoiler alert that the plan Rick and his compatriots hatched for defeating Negan and his Saviors has a second phase that involves him paying a sales call on the Scavengers. This is perhaps imprudent, given that this group of grand-scale dumpster divers has already betrayed Rick once. And sure enough, after a not-really negotiation, he ends up a prisoner which maybe is part of the plan. Advertisement Given that the episode opened with a bunch of informational and encouraging notes exchanged between the good-guy leaders, Rick might be hoping to use his no-longer-free time to compose his Letter from a Scavenger Jail. But life goes on without him. Son Carl is roaming the woods, looking for a friend. Michonne and Rosita are going a little stir crazy recovering from their wounds while a war is being fought. Aaron is still pining for deceased partner Eric. Daryl and Tara may be on the verge of going rogue. Maggie decides what to do with the Savior prisoners. And Ezekiel has slipped entirely out of his king character; one bad review, and he refuses to finish the run of the play. So a lot went on Sunday. Here are five thoughts recapping The Walking Dead Seasion 8 Episode 6, the One that Reminded Us How Many Balls this Show Is Trying to Keep in the Air: 1. While Maggie has done what Jesus would do, its not necessarily for the same reasons. The big will-she-or-wont-she has been whether Maggie would kill or imprison the passel of Savior prisoners Jesus decided to bring her, because the thought of killing them would be bad karma for the better world theyre trying to build. But in this world a few dozen murderous baddies present a logistical problem. Not only do they need to eat in a place where there are only so many turnips to go around, but as living enemy soldiers they are a steady existential threat. Maggies kept them outside the Hilltop gates while she ponders. First, she gets to hear the arguments again, probably the third or fourth time that the show has laid them out. (Walking Dead is getting as caught up in telling the audience information it already knows as, say, House Hunters.) After some consultation with Gregory, the slimy former Hilltop leader shes replaced, she comes to a decision. Lock em up inside the gates, she says. And lock Gregory up too! This is a surprise to the sport-coated one, but once inside the post-and-wire prison yard, you can already see his beady eyes thinking up ways to start trouble. When Jesus thanks Maggie for heeding his advice, she says it isnt quite like that. Shes thinking the prisoners might be needed as bargaining chips, but if not, we cant leave them here. Advertisement 2. Somebody get Ezekiel a new tiger, please. Because of his failure in battle and the loss of his pet tiger (d., zombies), this guy says hes done playing the part of king. But you were great at it, says Carol. You got people to believe in you and build the Kingdom society and follow you into battle. Zeke, though, knew all along he was just playing a part, and now hes full of doubt. The stakes were these peoples lives, he says. I still played the part. I knew. And yet I smiled. Cant do it no more. Carol says she plays a part every day: We just have to act like everything is normal until it is. And Ezekiel still says no. But if you look at the tableau hes composed for wallowing in his sorrow man in darkened theater, alone, the chains from his former pet tiger on his lap you have to suspect that he wont be able to resist a return to the stage. 3. Anybody else not feeling the full impact of the shows almost routine near-death situations? This week we saw Carl and new pal Sadiq almost join the ranks of the flesh-munchers, and ditto for Michonne and Rosita. It was tense, it was terrifying, and then they were OK. You know, like usual. Sadiq is the guy Carl spotted briefly hunting food at ye olde gas station earlier this season. Hes tracked him down in the woods and brought him more food. In an at first wary conversation, it turns out theyre both the kinds of guys who try to do good things, like their parents told them to. Advertisement That this may not be the best indicator of ability to survive is quickly proven out. Sadiq likes to kill walkers to free their souls. When they come upon a few feasting on a deer carcass, they decide to offer up some liberty. But Carl and Sadiq are soon outnumbered and nearly bitten. Its going really badly until Carl, Indiana Jones-style, remembers he has a gun. Now hes bringing Sadiq back to the home base of Alexandria, even though itll make Rick, his dad, mad. It probably wont do much, either, for viewers who need to read a couple of recaps just to remember who all the characters are each week. Meanwhile, the recovering Michonne and Rosita, who are patients but not patient, decided they needed to see the Saviors besieged compound for themselves. So they go out on a little (Sunday? Do they even have days anymore?) drive. En route, they hear loud opera music, go to investigate and discover two Saviors who had been out scavenging when the attacks began. They nearly kill our heroines. But, of course, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and neither was the weaponry in use. So they live and, it seems, come up with a stash of big powerful weapons in the process. Curiosity didnt kill the cat, it rewarded it with a bazooka. 4. Daryl and Tara are maybe going to mess up this whole plan. Daryl, remember, got in a fight with Rick last week about wanting to deviate from the plan, to use newfound big weapons and blow a hole in the Saviors compound, the Sanctuary, so the zombies outside will make short work of them. But the Rick-Daryl set-to ended with them blowing up the new weapons. This is why they cant have powerful things, you thought. Advertisement But when Daryl and Tara connect this episode with Michonne and Rosita after theyve apparently found new big guns it seems like his Rick-defying plan may be back on. At episodes end, all four of them are in a big truck scoping out the Sanctuary and talking about making things happen well in advance of Ricks official plan to meet at the Sanctuary and finish them off two days later. Rick, who has apparently got himself taken prisoner on purpose to help make his plan work, probably isnt going to like any freelancing. Hes been stripped and imprisoned by the Scavangers, who write an A on the outside of one of his cell wells, a letter that keeps popping up, cryptically, in the series. One things for certain: Its not a grade for Ricks planning skills. 5. We are heading toward a big conclusion. I guess. After Sunday, there are two episodes left till the midseason finale, which typically brings some sort of plot catharsis or cliffhanger or both. So this episode was mostly about moving the chess pieces or the explosives-filled trucks? into place for the next two. While it didnt have that tight focus of previous chapters, it did a good job filling in some blanks with characters we havent seen in a while, such as Michonne, Rosita and Carl. And it laid out more explicitly than in the past just what is going on in the battle against the Neganites. Now its up to us to settle in and hope this ride toward a semi-conclusion is one worth taking. sajohnson@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @StevenKJohnson [ RELATED: 'The Walking Dead': 5 thoughts on a superb Episode 5 ] [ 5 thoughts recapping Season 8, Episode 4 of 'The Walking Dead' ] [ 'The Walking Dead': It's a man's world on Sunday's episode ] [ 'Walking Dead': 5 thoughts on the incendiary Season 8 premiere ] [ Arms for hostages? 5 thoughts recapping 'The Walking Dead's' second episode ] Luvvie Ajayi will sign copies of Im Judging You: The Do-Better Manual 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave., in Chicago. (Essence) Luvvie Ajayi captured the attention of Shonda Rhimes, Oprah Winfrey and millions of readers with her 2016 New York Times best-seller, Im Judging You: The Do-Better Manual. Now the books been rereleased in hardcover, and Ajayi who wrapped up the recent Together Live tour with Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach just in time to grab a 2017 outstanding leader award from YWCA Metropolitan Chicago has thoughts. Advertisement I dont think weve done better since, she told me last week. At all. She finished writing her book a collection of essays on race, gender, pop culture, rape culture, celebrity culture and the fleeting nature of fame in October 2015. Donald Trump was just one of a bunch of guys running for president. Harvey Weinstein was still co-chairman of The Weinstein Co. White supremacists were two years from brandishing tiki torches in Charlottesville, Va. Advertisement Our country wasnt perfect far from it. But we werent coming face-to-face with our shortcomings on the daily. I wanted this book to be timely, but I wish it wasnt so relevant, because it means that we are failing on massive scales, Ajayi writes in a postscript for the hardcover edition. I could write a whole other book called Im Judging You, America! I still might. Who knows? But this dumpster fire we find ourselves in feels wholly unnecessary. It feels like it could have been avoided. But maybe not. Maybe it is necessary. This feels like a reckoning. Ajayi is not one of the many social commentators sputtering in daily disbelief at this nations state of affairs. Shes been pointing out room for our improvement on her Awesomely Luvvie blog, at the talks she gives across the country, through her philanthropic work for far too long to be caught off guard. Its really interesting how shocked people are at whats happening right now because they thought we were past all of it, she told me. A lot of people had constructed what the world looks like in their minds and didnt believe people who told them it doesnt look the way they said it looked. Weve kind of been telling you all along, but now its out in the open for you to see. The flood of sexual assault and harassment allegations. The uptick in hate crimes. The moves to curtail transgender rights. At the same time, shes encouraged by the growing awareness. This moment of reckoning has the potential to change things, she said. We cant just let this die in a month and have Harvey Weinstein back producing movies and Kevin Spacey back on House of Cards. The fact that Mel Gibson is being cast in family-friendly movies shows how even when we have these really loud moments, we have short memories. Advertisement At the end of this week, Ajayi is participating in the Teen Vogue Summit in Los Angeles, where shell encourage young people to keep the momentum going. I want them to keep carrying the torch of speaking up in ways that our generation was sort of scared out of and the generations above us were definitely scared out of, she said. I want them to look at the world and know they have more control than they might realize. Control, she said, they shouldnt be afraid to seize. I want them to look at the world and know, No one has the right to hurt me, and Im not obligated to stay silent, she said. This moment in history can only continue if we embolden the next generation not to keep quiet about people who try to hurt them. I attended the YWCA luncheon where Ajayi received that leadership award last month. In a world that wants women to whisper, she told the crowd, I choose to yell. Advertisement The place erupted in applause. I hope we can find the courage to follow that up with action. Luvvie Ajayi will sign copies of Im Judging You: The Do-Better Manual 6-7:30 p.m Wednesday at The Seminary Co-op, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave. More information at www.semcoop.com. hstevens@chicagotribune.com Twitter @heidistevens13 [ Related: 1st girl to play Tiny Tim in Goodman's 'Christmas Carol' is a miracle in her own right ] [ 'I tried to be what white people valued' a searing memoir of growing up biracial ] [ What's behind that Al Franken photo? ] Matthew Hale, the imprisoned white supremacist convicted of plotting to kill a Chicago federal judge, endorsed Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore on Monday. There is no evidence Roy Moore committed sexual harassment against any of the woman (sic) that have made these accusations or that Roy Moore is a sexual predator, a news release with the headline Political Prisoner Matt Hale endorses Moore states. Advertisement The news release, issued by Hales mother, compares Matthew Hales legal woes insisting that hes innocent to the sexual harassment accusations against Moore. Anybody can accuse anyone of anything but that doesnt make it true, Hale, who is serving a 40-year sentence at a supermax federal prison in Florence, Colo., is quoted as saying. I know from my own experience. Advertisement The attempted connections between his case and the accusations of sexual misconduct leveled against Moore began and ended there. Hale, 46, formerly of downstate East Peoria, was convicted by a federal jury in 2004 of plotting the death of U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow after she ruled against him and ordered his supremacist group to change its name in a trademark-infringement case. No attempt was made on Lefkows life, but the following year the judges husband and mother were slain in an unrelated tragedy by a disgruntled litigant. Hale has maintained his innocence, accusing the government of manufacturing evidence and framing him, and he remained consistent about that in Mondays statement. I went to law school, passed the Bar and was refused my license to practice law in Illinois, Hale wrote, failing to note he was denied a license to practice because of his racist views. mkloub@chicagotribune.com Twitter @LessIsMoh Four people were shot, one fatally, on the South and West Sides on Monday. A 29-year-old man died after suffering a gunshot wound to the face in the 1100 block of East 73rd Street in the citys Grand Crossing neighborhood at about 9 a.m., according to Chicago police. Advertisement The victim was arguing with the assailant, who he knew, when the assailant pulled a gun and shot him in the face, police said. Later at about 1 p.m., an 18-year-old man was shot in the right foot in the first block of North Lotus Avenue in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. Police said the assailant fired multiple rounds at the victim, who was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. Advertisement Also in the Austin neighborhood, someone shot a 22-year-old man as he was walking in the 300 block of North Central Avenue just before 9:30 a.m. The man was taken to an area hospital where his condition had stabilized, police said. At 11:40 a.m., a 16-year-old boy was shot in the back in the 1600 block of South Drake Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition. Police reported no arrests but detectives are investigating. Santino Hernandez, 18, was ordered held without bail Sunday during a bond hearing. He faces a charge of first-degree murder in a shooting that left a 15-year-old boy dead and a 14-year-old boy wounded. (Chicago Police Department) An 18-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a 15-year-old boy and wounding another teen was wearing an electronic ankle monitor when the shooting took place last month on the city's Southwest Side, according to prosecutors. Santino Hernandez, who faces a charges of first-degree murder and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, was ordered held without bail by Cook County Judge Mary Marubio on Sunday during a bond hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. He is the third person charged in the Oct. 26 double shooting that left 15-year-old Jeyson Gonzalez dead and wounded a 14-year-old boy. Advertisement Ariel Mena, 17, and Flora Perez, 18, also face murder charges in the case. Hernandez and Mena are alleged members of the Gangster Two-Six gang, and the shooting took place in Satan Disciples territory in the Brighton Park neighborhood, according to prosecutors. About 3:30 p.m. Oct. 26, Gonzalez, the 14-year-old boy and three others were walking home from Kelly High School in the 4400 block of South Maplewood Avenue when a Pontiac minivan passed by. Advertisement Mena, who was inside the van with Perez and Herndanez, flashed a gang sign at the group, prompting Gonzalez to flash a Satan Disciples gang signal back, according to prosecutors. Herenandez and Mena then told Perez to drive the minivan around the block and into a nearby alley. Hernandez and Mena got out of the van, and Hernandez talked to Gonzalez about the Satan Disciples. As Gonzalez was walking away, Hernandez pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking Gonzalez three times on his side, prosecutors said in court. The 14-year-old boy was shot once in the back. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > Surveillance video later showed the minivan, which was registered to Hernandez's mother, speeding away from the crime scene, according to prosecutors. Gonzalez, of the 5700 block of South Damen Avenue in West Englewood, was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital, and the 14-year-old boy was taken in serious condition to Stroger Hospital. Police officers searching Hernandez's home found a revolver in his bedroom that ballistics testing indicated was the gun used during the shooting, according to prosecutors. During the shooting, Hernandez was wearing an electronic ankle monitor because of a 2016 juvenile case stemming from a charge of unlawful use of a weapon, according to prosecutors. In addition, detectives reviewed Facebook messages between Mena and Hernandez before and after the shooting. Mena sent one message that included the photo of the slain teen and wrote "LMAO," according to prosecutors. Hernandez is a senior at Innovations High School. No one in the courtroom gallery stood up to indicate they were relatives when the case was called. He is expected to appear again in court later this week. Advertisement Chicago Tribune's William Lee contributed. Every June, without fail, Diane Walker got a mammogram. Cancer ran in her family, she said. Even her mother had it. Determined not to be next, she went year after year. She tested negative, year after year. But in 2003, freshly retired, Walker and her husband went on a traveling spree. Walker went to the Bahamas, Bowling Green, Ky., back to her hometown of Waycross, Ga. So caught up relishing her retirement, she said, she went everywhere, except to her doctors office. Advertisement Walker next had a mammogram in mid-2004. Expecting her usual result, she said she was floored when she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ cancer in her milk ducts. She was 64. Nearly 15 years since her diagnosis, Walker, 78, has survived cancer. It cost her a breast, but she refuses to complain, considering how often black women like herself die of breast cancer each year. Advertisement Yeah, I lost a breast, Walker said. But whats a breast if youre gonna live? I decided that I was gonna live. In the early 1980s, black and white women with breast cancer in Chicago died at roughly the same rate. Thanks to improvements in detection and treatment in the 1990s, the mortality rate for white women fell sharply but it stayed about the same for black women. Between 2005 and 2007, the death rate for black Chicago women with breast cancer was 62 percent higher on average than for white women, according to a report by the Sinai Urban Health Institute in Chicago. From 1999 to 2005 in Chicago, an average of 90 more black women died of breast cancer than white women annually, according to a local task force. Experts attributed the troubling trend the widest breast cancer mortality gap of any major city in the nation to a number of causes, key among them a lack of access to quality mammography and less access to quality treatment once diagnosed. But in the past 10 years, Chicago has narrowed the disparity gap in deaths among black and white women. Partnerships between the city and groups like the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force, founded in 2007, were created to reduce these numbers. Chicago now leads the nation in reducing the disparity in deaths among black women, said Anne Marie Murphy, the task forces executive director down from that high of 62 percent to 39 percent between 2011 and 2013, the most current period for which data are available. When we started, Chicago had disparity in breast cancer mortality that was higher than (the national) average, said Murphy, who holds a doctorate in molecular genetics. And though women biologically havent changed in that nine years, the system has. Now, Murphy said, Chicago is addressing the disparity with increased funding for quality mammograms, enhanced education and outreach programs, and other supportive services. This year, the city Department of Public Health invested $700,000 to increase breast health services for populations that have faced difficulties accessing quality care. Murphys organization recently hosted its annual Beyond October event, which featured sign-ups for free mammograms, workshops, freebies and handouts from roughly 50 groups including the YWCA, Planned Parenthood and the American Cancer Society. Advertisement The event also featured massages, open enrollment help for those seeking health care and dance classes, all in support of the groups goal: Encourage healthy habits beyond October. Getting screened needs to be happening all year round, it cant be just an October thing, Murphy said. Every month should be breast cancer awareness month. Murphy was one of a handful of speakers at the event, which included U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson and Dr. Julie Morita, Chicagos health department commissioner. Speakers, some of them survivors, articulated their difficult experiences with the disease as black women. You feel very much alone, said Chris-Tia Donaldson, chief executive of the hair care company TGIN and a breast cancer survivor. Donaldson, a graduate of Harvard Law School, was only 36 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Initially horrified that she would lose her hair just as her hair care products were making their way into major retailers, Donaldson, now 38, soon realized the loneliness she felt as a young woman with the condition was just as bad. Whereas older women may have established careers and dedicated support systems, younger women with breast cancer often have to put all that on hold to deal with their disease, she said. This year, Donaldsons company coordinated a social media campaign which encouraged survivors, many of them young, to share their stories. When talking about breast cancer, such varied perspectives are important, Donaldson said, as are those of low-income women, who sometimes have to trade-off between rent and treatment, she said. Advertisement A lot of people dont have paid sick days, she added. Worse still, experts said, many black women dying from breast cancer in the past lacked health insurance, which had long been a major roadblock to quality, ongoing treatment. The Affordable Care Act reduced some barriers, but it may be harder for many uninsured Chicagoans to get covered this year, Morita said. Ninety percent of the federal budget for promoting and raising awareness for open enrollment has been cut, Morita said, and this years health insurance sign-up deadline comes on Dec. 15, weeks ahead of prior years. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > As a result, she said her department has tried to fill the void, hosting more targeted events to reach the communities most in need of care, like the working poor. We're trying to be strategic, Morita said. We know what neighborhoods would really benefit from the marketplace. Special efforts have been made, she said, to host open enrollment programming at health centers, libraries and aldermanic offices. Though experts say its not immediately clear how much of an effect changes to the open enrollment period might have on the progress made against breast cancer in Chicago, there is reason to be hopeful, many agreed. Less than 10 percent of Chicago residents are uninsured a record low, Morita said. And as the breast cancer mortality gap shrinks in Chicago, an October American Cancer Society study shows breast cancer death rates appear to be declining nationally. From 1989 to 2015, the studys authors said, overall breast cancer death rates fell by 39 percent, something they attribute to advances in treatment and early disease detection. Advertisement Things were far different when Walker was diagnosed. She and her husband, who married in 1964, are planning a move to Las Vegas. They are lucky, she said, and always have been. Im still here, she said. Not all of us die. eolumhense@chicagotribune.com Twitter @essayolumhense [ RELATED: Melanoma more common in whites, but minorities less likely to survive ] [ How life changes again when cancer recurs ] [ Breast cancer death rate drops almost 40 percent, saving 322,000 lives, study says ] Georgiana Rose Simpson arrived at the University of Chicago in 1907. Simpson went on to become one of the first black women in the country to graduate with a doctorate. (Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University) When Georgiana Rose Simpson arrived to the University of Chicago in 1907, her presence in a dorm caused an uproar among some of the other students because she was black, and she was eventually asked to move off campus. Undeterred, Simpson continued her studies by commuting to campus and corresponding from afar and went on to become one of the first black women in the country to graduate with a doctorate, records show. Advertisement For decades, Simpsons role as the first black woman to finish a doctorate from U. of C. has gone largely unknown. But on Tuesday, two university students will unveil a bust of Simpson atop a pedestal at the Reynolds Club, the universitys student center, which was once accessible only by white males. For Asya Akca and Shae Omonijo, the move is an effort to give Simpson her rightful place in university, and Chicago, history. Advertisement The University of Chicago is on the South Side in a predominantly African-American community, and yet there is not that much African-American history represented on our campus, Omonijo said. This is despite the fact that so many prominent black scholars came from this institution. Its important to see and know her. Classes may be hard, you might fail a midterm or not know what to major in. ... But at the end of the day, if she pushed through, you can make it and graduate, Omonijo said. With the Simpson statue, Akca and Omonijo are entering a larger conversation about the role of monuments and statues in the nations history and how the images affect the consciousness and esteem of the people who see them. Nationally, there are few statues that recognize the historical contributions of women. In Chicago, there are memorials that honor women like Jane Addams but few statues or busts that present an actual image of a notable woman. According to the Smithsonian Institutes archives, only about 8 percent of publicly displayed statues depict women. Women real women, not symbolic and allegorical figures are practically invisible in American memorial culture, said Erika Doss, a professor of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame and the author of the book Memorial Mania. Memorials have changed in America in recent decades due to increasing numbers of Americans claiming the public sphere to represent their issues, she said in an email. Today, we see a shift from statues of great men to memorials dedicated to subjects previously excluded from public art like the Rosie the Riveter Memorial in Richmond, California, which is dedicated to the female defense industry workers of World War II. Rather than pushing for the removal of monuments with a dark history, Omonijo and Akca say they want to work to develop new ones of women and minorities who have long gone unrecognized for their contributions. For them, its about making sure history is accurately depicted. Oftentimes womens history is untold and underrepresented in our world, Akca said. Thats something we both want to fix. This is a problem, not only in Chicago, but in Washington, D.C., and Louisville (Ky.) and everywhere else. Advertisement Preston Jackson stands next to a wax sculpture of Georgiana Rose Simpson shortly before it was cast in bronze. (Preston Jackson photo) The story of how Simpsons legacy is being revived is also the story of two young women finding their voices and developing a close friendship along the way. Omonijo and Akca, both 21-year-old political science students, met as freshmen living in the same dorm in 2014. Akca, of Louisville, has an interest in how women are depicted in monuments and statues because she believes the lack of images blocks girls from seeing how they can impact society. Omonijo, of Baltimore, is passionate about black history and specifically black women whose contributions have been overlooked and sometimes erased. The two students stumbled upon Simpsons story. Advertisement As they researched digging into the universitys archives, the University of Massachusetts archives and the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University in Washington, D.C. they learned about Simpsons accomplishments and how she was treated. They both felt strongly she deserved to be represented by a statue. Not only did she face discrimination because of her race, but because she was studying German at the height of World War I and there was a lot of anti-German hysteria that she faced as a result of her chosen topic, Omonijo said. But she continued on. In the late 1800s, Georgiana Simpson was among a wave of black educators who were groomed at Miner Normal School and she worked at a segregated high school in Washington, D.C. She was already established in her career when she uprooted and came to Chicago, first to get her undergraduate degree. She arrived and moved into a dormitory, but was later instructed by the universitys president to move out. Simpson took summer courses and corresponded by mail to avoid the hostile racism. After she finished her bachelors degree, Simpson returned to Washington and continued teaching at what would become the famed Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. She returned to Chicago and finished her masters in 1920 and her doctorate in 1921. She was 55. When she graduated, a portrait of her in cap and gown was published in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples publication The Crisis. Advertisement Its important to see and know her. Shae Omonijo, University of Chicago student As a scholar, Simpson wrote articles for W.E.B. Du Bois publications and was an ally of African-American historian Carter G. Woodson. She retired as a college professor teaching German at Howard. She never married, and had no children or descendants to trumpet her role in history. She was an extensive traveler. She visited Europe and studied in France and Germany, said Loann J. King, a regional historian with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, a group Simpson became a member of while she was in Chicago. She wanted to be a beacon of light to other African-American women and encourage them to meet challenges with dignity and forge ahead. Local members of the sorority raised thousands of dollars to help the college students with their project. Omonijo and Akca dug up a letter Simpson wrote to Du Bois, found her original passport and tracked down the only remaining portrait of her. For more than three years they have been raising money to pay for the bust, which cost nearly $50,000. They hired the sculptor Preston Jackson, scouted a spot for the display and obtained permission from the university to have the statue installed. Advertisement Together they have formed the Monumental Women Project to create more statues honoring women. It took Jackson four months to sculpt the bust of Simpson. He said the project was layered with meaning. Jackson, who was a longtime instructor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, said black artists still struggle to contribute their ideas to the mainstream. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > As an African-American artist, very few commissions are given to us in Chicago, or anywhere. This project shows that we are out here and we have the ability, he said. At the Reynolds Club, the bronze bust of Simpson will be permanently placed on a tall platform, making her stand eye-level in the hallway outside of a major gathering space. Advertisement U. of Chicago gets hundreds of visitors from across the world and U.S. touring the campus. They always go inside Reynolds Club, Akca said. The fact that Georgina Simpson will be there, in that hallway, means all those people who are coming to visit will see that the students here, and the university, values womens history. This is the push in that direction. The statue will be positioned directly across from a bronze relief honoring Harry Pratt Judson the college president who made her move off campus. Her bust has her standing tall. Her chin is up and shes grinning a little bit, Omonijo said. Its like shes saying, You may have kicked me out of the dorm, made it difficult for me, but I still got my degree. And Im still influencing the next generation of academic scholars. lbowean@chicagotribune.com Twitter @lollybowean Kenosha, Wis. The Kenosha County (Wis.) district attorney is considering charges against a man accused of killing two brothers after a fight at a bar in Twin Lakes, just across the Illinois border. Kenneth Samuel III, 31, and his 28-year-old brother, Richard Samuel, were fatally shot about 2 a.m. Friday when a fight inside the Beach Bar spilled out into the parking lot. Advertisement Witnesses said the two victims and suspect had been fighting before the shooting. Twin Lakes police Capt. Dennis Linn said the suspect being held in the Kenosha County Jail could be charged Monday. Linn said the village of 4,700 people has not had an intentional homicide case since the 1980s. Advertisement Several people at the Beach Bar, which overlooks Lake Mary, told the Kenosha News that the Samuel brothers were regulars at the establishment and were well-liked in the community. The suspect fled the scene and was later arrested in Monroe County. Chicago police are asking for the public's help in finding a 15-year-old girl who went missing from the West Rogers Park neighborhood on the Far North Side. Calista Oritz, 15, was reported missing about 4 a.m. Sunday from the 7300 block of North Ridge Avenue, police said. Ortiz, who is 5-foot-6 and 145 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair, was last seen wearing a white sweatshirt with "koala ears'' on its hood, green sweatpants and white Jordan gym shoes, police said. Advertisement She was carrying a black pack with a Jamaican flag on it, according to police. Anyone with information should contact Area North detectives at 312-744-8266. Chicago saw its second most violent Thanksgiving holiday in recent years, with nearly four dozen shootings over the long weekend. From Wednesday afternoon to early Monday, 44 people were shot in the city, eight of them fatally, according to data kept by the Tribune. That's down from the 70 people shot during the holiday weekend last year, but it's nearly double the 28 people shot in 2015 and more than twice the 19 in 2014. The homicide count for the year follows a similar pattern: There have been 621 homicides in Chicago as of Monday, 100 fewer than this time last year but well above previous years. The count was 450 at this time in 2015, 402 in 2014 and 400 in 2013, according to Tribune data. At least 3,322 people have been shot this year, about 690 fewer than last year but more than 1,000 above the count for 2014, 2013 and 2012 at this point. The first casualty of this year's holiday weekend was a 38-year-old man. James Jones was shot in the head around 1:35 a.m. Thursday in the 400 block of East 77th Street in the South Side's Chatham neighborhood. Jones was found dead in his car after police said he was shot by three people. About 24 hours later, an 18-year-old man was killed about half a mile away in the same neighborhood. The man was shot when he refused to comply with a robbery, according to police. A 61-year-old man was killed over the weekend in what police characterized as a domestic incident. Carl Edmundson was found in the basement of a Far South Side home with head injuries and lacerations to his groin area, according to police. Investigators were questioning a relative. Cook County Board Commissioner Dennis Deer, 2nd, is first in line to file his re-election petitions at the Cook County Administration Building in Chicago on Nov. 27, 2017. A line formed before dawn as candidates waited to begin filing nomination papers for the upcoming primary election for the Cook County offices of board president, clerk, treasurer, sheriff, assessor, county commissioners, the County Board of Review for Districts 2 and 3, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and township committeemen. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle filed her re-election paperwork Monday, vowing to play hardball against challengers who could include former board President Todd Stroger. Preckwinkle is trying for a third term despite a public backlash against her pop tax, which the County Board has voted to repeal. Seeking to capitalize on Preckwinkles weakened political standing are Stroger and Bob Fioretti, a former Chicago alderman. Advertisement Fioretti told the Tribune hes still collecting the 8,236 signatures needed to run for countywide office and will be submitting soon, while Stroger could not be reached for comment on when hes planning to file to get on the ballot. Preckwinkle said she is planning to challenge the validity of her opponents signatures, a tactic that sometimes results in candidates being removed from the ballot because they didnt get enough legitimate names. Advertisement I have a strong record and Im going to run on it, Preckwinkle said while talking to reporters before filing. Preckwinkle was among the crowd of candidates vying for Cook County government seats up and down the March primary ballot who took part in the political theater of lining up early Monday morning to turn in their petitions. Its considered a slight advantage to appear first on the list of names on the ballot, an honor that goes to the first candidate to file petitions for a given office. And its a sign of political power and commitment to the race to turn up on the first day of filing with many more signatures than required. Also in the line that snaked through the basement of the County Building downtown was Assessor Joseph Berrios, who doubles as county Democratic chairman. Berrios has drawn a primary challenge from Fritz Kaegi, an asset manager who has been hitting the incumbent over what he says are problems in the tax assessment system highlighted this year by the Tribune. People are dissatisfied with the corruption they see in the process, thats in the pay-to-play and the nepotism, the favoritism and the indifference to neighborhoods that have been impacted by the housing crisis, Kaegi said. Berrios did not speak to reporters after appearing with Preckwinkle and Recorder Karen Yarbrough for the photo-op of turning in their big piles of petitions. Yarbrough is running for county clerk after voters decided last year to merge her recorders office into the clerks office. Longtime Clerk David Orr is not seeking re-election. At the County Board, the planned retirement of longtime Commissioner Jerry Iceman Butler has thrown open the doors for hopefuls in the 3rd District, which stretches from north of downtown south through Hyde Park and South Shore before hooking west to take in parts of Chatham and Gresham. Attorney Bill Lowry was on hand to turn in his petitions to succeed Butler. Lowry lists Allen King, the husband of 4th Ward Ald. Sophia King, as his campaign chairman. And Preckwinkle is backing his candidacy, according to Scott Kastrup, Preckwinkles political director. Advertisement Also filing for the chance to succeed Butler is Charise Williams, who works for Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs and has the backing of veteran 34th Ward Ald. Carrie Austin and others. In addition, three other candidates for that contest: Patricia Horton, a former Water Reclamation District commissioner and failed aldermanic candidate; Joshua Gray, advocacy director for a charter school group; and Steven R. Wolfe. None has filed the state papers required of those who raise or spend $5,000 or more to run for office. Commissioner Richard Boykin, who helped lead opposition to Preckwinkles pop tax, is being challenged by Brandon Johnson, a Chicago Teachers Union political organizer. Johnson said he will try to paint Boykin as supporting big business over working residents. Last week, the County Board passed a budget that relies on laying off more than 300 government employees to make up for the money lost when the beverage tax got rolled back. We have a current commissioner that has aligned himself with the Republican Party, protecting the interests of corporations while scores of folks continue to get laid off, Johnson said. Boykin said he welcomes the challenge. I believe the voters will send us back overwhelmingly because they like the record, and they like the fact that were independent, and they like the fact that were a progressive Democrat he said while waiting in line to file his petitions. Advertisement Five-term Treasurer Maria Pappas, who was endorsed by the county Democratic Party, also picked up a challenger. Peter Gariepy, 34, an accountant, is making his first bid for public office. He stood in line to file a tall stack of petitions, saying he had collected 30,000 signatures. Gariepy said he wants to be a taxpayer advocate, a role Pappas also has fashioned for herself during her time in office. jebyrne@chicagotribune.com hdardick@chicagotribune.com RELATED [ Preckwinkle agrees to fewer Cook County job cuts; hundreds of layoffs still in works ] [ Ex-Cook County Board President Todd Stroger says he's running again ] [ Former Ald. Fioretti announces Preckwinkle challenge ] Springfield Billionaire Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker reported nearly $15 million in state taxable income last year while rival Chris Kennedy listed $1.2 million, according to partial income tax returns both campaigns released Monday. Though its not required by Illinois law, the issue of releasing tax return information has gained prominence because of the wealth of Pritzker and Kennedy, as well as Republican President Donald Trumps refusal last year to release his personal tax information during the presidential campaign. Advertisement Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, a wealthy private equity investor, has regularly released partial income tax returns. That includes those for last year, which showed he had more than $91 million in state taxable income, a significant drop from the $188 million he and wife, Diana, reported a year earlier. The Rauners paid $19.5 million in federal income taxes and $3.2 million in state income taxes. Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune and entrepreneur, released three years of partial tax returns that showed the candidate and wife Mary Kathryn nearly quintupled their income from 2014, when they had a federal adjusted gross income of $3.1 million, to $14.95 million last year. The couple paid $4.1 million in federal taxes for 2016. Advertisement Pritzkers income grew prominently the past three years largely through money from partnerships and trusts, which totaled $13.2 million last year compared with $5.9 million the year before. In 2014 the Pritzkers reported $2.7 million in business income as their primary source of money. Pritzker spokeswoman Galia Slayen said the rise was based on investments and disbursements from trusts. Some trusts are required to give distributions every year and in some years they did better, some years they did worse, she said. The returns also showed that in 2014, the couple paid no state income taxes after taking nearly $150,000 in tax credits for research and development, as well as for property taxes and educational expenses. Last year, the Pritzkers reported paying more than $456,000 in Illinois income taxes and in 2015 paid $180,000 to the state treasury, the documents show. Asked why Pritzker paid no Illinois income tax in 2014, Slayen said the candidate made personal venture capital investments in Illinois companies, which qualified him for angel investment tax credits. Pritzker, a co-founder of the 1871 technology hub, is worth $3.4 billion, according to Forbes magazine. The Pritzkers listed itemized deductions last year of $5.3 million to reduce their federal taxable income to nearly $9.7 million. In 2014 the couple reported itemized deductions of $274,000 and reduced their taxable income to $2.9 million, the records show. The campaign did not release the schedules or more detailed information, so its unclear what those deductions were. Kennedy, an heir of the iconic Massachusetts political family, and wife Sheila paid $174,000 in federal income taxes and $43,127 in state income taxes last year. The campaign did not make available tax records from previous years or schedules showing deductions. Records for last year show the couple had $810,000 in itemized deductions to reduce their federal taxable income to $433,644. A campaign spokeswoman said the large deduction figure was the result of a donation to Top Box, the nonprofit food company Kennedy and his wife run. Pritzker has spent $35.2 million of his own money on his campaign, while Kennedy has spent more than $761,000 on his bid. Since 2014, Rauner has given $95.3 million to his political bank account including $50 million at the end of 2016. State Sen. Daniel Biss of Evanston, another contender for the Democratic nomination for governor, repeatedly had pushed for Pritzker and Kennedy to release their income tax information. Biss, seeking the support of populist progressives, released five years of federal tax returns in April. Those returns showed that in two of the years, including last year, Biss did not owe federal taxes. Advertisement In a statement, Biss contended Pritzker and Kennedy fell short of their vow to release tax information after both spent months hiding their returns and using the same excuses we hear from Donald Trump. A short summary from only a year or two doesnt give a full picture. It only raises more questions, Biss said. Voters deserve an explanation of why it took so long to release so little, and what Pritzker and Kennedy are hiding from the people whose trust they are asking for. The release of the tax information came on the same day that the governor candidates joined with hundreds of other politicians to submit candidacy petitions with the State Board of Elections to appear on the March 20 primary ballot. Some candidates had camped out overnight, and staff with the Democratic Party of Illinois arrived days before to get a spot at the front of the line. Candidates clutched large stacks of petitions and joked about their arms being tired as they posed for photos. Standing near the front door, Democratic Rep. Theresa Mah of Chicago marveled at the difference a few years make, noting that she was at the back of the line when she first ran for office in 2015. Back then she didnt have the backing of the Democratic Party, which is run by longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan. I am taking advantage of the benefits of incumbency. I was way in the back of the line two years ago, I didnt have the party support, and now I do, Mah said. I get to hop to the front of the line. Advertisement I think the speakers staff, the Democratic Party, theyve been here since Thanksgiving from what I understand, Mah said. In the governors contest, Pritzker, Kennedy and Biss filed their paperwork, meaning there will be a lottery to determine which name is first on the ballot. Rauner wont have to worry about his ballot position after he was the lone Republican to file Monday. State Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, a three-term lawmaker, said she will submit her petitions to challenge Rauner in the GOP primary later. The deadline is Dec. 4. There also was plenty of competition among Democrats for the primary nomination for attorney general, a seat Lisa Madigan is giving up after four terms. Filing was former Gov. Pat Quinn, whom Rauner ousted in 2014, along with state Sen. Kwame Raoul, state Rep. Scott Drury, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering and attorney Renato Mariotti. Republican attorney general candidate Erika Harold of Urbana also filed. Rick Pearson and David Heinzmann reported from Chicago. rap30@aol.com dheinzmann@chicagotribune.com Advertisement mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com RELATED [ Chris Kennedy's troubled Cleveland deal: Taxes raised, company collected millions ] [ Dem gov. debate: Kennedy, Biss bash Madigan; Pritzker won't say if it's time for speaker to go ] [ Pritzker gave Blagojevich campaign $100,000; Holocaust museum got $1M grant ] A Lake Forest businessman has given $100,000 since September to the Proven Conservatives PAC, which airs ads on behalf of Alabama Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, above. Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct with teenagers while in his 30s. (Brynn Anderson / AP) The chief donor to a super political action committee airing ads on behalf of embattled Alabama Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore is a familiar name in Illinois political circles: Richard Uihlein. The Lake Forest businessman has given $100,000 to the pro-Moore Proven Conservatives PAC since September. Advertisement Moore, now 70, has been accused of sexually molesting or assaulting teens ages 14 and 16 and trying to date several others while he was in his 30s. Moore has denied the allegations of misconduct and said he never dated underage women. Moore is running in a Dec. 12 special election against Democrat Doug Jones to fill the vacancy created when President Donald Trump named Jeff Sessions attorney general. Trump has voiced opposition to Jones and noted that Moore totally denies the allegations, but on Monday the White House said the president will not campaign for Moore. Advertisement Federal election records show Uihlein first gave the pro-Moore PAC $50,000 on Sept. 8. Thats prior to The Washington Posts Nov. 9 report on Moore, and prior to Moore defeating appointed Sen. Luther Strange in a runoff for the GOP nomination on Sept. 26. Uihlein gave the PAC another $50,000 on Nov. 22, after the allegations were raised. The Daily Beast first reported on the new pro-Moore super PAC filings with the Federal Election Commission. Uihlein is CEO of Uline Inc., a distributor of shipping materials, and he has become a major conservative donor at the state and federal level. Uihleins state candidate contributions total more than $16.6 million since 1998, records at the State Board of Elections show. One of the largest beneficiaries of Uihleins donations has been Dan Proft, the unsuccessful 2010 candidate for the Republican nomination for governor and current talk show host. Uihlein gave Profts personal campaign committee $595,000. But hes also given the Proft-run Liberty Principles PAC more than $9 million, including $2 million in September. The Liberty Principles PAC is running cable ads touting Burr Ridge Mayor Mickey Straubs primary campaign against House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. Uihlein also has been a big contributor to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, giving his campaign fund more than $2.6 million, state campaign finance records show. Previously, Proft had used his various political operations to serve as a Rauner ally. But Proft is now backing three-term Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton against Rauner in the 2018 GOP governor primary. Uihlein has not donated any money to Ives fledgling governor campaign. rap30@aol.com Twitter @rap30 Advertisement RELATED [ From prison, white supremacist Matthew Hale endorses Roy Moore ] [ Trump won't campaign for Roy Moore, White House official says ] [ Roy Moore campaign refuses to substantiate claims about accuser ] As nuclear tensions between North Korea and the United States grow, officials in Hawaii are walking a delicate line, quietly planning for a catastrophe while assuring residents and tourists alike that they can keep sipping beverages from coconuts without alarm. The "without alarm" part gets harder Thursday. Advertisement That is when the government is set to bring back a statewide nuclear attack siren, a relic of the Cold War that will notify islanders that a missile is headed toward them. Officials will test the system for the first time on Dec. 1 just before lunchtime, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. If the alarm goes off at any other time, by the way, it means that residents have 15 minutes before a nuclear bomb destroys Hawaii as we know it. The tests will be conducted on the first business day of every month for the foreseeable future. Advertisement The siren tests are an audible example of the growing strife with North Korea, which has spooked other communities in the still-hypothetical line of fire. Guam distributed a pamphlet on nuclear attack preparedness that encouraged people to avoid using conditioner, "as it will bind the toxins to your hair." A 16-page bulletin released by emergency management authorities in California warned people to beware of radioactive pets. And Hawaii's warnings about a possible nuclear attack have been understandably grim. "There will be no time to call our loved ones, pick up our kids, and find a designated shelter," Vern Miyagi, administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said in an interview with the Star-Advertiser. "We should all prepare and exercise a plan ahead of time so we can take some comfort in knowing what our loved ones are doing." Miyagi is a mainstay in many emergency management videos, including the latest one about the nuclear siren. He wears an Aloha shirt, speaks in a soft, even tone and is accompanied by the gentle strumming of a ukulele as he essentially describes the last sound Hawaiians will hear as a ballistic missile streaks toward the 50th state. The video wasn't the only one that tried to balance a message of calm with a message about a worst-case scenario. In October, the University of Hawaii sent an email to 50,000 students and 10,000 employees that spoke about growing tensions between the United States and North Korea and the rogue nation's nuclear ambitions, according to The Washington Post's Nick Anderson. "In light of concerns about North Korea missile tests, state and federal agencies are providing information about nuclear threats and what to do in the unlikely event of a nuclear attack and radiation emergency," the email said. After hitting "send" on the apocalyptic-sounding message, the communications official responsible for it was immediately wishing for a do-over, saying, "It was a mistake on my part." Advertisement Of course, terrifying, totally-on-purpose anecdotes abound. In September, North Korea's foreign minister warned that a strike against the U.S. mainland is "inevitable" after President Donald Trump mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with the nickname "Little Rocket Man." Trump, meanwhile, has said that the United States would "totally destroy" North Korea, warning Pyongyang that it would be met with "fire and fury," if threats continue. As Sam Kim and Kanga Kong reported for Bloomberg News this month, North Korea's nuclear program escalated this year: "It test-fired long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles twice and said the entire U.S. was now in range; it fired missiles over Japan twice; it threatened the U.S. territory of Guam; and it carried out its sixth nuclear test, detonating what it said was a hydrogen bomb that could be fitted onto an ICBM. ". . . North Korea, which is thought to have six to 20 nuclear warheads, describes its weapons as a "precious sword of justice" against invaders and points out the demise of Iraqi and Libyan regimes after they gave up on nuclear arms." Hawaii has previously been depicted as a target by North Korea. Oahu is home to the Navy's U.S. Pacific Command. Hawaii is about 4,600 miles from North Korea. The contiguous U.S. mainland is less than 5,000 miles from North Korea. Advertisement Emergency management officials' theories about what would happen during an attack are horrifyingly detailed. The state estimated that a 150-kiloton-yield nuclear warhead detonated over Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam would kill 18,000 people and injure up to 120,000, according to the Star-Advertiser. But that's a worst case, Miyagi said. Authorities believe North Korea would attack closer targets, such as South Korea or Japan - or instead aim for the U.S. mainland. Kim Jong Un "has a limited amount of missiles, and there are many, many closer-in targets that he is guaranteed of hitting, such as Japan and South Korea," Miyagi said, noting that "Hawaii is a very tiny target." But looming over her visit will be an uncomfortable question that Trump's company has refused to answer: What are the work conditions for laborers in India who have pieced together clothes for her fashion line? Trump has called for more support for working women around the world, but she has remained silent about the largely female garment workforce in India and other Asian countries that makes her clothing. Her brand which Trump no longer runs day-to-day but continues to own has declined to identify the factories that produce her goods or detail how the workers are treated or paid. The India trip will further elevate Trump as one of the administration's biggest stars. Her advocacy for women on an international stage has become a key element of her political profile and personal image. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president's eldest daughter "has been a champion of women's economic empowerment not just in words but in action," adding that she helped launch a World Bank initiative to help female entrepreneurs gain better access to capital, "which will empower women across the developing world to start their own businesses." In a phone call with reporters Tuesday to preview her trip, Trump talked about "the administration's commitment to the principle that when women are economically empowered, their communities and countries thrive." She will give the keynote address to an entrepreneur summit that is themed "Women First, Prosperity for All." Trump will be greeted in the Indian tech capital of Hyderabad with trappings befitting a royal dignitary, including a gala dinner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a restored palace, where guests will gather around a massive teak dining table that seats 101 people. It will be a world away from India's garment industry, in which laborers earn about $100 a month, some amid punishing workloads, verbal abuse and sexual harassment, according to union organizers and industry experts. "On the positive side, it's a huge employer for women, but the systematic issue is that we don't treat women properly, otherwise they would not be working in this kind of system," said Anita Cheria, director of the social justice group Open Space, which works with garment workers in the southern city of Bangalore. "These industries can do much better for women." Trump's trip throws a spotlight on her company and persistent questions about whether its practices match her rhetoric about improving opportunities for women in the developing world. A Washington Post examination in July found Trump's brand relies solely on foreign workers to produce its goods and lags behind many in the clothing industry when it comes to overseeing the treatment of workers in its supply chain. At the time, executives told The Post that the brand had started looking into hiring a nonprofit workers' rights group to increase oversight and help improve factory conditions. Brand president Abigail Klem said she was planning her first trip to tour facilities that make Ivanka Trump products. "We recognize that our brand name carries a special responsibility," she said. But four months later, it is unclear if the company pursued any of those steps. Asked about the status of Klem's trip or the hiring of a workers' rights group, the company declined to comment. Executives referred to a statement earlier this year from Klem, who said the company "is committed to only working with licensees who maintain internationally recognized labor standards across their supply chains." Using clothing labels and shipping records earlier this year, The Post traced Trump's products to Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. But it remains a mystery which Indian factories produce Trump's goods, including an array of Indian-made cotton blouses sold at department stores such as Lord & Taylor this spring. The Post sought to identify the facilities by interviewing Indian garment industry officials, union organizers and workers in New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and the state of Punjab, but was unable to locate the facilities. G-III, a large clothing distributor that makes Trump products, recently expanded into Bangalore, a major hub for the Indian garment industry, according to people who work in the industry and a G-III employee in Bangalore, who declined to discuss its operations. A spokesman for G-III declined to identify the factories it uses in India, noting the company works with independent manufacturers in countries throughout Asia and Central and South America. More than 20 labor and human rights groups co-signed a letter to Trump this month urging her brand to disclose the names of its supplier factories and allow independent groups to monitor its conditions, among other steps. She has not yet responded. International human-rights and labor advocates say Trump is failing to use her platform to illuminate the conditions facing female garment workers around the world. "If Ivanka truly wants her legacy to include protecting working women," said Judy Gearhart, executive director of the International Labor Rights Forum, "she needs to start with the women in her supply chain." Earlier this year, an attorney for Trump told The Post that because of her White House role, she "has been advised that she cannot ask the government to act in an issue involving the brand in any way, constraining her ability to intervene personally." India's textile industry is one of its largest employers, accounting for 15 percent of total exports and bringing in $17 billion for ready-made garments between 2016 and 2017, government data show. Garment factories are spread across India, with a concentration around the capital city of New Delhi and the states of Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Women make up 60 percent of India's garment sector, according to government data cited by the industry-backed Clean Clothes Campaign, though that does not count the large informal sector of women who sew from home. The Garment Labor Union in Bangalore says women make up 85 percent of its total workforce, with unskilled and semiskilled laborers earning about $4.60 to $4.70 a day. Workers are often crammed into noisy factories without air conditioning unbearable in India's summer heat, when temperatures soar to 120 degrees. They churn out hundreds of shirts and jeans per day, with little time for water breaks, advocates said. Despite the difficult working conditions, the industry overall has a good record in compliance checks for child labor, fire safety and overtime, experts said. For her part, Ivanka Trump is increasingly playing a prominent diplomatic role in her father's administration, frequently representing the U.S. among foreign dignitaries and heads of state. In September, during a session of the United Nations General Assembly, Trump met with India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, whom she said in a tweet she has "long respected." She has faced mixed reception abroad. In Japan earlier this month, she spoke to a half-empty auditorium, and she was booed by some in a Berlin audience this spring when she described her father as a "tremendous champion of supporting families." During her visit to India, Trump will lead the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, a city of more than 6 million people and home to office campuses for Google, Facebook and Amazon. The summit was launched in 2010 by the Obama administration as a way to link entrepreneurs with Muslim communities around the world. This year's summit, co-hosted by India and the U.S., is expected to host 1,500 business leaders and other attendees from 170 countries. More than 50 percent of the entrepreneurs in attendance will be women, organizers said. Ivanka Trump will speak Tuesday at the summit's plenary session, "Be the Change: Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership," and will appear the following day for a session titled, "We Can Do It! Innovations in Workforce Development and Skills Training." In her speech, Trump is expected to touch on themes such as women's economic empowerment. On the first day of the summit, Modi will host Trump at a gala dinner in the restored Falaknuma Palace, a luxury hotel previously owned by one of the monarchs, or nizams, who ruled Hyderabad before India's independence. Guests are traditionally ferried to the sprawling Italian-marble palace in a horse-drawn carriage and sprinkled with rose petals. The president's daughter will dine with Modi and other dignitaries at a 101-seat teak table once known as the world's longest dining table. The city of Hyderabad has spent weeks preparing for the visit, doing an estimated $1.85 million in road repairs alone, according to municipal commissioner Harichandana Dasari. Giant potholes have been repaired, and a bridge that Trump is scheduled to pass was painted in the colors of a rainbow. A local paper also reported that the ranks of stray dogs, ubiquitous in Indian cities, have mysteriously thinned. Hundreds of panhandlers have been rounded up and swept out of sight, tucked in a shelter house run by a local ashram, according to local officials. "We were told Ivanka is coming from America, and they want to round up the beggars," said Gattu Giri, the joint secretary of the Amma Nanna Anada Ashramam, which has picked up the homeless in a $20,000 bus paid for by the State Bank of India. Harwell reported from Washington. Gowen reported from New Delhi. Gupta reported from Bangalore. Near the summit of Comb Ridge, in a high-desert region of dancing shadow and red rock splendor, serrated peaks form one of southeast Utahs most recognizable landmarks. It is hallowed ground for the Navajo and other Native American tribes whose ancestors scaled cliffs to build stone settlements on ledges and alcoves beneath trackless mesas. Eleven months ago, descendants of these ancient people notched one of the great political achievements in Native American history. Following 14 months of government-to-government negotiation between the United States and five Native American tribes, President Obama signed Proclamation 9558. The proclamation, made under the presidential authority of the Antiquities Act to protect public lands, conserves over 100,000 Native American archaeological and cultural sites within the newly established 1.35-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument. Much of the history of Native Americans in the centuries after European settlement is a ledger of lost land getting pushed off lands they considered sacred. This time, they gained protection for their land in a way that had never happened before. That achievement is now under siege by the Trump administration, also in an unprecedented way. He may not have known it at the time, but when Obama signed Proclamation 9558, he set in motion a far-reaching confrontation over land, resources and political influence that could reshape rural communities and decide stewardship of the Wests public domain for the rest of the century. Reviving debate over Bears Ears National Monument also revives racial tension in a remote corner of Utah Utahs Republican congressional delegation immediately vowed to amend the Antiquities Act to strip its authority for presidents to act on their own to protect large expanses of federal land. A bill to do that, sponsored by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and supported by the Trump administration, cleared the House Natural Resources Committee, which he chairs, five days after it was introduced in October. No hearing was held. Its passage would mark a decided tilt in favor of industrial and political forces that have worked for decades in the West to dismantle safeguards for federal land and the environment. Its defeat would strengthen the influence of conservationists and tribes to develop and install new safeguards. President Trumps antipathy to the antiquities law and the new monument has galvanized Native American groups, who see the standoff as another test of their strength a year after the confrontation over the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota another instance in which Trump reversed an Obama decision that favored a native tribe. We understood that it would provoke a reaction, said Shaun Chapoose, a Ute Tribal Business Committee member, referring to the Bears Ears designation. He is a member of the Bears Ears Commission of Tribes that Obama established to help manage the monument. Next month, Trump is expected to go to Utah to announce his formal decision to change the boundaries of Bears Ears and several other monuments, including the neighboring 1.9-million-acre Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The president has already informed Republican Sen. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah that he intends to shrink both. To some extent, the differences between Obama and Trump in managing the public domain are familiar for the West. Recent Democratic presidents have tended to side with environmental and Native American advocates, Republicans with grazing, mining and energy interests that support greater development of public lands. Other facets of the division, though, are new. Obama designated 29 new national monuments, more than any other president. And although previous presidents have adjusted boundaries, legal scholars say no president before Trump has considered such a sweeping declassification of national monuments nor attacked the premise of the antiquities law. In April, the president signed an executive order that directed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to review boundary and management changes for 27 national monuments established under the Antiquities Act since 1996, most of them by Democratic presidents Obama and Clinton. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke visits Bears Ears National Monument. Scott G Winterton / Associated Press The Trump administrations review fits with its other ambitions for the Wests public lands. The president and his aides have set out to reverse Obama-era restrictions on mining in the Grand Canyon, repeal rules for improving oil and gas leasing practices on public lands, and promote a program of American energy dominance that could open boundary regions of national parks and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling. The presidents public lands program has deep support in the regions of the rural West, like San Juan County, Utah, where grazing, mining, and oil and gas production still have economic relevance. It reflects long-standing frustration about federal management practices that are perceived as heavy-handed. The truth is, youve got a community of people who care about each other and care about the land and have protected it, said Phil Lyman, a 53-year-old accountant and San Juan County commissioner whose opposition to federal land managers has gained national prominence. All we want to do is be peaceful and have quiet enjoyment of our surroundings. This monument designation dramatically affects that. How? By encouraging thousands more people to visit a culturally and historically important preserve that is not prepared to handle them. The Antiquities Act is intended to preserve items of antiquity, Lyman said. You start using it as a massive landscape management tool and youre going to lose it for what it was designed to do. He argued that industrialized recreation at Bears Ears stands to destroy the very thing the monument purports to preserve. Opposing the Trump administration is a nationwide counterforce of environmental lawyers, Democratic lawmakers, recreational and tourism business leaders and Native American tribes. These groups are united by several goals. One is to strengthen existing safeguards and develop a new, ecologically sensitive, energy-efficient economy. A second is to preserve sensitive lands that are sacred ground for Native Americans. Petroglyphs marred by bullet holes. Native Americans sought monument status to protect ancient cultural sites. Keith Schneider / Los Angeles TImes Willie Grayeyes, a Navajo leader and chairman of Utah Dine Bikeyah, a nonprofit policy group formed by Utahs Navajo community leaders. Keith Schneider / Los Angeles TImes These lands offer a form of healing that we want people to accept so we can live in harmony together, said Willie Grayeyes, a Navajo leader and chairman of Utah Dine Bikeyah, a nonprofit policy group formed by Utahs Navajo community leaders to advocate and organize support for the Bears Ears monument. The outcome of this clash, the most intense since the Reagan administration, will determine whether the presidents goal to limit restrictions over the Wests land and natural resources is a sound strategy for economic development or a treacherous exploitation policy that has outlived its economic worth. The town of Bluff, a scratch in the desert near the Arizona border with 258 residents, is the front line in the monument struggle. Established in 1880 by Mormon settlers, Bluff served briefly as a southern Utah outpost for a uranium boom that pocked the landscape with doghole mines after World War II to supply nuclear electricity generation and atomic weapons production. San Juan Countys 17,000 residents are about evenly divided between whites and Navajo. Both groups see Bluff as a launch point for hikes and camping, Jeep excursions on rough dirt roads, and trips to forage for wood and herbs in one of the worlds most breathtaking landscapes. Its massive. Its stars in the night sky. Its silence. Its that kind of place, said Jim Hook, the owner of Recapture Lodge, one of several comfortable hostelries in the town. Its so incredible. Your mind just goes crazy with the distance. A bluff cemetery, on a rise overlooking the town of 258 residents, holds the remains of a number of the first Mormon settlers. Keith Schneider / Los Angeles TImes Bluff, Utah, the unexpected front line in the momentous standoff driven by President Trump's disdain for national monuments. Keith Schneider / Los Angeles TImes Most Bluff residents long ago decided they were firmly on the side of the Native American tribes that wanted to preserve ruins and halt looting of artifacts from Bears Ears, and the environmentalists who wanted to preserve wildlands. Besides the lodges, the tiny settlement has several restaurants and shops that sell Native American art and crafts. Sales have increased with the monument designation. Twenty-five miles north is Blanding, the biggest town in Utahs largest county, and the epicenter of resistance to Bears Ears and federal land management agencies in southeast Utah. The countrys lone uranium ore processing plant still operates near Blanding, and the towns business and political leaders, and many of its 4,000 residents including Navajo and Ute families resist what they see as insensitive and overly aggressive federal oversight of public lands. But Blandings pro-development activism has not paid off economically. It has lagged behind other towns, such as Moab, 75 miles to the north, that have staked their claim on environmentally friendly tourism. We love visitors. Who wouldnt? said Lyman, the county commissioner. But he and the countys two other commissioners join with Utahs congressional delegation in asserting that establishing Bears Ears was an abuse of federal authority and the Antiquities Act. Its not constitutional, Lyman said. Decisions have to be made at a local level. Its like having kids. I will decide how to manage my child, not some other person. That view sharply diverges from the one held by the coalition of five tribes that negotiated the monuments boundaries. Bears Ears National Monument is where the full measure of southeast Utah's high desert of dancing shadow and red rock splendor unfolds. Keith Schneider / Los Angeles TImes San Juan Countys western mesas and canyons, home to the distinctive rock formations known as Bears Ears, are where the Navajo believe their people rose from the earth. For years, the leaders of the Navajo and four other tribes Ute Mountain Ute, Ute Indian Tribe, Hopi and Zuni spoke among themselves about protecting their home ground. But they feared that making those concerns public would invite government action to restrict access. It wasnt until 2010, when they were invited by former Utah Sen. Bob Bennett to join a congressional public lands initiative, that the tribes got involved in a government process to decide how to use the land. Ultimately, though, the tribal leaders said their ideas were consistently blocked or ignored. In 2015, convinced they couldnt prevail, the tribes abandoned the congressional initiative and pursued a new course. Mindful that Obama and Sally Jewell , the Interior secretary, were sympathetic to their cause, and that Obamas presidency was close to its end, the tribes focused on the Antiquities Act as a vehicle to secure Bears Ears. In October 2015, the five tribes formally proposed setting aside 1.9 million acres in San Juan County and neighboring Grand County for the monument. This proposal is unique and wholly unprecedented, said its authors. Fourteen months later, Obama decided on a smaller monument and prepared a declaration that established a five-member tribal commission to work with federal agencies to draw up plans. The language of the proclamation, say historians, also put the tribes and the chief executive in closer spiritual alignment than any agreement ever signed by a U.S. president. Abundant rock art, ancient cliff dwellings, ceremonial sites, and countless other artifacts provide an extraordinary archaeological and cultural record that is important to us all, said the proclamation, but most notably the land is profoundly sacred to many Native American tribes.... The area's human history is as vibrant and diverse as the ruggedly beautiful landscape. While opponents in Blanding, Washington and Salt Lake City condemned the monument, tribal leaders celebrated. We were finally heard, said Nizhone Meza, the Utah Dine Bikeyah legal and policy director. They also prepared for a new struggle to defend Bears Ears from a new administration. Mark Maryboy, a Navajo leader, and other activists say tribes and environmental groups are ready to unleash lawsuits in federal courts once Trump formally declares his decision. Lets just say we have a lawsuit in the hopper right now, Maryboy said. A protest in Kanab, Utah, greets Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in May. George Frey / Getty Images keith.schneider@latimes.com Schneider is a special correspondent. ALSO Trump's environmental rollbacks hit California hard, despite Sacramento's resistance Border Patrol losing agents faster than it can hire new ones So what's behind the recent fraternity hazing incidents on college campuses nationwide? WASHINGTON One came bearing doughnuts. The other brandishing a lawsuit. Two officials with starkly different views of the job staked claims Monday to be the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a dramatic showdown over the leadership of the independent watchdog that spilled into a federal courtroom. Advertisement "It's a mess," said Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. "It creates uncertainty about the future of the agency." President Trump's designee, Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, arrived carrying a large bag from Dunkin' Donuts in hopes of soothing over potential hard feelings given his stated opposition to the bureau's aggressive regulatory approach. Advertisement But he first had to walk past consumer advocates stationed outside the bureau's headquarters to protest his appointment. Before the day was over, he had settled into his new office and ordered a 30-day halt to any regulations from the federal agency. "Rumors that I'm going to set the place on fire or blow it up or lock the doors are completely false," Mulvaney said at an afternoon news conference, adding that Trump wants him to fix the bureau so it "can protect people without trampling on capitalism." The other person claiming to be the lawful acting chief, bureau Deputy Director Leandra English, greeted her colleagues with an email saying she hoped everyone had a great Thanksgiving break. She signed it with "acting director" after her name. English, a bureau veteran and supporter of tough consumer protection enforcement, spent the holiday weekend being promoted on Friday by outgoing Director Richard Cordray, and then filing a lawsuit seeking to stop Mulvaney from taking over. As Mulvaney was briefing reporters as acting director at the agency's headquarters, English was meeting with senators on Capitol Hill in her capacity as acting director. "Just met with Leandra English, fellow Marylander and the rightful Acting Director of the @CFPB," tweeted Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). At about the same time, a federal judge in Washington listened to arguments about who lawfully should be at the bureau's helm. He made no decision Monday. Advertisement "It's creating chaos at the agency." Alan S. Kaplinsky, head of the consumer financial services group at the Ballard Spahr law firm, said of the dispute. "Who are the employees supposed to listen to?" Mulvaney said he will remain as OMB director while also overseeing the consumer bureau until a permanent director is confirmed and sworn in. He said during his news conference that he would be working six-day weeks, three days at each agency. The dueling afternoon developments followed a morning of high drama that Mulvaney acknowledged caused consternation among CFPB staffers Monday. "Folks asked questions, very candidly," he said at the news conference. "I told them, 'Look, I'm not here to shut the place down because the law doesn't allow me to do that. That being said, we're going to run it differently than the previous administration.'" Cordray, a Democrat who submitted his formal resignation Friday, wanted to keep the agency running like it had during the Obama administration for as long as possible. In promoting English, his chief of staff and a longtime ally, Cordray told the bureau he was trying to "minimize operational disruption and provide for a smooth transition." He said English would serve as acting director until Trump nominated a permanent replacement and the Senate confirmed that choice. Advertisement Trump tapped Mulvaney for the acting leadership post shortly thereafter. English filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Sunday, challenging Trump's appointment of Mulvaney as unlawful. She requested a temporary restraining order to block him from taking the position and declaring her the lawful acting director. The case was randomly assigned to Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who was nominated by Trump this year and took his seat on the bench in September. At the hearing, Kelly said he hoped to have a decision soon. But he expressed some skepticism about granting a restraining order that would "enjoin the president" from filling an executive branch position. "That's an extraordinary remedy," Kelly told Deepak Gupta, English's attorney. Brett Shumate, deputy assistant attorney general for federal programs, declined to give Kelly any assurance that English would not be fired as the request for a restraining order is considered. Gupta said that worried him. Advertisement Mulvaney said he had no plans to fire English, but said she did not show up at bureau headquarters on Monday. Gupta said she did before traveling to Capitol Hill. Mulvaney reportedly also sent an email to the bureau's staff, telling them to "please disregard any instructions you receive from Ms. English in her presumed capacity as acting director" and encouraging them to stop by the director's office on the fourth floor "to say hello and grab a donut." Trump named Mulvaney as acting director under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998. That law allows the president to designate someone who already has been confirmed by the Senate in Mulvaney's case as OMB director to perform acting duties until a permanent choice is nominated and confirmed by the Senate. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders noted the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel agreed with the administration's interpretation of the law, as did the bureau's general counsel, Mary McLeod. McLeod sent a memo to the bureau's senior leadership team on Saturday that it was her opinion that Trump has the authority to appoint an acting director, and she advised agency personnel "to act consistently with the understanding that Director Mulvaney is the acting director of the CFPB." Advertisement Senior Trump administration officials said the 1998 law superseded a provision in the Dodd-Frank Act, which created the agency in 2010, that states that the deputy director shall "serve as acting director in the absence or unavailability of the director." But that position is disputed by English and other supporters of the bureau. Former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the co-author of the law that bears his name, said Monday that the intention was for the deputy director to become the bureau's acting chief. "We knew this is a very tough job this agency has politically. To do its job, we wanted to give it as much insulation as possible" from the political process, Frank said. If the intention had been for the Vacancies Act to dictate the process, lawmakers wouldn't have included the provision in Dodd-Frank, he said. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a constitutional law professor at American University's Washington College of Law, joined protesters outside the CFPB on Monday. He said that English is the rightful acting director under Dodd-Frank and that Trump is trying to "destroy the independence of the bureau." Mulvaney has been an outspoken opponent of the bureau, having said in a 2014 interview that it was a "joke in a sad, sick kind of way" and that he "would like to get rid of it." He and many Republicans, including Trump, have said the bureau has restricted consumer access to credit by being overly aggressive in pursuing financial institutions and establishing new regulations. Advertisement The bureau has provided consumers about $12 billion in refunds, mortgage principal reductions and other relief from financial institutions since opening in 2011. The bureau also played a key role in penalizing Wells Fargo & Co. for its creation of unauthorized accounts. Kaplinksy said that whoever ends up as acting director should be hesitant to take any regulatory steps that could be legally challenged. "Until things get clarified by the courts, I don't think they should do anything other than to give out donuts to their employees and make sure they don't leave" for other jobs, he said. Los Angeles Staff reporter Noah Bierman contributed to this report. jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com Twitter: @JimPuzzanghera Leaders of both parties have publicly played down the possibility of a showdown next month. Funding expires Dec. 8, and both sides have floated the possibility of a short-term stopgap to push negotiations until just before Christmas. "There shouldn't be any discussion about shutting down the government. We can make this thing work. We just need to get people at the table, negotiate it," Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the third-ranking Republican senator, said on "Fox News Sunday." But informal talks have been abortive, and bitter partisan divides over spending, health care and immigration threaten to set up an impasse. The tone could be set quickly. Congressional leaders of both parties are set to meet Tuesday with President Donald Trump at the White House in a summit that could smooth the path for the month ahead or inflame simmering fights. The last time Trump met with those top leaders House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. he sided with the Democrats ahead of a September deadline, averting a standoff over spending and the federal debt limit. Trump has not indicated whether this time he will be as amenable. Multiple aides in both parties cautioned that the meeting might not yield an agreement partly because key issues bedeviling the leaders remain unresolved and also because Republicans want to keep the focus this week on their sweeping tax bill. While Republicans try to wrap up their tax effort, they must negotiate with Democrats on the litany of other governing items. The first step toward a resolution will be reaching an agreement on government spending levels for 2018 and perhaps beyond, lifting caps imposed under a bipartisan 2011 budget deal. "I just say, be ready for a potentially wild month in December," said Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee who for months has pushed GOP leaders to reach a spending accord with Democrats. "This is going to get a bit complicated. Under current law, Congress may appropriate no more than $549 billion for defense programs and $516 billion for nondefense programs next year, a cut from current levels. But the Trump administration and defense hawks want to boost defense spending to more than $600 billion, and Democrats are demanding a dollar-for-dollar increase in nondefense spending. Because Senate Democrats can filibuster any spending bill, party leaders have leverage to force a deal. "We're going to need their help," Dent said of Democrats. "And the question for the Democrats is: Are they going to play ball with us?" Talks before the Thanksgiving holiday focused on raising spending levels somewhere between $180 billion and $200 billion over the next two fiscal years combined but went nowhere, according to multiple people familiar with the negotiations. Aides from both parties warned that if a spending accord is not reached this week, hopes for the passage of a broad appropriations bill before Christmas would be dim. The GOP tax bill, which is being considered under special procedures that do not require bipartisan cooperation, has made some Democrats increasingly resistant to collaborating with Republicans in any sense. "The decisions made during the next month will affect Americans' economic well-being for the next decade," Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said Sunday. "Our job is to break through all the tweets and the noise and focus on the economics at hand." Aside from the basic task of keeping the government open, lawmakers also are pushing to deliver tens of billions of dollars in additional federal aid to disaster victims across the country before the year ends, including those affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, as well as by western wildfires. The White House requested another $44 billion in aid this month and asked that the increased spending be offset by unrelated spending cuts, a proposal that quickly earned bipartisan criticism. Complicating the passage of any spending deal are the highly charged politics of health care and immigration. Democrats have pushed for the passage of bipartisan legislation drafted in the Senate that would help stabilize the market for individual insurance coverage established under the 2009 Affordable Care Act by appropriating funds that allow insurers to reduce out-of-pocket costs for low-income Americans. Trump canceled the payments, which had previously been made absent congressional appropriation, in October. But conservative Republicans have opposed any attempt to shore up the ACA, and the GOP tax bill could eliminate a core provision of the law: the tax penalty meant to compel Americans to secure insurance coverage. Moderate Republican senators Susan Collins, Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, have said they would like to see the stabilization bill pass alongside any repeal of the ACA mandate, but Schumer has said Democrats would not support passing the stabilization bill under those circumstances. In a declaration that could put Democrats on edge, Trump said in a Thanksgiving Day tweet that he would continue pushing to repeal the law entirely in the new year: "Even though the Dems want to Obstruct, we will Repeal & Replace right after Tax Cuts!" Immigration could be an even more emotionally charged issue for Democrats. Dozens of liberal lawmakers have vowed to withhold their votes for any spending bill if Trump and Republicans refuse to use the must-pass legislation up for consideration this month as a way to provide legal protections to hundreds of thousands of "dreamers," the young children of undocumented immigrants. Trump announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in September, giving Congress until March to codify protections for the young immigrants the program protects or risk their eventual deportation. Given the leverage Democrats have in the House and Senate, some of their most liberal members including Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. are calling on Schumer and Pelosi to force the issue this month in talks with Trump, McConnell and Ryan. Trump, meanwhile, continues to push for funding for a Mexican border wall a request Democratic leaders have so far rejected outright. It remains on the administration's wish list for a year-end spending deal. While dozens of Republican lawmakers have joined Democrats in calling for a resolution to the "dreamer" issue, senior GOP aides continue to dismiss the idea that an immigration agreement can be included alongside complex fiscal concerns. "There is no immediate deadline for DACA," one senior Republican aide said, dismissing Democrats' vows to withhold support. Another senior aide called the push for a resolution this month "nonsense," given the March deadline. Ryan told reporters earlier this month that he wants to complete a 2018 spending bill before lawmakers break for Christmas. But a key conservative leader said Sunday that he considered such a schedule "highly unlikely," given the amount of unfinished business on the GOP agenda. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, suggested that a stopgap should instead extend spending talks into January. That would give Republicans time to complete the tax bill and focus on preserving GOP priorities in any deal with Democrats. "To suggest that the Democrats are driving the narrative under a Republican administration and can demand whatever they want for an end-of-the-year spending bill would beg the question: What's different from this administration to prior administrations?" he said. "It would be very problematic for most of the voters that turned out to vote for a change" in last year's presidential election. Looming over everything is the Dec. 12 special election in Alabama, which could narrow the already tight Republican majority in the Senate. Republican nominee Roy Moore, running to fill the seat vacated by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has been fighting allegations of sexual misconduct. Democratic nominee Doug Jones leads in some polls. A Jones victory could spell doom for the GOP tax bill if it is not passed into law by the time he would be seated, probably in late December or early January. A Moore victory would carry its own risks, given his enmity for McConnell and GOP establishment leaders. "If Roy Moore wins and he comes into the Senate in January, there's going to immediately be an ethics investigation, which is going to be a cloud ... and is going to be a distraction for us and our agenda," Thune said Sunday. Besides the spending battle, other major deadlines are approaching. The Children's Health Insurance Program expired Sept. 30, and Congress has yet to come to a bipartisan agreement to reauthorize it, leaving health coverage for nearly 9 million in limbo. While states have been able to continue their programs using surplus funds, at least five states say they will inform families that their coverage is in jeopardy and begin winding down their programs if Congress does not act in coming weeks. A federal law that allows intelligence agencies to gather foreign electronic communications on U.S. soil will expire Dec. 31, potentially taking away what the National Security Agency has called "the single most important operational statute" at its disposal unless Congress acts to renew it. Several lawmakers want to constrain the government's authority to search intelligence gathered under the program for information about Americans. While there are bipartisan bills to revise and extend the law, no agreement has been reached to advance them. Congress also is under pressure to decide whether it wishes to reimpose sanctions on Iran that were lifted as part of the 2015 nuclear deal, following Trump's October declaration that Tehran was not in compliance with the pact's terms. The 60-day window for Congress to decide expires in December, but leading Republican senators have already indicated a preference to maintain the deal while passing new legislation to keep Iran from developing a nuclear weapon once the deal expires. That still sets up a potential January deadline for action on Iran, as Trump must continue to waive certain sanctions at that point to keep the nuclear pact intact. The Washington Post's Damian Paletta and Karoun Demirjian contributed to this report. "If you look, the media and corporate America has been firing people," Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., said Sunday on ABC's "This Week," noting the swift dismissal by CBS and PBS of Charlie Rose after The Washington Post's report of harassment allegations. "We have to have the same kind of standards." In recent days, both parties have faced allegations against prominent male members, with ethics inquiries into harassment opened against Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich, and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn. The political future of Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, was thrown into question when nude photos of the congressman surfaced on social media, and a former girlfriend said he had threatened to report her to the Capitol Police if she exposed his behavior. The first sign of intensifying pressure on leadership came Sunday, when Conyers, the longest-serving member of Congress, stepped aside as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Behind the scenes, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had tried to guide Conyers to give up the leadership post, according to a senior Democratic aide familiar with the process. Conyers' resistance to the effort was backed by some members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which Conyers co-founded more than 45 years ago. On Sunday, Pelosi appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" and struggled to handle questions about Conyers, 88, a onetime civil rights leader. At first, Pelosi, the first female House speaker, stressed that he needed to have "due process" and called Conyers "an icon of history." Then she hinted that eventually Conyers would "do the right thing." By lunchtime, Conyers announced he would step down from the committee post. "I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family before the House Committee on Ethics," he wrote in a statement that Pelosi's advisers circulated to the media. Some women members had demanded that Conyers resign from his job. Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y., who last week called for him to step down, told CNN Friday that voters are "sick and tired of the rules in Washington" being different than for the rest of America. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., who is leading a fight for tougher sanctions against lawmakers, stopped short of demanding that Conyers resign in her Sunday appearance on "This Week." But she joined her colleagues in criticizing the ethics committee process as too slow in handling most investigations. She advocated that the panel receive more funding so it could "move very swiftly, not wait years," to investigate the Conyers allegations. Speier said there needed to be an entire shift in culture, from the bottom up, which would make it easier for victims to come forward and would end the process of allowing lawmakers to use taxpayer funds to secretly settle these cases. "We say zero tolerance, but I don't believe that we put our money where our mouths are," she said. Later this week the House is slated to vote on a measure sponsored by Speier and Comstock that would require mandatory training on harassment and discrimination for all lawmakers, staff and interns who work in Congress. Many staff have said they have no idea how to file complaints, and those that have gone through that process have described it as cumbersome. Comstock said she and Speier were just beginning their work on the issue, promising further action after this first bill passes. In particular, she singled out how Conyers settled a sexual harassment complaint brought by a former staffer in 2015, leaving the woman on the payroll as a temporary employee and paying out just under $30,000. That payout came from the lawmaker's regular allowance for staff salaries and other administrative costs, different from a separate account overseen by the Office of Compliance, which has paid out more than $15 million in settlements of sexual harassment and other cases of discrimination. "No more secret payments," Comstock said. After more than a week in seclusion, Franken gave his first interviews to his home-state media, defending himself against allegations that he inappropriately groped or forcibly kissed four women. The Senate's ethics panel is investigating. Franken pledged to return to the Capitol Monday in a bid to win over his state's voters, declining to resign after allegations that he groped several women in photo opportunities and that he forcibly kissed an entertainer while on a USO tour in 2006 before he was a senator. "I'm embarrassed and ashamed. I've let a lot of people down, and I'm hoping I can make it up to them and gradually regain their trust," Franken told the Star Tribune, his first interview since the allegations emerged Nov. 16. He denied that he intentionally grabbed women's backsides during photos, saying that he did not remember the particular pictures in question. Pelosi also suggested that the Franken case was partly different because one of his alleged victims has publicly accepted his apology in contrast to women in Alabama who have said Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore tried to have sexual relationships with them while they were teenagers and he was in his 30s working as a local prosecutor. "I don't think that you can equate Senator Franken with Roy Moore. It's two different things," the Democratic leader said. The allegations against Barton involved consensual behavior. He apologized last week after a nude picture of him appeared on social media, part of what The Washington Post later reported was a years-long relationship with a woman who threatened to expose him publicly. Barton has not discussed the allegations. Barton, 68, has until Dec. 11 to file for reelection to Texas's 6th District, which includes his hometown, Ennis, and portions of the cities of Arlington and Fort Worth. As of Sunday, the only candidate listed on Texas's Secretary of State website was the Democrat who Barton defeated by nearly 20 percentage points last year. Last week Barton told the Texas Tribune he was still deliberating whether to run for another term. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump returned to his own kind of code talking Monday by deriding Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas" at a White House event honoring Native American war heroes. "You were here long before any of us were here," Trump said as he honored three Navajo code talkers from World War II. And then he added, without naming Warren: "We have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas. But you know what, I like you." Advertisement In fact, Trump deployed that nickname for the Massachusetts senator repeatedly during the 2016 presidential campaign and, as president, as recently as a Nov. 3 tweet. Native American leaders have called Trump's past attacks on Warren offensive and distasteful. Some Democrats have called the nickname racist. Trump made the comment as he stood near a portrait of President Andrew Jackson, which he hung in the Oval Office in January. Trump admires the seventh president's populism. But Jackson also is known for signing the Indian Removal Act of 1830, in which the Cherokee Nation was removed from its lands in what is now known as the "trail of tears." Advertisement The Navajo Nation suggested Trump's remark Monday was an example of "cultural insensitivity" and resolved to stay out of the "ongoing feud between the senator and President Trump." "All tribal nations still battle insensitive references to our people. The prejudice that Native American people face is an unfortunate historical legacy," Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said in a statement. He added that the Navajo Nation remains honored by the White House recognition of the code talkers. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders, asked about criticism of Trump's remarks, said a racial slur "was certainly not the president's intent." But the remark is the latest in a long list of remarks Trump has made about people from specific ethnic and racial groups. Announcing his long shot campaign for president in 2015, Trump said many Mexican immigrants are rapists. He's sought to ban immigrants from certain Muslim majority nations. He's come under fire for what some said was a too-slow federal response to hurricane damage in Puerto Rico. Trump also raised eyebrows for apparently having some fun in October with the name of the U.S. territory "Puerrrto Rico," he said at an East Room event for Puerto Ricans. Those in the Oval Office for Monday's event gave no visible reaction to Trump's "Pocahontas" comments. But Warren and other Democrats were quick to respond. "This was supposed to be an event to honor heroes, people who put it all on the line for our country, who, because of their incredible work, saved the lives of countless Americans and our allies," Warren said in an interview on MSNBC. "It is deeply unfortunate that the president of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur." New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall, vice chairman of the Indian Affairs committee, added: "Donald Trump's latest racist joke during Native American Heritage Month no less demeaned the contributions that the code talkers and countless other Native American patriots and citizens have made to our great country." The president has long feuded with Warren, an outspoken Wall Street critic who leveled blistering attacks on Trump during the campaign. Trump seized on questions about Warren's heritage, which surfaced during her 2012 Senate race challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Scott Brown. Advertisement During that campaign, law school directories from the Association of American Law Schools from 1986 to 1995 surfaced that put Warren on the association's list of "minority law teachers" when she was teaching at the University of Texas and the University of Pennsylvania. Warren said she listed herself with Native American heritage because she hoped to meet people with similar roots. In a 2012 interview with The Associated Press, Warren said she and her brothers were told of the family's heritage by their parents, the late Don and Pauline Herring. Brown pressed Warren to release more information about how she described her heritage to potential employers. Warren said she never sought proof of ancestry because she didn't think it was necessary. Sanders said Monday that Warren was the offensive one when "she lied about something specifically to advance her career." The juiciest possible meaning of a decision by Michael Flynn's legal team to cut off communication with President Donald Trump's team is that Flynn, the former White House national security adviser, is about to roll over and provide incriminating information about Trump or members of his inner circle to special counsel Robert Mueller. The New York Times reported on Thursday that "the notification led Mr. Trump's lawyers to believe that Mr. Flynn who, along with his son, is seen as having significant criminal exposure has, at the least, begun discussions with Mr. Mueller about cooperating." That's a logical conclusion because, as the Times' Michael Schmidt, Matt Apuzzo and Maggie Haberman explained, "it is unethical for lawyers to work together when one client is cooperating with prosecutors and another is still under investigation." Norman Eisen President Barack Obama's White House ethics czar, now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution tweeted that personal experience with Mueller leads him to believe that Flynn could implicate Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner or even the president himself. Trump should be nervous, but he need not hit the panic button yet. Here's why: As The Washington Post's Carol Leonnig and Rosalind Helderman pointed out in their report on Flynn's move, "even if Flynn has begun discussions with Mueller's office, there is no guarantee he will ultimately reach a deal with prosecutors." Mueller might demand more information than Flynn is willing to give or Flynn's knowledge might prove unworthy of favorable treatment by Mueller. It's hard to know whether a deal involving Flynn could hurt Trump when we don't know whether there will be a deal at all. Could Flynn merely offer incriminating information about himself, in an effort to protect his son? Not likely, said Jeffrey Jacobovitz, a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory in Washington who specializes in white-collar criminal defense. "I don't think Mueller would offer him a deal, if that were the case," Jacobovitz told me. "I think it would have to be some higher-ups that Flynn would be able to provide information about." Someone higher up does not necessarily mean the president or a member of his family, however. An alternative target: Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, against whom Mueller already has secured an indictment. "That would be valuable because Manafort, at this point, is still going to trial," Jacobovitz said, adding that Mueller "would take all the help he can get" in that case. Trump has effectively turned his back on Manafort. On the day Mueller announced charges against the man who once headed Trump's campaign, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that the indictment "has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president's campaign or campaign activity." Don't expect the president to feel too bad if the result of Flynn's possible cooperation with Mueller is more trouble for Manafort. It also is possible that Flynn could spill damaging information about Trump that is unrelated to collusion with Russia. "It could be related to obstruction," Jacobovitz told me, pointing to James Comey's claim that Trump asked the then-director of the FBI to drop its investigation of Flynn. That would be bad for the president, but it would not indicate that his campaign aided Russia's effort to meddle in the presidential election. It would not, in other words, undermine the validity of Trump's victory, which seems to be Trump's primary concern about Mueller's probe. A photo taken on Nov. 20, 2017, shows the Memorial Cemetery in Potocari, near Srebrenica. The international court has finished its work and Bosnian Serb wartime military chief Ratko Mladic will end his days in prison. (Elvis Barukcic / AFP/Getty Images) They are lying! You are lying! Those were the words Nov. 22 of former Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic, a defendant who could not contain his anger at being held to account for his crimes. As a judge read aloud the final trial judgment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Mladic, a man once known as the Butcher of Bosnia, demanded that he stop reading the list of convictions: guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. I am very distraught, Mladic shouted in the courtroom in The Hague in the Netherlands. Everything that you have said is pure lies. Shame on you. Advertisement Yet as guards pulled his hands behind his back and removed him from the courtroom, the shame was on Mladic, a man who used to boast he would choose suicide over being tried in a foreign court. In part, the verdict meant that the bodies finally caught up with him. His conviction rested on a near-tidal wave of evidence: hundreds of witness statements, documents, public statements, recorded phone calls and television appearances. But it was the bodies of the people he had killed that gave life to his trial. Although digital techniques are changing the nature of war crimes investigations, Mladics conviction is a reminder that the bodies of victims have a unique power even in death. Advertisement Mladics bodies started haunting him more than two decades ago. On Aug. 10, 1995, the 15-member United Nations Security Council met for an emergency closed-door session. Madeleine Albright, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., clicked through eight photographs, each blown up on a projector screen. One photo, from July 7 of that year, showed an empty, grassy field in an area 20 miles from the Bosnian city of Srebrenica. A second, from July 27, showed the same road, but the field was unrecognizable, crisscrossed by heavy machinery tracks and pockmarked with piles of dirt and newly dug holes. Together, they formed a two-picture flipbook of mass murder: before and after. Despite the presence of U.N. peacekeeping troops, Srebrenica had fallen July 11, when Mladic, then a swaggering Bosnian Serb general, entered the town with his troops, celebrating, shaking hands and tearing down Bosnian flags. We give this town to the Serb people as a gift, an ecstatic Mladic told a television journalist. The time has come to take revenge on the Turks (a reference to Muslim Bosnians) in this region. The photos, taken by a U-2 spy plane, suggested that revenge came swiftly. After the Security Council meeting that August, Albright told reporters that the photographs made a compelling case that there were widescale atrocities committed in the area against defenseless civilians, away from the battlefield area. Forensic investigations the following summer offered confirmation: graves spotted the landscape around Srebrenica. Investigators including the longtime deputy chief of the Cook County medical examiners office, Robert Kirschner found scores of bodies, many of them clearly executed, with bullet wounds through the head. They also found evidence that graves had been dug up, moved and reburied; rattled by the spy plane photos, Bosnian Serb leaders had tried to conceal their crimes. Human remains have a powerful effect in international courtrooms that prosecute crimes such as genocide or mass murder, because the scale of human suffering they reveal can otherwise easily be lost in a fog of legal technicalities. When I observed Mladics trial in the summer of 2014, the hearing dragged for hours on seemingly minute details from witnesses testimonies and statements: spelling, grammar, dates. Mladic sat on the left side of the courtroom, wearing a dark suit and wire-rimmed glasses, drinking an espresso and looking bored. There was only one other person in the large public gallery, a Bosnian journalist faithfully taking notes on the light green pages of a stenographers pad. We all know the banality of evil; this was the banality of justice. But human remains are anything but banal. A prosecutor from an international criminal tribunal once told me, It is the bodies that make the whole thing real. Concrete evidence, like that provided by bodies, bones, graves and the experts who work with them, wakes us up. Advertisement The forensic effort to locate the bodies from the Bosnian conflicts is the most ambitious ever attempted and arguably the most successful. An estimated 90 percent of those killed in Srebrenica have been found. Although medical forensic efforts are expensive and time consuming, they are worth the investment. The International Criminal Court lately has invested more in its digital forensics capacity improving its ability to analyze cellphone videos, social media, hard drives or data in the cloud. It has focused far less on the recovery of human remains, and builds convincing cases without them. But although atrocities can be proven without human remains, something is lost in those cases. Bodies, the physical result of mass violence, are important not only for what they can prove legally though, as Mladic found out all too well, they can provide critical evidence in a court of law. They matter also to families and survivor communities, who may find some relief in knowing their loved ones fate. Justice requires that international organizations continue to seek the bodies not only to help prove atrocities, but to bear witness to history, conflict and the destructive potential of human nature. Peggy ODonnell is the postdoctoral instructor at the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights at the University of Chicago. There is a house in Spring, Texas, just outside of Houston, that has achieved a certain distinction for being flooded again and again. Over the years, reports The New York Times, it has been repaired no fewer than 19 times, costing the federal flood insurance program $912,732. Its actual value? Just $42,000. But thats not such a rare distinction. A house near Baton Rouge, La., worth $56,000 has flooded 40 times, according to The Washington Post, racking up $428,000 in claims. A property near St. Louis assessed at $90,000 has sopped up $608,000 in payouts. Advertisement There is a clear if maddening logic to this pattern. Jimmy Williams, a former lobbyist for the National Association of Realtors, explained that when a hurricane hits and your house is flooded, your flood insurance reimburses you for the damage. Then the federal government says, in his words, We know that you live in a place where hurricanes hit all the time, so why dont you just keep rebuilding there? The National Flood Insurance Program is under enormous strain right now because of the devastation wrought by hurricanes in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. But it was in trouble already nearly $25 billion in debt and obligated to provide coverage in places and on terms that guarantee more heavy losses. Advertisement The federal program was established in 1968 to provide coverage that private insurers had abandoned. It serves the important purpose of saving property owners hit by unforeseen disasters from financial ruin. But it has failed to protect taxpayers from endless unnecessary claims in areas prone to flooding, notably along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River. Unreasonably low rates mandated by Congress are one problem. Another is the eligibility of policy holders for repeated payouts. Repetitive loss properties account for 1 percent of those covered but nearly a third of reimbursements. Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense told The Atlantic, Here you have a program that is subsidizing people to live and develop in harms way. Much of the acreage under water after Harvey, for example, was in marshy low-lying areas that should have been left as habitat for frogs, not humans. Absent reform, things will only get worse, as rising temperatures and sea levels put more land at risk of episodes of high water even as the demand for housing creates pressure to develop those lands. The good news is that there are plenty of people who recognize the need for change. A coalition of advocacy groups from across the political spectrum, from the Sierra Club to the National Taxpayers Union, is pushing to overhaul the flood insurance program. The Trump administration has suggested denying coverage to properties prone to repeated flooding if the owners insist on staying in the same place. On Nov. 14, the U.S. House approved the 21st Century Flood Reform Act, which makes a start on putting the program on a more solid footing. It would end payouts going forward for properties once they accrue claims adding up to more than triple their value. It would open the market to private insurers. It would allow aid for owners to take measures, such as elevating their homes, that reduce the risk of future damage. One of the chief advocates of change is House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling. Well pay for your house twice, he said recently, but after that its either time to mitigate or you might want to consider relocating somewhere else. Whether the Senate will go along is far from certain. Past efforts to make the program sustainable have foundered on the unwillingness of politicians to raise premiums and limit coverage. Taxpayers, however, may finally be figuring out that they are getting soaked by a shortsighted and indulgent policy whose consequences are unaffordable. We cant prevent nature from doing its worst. But sound programs can minimize the damage it does. If anything good comes out of the terrible hurricanes this year, it may be a new resolve to keep the cost of such disasters from rising still higher. Harvey Weinstein and all others like him who have been accused of sexual misconduct and want to apologize, should make the following statement: "I am sorry for the pathetic abuses of power and indefensible behavior that I have exhibited, causing many people a lifelong experience of post-traumatic stress because of the life ambushes that they experienced. How I got this way I will continue to explore. One doesn't simply become cruel and abusive by accident. Can I repair myself, reclaim much of myself, and become a reasonable, civil human being? We will see, but I think that I can. I do wish to believe, and hope, that one's history does not imply one's destiny. Advertisement "My issues go much further than legal concerns my transgressions, of course, have legal dimensions, but much more important, they have ethical, moral and humanitarian dimensions. I may never be able to undo and make right what I have done, but I vow to do everything I know how (legal and moral) to become a reasonable human being. And I will do all I can, and am permitted to do, to make recompense to those I've wronged and harmed. "Thank you for permitting me to learn to do the right thing." Advertisement Leon J. Hoffman, Chicago Hands-free I am 15 years old, and I just started driver's education. For a class assignment, I had to observe an intersection and look for drivers' errors. I saw lots of people talking on their cellphones or texting while they were driving. I am shocked by how many people do this, because it is so dangerous. I wish people would get a hands-free answering device or just pull over. That way we could all be safer. Michael Roth, Chicago A sluggish response The Republicans in Congress are completely and morally bankrupt. They do not have the guts to deal with long overdue serious gun control after the horrific massacres in Las Vegas, Newtown, Conn., and so many other assaults on innocents. And with the recent Texas church slaughter, their response has been sluggish, inert. In matters of science, they can't seem to process the fact that climate change is real and creating cataclysmic events in our country and worldwide. What will it take? When is the time right to do the responsible and right thing for them to meet these challenges? Our very lives depend on action with the greatest possible urgency. God help us because our Republican legislators will not. Dorothy Dumelle, Oak Park Advertisement The right aid The processes of enacting meaningful legislation in the wake of gun violence or attempting to effectively replan cities to reduce the inevitable devastation caused by natural disasters have one thing in common: They're attempts to solve a problem in hindsight. This prompts the obvious question: Why don't we change our behavior to solve these knowable problems before tragedy comes knocking? This can be said for a variety of societal concerns, both foreign and domestic. It seems that our inherent altruistic sensors only go off when crises are happening on American soil, but why? Just because something doesn't appear to affect you doesn't mean you shouldn't care about it. As then-state Sen. Barack Obama once said, "If there's a child on the South Side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child." Therefore, if there's a child who isn't allowed to go to school because she's a girl, that should matter to you, even if it's not your child. If there's a family of five struggling to live on less than 50 cents a day, that should matter to you, even if it's not your family. If there are a billion people across the world without access to clean drinking water, that should matter to you, even if your water is safe to drink. If a child is starving and has no choice but to turn to a terrorist organization for food, clean water and a living wage, that should matter to you too. Advertisement And yes, there are problems in our own country, but it is also true that the livelihood of people living in developing nations has a direct impact on our economy and national security. The right kind of aid can increase standards of living for the world's poorest; it can provide stability to struggling families; it can help families climb out of the cycle of poverty and help reduce the political instability in some of the more vulnerable nations in the world. Tim Sonnefeldt, Chicago When? Every time there is a mass shooting, politicians (and others) say that "this is not the right time to discuss gun control." What is the correct time? Police and the FBI spend days and weeks trying to determine what was behind a shooting. Let's assume that after their investigations, they have a 100 percent-correct profile of the shooter. What do they do with that information? Who gets it? Whom do they target based on this profile? How does this prevent the next shooting? It's a very safe bet that there will be another mass shooting. Only the time and place are not known. Advertisement What if the next 10, 20 or 30 victims were U.S. senators or U.S. representatives? Would it then be the correct time? Or would it depend upon which victims received donations from the National Rifle Assocation? John Fink, Huntley The Nov. 23 piece Judicial picks show little diversity by Catherine Lucey and Meghan Hoyer reminded me of an exchange between a reporter and the late Mayor Harold Washington. A reporter asked the newly elected first black mayor of Chicago back in 1983 if he was going to go out of his way to use affirmative action to fill all of his appointments with women and minorities. He seemed bemused. In a city this large and loaded with this much talent, he said he would have to go out of his way not to fill positions with women and minorities. He went on to say how his appointments should reflect the citys diverse population and the merits of the citys workforce. His untimely death 30 years ago this week made me feel the loss more keenly as I read Lucey and Hoyers piece. Advertisement It seems as though the president and the Republicans in the U.S. Senate have gone out of their way to turn back the clock on judicial diversity. And the fact that the president has many judicial positions to fill speaks to the conspiracy of those same Republicans who violated their oath to uphold the Constitution. There is nothing in the Constitution that says to wait to fill those vacancies if the current president is in his last year of office and he happens to be in the opposition party. There is nothing in the Constitution that says two presidential terms is equal to seven years. Federal courts are the place that citizens go in search of justice. They are the courts of last resort. If those judges are sitting on the bench due to funky math, dereliction of duty, or due to a president who wishes it were 1950, we are in for a very rocky 40 years since federal judges serve for life. Advertisement Jan Goldberg, Riverside All votes in the CO-3 election won't be counted until the end of this week You are here: Home A poster of "Old Beast" [Photo provided to China.org.cn] Chinese mainland actor Tu Men won the best leading actor award at the 54th Golden Horse Awards Saturday evening for his performance in "Old Beast." In the film, which won best original screenplay, Tu plays an elderly businessman who steals money from his children to pay a debt. Mainland director and film producer Vivian Qu won best director for her dark drama "Angels Wear White," which touches on the theme of child sexual abuse. Hong Kong's Kara Wai and the Taiwan-born Vicky Chen took home best leading actress and supporting actress awards respectively, with their performances in crime thriller "The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful," which won best feature. Taiwanese satire "The Great Buddha +" was the biggest winner of the night, grabbing five awards including best new director and best original score. The oil painting 29.01.64, created by Chinese-French painter Zao Wou-ki incorporating the kuangcao (wild cursive) style of Chinese calligraphy, fetched HK$ 202.6 million ($26 million) at a Christie's auction Saturday night. It set a record for Zao's works at auction. What now ranks second is 29.09.64, which sold HK$ 152.9 million in May, also at a Christie's auction. Zao was born in Beijing and moved to Paris in the late 1940s, where he rose to become an internationally acclaimed artist. He started to blend Chinese calligraphy into his oil paintings in 1957. He set aside focusing on the meanings of characters, instead exploring the variations of calligraphic forms and how to merge them into his world of abstract art. His change that year came after a yearlong trip he made to New York, a rising world art center, as well as Hong Kong in China and Japan. He had in-depth communications with artists he met along the way, especially abstract expressionists in the United States. They provided him with novel perspectives to push forward his endeavors to paint in an abstract style. You are here: Home Six people were killed and nine injured in a rock fall on a mountain road in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Sunday, according to local authorities. The rocks fell in the township of Zhoulu in Mashan County at around 9 a.m., hitting pedestrians and vehicles, according to county government sources. The injured were taken to hospital. The booming live-streaming industry offers money-making opportunities to many ordinary Chinese people. A popular female anchor named "northeastern narcissus sister-in-law", however, saw her road to fame and fortune end in police handcuffs. The "Langyou" live-streaming platform is unavailable now. [Screenshot] The young woman had enjoyed widespread popularity online by giving obscene performances on the "Langyou" platform. The live-streaming app recruited over 1,000 female presenters and sold pornographic content to 177,000 registered users for more than 10 million yuan (US$1.51 million). The break-up of this channel promoting pornography is a major progress in China's latest ongoing campaign to purify the online environment. Appealing users by porn performances In June, some netizens reported to the police that the "Langyou" platform was spreading indecent content. The National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications took it seriously and organized an investigation. According to the investigation, a large number of female presenters broadcast live pornographic performances on the platform, receiving fees and virtual gifts from users. The live-streaming app, which was available in both Android and iOS operating systems, produced and spread more than two billion pornographic videos. To probe deeper into this "especially serious" case, the police went to many provinces including Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong, Hunan, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang to collect evidence. This revealed it was a cross-province crime in cyberspace. A technological company in Yueyang, Hunan province, operated the platform, while another company in Shanghai provided broadcast and storage solutions. The server of the system was in Ningbo, Zhejiang, but the maintenance staff were in the neighboring city of Hangzhou. The suspects built a live-streaming network with registered users across the country. Repeatedly changing platforms to avoid punishment Live-streaming anchors earn a living mainly through soliciting "virtual gifts" which the audience buy with real money. Some anchors make use of their sex appeal to encourage such gift-giving, and the platforms indulge the illegal conduct to rack up views. To avoid being punished, the suspects repeatedly changed platforms. Within 30 days, the "Langyou" platform was upgraded for times, and its domain name and download address were changed for over 10 times. In addition, online porn performers registered with fake information and applied for bank accounts using other people's ID. Many of the porn viewers are teenagers. Tong Lihua, director of Beijing Children's Legal Aid and Research Center said pornographic live-streaming was "a tumor of cyberspace". It undermined teenagers' physical and mental health, and induced them to commit crimes. Taking multiple measures to combat online pornography The Chinese government is determined to remove this particular tumor. In its crackdown on online pornography this year, dozens of live-streaming platforms have been shut down. The internet has become a major channel of spreading pornographic content, said Xue Songyan, deputy chief of the National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications. Although a majority of the platforms have not been operating very long, they have made a lot of money and had adverse social impact. The governmental departments, internet enterprises and professional organizations should work together to exercise cyberspace regulation, Tong Lihua added. The National Office Against Pornographic and Illegal Publications and the Cyberspace Administration of China have established a long-term joint conference system covering central governmental departments as well as internet regulators at provincial and municipal level. Website operators around the country are exercising around-the-clock supervision and intensifying their content censorship. A "blacklist" system and a notification mechanism have been established, barring anchors who violated regulations from the livestreaming industry. "We will maintain a tough stance on online pornography, thoroughly investigating the cases and severely punishing violators," Xue Songyan said. Premier Li Keqiang heard a report on the domestic efforts for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to take effect and get implemented when chairing the State Council executive meeting on Wednesday, and called for deepening reform and opening-up to promote industrial upgrading. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday urged enterprises to carry forward the professional spirit and craftsman's spirit and strive for excellence in order to produce more internationally well-known name brands of China's own. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday said that China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) should make good use of platforms such as the governor meeting to enhance communication and cooperation, and advance bilateral ties. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with former British Prime Minister David Cameron in Beijing Tuesday, saying China stands ready to work with Britain to strengthen bilateral ties in order to benefit both countries and peoples. China is willing to promote bilateral trade and people-to-people exchanges with the Dominican Republic, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Friday. China supports enterprises from both China and Croatia to make use of their complementary advantages and strengthen cooperation in areas including ports, railway infrastructure construction and shipbuilding, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Friday. Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday urged Communist Party of China leaders and government officials at local levels to enhance capabilities in preventing and controlling work safety risks. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Wednesday inspected southwest China's Guizhou Province ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year. Chinese President Xi Jinping's latest overseas tour has further consolidated the China-Greece comprehensive strategic partnership and invigorated BRICS cooperation in various fields, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday. China stands ready to work with Nepal in advancing friendly cooperation and opening a new chapter for bilateral ties, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Sunday to the Chinese women's volleyball team, after they claimed the World Cup title in the Japanese city of Osaka. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on Wednesday. President Xi Jinping stressed firm implementation of major reforms at the seventh meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform Tuesday. President Xi Jinping on Friday said training and selecting outstanding young officials is vital to the fate of the Party, state and Chinese nation, and to the people's wellbeing, calling it an important task for generations to come. You are here: Top 10 Beijing has been ranked as the best tourism city on the Chinese mainland, according to a study jointly issued by Jiemian.com and toutiao.com. Cities on the Chinese mainland were evaluated based on five aspects: number of visitors, tourism revenue and its contribution to the local economy, traffic and tourism infrastructure. It's not surprising that Beijing, China's capital city, came out on top. In 2016, Beijing received 280 million domestic tourists and 4.16 million foreign visitors. Its tourism revenue amounted to about 502.1 billion yuan, 20 percent of the city's total GDP. Travel in Beijing is very convenient as its highways, railways and airlines connect with many locations. With a history of more than 3,000 years, Beijing is a metropolis with abundant natural and cultural resources. It houses 244 national A-class scenic spots and eight are five-A, the top grade of the country's tourist site classification system. There are 554 starred hotels, 64 of which are five-star alongside 2,204 travel agencies who provide diversified services to visitors. Receiving 450 million visitors in 2016, Chongqing, China's "hotpot capital", was the most visited. Its tourism revenue totaled 264.5 billion yuan, accounting for 15 percent of its GDP. As a transport hub in the southwest region, Chongqing has a developed traffic network consisting of highways, railways, waterways and airlines. The mountainous city embraces 214 national A-class scenic spots and seven are five-A grade. Approximately 227 starred hotels and 479 travel agencies are available to visitors. Shanghai comes third on the list. In 2016, the metropolis was the second most visited city with 300 million visitors recorded. Its tourism industry had registered revenue of 389.7 billion yuan last year, contributing to 14 percent of its GDP. As China's economic center, Shanghai has a perfect traffic network but it offers relatively less in terms of natural and cultural resources compared to Beijing and Chongqing. Nevertheless, the newly opened Disneyland Resort has added much more glamour for tourists. Significantly, the research found that five cities can truly be labeled as tourism cities as the contribution of the tourism industry to their local economies exceeds 60 percent. They are Lijiang City of Yunnan Province, Huangshan City of Anhui Province, Sanya City of Hainan Province, Jinzhong City of Shanxi Province, and Shangrao City of Jiangxi Province, Here is the list of the top ten tourism cities on the Chinese mainland. Nanjing Confucius Temple in Nanjing. As one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China (the other three being Beijing, Luoyang and Xi'an), Nanjing has a prominent place in Chinese history. [nanjing.gov.cn] China's first Eurochestries Festival will open in Qingdao Flash A ship carrying 5,500 tons of flour docked in Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeidah on Sunday, after 20-day military blockade from Saudi-led coalition, a security official at the port said. "It's the first commercial ship docked in the port after 20 days of blockade," Houthi official Khalid Jomaey told Xinhua by phone. He said "another aid ship carrying wheat from the United Nations World Food Programme is sailing near the port and is set to dock within hours." The delivery is the first commercial shipment to be allowed by the coalition into the rebel-controlled seaport. The move came one day after the coalition allowed aid flights to the rebel-held Sanaa airport. On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemeni dominant Shiite Houthi rebels said it would allow access of humanitarian supply planes to Sanaa and ships carrying aid to the Red Sea port of Hodeidah. Jens Laerke, spokesman of the UN humanitarian aid coordination agency OCHA, said last Friday that what really matters is that "we can get the ports in Hodeidah and Saleef open both for humanitarian aid and for commercial imports." The coalition has been facing escalating criticisms from senior UN officials and humanitarian agencies who expressed mounting concerns over already worsening humanitarian catastrophes in the war-torn Arab country which largely depends on humanitarian aid supplies and food imports. The coalition, which intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to back the Sunni government of the Yemeni exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, said it is planning to give clearance to aid ships only. Around 10,000 Yemeni people, mostly civilians, were killed in the war that triggered the worst humanitarian crisis and pushed the country into the brink of famine. Flash The "China-CEE 16+1" concept was adopted in 2012 by China and 16 Central and Eastern European or CEE countries. Focused primarily on economy and trade, one of the keys to expanding the links are the series of express trains which run between China and Europe. The 1,000th freight train linking China and Europe in 2017 departs from the Yiwu West Railway Station in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, May 13, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] Since the launch of the first China-Europe freight rail line linking Chongqing with Duisburg, Germany in March 2011, freight volume between China and European countries has risen in each of the last six years. Thanks to the series of new routes launched by China-Europe Railway Express, more and more Chinese companies are now choosing to use rail to import goods from Europe. Kevin Wang is the European market sales director for the Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Company. He said the company started to use the China-Europe freight trains in 2014, and often uses the railways to import engines and other components from Western Europe such as Italy. They are also planning to start shipping their buses to Eastern Europe via the rail lines. Compared with air and sea freight, the trains have their own advantages. Kevin Wang said previously the company mainly shipped products by sea. Since 2014, however, the bus manufacturer has benefited from the trains between China and Europe, as the rails are cheaper than air freight while being faster and more punctual than transportation by sea. The China-Europe freight train is a significant part of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. Kevin Wang said that the Belt and Road Initiative has opened up new opportunities not only for Chinese companies, buy also European ones. He takes his company as an example, saying that "producing buses usually requires very high-cost investment. In Eastern Europe, people were used to buying second-hand buses from Western Europe; but now, with the support of the special initiative, they can pay the same amount of money and get brand-new buses. It's a good move to help Chinese enterprises go abroad." Apart from bringing opportunities for domestic companies, the China-Europe freight trains also promote economic exchanges along the Silk Road. Wang Yiwei, Director of Center for EU Studies of Renmin University of China, says rail routes have boosted connectivity between China and Europe. "China-Europe Railway Express has been boosting the logistics and transportation, and a new type of the business between China and Europe. Most importantly, it's about the new value chain distribution, because it's located in the heartland of China and European cities. It helps China to cooperate with European local governments." In addition, he suggests that China-Europe freight trains can narrow the gap between the 16 European nations, as well as the rail links should also help with the integration of Europe itself. China now has 57 China-Europe freight train routes, with trains from 35 Chinese cities traveling to 12 European countries. A LNG container ship docks at Tianjin port.China is importing more natural gas to satisfy the rising demand. [Photo/Xinhua] Rising use of natural gas brings benefits to consumers, industry and economy Millions of residents in northern Chinese cities will literally breathe easy this winter as the air will likely be a lot cleaner, and smog a lot thinner, given that natural gas will increasingly replace dirtier coal as power plant fuel in the region. Natural gas sales are expected to rise more than 20 percent to 13.9 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) this year, according to China National Petroleum Corp or CNPC, the country's largest oil and gas supplier and producer. Consumption of natural gas, which emits 50 percent less carbon dioxide than coal, will rise as demand is set to surge. China's commitment to smog-free air and green power is good news for not just electricity consumers and green campaigners, but those who thrive on gas imports. The efforts to ensure adequate supplies of natural gas will involve creation or expansion of infrastructure like pipelines, ports with suitable terminals, storage facilities and transportation networks. Existing Chinese investments in overseas energy assets like oil and gas fields will likely be augmented, and fresh targets identified. Given the implications for the entire economy, winter is warming the cockles of the power industry players' hearts. Nowhere is this more palpable than in the Chinese capital. Downtown Beijing will shutter four major coal-fired power plants in its vicinity, and keep itself warm in the winter with four gas-fired plants at a cost of around 50 billion yuan. Hebei, one of the most polluting provinces in northern China, has also phased out 33,600 small coal-fired boilers. Tianjin, one of China's four municipalities besides Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, said it planned to further cut coal consumption and increase the supply of natural gas for both indoor heating and vehicle fuel purposes. Analysts believe China's determination to move away from coal and other fossil fuels to address air pollution will be a long-term positive for the natural gas sector. Joseph Jacobelli, a senior analyst tracking Asia utilities at Bloomberg Intelligence, said although clean energy won't completely replace coal-fired power generation at least for the next 30 years, the share of gas-fired generation in the overall electricity mix will increase steadily. "We're already seeing that clean generation accounts for a greater proportion of newly installed capacity compared with the coal-fired ones." On the back of continued policy support from Beijing and the industry's coal-to-gas transition, the liquefied natural gas or LNG market in China has witnessed sharp growth this year. According to the CNPC Research Institute of Economics and Technology, LNG consumption reached 167.6 billion cubic meters during the January-September period, up 16.6 percent year-on-year. Full-year growth in 2016 was 7 percent. The peak season of winter, and even the period between summer and winter months, witnessed a pick-up in gas consumption as well, said Duan Zhaofang, chief engineer of the natural gas market research department of the institute. Power industry insiders believe the demand will continue to surge in the coming years. Marc Howson, director of the LNG market development division of S&P Global Platts, an energy industry information service, said Chinese LNG imports will continue to grow toward 50 million tons in 2018. China's LNG imports rose 32.8 percent to 26.06 million tons in 2016. Contracts for LNG supply to China, mainly from western and eastern Australia, and the US Gulf Coast, are up nearly 50 percent year-on-year this year as the government steps up efforts for cleaner burning fuel, he said. S&P Global Platts forecasts that by 2018, China will surpass South Korea to become the world's second largest LNG importer, trailing only Japan. As for natural gas, domestic output rose from 50 billion cu m in 2005 to 135 billion cu m in 2016. China's natural gas use will exceed 360 billion cu m by 2020, according to the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner. That would be more than 10 percent of China's energy consumption by 2020, up from 7 percent now, according to the commission. By 2040, China is expected to import as much as Japan, about 311.5 million cu m of natural gas a day, according to the International Energy Agency. Rising demand for non-fossil fuel has prompted the country's energy behemoths to step up efforts to secure adequate supplies of LNG through imports. They are continuing negotiations with some resource-rich Central Asian nations for additional stocks. Qu Guangxue, spokesman for CNPC, which accounts for over 70 percent of the natural gas supplied in China, said the company's natural gas demand is expected to reach 81.3 billion cu m this year, up 11.7 percent from 2016. According to CNPC, the China-Central Asia natural gas pipeline that it built, and which runs through China, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, will have transported a total of 200 billion cu m of natural gas by the end of this month since 2009, equivalent to the total annual natural gas consumption of China or 11 years of natural gas supply for Beijing. China started importing natural gas through a pipeline from Turkmenistan in 2010 and has since then imported natural gas also from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Myanmar. Meanwhile, terminals and infrastructure are also being boosted to meet the upsurge in demand. The country's natural gas pipeline network in 2015 reached 64,000 km, and is expected to reach 163,000 km by 2025. China is also increasing its presence in the Arctic region's natural gas sector, with CNPC participating in the Yamal LNG project with Novatek, Russia's independent natural gas producer, which will ensure CNPC at least 3 million tons of LNG per year. Li Li, energy research director at consulting firm ICIS China, said the country would also continue to buy considerable LNG from the US till this year-end and beyond, considering the latter's willingness to increase export of its natural resources. The US would benefit from China's new demand for natural gas and is already a net exporter, she said. There was a time when every winter, as the heating season kicked off in Beijing, my olfactory senses would recoil from the hideous odor of burnt coal in the air, especially during the night. My post-dinner strolls would turn into deep meditations on the masculine violence of technology-powered industry on Mother Nature, and the ghostly offspring they produced, the infamous smog. Not this winter though. Surprise, surprisethe Beijing air no longer chokes as badly. The coal-fired power plants that help supply heat to the capital are making way for gas-based utilities. In the past, coal accounted for more than 60 percent of China's primary energy consumption. In northern China, the ratio was as high as 80 percent, according to the International Energy Association. To be sure, the black gold produced copious amounts of gray smog. This winter, however, 28 cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and nearby areas are steering clear of coal and using only natural gas, electricity and renewable energy for heating. Other regions in the north will be persuaded to phase out the use of inferior coal, which is widely used in rural areas due to its low cost. Authorities have also ordered producers of steel, cement and aluminum, among others, in numerous cities in northern China to reduce output during the heating season which could last till March-end. Consequently, Beijing smells better, public health issues are fewer and a more sustainable economic development suddenly appears to be a realistic goal. China's environmental policies are designed to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions. But they are not limited to replacing coal and oil with natural gas. China tops countries with renewable energy capacity, in terms of wind, solar and hydropower. According to the IEA, half of all additions to China's electricity generation capacity since 2013 have been renewable or nuclear. By 2040, the renewable energy sector will account for 40 percent of total power generation, with coal expected to fall to 40 percent from 67 percent now. China will account for a third of new wind and solar power installations. Its coal use peaked four years ago and solar is expected to become China's cheapest source of new electricity additions, even surpassing natural gas by 2020 and coal by 2030. But all that appears far in the distance, not in the immediate future. Yet, I believe the ongoing coal-to-renewable transition will have a positive and lasting impact on air quality. China's energy mix is entering a new era. Energy policy emphasis is now on green electricity, natural gas and cleaner, high-efficiency digital technologies. China's commitment to clean air and healthy environment is expected to set the tone for the rest of the world, accelerating the global transition to green energy. Winter might be fun again. Technicians check wind power facilities in Tianchang, Anhui province.[Photo by Song Weixing/for China Daily] It should be feasible to scrap the subsidy support for China's wind power development by 2022 given the expected decline in generation costs from lower turbine costs and higher production yields, analysts said. Considering that turbine costs should decline further and new generation turbines should produce more kilowatt-hour for the same capacity, it is highly likely that the wind power sector will continue its healthy development without governmental subsidy support, said Joseph Jacobelli, a senior analyst of Asia utilities at Bloomberg Intelligence. The suspension of subsidy has been discussed for many years, and 2022 might be the time when that would really happen, he said. Beijing plans to phase out subsidies for wind turbine makers by 2020 or 2022. An unidentified government official was quoted by several media outlets that manufacturers should "actively improve technology to cut costs in order to gain market share, instead of depending on government subsidies". According to the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) for wind power development, by 2020, electricity prices from wind power will be reduced to 0.4 yuan per kWh, those from solar to 0.6 yuan per kWh, similar to the cost of traditional power sources. "China can stop providing subsidies for wind power by 2020, as the price of wind-based electricity is already relatively low. That would make it more competitive compared with electricity generated from other sources," said Han Xiaoping, chief information officer of China Energy Net Consulting Co Ltd. "An alternative to government subsidy would be to require electricity retailers to buy renewable energy certificates from producers of wind and solar power," Han said. According to Liang Zhipeng, vice-director of the New Energy and Renewable Energy Department, which is a part of the National Energy Administration, China has made significant progress in terms of wind power technology, which directly reduced the cost of wind-based electricity. "We have manufactured bigger, taller wind turbines with larger installed capacity," said Liang. "Wind turbines with a diameter of 110 meters, height of 120 or even 140 meters, have been widely used in offshore wind farms in China. They have 5 gigawatts of capacity and some companies are developing wind turbines with 10 gigawatts of capacity," he said. According to Jacobelli, the growth of China's wind power generation has been astonishing in terms of absolute capacity, to over 150,000 megawatts in 2016 from about 10 mW in 2006. China had 157,000 mW of installed wind power capacity at September-end, up 13 percent year-on-year, according to the National Energy Administration. "The very high pace of growth created some unique challenges, especially curtailment. But the majority of the issues should not be regarded as long-term problems, but more like teething troubles," Jacobelli said. Other challenges that wind power generation currently faces include addressing the funding of the subsidies, ensuring that wind power does not disrupt supply stability and low share of wind power in the energy mix. The wind power's contribution to total generation only accounted for 4 percent in 2016, according to the NEA. However, in certain provinces and regions, wind power made up more than 10 percent of the total energy mix. In the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Gansu province, the figure even reached 16 percent. However, these are also regions with high curtailment rate, meaning that wind power is not bought by the grid for use by customers. NEA data showed 10.4 billion kWh of wind power in Gansu province was curtailed in 2016, accounting for 43 percent of the total wind power generation, making it the region with highest curtailment rate. Xinjiang ranked second with 38 percent of wind power wasted, followed by Jilin with 30 percent and Inner Mongolia with 21 percent. In response, the government made great efforts to address these issues. On the curtailment front, authorities are making good progress in ensuring that more output from existing production facilities is dispatched. In the first three quarters of this year, national average wind curtailment decreased by 10.3 billion kWh, down 6.7 percent year-on-year. On subsidy funding, the government is working hard setting up the green certificates market. On supply disruption, there is much better coordination now between the developer and the provincial or central planners, which should help ensure safe supply, industry experts said. Prospective tenants visit the public rental housing at the Xinyue apartments in Shanghai, on May 15, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua] Alipay and China UnionPay, two of China's online payment service providers, are using their credit rating system to improve the house rental market. This is expected to help regulate how house owners and tenants operate in the market. But its efficacy remains a question, experts said. Alipay, a subsidiary of China's internet giant Alibaba Group, announced its property rental foray via a new platform in October. The Alipay platform allows tenants with a 650-point score on Zhima Credit, a rating system founded by Alibaba, to pay in advance one month's rent without any deposit and lease an apartment, according to Wang Bo, general manager of the innovation and smart service department of Ant Financial, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba. The Alipay service does away with the common practice of one-month rent as deposit and three-month rent toward house owners required by the rental agreement. Statistics from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development showed about 160 million Chinese residents rent houses in cities, accounting for 21 percent of the urban population. College graduates and migrant workers are major tenants. However, most people do not have a pleasant experience when renting apartments. Common complaints against landlords are dishonest behavior, peddling fake information about the condition or ownership of the property, over-charging and raising the rent unreasonably. So, the online system aims to simplify the process of renting a home, particularly for young people like fresh graduates about to enter the workforce, Ant Financial said. At the same time, it would rein in unethical, coercive or unfair practices of landlords. According to a report on housing conditions of young people in Beijing, only about 26 percent interviewees said they felt their rights were not violated in rental issues. Wang of Ant Financial said the advantage of having Alipay in the rental market is its ability to control risks. The new rental platform can evaluate prospective tenants' credibility and trustworthiness by analyzing their record in financial transactions. In addition, home-owners and tenants can influence each other's credit ratings through online comments. But industry insiders said it is still early days to judge such services. Wang Pengbo, a financial analyst of research firm Analysys, said though the idea of combining individual credit with mobile payments is good, many other elements need to be taken into consideration to give a precise evaluation as well as a feasible solution to problems. "For instance, if a tenant violates the contract, what can we do without the constraint of the deposit?" Wang said. Geng Juan, an analyst with the Nanjing branch of real estate agency 5i5j, agreed. "What if the tenant refuses to pay the water or electricity bills, or compensate for damaged home appliances? Besides, how could the system actually avoid fake information from unethical intermediaries?" Alipay plans to channel about 10 long-term rental brands, such as Mogoroom and Danke Department, in the following years, to list about 2 or 3 million city apartments, including those in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu. Among the 1 million rental apartments listed on Alipay, about 85 percent still seek deposits, it said. According to an industry insider, deposit-free rentals based on personal credit scores are limited to a certain group of customers with Zhima Credit account. Since cash flows through Alipay are key to its very business, it is possible that not all rental listings would be deposit-free. Guo Yi, marketing director of real estate consultancy Yahao, said, "There's still a long way to go for financial or credit tools before they become integral to rental services. A single credit rating system cannot overturn the current system. But I believe the rental market will become better in the future, facilitated by strengthened supervision." In July, the central government strengthened supervision in 12 cities, some of which established monitoring platforms to help solve problems of fake information and unscrupulous realty agents. After Alipay launched its house rental service in cooperation with the Hangzhou city government, others follows suit. For instance, JD Group, China's second largest e-commerce giant, joined the rental supervisory platform in Beijing in late October. JD said it expects to provide services for real estate developers and agencies, covering commercial, industrial, tourism, pension and overseas properties. China UnionPay followed it up in early November through cooperation agreements with Shenyang and Wuhan city governments. Ren Tianfeng, real estate general manager of the commercial services department of China UnionPay, said the firm will support evaluation of individuals' credit on the government's rental monitoring platform. China's rental market size is expected to jump from 1.1 trillion yuan ($166 billion) in 2016 to 4.6 trillion yuan in 2030, according to real estate agent Homelink's research department. A prospective customer makes enquiries at a booth of CreditEase at a financial services exhibition in Beijing.[Photo by A Jing/China Daily] Chinese financial technology or fintech firms are expected to lead industry innovation and facilitate growth of small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs in the Asia-Pacific region, said an executive of a leading Chinese fintech company. Tang Ning, founder and CEO of Beijing-based CreditEase, said tremendous development opportunities await fintech firms as well as peer-to-peer or P2P lenders in the next decade despite a stricter regulatory environment. After more than 10 years of development, China's fintech has entered the world's top league. Its innovation in terms of technology and the business model will continue to improve the drive for financial inclusion and efficiency in financing, which will better serve the real economy, Tang said on the sidelines of the APEC CEO Summit in Vietnam earlier this month. "The growth of fintech companies in the Asia-Pacific economies will keep momentum in the coming years, especially focusing on helping raise funds for small-scale businesses," he said. "After the rapid development over the past decade, Chinese fintech firms, which mainly offer online payments, online transaction and P2P lending, have entered a mature stage, thanks to the backing of some global leaders such as Alibaba and Tencent. They can be seen as examples of fintech success." In the next decade, Tang predicted, fintech will continue to develop, especially in insurance, artificial intelligence for wealth management, health care and pension industries. The basic infrastructure for fintech development would include a national credit information system, which is expected to store non-banking personal financial trading data and individual credit records, he said. "It will support the stable development of fintech and peer-to-peer lending in the next decade, preventing a personal credit crisis like that in South Korea and China's Taiwan." Personal credit crisis always emerges when the same person borrows from many different lenders without an assessment of the accumulated total withdrawal risk. To prevent any financial crisis arising from online lending activities or other innovative fintech businesses, China has tightened regulation since 2015. Stricter supervision is expected following a recent article by central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan, who warned inappropriate innovation in fintech may lead to systemic risks. In July 2015, the China Banking Regulatory Commission together with nine other regulatory agencies jointly issued a series of policy measures, which formally introduced for the first time the regulatory framework and basic principles for administering the online lending information intermediary service industry in China. The CBRC issued another set of regulations in August 2016 to further oversee online lending activities, saying local financial regulatory departments have the power to assess and classify the online lending information intermediaries. Such lenders must apply for appropriate business license before providing their services, it said. CreditEase is focusing on providing inclusive finance and wealth management products and services in China, Tang said. "As a fintech company, we should proactively comply with relevant regulations, which will benefit the industry's long-term, high-quality and sustainable development while preventing moral hazards." Yirendai Ltd, a subsidiary of CreditEase, launched its online platform in March 2012, aiming to address demand from underserved investors and individual borrowers, match borrowers with lenders, and execute loan transactions. Yirendai made its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2015, thus becoming the first Chinese fintech company to list overseas. In the third quarter, Yirendai facilitated 12.19 billion yuan ($1.83 billion) of loans to 192,725 qualified individual borrowers through its online platform, representing a year-on-year growth of 117 percent, according to its financial report. Yirendai predicted that by the end of this year, its total loans facilitated will be as high as 40.5 billion yuan, with a possible net revenue of 5.3 billion yuan. Luo Han, a sneaker designer, holds a pair of sneakers he redesigned in Beijing on June 13, 2017. [Photo/VCG] In his 300-square meter studio located in Songzhuang, an art community in Beijing's eastern suburbs, Luo Han, a sneaker designer, was busy recoloring a pair of branded shoes in accordance with a customer's request. From design, stripping the shoes' skin, underpainting to coloring, it takes anywhere from two days to a month for Luo and his team to finish a redesign for a pair of shoes. "Shi xie ru ming", the four Chinese characters printed on Luo's T-shirt, mean "love shoes like life itself". To guarantee he does his best work when designing sneakers, Luo purchased a 1 million yuan ($151,566) insurance policy for his hands. Back in 2011 when Luo had just graduated from university, he posted a photo of his graduation project, "Doomsday Shoes", on some major online forums. The photo got comments and retweets from tens of thousands of people, some of whom even invited him to redesign their shoes for them. After changing his job several times, five years ago Luo finally decided to focus on his interest and opened an online store to sell custom-designed shoes. His team has since expanded, as many fans came to his studio out of admiration to learn from him. The design fee for a pair of shoes from his studio ranges from 600 to 1,500 yuan. Charles Bowman wants the City to play a large role in the Belt and Road Initiative. Right, a Chinese float at his parade. [Photo/China Daily] The City of London's new lord mayor will push for the United Kingdom's main financial district to do more business with China. Charles Bowman, who became the 690th Lord Mayor of the City of London on Nov 10, said he would like to leave two "China legacies" during his year in office. "I'm really keen to grow financial and professional services engagement between China and the UK, and promote London as a natural Western hub for the Belt and Road Initiative," Bowman said. His call follows China announcing unprecedented access to its markets for foreign financial companies. The Lord Mayor of London represents the capital's financial district and is also leader of the City of London Corporation. The role differs from the much more powerful Mayor of London, who is elected and oversees the whole of Greater London. Bowman has already felt China's strong presence in the financial district. Three elaborate floats staged by Chinese groups took part in the Lord Mayor's Show on Nov 11 to celebrate the start of his year in office. And, two days later, Prime Minister Theresa May said during the Lord Mayor's Banquet that she was committed to "maintaining the 'golden era' relationship with China". The "golden era" was a phrase coined during President Xi Jinping's 2015 state visit to the UK. It describes the fresh impetus for bilateral investment and trade. So far, $18 billion of Chinese investment has gone into non-financial sectors in the UK, which is more than China has invested in any other European country. Further growth is imminent, especially because many UK banks and asset managers are now making plans to invest in China, in light of announcements by the Chinese government on Nov 10 stating that the country is allowing foreign financial companies to own up to 51 percent majority stake in financial joint-ventures. Bowman said other areas of tremendous opportunity for UK companies include London's continued growth as an off shore renminbi hub and the growing number of Chinese financial institutions establishing subsidiaries in the City of London. He traveled to China three times prior to taking up his role as lord mayor. He supported former lord mayor Jeffrey Mountevans' visit to Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Hong Kong last year, attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May, and the China Wealth Forum in June. "I came back inspired," Bowman said, recalling hearing Xi talk about his vision for the Belt and Road Initiative. "I recognized all that we in the UK can do to support that vision," he said, adding that he hopes the City's whole spectrum of financial businesses can get involved- including law, finance, engineering consulting, accounting, project management and others. Bowman, who has built a successful career as a partner at the accounting firm PwC, has witnessed London's financial center change throughout the decades. He said one major change was the fast expansion of Chinese institutions and the emergence of Chinese talents, both playing an important role in the Square Mile's diversity and international engagement. The City of London now hosts around 30 Chinese companies, including banks, security firms, insurance companies and investment funds. The Bank of China's UK chief executive, Sun Yu, is chairman of the Association of Foreign Banks, which demonstrates the significant role Chinese financial companies play in London, Bowman added. Leap Motor, founded in December 2015, unveils its sub-compact full electric coupe on Nov 10 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.[Photo by Hao Yan/China Daily] China is planning to drive upgrades in power battery technology by categorizing subsidy-eligible new energy models according to more specific details, including driving range, battery density and energy consumption. The new energy subsidy program has been through panel discussions at four national ministries and now features a reduced amount of subsidies. Local media cited sources familiar with the matter, saying that a renewed plan is coming very soon. This might involve segmenting eligibility levels according to 50-kilometer driving range tiers. The new plan might give more subsidies to electric cars that incur higher costs given their larger battery packs. According to the sources, fully electric cars that can drive farther than 350 km will be eligible for a 50,000 yuan ($7,572) subsidy in 2018, 13.6 percent more than that offered this year; those with a driving range between 300 km and 350 km will receive a 45,000 yuan subsidy, 1,000 yuan more than this year. On the other hand, the central government will give less to vehicles with a driving range lower than 300 km, while those below 150 km will not receive a penny. Shu Chang, a Shanghai-based partner of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, told China Daily that the new plan clearly demonstrates a determination to push forward new energy vehicle development. He said: "The refreshed subsidy plan targets vehicle driving ranges, and aims to promote upgrades in the new energy vehicle industry." China currently offers subsidies in three tiers to full-electric passenger cars: 20,000 yuan to those driving further than 100 km but less than 150 km; 36,000 yuan to those with a range between 150 km and 250 km; and 44,000 yuan to those capable of driving farther than 250 km. Those with subsidy packages at above 100,000 yuan, with bigger battery packs, were not so popular in recent years, as the subsidies offered to buyers were similar to those for cheaper models with smaller batteries. As a result, electric cars are usually only used for short-range driving, and customers have less confidence in them when driving longer distances. The other focus of the new plan is to encourage the development of higher-density power batteries by leveling up the battery density thresholds, according to the sources cited by local media. Currently, logistics vehicles need to have a 90 watt-hours per kilogram battery installed, but the requirement is set to increase to 115 Wh/kg. That figure will rise to from 120 Wh/kg to 140 Wh/kg for buses. Shu said he sees the required higher battery density as an approach to avoid falling into the subsidy fraud trap. In October, another batch of new energy vehicle manufacturers were penalized for fraudulently claiming subsidies. As of February, the country had retrieved subsidies and imposed penalties of 2.3 billion yuan in total. "This upcoming action aims to switch the driving force away from policies and regulations, and automakers will take their momentum from the market in the future," he said. Liu Bin, chief expert at the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, shared his forecasts for future policy changes at the Global Future Mobility Forum earlier this month. He said he expects that the government will set multiple targets for the development of new energy vehicles with quick dynamic adjustments. "The government might accelerate competition to rule out weak carmakers, rather than providing protections as it did in the earlier stages," Liu said. "New energy vehicle development has stepped into a stage of industry-wide competition, which requires automakers' rivalry in the market," Liu added. The three-day Global Future Mobility Forum, held at the Hangzhou International Expo Center in the capital of Zhejiang province, was supported by automobile-related government bodies and local governments. It took place alongside a new energy auto show. Chen Qingtai, an automobile expert with the Development Research Center of the State Council, called on the government to prepare for ramping up market expansion in the near future. "The government has to design a profound top-level policy, to embrace the immense power of technological progress and industrial upgrades." China overtook the United States last year as the world's largest new energy vehicle market, with total annual sales of 507,000 vehicles. The country achieved a sales volume of 490,000 vehicles in the first 10 months of this year, up 45.4 percent from the same period of last year. The industry forecasts China will have 80 million new energy vehicles running on its roads by 2030. Workers assemble cars at a Ford production line in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.[Photo by Liu Yang/China Daily] Ford Motor Co is poised to accelerate in China now that the United States carmaker has put in place a Chinese-speaking chief to better gauge the pulse of the world's largest auto market. Ford will offer products and services that better meet local demands, become faster in its response to market changes, and explore smart mobility and new energy cars, said Ford China President and CEO Jason Luo, who was born and raised in China. Before he was appointed in September to head the carmaker's China operations, Luo was CEO of Key Safety Systems, the world's fourth-largest airbag-maker by sales. "As you know, young people have strong demand for personalized items, so offering personalized cars and services will be a focus in our job," said Luo. For example, he expects all Ford models in China to feature onboard connectivity by 2019. Ford's recent partnership with Chinese carmaker Zotye is intended to produce economy electric cars that better suit young customers. The 5 billion yuan ($754.4 million) deal, which was signed during US President Donald Trump's visit to China earlier this month, is a key step by Ford towards its vision of a cleaner, more environmentally sustainable future. The US carmaker announced earlier this year at least 70 percent of Ford-branded vehicles sold in China will offer electrified powertrain options by 2025. A plug-in Mondeo, the first plug-in hybrid to be produced at its passenger car joint venture Changan Ford, was unveiled at the recently concluded Guangzhou auto show. Ford also plans to offer an electric SUV in China in five years. Luo said Ford will make some exciting moves in 2018, including introducing the Ranger pickup into the Chinese market. The Ranger follows the F150, which has been well received after its entry into China in April. "We have sold more than 800 vehicles so far. That is something we can take pride in for a high-performance pickup," said Luo. Ford's premium arm Lincoln will prepare itself to localize an SUV model in 2019 at Changan Ford. SUVs are the sole growing segment in China this year, and Lincoln has been the fastest-growing premium brand so far in the market. It sold 45,729 vehicles in the first 10 months of 2017, surging 85 percent year-on-year. Ford is also planning some moves in the commercial car market, which has been dominated so far by local carmakers. Luo said the company will do something in terms of mobility and smart logistics, and reshuffle its current lineup. He added that Ford is also considering moves in the car segment. "We will definitely introduce new cars to better serve the market. In fact, we are speeding up not only in product offerings but also in investment," said Luo. Ford's 680 million yuan testing center in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, opened on Friday. It is the first whole car testing center the carmaker has built in the country. Ford said it will speed up the development of cars to better meet the needs of customers in China and even Asia as a whole. BEIJING - The management committee of Zhongguancun Science Park in Beijing has released an industrial incubation plan to promote the development of the AI industry. "Zhongguancun will strive to make breakthroughs in the core technology of the AI industry, and build innovation platforms for AI technology research and development in the following years," according to the plan released Friday. The plan will introduce measures to enhance AI cooperation among enterprises, universities and research institutions. Zhongguancun Science Park has been making efforts to develop its AI industry in recent years. The high-tech zone has about 250 AI enterprises with 7,800 AI patents. Nearly 43 percent of China's AI startups companies are from Zhongguancun. By 2020, Zhongguancun is expected to have five internationally competitive AI enterprises, and more than 500 AI enterprises, with the AI industry valued at 500 billion yuan ($76 billion). Entrepreneurs from various industries shared their insights into artificial intelligence at the Futureturing Summit held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing on Saturday. Zhang Chen, CTO of China's e-commerce giant JD.com, said in his speech at the summit AI technologies have considerably increased the company's efficiency and flexibility. "We have developed AI technologies in every aspect, from user experience to marketing to supply chain to drone delivery, autonomous warehousing and autonomous trucks," Zhang said. Earlier in November, JD.com's financial arm JD Finance launched an enterprise-level cloud services platform to use AI technologies, such as face recognition and graph calculation, to enhance work efficiency for financial institutions. In April, the company established JD Logistics, aiming to use AI, big data and automation to redefine the potential of e-commerce logistics. Jing Kun, general manager of DuerOS, an AI department of domestic internet giant Baidu Inc, said at the summit natural language-based human-machine interaction devices will be popular in the future. Citing data from market research firm IDC, he said 52 percent of vehicles will be able to conduct a driver-car dialogue by 2020. Baidu, aiming at transforming approaches to human-machine interaction, launched its Project Prometheus featuring its natural language processing intelligent system DuerOS, similar to Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, at Silicon Valley on Nov 9. China's AI industry has been growing at a tremendous speed. The number of AI companies has increased from 57 in 2007 to 592 by June 2017, more than tenfold over the past 10 years, according to a report released by Tencent Research Institute. The Chinese government has positioned AI as a national strategic priority and a core drive for industrial transformation. Mentioned in President Xi Jinping's report to the 19th National Congress, AI is part of the plan to promote integration with the real economy. In its New Generation AI Development Plan, the State Council, the country's Cabinet, has declared an ambitious goal of becoming a world leader in AI innovation with a market size of over one trillion yuan ($151 billion) by 2030. In addition, policies such as Made in China 2025 and the Three-year Guidance for Internet Plus AI plan are all top-down initiatives aiming to take the nation's AI technology forward. The summit was co-hosted by AI-focused Futureturing and Caishi Media. Hu Xinyi contributed to the story. China's Global Newspaper Sorry, the page you requested was not found. Please check the URL for proper spelling and capitalization. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Chinadaily.com.cn, try visiting the Chinadaily home page A firefighter checks the site on Sunday of the Nov 18 fire that killed 19 people and injured eight others in Xinjian village, Beijing's Daxing district. [Zou Hong/China Daily] Migrant workers told to move from unsafe homes over blaze risks Beijing's latest citywide campaign to eliminate safety hazards in crowded apartments and warehouses must be carried out to prevent tragedies like the fatal fire of Nov 18, the city's work safety commission said on Sunday. It added that officials should improve the way they explain things as they communicate with residents who are required to move out of danger. On Nov 18, a fire in an apartment building with more than 400 residents in Xinjian village of Beijing's Daxing district killed 19 people and injured eight. "The building was a severe fire risk. Its ceilings were made of polystyrene, a flammable material that burns rapidly and sends off lots of poisonous gases," Wei Yiyu, director of fire supervision for Daxing's fire detachment, said on Sunday at the building, which had been emptied. Gas and smoke would have spread to every room of the building quickly because the rooms' partitions didn't reach the ceiling. That dramatically reduced the time people had to escape, he said. "In addition, the building was very crowdedthree to five people per 10 square meters," he said. "And a majority of rooms had no windows, so it was hard to escape as poisonous gas filled the air," Wei said. Additionally, many residents had carried out do-it-yourself splicing of electrical wiring, raising fire risks, he added. After the fire, the city government launched a 40-day citywide campaign to eliminate fire and other safety hazards, in crowded apartments and warehouses that function as storage areas, workshops or residences for workers, the Beijing Work Safety Commission said. Many densely clustered properties in former industrial areas in the suburbs of Beijing have been modified illegally, the commission said. In general, such properties cannot pass health and safety inspections, yet cheap rents continue to draw people in. In some old warehouses, flammable materials were used as partitions to create living spaces for several hundred people without official approval, it said. So far, 25,309 safety hazards have been found citywide, the commission said. People who have been living in unsafe dwellings have been asked to move out during the campaign. Some said on social media that local authorities cut their electricity and water and told them to evacuate the next day, leaving them no time to find another home. Others said they should have been given more time to relocate because of the arrival of cold weather. The commission said it found that enforcement measures in some areas were "simple and blunt", and urged officials to issue notices in advance and better explain the safety campaign to the public. It denied accusations that the goal of the campaign has been to force "low-end" workers out of Beijing, adding that many migrants unknowingly stay and work in unsafe conditions. Caibang, a company that supplies vegetables for restaurants and hotels in Beijing, posted a notice on social media on Saturday saying it will offer free moving services to those forced to move during the campaign. "We have helped about 60 people move with our trucks so far," said Li Chunmei, an employee at Caibang. "Our boss is a migrant worker, so he understands their plight." Niu Xingwei, 25, who left his home in Jilin province to work at a human resources agency about five years ago sought help from Caibang to relocate on Saturday. "I received a notice on Tuesday saying I had to leave my old apartment in Yizhuang by Sunday because it didn't meet health and safety standards. I know it is because of the fire in Daxing," Niu said. "The rent for my new apartment is 3,000 yuan ($454), almost double the rent for my old one," said Niu. "But there is more opportunity in Beijing, so I still want to give it a shot." Experts suggested that the city needs to draft regulations and strictly follow them to prevent disasters such as the Xinjian fire. Although multipurpose warehouses are not safe, they exist because of high demand, Liu Tiemin, a researcher at the China Academy of Safety Sciences and Technology, told China Central Television on Saturday. Perhaps the city government can create safe spaces in warehouses, Liu said. With more than 30 years of development, the cooperation between China's State Intellectual Property Office and the European Patent Office has evolved from a technical partnership to a strategic one, EPO President Benoit Battistelli said in a recent news conference in Beijing. The two sides signed a new comprehensive strategic partnership agreement on Nov 23 with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the two offices and providing better services for global intellectual property users and contributing to improvements in the world's IP system. "SIPO and the EPO are equal partners sharing similar views and objectives for the development of the global IP system," said Battistelli. These objectives include the highest quality and legal certainty for granted patents, efficient and informed use of the patent system, optimized resources deployment, improved efficiency of patent search and examination tools and more interaction with users and the industry to provide more professional services, he said. When China and Europe established their patent cooperation in 1985, China just started to build its IP system, but now it has "developed significantly". "I'm very impressed by the progress that China has made in recent years and the quality of the granted patents in China," he said. "Within a few years, SIPO has become a leading office in the world." SIPO, the EPO, the Japan Patent Office, the Korean Intellectual Property Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Officeknown as the IP5 in the industryare the world's five largest patent administrations, representing roughly 85 percent of global patent applications. More than 2,000 Chinese patent examiners and other related professionals have been trained at the EPO, and the EPO has helped SIPO use tools in patent search and examination. SIPO and the EPO have developed "common positions" in their joint effort to simplify and improve the patent granting procedure. One example is the Global Dossier, a public service that enables users to monitor via a single online source how a family of patent applications is progressing at the IP5 offices. "This is a one-stop access to work products from all patent offices, and the EPO and SIPO have been the first two offices to implement the Global Dossier," said Battistelli. Last year, Chinese companies applied for 7,150 patents at the EPO, accounting for about 5 percent of the total applications and ranking No 6 among all origins. The number showed the strongest growth, 24.8 percent, among the top 10 leading countries at the EPO, making China "the main driver of growth in applications at the EPO", according to the office's 2016 annual report. With 2,390 applications, Chinese IT giant Huawei moved two places ahead to become the second-largest patent applicant at the EPO last year, only after Philips. Also last year, Chinese companies were granted 2,513 patents from the EPO, up 78.7 percent. Battistelli said the Chinese applications' approval rate is at about the same level of other regions. However, he said there is still "a big margin of progress" for China. "The US and European markets represent more or less the same importance for Chinese companies, each has 20 percent of Chinese exports, but if we look at the patent applications, Chinese companies applied four times more in the US than in Europe." Battistelli also said that Chinese patent applications at the EPO are concentrated in the information and communications technology sector, which parallels the strength of the Chinese economy. He said he expects more applications from other technical fields. He said Chinese companies will find it easy to apply for patents in Europe, as the legal and administrative rules at the EPO are similar to those at SIPO. He said the Unitary Patent system will be applied next year, which is an improvement on the current European patent system, as it will make it possible to get patent protections in 26 European Union members by submitting a single request to the EPO. It will not only simplify patent granting procedures, but also cut the application costs by 70 percent. The RYB kindergarten Xintiandi branch in Beijing, Nov 23, 2017. [Photo/IC] The head of RYB kindergarten Xintiandi branch in Beijing and a female teacher suspected of child abuse have been fired, the company announced in a statement on Saturday. RYB said further investigation at the kindergarten will begin immediately in cooperation with police and authorities. The kindergarten will also communicate with parents and invite mental health experts to provide help for children involved. On Wednesday, several parents of Xintiandi kindergarten students, all about 3 years old, reported to police that their children had suspicious marks on their bodies that looked like needle pricks, and that they had repeatedly been given white pills. Beijing police and authorities said on Saturday a 22-year-old female teacher, surnamed Liu, from Hebei province, had been detained and that a 31-year-old Beijing woman, also surnamed Liu, had been detained on suspicion of spreading rumors about molestation. The Chaoyang district government had ordered RYB Education to immediately dismiss the head of the kindergarten and punish anyone found responsible. Officials went to the kindergarten to investigate potential safety risks, and the school was asked to communicate with the parents to make certain the children were safe, according to the Chaoyang government. The education commission of Beijing's Chaoyang district, which oversees the kindergarten, strongly condemned the situation and asked districts and kindergartens concerned to cooperate with judicial authorities for improvements. "We consider this an extreme case in which children were harmed, generating serious social repercussions," a spokesman for Chaoyang district government said. A thorough investigation was conducted in Chaoyang to verify kindergartens' qualifications, the district government said. The Ministry of Education has begun an inspection of kindergarten management nationwide and has told local education authorities to take measures to improve teachers' morality and tighten supervision, according to a news release on Thursday. Last year, RYB Education was China's largest early years education service provider by revenue, according to industry analysis consultancy Frost & Sullivan. On Friday, shares in the company plummeted on the New York Stock Exchange by 38 percent by the close of trading, almost wiping out the company's 44 percent gains since it went public in September. This has been the third reported child abuse case this month. On Nov 13, Shanghai police detained a person surnamed Zheng who was in charge of a day care center where staff were caught on camera abusing toddlers. Three other staff members were detained, according to Shanghai police. At about the same time, Golden Cradle Education and Technology Group, which has more than 700 kindergartens and schools nationwide, became involved in a similar accusation as parents said teachers at one of its kindergartens in Beijing abused children. Police are investigating, but no details have been released. xinwen@chinadaily.com.cn Child abuse allegations against an employee at a Beijing kindergarten run by RYB Education are the latest in a series episodes that have plagued the company, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. On Saturday, China Central Television disclosed details of a 2015 child abuse case that took place at an RYB kindergarten in Siping, Jilin province. That case involved 17 children and saw four teachers convicted of abusing the children. "I was helping my son take a shower and was shocked to find red dots on his buttocks," a parent identified only as Fan told CCTV on Saturday. "I asked what happened. He didn't want to tell me at first, but he finally opened up and said his teacher poked him (with a sharp object) in front of his classmates," Wei said. "I was devastated to even imagine such a thing, so I immediately reported it to the police." Other parents said they found red dots and marks on their children. Some said their children were having recurring nightmares. A case was filed against teachers charged with abusing 17 children, who were examined by doctors who confirmed the marks on their bodies. The children's families were represented in court by the lawyer Chen Yuwei. "Doctors later confirmed those marks were caused by needles, screwdrivers, nails, and wood clippers," Chen told CCTV. The evidence was "comprehensive and overwhelming", he said, coming from the children, parents, and examination reports from the hospital and police. In October 2016, the teachers Wang Lu and Sun Yanhua were sentenced to two and half years in prison, and their colleagues Wang Yujiao and Song Ruiqi each received sentences of two years and 10 months. They filed for an appeal two months later, but it was denied after the court reviewed the evidence. The civil procedures in the case concluded on Nov 17, and the families of each child will receive 30,000 yuan ($4,500) in compensation, Chen said. Two of the children are receiving counseling, and some subsequently refused to go to kindergarten out of fear, he said, adding that two families were so distressed by the events that they left the city. zhangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn By Han Junhong in Changchun and Zhou Huiying in Harbin | China Daily | Updated: 2017-11-27 07:32 Xiaolei (center) with his classmates at Jilin Orphan School in Changchun, Jilin province. Ji Wang and Luo Hao/For China Daily Abandonment and bereavement have proved no obstacles as plucky youngster restarts school A 12-year-old orphan, whose story of strength has touched millions online, started a new chapter in his life last week when he was enrolled at boarding school. Xiaolei (not his real name) became a hot topic on the internet after a video emerged of him obtaining his father's death certificate at a police station in Changchun, Jilin province, on Nov 17. His father died in late October, and he needed the document to apply for a place at Jilin Orphan School. However, netizens - and people involved in handling his case - were moved by his stoic attitude. "I've never seen a boy come alone for such a thing in my 13-year career," said police officer Zhao Jianjie, who was on duty on Nov 17 when the boy picked up the certificate. "As a mother, I was moved by his bravery. "It was obvious he needed help, but he never showed emotion." On Nov 20, Xiaolei started classes at his new school after the local community rallied around to support him. "I have three half-brothers, age 45, 43 and 41," he told China Daily. "They are living in difficult conditions, and I don't want to become a burden to them. So I chose the orphan school for a chance to study." He said his father ran a welding repair shop until rheumatoid arthritis, tracheitis and emphysema forced him to give up work in 2012. After that, he relied on relatives and local government allowances. Xiaolei's mother left in 2014. "I will never forget the date: Oct 19. Even though I had a high fever, my mother walked out without saying goodbye," he said, adding that his father had also been left virtually bedridden six months later in a traffic accident. It meant the boy was forced to juggle his studies at Qinghua Shiyan Middle School with caring for his father, who passed away of heart failure age 65 on Oct 20. However, despite the challenging circumstances, he was a remarkable student, according to Liu Lijie, his middle school principal. "Xiaolei consistently ranked top in his class, despite the time and energy he spent caring for his father," he said, although he added that the boy sometimes had to ask for days off. With support from the city's civil affairs bureau, Jilin Orphan School fast-tracked Xiaolei's application so he could resume his studies as soon as possible. "He has been assigned to a new class, and a dormitory has been arranged," said Gao Shufan, director of the school's admission office. "We will provide a guarantee for Xiaolei's life and studies." Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn The Association for Medical Education in Europe, an organization with members in more than 90 countries and regions, opened an office in China on Sunday and released a Mandarin version of its journal Medical Teacher. The association's China office is intended to assist the development of the medical education sector through the use of its resources, including literature, conferences and guides to produce better healthcare practitioners, said Trevor Gibbs, a development officer for the association. Although Chinese medical education has produced some excellent doctors, it remains a traditional, lecture-based activity that could be improved by different techniques, Gibbs said. Medical education "has evolved into a system that looks at students and how they learn, bringing new theories along with different innovations", he said. The association, established in 1972, is based in Dundee, Scotland. Half its members are outside Europe. "It's very appropriate to start looking outside of Europe," Gibbs said, adding that his organization will open its second satellite office in Moscow next year. Qualified doctors are key to meeting healthcare challenges in China, such as the aging population, cancer, diabetes and the demand for better care for women and children, said Xiao Haipeng, president of First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, which houses the association's China office. Of the 3 million registered doctors in the country, only half hold academic certificates at university graduate level or above. Master's and doctoral degrees for medical teaching majors are not available in the country, he said. "We are going to work closely to jointly educate and prepare our medical students to become more competent doctors, allowing more opportunities to learn modernized educational theories and methodologies, with more hands-on practice, more standardized programs designed for resident training, more formative assessments and more outcome-based assessments to address key competencies," Xiao said. The use of such things as objectively structured clinical examination, problem-based learning, best-evidence-based medical education and many other innovations will be put in place in the not-too-distant future, he said. China is making great strides in a lot of areas, particularly innovation, said Simon Mellon, consul for trade and investment at the British consulate in Guangzhou. It is particularly strong in digital innovation, he said. The Guangdong government has invested heavily in its university sector to increase the standing of the province's universities worldwide, he said. "That is an opportunity to look at the healthcare sector, to bring British and worldwide excellence through an international organization like AMEE to China and to bring Chinese expertise to the world," Mellon said. Fifteen British institutions are scheduled to visit hospitals and clinics in Guangzhou, he said. A man witnesses identified as the shooter who killed three people and wounded six in a township of Raoping county, Chaozhou, Guangdong province, was detained on Sunday in Dongguan, according to a police officer at the Chaozhou public security bureau. Two guns and 29 rounds of ammunition were seized by the police. The alleged killer, Lin Zhonghong, 40, escaped to Dongguan, a Pearl River Delta city, also in Guangdong, after he shot nine people in Jingzhou township on Tuesday, the police officer said. Police in Raoping county, which governs Jingzhou, doubled their reward on Saturday to 200,000 yuan ($30,300) for information leading to Lin's capture. Witnesses said Lin was the man who opened fire in the township at 7:53 pm on Tuesday. In a statement released by the Raoping county bureau of public security, local residents and witnesses were asked to provide information on Lin's whereabouts, as he was considered dangerous. Police officers were sent to the scene after reports of gunfire on Tuesday. According to a witness, the first two victims were brothers, aged 47 and 49. Both were shot in the head. The shootings reportedly took place after Lin failed to reach agreement with the victims about opening secret casinos. The men had quarreled the previous night. After shooting the brothers and fleeing, Lin opened fire on people chasing him, wounding seven of them. A 20-year-old man who was severely wounded died in the hospital. One of the wounded was a 13-year-old boy, Lin Xuanhong. All were males and residents of Jingzhou. The oldest person wounded was Lin Yuxi, 55. Tianjin hosted three briefing sessions on the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China specifically for expats who wanted to learn more about the country. The sessions held in the municipality in North China won applause from foreign attendees, including experts, students, businesspeople and members of NGOs. Jay S. Siegel, dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology at Tianjin University, was pleased that foreign faculty members had equal access to the briefing. "It is important to know about the Party congress because it laid out the policy where China wants to go in the next five years," he said, adding that more than half of the school's faculty hails from overseas. "We could encounter problems if we don't know the policies concerning higher education." One briefing session was held at Siegel's school. Feng Cuiling, Party secretary of the school and a delegate at the congress, attended the session as a speaker to introduce reports and documents from the congress and share her impressions of it. Robert P. Borris, the school's vice-dean, said he appreciated Feng's support, not just for the local faculty but also the international faculty. Du Yunfei, professor of medicinal chemistry at the school, said foreign teachers and students were keen to learn about the event, so the school prepared 300 copies of the report delivered at the opening session by General Secretary Xi Jinping. "They were all gone in an instant," he said. Thepkanchana Thepkaew, a doctoral student from Thailand at Tianjin Normal University, was interested in the briefing because Thailand is on the route of the Belt and Road Initiative. "I wanted to know how the initiative proposed by China will be pushed forward in the future, so I came to Feng's briefing," she said. To help inform the public, briefing sessions have been held nationwide on the spirit of the landmark congress, which outlined China's road map for future development. Feng needed an interpreter to translate her speech into English, but the two other speakers shared their understanding of the congress spirit with the foreign audience in English. Zhang Yuzhuo, Party secretary of Tianjin Binhai New Area, delivered a speech to dozens of elite businesspeople from foreign enterprises and shared what he had learned as a delegate to the congress. Zhang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, worked as chairman of Shenhua Group, the country's leading coal producer, before becoming Party chief of Tianjin Binhai New Area in March. At the lecture, he talked about the Party congress and offered his views on local development. After listening to Zhang's speech, Reinaldo Costa, vice-president of Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical manufacturer, said the CPC's goal of "improving people's quality of life" resonates with his company's mission. He added that China has become more open in the past five years, with a host of new policies designed to make things more convenient for expats living in the country, such as new procedures for work permits that were introduced in April, and that he and his colleagues have benefited from the reform. Although Yan Chunhua, vice-president of Nankai University, was not a delegate at the congress, the member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences shared his understanding of the policies it promoted to an audience of more than 200 people from 70 countries and regions. Mohamed Jihad Mohamed Moustafa, a student from Egypt, said he learned about the development of science and technology in China through Yan's elaboration of the policies. He hopes to study China's mobile payment system and set up a similar program in his hometown. Attendees said the briefings provided them with a deeper understanding of the direction of China's development, and they were more confident about staying in the country. "I know that China is continuing to comprehensively deepen reform and ensuring that every dimension of governance is law-based. All those things are reassuring the confidence of investors, not just in the US but in general," said Martin Winchell, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China in Tianjin. Xinhua Bill Gates is seen at Peking University on March 24, 2017. [Photo by Zhu Xingxin/China Daily] US billionaire Bill Gates has been elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinas highest honor in the field of engineering. The Microsoft co-founder, 62, is one of 18 new foreign members, the academy said on Monday. He is the only one who does not work at a university or research institute. Gates was nominated for his work at TerraPower, a nuclear reactor design company he helped establish in 2008. In late 2015, the company signed a deal with China National Nuclear Corp to build a reactor unit in Fujian province. The project is scheduled to start next year and be completed in 2025. The academy now has 66 foreign academicians. TOKYO/SEOUL/ULAN BATOR -- A Chinese delegation introducing the achievements of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) ended its three-nation Asia tour on Sunday, which has taken them to Mongolia, South Korea and Japan. The delegation, headed by He Yiting, executive vice president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, met with local political party leaders and held briefing sessions with party officials, friendly groups, major media and think tanks in the three countries to introduce the spirit and significance of the CPC party congress. On their parts, the host countries congratulated on the success of the 19th CPC National Congress and vowed to enhance bilateral relations. During its stay from Thursday to Sunday in Japan, the delegation, invited by Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner the Komeito party, met with Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the LDP, Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary-general of the Komeito party, and Sadayuki Sakakibara, chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren). The Japanese side spoke highly of the achievements and significance of the CPC congress and expressed the wishes for continued improvement and development of bilateral relations. At the invitation of the South Korean foreign ministry, the delegation visited South Korea from Tuesday to Thursday and met with officials from South Korea's National Assembly, political parties and the government. The South Korean side lauded the influence of the party congress to the world. They agreed the visit has enhanced South Korea's understanding of the CPC party congress and China's future development, and that the country stands ready to promote development of South Korea-China relations. Before the two countries, the delegation also visited Mongolia on Nov. 19-21 and the Mongolian side spoke highly of the historic achievements made by China and expected to push for greater development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. WUHAN - Police in Central China's Hubei province have detained 90 suspects in connection to an alleged telecommunications fraud case. The suspects were caught at four major locations in the city of Enshi. More than 100 computers were confiscated, according to police in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, which administers the city. An initial investigation found that most of the suspects are neighbors and classmates who illegally purchased personal information of members of the public. They extorted money from victims in various provinces using web phones. The group had conducted more than 4,000 events of fraud before being detained. Further investigation is under way. Earlier this year, seven people were sentenced to prison in East China's Shandong province for involvement in a telecom fraud case linked to the death of a teenager. Xu Yuyu, a high school graduate from Linyi, died of cardiac arrest in August 2016 after being defrauded out of 9,900 yuan (1,500 US dollars), which she intended to use to pay university tuition fees. Kindergartens in all districts in Beijing are required to increase their surveillance cameras to make sure that every corner is covered, Beijing Youth Daily reported Monday, following the widely discussed child abuse claims at a RYB kindergarten. Authorities in all districts of Beijing have investigated the availability of cameras and their monitoring in kindergartens, and have deployed measures to increase security in these places. In some districts, the kindergarten monitoring systems are connected with the local police monitoring systems. "Cameras are installed in our kindergarten. It is required that every classroom should have at least one camera. For classrooms that have suites, some of them have two cameras. Corridors on every floor are installed with cameras as well, one on both sides. Every camera can cover a full circular range of 360 degrees," said a kindergarten principal in Haidian district. The principal added that the monitoring system is also required to be connected to the police monitoring system. Another principal of a kindergarten in Dongcheng district said that they are increasing the number of cameras in their kindergarten. The principal said that previously every place except toilets -- including aisles, the playground, classrooms and the kitchen -- had been installed with cameras. "We used to have just one camera in every classroom and now we will have two for each for better coverage." The principal said that the kindergarten's monitoring system has been connected with the system in the local police station. Zhou Hongyi, founder of the Chinese internet security company Qihoo 360, has recently posted an article on his Sina Weibo account, urging all kindergartens across the country to install cameras and enable parents to view the video recordings on their mobile phones anytime anywhere. "The technology is not a problem. Companies like Qihoo 360 can provide them with intelligent camera equipment. The picture is clear and it doesn't cost much. Qihoo 360 can offer free cameras and free delivery and installation service for kindergartens," said Zhou. A principal of a kindergarten in Fengtai district said they also increased the number of cameras. "All the playrooms are now installed with cameras - two in each playroom and two in each bedroom. Even washrooms should not be left alone in order to achieve full coverage." Previously the kindergarten did not have cameras in playrooms. A teacher working in a kindergarten in Shijingshan district said their monitoring facility is connected to the intranet of the local education commission. It is reported that some kindergartens have set up monitoring rooms with full-time staff in charge of all the video records. "Our strict rules forbid any teacher from entering the monitoring room. Only administrators with permission have access to it. " "Parents can apply for the right to view our video records if they have concerns over their child's situation here, and we will accompany them through the whole process." The principal also said those records cannot be clipped or edited so parents need not worry about authenticity. A set of bamboo slips featuring Chinese family names on sale in a bookstore in Beijing in 2007. [Photo/VCG] Baby with controversial surname draws attention to the rights of a person to be properly named A child, named Beiyan Yunyi (loosely translated as north-bound wild goose in the clouds), was denied household registration in 2009 by local public security authorities in Jinan, Shandong province, on the grounds that she was not named after her parents. The girl was born in 2009. Her parents Lyv Xiaofeng and Zhang Ruizheng were both poetry aficionados. The father Lyv filed a lawsuit in December 2009 to the Lixia district court of Jinan in the name of his daughter, claiming there should be no interference in her name rights. The case was the country's first administrative case related to name rights. It was later submitted to the Supreme People's Court and the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature. According to the Supreme People's Court, a person should be named in line with social ethics and parents should not create family names for children at their will. Articles in the Marriage Law and the General Provisions of Civil Law stipulate that a person should be named after his parents in principle. Exceptions include situations when one is named after an immediate family member or an adoptive parent, or using another surname other than that of his parents for "justifiable reason which is not against social customs". Based on this principle, in 2015 the Lixia district court of Jinan rejected the appeal of Beiyan Yunyi to be registered. It is not the first time that weird names have made headlines in China. In September, a newborn whose name is Wangzhe Rongyao, or King of Glory, a popular online game, went viral. And a college student in Chongqing became famous because of her name Huangpu Junxiao, or Whampoa Military Academy, the first modern military school in China. There are thousands of surnames in China. And according to the latest national population census in 2010, the top five most commonly seen family names - Li (), Wang (), Zhang (), Liu () and Chen () - make up nearly one-third of the total population. SHENYANG -- More than 100 animals have received traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments since a TCM consulting room was established at a veterinary clinic in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning province, 10 months ago. The attending physicians are always fully booked, said Zhang Hong, director of the clinic. "Our TCM clinic primarily treats pets suffering paralysis, nerve damage, diarrhea and some diseases that cannot be cured by Western medicine," Zhang said. TCM therapies such as electric acupuncture and moxibustion can help animals recover, he added. Xu Yanqiu, owner of a five-month-old Golden Retriever, brought her dog Moka to the clinic for treatment after the dog's leg was injured in a car accident one month ago. Xu said Moka had a surgery in a veterinary hospital immediately after the accident, however, the dog became lame and recovered slowly. She decided to give her dog TCM treatment after receiving a recommendation for Zhang's hospital. Moka's doctor diagnosed waist nerve damage resulting in restricted movement of the left leg. The doctor then treated Moka with silver electric acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as laser therapy. "After one day of treatment, Moka's left leg can move slightly," said Xu. TCM has been increasingly applied to pets across the country in recent years. Veterinary hospitals offering TCM treatment in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities have attracted many pet owners. Guo Yang, a doctor at Veterinary Medicine College of Shenyang Agricultural University, said vets usually recommend surgery for damaged nerves. However, acupuncture can decrease the risk for animals, often even has better success As the number of pet owners increases in China, TCM should see a prosperous future in the veterinary industry, Guo said. MACAO -- The general unemployment rate for August-October this year in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) went down to 1.9 percent compared with that of the previous period (July-September 2017), according to statistics released by the SAR government on Monday. Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) also indicated that the unemployment rate of local residents was 2.6 percent; meanwhile, the underemployment rate was 0.5 percent. All the three indicators dropped by 0.1 percentage point from the previous period. The total labor force was 387,200 and the labor force participation rate stood at 70.8 percent. Total employment was 379,800 and employed residents totalled 279,900, down by 1,400 and 1,300 respectively from the previous period. Analyzed by industry, employment in gaming and junket activities registered an increase, while that in hotels, restaurants and similar activities, wholesale and retail showed decreases, the DSEC said. The number of the unemployed was 7,400, down by 300 from the previous period. Fresh labor force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 14.8 percent of the total unemployed, the same proportion as in the previous period. In comparison with August-October last year, the unemployment rate stayed unchanged, while the labor force participation rate and the underemployment rate dropped by 1.5 and 0.2 percentage point respectively. By Liu Xiaoli in Shenzhen and Ma Zhiping in Haikou | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2017-11-27 19:58 Leaders of Buddhist communities from 10 countries reach a consensus in Shenzhen to set up the South China Sea Silk Road Fund, Nov 26, 2017. [Photo by Liu Xiaoli/China Daily] Leaders of Buddhist communities from 10 countries, including China, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Canada and the United States, reached a consensus in Shenzhen on Sunday to support the establishment of the South China Sea Silk Road Fund. The South China Sea Silk Road Fund, to be established in the near future, will help promote academic research on Buddhism in the region, according to the 2017 South China Sea Buddhism Shenzhen Roundtable held in Shenzhen on Sunday. The fund will support translation of Buddhist texts, educational cooperation, Buddhist service exchanges and charitable endeavors across Buddhist communities in the South China Sea region, and encouraging people-to-people exchanges while consolidating international friendship, according to the roundtable memorandum. The South China Sea Buddhism Shenzhen Roundtable, initiated by master monk Yin Shun last year, serves as a platform to exchange views and promote the sustainable development of Buddhism in the region. The Buddhist community leaders also agreed to support development of the South China Sea Buddhist Culture Research Institute, which was established in Sanya, South China's Hainan province in March. The institute was launched to conduct research on major theoretical and practical matters associated with the construction of the Maritime Silk Road, provide strategic insights and initiate international exchanges, among other endeavors, according to the memorandum. The institute was also designed to serve as a platform to advocate cooperation in the region. The South China Sea region is regarded as the core region of Buddhism, with three branches in the area. Buddhism is considered a strong bond that holds the region together. "Buddhism can bring harmony to the region and overcome any conflicts and tensions," Phraprommasith, vice-sangharaja of Thailand Buddhism said at the roundtable. Last year, the South China Sea Buddhism Shenzhen Roundtable issued a Shenzhen declaration from which solid progress has been made. "The roundtable has created a favorable condition to jointly safeguard the harmony and peace of Buddhist countries in the South China Sea region," Wang Zuo'an, head of China's State Administration of Religious Affairs, said at the roundtable. The roundtable will be held in Shenzhen on an annual basis and a secretariat to take charge of daily affairs will be established. "We will work together to contribute to the safeguarding of the well-being of people in the South China Sea region, and dedicate our efforts to promoting closer ties among the Buddhist communities in all countries and enhancing mutual exchanges and cooperation in the region," said master Yin Shun. The fire that killed 19 people in Beijing's Daxing district on Nov 18 was caused by an electrical fault, ruling out arson, Beijing police said on Monday, and 20 people suspected of having liability for the conditions that led to the fire have been detained. The fire broke out in a building with more than 400 residents in the village of Xinjian in Xihongmen township. Eight were injured in the incident. The building, which has two stories in some parts and three in others and a basement, housed workshops and living spaces and was rife with safety hazards, officials say. A person identified only by the surname Fan began building the structure in 2002. Fan began installing a refrigeration facility in the basement in March, and it was undergoing testing before the fire. The blaze was traced to a faulty wire in a wall built with flammable material. Fan was among those detained, police said. After the fire, the city government launched a 40-day citywide campaign aimed primarily at eliminating fire hazards and other safety problems in crowded apartments and warehouses that function as storage areas, workshops or residences for workers. Cai Qi, Party chief of Beijing, said in a meeting on Monday that removing all fire hazards takes time and cannot be accomplished within a short period, Beijing Daily reported. He also said it is necessary to draft a three-year plan to fundamentally solve the problem. Cai urged authorities to be patient toward those affected by the government's efforts and give them more time to resettle. On Monday, a job fair was held in Xihongmen to offer employment opportunities to people who lost their jobs when their employers were told to shut down unsafe factories or warehouses during the campaign. More than 508 vacancies including driver, security guard and cleaner were offered by 27 companies at the job fair, and more fairs will be held in the area, the township government said. Many warehouses in Xihongmen failed to pass fire and safety assessments and had to be closed. The fairs are mainly for those who became unemployed as a result, Chen Yongqiang, deputy head of the township, said at the job fair. "For migrant workers who have decided not to work in Beijing anymore, we will provide temporary accommodation and train or bus tickets to go home," Chen said. "We prefer the employers taking part in the job fair provide accommodation for employees," said Li Hualong, deputy head of the Daxing district human resource and social security bureau. Zhao Chuanxin, 28, who had been working and living in a small clothing workshop in Xinjian where the fire happened, found a job at the job fair. "The workshop was closed three days ago because of the campaign, so I had to find a new job and a place for me and my wife to live," said Zhao, from Shandong province. They have been staying in inexpensive hotels. He signed a contract with a logistics company that provides meals and accommodation and soon he will start working as a driver. "I thought about going home but I am actually more familiar with Beijing," he said. Overseas civil servants receive training in political, social systems at academy James Kur Muorwel said confidence in the future is the most important thing he will take back to his home country following his participation in a training program about China's system of governance. Muorwel, the director of Asian and Australian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in South Sudan, was one of 192 civil servants from 35 countries who visited Beijing this month to study the latest developments in China's political and social systems at the Chinese Academy of Governance. KATHMANDU, Nepal - Voting began to elect Nepal's parliament and provincial assemblies on Sunday in the country's northern 32 mountainous and hilly districts in the first phase. Another round of elections will take place on Dec 7 in the remaining 45 districts of southern plain and hilly districts. Despite a number of bomb blasts targeting the candidates and their campaigns in the run-up to the elections, Nepal's Election Commission said the voting is taking place peacefully in all districts where polls are being held with exciting participation of voters. "There is no report of disturbances in polls in the early hours of voting," said EC spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal. In the recent bomb attacks, former speaker of Nepal's parliament Ram Chandra Poudel, former Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, another former Finance Minister Barsaman Pun, former Home Minister Janardan Sharma and former Information and Communication Minister Sher Dhan Rai were targeted but not harmed. Nepal's Home Ministry said "effective and reliable" security has been arranged for the polls, urging voters to participate in the elections without fear. These elections are taking place to elect the federal legislatures at central and provincial levels as envisioned by the Nepal's new constitution promulgated in September 2015. The Himalayan country had earlier held local elections as first step toward implementing the new constitution. "Elections for federal parliament and provincial assembly are important step towards implementing the constitution which was promulgated by the Constituent Assembly for the first time in Nepal's history," said political scientist Lokraj Baral. There are 3,191,945 eligible voters for the first phase of elections. As many as 702 candidates are contesting both polls under a first-past-the-post election system. There are 5,838 candidates under proportional election system for both phases of elections, according to Nepal's election authority. Xinhua (China Daily 11/27/2017 page11) The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and don't represent views of China Daily and China Daily website. During one of my journeys to Montreal, my hometown in Canada, I had the chance to meet a Chinese who was supposed to be studying in Canada, yet he was working at the counter of a Subway outlet in downtown Montreal. From his appearance, I inferred that he was a student, which prompted my inquisitive nature to have a chat with him. He reminded me of myself when I was working and studying in my youth. I asked him about his major or field of studies. His response bewildered and confused me. He said that he was supposed to be studying for his master's degree in chemistry. I asked him to elaborate on his response, to which he obliged. He said that he came to Montreal one year ago to study at one of Montreal's universities for his master's degree but he could not survive the language barrier in an academic setting. He felt isolated due to his lack of sufficient English to interact with other students. He decided to quit his studies. For fear of losing face in front of his parents and neighbors, he opted to stay in Montreal to save enough money to go back to study English, which would give him a chance to finish what he came for, obtaining his master's degree in chemistry. I praised his attitude and complimented his English skills before wishing him good luck in his endeavor. By interacting with Canadians on a daily basis, he enhanced his English skills and learned to barely communicate in French. Caught in the daily struggle of surviving the hardships of today's lifestyles, I forgot about my chat with him until recently. During the past few weeks, I was going through interviews with some of the private schools in China. During each interview, I usually ask about the objectives of the school pertinent to the future of their students. I am sad enough to mention that most schools emphasized that they prepare their students to pass an international English exam to be able to attend a school, a college or a university abroad. When I asked them about ensuring that their students finish their studies abroad successfully, they stated that is not their job. They emphasized that accomplishing that depends upon many factors which will be out of their control, such as the attitude of the student, the field of studies and the grading system of the intended university, among other factors. I attempted to explain to them in vain the fact that a student who wishes to study abroad must be able to survive inside the academic circle and in the outside environment in which he or she will live during the span of their studies. They justified their lack of enthusiasm for my point of view by stating that parents bring their kids to their schools for the sole objective of passing the exam that would qualify them to attend a school abroad. During my teaching assignments, I had the opportunity to meet with few parents who were unhappy when I mentioned that my fundamental objective was building a solid foundation of the English language, which would permit them to complete their studies abroad successfully. They insisted that my job was to prepare them for passing their international English test of choice. Parents believe that passing an international exam with high scores will enhance their chances of being accepted at a university abroad and subsequently guarantee bright futures for them. That is what the private schools persuade them to believe. No one can blame parents for wishing the best for their children. Knowing that parents would gladly sacrifice everything to secure the future of their kids, some private school charge exaggerated school fees without any effort to guarantee the success of their future endeavors to study abroad. With these kinds of fees, private schools must attempt to prepare their students to survive inside and outside the academic circle, which would enhance their chances of completing their studies successfully. Otherwise, they would be selling pipe dreams to the parents of their students. Sava Hassan is a Canadian Egyptian educator. Any member of staff at Beijing's RYB kindergarten, if proved by a police investigation to be involved in child abuse, should be shown no leniency in terms of legal penalties. And RYB Education, a New York listed company, to which the kindergarten is affiliated, should also receive deserved punishment for its lack of proper management. This is not the first incident of its kind. There have been similar reports concerning other kindergartens in recent years. Neither is it the first one involving a kindergarten of RYB Education. Four teachers at an RYB kindergarten in Siping, Northeast China's Jilin province, received prison sentences for jabbing 17 children with needles last year. True, a lack of qualified teachers has long been a headache for kindergartens, whose number has been increasing rapidly. The development of preschool education in the country still lags far behind the boom in demand. It is thus natural for some kindergartens to recruit teachers who have never received the training required for the job. Yet, it is still unimaginably horrendous that some kindergarten teachers should force the children in their care to ingest pharmaceutical drugs they are not supposed to eat, give them injections for untold purposes, and physically and psychologically abuse the youngsters. It is not a matter of simply teachers being qualified or unqualified. It is matter of them having not a smattering of professional ethics and having lowered themselves below the standards of being a decent person with their actions. How can a kindergarten recruit such teachers? Does a kindergarten have rules for teachers to abide by when it comes to how they should treat the children placed in their care? It is imperative that kindergartens employ those who have been trained for the work. It is never enough to just punish the teachers once a child abuse case occurs in a kindergarten. Neither is it justifiable to cite the lack of qualified teachers as an excuse for the poor and sloppy management on the part of both kindergartens and the education authority of a local government. Strict requirements must be in place that both public and private kindergartens have to abide by when it comes to the qualification of teachers, as well as other aspects of kindergarten care. The investigation into the RYB kindergarten scandal is still going on. It is hoped that the publication of the results will give the lie to the rumors rampant on the internet about the scandal. It is also hoped that the supervision and management of kindergartens will be effectively tightened nationwide for children to get the care they deserve. The Supreme People's Court announced on Thursday that China has launched a national information-sharing platform for paroles and the commuting of sentences, which will be completed by the end of next year. This is a significant judicial measure that aims to promote the transparency of China's judicial system and further safeguard judicial fairness. The platform will not only help Chinese courts collect and locate information but also serve to connect courts, prosecutors and prisons, according to the top court. Xia Daohu, chief judge of the trial and supervision tribunal of the top court, said it will enable prison management departments to record the performance of inmates and submit applications and other materials for parole or commuting their sentences. After an application is received by the court, judges will then be able to read, file and hear the cases through video on the platform and disclose their judgments to the public. "It's a way to increase our work efficiency and allow public supervision," Xia said. Statistics show that Chinese courts handle more than 600,000 parole and sentence reduction appeals every year, with many provincial high people's courts and intermediate people's courts tackling more than 5,000 cases a year. The platform will not only be more efficient and convenient, but is also expected to curb fraudulent practices that undermine the public's confidence in judicial fairness. Zunyi Airport - flight from Beijing. [Photo by Bruce Connolly/chinadaily.com.cn] Traveling by train is often a good way to view a country, to look not just at the landscape but also the levels of development. In 1995 a journey from Beijing to Kunming led me from Hunan through Guiyang, Anshun and Liupanshui. Later rail journeys took me through central and southwestern Guizhou. Although never actually staying in the province, the impression was of an economic and lifestyle disparity between fast growing eastern cities and what then was a relatively remote mountainous part of China. Guizhou was often touted as one of the least developed, poorer provinces. However, it appeared to me that most deprivation was concentrated mainly within mountainous rural villages often lacking adequate road connections. Access was along rough tracks, transport by packhorse. These upland areas were home to ethnic nationality groups. However I did feel there was potential for Guizhou due to its stunning topography: a geology featuring large limestone caves and dramatic waterfalls, a climate allowing lengthy periods of cultivation, and of course the ethnic diversity which has long been a draw for tourists. Later I would discover Guizhou's close association with the famed Long March in 1935. I believed that if a modern infrastructure was laid down then the area's potential could be unleashed. Accepting a recent invitation from China Daily to visit Guizhou, I still expected lingering rural poverty. On arrival my preconceptions were quickly dispelled. A modern Airbus jet connected Beijing to Zunyi, Guizhou's second city, in under three hours. A 40-minute journey from the airport to downtown by expressway was an eye opener. Initially the route along a forested valley passed modern villages - there were very few signs of the older wooden buildings I remembered. This gave way to a new area of modern university campuses, high-tech zones, smart hotels and a mixture of real estate development. Environmental work included a network of cycleways weaving through well-maintained parklands. A far cry from what I had imagined for Zunyi. Closer to downtown, administrative buildings and a new cultural centre rose above squares and landscaped lakes within a clean, well-maintained setting. Indeed what I saw could easily replicate longer-developed eastern cities although lower land prices and less urban pressure meant more space for extensive green environments, including Xinpu Wetland Park. I did however notice a significant number of women with babies strapped to their backs - Guizhou' s ethnic nationalities were not subject to the two-child policy and there appeared to be many young people. A new assembly plant jointly built by China National Heavy Duty Truck Group and Ethiopia's N.A. Metal Industry & Engineering Co, started operation in Addis Ababa on Saturday. Ethiopia's leading automaker invested about $9 million in the plant, while partner Sinotruk, one of China's largest heavy truck manufacturers, will provide its African partner with equipment and regular technological training. The new factory is expected to assemble 600 trucks annually. "The African market, especially the Ethiopian market, plays a decisive role in Sinotruk's 'going global' strategy. We have long been committed to developing close ties with our partners and customers in the region," said Zhang Yuzong, head of the African office of Sinotruk. "The collaboration between the two sides will offer more product selections to local customers, create more job opportunities for local workers and transfer solid skills to them," Zhang said. "It will also add a sharp competitive edge to Sinotruk and facilitate its further expansion in Ethiopia by saving transport costs, lowering import tariff." Sinotruk said it currently occupies 85 percent market share in Ethiopia. During the first eight months, it sold over 5,000 vehicles there, up by 120 percent year-on-year. "We are trying to further expand the Ethiopian market with our high-end products, such as the Sitrak series of trucks which is designed to compete with foreign top brands," Zhang said. The main competitors in Africa are European truck makers such as Volvo Car Group and Germany's Mercedes-Benz. Many of these European trucks are secondhand, widely used in construction work and logistics services, Zhang added. Nebiyou Assefa, chairman of N.A. Metal Industry & Engineering, said: "The goal of engaging with Sinotruk is to eventually produce most of the parts in Ethiopia then exporting the product to the Eastern Africa region." Alemu Sime Feyisa, State Minister of Ethiopia Ministry of Industry, said Ethiopia should learn from China. "It's very important that Ethiopian companies seek closer cooperation with Chinese firms that have experience and technical strength." To date, Sinotruk has built a global market network in more than 100 countries and regions, including 43 African nations. Its exports to the African market increased to 16,000 vehicles in 2017 from 2,000 in 2010, thanks to demand from fast-growing markets like Angola, Niger, Ethiopia and South Africa. jingshuiyu@chinadaily.com.cn BEIRUT - Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's decision to postpone his resignation has provided Lebanon with the chance to maintain political stability, with Hezbollah showing pragmatism and the possibility of compromise, analysts said. When Saudi TV news channel al-Arabiya broadcast a recording of Hariri announcing, in Riyadh on Nov. 4, his decision to step down as prime minister, Lebanon's one-year-old government was once again plunged into uncertainty. A year prior, on Oct. 31, Michel Aoun was elected Lebanon's president, officially ending two and a half years of presidential vacuum and political stagnation. The new government established by Hezbollah-backed Aoun and the Sauditied Hariri promised to maintain a "national accord", and de-escalate the political rivalries halting advancements in the country. Hariri's resignation announcement three weeks ago was a strong departure from his repeated promises to maintain political unity. His aggressive rhetoric calling for Iran and Hezbollah to step away from regional affairs stirred up widespread rumors that Saudi Arabia had written the speech and forced the prime minister's resignation. Despite the unpredicted move, Lebanon's government responded with overwhelming calls for peace and unity in uncertain times. Change of tone In the first of three speeches following the resignation, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah urged for nationwide "calm and patience until things are clear". Assuring listeners that "there is nothing to fear", Nasrallah's tone diverged considerably from routine rallying cries. Analysts speculate that Hariri's announcement on Wednesday that he will delay stepping down has opened an avenue to maintaining internal stability. "The next few months are going to be quite delicate for Prime Minister Hariri because he's going to have to maintain consensus with the other Lebanese parties," said Karim Bitar, director of research at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs. "Hariri is still the official head of the national unity government in Lebanon, which includes Hezbollah. Simultaneously, he will have to make sure that Saudi Arabia's strategic interests are taken care of." Despite the major role of Saudi Arabia and Iran, countries such as France and Egypt have also involved themselves to ensure continued stability in Lebanon, and to prevent further destabilization in the region. Halim Shebaya, a political analyst based in Beirut, underlined this international support as a key aspect in keeping the Lebanese government together. "There is a cautious optimism in Lebanon with regards to reports of a French-Egyptian initiative that would 'save' the presidential settlement or the Aoun-Hariri rapprochement," Shebaya said. Xinhua French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday proposed a raft of measures to combat "horrific and shameful" violence against women, as leaders and activists around the globe spoke out on the issue. "Our entire society is sick with sexism," Macron said in Paris, pledging to make gender equality a major theme of his administration. He spoke as rallies were held from Brazil to Kosovo to mark the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is intended to raise awareness of the dangers women face. Those hazards have been front-page news this year as highlighted by the fall of powerful men in the US and beyond following sexual misconduct allegations, starting with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. Weeks after the Weinstein story emerged, the #MeToo hashtag burst into the social media spotlight and snowballed into an online movement as women across the world reveal similar experiences. When Macron spoke on Saturday he began with a minute of silence to remember the 123 women killed in 2016 in France by their partner or ex-partner. "France must no longer be one of those countries where women are afraid," he said. AFP Tanzanian President John Magufuli (3rd R, front) inspects the guards of honor aboard Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Nov. 26, 2017. Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Sunday thanked Chinese doctors for treating more than 6,000 patients in the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark during its eight-day stay in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam. [Photo/Xinhua] DAR ES SALAAM - Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Sunday thanked Chinese doctors for treating more than 6,000 patients in the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark during its eight-day stay in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam. Magufuli made a visit to the Peace Ark on Sunday to see off the Chinese doctors and navy soldiers. The ship arrived in Dar es Salaam on Nov. 19, the second in seven years, on a humanitarian mission of providing free medical services to local residents. During its stay in Tanzania, a total of 6,441 patients were treated by the Chinese doctors. Magufuli said the move by the Chinese government to send the Peace Ark to Tanzania has futher improved the relationship between the two countries. "The coming of the ship has written a new history in the cordial relationship of the two countries," he said. Chinese ambassador to Tanzania Wang Ke hailed President Magufuli for his commitment toward improving people's lives. In 2010-2015, the Peace Ark paid visits to Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. Around 120,000 people from a total of 29 countries and regions received free on-board medical and humanitarian services. The current tour took the Peace Ark to Djibouti, Gabon, Sierra Leone, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, and Mozambique before sailing to Tanzania. Irish border emerges as flashpoint of Brexit deal Xinhua | Updated: 2017-11-27 09:49 LONDON - The border between the Republic of Ireland and Britain's Northern Ireland became a major flashpoint Sunday with British Prime Minister Theresa May urged to change her Brexit plans to prevent a mounting crisis. Phil Hogan, Ireland's European Union (EU) commissioner warned the border issue could derail May's hopes of agreeing a trade deal with the EU after Britain leaves the bloc. The Observer newspaper in London said May had effectively been handed just days to give stronger guarantees over the border issue. The newspaper said the threat of a hard Irish border has emerged as a major obstacle to May's aim of securing the green light for Brexit trade talks at a crucial summit only weeks away. Hogan, who is the EU's agriculture commissioner, told the Observer that Britain remaining inside the EU's single market and customs union, or allowing Northern Ireland to do so, would end the standoff. However, May and her Brexit ministers have insisted that Britain, including Northern Ireland, will leave the single market and customs union in March, 2019 when it ceases to be an EU member state. Hogan warned in his interview that there was blind faith from some British ministers that Britain would secure a comprehensive Brexit free trade deal. He warned that Ireland would continue to play tough to the end over its threat to veto trade talks until it had guarantees over the border. The Irish government has insisted on a written guarantee that there will be no hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Britain's International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told Sky News Sunday that a final decision on the border issue can not be made until a UK-EU trade deal has been agreed. Fox said: "We don't want there to be a hard border, but the UK is going to be leaving the customs union and the (EU) single market." Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was concerned by Fox's comments, warning they could put talks ahead of the crucial December summit of EU leaders in jeopardy. Labour's shadow Brexit secretary Barry Gardiner said in a Sunday television interview his party had not ruled out Britain staying in the EU single market and agreeing a new customs union with Brussels. To add to the wrangle, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Arlene Foster expressed confidence at the party's annual conference in Belfast Saturday that May's government will not agree to any post-Brexit special status for Northern Ireland. Foster was cheered as she told delegates: "We joined the then-European Community as one nation, will leave as one United Kingdom." Currently, May's minority government is being propped up by the 10 DUP politicians at Westminster. The EU has given May until Dec. 4 to come up with further proposals on issues including the Northern Ireland border, the Brexit divorce bill and citizens' rights. Proposals are being demanded by Brussels before European leaders agree to starting EU-UK talks on the future trading arrangements. BERLIN - Leaders of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party agreed on Sunday to pursue a "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats (SPD) to break the political deadlock in Europe's biggest economy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a news conference after a Eastern Partnership summit at the European Council Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 24, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] Merkel, whose fourth term was plunged into doubt a week ago when three-way coalition talks with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and Greens collapsed, was handed a political lifeline by the SPD on Friday. Under intense pressure to preserve stability and avoid new elections, the SPD reversed its position and agreed to talk to Merkel, raising the prospect of a new grand coalition, which has ruled for the past four years, or a minority government. "We have the firm intention of having an effective government," Daniel Guenther, conservative premier of the state of Schleswig Holstein, told reporters after a four-hour meeting of leading members of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU). "We firmly believe that this is not a minority government but that it is an alliance with a parliamentary majority. That is a grand coalition," he said. The meeting came after the conservative state premier of Bavaria threw his weight behind a new right-left tie-up. "An alliance of the conservatives and SPD is the best option for Germany - better anyway than a coalition with the Free Democrats and Greens, new elections or a minority government," Horst Seehofer, head of the Bavarian CSU, told Bild am Sonntag. An Emnid poll also showed on Sunday that 52 percent of Germans backed a grand coalition. Several European leaders have emphasised the importance of getting a stable German government in place quickly so the bloc can discuss its future, including proposals by French President Emmanuel Macron on euro zone reforms and Brexit. Merkel, who made clear on Saturday she would pursue a grand coalition, says that an acting government under her leadership can do business until a new coalition is formed. The youth wing of Merkel's conservatives raised pressure on the parties to get a deal done by Christmas, saying if there was no deal, the conservatives should opt for a minority government. In an indication, however, that the process will take time, the CDU agreed on Sunday evening to delay a conference in mid-December that had been due to vote on the three-way coalition. The SPD premier of the state of Lower Saxony said he feared there was no way a decision would be reached this year. "It is a long path for the SPD," said Stephan Weil on ARD television. Merkel is against going down the route of a minority government because of its inherent instability, but pundits have said one possibility is for the conservatives and Greens to form a minority government with informal SPD support. The Greens have said they are open to a minority government. POLICY SPATS Even before any talks get under way, the two blocs have started to spar over policy priorities. Merkel, whose conservatives won most parliamentary seats in a Sept. 24 vote but bled support to the far right, has said she wants to maintain sound finances in Germany, cut some taxes and invest in digital infrastructure. She has to keep Bavaria's CSU on board by sticking to a tougher migrant policy that may also help win back conservatives who switched to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The SPD needs a platform for its policies after its poorest election showing since 1933. Leading SPD figures have outlined conditions including investment in education and homes, changes in health insurance and no cap on asylum seekers. Most experts believe the SPD has the stronger hand and several prominent economists said they expected the SPD to wield significant influence in a new grand coalition. "If there is a grand coalition or even if there is toleration (of a minority government) I would expect more emphasis on the SPD's programme," Clemens Fuest, president of the Ifo institute, told business newspaper Handelsblatt. That would mean higher state spending and smaller tax cuts than would have been agreed with other potential partners. The SPD is divided, with some members arguing that a grand coalition has had its day. The SPD premier of the state of Rhineland Palatinate, Malu Dreyer, said she preferred the idea of the SPD "tolerating" a minority government over a grand coalition, making clear that the party would not agree to a deal at any price. Agencies LONDON - Police in Britain will be given new powers to prevent the unsafe or criminal use of drones as part of a new package of legislation announced Sunday. British Airways planes are parked at Heathrow Terminal 5 in London, Britain May 27, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua] Banning drones from flying near airports or above 122 meters will also form part of the new regulations.New drone-safety laws will help put the UK at the forefront of drone technology development, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.New measures will also make it mandatory for drone owners to register to improve accountability. And drone operators will be required to use apps - so they can access the information needed to make sure any planned flight can be made safely and legally.The clampdown aims to allow drone users to continue flying safely and legally, helping to place the UK at the forefront of the fast-growing drone industry. It will also pave the way for the devices to be harnessed for a range of uses by businesses and public services.The draft Drone Bill, which will be published next spring, will give officers the right to order operators to ground drones where necessary. Officers will also be able to seize drone parts to prove it has been used to commit an offence.The news comes as funding for a pioneering new drones program was announced to help cities shape the way drone technology operates.Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg said: "Drones have great potential and we want to do everything possible to harness the benefits of this technology as it develops. But if we are to realise the full potential of this incredibly exciting technology, we have to take steps to stop illegal use of these devices and address safety and privacy concerns.""These new laws strike a balance, to allow the vast majority of drone users to continue flying safely and responsibly, while also paving the way for drone technology to revolutionise businesses and public services."Changes to the law will mean that drone users will have to sit for safety awareness tests. Users of drones weighing 250 grams and over will have to be registered, while the government is also working closely with drone manufacturers to use geo-fencing to prevent drones from entering restricted zones.A government-funded Flying High Challenge is to launch Monday when up to five British cities will be supported in the research and development of drone technology.The research could transform critical services in emergency health services and the transport of human organs for transplants. It could also lead to essential transport infrastructure assessment and repair, and parcel delivery and logistics.Assistant Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said, the national police spokesperson for the criminal misuse of drones, said: "We are working with relevant partners to understand the threats this new technology can pose when used irresponsibly or illegally. If you use a drone to invade people's privacy or engage in disruptive behavior, you could face serious criminal charges."Tim Johnson, Policy Director at the Civil Aviation Authority welcomed plans to increase drone operator training and the creation of no-fly zones. Mongolian Foreign Minister Damdin Tsogtbaatar will pay an official visit to China from Dec 3-5 at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang announced on Monday. It will be the Mongolian minister's first visit to China since a new government in Mongolia was established in October. Wang will meet with Tsogtbaatar, Geng said, and both will hold a joint media briefing. The two countries will exchange in-depth views on consolidating political mutual trust, deepening practical cooperation, expanding people-to-people exchanges, as well as promoting bilateral ties, Geng told a daily media conference in Beijing. "China and Mongolia are important neighbors and developing the China-Mongolia relationship conforms to the interests of both countries and their people," Geng said. "And the new government, led by the Mongolian People's Party, has shown a positive attitude toward its ties with China since it took office." "China is willing to work with Mongolia to push forward the bilateral relationship and practical cooperation," he added. Tsogtbaatar will also meet with Chinese leaders and authorities in charge of other related departments. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will pay an official visit to China from Dec 3-7 and attend the second annual prime ministers' meeting between the two countries at the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang announced on Monday. This marks Trudeau's second visit to China since taking up the post. Geng said that China and Canada, both important countries in the Asia-Pacific region, share common interests as well as huge potential for bilateral cooperation. At present, Sino-Canadian relations are developing with a good momentum and face key opportunities. He said the two countries have kept close high-level exchanges and reached positive achievement in pragmatic cooperation. China is willing to enhance political trust with Canada and deepen pragmatic cooperation and expand people-to-people exchanges to put China-Canada strategic cooperation to a higher level. During the visit, Trudeau will also meet with President Xi Jinping and top legislator Zhang Dejiang. Leaders of the two countries will exchange views on issues of common concern, as well as regional and international issues. "I believe Trudeau's visit will inject new momentum to the strategic partnership between the two countries," Geng said. At start of 4-day visit, premier is met at airport by Hungarian counterpart Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Sunday to attend the sixth Meeting of Heads of Government of China-Central and Eastern European Countries and make his first visit to Hungary as premier. [Photo/Xinhua] Premier Li Keqiang arrived in the Hungarian capital Budapest on Sunday to attend the sixth Meeting of Heads of Government of China-Central and Eastern European Countries and make his first visit to Hungary as premier. On his arrival at Budapest Airport, he was greeted by Hungarian Prime Minister Orban Viktor. Li is scheduled to attend a leaders' roundtable meeting, the seventh China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum, and also witness the signing of cooperative agreements between China and the 16 CEE countries. Leaders of these countries will discuss how to promote cooperation in areas such as connectivity, trade and investment, finance, green economy, and technological innovation. They will also exchange views on global issues of common concern. After the meeting, a Budapest guideline will be released directing China-CEEC cooperation, along with a list of achievements for this year and the past five years. Li is expected to make an official visit to Hungary. He will attend a welcoming ceremony hosted by Orban, and they will have talks, witness the signing of various cooperative agreements and meet with media. Li will also meet with Hungarian President Ader Janos and Speaker of the National Assembly Kover Laszlo. Hungary was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic ties with the New China in Oct 1949. There have been frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries. Hungary was the first European country to sign a cooperative document with China to align itself with the Belt and Road Initiative, Li said in a signed article published by the Hungarian Times on Saturday. The two countries have made outstanding achievements in cooperation in such areas as investment, finance and agriculture, he said. Li received Orban during the latter's two official visits to China, in Feb 2014 and May of this year. The two countries' bilateral relations were upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the visit in May, when Orban attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Li and Orban have met each year at China-CEECfor example, in Bucharest, Romania, in November 2013, and Belgrade, Serbia, in December 2014. In Nov 2015, Orban traveled to Suzhou, Jiangsu province, for the fourth China-CEEC meeting. The latest such meeting was in Riga, the Latvian capital, last November. The premier's trip, which comes after the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the "16+1"cooperation, between China and CEE countries, is vital to promoting a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe, Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Chao said at a news briefing last week. Upon completing his trip to Hungary, the premier will fly to Russia to attend the 16th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Governments (Prime Minister) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization before the Chinese delegation heads back to Beijing over the weekend. Premier Li Keqiang vowed to expand financing channels for the cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries as he attended the seventh China-CEEC Economic and Trade Forum on Monday in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. Li said the financing channels should be expanded. China supports commercial financial institutions to finance cooperative projects and supports enterprises from CEE nations to issue panda bonds in China, he said. A panda bond is a renminbi-denominated bond for a non-Chinese issuer. Li also said renminbi financing will be supported for cooperative projects. Premier Li said the China-Central and Eastern Europe Investment Cooperation Fund, initiated by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China last year, has market-oriented financing channels and received well-judged feedback. He announced the establishment of the China-CEEC Bank Consortium to which the China Development Bank will grant loans worth 2 billion euros. He also announced that a second round of the fund has been completed to raise $1 billion, which will be mainly invested in the CEE nations. When 1,200 youth gathered for the first Chinese Urbana-style missions conference this fall, 300 pledged to become full-time missionaries. This is one of those historic moments, said David Ro, director of the Wilson Center for World Missions at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. There are lots of challenges ahead, on the mission field and in China. And yet God is doing somethingwhile they are being attacked, they are still moving forward. The gathering was a unique opportunity to witness the authentic demonstration of a vibrantly growing Chinese church under dynamic indigenous leadership, said Nana Yaw Offei Awuku, a field ministry director with Scripture Union Ghana who spoke at the event. The beauty of intentional intergenerational leadership was at its best. Held in Thailand, the conference was part of Mission China, a movement of unregistered churches to send out 20,000 missionaries by 2030. Its an ambitious goal for churches that have yet to obtain legal status. And it may have run into a snag this summer when two young Chinese Christianswho traveled to Pakistan to teach Mandarin at a private schoolwere kidnapped and killed by ISIS. The incident put China in a tough spot. As it seeks to expand its influence westward, its leaders need to be able to protect the 70,000 Chinese who were issued visas to Pakistan last year. But its atheist government also doesnt want to be exporting Christianity. The Chinese authorities are in a very difficult position, said Chinese religion expert and Purdue University professor Fenggang Yang. [Most] didnt realize that Christians had become active in west and central Asia. Its the first time that has been brought to their attention, and it may take a while for them to sort out and make some policy adjustments. One adjustment has already been made. In September, China finally nailed down religious restrictions introduced last year. The numerous regulations, made in the name of national security, prohibit unregistered groups from teaching about religion or taking part in trainings or meetings outside the country (like the Thailand conference), beginning in February 2018. In addition, no religious activitiesincluding the publication of religious materials, the acceptance of donations, any international religious exchanges, and renting space to an unregistered churchcan happen without the approval of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA). It was a big disappointment, said Brent Fulton, president of ChinaSource. In theory, were taking a big step back. The big question, of course, is enforcement. SARA as an organization is not really known for being overly effective, he said. [So its] trying to reassert its authority as an institution, saying religion is a serious national problem and we need to do something about it. In a security-conscious environment, SARA is pushing all the right buttons, saying the law is really important, he said. But how are they going to enforce this? Over the past 30 years, unregistered churches in China have inched further into public view; many now have their own sizable buildings, their own staff, and their own websites. At the same time, the number of Chinese Christians has surged to about 70 million, according to the latest calculation by the Pew Research Center. The police also need to take care of other things, Yang said. Trying to stop Christian missions would be costly to the government. And whats the benefit? Even if authorities do clamp down as fully as the new restrictions allow, the model of meeting in homes hasnt been forgotten. Some pastors Yang has talked to arent taking active preparation but already have fellowship groups within the congregation, so [they said] it shouldnt be too hard to meet in small groups in case thats necessary. Article continues below Last time, going underground multiplied church growth, Fulton said. It may also multiply missionaries. Chinese Christians assumed if they had a sympathetic government and a period of stability, theyd be able to see huge growth in the church, he said. None of that happened. Yet we saw huge growth in the church in China. In the same way, We would assume greater openness would give the Chinese church greater freedom to send missionaries, Fulton said. Now we see the opposite happening internally, but the vision is still there. So what does that mean for training and supporting missionaries? Some argue that persecution actually prepares Chinese Christians to be better missionaries in other sensitive areas. Its Chinese-style missionary work, one Chinese pastor told the Financial Times. His church has sent 20 missionaries to teach Chinese or work at state-owned companies in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. We dont build churches, and we dont need much organizational structure, he said. We survived the Cultural Revolution. So we have experience. One missionary in Iraq even told the South China Morning Post that he actually feel[s] safer here than when he was working in an unregistered church in China. Hes youngjust 25 years old; the two killed in Pakistan were 24 and 26. Their youth is bound to irritate some Chinese officials. In four provinces this past summer, children were banned from attending Christian summer camps. It is forbidden to force or tempt juveniles to believe in any religion, officials told churches in Fuzhou. And it is also forbidden to conduct religious activities in non-registered religious venues without approval. The new rules come down especially hard on religious schoolsrequiring them to apply for government approval, have their own funding and facilities, and hire full-time staff. The government has liberalized education and encouraged the development of private schools, but now theyre realizing theyre losing control of the educational system, and religious groups are moving in and working in that space, Fulton said. Thats creating a conflict. Chinas Communist Party is especially sensitive to children because it remembers its own roots were in the youth movement in the 1920s, he said. Even Mission China kept its conference quiet. It invited participants through networks of churches and student ministries and also limited attendance to those who were at least seniors in high school. The system worked fine, and the end result was quite acceptable, one of the organizers told CT. It is sensitive to put these two topics together. And that exactly is the reason we decided to make such a huge effort to do this face-to-face system at last. One of the speakers was Paul Borthwick, missions professor at Gordon College and senior consultant for Development Associates International. Ive been praying for China since 1971, he said. I told my wife, Please pray that when I stand up and look at this audience, I dont just burst into tears. For my generation, its kind of like watching the wall come down in Berlin. Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra is a contributing editor for Christianity Today. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. Millions of Americans will donate to charity tomorrow for Giving Tuesday, the kickoff of the final weeks to make tax-deductible donations for 2017. But will the campaignestimated to garner $175 million this yearcontinue to boost charitable giving next year? The answer depends on the Republican tax plan now making its way through Congress. Evangelical leaders have raised concerns that the current reform bills in the House and Senate would reduce the incentives that compel givers to donate to churches and other nonprofits. Currently, taxpayers must itemize their deductions in order to take advantage of the tax breaks for charitable giving. Since the proposed GOP tax reforms would increase the standard deduction, fewer Americans are expected to itemize as a resultdropping from 30 percent of taxpayers to just 5 percent, according to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Doubling the standard deduction means 30 million Americans would no longer benefit from a deduction for their charitable giving, a change that is predicted to reduce giving by $13 billion annually, according to Indiana Universitys Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The drop would hurt ministries and religious nonprofits that rely on tax-free tithes and donations to operate. Dan Busby, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), previously told CT that the change in the standard deduction stood to make the biggest impact on middle-income taxpayers. This is a huge step toward eliminating the benefits and incentives of the charitable deduction altogether, stated the Faith & Giving Coalition, of which ECFA is a member, in talking points released last week. It also is a major step toward reversing our nations policy favoring and incentivizing charitable giving, which has been working well for over 100 years. This is devastating for our charitable organization and organizations like ours throughout the country. Several leaders of evangelical nonprofits have worried about the effects of the proposed standard deduction shift, and have lobbied for greater protections for charitable giving. Please pray for your senators who next week will vote on a tax bill that may have a major impact on our economy, our national debt, and on the level of charitable giving to your church and ministries, wrote National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) president Leith Anderson, urging supporters to contact their senators with concerns that the current bills will dramatically reduce the benefit of the charitable deduction. Both the NAE and ECFA have critiqued the current tax reform bills for their negative impact on charitable giving, and instead are promoting a charitable deduction for givers who do not itemizeas proposed by Republican Senator James Lankford, a Baptist from Oklahoma. Lankfords Universal Charitable Giving Act would allow taxpayers who make or give too little to itemize (particularly those in low- and middle-income brackets) to still reduce their taxable income due to their giving. Representative Mark Walker, a North Carolina Republican, has introduced a companion bill in the House. This bill will allow Americans to give to the thousands of charitable and faith-based organizations across the country that assist in times of need, said Lankford. All Americans should be offered the same incentive and tax benefit to give for what they believe in, not just the wealthy. The NAE hopes Lankfords proposal will be included as an amendment today before sending it to the full Senate for a vote. We have a very short window of opportunity to influence this critical decision, wrote Anderson. Every senator needs to hear from his or her constituents over this recess week, or at the latest by Monday morning, asking that the Universal Charitable Giving Act be added to the Managers Amendment to the tax bill. The proportion of Americans who itemize their taxes under the current tax codenearly a thirdwere responsible for 60 percent of all donations to charity in 2015. As CT reported in September: While a higher standard deduction would likely have a dampening effect on giving, it wont destroy it, said James Bakke, executive director of the Barnabas Foundation, which provides planned giving and stewardship services to Christian organizations. Most of our donors arent motivated primarily by taxes. Theyre almost always motivated by the mission of the organization and by doing something good with their money. Indeed, one Grey Matter study showed that while 37 percent of Protestant churchgoing donors thought eliminating the deduction would decrease giving by a lot, only 8 percent said it would decrease their own giving by a lot. People committed to tithing will continue to do it regardless of tax structures, Bakke said. And the 75 percent of taxpayers who already take the standard deduction or who will continue to itemize (even after the raised limits) wont be affected. The end of the year has traditionally been a popular time for charitable giving, both due to holiday campaigns and the desire to qualify for tax deductions within the calendar year. This year marks the fifth Giving Tuesday, an annual observance designed to kick off the year-end giving season. Last year, over $177 million was donated to charities online as a part of Giving Tuesday campaigns. Earlier this year, ECFA found that millennial givers donate more when asked to give a meaningful contribution, while older generations respond with bigger checks for a generous gift. And evangelicals are making tax-deductible donations to a range of nonprofits; most NAE leaders said in a recent survey that tithing doesnt have to exclusively go to local congregations. CTs December cover story focuses on charitable giving, and whether its best to give directly to the poor. CT has previously reported how the new tax plan has generated attention from Christians over its proposed elimination of the adoption tax credit, a change allowing unborn babies to be named as beneficiaries, and the repeal of the Johnson Amendment for churches. Pope Francis landed in Myanmar on Monday to start his six-day visit to Southeast Asia, raising the hopes of Christians there that he will address the issues they face in the majority-Buddhist nation formerly known as Burma. Among those welcoming the pontiff in Yangon were more than 7,000 ethnic Kachin from the conflict-torn state in northern Myanmar, who had travelled down for the occasion, according to Catholic news agency UCAN. The predominantly Christian Kachin, together with the Karen ethnic minority, live in conflict zones along the countrys borders and have faced years of government oppression. John Hong Khong, from Kachin, told UCAN they expected to get peace through the Popes visit as we believe he will raise peace issues and push the countrys leaders for ending ethnic conflicts. Leading up to the visit, Myanmars Catholic Cardinal Bo said he hoped Pope Francis trip would help heal the wounds of his country, especially for minorities under attack, adding that the Rohingya situation is a great tragedy [but] the country needs healing on various fronts. During his three days in Myanmar, the Pope will visit the current and former capitals, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon, and meet, among others, the countrys leaderin all but titleAung San Suu Kyi. The Nobel Prize winner has come under pressure in recent months because of her handling of the Rohingya crisis. Since August more than 600,000 people belonging to the Rohingya Muslim minority have fled into neighbouring Bangladesh following attacks by the army which, according to the UN, amount to ethnic cleansing. The Pope is also due to visit Muslim-majority Bangladesh during this trip. It is expected he will address the plight of the Rohingya, with some fearing that this might lead to repercussions for Myanmars Christians. In October, two Kachin Baptist pastors who helped a journalist to photograph a Catholic churchapparently bombed by Myanmars army in 2016were sentenced to two years in prison for their alleged support of the Kachin Independence Army. Relationships between the Kachin and the military are strained not only by the conflict, but also by slow progress in identifying and prosecuting perpetrators of the many documented cases of sexual abuse by Myanmar troops in the region. Two Kachin Baptist women teachers were raped and murdered in February 2015, and no-one has ever been tried or convicted for their deaths. During a visit to the UK parliament in 2016, Cardinal Bo said: The majority of the Kachin, Chin and a significant proportion of the Karen, are Christiansand over the decades of armed conflict, the military has turned religion into a tool of oppression. In Chin state, for example, crosses have been destroyed and Christians have been forced to construct Buddhist pagodas in their place. At least 66 churches in Kachin state have been destroyed since the conflict reignited in 2011. In Karen, Christians have also been threatened by a spate of Buddhist nationalists illegally building pagodas on church grounds. Christianity is viewed by many as a colonial belief after the country was ruled by the British for a century until its independence in 1948. Likewise, the separation of church and state is considered a foreign imposition, according to AP journalist Julhas Alam. Around one-sixth of Myanmars Christians, who altogether account for around six percent of the population, are Catholics. According to Mariano Soe Naing, a spokesman for Myanmars Bishops Conference, there are always challenges to stand up as Catholic and to have strong faith here, and pressure comes in many different forms. To be honest, if you are a Christian in this country, you will never get promoted, Mariano said. There are no Catholics in the government administration or in any significant leadership positions. According to Benedict Rogers, a human rights activist, Myanmar has seen a significant rise of religious intolerance, which has come from within society, although theres evidence that if not the military as a whole, then elements of the military-backed political parties are also involved in this. An example is the extremist Buddhist movement called Ma Ba Tha (Committee for the Protection of Race and Religion) whichso farhas mostly targeted Muslim groups in the country through hate speech, but this has a knock-on effect on Christians as well, Rogers says. Ma Ba Tha is not just anti-Muslim, it is Buddhist nationalist, so Christians could come increasingly into its focus, according to Thomas Muller, analyst for the World Watch Research unit of Christian charity Open Doors. A census, conducted in 2014, showed a rise in the number of Christians (6.2 percent, up from 4.9 percent in 1983) and a fall in the popularity of Buddhism, although 88 percent still identified with the countrys most popular religion. The delayed release of the census by nearly two years was, some commentators said, to avoid a backlash from nationalists anticipating a sharp rise in non-Buddhist religions, which they feel threaten Myanmars Buddhist identity. Myanmar is No. 28 on Open Doorss 2017 World Watch List of the 50 countries where Christians are most under pressure for their faith. home World Church of Sweden denies banning the use of male pronouns for God An official from the Church of Sweden has denied reports that it will no longer refer to God as "he" or "Lord" in a bid to be more inclusive. Several news outlets have reported on Friday that the Swedish Church will now only refer to God in gender-neutral terms following an update to its 31-year-old handbook. "It's not true," Sofija Pedersen Videke, head of the Church's service of worship committee, told The Local. On Thursday, the 251-member Church Assembly voted with a large majority to update The Church Handbook, which provides guidance on how services, baptisms, weddings and funerals should be conducted, in language, liturgy, theology and music. The update, which will take effect on May 20 during Pentecost, reportedly includes the Church's aim to use language that is "more inclusive." "The old handbook is from 1986 and the new edition is much more in line with the Swedish Bible translation made in 2000. God is beyond 'she' and 'he', God is so much more," Pedersen Videke said. "We want variation when it comes to how you express yourself, just like in the Bible," she added. According to Telegraph, the update will allow clergy to use either the traditional "Father, son and Holy Ghost" or the gender-neutral phrase "in the name of God and the Holy Trinity" to open worship services. The assembly had also agreed to use the female grammatical gender for the Holy Spirit, in accordance with the 2000 Swedish Bible translation. The decision has drawn criticism from some theologians, including Christer Pahlmblad, who said that it was "undermining the doctrine of the Trinity and the community with the other Christian churches." "It really isn't smart if the Church of Sweden becomes known as a church that does not respect the common theology heritage," Pahlmblad, an associate theology professor at Lund University in Sweden, went on to say. However, Pedersen Videke, whose committee was heavily involved in the work on the new handbook before it went before the Church Assembly, stressed that the change is not all-encompassing. "Everyone who wants to call God 'Lord' can remain calm. It is still there in many places in the new handbook. We have replaced 'he' with 'God' in one place, that's all," she explained. She insisted that the reports that the Church will stop referring to God as "he" or "Lord" was "fake news." The Church of Sweden, which has 6.1 million baptized members in a country of 10 million, has ordained women as priests since 1960. Women reportedly comprise 45 percent of the ordained clergy and have an even greater share of the church leadership, according to Russia Today. When you look at a Canova piece, you know The rediscovery of a portrait bust of Joachim Murat, King of Naples, by the great Italian sculptor, is hugely significant for scholars. Ahead of its sale on 28 November, specialist Isabelle d'Amecourt describes how she came to identify it By 1813, Italian Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova was the most celebrated artist in Europe. The son and grandson of quarry-owning stonemasons, his reputation had grown enough to secure pivotal commissions from popes, royals and even the government of the fledgling United States. At the same time, Joachim Murat, then King of Naples, was at the pinnacle of his own career. The son of an innkeeper, Murat had climbed the French military ranks to become one of Napoleons most trusted advisors so much so that the French Emperor offered Murat his sister Carolines hand in marriage. The Murats fostered a glittering artistic court in Naples, and one of the highlights of their patronage was to commission their own portraits in marble from Canova. Open a larger version of this image Canova produced engravings for most of the sculptures and busts he worked on In 1813 the pair summoned the artist to Naples, where he completed two initial busts from plaster. He then returned to his studio in Rome, where he rendered the works in his preferred material, Carrara marble. Further documentation reveals that the finished marble busts of Joachim and Caroline Murat were delivered to Naples in the spring of 1814, as recorded in a letter from the Archbishop of Taranto to Canova in May of that year. Murat was apparently so pleased with the result that he gave Canova a series of books as a token of his gratitude. In 1815, continental Europe descended into war; the busts seemingly followed Caroline Murat when she fled to Trieste. They were recorded at her sister Elisa Baciocchis villa nearby, after which time trace of them is lost. Joachim Murat was executed in 1815; Canova, for his part, turned to the more politically stable England for royal patronage. As soon as this work was uncrated in the office of Isabelle d'Amecourt, specialist in Early European Sculpture and Works of Art at Christies in Paris, she had a hunch that it could be one of the long lost busts. I thought, I'm in front of something very important, d'Amecourt says. When you look at a Canova piece, you know. It's in the chiselling, the purity of the line. Canova had a great talent for bringing a sculpture to life. Looking for clues, d'Amecourt travelled to Canovas birth town of Possagno, where his archives are known to contain some of the original plaster models. In the Canova Museum, she examined the preliminary plaster portrait of Murat. Every detail perfectly matched the marble bust in her office, confirming it as the original which had been missing for more than 200 years. Open a larger version of this image The original plaster model of the bust of Murat at the Canova Museum in Possagno, Italy Collecting guide: Ming-dynasty art and furniture An introduction to the exceptionally varied artistic production of this golden age of Chinese culture, from its ceramics and metalware to painting and calligraphy. Illustrated with forthcoming lots and others previously sold at Christies Founded by Zhu Yuanzhang (later known as the Hongwu Emperor), Chinas Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was the last dynasty ruled by ethnic Han Chinese. With the ousting of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and the return of indigenous Chinese leadership came the introduction of artistic themes determined by the imperial courts. Birds, flowers and landscapes were among the motifs of choice taken up by painters who were urged to work in a realistic, narrative style that recalled the output of the 12th-13th century Southern Song dynasty. Calligraphy flourished, as did the work of scholar-painters who, for the first time, were encouraged to add something of their own personalities to their art. Interaction with foreign cultures gave rise to new designs, such as those on blue-and-white porcelain and objects in enamel. Considered a golden age of Chinese furniture production, the period was also known for its exquisite ceramics, in addition to works in metal, lacquer and textiles. Here we take a look at the range and depth of Ming-dynasty artistic production, illustrated with 11 key pieces. 1. The Ming imperial kilns were established in the Hongwu period (1368-98). But as a result of a disruption of international trade, supplies of high-grade Middle Eastern cobalt dried up. Consequently, the Hongwu reign is the only one in the Ming dynasty during which copper was the chief colourant on imperial porcelain. Copper produces a red colour when fired in the right conditions, but is far more difficult to control than cobalt, which produces a blue colour. The cup stand above is an example of a successfully-fired underglaze red decoration. The oval chrysanthemum flowers that make up the main design are characteristic of the Hongwu period. 2. The Yongle reign (1403-24) was one of the most dynamic in Chinese history. This is reflected in the quality and diversity of artworks produced to imperial order in this period. Imperial porcelain began to reflect the influence of foreign cultures and religions, especially that of Islam, of which the blue and white basin above is an example. Its distinctive form, previously unknown in China, was made in metal and glass in Egypt and Syria from about the 13th century onward. 3. The Yongle Emperor (who reigned from 1402 to 1424) was a fervent Buddhist. This was reflected in the numerous ceramics of the period that feature Buddhist references, or that are decorated with Buddhist motifs. The succeeding Xuande Emperor was equally devout: during his reign, record numbers of Tibetan lamas came to reside in the monasteries in the Chinese capital. The Yongle and Xuande emperors commissioned gilt bronzes, images and ritual objects for personal religious practice, and as gifts for the Tibetan emissaries whose Vajrayana Buddhism they followed. 4. In the Yongle period, imperial workshops excelled in the production of carved cinnabar-red lacquer. The box and cover below is a fine example of the almost three-dimensional quality of the lacquer of the period. The blooms are shown from different angles and in different stages of development; the leaves are dense and lush. On the sides are other flower species, including lotus, chrysanthemum and camellia. Whereas only a minute proportion of Yongle imperial porcelain featured a reign mark, lacquer that met the imperial standard regularly included one. Here the Yongle mark is inscribed, as was typical, in small characters in a single column at the side of the base. 5. New glazes were developed in the early 15th century, including the imperial yellow glaze. The use of the imperial yellow colour on any material was restricted to the emperor. Open a larger version of this image A fine and extremely rare yellow-enamelled bowl, Xuande incised six-character mark within a double circle and of the period (1426-1435). 6 in (15.2 cm) diam. Sold for HK$1,670,000 on 25 October 1993 at Christies in Hong Kong This restriction was especially relevant to textiles and porcelain. The above Xuande-period (1426-1435) inverted bell-shaped enamelled bowl features this imperial yellow glaze a rare combination of form and colour. 6. In the history of Chinese ceramics, the Xuande period is generally considered the high point of blue-and-white porcelain production. This was due to a combination of enthusiastic imperial patronage, technical ingenuity and the finest artistry. Xuande-period porcelains were low in calcium and high in potassium, which made them especially translucent. The glaze was rich and lustrous, while the underglaze decoration demonstrated complete mastery of painting in cobalt on porcelain. Many connoisseurs consider the painting of dragons on Xuande imperial porcelain to be the finest in the history of Chinese porcelain. 7. In Chinese, the term wucai means five colours. On porcelain, the vivid wucai colour scheme reached its peak in the Jiajing period (1522-66) when the overglaze colours yellow, iron-red and green, with black outlines were used in combination with underglaze blue. Among the various forms and sizes of wucai porcelain made for the court, the jar and cover represents the largest and most ambitious type. The design on the jar above reflects the Jiajing Emperors strong Daoist beliefs. In Daosim, fish symbolise surplus and wealth. The jar also features eight fish eight being an auspicious number in Chinese culture while the cover has four. Added together, they possibly represent the 12 earthly branches a Chinese system for the calculation of time. 8. The subject of children at play was favoured by the Jiajing Emperor. On the jar below, eight boys are at play with various toys, including a hobby horse and a model pagoda. While the subject of boys at play was very popular on imperial Jiajing porcelain, those decorated in the richer wucai palette are very rare. The design continued into the Wanli period (1572-1620). 9. The red-and-yellow combination is a distinctive Jiajing colour scheme. Three firings were required to achieve this result: first at around 1300C for clear-glazed porcelain, then at a lower temperature for the yellow overglaze enamel, and finally at a still lower temperature for the black outlines and the iron-red background. The process was laborious and required meticulous attention to detail, contributing to the high failure rate and the rarity of these jars. 10. The mid- to late-Ming dynasty witnessed the spread of the Neo-Confucianist philosophy known as the School of Mind, introduced by Wang Shouren. According to this paradigm, the material world was the extension of a single principle that existed in human consciousness. This philosophy promoted an inward exploration of thought, and a new aesthetic that emphasised self-expression. A letter written by Wang discussing the School of Mind reflects the philosophical transformation experienced by the literati during this period. 11. Driven by their frustration with officialdom, while at the same time enjoying unprecedented material wealth, the literati of the mid- to late-Ming-era devoted their energy to painting, calligraphy and poetry. Artists such as Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) and Zhu Yunming (1460-1526) became the tastemakers of the day. 12. Among their successors, Chen Hongshou (1598-1652) was one of the most visually exciting artists of his time. Born in Zhejiang, Chen was extraordinary in his creativity. He is most celebrated for his paintings of vividly coloured flowers and birds, as well as highly stylised figures. Open a larger version of this image Chen Hongshou (1598-1652), Insects and Flowers. Album of eight leaves, ink and colour on silk. Each 20 x 13.4 cm (7 x 5 in). Sold for HK$6,660,000 on 28 November 2016 at Christie's in Hong Kong Chen left the court shortly after the fall of the Ming dynasty, and died in 1652 at the age of 54. Chens calligraphy left a lasting impact on artists such as Yun Shouping (1633-1690), Ren Xiong (1820-1857), Ren Xun (1835-1893), Yu Feian (1888-1959) and Xie Zhiliu (1910-1997). 13. The literati influenced the design of everyday objects, particularly furniture for the scholars studio. Ruben Lien, specialist in Chinese ceramics at Christies in Hong Kong, explains why he is captivated by the mystery of archaic Chinese jades As there are no records about these prehistoric objects, we can only guess at their original use, says Ruben Lien, specialist in Chinese ceramics at Christies in Hong Kong. The fact that they are so mysterious, Lien says, is what draws me to them. What is known about archaic Chinese jade, however, is that it was regarded as sacred, Lien says. The pieces made from this material were highly important objects, rather than decorations. They are significant religious objects, and every piece has a story, the specialist continues although that story has often long since been lost to us. In some cases, however, pieces of the story have come through. One particularly beautiful archaic jade piece, Lien explains, is believed to be a hair ornament of a shaman. By inserting it upright into the hair, the shaman would be able to connect with heaven. Another of Liens favourites, from the Hongshan culture, is shaped like a dragon. Unlike the fully grown dragons more commonly seen in Chinese art, this creature looks like an embryo, and represents the evolution of life. Archaic jades can be divided into two categories, according to the geographical zone in which they were found. Personally I prefer the Eastern Chinese (Huatong) archaic jades, Lien says, because their familiar human or animal patterns touch me in a more direct way. The evolution in form of archaic jades from the Hongshan culture (circa 4700 to 2900 BC), to the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BC), is fascinating, says Lien. If we are lucky enough to see two pieces side by side, we can see the transformation. A collection of archaic jades will be offered on 29 November, as part of a series of dedicated sales of Chinese ceramics and archaic jades at Christies in Hong Kong. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Michael Wyke/For the Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Michael Wyke/For the Chronicle Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Michael Wyke/For the Chronicle Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Houston police Monday released new details in the Black Friday stabbing and shooting at Willowbrook Mall - including the names of the victims. The incident started as a fight in the parking lot near Sears, where police say Christian Martinez, 21, and his girlfriend were walking toward a store about 12:20 p.m. Friday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Some online comments remarked on the historical significance of the match. Others rejoiced in the fact that the future in-law of the British Royal Family wears dreadlocks. A few distilled the news that Prince Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and fifth in line to the British throne, will marry Meghan Markle, a biracial American actress, to two simple words: "Black Princess." "We got us a Black princess ya'll. You really can't tell me a damn thing for the rest of the day because it won't matter. Shout out to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Their wedding will be my Super Bowl," posted @sheistyler. The wedding will take place sometime in the spring, according to a statement from Clarence House. Many see the match between 33-year-old Prince Harry and 36-year-old Markle as a sign of the growing modernization of the Royal Family. According to TIME, the Queen herself had to give her blessings for the marriage. "I think the Queen would have done so, happily," Anna Whitelock, a royal expert and director of the London Centre for Public History and Heritage, told the magazine. "I don't think her being mixed race would have been at all significant for the Queen." Some watchers believe the coming marriage will usher in a more inclusive attitude and help the Royal family remain relevant. But the relationship has also seen a fair share of racist backlash, including descriptions of Markle as "Straight Outta Compton." The criticism led Prince Harry to issue a statement last November condemning "the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments." But this week, social media was filled with messages celebrating the union of the couple, who will be known after marriage as the duke and duchess of Sussex. "Prince Harry's future mother-in-law is a black woman with dreadlocks. There are no words for this kind of joy," tweeted @Samara_Linton. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Much of old Conroe is long gone, but one of the oldest residences in the community has survived - evolving from a historical home where children played and ate cookies to a fine restaurant serving international cuisine. The historic Cochran house, located at 603 N. Thompson Street, was once considered the edge of town in Conroe. While the original homes around it have been torn down, this structure has survived because its owners sensed its value to the community - and were willing to be creative in repurposing the building. "The house used to be surrounded by some lovely Victorian homes," said Anne Meadows Meneffe who remembers visiting her great-grandmother Laura Grogan Cochran there. "But Conroe used to have a bad habit of tearing anything old down - they're all gone now." The house was built for Nancy Lewis Grogan, the widow of Richard Grogan, around 1918, soon after the Grogan Cochran Lumber Company was established near Conroe. The house was passed on to Laura and her husband Terrell, co-founder of Grogan-Cochran Sawmill in the area now known as The Woodlands. The Grogan-Cochran Sawmill was a major business enterprise in the region and a major employer. In 1964, Mitchell Gas & Oil Corporation bought 50,000 acres, from which the master planned community known as The Woodlands was created. "My great grandmother had asthma and was something of a shut-in" recalled Meneffe. "I remember visiting her at the house on Sunday afternoons and hearing stories from when she was young. Those are good memories." Bill Cochran Jr. of Conroe recalled visiting his great uncle Fred Cochran at the house on Thompson Street and enjoying glasses of cold lemonade and freshly baked cookies in his youth. "There was a place where people used to practice parallel parking across the street," said Cochran. "It was a lot of fun to sit with Uncle Fred and watch - it could be quite humorous." Cochran said he is pleased the house has survived. "It's nice when people can take an older structure and keep it as part of the community," he said. In 1998, attorney Anthony Bernardino purchased the residence and spent 10 months renovating it for use as a law office, according to an article in The Courier. The original appearance of the house was retained as much as possible. Later, the historic home would be repurposed again when restaurateur Norma Coronelli took over the building for her Villa Italia restaurant previously located in downtown Conroe. Coronelli, who was born and raised in Sicily, developed a lunch and dinner following for her authentic Italian cuisine. When Coronelli passed away, the restaurant was taken over by Jose Jrameldo and is now named Jose's Villa Italia - reportedly using the same recipes created by Coronelli. For information visit them on Facebook or call 936-539-5599. "It pleases me that the building is still around and in use," said Meneffe. "Sometimes it's the little things in life that are special and meaningful." For more information on the history of Conroe and the surrounding area, visit the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County, located at 1506 N. I-45. For information, visit www.heritagemuseum.us or call 936-539-6873. There is a display related to the Cochran and Grogan family inside the Heritage Museum. This article by Brad Meyer was first published in The Courier in January 2013. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Gucci Mane, the rapper once rumored to be a government clone, headlines Spotify's RapCaviar Live date in Houston. The Dec. 14 show at Revention Music Center also features Tory Lanez, Trae tha Truth, Maxo Kream, Trill Sammy and YBN Nahmir. Houston's go-to guy for pretty much anything, Bun B, hosts the night. STORMY WEATHER: Texans star, Houston rapper at odds over Harvey relief Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 12 via Ticketmaster. They're priced at $5 each "to make the popular show accessible to all local music fans." Spotify is also using the show to spearhead some of its own local relief efforts. In support of the relief efforts in Houston, Spotify and Live Nation Urban will dedicate the week leading up to the show to charitable activities benefitting local Houston communities in the recovery following Hurricane Harvey. Partnered with Samsung, both brands will work to bring music and community together to support and tell the stories of one of Hip Hop's most influential cities - while connecting artists and fans in the process. RapCaviar is a Spotify playlist that boasts more than 8 million followers. The Houston date is the fifth of a six-city tour. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Maison Pucha Bistro, a stylish French restaurant in the former Black & White space at 1001 Studewood, is now open for business in the Heights. Chef Manuel Pucha announced in the summer he was leaving his post as executive chef at La Table in the Galleria area to realize his dream of owning his first restaurant. He managed to convince two of his brothers, Victor, a French-trained pastry chef, and Cristian, a budding sommelier and bar manager, to give up their jobs in New York to move to Houston to collaborate on the project. The restaurant had a soft opening last week during the busy Thanksgiving rush. Manuel Pucha's menu is technique-driven French with a few flourishes of his native Ecuador and a whole lot of visual flair. All his years in fine-dining kitchens (Bistro Moderne, Philippe Restaurant & Lounge, La Table) are evident in his dishes at the bistro. The debut menu touts starters such as crab and avocado in a ponzu and green apple dressing; Akaushi beef tartare; beet and goat cheese salad with baby arugula; lobster bisque; lobster tortellini in a Thai lobster sauce; foie gras duo (seared and terrine) with a port wine reduction and brioche; and classic French onion soup. Pucha's promise to incorporate flavors of South America and his native Ecuador show up in fish tiradito with aji amarillo and Peruvian corn, as well as his Ecuadorian-style ceviche of lightly poached shrimp in orange, lime, and lemon juices served with crispy plantain chips. The mains include classic bistro fare: steak frites (hanger with sauce Bearnasie); coq au vin; duck confit with salad frisee and duck fat potatoes; lamb navarin; trout almandine with brown butter and saffron potatoes; roasted chicken with pommes puree; filet mignon with gratin dauphinoise; branzino en papillote; and a showy bouillabaisse with broth poured tableside. For special occasions there is a grand presentation of chateaubriand for two, available on Friday and Saturday only. Victor Pucha's dessert list is tres French, too: Tarte Tatin and profiteroles. But he also works with Ecuadorian products such as chocolate, which shows up in his souffle and in his chocolate cake, as well as coffee from his homeland, which flavors his creme brulee served with vanilla-orange Madeleines. The Puchas promise to bring more flavors and foods from Ecuador (native spices and vegetables) once the restaurant is properly established. It will always be, however, a place where the refinements of French cooking can be found. Manuel Pucha said he is happy with the first few days of service last week, and the plates coming out of his kitchen, open to the dining room. "It has color, passion, and movement," he said. "It's cooking from the heart." Maison Pucha Bistro, 1001 Studewood, 713-637-4976; maisonpucha.com. Open for dinner Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 p.m., Sunday 5 to 9 p.m. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate University of Texas-Austin astronomers will be among the first in the world to use NASA's brand new, $8.8 billion telescope after it launches in 2019 -- a piece of technology one says will "revolutionize all areas of astronomy." The James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, has been under development for decades. And with less than two years until its expected launch date, the Space Telescope Science Institute (the science operations center for the Hubble and Webb telescopes) in Baltimore has released the list of the first 13 projects that will test the telescope in space. UT-Austin's Steve Finkelstein found himself, and his Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey, on that list. "This will be the first time anyone has had access to this brand new telescope that is in some ways 100 times better than Hubble," said Finkelstein, an associate astronomy professor at the university. "This telescope will reveal enormous truths the moment we turn it on." The CEERS will build upon Finkelstein's previous work with the Hubble telescope of examining the oldest galaxies in the universe as a way to understand how quickly stars formed into the galaxies and how they evolve overtime. More than 100 astronomers from 10 countries are involved in the project, including astronomers at Texas A&M. Finkelstein said Webb will allow astronomers to see galaxies as they existed 13.4 billion years ago. His project will take place in the telescope's first five months of science operations, likely to begin in late fall, early winter 2019. "To be among the first to use it is incredible," he said, adding that his research will take 62 hours to complete. Other projects chosen include an examination of Jupiter and its moons and weighing supermassive black holes, according to NASA. UT-Austin researchers are involved to some degree in five of the 13 projects. "We were impressed by the high quality of the proposals received," said Ken Sembach, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, in a Nov. 13 NASA web update. "These observing programs not only will generate great science, but also will be a unique resource for demonstrating the investigative capabilities of this extraordinary observatory to the worldwide scientific community." Projects will receive funding, but Finkelstein said they have not yet been told how much. Up to $5 million has been allotted for all 13 projects, he added. Webb is projected to launch in spring 2019 from Kourou, French Guiana and is expected to carry out its mission for 5 to 10 years. The telescope is named after James E. Webb, NASA's second administrator who lead the Apollo space missions that landed the first humans on the moon. Unlike Hubble, which launched 27 years ago and orbits the earth, Webb will orbit the sun 1 million miles away from earth. Hubble mainly observes visible light, while Webb will operate in the infrared, enabling it to study some of the faintest, youngest galaxies. Using Webb, "we will discover the most distant galaxies ever seen galaxies that were literally invisible to Hubble," Finkelstein said. This month, about 100 days of cryogenic testing -- to ensure the telescope functions as intended in an extreme cold and airless environment -- was completed at Johnson Space Center. But the telescope still must undergo more testing before it can be launched into space. It now will be transported to Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems in Redondo Beach, California, where it "will be integrated with the spacecraft element," according to a Nov. 20 NASA web update. It will then undergo even more testing, "the last exposure to a simulated launch environment before flight and deployment testing on the whole observatory," the update states. The Webb telescope is an international project lead by NASA in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. Alex Stuckey covers NASA, science and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey. Houston police sent out a SWAT team late Sunday when a man assaulted his estranged wife and then barricaded himself in a back bedroom of an east Houston home. The man told the police he'd taken 19 Ambien sleeping pills in an attempt to kill himself. Patrol officers responded to a family disturbance call about 11 p.m. Sunday in the 6800 block of Avenue V. A woman told police her estranged husband had choked and assaulted her. Hundreds of Fort Bend County residents representing a diverse circle of faith groups gathered to celebrate the third annual Fort Bend Interfaith Community Thanksgiving at St. Laurence Catholic Church Monday (Nov. 20). Reverend William Starkweather, Pastor at St. Martin's Lutheran Church, delivered the Homily. "It seems to me that recently hope has been hard for a lot of folks to come by. It's only been a couple months since Hurricane Harvey wrought devastation on our community, along with many others, There are folks among us tonight who are still doing repair work; real recovery will take much longer," Starkweather said. "Just a couple weeks ago we heard about the heinous act of violence that took place at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and even as we prayed for the victims, we were aware that it was not the first place of worship to be the scene of such violence, and we feared that it will not be the last. Knowing how many faith communities have been targeted by such horrific acts of violence, perhaps we even wrestled with the fear that our own faith communities would be next." Starkweather encouraged those at the service to share their challenges with others and find new friends. "I see the light of hope shining tonight, in this beautifully diverse community that has come together with one voice to give thanks for what we have and to speak hope about what we will yet be," he said. Murad Ajani, president of the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern United States, read "We Are One" By His Highness the Aga Khan. "In an increasingly cosmopolitan world, it is essential that we live by a 'cosmopolitan ethic,' one that addresses the age-old need to balance the particular and the universal, to honor both human rights and social duties, to advance personal freedom and to accept human responsibility," Desai read. "It is in that spirit that we can nurture bonds of confidence across different peoples and unique individuals, welcoming the growing diversity of our world, even in matters of faith, as a gift of the divine." Aga Khan is the current Imam of Nizari Ismailism, a denomination of Isma'ilism within Shia Islam. Speakers included representatives from Congregation Beth El, Christ Chugurch UMC, St. Laurence Catholic Church, First Unitarian Universalist, Maryam Mosque of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, Ismaili Jamatkhana and Center, Baha'i Faith, First United Methodist, Bapas Hindu Temple, New Hope Lutheran, St. Martin's Lutheran Church and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The program featured spiritual poetry, readings from the Bible, the Holy Quran, the Book of Mormon, a spiritual reflection in Spanish and musical performances by the Interfaith Choir and Assembly and a children's choir. One of the highlights of the service was a performance by the Ismail Muslim Choir of "Islamic Hand A Poem of Praise." Ismaili is a tradition of Shia Islam. Pushpa Desai delivered a reading in Hindu with a translation from The Upanishads and Amanda Siroosian read a Baha'i Prayer. Rabbi Josh Lobel of Congregation Beth El in Missouri City gave the closing benediction. People attending the Thanksgiving event brought non-perishable food items to be donated to East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry and Second Mile Mission. Cookies and punch were served in the parish hall after the service. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Edwin Ospino thinks the media is making too much of his random shooting, but his firing of shots at homes near a Heights-area park was posted to Snapchat and led to his arrest on felony charges. The 22-year-old gunman caught on social media allegedly firing a semi-automatic pistol last week maintained his innocence outside a Harris County courtroom Monday. "I'm not who you all are making me out to be," Edwin Ospino said before being arraigned by state District Judge George Powell. It is the second Houston shooting posted to social media that resulted in charges in three months. In and out of court Monday, Ospino seemed more interested in building a following for his aspiring music career than in explaining what happened. Instead of answering questions from reporters, he said people should follow him on social media, where he recently posted videos about releasing music. Ospino even arrived with his 20-year-old brother Christopher, who was wearing a t-shirt with Ospino's Snapchat handle "@MixBreedPapi" written across the front. On the social media platform, he encouraged followers to use the hashtag #ShapchatShooter and offered to sell the t-shirts. Now Playing: Isiah Factor Uncensored Video: KRIV Ospino said little else as he arrived to court on a charge of deadly conduct, in connection with a shooting recorded on Snapchat near Cottage Grove Park on Nov. 20 around 10:15 p.m. After the brief hearing, Ospino, who has not hired an attorney, declined to comment to reporters. Instead, he walked away from several television cameras and opened the Snapchat app on his phone to record a message to his followers. He told them not to believe what they had heard about his case. Ospino was arrested Wednesday after a tip to Crime Stoppers of Houston, which offered a $5,000 reward for information, according to the Houston Police Department. Authorities investigating reports about the shooting saw the video, which went viral, and arrested Ospino, accusing him of recklessly shooting at a home and building without regard to the possibility of people inside. If convicted of the third-degree felony, he could face 10 years in prison. On Monday, Ospino was free on a $20,000 bail, a high amount requested by prosecutors because Ospino was on probation for resisting arrest. He also has a conviction for theft and possession of marijuana. In court records for his other cases, Ospino is also listed as Edwin Alexander Ospino-Soto and Edwin Soto Ospino. The judge put several conditions on his bond, including random drug testing, prohibiting the possession of firearms and a curfew.The self-incriminating social media post is the second high-profile Snapchat arrest in three months. In a separate case in September, Houston rapper "Money Mike" and a woman companion were allegedly depicted on Snapchat video firing shots from a car as they drove through a west Houston neighborhood. Michael Anthony Cuellar, 29, and Sierra Tarbutton, 27 were charged with felony criminal mischief and deadly conduct for their actions. Those cases are still pending. Imagine for a moment that you're riding on the MetroRail rather than sitting in your car on your drive in on the North Freeway. Had the planets all been aligned, this imagination could have been a reality. CityLab published a series of old transit maps that show a "what would've been" if transportation authorities had their way, or as Houston Chronicle columnist Lisa Gray calls it, "The heartbreak of old transit maps." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The University of Texas at Austin settled a lawsuit from a suspended student who accused the state flagship's president of unfairly swaying the outcome of his internal sexual misconduct case. The settlement followed UT-Austin's decision to reverse the student's suspension in an effort to "avoid disruption to the university," the university said in court documents. The student, identified only as John Doe, accused UT-Austin President Greg Fenves of unfairly intervening in his case because he feared that UT-Austin would "suffer the same public relations disaster that occurred at nearby Baylor University" if administrators did not appear to take the crime seriously, according to court documents. Now Playing: With a nearly daily barrage of high-profile claims of sexual misconduct against entertainers, politicians and other famous people, one law professor says more women are coming forward with their stories in part because of the platform the internet is Video: KTVU Doe was accused of rape by a female college student, identified as Jane Roe. HoustonChronicle.com: Texas students latest to push against sex assault hearings The students were college sophomores in April 2016 when the female student invited him to be her date at a sorority formal. They drank alcohol at the event, and afterward, the two went back to the male student's apartment, where both students said she consented to having sex. The female student later said her judgment was impaired and accused the male student of rape because she was incapacitated. A hearing panel sided with the male student in February 2017, and the female student appealed the decision. Fenves then stepped in. Responding in a seven-page letter, he concluded that it was more likely than not that the male student assaulted the female student "while she was too intoxicated to give consent," according to court documents. Doe was suspended for five semesters, which was reversed amid the litigation. "To avoid this litigation's disruption to the university, UT has reinstated John Doe as a student, lifted his suspension, and will route the appeal to a third-party other than President Fenves for adjudication," court filings read. "He may register for classes for the spring semester." HoustonChronicle.com: Baylor sexual assault victims met with skepticism, little assistance from university Brian Roark, an attorney for the male student, had previously written in court documents that the suspension's reversal does not clear Doe's name or reverse the "procedural due process violation." Universities require a "preponderance of the evidence" standard in sexual assault cases, lower than the "beyond reasonable doubt" standard in criminal cases. UT-Austin defines incapacitation as "a state of being that prevents an individual from having the capacity to give consent." Incapacitation, according to the university, could stem from a person's use of drugs or alcohol, being asleep or unconscious or because of an intellectual or other disability. Roark did not immediately respond to requests for comment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A trail of blood led police to the body of a man who was shot and killed on the East Side Monday morning. Authorities were notified of the shooting around 6:20 a.m. when a woman said she saw blood in the middle of the 100 block of Sample Street. Officers found a blood trail leading from a broken window in a home on the south side of the street to a spot where the body of a man was lying in the yard of a yellow home on the north side of the street. RELATED: Police searching for suspect who allegedly threatened to kill employee while stealing cell phone Now Playing: A trail of blood led police to the body of a man who was shot to death on the East Side Monday morning, Nov. 27. Video: San Antonio Express-News Michelle Ramos, a spokeswoman for the San Antonio Police Department said the victim, who hasn't been officially identified, was shot inside the home, fled through the window and then died across the street. "He was able to get out of his house, made it across the street and that was it," said Sgt. Marshall Campbell. "He collapsed. That was it." Campbell said there were no witnesses to the shooting and police have no suspects. People in the neighborhood told police they heard some commotion around 12:30 to 1 a.m. at the home where the shooting took place, which Ramos described as a "known location for drug activity and individuals who live high-risk lifestyles." It is unclear how long the victim's body lay in the yard before he was discovered. The shooting is the latest in a string of killings that has once again hit the East Side, a sector of the city that regularly flares up with violence. Ramos said the latest group of shootings on the East Side appear to be unconnected. "We don't believe any of these shootings or murders are related to one another," Ramos said. "We're just having a hard time keeping up." Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns Roy McClure had been gone for days. Calls to his phone had gone to voice mail, his wife wrote in a Thursday Facebook post asking people to let her know if anyone had seen her husband. Denise McClure learned on the same day that Roy was killed in a hit-and-run crash days earlier, on Nov. 17, seven weeks after he survived the Oct. 1 Las Vegas massacre. Roy McClure was in Pahrump in southern Nevada, about 60 miles west of Las Vegas, the day he was killed. He had a fight with a friend and took off about 2 a.m. and was not heard from since, Denise McClure wrote on Facebook. The crash occurred at Homestead Road and Highway 160 in Pahrump, NBC affiliate KSNV reported. A spokesman for the Nevada Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to a call and email from The Washington Post, but the agency told local media that McClure was walking illegally on the highway when the crash occurred. Roy McClure left behind not only his wife, but also two sisters, Denise McClure said. The Washington Post was not able to immediately reach McClure on Sunday, but she told KSNV that her husband had been attending therapy sessions since the Route 91 Harvest festival massacre. On that day in October, a gunman on the 32nd floor hotel suite of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino rained down bullets on thousands of concertgoers. The shooter, Stephen Paddock, was found later found dead inside the suite. Nearly 60 people were killed and hundreds were injured. The massacre is the deadliest mass shooting in the country's recent history. Denise McClure said she and her husband were at the concert. As they were escaping from bullets, Roy McClure stopped along the way to help people, she told KSNV. "Those who knew him know he had his battles but also knew he had a big heart. He was a survivor of the Route 91 shooting, instead of running away he went back in. He helped transport people to the hospital. Roy also loved helping people and would literally give the shirt off his back," Denise McClure wrote on Facebook. Criminal charges are pending against the driver, KSNV reported. It's unclear why the driver fled or whether alcohol was involved. "This isn't what I wanted for him," Denise McClure told the TV station. "I don't understand why he wasn't taken at the shooting, but a month later he was taken this way. I hope my husband found peace and he's safe now." A month before Roy McClure's death, a California couple who also survived the Las Vegas shooting died outside their Southern California home in Murrieta. Dennis and Lorraine Carver were killed in a fiery crash just before 11 p.m. on Oct. 16. Dennis Carver was trying to round a curve when the 2010 Mercedes-Benz sedan he was driving veered off the roadway and into a grassy area, said Officer William Strom, a traffic officer for the California Highway Patrol. The car crashed into a metal intercom speaker. Its back struck a brick column that was part of a fence; the impact ripped the car's rear axle and ruptured the gas tank, Strom said. The car struck another brick column, rolled onto its side and caught fire. Strom said the couple died immediately. Police do not suspect foul play. The couple, who lived part-time in Henderson, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas, left behind two daughters, ages 20 and 16. lasvegas-survivor WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans are seriously considering several last-minute changes to their tax legislation in an effort to mollify wavering members, four people familiar with the discussions said, as GOP leaders seek to keep their members from defecting ahead of crucial votes this week. The lawmakers attracting the most concern from leadership and the White House are Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., who say the current version of the bill favors corporations over other businesses. There are numerous members demanding changes, and their needs don't all overlap. Together, the requests put Republican leaders in a difficult position, as they attempt to accommodate individual holdouts on a one-off basis without losing other members or creating a situation in which the bill collapses under the weight of disparate demands. Adding to the leaders' difficulty, the total size of the tax plan cannot be more than $1.5 trillion over a decade, so adding new benefits could force Republicans to find ways to raise additional revenue. Presently, they only have roughly $80 billion in wiggle room to use, a small sum because many of the changes would be spread out over 10 years. The four people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the internal discussions. Johnson and Daines want changes to the bill they believe would help certain companies that file through the individual income tax code. These companies, often known as "pass-throughs," can be small businesses but also include larger firms with many employees. There are millions of such companies in the United States, and they account for the bulk of U.S. firms. Currently, in the Senate bill, these companies are allowed to deduct 17.4 percent of their income from their tax liability. Negotiators are looking at expanding that credit up to about 20 percent, two of the people said. It's unclear if Johnson would accept these changes as sufficient, and a final decision hasn't been made. If Republican leaders believe Johnson's demands have become too unreasonable, they could try and forge ahead without his vote. Spokesmen for Johnson and Daines didn't have an immediate comment on the discussions. There are 52 Republicans in the 100-seat Senate, and GOP leaders can only afford to lose two votes if they want to pass their bill because Democrats are expected to unite in opposition against it. Typically, tax bills require 60 votes in order to clear procedural hurdles, but Republicans are trying to pass the package through a process known as "reconciliation" that only requires a majority of votes. At least six GOP members have raised concerns about specific provisions in the GOP tax bill, though none has flatly said they plan to vote against it this week. Johnson came closest, saying he opposed the measure but later suggesting he could support it with changes. Senate Republicans have received criticism because their tax plan does not allow individuals, families, and pass-through companies to deduct their state and local taxes from their taxable income. The tax plan does allow firms that pay corporate income taxes to deduct their state and local taxes. To create more parity, negotiators are considering putting new curbs on the ability of corporations to deduct state and local taxes from their income. The money this change frees up could be used for other tax benefits for companies. Senate Republicans are also seriously considering a change requested by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, which would allow Americans to deduct $10,000 in local property taxes from their taxable income. This provision was in a bill that passed the House of Representatives, but it is not in the Senate bill. Though Collins has voiced the most concerns about its absence, other members have quietly said they also want the change to be made. Making this change could cost more than $100 billion over 10 years and would probably require Republicans to find new money to offset it. The changes could be made - or attempted to be made - over the course of the week. Voting on the tax measure is scheduled to begin Tuesday, as the Senate Budget Committee plans to take a procedural step that afternoon that would effectively send the tax bill to the Senate floor. But Johnson is on the budget panel, and he could demand changes by Tuesday in order to win his vote. If he blocks the tax bill in the Budget Committee and is joined by Sen. Bob Corker, (R-Tenn.), who has raised separate concerns, the package could quickly die. The tax package is a combination of changes for companies and individuals that would lower rates in a way Republicans say would lead to more growth and hiring. But Democrats have said the tax changes are uneven, offering long-term benefits for companies and the wealthy and temporary tax cuts for individuals and families. It would add between $1.4 trillion and $1.5 trillion to the debt over 10 years, budget forecasters have said, though Democrats and Republicans differ over how much economic growth the plan would trigger. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate WASHINGTON More than a decade ago, Congressman Al Green had a "romantic encounter" with a former aide in Houston, which later led to an allegation of sexual assault and talk of lawsuits and employee discrimination. As quickly as the incident popped up, it quieted down again in a 2008 agreement between the two. Resolved or not, the episode was back in the news Monday as Green put out a statement explaining that he and the woman, Lucinda Daniels, are "consenting friends" and "regret [their] former claims" and that there was no payment ever made in the case. Now Playing: Rep. Al Green announces a very special / early Christmas gift for those in favor of impeachment! Video: NowThis News "In the present climate, we wish to jointly quiet any curious minds about our former and present relationship with one another," Green and Daniels said in a joint statement, which Green signed in trademark green ink. "We are friends, and have long been friends. At an unfortunate time in our lives, when both of our feelings were hurt, we hastily made allegations against one another that have been absolutely resolved." The statement came amid heightened sensitivities about sexual harassment and misbehavior in Congress, following high-profile accusations of harassment against business and media celebrities. Hours before Green's office sent out the statement unbidden, Minnesota Democrat Al Franken publicly apologized outside his Senate office for past harassment allegations involving two different women. It also came days after Michigan U.S. Rep. John Conyers agreed to step down as the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee over allegations of sexual harassment, and less than a week after Texas U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, a Dallas-area Republican, apologized for a nude photo he admitted sending to a woman with whom he was having an extra-marital affair two years ago. Another Texas congressman, Blake Farenthold, faced sexual harassment allegations in 2014 brought by a fired former staffer. The Corpus Christi Republican denied any wrongdoing and the case was settled out of court. The full House is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution requiring all members and their staffs to complete a program of training in workplace rights and responsibilities. An aide said Green, 70, simply wanted to clear the air in light of recent attacks on conservative social media and news sites principally the One America News Network in the month since he introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. One America posted a three-minute report on Oct. 19 covering Green's long-forgotten case, titled "Democrat Rep. Al Green's secret sexual assault allegation." Among the viewer comments was one suggesting Green should be "lynched and left hanging in the woods as 'strange fruit,'" an echo of the death threats Green received over his impeachment move. Like Conyers, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Green is African-American. The aide said the decade-old allegations did not involve Green's congressional office nor the taxpayer-funded Office of House Employment Counsel. Nor were they secret. Green publicly withdrew a lawsuit in December 2008 that he had filed three months earlier asking a federal judge to find that he never discriminated against Daniels, the former director of his Houston office. Ben Hall, an attorney representing Green, asked that the case be dismissed because Daniels had signed a written agreement dropping all claims against congressman without payment or promise of money. Green and Daniels also released a public statement at the time saying they had "resolved their respective disputes" and "wish each other well." Green's lawsuit had alleged that Daniels was threatening to sue him for workplace discrimination if he didn't pay her. But Daniels' never filed the suit. In late October of that year, days before Green faced an election in southwest Houston's Ninth District, her attorney, Chip Lewis, called but then cancelled a news conference to talk about the congressman. A spokesman for Green, who was first elected in 2004, acknowledged at the time that Green and Daniels had a "romantic encounter" at her home in May, 2007. But Green denied any claims of sexual assault. Neither Green nor Daniels were giving interviews Monday. In their joint statement, they said that "as friends, we have both agreed that we see no need to make further statements regarding this absolutely resolved matter." The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Symphony Orchestra will host "Home for the Holidays with Helen Welch" Dec. 8 at the University of Akron's E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. The performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m., features holiday favorites, inspirational songs and traditional carols performed by Welch and the Akron Symphony Orchestra. A critically acclaimed vocalist, Welch has performed at venues both locally and throughout the world, according to a news release. The concert also features a winter carnival in the lobby, with an appearance and photo opportunity with Elsa of "Frozen," crafts, performances from the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy Royal Ringers and the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Choir and a visit from Santa. The carnival begins at 6 p.m. and admission is included in the ticket price. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at www.akronsymphony.org or by calling 330-535-8131. Tickets will also be available at the door before the performance, if available. An after-party featuring drink specials and live music will take place following the concert at Jilly's Music Room, 111 N. Main St., Akron. Want more Akron news? , an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. BEDFORD, Ohio -- Xellia Pharmaceuticals, the Danish company that took over the former Ben Venue Laboratories complex in Bedford two years ago, is hiring 70 employees as it prepares to begin manufacturing in 2018. Xellia expects to hold an invitation-only hiring event Dec. 13 to fill openings for mechanics and operators at the facility, where the company will produce sterile injectable drugs. Prospective candidates must apply online. Xellia will contact the applicants the company wants to interview in person. For details, visit http://bit.ly/2A549wU. Niels Lynge Agerbaek, the plant's general manager, said the company prefers people with experience in the field; however, candidates with transferable skills, such as past employment packaging food into sterile containers, also could be a fit. "If you don't have any pharmaceutical operations experience, but maybe you have an aseptic experience from the food industry, or if you have manufacturing experience, we are going to take that into consideration," Agerbaek said. Though Xellia is targeting a limited array of workers now, the company could make additional hires, in engineering, quality assurance and supply-chain functions, during the next few months. A global business headquartered in Copenhagen, Xellia specializes in anti-infective treatments. The company began hiring in Bedford about a year ago, after getting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to start packaging and distribution operations at the former Ben Venue labs, which ceased operations in 2013. So far, the company has hired 130 people to work in its laboratories and its warehouse and distribution center. Xellia still needs FDA approval to manufacture here. Most of the products being packaged and distributed in Bedford come from the company's European facilities. Agerbaek said the Xellia is on schedule to receive FDA approval in 2018. "A huge amount of renovation has been going on. We're operating with upgraded equipment and we're getting all the paperwork together to make sure we are in compliance to pass inspection," he said. "We have been having a very close dialogue with the FDA," Agerbaek added, noting that the agency performed a pre-inspection during the summer in preparation for the final inspection next year. Xellia Pharmaceuticals on Northfield Road in Bedford. The company anticipates growing to 200 workers in Bedford next year, at a facility where Ben Venue employed about 1,100 people just a few years ago. "We have future plans for the site, but they are still under development," Agerbaek said. Bedford City Manager Michael Mallis will be delighted if Xellia surpasses that 200-employee mark. He considers it promising that the company has made Bedford the center of its U.S. distribution operation. "They were very up front with us with both their short-term and their larger goals," Mallis said of Xellia. "They're calling Bedford home. "At the end of the day, they're making a major commitment to development, a major commitment to manufacturing and a major commitment to job creation in Northeast Ohio," he said. "That is something that we are very, very excited about. It is an honor to call them a corporate partner. We're thrilled." CLEVELAND, Ohio - Creation of a voluntary furlough program and the restoration of money for demolitions are among Cuyahoga County Council's proposed amendments to the 2018-2019 budget. Other proposed changes to Executive Armond Budish's budget include keeping MetroHealth as the medical provider at the county jail, not outsourcing food service at the jail and providing more money for the public defender's office and juvenile court. Council agreed with Budish and did not increase the budget for the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services board to address the opioid crisis. But council added funds for two new programs: $50,000 a year to the Spanish American Committee to provide services to Puerto Ricans who have relocated following Hurricane Maria. $40,000 in 2018 for a pilot drug awareness and prevention program in the Parma School District, at the request of the Medical Examiner's office. Council found money to add or reinstate programs through several measures, including reducing a contingency fund by $2 million each of the two years and reducing the economic development fund by $1.5 million a year which would be covered by expected higher repayments of outstanding loans. Council approved the amendments and is expected to approve the final budget at its Dec. 12 meeting. See the proposed changes below or click here if on a mobile device. Here are the highlights: A 10-day voluntary furlough program in 2018 and 2019: The county had a mandatory five-day furlough program in 2010 and 2011. A voluntary program in 2012 and 2013 saved about $1 million a year. The budget estimates the program would save $500,000 a year, which could be conservative. Restore funds for the demolition program: The move would involve using this year's $8 million balance in 2018 and add $9 million in 2019. Retain MetroHealth: Council members said they would rather maintain their strong relationship with the MetroHealth System than save $1.5 million a year by changing medical providers at the county jail. Homeless services: Provide more funds for the county's homeless, primarily focusing on the Norma Herr Women's Center, where concerns have been raised about crowding, lack of services, poor food and inattentive staff. The program, currently run by FrontLine Service, will be operated by the YWCA beginning in May. Fine imposed for not registering rental properties: The proposed fine would be $50 instead of the $150 suggested by administrators. Senior and adult services: Provide $300,000 in 2019 for a proposed faith-based program to work with seniors. Juvenile Court: Provide a total of $4.8 million from the general fund and tax revenues from health and human services levies for 2018 at the request of Administrative Judge Kristin Sweeney, but work to adjust the funding for 2019. Public Defender's Office: Add $1.3 million a year. Public Defender Mark Stanton made an impassioned plea to council for more staff, technology, training and publications. Internal Auditor and Inspector General: Provide $300,000 a year to hire three employees for the two independent investigative offices. Department of Development: Eliminate five of six proposed positions. Information Technology Department: Reduce personnel costs by $1.1 million a year. Enterprise Resource Planning Department: Freeze hiring until a consultant determines appropriate staffing. This story has been corrected. The YWCA will take over operations of the women's shelter. America went and did it: We put a troll in charge of the country. And surprise! Things are not working out well. But to be fair, this isn't the first time. See, four score and however many more you need to add to make it 156 years ago, there was another smack-talking, shit-stirring prankster jackass leading the country. That man was Abraham Lincoln. He was America's first, and greatest, President Troll. 6 Lincoln Opened The Emancipation Proclamation With A Comedy Routine The Emancipation Proclamation is one of Lincoln's greatest accomplishments, second only to actually pulling off a stovepipe hat. The executive order is best-known for freeing countless enslaved human beings, so that's neat, but the whole thing was rather unprecedented from start to finish. Lincoln drafted the order himself, and then presented it to his Cabinet as something he had already decided to do. That's the 19th-century equivalent of announcing major military policy changes over Twitter. Aware of the bomb he was about to drop, Lincoln kicked it all off with an opening monologue. A ... comedic opening monologue. To the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln called his Cabinet together for a monumental, history-changing meeting, but first he made them sit through a comedy routine. It was a story titled "A High-Handed Outrage in Utica," by Artemus Ward, a popular 19th-century humorist. An excerpt: "What under the son are you abowt?" cried I. Sez he, "What did you bring this pussylanermus cuss here fur?" & he hit the wax figger another tremenjus blow on the hed. Cloud News CRN Exclusive: Nexla Unleashes Data Store Support For Amazon Athena, Redshift Gina Narcisi Share this Nexla, a data operations provider, said at AWS Re:Invent that its platform now supports Apache Parquet, which will let businesses convert data into Parquet for optimized, cost-effective queries in Amazon Athena and Redshift Spectrum. The startup said it is also seeking out more channel partners as demand grows for hybrid networking and multi-cloud solutions. Founded in 2016, Millbrae, Calif.-based Nexla has developed a data operations platform that uses machine-learning technology to monitor, adapt and securely move data between companies in real time. Now with Parquet support, Nexla's platform can transform and convert any data source into the open-source column-oriented data store for 45 percent lower query costs on average and 25 times faster query speeds, Jarah Euston, Nexla's co-founder and vice president, told CRN. [Related: The 10 Coolest Big Data Startups Of 2017 (So Far)] By supporting Parquet, customers using Amazon Athena or Redshift Spectrum will directly benefit. That's because both big data services base pricing on the amount of data scanned during a query. Converting data into Parquet can give users a significant cost and performance benefit because technology like Parquet ensures that only relevant columns of data are scanned, Euston explained. "This can dramatically reduce query costs for customers because Amazon Athena doesn't have to query all files," she said. At the same time, businesses using the Nexla platform don't need a data engineer to integrate third-party data sources or maintain and write ETL scripts, she said. Nexla's Software-as-a-Service-based platform has an intercompany focus compared with competing data operations vendors, Euston said. "Businesses more and more often need to integrate with data from partners, whether it's customers, suppliers or other third-party data sources, and a lot of other tools on the market aren't really set up to help integrate with data sources that you can't control," Euston said. Today, Nexla works with a small group of MSP and ISV partners, but the company is looking to expand its partner program. "We're still really early stage with developing our channel program partnership, but we see the channel as something that will be very important for us," she said. For its part, Nexla wants to help businesses and data scientists take advantage of services from players such as Amazon without having to wait in a data engineering queue, Euston said. "We really want to put the power in the hands of the data-aware business user. What we are able to do with [Amazon] Athena and Parquet is just one example," she added. Nexla first caught the attention of the industry in March when it won the top prize in the Startup Showcase at the Strata + Hadoop World conference. In May, the company said it had raised $3.5 million in funding led by Blumberg Capital with participation from Storm Ventures, Engineering Capital and Correlation Ventures. Data center News CRN Exclusive: Dell Global Channels President Byrne Moves To Top North America Sales Job; Dell Veteran Taking Global Channel Chief Post Mark Haranas Share this Dell EMC President of Global Channels John Byrne, the hard-charging channel advocate that drove robust partner sales growth during his tenure as channel chief, is taking a new job running Dell's North America commercial sales. Joyce Mullen, an 18-year Dell veteran who is currently senior vice president of OEM and Internet of Things solutions, is taking on the global channel chief job running Dell's $43 billion global channels business, effective immediately. Her new title is president of global channels, OEM and IoT Solutions. Byrne, who took the global channel job in July, 2016, is credited by partners with playing a crucial role in integrating Dell's and EMC's partner programs in the wake of Round Rock, Texas-based Dell's $58 billion merger with EMC, the largest tech merger in history. Americas sales accounts for about 50 percent of Dell's annual sales. [Related: Dell EMC's Cook On New Tier Thresholds, Potential VMware Program Integration, VeloCloud, And Pushing Partners To Go 'All In'] Dell President and Chief Commercial Officer Marius Haas, who oversees both the global channel organization and North America sales, said he and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell made the decision to put Byrne into the sales job to "drive a transformation" in what is the largest and most intensely competitive region for the company. "With the results that John has driven in conjunction with the channel team, this was a slam-dunk, easy decision to make," he said. "This was a no brainer." As for Mullen, who will now run a combined OEM, IoT and Global Channels organization, Haas called her one of the brightest and talented executives in the company. He said she is an "action-oriented individual" who is a go-to person in the company to get things done. "She is on it like a pit bull," said Haas. "We are excited that we have this talent in-house, and we are excited about the next phase of the journey we are embarking on." Byrne said one of his top priorities will be aggressively driving partners to grow Dell storage sales, which experienced a mid-single digit decline in orders in the most recent quarter. "We will aggressively attack the market, gain share, drive improvements and attack services like crazy across all routes to markets. We're going to attack the living daylights out of all things storage from hyper-converged to arrays," said Byrne. "Expect all those foundational things we built in the channel organizations to be a 'rinse and repeat' into the North America organization. It is the biggest region within our partner community. It's the biggest opportunity around the globe." Mullen, who has played key roles overseeing global strategy, planning and software alliances, said she is looking forward to the "great opportunity" to lead partners into the future. "We have a great foundation. We're going to keep building on that," she told CRN. "There should be no expectation for a change of priorities or a change in how we're thinking about the channel or any of that. We're going to continue to build on the great foundation that John and his team have built." Under Byrne's leadership, Dell's percentage of sales through partners has increased dramatically to about 55 percent of an anticipated $78.5 billion in sales this year. Before the acquisition of EMC, Dell's channel sales amounted to about 33 percent of its commercial business. What's more, 80 percent of Dell partners are now selling multiple products lines, up considerably since the merger. Dell CEO Michael Dell told CRN during his appearance at the Best of Breed conference earlier this year that 70 percent of Dell Technologies partners earned higher payouts this year than they did last year. Mullen has been with Dell since 1999 in various executive positions and has lead the OEM channel partner program that supports thousands of OEM customers since its conception in 2012. She leads a team of sales, operations, engineering, marketing and operational professionals for the multi-billion-dollar division, according to her bio on Dell's website. "The whole plan for the next several weeks is to just listen to partners and to understand from our team members and our partner community the good, the bad and the ugly," she told CRN. "What do we need to do better? What are we doing well? What is really not working? I am starting with huge ears listening, trying to figure out where we should put our energies and our focus." Mobility News Review: Lenovo's Yoga 920 Is A Windows 2-in-1 That Could Lure MacBook Pro Fans Kyle Alspach Share this We'll skip to the bottom line on Lenovo's Yoga 920: It's as good as they come for Windows 2-in-1s this year. The 13.9-inch convertible notebook has style, performance and some useful extras along with fixes to flaws that appeared in its predecessor, the Yoga 910. [Related: Lenovo's New ThinkPad X1 Carbon Is A Highly Portable Workhorse] The Yoga 920 also has plenty you won't find in Apple's latest MacBook Pro. Our tryout in the CRN Test Center suggests the Yoga 920 may be Lenovo's most serious alternative yet to the MacBook Pro, even as Apple's workhorse laptop sees a resurgence in sales. For creative professionals that gravitate toward the Apple universe, the Yoga 920 might be tempting for a few reasons. To start, the laptop works with Lenovo's Active Pen 2, marking the first time a Yoga 900 series laptop supports the digital pen. We found the pen to work smoothly in our tryout for such things as drawing, scribbling notes and highlighting text. The MacBook Pro, of course, doesn't have an option for a touch-screen display and can't offer this sort of functionality to creatives. While we're talking about the display, the Yoga 920 also has an option for higher resolution than the MacBook Pro 4K/UHD (3,840 x 2,160)--along with an entry-level FHD model. The MacBook Pro, by contrast, offers 2,560 x 1,600 for its 13-inch model and 2,880 x 1,800 for its 15-inch model. Ultrasharp and bright, the Yoga 920's 4K display is the best we've tried on a Windows laptop this year. It's also worth noting that the 13.9-inch size continues feeling to us like the ideal size for a laptop display, in terms of providing a good amount of screen space without getting too bulky overall. Creative pros, in particular, may appreciate having more room to work on the Yoga 920 display than they'd get on the Dell XPS 13 or the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Lenovo, of course, pioneered the 2-in-1 notebook with its Yoga product line. And it's clear to us that the company continues to lead the category with the addition of Yoga 920 -- featuring the sturdy, metallic watchband hinge for 360 degrees of display flexibility. We especially like having the 2-in-1 capability for plane rides and other cramped spaces. It's a real game-changer to be able to fold the screen halfway or all the way back for easier reading or Netflixing on a long flight. Lenovo delivers a highly appealing design with the aluminum body on the Yoga 920, which was redesigned from past models. Our unit came with the "platinum" (i.e., silver) color, which resembles that of the MacBook Pro color scheme, while the Yoga 920 is also available in bronze. We should mention here two of the Yoga 910's flaws that Lenovo corrects in the Yoga 920. The biggest is on the keyboard. With the Yoga 910, we were among the many that observed that the crucial shift key was in a strange place on the right-hand side. What Lenovo had done was reduce the size of the right shift to make room for a larger up arrow key but for us and others, that just led to constant typing mistakes. Lenovo includes a mea culpa in its guide for reviewers: "Customer feedback showed that many traditional typists preferred a full-sized shift key as opposed to the larger directional arrow keys." Thus the shift key is back where it belongs on the Yoga 920. Overall we had a good experience with the keyboard. The keys are not all that deep, so it's not the best laptop keyboard we've ever used, but it's still superior in our view to the shallow MacBook Pro keyboard. Mea culpa No. 2 is on the camera, which had been located underneath the display on the Yoga 910. In the reviewers' guide, Lenovo notes that this "meant that during videoconferencing, the camera showed a less flattering view." For the 920, the camera is put in its usual place above the display. As for the internal specs on the Yoga 920, there's little to disappoint. The laptop is one of the first on the market to feature Intel's eighth-gen Core processors, and the performance was ultra-speedy in our tryout, with web pages and applications loading in an instant. Our unit included the Core i7 chip and 16 GB of RAM. Notably, in Intel's eighth-generation chips (aka Kaby Lake R), even the Core i5 processors are quad-core for boosted performance. As the Yoga 920 comes with an option for either eighth-gen Core i5 or i7, even the entry-level model of the laptop will come with a speedy four-core chip. In the ever-important area of battery life, the Yoga 920 yielded seven hours on a charge for us, with 75 percent brightness and heavy usage. That's a great result for a 4K touch-screen laptop, and the battery life could of course be extended further with the battery saver mode and less touch-screen use. Cutting back on using the touch screen won't be a huge issue because the touchpad on the Yoga 920 is fantastic -- nearly as good as that of the superb MacBook Pro touchpad. The only disadvantage in comparison is a little bit of latency in Google's Chrome browser, a persistent issue with Windows laptops that isn't a problem in the macOS universe. On portability, the Yoga 920 weighs the same amount as the 13-inch MacBook Pro 3.02 pounds. So it's not the lightest notebook you'll find, a trade-off for including the premium metal materials. The Yoga 920 is pretty thin however, at 0.55 of an inch thick, versus the 13-inch MacBook Pro (0.59 of an inch thick) and 15-inch MacBook Pro (0.61 of an inch). The only significant concern we have with the Yoga 920 is the fan, which typically came on during charging and then stayed on for much of the charging process. It wasn't exactly quiet, either. This was an issue that we'd noticed with the Yoga 910 as well. We wouldn't consider it a deal-breaker with the Yoga 920, though, since you often won't be around when the laptop is charging (we didn't notice it while using the laptop unplugged). On price, even though it has many features the MacBook Pro doesn't have such as the convertible touch-screen display, digital pen and eighth-gen Intel processor -- the Yoga 920 is still more affordable. The starting price for the Yoga 920 is $1,200 (with FHD display, eighth-gen Core i5, 8 GB RAM). The entry-level MacBook Pro (with a notably slower seventh-gen Core i5 and 8 GB of RAM) starts at $1,299. The Yoga 920 with UHD display starts at $1,800 (which also brings eighth-gen Core i7 and 16 GB RAM). By comparison, that's roughly the same price as the 13-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro (which has a seventh-gen Core i5 processor, half the RAM, and a smaller, lower-res non-touch display). Compared to Apple's latest MacBook Pro, the Yoga 920 offers a lot more value for the money so long as you're OK going with Windows over macOS. The Week Ending Sept. 15 At the top of this week's roundup of those having a tough week is Brocade, which will shed hundreds of employees as its acquisition by Broadcom approaches. Also making the list are Tech Data, for its Hurricane Irma-related difficulties; Google, which lost its channel chief; Kaspersky Lab; for its federal government worries; and Equifax, for its ongoing helplessness following one of the worst data breaches in modern IT history. Not everyone in the IT industry was having a rough go of it this week. For a rundown of companies that made smart decisions, executed savvy strategic moves or just had good luck check out this week's Five Companies That Came To Win roundup. It's that time of year again. Santa is making his rounds in southwestern Connecticut. The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back hundreds of years to a monk named St. Nicholas. According to History.com, "it is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick." MILFORD A Bridgeport woman is accused of leaving two children alone in the food court of the Connecticut Post shopping mall on Friday afternoon. According to the Milford Police Department, officers responded to the mall shortly after 4:15 p.m. Friday on a report of an unattended juvenile. An investigation let to the discovery of Hasenah Alessi, 30, of Golden Hill Street, who allegedly left a 2-year-old and an 8-year-old unattended in the food court while Alessi shopped at Macys. Contributed / Contributed DERBY Mutual Security Credit Union recently donated $1,000 to Griffin Hospitals Valley Goes Pink campaign to help improve breast cancer services in the Lower Naugatuck Valley area. The donation was collected through the sale of pink bracelets at Mutual Securitys branches. Originally founded in 1954, Mutual Security is now one of the largest state-charted, community-based credit unions in Connecticut. In this Americas Small-Business Heroes edition of The Fix, Entrepreneur Associate Editor Lydia Belanger shares her conversations with founders and executives who have solved problems while keeping social impact in mind. Pickles might seem like one of the simplest foods out there, but making them is hard work. McClures Pickles co-founder Joe McClure is no stranger to the arduous labor the process involves. He and his brother and co-founder, Bob, spent their childhoods helping their mom and dad with batches of their great-grandma Lala's recipe, and they used to run McClures production from their respective homes in Michigan and New York when they first started, before they moved their entire operation to their hometown of Detroit and scaled up there. Still, in spring 2017, McClure had a wake-up call about the strain of making pickles when an employee quit because of it. The man had been responsible for lifting more than 500 40-pound boxes of full jars per day, sometimes moving them from the ground to a height of five feet to place them onto pallets. After three and a half years, he was worn out and in pain from the job. I took it for granted, McClure says of his employees work, because Im not in that position all day. Related: These Are the Most Common, and Expensive, Injuries at Work Despite distributing its products, which include pickles, relish, bloody mary, chips and brine, to more than 4,000 retailers in the U.S., the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, the company has just 33 employees today (plus eight seasonal workers). Many of them have been with the company for years. When someone quits -- and fewer than five people have done so due to injury over the course of 11 years -- the small team feels the reverberations. Image credit: McClure's Pickles In addition to coming to terms with the unfortunate fact that an employee had been injured on the job and that the company would be losing a valued team member, McClure also was faced with hiring someone to do the same strenuous job. This moment changed how McClure thought about not only the people running his operation, but also the machines. The fix All of the cucumber slicing, jar-filling and lid twisting that goes into pickle making takes its toll on the body. To combat this, the 11-year-old company has added machines to assist with some of that work over the years, with the goal of scaling the operation and while also minimizing tedious, sometimes dangerous tasks. First, McClures added a machine, back in 2009, to add labels to its jars. Before this, McClure says, three to four employees would spend afternoons hand-labeling them and stamping each with a batch code. This created a huge bottleneck of jars waiting for the finishing touches before they could be shipped, and the company often couldnt get orders out the door on time for this reason. In 2010, the company purchased its first slicing machine. For the first four years, employees had sliced all pickles by hand, and while no fingers were lost, McClure says, time was. It was hard to prep and cut enough cucumbers for the demand that we had, McClure says. Our hours would get longer and longer, we werent fulfilling our ecommerce orders and customers would get upset. Although adding a slicing machine dramatically reduced cuts and injuries, the primary motive for implementing it was to streamline the operation. McClures later added brine-filling and lid-capping machines as a result of inefficiency, this time more directly due to worker injuries. These processes were previously limited by workers capacities to perform the jobs. The company had to rotate people out every hour throughout their six-hour shifts, assigning them to a different workstation in the facility while they recovered from the repetitive tasks of twisting lids and pouring heavy pitchers of hot brine. In addition to these forms of automation, the company has a conveyor to move jars from station to station. Image credit: McClure's Pickles The next piece, though, will be McClures first robot, which the company expects will be working by January. Its a robotic arm that will help with the box-lifting job. McClure did some research when his employee quit and came upon this solution. He says he hopes to learn how to program it, then teach employees to do so. That way, McClures wont replace a human with a robot -- just a physically demanding job with a cognitively demanding one. Related: Here's How This Company Is Adding Robots But Also Keeping Its Workers The results Remember the employee who quit six months ago because his back hurt? Well, McClure reached out to him, told him about the robot, as well as the opportunity to program it, and he told the company hed love to give it a shot. Now, hes back on board. Automation has increased output for McClures without decreasing jobs, despite the fact that many people associate robots with job-stealing. When the company had just five employees and no automation in 2006, it produced 600 units of product per day. In 2010, with 20 employees and 20 percent of its facility automated, it was churning out 2,000 units a day, and today, with the robot still pending, McClures operations are 60 percent automated, and about 41 employees (including seasonal) produce 6,500 units a day. Thanks to machinery thats made production more efficient, as well as the longtime employees who have worked alongside it, the companys sales have grown between 10 and 20 percent annually since its founding in 2006. McClure adds, above all, when the box-lifter temporarily resigned, a lightbulb went off for him. It taught him the importance of listening to his employees and what their experience is like day in and day out. We have more frequent and regular meetings and a very open-dialogue environment, a roundtable with not only the managers, but a lot of people doing the mundane tasks, McClure says. Issues that have come up include shift start and end times, sanitation concerns and equipment malfunctions. Image credit: McClure's Pickles Sometimes, they might even launch a brainstorm about how to speed up an aspect of the production process. The people doing it know the frustrations and can figure it out better than me sitting from afar, McClure says, and with automation, he foresees hiring more workers that will be able to spend more time thinking about process efficiency than doing the labor itself. He also says that his employees tell him they feel encouraged by improvements such as tools that make their jobs easier. If we stayed kind of stagnant and static, I think we would've lost a lot more people, because they wouldnt have seen us changing, McClure says. We are a fairly rapidly changing company, and I think that helps retain a lot of the key associates. A lot of people on the production side have been here since we started the company. Image credit: McClure's Pickles In line with this thinking, the company has room for improvement. McClure notes the problem of a bottleneck of products as automation makes some parts of the assembly line more efficient than others. He says the company tries to minimize this, as well as out-of-stock issues, but they still happen. Thats part of the reason its brought on seasonal workers. To get where we want to go in the next five to 10 years, more and more automation needs to come on, McClure says. Its kind of a double-edged sword: Well never be able to grow without automation, and growth means hiring more people. Another take From a safety standpoint, robots are one of many solutions that have the potential to minimize worker injuries. U.S. companies spend $170 billion a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration However, companies planning to add new machinery or even processes to boost efficiency, safety or both should keep in mind that these might come with new risks, says John Dony, who serves as director of environmental, health, safety and sustainability at the nonprofit National Safety Council (the organization responsible for the Click It or Ticket seatbelt campaign in the 1970s), as well as director of the Campbell Institute within the Council. You often introduce some new risks and hazards when you bring in a piece of equipment, he says. Youve got moving parts, youve got things that are rotating, youve got heavy arms that are manipulating things. So you always have to be cautious that youre not removing one set of hazards and introducing a worse set. Thats very often not the case, but you do have to control for all of those sorts of things. Similarly, Dony says, a company opens the door to safety hazards whenever it redesigns, disrupts or adds a process. Those managing the change should look from the start to the end point of the workflow to identify and prevent problems. If a company is adding a machine, Dony notes, it should be careful not to over-rely on it. In warehousing, I think a lot of organizations in the logistics space have really aggressive goals and targets for the individuals that work those jobs, because theres so much help from automation, Dony says. That leads to issues that arent directly physical, like stress and anxiety. He explains that in the last five to 10 years, hes noticed a trend reshaping how people approach workplace safety to account for these factors, and that Germany has recently began enforcing a limit on the quantified level of stress employers can put employees under. Estimates for return on business investments toward safety vary widely, Dony has found in his 10 years with the Council, in terms of money these efforts save businesses in medical and insurance costs, worker absences due to injury and worker turnover and retraining. Plus, its even more difficult to quantify the ROI of company morale and reputation when incidents are minimized. He says someone asks him a question related to the costs of safety breaches nearly every day. Despite the research thats been done on it, despite the fact that people can feel it in their guts, its still something that feels like it needs to be justified, Dony says. Most mature organizations are balancing out that lagging look with leading indicators of, How can we prevent the next incident from happening? and What data is going to tell us, This is where were going to see a problem? Related video: 7 Mistakes Sales Managers Make That Cost Them Time, Money and Employees Related: Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com While moms all over the world face a whole host of struggles when it comes to the workplace, this office is actually rewarding them. Bumble - the ladies first dating app launched by ex-Tinder founder Whitney Wolfe - has just opened its shiny new headquarters in Austin, Texas, and Femail got an inside look into what is probably the most women-friendly office in existence. Here, there is no such thing as a 9-5 working day, free blowouts and manicures are among the perks, its equipped with a Mommy Bar for nursing, and every new mother is gifted a $1,000 breast pump voucher when they give birth. Dream office: Bumble's new headquarters in Austin, Texas, is focused on its female employees - and includes a salon and a nursing room Lifting spirits: Every mother at the company is given a $1,000 breast pump voucher when they give birth An open space: The company's founder, Whitney Wolfe, co-founded the company two years ago, eager to create a dating app that gave women the control over conversations Whitney, a 27-year-old Austin native who just graced the cover of Forbes 30 Under 30 issue, recently moved with her team of 70, of which only six are men, into a large new office space that they have dubbed The Hive. The move comes just a few years after Whitney launched Bumble - which now boasts more than 24 million users and is rumored to be valued at $1billion - back in 2014, after leaving rival dating app Tinder. Whitney co-founded the original matchmaking service two years prior, but quit over claims of sexual harassment, suing the company, and using text message conversations with her co-founder - and then-boyfriend - Justin Mateen as evidence. In her lawsuit, she stated that Tinder removed her title as co-founder after she broke up with Justin, and Whitney's suit also targeted Tinder CEO Sean Rad, who allegedly heard Mr Mateen call Whitney a 'w****' and did nothing. She isnt allowed to discuss the case for legal reasons, but settled out of court and went on to set up Bumble, which works the same way as Tinder, except that only women can initiate a new chat with a match. Bumble also recently launched a professional networking function to its app called Bizz, a similar swipe-based offering to rival LinkedIn that hopes to combat sexual harassment and inequality in the workplace by letting only women initiate a conversation. Supermodel Karlie Kloss is a their ambassador. Bright and bold: The colorful space is called the 'Hive' Pun-tastic: It is also full of bee-themed phrases that link with the name of the company - even in the bathroom Fun and games: Bumble's office space even comes equipped with its own claw machine that is full of fun prizes for employees to win And you can find echoes of this forward-thinking attitude everywhere you look at the new Texas Hive. Make the first move is emblazoned on the wall in huge neon yellow capitals - the first thing you see as you enter the building. I had a personal pain point with female-to-male connecting, Whitney told Femail, discussing why she started Bumble in the first place. Entrepreneur: Whitney, 27, founded Bumble after leaving Tinder amid accusations of sexual harassment I always felt it was a disadvantage to me and to women in general. I wanted to be able to text a man first, if I wanted to, or pay for dinner. Basically, I wanted to feel empowered, and for others to as well. All the light switches in this Willy Wonka-esque office space have a different motto inscribed onto them, like Hustle, Bee creative and Breathe. Bee kind is a motto that appears on almost every wall. Equality and kindness, she explains, are Bumbles core values. We actively exclude mean people, both when it comes to hiring within the company, and the people who use the app. Users who dont play by the rules, she says, are swiftly punished or simply blocked. The Mommy Bar, though, is perhaps the Hives most stand-out feature. Its a private lactation space for our nursing mamas, she explains. We've been known to have employee's children frequent the office during team events, or when theyre simply under the weather. Changing perceptions: The office space is intended to be a welcoming environment, for both employees and their children Empowering: All the light switches in this Willy Wonka-esque office space have a different motto inscribed onto them, like Hustle, Bee creative and Breathe Celebration: Bumble's new space opened earlier this year to much fanfare and excitement This spacious room also functions as an on-site salon, its walls lined with softly-lit mirrors and beauty facilities. We provide free blowouts, hair trims, and manicures every other week to show appreciation for our busy bees, Whitney informs us. Theres no strict nine-to-five, so long as the work gets done, and the holiday program includes a remote-working week over Christmas. Dogs are welcome, of course, and theres a full bar, locally-sourced healthy lunches, with beer and kombucha (whichever you are partial to) on tap. Dress code? There is none. I don't believe there is a correlation between what you wear and how successful or how dedicated of an employee you are, Whitney says. What matters is what makes you feel comfortable and confident. All in all, its a pretty appealing offering. Want in? Whitney has committed to hiring ten new employees sourced through the apps new function, Bizz. On the condition, of course, that you make the first move. Advertisement Meghan Markle will be marrying into the world's most famous family and be able to call the Queen her grandmother-in-law and the future King, Prince George, her nephew. But Meghan, 36, isn't the only one to be embracing a new family, with Prince Harry gaining a set of in-laws in the form of the Markle family. Harry, 33, has already met Doria, most notably at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September, but it is unclear whether any of his fiance's other relatives have been introduced. A far-cry from the Middleton millionaire entrepreneurs that Prince William calls in-laws, it is fair to say that Meghan's is one of the more unconventional families to be linked to the royals. From the lottery-winning father who helped to fund Meghan's acting career to the estranged half-sister convinced she won't receive an invite to the wedding, FEMAIL introduced Prince Harry's in-laws. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured at the Invictus Games) announced their engagement on Friday after dating for over a year. Here we reveal what Harry can expect from his in-laws MOTHER - DORIA RAGLAND As the only known member of Meghan's family to meet the prince, Doria Ragland has already had an introduction to her daughter's royal romance. But while the 61-year-old has seen glimpses of the showbiz lifestyle, joining her daughter on the red carpet of premiers, Doria came from humble beginnings. Like many African Americans, her distant ancestors were slaves. Put to work in the Deep South plantations, her great-great-great-great grandfather was freed after the Abolition in 1865. When he was permitted to choose a new name to mark his emancipation he called himself Wisdom. Her forebears then strove to improve their station, such that Miss Raglands father, Alvin, became a prosperous antiques dealer. A larger-than-life character with a fondness for fancy cars and pretty women, his fortunes fluctuated, but at one time he ran a string of shops in Los Angeles. Meghan has listed her mother Doria Ragland (pictured with her daughter) as an inspiration, as well as a ' beautiful woman' Meghan's mother went back to university as a mature student and earned a masters degree in social work Doria has already been introduced to her daughter's fiance, having met Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in September It is believed he had two daughters, but if so, Meghans maternal aunt has not yet been traced. Dorias father, Alvin, ran an antiques shop and her mother was a nurse. The modest family home was in a black middle-class area of Los Angeles. After leaving school, Doria worked as an air stewardess, then as a make-up artist, which is how she met Meghan's father. Doria at the age of 16 when attending the Fairfax High School in Los Angeles At the age of 23, Doria met Thomas Markle, a handsome Hollywood lighting director 12 years her senior. Meghan has previously said of their romance: I like to think he was drawn to her sweet eyes and her afro plus their shared love of antiques. Whatever it was, they married and had me. The pair married in 1979. And two years later their beloved only daughter Meghan was born. Suits star Meghan credits her remarkable parents for her success in life. She has talked about growing up in a bi-racial family and embracing her heritage. Though they divorced in 1987, when Meghan was just six, Tom and Doria remained friends. Meghan calls her mother, who went back to university as a mature student and earned a masters degree in social work, her inspiration. On Mothers Day last year she posted a picture of Doria on Instagram, writing: Always proud of this beautiful woman. A few years ago, Meghans mother was struggling to make ends meet, with her credit cards seriously overdrawn. She then filed for bankruptcy, declaring debts of $42,900 against assets of just over $17,000. Admirably, however, she reinvented herself as a yoga therapist, working for a respected Los Angeles charity, specialising in helping people who had suffered brain injuries. She now lives in Crenshaw. FATHER - TOM MARKLE While the Middletons have been happily married with three children for several decades, Megan's father, Thomas Markle, doesn't have quite the same history. When he met Meghan's mother, he was a 39-year-old divorcee with two children. Tom, who is now a retired 73-year-old living in Mexico, attended Newport High School in the working-class town of Newport, Pennsylvania. Thomas Markle was 39-years-old and divorced with two children when he met Meghan's mother, Doria. Pictured: Tom with Meghan (right) at the age of 11. Meghan's nephew, Tyler Dooley, is on his lap The former lighting director has a passion for performance and when he won a large sum on the lottery he helped to fund Meghan's ambition as an actress - the pair are pictured together He was heavily involved in school plays and is listed as a member of the drama club, choir and journalism club. In the caption next to his photo, he lists his interests as old cars, hunting and reading, before adding the catchphrase: The show must go on! The 6ft 4in man was already a success in Hollywood, working as a lighting director on hit US television shows when he met Doria, who was working as a makeup artist, on set. A picture of Tom taken from his high school year book He married Doria in 1979 and Meghan, his youngest child, was born two years later. Tom was earning good money, about $200,000 a year, when Meghan was in junior school. With his passion for performing, Tom was happy to support Meghan's ambitions sending her to Hollywood's private Little Red Schoolhouse, whose old students include Elizabeth Taylor. He and Doria split in 1987 when Meghan was six but the family, including Meghan's two half-siblings Samantha and Tom, stayed close. In 1990 Tom, scooped $750,000 (around 565,000) in a lottery when Meghan was nine a secret windfall that helped her to pursue dreams of fame and stardom with the 'laser focus' that has taken her to the top. According to Meghan's step-brother, Tom Jnr, the money helped send Meghan to the $16,000-a-year Immaculate Heart Catholic School, one of LA's finest, followed by Northwestern University where she studied drama: 'Meg won scholarships to other universities but she wanted to go to Northwestern so she did,' her brother adds. Yet last year, Tom Snr declared bankruptcy, which his son blames on the poor investments made by a business partner. HALF - BROTHER - TOM MARKLE JNR Tom Markle Jnr, 51, is the half-brother of the US actress and his life is a far cry from that of his 36-year-old sibling. Living in his hometown of Grant's Pass, Oregon, Tom works as a window fitter and lives in a modest rented cottage with his fiancee, Darlene, 36. Tom and his sister Samantha, 53, are the product of Tom Snr marriage to Roslyn, whom he met in 1964 after moving from his native Pennsylvania to Chicago to work as a lighting director for a local television station. The family moved into a bungalow in the middle-class Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles: 'Dad was a workaholic,' Tom recalled in an interview with the Daily Mail earlier this year. Tom Markle Jnr, 51, is the half-brother of the US actress and says that he is estranged from his sister but says there was no 'big falling out' 'Like Meghan, he has an incredible work ethic. Emotionally he's shy and can be cut off. He had a room which was locked that no one could enter. He needed private space. He says little, but was besotted by Meg.' Tom proudly watched his sister work her way up the Hollywood ranks, with a role in the TV detective show Castle in which she played a killer who dressed as Sleeping Beauty. Tom says he and Meghan drifted apart after 2011, the year their paternal grandmother, Dorothy, died and Meghan went to Toronto to start work on Suits. But he says: 'There was no big falling out. Suits took her to a whole other level of fame. She got new friends, mixed in fancy circles. I was married and living my life. We stopped being close.' Tom says the family remains estranged from Samantha, who is writing a tell-all book Diary Of A Pushy Princess. Last year Tom was arrested after a drunken altercation with his fiancee. However, two charges against Tom Markle Jr were dismissed. HALF-SISTER - SAMANTHA GRANT The estranged half-sister of Meghan, Samantha Grant, has easily been the most vocal member of the actress' family since her royal romance to Prince Harry was announced a year ago. Samantha was born in 1964 and her brother, Tom Jnr, arrived two years later. Samantha 52, admits she hadn't spoken to Meghan for some years but denies a rift and has confessed to writing 'tell all' book Diary Of A Princess Pushy. The estranged half-sister of Meghan, Samantha Grant, has easily been the most vocal member of the actress' family Samantha has previously criticised her sibling for not reaching out to her when she was diagnosed with Grant's MS and says that she doesn't expect an invite to the wedding Grant has previously criticised her famous sibling for allegedly not contacting her after she was diagnosed with the serious illness. She said divorcee Meghan, 36, who has been dating Prince Harry since last summer, hadn't been in touch for nine years despite knowing about Grant's MS diagnosis. In April, she told the Australian radio hosts that she was particularly upset that Meghan hadn't acknowledged her medical condition despite being heavily involved with charities. Grant offered: 'It's not about the money, it's more about general consideration and support.' She added: 'Humanitarianism begins at home. That doesn't mean monetary, it means reaching out.' Continuing, she said: 'I am in a wheelchair and she did meet Harry at the Invictus Games. I felt like it was an opportunity to be a voice and bring a lot of awareness to it [disability].' She also previously gushed about how 'lovely' her sister is, how much she'll bring to her role within the royal family and how she won't be offended if she doesn't score an invite to Meghan and Harry's wedding. It is a show that delves into the most personal aspects of his marriage and private life, but it appears Prince Philip has very little interest in watching The Crown. The Duke of Edinburgh reportedly told a dinner party guest, 'don't be ridiculous' when he asked the royal whether he had ever watched the hit Netflix show. Speaking to The Observer, actor Matt Smith, who plays Philip in the series, recalled how a friend of his had attended an event hosted by the Queen and Prince Philip and received the typically feisty response when he worked up the courage to ask. Prince Philip referred to The Crown as the 'Crown thing' and said it was 'ridiculous' to suggest that he'd watched it after he was questioned by a guest at a dinner party Matt Smith plays the Duke of Edinburgh in the Netflix series, and called the royal a 'cool cat'. He revealed it was his friend who had asked Philip about whether he had watched the show According to Smith, Philip also refers to the drama as the 'Crown thing'. Smith said a friend of his in the film industry had been dining with the royal couple when Philip brought up the matter of The Crown, asking: 'Are you involved in this... Crown thing?' The friend, who was not named, explained that he wasn't but could not resist asking the duke about his views on the show later in the evening. Smith explained that his friend asked Philip if he or the Queen had seen it, prompting the royal to 'glower' and respond: 'Don't. Be. Ridiculous.' But the actor, who will stand down as the Duke of Edinburgh after the second season, appeared undeterred by the dismissal and said he still admires the duke. The series delves into the intimate details of the royal couple's private life. Pictured Matt Smith and Claire Foy as the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen in The Crown The new season is already causing controversy by reigniting rumours of Prince Philip's supposed roving eye He added: 'Whether it's true or not, I don't know, but I just think he's a bit of a cool cat.' While The Crown has been showered with critical praise, it has also stirred up much controversy, by reigniting rumours of Prince Philip's supposed roving eye. The trailer for the new season sees the Queen say: 'I have learnt more about humiliation in the past few weeks than I hoped I would in a lifetime,' and according to the show's creator, Peter Morgan, season two features 'a lot more' of the suggestion that her husband was sometimes distracted. The Queen and Prince Philip are seen posing in a new set of three photos released by Buckingham Palace to mark their 70th wedding anniversary Certainly it does nothing to dispel the reputation of the Prince as a seasoned flirt with Jodi Balfour's Jackie Kennedy playing a pivotal, and receptive, role. 'The Queen and Jackie don't get off to a good start in the series because of Philip,' Balfour told Event magazine. 'The Prince is just a flirt [with her] and I don't think there's any intention behind it, but he's going through a phase of liking a lot of women, as is [her husband] JFK.' The series returns to Netflix on December 8. If the thought of a big, white wedding that costs thousands of dollars fills you with dread, you're not alone. In fact, the microwedding is the latest buzzword in nuptials - with couples seeking more laid-back, minimalist and crucially, less expensive affairs. 'Microweddings are that nice, happy medium between a secret elopement with just the two of you and a bigger, more traditional affair,' the editor of popular Australian wedding blog, Polka Dot Bride, Dorothy Polka, told FEMAIL. 'The microwedding allows you to keep things small and pressure-free while still involving your favourite people and the special touches you have dreamed about.' The microwedding is the latest buzzword in nuptials - with couples seeking more laid-back, minimalist and crucially, less expensive affairs (stock image) 'Microweddings are that nice, happy medium between a secret elopement with just the two of you and a bigger, more traditional affair,' wedding expert, Dorothy Polka, told FEMAIL (pictured: a wedding shot by Just for Love Photography) 'The microwedding allows you to keep things small and pressure-free while still involving your favourite people and the special touches you have dreamed about,' Ms Polka explained (pictured is a wedding shot by Amanda Kilbourn) The microwedding is basically everything you want in a wedding, but less of the fat and excess trimmings - it might see around 15 guests and cost as little as AUD $5,000 (stock image) It allows host to prioritise the things they care about in a wedding ceremony and reception, and leave out everything else that is less important (pictured: a wedding shot by Daisy Chain weddings) So just what is the microwedding? Australian weddings in 2017 - the costs and breakdown * The average Australian wedding in 2017 costs around AUD $65,000. * The average microwedding costs around $5,000 - $10,000. * For $5,000-$10,000 you can create a much more bespoke package - including floral arrangements, table settings, food and more. * It is all about prioritising what you want to make a big deal in the ceremony, and getting rid of the rest. Advertisement The microwedding is basically everything you want in a wedding, but less of the fat and excess trimmings. You might have around 15 guests present, as well as a bespoke experience that everyone present can enjoy and remember. It allows host to prioritise the things they care about in a wedding ceremony and reception, and leave out everything else. Typically, microweddings cost as little as AUD $5,000 meaning they are far less expensive than the average Aussie ceremony and reception, which can chime in at $65,000 as an average. Ms Polka said she's noticed an upturn in couples looking for smaller, more intimate affairs in recent years: 'With couples becoming more and more comfortable creating a wedding that is completely reflective of them, they're comfortable in choosing elements of a wedding that suits their own personalities,' she explained. Ms Polka said she's noticed an upturn in couples looking for smaller, more intimate affairs in recent years (pictured is a wedding shot by Angus Porter Photography, styling by ELK Prints) Ms Polka also added that microweddings have countless benefits, insofar as they are a step up from elopements and allow your favourite people to attend (stock image) Ms Polka also added that microweddings have countless benefits. They are a step up from elopements and allow your favourite people to attend, and they also allow you to 'choose higher-quality things, like that incredible cake, without all the other expense, or worry and pressure from guests'. 'With such a small guest list, the sky becomes the limit,' Ms Polka added. 'You can choose a registry office ceremony and have a lovely dinner, or find a stunning mountaintop only accessible by helicopter.' 'With such a small guest list, the sky becomes the limit,' Ms Polka added (a picture from Amanda Kilbourn's portfolio) Speaking about her tips for hosting a microwedding, Ms Polka said it's all about putting in the necessary thought and due consideration to your ceremony (pictured: Amanda Kilbourn's image) Tips for hosting your own microwedding * Put in the necessary thought about who you are going to invite, and who you are going to leave out. * Consider the post-wedding relationships among your nearest and dearest. Then, set expectations among them beforehand. * Choose what matters most to you, outside of the vows, and let go of the rest of it. * Contact professional suppliers for the individual elements, such as cakes and flowers, which can really set your wedding apart. Advertisement Speaking about her tips for hosting a microwedding, Ms Polka said it's all about putting in the necessary thought and due consideration. 'The same thought that goes into weddings needs to apply to your immediate family,' she said. 'Will excluding them completely cause ramifications which continue long after the wedding if you're inviting others?'. With such a small guest list, she said you need to consider the post-wedding relationships among your nearest and dearest. 'Set expectations with family and friends ahead of time to head off upset guests,' she said - adding that you need to explain why you want a smaller wedding. Again, as with a regular wedding, Ms Polka said you need to 'choose what matters most to you - outside of the obvious vows - and let go of the rest' (pictured: Amanda Kilbourn's images) Again, as with a regular wedding, Ms Polka said you need to 'choose what matters most to you - outside of the obvious vows - and let go of the rest'. Whether you dream of an incredible sit-down dinner, a designer gown or beautiful setting, you can have what you want - provided you prioritise. Ms Polka also recommended contacting professional suppliers 'for individual elements' such as cakes, flowers and wedding packages, and said you should never forgo a photographer. Not only will a microwedding help you to save a whole load of cash, but you'll also be able to spend quality time with the people you really love (pictured: Amanda Kilbourn's image) An illustration of Dorothy Polka from Polka Dot Bride is pictured Of course, the reasons as to why these ceremonies are booming are myriad. Not only will a microwedding help you to save a whole load of cash, but you'll also be able to spend quality time with the people you really love: 'They are so much more of a flexible option than the regular white wedding,' Ms Polka concluded. 'If you've always wanted to serve your favourite champagne or fancied using vintage crockery, you can,' she said. 'With a smaller group, you can spend time and dollars on the elements you really love and adore.' To read more from Dorothy Polka and Polka Dot Bride, please click here. If you had a microwedding and would like to share your story, you can also contact FemailAU@mailonline.com A winter floral dress? I know, a bit counter-intuitive. But at a dinner party the other night, I was among three party guests wearing midi-length dark flowery frocks. We all gave each other little side glances as if to say: Got the memo!. Because not only were we looking on-trend in our moody hues, long sleeves and calf-grazing hemlines, we were warm. Winter florals are everywhere right now, from sumptuous catwalk looks (Erdem, Mulberry, Gucci) to a myriad brilliant High Street examples. You probably have something that will fit the bill hiding away in the back of your wardrobe. Although, a word of caution: this is not about repurposing your summer frock. Flower queen: Claire Foy (pictured) embraced the winter floral trend recently at a premiere Wear anything too light, too pastel or too wafty to a festive cocktail party and you could easily end up looking like a woman whos forgotten to get dressed and is still in her nightie, which is not what were going for here. Look instead for a print with a dusky base colour forest green, midnight blue or even black. The good news is that prints with darker hues look more expensive on winter High Street fabrics than their summer cousins. (Just one of the reasons the dark floral party dresses in the H&M collaboration with designer Erdem flew off the rails). If you missed these, may I guide you to Warehouses dreamy Devore number (99, warehouse.co.uk) or the Boden Icons Hettie dress (250, boden.co.uk). I trace fashions current love affair with these romantic, slightly retro prints back to Valentinos absolute gem of a collection for pre-autumn 2015, when the Italian house collaborated with British textile queen and ex-wife of Ossie Clark, Celia Birtwell. She created exquisite prints and embroideries based on Sandro Botticellis famous Primavera painting that became instant collectors items. Their joyous influence soon trickled down to the High Street. Another perhaps less obvious inspiration is upholstery fabric (stay with me here). WINTER FLORAL: THE RULES Look for prints with a dusky base colour: forest green, midnight blue or black. winter floral doesnt mean a summer dress with a turtle neck underneath! If it looks like curtain fabric, great: brocades and jacquard are perfect. Opt for floral boots if youre nervous of flowers. Advertisement There are some fabulous brocades and jacquard weaves in the shops now that would look equally smashing as a pair of curtains. To wit, the gorgeous floral trousers at Massimo Dutti. (69.95, massimodutti.com). Let us remember that the interplay of interior design and fashion has a long and illustrious history, as anyone who headed to Chatsworth House this summer for the amazing House Style exhibition knows. In fact, the fashion/homewares crossover is a huge retail trend, with companies including Gucci producing ultra-luxe cushions and china that make my heart skip a beat. British favourites Preen has launched a range of cushions and eiderdowns in splashy, extravagant prints that echo the bold, romantic stylings of its womenswear (preenby thorntonbregazzi.com). But back to fashion and the business of accessorising. An ankle boot will give your winter floral frock a bit of oomph, whether you choose a spike-heeled sockboot, a Seventies knee-high or something with more stomp. And if you are still uncertain about whether you can go the whole hog, try a winter accessory like a brocade boot Uterque has the dream pair (150, uterque.com). My stylist friend tells me she plans to wear her chiffony, print Celia Birtwell dress with flirty heels on Christmas Day, then adapt it for more dress-down days with a navy cashmere boyfriend pullover and trainers or biker boots. Perfect! I say. Insouciant modern glamour and no cold shoulders. Looking for a dress this party season, but finances not quite matching expectations? You could do worse than rent your dream outfit. Aussie start-up, GlamCorner, is on track to turn over AUD $50 million dollars worth of designer fashion by the end of this year - with thousands of women turning to the Internet to hire designer gear they would never be able to afford otherwise. FEMAIL spoke to GlamCorner to find out what the top five dresses are on the site right now - to help to give you some inspiration this December. Aussie start-up, GlamCorner (pictured: one of their designs), is on track to turn over AUD $50 million dollars worth of designer fashion by the end of this year Thousands of women turn to the Internet to hire designer gear they would never be able to afford otherwise (pictured) Two of the top dresses which are always on loan from GlamCorner are a Zimmermann playsuit (pictured left) and an Alice McCall floral dress (right) - both are available to rent for four days The site also highlighted a bright yellow Thurley mini dress (pictured) as one of the sell-out styles - which retails for $649 and is on Glamcorner for $119.20 First on GlamCorner's most-borrowed list is a folly neck tie playsuit by popular Australian label, Zimmermann. What is GlamCorner? * GlamCorner is a dress rental site, boasting thousands of designers and styles. * You simply choose a design you like, rent the dress for four to eight days ans pay a fraction of the price. * All dresses come with $100 accidental damage insurance and ensure you look fabulous at your event. Advertisement While the elaborate floral design retails for $650, it costs just $119.20 to rent for four days on GlamCorner. Elsewhere, a similar flower-laden outfit, the Oh Oh Dress by Alice McCall, costs just $95.20 to rent, whereas it would set you back $590 to buy. The site also highlighted a bright yellow Thurley mini dress as one of the sell-out styles - which retails for $649 and is on Glamcorner for $119.20. It label, Self Portrait, also got a look-in, via the Guipure Frill Mini Dress in blue (RRP $500; $95.20 rental). Elliatt rounded out the top five - with the white Freesia dress (RRP $194; rental $39.20). It label, Self Portrait, also got a look-in, via the Guipure Frill Mini Dress in blue (RRP $500; $95.20 rental, pictured left), and Elliatt rounded out the top five - with the white Freesia dress (RRP $194; rental $39.20, pictured right) Speaking to FEMAIL about the rise of Glamcorner, co-founder of the business, Dean Jones, said: 'GlamCorner is essentially the sharing economy meets people's wardrobes' He explained: 'There's an appetite for things like it out there. Instagram and social media have definitely contributed customers don't get as much mileage from outfits as they used to' Speaking previously to FEMAIL about the rise of Glamcorner and other dress rental sites, co-founder of the business, Dean Jones, said: 'GlamCorner is essentially the sharing economy meets people's wardrobes. 'There's a real appetite for things like it out there. Instagram and the rise of social media have definitely contributed customers don't get as much mileage from their outfits as they used to. 'But we also attract women in search of those "wear-once dresses" that they would later struggle to get rid of if they were bought. 'We don't really go for everyday staples instead we choose those incredible items regular Australian women want to wear, and give women access to labels and clothes they might not otherwise be able to afford.' Pictured are the husband and wife co-founders of GlamCorner, Dean Jones and Audrey Jones GLAMCORNER'S GLAMOROUS COUNTERPARTS Rent the Runway Rent the Runway is an American dress rental site founded in the United States in 2009. Bag Borrow or Steal Bag Borrow or Steal is an American company which rents out designer handbags and accessories. If you find the perfect outfit, you can purchase it and make it yours forever. Something Borrowed Something Borrowed is a fellow Australian company that lets you hire dresses online. It includes dresses from Alex Perry, Manning Cartell and Something Beyond. Girl Meets Dress Girl Meets Dress is a leading UK dress rental site with a variety of dresses for different occasions. Her Wardrobe Her Wardrobe is an Aussie dress and accessories rental site featuring the likes of Self Portrait and Aurelio Costarella. Advertisement Recent statistics suggest that it has rented out the retail equivalent of $30 million of designer clothing - with that figure estimated to be $50 million by the end of the year GlamCorner are not alone in their success - there are other models around the world including Bag, Borrow Steal and Rent the Runway Since the launch in 2012, GlamCorner has more than quadrupled in size. Recent statistics suggest that it has rented out the retail equivalent of $30 million of designer clothing - with that figure estimated to be $50 million by the end of the year. Of course, they are not alone. The business is 'unashamedly' modelled on the American success story, Rent the Runway. Elsewhere, other big names in the rental industry include Bag Borrow or Steal, Something Borrowed and Girl Meets Dress. And with some success, obviously comes some controversy. Earlier this month, fellow rental company Borrow My Balmain came under fire when several of their popular Dior items were found to be fakes. The site offers more designers than ever - from Alex Perry to Camilla, Zimmermann and international names like Erdem and Herve Leger Meanwhile, the 2017 spring racing season saw five times the number of rentals as the same period last year However, over at GlamCorner, things have remained plain sailing. The site offers more designers than ever - from Alex Perry to Camilla, Zimmermann and international names like Erdem and Herve Leger. Meanwhile, the 2017 spring racing season saw five times the number of rentals as the same period last year, with GlamCorner telling FEMAIL that tens of thousands of Aussie women collectively saved $8-$19 million of retail clothing they would likely have worn once. 'We are very data and research driven,' Dean Jones explained previously. 'But there is also an overwhelming gut feeling for what will sell, which comes from my wife and business partner, Audrey. 'You need a good gut feeling in the fashion industry as sometimes you can have all the statistics you want and still be in search of that dress that will sell like hotcakes.' To visit the GlamCorner website, please click here. Youve read the books, applauded the plays and seen the films, so why not take an Agatha Christie-inspired holiday? AT HOME WITH AGATHA Immerse yourself in the place Agatha Christie believed was the loveliest in the world, her holiday home in Devon Agatha Christie described Greenway, her Devon holiday home overlooking the River Dart, as the loveliest place in the world. Immerse yourself in her story by staying in the house itself. INSIDER TIP: Get in character by taking the Dartmouth Steam Railway from Paignton to Kingswear. DETAILS: The apartment sleeps eight, from 540 for a three-night stay, nationaltrust.org.uk ART DECO OFF DEVON Find the inspiration of her novels, Evil Under The Sun and And Then There Were None at The Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel off the coast of Devon The Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel, on a tidal outcrop off the coast of Devon, is where Christie wrote Evil Under The Sun and And Then There Were None, hunkering down in the Beach House. Both novels are set on the island. INSIDER TIP: Guests dress up for dinner, so pack your finery. DETAILS: The Beach House is priced from 680 per night for dinner, bed and breakfast, burghisland.com ISTANBUL INTRIGUE Share the views she enjoyed whilst writing Murder On The Orient Express at Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul Room 411 of the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul is where Christie wrote Murder On The Orient Express. The room enjoys views over the city. INSIDER TIP: The opulent hotel was built in 1892 for passengers arriving on the legendary Orient Express. DETAILS: Rooms cost from 222 a night, jumeirah.com. Flights to Istanbul from 102 return, britishairways.com Advertisement When Kristie Philp walked down the aisle, most of the guests didn't know it was the second time her husband-to-be Mark had seen his bride on their wedding day. The Sunshine Coast couple didn't believe in the old superstition that it was bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony. Instead Mark Paitry, 35, and Kristie, 34, decided they wanted that special moment to occur just between the two of them. Mark Paitry, 35, and Kristie Philp, 34, chose to have a First Look photo session and see each other before Kristie walked down the aisle on their wedding day For the shoot Kristie walked up behind Mark and slipped her hand into his for the big reveal, photographed by Amy Hinks The photographer was there to capture the moment Mark laid eyes on his bride for the very first time on their wedding day The couple opted to have a First Look Portrait Session, seeing each other for the first time in front of the old beach shack they had lived in for seven years. Kristie told Daily Mail Australia that Mark 'happily agreed' when she approached him with the unique idea. 'For the both of us, the most important thing about our wedding was that it was a fun celebration of our love with only our closest family and friends,' she said. 'Neither of us likes to be the centre of attention. We decided that, for us, that very first moment when he saw me was one that we wanted to share together.' Both Mark and Kristie were grateful to have a moment where they could just soak it all in together, without their guests around The couple had a chance to embrace and talk and smile and laugh before their big day ahead in front of 50 family and friends 'We wanted those first few moments to chat, smile, hug, and laugh together.' The couple had their photo shoot on a cliff overlooking their ceremony at Moffat Beach, where they could see their guests gathering below. As the photo shoot began, Kristie walked behind Mark, slipped her hand into his, and he turned around to see his bride-to-be. 'He was smiling and happy and I could see in his eyes he thought I looked beautiful,' Kristie recalled. 'Mark said he felt so nervous and excited he was lost for words in that moment,' Kristie told Daily Mail Australia Kristie said the couple's photographer Amy Hinks was so 'super stealthy' that they completely forgot she was there 'Without that first look, I'm not sure Mark and I would have had five minutes to ourselves just taking it all in. We were able to solely focus on each other the whole time. It just made us so excited to actually get married,' Kristie said 'Mark said he felt so nervous and excited he was lost for words in that moment.' 'He was glad it didn't happen in front of everyone at the ceremony, as he could tell me how beautiful I looked, how happy he was, and how much the day ahead meant to him, something he would not have been able to express if we hadn't had that first look.' And both Mark and Kristie were grateful to have a moment where they could just soak it all in together. 'The day goes so fast and there are so many people to spend time with,' Kristie said. 'Without that first look, I'm not sure Mark and I would have had five minutes to ourselves just taking it all in. We were able to solely focus on each other the whole time. It just made us so excited to actually get married.' And Kristie, who wasn't worried about superstitions, said it was just as special when she saw Mark at the ceremony 'We were able to take it all in and really got to appreciate our friends and family watching on, the way the ceremony was styled, the amazing surroundings. We could just actually take in how wonderful that exact moment was,' she recalled Kristie said the couple's photography, Amy Hinks, was so 'super stealthy' that they completely forgot she was there. And it was also a chance for the couple to calm their nerves. It wasn't cold feet they were worried about, but rather having to be the center of attention. So when Kristie walked down the aisle, both the bride and groom felt lucky to have that special moment twice. 'I walked down the aisle with the biggest smile on my face and was so calm and excited,' Kristie said. 'We were able to take it all in and really got to appreciate our friends and family watching on, the way the ceremony was styled, the amazing surroundings.' 'We could just actually take in how wonderful that exact moment was.' The gorgeous couple tied the knot in front of crashing waves and an altar decorated with flowers and palm fronds And the couple were all smiles as they walked down the aisle, showered in flower petals, as they family and friends cheered It was a beautiful beginning for a couple who were a decade in the making. Mark and Kristie first met in their teens, when he was visiting family in Mooloolaba from Sydney over the Christmas holidays. Three years later, Mark moved to the Sunshine Coast and drove past the house where the two had first met. He scribbled a note on the back of an envelope asking if Kristie still lived there and to give him a call. The house was being rented at the time but the tenants passed the note on to the real estate agent, who passed it on to Kristie's mum. That note led to the couple dating for four years, but then they parted ways for five years when Kristie went to do her country service for teaching. It was a beautiful beginning for a couple who were a decade in the making, meeting for the first time when she was just 18 Kristie had just returned to the Sunshine Coast in 2014 when Mark called his accountant one day and the phone happened to be answered by her mum. It brought them back together again, for the third and final time. After Mark proposed last year, the couple knew they wanted a wedding that was devoid of all the usual traditions like wedding parties. 'Mark and I really wanted to be fun and simple, we didn't want to choose fancy at the expense of fun!' Kristie said. 'We wanted the day to be a celebration without a timeline to follow. We chose not to have speeches, a cake cutting photo, or a first dance at the ceremony.' After Mark proposed last year, the couple knew they wanted a wedding that was devoid of all the usual traditions But there were a couple of surprises, including impromptu speeches from family members and a surprise rendition of Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud from Kristie's best friend Hannah 'We just wanted that part to be where the people we knew loved us got to relax, laugh and have fun!' But there were a couple of surprises, including impromptu speeches from family members and a surprise rendition of Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud from Kristie's best friend Hannah. And although the beautiful day is now in the past, Kristie and Mark are grateful to have two unique sets of wedding photos that will forever last. 'I truly love the ones that capture that very first moment that Mark turned around,' Kristie said. 'They're so different to the photos I've seen with traditional walk down the aisle shots.' 'We were in our favourite place and you can see the moment unfolding, and it's just the two of us.' Popular Australian fashion brand Lover has gone into voluntary administration. Ferrier Hodgson partners Morgan Kelly and Ryan Eagle were appointed as administrators of Lover Clothing Pty Limited on Thursday, November 23 and called for buyers expressions of interest. Administrator Morgan Kelly said that it would be business as usual whilst the fashion company was assessed. Bridget Malcolm models a Lover outfit at the David Jones Autumn Winter 2017 Collections Launch 'Lover is an iconic and well-established fashion brand that represents a unique opportunity for interested parties,' Mr Kelly said in a statement. 'We plan to work closely with Lover's management team to find an acquirer for this popular brand,' he added. Lover's online shop is still operating, but all items have been reduced. Nic Briand and Susien Chong started their brand at Bondi Markets in 2001. Their unique lace designs were worn by celebrities including Jesinta Campbell, Jennifer Lopez and Candice Swanepoel. Nic Briand and Susien Chong started the Lover brand at Bondi Markets and went on to stock their designs in David Jones (pictured Samantha Harris and a model wearing Lover) Lover is known for its lace and feminine designs (pictured a model wearing a floral Lover dress) Vogue Australia called the brand 'One of Australias most successful labels'. An employee of Lover, who wished to remain anonymous, said that staff were worried that they could miss out on wages and superannuation because they are paid monthly. 'I am extremely upset with how the company has handled this,' the employee told Daily Mail Australia. It was ten minutes that clinched Paul Hollywood one of the biggest jobs on British television - but the star judge has trouble watching it back. In 2010, Hollywood was asked to complete an ad-lib screen test for a new, unknown show called the Great British Bake Off. The 51-year-old judge admits in his latest offering for Channel 4, Paul Hollywood: A Baker's Life, that he doesn't like watching himself on camera. The self-critical baker has few choice words for his former self: 'Get your jumper off, change jeans, and lose weight... and get your hair cut. I look like a muppet.' Scroll down for video Faithful or following the dough: The GBBO judge appeared on all seven series during its time on the BBC and remained with with the show when it moved to Channel 4 Hollywood, who is newly single after his split from his wife of 20 years, Alexandra, explains in the show how he was plucked from obscurity for GBBO, while 'running a small business in Kent'. After a seven series run, the much-loved show controversially moved from the BBC to Channel 4, with only Hollywood remaining from the original line-up. He said he felt 'sad' that Mary Berry, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc decided to leave, saying: 'For the three of them to walk away from me, and to walk away from the tent, it felt like they had abandoned the Bake Off.' Revisiting the first series of the much-loved baking competition, Paul, who is now worth 10million, bagged himself the role as judge on the BBC series which began in the same year. The baking competition run by Love Productions announced it was to switch channels in 2016 for the eighth series, moving from the BBC to Channel 4. Paul was the only star of the show to stick with it, with Mary Berry and hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins choosing to step down. The baking guru says of his decision to remain with the show: 'To be honest it was my livelihood, the Bake Off, leading up to that. Way back when! Paul Hollywood appears in his first ever audition for The Great British Bake Off, the footage was filmed in 2010 'To lose that I thought "what am I going to do now?" I felt really sad that Mel and Sue had stopped, and I felt really sad that Mary had gone because we were like a dysfunctional family, we sort of worked. 'Three people walked out of the tent and one person stayed. Why am I getting called a traitor?' he said of backlash he received. 'I was loyal to the Great British Bake Off and when it moved to Channel 4, I was still loyal to the Great British Bake Off. I worked for the production company and not the BBC. My job hadn't changed.' Paul said he felt 'sad' that Mary Berry has chosen to leave the show and that his fellow judge and hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc had 'abandoned' Bake Off New line-up: The baking guru remained with the programme and the eight series aired with new judge Prue Leith and hosts Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig In his original screen test, a grey-haired Paul stands in the kitchen of a plush cottage where he critiques a pale knotted bread loaf. Witnessing the birth of his steely and often cutting remarks he says: 'I wouldn't feed this to my dog.' As Paul settled in to watch the footage for the first time, he admitted: 'I don't like watching myself on camera. It's awkward.' Paul reveals he 'couldn't believe his luck' when he received a call back, and in the new series, which takes a look over his career, he is seen completing a further audition with Mary Berry. 'I saw Mary Berry sitting outside the room and we gave each other a big hug, from that moment on we were having a right laugh,' he said of their first meeting. Paul had to ad-lib about bread during the screen test, making cutting remarks about the pale colour of the loaf The 51-year-old baking guru admitted he felt 'awkward' watching himself on camera and joked that he should have changed his clothes and 'lost weight' 'I think they already had Mary sorted, she was the fluffy one, the soft one, and for me to have the tough angle, then they had the full deck.' Paul recalled how the Bake Off tent was decorated like a village fete and that it was 'very cute'. He said he was surprised at the meteoric rise of the show after initial critique from the media: 'I thought to myself "I can't see the British public liking this". We were all pretty shocked.' Former Bake Off contestants Val Stones and Selasi Gbormittah also appear in the series and turn the table on the judge, challenging him to bake a pistachio and rose petal roulade in the famous tent. Paul Hollywood: A Baker's Life airs tonight on Channel 4 at 8pm Viewers tuning into last night's episode of Countryfile were left shocked by the reality of intensive chicken farming in the UK. One of the show's presenters, Tom Heap, was seen visiting farmer Claire Bragg in Somerset, where 28,000 chickens are reared for slaughter in a large barn. Many viewers watching the segment, which showed the chickens existing in highly cramped conditions, were offended by Bragg's suggestion that the poultry were 'happy' with enough room to roam. Shock: Some viewers tuning in to last night's episode of Countryfile felt anger towards Claire Bragg, a Somerset farmer who intensively rears chickens for slaughter Countryfile presenter Tom Heap and Claire Bragg chatted as they walked through the shed that houses some 38,000 chickens at the Somerset farm. Bragg came under fire for claiming that the chickens she rears for slaughter are 'happy' After the presenter and the farmer are seen striding through the enormous chicken shed, Bragg is asked about the conditions the 28,000 poultry, which aren't seen at full-size, live in. She said: 'They don't look like they're suffering. There's a lovely noise going on here, they're happy, they can get to food, they can get to water. They're getting everything they need.' Many on social media passionately disagreed with Bragg's views. @HelenElizaBee wrote: 'Absolutely horrified with #Countryfile presenter and that heartless excuse for a human, standing amongst those poor chickens all crammed in together. They clearly dont have 'everything they need' just look at them FFS!' @holidaysforhens added: 'Giving chickens exactly what they need' really?! 10000s crammed in a shed?' @revivewarwick raged: 'Wow that woman on #Countryfile is seriously deluded saying those chickens crammed in like that are happy. Lots of room to move my a***' The BBC programme's footage then progressed to one of the country's biggest chicken production plants, Cargills in Herefordshire. Agricultural director John Reed explained to viewers how the animals are slaughtered. The birds are carried in darkness into chambers where oxygen is reduced until they 'gently go to sleep, from which they don't recover.' The birds are then gutted, plucked and steam cleaned, with the factory processing a staggering 23,000 birds every hour. While many viewers took the farmer to task for her views on how her chickens are reared, others claimed that they were being naive if they thought the industry could be sustained without intensive farming The show revealed how there are more chickens than people in the UK, with the appetite for eating poultry growing year on year While many found the programme shocking to watch, others suggested that people were being naive if they thought the billion-pound UK chicken industry could operate in any other way. @mowermanjimmy wrote: 'Outrage from all the town folk who think that chickens roam around the countryside for a couple of years before they are gently put to sleep #countryfile' @sarahkirbyblog also hit back, saying: 'Or how about get your own chickens, rear them yourself and then slaughter them. Not comfortable with that? Then you shouldnt be eating it!' Emily Frigo, a mother of four from Cincinatti, Ohio, who works as a photographer and doula, has had six miscarriages A mother-of-four who suffered six heartbreaking miscarriages has candidly revealed how all 10 of her pregnancies pregnancies affected her body. Bravely showing off her post-baby body in a very open Instagram post, Emily Frigo, a 26-year-old birth photographer and Doula from Cincinnati, Ohio, shared with her followers that, despite her hardships and body hang ups, she has 'never loved myself more'. In the caption accompanying the honest and heartfelt picture, she wrote: 'In my womb, Ive grown 10 babies. Only four were born alive, but how f**king miraculous nonetheless.' Brave: Emily Frigo, a mother of four from Cincinnati, Ohio,has shared her touching miscarriage story on Instagram by posting a picture of her post-baby body Happy family: The mother-of-four who works as a birth photographer, Doula and bereavement support, has suffered six miscarriages Self love: Emily says she loves her 'stretch mark stomach' and 'deflated breasts' and has never felt more feminine, sparking huge support on social media She added: 'And Ive never loved myself more. Ive never felt more feminine. Shaved head. Stretch mark stomach. Deflated breasts. Thighs that touch. Society does not defy me. My inner self does.' Her children, all boys, are aged seven, three, two and one. Hundreds of women have responded to the post, thanking Emily for sharing her story, with many deciding to share their own miscarriage and fertility issues. Instagram user venusandthelunarchild wrote: 'You are absolutely beautiful! You have been inspiring me every single day as a mother and as a woman! Thank you for all of this wonderful heart medicine!!' A sentiment shared by maxinabird: 'This is amazing Emily I should be brave enough to show mine and how I have taken on adjusting to my body! Thank you!!' And alephantstudio wrote: 'You are so beautiful. You are so inspiring. You are so strong. It's refreshing! Thank you for inspiring me every day'. The picture went viral after Jessica Zucker, the creator of the #IHadaMiscarriage campaign, posted it on her account. Hands full: Emily's four boys are seven, three, two and one Support: Emily provides support to pregnant women or those who have just suffered a miscarriage on her website Happy ever after: The mom-of-four shares candid pictures of her children online and also blogs about family life There, erinsingalong wrote: 'I dont know you, but your words, beauty and power go straight to my heart. I have two boys. 'One is my rainbow baby after two losses. Even after having a successful pregnancy after loss, it terrifies me still to ever try again. But Im meant for more babies, I know it. Thank you for sharing.' Another Instagram user wtf_lins agreed: 'You are amazing. Growing a life is not an easy task. What we do as women is a beautiful blessing. I see beauty and raw strength.' Frigo who also works in bereavement support, has shared more details of her journey on her website Wise + Wild. There she wrote: 'I am so, so sorry you have found yourself on this journey. Please know that you are not alone. I am here to honor you. I honor your baby. I honor your birth.' She added: 'In my own personal journey, I have experienced a stillbirth and five late term miscarriages. 'Through these, I have learned so much about these difficult stories.' On her blog, she has also shared how in March 2014, she gave birth to her son, Clayton, now aged three, after five miscarriages. When Clayton was nearly six weeks old, Emily revealed he nearly died after falling unconscious at home. However, because she is trained in neonatal resuscitation, she was able to save her baby boy's life before an ambulance arrived and transported him to hospital. Whatever the Duchess of Cambridge wears turns to gold and it seems that Meghan Markle is already having the same effect on the retail world since joining the royal family. After stepping out in a white belted coat by Canadian brand, Line the Label, the retailer's website completely crashed. Fashion aficionados rushed to the style portal in an attempt to get their hands on the jacket - even though it's not being sold online. In a nod to her previous home of Toronto, Meghan chose to wear a coat from the Canadian brand. While the exact price of the piece isn't known, a similar style is retailing for 450. Line the Label's website has crashed after Miss Markle wore a 450 coat from the Canadian brand for her official engagement announcement with Prince Harry Founded in 2000 by friends John Muscat And Jennifer Wells, the brand is known for its stylish knitwear and use of sumptuous materials and counts actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Bosworth among its A-list fans. Meghan has donned the brand before, most notably to the Invictus Games earlier this year. Wrapping up against the cold, Meghan offered only a glimpse of her dress beneath her white coat. The forest green frock was designed by P.A.R.O.S.H, the brainchild of Italian designer Paolo Rossello. The brand channels a classically mod aesthetic that is revamped with playful patterning and bold, vibrant colours. Meghan chose to support Canadian fine jewellery brand Birks for her official engagement photocall. She donned a pair of 850 18K yellow gold and opal earrings from Birks in the official announcement, taken outdoors, in the grounds at Kensington Palace. The white coat is by the Canadian brand and fashion aficionados rushed to the style portal in an attempt to get their hands on the jacket - even though it's not being sold online Meghan donned vertiginous 369 Matilde Crisscross Nude Suede Pumps by Aquazzura heels as she cosied up to her prince charming Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their first appearance together after announcing their engagement. Prince Harry designed the diamond engagement ring with one stone from Botswana and two diamonds from Dianas personal collection The Duchess of Cambridge had the same effect on the high street after her engagement announcement in 2011. The now-iconic royal blue wrap dress by London-based label Issa flew off the shelves after the 33-year-old wore it, while delivering the news of her future nuptials to media at St James's Palace. The dress was created by Brazilian-born designer Daniella Issa Helayel who has dressed everyone from Naomi Campbell and Madonna, to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. It was after the big announcement that the 'Kate effect' took off with fans rushing to copy the brunette's style - even before she became a member of the royal family. Brands such as L.K. Bennett, Hobbs, Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham, Reiss, Zara and J Brand have all benefited from the Duchess wearing their garments. Meghan looked resplendent in a chic belted white coat dress and vertiginous heels as she cosied up to her prince charming Prince Harry designed the engagement ring, which was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen The royal looked nervous but happy and his fiancee stroked his arm lovingly as they spoke to reporters, who asked him: 'When did you know she was the one?' and he replied: 'From the very first time we met' The Duchess of Cambridge is known for being thrifty when it comes to her fashion choices, and it appears her future sister-in-law is taking a similar approach. Meghan Markle, 36, stepped out wearing a favourite pair of nude heels as she joined Prince Harry, 33, for the engagement announcement photo call in the grounds of Kensington Palace today. The actress looked the picture of elegance in the 550 heels by Aquazzura, which she has previously worn on several occasions. She paired the heels with a chic white coat by Canadian designer Line the Label, which she wore over a green knee-length dress. Today: Meghan Markle, 36, wore a favourite pair of Aquazzura heels as she joined Prince Harry, 33, for the engagement announcement in the grounds of Kensington Palace today Elegant: The lace-up 'Matilde' shoes feature a pointed toe and a touch of gold at the end of each of the slinky straps which wrapped neatly around Miss Markle's ankle The lace-up 'Matilde' shoes feature a pointed toe and a touch of gold at the end of each of the slinky straps which wrapped neatly around Miss Markle's ankle. She was previously seen wearing the elegant heels for the One Young World Summit in Ottawa, Canada, in September last year, where she was photographed for Vanity Fair. Indeed Meghan likes the shoes so much that she even bought them in black. She was seen showing them off the darker pair at ELLE's 6th Annual Women In Television Dinner in Los Angeles in January last year. On that occasion, she wore the heels with a red brocade dress with a mirrored silver clutch. September 2016: The actress previously wore the lace-up heels to the One Young World Summit in Ottawa in September 2016, where she was photographed by Vanity Fair (above). Pictured Meghan with Mary Robinson, Fatima Bhutto and Loujain al-Hathloul at the event January 2016: Meghan loves the timeless shoes so much she also bought them in black, as seen above at ELLE's Women In Television Dinner in Los Angeles in January last year Today Meghan looked resplendent in a chic belted white coat dress from Line the Label, which she wore over a 437 dress by Parosh. The Suits actress showcased the stunning ring designed by Prince Harry himself with one stone from Botswana, where he and Meghan recently holidayed, and two diamonds from Dianas personal collection. The ring was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen. Meghan looked resplendent in a chic belted white coat dress and vertiginous heels as she cosied up to her prince charming Sparkle for Markle: Prince Harry designed the diamond engagement ring with one stone from Botswana and two diamonds from Dianas personal collection Prince Harry designed the engagement ring, which was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen At its centre is a diamond from Botswana, a country that holds special significance for Prince Harry who has visited many times since he was a child. It is also a place the couple has spent time together over the last year and a half. The ring features two outside stones, which are diamonds from the personal collection of Prince Harry's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. In a nod to her previous home of Toronto, Meghan chose to wear a coat from Canadian brand Line The Label. Harry and Meghan got engaged in London earlier this month and to marry in Spring 2018, Prince Charles said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended a photocall to announce their engagement at Kensington Palace, London Founded in 2000 by friends John Muscat And Jennifer Wells, the brand is known for its stylish knitwear and use of sumptuous materials and counts actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Bosworth among its A-list fans. Wrapping up against the cold, Meghan offered only a glimpse of her dress beneath her white coat. The forest green frock was designed by P.A.R.O.S.H, the brainchild of Italian designer Paolo Rossello. The brand channels a classically mod aesthetic that is revamped with playful patterning and bold, vibrant colours. Meghan chose to support Canadian fine jewellery brand Birks for her official engagement photocall. She donned a pair of 850 18K yellow gold and opal earrings from Birks in the official announcement, taken outdoors, in the grounds at Kensington Palace. She is known for her flamboyant fashion sense, and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands did not disappoint when she stepped out for an awards ceremony in Amsterdam tonight. Dressed to impress in a sparkling midnight blue dress with a feathered collar, the Dutch royal certainly made an entrance as she arrived at the Prince Bernhard Cultuurfonds Awards. The dress is believed to be a bespoke piece from Belgian designer Natan, one of the queen consort's favourite labels. Maxima, 46, wore her hair in a loose chignon for the event and ramped up the glam factor with a statement smoky eye, silver drop earrings and a sumptuous velvet clutch bag. Scroll down for video Ramping up the glamour: Dressed to impress in a sparkling midnight blue dress with a feathered collar, the Dutch royal certainly made an entrance as she arrived at the awards To complete her look, the mother-of-three added a pair of vertiginous stilettos and some silver bangles. Held each few years since 1940, the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfond Awards recognises young talent in the theatre and visual arts. The winner, who must be aged under 35, is awarded the Charlotte Kohler Prize, worth 30,000 (26,800). An international financier by training, Maxima was born in Argentina and married into the Dutch royal family in 2002, three years after meeting her husband-to-be in Seville, Spain. Style statement: Maxima, 46, wore her hair in a loose chignon for the event and ramped up the glam factor with a statement smoky eye, silver drop earrings and a sumptuous velvet clutch A modern fairytale: Maxima was born in Argentina and married into the Dutch royal family in 2002, three years after meeting her husband-to-be in Seville, Spain Important tradition: Held each few years since 1940, the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfond Awards recognises young talent in the theatre and visual arts Despite reportedly having no inkling that Willem-Alexander was heir to the throne when the pair first met, she eventually became Queen consort when her husband ascended to the throne. Willem-Alexander became king after his mother, Beatrix, abdicated in April 2013 after 33 years as reigning monarch. The couple are parents to Princess Amalia, Alexia and Ariane - affectionately dubbed 'the A team' by their doting father. The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be a sophisticated affair, attended by some of the world's most influential figures. But one photographer has imagined what it might look like if the pair were to tie the knot in a rather different setting - in a cheap Las Vegas chapel without any witnesses. Acclaimed photographer Alison Jackson has used lookalikes to create a tongue-in-cheek sneak peek of what the royal wedding could look like if Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36, were to jet off to Nevada to elope in a $300 (220) ceremony. What happens in Vegas! Photographer Alison Jackson imagined what it might look like if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were to tie the knot in a $300 Las Vegas ceremony, pictured Cheeky chappy: The tongue-in-cheek images show 'Prince Harry' pinching his bride's bottom as they stand side-by-side at the altar. In reality, Harry and Meghan will wed next spring Newly engaged: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in the grounds of Kensington Palace today The images show the couple misbehaving as they are married by a female minister who can't resist snapping a picture of the bride and groom on her mobile phone. One particularly cheeky shot shows Harry, who is seen wearing military dress, pinching his bride's bottom as they stand side-by-side at the altar. Another captures a delighted 'Meghan' throwing her bouquet of white flowers over her head - and the minister scrambling to catch them. As thoughts start to turn to what the bride might wear when the couple do tie the knot next spring, Jackson offers her own take, dressing her Meghan lookalike in a princess style wedding dress with delicate capped lace sleeves. The photos emerged just hours after the prince and Miss Markle announced their engagement in a public statement. Caught on camera: As the newlyweds gaze lovingly into each other's eyes after exchanging vows, the nosy minister can't resist snapping a picture on her mobile phone Dead ringers: 'Meghan', wearing a princess-style dress with capped sleeves, places a ring on her royal husband's finger. The real Meghan and Harry announced their engagement today You may now kiss the bride: The royal newlyweds are captured in a close embrace. Meghan and Harry are understood to be planning a church wedding for spring next year The couple later appeared together for a photo call in the grounds of Kensington Palace and took part in their first joint interview, which was broadcast this evening. In the interview, Harry said Princess Diana and his fiancee would have been 'best friends' as he paid a poignant tribute to his mother . Harry said the pair would be as 'thick as thieves' during his first official interview with Miss Markle, after their engagement announcement today. The Prince also revealed how his Suits star girlfriend said 'yes' immediately when he got down on one knee. Prince Harry designed the engagement ring, which was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen Meghan looked resplendent in a chic belted white coat dress and vertiginous heels as she cosied up to her prince charming Harry and Meghan got engaged in London earlier this month and to marry in Spring 2018, Prince Charles said The couple were roasting chicken on a 'cosy night' in, at Nottingham Cottage, Kensington Palace, a few weeks ago when he popped the question. The Suits actress, 36, showcased the stunning ring designed by Prince Harry himself with one stone from Botswana, where he and Meghan recently holidayed, and two diamonds from Dianas personal collection. The ring was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen. At its centre is a diamond from Botswana, a country that holds special significance for Prince Harry who has visited many times since he was a child. It is also a place the couple has spent time together over the last year and a half. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made their first appearance together after announcing their engagement. Prince Harry designed the diamond engagement ring with one stone from Botswana and two diamonds from Dianas personal collection Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended a photocall to announce their engagement at Kensington Palace, London The ring features two outside stones, which are diamonds from the personal collection of Prince Harry's mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Prince Harry later revealed in the couple's first joint television interview that he mounted the stones on yellow gold because it is her 'favourite'. They will plan a wedding for spring, it was announced. A woman with Down syndrome has been showered with praise and accolades after becoming the first person with the condition to compete in a Miss USA State pageant. Mikayla Holmgren, 22, from Stillwater, Minnesota, stole the show this weekend as she took to the Ames Center's stage in Burnsville as a contestent for the Miss Minnesota USA Pageant. The blonde beauty not only made history at the event, but also walked away with the Spirit of Miss USA Award and the Director's Award after a standing ovation from the audience. Scroll down for video Big moment: Mikayla Holmgren, center, accepts the Spirit Award during the 2018 Miss Minnesota USA after becoming the first woman with Down syndrome to compete Blazing a trail: The 22-year-old is seen chatting backstage with fellow competitors before the start of the contest in Burnsville 'You make people smile every time you talk, cheer, smile, and dance. You exude the spirit of Miss USA by always being true to yourself and putting others first,' executive state director Denise Wallace Heitkamp, told Mikayla as she presented the Spirit Award. 'You have selflessness, humility, and the ability to overcome obstacles with a smile on your face and excitement in your heart.' The Bethel University student wore a stunning floor-length blue gown and wiped away tears as she accepted the awards. Mikayla got her start on the stage by taking up dancing at the age of just six years old, and came to the attention of the Miss Minnesota organizers after winning Minnesota Miss Amazing, a pageant for women with disabilities, in 2015. All smiles: The young woman was overcome with emotion as she took to the stage in a sweeping blue gown Megawatt smile: Mikayla won Minnesota Miss Amazing, a pageant for women with disabilities, in 2015 Working up: She received a letter in the mail about the Miss Minnesota pageant and proceeding to 'bug' her mother for days to let her enter Right on: The organizers called her back immediately, saying that they wanted Mikayla to be apart of the event Speaking to BuzzFeed News, Mikayla's mom Sandi Holmgren described the moment her daughter received a letter about Miss Minnesota and wouldn't let up on the idea for days. 'I wrote that she had Down syndrome and thought they would pass her by but they decided they wanted her to be a part of it,' she said. 'I didn't realize it was part of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageant and it took me a few weeks to realize the enormity of it and what a big deal it was for her to be in.' On her way: Mikayla is seen working with beauty pageant coach Wendi Russo back in May Rising star: Mikayla's appearance saw numerous other women with Down syndrome to come watch her take the stage Next steps: Mikayla was praised for 'always being true to yourself and putting others first' Big steps: The Miss Minnesota pageant broke through barriers last year with semi-finalist Halima Aden (left), the first to compete in a hijab - inspiring others to do the same this year Her inclusion turned out to be not only a big deal for Mikayla herself, but also for other young women with Down syndrome, many of whom showed up with their parents to see the young beauty take the stage. Although the crown of Miss Minnesota went to Kalie Wright, of Eagle Bend, Mikayla plans to continue inspiring others by competing in pageants in the future. It's the second year in a row that the Miss Minnesota state pageant has seen a 'first' with last year's semi-finalist Halima Aden becoming the first woman to wear a hijab and burkini during competition. Several other muslim women followed Halima's example at this year's event. Gigi Gorgeous is hinting that she and her billionaire heiress girlfriend Nats Getty have welcomed their first child. The YouTube star, 25, who rose to fame while candidly detailing her life as a transgender woman, took to Instagram on Sunday to share a photo of herself with Nats, 24, and a baby boy. 'Thank you so much to our beautiful surrogate,' she wrote in the caption, implying that she and Nats, whom she has been dating for more than a year after a brief break-up in December 2016, had become parents. Message: Gigi Gorgeous took to Instagram on Sunday to share this photo of herself with girlfriend Nats Getty, 24, and a baby, writing: 'Thank you so much to our beautiful surrogate' Trio: Nats, who is an heiress to the Getty Oil fortune, posted a similar snap on her own Instagram account, calling the baby 'our angel' in the caption Footage: On Instagram Story, Nats shared a video of herself rocking the baby, showing a sign that reads partly 'Welcome Baby Enzo' in the background Questions: Gigi's and Nats' posts have gathered plenty of attention and mounting speculation over whether the announcement is to be taken seriously, since Gigi often jokes online Tiny clothes: The model and designer also posted snaps of two onesies she appears to have customized herself, which also read 'Enzo' Nats, who is an heiress to the Getty Oil fortune, posted a similar snap on her own Instagram account. That snap shows her holding the baby while Gigi sits close to her and supports the newborn with her left hand. In the caption, Nats called the baby 'our angel' and used two heart emoji on each side of her message. Nats shared a video of herself rocking the baby in her Instagram Story, showing a sign that reads partly 'Welcome Baby Enzo' in the background. The model and designer also posted snaps of two onesies she appears to have customized herself, which also read 'Enzo'. Gigi's post, which went out to her 2.3 million Instagram followers and to the 315,000 people who follow her on Twitter, has gathered plenty of attention and mounting speculation over whether the announcement is to be taken seriously. More photos: Make-up artist Hilary Montez, who has worked with Gigi in the past, contributed a photo of her own, identifying the baby as her 'nephew' Duo: Gigi, a native of Montreal in Canada, began dating Nats in 2016. After a few months of romance, the pair split briefly in December of that year, but promptly reunited Pair: Nats (pictured with Gigi on Halloween) has made several appearances on Gigi's YouTube channel, which has an impressive 2.7 million subscribers Secret: Gigi (pictured with Nats), who is usually very open about her personal life on her YouTube channel, hasn't discussed any plans to start a family More than 184,000 people have liked her photo on Instagram, with thousands of congratulatory comments. But Gigi has been known to joke on social media, and some are wondering whether the baby photos are meant to be understood as a tongue-in-cheek announcement. 'Is this for real? If so, that's awesome,' one person wrote, while many others pointed out they were gobsmacked by the news, especially since Gigi, who is usually very open about her personal life on her YouTube channel, hasn't discussed any plans to start a family. Make-up artist Hilary Montez, who has worked with Gigi in the past, contributed a photo of her own, identifying the baby as her 'nephew'. Montez can be seen in the snap holding the newborn, who is wrapped in the same blanket as in Gigi's and Nats' pictures. Gigi, a native of Montreal in Canada, began dating Nats in 2016. After a few months of romance, the pair split briefly in December of that year, but promptly reunited and has appeared smitten ever since. Nats has made several appearances on Gigi's YouTube channel, which has an impressive 2.7 million subscribers. The YouTube star, however, has yet to dedicate a video providing more information about the baby photos. Advertisement Their engagement came just hours ago, but already speculation is rife. Who will design the future Princess, Meghan Markle's, wedding dress? With a date set for next spring, all eyes are certain to be locked on Ms Markle. And if the search hasn't already begun for a bridal gown, it's sure to be top of the Suits actress's to-do list. Here, FEMAIL speaks exclusively to leading Australian designers and bridal stylists to find out how they would style Meghan Markle for the ultimate Royal wedding. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on Monday, explaining that they got engaged earlier this month at a photocall at Kensington Palace (pictured) With a date set for next spring, all eyes are certain to be locked on Ms Markle - and if the search hasn't already begun for a wedding dress, it's sure to be top of the Suits actress's to-do list (pictured on the red carpet) Here, FEMAIL speaks exclusively to leading Australian designers and bridal stylists to find out how they would style Meghan Markle for the ultimate Royal wedding (pictured: bridal gown by Sydney-based designer, Moira Hughes) There will certainly be countless international heavyweights vying for her attentions, and here some of Australia's finest pitch their regal ideas (pictured: Grace Loves Lace design) Renowned as one of Australia's leading designers, specialising in bridal and red carpet gowns, Steven Khalil would be a popular Antipodean choice for the soon-to-be Princess - he and Alexandra Nea conducted this sketch STEVEN KHALIL Renowned as one of Australia's leading designers, specialising in bridal and red carpet gowns, Steven Khalil would be a popular Antipodean choice for the soon-to-be Princess. 'If I was dressing Meghan for the Royal wedding, I'd opt for something traditional but modern with elegant lines and a dramatic silhouette,' Steven told FEMAIL And with his fairy tale beautiful gowns and his experience with dressing celebrities and Royalty (he dressed Princess Olympia of Greece with a piece from the runway for her 21st birthday), he comes with some serious sartorial pedigree. 'If I was dressing Meghan for the Royal wedding, I'd opt for something traditional but modern with elegant lines and a dramatic silhouette,' Steven told FEMAIL. 'Being an actress and humanitarian Meghan is a very contemporary woman but with the eyes of the world watching her on her big day I think she would still want a gown with the Wow factor. 'She could also opt for some embellishment and texture to really make the gown shine.' Alongside his vision for the future Princess, Steven supplied an exclusive sketch conducted by Alexandra Nea. In the resplendent drawing, Meghan can be seen wearing an elaborate design complete with bejewelled bodice, full skirt and train. 'Being an actress and humanitarian Meghan is a very contemporary woman but with the eyes of the world watching her on her big day I think she would still want a gown with the Wow factor,' Steven explained (pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Toronto a couple of months ago) At the cutting edge of Antipodean design sits J'Aton Couture, who pitched this incredible gown - with detachable skirt - for the soon-to-be Princess - this Baroque gown features 'exquisite French lace carved into a structured corseted sheath gown' J'ATON COUTURE At the cutting edge of Antipodean design sits J'Aton Couture, who include the likes of international pop star, Kylie Minogue, British society It girl, Poppy Delevingne and Beyonce, in their roll call of famous fans. In Australia, they are a household name for dramatic red carpet dressing - indeed, Australian TV host, Rebecca Judd's, wedding gown took months to produce, with every detail being painstakingly designed. 'We see Meghan wearing something quite traditional but with a slight modern edge to it,' co-designers, Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino, told FEMAIL exclusively. 'With her beautiful skin tone and exotic features, she will be breathtaking in anything she wears. 'We think Meghan would look incredible in a structured and tailored gown to emphasise her stunning frame and enhance her natural beauty.' The pair explained that they just finished a stunning collection, made in Italy, which was steeped in their 'own heritage with strong references to our cultural background'. 'If we were to see Meghan in a gown fit for Royalty, we would choose the Baroque gown that pays homage to the Italian 17th Century Baroque Architecture. No beading, no embroidery, just layers upon layers of fine Italian antique and flesh-toned tulle and exquisite French lace all carved into a structured corseted sheath gown'. The pair highlighted their idea for their design with a photograph of the dress, adding that 'the dramatic overskirt is detachable for the evening, which allows the bride to comfortably dance the night away in all her refinery'. 'A lux Bohemian princess and the integrating of cultures... a bygone era with modern day dreams, hopes and desires.' 'A lux Bohemian princess and the integrating of cultures... a bygone era with modern day dreams, hopes and desires,' J'Aton designers, Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino, told FEMAIL exclusively (pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Kensington Palace on Monday) With an aesthetic that features perfectly-form fitting gowns and a keen eye for detail, Sydney-based designer, Moira Hughes, is a firm favourite with the East Coast bridal set - she supplied this sumptuous sketch (pictured) MOIRA HUGHES With an aesthetic that features perfectly-form fitting gowns and a keen eye for detail, Sydney-based designer, Moira Hughes, is a firm favourite with the East Coast bridal set looking for something luxurious. 'Meghan has an incredible body so I wanted to design a gown to highlight her feminine silhouette,' Moira told FEMAIL Her feminine designs would look beautiful on Meghan Markle. 'I was inspired to design a gown for Meghan based on her previous red-carpet gowns and past Royal weddings,' Moira told FEMAIL. 'Meghan has an incredible body so I wanted to design a gown to highlight her feminine silhouette.' In designing the incredible gown, Moira explained that 'I incorporated our signature sculpted skirt to give Meghan a shape to rival Pippa Middleton's, and added a modern twist in the detachable silk chiffon skirt. 'This would create a translucent effect and reveal glimmers of her figure below, as she walked down the Cathedral aisle to her Prince. Not only would this give Meghan a magical effect, but it would also allow her to later take it off and dance the night away.' Moira said she also added 'an English rose-style lace, to grow and wind up from the wrists and waist into nothing just below her collarbone. 'Being able to see the skin below would keep the translucent feel and give the illusion that lace is floating on her body. This idea is mirrored onto the skirt and onto a lower sheer lace back.' The talented designer concluded by telling FEMAIL: 'Meghan is an independent new-age bride and this design gives her a modern twist on a timeless, classic gown that even HRH Queen Elizabeth would love'. Her accompanying sketches and images show off the gown to its full capacity - and would be certain to chime well with the actress's love of showstopping gowns. The talented designer concluded by telling FEMAIL: 'Meghan is an independent new-age bride and this design gives her a modern twist on a timeless, classic gown that even HRH Queen Elizabeth would love' When it comes to a truly modern and laidback bridal look, Grace Loves Lace is the Australian go-to (pictured: Grace Loves Lace Arden dress, which retails for AUD $2,600.00 (GBP 1484.26; USD $1976.87) 'She's got beautiful skin, legs for days and a stunning face, so I imagine something sexy and classic using a contemporary embroidery with a cool, clean silhouette would really suit her,' Grace Loves Lace designer, Megan Ziems, told FEMAIL (pictured: the Arden dress) GRACE LOVES LACE When it comes to a truly modern and laidback bridal look, Grace Loves Lace is the Australian go-to. With designer, Megan Ziems', love of bohemian styles and elegant looks, one of her outfits would look just perfect on Meghan Markle. 'Meghan is divine,' Megan told FEMAIL. 'I would love to dress her in our Arden, Rosa or Camille gowns,' she added. The designer shot these looks earlier this year in the British capital. 'She's got beautiful skin, legs for days and a stunning face, so I imagine something sexy and classic using a contemporary embroidery with a cool, clean silhouette would really suit her. 'She's like a modern-day Grace Kelly.' The dresses highlighted by Megan Ziems cost AUD $2,400 (GBP 1900; USD $1970) for the Rosa, AUD $3,190.00 (GBP 2,530, USD $2610) for the Camille and AUD $2,600.00 (GBP 2,060; USD $2,130) for the Arden. 'I would love to dress her in our Arden, Rosa or Camille gowns,' Megan added (pictured: the Rosa; AUD $2,181.92; GBP 1245.54; USD $1658.91) The Camille dress is pictured here, shot in London earlier in the year (AUD $3,190.00; GBP 1821.08, USD $2425.47) When it comes to online bridal destination based in Australia, Sophie Westley of Love Find Co told FEMAIL she would love to dress Meghan Markle in international heavyweights such as Oscar de la Renta (left) and Caroline Herrera (right) Monique L'Huillier (pictured) would also be a fabulous option for the soon-to-be Princess LOVE FIND CO Lastly, FEMAIL spoke to Aussie online bridal destination, Love Find Co, and principally their founder and style director, Sophie Westley, for how the international site might kit out Meghan for the big day. 'Meghan Markle's overall wedding look will be something combining modern romance with a timeless classic silhouette,' Sophie explained. 'I predict Meghan will wear something a little less traditional than Kate as she is a divorcee, so adding elements like a hint of colour, a V neck or an exposed back would create a modern yet timeless look.' Sophie cited international heavyweights including Monique L'Huillier, Oscar de la Renta and Caroline Herrera as being designers 'who provide that polished Royal look'. She supplied several photographs of their beautiful, luxurious designs. Ovarian tissue frozen 11 years ago has been transplanted back into the womb of a 26-year-old cancer survivor using a robot. The woman was 15 when she decided to have her eggs removed so she could have a chance of starting a family despite undergoing fertility-crushing chemotherapy to cure her recurrent leukemia. Her tissue was removed by Dr Kutluk Oktay, the pioneering NYU Winthrop reproductive specialist and ovarian biologist who invented the precise freezing procedure in 1999. Now newly-married, the patient - who wishes to remain unidentified until she conceives - has returned to Dr Oktay's clinic to have her tissue thawed and re-implanted so she can start a family. 'This procedure is literally life-changing. I now have the chance to have my own children,' she said, days after the operation which was the first of its kind performed on Long Island, the first of its kind performed on an outpatient basis, and the first using a Da Vinci robotic surgeon. Dr Oktay told Daily Mail Online everything looked good in a follow-up five days later, and he expects she will be able to try for a baby within three to six months. Landmark operation: Dr Kutluk Oktay (pictured using a Da Vinci robot) implanted a 26-year-old cancer survivor's ovarian tissue last week using a Da Vinci robot 'We actually started talking more than a year ago, about one-and-a-half years ago,' Dr Oktay told Daily Mail Online. 'We started the process, then we picked a date, and just did it! 'Everything is looking good now. We will have to wait for her to start ovulating, but everything went well.' The patient, who is not from New York state and still lives in her hometown, suffered from leukemia three times as a child. The third time, in her early teens, doctors were forced to induce a month-long coma as cancer cells swelled her brain. They said her only chance of beating the blood disease was a bone marrow transplant - replacing her immune system with stem cells from a donor. However, to do so, she would first need a grueling round of chemotherapy which often leaves patients infertile. 'It is a very strong drug, it puts even children into early menopause,' Dr Oktay explained. Her parents researched options for cancer patients to preserve their fertility, and found Dr Oktay, whose groundbreaking operation to freeze ovarian tissue in 1999 was hailed as one of the 10 biggest medical breakthroughs in history. The family contacted Dr Oktay, who was and is based at NYU Winthrop - and 72 hours later, the patient underwent an ovary removal. 'I did a surgery to remove one of her ovaries and that was frozen in little slivers,' Dr Oktay explained. 'You have the mantle of the ovary has a little shelf which contains all the eggs. Since it's not possible to freeze a whole ovary, we have to break it into 15 to 20 slivers containing over half a million eggs.' Ovary freezing is different to egg freezing, and Dr Oktay has performed the operation on patients as young as one year old. In the ovarian tissue harvesting procedure, one ovary is removed, and slivers of the ovarian tissue are preserved with a cryoprotective agent and then frozen with an automated machine. The tissue is then stored at a temperature of minus 270 degrees Celsius (about minus 518 degrees Fahrenheit), with no time limit for storage. Later, following remission of cancer, the tissue can be transplanted back into a woman to restore fertility. In that procedure, approximately 15 to 20 slivers of ovarian tissue are thawed and grafted on to the woman's remaining ovary, with that transplanted tissue connected to existing ovary blood vessels. To reinsert the tissue, Dr Oktay used a Da Vinci robot, a four-armed cyborg surgeon which allows the surgeon to navigate while watching a high-definition 3D image of the surgical site. While Da Vincis are now commonplace in most hospitals, Dr Oktay was the first to use it for laparoscopic operations in gynecology. The mantle of the ovary has a little shelf which contains all the eggs. Since it's not possible to freeze a whole ovary, it has to be broken into 15 to 20 slivers containing over half a million eggs Even now, reminiscing about his first go with the robot, he sounds gleeful: 'I jumped at the chance! People were nervous, but I could see the potential, I wanted to try it.' Now, he has performed the operation on a handful of patients, and helps write the guidelines for oncologists recommending options for cancer patients' fertility. But this was the first ovarian tissue transplant he had performed with the robot. 'The ovarian transplant that I pioneered should be presented as a medical option for any young girl or woman who risks losing her fertility due to chemotherapy or radiation treatments,' he said. 'An ovarian transplant should be viewed in disciplines such as oncology as preventative care, since the procedure can prevent the loss of fertility. 'Diseases such as cancer are devastating enough when occurring in children, let alone when a family is faced with the prospects of their girl never having the chance to bear her own children.' A woman has revealed she turned into a recluse after her doctor described her acne-ridden skin as the 'worst case he had ever seen'. Charlotte Hall was so self-conscious about her appearance which became blemished from the age of 12 that she did not have a boyfriend until she was 24. Now 27, the after school assistant tried all kinds of treatments including antibiotics and the controversial drug Roaccutane but nothing had any long-term effect. Charlotte finally found relief after using a 12.95 cream which contains colloidal silver and has found the confidence to date. Silver Serum claims to kill the bad skin bacteria which causes acne while increasing the good bacteria that combats the condition. Sales of products containing the ingredient water infused with particles of the metal have soared since Strictly star Debbie McGee, 59, revealed it's the secret to her age-defying agility. Charlotte Hall suffered with the skin condition since the age of 12 and didn't have a boyfriend until she was 24 The 27-year-old has now found cream claimed to kill bad skin bacteria without harming the Dgood bacteria CELEBRITIES WHO SWEAR BY COLLOIDAL SILVER Debbie McGee is a fan of colloidal silver Sales of colloidal silver products have rocketed thanks to the 'Debbie effect'. The 59-year-old widow of magician Paul Daniels credits a supplement called Active Silver with keeping her youthful. One of the favourites for the Strictly Come Dancing crown this year, she revealed she starts each day with a spoonful of finely ground silver particles. Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is also a fan and uses hers as a spray when she goes on flights to ward off germs, she revealed on her lifestyle website, Goop recently. Many believe the ingredient helps fight bacteria and viruses, boosts the immune system and can be used to treat everything from acne to eye infections. Advertisement Charlotte, from Ashford in Kent, said: 'Until relatively recently my life revolved around my acne and an almost OCD-like routine with make-up and cleansers to try to disguise it. 'I barely dared to leave my house because I was so self-conscious about my skin and I didn't have a boyfriend until I was 24. 'I felt I looked so disgusting I could barely even speak to boys, let alone go on a date or be intimate in any way. 'I'm not exaggerating when I say that my entire world has changed since my acne cleared up and if I hadn't discovered Silver Serum for my skin I don't know where I'd be now.' Social phobia Charlotte says she was laughed at at school because her face was so incredibly oily causing her to rush to the toilet every hour to blot her face. She would spend hours before going to school or leaving the house trying to mask her spots. 'I'd wear gallons of make-up to try and cover up my acne but it would slide off my face within a few hours and I'd have to replace it,' she said. 'I was worried about anyone seeing my skin without make up. That was out of the question. I didn't even want my parents or my twin brother to see me bare-faced. 'As a teenager that meant saying no to invites from friends and sleep-overs.' By her late teens, Charlotte's acne had gone from bad to worse and her dermatologist told her it was 'the worst case of acne he'd ever seen'. 'I'd developed a serious social phobia about going out at all,' she said. 'I was completely psychologically scarred about my skin. I didn't even like to go down to the corner shop near my house and I'd only ever leave the house if I absolutely had to.' 'Going to school was an emotional hurdle every day. It was challenging trying to maintain friendships and any semblance of a social life. It's claimed a lot of my youth.' Endless treatments Charlotte was prescribed antibiotics, the contraceptive pill and many creams and gels over the years, but nothing worked. During a bad flare up in the first few weeks of university, her GP prescribed her with accutane. The drug marketed under the brand name Roaccutane in the UK is known for it's dramatic effect of clearing up acne but comes with potentially serious side effects including suicidal ideation and pancreatitis. Charlotte says that within two months of using Silver Serum daily along with prescribed retinol cream her skin was about 60 per cent better 'My skin improved a little on Roaccutane but the side effects were awful and I felt tired, depressed and ill all the time,' explained Charlotte. 'There were several points at which I didnt feel I could carry on at all.' Charlotte then tried a course of microdermabrasion and light therapy but described the treatment as 'agony'. 'It was like being shot in the face several times, I was crying so much I could not carry on. I just felt like never leaving the house ever again.' Natural remedy It was while reading endless blogs and articles on-line while shut away in her room that Charlotte came across Silver Serum. Feeling sceptical but at her wits' end, Charlotte ordered herself a pot. 'I had already tried a number of natural alternatives, including garlic gel, honey and oatmeal, and some did have a mild effect but nothing close to the results I was hoping for,' she said. The after school assistant says she didn't have a boyfriend until age 24 but now has the confidence to date She said that when people look at her now they wouldn't know that she has acne Silver Serum claims to work by helping increase the skin's good bacteria to naturally fight the bacteria that causes acne. She now uses the product in combination with a prescribed retinol cream every day and says the difference is 'incredible'. 'I was genuinely surprised when within a week I could start to see a difference. The serum was immediately soothing on my skin and within days the redness and inflammation had started to calm down. 'Within two weeks my spots had started to decrease. Within two months of daily use I would say my skin was about 60 per cent better.' 'When people look at me now they wouldn't say I have acne. In fact people have even told me I have lovely skin. 'As my skin has improved so has my social life. I'm always out with my friends, I travel at least three times a year and I've been on some amazing adventures to countries I never thought possible. 'Getting rid of my acne has literally opened up a whole new world to me.' Controversial vaginal mesh implants should be banned, NICE says. The health watchdog recommends the 'gold standard' implants should not be routinely offered for treating organ prolapse but instead just used for research or after patients are made aware of the risks, according to the BBC's flagshipVictoria Derbyshire show. One expert said it is highly likely the NHS will take up NICE's recommendation, which will be published next month, however, it is not obligated to do so. The verdict from NICE comes after the Government released its three-year investigation into the mesh scandal and rejected calls for a widespread ban on the implants last September. More than 800 women are suing the NHS and the implants' manufacturers after complaining of crippling pain. The NHS has even been accused of sweeping such complications under the carpet in an effort to dodge media attention. After previously denying their implants were causing women discomfort, mesh manufacturer Johnson & Johnson paid out $57 million to a sufferer from Philadelphia last month after a jury found the company to be negligent and its product defective. Many women who have been fitted the mesh implants have complained of being in such severe agony they are unable to work, walk or have sex, with some even being on the brink of suicide. Julie Gilsennan was told she would need up to six weeks off work after having the mesh fitted, however, she has been unable to return to work as a paramedic and instead works from home processing complaints to the ambulance service Angela Young (pictured), a 47-year-old hairdresser from Stockport, described the pain of a vaginal mesh as: Its as if you have a handful of needles shoved between your legs Controversial vaginal mesh implants (pictured) should be banned, according to NICE WHAT ARE VAGINAL MESH IMPLANTS? Vaginal mesh implants are devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women. Usually made from synthetic polypropylene, a type of plastic, the implants are intended to repair damaged or weakened tissue in the vagina wall. Other fabrics include polyester, human tissue and absorbable synthetic materials. Some women report severe and constant abdominal and vaginal pain after the surgery. In some, the pain is so severe they are unable to have sex. Infections, bleeding and even organ erosion has also been reported. Advertisement Ban comes too late for many In a series of documents about vaginal mesh implants to be published in December, NICE said that 'evidence of long-term efficacy is inadequate in quality and quantity'. It added that 'when complications occur, these can be serious and have life-changing consequences' Yet, NICE also said most women do not report complications after being fitted with such implants. The health watchdog only commented on organ prolapse and not urinary incontinence or hernias, which implants are also used for. Current recommendations state the procedure 'should only be used with special arrangements for clinical governance, consent and audit or research'. And doctors wishing to undertake this surgical repair should 'ensure that patients understand that there is uncertainty about the long-term results and there is a risk of complications, including sexual dysfunction and erosion into the vagina, which would require additional procedures'. Professor Carl Heneghan, an expert in the subject from the University of Oxford, said NICE's comments are an admission that health services had 'got this wrong', but said a potential ban comes to late for many sufferers, the BBC reported. Action from the Department of Health and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is required before a ban can come into place. Liz Adelanwa, digital media manager at NICE told MailOnline: 'Our official guidance on the use of vaginal mesh is not due out until 20 December. NICEs remit means we cannot ban treatments or procedures' The NHS declined to comment. Mother-of-two Denise Davis (pictured), 52, from Gorsley, Herefordshire, says she considered suicide because of the pain after she had the mesh implanted in 2010 for incontinence Ella Ebaugh (pictured), 51, was awarded $57 million after her vaginal mesh implant caused her extreme pain and burning. Johnson & Johnson is under fire for selling multiple implants Sylvia Litchfield (pictured before the surgery in 2014), 61, claims the only reason she is still alive today is because her three cats and grandchildren gave her a purpose to live for 'A public health scandal' Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour's Shadow Public Health Minister, said: 'Mesh implants have left women in permanent pain, unable to walk, and unable to work. This is an ongoing public health scandal and the Government need to do much more to support those affected. 'Mesh implants should be taken off the market now until we know more about the threat they pose to women's safety. 'The Government have failed to answer big questions about the extent of this public health scandal, including how many women have been affected and why a product with such terrible risks was allowed into the market in the first place. 'Labour is calling for a full inquiry to uncover the extent of the harm done by mesh implants so we can be sure that this never happens again.' 'I'VE BEEN ON THE BRINK OF SUICIDE. MY KIDS KEPT ME GOING' Janette Nelson, 43, was on the brink of suicide after suffering agonising pain from a vaginal mesh implant she had fitted A mother-of-three has revealed she was on the brink of suicide after suffering agonising pain from a vaginal mesh implant she had fitted. Janette Nelson, 43, from Newtownards, Northern Ireland, said the only think that kept her going was her children, but she still battles guilt every day as she depends on them to help her wash, dress and even catheterise after the procedure left her unable to control her bladder. The former hairdresser also blames her implant for the breakdown of her relationship as her boyfriend left her when the pain was too severe for her to have sex. Unable to work, her career has also been destroyed. 'My children lost their mummy' Ms Nelson had the most common type of mesh, known as TVT, fitted in March 2012 in an attempt to cure her urinary stress incontinence. She said: 'Immediately once my tape was fitted I woke up with excruciating pain in my groin; its indescribable.' Just one week later, Ms Nelson wet herself while out with her children and now relies on her eldest daughter to help her catheterise every day. Due to the excruciating pain of the mesh, Ms Nelson has been forced to rely on her mother and sister to help her raise her children. She said: 'My children lost their mummy. I've been on the brink of suicide. 'My kids kept me going. I was useless as a mum but I'm still their mum. It's all been about me for the past few years.' Ms Nelson, 43, pictured with her daughters Bryanne (bottom), 17, and Zofie, 12 'My boyfriend left me because of it' As well as affecting her as a parent, Ms Nelson also blames the implant for the loss of her love life and career. She said: 'I had a boyfriend when this started but the sex was excruciating, neither of us could cope with it. My boyfriend left me because of it. 'I used to work as a hairdresser; always on my feet, always very confident, but now I can hardly walk and I can't control my bladder so I can't work. It's really knocked my confidence.' Advertisement NHS DODGING MEDIA ATTENTION The NHS tried to dodge media attention over the vaginal mesh implants that left hundreds of women in agony, it was revealed in April. The procedure cut into women's vaginas and left many in discomfort so severe they have been left unable to work, walk or have sex. It emerged the NHS actively sought to avoid courting headlines over the matter after minutes from an NHS meeting in October were leaked. The minutes showed an agreement to 'take the press element out of' a campaign for women experiencing complications from the devices. Seen by the Press Association, the minutes outlined the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) yellow card campaign, which targets under-reporting of mesh complications. Officials said they should 'look into taking the press element out of the mesh yellow card campaign' and 'investigate whether there can be a general yellow card campaign, of which mesh is one element, to avoid media attention on mesh'. Advertisement Government previously rejected a ban Last September the Government released its three-year investigation into the mesh scandal and rejected calls for a widespread ban on the implants, which can shrink, twist and curl at the edges, leading to nerve damage. Vaginal mesh has been considered a high-risk device for nearly a decade in the US, with bodies accepting up to 40 per cent of women may experience side effects. Some studies, published in an array of scientific journals, have shown that pain, erosion and perforation from the surgery can affect up to 75 per cent of women. The alarming evidence prompted officials in three US states to suspend the practice and saw them call for an urgent review into its safety. Previously suspended in Scotland Mesh implants continue to be used in Scotland despite calls from the health secretary for their suspension. The mesh, introduced 20 years ago, was promoted as a quick, cheap alternative to complex surgery for incontinence. It was dubbed the 'gold-standard' treatment. Due to it not requiring specialist training to implant, outraged women have since called for tougher regulations in order to conduct such surgery. More than 10,000 women a year have the procedure. Some 7,800 have suffered lacerations and nerve damage from the mesh breaking into tiny fragments. A toddler from India with protruding eyes who was slowly going blind until generous donations from around the world funded treatment has sadly died. The plight of Zailian Kaipeng hit international headlines two months ago and touched hearts across the globe with more than 10,000 poured in to save the boy. The two-year-old had been 'constant pain' with his swollen eyes since he was two months old but his parents were too poor to fund treatment. After finally getting medical attention, he was diagnosed with blood cancer last month and began chemotherapy. But the boy caught an infection late last week which turned into pneumonia, and he lost his battle last Saturday. His father, Neirbanglal Kaipeng, 28, a daily labourer, said: Im shattered. My child has left me. Despite so much hard work by everyone, he is gone. It is devastating. Zailian Kaipeng, pictured with his father Neirbanglal Kaipeng, 28, and grandmother Thaponti Kaipeng, 65, was receiving treatment after being diagnosed with blood cancer The boy was in 'constant pain' with his swollen eyes since he was two months old The toddler, pictured here after chemotherapy had improved his eye swelling, caught an infection late last week which turned into pneumonia Critical condition Zailian travelled to Delhi, on October 12, with his father and grandmother Thaponti, 65, after press agency Cover Asia Press started a fund raising page for his treatment, on September 25. He was admitted to Artemis Healthcare Hospital, in Gurugram, outside Delhi, where he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and chemotherapy was quickly begun. Doctors were also discussing the possibility of a bone marrow transplant. Zailian is pictured with his grandmother Thaponti Kaipeng. Doctors had hope as his swollen eyes had drastically reduced due to treatment The youngster had an aggressive type of cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukemia However, he was admitted into intensive care late last week then suffered a cardiac arrest. Dr Randeep Singh, the head of medical oncology the hospital, said: His death has left us all in shock. We moved him to the intensive care unit after his white blood cell count (WBC) dropped massively and he had high fever but his condition worsened due to severe pneumonia. 'He unfortunately succumbed to his disease despite strong antibiotics and treatment.' The medic said that the boy's cancer was very aggressive and he entered a critical condition after his WBC count dropped. His case was not easy, he had serious leukemia,' he said. 'WBC usually drops during chemotherapy and the body is prone to infections, especially bacterial infections. After a crowdfunding page was set up 10,000 was raised in the first ten hours The boy's family had revealed they felt so helpless they stared at their son and cried 'Zailian was incubated for nearly 12 hours but nothing helped. He was really ill and it is extremely tragic and sad to see him leave this world at such an early age. 'There were so many associated with him who came forward to help. He has left all of us heartbroken. Zailians body was today airlifted from Delhi back to his home of Tripura, in the north east, and his funeral will take place in a traditional ceremony on Tuesday. His mother, Changmaite, 25, a homemaker, could not be with her son when he was sent for treatment as she had to remain at home to take care of her other two children, son Ringdamte, 10, and nine-month-old daughter Naote. Doctors said they they were waiting to see if the chemotherapy would work and had previously stressed his chances hung in the balance Mother could not be there Tragically, she did not see Zailian before he died. Neirbanglal added: I understand everybody tried and I am really thankful to everyone who came forward to try to save my child. 'I am grateful to them for their love and support. He was destined to live only this long. I hope with everyones prayers, his soul rests in peace. He will always be remembered and we will miss him always. Garlic could ward off hospital superbugs, new research reveals. A compound in the pungent kitchen-staple, known as ajoene, breaks down resistant bacteria, allowing antibiotics to work again, a study found. It does this by disrupting a gene that microbes require to stick to human tissue, without which they cannot reproduce, the Danish research adds. Researchers hope the breakthrough could fight incurable cystic fibrosis and chronic wounds in diabetes sufferers, as well as tackling Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other common hospital infections. Around 30 per cent of people carry the the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which is responsible for MRSA and resistant to widely-used antibiotics, on their skin or in their noses, which can invade the bloodstream and release poisonous toxins that kill up to one-fifth of patients. Garlic could ward off hospital superbugs by breaking down bacteria; allowing drugs to work ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANCE IS NOT CONFINED TO HOSPITALS: SOME 30% CARRY DEADLY BACTERIA WITHOUT KNOWING IT Antibiotic-resistant MRSA is spreading outside hospitals having left its usual breeding grounds, research revealed last month. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which kills up to one-fifth of infected individuals, is affecting people throughout Britain by going undetected in communities, a study found. Although the infection is typically associated with hospitals, many sufferers are unaware they carry MRSA, which is symptomless unless it enters the bloodstream. This allows them to spread the life-threatening bacteria through skin-to-skin contact when out and about, the research adds. Despite patients being routinely screened for the bacteria upon hospital admission, the test is fairly inaccurate, which further encourages the infection to spread. Dr Jonathan Pearce, head of infections and immunity at the Medical Research Council, who was not involved in the study, said: 'This study sheds light on MRSA transmission within and between hospitals and the community, which could help strengthen infection prevention and control measures.' Advertisement Enables the body to fight infection Researchers from the University of Copenhagen found ajoene suppresses a particular gene that leads to the destruction of bacterial 'biofilm'; which is required to stick to human tissue. Although this does not kill bacteria, it prevents them from communicating with other microbes, which they need to do in order for their numbers to grow. This enables antibiotics and the body's immune system to fight infections more effectively. 'Treatment of patients who have poor prospects' Study author Professor Tim Holm Jakobsen said: 'We really believe this method can lead to [the] treatment of patients who otherwise have poor prospects. 'Chronic infections like cystic fibrosis can be very robust. But now we, together with a private company, have enough knowledge to further develop the garlic drug and test it on patients.' 'The two types of bacteria we have studied are very important. They are called Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 'The garlic compound is able to fight both at once and therefore may prove an effective drug when used together with antibiotics.' The findings were published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports. 'Garlic drug' to be tested The study builds on previous work that, since 2005, demonstrates garlic's ability to inhibit bacteria, with ajoene being found to be responsible in 2012. Previous studies also found garlic appears to offer the most powerful, naturally-occurring resistance to bacteria. In 2012 the researchers took out a patent on the use of ajoene to fight bacterial infections, with the pharma firm Neem Biotech later buying the licence to use the patent. Their drug, NX-AS-401, which aims to treat patients with cystic fibrosis, is set to be trialed in clinical studies within the next two years. Drinking bottled water to avoid lead contamination is damaging the dental health of American children, according to a new study. People who drink tap water are much more likely to have elevated levels of lead in their blood, but most tap water is treated with fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay and cavities. Bottled water sales soared following the Flint, Michigan water crisis, as Americans became increasingly distrustful of their tap water. The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill study found that while only three percent of people between two and 19 had lead in their blood, almost 50 percent had tooth decay. In the aftermath of the water crisis, more children like this little girl are drinking solely bottled water in Flint, Michigan and around the country. But bottled water is not fluoridated like tap, leaving children at greater risk of tooth decay and cavities, a study reports Americans are afraid of their tap water, and increasingly turning to bottles for a 'safer' drinking option. Flint's crisis led to investigations of water in places like New York City and Detroit, where dangerous levels of lead were also found. In 2016, bottled water sales outpaced soda for the first time, surging by 16 percent over the previous year. Flint, Michigan resident Jessica Owens held a baby bottle of contaminated water during a rally in Washington, D.C. last year. Parents like Owens protect their children from lead poisoning by giving them tap water, but risk their dental health Tooth decay, however, is an extremely common phenomenon in American children, and can have its own long-term health, financial and educational consequences. About 40 percent of children in the US have had at least one cavity by the time they get to kindergarten. One in every five children does not receive regular dental care, according to America's Toothfairy, a foundation advocating for children's oral health. To help prevent tooth decay, a very low concentration of fluoride was introduced to the tap water of Grand Rapids, Michigan (just 100 miles from Flint) in 1945, and the practice has since spread throughout the country. As of 2012, 75 percent of US cities had fluoridated water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports that fluoridation reduces the prevalence of tooth decay by about 25 percent. Tooth decay can cause severe pain, and accounted for $2.1 billion worth of emergency room visits in 2010. Left untreated, cavities can lead to infections and lost teeth. This study echoed the findings of previous research that drinking only bottled water is most common among American minorities and people living below the poverty line. Emergency deliveries of bottled water were made to Flint, Michigan after the crisis. Studies have shown that non-white and low-income Americans are more likely to distrust their drinking water and give their children exclusively bottled water A map details the number of drinking water violations were documented in each state in 2016 One in five impoverished children, one in four African Americans and one in three Mexican Americans surveyed do not drink tap water. The toxic lead levels in the water in Flint, Michigan, and how it impacted the residents Flint, Michigan, experienced a contamination problem with its water supply after the city started using the Flint River The city was originally getting its water from Detroit, but made the switch to the river in April 2014. Children living in Flint then started to experience an extreme increase in lead levels in the blood. A study showed lead levels in children doubled after the city made the switch. This toxic chemical is damaging to a child's brain development and growth. The mayor of Flint declared the city in a state of emergency in December 2015 as officials scrambled to figure out a solution to the increase in lead. Residents in the city protested until the government switched the water supply back to coming from Detroit. But the increased lead exposure could have irreversible effects on the people most affected. Officials don't know if it will ever be safe for residents to ingest the water from Flint. Advertisement These groups, according to past research, are more likely to believe that their tap water is not safe to drink. That concern is fueled by incidents like the Flint water crisis. Many have theorized that the cost-cutting water switch there went unnoticed for so long because it primarily affected poorer, minority residents. Tooth decay also disproportionately affects none-white children. According to recent studies, Mexican American children have the poorest dental health in the country, followed by black and then white children. After 99,000 residents - 14,000 of whom were children - of Flint, Michigan were exposed to lead by drinking tap water there, bottled water looked better than ever. A court even ordered the state to deliver bottled water to Flint residents. The CDC confirmed that children who had drunk tap water after the 2014 water source switch were at a 50 percent greater risk of having dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Lead poisoning can lead to developmental and cognitive delays, especially in children, who are most vulnerable to the contaminant. Though this study was not able to document exactly which children that did report drinking tap water received fluoridated water, its authors write that the study 'draws attention to a critical trade-off for parents: children who drink tap water are more likely to have elevated blood lead levels, yet children who avoid tap water are more likely to have tooth decay,' said co-author Dr Gary Slade. 'Community water fluoridation benefits all people, irrespective of their income or ability to obtain routine dental care. Yet we jeopardize this public good when people have any reason to believe their drinking water is unsafe,' he concluded. The City paid a record 72billion in taxes last year in a fresh sign that Britains crucial financial services sector remains in rude health. This accounted for 11 per cent of total taxes raked in by the Exchequer and was 700million more than in the previous 12 months. The figure suggests the Brexit vote has had no discernible impact on big banks and insurers money-making capabilities or the number of people they employ. Shining example: The figure suggests the Brexit vote has had no discernible impact on big banks and insurers money-making capabilities or the number of people they employ And although it highlights the importance of Londons financial powerhouse to public finances, critics said the huge tax take shows there is an urgent need to rebalance the economy away from an over-reliance on banking. The last Labour government had encouraged a catastrophic boom in the industry which eventually forced taxpayers to make multi-billion-pound bailouts to Lloyds, Northern Rock and Royal Bank of Scotland. John Longworth, a former head of the British Chambers of Commerce who is now joint chairman of eurosceptic group Leave Means Leave, said: This demonstrates that Brexit has had no effect on City performance you could almost say its had a positive impact. But although the City is a cash cow for tax, it is also a drag on the rest of the country. The City should be there to serve the rest of the country, rather than driving its own performance, and being overly reliant on financial services has left the UK taxpayer with a massive debt burden. TOURISTS FLOOD IN The post-Brexit fall in the pound has helped Britains hotels become more financially secure as tourists flood in, research shows. It means fewer than 1 per cent of hotels are now at risk of going insolvent, according to accountant Moore Stephens, which studied data from the Insolvency Service. Official figures show that there were 10.9million international visits to Britain in the three months to June 30, up 8.9 per cent on a year earlier. The figures, compiled by accountant PwC for the City of London Corporation, show that the financial services sector paid 72.1billion in the year to March 31, up 1 per cent and the highest recorded in the decade that data has been collected. Employment taxes paid by bankers and other professionals made up the largest proportion of this figure at 31.4billion, while corporation tax raised 11.6billion. The rest came from VAT payments and other smaller bills such as stamp duty and business rates. In total, the sector has handed 649 billion to the taxman in the past decade. Banks had claimed they could shift jobs out of London because of Brexit but many have since backed away from mass relocations. Andrew Kail of PwC said: London will remain one of the most important and attractive international centres for financial services and global business. However, the financial firepower of the UKs regions is also put into sharp relief by this report. To underpin this great performance, there must be a strong supply of local talent with the relevant skills, competitive costs and high productivity. Lake Windermere shimmers with golden flecks reflecting the crisp blue sky, while the surrounding hills are bathed in a rich autumnal glow. Its a perfect day for stomping about in a pair of mud-caked walking boots or basking in the late afternoon sun outside a tea room with a cup of tea and a scone. So what are a psychotherapist, solicitor, IT executive and a biology lecturer doing shut up together in a bare-walled university meeting room? They and thirty-odd others have come from all over the country to spend the weekend discussing monetary policy. And there is barely an economist in sight. Positive outlook: Participants getting into rethinking monetary policy on a Sunday afternoon Rob Moore, the IT executive, often does charitable work in his community. But he'd like to help create a society where there is no need for food banks. Solicitor Jim Murray wants to tackle the inequality and housing shortage he sees on a daily basis in Liverpool. Psychotherapist Joanne would like people to be free from stress-inducing jobs and biologist Tim Doheny Adams wants to see technology used to prevent environmental disaster. The solution all of them have come up with: change the way money is created. They want to take it out of the hands of the banks and even create money to help in society where it is needed most. Few of us give how money is created a second thought. We happily or unhappily earn it, owe it, trade with it, and dream of more of it. But at the annual retreat of Positive Money, a not-for-profit organisation, attendees take a step back and question how it is made and whether or not this is working. Positive Money argues, banks have a magic money tree, which it believes the government should control instead At the moment, money is created by banks issuing loans to people they dont need to actually have the cash to make a loan. In effect, Positive Money argues, they have a magic money tree, which it believes the government should control instead. Few of the attendees on this three-day retreat have come to Positive Money through an interest in finance itself. Instead, most started by identifying issues for which when they take a step back - they have a gnawing feeling the nature of money itself is the underlying culprit. Its an alluring notion the idea that so many social injustices and issues could be fixed with one single, albeit hefty, tweak. Raising questions: Participants have come from across the country to discuss money creation An IT executive with a young daughter, Rob is a busy man. He works full time and helps out in his community. Lots of my family work with people in the community, for example handing out food, he says. I admire what they do, but I dont want to do that if I could do something more systemic. Rather than fixing the symptoms, what if we could change the root causes? He explains that he is on the retreat to find out if changing the way money is created is the answer. Fix that and you might not even need food banks, is the logic. Money could be created to help people pay off debts and improve living standards for the poorest. Supporters: Attendees were picked from Positive Money's 35 local groups around the country Meanwhile, Jim Murray believes that changing money creation could help alleviate social problems from unaffordable house prices, to instability in the banking system, to inequality. He believes that if money creation is no longer in the hands of the banks, it would finally mark the end of boom and bust, as the money creators would lose their incentive to create as much as they can thereby repeatedly creating unsustainable levels of debt. Like many attendees he found Positive Money while looking for answers after the financial crisis. The system is built for the ten per cent, he says. We need to change things to stop the inequality of opportunity between the 90 per cent and the ten per cent to democratise opportunities. Inequality, high levels of consumer debt, the environment and our mental health: could money creation be the underlying cause of so many of societys issues? Or is it all just wishful thinking? Walk and talk: Participants did find time for a walk - but money creation was still the main topic of conversation Inspiration: Attendees enjoyed a few hours out of their campus lecture room How money is created To answer whether money creation is the problem, we really need to start by looking at how money is created at the moment. As much as 97 per cent of the money circulating in the UK is created by banks issuing loans, according to the organisation. Heres how they do it. Say, for example, you wanted to borrow to buy a house, or to invest in your business. You would go to your bank and ask them for the cash. A common misconception is that the bank would then look at how much money it had in its coffers brought in from peoples savings and then decide whether or not to make you a loan from it. The amount it lent would be restricted by the amount of money it had in the pot. But this is not the case. Banks do not need to match savings deposits with loans. If it considers your request to be viable, the bank eventually just pops the money in your account often done simply by making an entry on a computer system. And voila money is created. Positive Moneys argument is that this does not work. Banks work in their own interests and those of its shareholders the current system does not incentivise them to do what is best for individuals and society, it says. Tackling the big issues: Conversations for Friday night included the state of the economy, politics, cryptocurrencies and the psychology of debt And if you want proof of this, says Positive Money, just cast your mind back to the financial crisis in 2008 when we taxpayers had to bailout the banks to the tune of billions of pounds. Creating money through increasing levels of debt is disastrous as well, it says just look at the levels of consumer debt households are now burdened with. After the financial crash, Positive Money called for money creation to be taken out of the hands of the banks, many of which had proven themselves ineffective stewards and into the hands of the state. It believes this single move would solve so many of the problems identified by its supporters. For Jim, Peoples QE would enable people to pay their debts. It would inject money to Joe Public rather than the banks and financial markets and the top ten per cent. Tim, who teaches biology at York University, sees it as a solution to the environmental issues he cares about. Back to basics: Positive Money's Rachel Oliver gives a run through of how money is created As evening falls on day one of the retreat and participants discuss cryptocurrencies, debt, and the state of the economy over pizza and homemade wine, Tim tells me: I think it permeates everything. For example, we know that the environmental damaged caused by someone who does not eat meat is a lot less than someone who does. But eating meat is good for the economy, although not in the long term. Sovereign money [money created by the state rather than by private banks] would allow us to "invest in things that are not profitable", such as green technology or campaigns, into things that benefit people directly as a whole. Coming up with a strategy: Participants shared their experiences from local groups around the country Is it going to happen? Even the charity admits, changing how money is created is a tall order. Perhaps unsurprisingly, its strategy has evolved over recent years to incorporate several stepping stones in the direction of its eventual goal. Right now, its committed to the idea of peoples quantitative easing as its next aim. Conventional quantitative easing sees the Bank of England effectively print money to flood the financial system in the hope that it will feed into all areas of the economy and give it a shot in the arm when its looking sickly. In the UK, it was done mainly by buying government bonds from financial institutions in the hope that a trickle down effect would see that money flow into riskier assets and ultimately through to the economy. Peoples QE is different because the money created is used in what Positive Money calls the real economy rather than bunging it into the financial system and hoping it reaches the people who need it eventually. The money could be given out to households to help them pay off their often-insurmountable debts, or to invest in renewable energy, or other funds that have a direct, positive impact on society. At the retreat, while many seemed determined that the ultimate goal could be reached, they feared the resistance of the banks, politicians and central banks against whom these moves would work. Too good to be true, surely? While its ideas strike a chord with a substantial and widening supporter base, Positive Moneys wishlist is sniffed at by many and at the highest levels. Theresa May revealed her view when, asked by a nurse in a pre-election debate why public sector workers could not have a pay rise she responded there is no magic money tree. Positive Money has been arguing vehemently since then that there is one or rather two the banks and the central banks. When governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney was asked last year about peoples QE sometimes referred to as helicopter money he called it flights of fancy and another time warned it would create a compounded ponzi scheme. The magic money tree line has also been used to criticise the spending and People's QE plans put forward by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. Even some who are sympathetic to Positive Moneys ideas question whether putting money creation into the hands of a load of politicians or bureaucrats would really be any more effective than leaving it with the banks. Will it happen? Even the most fervent Positive Money supporters at this retreat had questions over any chance of success. Many spoke of the powers of the banks and the opposition that would inevitably be faced asking them to relinquish it. But sentiment has been changing. Not so long ago, had you mentioned helicopter money or Peoples QE you would have been laughed out of most rooms. The day after the retreat, at the Royal Society of Arts in London, Positive Money hosted a debate with Financial Times economics editor Martin Wolf and former shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. Martin Wolf has for a long time been sympathetic to the views of Positive Money. And Ed Balls said: If Martin thinks something is a good idea you should take it very seriously, and also you should always be open to radical ideas so therefore I genuinely have an open mind about whether in fact this is the right solution. Im not sure, but I have an open mind. You should always be open to radical ideas so therefore I genuinely have an open mind about whether in fact this is the right solution Ed Balls The Labour party has been considering peoples QE, and talks more freely than it has for some years about spending money despite levels of existing debt. Positive Money certainly believes its ideas are gaining traction. More than 966,000 people viewed its video explainer on the magic money tree thanks to its supporter networks. Thirty five local groups meet every week to discuss ideas and strategise. Like the retreat attendees they come from all walks of life, most with little interest in finance itself. Positive Money lead organiser Rachel Oliver says they believe helicopter money will happen in the next five years. She adds: Because we have so many people behind us it gives us access to the corridors of power.' Sceptical: Prime Minister debate told a nurse in the pre-election debates that there 'is no magic money tree' - an idea that Positive Money contests And in the meantime? After three days of sharing ideas and coming up with plans for spreading the word, participants disperse again around the country and to share their experiences with their local Positive Money group or set up a new one. They wont overhaul the way money is created overnight; some would question whether they might ever. But what feels powerful is these are not experts or economists taking on the economy. Theyre doctors, students, retirees, lawyers, grandparents members of the Conservative party, Labour party, Green party and independent candidates. The issues that are dealt with by economists are not esoteric or distant or academic, theyre about people, their jobs, their homes, their families and how we interact with each other. Whether you agree with them or not, Positive Money supporters are getting stuck in and stirring up the debate. Beer, pizza and economic policy: Participants get in on an unusual Friday night Shared experiences: Conversations often diverted into talk of cryptocurrencies, the nature of government bonds and quantitative easing And while the retreat stirs up big ideas and ambitions, who knows whether the small, achievable changes will have just as much of an impact. Janet Barlow is off home to North Wales after the retreat to dig out a bunch of paperwork. Ive been meaning to join a credit union for ages, she says. And move my money into a better bank account. And maybe Ill set up a direct debit to Positive Money too. Rethinking: Emily Maitlis chairs a panel with Positive Money executive director Fran Boait, Ed Balls and Martin Wolf It will be interesting to see what would happen should we have another financial crisis. Money is a manmade construction. So it doesnt make sense that it doesnt work for so many people With questions still hanging over the response to the last and whether or not it has worked, perhaps ideas that still feel radical to many will become more palatable as other alternatives are sought. As night descends on Ambleside, stillness descends on the lake while energy rises on campus room as ideas questions debates whirr around. Rachel Oliver muses: Money is a manmade construction. So it doesnt make sense that it doesnt work for so many people. Surely there is another way? An eight-year-old girl was hospitalized with serious injuries last week after a car crashed in upstate New York as the child steered the vehicle while sitting on her father's lap. State police say 36-year-old Brett Reynolds, of Whitehall, took his mother's silver Honda sedan for a joyride late Tuesday without permission and allowed his daughter to steer while Reynolds worked the pedals. Troopers say the girl, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered a fractured arm and rib, a punctured lung and head injuries when the car hit an embankment and then a tree. Brett Reynolds is accused of taking his mother's car on a joyride and allowing his eight-year-old daughter to sit on his lap and steer the car, resulting in a crash Wrecked: The silver Honda sedan ended hitting an embankment and then a tree in Whitehall, New York, on Tuesday night Police say Reynolds then left his injured daughter crying outside of a family member's home in Whitehall at around 11.30pm, before fleeing the scene. The eight-year-old was rushed to Albany Medical Center to be treated for her injuries, which are not life-threatening, reported Glens Falls Post-Star. Reynolds was arrested by police the next day on an unrelated warrant while seeking treatment at Glens Falls Hospital for facial injuries. In a booking photo taken after his arrest, the 36-year-old's left eye appears dark-purple and swollen, and he seems to have multiple cuts to the left side of his face. Reynold's daughter, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered a fractured arm and rib, a punctured lung and head injuries The dad ran off after the crash, leaving his injured daughter crying. Pictured: The car belonging to the man's mother is seen with extensive damage Reynolds previously served time in state prison on a 2011 felony DUI conviction The 36-year-old dad was charged with first-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle, first-degree vehicular assault, leaving the scene of a serious personal injury accident and endangering the welfare of a child. Additional charges against Reynolds are pending. He's being held in Washington County Jail without bail. Reynolds has a long criminal history that includes a felony DUI conviction from 2011 that sent him to state prison. Advertisement Meghan Markle has a sprawling - and complicated - family tree which means she will have to make some tough decisions about how many family members are invited to her newly-announced London wedding to Prince Harry. The Los Angeles-born actress has relatives scattered across the U.S. while her father spends most of his time in Mexico, to which he retired after a Hollywood career. She is known to be close to her mother, who was with her when she and Prince Harry attended his Invictus Games together in Toronto. It is also understood that she is close to her father, although she has not been seen with him in public, while she has half-siblings from his first marriage with whom she has had little recent contact, in one case, from whom she and the rest of her family are bitterly estranged. The extended Markle family is possibly the most unusual to marry into the House of Windsor so far. The traditional scale of royal weddings means that Meghan Markle will not be short of space in the church to invite her extended family, but which members will get to go will be the source of months of fascination on both sides of the Atlantic. Here we present a guide to the Markles. Meet the parents - an Emmy-winner and a social worker Parents: Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle married and had their daughter Meghan Markle in Los Angeles. Although they divorced when Meghan was just six she has spoken about how they co-parented and she felt equally loved by them. In the fold: Doria Ragland was with Harry and Meghan Markle as they all watched the closing ceremony of his Invictus Games in Toronto in September Likely to be among the first names on the guest list, Meghan's parents are Doria Ragland, 61, and Thomas Markle Sr, 73. Like many relationships, theirs was one that began at work with Doria meeting Thomas Sr on the set of medical drama General Hospital in Los Angeles, California. She was a 21-year-old make-up artist, while he was a 33-year-old lighting director with one marriage and two children already under his belt. He also had an Emmy award, televisions's equivalent of an Oscar, a few years earlier. In 1975, he won a Chicago Emmy for his work in lighting design on Chicago public TV station Channel 11 WTTW's Made In Chicago series. The smitten couple later married in a quiet ceremony in LA in December 1979. Their only child, Rachel Meghan Markle, arrived just over a year later in August 1981. Thanks to my mom: Meghan Markle shared this image of her mother Doria Ragland when she graduated from UCLA with a master's degree in social work But the union was not to last and the pair divorced when Meghan was six, although her half-brother Tom Jr later told DailyMail.com that the couple went to great lengths to make sure she 'knew she was loved'. And the former couple have remained close raising their daughter together and still speaking regularly to this day. After the divorce, both went on to achieve some career success Doria becoming a yoga instructor while in 2011, Thomas Sr remained part of Hollywood, continuing to work on General Hospital. But both also suffered financial problems, with Tennessee-born Doria declaring bankruptcy in 2002 over a $52,750 credit card bill. Last year, Thomas Sr also declared himself bankrupt; this time over a debt of $30,000. Thomas Sr, who is originally from Pennsylvania, now lives in Mexico and is understood to be in regular contact with his daughter by phone. He is also thought to have met Prince Harry. Doria, meanwhile, still lives in Los Angeles, where she has a small bungalow home in the Windsor Hills neighborhood, close to Inglewood and the city's main airport, LAX. She is understood to have met Harry on several occasions and joined the pair very publicly, being in their box during the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games in Toronto at the end of September. Neither Thomas Sr nor Doria have commented publicly on their daughter's boyfriend, with Doria telling DailyMail.com 'look, I really can't say anything' when approached after news of the relationship broke last year. She did, however, chuckle and smile broadly when told her daughter would make history if she becomes the UK's first mixed race princess an outcome that appears increasingly likely. Oh brother! The half-siblings who are angling for invites Big brother: Thomas Markle Jr is Meghan's brother form her father's first marriage. He is also newly engaged, to Darlene Blount, 46, despite being arrested after pointing a gun at her during a drink-fueled argument. Thomas Markle Jr was a teenager when his sister Meghan was born Arrest: This was Thomas Markle Jr's mugshot after his arrest. Charges were dropped when Darlene Blount declined to proceed and the couple are now engaged Outspoken and out of the fold: Samantha Grant is estranged from the rest of the Markle family, but is planning to write an expose of her half sister Meghan has an older half-sister and half-brother from her father's first marriage to Roslyn Loveless, now 72. The eldest of the two is daughter Yvonne, who later changed her first name to Samantha and her second to Grant; although she has recently begun using Markle again. Samantha, who is now 53 and lives in Silver Springs, Florida, was one of the first to speak out after news of the relationship broke, telling reporters that Prince Harry 'would be appalled by what she's done to her own family'. She added: 'The truth would kill her relationship with Prince Harry, he wouldn't want to date her anymore because it puts her in a bad public light.' She also accused the actress of being 'narcissistic and selfish' and called her 'a shallow social climber' with 'a soft spot for gingers'. Days later, Samantha backtracked on her comments claiming she was misquoted and subsequently gave a series of gushing interviews declaring her love for her sister. By contrast, Thomas Jr, 51, has never had anything bad to say about Meghan and, speaking from his home in Grants Pass, Oregon, recently told DailyMailTV that his sister has 'always been a princess'. He added: 'I do have a sense of pride in Meghan being successful. It was just obvious from day one that she was destined to be somewhere really big. 'She's always been a princess. She's carried herself on that level from day one.' But while their approach to Meghan differs, the pair are united in loathing each other and have been estranged for many years. Both have also suffered legal troubles: in Samantha's case a bitter divorce and custody battle with second husband Scott Rasmussen, 57, that led to her being charged with 'using a phone to terrify/intimidate' in 2011. The charges were later dropped. And in January, Tom Jr was arrested for putting a gun to his girlfriend Darlene Blount's head during a drunken late night altercation. The charges were dropped a month later. Samantha is now writing a book about growing up with Meghan called 'The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister' much to the horror of the rest of the Markle clan who told DailyMail.com that the content is likely to be 'lies'. Samantha, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and has been confined to a wheelchair for close to a decade, occasionally still works as a freelance writer. Like her half-sister, she had wanted to become an actress and a few walk on parts on medical soap The Doctors. Later she trained as a counselor and graduated in 2008 the ceremony being the last time she saw Meghan. Window fitter Tom Jr, meanwhile, has got past his legal troubles and has an extended Harry and Megan an invitation to his own wedding to Darlene, 37. Despite the January gun incident, Tom Jr told DailyMailTV in September: 'Me and Darlene, we're meant for each other.' Two very different uncles - one with his own church... Meet the uncles: Fred Markle, 75, Thomas Markle's older brother, is also know as Bishop Dismas and is leader of his own tiny church in Florida. Alvin Joffrey Ragland is Doria Ragland's half-brother, but at 34 is two years younger than his niece Meghan Markle Although Meghan's mother was raised as an only child, she does have a younger half-brother from her father Alvin's second marriage to retired teacher Ava Burrow, 63. Born in September 1983, 34-year-old Alvin Joffrey Ragland - who goes by his middle name - is younger than his niece Meghan but remains close to both her and Doria. A freelance graphic designer working in fashion, he was brought up in Chattanooga, Tennessee but now lives in Los Angeles. Meghan's other uncle is 75-year-old Frederick Markle, who lives in Sanford, Florida a small town approximately 27 miles from Orlando. Although the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, or another senor cleric, is likely to perform the ceremony when Meghan marries Harry, Frederick could also conduct the ceremony thanks to his role as leader of the 'Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church In America'. Known as Bishop Dismas to his dwindling flock, Frederick's church has a single tumbledown chapel and he is the sole clergyman. And while the church had around 40 members in its 1980s heyday, one former worshiper told DailyMail.com in July he's not sure if a single person attends services there anymore. Harry's future in-laws also include the Bishop's 66-year-old wife Theresa Huckabone and Meghan's 38-year-old cousin Nick who lives at the $80,000 family home. Frederick's second son David, 34, lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Jackie, 42, and their three young children. Uncle Fred's family: Meghan's uncle is married to Teresa, 66 (second from left). The couple have two sons, Nick, 38 (left), and David, 34, (right) who lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Jackie, 43, (second from right) and their three young children. ... and her step-grandmother who's a big fan State of disbelief: Ava Burrow, who married Meghan Markle's grandfather when the Suits actress was just a baby, told the Daily Mail: 'I'm kind of expecting a visit from the men in black suits [the FBI] to check us out.' On Doria's side, Meghan has a step-grandmother in the shape of Ava Burrow: a 63-year-old retired teacher who lives in Indio, California. Ava came into Doria's life when she married Alvin Ragland in May 1983. She was 29, Alvin was 53 and less than four months later, their son Joffrey was born. She remains close to her step-daughter Doria and has nothing but good things to say about Meghan, although she did admit to being surprised when she realized who the actress was dating. Laughing, she told the Daily Mail: 'Meggie marrying a prince? Who'd have thunk! I'm kind of expecting a visit from the men in black suits [the FBI] to check us out. 'I guess it's like your Downtown Abbey and we're the folks downstairs.' But she added: 'Meggie is just a wonderful person. Very clever, very pretty, a gifted actress, and she has done incredible work for women and the UN. I think she would be a great addition to anybody's family.' The next generation of Markles and their complicated ties Family together: Meghan Markle was an 11-year-old when she posed with her father Thomas Markle, and her two nephews Thomas Dooley (left) and Tyler Dooley (right), and her then sister-in-law, Tracey Dooley (far right). Tracey Dooley had married her brother Thomas Markle Snr, and had the two boys, making her an aunt while she was still in elementary school Niece: Noelle Rasmussen (left) is the daughter of Meghan's older sister, Samantha Grant, but is bitterly estranged from her mother. Instead Noelle, 18, lives with her grandmother Roslyn Markle, 71, (center), who was Meghan's father's first wife. After her divorce from Thomas Markle, she went on to have a son, Bobby Lucero, 36, (right) who is Meghan's half-siblings' half-brother. He was born the same year as Meghan and now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico Although Meghan has no children of her own, her father Thomas Sr is already a grandfather five times over thanks to her half-siblings. Samantha has three children, the eldest two from her first marriage to Los Angeles lawyer Earl Hale Ashleigh, 32 and Christopher, 30. Meet the exes: Scott Rasmussen was Meghan Markle's brother in law while he was married to Samantha, her elder sister, and Tracey Dooley was her sister in law through her married to Thomas Markle, which ended in divorce According to family sources, the pair had little to do with Samantha following their parents' divorce which happened when they were very young. The two were taken to live in Virginia by their father and are thought to occasionally speak with their mother by phone. However, both are understood to be close to their aunt Meghan. Samantha is a lawyer in Virginia who has a master's degree in law from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Samantha's youngest child is Noelle, 19, a student who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, close to her father Scott Rasmussen, 57, and her grandmother Roslyn. Noelle and Samantha's relationship is also difficult: after her parents split in 2003, Noelle became the subject of a bitter custody battle and later accused her mother of being abusive to her. In April, she told DailyMail.com that her mother would pull her hair, scratch her and spit at her when she was a young child. She also claimed to be scared of Samantha's boyfriend Mark Phillips, 59, and said he had once threatened to punch her. Call her Aunt Meghan: Thomas (left) and Tyler (right) Dooley are the royal fiancee's nephews by brother Thomas Markle Jr Grant and Phillips denied the claims but in May 2015, the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department issued a certified letter which said allegations of abuse by both against Noelle were substantiated. It was entered into court proceedings without objection from the couple. Like his sister, Tom Jr also has a fraught relationship with his own two sons the product of his first marriage to Tracey Dooley, 52. Eldest son Thomas is a 26-year-old store manager for Domino's Pizza and lives in Mammoth Lakes, California, with his husband Ronnie, 41. In October, he said a feud between his father and grandfather meant he is no longer in contact with Meghan, who would babysit for him and his brother Tyler, 25, when they were children. He added: 'My dad and aunt are crazy. I feel terrible for Meghan. Me and my brother Tyler have nothing to do with our dad. 'His behaviour since Meghan began dating Prince Harry has been completely appalling. I want people to know I have nothing to do with it and just apologise to her.' Thomas, whose younger brother Tyler lives close to their parents in Grants Pass, Oregon, also told the Mirror newspaper that he misses his aunt and still hopes to be invited to the wedding. He said: 'I would like to see my aunt again hopefully even before she got married. But if that's the chance I get to see her, I would love it.' Grandparents who faced war and depression None of Meghan's grandparents are still alive, although two were very much present in her life until relatively recently. She was close to her Markle grandmother Doris and her Ragland grandfather Alvin prior to their deaths in quick succession in 2011. Along with Doris, her other Markle grandparent was Gordon; a military veteran who served during the Second World War. Before the war he had been hit by the Depression, describing in the census of 1940 how he had worked only a few weeks in the previous year in his then job, a gas station attendant in his native Pennsylvania, and when he registered for the draft, said he was unemployed. He married Doris Sanders in 1941. Gordon went on to be a cobbler, and died in the early 1980s with Doris then leaving their Newport, Pennsylvania home to live with her elder son Frederick in Florida. Later, she moved to Los Angeles to join Thomas Sr and his three children, living with her younger son until her death at the age of 91 in 2011. On the Ragland side, Meghan has her step-grandmother Ava Burrow and, until 2011, a grandfather she adored in the shape of Alvin Ragland. Close until the end: Meghan Markle's grandmother Doris lived in Los Angeles and Meghan was close to her until she died, aged 91 in 2011. Come through the Depression: Gordon Markle had dealt with unemployment before World War II and died in the early 1980s, too early for Meghan Markle to know him. He was a loving grandfather to Samantha Grant (left), then known as Yvonne Markle, and Thomas Markle Jr (right) Alvin was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and had two older sisters: Lillie and Dora. Life was not easy for an African-American family in the Jim Crow South, and they faced the ingrained and institutionalized racial divide of the time. Both his older sisters, however, were able to get to college. Alvin's first job was working in a hotel and later he served in the military before being discharged and beginning a new career as an antiques dealer in Los Angeles. The name of Doria's mother remains unknown. But by 1983, he was living in Los Angeles where he met and married Ava Burrows, and with whom he had a son, Joffrey, Meghan's uncle. Together, the pair returned to Chattanooga, where Ava taught in a local school, until their marriage broke down and he moved to LA. Despite their differences, Ava described him to DailyMail.com as a devoted father and grandfather, who adored both Joffrey and Meghan. He also cared for Meghan's great-aunt Lillie, who made him the executor of his will when she died in 2004 and left him the home that Doria occupies today. But, like his daughter, he was also prone to financial woes getting evicted and struggling to live on his meager military pension before inheriting the house. Alvin, who suffered from glaucoma in his later years, died in 2011. A pair of cheeky koalas have taken the idea of a lazy weekend to heart, after they were filmed relaxing and dozing off on a South Australian deck. Adorable footage shows one furry friend resting his head on a brick windowsill while another impatiently calls out for him to wake up. The video was shot by local man Mark Blyth in Burnside, near Adelaide, before it and was uploaded to the official South Australia Facebook page on Saturday. Scroll down for video Adorable footage has arisen of a pair of cheeky koalas, with one furry friend seen dozing off and resting his head on a brick windowsill on a South Australian deck 'Weve all done it... After a BIG night out at the work Christmas party, Kev and his mate have been spotted re-enacting 'The Hangover, Part Tree' in Adelaide...' the cute moment was captioned. The video, which has been viewed nearly 75,000 times, ends with the tuckered-out friend being roused, before gradually deciding to get up. 'Wouldn't that be a buzz, waking up to find these darlings on your verandah,' one person commented about the video. While another jokingly added: 'Definitely too many eucalyptus leaves for these two'. In the clip shot near Adelaide, the other koala sits impatiently in front of the sleeping marsupial, calling out and grunting as he waits for him to wake up Other suggested the sound one of the marsupials was making indicated they could be gearing up for mating season. 'Two together is unusual. They must be mating, hence all the noise and crashing to sleep,' one user said. Koalas are mostly nocturnal making their appearance even more rare, with the marsupials usually sleeping up to 20 hours a day. The Australian Koala Foundation cites habitat loss as one of the biggest threats affecting populations, with less than 80,000 remaining in the wild. Saudi Arabia's crown prince has vowed to 'wipe terrorists from the face of the earth' as officials from 40 Muslim countries gathered in the first meeting of an Islamic counter-terrorism alliance. Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also Saudi defence minister, told officials in Riyadh that 'in past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries... with no coordination' among national authorities. 'This ends today, with this alliance' he added. The summit is the first meeting of defence ministers and other senior officials from the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, which officially counts 41 countries and identifies as a 'pan-Islamic unified front' against violent extremism. Scroll down for video Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to 'wipe terrorists from the face of the earth' as officials from 40 Muslim countries gathered in the first meeting of an Islamic counter-terrorism alliance. He is pictured at the meeting yesterday The summit is the first meeting of defence ministers and other senior officials from the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, which officially counts 41 countries and identifies as a 'pan-Islamic unified front' against violent extremism The alliance was announced in 2015 under the auspices of Prince Mohammed, whose rapid ascent since his appointment as heir to the throne in June has shaken the political scene across the region. Sunday's meeting comes as several military coalitions, including key Saudi ally the United States, battle to push ISIS from its last remaining bastions in Iraq and Syria. The alliance groups largely, although not exclusively, Sunni-majority or Sunni-ruled countries. It excludes Saudi Arabia's arch-rival, Shiite-dominated Iran, as well as Syria and Iraq, whose leaders have close ties to Tehran. Sunday's meeting coincides with an escalation in tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, particularly over wars in Syria and Yemen and the political structure of multi-confessional Lebanon. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of supporting armed groups across the Middle East, including Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah and Yemen's Huthi rebels. Prince Mohammed bin Salman (centre), who is also Saudi defence minister, told officials in Riyadh that 'in past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries... with no coordination' among national authorities 'The pillar of this coalition is inclusion,' said Saudi General Abdulelah al-Saleh, the alliance's acting secretary general, playing down the exclusion of the three countries. 'Our common enemy is terrorism, not any religion, sect or race.' The alliance meeting in Riyadh brings together Muslim or Muslim-majority nations including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Uganda, Somalia, Mauritania, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen and Turkey. Retired Pakistani general Raheel Sharif, who has been appointed commander-in-chief, also insisted that the coalition was not against any religion or state. The alliance aims to 'mobilise and coordinate the use of resources, facilitate the exchange of information and help member countries build their own counter-terrorism capacity,' Sharif said. While the alliance officially includes Qatar, which is the target of a six-month boycott led by Saudi Arabia, organisers in Riyadh said no Qatari officials were present at the meeting. Qatar's flag was also absent. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain abruptly cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in June, accusing the emirate of being too close to Iran and supporting Islamist extremism. Doha denies the allegations. The alliance meeting in Riyadh brings together Muslim or Muslim-majority nations including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Uganda, Somalia, Mauritania, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen and Turkey A member of the Saudi Royal Guard stands on duty inside the hall where the first meeting of the defence ministers of the 41-member Saudi-led Muslim counter-terrorism alliance took place in the capital Riyadh Egypt, which sent a military official and not its defence minister to Sunday's meeting, is reeling from a Friday attack on a mosque that killed more than 300 people during prayer time. While IS has not claimed responsibility, Egyptian authorities say the organisation is the main suspect as the mosque is associated with followers of the mystical Sufi branch of Sunni Islam, whom IS has branded heretics. Prince Mohammed said Friday's 'painful event' was a reminder of the 'danger of terrorism and extremism'. 'Beyond the killing of innocent people and the spread of hatred, terrorism and extremism distort the image of our religion,' he said. Since his sudden appointment as crown prince, Prince Mohammed has moved to consolidate power, announcing crackdowns on both terrorism and corruption. A corruption purge saw around 200 members of the Saudi elite including princes, ministers and business tycoons arrested or sacked earlier this month. Law Society of NSW started court proceedings this year to strike her off the roll Jinhi Kim pleaded guilty to covering up offences committed by her dad and son Sydney lawyer put her ex-husband's name on her son's speeding ticket A Sydney lawyer who claimed her ex-husband and a former client were behind the wheel of speeding cars has been found guilty of professional misconduct and struck off the roll of solicitors. Jinhi Kim, who worked at several law firms in Sydney, pleaded guilty to using her ex-husband and former client's details without them knowing to cover up offences actually committed by her son and father. She was found guilty last August and at a Court of Appeal hearing on November 15, the court agreed it was 'likely that the respondent is permanently unfit to be enrolled as a lawyer, so that an order for removal [from the roll] rather than suspension is appropriate'. Ms Kim claimed her ex-husband and a client had committed speeding offences (stock image) Ms Kim was arrested in October 2015 after police searched the law firm at which she was then working at. She falsely claimed in a statutory declaration, that her ex-husband was the driver of a car responsible for speeding - so a new penalty notice was issued to him. But the court discovered: 'Upon receiving a substituted penalty notice in relation to the offence, the ex-husband obtained online a still photograph from the relevant speed camera and concluded that it was the son who had been the driver,' the court said. 'He then contacted [Ms Kim] ... who told him not to worry about the penalty notice and that she had used his identification particulars because the son did not have many demerit points left and needed his driver licence for his job.' The court also heard that Ms Kim named her courier driver client as the man behind the wheel - when it was her father that was issued with an infringement notice for running a red light. She also named the client again when her son and one of his colleagues were issued with speeding tickets. The ex-husband was issued a new penalty notice for the lawyer's son's offence (stock image) The client subsequently met with police and made a statement that he was not behind the wheel at the time. Ms Kim pleaded with him to change the statement, to no avail. The Court of Appeal said Ms Kim had 'engaged in a pattern of knowingly dishonest conduct' to protect her family and 'it was not an isolated lapse or a mere error of judgment'. 'It was dishonest and criminal conduct that would be regarded as disgraceful and dishonourable by professional colleagues,' the court said. Ms Kim is now studying part-time for a Graduate Diploma in Divinity - a court which aims to better equip Christians to know, understand and explain the Bible on a higher level - at a Theological College. 'She hopes one day to apply for readmission [to the legal profession] but, as she says, 'not until sufficient time has passed for that to be a possibility',' the court said. Around 50,000 travellers are stranded in Bali after the ash cloud from Mount Agung forced authorities to close Denpasar International Airport. All flights were cancelled at 7am local time on Monday and the airport will remain closed until further notice. There had been fears the situation would worsen overnight and the airport had prepared for the worst. 'Once the airports find volcanic ash trace, we'll close down the airport for flights,' the chief of the airport told the ABC on Sunday. Authorities raised the volcano alert to the highest level on Monday and ordered people within 10km of the mountain to evacuate amid fears of a major eruption. More than 50,000 travellers a day could soon be stranded in Bali as authorities issue a 'red alert' warning and Mount Agung continues to erupt. The volcano is pictured on Sunday Flight cancellations have forced travellers to sleep at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport Some of their frustrations were aired on Facebook, with customers either very pleased they had been moved to temporary accommodation or livid they had been left out Magma has now reached the surface of the volcano, which threatens to produce a 'strong, explosive eruption,' authorities warned. 'The activity of Mount Agung has entered the magmatic eruption phase,' an Indonesian official said on Sunday. 'It is still spewing ash at the moment but we need to monitor and be cautious over the possibility of a strong, explosive eruption.' Mt Agung erupted on Saturday evening and three times on Sunday, throwing holiday plans into disarray. All flights were cancelled at 7am local time and the airport will remain closed until further notice Magma has now reached the surface of the volcano, which threatens to produce a 'strong, explosive eruption,' authorities warned Customers have spent hours lining up for information about their flights. This traveller is seen at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday Balinese Hindus take part in a ceremony on Sunday, where they pray near Mount Agung in hope of preventing a volcanic eruption The Mount Agung volcano spews hot volcanic ash as a local chops wood in the foreground The situation worsened on Monday when Australian airlines began informing its customers all flights had been cancelled. Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas advised passengers between 10am and 11am its planes had been grounded. The decision was made on safety grounds and overturned earlier expectations that flights would go ahead. 'While these disruptions are frustrating, we will always put safety before schedule,' Jetstar said in a statement. Virgin Australia updated its announcement online saying Denpasar Airport had closed and the airline had subsequently cancelled all flights to Bali. Jetstar will next update passengers around 7pm AEDT after further advice from the Bureau of Meteorology's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. Qantas confirmed its one flight per day from Sydney to Bali has been cancelled. Dozens of flights had already been cancelled during Sunday because of volcanic ash, which poses a potentially deadly threat to aircraft and passengers. On Saturday Jetstar diverted three flights heading to Bali and cancelled six flights ready to leave the island Jetstar was forced to cancel numerous flights on Saturday and the following morning but was back on schedule by Sunday evening (stock image) Mount Agung volcano is seen spewing smoke and ash in Bali on Sunday. The ash has thrown holiday plans into disarray Tourists watch the Mount Agung volcano erupting as they visit a temple in Karangasem, Indonesia Indonesia's Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation raised its aviation colour code from orange to red, indicating a further eruption with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere was imminent. Mt Agung sits more than 3000 metres high over eastern Bali. It last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1,000 people and razing several villages. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology's Volanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin issued maps showing an ash cloud heading southeast over the neighbouring island of Lombok away from Bali's capital Denpasar, where the international airport is located. RUMBLES FROM BALI'S MOUNT AGUNG WHERE IS THE VOLCANO? - Mount Agung rises about 3,000m above Bali's Karangasem district, in the holiday island's east - Bali lies within the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic and volcanic activity where thousands of tremors occur each year WHAT IS THE VOLCANO'S HISTORY OF ERUPTIONS? - Its last major eruption in 1963 killed over 1,000 people and razed many villages - More than 50,000 Indonesians were evacuated in September this year when experts warned an eruption was imminent - Some 25,000 people have been unable to return to their homes Advertisement AirAsia and Virgin Australia flights between Denpasar and Australia remained grounded on Sunday night 'The volcano and movement of ash cloud are highly unpredictable which means we may need to cancel flights at short notice,' Jetstar warned on its website (stick image) Passengers wait for their flight schedule at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport on Sunday Julie-Ann Bond, 44, worked as an ambulance technician for five years Ambulance bosses are sending cut-price technicians to 999 calls instead of paramedics, an investigation reveals today. They are being dispatched to hundreds of thousands of the most serious emergencies, including heart attacks and seizures. Technicians wear almost the same uniforms as paramedics meaning most patients are unlikely to notice the difference but they have less training and fewer skills. Freedom of Information responses from five of the ten ambulance trusts in England show that they were dispatched to almost 300,000 calls without a paramedic last year. This included over 155,000 of the most serious red calls, where patients lives were deemed to be in immediate danger. The remaining five ambulance trusts refused to respond. But if the trends are similar for all ten, it suggests that ambulance technicians were sent out to around 600,000 calls in total last year. One whistleblower told the Daily Mail that technicians were now routinely making the same life and death decisions as paramedics. Julie-Ann Bond, 44, who worked as an ambulance technician for five years, said they were actually sent on more calls than paramedics, and patients had no idea they were any different. Miss Bond and other whistleblowers also said they are now commonly paired with another technician or an even less qualified emergency care assistant, who has done just three months of training and supervision. Technicians wear almost the same uniforms as paramedics meaning most patients are unlikely to notice the difference but they have less training and fewer skills Under-pressure ambulance services across England are struggling to cope with record numbers of 999 calls, on top of a recruitment crisis of paramedics. In some trusts as many as one in ten paramedic posts are vacant and managers have resorted to recruiting from Australia, Poland and Finland. Ambulance technicians do three months of classroom training, which also includes remote learning from home. They must then do 750 hours of work experience in an ambulance or in A&E. This would take five months if they were working full-time, but a year or longer working part-time. By contrast, paramedics must do a three-year degree followed by a years supervised work passing regular assessments before they qualify. It means paramedics have higher skill levels and can insert drips into patients veins, set up ECG heart monitors, make diagnoses and insert tubes. Furthermore, unlike paramedics, technicians do not need to be registered with a professional standards watchdog. This means they cannot be struck off or suspended for life-threatening mistakes. If they are sacked by one ambulance service, there is nothing to stop them going to work elsewhere. Under-pressure ambulance services across England are struggling to cope with record numbers of 999 calls, on top of a recruitment crisis of paramedics (stock image) Technicians are also paid less, earning between 18,000 and 22,000 a year compared with paramedics, who start on an average of 25,000 but can progress to 35,000 a year. Former Liberal Democrat health minister Norman Lamb MP said: This is deeply worrying for patients who dont know or see the difference, but this could put lives at risk. This revelation will send a chill down the spine of many. Technicians have been used by ambulance services since the early 2000s and their numbers have been steadily increasing. The Mail asked the ten ambulance trusts in England for the number of 999 calls responded to by crews of technicians and emergency care assistants but no paramedic during 2016/17. The FoI request also asked how many of these were red calls, which are the most serious and include heart attacks, strokes, breathing difficulties and road traffic accidents. Responses from five of the ten trusts show technicians were sent to at least 295,171 emergency calls in 2016/17. This included 155,846 red calls. The five trusts which responded were the East Midlands, the West Midlands, London, the North West and South East Coast ambulance services. They claimed that technicians were adequately trained to deal with the majority of 999 emergencies and many patients did not need a paramedic. Four of the five trusts said they had hired more technicians in the last five years to cope with the increased demand. A spokesman for the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, which represents ambulance bosses, said technicians had a massively positive input towards patient care and the NHS as a whole. A spokesman for NHS England said it was up to individual ambulance services how they managed their resources.Paramedics could soon have the power to prescribe drugs under NHS plans. The proposals, made by the Commission on Human Medicines, would cut down on unnecessary hospital and GP visits. The changes are expected to limit the powers to paramedics with extra training. 'The public have no idea we are not paramedics' Julie-Ann Bond, a technician of five years, said there were no consequences if a technician 'mistreated or killed a patient Patients have no idea that they are routinely treated by technicians rather than paramedics, a whistleblower has said. Julie-Ann Bond, 44, a technician of five years, said there were no consequences if a technician misdiagnosed, mistreated or killed a patient. Unlike paramedics, they cannot be held accountable for mistakes during an emergency call as they are not listed on a professional standards register. This means they cannot be struck off and if they were found guilty of a serious error, could simply go and work for another ambulance service. Miss Bond also said ambulance technicians were routinely making life-or-death decisions such as whether patients needed immediate treatment or should be taken to hospital. Their uniforms are almost identical to paramedics but they are not qualified to give a wide range of drugs or perform advanced procedures such as administering morphine. Miss Bond said ambulances were manned by two crew members either a paramedic and an emergency care assistant or a technician and an emergency care assistant, who is even less qualified than a technician. She said she could probably count on one hand the number of times she had heard technicians being paired with paramedics. As far as Im aware there are more technicians treating people than paramedics, she said. A large majority of the ambulance service is made up of technicians. Most people dont even know what that is. They just say the paramedics are here. Among other treatments, technicians and paramedics are both required to administer oxygen, carry out wound dressing, CPR, and use defibrillators. But paramedics are able to do much more advanced procedures and prescribe a wider range of treatments. She said: Youre making autonomous decisions on what to do with people. Do I leave them at home? Can I get them a GP appointment? Do I need to take them into A&E? Do they need an immediate intervention? Youre making these decisions exactly the same as a paramedic would and treating accordingly. Miss Bond was self-employed but worked for different private providers for five years. Miss Bond said ambulances were manned by two crew members either a paramedic and an emergency care assistant or a technician and an emergency care assistant, who is even less qualified than a technician She said that one of the companies she worked for was subcontracted by South East Coast Ambulance Service. She also expressed concern that technicians do not have to be registered, saying: It just seems very strange that technicians arent on a register. Its a double-edged sword, as it is detrimental to the public, because a technician could misdiagnose, mistreat or kill somebody tomorrow but theres no consequences from that. They just go and work in a different area for a different trust or go and work privately. Thats a big concern for the public. A South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said: Clinical support staff, which make up 48 per cent of our frontline workforce, while not registered with the Health and Care Professional Standards Council, are held accountable for their actions. They will have typically completed a ten-week training programme and are subject to continual professional development and held accountable by our professional standards department. All crews are able to request paramedic back-up if required. Julie Gagne, 47, was arrested on charges for arson, disorderly conduct and filing a false police report in Barrington, Illinois this week An Illinois woman was found to have allegedly torched her Infiniti SUV with a flamethrower that she purchased online. Julie Gagne, 47, was arrested on charges for arson, disorderly conduct and filing a false police report in Barrington, Illinois this week. On November 10, after the fire, she had reported her 2016 Infiniti QX70 stolen. She was at a restaurant, and she called to say her car was missing when she came out of the restaurant, Schaumburg Deputy Police Chief Dan Roach said to the Arlington Cardinal. Firefighters located the SUV on fire near a precious metal refinery in the area. Soon after that, Gagne retracted her statement that the Infiniti had been stolen. The Barrington native turned herself in to authorities on Tuesday and was released on a personal recognizance bond on Wednesday. She had reported that it was stolen on November 10 but by then she had already allegedly torched the SUV (stock) According to police, Gagne used a X15 Flamethrower that was built by Ohio company XMatter to light the SUV up A motive has not been determined by police, according to the paper. According to police, Gagne used a X15 Flamethrower that was built by Ohio company XMatter to light the SUV up. The flamethrower, which is legal to use in Illinois, is believed to have been bought online by the woman. Police said that it uses a mix of around three gallons of fuel and napalm, throwing flames up to 50 feet in away. It had been left near the SUV and cost just around $1,600. Ellen Bown said Co-op Funeralcare showed a blatant disrespect of the deceased at its Windsor funeral home Dead bodies were left to rot outside of cold storage by Britains biggest funeral home during a heatwave. While grieving families assumed that their relatives remains were properly stored in fridges, some were allowed to decompose for weeks in the back of a Co-op Funeralcare branch. Whistleblower Ellen Bown spoke out to expose what she describes as the companys blatant disrespect of the deceased at the Windsor funeral home. She claims that a lack of staff caused a backlog of funerals, meaning bodies were stored in the branch for long periods in temperatures of up to 25C (77F). She told of one incident in which maggots were found in a coffin, and another in which a cardboard coffin deteriorated because of leaking bodily fluids. The firm, which has more than 900 branches, admitted to storing one body in the Windsor branch for 20 days during a heatwave where temperatures in the area peaked at 34.5C (94F) in July. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that bodies being held for 48 hours or more should be stored at 5C (41F) or less. It also confirmed a case of maggots being reported in a body. While the Co-ops Windsor branch could book and arrange funerals, it did not have its own cold storage facilities. Bodies were supposed to be stored at the facilities in the nearby Slough branch and only brought back to Windsor for viewings and just before funerals. However, Miss Bown, 48, said this did not happen, with bodies being left in Windsor for weeks. She said: They had nowhere to put the bodies in Slough as the storage was full, so they would bring them to Windsor long before the funeral. Really this should only have been done for viewings or just one day before the funeral. Yet we had bodies in our holding area for weeks. The room would sometimes get as hot as 25C (77F), kept in those conditions it is impossible to preserve the body. Because of that some families were unable to view their relatives. Ms Bown blamed a lack of staff and a backlog of funerals for the problems at the Windsor branch (pictured) She said that one man, Simon Jeffrey, 35, went black after being kept in a room for 20 days and his body was so badly decomposed his mother was unable to view him or kiss him goodbye. Miss Bown, who had joined the firm in January, complained in July after finding maggots at the branch. She said: I came in one Monday morning and there was a maggot on the carpet and I just knew what it was. I found maggots coming out of one of the coffins ... The smell was horrendous. We had to keep the doors at the back open and light candles to try to hide it. Co-op said of the incident that a wide range or circumstances can impact the overall condition of a body, including the cause of death, when the body is found and whether there is a post-mortem examination. Miss Bown also claimed that storage problems were the result of funerals being delayed for up to five weeks because of issues with staffing. Co-op said the average waiting time for funerals earlier this year was over three weeks as the branch faced challenges, including higher death rates and works at Slough Crematorium. However, Miss Bown said: That was not always the case, it was just we didnt have the resources to process the funerals. I found maggots coming out of one of the coffins ... The smell was horrendous. We had to keep the doors at the back open and light candles to try to hide it Ellen Bown We did not have enough staff or vehicles on the ground yet they would continue booking funerals They just couldnt cope. She added: It is not right that families have to wait that long, it delays the grieving process. Miss Bown also spoke of a horrific incident where a body fell out of a coffin and was left lying on the floor for an hour. By HSE standards we as funeral arrangers are not allowed to move coffins by ourselves but as we were so short-staffed we had to do it. I was moving one lady back to the holding area after a viewing and she slid off the trolley and fell out of the coffin. I had no way of putting her back myself This poor woman was left lying on the floor for over an hour before someone from another branch came to help me. In another case, Miss Bown said a family had asked for personal items to go into a coffin of a father however these were not put in. The Co-op said it had contacted both of the families involved in these incidents. Miss Bown, who has several years of experience in the funeral business, said; I know how things are supposed to be done and this should not be going on. It is being really disrespectful to the deceased and it is not right. Co-op said that while Windsor did not have its own cold storage, there were facilities available within a local care centre which would be used as appropriate. Robert Maclachlan, managing director for Co-op, apologised for the standard of care. He said: These allegations suggest that earlier this year, in our Windsor funeral home, we fell short of our own high standards and didnt always provide the level of care that are expected of us. We are truly sorry for this and we have contacted the families involved to apologise and explain what happened and what we are doing about it. We have already made a number of improvements including investing in better facilities and hiring more colleagues. We will learn from this and do whatever is necessary to ensure our colleagues are supported in providing the very best care for our families. The Co-op added it is now in the process of installing adequate facilities at Windsor. Mother who couldn't kiss her son goodbye Sandra Riley was robbed of the chance to kiss her son goodbye after his body was left to deteriorate for almost three weeks during a heatwave. Simon Jeffreys body was stored at the Co-ops Windsor branch where there were no cold storage facilities for 20 days during the hottest time of the year, when outside temperatures peaked at 34.5C (94F). When his mother, who works for the local council, tried to view his body, staff at the branch advised against it as he had deteriorated so badly. Sandra Riley (left) was robbed of the chance to kiss her son Jeffrey (right) goodbye after his body was left to deteriorate for almost three weeks during a heatwave Mrs Riley, 58, said: I desperately wanted to kiss him goodbye because I hadnt seen him. I needed to see him so I knew in my heart that it was really him. I just had to kiss his coffin. My poor boy. I cant believe they just left him like that for days. It is disgusting, I had no idea. Mr Jeffrey suddenly died on May 27, the day after his 35th birthday, while his mother was on holiday. She booked his funeral at her local branch in Windsor using all of her savings for the 4,000 bill, which included embalming, and was given a date of July 6. I was told that Slough Crematorium was having a refit so that was the earliest they could do, she said. Mrs Riley said she was told he would be kept in cold storage at Slough after his body was released. However, he was transported back to the Windsor branch on June 16. Here the former hotel porter was kept in a room for the next 20 days, during a heatwave, until his funeral. Staff at the Co-op had called Mrs Riley on June 16 informing her that he was deteriorating and that she should view him soon. The mother-of-three said: I couldnt make it that day as I had an appointment but I went in as soon as I could a few days later. When I went in they told me I shouldnt see him as he had gone black. Ellen Bown, who was working in the branch at the time, said Mr Jeffrey had not been stored properly. She said: He was stored in the room in the heat he went black. The family wasnt able to view him because he was so badly decomposed. He should have been viewable had he been stored properly. Mrs Riley added: We trust these people and theyve robbed me of my closure.' Robert Maclachlan, Managing Director for Co-op Funeralcare, said: We have been supporting families for over 100 years and our people take great pride in the care and service they provide following a loss. 'Every funeral is unique and we care for people in many different circumstances. Sometimes this can be challenging depending upon the way in which an individual has died and the timing of when they are found. 'Our job in every case is to do the best we can for the families we serve. These allegations suggest that earlier this year, in our Windsor funeral home, we fell short of our own high standards and didn't always provide the level of care expected of us. We are truly sorry for this and we have contacted the families involved to apologise and explain what happened and what we are doing about it. 'We have already made a number of improvements including investing in better facilities and hiring more colleagues, but we are also investigating why some of this did not happen earlier when concerns were raised. We will learn from this and do whatever is necessary to ensure our colleagues are supported in providing the very best care for our families. A spokesman for the National Association of Funeral Directors said Co-op had raised the issue with them. He added: The circumstances of any death are unique and funeral directors have no control over the length of time and the environment a deceased person is exposed to prior to that person coming into their care. 'That said, although no regulations have been breached as the deceased person was embalmed, the branch on this occasion did not provide the level and standard of care that would have been expected given the circumstances of this death. We understand that they have spoken with the family, launched a full internal investigation and that this was an isolated incident, with complex circumstances. The NAFD can confirm that the funeral home in question was inspected by our Standards and Quality team last year and found to be fully compliant. We will continue to liaise with Co-op Funeralcare. Deceased people are handed into the care of funeral directors in a wide range of circumstances and situations; it is important to stress that this was an isolated incident and in no way reflects the usual high standards of care and attention that funeral directors across the UK demonstrate. Journalist Ronan Farrow has opened up on how NBC passed on his explosive Harvey Weinstein story, which resulted in an avalanche of sexual abuse allegations being leveled against the Hollywood producer. The 29-year-old told CBS News Sunday Morning that Weinstein's team had tried to sue him when he started investigating the sex allegations. 'When Harvey Weinstein threatened to sue me, it was like the scene in Harry Potter where an invitation to Hogwarts is coming in through every window and fireplace and every opening in the house,' Farrow said. Scroll down for video Ronan Farrow opened up on how NBC passed on his explosive Harvey Weinstein story, which resulted in an avalanche of sexual abuse allegations being leveled against the producer Farrow was working for NBC News when he was assigned the story last year after he obtained an audio recording of Weinstein harassing actress Ambra Gutierrez in 2015. He said he managed to get other actresses to go on the record about various Weinstein allegations but NBC executives decided the story needed more work. They eventually decided not to proceed with the story, prompting Farrow to take it to the New Yorker where it was eventually published in October this year. 'In terms of the gravity of the evidence, it would've been impossible for me to live with myself or answer to any of the many women I had already interviewed if I had stopped,' he said. The New Yorker's editor David Remnick told CBS he immediately said yes to the story when Farrow pitched it. Remnick said he had been aware of Weinstein allegations for 15 years. One of his reporters Ken Auletta had been working on a similar story but he couldn't get any of his accusers to go public with the allegations. Farrow appeared to mock NBC News last week for refusing to run his expose on the allegations by posting a photo of one of his interviews with an accuser. Farrow appeared to mock NBC News last week for refusing to run his expose on the allegations by posting a photo of one of his interviews with an accuser a year ago Farrow, who is the son of actress Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, said Weinstein's team of powerful lawyers had tried to sue him 'Thankful for the women and men who have come forward with painful stories and helped to chip away at a culture of silence. When I sat down for this interview almost a year ago, the world was a different place,' he wrote alongside the photo. Farrow, who is the son of actress Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, said Weinstein's team of powerful lawyers had tried to sue him. The journalist had also revealed in a second bombshell story that lengths Weinstein and his team would go to silence the accusers. Farrow said growing up in the spotlight was an advantage for him because Weinstein couldn't easily discredit him. 'It was perhaps an unexpected advantage in one sense that any dirt that could be uncovered on me had already lived in the tabloids for my entire life, which is a painful and unpleasant thing,' he said. Farrow said growing up in the spotlight was an advantage for him because Weinstein and his team of powerful lawyers couldn't easily discredit him Farrow also opened up about how he tried to convince his older sister Dylan not to write a New York Times op-ed in 2014 that repeated the sexual abuse allegations she made against their father Woody Allen as a child 'But in this case, it meant that there were really no surprises to uncover when there were any efforts to discredit me.' Farrow also opened up about how he tried to convince his older sister Dylan not to write a New York Times op-ed in 2014 that repeated the sexual abuse allegations she made against their father Woody Allen as a child. 'Those are painful family experiences that I, for many years, tried to outrun and avoid,' Farrow said. '(Woody Allen) has always denied it, has gone very directly after any woman proximate to it - huge, huge public relations apparatus designed to do that.' He said he tried to 'vigorously' talk his sister out of writing the op-ed. 'I tried to talk her out of it vigorously, saying, 'Stay quiet. You know, you've already lived through this trauma. Why bring it up again? Why hurt your career? Why hurt the rest of our careers?',' he said. 'You know, the logic she articulated to me had a lot in common with the logic raised by women speaking out against Harvey Weinstein. She wanted to make sure that other women were protected.' A Melbourne home owner has listed his stunning bushland property for sale - and he wants people to bid with cryptocurrency. In what could prove to be the first transaction of its kind in Australia, the innovative owner, known as Rob, included in the listing he would accept alternative payments. 'Owner is agreeable to accept part payment in Bitcoin!' the advertisement reads. 'If it came down to two or three people, and both had their maximum borrowing capacity at a certain amount, and one has bitcoin - because the banks don't look at Bitcoin as an asset - that could be something that could get them across the line,' Rob told Domain. A Melbourne home owner has listed his stunning bushland property for sale - and he wants people to bid with cryptocurrency In what could prove to be the first transaction of its kind in Australia, the innovative owner, known as Rob, included in the listing he would accept alternative payments Bitcoin is currently trading at more than $12,000, a record for the digital currency The five-bedroom home in the picturesque leafy suburb of The Basin includes a large open-plan living and kitchen area overlooking the tranquil bushland. The beautiful kitchen has stone-top finishes, tiled splashbacks and new appliances. The family home features internal access through the double lock-up garage, a teenager's retreat in a separate building, gas ducted heating for winter and its own water tank for summer. The five-bedroom home in the picturesque leafy suburb of The Basin includes a large open-plan living and kitchen area overlooking the tranquil bushland The beautiful kitchen has stone-top finishes, tiled splashbacks and new appliances The home features five bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bedroom has its own full ensuite and walk-in-wardrobe The family home features internal access through the double lock-up garage, a teenager's retreat in a separate building, gas ducted heating for winter and its own water tank for summer The house is listed for just below $900,000, but the forward-thinking owner says paying in Bitcoin will give you the inside lane. 'I see cryptocurrency at the moment as like the early days of the internet dot com era,' Rob said. Bitcoin is currently trading at more than $12,000, a record for the digital currency. It is legal for property to be traded with any form of payment, including cryptocurrency, but the Australian Taxation Office require records of transactions to be kept as they are treated as standard assets. Durham University has had to apologise after students planned a 'Thatcher's Government vs. the miners' themed rugby party. The event was organised by a group of students who appear to have been members of Trevelyan College Rugby Club. Members of the team were told to dress as 'm-i-n-e-r-s', with instructions for 'flat caps, filth and a general disregard for personal safety'. The 'forwards vs backs event' invitation read: 'Think pickaxes. Think headlamps. Think 12 per cent unemployment in 1984...' Durham University has had to apologise after students planned a 'Thatcher's Government vs. the miners' themed rugby party. The event was organised by a group of students who appear to have been members of Trevelyan College Rugby Club Meanwhile, the 'backs' were told to dress as members of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government. The Facebook post said: 'You are to elect one member to come as the Iron Lady herself. We want variety too, so a few working-class-beating-bobbys wouldn't go amiss. 'Nor would a few Falklands war heroes. You get the gist.' The party, which has now been cancelled, was described as 'a confrontation higher than the Battle of Orgreave' and illustrated by an image of striking miners clashing with a line of policemen. The 'Battle of Orgreave' was one of the most violent clashes of the miners' strike, taking place at the Orgreave coke plant in South Yorkshire in June 1984. A total of 95 miners were arrested and faced long prison sentences. But the case against them collapsed, and police were accused of disproportionate violence and unprovoked assault. Activists have long called for an inquiry into whether police used excessive force and sparked the violence against the strikers. The Durham Miners' Association said they had 'deep concerns' about the party, which has been condemned as 'wholly unacceptable' by the university. The Battle of Orgreave (pictured above) was one of the most violent clashes of the miners' strike, taking place at the Orgreave coke plant in South Yorkshire in June 1984 It is not the first time the North-east Russell Group University has come under fire for its societies. Earlier this year it apologised after its Islamic Society handed out terror booklets written by a hate preacher, saying 'every Muslim should be a terrorist'. Last year the Durham University Champagne Society was investigated after its summer ball turned into a drug and alcohol-fuelled 'orgy', where students risked their lives by running naked into a lake. Owen Adams, Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Durham University, said: 'Durham University and Trevelyan College utterly deplore this event which is wholly unacceptable. 'The event has been cancelled by the students concerned. We are speaking to those students and we are considering what further action to take in due course. 'Durham University is extremely proud of the positive contribution it makes to Durham City and North East England and our place in the rich heritage of this region. 'We know that most students are active and positive residents of their communities. For example, students undertook more than 14,000 hours of volunteering last year.' He said the university 'reserves the right to take appropriate action' against students who fall short of its standards. The Miners' Association, who had pledged to write to the university about the event, described the response as 'swift and appropriate action'. The first year of tough new A-level exams has confirmed there is still a big north-south divide in achievement. League tables show the vast majority of top-scoring schools both state and private are in London or the South East. All but seven of the 44 independent schools to record grade B or above in 90 per cent of their A-levels were in the South of England. Meanwhile the North boasted only one of the 11 state schools to score so well this summer. The North of England boasted only one of the 11 state schools to score so well in A-Level results this summer - Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in Greater Manchester (pictured) In total, 55 schools achieved the 90 per cent rate for top grades across the country this year. This is 12 fewer than last year following the creation of a non-modular exam system in 13 subjects. The new system focuses on end-of-course tests, rather than coursework projects completed throughout the year. The Parent Power league tables which reveal the 2017 figures have been compiled by The Sunday Times to highlight 'outright academic achievement'. They show that the South East and London have 19 of the top 20 fee-paying schools. Last year all of the top 20 were in the South. The highest scoring was St Paul's Girls' School in west London the seventh year in a row it has scooped the accolade. Pupils recorded 97.4 per cent of A-levels at grade A*-B. Among the top 20 state secondaries, 15 are in London or the South East. Henrietta Barnett School in north London topped the state school table, with 94.5 per cent of A-levels graded B or above. There are no independents and just two state schools north of Birmingham in the top 20. Last year only one top-ranked state school was from the North. This year, the only northern state secondary to score top grades in 90 per cent of exams was Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in Greater Manchester. This year's survey also highlights a slump in results for top private girls' schools. Of the 15 private schools to drop out of the 90 per cent club, 12 are girls-only including famous names such as Cheltenham Ladies' College and the Godolphin and Latymer School in Hammersmith, west London. The highest scoring was St Paul's Girls' School in west London (pictured) the seventh year in a row it has scooped the accolade. Pupils recorded 97.4 per cent of A-levels at grade A*-B Experts said the dominance of private girls' schools could be challenged further over the next two years as more A-levels focusing on end-of-course exams are rolled out. Professor Alan Smithers, of Buckingham University, said girls' schools began to dominate when modular GCSEs were introduced in 1988. A-levels went fully modular in 2002. He said the research hinted at 'first signs of a decline in independent schools', adding: 'They do not seem to be coping as well, especially the girls, who tend to cope less well with end-of-course exams. 'State schools are improving, [private] fees are rising. Parents will increasingly be wondering whether private education is worth it.' Former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor claims he was told by police that there was never a Westminster child sexual abuse ring. It comes after he said earlier this month that he was considering taking legal action against the Metropolitan Police for being falsely accused in the VIP sex abuse inquiry. But Mr Proctor has now been assured a police investigation found no proof that he and late ex-prime minister Sir Edward Heath were involved in the alleged historic child abuse scandal, after he was investigated for the first time. And now the former Tory MP has come forward and said police told him they found 'no evidence of a Westminster child sexual abuse ring'. Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Mike Veale said neither he nor his colleagues have ever made such claims and had not wished to create that impression. Mr Proctor (pictured) has now been assured a police investigation found no proof that he and late ex-prime minister Sir Edward Heath were involved in the alleged historic child abuse scandal, after he was investigated for the first time The force's probe, Operation Conifer, concluded that seven claims against Sir Edward, who was Conservative prime minister between 1970 and 1974, would have been sufficiently credible to justify questioning him under caution, if he were still alive today. But in correspondence seen by the Press Association, Mr Veale confirmed Mr Proctor had not been investigated by his officers as part of the probe. The ex-MP welcomed the assurances and said: 'I am very pleased I have obtained clarification and transparency from Mr Veale and Wiltshire Police. 'Contrary to the witch-hunting instincts and fantasy-inducing aberrations of certain current MPs, Conservative and Labour, certain journalists and internet fantasists, when police force after police force investigate these matters they find no evidence of a Westminster child sexual abuse ring'. 'The reason being, as I made clear on August 25 2015, there wasn't one', he added. Mr Proctor was told in a letter from Mr Veale: 'During the course of the investigation we received information from 14 forces in relation to alleged abuse committed by Sir Edward Heath and within those disclosures from some victims there were also allegations against a number of other persons of public prominence. 'Three forces supplied Operation Conifer with disclosures from victims that included allegations made against you.' One of the forces was the Metropolitan Police, whose 2.5 million Operation Midland inquiry into claims made by a single accuser, known only as 'Nick', of a high-level paedophile ring linked to Westminster, closed without a single arrest. Wiltshire Police's probe, Operation Conifer, concluded that seven claims against Sir Edward Heath (pictured), who was Conservative prime minister between 1970 and 1974, would have been sufficiently credible to justify questioning him under caution, if he were still alive today Mr Proctor was cleared and received an apology in 2016 from then Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. Mr Veale told Mr Proctor Essex Police also shared information with operations Midland and Conifer 'relating to a victim who had made allegations against a number of persons including Sir Edward Heath and yourself'. Mr Proctor said: 'I was not informed about this by the Metropolitan Police or Essex Police, nor was I questioned by the Metropolitan Police or Essex Police about this allegation. 'Wiltshire Police did not speak to the fantasist Nick or to the complainant to Essex Police'. A third force, Greater Manchester Police, also shared information with Wiltshire Police, in which Mr Proctor was the subject of an allegation, according to Mr Veale. Mr Proctor said: 'Greater Manchester Police (GMP) closed their investigation of me (and apparently Sir Edward) without interviewing me and without the courtesy of informing me of its demise. 'This allegation involved Rochdale, a place I have no recollection of ever visiting. 'When GMP were asked for a 'missing' email they claim they had sent to my solicitors about the matter being closed, the GMP could not locate a copy'. Late former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath is pictured in the House of Commons He wrote to Wiltshire Police last month seeking a string of clarifications, in a letter that concluded: 'I hope you will accept my assurance that contrary to what appears to be your public suspicions at Wiltshire Police's press conference on Operation Conifer, no Westminster VIP CSA ring existed involving the late Sir Edward Heath and myself in the 1970s and 1980s. 'It is pure fantasy to suggest otherwise'. Addressing the comment, Mr Veale replied: 'No evidence was found during the investigation to substantiate any suspicions nor did either I or my colleagues express such views during press briefings and interviews. 'There was certainly no intention that any such impression should be created so your reassurance, whilst welcome, is unnecessary'. Last month it was revealed that police are spending 81million a year on historic investigations. The money is being used during inquiries into sex abuse, paedophile conspiracies, undercover policing and the Hillsborough tragedy. Soaring numbers of children are seeking help over concerns they are being sexually exploited, a new report says. Figures show the number of boys and girls calling Childline to discuss their fears of grooming rose sharply in the last year. A shocking 3,122 youngsters contacted the NSPCC's round-the-clock helpline for counselling in 2016-17 a rate of eight every single day. Figures show the number of boys and girls calling Childline to discuss their fears of grooming rose sharply in the last year That was a rise of a third 33 per cent compared to 2,340 calls in the previous year. The charity warned that warped adults were using devious tactics to coerce and control young people into sexual behaviour. Predatory adults lure young people into sexual activity in exchange for gifts, money or affection. It can include grooming, trafficking, sexual harassment and engaging in online sexually explicit activities or images. Most young people worried about this form of sexual abuse were being targeted on the internet fuelling calls for tech giants to do more to tackle the problem. Opportunities for perverts to groom children has increased with the rise of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Counsellors said young people often did not recognise what was happening to them and that they were being groomed. Instead, they often believed they were in a relationship with someone they had met online. In some cases they had not met or even spoken to the individual meaning they had no proof of who the person they were talking to actually was. A shocking 3,122 youngsters contacted the NSPCC's round-the-clock helpline for counselling in 2016-17 One girl told Childline: 'I was playing a game online and started talking to someone who asked me to send them rude pictures. 'They said they were my age and after talking for a while I sent them some pictures, but now they're blackmailing me and threatening to show everyone if I don't carry on. I feel really stupid and I'm scared about what will happen.' The extent of the condition was exposed by the NSPCC after it collated data on the reasons callers contacted Childline. Girls were more likely than boys to receive counselling about child sexual exploitation. The age groups most likely to seek help amid fears they were being groomed for abuse were 12 to 15-year-olds. The NSPCC said the sharp rise highlighted the importance of Childline. The charity's Light Up Christmas For Children campaign is aiming to raise crucial funds for the service. Currently Childline counsellors can only respond to three out of four children who need their help. Peter Wanless, the NSPCC's chief executive, said: 'Whether child sexual exploitation is happening online or offline, groomers will use the same devious tactics to manipulate and control young people so they can abuse them for their own pleasure. 'It can be incredibly confusing and difficult for children and teenagers to realise that they are being exploited, with some believing they are in a relationship with their abuser. 'Our Childline counsellors hear about the guilt and shame that young people feel, so it's vital that any young person in this situation knows they are not to blame. 'We want young people to know that Childline is there for them, whatever their worry, to answer any questions and offer support and advice.' After arts consultant Helen Macintyre gave birth to Boris Johnson's love child, judges ruled that the public had a right to know about the Foreign Secretary's 'reckless' behaviour. Now Miss Macintyre, 43, has become embroiled in another awkward legal wrangle through her latest married lover, raffish art dealer Baron Cyrille de Gunzburg, 54. I can disclose that Helen is being investigated by Kent Police over a dispute with an art collector, Antony Wild. Wild employed Baron de Gunzburg as a consultant on his extensive collection and agreed to buy a 4,000 half share in a work by Italian painter Vincenzo Marinelli. The other half was owned by Helen's consultancy, Macintyre Art Advisory. I can disclose that Helen Macitnyre - arts consultant and mother of Boris Johnson's love child - right, is being investigated by Kent Police over a dispute with an art collector, Antony Wild. This is the drawing the dispute is over, writes Sebastian Shakespeare However, when Wild later inquired about the drawing, Trasporto del Mahamal alla Mecca, he came to understand that it was apparently now fully owned by Miss Macintyre. Miss Macintyre, 43, has become embroiled in another awkward legal wrangle through her latest married lover, raffish art dealer Baron Cyrille de Gunzburg (pictured), 54 'I was shocked,' says Wild. 'Some years ago, Baron de Gunzburg, who represented my small art investment company at the time, suggested I buy a half share in the painting from Helen Macintyre. I agreed to do so for 4,500 euros.' Wild has now heard that Miss Macintyre believes she bought the half-share back from his company via Baron de Gunzburg. 'But I was neither told about it or received any money,' Wild tells me. 'I have been asking her repeatedly for my money back, but she has not responded. Finally, I brought the matter to the police's attention and they are now investigating, on the basis of evidence I have presented to them.' Yesterday, Baron de Gunzburg, a French aristocrat whose extended family is well known in the financial and art worlds, declined to comment, while Miss Macintyre was not available when I tried to reach her. The baron has been living at Miss Macintyre's vast 18th-century manor house in Kent since his English wife, Diana, 56, 'kicked him out' of their marital home in Paris. Diana has been pursuing him through the courts in France over financial support for her and their daughter. A Kent Police spokesman confirmed it was looking into the claims: 'Officers are investigating the circumstances to assess whether any criminal offences have taken place.' Pictured: Arts consultant and mother of Boris Johnson's love child Helen Macintyre I wonder if Prince Harry will take Meghan to a party tonight hosted by artist Nicky Philipps, who once painted him? Dressed in but a few sequins, burlesque dancer Miss Scaramouche will pose at Nicky's Chelsea studio while guests eat, drink and immortalise on canvas the performer. Otherwise known as Anna Coreth, Miss Scaramouche, 24, caused a stir in September when she appeared as Country Life's Girl in Pearls pin-up. I wonder if Prince Harry (pictured) will take Meghan to a party tonight hosted by artist Nicky Philipps, who once painted him? Writes Sebastian Shakespeare As anyone in the Royal inner circle knows, discretion is key. So former Strictly Come Dancing 'maneater' Kristina Rihanoff can expect low marks on the score card for breaching protocol. The 40-year-old Russian, who has a child with former England rugby star Ben Cohen, celebrated becoming the latest celeb invited to Buckingham Palace by Prince Andrew by posting an image of her 'stiffie' online. 'This is exciting,' she boasted on Twitter. 'A party at Buckingham Palace! Yeah!' As anyone in the Royal inner circle knows, discretion is key. So former Strictly Come Dancing 'maneater' Kristina Rihanoff (pictured) can expect low marks for breaching protocol The 40-year-old Russian, who has a child with former England rugby star Ben Cohen, celebrated becoming the latest celeb invited to Buckingham Palace by Prince Andrew by posting an image of her 'stiffie' (pictured) online A palace spokesman sighs: 'Some people just get excited and publish their invitations on social media. There's nothing we can do.' Let's hope Kristina doesn't waltz into any trouble. It was recently claimed that disgraced Hollywood star Kevin Spacey sat on the throne during a private tour of the palace with Prince Andrew. With an engagement announcement for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle expected imminently, what better time for Princess Diana's wedding dress co-designer, Elizabeth Emanuel, to relaunch her label after more than two decades? 'It's something that I've been working towards for many years, and I finally have a big investor who is making it all happen,' she tells me. 'We expect to launch by next July. It's going to be called Emanuel. Designing a dress for Meghan [Markle] would be something that would be absolutely amazing.' With an engagement announcement for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured) expected imminently, what better time for Princess Diana's wedding dress co-designer, Elizabeth Emanuel, to relaunch her label after more than two decades? Writes Sebastian Shakespeare Despite playing lovers in The Jewel In The Crown in the 1980s, there was no sexual chemistry between Charles Dance and Geraldine James. Geraldine, currently filming the second series of Netflix's Anne With An E, discloses: 'Charles said recently, 'The reason Gerald and I are such good friends is we never fancied each other'.' A 24-year-old man has been charged with high range drink driving following a drunken rampage through Sydney's west. The driver tore through a busy intersection of the Great Western Highway and Mamre Rd in St Marys crashing into a number of cars, around 9pm Sunday night. When police arrived at the scene he was breathalysed and blew a reading of 0.189 - nearly four times over the 0.05 limit. A 24-year-old man has been charged with drink driving after cars collided (pictured) in Sydney The driver tore through a busy intersection and crashed (pictured) around 9pm Sunday night Two women were caught up in the collision and both were taken to hospital last night. One suffered a fractured hip - but neither have life-threatening injuries. The driver was arrested and taken to Penrith Police Station where his license was immediately taken off him He was granted conditional bail and will appear at Penrith Local Court on Tuesday December 12. For anyone thinking of signing up to a gym again for one of their New Years resolutions, it is another good excuse to give it a miss. Consumers are paying an average of 160 over three months for subscriptions they do not want but struggle to get rid of. These includes everything from the gym, to TV and online streaming services, according to Citizens Advice. Many customers are lured into signing up for free or cut price deals for initial periods. Consumers are paying an average of 160 over three months for subscriptions they do not want but struggle to get rid of, like gym memberships Around 40 million are signed up to at least one such product or service in the UK. The trouble is that getting out of these deals is often easier said than done. According to Citizens Advice, the overwhelming majority of customers who tried to ditch their contracts were rejected at first by the company in question. Analysis of 586 related problems reported by consumers to the charity found that over just three months consumers paid an average of 160 towards unwanted subscriptions. Many customers are lured into signing up for free or cut price deals for initial periods and find then find the subscriptions impossible to get out of Its analysis of these cases, reported between June and August, found that around nine in 10 people were initially refused by the company when they tried to cancel their subscription. Companies refused cancellations by asking for more notice - stretching to six months in some cases - or told people they needed to cancel through a specific route, such as phone or email. One person who contacted the Citizens Advice consumer service said they tried to cancel a subscription after they were made redundant at work only to be asked for proof from their employer - including a P45. Citizens Advice said that under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, businesses cannot enforce terms on consumers that are unfair. Consumers told the Citizens Advice consumer service they felt it was unclear they were being signed up to a recurring payment in the first place or that the contract may continue on an auto renewal basis. Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: Subscriptions are very easy to sign up to but can be difficult for consumers to get out of. We know people are wasting time and energy trying to cancel subscriptions while paying out of pocket. As part of National Consumer Week, we want to make sure consumers are aware of the terms and conditions of any subscription before they sign up and companies act responsibly when customers want to end their services. Consumer minister Margot James said: With 40 million people in the UK now subscribing to at least one product or service, this campaign from Citizens Advice will help ensure consumers can shop with confidence and know what their rights are should things go wrong. Consumers have been urged to check their cancellation rights, before signing up for a product or service. Each supplier can set their own cancellation policy and they do not need to offer you a right to cancel your subscription early. Make sure the terms and conditions look reasonable before signing up. If you bought the subscription online, the law says you usually have 14 days to get your money back if you change your mind. But you might not be able to get a refund if you start using the service straight away. Citizens Advice has also urged customers to follow the cancellation policy set out in the contract when they ready to end a subscription. Consumers who stop a payment without checking what else is required first may find the subscription has not been cancelled, making them liable for any missed payments. If complaining to the firms customer services department does not work, customers can go to the suppliers trade or complaints body or report to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice consumer service. For a top dining destination, the decor is unconventional: bars on the windows, panic buttons embedded into the walls and bundles of razor-wire. Guests also have mobile phones confiscated before entering and they are security screened in advance. But the Clink restaurant chain, which operates at four secure prisons in England but is open to the public, is beating establishments by celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver. The Clink restaurant chain, which operates at four secure prisons in England but is open to the public, is beating establishments by celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay, Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver According to TripAdvisor, three of the four restaurants which aim to rehabilitate prisoners by training them for the food industry are rated No 1 in their areas. HMP Styal, a women's prison in Wilmslow, Cheshire, enjoys top spot out of 62 restaurants. HMP Cardiff, a Category B jail in Wales, is first out of 943 and HMP High Down in Surrey beats 134 other restaurants. HMP Brixton, one of the country's most notorious prisons, is rated London's third-best restaurant out of 18,161 on TripAdvisor, beating the likes of Michael Roux Jr's Le Gavroche. Dishes are cooked and served by inmates. Main courses include grilled fillet of turbot with crushed purple potato and slow cooked lamb pot pie, celeriac mash and glazed carrots for 17.95. According to TripAdvisor, three of the four restaurants which aim to rehabilitate prisoners by training them for the food industry are rated No 1 in their areas Main courses include grilled fillet of turbot with crushed purple potato and slow cooked lamb pot pie, celeriac mash and glazed carrots for 17.95 Starters include pigeon, black pudding, smoked bacon lardon salad and poached quails egg and rabbit and duck terrine with smoked apple relish from 5.75. However, there is no alcohol on the menu and diners use plastic cutlery. Customers at HMP Styal have included Prue Leith, Coleen Rooney and Victoria Derbyshire. Inmates with 6 to 18 months left of their sentence can apply for the programme. The aim is to prepare staff for a job in the hospitality sector on release. Chefs are trained to five-star cordon bleu standards. Prisoners learn the skills required to work in top restaurants and hopefully stop them reoffending once they have been released. A report last year found that the Clink reduces re-offending rates among male ex-offenders by 41 per cent. HMP Brixton, one of the country's most notorious prisons, is rated London's third-best restaurant out of 18,161 on TripAdvisor, beating the likes of Michael Roux Jr's Le Gavroche High street chains Wahaca and Carluccio's have taken Clink graduates in the past, as have luxury hotels, including the Lancaster London and the Thistle chain. Helen, 43, spent nine months at HMP Styal and served in the Clink's kitchen under the head chef. She left with an NVQ level 2 in professional cookery and is a pastry chef at an upmarket hotel. She said: 'I am now the chef de partie at a country club, hotel and spa where I run the pastry and larder section. 'The confidence I gained in the kitchen will stay with me for the rest of my life.' One reviewer, who went to the Clink in Cardiff, wrote: 'Being honest, I thought we would be served by murderers, serial killers and such like. Not the case. Very handsome and chic young men.' Chris Moore, chief executive of the Clink Charity, said: 'One of the biggest challenges we face as a charity is public misconceptions of prisoners and rehabilitation. 'Having this TripAdvisor feedback provides evidence we're helping people understand how important a part education and meaningful work plays in reducing reoffending rates.' The programme has been running since 2009. About 160 prisoners at a time take part in the scheme which can last up to 18 months. Hundreds of women claim they were sexually assaulted by massage therapists employed under a leading national spa, according to a report published Sunday. Court records, police reports and interviews obtained by BuzzFeed News provide details on the alleged encounters from more than 180 women that took place at Massage Envy locations across the United States in recent years. Some accusers said their stories were concealed after they came forward, while the company - which was ranked the third most popular chain of its kind this month - responded that incidents were 'not its problem' to correct. In the shocking report, one Pennsylvania woman shared her experience, which she said took place in May 2015 at a West Chester spa she visited regularly. Scroll down for video Hundreds of women claim they were sexually assaulted by employees working under leading national spa, Massage Envy Massage therapist James Deiter is shown left in his mugshot, next his accuser, Susan Ingram Massage Envy in West Chester, Pa. is shown, where an accuser said she was sexually assaulted Susan Ingram said it was her seventh visit with highly-recommended therapist, James Deiter, when she felt his 'erect penis' push up against her body. Ingram had her eyes closed before she felt the man grope her breasts and penetrate her vagina with his fingers. In shock, she laid still on the bed until the session ended. When she drove off in her car, she started to cry. Later, she reported the incident to the spa manager, who refused help. When she asked the manager to remove the woman from the room where another session had been taking place with Deiter, the manager said she 'could not do that.' Ingram said in the interview: 'Massage Envy is a partner in crime,' while adding that 'they had every opportunity, on multiple occasions, to remove him from his position, and chose not to.' Further investigation led Deiter to reveal he needed 'help' while speaking with police during questioning. The following year, he plead guilty to molesting 'nine women while working at Massage Envy' from 2014 to 2015, the report said. He was sentenced last year to more than five years behind bars for the assaults. Daeshawn Bullard (shown left in his mugshot) was arrested and jailed after he sexually assaulted Danielle Dick (right) In a October 2015 incident that took place in Virginia, Danielle Dick said therapist, Daeshawn Bullard, inserted his fingers in her vagina and assured her the sexual encounter would be their 'little secret.' When she informed a manager, Dick said the individual looked 'like a deer in headlights' after hearing the story. The manager called her the next day to inform she would not be charged for her massage that was described simply as 'unhappy experience' for the customer. 'Then they went back to business as usual, and my entire life was turned over,' Dick told BuzzFeed. The company later said they would consider legal action after Dick created a Change.org petition which received thousands of signatures from supporters. According to WTVR, Bullard received a five year sentenced after being convicted of sexual battery and forcible object, sexual penetration. According to court documents, police reports and interviews, more than 180 women have made the allegations against the spa company In a more recent encounter, a woman said she was visiting a Washington, D.C. Massage Envy to reward herself for starting a new job. MASSAGE ENVY STATEMENT 'We hold franchise owners accountable to our policies. When we say nothing is more important to us than treating clients with respect and giving them a safe, professional experience, we mean it' Advertisement During the September visit, Tara Woodley had her eyes closed when she said she felt her therapist's tongue on her vagina. Horrified, Woodley jumped up and covered herself - when the man 'grabbed her hand and begged for forgiveness.' She filed a lawsuit the same month. Around the time, two other women reported sexual assault against the same therapist to managers at spa. Massage Envy's employee training session requires a 'Behind Closed Doors' program on its code of conduct. The training session said 'managers and franchisees must understand how to handle complaints of inappropriate conduct. General counsel of Massage Envy Franchising, Melanie Hansen, provides employees with a Code of Conduct training session Hansen said 'as a franchiser of a service brand, we are not experts in investigating criminal acts' She added that the company advises spas 'to secure expert help as needed to investigate incidents' 'In the case a claim is brought against an employee, the goal is to keep the guest 'in a safe and secure environment in order to retain them as a valued client and avoid negative attention,' the training session says, according to BuzzFeed. Managers are asked to examine the 'demeanor or any other behavior that may go towards credibility' of the customer. 'If, by whatever means, a therapist is found to have violated the zero-tolerance policy, that person must be fired. If on the other hand the facts are 'inconclusive,' the manager is simply instructed to consider steps the spa 'might take to ensure incidents of this nature do not happen again,' the report said. General Counsel of Massage Envy Franchising, Melanie Hansen, responded to the bizarre training video. 'As a franchiser of a service brand, we are not experts in investigating criminal acts' so the company advises spas 'to secure expert help as needed to investigate incidents',' Hansen said in a statement to BuzzFeed. 'That advice does not appear in the recent 'Behind Closed Doors' training videos.' In an official statement, Massage Envy said: 'We hold franchise owners accountable to our policies. 'When we say nothing is more important to us than treating clients with respect and giving them a safe, professional experience, we mean it.' Leading global health firms gave the UK economy a vote of confidence last night by pledging to create almost 2,000 jobs in Brexit Britain. US pharmaceutical giant Merck will set up a hi-tech hub with 950 new posts, and Dutch diagnostics firm Qiagen is to expand its operations in Manchester, creating up to 800 skilled jobs. The announcements come on the day the Government launches its latest industrial strategy to turn around Britains low productivity, and commit the country to becoming a world leader in artificial intelligence and driverless cars. The agreements with Merck and Qiagen come just days after the Office for Budget Responsibility unveiled gloomy forecasts for the prospects for growth. US pharmaceutical giant Merck will set up a hi-tech hub with 950 new posts, and Dutch diagnostics firm Qiagen is to expand its operations in Manchester But Merck, which is also known as MSD, said Britain was a unique bioscience centre of excellence. The firm claimed its state-of-the-art hub would ensure innovative research into treatments for patients and pioneering medicines were completed in Britain. Business Secretary Greg Clark said: Our life-sciences sector is one of the UKs fastest developing industries, with a turnover in excess of 64billion, employing 233,000. MSDs commitment proves the process outlined in the industrial strategy can give companies the confidence and direction they need to invest in the UK. It will ensure Britain continues to be at the forefront of innovation and represents a huge vote of confidence. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: I want patients to continue to be at the front of the queue for the best treatments available. Todays investment in our strong and growing life-sciences sector will see patients in the UK continue to benefit from world-leading research and pioneering medicines. Qiagen will go into partnership with Health Innovation Manchester a group of universities, research bodies, NHS trusts, life-science firms and local government to develop a DNA research and diagnostics campus in the city. Qiagen chief executive Peer Schatz said: We are very excited about this. Our success together can advance science and improve the lives of patients in the local region as well as worldwide. The announcement forms part of a Life Sciences Sector Deal, one of four such deals that also involve the construction, artificial intelligence and automotive sectors. The agreements with Merck and Qiagen come just days after the Office for Budget Responsibility unveiled gloomy forecasts for the prospects for growth Each represents a long-term partnership with the Government, backed by private-sector investment. Mr Clark said: We are at one of the most important, exciting and challenging times in the history of commerce and industry. Powered by new technology, industries are being created, existing ones changing and the way we live our lives as workers, citizens and consumers transformed. We are renowned for innovation and discovery, with some of the best universities and research institutions in the world producing some of the most inventive people on Earth. He said the industrial strategy would also address weaknesses in the economy, adding: Britains productivity performance has not been good enough. By acting together as a nation and in a sustained way, to improve the underperforming conditions for productivity we can drive up our earning power. The industrial strategy will commit the UK to becoming a world leader in artificial intelligence. A Government spokesman said: The rise of AI is changing the world we live in. The UK has to be at the forefront of this data-driven revolution and grasp the opportunities it presents. He said other priorities were clean growth through low-carbon technologies; meeting the needs of an ageing population; and the future mobility technology of driverless cars and drone-delivered goods. The spokesman added: The way we move people, goods and services is evolving rapidly and the UK needs to be a world leader in shaping what the future of mobility looks like. A record number of international students were admitted to British universities this year despite fears of them being deterred by immigration policies. Figures from admissions body Ucas show the number of students from abroad rose by 2 per cent to the highest ever total of 70,945. Broken down, there was a 5 per cent increase in students from countries outside the EU, bringing them to a total of 40,245. Students from EU countries decreased by 2 per cent to 30,700 650 fewer than last year. Figures from admissions body Ucas show the number of students from abroad rose by 2 per cent to the highest ever total of 70,945 Ucas said that while there was a slight drop in EU students, the huge increase in those from non-EU countries more than made up for it. The figures appeared to confound fears that tough talk from the Prime Minister on immigration may be putting some international students off applying to UK institutions. Earlier this year, the Conservative manifesto also promised tougher visa requirements for overseas students. Universities have previously warned of a fall in students from India one of the biggest consumers of UK higher education because they felt they were not welcome. But todays data suggests that despite the gloomy forecasts, the UK appears to be more popular than ever for studying. Sarah Stevens, head of policy at the Russell Group, a coalition of the countrys most elite universities, said: It is a very positive message that so many talented students from across the globe continue to want to study here, attracted by the world-class teaching that our universities provide. Ucas said that while there was a slight drop in EU students, the huge increase in those from non-EU countries more than made up for it But she added: If it turns out that the fall in [EU] places this year is due to the continuing uncertainty posed by Brexit, it reinforces our call for the Government to provide greater clarity. Alan Smithers, professor of education at the University of Buckingham, added: With more overseas students than ever entering our universities this year, it looks as though the fears about tougher immigration rules putting them off are unfounded. EU students are down somewhat and may have been unsettled by Brexit. But overall the figures underline our universities excellent reputation around the world. Non-EU students are highly sought-after by universities because they pay much higher fees than UK and EU students. While home fees are capped at 9,250, the average annual fee for international undergraduates is 13,000. Figures show that 50,000 foreign students a year stay in the UK after completing courses. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt appeared emotional as she greeted members of a persecuted Burmese minority on her first official visit in her new role. On a visit to Bangladesh, Ms Mordaunt met Rohingya refugees living in camps in the fishing port of Cox's Bazar. There she announced 12 million of extra UK aid to help Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Burma. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt came close to tears as she greeted persecuted Rohingya Muslims during a visit to Bangladesh Ms Mordaunt appeared emotional during the visit, which was her first in the new role During the visit to Bangladesh, Ms Mordaunt was pictured comforting Rohingya refugees living in camps in the fishing port of Cox's Bazar Ms Mordaunt announced 12 million of extra UK aid to help Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Burma An estimated 620,000 men, women and children have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following persecution from the Burmese military in their native state of Rakhine. The Department of International Development( DfID) estimates that international funding for the crisis will start to run out by February next year unless other countries pledge longer term support. The additional funding will bring the UK's total support for the Rohingya to 59 million since August this year. The money cash will be spent on food, drinking water, emergency latrines, temporary shelters, soap, cooking utensils and water cans. Ms Mordaunt said in a statement: 'This looks like ethnic cleansing. 'The Burmese military must end this inhumane violence and guarantee unrestricted humanitarian access so aid can reach those in need in Burma. 'Any return of families to their homes must be safe, voluntary and dignified.' Ms Mordaunt made the visit on the International Day To Eliminate Violence Against Women And Girls, which saw thousands of people take part in protests across the world. Ms Mordaunt appeared emotional as she witnessed women and children who had escaped from persecution being handed aid After meeting refugees, the Minister demanded the Burmese military end the violence against the Rohingya Muslims The Minister's visit comes after an estimated 620,000 men, women and children fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following persecution from the Burmese military in their native state of Rakhine The money will also be used to provide sanitary products, female-only bathing cubicles as well as counselling for 2,000 survivors of sexual violence and 10,000 women suffering the trauma of war, DfID said. The International Development Secretary also announced a separate 12 million aid package to be spread across multiple countries to help protect women from sexual and gender-based violence. 'The countless stories of sexual violence I have heard from Rohingya women and girls are truly shocking and the high rates of this crime across the world are a global scandal,' Ms Mordaunt said. 'The UK is absolutely determined to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls and we are increasing protection for Rohingya women and girls against sexual violence and exploitation.' Penny Mourdant said the UK is determined to eliminate all forms of violence against women and children as she visited Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh Penny Mordaunt met with the Mohammed Shahriar Alam, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh. She said the events in Burma looked like 'ethnic clensing' Newlyweds could soon be seeing their mothers' names on marriage certificates, instead of just their fathers' - if MPs manage to change the 'outdated' wording. UK wedding certificates only feature the bride and groom's fathers' names, in line with an age-old tradition. Previous efforts to modernise the documents have been unsuccessful, with Governments claiming the costs were too high. But a cross-party group of MPs led by former cabinet minister Caroline Spelman is hopeful they could soon break the mould. UK marriage certificates only feature the bride and groom's fathers' names, in line with an age-old tradition. But a cross-party group of MPs led by former cabinet minister Caroline Spelman is hopeful they could soon break the mould This week the Conservative Merdien MP will present their proposed changes to Parliament for its 'second reading' stage. They are also being supported by Labour MP Frank Field, former culture secretary Maria Miller and ex-Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron. To deflect any claims the changes will be too costly, the bill will set out plans for a digital marriage register, to cut costs of replacing all the existing ones to include mothers' names. Speaking to The Guardian, Frank Field said the absence of women's names was an insult, saying: 'It's a huge knock in the eye for mothers. 'Children have two parents, even if they are not living together and every opportunity should be taken to affirm that truth, and particularly when it's often the mum who is with the child if parents aren't together anymore. 'It is an insult, really, to the person who has most treasured and nurtured you, in most instances.' This week the Conservative Merdien MP (pictured) will present their proposed change to the law to Parliament for its 'second reading' stage Despite the success of getting to a second reading, the bill must pass three more stages in the House of Commons then another five in the Lords before getting Royal Assent. Spelman, who is also second church estates commissioner, the Church of England's official representative in the House of Commons, is not the only person pushing for changes to wedding documentation. Bishop of St Albans and Peer Rt Rev Alan Smith is also proposing an identical bill in the House of Lords. Labour MP Christina Rees tried for similar changes in 2015 but was rejected by the Government. Then Home Office minister Richard Harrington said he 'wasn't convinced' her bill was the 'right way to deal with' bringing the marriage certificate into the digital age. The current bill was based on one drafted by Tory MP Edward Agar but never debated because of June's General Election. Legendary television journalist Mike Willesee turned to Catholicism after investigating religious miracles in the late 90s. While he would classify himself as a devoutly religious man today, there was a time when the 75-year-old questioned religion - and the people who abided by the values of God. At the tender age of 10, Willesee's father sent him to the notorious Catholic orphanage in Bindoon 'to toughen him up' - despite the fact both his parents were alive. He described his first night in Bindoon when 'four or five kids' punched him, once to the point of unconsciousness, until he finally shot at his tormentors with a rifle (pictured younger) Willesee (pictured), who was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame last week, survived the 1997 crash along with cameraman Greg Low 'Dad said, "I'm going to send you up to Bindoon for a while", and I'd been there with him. I knew he liked this place. And I couldn't understand why I would be sent to an orphanage. I said, "Why, Dad?"' Willesee told Australian Story. 'I still don't know why my father thought I needed to toughen up, but I did toughen up. You know, it changed me.' He described his first night in Bindoon when 'four or five kids' punched him, once to the point of unconsciousness, until he finally shot at his tormentors with a rifle. 'You didn't complain, you didn't dob, and you looked after yourself,' he told the Australian Woman's Weekly. While in high school Willesee was 'punched to the ground' by a particularly unethical headmaster. 'It made me lose respect for the brothers. It made me lose respect for the Catholic Church for a long time,' he said. At the tender age of 10, Willesee's father sent him to the notorious Catholic orphanage in Bindoon 'to toughen him up' (pictured) With a childhood as violent as this it came as some surprise to the 75-year-old's family and friends when he turned back to God. The change happened when Willesee, who was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame earlier this month, survived a plane crash in 1997 along with cameraman Greg Low. He had a premonition before the flight took off that it wouldn't arrive safely at its destination. A plane crash (pictured) changed legendary television journalist Mike Willesee's (pictured) life after his chilling pre-take off premonition became reality The plane plummeted to earth in a game park after taking off from Nairobi, Kenya, on the way to southern Sudan 'I couldn't understand it. I had this fight in my own head before I got on the plane. How do I tell Greg that it's going to crash?' said Willesee, Australian Story reported. 'I had a premonition but I did not believe in premonitions. But did I believe it was going to crash? Absolutely.' The plane plummeted to earth in a game park after taking off from Nairobi, Kenya, on the way to southern Sudan. Emerging unhurt from the crash, Willesee was a changed man, becoming a devout follower of his childhood faith within two years. Willesee then devoted his life to investigating Catholic miracles, travelling across South America. The transformation came as a surprise to the journalist's family (pictured are Willesee, ex-wife Carol, and children Jo, Amy and Lucy) He appeared on Signs From God, broadcast on American TV in 1999, in which he interviewed Katya Rivas. The Bolivian woman claimed to experience Stigmata, bleeding from the crucifixion injuries suffered by Jesus, and he had no doubt Rivas was authentic. Willesee ended up spending 20 years investigating similar phenomena from Bolivia, Argentina and Mexico. The iconic journalist, regarded as one of the best interviewers of his era, is now battling stage four throat cancer. He recently completed radiation therapy after being diagnosed 12 months ago, and cites his faith and his family as instrumental in helping him through the pain. Some of the personal effects of the murderous Charles Manson will be headed to the Haunted Museum in Las Vegas. Travel Channel star Zack Bagans purchased a plethora of Manson's items after he died on November 19 including a set of dentures. The two had been pen pals so Bagan's believes that the teeth are authentic, according to TMZ. Travel Channel star Zack Bagans (left) purchased a plethora of Charles Manson's (right) items after he died on November 19 including a set of dentures The two had been pen pals while Manson was incarcerated (pictured) so Bagan's believes that the teeth are authentic, according to TMZ A pentagram necklace made from toilet paper and underwear are also included in the buy for Bagans Bagans added that he even had a picture of the teeth signed by Manson and could verify the handwriting since he claimed it to be familiar. The Ghost Adventures star claims that the teeth were stolen by another inmate when Manson was in the shower. When he got out, he sent them to Manson's friend who then teased the murderer by sending him a photo of the teeth. Bagans added that he even had a picture of the teeth signed by Manson and could verify the handwriting since he claimed to be familiar The letter, along with the necklace are among the different trinkets that Manson had while at Corcoran State Prison that Bagans now owns All will be added to Manson's section within the museum Manson begged for them to be returned but the friend refused. The letter, along with a pentagram necklace made from toilet paper and underwear are among the different trinkets that Manson had while at Corcoran State Prison. All will be added to Manson's section within the museum. Manson died last Sunday at the age of 83 and had stated in the will that he disinherited his two known children, grandchildren, friends, other family and the state of California Manson died last Sunday at the age of 83 and had stated in the will that he disinherited his two known children, grandchildren, friends, other family and the state of California. Manson wrote in the will that his wishes for his death had been stated to the pen pal, though six days after he passed away his body is still with the state of California. If it is not claimed after 10 days he will be cremated by the state. Later in the will, Manson noted: 'I'm not in the best spot to rest in peace.' Manson was making money off his likeness while in prison, with a New York Times article revealing back in 1993 that the man who convinced his followers to embark on a two-night murder spree that left Sharon Tate and others dead was getting 10 cents for every $17 shirt one surf shop was selling in California. The shirts showed Manson's face on the front and said 'Charlie don't surf' on the back. Manson also owned the rights to his music, though it is unclear if that 'exclusive catalogue' includes the Beach Boys song 'Never Learn Not to Love,' on which he was an uncredited writer. The BBC has been forced to apologise for an alarmist report claiming 100,000 Universal Credit claimants would lose money over Christmas. The allegations were made earlier this month by Paul Lewis from the Money Box programme, which reports on personal finance issues. As well as being broadcast on the Radio 4 show, the claims also appeared on BBC Breakfast, the Today programme, the BBC website and on radio and TV news bulletins on November 18. The Mail understands that the Department for Work and Pensions was not given full details of the story before it ran, meaning officials could not point out errors in the story. The BBC has been forced to apologise after reporter Paul Lewis (pictured) claimed 100,000 Universal Credit claimants would lose money over Christmas Reporter Paul Lewis told listeners up to 100,000 in-work Universal Credit claimants would get no benefits over the festive period. He claimed the cuts would hit those who are paid weekly because they have five pay days in December. As a result, he said, their monthly income could be too high to receive the benefit, which changes according to income. But on Saturdays programme he retracted the story, admitting the real number of claimants receiving less was much lower. He even admitted ignoring fellow staff members on the programme who had warned him his figures were wrong. Mr Lewis told the programme: Last week I did say that up to 100,000 people might end up receiving reduced Universal Credit or even no Universal Credit at all over Christmas. Now if Money Box gets something wrong, we admit it ... Some people will undoubtedly receive less Universal Credit over Christmas and New Year but by no means all of them. Apologies to anyone on Universal Credit who was in any way unnecessarily alarmed. Last night critics said the apology was inadequate due to the scale of publicity given to the story. Former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who created Universal Credit, said: This apology is a small and inadequate correction ... Having given the department no proper opportunity to rebut the false item, the item then ran on all their news headlines without correction. Former work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who created Universal Credit, labelled the apology 'a small and inadequate correction' Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke answered questions on it in the House of Commons. He told MPs: It was confused, it was misleading in its alarmist tone. It was inaccurate in the numbers it was using. Last night he said: I welcome the BBCs apology and urge media and politicians to be responsible and avoid misleading people when discussing Universal Credit. Universal Credit combines six benefits including tax credits and housing benefit into one payment. Last week Philip Hammond announced a 1.5billion overhaul that would reduce the time it took for families to receive money. Tory MPs have criticised the Corporation for its coverage of the Universal Credit scheme which they say has been unfairly targeted. A BBC spokesman said: We are happy that this was a legitimate story. They said that the programme reported that the DWP disputed our figures, but that Money Box regrets the inaccuracies and has run an appropriate clarification. The emotional family of a British ex-paratrooper broke down in tears on Monday as he was freed after spending four years in an Indian jail. Nick Dunn, 31, was among a group of British ex-servicemen known as the Chennai Six who were arrested in October 2013 while working as mercenaries on an anti-piracy ship. The men were subsequently jailed on charges of smuggling weapons for terrorists, but will now be freed after being acquitted by judges at Madras High Court. The other men are Billy Irving, 37, from Argyll and Bute, John Armstrong, 30, of Wigton, Cumbria, Nicholas Simpson, 47, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, Ray Tindall, 42, of Chester, and Paul Towers, 54, of Pocklington, East Yorkshire. The family of Nick Dunn, 31, a former paratrooper locked up in India for four years,celebrated after learning he would be freed on Monday (pictured from left, brother Paul, mother Margaret, father Jim and sister Lisa) Mr Dunn, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, had begged the British government to secure his release. He is pictured with his older sister Lisa, 37 Mr Dunn's family were filmed by the BBC receiving the news as they shared a hug before sobbing with joy. Sipping champagne his sister, Lisa, said: 'This is the best champagne in the world, it tastes like the best drink. 'The longer it went on, as much as you still have an element of hope, it does dwindle after having so many delays and setbacks. Lisa said that 'all of our dreams have come true' after receiving the news that her brother will be coming home for Christmas 'But that hasn't happened today and we've had the best news ever. 'It will make all of our Christmases, all of our dreams have come true today.' Mr Dunn's father, Jim, said: 'Absolutely fantastic, the best news in the world. 'We haven't been a full family for a long time now. Nick won't fully realise it's over until his feet touch down in Newcastle.' Yvonne MacHugh , fiancee of Billy Irving, said she was 'over the moon' after hearing the news. 'I am just so relieved. I can't believe it. I really didn't think it was going to go our way after everything,' she added. She now hopes her partner will be home in time for Christmas, to spend it with his son, who has only ever seen him in the Indian prison. She said: 'It's finally all over. All 35 men have been acquitted of all charges and should be coming home as soon as possible. 'The hope is now they will get home for Christmas. Ideally, I want him home tomorrow. After four years and all the hard work, it's all paid off. 'William is at nursery just now, so as soon as he is finished I am going to get him on Facetime and tell him the good news. 'I just can't wait to get home and give him the biggest hug ever.' John Armstrong (pictured, with his mother Helen and father John) was one of the Chennai Six freed on Monday after being held for four years in India Paul Towers (pictured, in Afghanistan) spent 12 years in the Paras and 20 as a prison officer They were all sentenced to serve five years in Puzhal Central Prison, Chennai, (pictured), where they are said to have to go to the toilet 'in a hole in the ground' The 29-year-old mother returned from a six-day trip to India on November 19. A statement on the Chennai 6 Facebook page said: 'The Appeal Court has today found all 35 men NOT GUILTY we now wait to hear as and when the men will be allowed home to their families. 'This may take some time whilst the authorities decide whether they agree with the outcome or wish to appeal. 'If they wish to appeal the men might be released from prison but not allowed back to the UK. 'But the families are understandable delighted that finally common sense and justice has prevailed.' The Madurai bench of Madras High Court directed the men to apply to the authorities to get back their passports back. The men were also told they will be entitled to get back fines they have paid so far. Theresa May's official spokesman said: 'The Government, from the Prime Minister down, has worked hard for over four years to support the men and their families and we share their happiness at the court's decision to give a full acquittal to each of the men. Billy Irving, 35, left, and Ray Tindall, 41, were also among the veterans jailed in India (From left) Mr Simpson, Paul Towers, 52, Mr Tindall and Billy Irving were all working for US marine company AdvanFort when they were arrested in 2013 'We are now working with the Indian authorities to discuss the next steps. We will continue to offer the men and their families consular assistance for as long as it is needed.' The Indian authorities accused them of 'importing guns for jihadists' although the punishment was branded a 'miscarriage of justice' by their families and politicians in Britain. Speaking last year, Mr Armstrong's brother, Joanne Thomlinson, said: 'Christmas and birthdays, you would normally be with your family. These days are a bit harder for John and the others to get through. The whole thing is an absolute tragedy. 'It is incredible to think what impact this has had on so many lives. So many parents, children, brothers and sisters, wives - just completely lost while their loved one suffers in prison.' Indian coastguards first boarded their vessel, the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, and arrested them for bringing weapons into India's territorial waters in October 2013. The charges were initially quashed when the men argued the weapons were lawfully held for anti-piracy purposes and their paperwork, issued by the UK Government, was in order. Nicholas Simpson, 46, pictured with wife Tracy, 45, served in the army for 24 years and had been separated from his two young sons Mr Towers with a #freethebeard sign he made while calling to be released. Right is John Armstrong, 30, who lost three stone during his captivity But a lower court reinstated the prosecution and they were sentenced to five years in jail. Their families say the 'Chennai Six' have been held in 'horrendous' conditions, sleeping on concrete floors, in sweltering heat with inadequate water, prison meals of 'curried slop and rice' and poor sanitation, with toilets being a hole in the floor. The smell 'just hits you' on entering the prison, say relatives who have visited to take supplies including teabags, sweets and toilet paper. None of the men were allowed telephone calls home. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: 'Since I became Foreign Secretary, this case has been a top priority for everybody at the Foreign Office (FCO) and today's verdict is fantastic news. 'The FCO has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to reunite these men with their families. The importance the UK Government places on their case cannot be understated. 'The men, their families and their supporters, who have campaigned unrelentingly, must be overjoyed. 'I share their delight and I hope they can return home as soon as possible.' A suspected shoplifter was shot by a police officer at a busy mall after allegedly reaching for a replica handgun. The male suspect was thought to have been stealing sunglasses at the mall in Arlington, Texas, when an officer opened fire, believing the replica gun to be real. Police said the man fled from security and got on the escalator to the second floor, near the food court, the NYDailyNews reports. Scroll down for video A suspected shoplifter was shot by a police officer at an Arlington mall after allegedly reaching for a replica handgun. The male suspect was thought to have been stealing sunglasses at the mall Texas, when an officer opened fire, believing the replica gun to be real He pulled out what police said was later found to be an fake gun, pointing it at the police officer on the first floor. Police spokesman Lt. Christopher Cook says the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon after a theft was reported at a store inside The Parks at Arlington mall. The suspect tried to flee from security before going up an escalator toward the food court, police said. Footage captures the immediate aftermath of the shooting as a police officer stands over the man on a halted escalator. A separate video caught by a passerby was captioned with: 'Dude got shot right in front of me, I'm done'. Cook said the male suspect then pulled a replica handgun from his waistband and was shot by an officer who thought the weapon was real. The male suspect was thought to have been stealing sunglasses at the mall in Arlington, Texas, when an officer opened fire, believing the replica gun to be real Following the shooting, Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson tweeted: 'It is nearly impossible to determine the authenticity of a real versus fake gun,' Sharing the photo of the fake weapon, he added: 'There is no training that would allow officers to distinguish between what's real & what's fake in a matter of seconds. 'Replica imitation firearms/BB guns have no place in society when used in criminal endeavors.' Following the shooting, Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson tweeted: 'It is nearly impossible to determine the authenticity of a real versus fake gun,' The unidentified suspect was taken to an area hospital. His condition is not yet known. Police said no one else was injured. The mall closed early as police evacuated the remaining shoppers. The investigation is ongoing. Advertisement Britons have been warned to brace for the big freeze as arctic blasts bring snow and sub-zero temperatures making the country even colder than Iceland. Just a day before the official start to winter on December 1, the mercury is expected to fall as low as -10C in some parts of the UK. Britain's cold spell could make it cooler than Iceland's capital Reykjavik, which is due to have a high of 7C later in the week, while Helsinki in Finland will see temperatures of between 3C and 4C. A winter vista looking across the upper Eden Valley as morning breaks with the first rays of sunlight clipping the snow covered Howgill Fells in Cumbria today. Commuters should expect milder temperatures than what we have experienced over this weekend on Monday, with parts of Southern England expected to reach double digit temperatures during the day A couple enjoy a walk on heathland during a frosty morning near Ashford, Kent, as parts of Britain woke to another icy morning on Sunday after biting temperatures hit overnight Highland cattle graze on heathland during a frosty morning near Ashford, Kent, as parts of Britain woke to another icy morning on Sunday The Met Office has issued ice warnings for northern parts of Scotland overnight, with snow expected to fall on higher ground. The weather is set to get progressively colder, with Thursday and Friday likely to be the chilliest days, according to the Met Office. Hardy cyclists Justin Saunders and Richard Badger braved an early morning snowy mountain bike ride on Axe Edge Moor high up in the Peak District this morning The mercury could dip to -3C (27F) in sheltered spots this weekend, while health watchdogs have urged people to prepare for a prolonged cold snap. A choppy North Sea this morning as the DFDS King Seaways arrives at the mouth of the Tyne, as parts of Britain woke to another icy morning on Sunday after biting temperatures hit overnight Spokesman Grahame Madge said: 'The weather situation is that it's likely to be getting colder as we go towards Thursday and into Friday 'Pretty much everywhere in the UK will be within touching distance of freezing.' How to stay safe in the cold Keep your hands and face warm - if they get cold they can trigger a rise in blood pressure which puts you at increased risk of a heart attack. Remember that several thin layers of clothing will keep you warmer than one thick layer, as the layers trap warm air. Wear warm clothes in bed. When very cold, wear thermal underwear, bed socks and even a hat - a lot of heat is lost through your head. Read more tips about keeping your house warm and find out about the ideal room temperatures for your home. Source: Met Office Advertisement Hikers brave blizzard conditions as they climb to the summit of Mam Tor on Saturday (right) and a 10-year-old boy having fun in the snow at Dufftown in the Scottish Highland on Sunday morning (left). A yellow weather warning has been issued for the length of the western side of Britain and Northern Ireland from 10pm on Saturday until 10am on Sunday, alerting people to the risk of ice Figures earlier this week showed there were more than 34,000 'excess deaths' across England and Wales over the last winter period, the second highest level in eight years. Pictured: A snow-covered hillside near Ribblehead in the Yorkshire Dales National Park on Saturday On Saturday there were smatterings of snow in parts of Scotland and the West Midlands, with more forecast for higher parts of Wales, the Pennines and parts of Northern Ireland overnight. The mercury dipped to -3.5C (25.7F) in Hurn, Bournemouth, while South Newington reached -2C (28.4F) and Drumnadrochit, near the Loch Ness dipped to -1.7C (28.94F) He added: 'In Scotland air temperatures could drop down to minus 10C, but that's likely only if you are out overnight in the Scottish mountains.' In light of the temperature drop, Public Health England (PHE) warned people to look out for those most likely to be affected by the cold. Morning breaks with the first rays of sunlight hitting the eastern edges of a snow covered Wild Boar Fell in the Yorkshire Dales National Park this morning. Heading into next week, the Met Office warned of snow as far south as Essex by Wednesday, with the East, Northern Britain and Wales all due low-level snow near coasts Dr Thomas Waite, of the body's Extreme Events team, said: 'We're well used to winter in this country so most people know what to do to protect their health before and during cold spells. Pictured: A dogwalker admires the sunrise at Hardwick Country Park, in County Durham Dr Thomas Waite, of PHE's Extreme Events team, said: 'As the weather is going to get colder everywhere in the coming days, this is a really good time to check on those who may be at-risk. 'People with diseases such as heart and lung conditions, older people and young children can feel the ill-effects of cold weather more than the rest of us.' Met Office forecaster Luke Miall said: 'It turns cold again from Monday afternoon and stays colder-than-average through the week and for up to 10 days, with winds from the Arctic. Swans cross the lake at Hardwick Country Park, in County Durham Rail travel was disrupted on some southern and south eastern services on Saturday morning and National Rail advised passengers to check their routes before travelling on Sunday. Pictured: Highland cattle graze on heathland during a frosty morning near Ashford, Kent Matthew Glossop with son Charlie, three. Snow continues to fall on Mam Tor near Castleton in the Derbyshire Peak District on Saturday. Pictured: A surfer enjoys big waves on Tynemouth Beach, as parts of Britain woke to another icy morning Dr Waite advised people to wear lots of thin layers instead of just one or two thick items of clothing, and to maintain a home temperature of at least 18C. Drivers in Scotland have been urged to be cautious amid possible icy patches on some roads due to wintry showers. Commuters have also been told to be prepared for disruption due to cold and wet weather, with South Western Railway predicting 'poor rail conditions' across the network throughout this week. Shocking details have emerged in the mysterious death of a 16-year-old US citizen who was raped and murdered in Paraguay after drinking mushroom tea with friends on a luxurious estate. Luis Alejandro 'Alex' Villamayor, the American son of a former Paraguayan congressman, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head two years ago on the family estate of Rene Hofstetter, 18. Hofstetter's trial in the murder was delayed for a third time on Thursday, and officials In Paraguay have twice declined FBI assistance. Now Alex's family is demanding US legislation requiring FBI involvement in the foreign murders of citizens, speaking to the Daily Beast in a shocking report that reveals gruesome new details of the teenager's death. The case that gripped the South American nation first unfolded on Saturday June 27, 2015 at Hofstetter's family ranch in Obligado, where Alex was spending the weekend with two friends, Hofstetter and 16-year-old Alain Jacks Diaz de Bedoya. 'I thought it would be good for him to go to the ranch and have some fun,' Alex's mother Puning Luk told the outlet. 'I never imagined in a million years he was going to be beaten, raped and killed by his friends.' Alex Villamayor (left) the American son of a former Paraguayan congressman, was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head two years ago on the family estate of Rene Hofstetter (right) Entrance to the Hofstetter estate, where the violent death of Alex Villamayor occurred in 2015 Alex (pictured with his mother) called his father the night before he was found dead, but the call was cut off abruptly and the boy didn't answer repeated calls back The night before he was found dead, Alex called his father Luis Villamayor, who lives 400 miles from the Hofstetter ranch. The teens were drinking mushroom tea alone in the house, although Hofstetter's parents were supposed to be there. The call was cut off abruptly, and Alex didn't pick up when his father tried calling back. Prosecutors believe that Alex, pictured, was murdered some time between 3am and 6am Luis called the Hofstetter parents, who sent ranch hand Matthias Wilbs to check on the boys. The following morning, Hofstetter called Alex's father Luis crying, and told him that Alex had shot himself, according to the new report. The local prosecutor rushed to agree the death was a suicide, telling Alex's parents she suspected the gunshot was self-inflicted the same evening he was found dead. But evidence emerged painting a much more disturbing picture of the case. Photos from the crime scene showed a gunshot wound to the right of Alex's head while the gun was in his left hand. No gunshot residue was found on Alex's hands or clothing. Tests conducted on the gun concluded it had not been fired in a lengthy amount of time. Alex's mother noticed that his body was dressed in clothes that did not belong to him, including a pair of black sweatpants that were too large for him. A second autopsy report revealed additional evidence that Alex had been brutally abused. The medical examiner found deep bruising all over his body, including his genital area, and marks on his body made by an object like a stick. The autopsy report also revealed that semen was found in his anus. Inexplicably, a DNA test showed that the semen was Alex's own - a finding that the boy's family has questioned as illegitimate. Then, if there was any doubt as to foul play, the ranch hand on the Hofstetter's estate, 35-year-old Matthias Wilbs, reportedly confessed to hiding the murder weapon and placing a non-functional gun in Alex's hands. Phone records belonging to Wilbs and Hofstetter revealed that Rene Hoffstetter called his father over 50 times starting at 3am, the morning of June 27. This contradicted the teens, who said they both woke up at 6am to find Alex dead on the back deck. Alex's family have blamed officials in Paraguay for not allowing the FBI to assist, and are suspicious of investigators who initially rushed to rule the death a suicide Prosecutors believe that Alex was murdered some time between 3am and 6am. As the murder case mounted, Hoffstetter and his parents fled to Germany, saying the teen sought psychological treatment there. The other teen, de Bedoya, was indicted for murder over two years ago, but was acquitted less than a month later before the investigation had been completed. Hofstetter and Wilbs are currently in prison awaiting trial for premeditated murder. Hofstetter's father, who is in hiding, has been indicted on charges related to the alleged murder cover up and illegal gun possession. Alex's aunt, Kim Luk, lives in Maryland and has called upon her congressmen to change the laws in the US so that no American citizen can be murdered abroad without the FBI getting involved. Before his death, Alex had planned to live with Luk while he studied business management at Montgomery College. 'More people have to understand what happens to you when you travel overseas,' she told The Daily Beast. 'We're in an administration right now that is seeking Americans first. This is a perfect time for us to change laws.' Hofstetter's new trial date has been set for February 19, 2018. The Villamayor family has been torn apart by the teenager's death, none more so than his mother Puning Luk. Two months after her son died, referring to him affectionately as Ali Boy, she posted an emotional tribute on Facebook. It read: 'I remember Ali Boy. Two months has come and gone - I still have no answers to what happened to you that night. 'Its really hard to go on without you. I see you everywhere. The Villamayor family has been torn apart by the teenager's (right) death, none more so than his mother Puning Luk (left) 'I am sure if you were here you would have gone to celebrate with Alain last night. It was his 18th birthday. 'Like everyone that turned 18 in your class, you would tell me: Mom it happens only once in a lifetime." 'And I would say, Alex still trying to give me good reasons for me to say yes and give you permission to go." 'I remember when we used to cook together. You always had a something to share. 'I loved hearing you tell me about the movie that youve just watched. 'You had a photographic memory and I am still amazed how you captured all the details of the movies you saw. I remember how you could just listen to a song once or twice and remember the lyrics of the song. 'I love how you sang the fast tongue twisting, non-stopping, take no breath rap songs that you loved to sing. I remember how you loved to go to the concerts. 'I remember how you save up all your money so you can go. I have the used concert tickets and memorabilia that youve kept so nicely in a box. 'I miss everything about you. I cry because I have missed two months of laughter, hugs, butterfly kisses, meals together, movies, stories, and hearing you say, "Mom, I am home. 'I love and miss you everyday of my life. I remember...my Ali Boy.' She has since driven a campaign seeking justice for her son alongside Alex's father Luis Felipe Villamayor. Last week, he took to social media to slam Hofstetter's defense attorney Normal Stanley, who is also running for deputy with the Orgullo Colorado party in Paraguay. Alex's (pictured) mother has since driven a campaign seeking justice for her son alongside Alex's father Luis Felipe Villamayor Mr Villamayor posted on Thursday: 'Alex's truth will have to wait for politics. 'Once again, the oral trial of the defendants for the murder of my son Alex was suspended. The reason? 'The defense counsel is in political campaign - that is the real reason, beyond the absurd excuses of his presentation, see the poster. 'I mean, Dr Norman Stanley is very busy going from here trying to convince people that he's a great guy, a sensitive person, a "good citizen" worthy of people's votes. 'But it says the word "by their fruits you will know them". 'The reality is that he does not care that Alex's parents, his brothers and relatives and many others who loved him so much, let us continue to, with our condemnation of eternal suffering, going and coming to courts, hoping that this ordeal finishes. 'This is the kind of morally bankrupt people who unfortunately abound in politics. 'People who don't care beyond their selfish and petty political pretensions. You don't realize it seems, this is not a case that has to do with a promissory note, a land or a pet. 'It's about the truncated life of a 16-Year-old boy. A boy who did nothing to deserve that tragic end and his family that deserves at least an answer.' An emotional Sarah Hanson-Young has broken down in tears while delivering a speech about same-sex marriage. Speaking to the senate on Monday, Greens Senator Hanson-Young revealed her best friend at school was gay and she would never wish his pain and suffering on other young Australians. 'He struggled for a long time,' she said. Scroll down for video An emotional Sarah Hanson-Young has broken down in tears while delivering a speech about same-sex marriage 'Every now and again I'd tell people to bugger off when they tried to pick on him but I remember thinking I never did quite enough to have his back.' With mascara running down her cheeks, Senator Hanson-Young said she felt powerless against his tormentors. 'It was just like, well that's the way you are, so that's the way people are going to treat you,' she said. The South Australian Senator said: 'Young people in Australia deserve better than that'. With mascara running down her cheeks, Senator Hanson-Young said she felt powerless against her friend's tormentors The South Australian Senator said: 'Young people in Australia deserve better than that' 'I guess I shouldn't have worn mascara. Oops!' Senator Hanson-Young said on Twitter 'The Yes vote that occurred two weeks ago is so important for sending a message to these young people, young people just like Jonathan right around the country,' she said. Taking to Twitter following the speech, Senator Hanson-Young poked fun at the make-up running down her face. 'I guess I shouldn't have worn mascara. Oops!' she said. The Senate will aim to pass same-sex marriage laws this week after Australia voted Yes in a historic postal survey on same-sex marriage on November 15. Close to eight million people, about 61.6 percent of the population, voted yes, while 4.8 million, about 38.4 percent of the population, voted No. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young celebrates with Independent MP Alex Greenwich after speaking on the same sex marriage bill in the Senate chamber at Parliament House Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young delivers a speech to the crowd gathered at a Marriage Equality Rally in Adelaide in September About 79.5 per cent of the population returned ballots to the controversial $122 million postal vote commissioned by the Federal Government. The senate will debate the issue this week after Liberal Dean Smith introduced a bill to change the marriage laws. Senator Smith introduced the bill on Thursday, one day after the postal survey results were released. The government aimed to make same-sex marriage legal by Christmas, leaving senators just one week to debate the bill. The upper house agreed to suspend all other government business so they could deal solely with the same-sex marriage bill. A sex worker jumped to her death after she tried to escape a prostitution sting and failed. Police say a 38-year-old unnamed woman, who nearby residents referred to as 'CC', plummeted from the third floor of a building in Flushing, New York around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The deadly incident happened after the woman was caught by an undercover cop during a meeting for sex. A sex worker, who goes by the nickname 'CC', plummeted from a building (shown) in Flushing, New York around 5:30 p.m. Sunday She attempted to flee the scene when the cop called for backup help in her arrest. But her only way out was through the window - and she decided it was best to take the leap, officials said. The woman died shortly after she was transported to the New YorkPresbyterian Hospital in Queens. An employee at a local jewelry store told the New York Post the prostitute had been released from jail for sex crimes a few months back. The woman died after being transported to the New YorkPresbyterian Hospital in Queens The woman, who conversed with the employee prior, revealed earlier this year she would 'kill herself' before ever getting arrested again. Resident of the neighborhood, Rob, 42, told the newspaper she was actively searching for a new occupation prior to her tragic death. 'It's really horrible,' said Rob. 'I saw the paddy wagon this morning and I knew.' Advertisement Miss South Africa, who was held at gunpoint a month after being named the nation's beauty queen, has won the Miss Universe crown. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who recently earned a business management degree and teaches self-defense courses for women, was crowned Sunday during the event at the Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Her passion for self-defense was reinforced when she was carjacked and held at gunpoint in Johannesburg about a month after winning her title as Miss South Africa. The 22-year-old winner has earned a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign and more prizes. Steve Harvey returned as the show's host despite botching the 2015 Miss Universe crowning, naming the wrong contestant as the winner. New Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (left) is crowned by her predecessor Iris Mittenaere of France on Sunday Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is crowned the 2017 Miss Universe following the conclusion of the pageant at The Axis at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas The top three finalists (left to right) Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Miss Colombia Laura Hernandez and Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett are shown during the 66th Miss Universe pageant Steve Harvey asks a question of Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters. Harvey returned as the show's host despite botching the 2015 Miss Universe crowning, naming the wrong contestant as the winner In June, just a month after being crowned Miss South Africa, armed carjackers attacked Nel-Peterson on this stretch of road in Johannesburg. The three men held her at gunpoint, but she manged to flee to safety in a hero stranger's car (file photo) In June, about a month after she was crowned Miss South Africa, Nel-Peters was the victim of a vicious armed hijacking attempt in Johannesburg. Three armed men approached her car as she was driving on Jan Smuts Avenue in Hyde Park. As they pointed their guns at the beauty queen's car she managed to exit the vehicle and flee. A Good Samaritan saw her fleeing the scene and drove her to safety, and she escaped unharmed. According to a statement from the Miss South Africa office, her purse and car were later recovered in the area by a private security company, which are common in the crime-ridden country. Throughout Sunday's event, Harvey poked fun at his mishap in 2015, when he declared Miss Colombia the winner, though it was actually Miss Philippines who won. Harvey told the audience he is 'grateful for the Oscars,' referring to the similar best-picture announcement flub at this year's Academy Awards. This year's Miss Universe competition had the most contestants ever, including the first ever representatives of Cambodia, Laos and Nepal. Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the 66-year-old competition. This year's Miss Universe competition had the most contestants ever. Ninety-two women from around the world participated Miss Iceland Arna Yr Jonsdottir (left) and Miss Curacao Nashaira Balentien pose for a photo during the Cafe Hollywood Glam video shoot at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino earlier this month Contestants appear onstage during the 2017 Miss Universe Pageant in Las Vegas on Sunday Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (left) and runner up Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez (right) in the swimsuit portion From left, final five finalists Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett, Miss Thailand Maria Poonlertlarp, Miss Venezuela Keysi Sayago and Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters wait to hear the final winner Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Miss South Africa 2017 is congratulated by fellow contestants after being crowned Miss Universe Other contestants congratulate Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (center) after she was named 2017 Miss Universe During the competition's Q&A portion, Harvey asked Nel-Peters about what she thought was the most important issue facing women in the workplace. 'In some places, women get paid 75% of what men earn for doing the same job, working the same hours and I do not believe that this is right,' she said. 'I think we should have equal work for equal pay for women all over the world.' The runner-up for Miss Universe was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while the second runner-up was Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett. At Sunday's event, Grammy-Award winner Fergie performed her new song 'A Little Work' while the contestants walked down the stage wearing evening gowns. This year's judges included YouTube star Lele Pons, former judge of 'America's Next Top Model' Jay Manuel and Wendy Fitzwilliam, the 1998 Miss Universe winner from Trinidad and Tobago. President Donald Trump once co-owned The Miss Universe Organization with NBCUniversal, but the network and the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision cut ties with him in 2015, refusing to air the show over his immigration proposals as a presidential candidate. Trump sued both networks, eventually settling and selling off the entire pageant to talent management company WME/IMG. Reverend Al Sharpton is planning to help rapper Meek Mill while he is serving time in a Pennsylvania prison because he did the same thing for Tupac in the 90s. The civil rights activist is set to visit Mill at Chester State Prison in Philadelphia on Monday after he was jailed last month for up to four years for breaching his parole. He believes the 30-year-old rapper's punishment is too severe and wants to pressure authorities into giving Mill a new hearing. Reverend Al Sharpton is set to visit Mill at Chester State Prison in Philadelphia on Monday after he was jailed last month for up to four years for breaching his parole Sharpton negotiated with the warden at the Clinton Correctional Facility in New York in the 1990s, which resulted in Tupac being released from solitary confinement. The activist thinks that experience will assist him in his bid to help Meek, TMZ reports. Speaking to his National Action Network group in New York on Saturday, Sharpton said a person's sentence must fit the violation. He was convicted of drug dealing and gun possession back in 2008. 'Just because someone does something that is wrong, does not give you the right to do wrong to them,' Sharpton said. 'The sentence must fit the violation.' Sharpton is planning to help rapper Meek Mill while he is serving time in a Pennsylvania prison because he did the same thing for Tupac (above) in the 90s In sentencing him, Judge Genece E. Brinkley ordered a prison term of two to four years over the long-running case, with eligibility for parole after two years. Brinkley pointed to violations of parole including scheduling concerts in violation of her orders. He was also arrested after a scuffle in March at the St. Louis airport but charges were dropped Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James and Jay-Z are among those to publicly speak out in support of Mill saying his situation shows the harsh treatment of blacks by the criminal justice system. 'We will always stand by and support Meek Mill, both as he attempts to right this wrongful sentence and then in returning to his musical career,' Jay-Z wrote in a New York Times op-ed. Besides his music, Mill is known for his two-year relationship with leading female rapper Nicki Minaj which ended earlier this year. A cafe in Sydney has been robbed by a thief wearing underpants on his head. Caught on CCTV, the bizarre thief enters Black Gold in Richmond crouching and shining a torch, firstly without wearing any disguise, reports 7 News. When he doesn't get what he's looking for he runs out - only to return with pants on his head, before taking off with the till. A thief wearing underwear on his head has robbed a cafe in Sydney north west (pictured) The thief managed to take off with the till while wearing pants on his head (pictured) The opportunistic thief broke into the cafe in Sydney's north west in the early hours of Saturday morning. He crouches under the counter and tries to unfix the till, initially with no success. The robber runs out of CCTV's vision but when he returns to try and take the till again, he has underwear on his head. He firstly entered the cafe and tried to steal the till undisguised and underwear-less (pictured) Co-owner of Black Gold Aisha Dzevlan told the reporter: 'He was wearing undies! But the funny thing was, not at the first time of entry, but at the second! 'He put it on as he was walking in. We already saw you! What's with the undies, I don't know,' she exclaimed. The thief eventually manages to pull the till from the wall and the counter, but it appears that its contents weren't enough for him - as he grabs the notes from the staff tip jar. A 48-year-old Sydney man has been arrested after allegedly trying to procure a young boy for sex online. Detectives from the Sex Crimes Squad's Child Exploitation Internet Unit began investigating the man in October. They allege the man, from the city's inner west, thought he was talking to a 13-year-old boy and had engaged in sexually explicit conversations before trying to meet in person. A 48-year-old Sydney man has been arrested after allegedly trying to procure sex online after believing the person was a 13-year-old boy The man was arrested around 9am on Friday morning following their investigations and taken to Parramatta Police Station. Detectives searched a home in Dulwich Hill following the arrest, seizing computers and other electronic storage devices. The 48-year-old man faces charges of using a carriage service to procure persons under 16 years for sexual activity. He was refused bail while appearing at Parramatta Local Court and is scheduled to reappear on December 12. Paralysed Olympic medallist Sam Willoughby will stand for his wedding to fiancee Alise Post after he was told he'd be a 'quadriplegic for life.' The BMX rider from Adelaide is set to wed long-term girlfriend ALise Post, who is currently the world BMX champion, in San Diego where they now live together. The New Years Eve nuptials will mark a year-and-a-half since Mr Willoughby broke his neck during a training session in the United States. Scroll down for video The BMX rider from Adelaide is set to wed his lady love, who is currently the world BMX champion, in San Diego where they now live And while Miss Post was engaged to her 26-year-old beau nine months before the accident, they're ecstatic a set of custom made knee braces will have them seeing eye-to-eye at the altar. 'My fiancee Alise has been amazing through this whole process and always told me that she wanted to marry me regardless of how it was, but I felt that I wanted to be standing,' he told Nine.com.au. The braces, which cost $15,000 for a pair, lock Mr Willoughby's knees together so they don't buckle - but he admits he might need a walking stick to stay upright when he sees his stunning fiancee walk down the aisle. The braces, which cost $15,000 for a pair, lock Mr Willoughby's knees together so they don't buckle (the couple pictured together) The two-time Olympian fractured two vertebrae and compressed his spinal cord in the horror crash in 2016 The two-time Olympian fractured two vertebrae and compressed his spinal cord in the horror crash in 2016. But Miss Post has never once doubted their union and said she's '120 percent proud of him.' 'It's a risk that we take in sport but it doesn't change him as a person. It's just a different visual of what we originally thought. But that's okay - it's still going to be perfect and beautiful,' she said. A large number of their Australian family members will be taking the trip over to the US for the holiday season - and to support the 'soulmates'. Mr Whilloughby's mother Sharon said she's in awe of her son and can't wait to see him standing for the big event. Australian passengers left stranded after flights to Bali were cancelled due to a volcanic ash cloud have arranged to fly to Jakarta but most are waiting 24 hours to see if Denpasar Airport reopens. All flights to and from Bali were cancelled on Monday after ash spewing from the Mount Agung volcano forced the closure of the island's international airport. Indonesian authorities have said 100,000 people should evacuate the expanded danger zone around the volcano. They have imposed a 10km exclusion zone around the volcano which has been hurling ash thousands of metres into the atmosphere since the weekend. Scroll down for video More than 50,000 travellers a day could soon be stranded in Bali as authorities issue a 'red alert' warning and Mount Agung continues to erupt. The volcano is pictured on Sunday Flight cancellations have forced travellers to sleep at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport Some of their frustrations were aired on Facebook, with customers either very pleased they had been moved to temporary accommodation or livid they had been left out All flights were cancelled at 7am local time and the airport will remain closed until further notice Maureen Steele and Jackie Calabretta were scheduled to fly on a Garuda Indonesia flight from Sydney via Bali to Jakarta on Monday for an orangutan tour. They were up at 4am to travel from Gosford and Wollongong to make the 10am flight which cost $700 return. 'We were on the plane, all strapped in ready for departure, when the cabin crew announced they needed to wait 10 minutes to get clearance,' Ms Steele said at Sydney Airport. 'They told us they didn't get clearance so we all had to get off again.' As they passed back through customs, Ms Calabretta contacted Malaysia Airlines and booked a new flight costing $600 one-way to Jakarta via Kuala Lumpur. 'We have to go - we've paid hundreds of dollars on the vaccinations and there have been lots of preparations,' Ms Steele said as they settled in for a 10-hour wait. Magma has now reached the surface of the volcano, which threatens to produce a 'strong, explosive eruption,' authorities warned Customers have spent hours lining up for information about their flights. This traveller is seen at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday A group of eight surfers are hoping they'll be able to fly to Bali on Tuesday. James Hall, 18, said the Sydney friends had been planning their Sumatra surf trip for more than a year. 'It's frustrating, we've been told we might be able to fly tomorrow, so we just have to wait it out,' Mr Hall told AAP at Sydney's international terminal. 'There's not much we can do - it's a volcano.' The latest data from Agoda shows Bali is the number one destination for Australians travelling in December. University of Adelaide geologist Mark Tingay says the eruptions from Mount Agung have sent plumes of ash 3000 metres into the air. Balinese Hindus take part in a ceremony on Sunday, where they pray near Mount Agung in hope of preventing a volcanic eruption The Mount Agung volcano spews hot volcanic ash as a local chops wood in the foreground 'The volcanic eruption has moved on to the next, more severe, magmatic eruption phase, where highly viscous lava can trap gasses under pressure, potentially leading to an explosion,' he said in a statement. Jetstar, Virgin, Qantas and Garuda advised passengers on Monday morning that all flights were cancelled. The decision was made on safety grounds and reversed earlier expectations that flights would go ahead. 'While these disruptions are frustrating, we will always put safety before schedule,' Jetstar said in a statement. On Saturday Jetstar diverted three flights heading to Bali and cancelled six flights ready to leave the island Jetstar was forced to cancel numerous flights on Saturday and the following morning but was back on schedule by Sunday evening (stock image) Jetstar will next update passengers about 7pm after further advice from the Bureau of Meteorology's Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. Virgin says it's closely monitoring the situation 'and will provide further updates as they become available'. Dozens of flights were also cancelled on Sunday because of the volcanic ash. Indonesia's Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation raised its aviation colour code from orange to red indicating a further eruption with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere was imminent. Mount Agung in eastern Bali last erupted in 1963 killing more than 1000 people and razing several villages. Authorities raised the volcano alert to the highest level on Monday and ordered people within 10km of the mountain to evacuate amid fears of a major eruption. Magma has now reached the surface of the volcano, which threatens to produce a 'strong, explosive eruption,' authorities warned. 'The activity of Mount Agung has entered the magmatic eruption phase,' an Indonesian official said on Sunday. Mount Agung volcano is seen spewing smoke and ash in Bali on Sunday. The ash has thrown holiday plans into disarray Tourists watch the Mount Agung volcano erupting as they visit a temple in Karangasem, Indonesia 'It is still spewing ash at the moment but we need to monitor and be cautious over the possibility of a strong, explosive eruption.' Mt Agung erupted on Saturday evening and three times on Sunday, throwing holiday plans into disarray. Indonesia's Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation raised its aviation colour code from orange to red, indicating a further eruption with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere was imminent. Mt Agung sits more than 3000 metres high over eastern Bali. It last erupted in 1963, killing more than 1,000 people and razing several villages. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology's Volanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin issued maps showing an ash cloud heading southeast over the neighbouring island of Lombok away from Bali's capital Denpasar, where the international airport is located. RUMBLES FROM BALI'S MOUNT AGUNG WHERE IS THE VOLCANO? - Mount Agung rises about 3,000m above Bali's Karangasem district, in the holiday island's east - Bali lies within the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic and volcanic activity where thousands of tremors occur each year WHAT IS THE VOLCANO'S HISTORY OF ERUPTIONS? - Its last major eruption in 1963 killed over 1,000 people and razed many villages - More than 50,000 Indonesians were evacuated in September this year when experts warned an eruption was imminent - Some 25,000 people have been unable to return to their homes Advertisement AirAsia and Virgin Australia flights between Denpasar and Australia remained grounded on Sunday night 'The volcano and movement of ash cloud are highly unpredictable which means we may need to cancel flights at short notice,' Jetstar warned on its website (stick image) Passengers wait for their flight schedule at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport on Sunday Stole $10,000 worth of cash and cigarettes and hit the woman with a hammer Three masked thieves broke into the Reservoir store early on Sunday morning A lone female service station attendant was hit with a hammer during an early morning robbery on Sunday. The terrifying moment, caught on CCTV, shows three armed men storming the doors of the Reservoir, Melbourne store and assaulting the woman, before taking off with $10,000 in cigarettes and cash, reports 7 News. It's the third time in three months this service station has been robbed. A lone female service station attendant was hit with a hammer during an early morning robbery in Melbourne on Sunday The footage shows the three robbers, wearing dark hoodies and balaclavas, pull up outside the front doors of the service station and leave their white getaway car running. They burst into the store and one immediately starts smashing the displays with a hammer. The young female attendant, who had been out the back of the store, returns after hearing noise and comes face to face with the armed robbers. The terrifying moment, caught on CCTV, shows three armed men storming the doors of the Reservoir store and assaulting the woman The hooded thief terrorises the woman before repeatedly smashing her phone on the counter with the hammer The woman runs and opens the till and puts her hands up to surrender, as two of the thieves jump over the counter. The hooded thief stands with the cash tray in his hand and terrorises the woman, before repeatedly smashing her phone on the counter with the hammer. He then hits the woman on her arm with it before fleeing and the woman is left shaking and crying. The hooded, violent thieves made off with $10,000 in cigarettes and cash The car used in the crime (pictured) was found dumped in Burwood later that afternoon After the robbers leave the woman shaking in fear, she called for her assistance. Her husband arrived shortly after, telling 7 News his wife was 'terrible'. 'They hit her shoulder with the hammer,' the victim's husband said. 'She was terrible, she was crying. She can't even speak a word for at least half an hour.' The car used in the crime was found dumped in Burwood later that afternoon. charged with first-degree murder but after hearing her story, the charge was reduced to second-degree involuntary manslaughter Liltz had given her daughter a lethal dose of medicine through a feeding tube Her daughter Courtney, 28, was severely disabled and could not care for herself or speak Liltz had been suffering from cancer and other ailments and was worried about who would care for Courtney if she died from the diseases A terminally ill Illinois mother who killed her disabled daughter in 2015 has died by suicide days before she was due to go to prison A terminally ill Illinois mother who killed her severely disabled daughter in 2015 committed suicide two days before she was due to return to prison. Officials confirmed Bonnie Liltz, 57, who was set to return to prison Monday for the crime, was found inside her Schaumburg apartment Saturday. Liltz was sentenced last year after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter of her daughter, Courtney, who was 28 at the time the mother administered her a lethal dose of prescription medication. Previously, she revealed a motive over concern about who would care for Courtney after she passed away from her own health complications. Liltz told her mother earlier Saturday she had plans to meet with a friend for a lunch and movie outing, according to ABC 7 Chicago. But friends and family later discovered the suicide note which read Liltz loved them 'very much and that she's sorry, that she just could not go back to that place,' her sister, Sue Liltz, revealed in a statement to the news station. It seems a depressed Liltz overdosed on medication which she previously gave her daughter and also took herself at the time of Courtney's tragic death. Bonnie Liltz, center, appears at a Rolling Meadows courthouse Wednesday, May 11, 2016, in Rolling Meadows, Ill. Liltz. Officials confirmed Liltz died by suicide Saturday Liltz appears with attorney Thomas Glasgow at a Rolling Meadows courthouse last year. She admitted to killing her disabled daughter back in 2015 over worry about who would care for her after she died from her own health complications Liltz adopted her daughter Courtney (pictured above) when she was four years old, despite the child's handicap In a note to her attorneys, Liltz wrote she grew 'tired' of fighting and simply wanted to 'be with' her daughter again. 'All she ever wanted was to be with her Courtney. She was such, such a good mother,' her mother, Gladys Liltz said. Attorney Tom Glasgow, described her suicide as 'a tragic, tragic end,' while adding that Liltz 'didn't want to die in prison' with the memories. On the anniversary of Courtney's passing last May, Liltz appeared in good spirits as she exited the Cook County Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. She adopted Courtney when she was just four years old, despite the child's handicap. Liltz's sister, Sue Liltz, (shown in an interview) said her suicide note read she loved her family and friends 'very much and that she's sorry' The depressed Liltz killed herself Saturday inside her apartment in Schaumburg, Illinois (pictured) In 2012, while Liltz was hospitalized for reoccurring cancer and serious intestinal problems, Courtney had to stay in a private facility under horrendous conditions. What happened to Courtney in the private facility haunted Liltz, according to her sister, Susan. 'She was filthy, her clothes were filthy, she had diaper rash. It broke Bonnie's heart to see Courtney like that,' Susan told the Chicago Tribune at the time. She gave Courtney, who had cerebral palsy, the overdose through her feeding tube before taking it herself along with a glass of wine. During the 2015 event, the mother left another suicide note, which read in part: 'I am so sorry to put you all through this but I can't leave my daughter behind. ... I go first, what will happen to her? 'I don't want her to live in an institution for the rest of her life. She is my life.' The horrified sister found the two unconscious inside the home and called for help. Courtney died at the hospital. Liltz was revived and later arrested. She was initially charged with first-degree murder, but upon hearing her story, the charge was lessened to the second-degree involuntary manslaughter charge. Liltz (pictured, center) was seen smiling in court last May after pleading guilty to the involuntary manslaughter of her 28-year-old severely disabled daughter Prosecutors leaned toward leniency in the case after friends and family painted Liltz as a loving and devoted mother Prosecutors were lenient in the case after friends and family painted Liltz as a loving and devoted mother who had her daughter's best interests at heart. They hadn't requested a specific sentence and did not call witnesses to testify in favor of a harsh sentence. Courtney, who could not talk or care for herself, attended Kirk School in Palatine until she turned 22. She was then enrolled in a day program, where officials from her school and program told the Chicago Tribune Liltz was an involved and devoted mom. They also told the Tribune that Courtney seemed happy and cared for. Another longtime friend said the mother placed Courtney in a residential program years ago, but ultimately decided she didn't want her to leave home, the Tribune reported. Her attorney argued there was no evil or malice in Liltz's actions and said her act was out of desperation - not knowing what to do to protect Courtney if she died. A prisoner attacked him in September and poured boiling water onto his groin Davies pleaded guilty to murder and will spend 'the rest of his life' behind bars He also sexually attacked at least 12 other children before and after the murder Greg Davies, 75, pleaded guilty to the 1984 rape and murder of 6-year-old Kylie Gregory Davies, now 75, has pleaded guilty to the 1984 murder of 6-year-old Kylie Maybury The killer and rapist of Melbourne schoolgirl Kylie Maybury is a 'marked man' in jail where he will likely die, his lawyer says. Gregory Keith Davies, 75, pleaded guilty in May to the 1984 rape and murder of the six-year-old, ending a three-decade mystery over her death. On Monday defence barrister David Gibson conceded a life sentence was appropriate. 'It's clearly offending that devastated that family and rippled out into the community,' Mr Gibson told the Supreme Court. Davies would be more than 100 if ever released: 'The reality of his plea is that he dies in prison,' the lawyer added. Kylie Maybury, aged 6 (pictured), was murdered on November 6, 1984, while out at the shops Davies (right) also sexually attacked at least 12 other children before and after the 1996 murder Both defence and prosecution accepted Davies be jailed with a minimum term imposed. Prosecutor Mark Rochford SC described it as a significant and serious example of murder. Kylie had walked 140 metres to the shops at suburban Preston East on Melbourne Cup Day in 1984 to buy sugar for her mother, but never returned. Her body was found face down in a gutter the following day, having been raped, drugged and suffocated. But her killer wasn't identified until 2016 when Davies' DNA was matched to semen on Kylie's clothing and genitals. Kylie's mother Julie Ryan said the death wrecked her life and drove her to alcohol and pills. Gregory Davies was arrested and charged in June last year with abducting and murdering Kylie Kylie's mother Julie said that she will never forgive Davies for taking her young daughter away 'I haven't stopped crying and I still cry for her,' she said, in a statement read by the prosecutor. 'It's a pain you can't describe the hole in your heart. You can't heal the wound.' Ms Ryan said Davies' conviction will make her feel better when she visits the grave of her 'little princess'. Kylie's uncle John Daniels said the crime deeply affected the family, with his father and brother committing suicide in the aftermath after being wrongly accused of the murder. Kylie mother's Julie Maybury n 1984 with her father John Moss, who later killed himself in 1985 Kylie's sister Rebecca Phillips said she changed her name because of the stigma of what happened: 'It ripped my whole family apart.' Davies denied involvement in the murder for 33 years. In 1971, he was cleared of attempting to murder a 14-year-old due to insanity. He was held behind bars for 12 years. Mr Gibson asked the judge to consider Davies' injuries and possible need to be kept in protection. Davies was attacked with boiling water on his groin in September, leaving 15 per cent of his body burnt and was a 'marked man' because of the notoriety of the murder, Mr Gibson said. 'The reality is there is nowhere safe for him in the prison system,' he added. Davies will be sentenced in December after a pre-sentence plea deal hearing on Monday. Davies was attacked with boiling water on his groin in gaol, burning 15 per cent of his body It has been revealed that Davis also sexually attacked a dozen other children in the years before and after the murder. Kylie's murder case was cold until 2016 when the Victoria Police cold case squad had a fresh look at the murder. Davies was previously jailed for two-and-a-half years in 1996 over sex attacks on six young girls. He knew and had 'regular and easy access to' all of 12 of his other victims, according to the Herald Sun. A family member has since come forward and accused Davies' mother Eileen of having 'blood on her hands' because she 'knew her son was sexually abusing children for decades but never dobbed him in'. 'A decision was made to keep his child sex offending quiet. That left him free to sexually abuse other girls, which he did for years,' said the family member. Davies also spent in jail over the sexually motivated 1970 hammer attack on 14-year-old Lucy Stasiewcz, for which he was found guilty of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm. It has also been alleged that Davies sexually abused a further four children, but never faced court because police talked the children out of pressing charges 'by saying it would be too traumatic for the children to go through the court process'. Another two victims allegedly reached out to Davies' daughter, explaining that they hadn't reported the sexual abuse they suffered at his hands but wanted to confide in her. After Davies' arrest in 2016, one of the victims came forward and said that she would be prepared to press sexual assault charges against Davies 'if it would help get him convicted over the Maybury murder'. Davies has also sexually assaulted at least 12 more children, as well as attacking a 14-year-old Despite the fact that he wasn't charged over Kylie's murder for almost two decades, 'somebody very close' to Davies reportedly told police in in 1997 that they should look at him as a murder suspect. Davies allegedly doesn't remember murdering the young girl, but told his daughter that he must have done it 'because my DNA is a match to Kylie's killer's DNA'. Kylie's mother Julie said that she will never forgive Davies, adding: 'I hope the other prisoners make his life hell and that he dies a painful death in jail.' Julie Maybury spent her life hunting for the vile man who murdered and dumped her daughter Davies' daughter has reached out to all of her father's victims as well as Kylie's parents to apologise for his despicable behaviour. 'I particularly want to say sorry to Kylie's mother,' she said on Sunday. 'I can't imagine what she's going through. If it was my child I would be absolutely devastated.' While Julie said that she does appreciate Davies' daughter's gesture, she will still never forgive Davies for taking the life of her beloved daughter. Julie visited Kylie's grave on Saturday in the lead-up to Davies' sentencing and said Justice was 'almost here' for her girl. The moment three prison inmates on Rikers Island attacked a corrections officer on Thanksgiving Day has been caught on video. Captain Awais Ghauri, 31, was bruised and slashed in the attack in New York's Otis Bantum Correctional Center on Thursday afternoon, when three inmates ganged up on him. Ghauri was walking through a cell block when an inmate tackled him from behind, the video shows. Ghauri (center) was walking through a cell block when an inmate tackled him from behind A fellow corrections officer ran for help as the other inmates crowded against the door to the block to prevent other officers from assisting. Ghauri fought back, wrestling out of the grip of his cowardly attacker and pinning him to the floor. Just as the corrections officer was getting the best of his assailant, two other inmates jumped him from behind, throwing wild haymakers. Ghauri kicked his way free and rose to his feet as other officers rushed in to assist. The Correction Department has launched an investigation, a spokesman told the Daily News. Ghauri fought back, wrestling out of the grip of his attacker and pinning him to the floor Just as the corrections officer was getting the best of his assailant, two other inmates jumped him from behind, throwing wild haymakers 'We will never tolerate the actions of those who harm our staff and we are working with the Bronx district attorney to arrest and prosecute any inmate involved in this incident,' the spokesman said. The sick attack comes amid a rise in bloody incidents in New York's troubled jail system. Total inmate arrests in city detention facilities rose 41 per cent this year compared to 2015, the Corrections Department said. Mayor Bill De Blasio has pledged to shutter Rikers Island, where all of the city's inmates are housed, within the next 10 years - raising questions about where New York's jail population will be headed next. Officials at Tufts University in Massachusetts have postponed an event with ex-White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci after he threatened to sue the university's newspaper over an op-ed article. Scaramucci, 53, was to speak at Tufts' Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy on Monday, until actual issues of both law and diplomacy got in the way. Last week his lawyers accused student newspaper The Tufts Daily of defamation after it printed an opinion piece calling for him to be removed from a university advisory board, The Boston Globe reported. The Mooch has dismissed the article - which called him 'unethical opportunist,' among other remarks - as 'defamatory', but legal experts say he'll find it hard to win a lawsuit against the paper. Scroll down for video Legal trouble: Anthony Scaramucci (pictured) has threatened to sue his old university's newspaper after a student-written op-ed piece said that he was 'unethical' and 'sold his soul' No apologies: Scaramucci wanted an apology and retraction from the Tufts University paper for the article by Camilo Caballero (pictured). When that didn't come, he threatened a lawsuit The farrago began on November 6 when The Tufts Daily published an article by student Camilo A Caballero titled 'Op-Ed: Seeking power of values over power of money.' In it, Caballero called on the university to eject Scaramucci from the advisory board for the Fletcher School, a position he's held since June 2016. Students have previously petitioned to have Scaramucci removed. Caballero argued that Tufts has 'a commitment to truth that serves not mammon, but morality' and so Scaramucci 'the man who sold his soul... for a seat in the White House' should be given the boot. That with a link to a satirical Chicago Tribune article that also accused Scaramucci of selling his soul for signing up to a Trump White House despite claiming to be 'For Gay Marriage, against the death penalty, and Pro Choice.' The Tufts Daily piece also called him 'unethical' and said he 'exuded the highest degree of disreputability'. And it accused him of making 'his Twitter accessible to friends interested in giving comfort to Holocaust deniers'. That latter claim referred to a now-deleted Twitter poll on The Mooch's Scaramucci Post Twitter account that asked how many Jews died in the Holocaust. Options ranged from 'less than a million' to 'more than 5 million'. The account later said the poll was posted by an associate, Lance Laifer, and that Scaramucci was not aware of it. Laifer is still listed as a contributor. Scaramucci took exception and wrote to the paper on November 16, saying they should 'either back up [the claims] or you will hear from my lawyer.' Postponed: Scaramucci was to speak to students on Monday at Tufts (building on campus pictured) but the talk has been postponed until the legal issues are resolved Five days later his lawyers sent a cease and desist notice, saying that since Scaramucci has 'never been charged nor found to have committed an ethical violation', their client was being defamed. It added that both Scaramucci and Laifer had publicly an vehemently denounced all Holocaust deniers since the controversial poll was posted on Twitter. 'Defamed': Scaramucci (seen in university yearbook photo) said the claims in the article were defamation, so not covered by the First Amendment - but a legal expert says that will be tricky to prove in court But Scaramucci 'will refrain from litigation' if the paper prints a retraction and makes a public apology, it said. Neither is forthcoming, however - and now Scaramucci's talk at the university has been postponed amid claims that he is trying to restrict freedom of speech. The talk would have addressed his 'background, experience and the petition calling for his removal' from the board, Tufts spokesman Patrick Collins said. However, he added, it had been postponed until he 'legal matters' had been resolved. 'We're disappointed that Mr. Scaramucci has taken this action,' he added. Caballero was stronger in his dissent, saying: 'He is someone that uses his money to gain power and his wealth to buy himself into things that will get him attention 'And he uses this power as a scare tactic... to get people to not exercise their First Amendment rights. He's trying to stop me from exercising my First Amendment right, and thats plain wrong.' Scaramucci has attempted to play down the legal angle publicly, however, saying he only wants an apology. He told The Boston Globe that he was 'shocked that a university that I love and have been a part of for 35 years is silencing that debate because of my request for an apology.' And when Fletcher student Anastasia Karimova tweeted that 'Scaramucci is threatening to sue,' adding that she 'came to the US hoping that I would not deal with this kind of things, that are so common in Russia,' he reacted quickly. 'This is a dishonest tweet,' he responded. 'I asked for an apology. Plain and simple. In our country defamation comes with its consequences.' 'Dishonest': Publicly Scaramucci has played down the lawsuit threat, and has said he really only wants an apology. Here he's responding to a complaint on Twitter on Monday But T Barton Carter, a communication and law professor at Boston University, said that Scaramucci had an uphill struggle ahead of him if he planned to sue. 'First of all, he would have to prove that they said something factual - not something that's an opinion - defamatory, and inaccurate,' he said. 'And then he still has to prove that they had knowledge it was false, or at least had serious doubts.' He added that it's 'easy to threaten lawsuits' for defamation, but that in reality public figures rarely go ahead with them. A banking inquiry is all but certain with a Turnbull Government MP threatening to defy the prime minister and vote with Labor to set up an investigation into Australia's financial giants. Malcolm Turnbull and his cabinet are opposed to setting up any inquiry into the big banks, despite revelations about dubious financial planning advice and the breaking of anti-money laundering laws. However, Nationals MP Llew O'Brien, a former police officer, has confirmed he was likely to cross the floor of the House of Representatives to back a banking inquiry. Queensland Nationals MP Llew O'Brien is threatening to support an inquiry into the big banks Queensland Nationals Senator Barry O'Sullivan has drafted a private member's bill on banks 'I am respecting the party process and will be speaking to my colleagues in the National Party. But obviously consideration has been given to my input to this bill,' the Member for Wide Bay told The Australian on Monday. 'And I am looking favourably on it.' With the Turnbull Government no longer having a majority in the lower house of federal parliament, a banking inquiry could be set up if Mr O'Brien crossed the floor and voted with Labor and the Greens. Fellow Nationals MP George Christensen, who is also a Queenslander, has previously threatened to cross the floor and back a banking inquiry. Their Nationals Senate colleague Barry O'Sullivan, another former police officer, declared last week he was drafting a private member's bill for an inquiry into Australia's financial services sector Renegade Nationals MP George Christensen has previously threatened to cross the floor The big banks, including Commonwealth, could be examined if parliament backs an inquiry He was last week accused of pushing 'rank socialism' by former Liberal prime minister John Howard. Mr O'Brien wants an amendment to Mr O'Brien's bill to that would also examine how poor insurance, superannuation and financial services had affected the mental health of consumers, The Australian reported. Labor has been campaigning for a royal commission into banking. Mr Turnbull's backing of a banking inquiry could be seen as the government politically capitulating to Labor. Don Burke has admitted to an extraordinary list of personal failings but denied dozens of sexual harassment allegations against him in a TV interview. The former host of Burke's Backyard is accused by more than 50 women of indecent assault and making lewd comments over his program's 17-year run. But in a Monday night interview with A Current Affair the 70-year-old admitted he was a terrifying boss, had multiple affairs, and claimed to suffer from Asperger's. However, he strenuously denied 'all that sleazy sexual stuff' and described his accusers as 'malcontents' who 'bear grudges against me'. Scroll down for video Don Burke will beg the Australian public to forgive his 'stupidity' but also deny sexual harassment allegations against him in a TV interview with A Current Affair Burke claimed he would never have said or done the 'despicable' things he was accused of, and said he was confused why women were lying about him. 'It's the social media, the Twittersphere thing. I guess they've stirred this up, the Harvey Weinstein thing, and we've got a witch hunt,' he said. 'I'm prepared to cop the fact that I terrified a few people and that I shouldn't have done that and so on. 'These sort of things bear no relationship to who I am and what I'm about. There are plenty of people who were there at the time and are furious, because these things didn't happen.' 'I think this whole Harvey Weinstein thing reinforces the victim mentality of women.' ACA host Tracy Grimshaw grilled Burke over the allegations, repeatedly asking him why so many women - and men - could come forward and all be lying. Burke said he was a 'perfectionist' who made a lot of enemies with his hard-driving manner, and that the Burke's Backyard production team wasn't a 'happy office'. 'When you look at the people that are complaining now, there's a lot of people that don't like me and they can't all be wrong,' he said. 'I accept fault for what I've done. I've got some good mistakes in here and I think people are punishing me for them, and not entirely wrongly. 'But that big end of town with the sexual stuff, I guess, is a way, of twisting the knife and if I had done it, I would admit to it now.' 'It would be far less painful for me to say, 'yeah, I did that, I said that.' But I didn't.' In a Monday night interview with A Current Affair the 70-year-old continued to deny the serious allegations, but admitted to 'stupidity' ACA host Tracy Grimshaw grilled Burke over the allegations, asking how so many people could come forward and all be lying Grimshaw pointed out that that 'where there's smoke there's fire, and there's a lot of fire', in that so many people were accusing him. Burke replied: 'I've given you the fire, the rest is just smoke,' claiming his personal admissions were true, but the sexual allegations were false. The entertainer said some of the animosity could stem from his behaviour on set, especially close to the show's sudden cancellation in 2004. 'Towards the end I don't think I was a very nice person. If you took it, brutally, Burke's Backyard was coming towards the and the end of its run,' he said. 'It didn't seem to me at the time, but I reckon I must have been a bear with a bloody sore head, and I do apologise for that.' Burke said his multiple affairs through his marriage to wife Marea could also have given him a sleazy reputation and made others think he 'wasn't a nice person'. 'It was a devastating time for me, I was so ashamed of myself, it was just terrible. Once she moved to a state of ill health I though what stupid priorities I had in life,' he said. 'I have done a lot of things I am ashamed of. Like when I let the family down. But since Marea became ill, none of this has happened. 'But that doesn't change the fact that things happened back then. Now I am a different person.' Tracey Grimshaw arrived at Burke's house in Kenthurst, north-west of Sydney, to interview him about the explosive allegations Burke claimed he had Asperger's which affected his behaviour and may have contributed to people's impression of him. 'I've never been medically diagnosed but I've worked it out that that's what I've got, and it's a terrible failing,' he said. 'I can look at a lens but I have terrible difficulty looking at people in the eye. I miss the body language and the subtle signs that people give you. 'I miss all their body language, you know the subtle signs that people give to you, like 'back off that's enough', I don't see that. 'I suffer from a terrible problem with that, of not seeing. No one can understand how you can't see it, but you don't.' Grimshaw asked if his inability to read social cues might mean he was guilty of at least some of the accusations, but he flatly rejected the idea. 'Absolutely not. What I've defended is the words that I haven't said, I'm quite certain of that, and I say it without malice to those people and I do apologise that I gave them a horrible time,' he said. 'But a lot of those words have grown over the years, remember a lot of this was 30 years ago. Who remembers what happens 30 years ago? 'What I know is that a person with ethics, I know what I will and what I will not say and do. I am quite confident in all of that.' The former host of Burke's Backyard is accused by more than 50 women of indecent assault and making lewd comments over his program's 17-year run Grimshaw pointed out that Robert Hughes was jailed for decades-old crimes including molesting his Hey Dad! co-star. She said just because Burke couldn't remember the allegations occurring, didn't mean they didn't happen. 'You know who you are. Just because someone says that, doesn't mean it is hundred percent true,' he retorted. Grimshaw repeatedly gave Burke the opportunity to mount a detailed defence in addition to his general denials. But he refused to take his accusers to task because it would be 'damaging' to some of them who were 'fragile'. 'I don't want to go into anymore of it than that, because it is damaging, not to me, but I don't want to say it,' he said. 'My ethics are such that if people are fragile, and me seeing things could damage other people, I would rather take a dive. 'I don't want to go in and pick them out and go over them. I think that is an evil in itself.' Burke said he was a 'perfectionist' who made a lot of enemies with his hard-driving manner, and that the Burke's Backyard production team wasn't a 'happy office' Burke begged the Australian public to forgive his 'stupidity' and personal shortcomings, but to believe he wasn't a 'monster'. 'I am happy to say to the people of Australia: This is my story, make up your mind if I'm the most evil person that's ever lived, that's your decision,' he said. 'If you can forgive me for the stupidity and the other things I have done then I am very grateful, but I think that's their decision not mine. 'I have looked in the mirror and there's a lot I don't like. But that's up to the people of Australia to decide can they forgive me or not.' Burke said he was 'really happy to be out of television' and had no plans to make a comeback even if someone was willing to give him a job. 'I want to settle into a life that is boring and ordinary where I can look after my wife and our friends and just have an ordinary life,' he said. 'In a sense this could be a good time for me.' He may not have much of a choice as companies including Channel 9 lined up to say they had no plans to work with Burke again. Companies listed being associated with his production company on its webste, including RAMS, Foxtel, Unilever, ActronAir, and Bauer Media all distanced themselves from him. Some said they hadn't had any association with Burke for years while others said they were shocked by the allegations and would cut all ties. Asbestos Awareness declined to comment and Retina Australia NSW couldn't be reached by the SMH. TV Week didn't respond to questions about whether his hoard of Logies could be revoked in light of the scandal. Burke earlier strongly denied the claims by the Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC and described the women as 'malcontents' who 'bear grudges against me'. For close to two decades Burke was the face of Friday night TV, with millions tuning in to watch Burke's Backyard which earned him up to $7.2 million a year. Now the Order of Australia Medal recipient's accusers included former researchers, producers, crew members, and TV hopefuls. Former researcher Louise Langdon claimed Burke insisted she watch a video, which turned out to be disgusting footage of a woman having sex with a donkey Louise Langdon (left) and Wendy Dent (right) both made sexual harassment claims against Burke Former researcher Louise Langdon claimed he insisted she watch a video, which turned out to be disgusting footage of a woman having sex with a donkey. The then-27-year-old claimed Burke gained pleasure from her shocked reaction to the video, which left her 'speechless' and 'overcome', she told the ABC. Burke said he had never seen any 'video of animals engaging in sex' and would never try to show it to someone. 'I don't know how these tales have grown after people have left us,' he said. Ms Langdon, now a psychologist in the US, claimed he later indecently assaulted her. 'It was things like pulling at my bra strap, flicking a bra strap pulling up my shirt to see what colour underwear I was wearing,' she said. Another time he allegedly pushed his toe into her backside to check how firm it was, and with disappointment noted she 'hadn't been working out'. On a trip to Alice Springs for Burke's radio show, Ms Langdon claimed he joked it was so hot she should remove her clothing as they sat together on a shuttle bus. 'He decided that it was okay for him to put his hands on my T-shirt and try and pull my bra strap, my bra, off and somehow remove my clothing. He was trying to take my top off,' she said. Bridget Ninness, a former producer on Burke's Backyard for seven years, described Burke as a 'vile human being' who 'got off on terrorising (female researchers)' Burke denied any of these incidents occurred and said researchers were not taken on location for taping, and he found no record of her being on such a trip. Bridget Ninness, a former producer on Burke's Backyard for seven years, described Burke as a 'vile human being' who 'got off on terrorising (female researchers)'. She claimed Burke made vile threats to her while they were on a work trip to Greece that left he so nervous she vomited 'Don pulled me aside and he said 'I'm just going to tell you that if anything goes wrong on this trip I'm going to rip your f***ing head off, and sh** down your throat',' she said. Burke denied ever saying that, retorting to Grimshaw: 'I never said anything remotely like that to anyone I've ever worked with or anyone I know. 'Furthermore, anybody that does say that should be run out of town on a rail. It's despicable.' Ms Ninness launched legal action against Burke's company over alleged 'sustained and systemic psychological abuse'. She eventually settled the case out of court. Burke noted 'she did not leave it on good terms' and appeared to question her mental stability. BURKE'S BACKYARD: OLD TV SHOW VIEWED IN A NEW LIGHT 'No biggie!' Burke asked model Annalise Braakensiek whether her breasts are real On-screen moments and comments by TV gardening star Don Burke are now being viewed in a different light amid serious allegations of inappropriate behaviour. For close to two decades Burke was the face of Friday night TV, with millions tuning in to watch his top rating program which earned him up to $7.2 million a year. During one segment with swimsuit model Annalise Braakensiek, Burke asked about her breasts. 'Cross my heart and promise to God I will not ask you the question that you know (is coming). I will not ask you the question - are your breasts real?' Burke said. As the model laughed, Burke pushed on, saying: 'But are they?' Contacted on Monday, Braaksensiek said she was 'so sorry' to read about the claims and described him as a 'joy to have in my home'. 'Everyone always assumes my breasts are fake, so he asked 'are they real' on TV, and I told him the truth 'yes they are'. 'No biggie! I don't classify that as sexual harassment... its like are your teeth veneered?' Advertisement Another researcher, who asked not to be named, said Burke bragged about groping women's breasts as they smoked cigarettes on his production company's rooftop. He told her that his favourite part of cocktail parties was using name tags as an excuse to 'grab women's t*ts' by pretending he couldn't read them. Then she claimed he grabbed her breasts hard and when she jumped back he insulted their size and said no one would want to touch them. 'This was not a clumsy, oafish move. It was a calculated action. That is what was scary. It was premeditated,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald. Burke in response denied the entire incident ever occurred. Wendy Dent was working as a children's entertainer in the 1990s when she met Burke. As part of her routine she had him kneel in front of her, sprinkled some 'stardust' over him and said he could have any wish once he opened he eyes. To the then 21-year-old's shock, Burke said it hadn't worked because she was still wearing clothes, she claimed. Ms Dent claimed Burke said she would have to audition 'topless' when she went for a role on his show Burke (pictured in an episode of Burke's Backyard) bought a horse for a younger female relative so he could watch her 'rub on its back' Ms Dent later took an opportunity to interview for a role on his show, saying it was a great opportunity despite the previous alleged incident. They talked on the phone about her being a 'featured mermaid' on the show and him helping her with her career, before the conversation allegedly turned sinister. 'Well you'll have to audition, but you'll have to be topless,' Ms Dent claimed he told her, prompting her to hang up in shock and disgust. 'I went from feeling like this talent with a future to feeling like I was just a pair of boobs to him, to be honest,' she said. Burke said neither he nor others on Burke's Backyard remembered Ms Dent at all. A reporter claimed Burke bought a horse for a younger female relative so he could watch her 'rub on its back'. The Burke's Backyard presenter allegedly made the disgusting comment to a female entertainment writer during an interview at his farm in 1988. 'I was sort of asking the other reasons that he decided to make the country change, and he said one of the reasons was he wanted to get horses because he had a [younger] female relative i'll put it that way who he liked to watch rub her c*** on its back,' she told the ABC. 'I felt really physically sick.' Bridget Ninness (right), a former producer on Burke's Backyard, described her boss as a 'vile human being' Burke (left, and right with his wife), 70, who hosted Burke's Backyard for 17 years until it was suddenly axed in 2004, strongly denied the claims The reporter, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she was so disgusted by Burke's alleged comment, she took the tape recording to Channel Nine's publicity team demanding action be taken against the TV personality. She claimed she received a bunch of flowers the following day and the complaint was forgotten. In a statement released by Burke, he said he 'never commented on the body shape of any family member'. 'The story about the reporter quoting me is a total fabrication,' he said. The unnamed entertainment reporter said it was not the first time Mr Burke was inappropriate during an interview. 'He would interrupt the interview quite often by saying things like, 'I bet you're a demon f***. I bet you love c**k', which obviously I found incredibly untoward and rude,' she said. The following year, he allegedly asked her what sex positions she enjoyed. She said Burke was one of the worst, if not the worst, sexual harassment offender she encountered in the entertainment industry. Two former TV researchers also claimed Mr Burke groped their breasts 'My staff and I regarded the CTC productions workplace as being a very safe workplace and I am very happy to provide female and male witnesses to affirm this,' Mr Burke (pictured) said in a statement A former crew member claimed Burke bragged about groping a teenage girl in a disturbing chance encounter on the street. They claimed Burke chatted to the group of girls and offered to show them how to correctly hold a puppy they had. Burke showed the girl how to nurse the puppy close to her chest and keep it warm, and when he walked back to the crew he exclaimed 'give me three!' 'He boasted that he had stroked her nipple three times while showing her how to hold the puppy,' the crew member claimed. Burke did not address the former crew member's recollection of the alleged incident in his response. investigative reporter Kate McClymont told the ABC she had received more than 200 email complaints and comments about Burke since publishing her initial claims. Burke generally complained the 'untrue claims' would 'destroy' his income for the rest of his life and prevent him from performing his 'extensive charity work'. The former TV icon slammed comparisons to disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and claimed he had a 'life-long opposition to sexism and misogyny'. There is no suggestion whatsoever Mr Burke raped anyone. CHANNEL NINE UNDER FIRE AMID DON BURKE ACCUSATIONS The Nine Network has come under fire from viewers amid the allegations against Burke. 'It shocks me that Don Burke was on the nine network. #boysclub,' one punter tweeted on Monday. The network fired out a statement after two former Nine chief executives going on the record to criticise Burke's alleged behaviour. 'The current management of Nine is simply not in a position to comment on these specific allegations or on how these sorts of matters may have been dealt with in the past,' a network spokeswoman said. 'The allegations are extremely serious; the behaviour described is completely unacceptable and would not be tolerated at Nine today.' Advertisement He said Burke's Backyard was a 'lone bastion of anti-misogyny' and deliberately chose the best women in their field. They were 'not the typical media females aged under 30 with Barbie-Doll figures' and he faced opposition to having them on TV as a result. He said recorded testimonies from award-winning author Jackie French, and showrunners Michael Freedman and James O'Sullivan would support his denials. Mr Freedman, his former chief executive, told the SMH: 'I never observed any sexual harassment. Don's not the kind of person to engage in that type of behaviour'. Daily Mail Australia earlier revealed Burke called in top defamation lawyer Patrick George, senior partner at the law firm Kennedys Australia. Burke called the allegations 'false and defamatory' and appeared poised to take legal action against his accusers. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr George for further comment. Police have today released one of the first CCTV films of a high-tech 'relay' car theft in the UK where a gang stole an expensive new car in a minute without needing its keys. The two hooded criminals were able to override the Mercedes' security system in the Elmdon area of Solihull, Birmingham at 9pm on September 25 and the luxury vehicle has never been recovered. The footage shows the men pull up outside the victim's house. One can be seen waving a relay box in front of property, which searches for a signal from the key inside the house and transmits it to the second box next to the car. CCTV footage shows the men waiting briefly for the relay boxes to connect before the Mercedes' lights flash and the doors are opened. The thieves then drive off with the whole crime only taking one minute to complete. The thefts are becoming so widespread that drivers have been advised to take precautions as storing it in a safe because metal can repel relay signals and using a traditional steering wheel lock. Police have released the first footage of a high-tech 'relay' car theft where a gang stole an expensive new car without needing its keys Within a minute the luxury car is started, reversed off the drive and follows the gang's main car up the road near Solihull, Birmingham Relay car unlocking systems are available on sites such as eBay for around 100. Gangs use them to steal new cars - often to order - and brands targeted have included BMW, Ford, Audi, Land Rover, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Mercedes. The car's locking system is tricked into thinking the car key is unlocking it, allowing access to the vehicle. Mark Silvester, from the West Midlands Police crime reduction team, said: 'To protect against this type of theft, owners can use an additional tested and Thatcham-approved steering lock to cover the entire steering wheel. 'We also recommend Thatcham-approved tracking solutions fitted to the vehicle. 'It is always worth speaking to your main dealer, to ensure that your car has had all the latest software updates and talk through security concerns with them.' CCTV footage shows the men waiting briefly for the relay boxes to pick up a signal from the car's key before its lights flash and the doors are opened Sgt Tim Evans, from Solihull Police, said: 'It's important the public are reassured that we are taking proactive steps to tackle this type of crime in Solihull. 'We hope that knowledge of this type of crime will enable members of the public to take simple steps to secure their vehicle and assist us.' Anyone with information on the Elmdon theft should call police on 101, quoting crime reference number 20SH/204842W/17. Myanmar's army chief has told the Pope his country has 'no religious discrimination' - days after the US accused the nation of ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya minority. Pope Francis met for talks with Min Aung Hlaing after arriving in Myanmar on Monday amid the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis. Afterwards, the military chief's office wrote on Facebook: 'Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all. Likewise our military too... (it) performs for the peace and stability of the country.' The Tatmadaw, as his army is known, has been accused by the UN and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of conducting a campaign of 'ethnic cleansing' by driving 620,000 Rohingya from western Myanmar into Bangladesh since August. Myanmar denies any wrongdoing despite testimony by refugees pointing to a widespread campaign of rape, murder and arson. Francis, who is also due to speak with civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has been warned not to even say the word Rohingya during his visit or risk causing a backlash against the country's Christian minority. Pope Francis was greeted by children as he arrived in Yangon on Monday amid Myanmar's Rohingya refugee crisis The pope is due to speak with army chief Min Aung Hlaing and civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi during his visit to the Buddhist-majority country Thousands of people travelled to Yangon to see the pope arrive, waving their national flag along with the Vatican City flag But Francis has been warned that even using the word Rohingya could trigger a backlash against Myanmar's Christian minorities He will hold Mass for 150,000 Catholics in Yangon before travelling to Bangladesh, where he will meet with some of the 620,000 Rohingya who have fled there. Authorities in Buddhist-majority Myanmar do not recognise the Muslim Rohingya as citizens or as members of a distinct ethnic group with their own identity. Instead they are usually referred to as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Vatican sources say some in the Holy See believe the trip was decided too hastily after full diplomatic ties were established in May during a visit by Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi's reputation as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been tarnished because she has expressed doubts about the reports of rights abuses against the Rohingya and failed to condemn the military. 'I have great admiration for the pope and his abilities, but someone should have talked him out of making this trip,' said Father Thomas Reese, a prominent American author and analyst at Religion News Service. The pope has already used the word Rohingya in two appeals from the Vatican this year. Asked if he would say it in Myanmar, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said Francis was taking the advice he had been given seriously, but added: 'We will find out together during the trip ... it is not a forbidden word'. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said he does not know if Francis will say Rohingya while in Myanmar, adding: 'It is not a forbidden word' Francis's four-day trip to the region will also see him visit Bangladesh and meet with some of the 620,000 refugees who have fled there The papal motorcade drives through downtown Yangon. Hundreds of police had been deployed in anticipation of protests, but activists did not show up Ah Khar women in traditional dress wait for the arrival of Pope Francis at Yangon airport A hardline Buddhist monk group previously known as Ma Ba Tha said it welcomed the pope's visit but warned, without elaborating, of 'a response' if he spoke openly about the Rohingya. 'I hope he doesn't touch on sensitive issues that Myanmar people couldn't accept,' said Tawparka, a spokesman for the influential group, who goes by a single name. 'There's no problem if he talks about Islam, but it's unacceptable if he speaks about Rohingya and extreme terrorists.' The Rohingya exodus from Rakhine state to Bangladesh's southern tip began at the end of August, when Rohingya militants attacked security posts and the Myanmar army launched a counter-offensive. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week called the military operation 'ethnic cleansing' and threatened targeted sanctions for 'horrendous atrocities'. Myanmar's government has denied most of the accusations made against it, and the army says its own investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing by troops. But rights organisations have accused troops backed by Buddhist mobs of burning hundreds of villages and forcing more than half a million people to flee. The military has been accused of killing hundreds of civilians while Rohingya women who made it to Bangldesh have told of how they were raped and abused. After leaving Rome, the pope told reporters on his plane: 'They say it's too hot (in Myanmar). I'm sorry, but let's hope it will at least be fruitful.' Francis is expected to meet a group of Rohingya refugees in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, on the second leg of his trip. The pope's itinerary for his four-day trip to Myanmar, followed by a visit to Bangladesh Myanmar's army has been accused of 'ethnic cleansing' over their treatment of the Rohingya, which has seen hundreds of villages destroyed (pictured, a refugee camp in Bangladesh) The military has been accused of killing hundreds of Rohingya civilians while women who managed to flee have told of rape and abuse at the hands of soldiers Ethnic minorities in traditional dress welcomed Francis at Yangon airport, and children presented him with flowers as he stepped off his plane. He waved through an open window at dozens of children waving Vatican and Myanmar flags and T-shirts with the motto of the trip - 'love and peace' - as he set off in a light blue Toyota car for St. Mary's Cathedral in the heart of the city. Only about 700,000 of Myanmar's 51 million people are Roman Catholic. Thousands of them travelled by train and bus to Yangon, and they joined crowds at several roadside points along the way from the airport to catch a glimpse of the pope. 'We come here to see the Holy Father. It happens once in hundreds of years,' said Win Min Set, a community leader who brought a group of 1,800 Catholics from southern and western states of the country. 'He is very knowledgeable when it comes to political affairs. He will handle the issue smartly,' he said, referring to the sensitivity of the pope's discussions about the Rohingya. Large numbers of riot police were mobilised in the country's main city but there were no signs of any protests. A Melbourne mayor has been spotted parking in a disabled parking - at the launch of a cafe for people with intellectual disabilities. Mayor of the City of Whittlesea Kris Pavlidis has been slammed by former Whittlesea councillor Christine Stow, saying that she was 'sickened' to hear of the report. Ms Paldavis, however, insisted that she has been instructed to park in the reserved bay by Yarra Plenty Regional Library staff. The mayor of the City of Whittlesea Kris Pavlidis was 'told' to park her car in a disabled car spot Christine Stow (left) has slammed mayor Kris Paldavis (right) for parking in a disabled space 7 News understands that Mill Park Library Branch Manager Serena Bellotti made the decision to designate one of the disabled parking spaces for a 'VIP' during the launch of the Chancez Cafe. But Ms Stow - whose daughter suffers from Schwartz Jampel Syndrome - said that she was 'saddened' by the excuse. 'I am saddened for those who cannot walk or cannot talk, cannot defend themselves like my daughter Imyjen,' she said. Ms Stow further accused Ms Paldavis of 'thumbing her nose' at people with a disability and said she believes that the mayor should step down from her position. Newscorp understands that Mill Park Library (pictured) Branch Manager Serena Bellotti made the decision to designate one of the disabled parking spaces for a 'VIP' during the launch Yarra Plenty Libraries boss Di Shaw apologised for 'any embarrassment we caused the mayor' The former Whittlesea councillor brought up the incident at the council meeting following the incident, but was blocked because it wasn't 'relevant to the meeting's agenda' - which 'sickened [Ms Stow] even more'. Ms Paldavis has issued an apology and pledged to donate $200 to the newly-opened Chancez Cafe. Yarra Plenty Libraries chief executive Di Shaw apologised and said she took 'any embarrassment we have caused the Mayor'. A tiger broke out of its cage during a popular village circus performance in China on Saturday. The animal ran into a large crowd of spectators before biting two children, reported Chinese state media. The two children were said to have suffered minor injuries. They have been discharged from hospital after treatment. Scroll down for video A circus tiger, circled, is seen performing in front of a large crowd in a village in north China According to CGTN, the circus show was organised by a villager from Linfen, northern China's Shanxi Province, and took place on November 25. The performance was a part of the local temple fair celebrations. The circus company confirmed that the cage had not been secured when the incident happened. The tiger then breaks out of the cage and runs into the crowd along the cage Two children are reportedly bitten by the tiger and taken to a local hospital for treatment The tiger went into the crowd and bit two children, according to the report. Linfen government has issued a statement, which claimed that the children sustained scratches, reported China News,. The two children were taken to Hongtong Second People's Hospital for treatment and were discharged on November 27. The two children had minor injuries and were discharged from the hospital today The news came just a few days after an elderly man nearly had his hand bitten off by a circus tiger in central China . Horrifying footage shows the man trying to feed the hungry animal in the cage before being mauled on a street of Xichuan on November 22. Onlookers saved the pensioner by hitting the tiger using long wooden poles until it let go of the man's hand. The pensioner fell onto the floor immediately with his hand seriously bleeding. It appeared that his wrist and elbow were severely wounded. He was sent to hospital for emergency treatment. A pensioner is seen feeding food to a lion and a tiger on the street of Xichuan, central China The circus tiger, set to perform later, mauls the man's right hand and refuses to let go Police have confirmed five people who died in the Leeds horror crash were inside the stolen Renault Clio that hit a tree. Brothers Ellis and Elliott Thornton, aged 12 and 14, died along with 15-year-old Darnell Harte and 24-year-old Robbie Meerun. Father-of-two Anthoney Armour, 28, also died. They were killed when a Renault Clio hit a tree in the Meanwood area of Leeds on Saturday night in scenes described by police as 'complete carnage'. Police previously mistakenly said all seven people were in the vehicle. Ellis and Elliott Kimmitt were two of the five people killed in a car accident on Stonegate Road in Leeds Police had been reportedly working on the assumption all seven males were in the vehicle, including Elliott and Ellis, pictured. But detectives have since widened the inquiry to include the possibility there were pedestrians involved In a heart wrenching post, Ebony Thornton said her younger brothers Ellis and Elliott were 'her world' In a heart wrenching post, Ebony Thornton said her brothers Ellis and Elliott were 'her world.' She added: 'I wish I told you I love you everyday, I wish I didn't shout, argue and fight with you. I don't think I am ever going to get over the fact you have gone.' She also revealed how her mother had given birth to a stillborn son at just 16 weeks in September - meaning she has lost three sons in just over two months. Debbie Harrower, who said she used to babysit Ellis and Elliott, said: 'They were little terrors but they were good boys. It's just sad.' Ms Harrower is the boys' mother's cousin. Asked how their mother was coping, she said: 'How would anyone be losing their children?' Another of their mother's cousins, Charlene Lee, said: 'It's just heartbreaking, isn't it? 'The thought of losing one child ... but she's lost two. It's just devastating.' On Monday morning, the mother of one of the victims arrived at the scene and spent some time just standing next to the tree, looking at the scene. A 15-year-old boy was arrested and remains in police custody. It is believed he is hospital in a serious, but not life-threatening, condition. A second 15-year-old, who is understood not to have been in the car, was arrested in the area but later released under investigation. Detective Chief Inspector Jim Griffiths said: 'When I arrived here in the early hours of Sunday morning this was a catastrophic scene. 'All the witnesses, all the police officers, all the emergency services that were here would have seen, absolutely, a scene of total carnage. 'It would have been a horrendous situation for anyone.' On Monday morning, the mother of one of the victims (pictured) arrived at the scene and spent some time just standing next to the tree, looking at the scene Darnell Harte has been named as a victim of the crash in Leeds. Darnell, thought to be 15, is one of five dead Anthoney Armour, 28, was killed when a stolen car crashed into a tree in Leeds. Mr Armour was a father of two whose partner was expecting another baby in three weeks Robbie Meerun, 24, has also been killed. Two fifteen-year-old boys have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving Mourners held a candlelit vigil at the scene and balloons and flowers were tied to a tree as well-wishers left their tributes to the dead Scores of mourners made their way to the scene of the crash to pay their respects to those who died Police stood by as mourners held each other at the scene where five people - three children and two men - lost their lives in a car accident One tribute to a victim said: 'Can't believe you've been taken so soon, heaven's gained an angel. Until we meet again' Louise Thornton, 34, known as the boys' Godmother and Aunty Lou, said there were no words to described the loss of the two 'cheeky chappies', Ellis, 12, and Elliott, 14, who were 'so loving towards their family'. She said: 'Elliott was the eldest. He was very loving and very trusting. He was so proud of his family, his mum and dad and his two sisters, Ebony, 16, and Bronte, five. 'Ellis was the youngest and he looked up to Elliott and Ebony as well. A mother who arrived at the scene saying her son was in some way involved 'We are just devastated. We can't believe they have both gone as that just doesn't happen. We were so proud of the boys. They will be hugely missed by the family. 'It will leave a huge devastating void. As a family we have already been through so much. I'm devastated. They were very well-loved. We just can't describe how much these little boys have left a big void in our family.' The school posted a message on its website, which said: 'We are aware of the tragic road accident in our local community and send our condolences and sympathies to the families and all those affected by this shocking and upsetting incident. 'Until the police confirm relevant details we are unable to comment further and we will continue to offer support and help to all our pupils who may be affected by this distressing event. 'We appreciate the respect for the community's grief and privacy at this time.' It has since emerged the Kimmitt boys' father was jailed for eight years in 2007 for a vicious attack in which he drove over a man with a car, leaving him disabled. Mr Armour's partner Sarah Louise Priestley paid an emotional tribute to him, describing him as 'my world and more'. He was a father-of-two whose partner was expecting another child in three weeks. She said: 'Why did you have to go? Me and (the) kids love you more than you will ever know. 'My love for you will never end, our 3rd child is due in 3weeks & you was so excited my heart is breaking but i promise you our kids will be looked after & will always remember their daddy untill we meet again ant.' One of Mr Armour's friends said 'RIP LAD' while another said 'Rest in peace Anthony Armour'. Tributes were paid online to 24-year-old Mr Meerun. One said: 'Rest in peace to one of my best friends hands down the funniest most trust worthy guy I've met.' Another commented: 'R.I.P. You will be sadly missed bro. All my thoughts are with you tonight.' Investigators were back at the scene on Monday morning, trying to work out exactly how the crash happened. The road has re-opened and crowds gathered at the scene to pay tribute to the victims Another tribute, left to Darnell Harte, read: 'It just doesn't make sense. Hope now your (sic) at some peace. Will remember you for your cheekiness. RIP Debbi' Floral tributes to one of the victims have been left at the scene following the horror crash Three police officers inspect the damaged tree on Stonegate Road where the crash happened A group of youngsters (left) arrive at the scene to lay flowers in memory of the victims as a forensic officer (right) works near the tree Two of the victims died at the scene and three died later in hospital. Two residents who live opposite the horrific crash scene have described seeing a mangled wreck of a car and bodies strewn across the road. The couple, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'We were just sat here and we just heard an almighty crash. 'We sat here and thought 'what the heck was that?' 'There were bodies laid about, it was awful. It was as bad as that.' Describing the crash scene immediately after the incident, they added: 'It was unbelievable. You couldn't even recognise it as a car. It was just a crumpled mess. 'We don't even know if it was pedestrians. It sounded like it could have been a couple of pedestrians but I don't know.' Scene picture on Stonegate Road, Leeds, where five people were killed, including three children, after stolen car collided with a tree. Two 15-year-olds have been arrested Police officers scour the local area for evidence after the horror crash which killed five people Six police vehicles block Stonegate Road in the Meanwood area of Leeds Another resident said her husband had gone out and seen the remains of the car and described it as 'a lump of metal that was not recognisable as a car'. A resident in Stonegate Road, who wishes to remain anonymous, described hearing a 'loud bang' which sounded like a 'firecracker'. He said: 'Me and my wife were watching TV some time between 9.30pm and 10pm when we heard a loud bang. 'I have seen the car which I believe had an '05 number plate completely squashed. 'Within minutes, dozens of police cars, a fire engine and several ambulances were at the scene. 'We could hear the sirens and see blue flashing lights and that's when we realised something very serious had happened. A damaged tree can be seen on the right hand side as a policeman stands behind a police cordon At around 10pm on Saturday West Yorkshire Police were called to Stonegate Road in Meanwood to deal with the incident reportedly involving a Renault Clio A team of officers look for evidence that might help piece together how five people died in Leeds Officers in Stonegate Lane, near Stonegate Road, where the Renault Clio hit a tree 'The road is completely closed off this morning and the police have said I am not allowed to drive my car out of the area until later in the afternoon so I couldn't take my wife to work.' A resident, who lives near the scene and wished to remain anonymous, said: 'We were out for a meal last night in Otley and when we arrived home the top of the road was blocked off round the corner from our house. 'I only heard what has happened this morning after my wife saw the news but it is very upsetting it has happened so close by. ' 'I don't know anything more than has been reported but have seen the road is still blocked off so it must have been awful. It is very sad.' Another resident said: 'Just before 10pm there were loads of flashing lights past our house but I didn't think anything of it. ' I've only realised this morning, I never heard a bang or anything similar. 'I can't believe it.' Detective Chief Inspector Griffiths, who is leading the investigation, said: 'We are continuing to carry out enquiries to establish the full circumstances of the collision itself and the circumstances surrounding it. 'At this stage we believe that all those involved were travelling in the Clio at the time of the collision and that it was the only vehicle involved. 'We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who has seen the Clio and the manner of its driving in the time leading up to the collision. 'That vehicle was stolen in the Headingley area at about 6.30pm that day and is believed to have been driven around the Leeds area during that time. We would be interested in anyone who has dashcam footage relating to the vehicle's movements.' A police officer stands in a gate adjacent to the tree into which the Renault Clio crashed The youngest victim in the crash was a 12-year-old boy, West Yorkshire Police said. Two 15-year-old boys and two men aged 24 and 28 also died Superintendent Matt Davison, who heads neighbourhood policing for the Leeds District, said: 'This is a very tragic set of circumstances and our thoughts and condolences go out to everyone who has been affected by it. 'We are working to support the families involved and the wider community, particularly the schools who have been affected. 'We are working with the local authority and through our Safer Schools Partnership officers to support the schools at what is a very difficult time.' He added: 'Clearly the families have suffered a devastating loss and we appreciate that emotions will be running high in the community. 'We would ask that people focus on supporting each other and on supporting the police investigation which will ensure that the circumstances of this incident are fully explored and that the criminal justice process is satisfied.' What appears to be pieces of the car lie on the pavement near the tree next to evidence markers This is the moment an unsuspecting passerby got between a group of ultra-orthodox Jewish protesters and an Israeli police 'skunk cannon'. The hi-power water cannon was being used in an attempt to disperse the group of activists in Jerusalem, who were protesting army conscription in the country. As police sent a powerful torrent of water flying the protesters' way, the woman began crossing the street, only to be struck with water from the riot-control cannon. The barrage sends her flying several feet and she is left lying in a pool of water as the protesters continue their demonstration. The hi-power water cannon was being used in an attempt to disperse the group of activists in Jerusalem, who were protesting army conscription in the country As police sent a powerful torrent of water flying the protesters' way, the woman began crossing the street, only to be struck with water from the riot-control cannon The barrage sends her flying several feet and she is left lying in a pool of water as the protesters continue their demonstration At least 35 protesters detained for 'disrupting public order, blocking traffic, attacking civilians and police officers,' according to a statement issued by the Israeli police At least 35 ultra-orthodox demonstrators were arrested during the protests. They were detained for 'disrupting public order, blocking traffic, attacking civilians and police officers,' according to a statement issued by the Israeli police. The demonstration was organised by Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, leader of The Jerusalem Faction, who has vowed to continue anti-conscription protests to defence 'dignity of the Torah'. The protest was called by the leader of ultra-Orthodox group The Jerusalem Faction, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, who promised to continue anti-draft protests to defend the Supporters of a Bronx cab driver who had his thumb hacked off protecting three passengers from a vicious machete attack are speaking out against the judge who set bail for one of the teenage suspects at just $200, allowing him to be home for Thanksgiving. Richard Deleon, a 47-year-old father-of-four, was stopped at a red light when Juan Carlos Sanchez and Kenneth Guzman, both 17, ambushed his taxi, police say. Deleon had his right thumb sliced off while shielding his head before leaping to his young female passengers' rescue. Fernando Mateo, head of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, told reporters on Sunday that the judge then allowed Guzman to walk free too quickly and on too low of a bail. A Bronx cab driver lost a thumb protecting three passengers from a vicious machete attack carried out by two teenagers. Richard Deleon (pictured), 47, had his thumb hacked off protecting his customers from the teens 'The biggest crime in this case was committed by the judge who released one of these guys on $200 bail after they slashed three or four people and could have killed someone,' Mateo told the station PIX11. Before attacking Deleon, police say Guzman and Sanchez slashed a store clerk in a bodega on Grand Concourse, who called 911. 'It happened very fast,' Deleon said of the cab ambush during a press conference on Sunday outside the Bronx district attorney's office. 'I tried to stop the attackers,' the NYDailyNews reports. Sanchez, armed with a machete, cut one of the female passengers, before Deleon said he desperately pulled him away. 'I raised my hand and they were aiming at my head with the machete and instead they took my (right thumb),' he said in Spanish. Despite being thankful to be alive, the cab driver said he is now depressed and in pain for his injuries. Unable to return to work, his family are suffering too as he is unable to put food on the table. One passenger required 14 stitches after the attack, but it could have been far graver had Deleon not put their safety before his own, said Mateo. 'To us he is a hero because if it wasn't for him and his intervention, God knows if someone would've been killed,' he said. The father-of-four was stopped at a red light when Juan Carlos Sanchez and Kenneth Guzman, both 17, ambushed his vehicle, police say. Deleon had his thumb hacked off protecting his head before leaping to his passengers' rescue - only for one attacker to be released on $200 bond Following the violent assault, Guzman was released on $200 bail - a decision greeted with disgust by Mateo and Deleon's relatives and friends. 'He's laughing at the justice system,' Mateo said. 'He's laughing at the victims that he injured and this is something that we don't know or understand how it could happen.' After his release from jail, Mateo claimed Guzman posted on Facebook how happy he was to be home for Thanksgiving dinner. Guzman in turn claims police are unfairly charging him and Sanchez - trying to make them look 'like animals' in a now deleted Facebook post that was saved by Mateo. Deleon said at the press conference he has been struggling in the wake of the brutal attack. 'Hes very depressed. Hes from one doctor to another, the finger doesnt stop bleeding,' Mateo translated for the driver. Its traumatizing. Hes missing a limb.' It is claimed Guzman posted on Facebook how happy he was to be home for Thanksgiving dinner. Guzman in turn claims police are unfairly charging him and Sanchez - trying to make them look 'like animals' in a now deleted Facebook post that saw saved by Mateo On Sunday, Deleon's older sister, Fary Deleon, 48, said she's happy her brother is still alive. 'We just want justice,' she said. 'What they did to my brother is not fair. He was working. He didn't hurt nobody.' The teens, arrested close to the cab, face charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Damian Green, pictured outside his home. offered to use Tory party cash to pay for a special adviser for the DUP, it has been reported The de facto deputy Prime Minister offered to pay Tory cash to the DUP in a secret deal as part of a bid to keep Theresa May in No10, it has been reported. Damian Green is said to have offered to use party funds to pay for a special adviser for the small Northern Ireland party after they agreed to prop the Tories up in power. The revelation is likely to infuriate Tory MPs and donors who would balk at the idea of party cash being funneled to help a rival. And it will pile further pressure on Mr Green, who is already battling for his political career following allegations of sexual misconduct. He is being investigated by the Cabinet Office over claims he made an unwanted pass as Tory activist Kate Maltby, and that he had extreme porn on an office computer in 2008. Mr Green denies the allegations and the investigation into him is expected to report back this week. Downing Street is under pressure to release the findings, but has said the final report may be kept secret. Mr Green, the first secretary of state, was one of a number of Tory MPs who travelled over to Northern Ireland at the weekend for the DUP's conference. Over the summer the Northern Irish party told the Tories it wanted to create a DUP adviser paid from government funds, according to The Times. Some aides said the post was needed to smooth the functioning of the Tory-DUP 'co-ordination committee'. But the bid was turned down by Sue Gray, the government's head of propriety and ethics, who works in Mr Green's department. DUP leader Arlene Foster, pictured at her party's conference in Belfast on Saturday, is said to have discussed the plan with Damian Green Ms Gray rejected the proposal because the DUP are not in a formal Coalition and part of government, but in a parliamentary arrangement when they vote with the Government on big issues like the Budget and Brexit. After the setback Mr Green and Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, reportedly discussed the situation and it was agreed the Tory party would pay directly for the position. The arrangement would mean he was in effect agreeing to fund the work of a rival party. And it comes on top of the 1billion the Tories agreed to pour into Norther Ireland's coffers under the confidence and supply deal. Downing Street did not comment on the discussions or on whether Theresa May was aware of Mr Green's offer, but said that the proposal had never resulted in any payments going ahead. Mr Green's office said it did not comment on private conversations. Shocking video has surfaced of a teenager being knocked unconscious by a single punch during a violent three-versus-one attack in Surfers Paradise. Three men were caught on camera kicking the victim in the legs and feet on Orchard Avenue in the early hours of Monday morning, before punching him to the ground. A friend told 9NEWS that the teen was targeted by the violent men after 'sticking up for a group of women who were being harassed outside a bar'. The attackers left their 18-year-old victim unconscious and bleeding from the head on Monday After the attack, the teen was out cold for a few minutes, and was bleeding from the head as he was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital just after 3.15am. The 18-year-old victim is understood to be a New South Wales school student, who was visiting Queensland for Schoolies celebrations. At this stage, he is expected to make a full recovery. The incident, apparently filmed by a passerby on Snapchat, shows three older men advancing on the victim who was backing away when one of them lunged at him. He was then king-hit by a man wearing blue jeans and an olive-coloured shirt. All three of the men left the scene before police arrived. Police are investigating the incident but no formal complaint has been made and no charges have yet been laid. A thug who threw acid over an aspiring model and her cousin as she celebrated her 21st birthday is facing years behind bars. John Tomlin, 25, hurled the corrosive fluid at Resham Khan and cousin Jameel Muhktar, 37, as they sat in their car at a red traffic light in Beckton, east London. Tomlin had earlier admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the pair but today, he admitted the more serious charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent on the first day of his trial. He changed his pleas to guilty before the jury were sworn at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Resham Khan (left), 21, was with her cousin Jameel Muhktar (right), 37, when the pair were doused with a corrosive liquid in June in East London Tomlin, who has six teardrops tattooed on his face, could now face the maximum sentence of life imprisonment when he is sentenced in January. He spoke only to confirm his name and enter his guilty pleas. Wearing a blue and white t-shirt with blue jogging bottoms, he winked to family members in the public gallery as he entered the dock. Judge Canavan ordered psychiatric reports be prepared after Tomlin's 'somewhat random targeting' of Ms Khan and Mr Muhktar left them with life changing injuries. The pair were said to have had 'no previous dealings' with their attacker. 'I'm going to order a report on dangerousness in these circumstances so we are not going to proceed to sentencing this afternoon,' Judge Canavan said. The court heard Tomlin has previous convictions for violent crime. He was convicted of common assault in 2007, robbery in 2008 and assaults on police officers in 2014 and 2016. Tomlin is thought to have been sectioned several times under the Mental Health Act. John Tomlin, 25, of Canning Town, is on trial Judge Canavan also ordered a report on dangerousness and further details of the injuries suffered by Ms Khan and Mr Muhktar. She said: 'I also need to know the prognosis of the injuries suffered at the time. This is in no way disrespectful to the victims; they well understand what their injuries are but they might not be able to assist me with what the prognosis is'. Student Miss Khan, suffered severe life changing facial scarring following the unprovoked attack at 9:13am on Tollgate Road, Beckton, on June 21. Tomlin targeted Miss Khan through the passenger window before moving round to the drivers side. He then threw more of the acid at Mr Muhktar. The two victims tried to drive off, pursued by the attacker before their car crashed into a fence and the man fled the scene. Mr Muhktar was also badly burned as the liquid was hurled through the car windows left open on a warm summer's day. The cousins were left with horrific neck and face injuries and were treated in hospital. Miss Khan shared these photos last month of her recovery, saying it's 'time to stop hiding' Miss Khan, who studies at Manchester Met university, had a skin graft and her eyesight is permanently damaged. She had just returned from an exchange year to Cyprus when the attack happened. She has shared her journey to recovery on a blog, and last month shared a new picture on Twitter. In one blog post she comments on how she had been 'too petrified to walk to my local shop'. She said she has suffered from breakdowns in her road to recovery, adding her voice to petition to strengthen sentences of acid attackers. 'Not victims, but survivors, gave me so much determination and strength. These women took on the world and its fate, and tackle each day like any other,' she said. 'My respect for these woman fuelled anger and disgust. I don't understand why attackers use acid, but what I do know is that it deserves the harshest punishment.' Mr Muhktar was so badly burnt he was put in an induced coma. He was left deaf in one ear, damage to his right eye and extensive burns to his upper body, arms, legs, back, neck and face. Mr Muhktar displays his injuries after the incident which happened when he was in his car Mr Mukhtar gave an interview to Channel 4 after the attack and similarly said how he 'couldn't be around anybody'. He said: 'I'm embarrassed to even talk to people. I don't go outside anymore I can't even look at myself in the mirror.' Police have previously said there is 'nothing to suggest the attack was racially motivated'. A motive for the attack is yet to be given in court but Tomlin has been previously sectioned under the Mental Health Act and has been prescribed anti-psychotic medication. Miss Khan, pictured before (left) and after (right) the attack, has started campaigning for tighter laws to prevent acid attacks When he first appeared in court in July, he was kept in handcuffs throughout the hearing after prosecutor Alexa Morgan made an application for restraints due to his volatile behaviour while in custody. She said: 'There has been application from Serco to keep him in handcuffs. 'He is very volatile and has been violent in while in custody.' Tomlin, of Colman Road, Canning Town, admitted two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Judge Sheelagh Canavan ordered psychiatric reports to assess his level of danger to the public and remanded him in custody ahead of sentence on 26 January. Two young brothers who missed their migrant worker parents hid under a bus for three hours and were only discovered after it had travelled some 50 miles. The pair, aged eight and nine, had escaped their boarding school in the morning by climbing through a gap in a wall and hiding underneath the bus. The brothers, from Nazuo Township in China's southern Guangxi Zhuang, were headed to the nearest large city Baise, where they believed their mother and father worked and which is 152 miles away. They were found one third of the way through their journey at the Xilin County bus terminal, having travelled three hours and more than 50 miles under the vehicle. The pair, aged eight and nine, had escaped their boarding school in the morning by climbing through a gap in a wall and hiding underneath the bus Staff at the bus station were shocked to find the two boys covered in sand and mud from the rough trip on the rural roads, and they were so shaken that neither said anything until the police arrived. The pair admitted to the authorities that they missed their parents and wanted to see them. Their relatives, however, revealed that Baise City was a lie to make them feel like their parents were closer to home when in fact the couple actually worked in the neighbouring province of Guangdong. They were found one third of the way through their journey at the Xilin County bus terminal, having travelled three hours and more than 50 miles under the vehicle The boys were fortunately not hurt and were brought back to their school after having been given clean clothes as well as food and water. The brothers are among tens of millions of minors in China known as "left-behind children", whose parents are forced to leave them in rural townships with relatives while they live and work elsewhere for higher pay. An inquest into the death of a 13-month-old baby girl who was 'probably sexually assaulted' by her father heard a harrowing 999 call made by the child's mother. Poppi Worthington died suddenly on December 12 2012 after collapsing at her home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. In January 2016 it was revealed a family court judge had ruled in 2014 that Poppi's father, 49-year-old Paul Worthington, had probably sexually assaulted her. Mr Worthington, who denies any involvement in his daughter's death, has escaped prosecution after police lost crucial evidence. On the first day of the second inquest into Poppi's death, the court was played a recording of a frantic 10-minute phone call between Poppi's mother and a 999 call handler shortly before 6am on the day of the baby's death. Poppi Worthington died in December 2012 after she collapsed at home at Barrow-in-Furness She told the operator: 'Ambulance please. My baby's not breathing, she gone blue. 'Erm, she's not been well, on and off, last few days. She's not breathing. She's not breathing. She's blue.' The call handler responds: 'Can you just try to be calm?' before giving instructions to Poppi's mother to lay the child flat on her back, check that her airways are clear, tilt her head back and then begin CPR. The mother tells her partner: 'Oh my God. Two breaths, 30 pumps. Keep going! Keep going until the ambulance arrives. 'Come on Poppi. Come on baby. Oh f****** hell. I think she just breathed! Oh! Oh come on. Oh my God come on Poppi. 'Come on keep going. Come on. Come on baby. Come on ambulance please. Please come on. 'What's wrong with her, Paul? She's not breathing.' Paramedics are then heard arriving in the background at the end of the call which lasted up to 10 minutes. More than a hour later, Poppi was pronounced dead at Furness General Hospital. The original inquest into Poppi's death was heard in private, lasted just seven minutes and heard no evidence Earlier at the inquest, Poppi's mother was frequently visibly distressed as she gave evidence and asked not to be present when the 999 call was played in court. Asked about Poppi's personality, she said: 'Very alive, bubbly. You knew she was there, there was no missing her.' On the early evening of December 11, she said she placed Poppi in her cot in one of the home's three bedrooms as later other siblings at the address went to sleep. Mr Worthington followed upstairs, she said, but she eventually slept downstairs on the sofa as one of her other children awoke and she settled him in a pushchair. She later awoke when she heard Poppi cry out and described it as 'more of a scream'. The mother then said she heard Mr Worthington get up so she went back to sleep before he came downstairs for a nappy. She fell asleep again before Mr Worthington came downstairs with Poppi again to tell her their daughter was not breathing. Leslie Thomas QC, representing Paul Worthington, asked Poppi's mother about her statement describing Mr Worthington as a 'brilliant dad'. He said: 'You did not think for one moment he was a man who harms kids, did you?' She replied: 'No.' Gillian Irving QC, representing the mother, then questioned the witness about her statement. Ms Irving said: 'At that time were you aware there was an allegation that she (Poppi) had been sexually abused before death?' The mother replied: 'No.' Speaking about Mr Worthington, she had told police: 'I love Paul. He is my best friend. He has supported me. We are honest with each other when we argue. 'Paul is a brilliant dad who cares for his kids, loves them and provides for them. 'There is no way Paul could have harmed Poppi. The children are his world. 'I could never have harmed her either. She was my beautiful daughter. 'I love my family. My kids are my world.' Poppi died from the injuries sustained shortly after her father, who had been watching pornography, took her into his bed at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness, in December 2012 During the second inquest Mr Worthington will face questions about his daughter's death for the first time. Mr Justice Peter Jackson, a High Court judge, ruled in January 2016 that Mr Worthington had probably sexually assaulted the 13-month-old girl in the hours before her collapse. He said Poppi's 'significant bleeding' within 15 minutes of the 999 call made from the family home could only be sensibly explained as the result of penetrative trauma. He also listed 12 serious errors and omissions by police, social workers and medical staff. These meant the most basic evidence that could have helped secure a prosecution was lost or never collected. Police failed to collect key evidence including Mr Worthington's laptop, Poppi's last nappy, clothes and bedclothes, and bedding from the hospital where she was declared dead. Paul Worthington will give evidence at the inquest into the death of his daughter Poppi Forensic tests were not carried out, the family home was not secured, senior officers did not visit the home and the parents were not arrested and interviewed by police for eight months. Cumbria Police and social services then tried to cover up their numerous failings. The original inquest into Poppi's death, in 2014, for 'a child aged 13 months' was heard in private, lasted just seven minutes and heard no evidence. Coroner Ian Smith recorded an open verdict, which was later ruled unlawful. The facts surrounding Poppi's death only began to be made public after an 18-month legal fight by the Mail and other media groups. Coroners can ask witnesses to attend informally or issue a summons under common law powers. A person cannot refuse to be a witness because their evidence could lead them to be charged with a crime, but they can refuse to answer questions put to them on the grounds of self-incrimination. The latest hearing comes almost five years after Poppi died from the injuries sustained shortly after her father, who had been watching pornography, took her into his bed at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in December 2012. A Home Office pathologist reported she had sustained internal injuries before she died consistent with sexual abuse but a formal cause of death has not been ascertained. The second inquest will seek to establish the circumstances surrounding Poppi's death. Mr Worthington is among 39 names on a list of witnesses to appear in person at the hearing. Earlier this year he asked for permission to give evidence via videolink after voicing fears for his own safety. HM senior coroner for Cumbria, David Roberts, is expected to adjourn the proceedings over Christmas and New Year before he gives his formal conclusions on January 15 On Monday a more extensive examination of the circumstances surrounding the death of Poppi, after she collapsed at her home with serious injuries in December 2012, will take place at County Hall, Kendal, (pictured) and last up to four weeks Flowers laid at Poppi's grave. An Independent Police Complaints Commission report concluded that senior detectives probing Poppi's death were 'unstructured and disorganised' Last year the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed there was 'insufficient evidence' to charge Mr Worthington with any offence over his daughter's death Other witnesses appearing include Poppi's mother, her aunt Tracey Worthington, and paramedics who responded to the 999 call. Fiona McGhie, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the child's mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: 'Poppi's mother hopes that the inquest, which has been much delayed over the last two years, can shed some light on Poppi's final hours.' Police officers who attended Poppi's home address in the hours after she died will also give evidence, as will former detective inspector Amanda Sadler, who was allowed to retire rather than face gross misconduct charges. HM senior coroner for Cumbria, David Roberts, is expected to adjourn the proceedings over Christmas and New Year before he gives his formal conclusions on January 15. An intimate scrapbook kept by Queen Victoria's governess including locks of the monarch's hair and her wedding dress fabric is to be auctioned for 26,000. Baroness Louise Lehzen - who the young princess referred to as 'dearest daisy' and 'mother' in private - collected the keepsakes during 21 years working for the Royal family. She rose through the ranks to become Victoria's adviser and confidante before eventually being dismissed by the queen's husband Prince Albert amid simmering tensions as he feared she was becoming too influential within the Palace. Her red leather-bound notebook is now for sale offering a spectacular and revealing insight into the life of a young princess. The intimate scrapbook, pictured right, reveals the life of a young Queen Victoria, pictured left It is engraved with Victoria's gold 'VR' insignia and contains lockets of her hair as well as photographs from the private family album Baroness Louise Lehzen - who the young princess referred to as 'dearest daisy' and 'mother' in private - collected the keepsakes during 21 years working for the Royal family It is engraved with Victoria's gold 'VR' insignia and contains lockets of her hair as well as photographs from the private family album. The hair samples are fastened with pieces of ribbon and visibly increase in thickness and colour as the girl gets older - with the last taken at the age of 23. The collection - which is on public display in Berlin until Tuesday - also features miniature watercolours painted by the young princess. One of the portraits in the intimate scrapbook shows Queen Victoria and her aide John Brown. This image shows Balmoral Castle in Scotland taken from a nearby river There is also a swatch of the fabric used to make the monarch's gown for her monarch's wedding to Prince Albert in 1840 and a sample of lace used in the garter. Small pieces of paper stuck inside the book show the young Victoria's first attempts to write while artistic watercolours depict her coronation and romantic scenes. Patrick Golenia of Grisebach auctioneers in Berlin, which is selling off the book, told the Guardian that the collection was a 'fascinating testimony of the friendship between two women, and of the strong British-German connection in the British royal family'. He said: 'We know that Queen Victoria sent a lot of hair samples, and that this was very typical of the time. The intimate scrapbook also contains numerous letters and sketches penned by the young Royal 'But this is the largest number of her hair samples to be found in one place except perhaps for the pillow on which she died. 'What we have here is an important historical object because it is testimony to the unbelievably close friendship, almost familial one between a teacher and her pupil, a queen and her employee.' The album was made public for the first time in 1999 after being held in Baroness Lehzen's family for years. It was sold in 2001 when it sparked a frenzied bidding war between two would-be buyers who wanted to DNA test Victoria's hair to see if they were related to the Queen. It was eventually bought that year by an Austrian bidder for 49,000 - and is expected to fetch about half of that at auction on 30th November this year. However this time the sale comes with the condition that the album must remain intact to prevent buyers from exploiting the genetic value of the hair. Former US military official Mike Mullen has warned that North Korea is more likely to launch a nuclear weapon than ever before Former US military official Mike Mullen has warned that North Korea is more likely to launch a nuclear weapon than ever before. The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed the concern in an interview with ABC's 'This Week'. Asked if he thought the use of nuclear weapons looked possible, Mullen said: 'I don't know. I think it's more probable than it used to be. And it scares me to death, quite frankly. 'They're the most dangerous weapons in the world. And certainly if we have someone in North Korea that has a lethal legacy, is very, very unpredictable, and sees this as a way to solidify his future, that he could well not just attain them but potentially use them.' He also expressed concerns about the 'rhetoric' between the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump. 'I worry there is more uncertainty than there was a year ago, in principle because of the rhetoric that is there,' he said. 'I know that the Trump administration has addressed this issue from day one, so they're very serious about creating options and have created options. Mullen described North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as 'very, very unpredictable' 'It's still a very difficult place to know what's actually going on. I think Kim Jong-un is going to -- is -- really working hard to achieve the nuclear capability. And I think he'll get there short of some deterrence.' Last week, a report by the think tank European Commission of Foreign Relations revealed a list of 15 North Korean targets. As well as the iconic governmental landmarks, Manhattan, Guam, Kyoto and Tokyo are all earmarked by the hermit kingdom. The research stated: 'From the North Korean sources, one can compile a list of possible targets for a nuclear strike. 'Pyongyang repeatedly threatens both US bases in the Asia-Pacific and cities on the US mainland, while the media repeats the threat that North Korean "strategic forces" are ready at any time to strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea. 'Japanese and South Korean cities are also designated as targets. Last week, a report by the think tank European Commission of Foreign Relations revealed a list of 15 North Korean targets. Pictured: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited the Sungri Motor Complex in Pyongyang 'Japanese cities are more explicitly targeted, including in a list that names Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto.' The report by the ECFR analysed Kim Jong-un's state media since the dictator took power, which picked up on the fact more recent statements included the vague notion of reaching 'major strike objects in the operation theatres of South Korea'. North Korea has also released maps of its targets, as exemplified by the infamous photo, published in March 2013, that shows Kim Jong-un with a target map corresponding to cities and bases in the US mainland. The aim of the findings was to 'predict Pyongyangs response to different scenarios' so it can better 'understand how the regime sees its nuclear weapons, and when it would use them'. The paper claims the nuclear threat carried by North Korea is a preemptive one, meaning Kim Jong-un would only launch nuclear war if he thought his nation was in danger. It reads: 'It has become almost a cliche in policy circles to state that North Korea is a rational, strategic actor. 'But, with many in the media still describing Pyongyang as crazy or suicidal, it bears repeating. 'North Koreas nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes are the product of a rational cost-benefit analysis. 'They are founded on the regimes calculated assessment of the threats to its survival, and their high risks have been taken into account.' It comes as North Korea denounced US President Donald Trump's decision to relist it as a state sponsor of terrorism, calling the move a 'serious provocation and violent infringement'. Trump put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, a designation that allows the United States to impose more sanctions and risks inflaming tension over North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs. In North Korea's first reaction to the designation, a spokesman for the foreign ministry denied in an interview with the state media outlet KCNA, that his government engaged in any terrorism. This is the utterly random moment a pair of horny tortoises interrupt a leopard hunting its prey. As tourist Matthew Poole filmed the patient predator stalking its next meal on the Sand River bank at Beyond Kirkmans Kamp in South Africa, his shot was invaded by two lovers. While the focused leopard tries to focus on November 3, the tortoise couple begrudgingly force her to move forward as they got intimate. Clearly not perturbed by their big cat neighbour, the randy reptiles carry on until the leopard finally runs off and they are left to carry on their lovemaking. The tortoise couple seem completely comfortable as they approach the leopard, looking for a suitable spot Clearly not perturbed by their big cat neighbour, the randy reptiles carry on until the leopard finally runs off and they are left to carry on their lovemaking Matthew, from Limpopo, South Africa, said: 'I couldn't believe what I was seeing. We were watching the leopard stalking something in the dense thicket when the tortoises appeared After around five minutes, the female decided she had had enough and ran off Matthew, from Limpopo, South Africa, said: 'I couldn't believe what I was seeing. 'We were watching the leopard stalking something in the dense thicket when the tortoises appeared. 'Nobody on the tour could control their laughter. 'I managed to subdue everyone as the leopard was in the middle of the hunt. 'After about five minutes of their mating, she finally had enough and she ran off. 'I had never managed to get a video of tortoises mating before until then.' These incredible photos reveal how RAF operations on the ground were vital during World War Two and the Cold War. Fascinating images reveal how various transport was used during the two wars, including an aircraft bomb storage during the 1930s in India and fuel drums being loaded on the beach in Sicily in 1943. Other pictures illustrate the required uniform for a typical Royal Flying Corps airmen and the tunic known as the 'maternity jacket'. Part of the aero engine assembly line at a typical expansion scheme 'shadow factory' in 1937 This picture shows fuel drums being loaded on the beach in Sicily, in 1943 A group of RAF Equipment Officers pictured in 1918 in the image released in a new book Further images reveal the tragic consequence of the RAF Fauld explosion that left a 300-feet deep crater which occurred in November 1944 at the RAF Fauld underground munitions storage depot. The explosion was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and the largest to occur on UK soil. The photos appear in a new book called Sustaining Air Power by former senior RAF logistics officer, Trevor Stone. He said: 'The RAF's logistics organisation, structure, and procedures were shaped, initially by lessons learned from the First World War, then progressively developed to support operations in the 1920s and 1930s. 'The post-war period saw the RAF building on those foundations, a process that saw logistics evolving to meet the needs of the new service. By the outbreak of the Second World War, however, RAF logistics were very different, largely as a result of the transformation that took place during the expansion programme that began in 1934.' RNAS personnel pictured in Paris with a partially crated aircraft on a transport lorry in 1915 This picture shows aircraft bomb storage, in India during the early 1930s This fascinating pictures reveal how various transport was used during the two wars This shows the crater left by the Fauld explosion in 1944. The explosion was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and the largest to occur on UK soil The RAF is the UK's aerial warfare force which was first formed in the closing months of the First World War following the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Navy air service. It went through an accelerated development before and then during the Second World War. During the Battle of Britain in 1940, the RAF famously defended British skies against German Luftwaffe. Following the success in WW2, the RAF experienced considerable re-organisation, as technological advances in air warfare saw the introduction of jet fighters and bombers. A Replica RE8 aircraft pictured at the Shuttleworth Trust, Old Warden A Steam tank locomotive Aldwyth pictured at Kidbrooke in the 1950s A Harrier pictured at a deploying operating location in Germany A typical RFC airman (pictured left) and (right) Air Commodore Charles Lambe 'One of the earliest difficulties that the RFC experienced was due to the relative infancy of aircraft production. At the outbreak of war, there were just twelve aircraft-manufacturing firms in Britain, three of which were producers of seaplanes,' Mr Stone said. 'In terms of output, total production amounted to just 100 aircraft per year. This limited manufacturing capacity meant that the British were largely dependent on France to meet their needs. 'Indeed, the demand for aircraft in the first six months of the war was so great that some 100 aircraft were bought from French companies; by the end of the war, 1,500 air frames had been acquired from this source.' A Leyland lorry (pictured in 1920) in one of the photos released in a new book Meghan Markle's parents led the congratulations to their daughter and Prince Harry today after the couple announced their engagement. Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland told how they were 'incredibly happy' for the couple, while Prince Charles said he was 'thrilled' for his son and the US actress. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge told how they were 'very excited' for Harry and Miss Markle, while the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh said they were 'delighted'. Politicians also reacted joyfully, with Prime Minister Theresa May saying it was a 'time of huge celebration', and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calling it 'fantastic news'. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement has been welcomed around the world today. The couple are pictured at Kensington Palace in London today Harry stands with Miss Markle as she shows off her engagement ring in London this afternoon Harry, 33, and Miss Markle hug behind her mother Doria Ragland in Toronto in September Miss Markle, pictured with her father Thomas, who said he is 'incredible happy' for the couple A statement by Miss Markle's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland said: 'We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. 'To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together.' Miss Markle is close to her 'free-spirited' mother and her 'thoughtful, inspiring' father, and has previously written lovingly of her relationship with both. Visiting Poundbury in Dorset, the Prince of Wales, speaking for himself and The Duchess of Cornwall, said: 'We're thrilled. We're both thrilled. We hope they'll be very happy indeed.' Meanwhile a Buckingham Palace spokesman said the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh 'are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness'. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Harry's brother Prince William and sister-in-law Kate, added: 'We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. 'It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.' Mrs May said: 'I would like to offer my very warmest congratulations to HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their engagement. The world reacts to Harry and Meghan's 'joyous' engagement 'To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents' Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, Meghan Markle's parents 'The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness' Queen and Prince Philip 'It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together' Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 'This is a time of huge celebration for two people in love' Theresa May, Prime Minister 'Wonderful news and I wish them a long and happy life together' David Cameron, former prime minister 'Here's to a happy and long life together' Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson 'Having met Harry a couple of times, I'm sure they are going to have a great deal of fun together' Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader 'I wish them many years of love, happiness and fulfilment and ask that God blesses them throughout their married life together' Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury Advertisement 'This is a time of huge celebration for two people in love. On behalf of myself, the Government and the country, I wish them great happiness for the future.' Her predecessor David Cameron said: 'Congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Wonderful news and I wish them a long and happy life together.' And Mr Johnson added: 'Huge congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - fantastic news! Here's to a happy and long life together.' Speaking in Glasgow today, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'Congratulations to Harry and Meghan. I wish them well. 'I hope they have a great time and great fun together - and, having met Harry a couple of times, I'm sure they are going to have a great deal of fun together. 'What I would also like to say is that I really do admire the way that Harry and his brother have drawn attention to mental health conditions all across the country. 'I wish them well, thank him for what he's done on mental health and hope they have a great life together.' In the US, Roslyn Markle, the mother of Meghan's half-siblings, told DailyMail.com from her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, today: 'That's absolutely wonderful news. 'I'm really happy for them and I hope they'll be happy together and have a great life.' Of the spring wedding date, Roslyn added: 'That will be so nice.' Roslyn, 72, was married to Meghan's father Thomas Markle between 1968 and 1976 and is the mother of his two eldest children: Samantha Grant, 53, and Thomas Markle Jr, 51. Asked how she thinks Miss Markle will cope with the transition from actress to princess, Roslyn said: 'Meghan is very well educated. She's worked in a professional, public life forever. Roslyn Markle, the mother of Meghan's half-siblings, said from her home in New Mexico today that it was 'absolutely wonderful news' She's been in the TV industry forever. She's very well educated and she's had a lot of exposure to the public. She's going to be just fine.' Meanwhile Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby added: 'I am absolutely delighted to hear the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are now engaged. 'I have met Prince Harry on a number of occasions and have always been struck by his commitment and passion for his charities, and his immense love for his family. 'Marriage is a special and joyous commitment, one that Jesus celebrated together with friends at the wedding in Cana. 'I am so happy that Prince Harry and Ms Markle have chosen to make their vows before God. 'I wish them many years of love, happiness and fulfilment and ask that God blesses them throughout their married life together.' The Prince of Wales, pictured today at Damers First School in Poundbury, Dorset, to meet staff and students, said he was 'thrilled' and 'very happy indeed' for Harry and Miss Markle Prince Harry has been dating Miss Markle (pictured in September) since summer 2016 The Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, was the first world leader to publicly send his congratulations - going as far as to invite the happy couple to honeymoon in Israel. 'Mazal Tov to HRH Prince Harry and fiance Meghan Markle,' he wrote on Twitter, sending his 'warmest regards' to the Royal Family and UK. Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon added: 'Congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness together.' DailyMail.com US Editor-at-Large Piers Morgan said: 'Congrats Meghan and Harry. My friend will make the perfect modern bride. PS Do I get an invite, Meghan Markle?' Meghan Markle 's parents led the congratulations to their daughter and Prince Harry today Paula Radcliffe, the world record holder and long-distance runner, and former Ukip leader Nigel Farage were also among the celebrities to send their congratulations. Mail sketch writer Quentin Letts added: 'Fun for theatreland to have an actress join the Royal Family. Various companies will be itching to have Mrs Harry for a patron.' Fifth in line to the throne Harry, 33, has been dating the 36-year-old star, who found fame in the US legal drama Suits, since the summer of 2016. Their 16-month whirlwind romance blossomed when they met through mutual friends in London. The pair have been almost inseparable in recent months, with Miss Markle said to have virtually moved in to Harry's home at Kensington Palace. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have expressed their delight at the news of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement. William and Kate said it had been 'wonderful getting to know Meghan' since the American actress began dating Harry around 18 months ago. A date for the wedding has been set for next spring, when the country will come together in scenes echoing Kate and Wills' own wedding in 2011. In a joint statement released by Kensington Palace, William and Kate said: 'We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.' Initially at least, the newly-engaged couple will move in together at Nottingham Cottage, where William, Kate, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be their neighbours at Kensington Palace. William and Kate said it had been 'wonderful getting to know Meghan' since the American actress began dating Harry around 18 months ago Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a photocall after announcing their engagement in the Sunken Garden in Kensington Palace Harry and Meghan revealed they were an item a year ago after a six-month secret relationship, got engaged earlier this month in London and will marry in spring 2018. The 36-year-old actress, who is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in US legal drama Suits, is believed to have charmed the Royal when he visited Toronto in the summer of 2016. They managed to keep their relationship secret from the world - but it later emerged she had met William and Kate and he had met her family in California. William was said to be deeply unhappy over his younger brother's decision to issue an unprecedented public statement, in which he lashed out at media intrusion and the 'sexism and racism of social media trolls'. A lengthy and strongly-worded statement issued by Kensington Palace said there had been a 'line crossed' in the abuse and harassment she has faced and it was 'not right' that his girlfriend 'should be subjected to such a storm'. It came after Meghan flew to London during a gap in her filming schedule and was photographed buying food on Kensington High Street, Princess Diana's favourite shopping street. Harry and Meghan announced their engagement earlier this morning after weeks of speculation Kate, Harry and William attend a Christmas party for volunteers at The Mix youth service in December last year The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry at West Ham United's London Stadium The royal trio with Peter Phillips wait to meet the Queen as she arrives the Patron's Lunch, an event to mark her 90th birthday in London last year The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry arrive to attend the Commonwealth Day 2016 service at Westminster Abbey in London Meghan did not attend the Queen and Prince Philip's 70th wedding anniversary celebrations this week with Harry, pictured with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, although she is understood to have met the Queen for tea last month Meghan, who is divorced, could become a princess or alternatively be given the title Duchess of Sussex when she marries the fifth in line to the throne and joins the royal family. But they are likely to wait until Prince William and Kate have their third child, which is due in April. Bookmakers refused to take any more bets on the couple getting engaged last week as Meghan landed in London and started moving her belongings and two dogs to the UK. Social media went into meltdown but they have had to wait until today to hear that the fifth-in-line to the throne has proposed to his actress girlfriend. A Kensington Palace spokesman tweeted today: 'The Prince of Wales has announced the engagement of Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle. 'Prince Harry and Ms Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has informed The Queen and other close members of The Royal Family. 'Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle's parents. The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace. 'The wedding will take place in spring 2018. Further details will be announced in due course.' A date for the wedding has been set for next spring, when the country will come together in scenes echoing Kate and Wills' own wedding in 2011 The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace and Kate and William will be their neighbours It is likely that the couple will, like Kate and William, be awarded a dukedom by the Monarch on the occasion of their wedding, with Vogue reporting that the newlyweds will become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Under the British Monarchy, the title is only given to those who are born into royalty, meaning that if Meghan and Harry were to have children they would be referred to as princes and princesses. The same went for Kate and William at their wedding six years ago with Wills adding Duke to his own title after the Queen granted the couple with a 'dukedom'. Kate is only bestowed the royal title in reference to her husband known as Princess William, and once he inherits his father's title she can then be referred to as Princess of Wales. The same goes for Meghan and Harry. The 36-year-old US actress may be referred to as HRH Princess Henry. Prince Harry is currently fifth in line to the throne and will move down to sixth when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcome their third baby, expected to arrive in April. However, while marrying Harry will give Meghan a royal title she will not join the line of succession. Marriage to a royal does not put you in line to the throne and you are in only if you have succession rights in your own right. Harry also asked Meghan's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, who divorced when their daughter was six, for her hand in marriage before popping the question a few weeks ago, it emerged today. They said: 'Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents'. Harry, 33, and his American fiancee, 36, have not said where they will hold the ceremony but if they choose the UK most senior royals marry at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral or the chapel at Windsor Castle. Prince Harry decision to marry his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle was revealed by his father Prince Charles. The much-anticipated news was confirmed by the Prince of Wales in a brief statement issued by Clarence House. It read: 'His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle. Prince Harry decision to marry his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle was revealed by his father Prince Charles 'The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course. 'His Royal Highness and Ms Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. 'Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of his family. 'Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle's parents. 'The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.' Just a week after the Queen celebrated her own 70th wedding anniversary, she and Prince Philip said in a statement: 'delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness'. Prime Minister Theresa May offered her 'very warmest congratulations', wishing the couple 'great happiness for the future'. 'I would like to offer my very warmest congratulations to HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their engagement,' said Mrs May in a statement. 'This is a time of huge celebration and excitement for two people in love and, on behalf of myself, the Government and the country, I wish them great happiness for the future.' Mrs May's predecessor David Cameron called the announcement 'wonderful news', and wished the pair 'a long and happy life together'. Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said he was 'absolutely delighted to hear the news', wishing them 'many years of love, happiness and fulfilment'. Meghan Markle is set to leave Toronto and move into a cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace with her husband-to-be, Prince Harry. The newly-engaged couple will live together in the modest two bedroom royal residence, Nottingham Cottage. Dubbed Nott Cott by palace insiders, the pair will enjoy their engagement in the pied-a-terre Harry made his bachelor pad some four years ago - before which it was Prince William and Kates first marital home. The newly-engaged couple will be living together in a small royal residence, Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace The young couple were a picture of happiness as they made their way through the grounds of Kensington Palace, where they will now share a cottage The actress and Harry are to spend their engagement in Nott Cott - William and Kates first marital home - where the 32-year-old prince calls home It has previously been suggested the pair are hunting for a country retreat in either Norfolk, close to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's home Anmer Hall, or in the West Country. But Nottingham Cottage is something of a starter home ideal for the newlywed couple - a two-bedroom property boasting rooms designed by Sir Christopher Wren, a couple of snug reception rooms and small yard. Self-contained, cosy and private, it is the smallest abode in the 17th century estate and formerly the home of Prince Philips private secretary, Brigadier Sir Miles Hunt-Davis, and his wife Gay. It was also previously occupied by Princess Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes and her husband Sir Robert Fellowes, the Queen's former secretary. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge lived in the cottage before moving in to the 20-room Apartment 1A inside the palace. Prince William reportedly had to stoop to avoid hitting his head on the low ceilings of the historic property. When Harry made it his bachelor pad in 2013, the first thing he reportedly did was install a hammock in the yard. Nottingham Cottage (circled) is something of a starter home ideal for the newlywed couple - a cosy two-bedroom property with a couple of snug reception rooms and small yard. The prince said he was 'thrilled, over the moon' adding: 'Very glad it's not raining as well' and both were full of smiles as they posed to announce their engagement Self-contained, cosy and private, Nottingham Cottage sits within the grounds of Kensington Palace Prince Harry and Meghan Markle today revealed they are engaged after the Queen gave her grandson permission to marry the star in the week after she celebrated her 70th wedding anniversary. Above, their first public appearance together at a tennis match during the Invictus Games in Toronto in September Meghan Markle was thought to be moving her dogs to the UK in the clearest sign yet that she planned to live in London with Prince Harry THE ROYAL WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT The official announcement today Prince Harry decision to marry his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle was revealed by his father Prince Charles. The much-anticipated news was confirmed by the Prince of Wales in a brief statement issued by Clarence House. It read: 'His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle. 'The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course. 'His Royal Highness and Ms Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. 'Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of his family. 'Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle's parents. 'The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.' Advertisement Situated just steps away from William and Kates far grander establishment, Nottingham Cottage is sufficient for one, or two occupants. One of the smallest properties on the estate, it has two bedrooms, a small living room, kitchen and bathroom. Ms Markle has stayed at the property several times while visiting Harry over the past 12 months, and will no doubt be adding her own personal touches to her new home - after Kate repainted the walls and gave it a revamp when she moved in. William and Kates official London residence is in the next courtyard, at Apartment 1A, a 20-room home which was refurbished with 4.5 million from the public purse in 2011. Kensington Palace has been a royal residence since 1689, when King William III and Queen Mary II bought Nottingham House for 20,000. It was subsequently remodelled into the palace by Christopher Wren, the architect behind St Pauls Cathedral. In the 18th Century, George I spent lavishly on new royal apartments there, including Apartments 8 and 9, but his successor, George II was the last reigning monarch to use the building. It has always been considered one of the least stuffy royal residences. Princess Margaret, who lived there for 42 years, was known to entertain celebrities such as Vidal Sassoon, Mary Quant and Peter Sellers. The palaces rooftop garden and long passageways have led to it being described as a childrens paradise, and William and Harry are said to have many happy memories of playing in the grounds. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared in public for the first time since announcing they will marry next year as the world glimpsed the American actress' engagement ring After her marriage to Prince Charles, Diana, Princess of Wales moved into Apartment 9 where she raised Princes William and Harry. Diana lived in the apartment until her death in 1997. If Harry and Ms Markle are looking for more spacious living quarters they may look at Wren House, currently the home of the Duke of Kent, or Apartment 1, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were married, the Gloucesters made the offer to vacate their home to make way for William and his new wife - and may do the same thing for Harry and Meghan. A cruel dog owner deliberately froze his loyal pet to death by pouring cold water over the animal and putting it outside in the minus 32C cold in Russia. Rescuers reached the whimpering animal while it was still alive, but encased in ice, in its outdoor kennel in Yakutsk, the coldest city in the world. Heartbreaking images show the female white dog, eyes still open and frightened, pathetically waving its paw pleading for release. A cruel dog owner deliberately froze his loyal pet to death by pouring cold water over the animal and putting it outside in the minus 32C cold in Russia Rescuers reached the whimpering animal while it was still alive, but encased in ice, in its outdoor kennel in Yakutsk, the coldest city in the world The rest of the pet's body was frozen solid to the iced ground on the coldest night of the Russian winter. The animal activist volunteers in Yakutsk - the coldest city in the world - managed to free the poor animal and rush it to the vet, but despite frantic efforts he was unable to save the one year old. He put the dog down to end her agony. A female volunteer said: 'The eyes, I will never forget them. Did you ever see a man who wanted to live but who was already dying? 'The dog had exactly the same eyes, understanding everything, just unable to explain.' Heartbreaking images shows the female white dog, eyes still open and frightened, pathetically waving its paw pleading for release. The activists have demanded action against the owner, with a petition signed by 10,000 Russians. 'It's one thing is when your dog dies, but this man has many children,' said a volunteer. 'Today he let his dog die next to his house, and tomorrow the same may happen to his children.' The dog owner was not named but is said to have earlier neglected the dog. The activists are also complaining about alleged police inaction over the case, and a policy of the local mayor to clean up city by exterminating strays, reported The Siberian Times. They claim this gives a green light to cruelty to unwanted dogs. Now an MP in Moscow, Sergey Boyarsky, has taken up the case calling for the owner's prosecution. Police officers have reportedly been suspended after a photo emerged of a group of cops pretending to beat a colleague at Arlington National Cemetery. Officials at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall are said to be conducting an internal investigation into the picture, which showed the officers smiling and laughing. It shows one officer on his knees in front of a squad car as he is held down by two colleagues, behind whom are three others simulating beating the kneeling officer with batons. The photo shows one officer on his knees in front of a squad car as he is held down by two colleagues, behind whom are three others simulating beating the kneeling officer with batons Graves of more than 400,000 US soldiers are located at the military cemetery, which has a mission statement of: 'Honor. Remember. Explore.' It is understood the photo, which was sent to Fox 5 by a whistleblower, involved officers who patrol Arlington National Cemetery which is in the shadow of The Pentagon in Virginia. Graves of more than 400,000 US soldiers are located at the military cemetery, which has a mission statement of: 'Honor. Remember. Explore.' A Base spokesman told Fox at least two of the officers are on administrative duty while the investigation into the incident which occurred on Thanksgiving Day was investigated. He added the officers were 'horsing around' and that the incident spiralled into 'unprofessional behavior'. As patrolling officers, they would have been responsible for responding to potential crime on the Arlington National Cemetery grounds. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall said it did not fall in line with their views, and cemetery officials have not yet commented on the photo. A company exclusively selling Australian products to China could spell the end of supermarkets being drained of baby formula by 'daigou' shoppers. Chinese customers stockpiling huge amounts of the sought-after Australian product can now get their hands on bulk supplies through a separate resource. With its popularity showing no signs of slowing down due to Australia's 'clean' reputation, AuMake is cashing in on its potential Chinese customer pool of 50 million. Scroll down for video AuMake exclusively sells Australian products to China - cashing in on the daigou shoppers working to make profit by selling products online Chinese shoppers can now get their hands on bulk supplies without clearing out supermarket shelves The company sells products like baby formula, vitamins and protein powders from well-known Australian brands - and its stores are sprouting up rapidly around the country. Six stores have already opened in Sydney, and with 15 more due to be opened in the first half of 2018, the business is looking to remove itself from 'grey market' dealings often associated with Chinese shoppers. 'We deal with big brands directly, daigou don't need to be visiting three or four different stores to get whatever than can off the shelves,' AuMake chairman Keong Chan told news.com.au. 'We work with suppliers, they ask how much they need of every product [for our] customer base of daigou and tourists. Other major retailers are not geared up for that kind of demand.' Buyers are seen buying the baby formula products in bulk, before reselling them to the Chinese market Six AuMake stores have already opened in Sydney, and 15 more are due to be opened in the first half of 2018, Major supermarkets have been forced to limit its customers on their baby formula purchases, with daigous leaving many Australian mothers with nothing left to feed their own children. No such cap exists with AuMake, as it works to support the estimated 80,000 daigous living in Australia - who can make up to $100,000 a year solely throughout their trade. About 30 stores are set to open in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Melbourne within the next two years, and the company recent partnered with Australian Made. About 30 stores are set to open in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Melbourne within the next two years AuMake works to support the estimated 80,000 daigous living in Australia - who can make up to $100,000 a year 'Having in-demand Australian product available, with no purchasing limits, knowledgeable bilingual staff and payment options they are familiar with, including WeChat Pay, Alipay, Unionpay, is the basis of building a long-term relationship with Chinese tourists and daigou,' managing director Joshua Zhou said in a statement. Trademark acquisitions have also recently been made with popular brands including Ugg Australia, Jumbuck and Health Essence. Chinese shoppers have been slammed in recent months for buying bulk numbers of baby formula to sell for a profit online, leaving customers - and children - who need the baby formula without. Major supermarkets have been forced to limit its customers on their baby formula purchases An ageing Brooklyn gangster could face up to 15 years in jail for ordering a young associate to firebomb a car in 2012. Vincent Asaro, 83, ordered John J Gotti, 24, to carry out the arson attack against a man in who had reportedly cut him off while driving in Howard Beach, Queens. Asaro is a third-generation member of the secretive Bonanno crime family, and famously beat a charge that he took part in the legendary 1978 Lufthansa heist retold in the hit film 'Goodfellas'. Vincent Asaro, 83, ordered John J Gotti, 24, to carry out the arson attack against a man in who had reportedly cut him off while driving in Howard Beach, Queens, in 2012. Family members are pleading for a Brooklyn judge to show mercy on John J Gotti, 24, the grandson of a notorious gangster who is being sentenced for his role in a 2012 car arson The incident, which Asaro has pleaded guilty to, began when an unidentified motorist pulled out in front of the ageing mobster in April 2012. Asaro chased the him through Queens in New York City causing the panicked driver to circle the block repeatedly in an attempt to get police cameras to notice and respond. The driver told the police that Asaro enlisted an associate to try and box him in but they both fled when the police finally arrived. However, Asaro then used contacts to get the address of the driver and told Gotti and another man to torch the car. Gotti was the getaway driver and pleaded guilty earlier this year to his part in the crime. Prosecutors say the man cut Asasro off while he was driving, after which he ordered the arson Asaro, 83, ordered Gotti to firebomb a man's car in 2012 because he was angry at the victim over a traffic dispute that occurred in Howard Beach At the time it was carried out, the Lufthansa heist was the largest cash thefts in American history, with gunmen looting about $5 million in untraceable U.S. currency that was being returned to the United States from Germany, along with about $1 million in jewelry, from the airline's cargo terminal. A jury found Asaro not guilty of charges he orchestrated the Lufthansa robbery with James 'Jimmy the Gent' Burke, the late Lucchese crime family associate who inspired Robert De Niro's role in the film. Now, Brooklyn prosecutors want him sentenced to 15 years in jail for ordering the 2012 hit, the New York Daily News reports. Both Asaro and Gotti, grandson of the late mobster John 'Teflon Don' Gotti, who died in prison in 2002, pleaded guilty in June. Meanwhile, Gotti's family members are pleading for a Brooklyn judge to go easy on the grandson of the notorious gangster. Gotti is currently looking at federal time for his part in a 2012 car arson on top of the eight-year state sentence he's already doing for peddling painkillers in Queens. However, more than 20 relatives and friends wrote relatives to Judge Allyne Ross who will be sentencing him, asking her to show mercy. His uncle, John A Gotti (left), said his nephew's last name played a big role in him getting mixed up in trouble. His father, Peter (right), described his first-born son as 'a beacon of light and hope through our constant storms...' Gotti's 75-year-old grandmother, Victoria Gotti Sr (pictured), expressed the 'fervent hope that I live long enough to see him come home again before I die' More than 20 relatives and friends wrote relatives to Judge Allyne Ross who will be sentencing him, asking her to show mercy (Pictured, left to right: Victoria Gotti, Frank Gotti Agnello, John Gotti Agnello and Carmine Agnello Jr in April 2011) 'He is my baby, I adore him and pray he will have the opportunity to be a productive member of society again,' wrote his grandmother, Victoria Gotti, the wife of late Gambino boss John Gotti who died behind bars in 2002. The 75-year-old, expressed the 'fervent hope that I live long enough to see him come home again before I die.' The young man's uncle, John A (Junior) Gotti, said his nephew's last name played a big role in him getting mixed up in trouble. 'With this kind of pressure, with my nephew being a young individual of limited life experience, and subject to being easily influenced by those who might not have his best long term interests at heart, it is not surprising that he would find himself one day involved with the criminal justice system,' his uncle wrote. Gotti's father, Peter, described his first-born son as 'a beacon of light and hope through our constant storms....Please consider the love and undying support he has from his family as we try to rise from the ashes.' Gotti and Matthew 'Fat Matt' Rullan also pleaded guilty to their part in a bank robbery in Queens in 2012, in which they allegedly made off with nearly $5,500. They were arrested in March. In June, Gotti (left and right, August 2016) and Vincent Asaro pleaded guilty in torching a man's car. Gotti is already in prison serving an eight-year sentence for dealing drugs on the streets of Queens Gotti is already in prison serving an eight-year sentence for dealing drugs on the streets of Queens. He was discovered with 205 Oxycodone pills, 18 methadone pills, marijuana, a testosterone bottle and close to $8,000 in cash in his car after police searched the vehicle on June 30 following a traffic stop. Prior to his arrest, Gotti owned a tattoo shop in Queens called Rebel Ink Tattoo and, according to his Facebook page, was a personal trainer and fitness model. Problems with police and time behind bars was a big part of his grandfather's life. Prior to his arrest, Gotti (pictured) owned a tattoo shop in Queens called Rebel Ink Tattoo and, according to his Facebook page, was a personal trainer and fitness model He (left) is the grandson of the notorious head of the Gambino crime family, John 'Teflon Don' Gotti (right, January 1990). In 1992, he was sentenced to life in prison and died in 2002 Gotti Snr was the notorious head of the Gambino crime family who turned to a life of crime at a young age, a profession that allowed him to escape the poverty of the Bronx, where he was one of 13 children born to John and Philomena. Gotti joined a street gang before he was a teenager and eventually dropped out of school before becoming a part of the Gambino family, where he quickly rose up the ranks until he ultimately became head of the massive organized crime syndicate. He first made inroads by running errands for members of the family as a teenager, and by his twenties was a key player in many of the biggest burglaries and heists. Gotti was in prison three times before being arrested for the fourth and final time in 1989 for murder. In 1992, he was sentenced to life in prison. Gotti died behind bars in 2002, one year after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Firefighters were left with no choice other than to smash the window of a car with a 'distressed' child locked inside as the temperature soared to 34C on Monday. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said firefighters rushed to the scene, arriving at Pascoe Vale Rd, Coolaroo, at 2.52pm. 'The child was sweating in the vehicle so firefighters have smashed the window to get the child out,' the Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesperson told the Herald Sun. Firefighters were forced to smash the window of a locked ar with a child inside on a 34C day Parents have been repeatedly warned to not lock their children in cars, especially in summer A spokeswoman for Ambulance Victoria said paramedics were initially called to the scene, but the ambulance was cancelled after it was determined the child was hot and 'distressed' but uninjured. Parents have been repeatedly warned to not lock their children in cars, especially over summer where sweltering temperatures of up to 45C are expected. Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Metropolitan Fire Brigade for an update. It does not take long for the temperature inside a car to escalate on a hot day, Kidsafe Victoria President Doctor Mark Stokes said. 'On a 29 degree Celsius day, a car can reach 44 degrees in just 10 minutes and a deadly 60 degrees in 20 minutes,' he told The Age last year. 'Leaving the window down a few centimeters does little.' On average, four Victorian kids are left in hot cars a day with 1562 calls made to paramedics last year to rescue or treat children. In summer, it can be up to 30C hotter than inside a locked car than outside and the temperature inside a vehicle can heat up to more than double the outside air temperature within minutes, according to the Herald Sun. An eight-year-old boy is still in critical condition after being found inside a family car in Melbourne as temperatures soared to a possible 60C inside the black Kia minivan (pictured) This incident comes just weeks after an eight-year-old boy who hid in the back of his family car was found unresponsive in sweltering heat hours later in Newport. His mother revealed she thought the boy was at school, not realising he had hidden himself in the back seat during the morning drop-off. The young boy, who is now clinging to life in hospital was found in the family Kia Carnival on Maddox Road in Newport, Melbourne, at around 2.45pm on November 14 and had spent more hours inside the car in 30C+ heat. The child was was in cardiac arrest and 'not breathing' according to early reports - and was taken to hospital immediately. A resident allegedly saw the boy, who is believed to attend a local school, convulsing in the back seat of the car and used an umbrella to shield him from the sun as emergency services frantically worked to free him. The boy was seen convulsing in the back of the hot car and using an umbrella to block the sun 'On a 29 degree Celsius day, a car can reach...a deadly 60 degrees in 20 minutes,' KidSafe said 'The boy's mother dropped her children at primary school in the morning however, didn't realise one of the kids had climbed into the rear of the car and hid himself,' Victoria Police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson said on Tuesday. 'She has driven to work and parked her car without knowing he was in there.' After she made the shocking discovery, emergency services rushed to Maddox Road at suburban Newport and took the child to the Royal Children's Hospital where he remains in a critical condition. Its believed the boy had to undertake neurological testing after spending hours in the family car as temperatures reached more than 30C, but he is expected to recover. A man in China has miraculously survived after a steel bar speared into his head. The victim was walking under a construction site on November 25 when the metal rod fell from a 13-foot-high platform. The bar was said to be more than 3.3 feet long and about four inches of it got stuck inside the man's head. Doctors removed the bar from the man on the same day. A three-foot-long long metal bar fell from a construction site and hit the pedestrian in China Mobile phone footage captures the moment firefighters tried to cut off the rod. The man reportedly remained conscious at the time. The man, appeared to be in his 30s, told Cover News that he was walking with his friends in Fucheng, Mianyang of Sichuan Province, when the incident happened. A one-metre-long (3.3-ft), rhombus-shaped metal bar fell off from a construction site from about four metres (13 ft) high and hit him. The bar impaled into his head by about four inches and was removed by surgeons that day Firefighters had to shorten the metal bar in order to take the injured man onto an ambulance Firefighters and paramedics arrived the scene shortly. They used an electric grinder to shorten the bar before taking the man onto an ambulance. According to Chengdu Business Daily, doctors said the bar had impaled into the man's head for about 10 centimetres (3.9 inches). The man was discharged after the bar was removed on the same day. Mianyan police are investigating what caused the bar to fall onto the street. Theresa May today congratulated Prince Harry on his engagement to Meghan Markle - saying it is 'a time of huge celebration and excitement for two people in love'. The Prime Minister led the list of politicians who rushed to welcome the news, which was announced this morning after weeks of speculation. Former Prime Minister David Cameron, a string of Cabinet ministers and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby took to Twitter to congratulate the happy couple. Mrs May said: 'I would like to offer my very warmest congratulations to HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their engagement. Theresa May, pictured heading to church yesterday morning with her husband Philip, congratulated Prince happy on his engagement with Meghan Markle Prince harry, pictured with his fiance at the Invictus games in September, announced their engagement 16 months after they first started dating 'This is a time of huge celebration and excitement for two people in love and, on behalf of myself, the Government and the country, I wish them great happiness for the future.' Downing Street said it was unable to comment on whether the Royal Wedding would mean US President Donald Trump visiting Britain, insisting it was too early into the engagement to think about a guest list. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also wished the newly engaged couple well as he spoke at a rally in Scotland today. But the crowd of Corbynistas who had gone to the rally to hear him speak booed when a journalist asked him about the engagement. Mr Corbyn - a staunch republican - said: 'My congratulations to Harry and Meghan. I wish them well. hope they have a great time and great fun together and having met harry a couple of times I'm sure they are going to have a great deal of fun together. Harry and Miss Markle have a photocall at Kensington Palace in London today after their engagement was announced Harry stands with Miss Markle as she shows off her engagement ring in London this afternoon 'What I would also like to say is that I do really admire the way that harry and his brother have drawn attention to mental health conditions all across the country. 'I wish them well, thank him for what he's done for mental health and hope they have a great life together.' Mr Cameron said: 'Congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Wonderful news and I wish them a long and happy life together.' The Archbishop said: 'I am absolutely delighted to hear the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are now engaged. 'I have met Prince Harry on a number of occasions and have always been struck by his commitment and passion for his charities, and his immense love for his family. 'Marriage is a special and joyous commitment, one that Jesus celebrated together with friends at the wedding in Cana. 'I am so happy that Prince Harry and Ms Markle have chosen to make their vows before God. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn congratulated Prince Harry on his engagement today - but when he was asked about the news by a reporter at a rally in Glasgow the crowd of Corbynistas booed and heckled Theresa May tweeted her congratulations for the couple son after news of their engagement broke this morning Former Tory MP David Cameron was also among the first to congratulate the couple online saying he wishes them a long and happy life together 'I wish them many years of love, happiness and fulfillment and ask that God blesses them throughout their married life together.' Rory Stewart, foreign office minister, said: 'So many congratulations to Prince Harry - wonderful news.' The prince and his fiance will appear on national TV this evening to discuss their engagement just 16 months after they got together after being introduced by a mutual friend in Toronto where she was filming Suits. The couple, who revealed they were an item a year ago after a six-month secret relationship, got engaged earlier this month in London and will marry in spring 2018, Kensington Palace said. Royal protocol dictated that the Queen had to give her grandson permission to marry the star just a week after she celebrated her own 70th wedding anniversary. In a statement she and Prince Philip said: 'delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness'. His brother William and sister-in-law Kate said: 'We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together'. This Happy Meal quickly turned into a Sad Meal after this adorable toddler broke up with up her 'boyfriend'. At just two-years-old, heart-breaker Mica Klaase was filmed by her parents dumping her friend 'Marshie' over the phone after he took another girl out for a McDonald's meal. Her mother Jennifer, from Vancouver, Canada, managed to capture the moment of Mica's heartbreak. Mica is filmed shouting down the phone at Marshie - even going as far as to make him cry - before she eventually breaks up with him. But after a few moments, Mica seems to have a change of heart and professes her love for him, blowing kisses down the phone to complete their fairy tale ending. Ms Klaase said: 'We have been taking videos of Mica since she was born and she loves it. 'Every morning she gets up and asks us to make videos. She is a real actress and is really funny. Mica Klaase appears unimpressed with her 'boyfriend' Marshie, who she claims has taken another girl to McDonald's 'She made up everything in the video and the boyfriend she refers to is a friend she normally goes on playdates with. 'His name is Marshall but she calls him Marshie. 'If he really did take another girl to McDonald's and Mica did find out I think there would be trouble. 'We laughed about it and thought this would be a great idea to put on YouTube alongside her other videos.' At least 31 migrants died and 200 were rescued after they were set on by sharks during a perilous crossing from Africa to Italy, Libya's navy has said. Some 18 women and three children were among the dead, while 40 people were still missing. When Libyan coastguard boats arrived at the scene, they spotted large blue sharks swimming around the boat, according to Italian media. African migrants are seen aboard a rescue ship as they arrive at a naval base in Tripoli on November 25, 2017, after their rubber boat was rescued off the coast of Garabulli 'When we arrived in the area, off the town of Garabulli, [one] dinghy was semi-submerged and still had 44 people clinging on to it, whom we saved,' Libyan patrol boat commander Nasser al-Ghammoudi told Italian newspaper Il Giorno. 'There were lots of bodies all around and we saw there were four or five sharks swimming among them, large blue sharks, a very aggressive species. 'When we brought the bodies on board we noticed that some of them had been bitten, so it's possible that among the missing some may have been eaten.' The coastguard conducted two rescue operations off the city of Garabulli, 40 miles east of Tripoli, Libyas navy said. Those rescued were brought to a naval base in Tripoli where they were given water, food and medical care. Spokesman Colonel Abu Ajila Abdelbarri added that patrols had found 31 bodies and 60 survivors from one boat, while all 140 passengers had survived in the second boat. Libyan coastguards carry the body of an African migrant at a naval base in the capital Tripoli He said: When we arrived at the spot, we found an inflatable dinghy with several people clinging to part of it. Migrants from Somalia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria and four from Pakistan were among those rescued on Saturday. Al-Ghammoudi said one of the vessels was three-quarters under water when the coastguard arrived. He added: We looked for other survivors for more than five hours. We were able to rescue one woman after we heard her shouts. Mild weather and calm seas have led to a rise in the number of migrant journeys from Libya to Europe in recent days. Hours later on Saturday, more than 400 people were rescued from a stricken wooden boat further off the Libyan coast. Italys coastguard, which coordinates the rescue effort in international waters, reported that 1,500 had been saved on Thursday and Friday. The large numbers in recent days contrast with a sharp drop since mid-July in the number of migrants being brought to Italy. On Thursday, the UN put the number of arrivals at Italian ports in the previous three months at 21,666, the lowest total registered in four years for that period of the year. The downward trend has been attributed to a controversial combination of an Italian-led boosting of the Libyan coastguards ability to intercept boats and efforts to enlist the help of powerful militias to curb traffickers activity. There have also been moves to tighten Libyas southern borders, accelerate repatriations directly from Libya, and measures to stem the flow of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa through transit states such as Niger and Sudan. Advertisement The tale of a 20th century socialite who dedicated her life to exploring the Arctic and became the first woman to fly across the North Pole is being told in a new book. Louise Arner Boyd, born in 1887, inherited her parents' huge fortune in 1920 and spent it on several death-defying explorations of some of the most remote parts of the world, challenging the view of what was required of a young high society debutante. Images from the new biography show her on the deck of one of her ships in 1926, proudly standing next to a polar bear she has shot, and in another she is posing in a jeweled gown as she is being presented to the King of England at Buckingham Palace. Astonishing: Louise Arner Boyd is pictured in 1925 being presented to to King George V and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace, and just months later she was shooting polar bears in the Arctic Traveller: Louise on board the Effie M. Morrissey with scientists (left to right) Frederick Gracely, Archer Taylor, and Tom Carroll during the summer of 1941 Different: Miss Arner Boyd poses with a polar bear she has shot onboard her ship the Hobby during the summer of 1926, and on her ship S.S. Veslekari - the first to sail to the inner ends of Ice Fjord, Greenland Exploring: Miss Arner Boyd poses with a Spanish mariner named Francis J. de Gisbert at an unknown date and location Born in San Rafael, California, to a millionaire mining magnate father and a mother from one of New York's most prestigious families, Miss Arner Boyd inherited a staggering family fortune when her parents died in 1919 and 1920 respectively. With it she began to travel extensively, seeing as much of the world as she could until, on a trip to Norway in 1924, she saw something that would shape the course of the rest of her life; The Polar Ice Pack. She dedicated her life to Arctic expeditions, and in 1928, Miss Arner Boyd found herself involved in a search for missing Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. Miss Arner Boyd's explorations from 1931 to 1938 included regions in and around Franz Josef Land, Spitsbergen, Greenland, Jan Mayen Island and eastern Arctic Canada. Inquisitive: Miss Arner Boyd, seen handling a camera on Greenland, in the late 1930 spent her huge inheritance financing several death-defying explorations of the Arctic Decorated: Miss Arner Boys is seen proudly wearing the Ordre national de la Legion d'honneur in Paris in 1928 Friendship: Louise and long-time chauffeur Percy Cameron are seen walking down a street She made history in June 1955 when she became the first woman in the world to fly over the North Pole and her ship S.S. Veslekari, was the first to sail to the inner ends of Ice Fjord, Greenland She was honored by the United States Government and a number of foreign governments for her geographic studies and explorations. She died in 1972, aged 84. Her life is being re-told by author Joanna Kafarowski, in the new book 'The Polar Adventures of a Rich American Dame: A Life of Louise Arner Boyd'. Louise signing the Fliers and Explorers Globe at the American Geographical Society office in 1938 Pride: Miss Arner Boyd is seen looking at a map depicting her expeditions at her home in Maple Lawn, San Rafael, California, in the late 1950s Doing good work: Miss Arner Boyd, who died in 1972 aged 84, receiving award from the Department of the Army in 1949 Honoured: Sculpture of Louise Arner Boyd (and the subject herself) seen in the Marin History Museum collection currently in Novato, California POLE POSITION: FAMOUS EXPLORERS OF THE ARCTIC COOK OR PEARY/HENSON - WHO GOT THERE FIRST? There are two claimants; American Frederic Cook who says he and two Inuit men reached the Geographic North Pole in April 1908, and Robert Edwin Peary, Matthew Henson and four Inuit women who say they arrived in April 6, 1909. FRIDTJOF NANSEN Decades before the Americans did/didn't reach the north pole, Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen made a good go of it. During a three-year expedition in 189396, his team reached a record northern latitude of 8614 - the furthest north anyone had managed to travel at the time. Nansen also famously led the first team to ski across Greenland in 1888 and later in life became involved in the League of Nations - later replaced by the UN - and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922. ROALD AMUNDSEN The Norwegian explorer was the first to reach the South Pole, on 14 December 1911, and after leading a team flying to the North Pole in 1926 he became the first person to reach both poles. In June 1928, Amundsen and five crew disappeared during a flight in the Arctic to rescue missing explorers. The search was called off in September and their bodies have never been found. ANN BANCROFT In 1986, American adventurer Ann Bancroft, 62, became the first woman to trek to the North Pole. She is also the first woman to cross both polar ice caps to reach the North and South Pole and in 1993 she led the first all-female polar expedition to reach the South Pole. Advertisement Paris Valeta Bregazzi, 30, has pleaded guilty to one count of carrying out an unlawful act on a railway with intent to endanger a person A transgender woman shoved an off-duty police officer onto a railway line after she downed four bottles of prosecco and took drugs during a wild night out, a court heard. Paris Valeta Bregazzi, 30, barged PC Sam Chegwin onto the tracks at Hanger Lane Station in Ealing, west London, when he told her to 'calm down' after she became abusive and aggressive towards other passengers. PC Chegwin 'mercifully' suffered only minor injuries after his head landed inches from the line which became live as the first train passed through seven minutes later. He quickly climbed back onto the platform and arrested Bregazzi at 5.15am on July 17. Bregazzi, who has recently had breast implants and cosmetic surgery worth 10,000, was detained in a male prison before pleading guilty to one count of carrying out an unlawful act on a railway with intent to endanger a person on November 21. Judge Jeremy Dein, QC, released her on bail after telling the court he was 'concerned' she has been held in custody 'in very difficult circumstances'. Judge Dein said he did not 'feel comfortable with imposing an immediate sentence of imprisonment' and deferred sentence until February. The Old Bailey heard the offence carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Prosecutor Geoffrey Porter said: 'Ms Bregazzi came into the station with a friend. Also on the station were other passengers. It was early in the morning and they were awaiting the first train to pass through Hangers Lane that morning. 'Among the passengers was Mr Chegwin. Mr Chegwin is a police officer but was off duty and wearing civilian clothes. 'He was sat listening to music through his headphones and he could still hear an argument which seemed to be between Ms Bregazzi and her friend. 'The officer then noticed that Ms Bregazzi's behaviour became abusive and aggressive towards other passengers. At this point he decided that he had to become involved. He asked her to calm down and she was abusive to him.' Bregazzi, 30, barged PC Sam Chegwin onto the tracks at Hanger Lane Station in Ealing, when he told her to 'calm down' after she became abusive and aggressive towards other passengers CCTV footage shows the moment Mr Chegwin confronted Bregazzi and pushed her away when she became abusive. Mr Porter continued: 'The officer said that he pushed her because he was concerned to make a "safe space", as he puts it, between himself and Ms Bregazzi. 'At that point she then proceeded to push him hard across the platform and he went onto the lines. He landed on the rails. 'His head came within inches of coming into contact with the live line, though my understanding is that the line at the time wasn't live. It wouldn't have been until the train came.' PC Chegwin quickly got back onto the platform and arrested Bregazzi before more officers attended and took her away from the scene. Mustapha Hakme, defending Bregazzi, said she is one surgery away from fully transitioning to a woman and has been in custody at a male prison since July 17. Mr Hakme said: 'There is no doubt that her mental health issues have been exacerbated by her being transgender and the transition she has made so far.' The court heard Bregazzi had struggled to deal with her parents 'disowning her' after she came out aged 19. 'Their reaction shocked even her,' added Mr Hakme. 'She is someone who as a result has been left full of anger and at the same time sadness and is effectively heartbroken by the rejection she feels. 'This is a defendant who is desperate to complete her gender reassignment and just effectively get on with the rest of her life. 'While she's in that transition period there can be no doubt that it's making its toll emotionally as well.' Bregazzi already has 40 convictions for assault, harassment and shoplifting designer frocks dating back to 2007, including attacks on staff and commuters at Highgate Station, East Finchley Station and Kings Cross Station. Judge Dein described her record as 'appalling', but said he felt her attack on PC Chegwin was a 'low level' offence that could be dealt with by a suspended sentence. He said: 'You appear to be in a heated exchange with your friend, ultimately a person involves himself. That person turned out to be an off duty police officer - you didn't know that. 'That person pushed you first. Whether that was necessary or not is in my view open to question. 'Your criminality amounts to you having responded by pushing that person, Mr Chegwin, and he ended up on the railway. 'I'm fully satisfied that you didn't intend to push him onto the railway line. 'It's open to question in my view whether you intended to endanger him at all, but you have pleaded guilty to that offence.' Judge Dein told Bregazzi he would defer sentencing until the week of February 19. Bregazzi, from Islington, north London, must attend probation appointments, drug misuse appointments, engage with her GP and medical services and live and sleep at her flat while she is on bail. A sign written completely in Mandarin out the front of a new $35 million apartment complex has been covered up with black garbage bags and tape, just a day after it sparked controversy. The large sign out the front of the recently completed apartments on Cliff Road in Epping, in Sydney's north, caused a stir over the weekend for being completely written in a foreign language. Developers of the five-storey apartment block admitted the sign and other symbolism inside the complex was a deliberate tactic to target Chinese investors, claiming it made the building more 'spiritual'. A sign written completely in Mandarin outside a $35 million apartment complex has been covered up after it sparked fury over the weekend The large sandstone construction was named after a Chinese centre of educational excellence, Han Ling Yuan, in the hope to create a 'spiritual' feel 'This is using our schools to sell apartments to people who do not speaking our language; it is offensive,' Cr Lorraine Wearne said. 'It really bothers me and clearly bothers residents in Epping.' The council approved an application for the sign to be installed with Chinese characters, but specified it should not be visible from the street. A spokesperson for the council told Daily Mail Australia they had not covered up the sign. 'Council is continuing its investigation into this matter and will consider what action is necessary at the conclusion of its investigation,' a spokesman said. Nearby resident Kate Chivers was angered by the sign, suggesting a crude message to Australians could be written on it with no-one's knowledge. Parramatta Council has launched an investigation into the sign, and one councilor labelled it 'offensive' While the sign at the front of the building had been covered up, Mandarin symbols at the doors to the complex can still be seen The series of enormous apartment blocks in Epping, north of Sydney, targeting Chinese buyers 'Every time we look up the street we are greeted with this glaring sign in Chinese. As far as I'm concerned the sign could say 'stuff you Aussies'. The complex sits in the federal seat of Bennelong, where more than 20 per cent of residents have Chinese ancestry - making it the dominant ethnic group. Also included as part of attempts by developers to make the apartment block more appealing to overseas buyers is a large courtyard with a yin and yang symbol and a traditional fish pond. It came as one local resident who has lived in the neighbourhood for the past 20 years told Daily Mail Australia they were left feeling 'uncomfortable' by being unable to read the sign. 'I have travelled to China and Hong Kong a lot and have never had an issue, because all the street signs are in Mandarin and English,' the woman said. More apartment blocks appear set to pop up right across the road, with houses surrounded by temporary fencing and marked for demolition Its close proximity to schools and universities, as well as public transport access to the city, has made Epping a hub for overseas investment 'But my issue with that sign is it's completely in Mandarin and I looked at it and thought: 'I don't know what that says'. 'If it's courtesy in China to also have English on signs, why isn't it the same here? 'If it says 'happiness' or something that's fine, put it underneath so I know and feel more comfortable.' A quick look around the area revealed that the covered up sign out the front of the apartment complex isn't the only one not to be written English. Billboards at the front of other already completed unit blocks in the quiet residential street are covered in Mandarin symbols. On one a real estate agent appeals to Asian buyers as a priority using symbols on the upper half of the sign, before copying the message into English as an afterthought. A quick look around the area reveals the sign out the front of the apartment complex isn't the only one not to be written English On another sign nearby a real estate agent appeals to Asian buyers as a priority using symbols on the upper half of the sign, before copying the message into English as an afterthought Businesses in one of the main retail precincts in the suburb have also followed suit, displaying their names on shop fronts with symbols and also English. Parramatta Council has launched an investigation into the sign, with one councilor labeling it 'offensive' and calling for English to be added. The building was named by developers Arise Constructions after an ancient Chinese centre of educational excellence, Han Ling Yuan, The Daily Telegraph reports. A spokesman defended the company's decision to leave off an English translation - drawing a connection with the complex's close proximity to education institutions. 'There are lots of high ranking schools in the Epping area and that is why we put the name on the project,' John Zhang said. 'It is spiritual. It is a wish for people who stay in these apartments to have a good education. Most of the clients are local Chinese.' Clearly targeting international tenants and investors, a local real estate agent said many of those who have already snapped up the units were from overseas. Several other businesses in the area hang non-English signage out the front of their stores This business listed their shop name first in Asian symbols before also writing it in English She said the proximity of the one, two and three bedroom units - which will sell for up to $1.5 million each - to schools, university and public transport had made them hot property. 'You're in the school zone with both primary and public schools nearby,' the agent said. 'A lot of people from China are buying and coming over with their kids or sending their kids over. 'Also students at (Macquarie) University are often looking to rent because it's close to trains and buses too.' And it seems that the Gondon Elysee block is only the beginning, with more large scale developments set to spring up alongside it in the area. Houses directly opposite the apartments and on neighbouring streets have been recently snapped up by developers, with temporary fencing signaling imminent construction. New defence secretary Gavin Williamson warned the Treasury over cuts today as he insisted Nato's 2 per cent spending target was a 'base not a ceiling'. As he fights to quell a mounting Tory rebellion over Armed Forces cuts, Mr Williamson said he looked forward to talks with the Chancellor. In his first ever appearance at the Commons Despatch Box, Mr Williamson sought to reassure uneasy MPs he was taking a fresh look at proposals for cuts. At Defence Questions in the Commons, Mr Williamson was bombarded with questions about cuts to his budget. He insisted 'I'm taking the opportunity to look at all the work that has been done and making my own judgement on this'. And in a clear shot over the Treasury's bow, Mr WIlliamson said: 'I've always seen 2 per cent as base, not a ceiling.' New defence secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured on his debut at the Despatch Box today) fired a shot over the Treasury's bow today as he warned Nato 2 per cent spending target was a 'base not a ceiling'. In his first ever appearance at the Commons Despatch Box, Mr Williamson sought to reassure uneasy MPs he was taking a fresh look at proposals for cuts. It was claimed that the National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill has concluded the military do not need any extra funding It was claimed today that a national security review is set to prioritise cyber warfare over reinforcements for the troops. Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood has reportedly threatened to resign if any new cuts are made to Army manpower. Downing Street endorsed Mr Williamson's claim on 2 per cent tonight. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'We would agree with that.' Many Tory MPs have joined calls for the 2 per cent commitment - which the Government has only barely met in recent years - to be increased to 3 per cent. One ministerial source told The Daily Telegraph that Mr Sedwill 'is determined to screw over the MoD' because he wants more money to tackle security threats in cyber space. MOD STAFF ON MORE THAN 100K DOUBLES IN FOUR YEARS The number of defence officials paid more than 100,000 has nearly doubled in four years, new figures reveal. Some 111 officials at the Ministry of Defence and Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) - the arms length trading body that buys and manages armed forces equipment, earned at least six-figure sums in 2016/17. This compares to 62 staff in 2012/13 and 74 officials as recently as 2014/15. The MoD says this includes allowances, bonuses and overtime on top of salaries, while it has to compete with the private sector. Tory MP Johnny Mercer, a former Army captain, said: 'It beggars belief that the number of officials in the MOD and DE&S being paid 100,000 and more has almost doubled since 2012/13. 'At a time when budgets across Whitehall are being constrained, something which is felt so acutely in the delivery of frontline services, the concept that in hidden rooms officials have seen their pay packets rise so significantly will not be warmly received. 'I very much look forward to what the MoD has to say about this.' Mr Mercer is among the most outspoken of a group of Tory MPs concerned about defence cuts. Labour, meanwhile, says the salary of an Army private has been cut by more than 1,000 in real terms since 2010. The figures were obtained in a written parliamentary question by Labour former defence minister Kevan Jones. Advertisement The source said: 'The problem is the NSA [Mr Sedwill] is driving a 'within-the-costs-envelope' approach at everyone.' Downing Street said the report was 'pure speculation' and that Mr Sedwill's report would be finished in due course. As the defence spending row grew yesterday, Trade Secretary Liam Fox has suggested a compromise deal will be found to quell the unrest as he acknowledged there were tensions over a review of defence capabilities. Mr Ellwood, the minister responsible for defence personnel and veterans, is understood to have concerns about proposals which could see the Army's full-time strength reduced by 12,000 to 70,000. Tory chairman of the Defence Select Committee Julian Lewis called for a 50 per cent increase in defence spending as the only way to avoid the 'hollowing out' of the armed forces. Johnny Mercer, a former army officer and a prominent member of the Defence Select Committee, has warned the Tory leadership a number of Conservative colleagues are prepared to fight back over the threat of cuts and 'feelings are running high' on the issue. 'Heading back into town for another scrap this week,' he warned. 'I am determined that as the party of defence, we as a team will get it right.' Mr Lewis used a letter to the Guardian to set out his views: 'By barely achieving Nato's 2 per cent minimum figure, we have dangerously downgraded the place of defence in our list of national priorities. 'Setting ourselves a spending target of 3 per cent of GDP for defence would not by itself guarantee our security, but without such an increase there is no prospect of recruiting personnel and buying equipment on a scale sufficient to avoid the 'hollowing-out' of our armed forces.' HMS Bulwark (file image) is one of the military assets reportedly earmarked for cuts Speculation about defence cuts has mounted in recent months since the launch of a review led by Mr Sedwill. The review is examining all aspects of national security capabilities, fuelling speculation it will prioritise measures to counter cyber attacks and terrorism rather than major defence projects. Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood has reportedly threatened to resign if any new cuts are made to Army manpower As well as rumours about potential cuts to the strength of the Army, there have been concerns about the future of armoured vehicle programmes and suggestions that amphibious assault ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark could be axed alongside the loss of 1,000 Royal Marines. A letter sent to Mr Williamson by Tory MPs warned that the loss of Albion and Bulwark would 'dangerously limit the array of options' available to the Government in a military or humanitarian crisis. It said: 'We must make it clear to you that as a cohort of MPs representing a large portion of the Government's vote, we are not prepared to see the degradation of this nation's amphibious capabilities any further in this capability review that the Government is currently undertaking.' But Dr Fox, a former defence secretary, said: 'You have to look at our record. 'We are one of the very few Nato countries that actually spends 2 per cent of our GDP on defence. 'There's a review going on at the present time and I think back to my time as secretary of state for defence where we had a similar review ongoing and there's always a lot of tension, not just between the MoD and the Treasury but also inside the MoD between the different parts of the armed forces and naturally there are concerns about the future shape of that. 'But this is an ongoing discussion. 'I'm afraid it's not unknown for some of these tensions to spill over into the public domain.' Asked about the Sedwill review, A Ministry of Defence spokesman told the a Telegraph: 'No decisions have been made and any discussion of the options is pure speculation.' A Treasury spokesman said: 'We cannot comment on speculation on meetings between cabinet ministers.' A coin collector who swindled TfL after he realised Swaziland currency could be used to top up his Oyster card has been spared jail. David Drukarz, 64, used the African Iilangeni, which are roughly the same size and weight as 1 coins but worth just over 5p. It is believed he used the top-up trick on 54 different occasions between November 2016 and January this year. After topping up the card he would withdraw the money from the ticket office. David Drukarz (left and right), 64, swindled TfL after he realised Swaziland currency could be used to top up his Oyster card at ticket machines, a court heard CCTV footage showed Drukarz at Kilburn tube station on January 16 and 17 this year slotting the coins into the machine to top up his Oyster card. The following day, he was spotted again at Bond Street station using the same trick. He was caught in February when a plain clothes police officer saw him at a ticket machine at Wembley Park station with two Oyster cards. The court heard Drukarz told the officer: Im impressed, I knew they were getting close. Police then searched his home and discovered 508 Swaziland coins, three bags of Israeli shekels and 22 Oyster cards hidden in the inside of his oven. They also found various other medallions and foreign currency. He used the African Iilangeni (second from left, middle) which are roughly the same size and weight as 1 coins but worth just over 5p Sentencing him, the judge, Mr Recorder Dafydd Enoch QC, ordered Drukarz to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work. He said that Drukarz had a fascination with coins and accepted he had only benefited himself through the fraud. Drukarz, of Luton, Bedfordshire, admitted one count of fraud by false representation and one count of concealing, disguising, converting, transferring or removing criminal property. His previous convictions include two counts of theft in Switzerland, the most recent being in 2010, and one count of fraud in 1975. An Australian man has come across a rather strange image while searching for an address on Google Maps. Dean Stocks, from Darwin, was searching for a location in Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory when he saw what appeared to be a UFO on the digital map. Speaking to the NT News, Mr Stocks said he couldn't believe it. A Darwin man has come across a rather strange image while searching for an address on Google Maps, spotting what appears to be a UFO (pictured) 'I don't believe I've seen a sky boob before but I've read about them in picture magazines,' he said. 'I know all the conspirators will have their say it will be a reflection of the Tennant Creek watertank or something like that.' At closer inspection, the image does bear striking similarity to an alien spacecraft. At closer inspection, the image does bear striking similarity to an alien spacecraft However, it could also be a flash of light from the Google Maps camera or, as Mr Stocks suggested, a reflection of a nearby watertank. Darwin astronomer Geoff Carr told the publication the image was likely photoshopped. Meanwhile, Mr Stocks said he would be traveling to Tennant Creek in a few weeks and would make a point of driving down Ambrose Street, the sight of the UFO image, to inspect the area for himself. First daughter Ivanka Trump will take Hyderabad by storm on Tuesday as she headlines a international conference that's being put on by the Indian and American governments in the city's tech quarter. Trump will keynote the Global Entrepreneurship Summit on Tuesday, sharing the stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - whom she will dine with later at Falaknuma Palace, a royal residence that was converted in the last decade into a private hotel. She is also participating in two panels at the women-focused symposium. The senior White House advisor will spend 36 hours in the city, a U.S. official told DailyMail.com. Her departure from India will precede the conclusion of the three-day gathering in Hyderabad. In spite of her short stay, the bustling city underwent a transformation in areas that Trump is expected to pass through. Beggars were rounded up from the streets and displaced. Trees were painted and planted along the medians. Roadways were tidied and repaved - all to impress the U.S. president's 36-year-old daughter, a senior adviser to her father. First daughter Ivanka Trump will take Hyderabad by storm on Tuesday as she headlines a international conference that's being put on by the Indian and American governments in the city's tech quarter In spite of her short stay, the bustling city underwent a transformation in areas that Trump is expected to pass through Trees were painted and planted freshly coated medians, lights have been strung, sculptures were also brought in to line the roads Local workers spruce up the medians near a freshly decorated tree not too far from the summit Ivanka is attending Beggars like the man seen here were rounded up from the streets and displaced earlier this month as part of the city's clean-up campaign Ivanka's face is on several local billboards that were erected near Hitech City, the neighborhood of the conference. They're seen from the entrance of the neighborhood on Monday Local residents say they are 'proud' that Trump is visiting Hyderabad over Mumbai, India's largest city, or Delhi, its national capital. Several chaffed at beautification project, though, telling DailyMail.com that greenery, artwork and sculptures lining the roadways now were not there a week ago and wouldn't be there now if it weren't for Ivanka. 'I think it's overrated, honestly,' said 18-year-old engineering student Bhavani P. of the first daughter's visit. 'They are cleaning up roads. They are decorating just because she's coming.' Ivanka Trump is in town for GES at the invitation of Modi, an offer he extended to her last summer when he visited the White House. The location of the summit was announced a year prior in a joint statement between former President Barack Obama and Modi during a June 2016 trip to Washington. Obama launched the conference that will be held this week at Hyderabad International Convention Centre in 2010. President Trump's White House said this June that it would honor the agreement during Modi's visit. It was announced then that Ivanka would represent the U.S. at the event - a choice that CNN says roiled Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. In the previous administration, the nation's top diplomat sometimes went to the summit. Once, when it was held in Kenya, the birthplace of Obama's father, the U.S. president was the nation's chief delegate. The president's daughter has thrice represented the U.S. government at major international events, including an apprenticeships forum in Germany and a women's assembly in Japan The theme of this year's Global Entrepreneurship Summit is 'Women First, Prosperity for All' Local workers were still installing lights and decorations on Monday afternoon as Ivanka prepared to take flight Black and white swans were up and down the roadways on Ivanka's route, always in pairs - a possible reference to the U.S.-India friendship Indian artists paint the entrance of the Hitech City, the venue of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit next to a billboard that features Ivanka Trump, in Hyderabad Ivanka Trump is in town for GES at the invitation of Indian PM Modi, an offer he extended to her last summer when he visited the White House In the unconventional Trump White House, where Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner both have senior standing, the president's daughter has thrice represented the U.S. government at major international events, including a forum on apprenticeships in Germany and a women's assembly in Japan. Trump's elder daughter is a business owner in her own right, having built up a successful lifestyle and clothing brand prior to her father's presidency. Her experience managing her personal business and her father's real estate company, where she was previously an executive, along the name and face recognition she earned from appearances on 'The Apprentice' have made her an appealing communicator within her father's controversy-plagued administration. Ivanka has the potential to upset local vendors with street closures and the possibility of an undisclosed sightseeing trip in Hyderabad, though. Her brand's treatment of factory workers in its Indian production plants has also attracted some scrutiny in days before her trip. The theme of this year's Global Entrepreneurship Summit is 'Women First, Prosperity for All.' Ivanka, a promoter of women's issues, is speaking on panels with uplifting taglines like 'We Can Do It! Innovations in Workforce Development and Skills Training' and 'Be the Change: Womens Entrepreneurial Leadership.' She said last week that the theme 'demonstrates the Trump administration's commitment to the principle that when women are economically empowered, their communities and countries thrives.' Predicting 'a very exciting conference,' Ivanka said she hopes the summit 'will really elevate these issues, not only domestically and in India but across the globe.' 'I very much look forward to my visit,' she told reporters during a call put on by the State Department, which is helping to organize the international summit. An Indian policeman stands guard in front of the Hyderabad International Conventional Centre ahead of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit Like other high-profile attendees of the summit, Trump is staying at the Westin on Hyderabad's MindSpace campus Trump will keynote the Global Entrepreneurship Summit on Tuesday, sharing the stage with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi - whom she will dine with later at Falaknuma Palace Indian security officials stand inside an entrance hall Falaknuma Palace, which was the former residence of Nizam Mehaboob Ali Khan in the old city area of Hyderabad Modi and Trump will dine at the palace's famed 101-person table with other VIPs tomorrow It's not known what will be served at the dinner - but Hyderabad residents are proud of biryani, a local dish consisting of meat, spices and rice In Hyderabad, where Telugu is the official language and a mere two-thirds of the city's residents are literate, English-speakers were anticipating the high-level visit that is being advertised on large billboards near the city's IT hub. 'A warm welcome to Ivanka,' said Sai Krishna, the human resources officer at at an ethnic wear retail store. 'Gladly welcome,' the 27-year-old said. Krishna made note of the renovations and Ivanka's resume. 'All Hyderabad people warmly welcome Ivanka. All Hyderabad people are wanting to see her,' he said. Shrugging off Trump's visit was Aashritha Reddy, an 18-year-old college student who's native to Hyderabad. Reddy said of the spotlight on women's entrepreneurship at this week's summit: 'Let's see if it actually works.' Twenty-seven-year-old Rohith, an engineering major who is currently employed at a Hyderabad electronics store, said he was pleased that Ivanka was visiting if only for the roadway improvements. 'Now they made everything beautiful, planting trees,' he said. 'Governments are doing their jobs now.' FirstPost and other publications in the area have also reported a rounding up of beggars in anticipation of the event, much like the city's crackdown when Bill Clinton visited in 2000. The local government has quashed that reporting and claimed it was part of an on-going campaign to rid the city's streets of the homeless. A Nov. 7 notice from the Hyderabad city police commissioner M. Mahendar Reddy said 'many beggars are begging alms in an indecent manner' and 'employing children and handicapped persons' to help solicit cash. 'Such acts are causing annoyance and awkwardness by exposing in an indecent manner to divert the attention of the vehicular traffic as well as pedestrians and public in general to induce them to give alms,' the post said. 'These acts are dangerous to the safety of the vehicular traffic and public in general.' Locally it has been reported that Trump may walk through the Laad Bazaar, a market close to Charminar where bangle bracelets are sold. Below is the Charminar market, another popular tourist destination Safety is a top concern for the local government with the U.S. president's daughter and the Indian prime minister in town. According to the Times of India, the state's most elite police divisions will be on guard Dragunov sniper rifles at the places she and Modi are traveling and door-to-door searches are being conducted of neighborhoods in the vicinity of the palace they're dining at. The publication also said that three bulletproof and mine-resistant limos are on loan for her trip from the U.S. Secret Service. A request for comment from the agency by DailyMail.com was declined. U.S. officials have been tight-lipped about all of Trump's plans, even as local media has been abuzz with reports on where the president's daughter is staying and where she will go when she's not in Hitech City, the neighborhood that's home to both her five-star accommodations and the summit. Like other high-profile attendees of the conference, Trump is staying at the Westin on Hyderabad's Mindspace campus. She will be escorted at all times by local police vehicles, forcing road closures in the areas that she and other VIPs will be using to get from the hotel to the convention center and other points of interest. The ornately-painted trees, sculptures and newly-planted greenery do not complete her pathway, providing only a partial glimpse of where she will travel. Ivanka is confirmed to attend a dinner with Modi at Falaknuma on Tuesday and an 'official breakfast' during her 36-hour stay. Times of India reported that Taj Hotels imported flowers from Thailand, Indonesia and Bengaluru, India, for the dinner at the property that it remodeled and opened for business in 2010. It also flew in a master chef for each dish on the menu and prepared gold and silver plates and cutlery for the occasion, Times of India reported. A Trump administration official also said a 'potential cultural stop' is still in the mix, meaning that Trump could stop by Chowmahalla Palace, a residence of another Nizam of Hyderabad that remains that family's property, or Charminar, a monument and monument that's the internationally-recognized symbol of Hyderabad. Locally it has been reported that Trump may walk through the Laad Bazaar, a market close to Charminar where bangle bracelets are sold. That is assuming she has time after she participates in her panels and two bilateral meetings alongside State Department representatives. Ivanka is expected to leave on Wednesday, although her exact departure date and time has not been shared. A U.S. official said she was always due to the leave the conference before it concluded after a whirlwind trip to India and must return to the U.S. to help fellow White House aides with the GOP's tax reform push. A devout Christian left a hidden camera in a Starbucks toilet for over nine months to satisfy his fetish for watching women urinate. Antony Dines, 31, installed the covert video camera on a ceiling grate inside the disabled toilet at the coffee shop near MI5 headquarters in Vauxhall, south London. The office worker also hid another camera inside a ladies toilet on the third floor at his workplace at New Malden Business Centre, west London. He was arrested in front of law firm colleagues with a bag full of ladies underwear, after an appeal was put out my police showing his image when he unwittingly filmed himself installing the Starbucks camera. Antony Dines filmed himself installing a secret spy camera in a Starbucks toilet The camera was then left filming for nine months before a male customer noticed its light in the ceiling on 22 November last year, Camberwell Magistrates Court heard. Dines is an active Christian in the south-west London area and continues to be a regular and speaker at Cornerstone Church. Today he appeared in the dock a brown jumper and dark blue jeans and glasses and was joined by his mother and father who waited outside as he pleaded guilty to voyeurism Bespectacled Dines, wearing a dark pullover and jeans, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address and nationality. He pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism over the Starbucks camera and a second count of voyeurism that he recorded a person doing a private act for sexual gratification. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism in relation to the third-floor ladies toilets at his workplace. Dines is a Facilities and General Office Assistant, employed by solicitors Lyons Davidson and is responsible for health and safety compliance and environmental management. He is an active Christian in the south-west London area and continues to be a regular and speaker at Cornerstone Church He is a graduate of Kingston University with a degree in Human Resource Management, and formerly worked at Kingston Business School and at Cornerstone Church, Kingston as an administrator. He was arrested in New Malden on November 22, exactly a year to the day media manager Ricci Acari, 34, discovered the small camera hidden in a ceiling grate at a Starbucks in Vauxhall. George Crivelli, prosecuting, said Dines was questioned twice at Brixton Police Station. 'He fully admitted placing the camera in February 2016,, placing it there and remaining in Starbucks watching people using the toilet,' he said, 'He said he had a fetish for watching women urinate. He said he placed the camera in his own workplace before taking it to Starbucks to record women. 'He had placed it on the third floor at work because there were more women up there and it was voice-activated.' Manager Ricci Acari, 34, discovered the small camera hidden in a ceiling grate at a Starbucks in Vauxhall (pictured) Dines claimed the underwear was his girlfriend's, but produced no evidence to back this up and police also found two mini-cameras disguised as car keys. He had bought most of the equipment online at Amazon. 'He said he had the rucksack full of cameras with him because he was aware of the press release with his image on it and intended to throw away those items.' Dines describes himself as 'reliable, hard-working and flexible' on his online professional profile. His lawyer Mr. Graeme Rothwell told the court: 'Through an abundance of shame and embarrassment he has forwarded these pleas today.' District Judge Karen Hammond bailed the first-time offender on condition he does not possess a recording device or enter premises where there are public toilets. She said: 'I'm going to need a report. The starting point for sentencing is a high-level community order.' Mouhammad Tabbaa arrives at the NSW court The father of a 13-year-old girl who claimed she was kidnapped and taken to Syria has denied locking her up and physically abusing family members. Mouhammad Tabbaa and his former wife Pamela June Tabbaa are suing the Nine Network over a 60 Minutes program. The show aired in 2014 in which their daughter Nadia, now 29, said she was kidnapped in 2002 while holidaying in Egypt. Nadia said she was beaten by her father, taken to Syria and forced to marry her older cousin before she escaped in 2006. Nadia said she was beaten by her father, taken to Syria and forced to marry her older cousin before she escaped in 2006 In the NSW Supreme Court on Monday Mr Tabbaa admitted arguing and raising his voice with his family, but said there was never any physical violence. He denied striking Ms Tabbaa with a plank of wood and threatening her with scissors in 1983, saying he was in and out of the country that year. 'I had no time to hold people over balconies or hold scissors to their necks,' he said. The now 60-year-old said the couple had lived in Jordan from 1992 until 1997 when Ms Tabbaa decided to return to Sydney with their children. He said he didn't see Nadia again until she returned to Jordan with her brother in 2002. 'She kissed me on both cheeks,' he said. 'She wasn't angry, she was happy.' Over the phone his ex-wife revealed she was 'having trouble' with Nadia in Sydney and needed help. Mr Tabbaa denied striking wife Pamela (pictured) with a plank of wood and threatening her In 2014, Nadia went on '60 MInutes' saying that she was kidnapped in 2002 while in Egypt Mr Tabbaa said that his wife Pamela (pictured) asked him to send 'troubled' teen Nadia to Syria 'She said, "Look, unexpectedly everything went against me when we returned to Australia",' he said. He told the jury he 'had no option' but to go along with his ex-wife's plan to send the troubled teen to Syria with his mother, after just three weeks in Jordan. 'This was a female issue and I was probably expected to provide the logistic of it,' he said. He denied locking up Nadia or allowing her to get married. Mr Tabbaa said while Nadia was in Syria he spoke to her every four or five weeks and 'she was happy with the food... the company... the clothing... (and) the gold.' The hearing continues. An eight-year-old boy accidentally locked himself inside a gun safe at a mall in West Virginia. The child was visiting the Mercer Mall in Blufield with his parents on Saturday afternoon when he slipped away inside the Rural King farm supply store. Green Valley Volunteer Fire Department Chief David Thompson said the incident took place around 3pm. An eight-year-old boy accidentally locked himself inside a gun safe at a mall in West Virginia. The child was visiting the Mercer Mall in Blufield with his parents on Saturday afternoon when he slipped away inside the Rural King farm supply store (pictured) Authorities immediately called a locksmith to assist with the situation. The locksmith was able to cut around the lock, allowing the fire department to use rescue spreaders to pull the lock out of the door. In all, the child was inside the safe for around 30 minutes. 'The child is physically okay, probably a little scared, but other than that, his well-being is excellent!' Officials said it was fortunate that the safe was not completely air-tight, which allowed some oxygen to get in. It's unclear how the boy, who was under the supervision of his parents, got locked in the safe. Prince Harry will avoid overshadowing the birth of his brother Prince William's third child by marrying Meghan Markle a safe distance from the due date (pictured together on his wedding day in 2011) Prince Harry's wedding will not have its own bank holiday dampening frenzied excitement from British workers that they might have had an extra day off next year. There are 'no plans' for a bank holiday on the day of Harry walks down the aisle with Meghan Markle, Downing Street said. The Prime Minister's spokesman pointed out that there was no Bank Holiday to mark the weddings of Prince Andrew in 1986 or Prince Edward in 1999. However, a Bank Holiday was held for the wedding of Princess Anne in 1973, suggesting that the move has not always been restricted only to those who are in the direct line of succession to the throne. Although no date has been set it will avoid overshadowing the birth of his brother Prince William's third child by marrying Meghan Markle a safe distance from the due date. The couple have also synced diaries with the Queen and other senior royals to make sure they can also attend the wedding in the spring as Windsor Castle emerged as the hot favourite. Easter falls on April 1 this year and with Kate's due date likely to be around then there has been a flurry of bets on a late April or May wedding. Prince Charles married Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, on April 9, 2005, at Windsor's Guildhall, so his son is unlikely to clash with their 12th wedding anniversary. Intriguingly Windsor Castle is closed on April 20 this year and its state apartments will be shut on the day before and afterwards. But the castle told MailOnline they would not comment on private events and refused to say if it was booked for Harry. The Queen's birthday is on April 21 meaning the couple are unlikely to choose that date for their wedding. His brother William, who is set to be Harry's best man, chose April 29 to marry Kate Middleton in 2011 and that week could be a strong bet. Bookies have said that May is the most likely month Harry and Meghan will walk down the aisle. The month contains two bank holiday and has also been popular for royal weddings, including Princess Margaret's marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones on May 6, 1960. Harry and Miss Markle have a photocall at Kensington Palace in London today after their engagement was announced News of their engagement comes just one year after it was revealed, in November 2016, how the romance had blossomed Social media was awash with comments from British workers hoping there will be a bank holiday on the day, but this was always down to the Prime Minister to decide. One was ordered for when Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011 but he is a future king and Harry will be sixth in line once their third child is born next year. But Harry is considered too far down the line of succession to warrant one, especially as his brother's children are also above him. Reacting to the news today workers were already getting excited about the possibility of an extra day's holiday in 2018. Ellis King tweeted: 'Yaaas Prince Harry engaged so another Bank Holiday on the calendar next year oooh ya belter. Kevin Ashcroft wrote: 'Prince Harry getting married... perhaps an extra Bank Holiday????' Cristina Rodriguez said: 'So if Prince Harry is getting married, does that mean we get a bank holiday? Cos I could totally do with a bank holiday'. Royal sources have said it is likely to me in the three months from March next year but will avoid the Duchess of Cambridge's due date in April and the weeks around it. Reacting to the news today workers were already getting excited about the possibility of an extra day's holiday in 2018 - but the final decision is down to the PM Adam Rogers wrote bluntly: 'Do we get a bank holiday? Cos if not I don't care #RoyalWedding'. St George's Chapel is the most likely option for Harry and his new fiancee to walk down the aisle. The 15th century gothic church set in the Lower Ward of Windsor Castle is a popular choice for royal weddings. WHERE WILL THEY MARRY IN 2018? WESTMINSTER ABBEY is usually the frontrunner for royals. The Queen and the Queen Mother both married there but it also holds painful memories because of Diana's funeral. Steeped in more than a thousand years of history, the gothic London Abbey has been at the forefront of major royal ceremonies for generation after generation. The Queen wed Prince Philip of Greece there as a 21-year-old Princess on November 20 1947. The Queen Mother, then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, married the Duke of York, later George VI, there on April 26 1923. Her funeral in 2002 as also at the Abbey. ST PAUL'S is where Charles and Diana married in 1981 and has been the focus for many royal celebrations. The iconic building built by Sir Christoper Wren has recently held thanksgiving services for the Queen's Golden Jubilee and her 80th birthday. It staged the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill, the peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars and more recently the Service of Remembrance and Commemoration for the September 11 terrorist attacks. WINDSOR CASTLE is considered a more private and low key option. It would also prove easier for security because it could be cut off by a ring of steel more readily than locations in central London. Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, married at the Guildhall there in 2005 before a party at the Castle. There are dates in April that the castle is closed for a private event. Advertisement Charles and Camilla had their televised blessing there in 2005 after their civil ceremony. It would offer Harry and Ms Markle a slightly more intimate, lower key venue, but one that is still appropriately royal. It usually holds around 800 guests, whereas Westminster Abbey - where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wed - can accommodate 2,000. The church - a place of worship for the Sovereign and the Royal Family - is often at the heart of royal events. With the Queen now 91 and the Duke of Edinburgh 96, the choice would be especially convenient for Harry's ageing grandparents, who spend a great deal of time at home in the castle. Surrounded by the Horseshoe Cloisters and the Henry VIII gate, the venue will also provide the Royal Family with a certain amount of privacy on the day of the wedding. Harry was also christened in the chapel in December 1984 when he was three months old, which, according to Church of England rules, means he can also marry there. His uncle, the Earl of Wessex, married Sophie Rhys-Jones, now the Countess of Wessex, in St George's in 1999, while Harry's cousin, Peter Phillips, wed Autumn Kelly there in 2008. Newlyweds and their families traditionally pose for photographs afterwards on the vast west steps. The historic church - started by Edward IV and finished by Henry VIII - is the resting place of 10 monarchs including Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour, and the beheaded Charles I. It has also been the setting for many historic funerals. The Queen Mother's private committal service took place there following her Westminster Abbey funeral in 2002 - the same year as Princess Margaret's small, private funeral. Like Westminster Abbey, the chapel is known as a Royal Peculiar, with the Dean of Windsor responsible only to the Sovereign. Harry and Ms Markle's reception could be held in the castle's 180ft (55m) long St George's Hall, traditionally used for state banquets. The vast hall had to be restored following the devastating fire at the castle in 1992. If Harry and Ms Markle decide to opt for a large-scale royal wedding with the full works, they could pick London's St Paul's Cathedral. Harry stands with Miss Markle as she shows off her engagement ring in London this afternoon With room for more than 2,000 guests, the grand, opulent central venue, with its distinctive black and white chequered floor, would have the advantage of providing an alternative setting to William and Kate's wedding in Westminster Abbey. But it would be a poignant choice for Harry. His parents, the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, wed in Sir Christopher Wren's famous domed landmark on July 29 1981. It has been the focal point for many a royal celebration including Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, the 80th and 100th birthdays of the Queen Mother and the thanksgiving services for the Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilees. A cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood on site since 604 AD. The current building - the fourth to occupy the site - was designed by the court architect, Sir Christopher, and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. A key part of London's skyline and a popular location with tourists, it is the cathedral of the Diocese of London. It staged the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and, in April 2013, Baroness Thatcher. Harry and Ms Markle could follow William and Kate's lead and choose Westminster Abbey. The gothic abbey is well-rehearsed at staging important royal ceremonies. A short distance from Buckingham Palace, the central London location is convenient and the interior of the abbey is impressive. Harry's grandmother, the Queen, and great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, were both married at Westminster Abbey. But it is also where Harry attended his mother's funeral when he was just 12 and holds some painful memories for the prince. The leader of the DUP congratulated the wrong prince on his engagement to the Meghan Markle. Arlene Foster sent a tweet sending her best wishes to Prince William on popping the question to the US actress. Realising her error the politician then swiftly deleted the tweet and changed her message to congratulate Prince Harry. But she still misspelled the name of his bride-to-be, accidentally dropping the letter 'h' from her name Meghan. The mistake, which came after weeks of rumours that Harry was about the announce his engagement, is an embarrassing gaffe for the politician. Prince William got married to Kate Middleton - who became the Duchess of Cambridge - back int 2011. DUP leader Arlene Foster, pictured at her party's conference in Belfast on Saturday, made the embarrassing gaffe this morning Arlene Foster accidentally congratulated the wrong prince on his engagement this morning - sending a tweet sending her best wishes to Prince William rather than Prince Harry But many eagle-eyed Twitter users were quick to spot the mistake and point it out online. Mrs Foster, whose DUP party is propping Theresa May up in No10, was among a host of politicians who scrambled to send their congratulations at news of the royal engagement. She later apologised for the mistake - blaming a member of staff for making the error. She wrote on Twitter: 'Apologies to TRHs Princes William & Harry for tweet error on my account earlier. I stopped tweeting personally a long time ago. 'Genuine typo by a member of staff. Guilty of tweeting too fast. There goes any chance of an invite!! :-) AF.' Mrs May said: 'I would like to offer my very warmest congratulations to HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle upon their engagement. 'This is a time of huge celebration and excitement for two people in love and, on behalf of myself, the Government and the country, I wish them great happiness for the future.' Arlene Foster apologised for the error saying a member of staff made the mistake on her account Prince Harry announced this morning that he is a to tie the knot with his US girlfriend Meghan Markle - who he is pictured with enjoying the Invictus Games in September Downing Street said it was unable to comment on whether the Royal Wedding would mean US President Donald Trump visiting Britain, insisting it was too early into the engagement to think about a guest list. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also wished the newly engaged couple well as he spoke at a rally in Scotland today. But the crowd of Corbynistas who had gone to the rally to hear him speak booed when a journalist asked him about the engagement. Mr Corbyn - a staunch republican - said: 'My congratulations to Harry and Meghan. I wish them well. hope they have a great time and great fun together and having met harry a couple of times I'm sure they are going to have a great deal of fun together. 'What I would also like to say is that I do really admire the way that harry and his brother have drawn attention to mental health conditions all across the country. Prince William tied the knot with Kate Middleton in 2011 in a massive royal wedding in front of thousands of well-wishers and the rolling cameras broadcasting to the world 'I wish them well, thank him for what he's done for mental health and hope they have a great life together.' And Mrs Foster was not the only one to make an embarrassing gaffe as news of the royal engagement broke. The BBC were left red-faced today after producers made a subtitle gaffe claiming Mr Corbyn was praising 'Harry and Hezbollah' as he welcomed news of the royal engagement. The broadcaster cut to the Labour leader congratulating Prince Harry on the news he is to tie the know with Americana actress Meghan Markle. Mr Corbyn was praising the work which 'Harry and his brother' have done for mental health - but the BBC mistranslated it as 'Harry and Hezbollah' - the banned terror group. A 70-year-old California man who wrongfully spent nearly four decades in jail for the murder of his ex-girlfriend and her 4-year-old son celebrated his first Thanksgiving as a free man with the cop who helped secure his release. Craig Richard Coley was jailed for the murders of 24-year-old Rhonda Wicht and her 4-year-old son, Donald Wicht, who were found dead in her Simi Valley apartment on Nov. 11, 1978, and had always maintained his innocence. After his pardon on Wednesday, Coley celebrated Thanksgiving with Mike Bender, a former Simi Valley police detective who spent 28 years trying to prove his innocence. Truly thankful: Craig Richard Coley, second from left, celebrated Thanksgiving with Mike Bender, far left, the detective who spent 28 years trying to prove his innocence 'This is the most thankful Thanksgiving that I've ever spent, you know?' Coley told NBC News. 'And I'm truly thankful for it. I'm not just saying that.' Mr Bender began looking into Coley's case in 1989 after Coley's father Wilson, himself a retired Los Angeles Police Office, died while fighting to free him. He spent 28 years investigating the Coley case and was the person who brought forward the evidence which eventually led to last week's pardon. Mr Bender has now set up a GoFundMe page to support Coley's new life in freedom. On Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned Coley and ordered his immediate release from a state prison in Lancaster following the release of advanced DNA tests. Coley maintained innocence since his arrest in November 1978 after Rhonda Wicht (right) and Donald Wicht (left) were found dead Friends for life: Mr Bender began looking into Coley's case in 1989 after Coley's father Wilson, himself a retired Los Angeles Police Office, died while fighting to free him Brown wrote in his pardon that Coley has been a model inmate for 38 years, avoided gangs and violence, and dedicated himself to religion. 'The grace with which Mr. Coley has endured this lengthy and unjust incarceration is extraordinary,' Brown wrote. Coley's request for clemency was supported by Simi Valley Police Chief David Livingstone and Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten, who said they cannot stand by the evidence used to convict Coley. 'As district attorney, I must tell you I look forward to the day when I can shake Mr. Coley's hand, apologize to him for the injustice he suffered,' Totten said at a news conference Monday, a video of which was posted online by the Ventura County Star. 'I am also hopeful that one day soon we will bring to justice the violent man responsible for this most horrific crime,' Totten said. Craig Richard Coley. Gov. Jerry Brown is pictured on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. He was pardoned by Gov. Jerry Brown after advanced DNA testing proved his wrongful murder conviction Simi Valley Police Chief David Livingstone addresses the press regarding the Craig Coley request for clemency this week Rhonda Wicht was strangled, apparently with a macrame rope - and her son was suffocated. Investigators quickly zeroed in on Coley, who had broken up with Wicht shortly before she was killed. Coley's first trial in 1979 resulted in a hung jury, with jurors unable to resolve an impasse that left them 10-2 in favor of guilt, according to a news release issued by the police chief and district attorney. He was tried again in 1980, found guilty and sentenced to life without parole. Brown wrote in his pardon that Coley (shown) has been a model inmate during his sentence, avoided gangs and violence and dedicated himself to religion California Governor Jerry Brown is shown at movie screening earlier this year in Hollywood. Brown pardoned Coley this week and said the grace he 'endured this lengthy and unjust incarceration is extraordinary' Brown said he asked the state parole board to look into Coley's conviction more than two years ago, and former law-enforcement officials said they believed he was wrongfully convicted or framed. Livingstone and Totten said they began reviewing the case last year after a retired detective raised concerns about Coley's guilt. The trial court had ordered evidence destroyed after Coley exhausted his appeals, but investigators retrieved records from Coley's relatives and located biological samples at a private lab. Using advanced techniques not available at the time of his trial, technicians did not find Coley's DNA on one key piece of evidence used in the conviction. However, they did find DNA from other people - whom authorities have not publicly identified. 'This case is tragic. An innocent woman and small child were murdered,' Livingstone and Totten wrote in their news release. 'Craig Coley has spent 39 years in custody for a crime he likely did not commit.' Martin Howfield, 56 (pictured), a high school Spanish teacher from Queens, New York, became a 17-year-old student's 'sugar' daddy - showering her with gifts in exchange for sex A New York City high school teacher became a 17-year-old student's 'sugar' daddy - showering her with gifts in exchange for sex. Authorities say that Martin Howfield, 56, who taught Spanish at North Queens Community High School in Flushing gave the 17-year-old girl a paid internship funded by the city Department of Education through a 'Learning to Work' program. But her only duties consisted of performing sexual favors. Records show he paid her $2,000 for the no-show job, which was funded through a federal program using taxpayer money, reported The New York Post. According to the Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI), Howfield and the student were having a private conversation at the 'transfer school', a high school designed to re-engage students who have dropped out or who have fallen behind in credits. Howfield allegedly asked the student 'whether he could be her sugar daddy', according to a report. He agreed to pay her $300 a month, and 'asked what she would do for the money'. The student told investigators that she offered to have sex with Howfield. Howfield (pictured) gave the 17-year-old girl a paid internship funded by the city Department of Education through a 'Learning to Work' program, paying her $2,000 for the no-show job, which was funded through a federal program using taxpayer money The student told investigators that she and Howfield (pictured) would meet outside a McDonald's in Jamaica, Queens, and walk to a mall. On separate trips he bought her: $150 Jordan sneakers at a Kids Foot Locker, $190 Jordan sneakers, and $27 for five panties from Victoria's Secret The report says that the teacher then asked her to send him 'nude photos of her vagina, breasts and buttocks', which she did. The student told investigators that she and Howfield would meet outside a McDonald's in Jamaica, Queens, and walk to a mall. On separate trips he bought her: $150 Jordan sneakers at a Kids Foot Locker, $190 Jordan sneakers, and $27 for five panties from Victoria's Secret. At first, the girl told authorities that Howfield only fondled her beneath her clothing, but later admitted she had intercourse and oral sex with the teacher in his car after shopping. He then gave her $20 for cab fare home. The student's mother told a detective that her daughter once texted that she went to the mall with her 'sugar daddy, Marty'. The girl also told her mom that 'Marty' was her teacher, and that she took part in a work-study program at his law firm. But she told investigators 'she never worked there'. She said Howfield instructed her on how to fill out time sheets, which he signed, stating she worked at 'The Law Office of Martin Howfield'. According to Avvo, an online directory of practicing lawyers, Howfield is a still a licensed attorney in the state of New York. The website also states that the site has 'not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer'. The Department of Education said Howfield quit his $85,793-a-year job at North Queens Community High School (pictured) in November 2016, shortly after the SCI completed its probe At first, the girl told authorities that Howfield (pictured) only fondled her beneath her clothing, but later admitted she had intercourse and oral sex with the teacher in his car after shopping. He then gave her $20 for cab fare home Authorities claim Howfield wanted to include other girls in his scheme. He allegedly asked the initial girl to introduce him to other teens. One former student said he had phone sex with her and sent her a photo of his genitals. That student said he promised to pay her for the explicit conversation, which allegedly included references to child pornography, but ultimately never gave her any money. The Department of Education said Howfield quit his $85,793-a-year job in November 2016, shortly after the SCI completed its probe but it is not clear whether or not he has been charged with a crime yet. A California mother is demanding justice for her son who has been in a week-long coma since his unconscious body was found dumped in a residential neighborhood. Tyler Petefish, 25, had been attending a party on November 19 when he was reportedly given drugs, according to his mother Lisa Lytle-Aubel who received an anonymous phone call after her son was found. The young woman, who would not give her name, said that Petefish had then got a ride with two acquaintances. Tyler Petefish, 25, (left before the accident, and right in a coma) has been in hospital since November 19 His distraught mother Lisa Lytle-Aubel is demanding answers and justice for her son 'According to what I've been told, there was an accident on the way home,' his distraught mother told Fox 40. They supposedly hit a parked car. Tyler lost consciousness and was not breathing, and they panicked. And in their panic they drove into a residential neighborhood and dumped him.' Petefish, a journeyman and contractor at K & L Warehouse, was dumped in a random front lawn on the Rosswood Drive and Parish Way, near Rusch Park in Citrus Heights. 'He was in the wrong place at the wrong time,' added Petefish's friend Cameron Archie. Tyler Petefish, 25, (left and right) had been attending a party on November 19 when he was reportedly given drugs, Lytle-Aubel received an anonymous call over the weekend telling her that her son was involved in a crash and dumped on a lawn 'He was in the wrong place at the wrong time,' added Petefish's friend Cameron Archie, pictured with him in hospital Archie, who described his friend as, the most caring human beings I've ever known, said that the driver and another passenger who had been in the car with Tyler had panicked when they hit the parked car. They 'decided not to take Tyler to the hospital, but to leave him 3 miles away from the accident on the lawn of a random homeowner.' 'Luckily the dogs at the home alerted the owner who called the ambulance.' Archie and Petefish's family have started a GoFundMe to raise money for his medical bills, and to be able to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest of the two people in the car with him that night. 'They must be held responsible for their reckless actions,' he added. Petefish's step brother Ryan Auble asked for prayers and also called for any 'friends in Sacramento (who) know any thing please come foward(sic).' The 25-year-old remains in a coma and his prognosis is unclear. This is the astonishing moment Theresa May's security-tight convoy left drivers dumbfounded as it went the wrong way around a roundabout. The procession was led by a police motorcyclist and followed by Mrs May's silver Jaguar XJ and three official vehicles. The clip then shows the entourage approaching a roundabout before swinging a right and going the wrong way. The footage, which was filmed by freelance photographer Phil Gee, was shot as the Prime Minister left her home this morning in Sonning, Berkshire. The procession was led by a police motorcyclist and followed by the Mrs May's silver Jaguar XJ and three security vehicles The clip shows then show the heavily-protected entourage approaching a roundabout before swinging right as it goes the wrong way Mr Gee's partner, who was driving at the time, exclaimed: 'You cheeky bu**ers! Oh, you've got to be joking!' The photographer, 38, told MailOnline: 'It's not something you see every day the Prime Minister coming out of her property to go to work. 'I just happened to notice all of the police cars and we thought it looked interesting.' And describing his reaction upon seeing the entourage heading the wrong way around the roundabout, Mr Gee said he thought it was 'pretty cool'. Mrs May also welcomed the Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim to Downing Street today A press briefing beforehand said the leaders would discuss: 'Regional issues, including Iraq and Syria, with the fight against terror being priority' He added: 'But, to other road users, they might be like "what's going on here?" 'My partner said "never mind about her, what about all the traffic chaos?"' He said that because police stopped drivers at the roundabout to clear a route for Mrs May, tailbacks were beginning to form. The Metropolitan Police - who are in charge of the Prime Minister's transport security - have been contacted for comment. The footage, which was filmed by freelance photographer Phil Gee, was shot as the Prime Minister left her home this morning in Sonning, Berkshire And the motorist and his amazed passenger filming the bizarre sight were astonished as the passed through Sonning The Metropolitan Police - who are in charge of the Prime Minister's transport security - have been contacted for comment The display came before another day of Brexit-induced headaches for the embattled Prime Minister. Irish ministers have repeated warnings they are 'resolute' about blocking a deal if Britain does not back down over the Irish border. There are just days remaining to find a solution to the deepening stand off before Mrs May meets EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss a draft divorce agreement. Mrs May also welcomed the Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim to Downing Street today. A press briefing beforehand said the leaders would discuss: 'Regional issues, including Iraq and Syria, with the fight against terror being priority.' Another kindergarten teacher in China has been accused of abusing her pupils by piercing them with needles. Police announced today they are investigating the school in the Chinese capital after receiving reports from parents, according to Chinese state media. The news came just four days after teachers at an established kindergarten, in the same district of Beijing, were said to poke children with needles and feed them with mysterious pills. China launched a nationwide investigation into its kindergartens last Friday after the allegations sparking an outrage across the country. A mother in Beijing has released pictures to show the needle marks on her daughter's hand The mother claimed that her child had been abused by her teacher at the kindergarten The mother claimed to have found screwdriver and pins (above) at her daughter's classroom The latest allegations were made against a kindergarten in Chaoyang District in eastern Beijing. Officers at the Jinsong Police Station claimed that they received information on November 27 from parents, who claimed their children had been pierced by their teacher with needles, according to a report on Sina.com. Parents claimed their children were from the junior class, who should be aged between three and four. The mother (far left) showed the pictures of her injured daughter to other parents at the school The mother claimed that her daughter had been abused by her teacher at a junior class She also showed reporters a hospital diagnosis, which said her daughter had sustained bruises A mother has released several pictures to Chinese media The Paper, which apparently showed her daughter's fingers and one arm having needle marks. The mother claimed that her daughter had been abused by her teacher. She also showed reporters a hospital diagnosis, which said her daughter had sustained bruises the size of needles on her arms. The pictures and hospital diagnosis were re-posted by several influential Chinese news website, but these media reports are quickly disappearing from the internet. The original reporter on The Paper has been taken down. In a video clip posted by state media The Global Times, the mother was showing the aforementioned pictures to other parents. Afterwards, she went into the classroom trying to find the tools the teacher had used A supervisor at the kindergarten told parents that the teacher in question was an intern She can be heard saying: 'My child liked taking showers, but now [she] refuses to shower or wash her head. [I] asked [her] why? [She said] it hurts.' Afterwards, she went into the classroom trying to find the tools the teacher had used. The video showed that the mother found a screwdriver and pins. Feeling angry, she questioned staff at the kindergarten 'what are these for'. The headmaster of the kindergarten said the teacher who had been accused was an intern, reported The Global Times. The intern was said to be studying at a college and is not qualified to be a teacher. The Chaoyang Education Commission has reportedly set up a special team to investigate the case alongside the police. This is the second time kindergartens in Beijing have been accused of abusing their pupils with needles. China launched a nationwide investigation into its kindergartens on Friday after parents at a Beijing preschool (pictured) said toddlers had apparent needle marks and were given mysterious pills - sparking outrage days after another daycare scandal On November 23, furious parents had gathered in front of the gate to demand answers from RYB Kindergarten, which has been accused of piercing pupils and giving them pills The Chaoyang district government said police opened an investigation after parents reported the suspected abuse on Wednesday Last week, parents who sent their children to the RYB Kindergarten in Beijing said toddlers had apparent needle marks and were given mysterious pills. On November 23, furious parents had gathered in front of the gate to demand answers from RYB, which is run by a company that started trading on the New York stock exchange in September. Its shares plunged by more than 40 percent in after-hours trading. On day later, security personnel installed a cordon at the gate of the RYB Education New World kindergarten after dozens of curious onlookers crowded outside the high-end, bilingual Chinese-English nursery, which was still operating. Security personnel installed a cordon at the gate of the RYB Education New World kindergarten (pictured) on Friday after dozens of curious onlookers crowded outside Eight children were said to have apparent needle marks and that the incidents occurred in two classes with kids aged between two and six. Parents said children were fed unidentified pills An education official at Chaoyang district (centre) is surrounded by media and parents as he receives an interview after parents accusing RYB Kindergarten of abusing their children The incident shocked the national and prompted the authority to launched a nationwide investigation into its kindergartens on Friday. A 22-year-old teacher, surnamed Liu, has been arrested by Beijing Police in relation to the case, a statement said on November 25. Previous reports suggested at the children at RYB might have been sexually molested. But newer reports claimed the allegation was internet rumour. A 31-year-old woman, surnamed Liu, has been arrested on suspicion of fabricating and spreading false information on the internet. British mother Nazanin Ratcliffe has spoken on the phone from the Iranian jail where she is facing an extra 16 years behind bars. In the heartwarming call she reveals she has 'made so many good friends' and expresses her gratitude for the enormous support from the British public for her release. She told supporters crowding around the phone: 'This has been an amazing journey for me although it's been really difficult for me to be in prison away from my family and friends. 'We have made so many good friends and I am really happy for that. It really helps me. I am so grateful for everybody's love.' A programme aired by state TV in Iran focused on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (pictured), who is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly planning the 'soft toppling' of Iran's government She told supporters crowding around the phone: 'This has been an amazing journey for me although it's been really difficult for me to be in prison away from my family and friends' Her husband then took the phone off speaker for a private conversation with his wife, who has been detained in Iran since April 2016 for allegedly planning the 'soft toppling' of Iran's government. Yesterday Iranian television aired pictures of a BBC pay stub and an email from 2010 showing she once worked to train Iranian journalists. Mr Ratcliffe said that the report was intended to increase pressure on the British government which is working to secure her release. An email reportedly sent from Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in which it appears she describes how she trained Iranian journalists. It was aired by the Iranian state TV The programme also showed pictures of a BBC pay stub, showing Zaghari-Ratcliffe's salary Richard Ratcliffe (left), the wife of Zaghari-Ratcliffe (right), said that the report was intended to increase pressure on the British government which is working to secure her release The case of Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe has gained momentum in recent weeks as British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson faces tremendous criticism at home over his handling of it. Zaghari-Ratcliffe now faces new charges that could add 16 years to her prison term. On Thursday, Iranian state television aired a seven-minute special report on Zaghari-Ratcliffe. It included close-ups of an April 2010 pay stub from her previous employer, the BBC World Service Trust. Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe who is detained in Iran, during a public demonstration to the Shia Islamic Centre of England in north London It also included an email from June 2010 in which she wrote about the 'ZigZag Academy,' a BBC World Service Trust project in which the trust trained 'young aspiring journalists from Iran and Afghanistan through a secure online platform.' Zaghari-Ratcliffe left the BBC in 2011 and then joined the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency. Both her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, and Thomson Reuters repeatedly have stressed she was not training journalists or involved in any work regarding Iran while there. The state television report comes as the British foreign minister faces criticism after he told a parliamentary committee that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was 'teaching people journalism' when she was arrested last year. Though Johnson later corrected himself, the Iranian television report made a point to highlight them. A BBC Media Action, which was formerly known as the World Service Trust, told MailOnline the corporation denies Zaghari Ratcliffe was a journalism trainer. Actor Emma Thompson and Richard Ratcliffe pose for cameras in London before a march in support of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian mother who is in jail in Iran Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari Ratcliffe who is detained in Iran, is joined by supporters including actress Emma Thompson (left) and Tulip Siddiq MP (right) in Hampstead, north London before setting out on a march to deliver a petition calling for her release from prison A programme aired by state TV in Iran focused on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe (pictured), who is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly planning the 'soft toppling' of Iran's government Speaking on Sunday, Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband said the report and other Iranian comments about his wife seemed timed to exert as much pressure as possible on the British government. He said the material appeared to be from his wife's email, which investigators from the hard-line Revolutionary Guard immediately got access to after her arrest. 'It's trying to justify the new charges,' Ratcliffe said. A BBC Media Action spokesman said: 'As we have always made clear, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe never worked for BBC Persian. 'She was not involved in the establishment of BBC Persian TV. 'According to our records, she was employed as a projects assistant between February 2009 and October 2010 for the BBC's international development charity, BBC World Service Trust (now called BBC Media Action), which operates independently of BBC Persian. 'She further carried out some short-term contract work as an assistant for a project in Iraq for BBC World Service Trust. 'Ms Zaghari-Ratcliffe was never a journalism trainer but undertook administrative duties such as travel bookings, typing, and filing.' The report comes as Britain and Iran discuss the release of some 400 million pounds held by London, a payment Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi made for Chieftain tanks that were never delivered. The shah abandoned the throne in 1979 and the Islamic Revolution soon installed the clerically overseen system that endures today. A woman holds a placard during a march in support of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian mother who is in jail in Iran, in London Authorities in London and Tehran deny that the payment has any link to Zaghari-Ratcliffe. However, a prisoner exchange in January 2016 that freed Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian and three other Iranian-Americans also saw the United States make a $400million cash delivery to Iran the same day. That money too involved undelivered military equipment from the shah's era, though some US politicians have criticized the delivery as a ransom payment. Analysts and family members of dual nationals and others detained in Iran have suggested that hard-liners in the Islamic Republic's security agencies use the prisoners as bargaining chips for money or influence. A UN panel in September described 'an emerging pattern involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals' in Iran. Others with ties to the West detained in Iran include Chinese-American graduate student Xiyue Wang, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly 'infiltrating' the country while doing doctoral research on Iran's Qajar dynasty. Iranian-Canadian national Abdolrasoul Dorri Esfahani, a member of Iran's 2015 nuclear negotiating team, is believed to be serving a five-year prison sentence on espionage charges. Iranian businessman Siamak Namazi and his 81-year-old father Baquer, a former UNICEF representative who served as governor of Iran's oil-rich Khuzestan province under the US-backed shah, are both serving 10-year prison sentences on espionage. Iranian-American Robin Shahini was released on bail last year after staging a hunger strike while serving an 18-year prison sentence for 'collaboration with a hostile government.' Shahini is believed to still be in Iran. Also in an Iranian prison is Nizar Zakka, a US permanent resident from Lebanon who advocates for internet freedom and has done work for the US government. He was sentenced to 10 years last year on espionage-related charges. In addition, former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who vanished in Iran in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission, remains missing. ITV viewers hit out today after it interrupted an ad break during The Jeremy Kyle Show to announce Prince Harry's engagement to Meghan Markle. The broadcaster showed a 30-second newsflash with Nina Hossain following the announcement at 10am, but the brief interlude left many viewers angry. Hossain told viewers: 'Good morning, we are interrupting the schedule this morning to tell you that in the past few minutes Clarence House has announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engaged.' But Linda Fraser wrote on Twitter: 'Prince Harry gets engaged. Now can we get back to Jeremy Kyle? I find how that girl has two men fighting over her more intriguing.' ITV showed a 30-second newsflash about the royal engagement today with Nina Hossain Some viewers hit out today after ITV interrupted an ad break during The Jeremy Kyle Show Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared in public for the first time since announcing they will marry next year as the world glimpsed the American actress' engagement ring Twitter user @sandie_beech wrote: 'Casually watching Jeremy Kyle on my day off when an interruption broadcast from ITV news comes on. 'I think we are going to World War Three or something and it's Prince Harry getting engaged.' And @elskidmore added: 'Breaking News, Prince Harry and Meghan are Engaged.......Come on ITN News I was watching Jeremy Kyle!' User @MeetMissJonesy said: 'People reacting with shock and horror to Jeremy Kyle being disrupted by Prince Harry and Meghan's engagement is the most British thing I've seen in a while.' Russ McNally wrote: 'News flash on Jeremy Kyle, Prince Harry will marry Meghan Markle! Hardly the SAS going into the Iranian embassy while enjoying the snooker final...' And Kirsty Mair tweeted: 'Jeremy Kyle are you kidding? Special bulletin to announce Harry's engagement. Happy for him but come on ....' One account commented: 'People reacting with shock and horror to Jeremy Kyle being disrupted by Prince Harry and Meghans engagement is the most British thing Ive seen in a while.' Later, it was announced that ITV show Judge Rinder was being cut from the schedules to make way for an extended, lunchtime news bulletin. Viewers went on Twitter to moan about their viewing habits being interrupted by the royal engagement announcement Meghan's engagement ring's two outer diamonds are from Diana's own collection with a central diamond from Botswana - where they went on safari in September - all set within a gold band 'Announcement! We will not be on air today as the News is being extended due to the exciting news about the royal engagement. 'We send our congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple, Harry and Meghan. Not to fear, the court will resume tomorrow!', the show said on Twitter. Alice Woodhouse wrote: 'No, I was looking forward to you cheering me up.' And Twitter user @xoxoJan-AA said: 'How very dare they! The BBC hasn't changed their schedule.' Corbynistas booed and heckled news of Harry's engagement to Miss Markle at a Labour rally this morning. Shouts of 'who cares' and jeers swept through the 100-strong crowd as Jeremy Corbyn was asked for his reaction to the announcement at the event in Glasgow. The Labour leader had travelled up to Scotland for his first big joint appearance with the newly-elected Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard. Harry, 33, who revealed a year ago he had fallen for the actress after a four to six month secret relationship, proposed to Meghan, 36, in London earlier this month Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk away after posing for the media in the grounds of Kensington Palace And after the men delivered their speeches they were asked about the big news of the day - Prince Harry's pending nuptials. But while Mr Corbyn - a staunch republican - warmly congratulated the royal couple his supporters were far more hostile. Many of them jeered and heckled the reporter who had asked the question shouting 'get out' and 'get off'. And they left onlookers in little doubt about their indifference to he news that has got the whole world whipped up into a royal wedding frenzy, with one shouting 'who cares?' Mr Corbyn said he was pleased for the happy couple and heaped praise on the work Harry and his brother Prince William have done in raising awareness about mental health. He said: 'My congratulations to Harry and Meghan. I wish them well. hope they have a great time and great fun together and having met harry a couple of times I'm sure they are going to have a great deal of fun together. Jeremy Corbyn pictured at his rally in Glasgow today, congratulated the royal couple on the news but his supporters booed, heckled and shouted 'who cares' when he was asked about it 'What I would also like to say is that I do really admire the way that Harry and his brother have drawn attention to mental health conditions all across the country. 'I wish them well, thank him for what he's done for mental health and hope they have a great life together.' Tourists outside Kensington Palace celebrated the news. among them was Ruby Dyer, 20, a student from London who said she was looking forward to the wedding She added: 'I've just been to an exhibition at Kensington Palace about Princess Diana. Vicky Pugh, 20, a student from Southampton added: 'I'll definitely watch the wedding' 'It was saying how she changed the way people viewed the Royal family and I think this will do the same. You wouldn't expect it, would you? 'An actress in the Royal family. She's not come from a royal background and she's American and mixed race. It will definitely make the Royal family more relatable.' Vicky Pugh, 20, a fashion student from Southampton added: 'I'll definitely watch the wedding. I think it's nice. I like Meghan a lot and she clearly makes Harry happy. 'She's like Diana in the sense that she doesn't have traits that you'd will associate with the Royal family. But I think it will be great.' Americans outside the Palace were also excited to see an American princess. Gill Spofford, 28, a researcher from Washington DC said the news of the engagement was the 'icing on the cake' of her holiday in London. She said: 'I'm so happy for them. It's so cool. The fact that there's an American in the Royal family means we get a little share of it. 'For the last royal wedding I woke up at 4am to watch it and I think lots of Americans will do the same again. 'Americans love the British Royal family. My mum called this morning with the news. I'm so excited.' However not all Americans were as excited. Dwight Decarme, 30, an engineer, also from Washington DC said some Americans would not be too bothered about it. The Labour leader, who is a staunch republican, addressed a 100-strong rally today. He praised Prince Harry for the work he has done to raise awareness of metal health He said: 'I don't think my parents will know who she is and they probably won't care. 'I'll probably be at work that day and doubt I'll pay attention to it. 'But it's been nice to see the Palace and see the Royals and the media frenzy. We don't have anything like it in the US so it's great to see. 'But I don't really care that much about it, I've seen Suits before but I don't know who she is.' Monica and David Aladef, 37 and 46 respectively were visiting the palace on the last day of their holiday because they're flight home to New York was delayed. Monica said that she was 'excited to see an American Princess, but more excited to see the English prince.' She said: 'It's definitely exciting. He's such a catch, I may have gone for it if I knew he was going to go for an American girl. I'm so excited to see the wedding. 'I'll definitely be watching. I hope it's as big as Wills and Kate, she's a princess now too.' Her husband, David a senior sales manager added: 'My wife loves the British. She'll be staying at home and watching it but I've got to go to work to pay the TV bill. 'We've been to Kensington Palace today and our kids loved it. We saw Meghan and Harry give the announcement and saw Princess Anne too. She smiled at us.' Tracy Burton, 36, from Portsmouth said: 'We really love the Royal family. I think Meghan is going to make them more popular than ever. 'And hopefully we'll get a Bank Holiday. Harry was always the wilder one, and it's quite nice he's settling down.' Harry, 33, who revealed a year ago he had fallen for the actress after a four to six month secret relationship, proposed to Meghan, 36, in London earlier this month. Royal protocol dictated that fifth in line to the throne Harry had to ask his grandmother the Queen for permission to marry and she agreed in the month where she celebrated her own 70th wedding anniversary. Harry and Miss Markle have a photocall at Kensington Palace in London today after their engagement was announced Harry stands with Miss Markle as she shows off her engagement ring in London this afternoon In a statement Her Majesty and Prince Philip said they are 'delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness' and this morning huge crowds of tourists and royal fans gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Harry and his American fiancee, who divorced her first husband in 2013, will move into Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace next door to his brother William and sister-in-law Kate. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said in a joint statement: 'We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together'. The boys' father Prince Charles said he was 'thrilled' and 'very happy indeed' for them. Harry also asked Meghan's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, who divorced when their daughter was six, for her hand in marriage before popping the question a few weeks ago, it emerged. Kidsafe boss reminds parents to stand by the pool and watch children at all times Councils are refusing, saying that it's not fair to the taxpayer to fund inspections Government has been urged to conduct random inspections of swimming pools Drowning deaths in children under five jumped by 32 per cent nationally in 2017 As toddler drowning deaths increase around Australia, people have urged the government to conduct random safety inspections of backyard pools. Drowning deaths in children under five jumped by 32 per cent nationally this year and almost 50 per cent of those deaths happened in a swimming pool. But councils are refusing to act, despite the fact that 'a pattern of confusion' has lead to 99 per cent of swimming pools failing a first inspection in Parramatta. Australians have urged the government to conduct random safety inspections of backyard pools (file picture) Blacktown mayor Stephen Bali said his council found non-compliant pools, using aerial photos The Office of Local Government said councils were able to perform random checks if 'they are included in an inspection program in consultation with their community', but 'only a handful' actually do so. Blacktown mayor Stephen Bali said his council sought unregistered and non-compliant pools using aerial photographs, according to the Daily Telegraph. Shadow Minister for Local Government Peter Primrose has called on the State government to fund random inspections, while Government Minister Gabrielle Upton said it was up to pool owners to ensure their own compliance. 'The government does not believe it's fair that taxpayers many of whom don't own a pool should foot the bill for their local council to inspect somebody else's pool,' said a spokesman for Ms Upton. They added that councils could charge people who own swimming pools up to $150 for inspections. Concerned parents have weighed in, saying that random checks 'could save lives', but parents should always be watching regardless. Concerned parents have weighed in, saying that random safety inspections 'could save lives' Drowning deaths in kids under five jumped by 32 percent this year, with 50 per cent in pools The latest in a spate of toddler drownings was a two-year-old boy from Adelaide who died in hospital on Wednesday after being found unconscious in a swimming pool. Emergency services were called to a home in Roxby Downs, north of Adelaide, on Sunday around 7pm to find the toddler unresponsive. The small child was rushed to hospital but died on Monday. Kidsafe SA chief executive Holly Fitzgerald said most people don't realise how easy it is for young children to drown, the Advertiser reported. A toddler was found unresponsive in a backyard pool at a home in Roxby Downs, near Adelaide Kidsafe SA chief executive said most people don't realise how easy it is for children to drown 'It can happen so quickly and silently. Toddlers in particular have no concept of the danger of water,' she said. In preparation for the long, hot summer ahead of Australians, Ms Fitzgerald suggests adults stand by the pool and watch their children at all times. She also commented that water familiarisation, or making sure your child has an adequate number of swimming lessons, is just as important as knowing first aid in case something goes awry. A Middlefield man has been arrested after he slew a pickup truck while out hunting deer on Friday morning. Marvin C Miller, 26, was in woodland near North Harmony, New York, when he spotted the brown pickup driving along a roadand put a 7mm round through its engine, just a few feet from the cab. 'Firing this weapon at first blush with no target, its absolutely irresponsible,' Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace told The Post-Journal. Scroll down for video Big game: A brown pickup was shot in this area of New York state on Friday after a hunter in the woodland mistook it for a deer and fired through the engine. No-one was hurt Oh, deer: Hunter Marvin C Miller said he mistook the truck for a deer; he's been charged with reckless endangerment and discharging a weapon across a road Miller told both deputies and New York State Environmental Conservation cops that he thought the pickup was a deer when he fired his high-powered, scoped-rifle. The pickup was on an access road heading toward state land on Wiltsie Road when it was struck by the round. It struck the front fender on the driver's side, feet from the cab, where the driver and a passenger were. Neither of the vehicle's occupants were hurt. Angry: Sheriff Sheriff Joe Gerace called Miller 'absolutely irresponsible' for not confirming his target before he pulled the trigger on his high-powered 7mm scoped rifle The truck was 'disabled' after the bullet entered the engine, police said, at which point Miller checked on its occupants, who have not been identified, then waited for police. Miller has been charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm across a roadway. He was arraigned in Sherman Town Court and posted bail. Gerace said the incident could have been avoided if Miller had waited to properly scope out the target before firing. And he was incensed by the accident, which is the second time this week that people, not game have been mistakenly targeted by hunters in the area. 'It's very concerning. We should be able to get through a hunting season without tragedy,' he said. 'This kind of thing just shouldn't happen. We should be learning from past tragedies. No game is worth injuries or taking a life.' On Wednesday, just two days earlier, Rosemary Billquist, 43, died in the same area after being shot while walking her two Labradors near her home on Armenian Road. Thomas Jadlowski said that he thought Billquist was a deer when he shot her with his pistol, police said. Billquist died in an Erie, Pennsylvania hospital. Jadlowski has not yet been charged, but prosecutors are reviewing the case. The father and grandmother of a three-year-old girl who shot herself in the leg in Philadelphia have been charged. Barbara McGill and Terrance Williams, 25, have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment. The 64-year-old grandmother also was charged with tampering with evidence because police say she attempted to hide the gun. Father Terrence Williams, 25 (left), and grandmother Barbara McGill, 64 (right), of a three-year-old girl who shot herself in the leg in Philadelphia have been charged Police say the child somehow got her dad's loaded gun and shot herself in the thigh Sunday. The bullet exited her calf. Because of the way the girl was sitting when the gun discharged, the bullet made multiple wounds in her leg. Police say the father asked the grandmother to secure his gun, but she allegedly put it in an unlocked closet and fell asleep. 'She puts it into a closet, into a holster that doesn't have a lock,' Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker said to ABC 6. 'We think she falls asleep, but the child gets a hold of this gun and is able to pull the trigger.' at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at a home in the 1300 block of South Wilton Street (pictured) The child was rushed to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She underwent surgery to save her leg. The shooting occurred at 12:30pm Sunday at a house in the 1300 block of South Wilton Street. A voicemail left for the public defender's organization representing McGill was not immediately returned. Contact information for Williams' attorney was not immediately available. Donald Trump has reportedly told aides the now famous tape which caught him boasting about women's genitalia is not an authentic recording. Last year, the President of the United States acknowledged it was him apologized for his actions in the hours after it surfaced in October 2016, but now he appears to be throwing it on the ever-growing pile of what he considers fake news. Trump's links to accusations of sexual assault have been thrust back into the spotlight as pressure mounts on him to distance himself from Senate candidate Roy Moore. Moore, who is now 70, was recently accused by several women that while in his 30s he molested or harassed teenage girls as young as 14. Scroll down for video In response to the first-daughter's comment, Trump asked several aides in the Oval Office, 'Do you believe this?' Moore (pictured), who is now 70, was recently accused by several women that while in his 30s he molested or harassed teenage girls as young as 14. 'There's a special place in hell for people who prey on children,' Ivanka said earlier this month But it appears to have stoked Trump into re-visiting the Access Hollywood tapes which emerged as he and Hilary Clinton battled it out for the Oval Office last year. According to the New York Times, the Republican suggested to a senator earlier this year the tape was not authentic and repeated the claim to an adviser more recently. The now infamous tape of the then-candidate bragging about groping and having sex with women was recorded on an open microphone while Trump was about to record a segment of a television show 'Access Hollywood.' He can be heard saying: 'Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.' It comes at an inconvenient time for Trump, whose daughter Ivanka earlier this month made strong comments regarding child abuse - weeks before Republican Moore entered the race for the Alabama job. She said: 'There's a special place in hell for people who prey on children.' 'I've yet to see a valid explanation and I have no reason to doubt the victims' accounts.' She did not call for Moore to exit the race. In response to the first-daughter's comment, Trump asked several aides in the Oval Office, 'Do you believe this?' according to the New York Times, and he was said to be 'furious' with his daughter. President Donald Trump is reportedly angry at his daughter, Ivanka, for slamming embattled Senate candidate Roy Moore On Sunday, Trump redoubled his support for Moore, ignoring the allegations of sexual harassment plaguing the politician's Alabama campaign and branding his opponent as weak on crime, the military and immigration. In an early-morning tweet, Trump added that for Alabamians to elect Moore's Democratic rival, Doug Jones, in a special election next month 'would be a disaster!' Many members of Trump's Republican Party have withdrawn support for Moore, with some Republicans suggesting that Moore is elected to the US Senate, he should be removed. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, has called for Moore to drop out, saying: 'I believe the women.' McConnell reportedly has pleaded with Trump to stay out of the Alabama race, lest Moore's election sully the party's name ahead of next year's midterm elections. One Republican senator and sometime Trump critic, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said Sunday that having Moore on the ballot was a lose-lose proposition for the party. 'If he wins ... it becomes a story every day about whether or not you believe the women or Roy Moore. If you lose, you give the Senate seat' to a Democrat, he said on CNN. On Sunday, in a tweet, Trump redoubled his support for Moore, ignoring the allegations of sexual harassment plaguing the politician's Alabama campaign and branding his opponent as weak on crime, the military and immigration But Trump -- himself the object of allegations of sexual misconduct by several women during his presidential campaign -- on Sunday shrugged off such appeals. He tweeted that 'the last thing' Republicans need in the closely divided Senate is a Democratic 'puppet who is WEAK on Crime, WEAK on the Border. Bad for our Military and our great Vets. Bad for our 2nd Amendment. AND WANTS TO RAISES (sic) TAXES TO THE SKY.' Despite the multiple allegations against Moore -- he reportedly was banned from an Alabama mall for repeatedly bothering teen girls -- Trump has defended him. 'Forty years is a long time,' the president told reporters Tuesday on the White House lawn. 'He says it didn't happen. You have to listen to him, also.' Moore has denied any wrongdoing and insisted he will contest the December special election. Last week, when Trump was asked about the torrent of accusations of sexual impropriety facing Moore, he said flatly: 'Roy Moore denies it ... And by the way, he totally denies it.' And in speaking of Moore's female constituents, Trump insisted that the women 'are Trump voters. Most of them are Trump voters.' Moore has denied any wrongdoing and insisted he will contest the December special election The president also told DailyMail.com amid a scrum of cameras that he isn't ready to announce whether he'll campaign for Moore as the December 12 special election looms The president also told DailyMail.com amid a scrum of cameras that he isn't ready to announce whether he'll campaign for Moore as the December 12 special election looms. 'I will be letting you know next week. But I can tell you we don't need somebody who's soft on crime like Jones,' Trump said. Jones is a former US attorney and is known for prosecuting two KKK members behind the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Trump also insisted that 'women are very special' to him and expressed enthusiasm for the recent series of revelations about sexually predatory men in Washington. '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,' he said. 'I'm very happy that a lot of these things are coming out.' 'The women are Trump voters. Most of them are Trump voters,' Trump said. Trump also hedged on the cases of Sen Al Franken and Rep. John Conyers, two powerful congressional Democrats who have been snared in the national dragnet of sex abuse claims. 'I don't want to speak for Al Franken. ... He's going to have to speak for himself,' he said. And he punted on Conyers, whose case has been in the public eye for nearly 24 hours. 'I just heard about Conyers two minutes ago,' Trump claimed. A divorced man who prides himself on being one of Britain's dullest men has created his latest boring calendar - with pictures of cranes. Kevin Beresford is known for his incredibly tedious wall-planners including roundabouts, telephone boxes and post boxes. The 65-year-old, from Redditch, Worcestershire, hoped his new calendar would 'lift' everyone's spirits in 2018 but it has proved a massive flop with just two of the 10 calendars selling so far. Kevin Beresford is known for his incredibly tedious wall-planners including roundabouts, telephone boxes and post boxes For his crane calendar, Kevin said he traveled the country and 'went to loads of places including Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and London' Kevin, who prides himself on being one of the dullest men in Britain, is also founder of the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society and travelled around the UK looking for cranes to photograph. He said: 'I went to loads of places including Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and London. 'I just kind of wonder around and see what catches my eye. I like to take pictures of things that are everywhere but that no one else really bothers to look at. Kevin said: 'I just kind of wonder around and see what catches my eye. I like to take pictures of things that are everywhere but that no one else really bothers to look at' 'I like to bring these things to their attention. But this year in particular I don't think people have really appreciated it. 'I am starting to think maybe I priced it too high. I think it might just be a step too far, a bit too boring.' Three men have been charged after a shocking video surfaced of a Schoolie being knocked unconscious by a single punch during a three-versus-one attack in Surfers Paradise. Horrific video showed three men kicking the 19-year-old in the legs and feet in the early hours of Monday morning, before punching him to the ground. It will be alleged that a 19-year-old East Lismore man was out with a female friend when she became involved in an argument with three men just after 3am, according to the Brisbane Times. The victim was allegedly targeted for defending her as she was 'harassed' outside a bar, his friend told 9NEWS. The attackers left their 19-year-old victim unconscious and bleeding from the head on Monday A 19-year-old Upper Coomera man was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm and contravention of a banning order. Two 21-year-old Cootharaba men were charged with assault occasioning bodily harm. All three will face court on December 8. After the attack, the teen was out cold for a few minutes and was left lying on the corner of Cavill Avenue and Orchid Avenue bleeding from the head and ears. He was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital with non-life-threatening head injuries just after 3.15am. A Queensland Police spokeswoman said he was left with 'a big egg on his head' and 'bleeding from his ears', but at this stage he is expected to make a full recovery. The 18-year-old victim is understood to be a New South Wales school student, who was visiting Queensland for Schoolies celebrations. Advertisement First lady Melania Trump hosted children to the White House Monday as she walked through a fully-decorated executive mansion, unveiling her vision of a Trump Christmas simple, yet elegant, with elements of Americana and nature. 'She's beautiful, like an angel!' one young boy remarked, as the first lady whose cream-colored belted dress with bell sleeves could have been worn by a tree topper walked into the East Room to help a group of kids make garland. 'Are you the first lady?' another youngster asked. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made sure to note that Melania Trump 'personally selected and was involved in every detail' of the decorations unveiled today. Melania Trump entered the holiday festivities by taking the grand staircase, into the foyer, as three ballerinas danced to 'The Nutcracker Suite,' in a room filled with faux fur trees glistening with snow. First lady Melania Trump was told by one of her young guests that she looked 'like an angel' as she invited youngsters to the White House Monday as part of the Christmas decorations reveal Feeling festive! The mother-of-one was beaming with joy as she made her way through the decor-filled White House Melania Trump began her tour of the White House Christmas decorations by walking down the Grand Staircase into the Grand Foyer where a trio of ballerinas was performing to the 'Nutcracker Suite,' which was the first White House Christmas theme What an entrance! First lady Melania walked down the Grand Staircase into the Grand Foyer to be greeted by a trio of ballerinas dancing to a piece from the Nutcracker as she kicked off her holiday tour So skilled: The ballet dancers put on an incredible display as Melania watched on with admiration On point! The duo were dancing to music from the much-loved classic The Nutcracker A sweet surprise: The first lady looked stunned as she first set food in the Christmas tree-filled East Room The decor in the White House Grand Foyer was simple and natural, with a forest of Christmas trees looking like they had just been covered by a winter snow Melania's white Christian Dior dress with gold accent accessories fit in perfectly with the glittering decorations It's all in the details! Even the staircases at the White House have been decked with festive flourishes The Christmas tree in the Blue Room touches the ceiling, as the 18 foot, 6 inch Wisconsin-grown pine is adorned with ornaments representing all the states and territories, along with blue and gold bows The dancers and the song were symbolic as 'The Nutracker Suite' was the first theme used at a White House Christmas. This year's theme, 'Time-Honored Traditions,' piggybacked on that, which each room paying homage to a tradition, including a Gold Star tree, a way to respect fallen troops,and a gallery of silhouettes of past presidents in the Green Room, acknowledging an early craft. As the first lady entered the various rooms, she made small talk with the young kids, all students locally at Joint Base Andrews, in Prince George's County, Maryland, right outside of Washington, D.C. 'What are your plans for Christmas?' she asked. 'Did you write your letter yet? Do you have any pets at home?' Before the first lady arrived in the East Room, decorated with several large trees and the White House creche, the children's chaperone told them to 'act natural,' as they grinned for the cameras. When FLOTUS arrived they all went in for the group hug. The kids in the East Room made garland while telling the first lady that she looked like 'an angel' and giving her a group hug Greeted in the East Room, first lady Melania Trump gets a group hug from her young guests, the first batch of Americans who get to see the 2017 White House Christmas decorations Melania Trump's East Room visitors were the most excited. With one calling her an 'angel' and each of the children - students from Joint Base Andrews - filing in for a group hug First lady Melania Trump squeezes two youngsters in the White House East Room as she toured the executive mansion, meeting kids from Joint Base Andrews in several rooms Melania can be seen fixing some garland that children from Joint Base Andrews are making as she tours the White House Christmas decorations Monday morning Joyful: The first lady could not take the smile off her face as she joined the young children in their decorating efforts In the Red Room, decorated with sweets, Melania helped a quartet of youngsters make gum drop trees, while warning them about all the sugar Downstairs in the East Wing, Melania gives a young boy a high five, as a group of kids make holiday cards. Surrounding them were examples of holiday cards sent out from past administrations Tender: The event saw Melania showing off her soft side, sharing hugs with the children, jokes, and enjoying several fun-filled chats about the holiday season Melania Trump leans over to assess how the Christmas card decorating is going in the 'Bookseller's' area of the White House's East Wing. That part of the tour featured vintage holiday cards from past administrations Next to the Gold Star tree downstairs, Melania asks several of her young visitors to read aloud the letters they wrote for the troops One for Donald? She was also seen coloring in some White House-themed Christmas cards 'So how is it going? This is so cool right?' the first lady later asked when walking into the Red Room, which was decorated with gingerbreads and candies. Singing a similar tune to her predecessor, Melania Trump warned, 'A lot of sugar right?' as she helped the group assemble gumdrop Christmas trees. In the Green Room, a quartet of kids cut out their own silhouettes to go along with the presidential ones hanging on the nearby mantel, which was also decorated with a large 'Merry Christmas' banner. In the Blue Room, the first lady didn't host guests Monday, because the size of the Endeavor-Wisconsin based Christmas tree. The tree, which she and 11-year-old Barron greeted last week in front of the White House, is so large at 18 feet, 6 inches, it takes up nearly the whole room. The Trumps decorated the tree with ornaments from all the states and territories, along with blue bulbs and large gold and blue bows. The Blue Room's Christmas tree stands at 18 feet, 6 inches tall and was brought into the White House last week, via carriage, from growers based out of Endeavor, Wisconsin A photographer kneels and grabs a shot of the Endeavor, Wisconsin-grown tree that was installed in the White House Blue Room The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall are decorated with the theme, 'The Nutcracker Suite,' in mind, as that was the first theme ever for White House Christmas decorations The Grand Foyer and Cross Hall are decorated with a 'Nutcracker Suite' theme - the first the White House ever used - with this year's theme being 'Time-honored Traditions' The Trumps chose to decorate the Blue Room tree with vintage bulbs from the 50 states and the territories, along with blue and golden bows Pucker up! One doorway was decorated with a fun and creative take on the traditional bunch of mistletoe The White House Red Room's tree featured Gingerbread ornaments - as the room itself was decorated with an assortment of candies A 'Merry Christmas' banner is hung above the mantle in the White House's Green Room, alongside vintage silhouettes of past presidents The downstairs of the East Wing was fully decorated too, with reporters allowed into the Library, the Vermeil Room and the China Room before the first lady's guests were let in. In the Dining Room, a table was set for Christmas dinner, featuring a table purchased for the White House by President James Monroe. Being good Republicans, the Trumps chose to adorn the table with President Ronald Reagan's red and gold china. In the Library, the Trumps put out an 1866 edition of Charles Dickens' a Christmas Carol, protected by glass. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had read the the story at the White House each year he was in office, the White House noted. Melania Trump continued her tour by sitting down with another group of children in what's called the 'Bookseller's Area' downstairs. There, they colored White House Christmas cards underneath a display of Christmas cards sent out by the president and first lady going back to the Dwight D. Eisenhower years. Traditional silhouettes adorned the tables and mantel of the Green Room. The White House's Christmas tour book - which features a cartoon version of Barron Trump - also includes instructions to make these simple crafts The White House's China Room was set up for Christmas dinner, featuring a table purchased by President James Monroe and Ronald Reagan's red and gold dishware The White House's State Dining Room featured the traditional gingerbread house. This year's giant confection featured the same Melania Trump wreaths that are hanging outside the real White House The East Room was decorated with a number of trees - along with the traditional White House creche, which makes a statement from the middle of the room The traditional White House creche was once again displayed in the East Room, a gift to the executive mansion from Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard in 1967 On display in the White House library, an 1866 version of the Charles Dickens class, A Christmas Carol, which was read at the White House by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt the years he held office President Trump, first lady Melania and first son Barron show off the relatively simple holiday card that they are sending out from the White House this year; it was displayed in a frame in what is called the 'Bookseller's' area of the East Wing A separate box showcased the cards from the Obama administration and debuted the card that President Trump and Melania Trump will send out. The first lady then headed down the East Colonnade, which was decorated on both sides with glistening white branches, the perfect runway for the former fashion model. At the end of her walk, Melania Trump greeted a group of children next to the Gold Star tree, in which the White House asks visitors to send messages to the troops. Sitting among the children, the first lady asked several of them to take turns reading the letters they had composed for the soldiers. The East Wing also showcases a new attraction this year as guests coming for the holidays can take a peek at the White House's movie theater. Visitors who visit the White House will receive a guide of the decorations, featuring a cartoon version of 11-year-old Barron as the tour guide. The White House said 25,000 visitors are expected to come through its doors during the holiday season. Melania Trump's office released a blistering statement attacking a 'salacious' report that she didn't want the job of first lady, saying she is 'honored' to fill the role. The statement followed a report in Vanity Fair that Melania Trump didn't want the job of being first lady and didn't ever expect to be in the position she now finds herself in, according to a new in-depth report about her adjustment to her public role. The story is ''riddled with unnamed sources and false assertions,' according to the statement issued by the first lady's office after publication of the story. The statement aimed directly at the publication that has become known for slashing portrayals of President Trump, calling the report 'shameful.' 'This isn't something she wanted and it isn't something he ever thought he'd win,' said a longtime friend of first lady Melania Trump and President Trump ''As has been stated on the record many times before, she is honored by her role,' said the spokeswoman. The Slovenian-born first lady has taken a more reserved approach to her undefined role compared to some of her predecessors, carefully selecting her public events and frequently standing by silently alongside her husband as he takes on enemies and confronts the press. 'This isn't something she wanted and it isn't something he ever thought he'd win,' one longtime friend of the couple told Vanity Fair. Early on, it was 'not pleasant' for Melania Trump, according to a friend. Here she watches the annual Bastille Day military parade along Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris, France on July 14, 2017 'She didn't want this come hell or high water,' the friend added. 'I don't think she thought it was going to happen.' If it isn't a role she coveted, Melania's urging that her husband decide once and for all whether to run for president in 2014 helped get her there. 'She was very clearly the one who said, 'Either run or don't run,' said occasional informal Trump advisor Roger Stone. In his telling, she told him: 'Your friends are tired of this striptease. Every four years you talk about it,' in an account described as a paraphrase. A Trump spokeswoman pushed back at the report Monday morning. 'Once again part of the liberal media, this time Vanity Fair, has written a story riddled with unnamed sources and false assertions,' according to the statement. 'As a magazine tailored to women it is shameful that they continue to write salacious and false stories meant to demean Mrs. Trump, rather than focus on her positive work as First Lady and a supportive wife and mother,' the spokeswoman continued. 'As has been stated on the record many times before, she is honored by her role.' A former West Wing aide said Melania Trump's 'focus' has been on son Barron Trump's school, and an East Wing aide said that aside from those school events, she does not spend much time away from the White House. Although sometimes inscrutable to the public, the first lady has slowly started to carve out a public role. She chose as a pet cause cyberbullying, warning that all adults are 'accountable' for it during a speech at the UN, where her husband blasted 'Rocket man' North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Three former Obama administration aides said the White House staff is fond of the first lady, who is used to dealing with household staff and caring in her interactions. She took months before moving to Washington from the Trump Tower penthouse she shared with her husband. A friend said she was unnerved by the constant watch of Secret Service agents and keen to keep her son, Barron, sheltered from the attention of his position. Barron Trump made a rare appearance when his father pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys by tradition. Statement by Melania Trump's spokeswoman on Vanity Fair report 'Once again part of the liberal media, this time Vanity Fair, has written a story riddled with unnamed sources and false assertions,' according to the statement. 'As a magazine tailored to women it is shameful that they continue to write salacious and false stories meant to demean Mrs. Trump, rather than focus on her positive work as First Lady and a supportive wife and mother,' the spokeswoman continued. 'As has been stated on the record many times before, she is honored by her role.' A former West Wing aide said Melania Trump's 'focus' has been on son Barron Trump's school, and an East Wing aide said that aside from those school events, she does not spend much time away from the White House.' Advertisement She was already used to drivers and security from her time being married to a billionaire public figure, ''but now you have the Secret Service outside your door,' said the friend. She is the first ever third wife of a president to occupy the post, which carries informal duties but no constitutional role. She works out of a corner office in the East Wing that is 'very elegant, with antique furniture,' and is staffed by only half the people who aided first lady Michelle Obama. At the beginning of her time as first lady, it was 'not pleasant,' said Paolo Zampolli, the longtime friend who introduced the couple two decades ago. 'I don't think you can come up with a conspiracy theory that she is not that happy. She is the First Lady of the United States. Come on!' he told Vanity Fair. One friend told the publication it was 'old news' that the two live lives that are virtually separate. During a trip to Rome, the first lady got special attention from Pope Francis, who made a quip about potica, a special Slovenian bread. ''He was very friendly with her and not with the rest of the family,' said someone briefed on the trip. Pope Francis meets United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the Apostolic Palace on May 24, 2017 in Vatican City, Vatican. The President Trump will return on Italy on Friday attending the Group of 7 Summit in Sicily HARD TO READ: First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump (C-L) draws a calligraphy with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife Akie Abe (not seen) during a calligraphy class of 4th graders at the Kyobashi Tsukiji Elementary School in Tokyo on November 6, 2017 President Donald Trump, left, and U.S. First Lady Melania Trump walk out of the South Portico of the White House to greet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, not pictured, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017 President Donald Trump, right, speaks to members of the media as First Lady Melania Trump stands before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017 ISIS fanatics are sharing a disturbing propaganda image threatening an attack on New York at Christmas time. The image shows Santa Claus standing on a low roof next to a box of dynamite looking out over a crowd of shoppers in Times Square. The poster has the words 'We meet at Christmas in New York... soon,' written across it in black on white. Warning: The propaganda poster shows Santa Claus looking out over a crowd of shoppers with the words; 'we meet at Christmas in New York... soon'. This is the latest chilling propaganda image warning of attacks during Christmas time across Europe. Terrorists using encrypted communication channels have been sharing posters of London's Regent Street decked out in Christmas lights, and Paris' Eiffel Tower with a Christmas markets in the foreground. Images of jihadists and blood have been superimposed on the holiday scenes, with a message in English, French, and German stating: 'Soon on your holidays'. Earlier today a poster emerged showing a terrorist overlooking St Peter's Square in the Vatican with rocket launcher, along with a message urging extremists: 'Do not hold back with your blood, the reward is paradise.' The message warned that 'the crusaders' feast is approaching', alluding to a Christmas attack the Catholic church's holy city. Chilling: Another poster shared on encrypted channels show Santa kneeling in front of a terrorist with London's Regent Street in the background One poster shows a jihadi with a bloody knife looking out over a Christmas market with the Eiffel Tower in the background and the message 'soon in your holidays' Further threats: ISIS fanatics have also urged jihadists to attack Rome in an online poster showing a wolf overlooking St Peter's Square 'Their convoys will crowd itself in front of you prepare and plan for them show them the meaning of terrorism.' Last week, a poster was shared online showing a masked figure driving towards St Peter's Basilica in the with a gun and a backpack inside his car. At the top of the poster is the message 'Christmas blood' with the line 'so wait...' written in red underneath. The propaganda images are a chilling reminder of the terror attack on a Berlin Christmas Market last year. Instructed by ISIS, Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri drove a truck into the crowds at the Christmas Market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin on December 19. A dozen people died, including the original driver of the truck who was shot by Amri when he hijacked the vehicle, and 56 others were injured. The extended family of Meghan Markle have begun congratulating the 36-year-old, after waking up to the news of her engagement to Prince Harry. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com from her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Roslyn Markle, the mother of Meghan's half-siblings, said: 'That's absolutely wonderful news. 'I'm really happy for them and I hope they'll be happy together and have a great life.' Of the spring wedding date, Roslyn added: 'That will be so nice.' Meghan and Harry, 33, announced their engagement this morning, via a statement from Kensington Palace. Scroll down for video Royal Engagement: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finally announced their engagement after weeks of fevered speculation on Monday. The royal couple made their first public appearance hours after breaking the news in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace Princess wave: Harry and Meghan were beaming during their first, but brief, public appearance. The wedding is expected to take place in spring 2018, with May considered the likeliest date for the nuptials And on Monday, the newly-engaged couple made their first official appearance on British TV to talk about their whirlwind 16-month relationship. Roslyn, 72, was married to Meghan's father Thomas Markle between 1968 and 1976 and is the mother of his two eldest children: Samantha Grant, 53, and Thomas Markle Jr, 51. Asked how she thinks Meghan will cope with the transition from actress to princess, Roslyn said: 'Meghan is very well educated. 'She's worked in a professional, public life forever. She's been in the TV industry forever. She's very well educated and she's had a lot of exposure to the public. 'She's going to be just fine.' Roslyn's comments come in the wake of an official statement from Meghan's parents released this morning by Kensington Palace. In the message, Markle Sr, 73, and Doria Ragland, 61, said: 'We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. 'Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for both parents. Rosyln Markle (left), 72, the first wife of Thomas Markle (pictured with Meghan right) commented on the couple's big news, and said she is 'really happy for them' Roslyn was married to Thomas Markle (pictured) between 1968 and 1976 and is the mother of his two eldest children Samantha Grant, 53, and Thomas Markle Jr, 51 'We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future.' Harry's own family have also spoken of their delight at the news of the engagement, with Prince Charles the first to congratulate his youngest son via a message issued by Clarence House. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also congratulated the happy couple, releasing a short official statement that read: 'We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together.' The wedding is expected to take place in spring 2018, with May considered the likeliest date for the nuptials. A 17-year-old Danish girl who offered to fight for Islamic State was sentenced on Monday to eight years in prison by the Danish high court for planning bomb attacks on two schools, one of them Jewish. The high court on Friday found the girl - who was 15 years old at the time - guilty of the offences, upholding an earlier district court ruling. The district court had initially sentenced her to six years in jail. The high court on Friday found the girl - who was 15 years old at the time - guilty of the offences, upholding an earlier district court ruling (stock photo) The prosecutor had called for her to sentenced to preventive detention indefinitely. Earlier this year a court in Holbaek heard that she had written notes about planning to carry out attacks in both her former primary school in Farevejle and in a Jewish school in Copenhagen. The girl, who cannot be named, was arrested last year in her home in a village 40 miles west of Copenhagen after her family alerted the police about suspicious chemical experiments in the basement. The court said in a statement that investigators found a range of chemicals purchased at a Danish cosmetic chain store. The girl, who cannot be named, was arrested last year in her home in a village 40 miles west of Copenhagen after her family alerted the police about suspicious chemical experiments in the basement (stock photo) Experts said the ingredients she had gathered to produce the high explosive acetone peroxide (TATP) were not enough to build a dangerous bomb, but the court underlined her criminal intent and motivations in the ruling. Police who searched the residence found a handwritten note with the words 'Allahu Akbar!' (God is greatest), a date, and the address of the Jewish school in Copenhagen A second note was marked 'bomb attack on the infidels' and gave the address of her own school near Holbaek, a town west of the capital. She also wrote about her sympathies to ISIS in her notes and tried to contact its leaders via Twitter. She was convicted of 'attempting a terrorist act' and initially sentenced to six years in jail. In February 2015, a gunman killed two people in shooting attacks at a debating event and a Copenhagen synagogue before being shot dead by police. A Miss Universe judge caused controversy after opting to only follow fellow Latina contestants on social media - leading to fears of biased scores. Lele Pons was scolded by show bosses for her decision - which garnered even more attention when Miss Colombia, one of only three contestants she followed - came second. Pons, a Venezuelan-American YouTube blogger, was found to be only following Miss Mexico, Miss Venezuela and Miss Colombia - which some feared meant they were at an advantage. Scroll down for video A Miss Universe judge caused controversy after opting to only follow fellow Latina contestants on social media. Lele Pons was scolded by show bosses for her decision - which garnered even more attention when Miss Colombia, one of only three contestants she followed, came second Popular vlogger Pons, who makes videos online sending up pop culture, was told by show execs to unfollow the Latina contestants in order to ensure fairness for all entrants. Lele protested, according to TMZ, arguing that as a Latina woman she naturally followed the people she was most interested in. Despite this, Pons was ordered to unfollow the three and seemingly complied - no longer following runner up Miss Colombia and the two other entrants from South and Central America. Meanwhile, Miss South Africa, who was held at gunpoint a month after being named the nation's beauty queen, eventually took the overall crown. Pons, a Venezuelan-American YouTube blogger, was found to be only following Miss Mexico, Miss Venezuela and Miss Colombia - which some feared meant they were at an advantage. Miss Colombia, Laura Hernandez (center), came second overall Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who recently earned a business management degree and teaches self-defense courses for women, was crowned Sunday during the event at the Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Her passion for self-defense was reinforced when she was carjacked and held at gunpoint in Johannesburg about a month after winning her title as Miss South Africa. The 22-year-old winner has earned a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign among other prizes. Miss South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters who was held at gunpoint a month after being named the nation's beauty queen, eventually took the overall crown In June, about a month after she was crowned Miss South Africa, Nel-Peters was the victim of a vicious armed hijacking attempt in Johannesburg. Three armed men approached her car as she was driving on Jan Smuts Avenue in Hyde Park. As they pointed their guns at the beauty queen's car she managed to exit the vehicle and flee. A Good Samaritan saw her fleeing the scene and drove her to safety, and she escaped unharmed. Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (left) and runner up Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez (right) in the swimsuit portion Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Miss South Africa 2017 is congratulated by fellow contestants after being crowned Miss Universe New Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (left) is crowned by her predecessor Iris Mittenaere of France on Sunday According to a statement from the Miss South Africa office, her purse and car were later recovered in the area by a private security company, which are common in the crime-ridden country. This year's Miss Universe competition had the most contestants ever, including the first ever representatives of Cambodia, Laos and Nepal. Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the 66-year-old competition. Republican leaders trying to reach majority support for their tax cut must contend with another conservative who is raising objections, after Montana Sen. Steve Daines raised concerns about how it would affect 'Main Street.' Another Republican senator, Ron Johnson of Ohio, has already said he is a 'no' on the bill because of the way it advantages corporations over so-called 'pass-throughs,' business who file as individuals and miss off on some of the savings in the 'massive' $1.5 trillion cut. 'Sen. Daines has concerns with how the tax bill looks at main street versus large corporations,' an aide to the senator said, The Hill reported. 'The Senator wants changes to the tax cut bill that ensure main street businesses are not put at a competitive disadvantage against large corporations.' Daines, a Budget Committee member, linked his support to the issue. 'Before I can support this bill, this improvement needs to be made.' President Donald Trump has promised to 'give the American people a huge tax cut for Christmas' but the politics are getting tough on Capitol Hill as Republicans defect Republicans need a simple majority to get the bill through the Senate this week, but with only 52 Republicans can only afford to lose two. Vice President Mike Pence can break a tie. President Trump hailed the bill as 'a tremendous tax cut' and 'the biggest tax reduction in the history of our country' on Monday. 'I think we're going to have great receptivity. We've had great spirit,' the president said. 'And I can tell you, the Republican senators who are up, if we win we are going to get some Democratic senators who are joining us. If we don't win they wont be joining us,' he predicted. NOT THERE YET: Conservative Sen. Steve Daines has voiced concerns about the bill 'But if we win I think we'll probably going to have a bipartisan bill because a number of people are going to come over. But I'm not so interested in that. We're really interested in getting it passed.' A new Congressional Budget Office score estimates that "(t)he number of people with health insurance would decrease by 4 million in 2019 and 13 million in 2027' under the bill due to its removal of an Obamacare individual mandate. That provision has drawn criticism from Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, although it could get removed if needed to lock down enough votes. Trump and Senate Republicans scrambled Monday to make changes to a Republican tax bill in an effort to win over holdout GOP senators and pass a tax package by the end of the year. Senate Finance Committee chairman Orrin Hatch (center-right) told reporters that he 'hopes' to have a tax relief plan on Trump's desk by Christmas, and that he's confident the GOP can find 50 votes to pass it Key GOP members of the Senate Finance Committee emerged from the White House after a lunch meeting with the president sounding optimistic but frustrated by the lack of cooperation from across the partisan aisle. 'I just hope they get off their duffs and start working with us rather than going and blocking everything we come up with,' Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch told reporters outside the West Wing. Hatch insisted there is no 'Plan B,' telling DailyMail.com that he has 'the right plan to go ahead with,' and 'we intend to get to 50' votes,' the threshold for passing a bill with Vice President Mike Pence serving as the tiebreaker. Asked if the Senate will get the job done by Christmas, he said: 'I hope so!' In a morning tweet, the president said, 'With just a few changes, some mathematical, the middle class and job producers can get even more in actual dollars and savings.' Trump and Senate leaders are trying to balance competing demands, as some senators fear the package would add to the nation's mounting debt, while others want more generous tax breaks for businesses. In a boost for the legislation, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he would back the measure. The president said in the afternoon that 'if we win we'll get some Democratic senators joining us.' 'I think it's going to benefit everybody,' he said. Despite a pronouncement from the Congressional Budget Office that the Republican bill would represent a net tax hike on some middle-income Americans, Hatch insisted he's staying the course. 'I don't think they're right,' he said of the notoriously scattershot and off-target CBO. Trump suggested he is open to making unspecified changes to the way millions of 'pass-through' businesses are taxed, a sticking point for some lawmakers. These are businesses in which profits are passed onto the owners, who report the income on their individual tax returns. The vast majority of U.S. businesses, big and small, are taxed this way. Trump came back to Washington on Sunday night with the first lady and Barron after spending Thanksgiving in Florida On Monday outside the White House, Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman told reporters that he sees 'growing momentum' for broad tax relief, 'and I am confident that we're going to get this done soon.' Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, another Republican, cast the GOP's approach as a family-friendly salve for Americans living on society's financial margins. He said his goal is to help 'those folks who are working hard every single day , oftentimes paycheck to paycheck, who feel invisible.' 'They feel like they're working their tails off and no one is paying attention.' Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson has already declared his opposition to the current bill, saying it doesn't cut business taxes enough for these types of partnerships and corporations. Johnson gets substantial income from such companies, including a manufacturer he helped found in Wisconsin and a commercial real estate company, according to his financial disclosure statements. Trump and Republicans have set as a vital political goal the passage of tax overhaul legislation by the end of the year. The House recently passed a $1.5 trillion bill. Senate GOP leaders hope to muscle their bill through this week. Trump was meeting Monday with five members of the Senate Finance Committee who are on board with the GOP plan. He will travel to Capitol Hill Tuesday to lobby Republican senators personally. Republicans have only two votes to spare in the Senate, where they hold a 52-48 edge. Their package blends a sharp reduction in top corporate and business tax rates with more modest relief for individuals. Democrats say the package would mainly help corporations and the rich. Their argument was bolstered by a new congressional analysis that says the Senate bill would leave many low- and middle-income families worse off, while the wealthy would get big benefits. The analysis was done by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In signaling his support, Paul wrote in an op-ed for Fox News: 'I'm not getting everything I want far from it. But I've been immersed in this process. I've fought for and received major changes for the better - and I plan to vote for this bill as it stands right now.' On Monday outside the White House, Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman told reporters that he sees 'growing momentum' for broad tax relief, 'and I am confident that we're going to get this done soon' Holdouts include Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has objected to a provision in the Senate bill repealing the requirement under the 'Obamacare' program that everyone have health insurance. Collins has said that issue should be dealt with separately from the effort to overhaul the tax code. GOP Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona worry that the package will add to the nation's mounting debt. Corker's office said he spent the Thanksgiving weekend on the phone with Senate colleagues and administration officials trying to find a path forward. GOP leaders are working with on a potential revenue 'backstop' in case the party's tax cut legislation fails to produce hoped-for levels of growth and tax receipts. Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said he and other Republicans are working on 'just-in-case options' to add to the measure during Senate floor debate this week. He appears to be talking about a mechanism that could automatically force tax rates back up if revenues fall short. Last week Trump promised to 'give the American people a huge tax cut for Christmas.' On Monday he predicted it would be 'the biggest tax cut in the history of the country. You'll have to pay a lot less tax.' A popular high school teenager was killed when a drunk driver smashed into her grandparents car on Thanksgiving. Rhyan Moody was being dropped off by her grandparents after enjoying dinner at their Lake Worth, Texas, home on Thursday when a speeding car T-boned them doing 68mph, in a 40mph zone. The 14-year-old died almost instantly from blunt force head trauma, caused by the horrific crash, her autopsy revealed. Rhyan Moody (pictured) was killed when a drunk driver smashed into her grandparents car on Thanksgiving Rhyan (left and right) was a popular freshman and cheerleader at Colleyville Heritage High School Her grandparents suffered several broken bones and other injuries but survived. Jose Victor Chaparro-Saenz was arrested at the scene and has been charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest. An Immigration hold has also been placed on him. Lake Worth Police Department told the DailyMail.com that he'd sped through a red light in his Maroon Ford Expedition collided with a black 2015 Chrysler 300 as the Chrysler attempted to turn northbound onto the Highway 820 service road. Rhyan's family have been left heartbroken by her loss. 'She was truly an outstanding young woman,' 53-year-old Gaines Johnson, her stepfather, told the Star Telegram. Jose Victor Chaparro-Saenz (pictured) was arrested at the scene and has been charged with manslaughter, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest The crash occurred in the 5900 block of Azle Avenue near the eastbound intersection of Interstate 820 (pictured) 'She was the nicest, most kind-hearted person to her family, friends and anyone who needed help,' said Johnson. 'This wasn't an accident. It was just a senseless, reckless and selfish act (by the other driver).' Rhyan was a popular freshman and cheerleader at Colleyville Heritage High School where her friends are mourning the teen. The school has made counselors available for students in the wake of the tragedy. Colleyville Heritage High School principal, Dr. Lance Groppel, emailed students' parents on Friday with 'an incredibly heavy heart' to let them know that Rhyan had died. 'This is something that can be difficult for young people to process, so please take the time to talk with your student about this tragedy. As one parent to another, please take this opportunity to hug your children a little tighter. I know I certainly will.' Online, friends and family have been paying tribute to the promising young student. 'She was truly an outstanding young woman,' said 53-year-old Gaines Johnson, her stepfather (pictured) On Saturday night, nearly 1,000 people turned up for a vigil held in Rhyan's memory at a local church Her grandparents suffered several broken bones and other injuries but survived Grieving friends and family listened to tributes to the teenager Salina Friend, who described Rhyan as being 'like a daughter to me', said her family was 'devasted, heartbroken, and cannot fathom the pain her family is feeling. 'Please keep the Moody/Penrod family in your prayers. Please pray for our community, the CHHS students, and for our family.(sic)' Ky Mellado wrote: 'Feel SOOO Blessed to Have All The Memories we've made Growing Up. You Taught Me how to Be Fair, how to Laugh No Matter how Bad Some Situations or Problems Can Be. You Grew into Such a Beautiful Woman but Every time I See a Photo of You I Still Always See The Same Compassionate, LightHearted, Pure & Adorable Spark that Made You My Beloved RhyRhy..(sic)' Rhyan's cousin Tiffanie Ruhmann also urged anyone drinking and driving to reconsider. She said that, 'because of that drunk driver, her family my family and her friends or me will only have the sweet sweet memorys of her and live in grief forever so please next time you go out to have some drinks with your friends or party or whatever Please remember Rhyan my 14 year old cousin before you drive home please make the right decision. (sic)' Classmates at Colleyville Heritage High School (pictured) are mourning the teen Friends and family have been paying tribute to the promising young student whose life was snatched away Other's have been using Rhyan's story as a message to stop drinking and driving On Saturday night, nearly 1,000 people turned up for a vigil held in Rhyan's memory at a local church, CBS reported. Johnson said he hoped the service could begin the healing process. 'We had almost 1,000 people turn out for the vigil,' said Johnson. 'We just wanted to help her friends and others parents (at the high school and cheerleading team) who may have been wondering what happened get some closure. It will take some time to heal, but for us as a family we'll never get over it. There will always be a hole.' A funeral a service will be held at Greenwood Funeral Homes and Cremation in Fort Worth at 11am Tuesday and she will be buried at the Compass Church in Colleyville. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover funeral costs and the family are planning to work with the Colleyville Heritage High School to establish a non-profit organization and scholarship fund in her honor. Civil War bonds and old advertising posters are among the long-forgotten artifacts found in a mysterious vault at the New Hampshire Statehouse on Monday. The six-by-10-foot space is at the top of a narrow spiral staircase in a room that served as the state treasury in the 1800s and later as the single location of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Today, it's assigned to the Senate Finance Committee. Inside were shelves of state treasury records, old posters promoting New Hampshire tourism, and state hospital records, to name a few. Civil War bonds (pictured), state treasury records, state hospital records and old advertising posters are among the long-forgotten artifacts found in a mysterious vault at the New Hampshire Statehouse on Monday Officials originally thought the vault, manufactured in 1884, had been locked since the 1950s, but boxes of financial documents from the 1970s were among the items found. According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, House Speaker Shawn Jasper has been pushing for years to have the centuries-old vault in Room 103 at the State House broken into. The door was opened at 10am as schedule in front of an audience that included lawmakers, staffers and interested members of the public. 'There is stuff in there well over a century old,' House Chief of Staff Terry Pfaff told the newspapers. Among the items were cancelled $500 war bonds from 1861, issued by Nashua Trust, and records of general obligation bonds from the 1930s. 'These are things that could have been lost forever. It sounds like someone messed up the combination, which is why it remained locked for so many years,' he said. Officials originally thought the vault, manufactured in 1884, had been locked since the 1950s, but boxes of financial documents from the 1970s were among the items found. Most of the material will end up in the State Archive (Pictured, House Chief of Staff Terry Pfaff, left, and House Speaker Shawn Jasper inspect a book found in the vault) The six-by-10-foot space is at the top of a narrow spiral staircase in a room that served as the state treasury in the 1800s and later as the single location of the Department of Motor Vehicles at the New Hampshire Statehouse (pictured) Most of the material will end up in the State Archive, although Pfaff said some items could be put on display at the State House in the Visitors Center 'I think the contents are pretty exciting,' he said. 'I was expecting to find nothing, so to go in and find Civil War records of who purchased war bonds, a lot of documents on highway funds and the state hospital there's a lot of information in there that probably doesn't exist anywhere else. It's a nice find.' Senate President Chuck Morse didn't attend, but played a bit of a joke on House Speaker Shawn Jasper by having a photo of himself slipped into the vault. Morse had not been keen on the idea of opening the safe with such fanfare. A local council has defended its move to cut send out workers to cut grass completely covered in snow - claiming that their residents had asked them to do it. The footage shows a handful of workers in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk trying their best to mow verges of grass next to a road using strimmers. The video has now been shared widely on social media, with many simply not believing what they were watching. A group of council workers are seen trying to mow two roadside verges of grass which is covered in snow Another worker on the other side of the road seems to have made inroads into cutting the snow - although the grass looks A spokesman for the Mayor, Alyona Buynova, said: 'There were a number of requests from the residents, we had to act on those. What norms are we violating? We simply cut the grass.' But netizen 'Olga Suvorova' pointed out: 'People asked you to mow the lawn in summer, and you are doing it in winter! 'I think that snow might have the magical ability to make local communal services active again...' And 'Daler Usmanov' added: 'Yeah, they do a good job. Fulfilling the requests from the summer in the winter time.' Krasnoyarsk is the third biggest city in Siberia and was judged as the most beautiful by the writer Anton Chekhov. Homeless Joseph Isaacs (court sketch, pictured) appeared at Taunton Magistreates' Court today A homeless man has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of a D-Day veteran in a vicious hammer attack on his own doorstep. Jim Booth, 96, who has been described by his family as an 'exceptional person', was taken to hospital in a potentially life-threatening condition on Wednesday. Joseph Isaacs, of no fixed address, who is also accused of aggravated burglary in relation to the incident, appeared at Taunton Magistrates' Court. The court heard in relation to the burglary charge, Isaacs was accused of stealing a NatWest debit card and a Santander cheque and of having a claw hammer with him. Isaacs, 39, who spoke to confirm his name and date of birth, was remanded in custody to appear at Taunton Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on December 22. Mr Booth, who was awarded a Croix de Guerre military medal by the French for his gallantry during the Second World War, suffered serious injuries to his head and body during an attack at his home in Taunton. In a statement released on Saturday through Avon and Somerset Police, his family said Mr Booth was growing 'a little stronger each day' and that they were now focusing on the 'long' process of his recovery. Jim Booth (pictured), 96, who has been described by his family as an 'exceptional person', was taken to hospital in a potentially life-threatening condition on Wednesday Mr Booth, a Sub Lieutenant, was sole survivor of a 10-man team that spent five days in two mini-submarines, half a mile underwater, guiding Allied landing craft to Sword beach on D-Day In 2015 Jim danced with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during the 70th Anniversary commemorations of VJ Day at the Royal British Legion reception in the College Gardens of Westminster Abbey They said: 'He is the head of the family, a dearly-loved father to his four children and adored by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, to whom he's simply known as The Legend. 'He is, and always has been, our own family hero.' Mr Booth joined the Royal Navy as a seaman at the age of 18, serving throughout the war and becoming part of the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP), based on a wartime military base set up on Hayling Island. On D-Day, he climbed into a fold-up canoe and shone a beacon out to sea to guide Allied craft safely to shore. The 96-year-old was left with life-threatening injuries to his head and body when he was savagely attacked on the doorstep of his own bungalow (pictured) Mr Booth, pictured in a collect photograph from his service dadys, and his fleet spied on Nazi troops and shone across the sea to guide Allied forces away from treacherous rocks In July 2015, Mr Booth laid a wreath beside one placed by the Prince of Wales at a service on Hayling Island to pay tribute to those who served in the COPP. The following month, he joined Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at a reception in the grounds of Westminster Abbey. During the party, which was hosted by the Royal British Legion, Mr Booth took to the floor for a dance with Camilla. Critics who are already writing Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner's political obituary were treated to a rebuttal Monday when Kushner was seen at the Jordanian ambassador's residence to talk Middle East peace. Kushner was pictured alongside Jordan's King Abdullah, a mainstay of U.S. peace efforts and a significant regional ally, outside the Jordanian ambassador's residence Monday in Washington. Kushner's continued engagement in a high-profile, if intractable issue, comes after Thanksgiving weekend reports that Ivanka Trump's husband has been marginalized in White House turf battles and sidelined by firm-handed White House chief of staff John Kelly. Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, left, and Jared Kushner, center right, arrive at the Jordanian Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C., Monday, Nov. 27, 2017 In one of those reports, Kelly told colleagues 'Jared works for me,' the New York Times reported, in an anecdote meant to show the new pecking order for an official who previously had virtually unlimited access to President Trump. The Washington Post also reported that Kushner was both close to power and 'marginalized' in the White House, noting that he flew commercial to Saudi Arabia last month, meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but failed to get a heads-up on the imminent royal purge. Kushner told the paper: 'We're here to stay. At the current moment, we're charging forward. He added: 'My wife asked me the other day if we should be looking at new houses, so that's a good sign.' Kushner and Ivanka Trump moved to Washington and took unpaid jobs in the White House, on what was first described as a six-month trial that required them to find new schools for their young children. Jared Kushner departs his home in Washington, D.C. at 8:06 am EST, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, after weekend reports about his loss of influence ROUGH DRAFT?: Jared Kushner talks with Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein as they depart the Jordanian Ambassador's residence in Washington, D.C., Monday 'During the campaign, I was more like a fox than a hedgehog. I was more of a generalist having to learn about and master a lot of skills quickly,' Kushner said. 'When I got to D.C., I came with an understanding that the problems here are so complex and if they were easy problems, they would have been fixed before and so I became more like the hedgehog, where it was more taking issues you care deeply about, going deep and devoting the time, energy and resources to trying to drive change,' he said. Outside of his policy pursuits, which include heading an Office of American Innovation, Kushner has attracted unwanted attention due to multiple disclosure failures, including on his form to get a government security clearance. President Donald Trump, right, and King Abdullah II of Jordan arrive to a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, April 5, 2017 Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L), U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L), Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2nd R) and King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein (R) of Jordan pose for a family photo during the Arabic Islamic American Summit at King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 21, 2017 Monday is the deadline for Kushner to turn over WikiLeaks emails to the Senate Judiciary Committee, under terms set by the committee after it learned he was forwarded emails that he did not turn over. When Kelly took over, he made sure officials including Kushner had to go through or inform him to see the president. Kushner defended the order in the Post interview. 'The order allows this place to function,' Kushner said. 'My number one priority is a high-functioning White House because I believe in the president's agenda, and I think it should get executed.' He continues to focus on trade issues with a focus on China. A White House official says President Donald Trump will not campaign for Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore before the Dec. 12 special election. The official spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity, but put to rest any notion that Trump would stump for the embattled nominee. Moore stands accused of fondling a 14-year-old girl decades ago, and of trying to 'date' other teen girls who were above the age of consent in Alabama when he was in his thirties. DailyMail.com asked Trump last Wednesday whether he would personally campaign for Moore, and he punted the question, saying he would have an answer 'next week.' Scroll down for videos Donald Trump, pictured returning to the White House Sunday evening with first lady Melania Trump, will not campaign for embattled Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore Moore stands accused of sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl four decades ago, and of 'dating' 16- and 17-year old girls while he was in his thirties Trump has leaned heavily on Moore's denials of the allegations facing him. He all but endorsed the candidate last week, attacking Democratic nominee Doug Jones as a liberal who would work against his legislative priorities. 'Roy Moore denies it And by the way, he totally denies it,' Trump said last week, responding to DailyMail.com's questions as he left the White House for his private Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The president has declined to follow the path of other mainstream Republican leaders who have called on Moore to step aside. Republican lawmakers are considering expelling Moore should he win the seat. The president continued his attacks on Jones over the weekend, writing on Twitter that '[t]he last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is WEAK on Crime, WEAK on the Border, Bad for our Military and our great Vets, Bad for our 2nd Amendment, AND WANTS TO RAISES TAXES TO THE SKY.' Trump followed that by reminding voters that he had backed incumbent Sen. Luther Strange in the state's Republican primary, but Strange lost to the far-right Moore. Trump talked to reporters on Nov. 21, saying he would delay a decision about campaigning for Moore for another week Trump suggested Democrat Doug Jones would raise 'taxes to the sky' if he won the Alabama Senate seat over embattled Republican Roy Moore He also reminded Americans that he didn't support Roy Moore in the special election's GOP primary, instead backing Alabama incumbent Sen. Luther Strange 'I endorsed Luther Strange in the Alabama Primary,' Trump wrote. 'He shot way up in the polls but it wasn't enough.' 'Can't let Schumer/Pelosi win this race,' Trump continued, name-dropping Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the Senate and House, respectively. 'Liberal Jones would be BAD!' Trump added. Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon is still expected to appear at an event with Moore on December 5, a week before the special election. Bannon and Trump split their endorsements in the special election with Bannon backing and campaigning for Moore and Trump picking Strange, who also had the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But Alabama Republicans went anti-establishment in their choice of Moore, a controversial judge who was twice removed from the state Supreme Court. Likely getting a bump from Trump, Moore has retaken the lead in the Alabama Senate race in two new polls. Moore has been accused of sexual assault by three different women, including one who was 14 at the time, and other sexual misconduct behavior by six others. He's denied the allegations and refused to leave the race, even after a number of high profile Republicans have said he should go. A woman has launched a damages claim in London after saying she was sexually assaulted by Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. Her lawyers said the claim was the first of its kind made against Mr Weinstein in the UK. They said the woman, who has not been identified, was likely to want more than 300,000. Paperwork outlining detail of the claim has been lodged at the High Court in London, lawyers said. They said no date had been fixed for any hearing. The claimant, who worked in the film industry, has accused Harvey Weinstein of sexually assaulting her numerous times in Britain and the US Solicitor Jill Greenfield, who represents the woman and works for law firm Fieldfisher, said her client was claiming damages for 'personal injury' plus expenses and 'consequential loss' arising out of 'a series of sexual assaults' by Mr Weinstein. She said claims have been made against Mr Weinstein, a Weinstein company based in London and a Weinstein company based in New York, and she had indicated that the alleged assaults happened 'many years ago'. A spokeswoman for Fieldfisher said she could not say whether the woman was British. Detail of the claim is listed on a claim form lodged at the High Court and dated November 23. The form says the woman suffered 'psychiatric damage' cause by 'intentional assault'. The woman is being represented by Miss Greenfield, who has previously won one of the highest ever payouts in a civil claim for rape. In 2006 she secured a 259,000 payment from the estate of Christopher Dawes, a millionaire who had lured Amanda Lawson to the island of Alderney with the promise of a job that never existed, then drugged and abused her. Weinstein, 65, 'sincerely apologised' for past behaviour following allegations of sexual harassment The woman in the High Court case has not yet made a complaint to the police but is expected to do so. She is said to remain traumatised by the attacks which allegedly took place after 2000, and has not discussed them with her family. In criminal courts, the prosecution has to prove the charges of sexual assault or any other offence to the standard of beyond all reasonable doubt. In civil cases, it is a matter of proving it on the balance of probabilities. The case is one of only a handful of civil claims for damages for rape to have been brought in the English courts. Weinstein denies any allegations of non-consensual sex. A spokesman for Weinstein said: 'Any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein. Mr Weinstein has further confirmed that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances. 'Mr Weinstein obviously can't speak to anonymous allegations, but with respect to any women who have made allegations on the record, Mr Weinstein believes that all of these relationships were consensual.' Earlier this year there were reports several women had come forward to allege serious sexual misconduct against the Hollywood mogul. In early October, Mr Weinstein, 65, 'sincerely apologised' for past behaviour following allegations of sexual harassment. He said, in a statement from a publicist, that he planned to take a 'leave of absence' from his business as he worked with therapists. Mr Weinstein has been behind some of the biggest Hollywood films of the past 25 years. He has been involved in the production of 20 films that have been nominated for the best picture Oscar, including the Lord Of The Rings finale The Return Of The King, Shakespeare In Love and The English Patient. Mr Weinstein and brother Bob Weinstein founded Miramax in 1979 and sold it to Disney in 1993. They continued to work for the firm until 2005 when they set up the Weinstein Company, which spawned hits including The King's Speech, Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook. In 2004 he was made an honorary CBE for his contribution to the British film industry. Georgia Police say a 12-year-old boy has been shot in the head by a 15-year-old family member and is critically wounded. Authorities told WALB-TV that the boy was hospitalized after the shooting Saturday night at a home in Thomasville, 300 block of East Monroe Street, in the southern part of the state. The young boy has been left with life threatening injuries after being shot in the head in a bedroom towards the rear of his home. Scroll down for video Police in Georgia say a 12-year-old boy has been shot in the head in his house by a 15-year-old family member in Thomasville, Georgia (the house pictured here) Thomasville Police Capt. Maurice Holmes says the shooting is 'being investigated as an assault type of incident,' and the place has been taped off Thomasville Police Capt. Maurice Holmes says the shooting is 'being investigated as an assault type of incident.' He added that the 15-year-old boy is being held at Regional Youth Detention Center on several charges, including theft by receiving stolen property, reckless conduct and possession of a firearm by a minor. Police are treating the handgun used in the shooting as stolen property. Capt. Maurice Holmes, with the Thomasville Police Department said 'you're talking about a 12-year-old. 'I've done a lot of living since I was 12-years-old and to think just the possibility of this child not being able to have that opportunity, it's disheartening' Jamahni Williams, who is the victims brother, wasn't there when it happened, but says the two boys involved in the shooting were close relatives, reported WCTV. 'I just don't think it was supposed to happen,' Williams said. 'Just have to pray and rely on faith.' According to the young boy's neighbor Demaurier Diggs, 11, 'there was a lot of the tape that says do not cross and there were a lot of people talking about the shooting,' Apparently Demaurier Diggs and the 12-year-old victim who was shot are very good friends: 'It's sad. He was the only person I could play with' Apparently Diggs and the 12-year-old boy who was shot are very good friends: 'It's sad. He was the only person I could play with,' Diggs said. He added: 'I hope he gets better.' Diggs' 6-year-old sister, Jamyia Mitchell, also chimed in saying 'I love him and pray for him.' Capt. Maurice Holmes, with the Thomasville Police Department said 'you're talking about a 12-year-old. 'I've done a lot of living since I was 12-years-old and to think just the possibility of this child not being able to have that opportunity, it's disheartening.' The boys' identities weren't released because they are juveniles but police are working with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in a probe of the shooting. Ronald Felton, 60, has been identified as the latest victim. He was on his way to volunteer with the homeless when someone shot him The funeral was held for the latest victim of a suspected serial killer targeting a Tampa neighborhood. Ronald Felton, 60, was shot dead on November 14 as he was walking to volunteer at a food pantry at Seminole Heights - where the suspected killer has murdered at least four people since October. 'If you knew him, you seen his caring service; he was the Superman of service,' one man said at the service, according to FOX 13 Tampa. 'I was the supervisor at the food bank, but he was the one in charge.' His family members said they are not mad at the person who took his life, but pleaded for the killing to stop. 'If you got a heart, please turn yourself in, that's all we want,' Felton's twin brother Reggie said. Police and residents have been on high alert since October when 22-year-old Benjamin Mitchell was shot to death. The funeral was held for Felton on Sunday. He is the latest victim of a suspected serial killer targeting a Tampa neighborhood, usually people travelling before sunrise Two days later, 32-year-old Monica Hoffa was murdered and on October 19, Anthony Naiboa, 20, was slain after taking the wrong bus home from his new job. The murders have left residents scared and city officials frustrated because there have been no arrests, despite a reward of more than $100,000 for information to help solve the case. The department has received some 1,100 tips. The mounted horse patrols in the neighborhood began on Friday and extend through the weekend. Ronald Felton, 60, was shot dead on November 14 as he was walking to volunteer at a food pantry at Seminole Heights - where the suspected killer has murdered at least four people since October Last week, Tampa police released new video of man they believe is behind the murders. Cops shared the new footage of a the suspect stalking his 60-year-old victim early on Tuesday November 14 morning in the murder-plagued neighborhood. Police in Florida have all but confirmed that the man responsible for killing Mr Felton this week is also the same man who killed three people in a 10-day span last month. Police in Florida have all but confirmed that the man responsible for killing Mr Felton this week is also the same man who killed three people in a 10-day span last month Police Chief Brian Dugan says they haven't been able to connect all four murders to one suspect yet, but they believe the suspect of last Tuesday's shooting was at least responsible for the first murder on October 9 as well. 'We can't say this person has done all of the homicides,' Dugan said. 'But we are pretty convinced this person has committed at least two of them.' Cops shared the new footage of a the suspect stalking his 60-year-old victim early on Tuesday November 14 morning in the murder-plagued neighborhood On Wednesday, police released a video showing surveillance footage of the suspect in the first and fourth shootings. They show a man of a similar build and gait, walking around the neighborhood with his hood pulled up. 'That's why we're convinced, when you look at the (clothes) they way the person walks....we think that's our suspect,' Dugan said. Police finally have a profile of the suspect. He's described as a thin black male who is about 6' to 6'2' tall, with a light complexion. Law enforcement briefly placed the neighborhood on lockdown while they searched for the suspect Investigators believe that the suspect lives in the neighborhood, a working-class district that has been gentrifying. Police ask asking anyone with information about a possible suspect to come forward. The reward for information leading to the killer's arrest has been raised to $91,000 thanks to funds donated from the FBI. They also asked residents to check their gun safes to make sure their guns were accounted for, on the chance that a loved one is the killer and has been using one of their weapons. Police have also ordered residents to keep their porch lights on between the hours of 6pm and 6am, since the killer strikes under the cover of darkness. The most recent attack happened on Tuesday, at 4:51am. Ronald Felton was gunned down as he crossed the street on the way to feed the homeless at a local church. Police said the victim, a construction worker and father of three adult children, was crossing at Nebraska and Wilder when a man dressed in all black came up behind him and shot him. His murder, in the city's Seminole Heights neighborhood, is close to where three other people were murdered in apparently random shootings. Benjamin Mitchell became the first victim on October 9, when he was shot dead after getting off a bus in the neighborhood at night. Two days after Mitchell, 22, was shot, Monica Hoffa, 32, was gunned down. And on October 19, Anthony Naiboa, 20, was shot after taking the wrong bus home from his new job. Police patrolling nearby heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene to find Naiboa dead. A doctor has dropped dead in the bathroom of a hospital and was not found until several hours later. Investigators are trying to piece together how Miguel Crespo, 40, came to his death on the Upper East Side of New York after police officers said there were no signs of injury or trauma. Vomit was said to have been found next to his body after he had died at some stage during the day on the eighth floor of the Weill Cornell Medical Center at East 68th Street and York Avenue. Investigators are trying to piece together how Miguel Crespo (pictured), 40, came to his death on the Upper East Side of New York after police officers said there were no signs of injury or trauma His body was discovered at 3pm, according to the New York Post. Crespo's bio has him listed as a research associate in surgery at the center where he started work back in 2011 as the stem cell lab researching colon cancer. The center's spokeswoman Sarah Smith told the New York Daily News: 'Weill Cornell Medicine is saddened by the death of our colleague Miguel Crespo, PhD. 'We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.' Vomit was said to have been found next to his body after he had died at some stage during the day on the eighth floor of the Weill Cornell Medical Center (pictured) at East 68th Street and York Avenue Away from the hospital, Crespo was a part-time photographer and graphic designer. On his website, his mission statement reads: 'Throughout my life, I have relentlessly strived to capture the beauty in things I always felt the world has yet to discover - windows, shadows, reflections, the magic in the velvety light that projects on our eyes,' he wrote on his photo design website. 'I have always been mesmerized by the compassion, the emotion, and the meaning somebody's look can convey and inspire.' One of his neighbors Xoey Lee, 38, told NYDN he did not appear seem ill and said: 'He's always polite. He always says, "Hi".' With an estimated joint fortune of around 40 million, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are sure to pull out all the stops when they will tie the knot in a ceremony next spring. Harry was once considered one of the world's most eligible bachelors - charming and fun, with a fortune of nearly 40 million to boot. But the royal has now been snapped up by the equally desirable American actress Ms Markle, who boasts her own personal wealth of some 4 million. While Harry's fortune dwarfs that of the 36-year-old actress, it remains unclear whether they - or the British taxpayer - will foot the bill for the nuptials. Prince Harry has an estimated wealth of nearly 40 million, while his bride-to-be is worth some 4 million Harry and Meghan Markle will set up home in the prince's current apartment, Nottingham Cottage, at Kensington Palace Prince Harry earned his own salary as an officer and captain in the Army Air Corps until his departure from the service. Harry's official travel is funded through the Sovereign Grant, paid out of taxpayers' money, while the Prince of Wales uses his Duchy of Cornwall income - the landed estate created in the 14th century for heirs to the throne - in part to support Harry, and soon Ms Markle too. The duchy has assets worth more than 1billion and provides Prince Charles with an income of more than 20million a year. From 2016 to 2017, the Duchy of Cornwall paid around 3.6 million funding the activities of Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate Middleton, as well as other expenditures. Prince Charles may pick up most of the bill for his youngest son's wedding and reception, even if custom dictates otherwise. For the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding, the costs including the church service, music, flowers, decorations, reception and honeymoon were split between the Queen, the Prince of Wales and Kate Middleton's millionaire parents. But the taxpayer picked up the bill for security at the event, including the 5,000 police officers, and the clear-up operation on the streets afterwards, with reports suggesting the total cost to the taxpayer came to between 10 million and 20 million. Ms Markle, meanwhile, is worth around 4 million from film and TV work. She is predominantly known for her role as Rachel Zane in Suits, a role she has played for five years since 2011. She also starred in films including Horrible Bosses, and Remember Me. Ms Markle is worth around 4 million from film and TV work. She is predominantly known for her role as Rachel Zane in Suits, a role she has played for five years since 2011 The taxpayer will be expected to foot the bill for the stringent security measures at the couple's wedding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have appeared in public for the first time since announcing they will marry next year as the world glimpsed the American actress' engagement ring Harry and Meghan Markle will set up home in the prince's current apartment, Nottingham Cottage, at Kensington Palace. But they might find themselves the new owners of a country residence. After the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married, the Queen gifted them Anmer Hall, a 10-bedroom Grade II-listed mansion on the Sandringham estate, providing them with a bolt-hole in Norfolk. Harewood Park near Ross on Wye, which was renovated after being acquired by the Prince of Wales's Duchy of Cornwall in 2000, could be contender for Harry and Ms Markle. The last time the country witnessed a senior royal marry was when future king Prince William wed his former university flatmate Kate Middleton - so today's announcement was particularly exciting Prince Charles, is likely to pick up most of the bill for the Spring 2018 wedding and reception, even if custom dictates otherwise The Metropolitan Police will start planning immediately for the high-profile event. The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is severe. Extra officers will be drafted in to patrol the streets on the day amid tight security surrounding the chosen venue. Ms Markle will also have been assigned a royal bodyguard from the Metropolitan Police's Royalty and Specialist Protection Command. The last time the country witnessed a senior royal marry was when future king Prince William wed his former university flatmate Kate Middleton. Their nuptials - which took place on April 29 2011 in Westminster Abbey - were a grand affair featuring two dresses, two receptions, a carriage procession, flypasts and a balcony appearance. Nearly 25 million people in the UK tuned in to watch the live televised wedding ceremony, with the worldwide television audience estimated to be two billion. The 1981 wedding between Prince Charles and Diana Spencer was estimated to have cost 4m - which equates to around 12m today. Advertisement Meghan Markle revealed tonight how she said 'yes' immediately to Prince Harry after he proposed on one knee while they were cooking a roast dinner during a 'cosy night' in. In their first joint interview this evening, Miss Markle, 36, said she did not even wait for the 33-year-old royal to finish the sentence before she said 'yes' - and it was 'so sweet and natural and very romantic'. The couple, who had been in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace when the proposal happened, revealed that they first met on a blind date after being set up by a female friend - and have tried to see each other every two weeks. Harry added: 'I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly... All the stars were aligned - everything was just perfect. It was this beautiful woman just sort of literally tripped and fell into my life - I fell into her life.' Four weeks after they met, Harry persuaded Miss Markle to join him on a five-day break in Botswana. He said: 'We camped out with each other under the stars... which was absolutely fantastic.' Meghan Markle said 'yes' immediately to Prince Harry after he proposed on one knee while they were cooking dinner, the couple said today in their first joint interview The pair inspect Meghan's engagement ring, which includes a large diamond from Botswana, where they had one of their first dates together camping out under the stars Pointing at the ring, Prince Harry said: 'The little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewellery collection to make sure that she's with us on this - on this crazy journey together' In their first joint interview this evening, Miss Markle, 36, said she did not even wait for the 33-year-old royal to finish the sentence before she said 'yes' - and it was 'so sweet and natural and very romantic' The couple - who spoke to BBC presenter Mishal Husain today - said that Miss Markle has already met the Queen 'a couple of times', and the actress described the monarch as an 'incredible woman'. It was also revealed that Prince Harry had sought the permission of both of Miss Markle's parents, but that he had not yet met her father Thomas, having only spoken to him on the phone. HOW THEY MET They talked about their 16-month relationship and how they never went more than two weeks without seeing one another. Miss Markle said: 'I don't think that I would call it a whirlwind in terms of our relationship, obviously there have been layers attached to how public it has become after we had a good five, six months almost with just privacy, which was amazing. 'But no, I think we were able to really have so much time just to connect and we never went longer than two weeks without seeing each other, even though we were obviously doing a long distance relationship. So it's - we made it work.' The pair said they were introduced by a mutual female friend in July 2016, but declined to reveal her name. Harry told how they camped out under the stars in Botswana a few weeks after they met when Harry persuaded Miss Markle to join him on holiday. Harry said: 'Then it was I think about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. 'And we, we camped out with each other under the stars, we spent, she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic.' Miss Markle revealed how they took 'the time to be able to go on long country walks and just talk'. Miss Markle has met the Queen a couple of times and described her as an 'incredible woman'. THE PROPOSAL Speaking of the proposal, Harry said: 'It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us. Miss Markle added: 'Just a cosy night, it was - what we were doing just roasting chicken and having ...' Harry said he was 'roasting a chicken, trying to roast a chicken'. Meghan stares lovingly at Prince Harry as he explains how the couple were first introduced by a mystery woman and mutual friend to them both The couple said they were roasting chicken on a 'cosy night' in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in London a few weeks ago when Harry got down on one knee Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared at a photocall at London's Kensington Palace today The newly-engaged couple held hands as they posed for photographers at the palace today Fifth in line to the throne Harry has been dating the American actress since summer 2016 Miss Markle described it as 'just an amazing surprise. It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee.' She added: 'As a matter of fact I could barely let you finish proposing, I said - can I say yes now?' The pair are to marry in a church wedding in the spring next year. Harry revealed how they had 'hugs' after the proposal and he handed over the ring. Prince Harry said: 'She didn't even let me finish, she said 'can I say yes, can I say yes' and then were was hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like 'can I - can I give you the ring?' She goes - 'oh yes the ring'. 'So no it was - it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch - catch her by surprise as well.' THE RING Asked about the ring, Harry said: 'The ring is - is obviously yellow gold because that's what - her favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the - the little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewellery collection to make sure that she's with us on this - on this crazy journey together.' Miss Markle added: 'It's beautiful, and he designed it, it's incredible.' And Harry said: 'Yeah, make sure it stays on that finger.' PRINCESS DIANA Asked what it meant to Miss Markle to have stones on her finger that once belonged to Princess Diana, she said: 'I think everything about Harry's thoughtfulness is - and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mom it's so important to me to - to know that she's a part of this with us. 'And I think in being able to meet his aunts and - and also like Julia and just different people who were so important to his mom, I'm able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him. 'And it's - it's incredibly special. And you know to be able to have this which sort of links where you come from and Botswana which is important to us and it's - it's perfect.' Harry was then asked what he believed his mother would have thought of Miss Markle. He replied: 'Oh they'd be thick as thieves, without question, I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, you know so excited for me, but then, as I said, would have probably been best friends - best friends with Meghan. 'So no it's - you know it is days like - days like today when - when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. But you know with the ring and with everything else that's going on I'm sure she's...' Miss Markle then interjected: 'She's with us.' - and Harry said: 'I'm sure she's with us yeah, you know, jumping up and down somewhere else.' Their 16-month whirlwind romance blossomed when they met through mutual friends The couple will live together in Harry's current home, Nottingham Cottage at the palace Miss Markle showed off her sparkling engagement ring, which Harry designed himself, made from two diamonds which belonged to his late beloved mother Diana, Princess of Wales Miss Markle is expected to become a duchess - just like Kate Middleton did six years ago QUEEN AND THE CORGIS It was also disclosed that she had become a firm favourite with the corgis. Describing being introduced to the Queen, Harry's grandmother, Miss Markle said: 'It's incredible, I think, you know, to be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honour and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother. 'All of those layers have been so important for me so that when I met her I had such a deep understanding and of course incredible respect for being able to have that time with her. And we've had a really - she's, she's an incredible woman.' Harry added: 'And the corgis took to you straight away.' To which Miss Markle replied: 'That's true.' Harry joked: 'I've spent the last 33 years being barked at - this one walks in, absolutely nothing.' Miss Markle, who has two dogs herself, said: 'Just laying on my feet during tea. It was very sweet.' Harry added: 'Just wagging tails - and I was just like, argh.' WILLIAM AND KATE Miss Markle said the Duchess of Cambridge had been 'wonderful' to her, while Harry said both William and Kate had been 'amazing'. Harry talked about how he kept the relationship secret before introducing Miss Markle to his brother and sister-in-law.'It was exciting, I mean I've - you know, I'd been seeing her for a period of time when I literally didn't tell anybody at all. The pair were secretly engaged this month, and Harry took Miss Markle to meet the Queen Harry and Miss Markle may be invited to spend Christmas with his grandmother the Queen The royal family have flocked to congratulate the happy couple after the announcement 'And then William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know, being our neighbours, we managed to get that in a couple of, well, quite a few times now, and Catherine has been absolutely amazing, as has William as well, you know, fantastic support.' Miss Markle said of Kate: 'She's been wonderful.' Harry spoke of the support his family had given him. 'The family together have been absolutely, you know, a solid support, and my grandparents as well have been, have been wonderful throughout this whole process, and they've known for quite some time,' he said. Harry, 33, and Miss Markle, 36, appeared at a photocall at Kensington Palace in London this afternoon and their royal wedding will take place next spring. Fifth in line to the throne Harry has been dating the American actress - who found fame in the US legal drama Suits - since the summer of last year. Their 16-month whirlwind romance blossomed when they met through mutual friends in London, and the pair have been almost inseparable in recent months. The couple will live together in Harry's current home, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, and Miss Markle will become an HRH and a senior royal. She is expected to become a duchess - just like Kate Middleton did when she became the Duchess of Cambridge after saying her vows in 2011. Miss Markle will most probably become HRH the Duchess of Sussex, if Harry is made the Duke of Sussex by the Queen on the morning of his wedding. The pair were secretly engaged earlier this month, and Harry took Miss Markle to meet his grandmother the Queen for tea at Buckingham Palace in October. Miss Markle is a divorcee. In 2011, she wed film producer Trevor Engelson after dating him for six years - but the pair split amicably less than two years later. Harry and Miss Markle made their first official public appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto - where the star is based - in September. At the closing ceremony a few days later, the prince was spotted kissing his girlfriend on the cheek as they watched the show from the VIP box. How Harry picked BBC's 250,000-a-year star presenter for interview Mishal Husain is a Today programme host who lives in London Prince Harry handpicked one of the BBC's top presenters to interview him about his proposal to Meghan Markle. Mishal Husain, a 44-year-old working mother of three children and the first Muslim female Today presenter, conducted arguably her biggest ever interview this afternoon. Husain of Hampstead, North London, and Harry will work together again next month when he guest edits the BBC Radio 4 programme on a day between Christmas and New Year. Husain, who lives with her husband, lawyer Meekal Hashmi and their three sons, was born in Northampton. She moved aged two with her parents to the United Arab Emirates, and at 12 returned to England for boarding school before reading law at Cambridge. Husain made an instant impression in 1998 when she joined the white male-dominated BBC, building a following as the BBC World News evening anchor. She was appointed Today presenter in 2013, and established herself on the show while continuing to read the 10pm news on BBC One at weekends. In 2014, she won plaudits for her reports from Pakistan after 100 children were murdered by the Taliban. A year later she was named Broadcaster of the Year. Husain, who earns up to 250,000 a year, was appointed Today presenter in 2013 Husain built a following as the BBC World News evening anchor But in June, Husain, who earns up to 250,000 a year, for her work on the BBC, was accused of being the 'official spokeswoman for Jeremy Corbyn'. It came after she had a bad-tempered exchange with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson after he raised the Labour leader's stance on shoot-to-kill. Husain also faced criticism from some quarters for her moderation of the leaders' debate in Cambridge in May ahead of the general election. Advertisement The key points: Harry and Meghan reveal their proposal 'He proposed while roasting a chicken' Prince Harry: It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us. Meghan Markle: Just a cosy night, it was - what we were doing just roasting chicken and having ... Prince Harry: Roasting a chicken, trying to roast a chicken. Meghan Markle: Trying to roast a chicken and it just - just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee. Prince Harry: Of course. Was it a 'yes' straight away? Meghan Markle: Yes, as a matter of fact I could barely let you finish proposing, I said - can I say yes now? Prince Harry: She didn't even let me finish, she said can I say yes, can I say yes and then were was hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like can I - can I give you the ring? She goes - oh yes the ring. So no it was - it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think managed to catch - catch her by surprise as well. Meghan Markle: Yeah. How long did Harry wait to pop the question? Meghan Markle: Oh it would be a year and a half, a little bit more than that? Prince Harry: No just about - it would be about a year and a half yeah. Meghan Markle: Just about that? Has it been a whirlwind romance? Meghan Markle: I don't think that I would call it a whirlwind in terms of our relationship, obviously there have been layers attached to how public it has become after we had a good five, six months almost with just privacy, which was amazing. But no, I think we were able to really have so much time just to connect and we never went longer than two weeks without seeing each other, even though we were obviously doing a long distance relationship. So it's - we made it work. How did they first meet? Prince Harry: Ah yes, we first met - we were introduced actually by a mutual friend, who - we will ... Meghan Markle: We should protect her privacy and not reveal too much of that. Prince Harry: We'll protect her privacy yeah. And - but it was - it was literally - it was through her and then we met once and then twice back to back two dates in London, last July. Meghan Markle: Yes. Prince Harry: The beginning of July. And then it was I think about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. And we - we camped out with each other under the stars, we spent - she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic. Meghan Markle: Just to take the - take the time to be able to go on long country walks and just talk. Prince Harry: We've been - we've been all over the place. Has Meghan met the Queen? Meghan Markle: I have, yes. Prince Harry: A couple of times. Meghan Markle: Yes, true, a couple of times. It's incredible, I think, you know, a) to be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honour and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother, all of those layers have been so important for me so that when I met her I had such a deep understanding and of course incredible respect for being able to have that time with her. And we've had a really - she's - she's an incredible woman. Prince Harry: And the corgis took to you straight away. Meghan Markle: That's true. Prince Harry: I've spent the last 33 years being barked at; this one walks in, absolutely nothing ... Meghan Markle: Just laying on my feet during tea, it was very sweet. Prince Harry: ... just wagging tails and I was just like argh. Has Meghan brought her beloved dogs to London? Meghan Markle: Well I have two dogs that I've had for quite a long time, both my rescue pups. And one is now staying with very close friends and my other little guy is - yes he's in the UK, he's been here for a while. Int: Okay, let's hope he adjusts well. Meghan Markle: I think he's doing just fine. On introducing Meghan to the family Prince Harry: What was it like? It was exciting I mean I've - you know I'd been seeing her for a period of time when I - literally didn't tell anybody at all. And then William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know being our neighbours we managed to get that in a couple of - well quite a few times now and Catherine has been absolutely ... Meghan Markle: She's been wonderful. Prince Harry: ... amazing, as has William as well, you know, fantastic support. And then my - my father as well, we had a couple of - no more than that ... Meghan Markle: We've had ... Prince Harry: ... A handful of teas and meetings and all sorts of gatherings over at his place as well. So no the family together have been absolutely, you know, a solid support and my grandparents as well have been - have been wonderful throughout this whole process and they've known for quite some time. So how they - how they haven't told anybody is - is again a miracle in itself. But now the whole family have come together and have been a huge amount of support. Meghan Markle: They've been amazing. Are the in-laws over the moon with with the engagement? Meghan Markle: Yes. Well I'm sure the onset, both my parents and my close friends were concerned, because we got very quickly swept up in a media storm that, as I shared, was not part of my life before that, but they also had never seen me so happy. And I think also once my friends - excuse me, were able to - to really meet Harry, and my mom, who we've spent a lot of time with, who is so much fun. Prince Harry: Her mum's amazing. Meghan Markle: It was just - you know it was just obvious that no matter what we were being put through that it was just temporary and that we were going to be able to get through that. So everybody was really happy. And he's talked to my dad a few times, hasn't been able to meet him just yet, but it's all been - it's all been worth every effort. Prince Harry: Yeah, yeah it's been great. Do they have plans for children? Prince Harry: Not currently, no. No, of course, you know, I think one step at a time, and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future. Meghan Markle: His family's been so welcoming. Prince Harry: You've met quite a few of them actually. Meghan Markle: I have, on both sides of his family, his mom's side as well, which has been really important to me too. But yes, the family has been great, and over the past year and a half we've just had a really nice time getting to know them and progressively helping me feel a part of, not just the institution, but also part of the family which has been really special. Prince Harry: Trying to track them down and make sure that they're around at the same time that she's popping in without telling too many people ... we've managed, we've actually done incredibly well to make sure that you've met all the key people. The ring Prince Harry: The ring is - is obviously yellow gold because that's what - her favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the - the little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewellery collection to make sure that she's with us on this - on this crazy journey together. And ... Meghan Markle: It's beautiful, and he designed it, it's incredible. Prince Harry: Yeah, make sure it stays on that finger. Meghan Markle: Of course. What does it mean to have Princess Diana's stones on your finger? Meghan Markle: I think everything about Harry's thoughtfulness is - and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mom it's so important to me to - to know that she's a part of this with us. And I think in being able to meet his aunts and - and also like Julia and just different people who were so important to his mom, I'm able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him. And it's - it's incredibly special. And you know to be able to have this which sort of links where you come from and Botswana which is important to us and it's - it's perfect. What would Diana have thought of Meghan? Prince Harry: Oh they'd be thick as thieves, without question, I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, you know so excited for me, but then, as I said, would have probably been best friends - best friends with Meghan. So no it's - you know it is days like - days like today when - when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. But you know with the ring and with everything else that's going on I'm sure she's ... Meghan Markle: She's with us. Prince Harry: I'm sure she's with us yeah, you know, jumping up and down somewhere else. They met on a blind date Meghan Markle: Yes, it was definitely a set-up. It was a blind date. Prince Harry: It was definitely a set-up. It was a blind date for sure. Meghan Markle: And it's so interesting because we talk about it now and even then you know, because I'm from the States you don't grow up with the same understanding of the royal family. And so, while I now understand very clearly there is a global interest there, I didn't know much about him and so the only thing that I had asked her when she said she wanted to set us up was, 'I have one question' which was, 'Well, is he nice?' cos if he wasn't kind it just didn't seem like it would make sense and so we went and we had a, met for a drink and I think very quickly into that we said, 'well what are we doing tomorrow? We should meet again.' Prince Harry: What are we doing tomorrow? Let's meet again. And then it was like, right, diaries. We need to get the diaries out and find out how we're going to make this work, because I was off to Africa for a month, she was working. And we just said right where's the gap? And the gap happened to be in the perfect place. Had Harry watched Suits before they met? Prince Harry: No. I'd never even heard about her until this friend said Meghan Markle. I was like 'right, okay, give me a bit of background... what's going on here?' So no, I'd never watched Suits, I'd never heard of Meghan before, and I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her. And there she was sitting there... I was like okay well I'm going to have to up my game ... sit down and make sure I've got good chat. Meghan Markle: I think for both of us though it was, it was really refreshing because, given that I didn't know a lot about him, everything that I've learned about him, I learned through him as opposed to having grown up around different news stories or tabloids or whatever else... anything I've learned about him and his family was what he would share with me and vice versa, so for both of us it was just a really authentic and organic way to get to know each other. On Meghan's new duties Prince Harry: Of course, that sense of responsibility was essentially from day one or maybe a couple of months in, when I suddenly realised actually this is... I feel, I know that I'm in love with this girl, and I hope that she's in love with me, but we still had to sit down on the sofa. I still had to have some pretty frank conversations with her to say, you know what you're letting yourself in for, is ...it's a big deal and it's not...it's not easy for anybody. But I know that at the end of the day she chooses me, and I choose her, and therefore whatever we have to tackle together or individually we'll always be us together as a team, so I think she's capable... Meghan Markle: That's so nicely said, isn't it? Prince Harry: ...She's capable of anything Meghan Markle: Thank you Prince Harry: And together as I said there's a hell of a lot of stuff and work that needs doing. At the moment for us it's going to be making sure our relationship is always put first. But both of us have passions for wanting to make change, change for good, and with lots of young people running around the Commonwealth that's where we're going to spend most of our time hopefully. Meghan Markle: And it was really one of the first things we connected on. It was one of the first things we started talking about when we met was just the different things that we wanted to do in the world and how passionate we were about seeing change. I think that was, that's what's got date two in the books probably (laughs). Prince Harry: Plenty to talk about. On bonding over nights on the sofa Prince Harry: Yes, we've had to sort of reverse the whole process, and cosy nights in, in front of the television, cooking dinner just the two of us by ourselves in our little cottage, rather than going out for dinner and being seen in public, so we have, we've reversed the whole process which ... it's provided different opportunities, and it's made us a hell of a lot closer in a shorter space of time without question. Meghan Markle: That's true. Prince Harry: So if anybody else at home is listening then maybe slow down on dates and maybe spend more time at home. But, for us, it's an opportunity to really get to know each other without other people looking or trying to take photos on their phones and all that kind of stuff. That comes with the job, comes with the role. Meghan Markle: And we were able to really get to know each other that way, but also then to go and have friends over for dinner or to go to his family's for tea or.... any of those sort of things and even you know just to take the time to be able to go on long country walks and just talk. Advertisement Full transcript: The proposal, meeting the Queen and how Diana and Meghan would have been 'best friends' Interviewer: Your Royal Highness, Meghan Markle, congratulations to you both. Meghan Markle: Thank you. Interviewer [Int]: Can we start with the proposal and the actual moment of your engagement. When did it happen? How did it happen? Prince Harry: It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us. Meghan Markle: Just a cosy night, it was - what we were doing just roasting chicken and having ... Prince Harry: Roasting a chicken, trying to roast a chicken. Meghan Markle: Trying to roast a chicken and it just - just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee. Prince Harry: Of course. Int: Was it an instant yes from you? Meghan Markle: Yes, as a matter of fact I could barely let you finish proposing, I said - 'can I say yes now'? Prince Harry: She didn't even let me finish, she said 'can I say yes, can I say yes' and then were was hugs and I had the ring in my finger and I was like 'can I, can I give you the ring?' She goes - 'oh yes the ring'. So no it was, it was a really nice moment, it was just the two of us and I think I managed to catch... catch her by surprise as well. Meghan Markle: Yeah. Int: And this is how long after you first met? Meghan Markle: Oh it would be a year and a half, a little bit more than that? Prince Harry: No just about - it would be about a year and a half, yeah. Meghan Markle: Just about that? Int: Which for most people would be quite a whirlwind, is that how it's felt to you? Meghan Markle: I don't think that I would call it a whirlwind in terms of our relationship, obviously there have been layers attached to how public it has become after we had a good five, six months almost with just privacy, which was amazing. But no, I think we were able to really have so much time just to connect and we never went longer than two weeks without seeing each other, even though we were obviously doing a long distance relationship. So it's - we made it work. Int: How did you first meet? Prince Harry: Ah yes, we first met - we were introduced actually by a mutual friend, who - we will ... Meghan Markle: We should protect her privacy and not reveal too much of that. Prince Harry: We'll protect her privacy yeah. And - but it was - it was literally - it was through her and then we met once and then twice back-to-back two dates in London, last July. Meghan Markle: Yes. Prince Harry: The beginning of July. And then it was I think about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. And we - we camped out with each other under the stars, we spent - she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic. So, then we were really by ourselves which was crucial to me to make sure we had a chance to get to know each other. Int: But the friend who introduced you, was she trying to set you up? Meghan Markle: Yes, it was definitely a set-up. It was a blind date. Prince Harry: It was definitely a set-up. It was a blind date for sure. Meghan Markle: And it's so interesting because we talk about it now and even then you know, because I'm from the States you don't grow up with the same understanding of the royal family. And so, while I now understand very clearly there is a global interest there, I didn't know much about him and so the only thing that I had asked her when she said she wanted to set us up was, 'I have one question' which was, 'Well, is he nice?' 'cos if he wasn't kind it just didn't seem like it would make sense and so we went and we had a, met for a drink and I think very quickly into that we said, 'well what are we doing tomorrow? We should meet again.' Prince Harry: What are we doing tomorrow? Let's meet again. And then it was like, right, diaries. We need to get the diaries out and find out how we're going to make this work, because I was off to Africa for a month, she was working. And we just said right where's the gap? And the gap happened to be in the perfect place. Int: So how much did you, Prince Harry, know about Meghan? Had you seen her on TV? Prince Harry: No. I'd never even heard about her until this friend said Meghan Markle. I was like 'right, okay, give me a bit of background ... what's going on here?' So no, I'd never watched Suits, I'd never heard of Meghan before, and I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her. And there she was sitting there... I was like okay well I'm going to have to up my game ... sit down and make sure I've got good chat. Meghan Markle: I think for both of us though it was, it was really refreshing because, given that I didn't know a lot about him, everything that I've learned about him, I learned through him as opposed to having grown up around different news stories or tabloids or whatever else... anything I've learned about him and his family was what he would share with me and vice versa, so for both of us it was just a really authentic and organic way to get to know each other. Int: And was that quite refreshing for you in the way that you've been brought up, with a lot of people knowing a lot about you, was it refreshing? Prince Harry: Or thinking they know Int: Or thinking they know. Meghan Markle: Exactly Prince Harry: It was hugely refreshing to be able to get to know someone who isn't necessarily within your circle, doesn't know much about me, I don't know much about her. So to be able to start almost afresh, right from the beginning, getting to know each other, step by step and then taking that huge leap of only two dates and then going effectively on holiday together in the middle of nowhere and you know sharing a tent together and all that kind of stuff. It was ... fantastic. It was absolutely amazing to get to know her as quickly as I did. Int: And starting a long distance relationship, you (Meghan Markle) were working on Suits, you had, I imagine, a packed filming schedule, you've (Prince Harry) got lots of commitments of your own, how hard was it to keep things going? Prince Harry: (exhales) It was, yeah. Meghan Markle: It was just a choice, right. I think that, very early on when we realised we were going to commit to each other, we knew we had to invest the time and the energy and whatever it took to make that happen. And so yes with the filming schedule it was (laughs) not the easiest because it of course included a lot of travel back and forth. Prince Harry: I don't think you've had any idea what time zone you've been on for the last year and a half. Meghan Markle: No. (laughs) Prince Harry: Coming over here four days or a week and then going back, and then straight into filming the next day, 4am wake-up calls on a Monday, straight into set. Meghan Markle: Right off the plane and straight to set. And just coming back and doing it again. Prince Harry: And just trying to stay as close as possible but you know on two different time zones. And five hours apart does have its challenges. But we made it work and now we're here so, we're thrilled. Int: In the case of your relationship, unlike for most people, there's this whole layer of what it means to get involved with someone from the royal family. How much of a sense did you have Meghan of the enormity of what you were getting into? What it might mean for your life? Meghan Markle: I think I can very safely say, as naive as it sounds now, having gone through this learning curve in the past year and a half, I did not have any understanding of just what it would be like. I don't think either of us did though, we both said that even though we knew that it would be... Prince Harry: I tried... to warn you as much as possible but I think both of us were totally surprised by the reaction after the first five, six months when we had to ourselves of what actually happened from then. So I think you can have as many conversations as you want and try and prepare as much as possible but we were totally unprepared for what happened after that. Int: The scrutiny? Prince Harry: Well all sorts. Meghan Markle: Well I mean, I think also, because ... there's a misconception that because I have worked in the entertainment industry that this would be something I would be familiar with. But even though I'd been on my show for six years at that point, and working before that, I have never been part of tabloid culture. I've never been in pop culture to that degree and lived a relatively quiet life even though I focused so much on my job and so that was a really stark difference out of the gate. But... and I think we were just hit so hard at the beginning with a lot of mistruths that I made the choice to not read anything, positive or negative it just didn't make sense and instead we focused all of our energies just on nurturing our relationship. Prince Harry: On us. Meghan Markle: On us. Int: And some of that scrutiny - and you ended up making a very public statement about that - some of that scrutiny was centred around your ethnicity Meghan. When you realised that, what did you think? Meghan Markle: Of course it's disheartening. You know it's a shame that that is the climate in this world, to focus that much on that , or that that would be discriminatory in that sense, but I think you know at the end of the day I'm really just proud of who I am and where I come from, and we have never put any focus on that we've just focused on who we are as a couple. And so when you take all those extra layers away, and all of that noise I think it makes it really easy to just enjoy being together and tune all the rest of that out. Int: But now that it is all official, Prince Harry, do you have that sense that the combination of the two of you, your different backgrounds, that you together represent something new for the royal family? Harry: I don't know if it's something new, I think it's, you know it's ... for me it's an added member of the family. It's another team player as part of the bigger team, and for all of us all we want to do is be able to carry out the right engagements, carry out our work and try and encourage others and the younger generation to be able to see the world in the correct sense rather than perhaps being, having a distorted view. So the fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was sort of confirmation to me that everything, all the stars were aligned, everything was just perfect. It was this beautiful woman just sort of literally tripped and fell into my life, I fell into her life. And the fact, I know the fact that she'll be really unbelievably good at the job part of it as well is obviously a huge relief to me because she'll be able to deal with everything else that comes with it. But we're a fantastic team, we know we are, and we hope to over time try and have as much impact for all the things we care about as much as possible. Meghan Markle: I am very excited about that, yeah. Int: And Meghan given your acting and the profile you had, you've already been involved with various causes, you've been an ambassador for UN women. What about this new role? You're going to have a bigger platform, a bigger voice, what do you want to do with it? Meghan Markle: I mean... Prince Harry: Sing. Meghan Markle: (laughs) Can you imagine? No. I'm not a singer. I think what's been really exciting is we talk about the transition of this, out of my career but into the role is that, as you said the causes that have been very important to me I can focus even more energy on, because very early out of the gate I think you realise once you have access or a voice that people are willing to listen to, with that comes a lot of responsibility, which I take seriously. And at the same time I think in these beginning few months and now being boots on the ground in the UK I'm excited to just really get to know more about the different communities here, smaller organisations who are working on the same causes that I've always been passionate about under this umbrella, and also being able to go round the Commonwealth, I think it's just the beginning. Prince Harry: There's a lot to do. There's a lot to do. Int: And it's an immense change. You're getting a new country out of it. A husband, obviously. Prince Harry: Sounds nice doesn't it? Meghan Markle: It does sound nice. Int: (to Meghan Markle) But also giving up your career. Meghan Markle: Yes. But I don't see it as giving anything up. I just see it as a change. Prince Harry: It's a new challenge. Meghan Markle: It's a new chapter. Right? And also, keep in mind, I've been working on my show for seven years, so we were very, very fortunate to be able to have that sort of longevity on a series, and for me, once we hit the 100th episode marker I thought 'You know what? I have ticked this box' and I feel really proud of the work I've done there and now it's time to, as you said, work as a team with you. Int: But do you have that sense of responsibility, Prince Harry, for what you're asking Meghan to do? Prince Harry: Of course, that sense of responsibility was essentially from day one or maybe a couple of months in, when I suddenly realised actually this is... I feel, I know that I'm in love with this girl, and I hope that she's in love with me, but we still had to sit down on the sofa. I still had to have some pretty frank conversations with her to say, you know what you're letting yourself in for, is ...it's a big deal and it's not...it's not easy for anybody. But I know that at the end of the day she chooses me, and I choose her, and therefore whatever we have to tackle together or individually we'll always be us together as a team, so I think she's capable... Meghan Markle: That's so nicely said, isn't it? Prince Harry: ...She's capable of anything Meghan Markle: Thank you Prince Harry: And together as I said there's a hell of a lot of stuff and work that needs doing. At the moment for us it's going to be making sure our relationship is always put first. But both of us have passions for wanting to make change, change for good, and with lots of young people running around the Commonwealth that's where we're going to spend most of our time hopefully. Meghan Markle: And it was really one of the first things we connected on. It was one of the first things we started talking about when we met was just the different things that we wanted to do in the world and how passionate we were about seeing change. I think that was, that's what's got date two in the books probably (laughs). Prince Harry: Plenty to talk about. Int: Children? Prince Harry: Not currently, no. No, of course, you know, I think one step at a time, and hopefully we'll start a family in the near future. Int: You've met each other's families I imagine? Meghan Markle: Yes, his family's been so welcoming. Prince Harry: You've met quite a few of them actually. Meghan Markle: I have, on both sides of his family, his mum's side as well, which has been really important to me too. But yes, the family has been great, and over the past year and a half we've just had a really nice time getting to know them and progressively helping me feel a part of, not just the institution, but also part of the family which has been really special. Prince Harry: Trying to track them down and make sure that they're around at the same time that she's popping in without telling too many people ... we've managed, we've actually done incredibly well to make sure that you've met all the key people. Int: So does that mean a lot of the time that you've been together in this last year and a half, you've been at home a lot? Prince Harry: Yes, we've had to sort of reverse the whole process, and cosy nights in, in front of the television, cooking dinner just the two of us by ourselves in our little cottage, rather than going out for dinner and being seen in public, so we have, we've reversed the whole process which ... it's provided different opportunities, and it's made us a hell of a lot closer in a shorter space of time without question. Meghan Markle: That's true. Prince Harry: So if anybody else at home is listening then maybe slow down on dates and maybe spend more time at home. But, for us, it's an opportunity to really get to know each other without other people looking or trying to take photos on their phones and all that kind of stuff. That comes with the job, comes with the role. Meghan Markle: And we were able to really get to know each other that way, but also then to go and have friends over for dinner or to go to his family's for tea or.... any of those sort of things and even you know just to take the time to be able to go on long country walks and just talk. Prince Harry: We've been all over the place. Int: Have you met the Queen? Meghan Markle: I have, yes. Prince Harry: A couple of times. Meghan Markle: Yes, true, a couple of times. Int: What was that like? Meghan Markle: It's incredible, I think, you know, a) to be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honour and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother, all of those layers have been so important for me so that when I met her I had such a deep understanding and of course incredible respect for being able to have that time with her. And we've had a really, she's, she's an incredible woman. Prince Harry: And the corgis took to you straight away. Meghan Markle: That's true. Prince Harry: I've spent the last 33 years being barked at; this one walks in, absolutely nothing ... Meghan Markle: Just laying on my feet during tea, it was very sweet. Prince Harry: ... just wagging tails and I was just like argh. Int: That has to be a good sign. Speaking of dogs, have you brought yours to the UK? Meghan Markle: Well I have two dogs that I've had for quite a long time, both my rescue pups. And one is now staying with very close friends and my other little guy is, yes he's in the UK, he's been here for a while. Int: Okay, let's hope he adjusts well. Meghan Markle: I think he's doing just fine. Int: What was it like introducing Meghan to your father and your brother? Prince Harry: What was it like? It was exciting I mean I've, you know I'd been seeing her for a period of time when I, literally didn't tell anybody at all. And then William was longing to meet her and so was Catherine, so you know being our neighbours we managed to get that in a couple of, well quite a few times now and Catherine has been absolutely ... Meghan Markle: She's been wonderful. Prince Harry: ... amazing, as has William as well, you know, fantastic support. And then my - my father as well, we had a couple of - no more than that ... Meghan Markle: We've had ... Prince Harry: ... A handful of teas and meetings and all sorts of gatherings over at his place as well. So no the family together have been absolutely, you know, a solid support and my grandparents as well have been, have been wonderful throughout this whole process and they've known for quite some time. So how they, how they haven't told anybody is, is again a miracle in itself. But now the whole family have come together and have been a huge amount of support. Meghan Markle: They've been amazing. Int: And Meghan your parents, do you think - you know while very happy for you obviously ... Meghan Markle: Yes. Int: ... Do you think they have worried at all about the scale of what you're getting into? Meghan Markle: Well I'm sure the onset, both my parents and my close friends were concerned, because we got very quickly swept up in a media storm that, as I shared, was not part of my life before that, but they also had never seen me so happy. And I think also once my friends, excuse me, were able to, to really meet Harry, and my mom, who we've spent a lot of time with, who is so much fun. Prince Harry: Her mum's amazing. Meghan Markle: It was just - you know it was just obvious that no matter what we were being put through that it was just temporary and that we were going to be able to get through that. So everybody was really happy. And he's talked to my dad a few times, hasn't been able to meet him just yet, but it's all been, it's all been worth every effort. Prince Harry: Yeah, yeah it's been great. Int: Your ring. Meghan Markle: Oh yes. Int: Tell us about your ring. Prince Harry: The ring is - is obviously yellow gold because that's what - her favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the - the little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewellery collection to make sure that she's with us on this - on this crazy journey together. And ... Meghan Markle: It's beautiful, and he designed it, it's incredible. Prince Harry: Yeah, make sure it stays on that finger. Meghan Markle: Of course. Int: What does it mean to you Meghan to have those stones on your finger that once belonged to Princess Diana? Meghan Markle: I think everything about Harry's thoughtfulness is, and the inclusion of that and obviously not being able to meet his mom it's so important to me to, to know that she's a part of this with us. And I think in being able to meet his aunts and, and also like Julia and just different people who were so important to his mom, I'm able to, in some way, know a part of her through them and of course through him. And it's, it's incredibly special. And you know to be able to have this which sort of links where you come from and Botswana which is important to us and it's, it's perfect. Int: What do you think your mother would have thought of Meghan, or said about Meghan? Prince Harry: Oh they'd be thick as thieves, without question, I think she would be over the moon, jumping up and down, you know so excited for me, but then, as I said, would have probably been best friends, best friends with Meghan. So no it's, you know it is days like, days like today when, when I really miss having her around and miss being able to share the happy news. But you know with the ring and with everything else that's going on I'm sure she's ... Meghan Markle: She's with us. Prince Harry: I'm sure she's with us yeah, you know, jumping up and down somewhere else. One man will not tolerate any spiders in his vicinity. A video captures the startling moment a man pulls out a shotgun and suddenly blasts grass. The man's friend asks him what he's doing, and the man takes a drag on his cigarette before responding. A video captured the moment a man freaked out and shot a spider with a shotgun 'F*****g spider, you didn't see that s***?' he responds. His friend appears to be surprised at the sudden gunshot, as the spider was not visible in the video. The video was filmed in Enon Valley, Pennsylvania. Open carry is legal in the state so long as the person has a license to carry a firearm. A pediatric nurse in Indiana who tweeted that white women tend to raise terrorists, rapists and racists is 'no longer' working at her hospital, it has emerged. Taiyesha Baker had been employed at IU Health when she wrote that 'Historically every son you had should be sacrificed to wolves at birth.' The hospital said in a statement on Sunday: 'A recently hired IU Health employee tied to troubling posts on social media this weekend is no longer an employee of IU Health.' Indiana Night Nurse identified as Taiyesha Baker (pictured here) has sparked an internal investigation after claiming white women raise sons that tend to be 'killers' and 'rapists' The tweet came from an account named 'Night Nurse' which has been linked back to Baker IU Health will not confirm whether Baker was sacked, per company policy. Spokesman Jason Fechner said: 'Baker began working with IU Health as a nurse less than a month ago. 'She was still going through orientation and was not caring for patients. She had no disciplinary issues prior to this matter.' Baker had made the shocking remarks on a Twitter account titled 'Night Nurse,' which was traced back to her, on Saturday. It read: 'Every white woman raises a detriment to society when they raise a son. Someone with the HIGHEST propensity to be a terrorist, rapist, racist, killer, and domestic violence all star.' 'Historically every son you had should be sacrificed to the wolves. B****.' A Saturday statement by IU Health read that it 'is aware of several troubling posts on social media which appear to be from a recently hired IU Health employee. 'Our HR department continues to investigate the situation and the authenticity of the posts. During the investigation, that employee (who does not work at Riley Hospital for Children) will have no access to patient care.' A spokeman said 'IU Health is aware of several troubling posts on social media which appear to be from a recently hired IU Health employee' (Baker pictured above) Public records show that Baker received her last nursing license on October 30 and that it is due to expire on October 31, 2019. The troubling post first appeared on the Twitter account @tai_fieri, but was deleted soon after. In April of this year, Baker was one of a number of Indiana University students who protested a speech by conservative speaker Charles Murray. Murray's 1994 book, the Bell Curve, suggested that black people generally have lower IQs than white people. Baker told 6 ABC News at the time that such generalizations about people's race were unacceptable. 'There's people of every shade of color that honestly feels that this is not OK,' she said. Ivana Trumps ex-husband called police on himself to report that he was driving drunk, newly discovered court papers show. And when police arrived at the scene, Rossano Rubicondi took a swig of booze and begged a cop to put him behind bars. He stated he wanted to go to jail because he was drunk, a Palm Beach County sheriffs officer wrote in his report of the incident that occurred nearly a year ago. [H]e drank what appear (sic) to be an alcoholic drink out of a glass while I made contact with him, wrote the cop. Rubicondi is the fourth and most recent of Ivanas four exes. They married in April 2008 and despite divorcing the following year, they remain on-again-off-again lovers. Ivana Trump and Rossano Rubicondi were spotted together in Saint Tropez, France last year, months before he called police on himself to report that he was driving drunk in his Mercedes SUV, newly discovered court papers show When police arrived Rubicondi, 45, took a swig of booze and begged a cop to put him behind bars When the sheriffs officer asked him to start the roadside sobriety tests, Rubicondi said he could not. [He just wanted me to take him to jail because he was drunk, wrote the officer. He had slur (sic) speech and when he was walking towards my car he could not keep his balance. Rubicondi, 45, was arrested in Loxahatchee, Florida, at 3 a.m. on December 8 last year, but the case has never been reported until now. He called the cops himself while he was driving his black 2015 Mercedes SUV. He told the arresting officer he had been drinking wine and vodka with friends before his arrest. When I made contact with Mr. Rubicondi he had an obvious and strong odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage coming from his person and face, wrote the officer. When he walked from his car to my car he was not stable. He kept moving side to side as he walked. When I told him to stand straight and put his hands on his side he could not do that either. A breath test showed he had a blood-alcohol level or .140 nearly twice the legal limit. Rubicondi was described as very cooperative in the police report. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was given 12 months probation on condition he enroll in a DUI school. He was also ordered not to drink alcohol during his probation period which runs out next July, fined $543.50, ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and his license was suspended for six months. Rubicondi, an Italian national, did not return DailyMail.coms calls for comment. Rubicondi, who lived in Miami at the time of his arrest, married the 23-years-older Ivana at Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach before 500 guests. The now-president was there to see his ex-wife tie the knot 17 years after he had divorced her so he could marry his mistress Marla Maples. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. gave their mother away at the $3 million Midsummer Nights Dream-themed ceremony. Ivanka Trump was maid of honor, and the presidents sister, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry officiated. Ivana and Rubicondi attend the 60th Red Cross Ball, in Monaco in 2008 the same year they were married at Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach before 500 guests A 24-piece orchestra was flown in from Paris and 12-foot-high cake came all the way from Germany. Rubicondi slipped a $1 million diamond ring on Ivanas finger, according to a report in People Magazine http://people.com/celebrity/ivana-trump-marries-for-the-fourth-time/ at the time. But trouble was already brewing. Cops were called on the night before the wedding after the bride and groom got into a fight. They had been dating for six years but the actual marriage only lasted for five months before Ivana filed for separation. It has become increasingly difficult for us to find time together, Ivana, now 68, said in a statement. But the couple has remained close since the official split. They were pictured together on two vacations in 2013 first in the French millionaires playground of St. Tropez and a month later on the Italian island of Sardinia. Three years later they were again spotted together in St. Tropez on the very night that Ivanas second husband officially accepted the Republican nomination for president. And earlier this month they were seen strolling arm-in-arm through the streets of Manhattan. Last year Rubicondi announced he planned to open a pizza joint in West Palm Beach not far from Mar-a-Lago, but plans fell through. We were going to open on Labor Day, but things happened and I had to get out of the lease, he told the New York Daily News. Instead he said he had relocated to New York and planned to open the business Rossano To Go! in Manhattan by January next year. In a statement (bottom) shared to Instagram on Tuesday, the former TOWIE star (top left), 32, admitted she was the voice in the shocking audio files, but claimed she only recorded them because she feared 'serious harm and in the face of significant threats'. She wrote in full: 'I am aware that people will have a number of questions about the voice messages being put into the public domain and purportedly sent by me. 'I feel I have no choice but to address these (to the extent that I can as there are restrictions on me which I explain below). Most importantly I want to apologise to all the victims of Arthur Collins (inset) abhorrent actions in 2017 that they have to relive that night and the pain that followed because this matter is again in the public domain. In particular I want to apologise to Sophie Hall (top right). I do not believe her to be ugly or stupid. She has been brave beyond belief.' It comes after her fiance Lorri Haines shared a series of cryptic posts with his 170k followers, amid the ongoing conflict surrounding his partner. His posts come following claims that Ferne made derogatory comments about ex-partner Arthur 's acid attack victims in a series of leaked voice notes, claiming to be of her voice. A California state lawmaker has stepped down after multiple women accused him of kissing and groping them without their consent. State Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, a Democrat from Los Angeles, resigned on Monday, making him the first lawmaker to leave office amid a spate of misconduct reports rocking the state Capitol. Bocanegra had previously said he would leave office at the end of the next legislative session, but on Monday announced that he's decided to leave immediately following reflection over the Thanksgiving weekend and conversations with family, friends and supporters. In a statement released by his office, Bocanegra said he'd hoped he could clear his name. 'But clearly, the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" has been temporarily lost in a hurricane of political opportunism among the self-righteous in my case - to the detriment of both the accuser and the accused,' he wrote. 'While I am not guilty of any such crimes,' he added, 'I am admittedly not perfect.' California Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, a Democrat from Los Angeles, resigned on Monday, after multiple women accused him of kissing and groping them without their consent Allegations against Bocanegra first came to light last month, when legislative staff member Elise Gyore (pictured) spoke out publicly about a 2009 report she had filed against him Allegations against Bocanegra first came to light last month, when legislative staff member Elise Gyore spoke out publicly about a 2009 incident that she had reported to Assembly investigators at the time, she told KCRA. Both Gorye and Bocanegra were legislative staff members, and she claimed he put his hands down her blouse at an after-work event at a Sacramento nightclub. He was told to stay away from her but documents do not indicate that he was otherwise disciplined by the Assembly Rules Committee. Then, last week, the Los Angeles Times reported claims from six women who said that Bocanegra kissed, groped or otherwise harassed them without their consent over a period of years, even after he was reprimanded for his behavior toward Gyore in 2009. Following that report, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said he would expel Bocanegra if an investigator verified the new allegations. 'Raul Bocanegra's resignation underscores the seriousness of the allegations against him,' Rendon said in a statement. 'One resignation, however, does not solve the problem.' Bocanegra was a veteran legislative aide and was seen as a rising star when he was first elected to the Assembly in 2012. He lost to a fellow Democrat, Patty Lopez, two years later before defeating her in 2016. He was the majority whip, a mid-level leadership post in the 80-member Assembly. Meanwhile, the Senate Rules Committee voted Monday to remove Senator Tony Mendoza, another Los Angeles-area Democrat, as chair of the Insurance, Banking and Financial Institutions Committee following allegations of inappropriate behavior toward young women who worked for him. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (pictured) has called Mendoza's behavior deeply troubling but hasn't called on him to resign. The Senate Rules Committee voted Monday to remove Mendoza as chair of the Insurance, Banking and Financial Institutions Committee He is accused of inviting one woman over to his home, offering another alcohol when she was 19, and repeatedly holding one-on-one meetings with another over dinner or drinks. His behavior with two of the women was formally reported. Mendoza has denied offering a staff member alcohol and otherwise said wouldn't knowingly abuse his authority. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, who shared a Sacramento home with Mendoza until recently, has called Mendoza's behavior deeply troubling but hasn't called on him to resign. He left the committee meeting without commenting. A separate Senate panel will meet Tuesday to interview outside firms to take over all of the Senate's misconduct investigations, including the one into Mendoza. Fellow Democrat Senators Toni Atkins of San Diego and Connie Leyva of Chino also left without commenting. An Assembly panel is scheduled to meet Tuesday for the first in a series of public hearings aimed at improving a Capitol culture that women say allows sexual misconduct to go unchecked. The panel is tasked with evaluating the Assembly's policies and recommending ways to strengthen them. More than 150 women who work in and around the Capitol - including lawmakers, advisers, lobbyists and political consultants - signed a letter that has pointed a spotlight at what they called a culture of harassment. Bocanegra will be replaced in a special election. Bocanegra's resignation temporarily leaves Assembly Democrats one vote shy of a supermajority. They are set to gain it back after a special election in December to replace former Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, who is now in Congress. A lethal Klingon war sword known as a bat'leth has been handed to police as part of a weapons amnesty. The sword of choice for Star Trek's most famous villains is five feet long, comprising four blades and a spike at its centre. In the US franchise - first broadcast in 1966 - the weapon is said to have been forged by Kahless the Unforgettable on the Klingon home world of Qo'noS, but this one turned up in Guernsey. The five-foot long weapon is central to Klingon culture in the Star Trek universe, where the aliens use it to batter opponents up-close The bat'leth's four handholds allow for high-speed spinning and facilitate close-range combat. Though Klingons sometimes fight with disruptors (their equivalent of the phasers used by Captain Kirk and Starfleet), the bat'leth is a treasured tool in their society, which is fixated on honour, tradition and revenge. Chief Inspector Phil Breban wields the Klingon war sword, which was handed in to the Channel Island authorities Among the more terrestrial items handed in across the country were a shotgun disguised as a walking stick, a crossbow, a 1924 Webley air pistol and a 9mm Luger as the two-week amnesty turned up hundreds of weapons across the UK and Channel Islands. Chief inspector Phil Breban says most of the items face destruction in the interest of public safety. The bat'leth was handed in alongside shotguns, pistols and Katana swords to police in Guernsey as part of the amnesty 'We have had a significant number of weapons handed in, including knives, swords, daggers, BB guns and even a crossbow, while we have also had weapons handed in in Sark and Alderney,' he said. 'This is ultimately about public safety. Pretty much all of them will be destroyed, although any with significant historical value or interest could go to a museum. 'We are assessing them as we go and running the serial numbers against the national database in case any of them have been used to commit a crime.' A former Catholic priest long-believed to have killed a Texas beauty queen in 1960 is headed to trial. John Bernard Feit, 84, was indicted for murder in February 2016 in the death of 25-year-old Irene Garza. Jury selection is expected to begin Monday with opening arguments set for the end of the week. Garza, a schoolteacher and Miss All South Texas Sweetheart 1958, disappeared on Easter weekend in April 1960 and was found dead in a canal five days later. She was last seen at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, where Feit was a visiting priest, for confession with him. John Bernard Feit, 84 (right), a former Catholic priest long-believed to have killed 25-year-old Irene Garza (left), a Texas beauty queen in 1960 is headed to trial on murder charges Garza (pictured), a schoolteacher and Miss All South Texas Sweetheart 1958, disappeared on Easter weekend in April 1960 and was found dead in a canal five days later She was last seen at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, where Feit (pictured) was a visiting priest, for confession with him Garza's shoe and purse were found first before her body was. An autopsy revealed that she had been raped while unconscious and then beaten and asphyxiated. Also found on her was a slide viewer with long black cord, which belonged to Feit. Authorities questioned the then-27-year-old priest who had scratches on his hand and failed a lie detector test. He was later ruled out as a suspect after church officials allegedly pressured police to leave him alone, according to the Houston Chronicle. At the time it was unthinkable for a priest to commit such a horrible act. The case went cold until 2002 when McAllen police and Texas Rangers decided to reopen the case. They interviewed Reverend Joseph O'Brien, a McAllen priest who said he'd seen the scratches on Feit's hands in the days following Garza's disappearance. He eventually told Rangers that Feit confessed to killing Garza, as did another priest. Authorities questioned the then-27-year-old priest (pictured) who had scratches on his hand and failed a lie detector test. He was later ruled out as a suspect after church officials allegedly pressured police to leave him alone Two priests revealed that Feit admitted killing Garza. The re-opened case sparked a grand jury probe in 2004, but Feit was never indicted due to a lack of new evidence (Pictured, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas where Feit worked and where Garza was last seen) After Ricardo Rodriguez was elected Hildago County district attorney in 2014 he reopened Garza's case and requested a new grand jury, which led to a subsequent indictment against Feit (pictured) in early February 2016. He was arrested at his home in Arizona Jury selection is expected to begin Monday with opening arguments set for the end of the week. Since his extradition last March, Feit has remained in custody at the county jail under 24-hour medical watch because of a slew of ailments (Pictured, Feit with a walker in court) The re-opened case sparked a grand jury probe in 2004, but Feit was never indicted due to a lack of new evidence. The case went cold again, until it became the center of the 2014 race for Hildago County district attorney. Ricardo Rodriguez, who was running to replace Rene Guerra, promised to re-open the case and bring justice to Garza's family if he won. After winning, he reopened Garza's case and requested a new grand jury, which led to a subsequent indictment against Feit in early February 2016. Feit was arrested that month at his home Scottsdale, Arizona, home Rodriguez argued there was enough evidence to prosecute him. Garza's body was found in a canal (pictured) five days later. An autopsy revealed that she had been raped while unconscious and then beaten and asphyxiated Garza's shoe (right) and purse (left) were found first before her body was. Also found on her was a slide viewer with long black cord, which belonged to Feit. Since his extradition last March, Feit has remained in custody at the county jail under 24-hour medical watch because of a slew of ailments. Since the 1970s, Feit has enjoyed family life. He got married, had children and grandchildren and regularly volunteered at his church. He has publicly denied any involvement in Garza's death on multiple occasions and is expected to sit through about three weeks of trial testimony. If convicted, he faces a life sentence in prison. North Korea could be launching another nuclear missile in a matter of days, it has been reported. The totalitarian state fired a ballistic mission across Japan in September, terrifying citizens just two weeks after it carried out a nuclear bomb test. But the Japanese are warning another missile is imminent, despite ever-increasing pressure from Pyongyang's western enemies. The Japanese are warning another missile from Kim Jong-un's (pictured second right) North Korea is imminent, despite ever-increasing pressure from Pyongyang's western enemies A Japanese diplomat revealed radio signals have been detected from the region, meaning another launch could be extremely near, reports The Express. Japan's Kyodo news agency said North Korea has confirmed the radio signals. A Government spokesman said: 'There is a possibility of missiles launches in the next few days.' They added that the test could be part of the country's armed force's 'winter training regime'. In recent months, North Korea has tested intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S. mainland with further development and has conducted its most powerful nuclear test. Japan's warning comes on the same day as Russia expressed its concerns. Speaking at the annual Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club in Seoul, South Korea, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said 'apocolyptic developments' were unfolding in the region. He said: 'A scenario of the apocalyptic development of the situation on the Korean Peninsula exists and we cannot turn our blind eye to it.' In recent months, North Korea has tested intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S. mainland with further development and has conducted its most powerful nuclear test. Pictured: Kim Jong-un visiting the Sungri Motor Complex in Pyongyang 'We have told North Korea many times that for us [its] nuclear status is unacceptable. We continue this work with the North Korean counterparts presenting to them our position.' The U.S.A. has also reiterated the immediacy of the North Korean nuclear threat. Former military official Mike Mullen said he was 'scared to death' by what Kim Jong-un is planning. He told ABC's This Week: 'I don't know [if a nuclear weapon strike is possible]. I think it's more probable than it used to be. And it scares me to death, quite frankly. 'They're the most dangerous weapons in the world. 'And certainly if we have someone in North Korea that has a lethal legacy, is very, very unpredictable, and sees this as a way to solidify his future, that he could well not just attain them but potentially use them.' Prince Harry and his new fiancee Meghan Markle are refusing to name their matchmaker but it's believed to be her Bahrain-born best friend. Misha Nonoo, the estranged wife of Harrys friend, Alexander Gilkes, a pal of William and Harrys from Eton, is said to have organised their blind date last year. Meghan and Harry said that the mystery person - a mutual friend - had set them up and the prince said yesterday he knew she was 'the one' as soon as they met. In their first interview Harry revealed the couple had just two back-to-back dates in London before flying on holiday to Botswana together, Harrys favourite place in the world, for five days, where they slept out under the stars. Scroll down for video Fashion designer Misha Nonoo (pictured with Meghan), is believed to be the couple's matchmaker Ms Nonoo, the ex wife of Harrys friend, Alexander Gilkes, a pal of William and Harrys from Eton, is said to have organised their blind date last year Other candidates include Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, who is one of Meghan's workout buddies Harry said: We were introduced actually by a mutual friendit was literally. through her and then we met once and then twice back-to-back two dates in London, last July. 'We'll protect her privacy yeah,' Prince Harry added. He went on: And then it was I think about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. And we - we camped out with each other under the stars, we spent - she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic. Meghan said she had only one question for her friend when she suggested the date: Well, is he nice? She said: Because Im from the States you dont grow up with the same understanding of the royal family. And so, while I now understand very clearly there is a global interest there, I didnt know much about him and so the only thing that I had asked her when she said she wanted to set us up was, I have one question which was, Well, is he nice? cos if he wasnt kind it just didnt seem like it would make sense and so we went and we had a, met for a drink and I think very quickly into that we said, well what are we doing tomorrow? We should meet again. Harry adds: What are we doing tomorrow? Lets meet again. And then it was like, right, diaries. We need to get the diaries out and find out how were going to make this work, because I was off to Africa for a month, she was working. And we just said right wheres the gap? And the gap happened to be in the perfect place [Botswana].. Miss Markle interrupted: 'We should protect her privacy and not reveal too much of that. Among the likely candidates is Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, who is one of Meghan's workout buddies (pictured together) The revelation that the go-between was a woman has led to fervent speculation, as many sources believed Miss Markle's Canadian friend Markus Anderson acted as cupid Meghan stares lovingly at Prince Harry as he explains how the couple were first introduced by a mystery woman and mutual friend to them both The revelation that the go-between was a woman has led to fervent speculation, as many sources believed Miss Markle's Canadian friend Markus Anderson acted as cupid. Other candidates include Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, who is one of Meghan's workout buddies. The pair spent time at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire last year, with Miss Markle gushing on Instagram: The best afternoon with Millie Mackintosh. So proud of you darling. Another contender is fashion designer Misha Nonoo, who split from Alexander Gilkes last year after four years of marriage. Misha is well-connected in royal circles as her exhusband went to Eton with Prince Harry and Prince William. Misha (pictured with Miss Markle) is also a mutual friend of both the prince and Meghan, adding to the theory that she brought the pair together Miss Markle is expected to become a duchess - just like Kate Middleton did six years ago Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk away after posing for the media in the grounds of Kensington Palace Gilkes was a guest at the royal wedding of Wills and Kate back in 2011, and his younger brother Charlie dated Pippa Middleton for years. Misha is also a mutual friend of both the prince and Meghan, adding to the theory that she brought the pair together. It is rumoured that the pair first met in a dining room at Soho House, the London private members' club, in July 2016. Sources say Harry listened intently while Meghan spoke about Rwanda, where she had been campaigning for clean water. The royal family have flocked to congratulate the happy couple after the announcement He was captivated by her altruism, and from the moment they said their goodbyes, he bombarded her with texts asking to see her again. Talking about the friend who set them up, Prince Harry added: 'It was through her and then we met once and then twice back to back two dates in London, last July. 'And then it was I think about three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. 'And we - we camped out with each other under the stars, we spent - she came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic. Meghan added: 'Just to take the - take the time to be able to go on long country walks and just talk.' Harry and Miss Markle may be invited to spend Christmas with his grandmother the Queen Pointing at the ring, Prince Harry said: 'The little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewellery collection to make sure that she's with us on this - on this crazy journey together' Miss Markle revealed tonight how she said 'yes' immediately to Harry after he proposed on one knee while they were cooking a roast dinner during a 'cosy night'. In their first joint interview this evening, Miss Markle, 36, said she did not even wait for the 33-year-old royal to finish the sentence before she said 'yes' - and it was 'so sweet and natural and very romantic'. The couple, who had been in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace when the proposal happened, revealed that they first met on a blind date after being set up by a female friend - and have tried to see each other every two weeks. Harry added: 'I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly... All the stars were aligned - everything was just perfect. It was this beautiful woman just sort of literally tripped and fell into my life - I fell into her life.' Newly-engaged Meghan Markle has recalled the first meeting she had with the Queen and revealed the love Prince Harry has for his beloved grandmother. In a touching interview this evening, the 36-year-old actress spoke warmly about Her Majesty - and how she instantly bonded with her famous Corgis. The American suits star praised the 91-year-old monarch, who she said was 'an incredible woman.' In a touching interview Meghan Markle spoke warmly about Her Majesty - and her beloved dogs Ms Markle revealed she had met the Queen 'a couple of times' for tea. And when she moved one of her dogs over to the UK, it was perhaps the clearest indication that she was serious about Prince Harry. The actress brought her beagle Guy to live at Kensington Palace as her romance with the royal got serious. Her second dog, labrador-shepherd Bogart, is currently staying with friends in Canada. Miss Markle has described the pair, which were rescued from a shelter in Los Angeles, as 'my loves', 'my boys' and said they 'mean the absolute world' to her. And Prince Harry joked at his annoyance that the Queen's corgis, who have barked at him all his life, took to his fiancee 'straight away.' She described how when she met the monarch, they 'sweetly lay on my feet during tea, it was very sweet.' Prince Harry added: 'Just wagging tails and I was just like argh!' Prince Harry joked at his annoyance that the Queen's corgis, who have barked at him all his life, took to his fiancee 'straight away' Ms Markle revealed she had met the Queen 'a couple of times' for tea - and praised the monarch If there is one thing likely to make sure Meghan Markle settles in well with the royal family, it will be her love of dogs. Guy and Bogart have regularly featured on her Instagram account, with Guy even appearing in a patriotic knitted union flag jumper. It was American comedian and chat show host Ellen DeGeneres who convinced Ms Markle to adopt Bogart - her first pet - after she bumped into her in a shelter. 'She turns around and comes and taps on the window glass and she yells 'Take the dog!' And so I brought him home. Because Ellen told me to,' she said. Speculation that a royal engagement was imminent intensified when it was reported Ms Markle was putting arrangements in place to move the animals from her home in Toronto to London. Harry's grandmother the Queen is the royal best known for her love of dogs. She has owned more than 30 corgis, many of them direct descendants of Susan, who was so loved she accompanied the then Princess Elizabeth on her honeymoon. Now she has only one corgi left, Willow, and two dorgis, Candy and Vulcan. She introduced the new breed of dog known as the 'dorgi' when her corgi Tiny mated with a dachshund 'sausage dog' called Pipkin, which belonged to Princess Margaret. Bogart might turn out to be a favourite with the Queen. Labradors are bred and kept at Sandringham and the Queen has a close bond with the animals, which are working gundogs more than pets. Ms Markle is a keen advocate of adopting dogs, often using the adoptdontshop hashtag in her posts, which will go down well with Harry's stepmother the Duchess of Cornwall. Harry's grandmother the Queen is the royal best known for her love of dogs Camilla is patron of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, and adopted her two adored Jack Russells, Beth and Bluebell, from the shelter. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a cocker spaniel called Lupo, a wedding present from Kate's brother James Middleton. Harry grew up surrounded by dogs. His father the Prince of Wales had a Jack Russell called Tigga, who featured on some of his Christmas cards along with William and Harry. But not all royals dogs are well behaved. In 2003, as the family was gathering for Christmas at Sandringham in Norfolk, Pharos, one of the Queen's oldest corgis, was savaged by Florence, the Princess Royal's English bull terrier, and had to be put down. The year before, Anne was fined 500 and ordered to pay 500 compensation when another of her bull terriers, Dottie, attacked two children in Windsor Great Park. Meghan McCain returned from her Thanksgiving holiday with a big announcement on Monday, as the newest host of The View is now a newlywed. The 33-year-old daughter of Senator John McCain had already broke the news about her wedding to Ben Domenech over the holiday, but brought along some new photos and details about the ceremony to share with viewers Meghan's co-hosts all noted how beautiful she looked in the photos as she said: 'Me and now my husband. So weird to say, I have a husband Ben. We got married at our ranch in Sedona. It was real country. Like I wanted a western country wedding.' She went on to reveal there were some tears, some music and an inebriated bride. Scroll down for video They did: Meghan McCain, 33, shared new photos and details about her wedding to Ben Domenech last week in Arizona (couple above being married by John Dickerson) Big names: The bride said that her father, Senator John McCain, was moved to tears by the ceremony and former American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken sang for the couple Let loose: Meghan also said that she 'got really drunk on whiskey' at her nuptials and spent most of the night dancing 'Sean Dickerson from Face the Nation married us,' explained Meghan, who then gave a quick shout out to Shooter Jennings. 'I pulled Clay Aiken out of retirement to sing. I got my dad to cry.' She then noted that Aiken sang 'a beautiful song for us,' before adding: 'I got very drunk on whiskey.' Meghan revealed little else, saying only that there was lots of dancing at the small and intimate ceremony. 'It was really fun. I think we overdo it with weddings in general and talking about it. I understand why people do it. It's a beautiful celebration of love,' said Meghan. 'The meaningful experience of doing it in front of your friends and family.' There was also a bit of sadness however for Meghan, who reflected on how difficult the past year has been for her and her family. 'Before [President] Trump, before my dad's cancer. Before all these things. I feel like the first few year and half of our relationship was so fun. Just having a good time,' said Meghan. 'The second's been really, really, really hard. And so there's something about celebrating love in a time of sadness as well that was probably more meaningful had it been an easier time.' And Meghan said that it was back to business as usual when she and her new husband arrived back in New York after the wedding, with the newlyweds enjoying a night of tomato soup and Homes Alone 2 on Sunday. Difficult time: 'Before [President] Trump, before my dad's cancer. Before all these things. I feel like the first few year and half of our relationship was so fun,' revealed Meghan (above on The View Monday) First dance: She went on to say that the family's recent difficulties made the wedding all the more special for herself and Ben We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout. 11.21.2017 A post shared by Meghan McCain (@meghanmccain) on Nov 23, 2017 at 1:31pm PST Joy Behar then joked that there was once a time when couples waiting to have sex for the first time until their wedding night, prompting laughter among the hosts as Meghan said: 'Actually, I'm a big proponent of test-driving a car before you buy it.' This shockingly cheerful interaction between the ladies on the ABC show comes three weeks after DailyMail.com broke news of tension of the daytime show between McCain and her fellow hosts. 'Everything started all lovey-dovey and folks were optimistic that Meghan would be a welcomed addition to the show, but no one knew that she had developed this hardened, cold disposition that's quite different from when she was being considered for the job before,' a source close to the show exclusively told DailyMail.com. 'Initially everyone thought it was her getting a rhythm or trying to find her way, but now people realize she's has an unwelcoming presence and is only concerned with being engaging to Whoopi behind the scenes.' An ABC spokesperson has tonight dismissed claims of a rift, and said: 'This is ridiculous. We're very pleased that Meghan has joined our table of incredibly smart, accomplished and talented women. 'Their opinions frequently differ and that's exactly what the show is designed to do. She's been warmly welcomed by cast and crew alike. 'Let it go'.' A teenager has been found guilty of plotting an ISIS-inspired 'lone-wolf' terror attack at a Justin Bieber concert. The 17-year-old planned a massacre at Cardiff's Principality Stadium after penning a 'martyrdom letter' declaring himself a soldier of ISIS. He searched for details of the venue's security just days before the Canadian pop megastar was due to play at the Welsh capital on June 30. A court heard the boy, who is from a white British background, may have also been looking to target Cardiff Castle. A teenager from a white British background has been found guilty of plotting an ISIS-inspired 'lone-wolf' terror attack at a Justin Bieber concert The boy, 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had a claw hammer and a knife in his school bag when police raided the home he shares with his parents in south Wales The boy also had a 'martyrdom letter' in his schoolbag (pictured) which read: 'I am a soldier of the Islamic State' He conducted more than 2,000 searches over a year including 'Cardiff terrorist attack', 'how to create a terror attack' and 'how to pledge allegiance to ISIS'. Police arrested him at his home in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area of south Wales on June 30, and found the 'martyrdom letter' in his schoolbag along with a claw hammer and kitchen knife. The letter found in the boy's bedroom read: 'I am a soldier of the Islamic State. 'I have attacked Cardiff today because your government keep on bombing targets in Syria and Iraq. There will be more attacks in the future.' Officers also found a note detailing to how to 'run down non-believers with a car' with the bullet point instruction 'strike the infidels who oppose Allah in the neck'. The teen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied committing acts of terrorism by engaging in online research into attack planning. He also denied two counts of encouraging terrorism by posting images on Instagram and two counts of possession of a record of terrorist information, namely an Isis propaganda magazine. However, a jury found him guilty of all charges at Birmingham Crown Court following a two-week trial. The court also heard the boy may have been planning to attack Cardiff Castle (pictured) He will be sentenced at the same court on January 10. During the course of the trial, Matthew Brook, prosecuting, said: 'His interest in suicide evolved over time into an intention to commit a suicide attack in the name of Islam. 'The defendant told the police in his interview that he had been conversing with someone called Al Baghdadi over Instagram. 'Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the leader of ISIS. 'He searched '17 year old Jihad', Holy War, the defendant when making that search was 17 years of age. 'On June 15 - 'Vehicle mounting pavement', 'car ploughs through a crowd, 'Google maps - Castle quarter, Cardiff'. 'What legitimate reason could the defendant have for searching that? The Crown say none. 'This, the Crown say, is attack planning - looking for areas in Cardiff where there are lots of people you can attack.' The court heard the boy uploaded an image of Cardiff Castle with a caption, 'Cardiff are you prepared?', with a picture of a jeep, knife and a bomb. The boy had denied terror charges but following a two-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court a jury found him guilty Another image was captioned: 'Oh my Islamic state brothers you are the role models of these worlds. 'The attack on Cardiff will be deadly. 'May the infidels be hit by vehicles and in the name of Allah may the blood be shed of non-believers. 'Stop bombing the homeland Theresa May. 'May Allah bring terrorism to Cardiff on June 30, 2017.' Mr Brook added: 'This is a post to the world by the defendant encouraging terrorism. 'On June 28 at 10.10am there was this defendant searching 'Justin Bieber Cardiff 2017' and 'Justin Bieber Cardiff security'. 'So the defendant in that search is interested in what security will be like for a large public event which was going to take place the following day. 'This is in context of course of all his terrorist searches, his threats on Instagram about Cardiff being attacked on 30th, the knife and hammer in his bag, and of course the martyrdom letter as well. 'We've seen that the defendant had an unhealthy interest in terrorism and IS for many, many months; not just a week before his arrest. 'He was preparing for a lone wolf style attack, which involved him attacking innocent by-standers with a knife and hammer.' The owners of a massive luxury hotel in Panama are trying to strip Donald Trump's name from the property and fire its management. The Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama once paid at least $32 million to use the brand, but majority owners Ithaca Capital Partners now appear to feel that's more of a hindrance than a help. But their move to erase Trump's name from the property will be fought by The Trump Organization, which it says is a contract violation. Donald Trump's name may be stripped from the Trump International Hotel (third building from left, in 2011) after new owners said they felt his name was putting off business A Florida investment group bought up 202 unsold condo units at the hotel, which was built in 2011. It now wants to drop Trump, but the Trump Organization said that's a contract violation Located on Panama City's waterfront, the Trump hotel is within a 70-story tower in the shape of a wind-filled sail - a design similar to that of Dubai's Burj Al Arab, which precedes it by around 20 years. Despite lavish amenities - visitors can sip drinks next to a 65th-floor, edgeless pool that appears to float above the ocean - it has struggled with poor occupancy. 'I bought there because I thought Trump's name made it a safe investment,' said Al Monstavicius, a retired Nevada doctor who owns a penthouse hotel unit in the 369-room condo hotel. 'But Latinos are a real problem for him in Panama.' That thought appears to be echoed by Ithaca, a Miami, Florida-based investment firm that bought up the property's restaurants, conference center and 202 long-unsold condo units. That gave them the majority of the hotel owners' votes; the owners of the 167 other sold condos had previously lacked the voting power to challenge the management. At the time of the purchase, Ithaca's managing director, Orestes Fintiklis, said his firm looked forward to working with both the other unit owners and Trump's management team. But at an owners meeting in October Ithaca's representatives proposed removing the Trump Organization's directors from the hotel board. They also proposed sending a notice of default to Trump, the first step in terminating the president's relationship with the property. That plan faces opposition from the Trump Organization, which has acknowledged the effort, but said the move was a contract violation. The property (pictured) paid $32m so use Trump's name but now Ithica Capital Partners wants to end that. It also wants to remove Trump Organization reps from the directors' board 'Not only do we have a valid, binding and enforceable long-term management agreement, but any suggestion that the hotel is not performing up to expectations is belied by the actual facts,' it said in a statement. Ithaca did not respond to emails last week and Monday, and there is no public listing for the company or its managing director. No one voted against Ithaca's proposal, according to three people who were present or voted by proxy. 'They were given 30 days to cure,' said Jeffrey Rabiea, a New York businessman who owns three units in the building. It was unclear whether owners sent Trump a formal default notice. Rabiea said Ithaca and the owners were already searching for a new hotel operator to run the property under a different brand. Monstavicius, who said occupancy in his penthouse hotel suite has been running at only 30 percent in recent months, praised the move to oust Trump. 'It can't get any worse,' said Monstavicius. The uprising follows news that Trump was effectively being paid to end a similar management contract for the Trump Soho hotel in New York. These revelations point to continued struggles for the Trump brand outside strongholds like Mar-a-Lago in Florida and the Trump Hotel in Washington, DC. Both Rabiea and Monstavicius, along with another owner who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity over litigation concerns, said that their units were not profitable. The occupancy rates were too low even to cover the cost of their units' maintenance, the men said. The Trump Organization says that 'any suggestion that the hotel is not performing up to expectations is belied by the actual facts,' but some condo owners disagree Owners of apartments and hotel units at the Panama property have previously complained about problems with Trump's management. The Associated Press reported in October 2015 - when Trump was a candidate for president - that owners of apartments in the building had revolted over alleged mismanagement. That saw them firing Trump's manager from the building's overall board of directors. Trump responded with an arbitration demand for millions of dollars in damages, but the claim was ultimately settled and Trump remained manager of the hotel component of the tower. His company at the time threatened to sue the AP over its coverage, saying the reporting had damaged Trump's business interests. No lawsuit was ever filed, and Trump never identified or alleged factual errors in AP's coverage. The termination would mark a new setback for the Trump family's hotel business, which already lacked the scale of major international chains catering to business travelers. The family announced two new hotel brands after the presidential election: Scion and American Idea. It said it has already signed dozens of letters of intent with prospective licensees, but tangible progress in the form of permits and construction has been scarce. Stephen Sawyer, 34, has been charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in San Antonio, Texas A grandmother walked in on a 34-year-old man sexually assaulting her 16-year-old granddaughter inside the family's San Antonio, Texas home last week. Police say the suspect, Stephen Sawyer, met the victim on social media website Mocospace, and that he friended her on Facebook two days before the alleged attack. While they were corresponding on Facebook, Sawyer reportedly requested that the teen send him nude photos and she agreed. Things escalated on Thanksgiving Eve, when the girl invited Sawyer over to her house. She led him to a downstairs bathroom where they started having sex. The girl's grandmother heard a commotion, went to investigate and found that the door was locked. She ordered the victim to open the door, and the victim relented. Inside, the grandmother found Sawyer and ordered him out of her house. He was arrested the next morning by local police. The age of consent in Texas is 17, meaning almost all sex acts with children under that age are illegal. Considerations are made if the older partner is within three years of age of the under-17 partner. Sawyer was booked into Bexar County Jail on a charge of sexual assault of a child and was being held on $75,000 bond. A cheap lookalike of Meghan Markle's priceless engagement ring specially can be snapped up for just 33 at Argos. The stunning ring was showcased by the Suits actress as she and Prince Harry announced their engagement at Kensington Palace, today. It includes one stone from Botswana, where the couple recently holidayed, and two diamonds from Princess Diana's personal collection. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared at a photocall at London's Kensington Palace today Left, Miss Markle's stunning engagement ring, and right, Argos' 33 lookalike sparkler The ring was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty. Like the Duchess of Cambridge's band, Miss Markle's new sparkler is of estimable worth. However, TheDiamondStore.co.uk estimate it cost 199,475 and the stone is likely to be a D in colour (the clearest). But luckily for members of the public, Argos is offering a lookalike for a fraction of the price. The retail chain's revere 18ct gold plated silver 1.5ct look 3 stone ring will set shoppers back just 32.99. It also has a three-stone design, but instead of diamonds, is uses cubic zirconia. Unlike Miss Markle's ring (pictured) which was specially made to fit her finger, Argos' band comes in two sizes, left and right The retail chain's revere 18ct gold plated silver 1.5ct look 3 stone ring will set shoppers back just 32.99 However, unlike Miss Markle's ring, which was specially made to fit her finger, Argos' band comes in two sizes, left and right. Sarah Filippardos, head jewellery buyer at Argos, told The Sun: 'Prince Harry's choice of a diamond trilogy ring for Meghan is beautiful. 'For anyone inspired by Harry's act of romance who isn't able to pop to Botswana for a diamond, Argos has a fantastic range of similar trilogy engagement rings with prices starting from as little as 32.99.' Currys PC World has taken the advent calendar to a new level by unveiling a giveaway worth a whopping 10,000. The UK's largest electrical retailer has announced its 'ultimate Christmas advent calendar', which contains 10,000 worth of tech gifts from brands including Google, Dyson, Samsung and Sonos. But there's a catch: The pricey advent calendar cannot be bought by customers and instead can only be won by hopeful shoppers. The UK's largest electrical retailer has announced its 'ultimate Christmas advent calendar', which contains 10,000 worth of tech gifts from brands including Google, Dyson, Samsung and Sonos There is however, a catch: The pricey advent calendar cannot be bought by customers and instead can only be won by hopeful shoppers The Christmas calendar will be showcased at Westfield Stratford City on Wednesday, where shoppers can try winning the items by using keys to unlock doors at the store. From 10am to 10pm, shoppers will be able to try their hand at winning one of the 24 prizes in the custom-built 3x3m installation. If their key fits into the door they choose, they will take home the prize inside. Among the prizes are the latest headphones, laptops, speakers, fitness trackers, hairdryers and cameras. The least expensive item in the calendar is a 29.99 Polaroid Pen, while the most expensive is the Microsoft Surface Book 2, worth 1,499. The Christmas calendar will be showcased at Westfield Stratford City on Wednesday, where shoppers can try winning the items by using keys to unlock doors at the store From 10am to 10pm, shoppers will be able to try their hand at winning one of the 24 prizes in the custom-built 3x3m installation. If their key fits into the door they choose, they will take home the prize inside Among the prizes are the latest headphones, laptops, speakers, fitness trackers, hairdryers and cameras Shoppers who are unable to travel to the Westfield Stratford City on Wednesday will also have a chance to win prizes online, where two more sets of the items will be available. Matt Walburn, Brand and Communications Director, Currys PC World said: 'Nothing beats marking the start of the Christmas countdown like opening that first door of your calendar, and what better to way to celebrate the festivities than with our ultimate version, filled with this year's must-have tech. He adds: 'From the latest in-demand voice-controlled tech, cameras, and even a 32' TV, we're excited to offer consumers the special chance to win one of these fantastic prizes this Christmas.' On Monday, Michael Flynn's lawyer met with members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team amid speculation that President Trump's former national security adviser is etching out a deal. ABC News first reported the meeting between Flynn's attorney Robert Kelner and Mueller's team, suggesting that it indicated both sides were discussing a possible plea deal. Last week, Trump's legal team confirmed that Kelner had alerted them that they could no longer team up on legal strategy, a sign that Flynn wanted to negotiate with prosecutors instead. Scroll down for video Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's attorney met with members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team on Monday, ABC News has learned Michael Flynn's lawyer was spotted at the offices of Special Counsel Robert Mueller (pictured) on Monday The New York Times first reported the news. While Trump and Flynn's team had never signed a formal, joint defense agreement, ABC News reported that lawyers for both men had held privileged discussions for months. With that break it could mean that Flynn, who played an adviser role to Trump throughout the campaign and into the transition and administration, might testify against the president or another senior White House official. When ABC News reached out to Kelner, he declined to comment on the nature of his visit to Mueller's Washington, D.C., office. Meanwhile, Trump's lawyer Jay Sekulow told the network that the break between the two legal teams was 'not entirely unexpected.' 'No one should draw the conclusion that this means anything about Gen. Flynn cooperating against the president,' Sekulow told ABC. However sources close to the Russia probe, which Mueller oversees, have told ABC that Flynn is feeling increased pressure to cooperate because investigators could try to ensnare his son, Michael Flynn Jr., who worked alongside the ex-Trump official at Flynn Intel Group. Congress is also looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and if there's evidence of Trump campaign collusion, with Democrats saying in September that Flynn failed to disclose a number of foreign trips and contacts when renewing his security clearance. Intentionally omitting foreign contacts on a security clearance from can be punished by a five-year stint in prison. Jail time could be used as leverage against Flynn, getting him to turn. Former FBI Director James Comey whose firing prompted the hiring of the special counsel previewed how prosecutors could play this situation, when testifying before Congress earlier this year, ABC pointed out. 'There is always a possibility if you have a criminal case against someone and you bring them in, squeeze them, flip them, [that]they give you information about something else,' Comey said. A woman is suing Amtrak after she was raped by this employee, 59-year-old Charles Henry Pinner, two years ago A North Carolina woman is suing Amtrak saying it failed to protect her from an employee who raped her in her sleeping car while the train passed through northeastern Montana in April 2015. The lawsuit argues that under the Common Carrier Doctrine, Amtrak should be held to the 'highest degree of care' with regard to passenger safety. Amtrak says the doctrine applies only when an employee is acting within the scope of their employment, the Great Falls Tribune reports. The lawsuit, filed in April, says Charles Henry Pinner, 59, of Detroit raped the 68-year-old woman in April 2015 as the Empire Builder train passed through Wolf Point. The woman was on a 'bucket list' cross-country trip with her two sisters. They boarded the train in Washington, DC on a westward route. Before that, the victim had only been to five states. After passing through Chicago, they planned to stop and spend a few days in Glasgow, Montana on April 19 to meet the victim's nephew. But the night before they were due to disembark, Pinner broke in and violently raped the woman. The unnamed victim was 68 years old in April 2015 when she says Pinner broke into her sleeping cabin and raped her in the middle of the night. Above, an Amtrak train The rape was apparently so brutal that the victim still had bite marks and bruises when she reported the rape several days later in Washington State. Pinner was convicted of kidnapping and sexual intercourse without consent in September 2016 and is serving a 60-year prison term. He is appealing his conviction. The woman reports suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome and rape trauma syndrome along with anxiety and depression. She continues to see a psychiatrist and a psychologist and is on antidepressants, the lawsuit said. Amtrak did not complete an 'industry-standard' background check on Pinner, despite his acknowledgment of a criminal history in his initial job application, the complaint said. Such a check would have shown convictions for felony robbery and drug trafficking, court records said. The woman alleges Amtrak knew Pinner told a female co-worker in 2000 that, 'I have no trouble strangling a white woman.' Pinner is black. Pinner was fired in 2002 after a complaint alleged he violated Amtrak's personal conduct, honesty and safety policies. He was reinstated five months later. Amtrak dismissed Pinner again in 2006 after a formal investigation into reports that he was selling pornography while on the job. However, Pinner and his union appealed the firing and a binding board determined the discipline was too severe. Amtrak argues nothing in Pinner's background check or work behavior would have led a reasonable employer to believe he would kidnap and rape a passenger. The passenger rail line also argues it had no choice in retaining Pinner because the appeal process that led to his reinstatement is governed by the Railway Labor Act. Amtrak cooperated with Montana authorities in the prosecution of the rape case, spokesman Marc Magliari said Monday. During a pretrial hearing earlier this month, the case was set for trial in February 2019 in Great Falls. Australian travellers heading to and from Bali face another day of disruption as airlines closely monitor the ash cloud from the Mount Agung volcano. Ash from the volcano reached the airport's airspace, triggering its closure early on Monday. More than 400 flights to and from Bali were cancelled and nearly 60,000 travellers have been stranded. The normally bustling airport on the Indonesian resort island of Bali is a near-ghost town, dotted by anxious Australian tourists desperate to get home. The airport's initial closure was for 24 hours until early Tuesday, but it is expected to stay closed for another day. Scroll down for video Bali's Denpasar Airport is expected to be closed for another 24 hours as ash from Mount Agung continues to cause chaos for travellers Mount Agung volcano spewing hot volcanic ash as seen from Karangasem, Bali, on Monday On Monday night, tourists settled down for the night on makeshift beds on the airport's dusty floors. Some were considering making the more than 10-hour journey to Surabaya and catching a series of flights across Indonesia back to Australia. All are frustrated by what they say is a lack of updated information from their airlines about what happens next. The first Janeen McKay heard about flight cancellations was in a text from her brother back in Australia as she was on her way to Bali's airport. 'I had nothing from Jetstar, they had my mobile number,' the West Australian told AAP. After a 12-hour wait at the airport, she's now been told she won't be able to get home until Saturday at the earliest. 'We had a really nice time in Bali but then we get here and this has just ruined it,' Ms McKay said. 'Why does it take five days to get us out of here? Not very happy.' Mount Agung belched smoke as high as 1,500 metres above its summit, sparking an exodus from settlements near the mountain Passengers gather at the Gusti Ngurah Rai International airport in Denpasar after flights were cancelled Jetstar has cancelled all flights to and from Bali and will reassess the situation on Tuesday An empty Bali International Airport is seen after volcanic ash forced its closure on Monday Thick clouds hide the volcanic ash billowing out of Mount Agung at Sanur Beach on the island Ms McKay, an office manager, is keen to get back to Geraldton, north of Perth, to take over the care of her elderly mother from her sister, a nurse, who's needed back at work on Thursday. Veronika Naberezhnova is also non-plussed. 'It's a bit annoying,' the Department of Human Services worker said. 'My family's waiting there (in Sydney) as well, they're all waiting, they're all stressed.' On the other side of Bali, at Sanur beach, the distant crackle of lightning and an afternoon rain shower were the only annoyances for tourists lounging on sun beds and sipping cocktails. For them, the airport's closure means an extended holiday. 'What's to be annoyed about, getting stuck here,' said Simon Allan, whose flight to Perth was cancelled because of the ash cloud. People watch as muddy waters flow down a river near Mount Agung, in Bali, Indonesia The area, which includes a much-visited Hindu temple on the slopes of the volcano, will be prone to deadly mudflows and lava 'We have no control of nature and we'll just go with the moment and see what happens tomorrow,' his partner Deborah Flynn told AAP. Scientists say Mount Agung's volcanic activity could escalate further over the coming days meaning planes could stay grounded with thousands unable to fly in or out of Bali. Carriers Jetstar and Virgin Australia will reassess the situation on Tuesday. Jetstar has cancelled all flights to and from Bali. Virgin Australia cancelled all flights between Bali and Australia on Tuesday. Jetstar acknowledged 'further disruptions are possible this week depending on weather conditions'. Affected Jetstar customers have been given the option of flying to destinations including Phuket, Singapore, Fiji or Tokyo at no additional cost. Other major airlines are all monitoring the situation but are unable to fly until the massive ash cloud dissipates. Flights from other Indonesian airports were experiencing delays on Monday because Bali's Gusti Ngurah Rai airport is a national hub with many transiting flights. The airport's initial closure was for 24 hours until early Tuesday, but there could be prolonged or repeated disruptions More than 400 flights to and from Bali were cancelled and nearly 60,000 travelers have been stranded The travel disruptions will ripple around the globe as the island is one of Asia's top destinations, attracting five million visitors a year. December through the first week of January is one of the island's busy periods. But the popular tourist areas of Kuta and Seminyak and the airport are about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the volcano and largely safe even with a major eruption though masks and goggles could prove necessary if there's significant ash fall. Activity at the mountain has ramped up in recent weeks culminating with the cancellation of flights in and out of Bali this week due to a large ash cloud thrown up by the volcano. Indonesia has raised its alert for Mt Agung to the highest level, warning of the risk of a lava eruption is 'imminent'. Mount Agung, which sits more than 3000 metres high over eastern Bali, last erupted in 1963 killing more than 1000 people and razing several villages. Authorities have ordered up to 150,000 people to leave a danger zone that extends 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the crater in places and tourists shouldn't enter it. Up to 150,000 people have been urged to evacuate areas within a 10 kilometre radius of Bali's Mt Agung amid the issuing of its highest danger alert on Monday A danger zone was expanded Monday morning after heavy rain sent ash and magma towards nearby villages The area, which includes a much-visited Hindu temple on the slopes of the volcano, will be prone to deadly mudflows and lava. The risk of mudflows, which combine water and volcanic debris, is high because it's the wet season in Bali. Authorities have warned people to stay away from rivers. A danger zone was expanded Monday morning amid issuing of the volcano's highest alert, with heavy rain sending ash and magma towards nearby villages. As authorities attempt to urge people to evacuate, only 40,000 have chosen to leave with many 'feeling safe' or staying to protect livestock, Bloomberg reports. Some governments are advising citizens to defer travel to the island. Malaysia's foreign ministry said all but non-urgent travel should be delayed while Australia, a big source of tourists for Bali, said people should be aware that ash clouds could also close other airports in Indonesia depending on weather conditions. Heavy rain in Bali sent ash and magma (pictured) surging towards nearby villages More than 50,000 travellers a day could soon be stranded in Bali as authorities issue a 'red alert' warning and Mount Agung continues to erupt. The volcano is pictured on Sunday Maureen Steele and Jackie Calabretta were scheduled to fly on a Garuda Indonesia flight from Sydney via Bali to Jakarta on Monday for an orangutan tour. They were up at 4am to travel from Gosford and Wollongong to make the 10am flight which cost $700 return. 'We were on the plane, all strapped in ready for departure, when the cabin crew announced they needed to wait 10 minutes to get clearance,' Ms Steele said at Sydney Airport. 'They told us they didn't get clearance so we all had to get off again.' As they passed back through customs, Ms Calabretta contacted Malaysia Airlines and booked a new flight costing $600 one-way to Jakarta via Kuala Lumpur. 'We have to go - we've paid hundreds of dollars on the vaccinations and there have been lots of preparations,' Ms Steele said as they settled in for a 10-hour wait. A massive 22 villagers were affected and at least 100,000 people when Bali's Mount Agung volcano erupted over the weekend Flight cancellations have forced travellers to sleep at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport Some of their frustrations were aired on Facebook, with customers either very pleased they had been moved to temporary accommodation or livid they had been left out All flights were cancelled at 7am local time and the airport will remain closed until further notice Magma has now reached the surface of the volcano, which threatens to produce a 'strong, explosive eruption,' authorities warned Customers have spent hours lining up for information about their flights. This traveller is seen at Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday A group of eight surfers are hoping they'll be able to fly to Bali on Tuesday. James Hall, 18, said the Sydney friends had been planning their Sumatra surf trip for more than a year. 'It's frustrating, we've been told we might be able to fly tomorrow, so we just have to wait it out,' Mr Hall told AAP at Sydney's international terminal. 'There's not much we can do - it's a volcano.' The latest data from Agoda shows Bali is the number one destination for Australians travelling in December. University of Adelaide geologist Mark Tingay says the eruptions from Mount Agung have sent plumes of ash 3000 metres into the air. 'The volcanic eruption has moved on to the next, more severe, magmatic eruption phase, where highly viscous lava can trap gasses under pressure, potentially leading to an explosion,' he said in a statement. Balinese Hindus take part in a ceremony on Sunday, where they pray near Mount Agung in hope of preventing a volcanic eruption The Mount Agung volcano spews hot volcanic ash as a local chops wood in the foreground On Saturday Jetstar diverted three flights heading to Bali and cancelled six flights ready to leave the island Jetstar was forced to cancel numerous flights on Saturday and the following morning but was back on schedule by Sunday evening (stock image) Mount Agung volcano is seen spewing smoke and ash in Bali on Sunday. The ash has thrown holiday plans into disarray Tourists watch the Mount Agung volcano erupting as they visit a temple in Karangasem, Indonesia Mt Agung erupted on Saturday evening and three times on Sunday, throwing holiday plans into disarray. Indonesia's Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation raised its aviation colour code from orange to red, indicating a further eruption with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere was imminent. Australia's Bureau of Meteorology's Volanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin issued maps showing an ash cloud heading southeast over the neighbouring island of Lombok away from Bali's capital Denpasar, where the international airport is located. RUMBLES FROM BALI'S MOUNT AGUNG WHERE IS THE VOLCANO? - Mount Agung rises about 3,000m above Bali's Karangasem district, in the holiday island's east - Bali lies within the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic and volcanic activity where thousands of tremors occur each year WHAT IS THE VOLCANO'S HISTORY OF ERUPTIONS? - Its last major eruption in 1963 killed over 1,000 people and razed many villages - More than 50,000 Indonesians were evacuated in September this year when experts warned an eruption was imminent - Some 25,000 people have been unable to return to their homes Advertisement AirAsia and Virgin Australia flights between Denpasar and Australia remained grounded on Sunday night 'The volcano and movement of ash cloud are highly unpredictable which means we may need to cancel flights at short notice,' Jetstar warned on its website (stick image) Passengers wait for their flight schedule at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport on Sunday Police have arrested a 20-year-old man who was allegedly planning a terrorist attack in Melbourne on New Year's Eve. The young man was arrested by special operations police officers at 3pm on Monday following raids on two homes in Werribee and Meadow Heights in the city's west. Police also raided a business in nearby Footscray. The arrest was a joint effort by Victoria Police, AFP and ASIO named Operation Jose. Police have arrested a 20-year-old man who was allegedly planning a terrorist attack in Melbourne on New Year's Eve (stock image) Police said it would be alleged the man was involved in undertaking preparations for planning a terrorist act in Melbourne on New Year's Eve (pictured, 2015 celebrations) 'It will be alleged the man arrested was involved in undertaking preparations for planning a terrorist act in Melbourne on New Years Eve this year,' police said. The man is currently being interviewed in relation to the offences of preparing to commit a terrorist attack and collecting documents to facilitate a terrorist act. Police said the operation was ongoing but confirmed they did not anticipate to arrest anyone else in connection with the alleged threat. In a statement, Victoria Police and the AFP said the threat had been 'contained' and there is 'no on-going risk' posed by the accused. In 2016, more than 500,000 revellers flocked to Melbourne's CBD to ring in the new year as tonnes of fireworks were shot from 22 city buildings. The young man was arrested by special operations police officers at 3pm on Monday following raids on two homes in Werribee and Meadow Heights (stock image) President Donald Trump hailed the strength and bravery of World War II Navajo 'code-talkers' at the White House where he also mocked Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren as 'Pocahontas.' Trump regularly ripped Warren, a leading liberal adversary, as 'Pocahontas' on the campaign trail for having previously claimed Native American ancestry. On Monday, the president decided to air the attack one more time alongside aging Native American veterans who helped fight fascism, in a White House ceremony attended by White House chief of staff John Kelly and other officials. 'You were here long before any of us were here,' Trump told the honorees. 'Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas,' Trump said. Scroll down for video President Trump hailed World War II Navajo code-talkers in the Oval Office on Monday in front of a portrait of Andrew Jackson, led violent campaigns against Native Americans During his remarks, Trump recalled a time when Kelly asked him: 'How good were these code talkers?' 'He said sir, you have no idea. You have no idea what they've done for this country. And the strength and the bravery and the love that they have for the country. That was the ultimate statement from General Kelly on the importance.' The president spoke as code-talkers stood by him at a podium, while another was seated in a wheelchair. Peter MacDonald, a WWII veteran and former chairman of the Navajo tribe, gave introductory remarks by going through the history of the code talkers in the Pacific theater, including at the battles at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. Warren immediately shot back at the president for making a 'racial slur.' President Donald Trump reacts as he honours Navajo Code Talkers for their contributions during World War Two at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2017 President Donald Trump greets Navajo Code Talkers as he honours their contributions during World War Two as they take part in an event at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 27, 2017 President Donald Trump mocked Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) as 'Pocahontas' at a ceremony honoring Native Americans Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts shot back on Twitter. 'What @RealDonaldTrump said about my partner @SenWarren is a slur. It disparages the Native American war heroes, standing right beside the President, who risked their lives to protect his right to make such a disgusting comment,' Markey wrote. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, asked why Trump felt the need to make the point at the ceremony, said: 'I think what most people find offensive is Sen. Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career.' She said Trump had an 'extreme amount of value and respect for these individuals.' 'I don't think that it is' a racial slur to use the term Pocahontas, she said. The remark got met with silence when the president made it. Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted Trump for using a 'racial slur,' something his press secretary said he didn't do During the war, the code-talkers radioed messages using a code derived from their native language. They used words for war chief, braided hair, and hummingbird that was the only unbroken military code in history, the Associated Press reported. Warren told MSNBC: 'This was supposed to be an event to honor heroes. People who put it all on the line for our country. And people who because of their incredible work saved the lives of countless Americans and our allies. It is deeply unfortunate that the president of the United States cannot make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur.' She added: 'Donald Trump does this over and over thinking somehow he's going to shut me up with it, it hadn't worked in the past it is not going to work in the future.' Harvard Law listed Warren as Native American after she listed herself as a minority in a Association of American Law Schools directory. It became a campaign issue in her 2012 Senate race when opponent Scott Brown accused her of claiming to be Native American. I am very proud of my heritage," Warren told NPR at the time, CNN reported. 'These are my family stories. This is what my brothers and I were told by my mom and my dad, my mammaw and my pappaw. This is our lives. And I'm very proud of it.' Attending the event were Marine code talkers Fleming Begay Sr., who is designated an honorary chair of Native Americans for Trump, Thomas H. Begay, Roy Hawthorne, Samuel Holiday, and Alfred Newman. Prosecutors say a 20-year-old woman was high on marijuana when she hit and killed a motorcyclist in Lansing, Michigan in September. The incident happened September 22 just before 8pm, when Logan Brooke Turner was crossing oncoming traffic to turn into a local business. Turner hit motorcyclist Blair Reubin Beck, 21, who was driving southbound when Turner pulled across the street from the northbound lane and struck him. Logan Brooke Turner, 20 (left), was arraigned last week on a charge of operating while intoxicated causing death after she hit and killed motorcyclist Blair Reubin Beck, 21 (right), on September 22 The crash happened on South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, near Ferley Street. Beck later died and Turner's blood tested positive for marijuana. At an arraignment on Wednesday, Turner was hit with one count of operating while intoxicated causing death. Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon declined to go into further details about the case. OWI causing death is a felony, and typically carries a maximum of 15 years in prison, according to the Detroit Free-Press. According to his obituary, Beck was a 2014 graduate of Grande Ledge High School and worked at the Grand Pointe Marina in Dimondale. 'He was a talented mechanic; enjoyed motorcycles, cars, video games, hunting and fishing; especially loved his time spent with family on Drummond Island and all of his friends. 'Blair was an experienced motorcycle rider who always enjoyed helping others with any problem they might have,' the obituary read. He was survived by his parents, a sister, and much of his extended family. A 23-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday after her dead newborn baby was found under the porch of a Pennsylvania home. Brittany Robinson's newborn baby boy was found by her father who was hanging up Christmas lights on Sunday afternoon. The man immediately called 911 after he discovered the seven-pound child inside a bag tucked in the crawlspace of his Shenango Township home. Brittany Robinson (left and right), 23, was arrested on Sunday after her dead newborn baby was found under the porch of a Pennsylvania home Her newborn baby boy was found by her father who was hanging up Christmas lights on Sunday afternoon. The man immediately called 911 after he discovered the seven-pound child inside a bag tucked in the crawlspace of his home. Robinson is pictured in custody on Monday Robinson was charged Sunday with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of a child. State police said the child was wrapped in a t-shirt and put in the plastic bag. Robinson reportedly told police that she had severe stomach pains while she was at work Friday and later gave birth at home, according to WTAE. She told police the baby wasn't breathing, so she wrapped him in a black shirt and put him in the bottom drawer of a dresser on the porch, according to the criminal complaint. Robinson then claimed that she was unable to sleep on Saturday and went to check on the baby. The little boy was still not breathing so she moved him to the crawl space. Her father discovered the baby while Robinson was at work on Sunday. Robinson reportedly told police that she had severe stomach pains while she was at work Friday and later gave birth at home Robinson told police the baby wasn't breathing, so she wrapped him in a black shirt and put him in the bottom drawer of a dresser on the porch before eventually moving him to the crawlspace at the home (pictured), according to the criminal complaint Police said they believe the baby was born alive and may have lived one day. An autopsy is set for Monday night to determine the exact cause of death. Robinson went to a hospital Sunday for treatment related to childbirth. Investigators are pictured at the scene of the incident According to WTAE, Robinson told police she did not know she was pregnant and neither did her family. 'Everybody that's been to that scene that was present who had to observe that has had a rough day,' Lt. Eric Hermick of the Pennsylvania State Police told WPXI. Police said they believe the baby was born alive and may have lived one day. 'When you seen this baby, it's not what everybody envisions as you see there's a baby that appears to be dead or decomp,' Hermick said. 'This baby was in excellent physical condition. It still looked like it was alive at the scene. An autopsy is set for Monday night to determine the exact cause of death. Robinson went to a hospital Sunday for treatment related to childbirth. Robinson (pictured in custody on Monday) reportedly told police she did not know she was pregnant and neither did her family. Robinson was charged Sunday with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of a child Authorities said the investigation is ongoing as they begin to piece together what exactly happened leading up to the baby boy's death She was discharged early Monday morning and immediately taken into custody. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing as they begin to piece together what exactly happened leading up to the baby boy's death. 'Laws protect mothers who have babies who don't want them,' Hermick told the station. 'They can drop them off at a police station or hospital. Here's a case here where, quite frankly, the baby looks like it was fine and just left to die,' he added. Baby P's mother has been told she will spend at least another two years behind bars after a parole board stated she is still a danger to the public Baby P's mother has been told she will spend at least another two years behind bars after a parole board stated she is still a danger to the public. Tracey Connelly, 35, was jailed in 2009 after she stood by and watched while her partner and his brother tortured her defenceless 17-month-old son Peter to death in Haringey, North London, in 2007. She was released on licence in 2013 but was recalled to prison just 18 months later after being accused of selling indecent images of herself to warped fans. In December 2015 the Parole Board said she should remain behind bars. The latest rejection, following a parole hearing in October, comes as a bitter blow to Connelly, who had hoped to be freed in time for Christmas. A spokesman for the Parole Board told MailOnline: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has not directed the release of Tracey Connelly. 'Under current legislation Ms Connelly will be eligible for a further review within two years. The date of the next review will be set by the Ministry of Justice.' Connelly is currently in HMP Low Newton, County Durham, having been moved from HMP Styal in Cheshire. Peter (pictured) was just 17 months old when he was found dead in his blood-spattered cot at his mothers flat in Haringey, North London After being released from prison in 2013, Connelly was given a new surname and a new disguise (pictured) Her toddler son died after suffering more than 50 injuries at the hands of her partner Steven Barker and his paedophile brother Jason Owen over an eight-month period. Connelly changed her name and dyed her hair before moving to a seaside town when she was freed in October 2013 on a life-long licence. Her release sparked outrage. Connelly's mother, Mary O'Connor, and father, Richard Johnson, said at the time their daughter should never have been freed. In May 2009 Connelly was ordered to be held indefinitely, with a minimum jail term of five years, until 'deemed no longer to be a risk to the public and in particular to small children'. Evil: Connelly's partner Steven Barker (left) was jailed for life, while his brother Jason Owen (right) was sent back to jail after breaching his parole When she was freed from Durham's Low Newton jail in October 2013, she begged for an anonymity order and police protection but was refused. Her release on a life-long licence came with the condition that any breach of her parole terms would land her back in jail. The horrific nature of tragic Peter's death despite being on Haringey Council's at-risk register shocked Britain. He was found dead in his blood-stained cot at his mother's flat after 60 visits from social workers and police. The White House said Monday that there are so many sexual misconduct scandals facing Congress, Hollywood and the media that Donald Trump can't be expected to weigh in on every one. DailyMail.com asked press secretary Sarah Sanders what it would take for the president to condemn Sen. Al Franken, who four different women have alleged improperly touched them sexually. Trump mocked the Minnesota Democrat on Twitter 11 days ago as 'Frankenstein' after the first allegation surfaced accompanied by a photo of Franken groping a sleeping woman after a USO tour but has steered clear of calling for him to resign. 'The president is not going to weigh in on every single matter like this,' Sanders insisted Monday afternoon. 'Look, every single day we've got people from the media, from Hollywood, from members of Congress that have allegations brought against them,' she said, adding that Franken 'should first be the one to address' his own scandal, and it's 'not for the president to weigh in every single time one of these accusations comes up.' Scroll down for video Donald Trump hasn't called on Minnesota Sen. Al Franken to resign, and the White House says he can't be expected to weigh in every time someone in Congress or Hollywood has to face accusations of sexual abuse or harassment White House press secretary Sarah Sanders dodged DailyMail.com's question on Monday oof whether the president is staying on the sidelines because he still faces his own unresolved allegations of sexual misconduct 'I know that I've let a lot of people down,' Franken said Monday in his first press conference since being accused of groping women Franken has been hit with allegations that he touched four women inappropriately, beginning with Leeann Tweeden, whose case was buttressed with photographic evidence Sanders also side-stepped a question about whether Trump was staying on the sidelines of Franken's troubles because of unresolved sexual misconduct allegations dating from his presidential campaign. 'I think that the president's been very clear that he denies any of those allegations having taken place,' she said. Franken faced the media in Washington hours earlier but said he doesn't remember two alleged groping incidents and that he recalls an alleged backstage kissing incident 'differently' from how accuser Leeann Tweeden remembers it. And he declined to rule out the possibility that more women could point fingers at him. 'If you had asked me two weeks ago, "Would any woman come forward with an allegation like this?" I would have said no, and so I cannot speculate,' the senator told a crush of media outside his office door in Washington. 'I certainly hope not,' he added moments later. 'This has been a shock, and it's been extremely humbling. I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed,' Franken said. Franken, 66, has framed the groping accusations as a chance for him to reflect and grow, not as an offense that violated the public trust enough to force his resignation Trump needled Franken on Nov. 16 after the first accusation against him dominated several news cycles, but has stayed mum since then But he insisted he has no intention of quitting. 'I am going to try to learn from my mistakes,' the Minnesotan, a former comedian, told reporters. Franken's troubles began when Leeann Tweeden produced a picture showing Franken groping her breasts. 'The Al Frankenstien [sic] picture is really bad, speaks a thousand words,' Trump tweeted during the ensuing media feeding frenzy. 'Where do his hands go in pictures 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 while she sleeps?' But the president has been mum about the Franken saga since then. On Nov. 21 as he left the White House for the Thanksgiving holiday, he told DailyMail.com that he wouldn't pass judgment because 'I dont know what happened.' The Democrat's woes continued with three other women who say he grabbed their rear ends while posing for photos including at least one instance after he was sworn in as a senator. 'I take a lot of pictures in Minnesota, thousands of pictures, meet tens of thousands of people. Those are instances that I do not remember,' said Franken. Franken claimed Sunday in an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he doesn't remember taking the specific photos, but said such groping is 'not something I would intentionally do.' Lindsay Menz, (left) was the second woman to claim that Franken, (right) groped her when the two took this picture at the Minnesota State Fair in 2010 Franken said he would not resign, even as other high-profile figures accused of harassment in recent weeks have lost their jobs. 'I know that I've let a lot of people down,' he said. 'My colleagues, my staff, my supporters and everyone who has counted on me to be a champion for women. To all of you, I just want to again say I am sorry. I know there are know magic words I can say to regain your trust.' Franken also spoke about the USO tour where Tweeden says he forcibly kissed her during a rehearsal for a comedy routine. Franken said Monday: 'On the kiss at the rehearsal we were rehearsing for a sketch. I said that I recalled that differently from Leanne. But I feel that you have to respect women's experience. And so I apologized to her and I meant it. And I was very grateful that she accepted it.' In a blog entry about the experience, Tweeden, a California radio host, wrote: 'We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth.' Franken continued to apologize without saying he engaged in the conduct he is accused of. Trump is shown Monday during an event honoring Navajo 'code talkers' from the Second World War On Sunday Franken told WCCO in Minneapolis he had no intention of stepping down 'From these stories it's been clear that there are some women and one is too many who feel that I've done something disrespectful and that's hurt them and for that I am tremendously sorry,' he said. 'I know that I am going to have to be much more conscious when in these circumstances, much more careful, much more sensitive, and that this will not happen again going forward,' Franken said. 'It's going to take a long time for me to regain people's trust.' Franken wouldn't respond directly to a hypothetical question about what conduct would lead to a resignation. An elderly man has tragically died after he was hit by a truck reversing at slow speed out of a busy Liverpool carpark. The 94-year-old was knocked down as the vehicle was backing out at the corner of Hoxton Park Road and Flowerdale Road. The 70-year-old male driver of the car stopped and spoke to police at the scene. The 94-year-old was struck at slow speed by a reversing vehicle in a car park at the corner of Hoxton Park Road and Flowerdale Road (pictured) The seriously injured man was treated before he was rushed to Liverpool Hospital where he later sadly died. Officers from Liverpool Local Area Command are continuing investigations and are now preparing a report for the coroner. The man was one of two elderly pedestrians to die on Monday. A 91-year-old man also died in hospital, three days after he was hit by a SUV as he crossed Maitland Road in the Newcastle suburb of Mayfield in a hit-and-run on Friday afternoon. Police are appealing for witnesses at either incident or who may have seen the car, a red Mitsubishi ASX, A ten-year old girl crashed into her neighbors' living room, telling cops she 'wanted to kill people.' The Louisiana girl, who has not been named, was driving a truck when she slammed into Kristina Bryan's car so hard it spun several times and even cut the pavement. Bryan's car was totaled but she escaped with minor scrapes and bruises. She is just glad her young twins weren't in the car at the time, WDRB reports. The ten-year-old girl crashed a truck into her neighbors' living room in Louisiana, telling police she wanted to kill people Moments later, the girl rammed her truck through the living room of a home on New Cut Road near West Indian Trail, at around 2.30pm on Friday. 'It sounded like a bomb went off,' said Joshua Pate, who lives in the home with his family. 'Everybody was in shock. Everybody's still in shock.' Pate's five children were sitting in the living room at the time and he believes their lives were saved by their sofa. 'The loveseat slid around and made kind of like a barrier ... the back of it is kind of high and I think the kids just slid with the loveseat,' Pate said. The girl rammed her truck through the living room of a home on New Cut Road near West Indian Trail, at around 2.30pm on Friday The girl rammed her truck through the living room of Joshua Pate (pictured) whose five children were sitting in the living room at the time The Louisiana girl, who has not been named, was driving a truck when she slammed into another car and then rammed the vehicle through the living room of a home But the most shocking moment was yet to come. Pate says he heard the ten-year-old, who was not injured, telling police the crash was deliberate. '(The officer) couldn't believe what she said,' he said. 'He was like "excuse me?" and she said, "I wanted to kill people," and he said 'I'm sorry, what did you say?' and she said, 'I wanted to kill people,' Pate said. He added that he is still waiting for an apology from the girl and her family. The owner of the home said that he is still waiting for an apology from the girl and her family after having to repair his property The girl crashed her car through the wall of the home on New Cut Road near West Indian Trail, at around 2.30pm on Friday (pictured) 'All we want is an apology from the family, pretty much. We haven't heard from them and haven't heard from anybody,' he said. Pate says the Red Cross have offered to help but the family will still be displaced for a month. Bryan said that when she first heard she's been hit by a ten-year-old was concern and she wants to know how a girl e'ven get access to the keys?' Both Pate and Bryan are planning legal action against the girl's family. It does not appear that anyone has been charged in the incident. Advertisement A factory with 300 years of history tucked away in a northern village once known as 'The Birthplace of Industry' is shutting its gates for good this week. The Aga foundry in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, will officially close on the last day of the month after the iconic US-owned brand decided operations there 'were no longer economically viable'. It brings an end to 300 years of ironwork in the village, which began with industrialist Abraham Darby I in 1709. The Aga foundry (pictured) in Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, will officially close on the last day of the month after the iconic US-owned brand decided operations there 'were no longer economically viable' The Coalbrookdale site (pictured), established in 1709 by Abraham Darby I, already looks derelict ahead of the official closure on November 30 The closure of the site, part of the Ironbridge Heritage Buildings (pictured) will mean 35 job losses, with remaining staff being transferred to other sites, including Aga's foundry in Ketley, Shropshire, which will remain open Three hundred years of history: Pictured is a derelict part of the Aga foundry where Lancaster bombers were made during the Second World War Coalbrookdale was home to the world's first successful coke-fired blast furnace, which was buried over but eventually saved as part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust project The Aga foundry at Coalbrookdale (pictured) has shut its gates for good ahead of the official closure of the site this week COALBROOKDALE: THE BIRTHPLACE OF INDUSTRY Coalbrookdale is a small village in the Ironbridge Gorge, located in Shropshire's borough of Telford. In 1709 Abraham Darby I first smelted iron ire there using a fuel called coke instead of charcoal to mass produce the metal. The village was home to the world's first successful coke-fired blast furnace. As the Industrial Revolution roared on the first steam train was built there in 1802. Hyde Park's iconic gates were also fired there in the 19th century. The Coalbrookdale Company later became part of Allied Ironfounders, formed in 1929 through a merger of foundries. During the Second World War, the foundry was used by manufacturing company Fisher and Ludlow and made wings for Lancaster bombers. It was bought by Aga in 1946, who used the site to make its cookers' iron lids. The original blast furnace closed and was buried over, but it was preserved as part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museums in 1959. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is made up of 10 museums and 35 historic sites across the Ironbridge Gorge. The Coalbrookdale site has been Aga's home for 70 years, but its history stretches back way beyond that to 1709 and Abraham Darby Advertisement The closure will mean 35 job losses, with remaining staff being transferred to other sites, including Aga's foundry in Ketley, Shropshire, which will remain open. Aga castings made at the site will now be sourced elsewhere in the UK and Europe. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, which runs 10 museums and 35 heritage sites throughout the area, will remain open and continue to tell the story of Coalbrookdale's history. The firm said it was a 'difficult but necessary decision' to secure the long-term future of the brand. A painting originating from around 1805 shows the Iron Works at Coalbrookdale in happier times, at the heart of the Industrial Revolution The village of Coalbrookdale sits in the Ironbridge Gorge in Telford, Shropshire. Pictured is an artist's impression from 1758 The Iron Bridge at Coalbrookdale was the first to be built in the world. Abraham Darby I first laid the foundations for the bridge by smelting iron ore with coke fuel instead of charcoal, which made it easier to produce cast iron en masse THE HISTORY OF AGA Aga is a household name in the UK, famous for its large cast iron stoves that can be known to last as long as 50 years. The Aga Rangemaster group was founded in 1939. It was taken over by American company Middleby Corporation in September 205 in a deal worth 129million. It employs 2,500 worldwide, which includes Aga Marvel, its North American subsidiary selling Aga products in the US. Aga took over the Coalbrookdale foundry in 1946 and also runs another nearby in Ketley, Shropshire. Advertisement Aga Rangemaster was was sold to US company Middleby Corporation in 2015 for 129million. Coalbrookdale in Shropshire's Ironbridge Gorge was where Abraham Darby I first smelted iron ore using a fuel called coke instead of charcoal, which made it easier to mass-produce cast iron. Now part of the Ironbridge Heritage Buildings, the foundry was where Abraham Darby III built the first ever Iron Bridge, with beams and ribs cast there in 1709. A hundred years later in 1802 the world's first steam railway locomotive was built there by engineer Richard Trevithick. During the Second World War, the foundry was used as a site to build Lancaster bombers, before it was taken over by Aga in 1946. With such rich history, the small Telford village, is referred to as 'The Birthplace of Industry'. Laura James, spokesman for Aga Rangemaster told the BBC 'It has been agreed with staff and unions that the site will close on November 30. 'Some work will continue at the site after that date.' Two grade seven girls allegedly caught dealing marijuana on school grounds will not be charged with drug offences. The two girls from Melbourne Girls' College, aged 12 or 13, were allegedly selling the drug at school in October. The two girls were probed, but the school chose not to suspend or expel the girls, the Herald Sun reported. Despite the serious nature of the allegations, the school decided to work with the girls and their parents to help 'make the right decisions in the future'. The two girls from Melbourne Girls' College (pictured), aged 12 or 13, were allegedly selling the drug on school grounds in October Principal Karen Money said the allegations were 'extremely rare' at the prestigious girls' school. 'We are working with police over an isolated incident with a small number of students involving small quantities of marijuana,' Ms Money said. Victoria Police probed the two girls but said they would not be charged due to insufficient evidence. The police said officers would continue to work with the school to educate children about the dangers of drugs. Police investigated 166 drug offenses at schools in 2016 alone, with students found with cannabis, ketamine, LSD, ecstasy and ice. Principal Karen Money (pictured) said the allegations were 'extremely rare' at the prestigious girls' school Statistics from the 2014 Australian Secondary Students' Alcohol and Drug survey showed cannabis (stock) as the most prevalent illegal substance used Statistics from the 2014 Australian Secondary Students' Alcohol and Drug survey showed cannabis as the most prevalent illegal substance used. 'Sixteen per cent of secondary students surveyed indicated they had used cannabis at some time in their lives with seven per cent using it in the past month,' the report stated. In July a Year 8 student at the Ocean Grove campus of Bellarine Secondary College in Victoria reportedly brought the drug ice to school. While in 2016 one student from Melbourne Girls Grammar school was expelled and another two suspended after becoming involved in a drug scandal. Communications minister Mitch Fifield has asked Triple J to reconsider playing their Hottest 100 countdown on Australia Day because 'relatively few people have a problem with it.' The ABC radio station announced they would move their hugely popular countdown from January 26 after a survey revealed 60 percent of listeners supported changing it. Mr Fifield called the decision 'dumb' and 'an attempt to de-legitimise Australia Day' despite the fact indigenous musicians and the Greens have welcomed the idea, Sydney Morning Herald reports. Mitch Fifield (pictured) called the decision 'dumb' and 'an attempt to de-legitimise Australia Day' Triple J's Hottest 100 countdown has been moved from its January 26th slot following increasing debate around the celebration of Australia Day 'And what Triple J and the ABC have done is to respond to a petition which has said it's not appropriate to have the Hottest 100 on the controversial Australia Day. There's nothing controversial about Australia Day,' he said. Meanwhile Greens senator Rachel Siewert said the change means 'everyone in Australia can now enjoy the countdown on a date that doesn't cause harm and hurt to our First Peoples.' The announcement was made by the ABC on Monday, with the musical tradition now taking place on the fourth weekend of January. Voting will open six weeks before the day. 'It should be an event that everyone can enjoy together for both the musicians whose songs make it in and for everyone listening in Australia and around the world,' the ABC said. The announcement was made by the ABC on Monday, following a series of surveys stating that as many as 60 per cent of people were in favour of a change in date It will now be held on the fourth Saturday of January, after careful consideration to the significance of Australia Day to Aboriginal people Nearly 65,000 people voted in the first survey issued by the station, which showed three in five people preferred a new date. While a second online poll of 18 to 30-year-old's revealed more than half supported the idea. The new date was chosen after careful consideration to retain the event's summer history and 'keep all the best bits you love about the Hottest 100'. Nearly 65,000 people voted in the first survey issued by the station, which showed three in five people preferred a new date It will also include a second countdown of the 200-101 votes, with those to be aired on the following Sunday. Despite celebrating on January 26th since 1998, there have been times in the event's history where the date has changed. The first countdown in 1989 was held at the beginning of March, while January 25th was trialled as an alternate in 2004. As for Australia Day, special programming and homegrown music will form a large part of the station's scheduled broadcast. It is unsure whether future Hottest 100 events will be held on the Saturday or Sunday however, with the station asserting it will 'again be on the fourth weekend of January' in 2019, despite Australia Day falling then. It is unsure whether future Hottest 100 events will be held on the Saturday or Sunday however, with the station asserting it will 'again be on the fourth weekend of January' in 2019, despite Australia Day falling then People flocked to social media following the announcement, with some slamming the decision to move (top) and others praising the decision to alter the date People flocked to social media following the announcement, with some slamming the decision to move. 'Damn. Has been a huge tradition to have an Australia day Hottest 100 party. Don't know what to do now,' one person wrote. While another annoyed user said: 'It's tradition to have #Hottest100 on Australia Day, stop pandering to minorities'. Others firmly supported the decision and revealed they would continue to celebrate the countdown on its new date. One person stated: 'So great Triple J is moving #Hottest100. Wish it was done earlier - Aboriginal artists and listeners have been pushing the move for YEARS!' 'It's not about left or right. It's about compassion. If you're proud to be Australian, you cant be proud to celebrate the nation on a day our Indigenous people mourn,' another added. A second online poll of 18 to 30-year-old's revealed more than half supported the idea of changing the countdown's date Qantas have unveiled the stunning new captain and crew quarters on board their new range of Dreamliner aircrafts. The Boeing 787's have already hit the Australian skies, flying domestically since October, with the new range of features extend beyond the passengers. The planes have been fitted out with luxurious relaxing areas for staff, including private rooms for the pilots to sleep. Qantas have unveiled their stunning new captain and crew quarters on-board the new range of Dreamliner aircrafts The planes have been fitted out with luxurious relaxing areas for staff, including private rooms for the pilots to sleep The first Boeing 787s hit the skies in October, and the new range of features extend beyond the passengers Qantas unveiled the new fleet last month, with the Dreamliners capable of travelling non-stop to destinations in Europe and beyond. The massive 236-seater planes are fitted out with custom chairs with business class and premium economy, providing improved travelling conditions for customers. The captain and crew quarters include expansive resting areas with wide beds for staff to stretch out during long haul trips. The captain and crew quarters include expansive resting areas with wide beds for staff to stretch out during long haul trips The massive 236-seater planes are fitted out with custom chairs in business class, premium economy and economy, providing improved travelling conditions for customers The pilot's area has two sleeping areas tucked in behind the cockpit, behind a locked door for security The pilot's area has two sleeping areas tucked in behind the cockpit, behind a locked door for security. The crew also have their own designated room, which is located near the back of the aircraft. There are six large beds located in their quarters, also closed off to passengers, where they can recharge. The flying kangaroo are looking to use their Perth HUB to launch their nonstop European flights, with trips direct to France and Germany the first expected to be announced Qantas also want to expand their east coast options with the next generation of planes to target destinations like New York, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town The flying kangaroo are looking to use their Perth HUB to launch their nonstop European flights, with trips direct to London starting to fly from March 2018. Qantas also want to expand their east coast non-stop options with the next generation of aircraft to fly to New York, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town are set to become a reality for Australian flyers. They hope to have direct flights from Sydney to Europe by 2022. Few people would begrudge Prince Harry a young man I know to be sensitive, brave and charming a future with the woman he clearly adores. Too often in the past, members of his family have been denied that joy, with disastrous consequences. Being a prince is a lonely business, and I suspect Harry has felt isolated at times, particularly since leaving the Army. Hes occasionally cut a sad figure trailing along on public engagements with William and Kate. A topless Prince Harry is snapped while enjoying a pool party in Las Vegas, during August 2012 That feeling was made more poignant by the fact that hes never made any secret of his desire to emulate his brother, to settle down and have a family of his own. Now, at 33, hes on the verge of doing just that. He and Meghan Markle make a beautiful couple, with much in common. They make each other laugh and, as we saw yesterday, are open about their deep love for each other. There was something rather touching about the way Meghan discreetly rubbed Harrys forearm in affectionate encouragement as they approached the bank of photographers at Kensington Palace, and again as they walked away. These are promising ingredients for any marriage, but particularly one that will be under constant scrutiny and therefore infinitely more challenging to sustain than most. In their favour will be the fact that everyone seems to have a soft spot for Harry. The public love him because hes unaffected, funny and genuinely interested in their lives. Children love him because hes a big kid at heart, and has an amazing rapport with them. And anyone old enough to have watched him, aged 12, walking behind his mothers cortege back in 1997 wants to see him happily settled because the sight of him that day broke their heart. Harry (pictured, in 2004) has always been a bit of a wild child with a tendency to party harder than most Harry takes a cigarette off a friend while at the Chinawhite after party during the Cartier International Polo day in Windsor, July 2004 He was Dianas mischievous little boy, with a shy smile and a talent for getting into trouble. While he has matured into one of the hardest-working and deservedly most popular members of the Royal Family, hes still the one who says what he thinks, shows what he feels and has no compunction about breaking the mould. And everything about his relationship with Meghan Markle has broken the mould. She is all that a British Royal prince might have been expected to steer clear of: a divorced American, who is older by three years, of mixed race, with a high-profile career of her own and someone unafraid of speaking her mind. In my view, these attributes are part of the reason why Meghan is the ideal partner for Harry, and will do much to make the Royal Family more relevant to modern Britain. Williams marriage to Kate Middleton showed that social class, which seemed so important when Prince Charles was looking for a bride in the Eighties, is no longer an issue. The Cambridges have done wonders for the Firm at home and abroad. Harrys choice of Meghan goes one step further. He certainly realised she was the one quickly. A year ago, within just a few months of meeting Meghan, Harrys office issued a statement, appealing to virtually ordering the media to back off. This was unprecedented; the language used was frank and heartfelt, but Harry was never someone who was going to abide by petty convention. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially announced their engagement at London's Kensington Palace today Prince Harry and Miss Markle's 16-month whirlwind romance blossomed when they met through mutual friends Prince Harry and former long-term girlfriend Chelsy Davy at Twickenham in November 2008 His decision was informed by the experience of his two previous long-term girlfriends, Chelsy Davy, whom he went out with for seven years, and Cressida Bonas, who was at his side for two years. Those women had been unnerved by the attentions of the Press, and he believed the relationships failed because of it. Harry was not prepared to lose another in the same way. Of course, the Prince has experienced the downside of media coverage, too, especially during the period in his late teens to mid-20s when he seemed to epitomise the heavy-drinking, drug-taking, irresponsible and over-privileged toff. One tabloid columnist called him a thoroughly horrible young man and a national disgrace who rarely lifted a finger unless its to feel up a cheap tart in a nightclub. He was 19 at the time and on his gap year, part of which he spent in the small, land-locked African kingdom of Lesotho where he has reluctantly agreed to spend a bit of the trip staring at poor people, the columnist said. Her words were a travesty of the truth. In fact, Harry was so moved by the plight of children orphaned by Aids in Lesotho that, despite his age and opposition from his father, he set up his own charity, Sentebale. It has grown and prospered and remains a genuine passion for the Prince, and an agent for change in sub-Saharan Africa. Then there was the infamous fancy dress party he attended in 2005 dressed as a German army officer with a swastika armband, which prompted the headline HARRY THE NAZI. In 2005, Prince Harry attended a fancy dress party dressed as a German army officer with a swastika armband, which prompted the Sun headline HARRY THE NAZI He apologised immediately, later admitting hed been a fool to choose such a tasteless costume. Harry was in bits over it, a former member of the Royal Household told me. Everyone just took the chance to have a pop. It was a young mans mistake, thoughtless . . . Perhaps worse still was the infamous Las Vegas incident in 2012 when photographs of a naked Harry, taken during a drunken game of strip billiards with a bunch of pretty bikini-clad girls, spread round the world. Harry was again mortified, more for embarrassing his grandmother again than for what he had brought on himself. Yes, he was an idiot, but Harry has always been a bit of a wild child with a tendency to party harder than most. His former private secretary told me thats part of what made him such a brilliant soldier. And what no one knew was that the Las Vegas incident took place just as he was just about to deploy to Afghanistan, one of the most dangerous places in the world. The Army was the making of Harry. In the ground-breaking interviews he gave earlier this year to raise awareness of mental health issues, he confessed there were times when he came close to a breakdown and had sought professional help over dealing with his mothers death. Left, Prince Harry on patrol in the town of Garmisir, southern Afghanistan, in 2008, and right, running out to scramble his Apache helicopter at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, during 2012 Hed also flirted with giving up royal life altogether and disappearing to Africa. But the Army gave him purpose and some self-esteem. Never academically inclined, he slogged hard to get into Sandhurst, and turned out to be a superb officer who relished time spent with his men. When, in 2008, he had to be pulled out of Afghanistan after his presence there was betrayed by an Australian media outlet, he was devastated. He flew back alongside two soldiers, one who had lost an arm and a leg, and the other who had shrapnel in his neck. Harry was on the flight for no better reason than he was third in line to the throne. He rightly felt a fraud when, on arriving home in Britain, he was hailed a hero. But when he trained as an Apache attack helicopter co-pilot gunner, having been second best all his life the spare, the less good-looking, less academic of the brothers he found something he excelled at, and that gave him a new-found confidence. He returned to Afghanistan in 2012 and completed a full tour. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus Games in Toronto, earlier this year He was witness to many who were not so lucky and never returned, or who sustained life-changing physical or mental injuries. Out of this was borne his deep commitment to these men and women, and his determination to show there was life after devastating injury. He founded the Invictus Games for wounded and sick veterans and has turned it into a international event, backed by presidents and prime ministers. At last Harry has realised that being a prince has advantages: he can make things happen, use his public profile for the right reasons and make a difference to peoples lives. Meghan Markle appears to share Harrys desire to improve the lot of others, with long-established charitable interests of her own. For that reason, they will be a formidable double act, and their message will be all the louder because the cameras will love them wherever they go. My only fear is that they are such an attractive and charismatic couple, they might overshadow William and Kate. But thats for another day. Now is the moment to celebrate a very real royal romance. Barron Trump may not have played host alongside mom Melania at today's White House holidays decorations reveal, but in a way, he is guiding Americans through this year's Christmas tour. That's because an illustrated version of the first son is featured in this year's White House Christmas booklet, given to the throngs of tourists and guests who visit the executive mansion during the holidays. The booklet, titled 'Time-Honored Traditions,' for this year's decorative theme, starts out with cartoon Barron on the cover guiding the horse-drawn carriage carrying the White House's Christmas tree. Scroll down for video Barron Trump is the star of the White House's Christmas at the White House booklet, which describes the decorations found throughout the executive mansion The real Barron Trump (left) appeared alongside mom Melania Trump (right) at the debut of the White House Christmas tree last week - one of the first official White House events the youngest Trump has participated in Barron Trump, showing off his height at the event, takes in the crowd surrounding the White House Christmas tree last week The cartoon version of Barron Trump is shown trying to grab a book off the tree completely made of tomes used as decoration in the downstairs White House library The book tree was on display for reporters today, who got a first glance at holiday decorations Monday morning Cartoon Barron Trump is captured walking through the East Colonnade, decorated by white branches, which looked like a forest after an ice storm The real first lady Melania Trump walked along the East Colonnade as she greeted groups of school children doing crafts throughout the White House Monday Barron's hand is seen putting a bulb representing New York state - where he grew up - on the tree in the Blue Room. The Blue Room tree has ornaments for all the states and territories and is also adorned with large gold and blue bows The real Barron wasn't behind the wheel, though did a walk-around of the carriage last week alongside his mother, surveying the 18-foot, 6-inch Wisconsin-grown beauty, headed to the White House's blue room. More importantly, Barron's attendance marked one of the 11-year-old's first official appearances at a White House event. And it was evidence that Barron, the youngest Trump, had grown taller than his ex-model mom. The holiday booklet begins by showing off Barron's penmanship, as he signs the welcome letter along with his mom and dad. His cartoon doppelganger than takes visitors through the White House. 'Barron,' wearing grey slacks, a blue jacket, a white button down shirt, completing the outfit with a festive red scarf, is illustrated walking through the East Colonnade that is filled with white branches, giving the hallway the look of a forest directly after an ice storm. The young Trump is then drawn in the Library, looking to pull a book from the Christmas tree, on hand, made entirely of titles. He's then shown cutting out a silhouette, the decorations used to spruce up the Green Room this year. In the Blue Room, Barron's hand is captured putting an ornament on the tree. The Trumps decided to decorate the Blue Room tree with bulbs from all the states and territories. Barron Trump is illustrated making silhouettes, which were used to decorate the Green Room at the White House this holiday season The Trump also adorned a Green Room fireplace mantel with the tiding 'Merry Christmas' instead of happy holidays Barron's final appearance comes as he walks through the Grand Foyer and Cross Hall, which is decorated Melania Trump began her tour of the White House decor in the same spot, walking through the Grand Foyer as ballerinas danced to the Nutcracker It's no surprise that the ornament Barron is hanging is the one from New York, where he grew up before moving to Washington, D.C., this spring. Cartoon Barron is last seen walking through the Grand Foyer featuring icicle-drenched trees, as an homage to the Nutcracker as the young Trump takes the Grand Staircase, up to the residence. Today, Melania Trump came down those stairs to start her holiday decorations tour, being greeted by three ballerinas dancing to Nutcracker music. The illustrations were done by Jim Starr of Stewartstown, Pennsylvania, the White House said. A shocking report has revealed that searching for the phrase 'how to have' on YouTube brings up a list of disturbing auto-complete results. Creepy suggestions include 'how to have s*x with your kids' and 'how to have s*x kids.' YouTube has described the findings as 'profoundly disturbing' and says it is investigating the matter to understand what caused the results. Scroll down for video A shocking report has revealed that searching for the phrase 'how to have' on YouTube brings up a list of disturbing auto-complete results. Creepy suggestions include 'how to have s*x with your kids' and 'how to have s*x kids' DISTURBING RESULTS The bizarre search results were first discovered by BuzzFeed, which searched the phrase on multiple devices in an incognito mode meaning previous searches did not influence results. The searches revealed that the phrase 'how to have' returned the same results, including 'how to have s*x with your kids', 'how to have s*x kids' and 'how to have s*x in school.' MailOnline has subsequently tried to search for the phrase, and the disturbing results no longer appear. Advertisement The bizarre search results were first discovered by BuzzFeed, which searched the phrase 'how to have' on multiple devices in incognito mode meaning previous searches did not influence results. The searches revealed that the phrase 'how to have' returned the same results, including 'how to have s*x with your kids', 'how to have s*x kids' and 'how to have s*x in school.' In a statement, a YouTube spokeswoman said: Earlier today our teams were alerted to this profoundly disturbing autocomplete result and we worked to quickly remove it as soon as we were made aware. We are investigating this matter to determine what was behind the appearance of this autocompletion. MailOnline has subsequently tried to search for the phrase, and the disturbing results no longer appear. Several users took to Twitter to express their concerns about the findings. Bill Robertson wrote: 'WTF YouTube!?! 'how to have' suggests 'how to have sex with your kids'. What dark underbelly exists on YouTube?' And WeWuzMetokur wrote: 'Don't even need 'how to have'. Just 'how to h' to get results. Based on this I believe YouTube wants me to hack my kids video game, hypnotize them as I tell them how much I hate lil wayne, and then rape them.' Several users took to Twitter to express their concerns about the findings, including WeWuzMetokur, who wrote: 'Don't even need 'how to have'. Just 'how to h' to get results. Based on this I believe YouTube wants me to hack my kids video game, hypnotize them as I tell them how much I hate lil wayne, and then rape them.' The timing of the discovery is less than ideal for YouTube, whose system for flagging sexual comments on children's videos was recently found to be broken for a year. A report by moderators at YouTube found that up to 100,000 predatory accounts had been leaving indecent comments on videos, with 28 comments directed at children that were against the site's guidelines. Lidl, Mars, Adidas, Cadbury maker Mondelez, Diageo and other big companies have also pulled advertising from YouTube after an investigation found the video sharing site was showing clips of scantily clad children alongside the ads of major brands. Comments from hundreds of paedophiles were posted alongside the images, which appeared to have been uploaded by the children themselves, according to an investigation. MailOnline has subsequently tried to search for the phrase, and the disturbing results no longer appear YOUTUBE'S REPORTING SYSTEM - YouTube's system for reporting sexualised comments has not been working correctly for more than a year - Up to 100,000 predatory accounts leaving indecent comments on videos have been found - Report identified 28 comments directed at children that were against the site's guidelines - Over a period of several weeks, five of the comments were deleted, but no action was taken against the remaining 23 - BBC contacted the company and provided a full list. All of the predatory accounts were then deleted within 24 hours Advertisement One video of a pre-teenage girl in a nightie drew 6.5 million views. This isn't the first time that Google which owns YouTube - has come under fire for its controversial auto-complete results. In December 2016, Google became embroiled in an anti-Semitism row after its autocomplete suggested the phrase 'Are Jews evil?' Google apologized and said the results came from its autocomplete algorithm. A blog post by Tamar Yehoshua, Product Manager of Google Search, explained why sometimes autocomplete searches go wrong. The post said: 'Autocomplete isn't an exact science, and the output of the prediction algorithms changes frequently. 'Predictions are produced based on a number of factors including the popularity and freshness of search terms.' MailOnline has contacted Google for comment. Just days after Apple unveiled its iPhone X, Samsung released an anti-Apple advert to promote its flagship Galaxy Note 8 smartphone. Now, Motorola has taken things a step further, releasing an advert that mocks both Apple and Samsung. The advert for its Z2 Play smartphone picks up where the Samsung advert left off, and features the slogan: 'Up-upgrade to Motorola.' Scroll down for video The advert for its Z2 Play smartphone picks up where the Samsung advert left off, and features the slogan: 'Up-upgrade to Motorola' MOTOROLA Z2 PLAY - 5.5-inch AMOLED display - Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor - 12MP dual pixel autofocus camera - 5MP front camera - 3,000mAh battery - Water-resistant - Available in Lunar Gray, Nimbus Blue, or Fine Gold - $499 (373) for 64GB model Advertisement Samsung's advert for its Galaxy Note 8 showed the progression of past iPhones alongside past Samsung models, mocking many of Apple's designs. It featured a male character buying various iPhone models over the years, ranging from the iPhone 3GS, through to the iPhone 7. Each year, the character encountered an issue with his iPhone, which his girlfriend who used various Samsung phones didn't face. Finally, the iPhone user decides to switch to Samsung's Galaxy Note 8. But Motorola released the advert for its Z2 Play smartphone last week, which features the same characters as Samsung's advert, and picks up where it left off. After the male character comes home with his Galaxy Note 8, he finds that his girlfriend has once again changed phones this time to a Motorola Z2 Play While the male character watches a film on his phone, his girlfriend gives him an eye-roll, before showing how her phone can attach to a projector After the male character comes home with his Galaxy Note 8, he finds that his girlfriend has once again changed phones this time to a Motorola Z2 Play. While the male character watches a film on his phone, his girlfriend gives him an eye-roll. She then attaches Motorola's projector, Moto Mod, onto her Z2 Play, and watches a video projected on the wall. The woman attaches Motorola's projector, Moto Mod, onto her Z2 Play, and watching a video projected on the wall Motorola released the $499 (373) Z2 Play in July. The smartphone features a 5.5-inch AMOLED display, as well as a 12MP dual pixel autofocus camera, and 5MP front camera DIGS IN SAMSUNG'S VIDEO The iPhone 3GS is mocked for its lack of storage space, while the iPhone 5S is ridiculed for not supporting a stylus. In 2015, the character can be seen unable to use his phone in the rain, while in 2016, his phone fails to survive falling in water mocking the non-waterproof designs of the past. In 2017, Samsung mocks the iPhone 7 for its lack of headphone jack and lack of support for wireless charging. Finally, in one of the more subtle digs in the video, a man in the queue has a notch-shaped haircut mocking the iPhone X's notch in its display. Advertisement A message on the screen then appears, saying 'Up-upgrade to Motorola.' Motorola posted the video to its Twitter page, along with the caption: 'Their better just got bested. 'Why settle for edge-to-edge, when you could project your screen up to 70'?' Motorola released the $499 (373) Z2 Play in July. The smartphone features a 5.5-inch AMOLED display, as well as a 12MP dual pixel autofocus camera, and 5MP front camera. With a 3,000mAh battery, the phone promises to hold up to 30 hours of charge. Several people have responded to the advert on Twitter, cheering Motorola on for entering the advert-competition. Samsung's video mocked the iPhone X. In one of the more subtle digs in the video, a man in the queue has a notch-shaped haircut mocking the iPhone X's notch in its display Mickey Michael wrote: 'Meh, Samsung and iPhone will be making the same add-ons soon enough :) Hola Moto!' And Judge Acumen added: 'That shade. Dang...' Samsung and Apple are yet to respond to the advert. If you're desperate for people to like you, you may want to try nodding your head more, according to a new study. Scientists suggest that a polite nod of the head can make a person almost a third more likeable, and increases their approachability by almost half. The findings come shortly after Donald Trump opted for a head nod when he met Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in Tokyo. Scroll down for video Earlier this month President Trump greeted 83 year-old Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in Tokyo with a genteel handshake and nod, but no bow THE STUDY Short video clips of figures nodding, shaking their head or staying motionless were shown to 49 men and women aged 18 or over. Participants then rated their attractiveness, likeability and approachability on a scale of 0 to 100. Results showed that head shaking had no effect on the ratings for likeability and approachability. But head nodding significantly increased ratings of likability and approachability. In particular, the researchers found that a nodding head motion increased likability attributable to personality traits rather than to physical appearance. Professor Jun-ichiro Kawahara, co-author of the study, said: 'We concluded head nodding motion is treated as information regarding approach-related motivations and enhances perceived likeability.' Advertisement The study, by researchers at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, showed that nodding improves the likeability of people by about 30 per cent and their approachability by 40 per cent. This was compared to people that shook their heads or stayed motionless, and the results were similar for both male and female observers. The findings shed fresh light on manners and hospitality and could influence the creation of 'avatars' or characters in computer games and even humanoid robots. The same team previously demonstrated the bowing motion of the computer-generated, three-dimensional characters enhanced their perceived attractiveness. This time they carried out experiments to rate how simple nodding and head shaking affected perceived impressions of personality. Short video clips of the figures nodding, shaking their head or staying motionless were shown to 49 men and women aged 18 or over. Participants then rated their attractiveness, likeability and approachability on a scale of 0 to 100. Professor Jun-ichiro Kawahara, co-author of the study, said: 'Our study also demonstrated nodding primarily increased likability attributable to personality traits, rather than to physical appearance.' He said head shaking had no effect on the ratings for likeability and approachability. In many countries nodding is a communicative signal meaning approval and head shaking denial. WHEN TRUMP MET EMPEROR AKIHITO Earlier this month President Trump greeted 83 year-old Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in Tokyo with a genteel handshake and nod, but no bow. This avoided the pitfall of President Obama who was criticised by Americans for his deep bow to the monarch in 2009. After the meeting, Trump shook hands again, and tapped the emperor's arm repeatedly with his left hand. 'Thank you for the great meeting', he told Akihito. 'I'm sure we will meet again'. Obama also faced criticism from etiquette experts, who noted he combined a bow with a handshake. This is not done in Japan traditionally, whether meeting the emperor or anyone else. Trump nodded his head slightly - but did not bend at the waist. Advertisement Professor Kawahara said: 'The results showed the nodding head motion significantly increased ratings of subjective likability and approachability relative to those of the shaking or control conditions, whereas the shaking motion did not influence the ratings. 'Furthermore it was shown a nodding head motion of the computer-generated models primarily increased likability attributable to personality traits rather than to physical appearance. 'We concluded head nodding motion is treated as information regarding approach-related motivations and enhances perceived likeability.' Professor Kawahara and co-author Professor Takayuki Osugi said the study is the the first to show merely observing a person's subtle head motions can change initial impressions. But Professor Kawahara said: 'Generalising these results requires a degree of caution because computer-generated female faces were used to manipulate head motions in our experiments. 'Further study involving male figures, real faces and observers from different cultural backgrounds is needed to apply these findings to real-world situations.' Earlier this month President Trump greeted 83 year-old Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in Tokyo with a genteel handshake and nod, but no bow. This avoided the pitfall of President Obama who was criticised by Americans for his deep bow to the monarch in 2009. After the meeting, Trump shook hands again, and tapped the emperor's arm repeatedly with his left hand. Obama faced criticism from etiquette experts, who noted he combined a bow with a handshake. This is not done in Japan traditionally, whether meeting the emperor or anyone else 'Thank you for the great meeting', he told Akihito. 'I'm sure we will meet again'. Obama also faced criticism from etiquette experts, who noted he combined a bow with a handshake. This is not done in Japan traditionally, whether meeting the emperor or anyone else. Trump nodded his head slightly - but did not bend at the waist. They are intended to make people feel more comfortable interacting with robots, but disembodied Furhat heads may have the opposite effect on some. The creepy creations, which use mannequins as their base, can be altered to take on the appearance of a range of computer generated characters. Designed to be 'socially intelligent', their creator says they are so realistic that they feel 'like they are alive.' Scroll down for video They are intended to make people feel more comfortable interacting with robots, but disembodied Furhat heads may have the opposite effect on some. The creepy creations use mannequins as their base. This image shows a character from Disney's avatar being projected INTEREST IN FURHAT Furhat is named after the headgear worn by an early version of the robot. Its unique projector based system means robot designs are almost infinitely customisable. That includes everything from the voice used to gender, accent, persona and facial expressions. The firm sells the hardware and a software development kit for 12,000 ($15,000) to anyone wanting to create their own robots using the system. The approach has already garnered interest from some big name companies, including Disney, who is using one of the robots to tell interactive stories to children. In Japan, Honda is looking at how Furhat might be a better way for the elderly to interact with technology than smartphones or computers. Furhat has also held talks with the Metropolitan Police about using the robots to train officers on how to spot and interact with deceptive suspects. Advertisement Furhat Robotics was founded by Samer Al Moubayed, along with colleagues from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. Their robots mimic human personality, gesture and speech patterns. Computer animations create an expression for the robot's face, which is then projected onto a mannequin's head. Its AI brain is built on an artificial intelligence platform that can be programmed to participate in socially-aware interactions with humans. The system is designed to address the problem of the 'uncanny valley'. Coined by Japanese professor of robotics Masahiro Mori, the term refers to the point at which a robot looks almost realistic enough to pass for a human, but retain enough artificiality to make people uncomfortable 'We actually call it the zombie effect,' Mr Al Moubayed told The Times. 'If something looks too human but doesnt live up to that in its behaviour, you have this problem of [dashed] expectations. 'The first time we aligned the image on a mannequin, there was a magical point where it felt like it was alive.' Furhat robots are named after the headgear worn by an early prototype version. Furhat is named after the headgear worn by an early version of the robot. The system is designed to address the problem of the 'uncanny valley' Coined by Japanese professor of robotics Masahiro Mori, it refers to the point at which a robot looks almost realistic enough to pass for a human, but retain enough artificiality to make people uncomfortable The creepy creations, which use mannequins as their base, can be altered to take on the appearance of a range of computer generated characters Its unique projector based system means robot designs are almost infinitely customisable. That includes everything from the voice used to gender, accent, persona and facial expressions. They can be given additional character through customising their accessories The firm sells the hardware and a software development kit for 12,000 ($15,000) to anyone wanting to create their own robots using the system. The approach has already garnered interest from some big name companies, including Disney, who are using one of the robots to tell interactive stories to children Furhat is the creation of Samer Al Moubayed, who founded Furhat Robotics in 2014 with colleagues from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden Computer animations create an expression for the robot's face, which is then projected onto the mannequin's head Its AI brain is built on a artificial intelligence platform that can be programmed to participate in socially-aware interactions with humans The robots mimic human personality, gesture and speech patterns and can be given additional character through customising their accessories In Japan, Honda is looking at how Furhat might be a better way for the elderly to interact with technology than smartphones or computers. Furhat has also held talks with the Metropolitan Police about using the robots to train officers on how to spot and interact with deceptive suspects. In a written statement, Mr Al Moubayed added: 'Furhat's vision is to build a computer interface that enables people to interact with machines the same way we interact with each other. 'We believe social robotics will be as disruptive as the smart phone or the PC, and we are at the very early days of a technology that will allow us to interact with machines in a more human like manner.' The unique projector based system means robot designs are almost infinitely customisable. That includes everything from the voice used to gender, accent, persona and facial expressions The firm sells the hardware and a software development kit for 12,000 ($15,000) to anyone wanting to create their own robots using the system The approach has already garnered interest from some big name companies, including Disney, who is using one of the robots to tell interactive stories to children. Here two of the team give a demonstration of the technology in action It's one of the most polluting gases in the world, and it can have extreme effects on both the environment and human health. But a new study suggests that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels could be as much as two times smaller than thought in Europe. The findings suggest that diesel cars may have been unfairly demonised, and that European roadside air quality standards could be achieved sooner than expected. But scientists warn that Europe still have a major air pollution problem. The average NO2 concentration in the air at roadsides remains at least 70 micrograms per cubic metre - well above the European target. Scroll down for video It's one of the most polluting gases that can have extreme effects on both the environment, and human health. But a new study suggests that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels could be as much as two times smaller than thought (stock image) THE STUDY In their study, the researchers analysed 130 million hourly measurements of NOx, NO2 and ozone from roadside monitoring stations across 61 European cities. Their analysis revealed that the proportion of NO2 in NOx increased from 1995 to 2010, but then stabilized or decreased in most regions. It then remained at a level that is lower than assumed in air quality standards. The researchers hope that their findings will urge authorities to use a lower proportion of NO2 in NOx in predictions, to provide more accurate forecasts. Advertisement Researchers from the University of York, led by Dr Stuart Grange, looked at the proportion of NO2 in European roadside nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions - the wider group to which NO2 belongs. Their findings suggest that the proportion of NO2 could be as much as two times smaller than assumed in policy projections. Anthony Frew, Professor of Allergy & Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, said: 'This is encouraging data; for drivers of diesel cars, this news will come as some relief from the recent demonization of diesel.' Air quality standards only set limits for NO2 rather than NOx, and roadside concentrations of NO2 have declined much less than expected which is largely attributed to increasing use of diesel vehicles in Europe. Both petrol and diesel cars produce nitrogen dioxide. But previous studies have found that 70 per cent of the NOx produced by diesel cars is NO2, compared to just 10 to 15 percent when petrol is burned. In their study, the researchers analysed 130 million hourly measurements of NOx, NO2 and ozone from roadside monitoring stations across 61 European cities. Their analysis revealed that the proportion of NO2 in NOx increased from 1995 to 2010, but then stabilized or decreased in most regions. It then remained at a level that is lower than assumed in air quality standards. The researchers hope that their findings will urge authorities to use a lower proportion of NO2 in NOx in predictions, to provide more accurate forecasts. Researchers looked at the proportion of NO2 in European roadside nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. Their findings suggest that the proportion of NO2 could be as much as two times smaller than assumed in policy projections (stock image) STUDY LIMITATIONS Some experts have warned about the limitations of the study. Nick Hewitt, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at Lancaster University, said: 'This is positive news for urban air quality, as NO2 is a regulated air pollutant, being toxic to humans. 'However, what the analysis doesn't show is the inability of current atmospheric emissions inventories to correctly predict the amount of NOx emitted into the atmosphere, especially from motor vehicles. 'Our own airborne measurements of the fluxes of NOx over London show that the UK's national emissions inventory significantly underestimates the emission rates of NOx in London.' Advertisement Ian Colbeck, Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Essex, said: 'Air pollution hasn't got any better; thousands of people a year as still dying because of it. 'To forecast the impact of road traffic on air quality one has to make assumptions such as future fleet composition, traffic activity as well as the NO2:NOx ratio for all vehicles. 'This paper has used atmospheric measurements to calculate this important ratio whilst the UK government uses modelled values. 'Grange and co-workers conclude that the NO2:NOx ratio is roughly 50 per cent lower than the value used in air quality models suggesting that model predictions may be too pessimistic. 'If Grange is correct then air quality standards should be realised much sooner than predicted.' But some experts have warned about the limitations of the study. Nick Hewitt, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at Lancaster University, said: 'This is positive news for urban air quality, as NO2 is a regulated air pollutant, being toxic to humans. 'However, what the analysis doesn't show is the inability of current atmospheric emissions inventories to correctly predict the amount of NOx emitted into the atmosphere, especially from motor vehicles. 'Our own airborne measurements of the fluxes of NOx over London show that the UK's national emissions inventory significantly underestimates the emission rates of NOx in London.' The doctor's stethoscope has been a symbol of the medical profession for generations. But its days could be numbered as scientists have devised a way of monitoring a patient's heart without touching the skin using radio waves. They can also monitor other vital signs such as blood pressure without using an uncomfortable cuff on the arm as well as a patient's breathing rate. Scroll down for video The monitoring system works by measuring how much of a radio signal is reflected from the body by the wireless tags and how much is absorbed. By comparing the two, the scientists say they can measure the movement of internal organs such as the lungs and heart (stock imgae) HOW IT WORKS Instead of taping electrodes to the skin or making patients wear a blood pressure cuff wireless tags are worn attached to the sleeve of a patient's top, and to their chest. The tags mean a patient can move around while being monitored away from their machines. The monitoring system works by measuring how much of a radio signal is reflected from the body by the wireless tags and how much is absorbed. By comparing the two, the scientists say they can measure the movement of internal organs such as the lungs and heart. Advertisement Instead of taping electrodes to the skin or making patients wear a blood pressure cuff wireless tags are worn attached to the sleeve of a patient's top, and to their chest. The tags mean a patient can move around while being monitored away from their machines. Potentially, a whole ward full of patients could be monitored at one time by the system. It also means they can monitor patients at night as they sleep without waking them. The monitoring system works by measuring how much of a radio signal is reflected from the body by the wireless tags and how much is absorbed. By comparing the two, the scientists say they can measure the movement of internal organs such as the lungs and heart. Researchers from Cornell University unveiled their system in the journal Nature Electronics. The feedback can then be collected to retrieve the heart rate, blood pressure, respiration rate, and breath effort how hard or easy the patient finds breathing. In tests, the system was tested on a volunteer who sat on a chair for 30 minutes, and also carried out 'moderate activity'. The doctor's stethoscope (stock image) has been a symbol of the medical profession for generations. But its days could be numbered as scientists have devised a way of monitoring a patient's heart without touching the skin using radio waves The system could read signals from antennae in the detectors at the wrist and chest from a distance of from around 6.5 ft away. The researchers, led by Xiaonan Hui, write: 'Our system is capable of monitoring multiple people simultaneously and could lead to the cost-effective automation of vital sign monitoring in care facilities.' They add: 'Our non-contact sensing of blood pressure presents significant advantages over direct pressure-based methods, which cause discomfort and disrupt the circadian rhythm, especially in long-term monitoring of elderly patients.' A stunning blue tarantula is one of 30 new species discovered by scientists in Guyana. Researchers found a wealth of new creatures while searching the Kaieteur National Park, including six species of fish, 15 aquatic beetles and five dragonflies. The incredible findings highlight the unbelievably rich biodiversity in Guyana. Scroll down for video A stunning blue tarantula is one of 30 new species discovered by scientists in Guyana. Researchers found a wealth of new creatures while searching the Kaieteur National Park, including six species of fish, 15 aquatic beetles and five dragonflies THE NEW SPECIES Researchers from the Global Wildlife Conservation discovered the new species in Kaieteur National Park and the Upper Potaro area in Guyana. More than 30 new species were found by the researchers, including: - Six species of fish - Three plants - 15 aquatic beetles - Five odonates (insects including dragonflies and the damselflies) - One blue tarantula Advertisement Researchers from the Global Wildlife Conservation discovered the new species in Kaieteur National Park and the Upper Potaro area in Guyana areas that are part of a largely intact forest landscape. The region is known to have huge value globally for conservation, and shelters several species that are vulnerable or on the verge of extinction, including Tepui swifts, Guianan cock of the rock, white-lipped peccary and the golden rocket frog. A spokesperson for Global Wildlife Conservation said: 'Guyana is one of the world's most important countries for biodiversity conservation with the second highest percentage of forest cover on Earth, high levels of biological diversity and species that are found nowhere else.' Researchers from the Global Wildlife Conservation discovered the new species in Kaieteur National Park (pictured) and the Upper Potaro area in Guyana areas that are part of a largely intact forest landscape More than 30 new species were found by the researchers, including six species of fish, three plants, 15 aquatic beetles and five odonates. One of the most interesting finds was a new species of tarantula, with a distinctive blue hue. While scientists have established that there are at least 40 species of blue spiders in the world, they are still unsure why the creatures have evolved to have this colouration. A spokesperson for Global Wildlife Conservation said: 'Guyana is one of the world's most important countries for biodiversity conservation with the second highest percentage of forest cover on Earth, high levels of biological diversity and species that are found nowhere else' The region is known to have huge value globally for conservation, and shelters several species that are vulnerable or on the verge of extinction, including Tepui swifts, Guianan cock of the rock, Groete Creek carrying frog (pictured left) and the golden rocket frog (pictured right) POECILOTHERIA METALLICA The discovery of the new species comes shortly after a video emerged online showing another species of blue tarantula, called Poecilotheria metallica. The Poecilotheria metallica is a species of spider that is bright blue with white stripes. The spider can be found solely in a 38 square miles (100 square kilometre) area of India, called Andhra Pradesh. According to IUCN Red List, Poecilotheria metallica is listed as critically endangered, because of its range restriction, single location and decline in habitat quality. Advertisement In 2015, researchers from the University of Akron, Ohio suggested that it was unlikely the colour evolved due to sexual selection - which is the case with other coloured spider species. Mr Bor-Kai Hsiung, lead author of the study, told the BBC: 'It evolved from multiple origins and different mechanisms produce the very same blue colour. 'That's very strong evidence to suggest that this blue colour has a very important visual signalling function. 'But if it's not for other tarantulas, then it must be to some other receivers out there.' The researchers suggest that the colour may help the spiders to hide from predators at night, although Mr Hsiung concluded: 'We don't know yet.' The discovery of the new species comes shortly after a video emerged online showing another species of blue tarantula, called Poecilotheria metallica Kaieteur National Park and the Upper Potaro areas in Guyana are known to be part of a largely intact forest landscape The discovery of the new species comes shortly after a video emerged online showing another species of blue tarantula, called Poecilotheria metallica. The incredible video was uploaded to ViralHog by Barcelona-based medical student, Daniel Valcarcel, although it is unclear where it was filmed. It shows the tarantula, which is bright blue with white stripes, crawling up and down a man's hand. Do you find yourself constantly checking your smartphone? On public transportation, at work and even while having drinks with your friends? If so, a new substitute plastic phone could help you quell your compulsion. The plastic phone has a series of embedded stone beads which let you scroll, zoom and swipe - without actually aimlessly scrolling through your Facebook and Instagram news feed. Scroll down for video The plastic phone has a series of embedded stone beads which let you carry out scroll, zoom and swipe gestures The goal is to help people who frequently use their smartphones reduce their usage by helping to manage withdrawal symptoms The substitute phone, designed by Vienna based designer Klemens Schillinger, uses stones to imitate smartphone gestures without actually being connected. The goal is to help people who frequently use their smartphones reduce their usage by managing withdrawal symptoms. 'More and more often one feels the urge to check their phone, even if you are not expecting a specific message or call,' Schillinger told Dezeen. TEENAGERS SPEND MORE THAN 40 FULL DAYS A YEAR LOOKING AT THEIR PHONES The average teen spends nearly 41 days of the year glued to their mobile or two hours and 40 minutes a day, research has discovered. The study of 1,500 parents with teenagers living at home found that youngsters from Liverpool clocked up the most time on their phones, with 48 days spent texting and browsing apps. Teens from Glasgow and Cardiff came third and second. London teens came bottom of the list with 37 days. Vix Leyton, of broadbandchoices, which commissioned the study, said mobile phones are increasingly our portal to 24-hour shopping, news in real time and our chief mode of entertainment. The research also found that 55 per cent of parents often wonder how they survived without the internet or a mobile phone as a teenager. Advertisement 'These observations inspired the idea of making a tool that would help stop this 'checking' behavior. Schillinger says he was inspired by Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco, who tried to give up smoking by substituting his smoking pipe with a wooden stick. The substitute phone has a similar weight to a smartphone, mimicking the feel of a phone in one's hand or pocket. The substitute phone has a similar weight to a smartphone, mimicking the feel of a phone in one's hand or pocket The substitute phone, designed by Vienna based designer Klemens Schillinger, uses stones to imitate smartphone gestures The phone, made from black polyoxymethylene (POM) plastic, has beads made from a mineral called howlite. Schillinger says that some gestures, such as zooming in and swiping up and down, arose with the introduction of smartphones. 'The Substitute Phones allows these movements to be felt by scrolling on the marbles that are integrated into the case, something which is a clear differentiation from fidget spinners or fidget cubes,' says Schillinger. Could a plastic mock phone help smartphone addicts quell their compulsion of constantly checking their phone? This isn't the first device Schillinger has designed to help people disconnect from their smartphones. He's also designed an offline lamp which only lights up when the user is willing to place their phone inside a drawer integrated in the lamp. Both of the projects were designed for an exhibition called #Offline - Design for the (Good Old) Real World, held for Vienna Design Week During the first week of October. What if the Big Bang never happened? The theory is the most widely accepted explanation for the birth and evolution of our universe, and has come to be crucial in our understanding of the cosmos. But, some physicists are now challenging the idea of the beginning of time. Instead of a Big Bang event that started it all 13.7 billion years ago, some suspect the universe may experience bouncing phases of contraction and expansion. Instead of springing into existence, the expanding universe may have been preceded by a contraction phase. The idea stems from the theory that a Big Crunch, in which the universe collapses on itself, could lead to an eternal succession of universes. Artist's impression THE 'BIG BOUNCE' Researchers say the start of the universe may have sprung as it transitioned from a previously contracting state. They suggest that all particles in the early universe would have been governed by the laws of quantum mechanics. So rather than collapsing and destroying itself at the end of a period of contraction, the universe was likely saved by quantum mechanics. This would mean the universe did not experience a violent beginning or ending, as in the Big Bang and Big Crunch scenarios. Advertisement I believe the Big Bang never happened, said physicist Julian Cesar Silva Neves, who works as a researcher at the University of Campinas Mathematics, Statistics & Scientific Computation Institute (IMECC-UNICAMP) in Sao Paulo State, Brazil. In a new study published to the journal General Relativity and Gravitation, Neves argues that there may be no need for the spacetime singularity or, the Big Bang. Instead of springing into existence, the current expanding universe may have been preceded by a contraction phase. The idea stems from the theory that a Big Crunch, in which the universe collapses on itself, could lead to an eternal succession of universes. The process would create extremes in temperature and density, leading to an inversion and a bounce that allows for expansion. In order to measure the rate at which the Universe is expanding with the standard cosmology, the model in which theres a Big Bang, a mathematical function is used that depends only on cosmological time, said Neves. Eliminating the singularity or Big Bang brings back the bouncing Universe on to the theoretical stage of cosmology. The absence of a singularity at the start of spacetime opens up the possibility that vestiges of a previous contraction phase may have withstood the phase change and may still be with us in the ongoing expansion of the Universe. The new argument is inspired by the behaviour of regular black holes. The Big Bang theory is the most widely accepted explanation for the birth and evolution of our universe, and has come to be crucial in our understanding of the cosmos. But, a physicist argues it never happened. 'Relic radiation' from the Big Bang is shown in yellow In a black hole, the core contracts to form a singularity, with extreme density and gravitational attraction. But, Neves argues that this singularity does not define a black hole instead, the event horizon does, or the membrane which indicates the point of no return. Outside the event horizon of a regular black hole, there are no major changes, but inside it, the changes are deep-seated, Neves says. Theres a different spacetime that avoids the formation of a singularity. Neves and supervisor lberto Vazques Saa, a Professor at IMECC-UNICAMP, devised a scale factor inspired by physicist James Bardeen, who considered the mass of a black hole not as a constant, but as something dependent on the distance to the center. In a new study published to the journal General Relativity and Gravitation, Neves argues that there may be no need for the spacetime singularity or, the Big Bang. The new argument is inspired by the behaviour of regular black holes. Artist's impression This modified the solution to the general relativity equations on black holes, and gave rise to whats known as the regular black hole. Regular black holes are permitted, since they dont violate general relativity, said Neves. The concept isnt new and has frequently been revisited in recent decades. The researchers used a similar approach to eliminate the singularity. Neves says the hypothesis can be tested by looking for traces of the events in a contraction phase that may have remained in the ongoing expansion phase. This could include remnants of black holes from a previous phase of universal contraction that may have survived the bounce. She has fought off rumours of a split with boyfriend Stu Laundy for weeks. But The Bachelorette star Sophie Monk nearly crumbled under pressure during a very awkward chat about her relationship on The Kyle & Jackie O Show. The 37-year-old vehemently attempted to convince her friends Kyle Sandilands, Jackie 'O' Henderson and Guy Sebastian about the validity of their romance. Scroll down for video Fighting back: Sophie Monk was in defense mode about her relationship with Stu Laundy on Monday, during an awkward chat with The Kyle & Jackie O Show The reality star told Guy, who was briefly filling in as show host, she wouldn't be attending Tuesday night's ARIA Awards with Stu, taking her father Andrew instead. 'We are together, we're just not good at public PDA! He doesn't want to be famous,' she confessed. 'I don't think we can win at this point! You just have to live life and enjoy it,' she continued. 'We are together, we're just not good at public PDA! He doesn't want to be famous,' she confessed 'I don't think we can win at this point! You just have to live life and enjoy it,' she continued Taking over the interview, Kyle then grilled Sophie on her relationship status with her chosen Bachelorette winner, asking where Stu was. 'He's in bed asleep,' she replied, after telling the hosts they were staying at a hotel. 'I want to hear his voice for proof!' Kyle prodded her. 'I'm not going to wake him up,' she defiantly answered. 'I can't be bothered anymore! Everyone can think what they want.' 'I think he's not there,' Kyle declared. Controversy: Taking over the interview, Kyle then grilled Sophie on her relationship status with her chosen Bachelorette winner, asking where Stu was 'I'm not going to wake him up,' she defiantly answered. 'I can't be bothered anymore! Everyone can think what they want 'I swear I'll do an announcement when we break up, the second we do,' she replied, prompting Kyle to answer: 'You say that as if it's already predetermined!' 'Put the phone to Stu's ear, I want to talk to him!' he continued to prod. 'I'm 100 percent not doing that,' she defiantly stated, to which Kyle said: 'Because he's not there!' Appearing to have a change of heart, Kyle then backtracked: 'Okay, I believe you. You're not a liar, that's one thing you're not.' 'She is not a liar!' added Guy, defending his longtime friend. She's the matriarch of one of the world's most famous families. And Terri Irwin's representatives have firmly denied a New Idea report alleging that she has 'stepped down as boss' at Australia Zoo in order to spend more time in the United States. 'It's just tabloid gossip', an Australia Zoo official told Daily Mail Australia on Monday. 'It's just tabloid gossip': Australia Zoo has strongly denied New Idea's story that Terri Irwin has 'stepped down as boss' at Australia Zoo in order to spend more time in the United States guiding her son Robert's career (the pair pictured together in Los Angeles this year) According to publication, the 53-year-old was set to focus on Robert's burgeoning career in Hollywood, with a source allegedly stating: 'It's all anyone is talking about... Terri has given it all up and now Bindi is in charge'. Another source reportedly told the publication: 'She's [Terri] really made it her new ambition- to be Robert's manager and make him a big star, even if it means her stepping away from Australia Zoo for a while'. However, the wildlife park's rep strongly stated: 'There is no truth to this report'. Rising star! 13-year-old Robert has become an in-demand media figure in America, with several star appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon over the past year Epic appearance: The teen was asked to return as a guest on the program over Thanksgiving weekend, which is 'famously one of the highest rating shows of the year' The sensational article comes after 13-year-old Robert has become an in-demand media figure in America, with several star appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon over the past year. Amazingly, the teen was asked to return as a guest on the program over Thanksgiving weekend, which is 'famously one of the highest rating shows of the year'. In the episode, which aired in the US on Saturday night, Robert stole the show bringing a large Burmese Python named Butterscotch out on set. Surprise! Robert stole the show bringing a large Burmese Python named Butterscotch out on set The reptile terrified host Jimmy, who stated: 'I'm thinking of just running away right now'. Meanwhile, Terri was a no-show at the recent Steve Irwin Gala Dinner in Brisbane. It's the first time she has missed the event since 2006, and it is unclear whether she was accompanying Robert to the US at the time. However, his big sister Bindi was front and centre at the event, seeming more than comfortable being a family representative as she posed with beau Chandler Powell on the gala's red carpet. Front and centre: Bindi seemed more than comfortable being a family representative as she posed with beau Chandler Powell at the Steve Irwin Gala Dinner in Brisbane last week Uma Thurman is focused. The 47-year-old actress was snapped headed to her Broadway play The Parisian Woman on Sunday, days after she boldly broke her silence on the sexual harassment and abuse accusations raised by 80 women against producer Harvey Weinstein. The Boston-born beauty wore a black puffer coat over a green shirt with blue jeans and black loafers. Scroll below for video On the move: Uma Thurman, 47, was snapped in NYC Sunday heading to her Broadway play, The Parisian Woman, days after her bold Instagram post aimed at Harvey Weinstein The 5ft11 mother-of-three carried a patterned straw purse in one hand and a smartphone in the other, with her dark blonde locks slicked down as she embarked out into the Big Apple. After staying relatively mum on the issue over the past two months, Thurman came out with guns blazing in a Thanksgiving day post in which she said, 'I said I was angry recently, and I have a few reasons, #metoo, in case you couldnt tell by the look on my face.' After wishing her fans a happy holiday, she added, 'Except you Harvey, and all your wicked conspirators - Im glad its going slowly - you dont deserve a bullet.' Weinstein's network of collaborators was detailed in a November 6 piece in the New Yorker from Ronan Farrow, revealing that the Oscar-winning producer had enlisted private investigators and tabloid journalists in his unsuccessful bid to suppress the forthcoming revelations and gain information against the accusers. Center-of-attention: Uma looked deep in thought as her Thanksgiving message to Harvey Weinstein and his 'wicked conspirators' shook up Hollywood In style: The fashionista kept warm in a black puffer jacket as she made her way out in Gotham Gotham living: Uma was snapped getting out of a vehicle in NYC on Saturday Uma's powerful social media message was well-received throughout Hollywood, with three of Weinstein's most-prominent accusers - Asia Argento, Rose McGowan and Gwyneth Paltrow - voicing their support for the Oscar-nominated actress. Thurman, who's worked with Weinstein on high-profile films including Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill: Volumes 1 and 2, spoke on the issue about a month after she gave a measured response to Access Hollywood when asked about the scandal. In that chat, the Imposters actress said, 'I don't have a tidy soundbite for you, because I am not a child and I have learned that when I have spoken in anger, I usually regret the way I express myself - so I've been waiting to feel less angry, and when I'm ready, I'll say what I have to say.' Assessing the situation: Thurman last month told Access Hollywood she was 'waiting to feel less angry' before speaking publicly on the Weinstein situation Jaw-dropping: After waiting for her anger to subside, Uma joined the #metoo movement in her post Thursday Their sterling performance in Billy Elliot propelled it to become one of Britain's best-loved films. And Julie Walters, 67, and Jamie Bell, 31, couldn't have looked happier about reuniting once more for the Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool screening in London on Sunday. The actress exuded joy as she posed alongside Jamie, a staggering 17 years after they starred in the BAFTA award-winning film. Scroll down for video Time flies: Julie Walters and Jamie Bell looked happier than ever as they were reunited once more for the Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool screening in London on Sunday Julie looked sleek head-to toe, as she rocked a rich black velvet suit to the film screening. She paired the sleek ensemble with a chic white blouse with a lace trim and accessorized the look with pearl drop earrings. The Harry Potter star accentuated her features with heavy eye make-up and a slick of soft pink lipstick. Throwback: A young Jamie embraces Julie at the BAFTA Awards Ceremony in 2001 as they celebrate the youngster getting Best Actor in a Leading Role for his part in Billy Elliot Reunited: Julie looked sleek head-to toe, as she rocked a rich black velvet suit to the film screening while Jamie looked dapper in a suede brown bomber jacket Age-defying: The 67-year-old actress grinned from ear-to-ear as she showed off her smooth complexion Meanwhile Jamie, 31, looked dapper in a suede brown bomber jacket and dark grey knit as he put his arm round the Educating Rita beauty. Walters played Bell's dance teacher in the 2000 film, which followed a young Billy discovering his love of ballet. The role bagged her an Oscar nomination, while a young Bell gained a BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Stardom: Julie's role in Billy Elliot bagged her an Oscar nomination, while a young Bell gained a BAFTA award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nearly two decades later, the pair will star alongside one another once more in Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool. The film tells the story of Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame finding love and the consequences when she is diagnosed with breast cancer. Gloria, who died in October 1981 aged 57, featured roles in the British nation's Xmas classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946), The Big Heat (1953) and Oklahoma! (1955). Hollywood icon: Her appearance in the movie comes months after the actress celebrated her 67th birthday in February Walters stars as Bella Turner, mum of Peter (Jamie Bell) whose former lover, Gloria (Annette Bening), arrives to stay in their family home in Liverpool. Of Gloria, Julie told The Guardian: 'She was always this great sort of wild girl. When she went up and got her Oscar in the 1950s she just took it and said thank you and walked off.' Her appearance in the movie comes months after the actress celebrated her 67th birthday in February. Having a great time: Walters looked a picture in a chic white blouse as she posed with author Peter Turner at the screening at Empire Haymarket 17 years on: Walters stars as Bella Turner, mum of Peter (Jamie Bell) whose former lover, Glora (Annette Bening), arrives to stay in their family home in Liverpool However, the Billy Elliot beauty declared she was ageing gracefully as she divulged she 'doesn't care' about her age. She added: 'I tend to think, "Oh frig it! Who cares?" I remember reading in a magazine, you know, "You should never wear silver after 50". 'That makes me want to wear only silver until I am bloody 90, if I live that long.' It has been reported that Ant McPartlin will not move back in with his wife Lisa Armstrong after he returns from I'm A Celebrity hosting duties. The ITV host, 42, is currently making his TV comeback in the jungle Down Under following his summer stint in rehab for alcohol and painkiller addiction. According to The Sun, the TV favourite is now deciding whether to spend Christmas alone in a rented apartment near their West London home or with his other half Lisa, 41, following his return from Oz next month. Scroll down for video Frank: It has been reported that Ant McPartlin will not move back in with his wife Lisa Armstrong after he returns from I'm A Celebrity hosting duties (Pictured in 2007) Fuelling speculation that his 11-year marriage over, Ant is said to be putting his energy into overcoming his demons and focusing on his recovery when he jets back to London. A source told the publication: 'He and Lisa have not yet decided if they will spend Christmas together. Ant is focused on recovery and thinks it best he doesnt move home for a while. 'This has been a difficult time and, while both want to make things work, they are struggling to find a way to move forward together. The insider added: 'Ants been bolstered by Im a Celebs viewing figures, which seem to show the public still support him. Lisa has been by herself, and having a good time with her pals has proved a good distraction.' A rep for Ant McPartlin declined to comment to MailOnline. Focus: The ITV host, 42, is currently making his TV comeback in the jungle Down Under following his summer stint in rehab for alcohol and painkiller addiction Decisions: According to The Sun , the TV favourite is now deciding whether to spend Christmas alone in a rented apartment near their West London home or with his other half Lisa, 41, following his return from Oz next month (Pictured in 2014) Last week Lisa finally broke her silence on reports of marital woes with Ant following his battles with addiction. She took to Twitter to hit back at the long-running reports that the duo have separated, as she penned on the microblogging site: 'I'm not estranged thank you', adding that she hadn't been to Australia for 10 years so it wasn't a surprise that she hadn't joined Ant in the jungle. Viewers were delighted when Ant made his much-anticipated return to TV screens on the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! launch last Sunday night. And it has now been revealed that the TV presenter - who looked happy and healthy during the first episode alongside co-host Declan Donnelly in Australia- has lost 'up to a stone in weight' following his recent stint in rehab. Reports: Fuelling speculation that his 11-year marriage over, Ant is said to be putting his energy into overcoming his demons and focusing on his recovery when he jets back to London (Pictured with pal Declan Donnelly and wife Ali Astall) A source told The Mirror: 'The last couple of months have been about him getting back to the Ant people know and love, and he has been exercising the knee, eating more healthily and drinking a lot less.' Speaking of the Ant - who checked into rehab in June to battle a two year battle to painkillers after a devastating knee injury and fertility issues - a source admitted: 'He put on some weight and looked tired and had bags under his eyes.' But with a visibly slimmed down Ant appearing on ITV screens, it was divulged: 'The results of all that, and work in the gym, are there for all to see now. He has lost up to a stone in weight and looks better than he has for years. It was also revealed that other than the grisly series ahead, it was his 'new look and physique' which was the 'talk of the crew over the weekend.' Broken silence: Last week Lisa finally broke her silence on reports of marital woes with Ant following his battles with addiction. She took to Twitter to hit back at the long-running reports that the duo have separated, writing: 'I'm not estranged thank you' (Pictured in 2006) Bouncing back: Viewers were delighted when Ant made his much-anticipated return to TV screens on the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! launch last Sunday night And for Ant, his recent stint in rehab was addressed as Dec opened the show by playfully joking he was planning to replace Ant with Holly Willoughby - quipping: 'No one was sure if you would make it or not!' Beaming widely for cameras and walking to their famous perch in the jungle for the first time this series, Ant proved he was back to his best - after a summer battling drink and drug addictions. In the duo's usual witty style however, Dec immediately opened the show by joking about his friend's much-anticipated return. Having fun: And for Ant, his recent stint in rehab was addressed as Dec opened the show by playfully joking he was planning to replace Ant with Holly Willoughby - quipping: 'No one was sure if you would make it or not!' He said to viewers: 'I'm here with the gorgeous Holly Willoughby...' before adding in mock horror: 'Wait, no! Guys that's the wrong script! You've put the wrong script in!' Turning to Ant, who was stood in mock outrage, Dec continued the joke by stating, in reference to his pal's rehab stint: 'No one was sure if you would make it or not!' Confirming to fans he was better than ever however, the famous Geordie assured: 'I was always going to make it, come on.' He then added excitedly: 'I'm back my friend!', before the pair sweetly hugged, to the applause of the production crew. Blue Planet II (BBC1) Rating: Expedition Volcano (BBC2) Rating: The one problem with Blue Planet II (BBC1) is that we dont see enough of it. The series stretches across seven hours but that is selected from more than 6,000 hours of film, shot over four years. Behind every astonishing sequence, there are equally amazing stories left untold. Take those humpback whales at the end of the show, for instance, surging upwards through vast shoals of anchovies to swallow 250lb of fish in a bite. A cape fur seal swimming in the kelp forests off the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa in BBC1's Blue Planet II, pictured A shark, pictured, in BBC1's Blue Planet II where every segment in every episode deserves its place Herds of sealions joined the feast, too, darting around the whales to snap up the ones that almost got away. You might suppose the whales take a dim view of this. But far from it they appear so fond of the cheeky sealions that they will fight to defend them. Kathryn Jeffs, producer of this episode of Blue Planet II, told me in an interview last month that when killer whales come hunting for sealion blubber, the humpbacks form a protective circle, lashing out with their giant flukes to drive the predators away. They get hugely excited, trumpeting like elephants through their blowholes. Blue Planet II, pictured, is a series stretching across seven hours but that is selected from more than 6,000 hours of film, shot over four years Sadly, we didnt get to see that. Nor did we spend long in Shark Bay off the western coast of Australia, where tiger sharks roam for a crunchy turtle snack. The camera crew nearly didnt go: Its so remote, and the filming conditions are so changeable, Kathryn says, that we thought it might be too much of a gamble. But when we arrived, we were surrounded by animals and fish all the time. Theres nowhere on Earth that I can compare it to. One short sequence appeared to be filmed with a camera attached to a tiger shark. It was eye- popping and over too quickly, because the narrative switched to the South African coast and the bed-hopping antics of the zebra mantis shrimp. Cuppa of the weekend Taking time out from testing self-driving vehicles, in Guy Martin vs The Robot Car (C4), our chirpy presenter programmed a computer called R2Tea2 to pour him a strong brew. Mines two sugars, please. Advertisement This isnt a criticism. Every segment in the episode deserved its place. The most charismatic creatures included an octopus who hid from sharks by armouring herself in shells, and a bright orange fish called a Garibaldi who had a prickly problem with some sea urchins. Its just that every scene was over so fast. I could have spent a whole hour, for instance, watching the alien underwater ice-scapes that opened the programme. All frozen bubbles and scything chasms, they resembled computer-generated hallucinations. The solution could be for the Beeb to release longer excerpts of unseen footage, perhaps running them on BBC4. Music and narration might not be needed: we could simply marvel at the colours and creatures. The crew at the edge of the crater, pictured, in BBC2's Expedition Volcano following a six-hour climb to the volcano's rim Remarkable sights were on display too in Expedition Volcano (BBC2), with a camera drone swooping low over the largest lava lake on earth. Churning and bubbling at 1,000C, it looked like an angry red jigsaw in a frying pan. From the outset, this was an old-fashioned documentary about exploration, the sort of foray Jules Verne might have described in an adventure novel. A team of scientists led a convoy of African porters on a six-hour climb to the volcanos rim, before pitching camp in the sulphurous mists. Dr Xand van Tulleken didnt hang around, returning instead to the Congo town of Goma to find out how the people survive. Only the toughest characters have a hope in this city on the brink of hell: they dig latrines in solid rock, and carve wheels from wood with machetes. Meanwhile, the other scientists were abseiling into the volcano. The back-and-forth narrative was sometimes disjointed, but there was no doubting what a harsh place this was. She split from her actor boyfriend Alexander Skarsgard in July after two years of dating. But Alexa Chung appeared to have put the heartache behind her as she hung out with her model ex Matthew Hitt at a New York hotel on Sunday. The model and designer, 34, looked giddy as she shared a laugh with the 30-year-old, who once dated Dakota Johnson for two years. Scroll down for video Hanging out: Alexa Chung seemed to be in great spirits as she hung out with her model ex Matthew Hitt outside a New York hotel on Sunday The couple, who first dated in 2014 three years after they first met, seemed to be in great spirits as they cosied up on a bench. Alexa looked typically chic as she wrapped up in a leather shearling-trim aviator jacket and a grey hooded sweatshirt. She completed the look with some blue skinny jeans and a stylish pair of leopard-print suede boots. Meanwhile, Matthew mirrored her casual vibe in a black pea coat and skinny jeans as he caught up with his ex. Loving life: The model and designer, 34, looked giddy as she shared a laugh with the 30-year-old, who once dated Dakota Johnson for two years Having a whale of a time: The couple, who first dated in 2014, three years after they first met, seemed to be in great spirits as they cosied up on a bench The handsome chap was previously in a romance with Dakota Johnson for two years, but they split in June 2016. The former couple sat next to each other and laughed together with another pal by their side. Looking at something amusing on Alexa's phone, they laughed as they puffed away on cigarettes. Alexa was pictured hanging out with Matthew in February, March and August this year, suggesting they still maintain a close friendship. Stylish: Alexa looked typically chic as she wrapped up in a leather shearling-trim aviator jacket and a grey hooded sweatshirt Fashionista: She completed the look with some blue skinny jeans and a stylish pair of leopard-print suede boots Meanwhile, Skarsgard, 40, was last year forced to deny that wedding bells were on the horizon during an appearance on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live. Replying to a caller who said she'd read reports of forthcoming nuptials, he replied: 'Wow, I hope I'm invited. Wow, thank you.' 'Are you getting married in the next year?' the host prodded. 'Not that I know of,' the actor replied. Keeping it cool: Meanwhile, Matthew mirrored her casual vibe in a black pea coat and skinny jeans as he caught up with his ex Holy smokes: Alexa took a deep drag of her cigarette during the fun-filled outing 'But if it's in a gossip magazine, I guess it's probably true, so I better get started.' Alexa previously told Harper's Bazaar that she believes she is a 'nightmare' to date. She said: 'I don't like being told what to do and I don't want to be penned in. I don't want to feel I have to be anywhere. Relaxed: Looking at something amusing on Alexa's phone, they laughed as they puffed away on cigarettes Pals: The former couple sat next to each other and laughed together with another pal by their side I am quite restless. It makes me a nightmare to date, I think.' Alexa has previously dated fashion photographer David Titlow and Arctic Monkeys star Alex Turner. She and Alex were together for four years between 2007 until 2011. She had stressed following their split that the pair had remained 'best friends'. Close: Alexa was pictured hanging out with Matthew in February, March and August this year, suggesting they still maintain a close friendship It's over: She split from her actor boyfriend Alexander Skarsgard, 40, in July after two years of dating He called time on his three-and-a-half year stint on popular Australian soap Home And Away on Thursday. And Matt Little has conceded he may have just left his dream job, but said he isn't ready to settle down yet. Speaking to New Idea, the 25-year-old said he wishes to explore other opportunities across the globe - including in Hollywood - before returning for good to what he calls 'paradise'. 'Curiosity is a devil': Former Home And Away star Matt Little admits he may have just left his dream job 'Maybe this (Home And Away) was my dream job, but curiosity is a devil and hindsight's the only true way of ever knowing,' he told the publication. Matt's final episode on the show aired last Thursday, when his character VJ Patterson escaped Summer Bay with baby Luc, after it was revealed rapist Mick Jennings was the biological father. The hunk said his plans for 2018 will include a job-hunting mission in Hollywood, which he sees as the next logical career step. 'I love Australia, but I'm not ready to settle down in paradise just yet,' Matt said. 'I want to go [to Hollywood] because that's the natural progression it seems. You want to grow and push yourself, and that happens by removing yourself from your comfort zones and opening yourself up to new opportunities.' 'That's the natural progression': Speaking to New Idea, the 25-year-old said he wishes to explore other opportunities across the globe - including in Hollywood - before returning for good to what he calls 'paradise' Farewell: Matt's final episode on the show aired last Thursday, when his character VJ Patterson (pictured) escaped Summer Bay with baby Luc, after it was revealed rapist Mick Jennings was the biological father 'I'm not ready to settle down': The hunk said his plans for 2018 will include a job-hunting mission in Hollywood, which he sees as the next logical career step Several of Matt's Home And Away co-stars took to Instagram on Friday to share sentimental farewell posts. Co-star and on-screen mother Ada Nicodemou shared an adorable selfie of the pair, captioning the image: 'I miss u (sic) so much and work just isnt the same without my little big boy there.' Meanwhile, Matt mirrored Ada's post by sharing a picture of the pair embracing on set. 'One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was let go of this moment and walk off set knowing I wouldn't be coming back Monday,' he wrote. 'I miss u (sic) so much': Co-star and on-screen mother Ada Nicodemou shared an adorable selfie with Matt on Friday She split from Hayden Christensen, her partner of ten years, in September. And Rachel Bilson, 36, enjoyed the emotional support of family on Sunday as the Hart Of Dixie star strolled around the Studio City Farmer's Market in Los Angeles with her mom Janice and three-year-old daughter Briar Rose. The O.C. starlet wore a full length floral dress for the outing, while her daughter's flower print pants matched Mom's threads. Sunday funday: Rachel Bilson, 36, enjoyed the emotional support of family on Sunday as the Hart Of Dixie star strolled around the Studio City Farmer's Market Under the flowing dress the Jumper actress wore a pair of white sneakers and walked with a red backpack slung over her shoulder. The 36-year-old covered her eyes with oversized shades and her brunette tresses were held back in a low, loose bun. The proud mom was all smiles as she watched her adorable daughter ride on a pony in her floral pants and white top with lace edging. We are family: Bilson was joined by her Mom Janice and three-year-old daughter Briar Rose for the outing Flower child! The O.C. starlet wore a full length floral dress for the outing, while her daughter's flower print pants matched Mom's threads Rachel is clearly focusing on moving forward following the end of her 10-year relationship with Hayden. The couple split up two months ago but have remained on friendly terms and continue to co-parent their only child. The pair met on the set of the 2008 film Jumper and began dating after Bilson's relationship with The O.C. costar Adam Brody ended. She's come down hard on soon-to-be sentenced Arthur Collins about visitation from his daughter Sunday. But Ferne McCann looked fine flying solo this week, when she was seen strolling with her newborn in Essex. Accompanied by her close friend - and former TOWIE co-star - Danielle Armstrong, the 27-year-old seemed to be taking single motherhood in her stride. Scroll down for video Brave face: Ferne McCann looked positively giddy as she headed out for a stroll with her new baby earlier this week She glowed with a broad smile on her face, amid the suggestion she's spent six months 'putting on a brave face' for others. This time though, her friend Danielle seemed like the reason behind Ferne's cheesey grin because the duo couldn't stop giggling. A second friend even carried flowers for the new mum, who pushed the pram with a relaxed air about her. Head held high: Hanging out with her friend Danielle Armstrong, the beauty looked happy and relaxed Glowing new mum: The beauty looked particularly chic in a light jumper and flares Relaxed: She took new motherhood in her stride, walking along with the pram like a pro Concealing her post-baby frame, the television presenter opted for an oversized jumper and flared jeans, which she paired with chic sunglasses. Danielle was equally well-dressed in heels, a tightly-fitting knit and a stylish white fedora hat. Ferne has rarely been seen out with her daughter Sunday since the birth three weeks ago. A statement from her representatives acknowledged that Ferne had accepted she would be parenting alone. High praise: On Instagram on Sunday, Ferne received high praise for her gorgeous post-baby figure Never again: Ferne is said to have told her ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins (left) that he will never see their daughter again, as he faces sentencing 'Having given birth days ago, Ferne is focusing on being the best mother she can be,' the statement said. 'She long ago accepted that she would be doing this alone and is determined to provide the best possible future for her daughter.' Her ex-boyfriend Arthur was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine of actual bodily harm on November 13, as part of an acid attack that took place at Mangle nightclub in April. Having a laugh: She looked like she was having a wonderful time in good company For someone special: Her friend carried some flowers, believed to be for the TV star Happy Sunday: Ferne has named her new baby Sunday He has been warned he could face life behind bars when he is sentenced on December 19. Ferne is understood to have told the father of her newborn daughter that she won't ever see him again after visiting him in prison. Ferne told Arthur: 'This is the last time you will see either of us' as she held their daughter, Sunday, during a visit to Category A Belmarsh prison in southLondon. During the visit, the This Morning host told him: 'You have ruined our lives. This is what you have done. And this is what you are missing out on.' Taking it in her stride: The new mum was glowing and happy to be with her friends No access? It's been claimed that Ferne has told her ex Arthur Collins he will have no access to the baby Single mum: She looks happy and coping well with life as a single mother Speaking about the dramatic visit, she told Sunday People: 'I went to see Arthur and I took Sunday with me. This was because I am very angry about what has happened and I needed to communicate that and wanted to hear what Arthur had to say. 'I strongly feel for the innocent people hurt that night and I in no way condone violence as I have already made clear. It was a difficult decision to take Sunday into that environment but I felt I needed to confront him about a number of things, which I have now done.' Friends have said Ms McCann was 'in bits' over the attack and has been attempting to come to terms with what Collins has done while raising their daughter. Time with friends: Fellow TOWIE star Danielle certainly seemed to bring some joy into Ferne's life Showing her some love: Danielle showed her giddy side as she smiled at the baby Winter outing: It was an adorable outing for the threesome and the newborn Surrounded by good people: Danielle has always acted as a good support to Ferne Sharing a smile: They were seen heading out for lunch in Essex Going it alone: Ferne's ex Arthur was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine of actual bodily harm on November 13 A source previously told MailOnline: 'She is having a really tough time. She is putting on a brave face to the world but behind the scenes, her family are really worried about her. 'This is her maternity leave. She's really emotional and can't believe what has happened. She never thought in a million years he would do this. 'She's in bits. She's just doing the best she can but is absolutely devastated.' McCann and Collins had a year-long on-off romance before he went on the run over the attack and was arrested by police. She posted pictures on Instagram of them on holiday in Dubai before the incident and told OK magazine that they were planning to move in together. Ferne, 27, told ex Arthur Collins, 'This is the last time you will see either of us' as she held their daughter, Sunday, during a visit to Category A Belmarsh prison in south London Collins was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine of actual bodily harm on November 13. He is pictured (right) as he left the nightclub after the attack On her favourite day of the week, Sunday, Ferne shared a new picture of herself to Instagram, this weekend and won yet more praise from fans. Showing off her svelte figure, the brunette received many compliments about her remarkable post-baby body. 'How are u so slim so quick ?? You look amazing girl,' said one fan, while another wrote: 'Looking good after having the baby @fernemccann' High praise: The brunette won high praise from her fans for a new picture she posted on Sunday 'Fair play you look amazing ' said another with one other saying 'Omg you look stunning babe x' 'Absolutely snapped right back into shape' commented one other user and another agreed saying: 'You'd never know she'd just given birth, looking swell there Ferns.' Another added: 'You sure you've had a baby. Looking fab' While one enthusiastic fan said: 'F***ing hell wheres ur wobbly bits lol looking F***ing immaculate well done Fern' The doting mother told the Sunday People: 'I went to see Arthur and I took Sunday with me. This was because I am very angry about what has happened and I needed to communicate that and wanted to hear what Arthur had to say' She gave birth to her second child, daughter Rosie May Dee, nine weeks ago. And earlier this month, Megan Gale cradled her precious offspring as she landed in Fiji with her fiance Shaun Hampson. The 42-year-old model looked radiant in an abstract wrap dress and stylish fedora as she doted over the newborn. Precious cargo! Megan Gale cradles her nine-week-old daughter Rosie May Dee as she lands in Fiji with fiance Shaun Hampson and their toddler son River Megan cut an effortlessly chic figure in the floral wrap dress with a plunging neckline. The television personality ensured she was comfortable on her feet, opting for a pair of black elasticised slip-on shoes. Slinging a baby carrier over one shoulder, Megan accessorised with a black and white fedora and her sparkling engagement ring. Too cute: The model cradled her precious daughter as she engaged in friendly conversation with an airport staff member Effortlessly chic: Megan sported a floral wrap dress with a plunging neckline and ensured she was comfortable on her feet by opting for black elasticised slip-on shoes Stylish mama: The television personality accessorised with a stylish fedora and allowed her brunette locks to fall effortlessly in relaxed waves The Melbourne-based star's brunette locks fell in relaxed waves and her visage appeared makeup-free. A doting mother, Megan cradled her precious daughter, who looked cute as a button in a white onesie and tiny mittens. The brand ambassador engaged in friendly conversation with an airport staff member. Family vacation: Megan and her brood were later pictured strolling the streets, with the doting mother cradling her precious daughter Island attire: The brunette opted for a grey dress shirt tucked into a pair of white linen shorts Off they go: Fiance Shaun followed closely behind, holding hands with the couple's three-year-old son, River Alan Thomas Megan, along with fiance Shaun, Rosie, and their three-year-old son River Alan Thomas, were later pictured taking in the sights of Fiji. The hands-on-mother sported a grey button-up shirt tucked into a pair of white linen shorts. Megan's locks were swept underneath the same stylish fedora and a pair of designer sunglasses concealed her gaze. Equipped: Megan slung a baby carrier over one shoulder and held onto her daughter's white blankie Adorable: Little Rosie looked cute as a button in a white onesie and tiny gloves Prepared: The family were spotted with several suitcases as well as hand luggage Shaun, 29, also dressed casually in a white dress shirt left undone, black shorts and thongs. The footy star accessorised with a brown round-rimmed hat and designer shades while a medium-sized brown satchel carried the family's belongings. Little River was close by, looking cute in a green polo shirt, abstract shorts, Crocs and a navy round-rimmed hat. Relaxed: Footy star Shaun dressed casually in a white dress shirt left undone, black shorts and thongs Toddler style: Little River looked cute in a green polo shirt, abstract shorts, Crocs and a navy round-rimmed hat The family strolled the island before enjoying a boat ride. Since the birth of Megan and Shaun's daughter Rosie May Dee, the couple have often taken to Instagram, sharing sentimental posts. Earlier this month, Megan paid a heartfelt tribute to her newborn daughter. Hands-on mother: The family later enjoyed a boat ride, with Megan doting over her newborn Priorities: Megan was also pictured close by to her son She wrote: 'Baby girl you are such a special little soul already teaching us so much and providing so much joy. We're getting our first smiles from you too and they are just SO precious! 'It's been an action packed 6 weeks and boy life has become a helluva lot busier but life has also become so much better and fulfilling since you arrived. 'Loving you more and more with every passing day my girl,' Megan went on to say. She's the two-time Oscar winner known as much for her unique sense of style as she is her supreme talent. And it appears that Cate Blanchett, 48, has become an unlikely fashion muse for a much younger pop star. Harry Styles has been seen donning a number of ensembles almost identical to the ones worn by the actress, leading fans to wonder whether he is in fact a copy-Cate. He's literally following suit! It appears Cate Blanchett, 48, has become an unlikely fashion muse for Harry Styles, 23, with the pop star seen donning a dozen outfits almost identical to those worn by the actress The 23-year-old stars' strikingly similar ensembles was noted by Ellen Degeneres as she sat down for a chat with the Blue Jasmine star on her popular chat show last month. The comedienne brought up a number of split screen photos showing Cate and Harry dressed in similar garb as the audience howled with laughter. The Australian beauty remarked: 'This is so random... he would look great in nude and red.' Copy-Cate? Cate and Harry also take their cues from the swinging sixties with both posessing a penchant for leopard print, velvet and leather Look-a-likes! The mother-of-four's look is often androgynous and a little rock n' roll, both terms that have been used to describe the One Direction star's style She then quipped: 'He would look good nude.' The pair share a passion for bright and unusual fashion, having both been seen in eye-catching pink pantsuits. Cate was seen rocking a fuchsia number as she arrived for Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2015, while Harry literally followed suit by wearing a similar outfit earlier this year. Is she his Styles icon? The pair share a passion for bright and unusual fashion Suits you! Both the actress and the pop-star loved a good power blazer Both Cate and Harry also take their cues from the swinging sixties, with both posessing a penchant for leopard print, velvet and leather. The mother-of-four's look is often androgynous and a little rock n' roll, both terms that have been used to describe the One Direction star's style. The Elizabeth actress has also previously been seen pounding the pavement in a pair of black ankle boots, which are a staple in Harry's wardrobe. Who's copying who: could it be that blonde beauty Cate is taking her tips from Harry and not the other way around? Suspicious: Harry was seen in London back in May donning a distinctive pair of mustard coloured pants, while Cate opted for suspiciously similar hue just months later However, could it be that blonde beauty Cate is taking her tips from Harry and not the other way around? The Brit rocked an all-black look at the premiere of his movie Dunkirk in July, before the Aussie actress was sporting a similar outfit at Paris Fashion Week just three months later. And Harry was seen in London back in May donning a distinctive pair of mustard coloured pants, while Cate opted for suspiciously similar hue to glide down the red carpet at the premiere of Thor: Ragnarok last month. It was an occasion where some of the world's most beautiful women were battling it out. But Ashley Graham managed to leave the contestants in the shade as she showcased her substantial curves on the Miss Universe red carpet in Las Vegas on Sunday. The 30-year-old took great pleasure in flaunting her physique in a figure-hugging gown at the Planet Hollywood casino, which hosted the 55th addition of the pageant and also saw Fergie attend. Scroll down for video Pageant ready: Ashley Graham and Fergie left the Miss Universe contestants in the shade with their incredible ensembles on Sunday The brunette bombshell looked in fine form as she sashayed down the red carpet in a tight-fitting white number, before changing into a wine-coloured outfit for her presenting spot. More than 90 women from around the world vied for the Miss Universe title, when the decades-old pageant returned to Las Vegas after last year being held in the Phillipines. The winner would receive the ultimate glory, going home with a year-long salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign and a slew of other prizes. Grammy-Award winner Fergie put on a leggy display in a stylish metallic minidress as she took to the stage to perform during the telecast. Curve appeal: Ashley flaunted her incredible curves in a clinging white lace number as she walked the red carpet in Las Vegas Brushing up: Ashley was spotted learning her lines just moments before going on camera, changing in a gorgeous red wine dress to host the telecast Making it look easy: Ashley grinned like a pro as she conducted an interview Radiant: Ashley was a vision of beauty as she hosted the show on the evening In addition to the Black Eyed Peas star, Fight Song star Rachel Platten, was also doing a turn on the stage in sensational style. The 92 women include representatives from Iraq, Austria and Venezuela. The U.S. is being represented by Washington D.C.'s Kara McCullough, a 26-year-old scientist working for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Steve Harvey will return as the show's host despite his now infamous blunder during the 2015 Miss Universe crowning. He was hosting the show when he mistakenly named Colombia's Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo the winner before correcting himself on the stage, but not before the seeming winner had wept tears of joy before having the title cruelly snatched away. In a reflective mood: She shared a snap of herself drawing on a mirror ahead of getting ready for the show Legs for days: Singer Fergie rocked a sensational metallic number for the showcase, which the star also rocked during a performance Natural beauty: The Black Eyed Peas star looked sensational as she rocked a bronzed smoky eye Singer Fergie put on a leggy display in a stylish metallic mini dress as she performed at the pageant, giving viewers a showcase of her new single A Little Work. The mother-of-one styled her ice blonde locks into a poker straight 'lob' (long bob) and rocked classic bronzed eye shadow. Fergie certainly got the party going as she belted out the track, performing as the top 10 pageant finalists walked onto the stage. Showstopper: Fergie rocked the stage with a performance of A Little Work, the latest single from her album Double Dutchess Sensational: Fergie rocked stylish strappy black heels with the look, and had her ice blonde locks styled into a chic 'lob' (long bob) Top girls: As Fergie performed, the Top 10 finalists from the pageant entered the stage, on a mission to prove they were the best of the best Glamour girl: The mother-of-one has been showcasing her newest music, after announcing her separation from husband Josh Duhamel in September Well loved: The star certainly seemed to have a following in the crowd, as she attempted to high-five some of the spectators Glamorous gown: Fight Song star Rachel Platten was also seen embracing her inner princess in a sensational pearl grey gown Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the Philippines was then given the crown. Officials later said it was due to human error. The talk show host said he had re-read the card and noticed it said 'first runner-up' next to the Colombia contestant's name before clarifying with producers his mistake. This year's judges included such luminaries as YouTube personality Lele Pons, former America's Next Top Model judge Jay Manuel and Wendy Fitzwilliam, the 1998 Miss Universe winner from Trinidad and Tobago. Miss Universe champion Iris Mittenaere from France crowned her successor, South African beauty Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, after wowing on the red carpet in a showstopping yellow satin gown. And the 24-year-old certainly proved she can showcase brains as well as beauty, as she is currently in her fifth year of a dental surgery fellowship. Phwoar: Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere was looking as fabulous as ever at the event, with French beauty donning a stunning yellow satin gown New star: South African beauty Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was crowned the new champion on Sunday, only the second star to win from that country Practice makes perfect: Host Steve Harvey managed to name the correct winner after blundering in 2015 Red carpet royalty: Beauty queens Miss USA 2014 Nia Sanchez, Miss USA 2015, Olivia Jordan, and Miss Universe 2015 and pageant judge Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach He can't believe his luck: Macho pageant judge Carson Kressley cuddled up to coach Lu Sierra Rogues gallery: Farouk Shami, Pia, judges Lele Pons and Ross Mathews, Wendy Fitzwilliam, Megan Olivi, and make-up artist Jay Manuel They've had a busy last few months, after welcoming the birth of a new child and reportedly moving into a new home. And Megan Gale treated herself to a well-earned break in Fiji this month, during a family holiday with her AFL star fiance Shaun Hampson and their two children. The 42-year-old model cradled the couple's nine-week-old daughter Rosie May Dee while boarding a private boat on Denarau Island. Holiday mode: Megan Gale treated herself to a well-earned break in Fiji this month, during a family holiday with her AFL star fiance Shaun Hampson and their two children Sporting a grey cotton shirt and loose-fitting white shorts, the exotic beauty, who is of Maori and English descent, showcased her trim post-baby body. She paired the casual look with a protective hat, designer shades and comfortable espadrilles. The doting mother was joined by her 29-year-old fiance Shaun, who also dressed for comfort in navy shorts and a white shirt. Family affair: The 42-year-old model cradled the couple's nine-week-old daughter Rosie May Dee while boarding a private boat on Denarau Island Too cute: As the couple discussed the logisitics of their trip, their three-year-old son River Alan could be seen playing nearby Post-baby body: The model showcased her trim physique nine months after the birth of her second child The couple's three-year-old son River Alan was dressed in an adorable green and blue ensemble as he took in the sights and sounds of the idyllic holiday spot. Proving to be quite the multitasking mum, Megan juggled her sleepy newborn in one hand and her luggage in the other as they made their way to a waiting boat. Richmond player Shaun similarly clutched his little man's hand while hauling the family's luggage around before they departed on the boat. Doting mum: Proving to be quite the multitasking mum, Megan juggled her sleepy newborn in one hand and her luggage in the other as they made their way to a waiting boat Life's a beach! The family boarded a private boat that was waiting on a picturesque beach Earlier this month it was reported by The Daily Telegraph that Megan and Shaun would be moving their expanding brood to the leafy Melbourne suburb of Malvern East. The pair are said to be renting a 1890s heritage property for $1400 a week. Also this month, Australia's Next Top Model judge Megan posted a heartfelt tribute to her newborn daughter and said having another child has given her a greater life purpose. Adorable: Little Rosie was dressed in an adorable onesie and warm mittens And they're off! The family made their way to an unknown location 'Baby girl you are such a special little soul already teaching us so much and providing so much joy,' she captioned. 'We're getting our first smiles from you too and they are just SO precious! She added: 'It's been an action packed 6 weeks and boy life has become a helluva lot busier but life has also become so much better and fulfilling since you arrived.' Heartfelt tribute: Also this month, Australia's Next Top Model judge Megan posted a heartfelt tribute to her newborn daughter and said having another child has given her a greater life purpose Inspiring: Last month, the exotic beauty, whose father is English and mother is part Maori, shared a very intimate photo, in which she could be seen breastfeeding her newborn Glam! Megan looked fresh-faced and radiant in this breastfeeding hospital snap, shortly after giving birth to baby Rosie Last month, the exotic beauty shared very intimate breastfeeding photos. The Mad Max star is the latest celebrity to attempt to break public breastfeeding taboos. In 2015, model Erin McNaught was applauded for posting a photo nursing her then three-month-old son Evander. Free-spirited Actress Teresa Palmer has shared intimate breastfeeding snaps on more than one occasion. Last year, Perth mummy blogger Constance Hall shared a controversial photo nursing twins and she said the unglamorous snap depicted what it's really like to breastfeed. Kim Zolciak Biermann lunged at Kenya Moore during an explosive row on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta. The 39-year-old reality star made an unexpected appearance at NeNe Leaks' party, and immediately berated Kenya for having an 'imaginary' husband. 'He don't existit's all a f***ing lie, b****,' giggled Kim, as Kenya, 46, scowled. Unexpected appearance: Kim Zolciak made an unexpected appearance at a party during Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta and badgered Kenya Moore 'Don't poke the bear, unless you want to get bit,' frowned Cynthia Bailey. 'Shut the f*** up,' Kenya finally barked at Kim after enduring several insults. Kenya then delivered a below the belt attack. 'Why do you have such a hard on for me? Didn't they cut it off during your reassignment surgery?' Low blow: Kenya retaliated by suggesting Kim had gender reassignment surgery Bear poking: Cynthia Bailey warned that Kim shouldn't poke the bear by needling Kenya 'Worry about your botched surgery, don't worry about me,' snapped Kenya. 'Worry about your life and your daughter, who you pimp out for John Legend tickets,' Kenya yelled. 'She'll suck for John legend tickets b****!' Kenya added as Kim leaped to her feet to attack her. Ugly argument: Kenya brought Kim's daughter Brielle into their argument prompting the mother of six to lunge at her Episode cliffhanger: The episode ended with Kim attacking Kenya during the party Before the soiree Sheree Whitfield had met with Kim and her husband Kroy. Sheree decided to invite Kim to NeNe's party without telling the host. 'You're my ex-gay friend, so we're going to do it,' laughed Sheree, referencing Kim's reported bisexuality. Plus one: Sheree Whitfield decided to bring Kim as her guest to the party Ex-gay friend: Kim was invited as Sheree's 'ex-gay friend' Kim criticized NeNe for parking in a 'handicapped' space outside Sachs, and anticipated that she might 'slam the door' when they arrived. Sheree and Kim also speculated about Kenya's marriage and her prospects for having a baby. 'I heard she married a f***ing fanI just hope she's not going to use a 46-year-old egg,' laughed Kim. Marriage gossip: Sheree and Kim gossiped before the party about Kenya's husband 'No one has met her husband,' shrugged Sheree. The episode titled All White Never Forget Showdown opened with NeNe caring for her husband Gregg who had been suffering from heart trouble. 'My dad died from that issue, I don't want it,' said Gregg. Heart trouble: Gregg was back at home with wife NeNe Leakes after a health scare 'You could be the reason for all this, you're younger than me you could have just wore me out,' he joked. Sheree met with Jack Daniels, her 'Life Coach'. 'I'm scared, I think I should have just cracked a bottle of Jack Daniels,' she quipped. Life coach: Sheree continued seeing her life coach Jack Daniels Sheree admitted that she felt 'ashamed' and 'almost a failure' about abuse in her past relationship. Meanwhile, Kandi Burruss was headed to New York for a cover shoot for Essence magazine's 'Confidence Issue'. 'Only the A-List of the African-American community make it to the cover of that magazine,' beamed the 41-year-old businesswoman. Cover girl: Kandi Burruss was excited about appearing on the cover of Essence magazine Once in the Big Apple, Kandi was done up by a glam squad. 'On the inside I'm doing cartwheels,' she smiled. Porsha met with her cousin Tiffany and sister Lauren with whom she'd been feuding. Glam squad: The 41-year-old reality star was done up by a glam squad for her shoot Cover shoot: Kandi struck several poses for her cover shoot Shout out: Todd shouted out proudly about his wife being the star 'I feel like she looks at me like a baby,' said Lauren, who is 30. 'I love you,' consoled Porsha as Lauren sobbed. 'You don't have to wear the weave no more if you don't want to,' she added as Lauren giggled. Candid conversation: Porsha Williams met up with her sister Lauren after a nasty argument Getting emotional: Lauren burst into tears as she confided her fears to her sister Tender moment: Porsha hugged her sobbing sister and promised she would look after her NeNe then planned her All White, Girls And Gays party with the theme of Never Forget at her mansion. 'Porsha [Williams] is not invited,' said NeNe decisively. Porsha previously tried to organize a conciliatory chat with NeNe. Not invited: NeNe declared that Porsha was not invited to her party 'She needs to fix her lying tongue first,' snapped NeNe. 'She threw Phaedra out of the bus and jumped out of the damn bus to save her own a**,' raged NeNe. 'Porsha is on my ''don't give a f*** list'' right now,' she continued. Party host: The reality star was hosting the party to help get her mind off Gregg's health problems Defiant Porsha, 36, claimed she didn't want to attend anyway. 'I would rather pluck each one of my toenails out, put them in a glass of Hennessy and take them as a shot,' she announced. NeNe hired a team of shirtless men in bow ties to spice things up at her party. Shirtless servers: NeNe hired shirtless servers for the party 'This is my kind of party,' remarked Cynthia. In a display of reconciliation Kenya and Sheree went to a spin class. 'I am definitely more of a fitness girl,' said Sheree, while Kenya was convinced that she was 'in better shape'. Spin class: Sheree and Kenya in a display of reconciliation went to a spin class together 'The proof is in the pudding and there's a lot of pudding over there,' she laughed. They decided to team up to work on a PSA about domestic violence. 'We're both survivors of domestic violence and I think together, with us sharing our stories, we could make a dynamic team,' said Kenya. Teaming up: Kenya invited Sheree to join her in a PSA about domestic violence On a lighter note, Cynthia met her 'date' Will for some ice cream. 'I think he realizes that I like him at this point,' she smiled. 'I don't know why I'm so nervous around you,' she told him. The RHOA continues next week on Bravo. Dating scene: Will and Cynthia went out on another date Daryl Dixon and Carl Grimes took matters into their own hands durings Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead. The biker warrior [Norman Reedus] fought with Rick at the end of last week's episode and the scrap seemed to have emboldened him to defy his friend. On a rogue mission Daryl took Michonne, Tara and Rosita to The Saviors compound, which was surrounded by Walkers. Going rogue: Daryl Dixon decided to go rogue during Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead 'So what do you need us for?' asked Rosita. 'To end this thing, right now,' he told her as the credits rolled on the episode tiled The King, The Widow And Rick. The show opened with an exchange of letters between the allied forces who planned to destroy The Sanctuary. Rick [Andrew Lincoln] told his followers: 'We're winningthis can be our last fight'. Defying dad: Carl Grimes also defied his father Rick during the episode titled The King, The Widow And Rick Meanwhile Jesus [Tom Payne] delivered turnips to the captive Saviors. Maggie [Lauren Cohan] scolded him for wasting their food. Double crossing Gregory wanted to kill the hostages, saying: 'Build the gallows already'. Prison camp: Jesus brought captive Saviors to the Hilltop and new de facto leader Maggie 'We have to end this, and Negan,' said Maggie. Gregory [Xander Berkeley] tried to convince Maggie to slaughter the hostages. 'You can't have wolves wondering around amongst the sheep,' he advised. Hostage slaughter: Gregory advised Maggie to slaughter the hostages Maggie decided to bring the prisoners inside, feed them and 'not mistreat them' until they could be of use as 'bargaining chips'. 'I know all about sheep and wolves,' Maggie told Gregory, as he was beaten and dragged to the pen by her followers. 'He's sucking up to the Saviors now,' noted Jesus. In custody: Maggie decided to make Gregory one of the prisoners Prison group: Jesus brought a large group of prisoners to the Hilltop Cut to Jadis [Pollyanna McIntosh] the leader of The Scavengers, who was making a sculpture while wearing nothing but an apron. Rick entered and tried to cut a deal with her. 'We need you, and you need us,' he told Jadis. Sculpture art: Jadis wore little clothing while sculpting No deal: Rick made an offer that Jadis refused 'Or, we destroy you,' Rick warned them. She turned him down without hesitation. 'He talks too much,' she complained as her henchmen dragged Rick away. Turned down: Jadis quickly turned Rick down and had him dragged away They locked him in a dark crate marked with an 'A', which is where he remained until the end of the show. Meanwhile, Rosita [Christian Serratos] jumped in the car with Michonne [Danai Gurira] to visit the action at The Sanctuary. 'I just need to see it, turn the alarm off in my head, turn around and go back home,' explained Michonne. Secret mission: Michonne and Rosita went on their own mission En route, they heard some music and stopped the car to investigate. They encountered two Scavengers who were planning their battle on Negan's side. 'Rick the prick or whoever he is, he don't know s*** about The Fat Lady Here,' said the female Scavenger. Secret weapon: A Saviors follower referenced a secret weapon They were rumbled, and a fight ensued. Rosita blew up the male Negan-lover but the female escaped in her van - until Daryl mowed her down in a huge truck. 'That was too close,' said Rosita. Nice shot: Rosita opened fire and killed a man with a rocket Perfect timing: Daryl crashed into the woman who tried to escape In the woods Carl approached loner man Saddiq [Avi Nash] and offered him food and water. 'My mom told me that you have to do what's right,' said Carl [Chandler Riggs]. Siddiq admitted to killing 237 Walkers to 'free their souls' on his mother's wishes. Loner man: Saddiq was approached by Carl in the woods The pair got attacked by the undead, but managed to slay them all. Carl decided to go against his father's wishes and take Siddiq into the fold. 'Sometimes kids have to go their own way,' he decided. Zombie attack: Walkers attacked Saddiq and Carl Walking dead: The zombies nearly overpowered Carl Close call" A walker was on top of Carl but Saddiq rescued him Bereaved Tara [Alanna Masterson] was on a revenge mission to slaughter Dwight [Austin Amelio]. 'When this is over I'm going to kill him, I want it to be me,' she told Daryl. 'Maybe it could be you and me both,' he replied, while adding they might not have to wait. Revenge mission: Tara was on a revenge mission to kill Dwight Meanwhile Carol was back with Henry, Jerry and the sparse survivors of King Ezekiel's subjects. She spoke with the king [Khary Payton] who was depressed and reclusive. 'People out there need you,' she told him. Pep talk: Carol tried to get King Ezekiel to lead his people 'Who the hell was I to choose for them because I said I was a king, I played a part,' he lamented. 'I knew and yet I smiledI can't be what they need, so please just leave me alone,' he moaned. Ezekiel told Carol he'd always visited her when she was being a hermit because she made him feel 'real'. Reluctant king: Ezekiel was not yet ready to resume command 'Not a fiction, real,' he sighed. 'You are real, to me, to The Kingdom, the people need their king to lead them,' she protested. 'If you can't be the king, play the part,' she advised, as he hung his head in shame. Grieving Aaron [Ross Marquand] then teamed up with Enid [Katelyn Nacon] for another off-piste mission that was yet to be explained. The Walking Dead continues next week on AMC. She announced her engagement to Tyson Mullane earlier this month. And Pia Miller hasn't been shy to flaunt her stunning, custom-made ring on social media. The 34-year-old flashed her pearly whites and smiled broadly on her fiance's Instagram live stories on Monday as she showed off her sizable bling. Scroll down for video Beaming: Pia Miller hasn't been shy to flaunt her stunning, custom-made ring on social media With dramatic music scoring the footage, the Chilean-born beauty was beaming as her beau zoomed in on the rock. Daily Mail Australia previously spoke with Sydney jeweler Bensimon about the dazzling ring's intricate details. 'The custom-made ring features a solitaire round, brilliant diamond cut in 18 carat gold with diamond shoulders,' Ron Bensimon relayed. 'The custom-made ring features a solitaire round, brilliant diamond cut in 18 carat gold with diamond shoulders,' jeweler Ron Bensimon relayed Lovebirds: She announced her engagement to Tyson Mullane earlier this month Taking to Instagram weeks ago, the former Home and Away actress shared snaps of the emotional moment Tyson proposed. 'In a hundred lifetimes, In a hundred worlds, In any version of reality - Id find you & Id choose you. Yes today Yes always,' she wrote in the touching caption. It was a moment the pair will remember for the rest of their lives, putting a stunning punctuation mark on the whirlwind relationship that was confirmed last year. 'In a hundred lifetimes, In a hundred worlds, In any version of reality - Id find you & Id choose you. Yes today Yes always,' she wrote in the touching caption The mother-of-two revealed she was seeing a new man shortly after she was spotted holding hands with Tyson at a Sydney beach on Valentine's Day. Pia had announced her separation from AFL star Brad Miller - after 10 years - the October prior. The actress shares son, Lennox, 10, with Brad, and Isaiah Loyola, 14, from a previous relationship. She split from The Bachelor's Blake Garvey last year after 18 months together. But Louise Pillidge looks to be giving love another chance if her latest Instagram snap on Sunday is anything to go by. The 29-year-old shared a cryptic post of two alcoholic beverages on a bar, alongside a love heart emoji. Giving love another chance? Louise Pillidge, 29, hinted to Instagram over the weeken that she's back in the dating game after splitting from The Bachelor's Blake Garvey Louise shared a close-up image of two mojitos placed on the bar of what appeared to be a Gold Coast establishment. What looked to be an innocent encounter took on perhaps a more romantic note, with the former Channel Ten star captioning the post with a love heart emoji. The beauty first rose to fame when she competed against 29 other women for the heart of Perth auctioneer Blake on the 2014 season of The Bachelor. Date night: The starlet shared a close-up image of two mojitos placed on the bar of what appeared to be a Gold Coast establishment. What looked to be an innocent encounter took on perhaps a more romantic note, with the former Channel Ten star captioning the post with a love heart emoji Notoriety: Louise first rose to fame when she competed against 29 other women for the heart of Perth auctioneer Blake on the 2014 season of The Bachelor After placing third, Blake infamously ended his engagement to winner Sam Frost during a meeting with producers, and weeks later started a relationship with Louise. But after 18 months together, Louise and 'love rat' Blake, went their separate ways. The Gold Coast-based personality told New Idea at the time of their decision to split: 'We sat down recently and Blake said: "It's just not working - I feel like we're treading water". Headlines: After placing third, Blake infamously ended his engagement to winner Sam Frost (pictured) during a meeting with producers, and weeks later started a relationship with Louise Not to be: But after 18 months together, Louise and 'love rat' Blake, went their separate ways 'I knew deep down that he was right but I would never have been strong enough to say it,' Louise went on to say. Meanwhile last month, Blake, who has also retreated from the spotlight since their split, announced he would not be appearing on Bachelor In Paradise despite rumours. 'No way, no how, no chance am I going on Bachelors In Paradise. That is all,' Blake wrote on Facebook. Louise, also rumoured to have been chosen as a contestant in the spin-off, told Daily Mail Australia last week: 'No, I will not be on the show.' Candid comments: The Gold Coast-based personality told New Idea at the time of their decision to split: 'We sat down recently and Blake said: "It's just not working - I feel like we're treading water"' He's the kind-faced media personality usually playing matchmaker on The Bachelor. But Osher Gunsberg has taken a sharp turn into the world of politics to attack Peter Dutton for the use of Manus Island. The 43-year-old hit out at the government's immigration minster, asking him how he 'can sleep at night' in a Tweet on the weekend. 'How can you sleep at night?': The Bachelor's Osher Gunsberg launches a scathing attack on Peter Dutton for Australia's immigration policy Osher criticised Australia's border control while reflecting on his Lithuanian mother's escape from the Iron Curtain and immigration Down Under after World War II. 'Australia welcomed my refugee mother and her family with open arms in 1949,' he wrote. 'Today we are starving, terrorising and beating refugees with steel bars. '@PeterDutton_MP how can you sleep at night?' he added, before including the hashtags '#Manus' and '#bringthemhere'. 'Bring them here': The 43-year-old hit out at the government's immigration minster, asking him how he 'can sleep at night' in a Tweet on the weekend 'Open arms': Osher criticised Australia's border control while reflecting on his Lithuanian mother's escape from the Iron Curtain and immigration Down Under after World War II Osher's comments came after Papua New Guinea police beat refugees and asylum seekers with batons while attempting to clear the detention centre on Friday, according to The Guardian. A day earlier, Mr Dutton had slammed about 400 Manus Island detainees who refused to move out of their squalor and be peacefully relocated to a new $10million facility. 'I think it's outrageous that people are still there and they have trashed the facility, they're living in squalor,' he told 2GB radio on Thursday. 'I think it's outrageous': Osher's comments came after Mr Dutton slammed about 400 Manus Island detainees who refused to move out of their squalor and be peacefully relocated to a new $10million facility 'The Australian taxpayers have paid about $10million for a new facility and we want people to move.' Mr Dutton reiterated the men will never be settled in Australia, adding: 'It's like the tenant that won't move out of the house when you build a new house for them to move into.' The new accommodation will feature brand new sleeping, cooking and dining facilities, as shown in photos of the East Lorengau Transit Refugee Centre, the West Lorengau Haus and Hillside Haus. Hitting out: 'It's like the tenant that won't move out of the house when you build a new house for them to move into,' Mr Dutton said. Pictured: New sleeping quarters She announced she was giving up her career as an escort in September. And Samantha X, whose real name is Amanda Goff, appears to be proud of her new role as a 'clothes-on' counselor for men in need of relationship advice. The 43-year-old, who quit being a call girl after announcing her relationship with Channel 7 reporter Ryan Phelan, shared a post from a fan to Instagram on Monday. Scroll down for video Moving on: Former escort Samantha X, whose real name is Amanda Goff, appears to be proud of her new role as a 'clothes-on' counselor for men in need of relationship advice The striking blonde, who offers guidance on affairs of the heart via her website, posted a screenshot of an email she received from a happy customer. '[Samantha] had the empathy of a reliable friend and the objectivity of a concerned stranger,' gushed her new 'client'. 'Marc is a 40 something year old medico. Came to me with relationship advice.. (men find dating just as hard as we do!),' Samantha wrote in the upload's caption. '[Samantha] had the empathy of a reliable friend and the objectivity of a concerned stranger,' gushed her new 'client' 'Marc is a 40 something year old medico. Came to me with relationship advice.. (men find dating just as hard as we do!),' Samantha wrote in the upload's caption 'This is my first ever review with clothes-on counselling! Thank you Marc,' she added. Amanda revealed she was officially 'hanging up her Louboutins' as a call girl on October 24, and was focused on building her escort agency, Samantha X Angels. She wrote lovingly of new boyfriend Ryan in a post last week, with the message: 'All I will say is that for all of you who feel undatable [sic] and unlovable, youre not'. New beginnings: She wrote lovingly of new boyfriend Ryan in a post last week, with the message: 'All I will say is that for all of you who feel undatable [sic] and unlovable, youre not' She recently told Daily Mail Australia she and Ryan 'are very happy', and he is the one who made her realise it was time to 'close the chapter' and start a new life with him. 'I knew it was time. The love we have deserved Amanda not Samantha, and I was ready to close on the chapter on Samantha,' she stated. 'Ryan and I are very much in love. He's the most beautiful man, not just on the outside but the inside too. I've never smiled and laughed more in my life!' she said. She's the multi-talented blonde known for her sizzling social media uploads. And Chloe Lattanzi was up to her old tricks on Sunday, taking to Instagram to share a self-described 'dirty' photo in which she showed off her washboard abs. The 31-year-old daughter of Olivia Newton-John proved there wasn't an inch to pinch as she thrust out her hips whilst wearing a skimpy crop top. Not an inch to pinch! Chloe Lattanzi flaunted her washboard abs whilst wearing a skimpy crop top in an Instagram shared on Sunday '90s grunge' Chloe wrote beneath the raunchy image, before adding: 'Not a selfie as I did not take this. I just love the dirtiness of this photo.' The natural beauty went make-up free for the picture, looking incredibly fresh-faced as her messy blonde locks blew across her visage. 'No makeup, bad lighting and attitude. That was the 90s' the star summed up in her lengthy caption. Social media star: Chloe's fans were quick to coo over her incredibly fit physique However, Chloe's fans appeared uninterested in her nostalgia for the long-gone decade, instead seeming far more enamoured by her very fit physique. 'You have a rocking body. How often do you work out?' inquired one female follower. 'How do you get abs like yours?' another admirer asked. Chloe's male fans were far more forward- with one bluntly writing: 'Woooow super sexy'. 'Woooow super sexy': Chloe has won praise for her sizzling Instagram shots However, they may be in for some disappointment, with Chloe hinting last week that she has married long-term fiance, James Driskill. The star added 'wife' to her Instagram bio, sparking speculation she may be officially off the market. The loved-up twosome recently relocated from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon to run a marijuana farm. Jay Z nixed an upcoming concert due to technical difficulties. On Friday, the 47-year-old rapper announced he was cancelling an upcoming stop on his 4:44 tour that he had slated for next week. He released a statement via Omaha World-Herald that explained why he won't be plying his trade at Lincoln, Nebraska's Pinnacle Bank Arena on December 6. The message read, 'A note from Jay-Z: Due to the scale of this production, we cannot get the screens up on time into the building in Nebraska. Scroll below for video Mr. Perfect: Jay-Z, 47, canceled a concert at Lincoln, Nebraska's Pinnacle Bank Arena on December 6, claiming he couldn't 'get the screens up on time' to do the show properly 'The tour is too important to me to do it halfway. Same with Fresno,' he said, referencing a show he nixed earlier this month. The 99 Problems hit-maker made clear that he was exercising a measure of quality control in putting the kibosh on the show in the Cornhusker State. He wrapped up in saying, 'I respect you guys too much to take the money and run,' signing the statement with his alternative name, 'Hov.' The Grammy-winner in October called off a show that was slated for November 1 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, with the Fresno Bee reporting that sales had been sluggish for the event, even with some available as cheap as $6 via Stubhub.com. Laying it out there: The rap icon issued a brief statement detailing the cancellation Superstar: The entertainer took to the stage in Miami earlier this month Double trouble: Jay-Z had previously nixed a show last month in Fresno, California Last month, TMZ reported that Jay-Z was taking a gander at relieving disgraced film director Harvey Weinstein of his 23 percent interest in The Weinstein Company, with backing from a film producer and billionaire. However, insiders subsequently told FOX Business that there was no chance of that happening. The Hard Knock Life artist and Weinstein - accused by at least 80 women of sexual harassment or abuse over the past three decades - had past worked together on last year's The Kalief Browder Story. They had also been working on on Suspicion Nation, an adaptation about the case surrounding slain teen Trayvon Martin, based on the book by Lisa Bloom. Out of business: Jay-Z had been working with disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein on a miniseries. The two were pictured in NYC this past March Don't bring my name into it: Weinstein misquoted a Jay-Z lyric in his unsuccessful gambit to get a pass after the initial revelations came. The two were snapped in Utah in January (Bloom, who initially represented the disgraced mogul until dozens of women emerged with similar allegations of misconduct, has since said she's 'mortified [to have been] connected to him in any way' in an appearance on The View earlier this month.) Upon the New York Times' blockbuster report, Weinstein issued a statement in which he misquoted a Jay-Z lyric in a failed gambit to get a 'second chance in the community.' He wrote: 'JAY-Z wrote in 4:44, "Im not the man I thought I was and I better be that man for my children." The same is true for me.' The actual lyric was, 'And if my children knew/ I dont even know what I would do/ If they aint look at me the same/ I would probably die with all the shame.' Weinstein's rep has repeatedly said that 'any allegations of nonconsensual sex are unequivocally denied by' the producer. They're getting their marriage back on track, after he was released from prison in June. And on Sunday, PR buff Roxy Jacenko and husband Oliver Curtis enjoyed a day out at Sydney's Bondi Beach, with their young children. Roxy flaunted her fit figure and 12kg weight loss in activewear as she watched on from the sand, while Oliver went shirtless as he took daughter Pixie, six, and son Hunter, three, into the surf. Going swell! Roxy Jacenko flaunts her toned figure in activewear as she watches shirtless husband Oliver Curtis swim with their children Pixie, six, and Hunter, three at Bondi Beach Taking a dip: Oliver went shirtless as he took daughter Pixie, six, and Hunter, three, into the surf Oliver was ever the doting dad, smiling and laughing with the children as the waves crashed around them. At one point, he was seen picking up Hunter in his arms, while Pixie looked on, wearing pink goggles. Roxy showcased her enviable figure in tiny shorts and a crop top and singlet, and wore runners, presumably fresh from a workout. Fit and fabulous: Roxy showcased her enviable figure in tiny shorts and a crop top and singlet, and wore runners, presumably fresh from a workout Stylish: Her long blonde locks were out and over her shoulders, and she wore a pair of dark aviator shades Having fun: Oliver was ever the doting dad, smiling and laughing with the children as the waves crashed around them Don't let go! Hunter reached for his dad while swimming Her long blonde locks were out and over her shoulders, and she wore a pair of dark aviator shades. At one point, Roxy took some snaps of her family, with her children having their own respective Instagram accounts, which she runs for them. The clan appeared in high spirits as they enjoyed the day out in the sunshine, before they headed back to their nearby abode. Picture time: At one point, Roxy took some snaps of her family, with her children having their own respective Instagram accounts, which she runs for them Sweet: Oliver picked up his little boy and wrapped a towel around him Timeout: The clan appeared in high spirits as they enjoyed the day out in the sunshine, before they headed back to their nearby abode A free man: The businessman was released from Cooma Correctional Centre in June for conspiracy to commit insider trading Oliver picked up his little boy and wrapped a towel around him. The businessman was released from Cooma Correctional Centre in June for conspiracy to commit insider trading. The upcoming holiday season marks Oliver's first Christmas, following his release from prison. Back to everyday life: The upcoming holiday season marks Oliver's first Christmas, following his release from prison Happy: Roxy revealed to Daily Mail Australia this month, that Pixie is 'thrilled' to have her father back home in time Enjoying the sun: The pair recently moved to Bondi Beach Opening up: 'Pixie is no longer sad daily, she is now full of life. It was like she was a deflated person before, heartbreaking,' Roxy said Roxy revealed to Daily Mail Australia this month, that Pixie is 'thrilled' to have her father back home in time. 'Pixie is no longer sad daily, she is now full of life. It was like she was a deflated person before, heartbreaking.' Roxy is going all out for Oliver's first Christmas back home: 'We are having Christmas lunch at Sydney's Park Hyatt as we do annually on Christmas Day with our closest family and friends. 'It's always a divine day with a twist on the classic Christmas fare and the best view of Sydney Harbour.' Back to normal: Roxy is going all out for Oliver's first Christmas back home Plans: The family are having Christmas lunch at the Park Hyatt She shot to fame as Lady Mary Crawley on hugely popular period drama Downtown Abbey. But Michelle Dockery was worlds away from her much-loved role in the new episode of TNT's crime drama Good Behaviour. The actress, 34, showed off her slender figure in nothing but a black bra as she resumed her con-woman character Letty Raines - who is seen drinking, smoking and doing drugs in her hotel room. Scroll down for video Back to her old tricks: Michelle Dockery was worlds away from her much-loved Downton Abbey role in the new episode of TNT's crime drama Good Behaviour Bra-vo! The actress, 34, showed off her slender figure in nothing but a black bra as she resumed her con-woman character Letty Raines In the latest episode, the brunette beauty takes some time to herself in her hotel room - and rolls her slinky red dress down to the waist, to flash her bra underneath. Standing in just the lingerie, Michelle displays her ample cleavage and plenty of skin to all as she looks around at her messy room despondently, with a cigarette in hand. Sporting tousled curls and a smudge of red lipstick, the character appeared slightly dishevelled as she blew off steam in her hotel, after an undoubtedly stressful day. Relaxed: In the latest episode, the brunette beauty takes some time to herself in her hotel room Stripping off: She rolls her slinky red dress down to the waist, to flash her bra underneath On show: Standing in just the lingerie, Michelle displays her ample cleavage and plenty of skin to all Tough: After an undoubtedly stressful day, Michelle then puts her head in her hands as she tries to blow off steam Intense: She even takes cocaine as she continues her wild lifestyle as a con woman In further scenes, the actress is seen downing vodka from the bottle and even taking cocaine as she continues her wild lifestyle as a con woman. The actress has kept fans entertained with a string of provocative displays since the TNT show returned on October 15. In the show's second season, Michelle's character Letty is out of jail but quickly reverts back to her thieving ways. What to do: She looks around at her messy room despondently, with a cigarette in hand Chilling out: Sporting tousled curls and a smudge of red lipstick, the character appeared slightly dishevelled as she relaxed Slender: Michelle's impressively slender frame was clear for all to see in her racy ensemble Busty: Michelle was confident to have her cleavage on show as she embarked on the raunchy scene Back to her best: The actress has kept fans entertained with a string of provocative displays since the TNT show returned on October 15 Lighting up: Michelle puffed on a number of cigarettes throughout the scene Discussing her anti-hero role, the British beauty said that people identify with the fact that Letty is 'nowhere near perfect'. 'I think people identify with her,' she told Parade. 'In some way, were all driven to be the best version of ourselves, and the fact that shes a con artist, a thief, and an ex-drug addict, its just the size of things, really. 'Its simply the the human part of her, but shes just trying to better herself, and shes flawed. Shes nowhere near perfect, so I think people identify with her, in the same way that they do with Javier.' Getting through: In further scenes, the actress is seen downing vodka from the bottle Escape: In the show's second season, Michelle's character Letty is out of jail but quickly reverts back to her thieving ways Troubled: Discussing her anti-hero role, the British beauty recently said that people identify with the fact that Letty is 'nowhere near perfect' Relatable: She said: 'Its simply the the human part of her, but shes just trying to better herself, and shes flawed. Shes nowhere near perfect, so I think people identify with her' Dockery added that she was 'cautious' about choosing a role so obviously far removed from her Downtown Abbey character. 'I never had the intention of doing something so vastly different,' she admitted to the Sunday Morning Herald. 'I never think that's a good way to carve out a career, but Letty just came out of nowhere really when I was finishing off and the script appeared. 'It was more the opposite: I was cautious about doing something so different when people had obviously known me for Mary. I didn't want it to appear that I was doing this just for the sake of it.' Worlds away: Dockery added that she was 'cautious' about choosing a role so obviously far removed from her Downtown Abbey character Lady Mary (above) Onto the next: Only adding to her busy schedule, Michelle has also just seen the release of her new Netflix series Godless (above) Only adding to her busy schedule, Michelle has also just seen the release of her new Netflix series Godless. The project sees the actress play Alice Fletcher, a widow living in a 1800s New Mexico mining town which is run by women. The town gives refuge to Roy Goode (played by Jack O'Connell) as he flees terrifying outlaw Frank Griffin (played by Jeff Daniels) in the seven-part miniseries produced by Steven Soderbergh and directed by Scott Frank. The highly-anticipated series also features Stranger Things' Rob Morgan, former GoT star Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Law & Order's Sam Waterson and Scoot McNairy - which hit the streaming service last week. The 22-year-old reported 'love interest' of Paul Hollywood, 51, had no comment about the Great Bake Off Star after reportedly quitting her job as a barmaid. Summer Monteys-Fullham, who allegedly went for dinner and drinks with the baker after he split from his wife of 20 years, Alexandra, reportedly quit her job after being mocked over the baker's Nazi fancy dress blunder. Speaking from her white Audi A3 in the village of Ickham, Kent, Summer refused to answer questions about Hollywood. Only a few miles away in Adisham, security guards continue to prowl the grounds at the 1.4 million Hollywood residence. Scroll down for video Quit: Summer Monteys-Fullham - the 22-year-old reported 'love interest' of Paul Hollywood, 51 - is said to have quit her job as a barmaid after being mocked over the baker's Nazi fancy dress blunde Summers colleagues at The Duke William pub in Kent are said to have posted images on social media of Paul wearing the swastika outfit at a party and mocked their alleged romance. The bar manager of the Duke William pub in Ickham, Kent, said: 'Summer does not work here any more. She has left and that is all I am saying about her.' Paul apologised earlier this year and admitted he was 'absolutely devastated' after a photograph of him wearing a Nazi uniform at a party emerged. The image, which was taken 14 years ago, showed the TV chef smiling as he posed in the full German military outfit whilst at a fancy dress party at the White Stag pub in Monkton, Kent. Sorry: Paul apologised earlier this year and admitted he was 'absolutely devastated' after a photograph of him wearing a Nazi uniform at a party emerged The reports come amid claims the Paul and Summer enjoyed a secret date at a swanky hotel in London recently shortly before the baker announced his divorce. The pair met earlier this year at Paul's local pub where he organised wife Alexandra's birthday party and have struck up a close bond despite the 29-year age gap, sources claimed. Paul and Alexandra, who have a 16-year-old son, announced they were splitting last week - but reportedly parted ways earlier this year. Rumour has it: Paul reportedly had a secret date with a barmaid 30 years younger than him at a swanky hotel in London. Pictured with estranged wife Alexandra And since their marriage broke down months ago, Paul has reportedly formed a 'close friendship' with Summer. Summer is believed to work at the Duke William pub in the village of Ickham, Kent - which is Paul's local haunt. She is 'very mature' for her age so the gap with Paul isn't a problem and she believes the pair could 'become a couple' in the future, sources claimed. Claims: The Great British Bake Off judge, 51, allegedly went for dinner and drinks with Summer Monteys-Fullham (pictured) at The Dorchester after splitting from his wife of 20 years, Alexandra Local haunt: The pair met earlier this year at Paul's local pub where he organised Alexandra's birthday party and have struck up a close bond despite the 29-year age gap, sources claimed Meeting point: Pictured is the Duke William Public house in the village of Ickham in Kent where Hollywood supposedly met the barmaid 'Paul and Summer have struck up a close friendship the age gap between them doesn't seem to be a problem,' an insider told The Sun. 'She has told friends that she believes that they could, in the future, become a couple.' The insider claimed that Paul, who moved into a 1.4million home near the pub with Alexandra, 53, this year, kept 'popping in' to see Summer after the birthday party. 'After the party Paul kept popping into the pub. But he only seemed to come in when Summer was working,' they said. MailOnline has contacted a representative for Paul for comment. 'It is with sadness that we have decided to separate': Paul and Alexandra, who have a 16-year-old son, announced they were splitting last week - but reportedly parted ways earlier this year Close proximity: Summer is believed to work at the Duke William pub (pictured) in the village of Ickham, Kent - which is Paul's local haunt The couple were reportedly often seen catching up and having long conversations 'in a corner' of the pub. Paul and Alex confirmed their heartbreaking split in a joint statement on Monday saying: 'It is with sadness that we have decided to separate. 'Our focus continues to be the happiness of our son, and we would ask the press and public to allow us privacy as a family during this very difficult time.' The baking guru, who is now worth 10million, split from his wife, 53, temporarily in 2013 after admitting an affair with his US co-star Marcela Valladolid, 39. Alleged: She is 'very mature' for her age so the gap with Paul isn't a problem and she believes the pair could 'become a couple' in the future, sources claimed The couple reconciled a few months later and he described the incident as 'the biggest mistake of my life' in an interview with BBC radio. Speaking at the time, he told the BBC he 'was shocked about the whole thing kicking off the way it did... but I deserved it and I've taken it. It was my punishment'. However a source told The Sun: 'Paul was totally into Marcela and threw himself in with both feet. When it all fell apart he went back to Alex with his tail between his legs, but in reality if Marcela had wanted to keep it going he was all for it.' It's over: Paul and Alex confirmed their heartbreaking split in a joint statement last week saying: 'It is with sadness that we have decided to separate' Split: Paul and Alex, who is also a chef, married in 1998, and have a teenage son together called Joshua Paul and Alex, who is also a chef, married in 1998, and have a 16-year-old son together, Joshua. It was claimed that Paul, who is worth an estimated 10m, could lose up to 5m of his fortune in the divorce. It comes after Bake Of winner Candice Brown, who recently announced her engagement to Liam Macauley, was spotted with Paul as he cupped the back of her head and kissed her goodbye following a night out at the Pride of Britain Awards in London. Embrace: It comes after Paul was spotted sharing a friendly kiss with Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown - shortly before he announced his split from his wife Friendly display: A spokesman for the pair said it was an 'innocent kiss on the cheek', and that it was 'untrue' to describe it as an 'intimate kiss' A spokesman for the pair said it was an 'innocent kiss on the cheek', and that it was 'untrue' to describe it as an 'intimate kiss'. The representative, who was also there on the night, told MailOnline: 'Following The Mirror Pride of Britain Awards last Monday, seven of us including Paul and Candice were seated outside waiting for cars home. 'The photograph was taken as Paul was saying goodbye to each of us.' She welcomed her first child, a daughter called Sunday, a week early at the start of this month. But Ferne McCann was confident to show off her post-baby body on Monday, in a sizzling Instagram post. The reality star, 27, displayed her impressively slender figure in a slinky black jumpsuit as she posed for her fans - days after confirming she will raise her daughter alone without ex Arthur Collins, who has been found guilty of an acid attack. Scroll down for video Slinky: Ferne McCann was confident to show off her post-baby body on Monday, in a sizzling Instagram post The former TOWIE star certainly caught attention in the jumpsuit, which hugged her enviably slim frame from head to toe, just three weeks after giving birth. The one-piece plunged into a deep round neckline, to give a glimpse of her ample cleavage to all, before it skimmed her long legs with its trendy flares to the floor. She swept her hair into a sleek ponytail and sported her trademark contoured make-up look, to draw attention to her glowing complexion as a new mother. Hot mama: The former TOWIE star certainly caught attention in the jumpsuit, which hugged her enviably slim frame from head to toe, just three weeks after giving birth Leggy lady: The one-piece plunged into a deep round neckline, to give a glimpse of her ample cleavage to all, before it skimmed her long legs with its trendy flares to the floor Ferne appears to be making the most of motherhood, and is often seen posting about Sunday on social media - despite the father Arthur Collins not being the picture. A statement from her representatives acknowledged that Ferne had accepted she would be parenting alone, following her ex being found guilty of an acid attack. 'Having given birth days ago, Ferne is focusing on being the best mother she can be,' the statement said. Besotted: Ferne appears to be making the most of motherhood, and is often seen posting about Sunday on social media Not in the picture: Ferne recently confirmed she would be parenting alone, after her ex Arthur Collins (above) was found guilty of an acid attack 'She long ago accepted that she would be doing this alone and is determined to provide the best possible future for her daughter.' Arthur was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine of actual bodily harm on November 13, as part of an acid attack that took place at Mangle nightclub in April. He has been warned he could face life behind bars when he is sentenced on December 19. Ferne is understood to have told the father of her newborn daughter that she won't ever see him again after visiting him in prison. Guilty: Arthur was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine of actual bodily harm on November 13, as part of an acid attack at Mangle nightclub in April 'This is the last time you will see either of us': Ferne is understood to have told the father of her newborn daughter that she won't ever see him again after visiting him in prison Ferne told Arthur: 'This is the last time you will see either of us' as she held their daughter, Sunday, during a visit to Category A Belmarsh prison in south London. During the visit, the This Morning host told him: 'You have ruined our lives. This is what you have done. And this is what you are missing out on.' Speaking about the dramatic visit, she told Sunday People: 'I went to see Arthur and I took Sunday with me. This was because I am very angry about what has happened and I needed to communicate that and wanted to hear what Arthur had to say. 'I strongly feel for the innocent people hurt that night and I in no way condone violence as I have already made clear. It was a difficult decision to take Sunday into that environment but I felt I needed to confront him about a number of things, which I have now done.' He endured a second brush with death after his 2 million supercar careered off a hill and burst into flames as he raced at high speed through rural Switzerland. But Richard Hammond admits his family wife Mindy and daughters Isabella and Willow are yet to see footage of the near-fatal accident, captured as he filmed scenes for the second series of popular Amazon show The Grand Tour in June. The 47-year old presenter, who was airlifted to hospital following the crash, told the Daily Mirror: My family havent seen the latest crash. I dont think they ever will. Mindy wont want to watch it, because she will just be really, really cross. Scroll down for video Opening up: Richard Hammond admits his family wife Mindy and daughters Isabella and Willow are yet to see footage of the near-fatal accident, captured as he filmed scenes for the second series of popular Amazon show The Grand Tour in June Mirroring his first horror smash in 2006, Hammond admits he was fortunate to escape with cuts and bruises following the high-speed accident, which saw him lose control of his powerful Rimac Concept One during an uphill challenge. Veering over a hill at 120 miles-per-hour, the presenters car was catapulted some 30 metres above the ground before bursting into flames. Pictures from the scene showed the car in flames alongside a road in St. Gallen before the blaze was extinguished by firefighters. Near miss: He endured a second brush with death after his 2 million supercar careered off a hill and burst into flames as he raced at high speed through rural Switzerland Not just yet: My family havent seen the latest crash. I dont think they ever will. Mindy wont want to watch it, because she will just be really, really cross,' he said Grand Tour producer Amazon later released images showing the burnt-out wreckage of the car laying upside down on a hill. He recalled: I remember being upside down in the air for quite a while and thinking, Well the longer its upside down the worse, the worse its going to be when I land. And it was a hard landing. Hammond's lucky escape has also prompted him to give up high-speed challenges for the sake of his loved ones after his first near miss, a 228 mph crash, left him with serious head injuries and comatose for two weeks. First time lucky: Hammond's lucky escape has also prompted him to give up high-speed challenges for the sake of his loved ones after his first near miss, a 228 mph crash, left him with serious head injuries and comatose for two weeks On the mend: The presenter's condition was described as serious but stable as he battled back from head injuries after his first crash, at Elvington Airfield, near Leeds 'Mindy is very patient and knows my primary job is as husband and father to our daughters, and she knows that's the most important thing in my life and I'm not going to mess that up and risk it.' The presenter's condition was described as serious but stable as he battled back from head injuries after his first crash, at Elvington Airfield, near Leeds. Reflecting on his slow, painful recovery, Hammond admits he battled back from depression and paranoia while recuperating in hospital. He is now determined to give Mindy his undivided attention. 'I owe her some years of adventure, and traveling the world, just the two of us,' he said. We're used to seeing Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell in their khaki best while at Australia Zoo. And earlier this month, the young loved-up couple were spotted in Sydney on a short trip, looking casual in jeans and T-shirts. The pair were spotted two days in a row wearing the same outfits, despite lugging around two suitcases and bags, as they checked in and out of their hotel. Where's the khaki uniform when you need it? Bindi Irwin and Chandler Powell wear the same outfits two days in a row during trip to Sydney...despite lugging around two large suitcases and bags When they first checked into a hotel for the night, Bindi wore jeans, runners, a black top and a checkered shirt. She covered her long dark locks with a cap. Chandler meanwhile, wore a black T-shirt and jeans, with leather boots. So nice they wore it twice! When they first checked into a hotel for the night, Bindi wore jeans, runners, a black top and a checkered shirt. The pair were seen the next day checking out, in the same gear (seen) The pair were seen the next day checking out, in the same gear. Indeed during the trip to Sydney, the pair were spotted checking into the modest Airport Hotel in Arncliffe, before moving to the 4.5 star Rydges Hotel in the CBD. Meanwhile, engagement rumours have been surround the pair for months. They have been dating for over three years. Wrong booking? Indeed during the trip to Sydney, the pair were spotted checking into the modest Airport Hotel in Arncliffe, before moving to the 4.5 star Rydges Hotel in the CBD Wedding bells? Meanwhile, engagement rumours have been surround the pair for months. They have been dating for over three years This month, Chandler's grandfather spoke to Woman's Day and said that the family are quietly waiting for the couple's engagement news. 'It's been a while now, they're on their time frame, but we're quietly waiting (for an announcement),' John told Woman's Day. 'They want to be sure the timing is right, because they are popular and they won't want any pressure on them.' Talking about their family plans, John added that they could raise their family at Australia Zoo: 'Better to have a family in a zoo than a family be a zoo!' She will be the first ever recipient of the Special Recognition Award for Innovation at the British Fashion Awards next week. And Stella McCartney became very emotional on Monday, as she looked back at her stellar career and family upbringing in a new interview, ahead of the big honour. Speaking to CBS, the teary-eyed designer, 46, discussed the pride she felt at receiving an OBE before reflecting on what her late mother Linda, who passed away in 1998, would think of her success. Scroll down for video Looking back: Stella McCartney became very emotional as she looked back at her stellar career and upbringing in a new interview, ahead of her honour at the British Fashion Awards Memories: Speaking to CBS , the designer, 46, discussed receiving an OBE before reflecting on what her late mother Linda, who passed away in 1998, would think of her success While she is the daughter of famous Beatles crooner Paul McCartney, Stella has carved a hugely successful career of her own in the fashion world. Looking back at her exciting life ahead of her new honour from the British Fashion Council, the mother-of-four admitted that receiving her OBE back in 2013 was one of her proudest moments. Gushing of her excitement at meeting the monarch herself, she told CBS: 'I was very lucky to get the Queen, I have to say, because some days you don't get the Queen,' before adding playfully: 'Yes, I got the Queen!' Style icon: While she is the daughter of famous Beatles crooner Paul McCartney, Stella has carved a hugely successful career of her own in the fashion world Incredible: Looking back at her life, the mother-of-four admitted that receiving her OBE back in 2013 was one of her proudest moments (above) Exciting: Gushing of her excitement at meeting the monarch herself, she told CBS: 'I was very lucky to get the Queen, I have to say, because some days you don't get the Queen' Recalling the surreal moment itself, she went on: 'So I go up, and I'd just done the 2012 Olympic Games - drop the mic on that - and the Queen looks at me and she says, 'So, you seem very busy.' 'And I was like, Oh my God, I was not expecting the Queen of England to say that I was busy. And I said, 'Well, not quite as busy as you, ma'am!'' The royal honour had come a matter of months after Stella had been crowned Designer of The Year for Team GB's Olympic kit with Adidas - a role she maintained at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. Playful: Recalling the surreal moment, she went on: 'I was like, Oh my God, I was not expecting the Queen of England to say that I was busy. And I said, 'Well, not quite as busy as you, ma'am!' Talent: The London native revealed she had dreamed of being a designer ever since she was a young girl - and even made her first jacket at the age of 12 Courage: She then moved to Paris three years later to intern at the likes of Saint Laurent, which she admitted had put her 'out of her comfort zone' Having made her mark on the fashion industry, the London native revealed she had dreamed of being a designer ever since she was a young girl - and even made her first jacket at the age of 12. She then moved to Paris three years later to intern at the likes of Saint Laurent, which she admitted had put her 'out of her comfort zone', as she had never left home before. As the daughter of a Beatle, Stella confessed her upbringing had been unconventional - but that meeting stars regularly was simply the 'norm' for her. Opening up: As the daughter of a Beatle, Stella confessed her upbringing had been unconventional - but that meeting stars regularly was simply the 'norm' for her Surreal: She joked: 'It was kind of mad - one minute you're hanging out with Michael Jackson, and the next you're riding a horse in a field, or getting on the school bus' Best pals: She is still very close to her father Paul (pictured together in 2000), however her mother Linda sadly passed away in 1998, after a three-year battle with breast cancer She continued to CBS: 'I think I always knew they were famous, but it was the norm. It was kind of mad - one minute you're hanging out with Michael Jackson, and the next you're riding a horse in a field, or getting on the school bus.' She is still very close to her father Paul, however her mother Linda sadly passed away in 1998, after a three-year battle with breast cancer. When asked how she thinks her mum would feel about her success, Stella became quite emotional - and revealed she wants to make her children proud, like she had wanted to make her mother in her youth. Heartbreak: When asked how she thinks her mum would feel about her success, Stella became quite emotional Main woman: She she wants to make her children proud, like she had wanted to make her mother in her youth (pictured with Linda and Paul in 1974) Caring: She said, through teary eyes: 'I think she'd just want me to be happy and healthy. But she's a mummy and I'm her baby, so I think she'd want to make sure I'm OK' She said, through teary eyes: 'I think she'd just want me to be happy and healthy. But she's a mummy and I'm her baby, so I think she'd want to make sure I'm OK. 'As a child you only really ever want to make your parents proud, so I just want to do that with my kids and husband and people I encounter.' Stella shares sons Miller and Beckett, and daughters Bailey and Reiley with publisher husband Alasdhair Willis, who she married in 2003. With her career to be going strength to strength, Stella most recently released her new party capsule collection for NET-A-PORTER. She has been enjoying a whirlwind love affair since she went public with her affections for Chris Zylka, 31, in February. And Paris Hilton hailed it 'real love' when her beau got her name inked on his arm in Disney font in a gushing Instagram post shared with her 7,800,000 fans on Sunday. Socialite Paris, 36, couldn't contain her excitement over her fairy tale romance as she declared the inking 'dedication' to her, showing 'true love really does exist'. Scroll down for video 'This is REAL love': Paris Hilton gushed about her fairy tale romance as her boyfriend Chris Zylka got her name tattooed on his arm in Disney font in an Instagram post shared on Sunday The close-up snap showcased the bold tattoo, which simply read 'Paris', was inscribed in the iconic typography on the inside of his arm. The It girl was overwhelmed with delight after Chris proudly pledged his love to the star with permanent ink. 'Now this is what I call real love & dedication! I love you so much baby!' She captioned the picture, 'Thank you for showing me that true love really does exist! #Goals #BrandedbyPH #Mine.' In recent months, the hotel heiress revealed she is keen to start a family with her beau as their romance continues to go from strength to strength. Fairytale: Socialite Paris, 36, couldn't contain her excitement over her romance as she declared the inking 'dedication' to her (pictured with Chris in Los Angeles, November 2017) Paris recently revealed she is ready to catch up with her younger pregnant sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild, 34, who also has a little girl, Lily Grace. 'I had such a wonderful time with all the children at my Foam and Diamonds for Kids party last weekend,' she told DailyMail.com. 'It's such an an amazing feeling to see all of their smiling faces. It made me so happy to have Chris by my side. Strength to strength: She has been enjoying a whirlwind love affair after she went public with her affections for Chris, 31, in February (pictured in September 2017) True love: The heiress revealed she is keen to start a family with her beau as their romance continues to go from strength to strength (pictured together in Mexico, November 2017) 'He loves kids just like I do, so it was really fun to get to experience that together. 'Also, it made me think about how I can't wait to have my own child one day and how special that feeling would be.' The highest paid female DJ is also going to drop a new album imminently, following her 2006 debut. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced they are engaged and will marry early next year. And Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton were among the celebrities sharing their excitement at the news of a Royal wedding, after Clarence House's official announcement on Monday morning. The This Morning presenter led the charge on social media, posting, 'Soooo exciting... congratulations!' Scroll down for video Twitter reaction: A host of famous faces have expressed their congratulations for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced they are engaged and will marry early next year Holly enthused that the engagement was a 'thing of dreams' on This Morning, cooing, 'Shes met her prince and shes getting married, its lovely.' Her co-host Philip Schofield enthused: 'This is your best day! said Phillip as Holly buried her head in her arms.' The presenter replied: 'It really is, it really is, its the real life fairy-tale!' Her best pal and Celebrity Juice co-host Fearne Cotton shared a hand-drawn biro sketch of a crown, taking an artistic approach to celebrating the news. Loose Women presenter Andrea McLean shared, 'So excited for them!!!!, while Kate Garraway posted,l 'Wonderful news! Congratulations to them both #RoyalEngagement'. Paying tribute: The This Morning presenter led the charge on social media, posting, 'Soooo exciting... congratulations!' Showing her support: Holly's Celebrity Juice co-host Fearne Cotton was also among the stars who tweeted their congratulations Delighted: Holly enthused that the engagement was a 'thing of dreams' on This Morning, cooing, 'Shes met her prince and shes getting married, its lovely' A host of reality star also chimed in, with Casey Batchelor enthusing, 'Love that Prince Harry and Megan have got engaged Hottest Royal couple ever.' Vicky Pattison - who got engaged herself earlier this year - posted: 'Eeeeeekkkkk!! Have you all heard the good news?! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engaged!!! Yay!!! Omg.. Imagine the BABIES!!! Too cute!!' Elsewhere, joker Jack Whitehall queried whether he could come on the stag do, asking, '1. When is the stag do? 2. Can I come?' 'Harry and Meghan this could be your first dance @jammerbbk - Markle Man', Lily Allen suggested. In the US, celebrities were waking up to the news, with Khloe Kardashian enthusing, 'Congratulations Prince Harry and Meghan Markle!' Sharing her excitement: Holly took to Twitter, posting an array of ring emojis Artistic: Fearne shared a hand-drawn biro sketch of a crown, taking an artistic approach to celebrating the news The couple will appear together on national TV in the UK for the first time this evening to discuss their engagement and whirlwind relationship of 16 months. Harry, 33, who revealed a year ago he had fallen for the actress after a four to six month secret relationship, proposed to Meghan, 36, in London earlier this month. Royal protocol dictated that fifth in line to the throne Harry had to ask his grandmother the Queen for permission to marry and she agreed in the month where she celebrated her own 70th wedding anniversary. In a statement Her Majesty and Prince Philip said they are 'delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness' and this morning huge crowds of tourists and royal fans gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Harry and his American fiancee, who divorced her first husband in 2013, will move into Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace next door to his brother William and sister-in-law Kate.= Official announcement: In a statement Her Majesty and Prince Philip said they are 'delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness' and this morning huge crowds of tourists and royal fans gathered outside Buckingham Palace The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said in a joint statement: 'We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together'. The boys' father Prince Charles said he was 'thrilled' and 'very happy indeed' for them. Harry also asked Meghan's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, who divorced when their daughter was six, for her hand in marriage before popping the question a few weeks ago, it emerged today. They said: 'Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents'. Harry and Meghan have not said where they will marry but most senior royals marry at Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral or the chapel at Windsor Castle. Sources have said it is likely to be a church wedding. But they are likely to wait until Prince William and Kate have their third child, which is due in April. She was famously banned from Cheltenham races last year, after flashing her bare breasts in the hospitality box. And Katie Salmon was certainly up to her old tricks on Saturday night as she once again exposed her chest during a wild night out in Watford. The Love Island star, 22, was seen pulling her dress down to expose her cleavage to all - with an admirer even planting a kiss on her assets as she enjoyed the raucous evening at Hydeout, followed by a saucy slumber party at her house. Scroll down for video Having the breast time: Katie Salmon was certainly up to her old tricks on Saturday night as she once again exposed her chest during a wild night out in Watford Not feeling blue! Not stopping there, Katie then stripped to nothing but blue lace lingerie as she hosted a slumber party at her house, after the wild night out at Hydeout club The party girl appeared to be in very high spirits in the VIP area of the club, as she playfully danced and posed for cameras. Becoming more raucous as the night went on, Katie was later seen thrusting birthday cake into the faces of her fellow guests, and even pulled her dress down to expose her bare chest to all. Clearly turning heads with her eye-popping display however, the unicorn-haired star later received a kiss on her ample bust as she posed for cameras with her dress back in position - clearly lapping up the attention as the birthday girl. This is my moment: The party girl appeared to be in very high spirits in the VIP area of the club, as she playfully danced and posed for cameras Raunchy: However the Love Island star later pulled her dress down to expose her cleavage as the night got into full swing - with an admirer even proceeding to plant a kiss on her chest The former Love Island star had been celebrating her 22nd at the bash, and certainly upped the glamour for the occasion in her revealing blue frock. Katie rocked a skin-tight blue satin dress that showed off both her incredible legs ans hefty bust in fabulous fashion. The star accessorised her look with perspex jewelled heels and a black suede clutch, as well as a silver tiara fit for a birthday princess. Ever the stand-out beauty, Katie had her multicoloured pastel wigged tresses on full display, with equally dramatic makeup of a smoky eye and statement brows. Celebrate in style: The former Love Island star had been celebrating her 22nd birthday at the bash - certainly upping the glamour for the occasion in the revealing blue frock Colourful: Ever the stand-out beauty, Katie had her multicoloured pastel wigged tresses on full display, with equally dramatic makeup of a smoky eye and statement brows Perky: The star certainly stood out in a multi-colour pastel wig, putting on a leggy display in the ensemble whilst she accessorised with perspex jewelled heels and a black suede clutch Squad goals: Katie celebrated the milestone with some of the stars from Miss Swimsuit UK as they all dressed to impress for their wild night out on the town Katie was joined on her night out by some of the stars of Miss Swimsuit UK, who all put on a leggy display in revealing ensembles. Clearly excited for the occasion, Katie held a slumber party at her house for her glamorous gal pals after their wild evening in the club. Known for her body confidence, the reality star stripped to nothing but blue lace lingerie for the bedtime bash - which displayed her enviably flat stomach and tiny waist to all. Keeping her birthday crown on her head, the unicorn-haired beauty certainly ensured all eyes were on her as she posed seductively on her bed, with a delicious birthday cake in hand. Say cheese! The reality star later stripped to nothing but blue lace lingerie as she hosted a slumber party after the night out - and posed seductively with equally scantily-clad friends Let's go: She had shared snap of the same pink cake earlier that day, as her birthday celebrations got into full swing She had shared snap of the same pink cake earlier that day, as her birthday celebrations got into full swing. The star captioned the post: 'Who's partying at @hydeout_watford with me tonight for my birthday? Am with my sexy @missswimsuituk girls!' Katie also shared a video of her house adorned with decorations on Instagram, including pink balloons and others shaped like unicorns. In the video Katie can be seen twerking in fabulous fashion in a pink hoodie and matching briefs as Taylor Swift's 22 plays in the background. Feelin' 22! Katie celebrated her birthday in style on Friday, posting a video of her home decorated with pink and unicorn-shaped balloons Twerk it out! In the video, Katie can be seen twerking in hilarious fashion to Taylor Swift's 22 rocking a pink jumper and matching briefs Birthday girl! The brunette beauty showed off her pert posterior in the video, writing the caption: 'It's my birthday! Grateful for another year of life!' The busty beauty captioned the post: 'It's my mofo birthday! Grateful for another year of life. More memories. Health and all of the amazing people I have around me. I couldn't be happier. I love u all! I'm feeling 22!' And it seemed Katie certainly enjoyed her birthday outing, hilariously tweeting the aftermath on Saturday morning. She wrote: 'Last night was crazy. I rapped on stage. I threw cake in my mates face. I broke my dress too & blurs sick night b****es.' Katie is no stranger to a stand-out ensemble, donning a Nicki Minaj inspired jewelled bodysuit and blonde wig for a night out in Cafe De Paris last week with pal Helen Briggs. The busty beauties commanded attention as they arrived at the venue, with Helen putting on a busty display in a revealing LBD sinister white contacts. Wowzers: Katie took inspiration from Nicki Minaj for a birthday outing earlier this week as she headed to Cafe De Paris with her Ex On The Beach pal Helen Briggs The arrival of her first baby on November 2 was a bittersweet moment, due to her ex partner's trial for a horrific acid attack. And doting new mother Ferne McCann has introduced her gorgeous baby daughter Sunday to the world, while revealing she will 'never come to terms' with what her former partner and father of her child Arthur Collins did, in a new interview with OK! Magazine. The former The Only Way Is Essex star, 27, who proudly posed with her gorgeous daughter, also said she will be 'all Sunday ever needs'. Scroll down for video New motherhood: Ferne McCann has introduced her gorgeous baby daughter Sunday to the world, while revealing she will 'never come to terms' with what her former partner and father of her child Arthur Collins did, in a new interview with OK! Magazine Speaking openly about Arthur, who was found guilty on November 13 of committing the horrific acid attack at Mangle nightclub in April, the star said:Yes, its been a really emotional time. Its been horrendous and very difficult to come to terms with and I probably never will. I was in shock for a long time. 'The past six months have been hell but Im not the victim in all this and Im certainly not looking for sympathy. I was horrified to hear about what happened. No one should go on a night out and have something like that happen to them. Reflecting on her 'heartbreaking six months, the star said she is now revelling in the joy her new baby brings her and said ''As far as Im concerned, Im all my baby will ever need and Im just so thankful that shes arrived safely and that we have each other. Heartbreak: Speaking openly about Arthur, who was found guilty on November 13 of committing the horrific acid attack at Mangle nightclub in April, the star said:Yes, its been a really emotional time. Its been very difficult to come to terms with and I probably never will' Bumping along: Reflecting on her 'heartbreaking six months, the star said she is now revelling in the joy her new baby brings her and said ''As far as Im concerned, Im all my baby will ever need and Im just so thankful that shes arrived safely and that we have each other' (pictured in September) Ferne said her pregnancy, although not part of her plan for the year, gave her something positive to focus on and helped her deal with the upsetting and stressful time. The star also spoke of the unusual inspiration behind her baby girl's quirky name, revealing she named her after a skin cleanser. Out now: The full interview with Ferne McCann in OK! Magazine is out now She said: 'I decided Sunday would be my girl's name really early on in my pregnancy. 'It came to me after my make-up artist recommended a cleanser to me by a brand called Sunday Riley. I thought it had a really nice ring to it and the more I thought about it, the more I loved it. I wanted something unique but not too weird. 'I know that not everyone is going to love it but I've had a great response from people so far. Opening up about her baby's traumatic birth, Ferne said hospital staff were concerned that she was losing a lot of blood. She said: After I had given birth, my mum told me the staff thought I was haemorrhaging because I was losing so much blood. I wasnt aware of any of this at the time, though. Arthur was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine of actual bodily harm two weeks ago. He had committed the offence while out celebrating the news of Ferne's pregnancy. He has been warned he could face life behind bars when he is sentenced on December 19. Ferne is understood to have told the father of her newborn daughter that she won't ever see him again after visiting him in prison. The interview comes as Ferne showed off her post-baby body on Monday, in a sizzling Instagram post. The star displayed her impressively slender figure in a slinky black jumpsuit as she posed for her fans - days after confirming she will raise her daughter alone. Slinky:The interview comes as Ferne showed off her post-baby body on Monday, in a sizzling Instagram post The former TOWIE star certainly caught attention in the jumpsuit, which hugged her enviably slim frame from head to toe, just three weeks after giving birth. The one-piece plunged into a deep round neckline, to give a glimpse of her ample cleavage to all, before it skimmed her long legs with its trendy flares to the floor. She swept her hair into a sleek ponytail and sported her trademark contoured make-up look, to draw attention to her glowing complexion as a new mother. Hot mama: The former TOWIE star certainly caught attention in the jumpsuit, which hugged her enviably slim frame from head to toe, just three weeks after giving birth Leggy lady: The one-piece plunged into a deep round neckline, to give a glimpse of her ample cleavage to all, before it skimmed her long legs with its trendy flares to the floor Ferne appears to be making the most of motherhood, and is often seen posting about Sunday on social media - despite the father Arthur Collins not being the picture. A statement from her representatives acknowledged that Ferne had accepted she would be parenting alone, following her ex being found guilty of an acid attack. 'Having given birth days ago, Ferne is focusing on being the best mother she can be,' the statement said. 'She long ago accepted that she would be doing this alone and is determined to provide the best possible future for her daughter.' Besotted: Ferne appears to be making the most of motherhood, and is often seen posting about Sunday on social media Not in the picture: Ferne recently confirmed she would be parenting alone, after her ex Arthur Collins (above) was found guilty of an acid attack Guilty: Arthur was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and nine of actual bodily harm on November 13, as part of an acid attack at Mangle nightclub in April Ferne told Arthur: 'This is the last time you will see either of us' as she held their daughter, Sunday, during a visit to Category A Belmarsh prison in south London. During the visit, the This Morning host told him: 'You have ruined our lives. This is what you have done. And this is what you are missing out on.' Speaking about the dramatic visit, she told Sunday People: 'I went to see Arthur and I took Sunday with me. This was because I am very angry about what has happened and I needed to communicate that and wanted to hear what Arthur had to say. 'I strongly feel for the innocent people hurt that night and I in no way condone violence as I have already made clear. It was a difficult decision to take Sunday into that environment but I felt I needed to confront him about a number of things, which I have now done.' She is taking Hollywood by the reigns as the leading lady in 2017's Molly's Game, The ZooKeeper's Wife and Woman Walks Ahead. And Jessica Chastain promoted her latest film The Zookeeper's Wife in movie star fashion at the premiere event held at Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, Japan on Monday. The 40-year-old actress barely contained her modesty as her gravity-defying cleavage threatened to spill out of her plunging neckline of her dress. Scroll down for video Wow: Jessica Chastain, 40, struggled to contain her cleavage in plunging cold shoulder dress as she promoted her movie The Zookeeper's Wife in Japan on Monday Glamorous Jessica was every inch the leading lady when she paraded her incredible legs in the midi dress and pointed sky-scraper heels. Going back old Hollywood glamour, the Molly's Game star exuded elegance as she showcased her hourglass curves. The famous red head picked out the piercing grey colour of her eyes with the sparkling jewels which adorned the garment's straps. What a woman! She is taking Hollywood by the reigns as the leading lady in 2017's Molly's Game, The ZooKeeper's Wife and Woman Walks Ahead Jessica caught the eye with her voluminous corkscrew fiery locks and she wore deftly touches of make-up to highlight her age-defying beauty. Her latest venture sees her take on the role of a courageous Polish woman Antonina who, with the help of her husband Jan, helped save people during the Nazi invasion. The Zookeeper's Wife tells the true story of the Zabinskis who kept people safe from the Ghetto by hiding them at Warsaw Zoo. Leggy lady: Glamorous Jessica was every inch the leading lady when she paraded her incredible legs in the midi dress and pointed sky-scraper heels Gorgeous: Jessica caught the eye with her voluminous corkscrew fiery locks and she wore deftly touches of make-up to highlight her age-defying beauty 'What I love about this film is that Antonina is very feminine and she's very strong and courageous and brave,' Jessica told Variety of the role. 'Femininity does not equate weakness and I think in the past society has connected those two. 'She was a refugee. She was born and raised in Russia, she fled violence, found her sanctuary in Warsaw, and it was animals that helped heal her.' The Hollywood queen recently discussed how she doesn't take on traditional female roles She's a picture: The Hollywood star accessorised with eye-catching silver bangles and rings as she put on her attention-grabbing display People pleaser: The Molly's Game star was every inch the social butterfly as she waved to the eager crowd as she promoted her latest film Jessica told Town and Country magazine: 'I am not one to go for traditional female roles, because I dont think traditionally female characters are very interesting, and I dont think they represent real life. 'If Im in the situation where I have equal experience to the other actor and my role is just as significant, there is no reason why I should be paid less. Its not really part of my world anymore, because I just wont accept it.' In June 2017, Jessica married her long-term love Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo at his family estate in Italy. Going back old Hollywood glamour: The Molly's Game star exuded elegance as she showcased her hourglass curves Top job! Her latest venture sees her take on the role of a courageous Polish woman Antonina who, with the help of her husband Jan, helped save people during the Nazi invasion They have kept their romance tightly under wraps since they became an item in 2012. However, the film star shared a rare glimpse into her married life with the glossy publication. She added: 'Getting married was a significant thing. Im very happy with my husband, and it was wonderful to be with all my friends and family and his friends and family and celebrate love.' Storytelling: The Zookeeper's Wife tells the true story of the Zabinskis who kept people safe from the Ghetto by hiding them at Warsaw Zoo Sunrise co-host David 'Kochie' Koch has slammed rumours he's leaving the show and hit back at rumours he's being replaced by Basil Zempilas. The 61-year-old told The Daily Telegraph that he plans to be on the show for a while, but confirmed he will be 'scaling back' his role to four days a week at some point. 'I can definitely say I am around for a bit longer,' Kochie said. Scroll down for video 'I am around for a bit longer': Defiant David 'Kochie' Koch (pictured) slams rumours he's going to be replaced by Basil Zempilas on Sunrise...but reveals he'll be 'scaling back' to hosting the show four days a week 'Two years ago when I signed my last contract I said if I want to renew in future I would want to look at scaling back,' he added. 'It has been in mutual agreement, Seven have been great.' Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell meanwhile said there was no truth to the rumours that Basil would replace Kochie. No to Basil! Kochie hit back at rumours he's being replaced by Basil Zempilas (seen with Samantha Armytage) Speaking out: Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell meanwhile said there was no truth to the rumours that Basil would replace Kochie Earlier this month, Private Sydney suggested Seven was keen for a 'refresh' of the show's talent and replace Kochie with a younger presenter. The gossip column tipped Perth-based Basil Zempilas, 46, for the promotion, adding Seven insiders considered his recent co-hosting gig with Sam Armytage to be an unofficial 'auditioning' process It's been rumoured Kochie is in the midst of negotiating a new contract with Seven, with claims his demands have ruffled feathers among his colleagues. Claims: Earlier this month, Private Sydney suggested Seven was keen for a 'refresh' of the show's talent and replace Kochie with a younger presenter The publication said it was understood he had requested to cut back his involvement with the morning show to four days a week, leaving time to focus on his other business pursuits. The column went on to say his interest in Port Adelaide AFL club and his private finance marketing company Pinstripe Media had his co-stars frustrated by his over-committing nature. It's believed Basil Zempilas, 46, is a personal favourite of network proprietor Kerry Stokes and chief executive officer Tim Worner after his chemistry with Sam Armytage was noticed. An anonymous insider told the publication: 'It's been really refreshing, the dynamic is totally different between them compared to when David is on set with Sam.' He's one of the hottest actors on both the big and small screen, earning an army of fans for his work as the sociopathic detective in Sherlock and the genius sorcerer in the Marvel film Doctor Strange. And Benedict Cumberbatch appears to be taking on the role of another suave and sophisticated gentleman as he filmed scenes for the upcoming Sky Atlantic drama Patrick Melrose. The 41-year-old actor donned a sharp black suit to film scenes as the titular character in London on Sunday, with the scenes mimicking the style of early 2000s Britain. Scroll down for video Lothario: Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, 41, played the clean-cut playboy once again on Sunday as he donned a sharp black suit to film scenes in Sky drama Patrick Melrose The Sky Atlantic miniseries will tell the story of sophisticated Lothario Patrick Melrose, and is framed around three particular points in his life, 1960s South France, 1980s New York and early 2000s Britain. In the scenes Benedict can be seen dramatically donning a long black coat in stylish fashion, and ever the force of the presence that actor is famous for, the scenes made for a stand-out moment. Later the Sherlock star could also be seen running through the streets of the capital, looking somewhat dismayed as his coat billowed behind him. The drama will be based on a series of novels by Edward St. Aubyn, and will document the turbulent life of Melrose from childhood to adulthood. Dramatic: The Sherlock star could be seen running down a London street in scenes to take place in early 2000s Britain, looking distressed as his coat billowed behind him As well as starring in the series, a collaboration with Sky and US network Showtime, Benedict will also executive produce each episode, after previously expressing his desire to play the role in a Reddit Q&A in 2013. Fan excitement for the series stepped up a notch on Friday when a first look image was released by UK channel Sky Atlantic. Rocking a look that seemed as if it had been plucked from the 80s, Benedict looked every inch the clean-cut man who should not be trusted. The Sherlock star donned a camel coat and scarf for the look, as well as stylish round-framed sunglasses. Teaser: Fans excitement peaked on Friday when a first look image was released for the series, with Benedict rocking a costume that had plucked right out of the 1980s Hurt your eye? Earlier this month Benedict was seen donning an eyepatch to film scenes in Glasgow, with the city transformed to resemble 1980s New York Benedict was previously donning an eyepatch to film scenes for Melrose in Glasgow, which saw a transformation of epic proportions to resemble to 1980s New York avenue. The Doctor Strange star rocked the bizarre accessory to film scenes in the Scottish city at the beginning of November, and saw of an army of fans join the star on set to snap pictures of him in action. The series is also set to star Hugo Weaving and Jennifer Jason Leigh, and while an air date is yet to be announced, it is expected to air sometime in 2018. Tense: The series will tell the story of infamous playboy Patrick Melrose, through the window of three key points in his life She's a mother-of-four who welcomed her youngest child just two months ago. But Danielle Lloyd proved she'd had no trouble snapping back into shape as she showed off her impeccably toned figure in a sizzling Instagram post from Dubai on Monday. Fans went wild for her sensational frame as they demanded to know what the secret to her physique was. Scroll down for video In awe: Danielle Lloyd showed off her impeccably toned figure in a sizzling Instagram post from Dubai on Monday just two months after giving birth - sending her fans wild Her followers wrote: 'Hello beautiful mummy xx'; 'Omg I need to know ur secret, nearly two years after my third baby I still have a bump x'; 'lookat you! 4 kids, and u look amazing! xx'; 'Amazing post baby body'; 'U look so good x' Love Island's Zara Holland was also in awe, commenting: 'You look amazing xx' Danielle gave birth to her fourth son, and first child with fiance Michael O'Neill, just two months ago in September. Awestruck: Fans flooded the star with compliments after she showed off her toned figure Bundle of joy: She had given birth to her fourth son, and first child with fiance Michael O'Neill, just two months ago in September And proving she is already snapping back into shape, Danielle Lloyd, 33, looked sensational as she slipped into a vibrantly patterned bikini to soak up the sunshine in Dubai. The former WAG has jetted overseas with her beau ahead of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2017 event and confidently paraded her post-baby frame while on board a yacht. Escaping her parenting duties for sunnier climes, Danielle looked simply stunning in the holiday snap that saw her clad in a revealing two-piece bikini for her jaunt out at sea. Adorable: Danielle welcomed another son in September, sweet little baby Ronnie Her bikini top teased a look at her ample bust, thanks to its daringly low-cut design, and was paired together with matching briefs that sat high on her hips. The beauty teamed her attire with a colourful headband, as she left her brunette tresses down in a tousled style to fall past her shoulders and sported a mirrored pair of aviator shades on her face. Beaming from ear-to-ear, Danielle oozed confidence in her scanty getup as she gushed alongside her Instagram post: 'Day on the yacht with my boy.' Stunning: Danielle looked sensational as she flaunted her post-baby frame just TWO months after giving birth by slipping into a vibrantly patterned bikini in Dubai Candid: It comes after the former glamour model - who had hit out at the pressure new mums face to get back into shape on Instagram - confessed to her previous body battles It comes after the former Celebrity Big Brother star recently confessed to spending 'years' crying over her figure and her 'wobbly bits' - particularly after giving birth to her four children in a candid interview with Closer magazine. However, Danielle - who has sons Archie, seven, Harry, six, and three-year-old George with ex-husband Jamie O'Hara, and two-month-old Ronnie with fiance Michael O'Neill - insists she has finally learned to appreciate her figure Danielle soared to fame in 2004 when she was feted as Miss England before being crowned Miss Great Britain in 2006 although she was soon stripped of her title after posing in the December issue of Playboy in the same year. Woah mama! She found fame as a glamour model - stripping off for countless sexy shoots (pictured in 2004) Blooming: The 33-year-old former glamour model - who has sons Archie, seven, Harry, six, and three-year-old George with ex-husband Jamie O'Hara, and two-month-old Ronnie with fiance Michael O'Neill - has finally learned to appreciate her figure Content: She told Closer magazine: 'I've spent years crying over my figure, especially after I had my other children I felt so big and uncomfortable. But I've finally learned to love myself and that's taken me a really long time' She has since gone on to make various reality appearances, but has now confessed that beyond her confident public appearances, she has suffered an ongoing battle with her own body image. Danielle, who had hit out at the pressure new mums feel to lose weight as she proudly debuted her post-baby frame just one week post-partum, said: 'I'm so happy right now and I don't care if I'm not in perfect shape. I've got wobbly bits and a little bump on my tummy but it doesn't bother me. 'I've spent years crying over my figure, especially after I had my other children I felt so big and uncomfortable. But I've finally learned to love myself and that's taken me a really long time.' Danielle began working out twice a week just six weeks after giving birth to Ronnie but she insists the sessions are more for the mental benefits than the physical. Way back when: Danielle has entered a number of pageants over the years She said: 'I don't exercise for my body, although I do want to tone up my stomach and the top of my legs. Those two hours each week are just for me, where I can get out of the house and focus on myself. 'Things are hectic at home and I absolutely love it, but it's the one place I can channel my energy into something else.' And Danielle, who has previously spoken about her struggle with postnatal depression after her previous pregnancies, believes her fitness sessions have helped her keep the condition at bay this time around. She told the publication: 'I've been lucky this time around. I get such a huge boost of endorphins after exercising and that's made a huge difference.' They celebrated their one-year dating anniversary earlier this month. And Ariel Winter, 19, and beau Levi Meaden, 30, looked utterly loved-up as they stepped out hand-in-hand while heading to a friend's birthday party in Los Angeles on Sunday. The Modern Family star went braless as she draped her curves in a stylish black jumpsuit that featured a halter neckline and revealing back. Cute couple: Ariel Winter, 19, and beau Levi Meaden, 30, looked utterly loved-up as they stepped out hand-in-hand while heading to a friend's birthday party in Los Angeles on Sunday The actress displayed a hint of side-boob, while slinging an envy-inducing gold quilted Chanel purse across her chest. Ariel added extra inches to her petite 5ft1in form with a pair of dark espadrille wedges. The starlet kept her beauty simple, piling her dark locks into a bun while sporting well defined make-up. Levi looked laid-back but sharp in a navy blue polo shirt and comfy shorts. Dressed to impress: The Modern Family star went braless as she draped her curves in a stylish black jumpsuit that featured a halter neckline and revealing back Standing tall! The actress added extra inches to her petite 5ft1in form with a pair of dark espadrille wedges The Aftermath star combed his blond coif backwards, while covering his feet with a hip pair of Yeezy sneakers. The couple walked into the party hand-in-hand while big smiles upon their faces. The Smurfs starlet and Canadian actor celebrated their one-year anniversary earlier this month on November 11. The duo are nearly inseparable and share Ariel's Los Angeles home together. Posting a sweet Instagram tribute to her man, Ariel described herself as 'the luckiest girl in the entire world'. Work it! Ariel and Levi love being active and took a trip to the gym together on Saturday She wrote: 'Happy 1 year anniversary my love. Im the luckiest girl in the entire world. Thank you for being the incredible man you are, and for making me the happiest I couldve ever imagined. 'Heres to many, many more. I love you. P.S. your crazy butt is the only one who could ever make me agree to jumping off a cliff at a waterfall soooo yeah. I love you.' On Saturday the cute couple teamed up for a trip to the gym. An Ariel insider told HollywoodLife that the starlet is 'religious when it comes to working out' and that she goes to the gym 'at least four days a week'. She and the actor enjoy being active together, often going on hikes and working out with one another. Levi hits the screen in the highly anticipated sci-fi follow-up Pacific Rim: Uprising, out March 23 2018, while Ariel can be seen on Wednesday nights in her ABC hit Modern Family. Lennie James will be joining the prequel series Fear The Walking Dead for season four. The 52-year-old actor made the announcement on Sunday evening while on Talking Dead with host Chris Hardwick. 'Yeah, its me. Im joining the cast of Fear the Walking Dead,' said the star, who has already shot eight seasons of The Walking Dead. New gig: Lennie James will be joining the prequel series Fear The Walking Dead for season four Already a hit: The cast of Fear The Walking Dead, which is heading into season four He has just finishing filming the eighth season of Walking Dead in Atlanta. James plays Morgan Jones on the hit series and was with the show from season one. The actor won't have much time to transition as he already went to the FTWD set in Austin, Texas on Monday. A staple: James plays Morgan Jones on the hit series and was with the show from season one Lennie said that he is happy to start the new show but is sad to say goodbye to his old pals. 'The hardest part of it has been leaving The Walking Dead leaving that cast, leaving that crew,' he said. 'But Im really looking forward to exploring Morgan in a whole different world, with different characters, in a different place.' He was the first big star on the show: Norman Reedus on The Walking Dead He followed: Jeffrey Dean Morgan then joined the show as Negan 'Even though Morgan is going to be featured on Fear, he has a lot of story left on The Walking Dead. Morgans arc in Season 8 positioned him for the story on Fear. It was also important to see Fears world and characters through new yet familiar eyes,' said Scott Gimple, the EP on The Walking Dead. 'We want these shows to have their own legs, tell their own stories and be their own thing. I think weve finally gotten to a place with Fear the Walking Dead where it has its own identity [and] we can play with some things,' said TWD creator Robert Kirkman in October. In early November The Hollywood Reporter claimed Jenna Elfman was also joining the cast. She is best known for her work on Dharma & Greg. It is not yet known what her character will be on the AMC zombie drama. New role: Jenna Elfman has been cast in the fourth season of the hit series Fear The Walking Dead, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Seen in May According to the HR, the show is going through a 'sea change.' Fear the Walking Dead is moving its filming location to Texas, according to sources. This was set up the finale as a new villain (Ray McKinnon) left fort 'what's left of Houston.' He was joined by Alicia (co-star Alycia Debnam-Carey). It was also speculated that Michael Cudlitz could reprise his role as Abraham. He would still be living in Houston with his wife, son and daughter during Fear's timeline. Also, Walking Dead superfan Garret Dillahunt has joined the cast of season four. Her new show: It is not yet known what her character will be on the AMC zombie drama And original showrunner Dave Erickson has left the show. Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (Once Upon a Time) have taken his place. In the third season Cliff Curtis' male lead Travis Manawa as well as Mercedes Mason's Ofelia Salazar were killed off. Other characters may also be dead after a big explosion, though it's clear star Kim Dickens' Madison Clark is all right. Fear The Walking Dead is told through the lens of high school guidance counselor Clark. The widowed mother is raising two children single-handedly and as she remains close to English teacher Travis Manawa. Their lives become filled with chaos as they try to survive. Elfman's last show was CBS' Courting Alex. She was also in Accidentally on Purpose, NBC's 1600 Penn and Growing up Fisher, and ABC's Imaginary Mary. They are the most talked about family in America. But with a real American princess in the pipeline, the Kardashians might finally fins themselves pushed off the front pages. But that fact didn't stop Khloe Kardashian from sharing her good wishes, after she woke up to the happy news on Monday. 'Congratulations Prince Harry and Meghan Markle!' Khloe Kardashian celebrates the royal engagement on Monday morning Heartfelt: The reality star used Twitter to share her good news Khloe tweeted to her fellow Californian and her husband-to-be: 'Congratulations Prince Harry and Meghan Markle!' She adorned her post with a series of emojis, including a champagne glass, heart and praying hands. Khloe was by far from the only star writing about the engagement, with a slew of stars tweeting their thoughts. Bella Thorne wrote simply 'Megan and harry', misspelling her fellow actress' name and sharing a huge line of emojis - from heart eyes to crowns and engagement rings. Even comic Chelsea Handler had kind words, writing: 'Can't Prince Harry and his American girlfriend run our country? Then seem nice.' Ooops! Bella misspelt her fellow actress' name Happy news: Even comic Chelsea Handler had kind words Harry, 33, who revealed a year ago he had fallen for the actress after a four to six month secret relationship, proposed to Meghan, 36, in London earlier this month. Royal protocol dictated that fifth in line to the throne Harry had to ask his grandmother the Queen for permission to marry and she agreed in the month where she celebrated her own 70th wedding anniversary. In a statement Her Majesty and Prince Philip said they are 'delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness' and this morning huge crowds of tourists and royal fans gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Twitter lover: Khloe also shared this throwback picture of herself Set to wed: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, during their engagement photocall on Monday Harry and his American fiancee, who divorced her first husband in 2013, will move into Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace next door to his brother William and sister-in-law Kate. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said in a joint statement: 'We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together'. The boys' father Prince Charles said he was 'thrilled' and 'very happy indeed' for them. She's a working mom with a tiring schedule. But Tyra Banks enjoyed some family time with her adorable son York, 22 months, as they headed to brunch at Gjelina in the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles on Sunday morning. The model, 43, showcased her toned tum in a cropped sweater as the pair left the eatery and went on a walk around the trendy Abbott Kinney neighborhood. Sunday funday: Tyra Banks enjoyed some family time with her adorable son York, 22 months, as they headed to brunch at Gjelina in the Venice Beach area of Los Angeles on Sunday The TV personality's grey Cynthia Rowley top featured the words 'Cali York' emblazoned across the front in large black block lettering, an ode to her bi-coastal lifestyle. Tyra's toned and tanned tummy peeked from underneath the sweater as she carried her young son. The beauty wore a pair of loose light green camouflaged capri pants, which showed off her nude underwear. The America's Got Talent host tied an orange animal print bandana around her head with her long light brown hair resting on her shoulders. Top of the crops: The model, 43, showcased her toned tum in a Cynthia Rowley cropped sweater as the pair left the eatery and went on a walk around the trendy Abbott Kinney neighborhood Just the two of us! The TV personality's grey top featured the words 'Cali York' emblazoned across the front in large black block lettering, an ode to her bi-coastal lifestyle Abs-olutely fabulous: Tyra's toned and tanned tummy peeked from underneath the sweater as she carried her young son Tyra carried a bright red bag in one hand, with a small black backpack hanging from her forearm. Her darling little boy - who turns two in January - looked comfortable in dark green sweat pants and a navy long-sleeved sweater. The star separated from her partner of five years and father of little York, Erik Asla, in October. Page Six reported that the split 'came drama-free and they're co-parenting their young son.' Walk it out: The beauty wore a pair of loose light green camouflaged capri pants, which showed off her nude underwear Keeping it casual: The America's Got Talent host tied an orange animal print bandana around her head with her long light brown hair resting on her shoulders Sweet ride: Her darling little boy looked comfortable in dark green sweat pants and a navy long-sleeved sweater Although Erik has agreed to move out of the family home, the pair are still working together professionally and he will shoot the credit for America's Next Top Model. The insider explained: 'He is slated to shoot the photos for the opening credits of the upcoming America's Next Top Model.' The split comes just over a year since it was claimed the couple were struggling to keep their relationship on the straight and narrow following the birth of York. Erik also has two daughters from a previous relationship. She's been in the modelling industry for over 30 years and is as in demand as ever. But Kate Moss proved she still enjoys a spot of pampering, as she was spotted exiting a luxury Russian spa on Monday. The 43-year-old supermodel kept a low profile as she exited the Banya No. 1 luxury spa in central London, donning a hat while attempting to slip out unnoticed. Scroll down for video Low profile: Kate Moss, 43, attempted to blend in on Monday as she exited a Russian Spa in London after a luxury treatment Kate donned an oversized grey coat with a matching fur collar and green tassels as she exited the luxury spa, bundling her blonde tresses up under her hat. The Topshop model teamed her cover-up with a black jumper and baggy jeans, carrying her essentials in a teal leather bowling bag. Kate appeared to go make-up free leaving the health club, perhaps to feel the full effects after a facial or a trip to the sauna. Fresh-faced: The fashion star appeared to go makeup-free as she donned a hat for the visit to the Banya No. 1 spa Cosy: Kate covered up in a grey oversized coat with a fur collar teamed with a black jumper and oversized jeans The glamorous spa is certainly one for the indulgent, with packages starting at 95 per person for unique Russian-inspired massages and other body treatments. Kate was seen indulging herself after previously embracing her inner adrenaline-lover on Sunday, riding rollercoasters in Winter Wonderland. While the fashion star was not with beau Nikolai Von Bismarck, Kate recently revealed that he and her daughter Lila Grace, 14, share the same taste in jewellery. Speaking in an interview with the Telegraph magazine back in July the model said: 'I can steal his jewellery; he doesnt steal mine.' Class-A beauty: The health club in central London is certainly for the indulgent with packages starting at 95 Relaxed: Kate seemed to be taking a day out for herself after embracing her inner adrenaline junkie for a visit to Winter Wonderland on Sunday Kate has been modelling for 30 years now and is still very much in demand as a top model in the industry. The blonde beauty has been gracing global catwalks and city billboards every since she was discovered at New Yorks JFK airport when she was 14 by Sarah Doukas, founder of Storm Models management. After becoming the face of Calvin Klein underwear at the tender age of 17, the star has been modelling ever since, with campaigns for Topshop, Rimmel London, Burberry and Chanel. Top dollar: The London spa is loved for its Russian-style body treatments and massages She loves nothing more than flaunting her figure on social media. And Emily Ratajkowski was yet again in a bikini as posed up a storm in a series of posts at Maderas Village in Nicaragua on Monday morning. However despite the 26-year-old's relaxed poses, the images came as she was hit by allegations she copied designs for her swimwear line from New York-based designer Lisa Marie Fernandez. Scroll down for video Beaming: Emily Ratajkowski showed more of her tanned body on Instagram in a series of Thanksgiving vacation posts at Maderas Village in Nicaragua on Monday morning Fernandez claims Ratajkowski's new business interest - Inamorata swimsuits - copied two of her designs, according toBusiness of Fashion. Fernandez sent Ratajkowski a cease-and-desist letter in regards to the styles which she said closely resemble two silhouettes she first released more than three years ago. 'Because of technology, we are really entering an era of accountability in so many ways,' Fernandez wrote on Instagram. She sees similarities between her off-the-shoulder Leandra bikini ($595) and multi-bow Triple Poppy maillot ($455 to $535) and Inamoratas Vulcan top ($80) and Cardiff suit ($160), respectively. Similar? Fernandez claims Inamorata swimsuits copied two of her designs; seen left is Fernandez's multi-bow Triple Poppy maillot ($455 to $535) and right is Inamoratas Cardiff suit ($160) modelled by Ratajkowski Whoops: Fernandez discovered the similarities between her off-the-shoulder Leandra bikini ($595) and Inamoratas Vulcan top ($80), respectively, through Instagram; Fernandez's design seen on Instagram in August 2016, while Ratajkowski models her version Trouble: New York swimwear designer Lisa Marie Fernandez claims the actress copied two of her designs, according to Business of Fashion; one of Fernandez's designs seen on Instagram in February Ratajkowski launched her swimwear line just last week, posing in a series of images on her Instagram in addition to the brand's page. Fernandez's claims might be hard to prove - in the United States, there is no copyright protection for physically functional items, including clothing. Indeed designers often take inspiration from one another. However Fernandez has invoked two European Union Community Design Registration certificates that she registered in May 2015, which are relevant as Emily's new range is available to be shipped internationally. Vacation: The 26-year-old model posed up a storm amid allegations she copied designs for her new swimwear line from New York-based designer Lisa Marie Fernandez Serenity: Emily seemed to be enjoying some downtime as she showed off her famous form while relaxing on a couch with wet hair and a cup of coffee Seemingly unconcerned by the lawsuit, Emily was busy promoting her designs on Monday. Wearing a large woven hat on her head, Emily's abs were on full display as she posed on a wooden staircase in one image. Ratajkowski tied a burnt mustard crop top around her ample assets and sported maroon bottoms. Queen: Rihanna sported a bubble gum pink bikini from Lisa's line on Instagram Work it: Selena Gomez is a fan of Fernandez, having shown off her killer curves in a denim two-piece on Instagram Boating beauty: Kendall Jenner rocked a flirty Lisa Marie Fernandez design on a yacht in Cannes, France in May Red hot! Khloe Kardashian looked strong and sexy in a sleeved Fernandez design for the cover of Health magazine in December 2016 In another sultry image, the We Are Your Friends actress showed off her perfect pout for a seductive selfie. A stringy black triangle top held Ratajkowski's bulging bosom in place as she showed off some major cleavage. She seemed to be nearly makeup-free and sported a shiny golden pendant around her neck. Emily seemed to be enjoying some downtime as she showed off her famous form while relaxing on a couch with wet hair and a cup of coffee. He melted hearts across the nation as Anne Hathaway's devilish love interest in the 2011 tearjerker One Day. But Jim Sturgess looked worlds away from the clean-cut heartthrob role on Monday, as he showed off a scruffy beard and longer locks. The London-born star, 39, rocked a jazzy printed shirt as he posed with co-star Agyness Deyn at the London premiere of their new BBC crime thriller Hard Sun. Scroll down for video Who's that? Jim Sturgess looked worlds away from his role as a heartthrob on One Day on Monday, as he showed off a scruffy beard and longer locks. Pictured with co-star Agyness Deyn Jim appeared to be in great spirits as he chatted away and laughed with Agyness at the premiere at the BFI Southbank. The actor achieved global fame as charismatic Dexter Mayhew in the romantic comedy One Day, set in London. The film follows Dexter and Anne Hathaway's character Emma Morley as they hook up on graduation night - and build a strong friendship that turns to love over the decades. Discussing Dexter's wild partying ways early in the film, Jim previously said he relished the opportunity to play a drug-taking reveller. Hunk: He melted hearts as the devilish heartthrob opposite Anne Hathaway in the 2011 tearjerker One Day Breakout role: The actor achieved global fame as charismatic Dexter Mayhew in the romantic comedy One Day, set in London Romance: The film follows Dexter and Anne Hathaway's character Emma Morley as they hook up on graduation night - and build a strong friendship that turns to love over the decades 'Being a jerk was fun, being coked up and going around the Soho [London] nightclubs,' he told Vulture. 'We did lots of improvising and messing around, being in these bars and clubs on coke and all that shit, so it was a lot of fun doing that. The script I read had loads of popping pills and snorting coke in toilets with girls, and I was like "this is great!.' 'I was worried that they might take it out of the film completely, but its still referenced and youre aware of it.' Looking good: The London-born star, 39, rocked a jazzy printed shirt as he posed at the London premiere of their new BBC crime thriller Hard Sun Loving life: Jim appeared to be in great spirits as he chatted away and laughed with Agyness at the premiere at the BFI Southbank cHIC: Model turned actress Agyness beamed as she posed in an ivory Victoriana-inspired gown with lace edging and ruffles at the premiere Killer footwear: Sticking to a chic all-white palette, the 34-year-old paired the garment with white studded leather loafers Since One Day, Jim has gone on to star in films like The Way Back, Upside Down opposite Kirsten Dunst and Cloud Atlas. He will soon be returning to the TV screen however, in BBC One thriller Hard Sun with Agyness. Model turned actress Agyness beamed as she posed in an ivory Victoriana-inspired gown with lace edging and ruffles at the premiere. Gritty role: Agyness plays detective Elaine Renko in the six-part crime drama Hard Sun on BBC One opposite Jim Sturgess, who plays police officer Robert Hicks Apocalyptic: will appear as two warring detectives who are operating in a modern London that is 'slipping close to certain destruction' The whole gang: Jojo Macari, Agyness Deyn, Kate Harwood, Jim Struges, Derek Riddell, Aisling Bea make up the cast of Hard Sun Just hanging out: The cast flashed wide grins as they celebrated the launch of the series Sticking to a chic all-white palette, the 34-year-old paired the garment with white studded leather loafers. Wearing her gamine crop in a tousled style, the British beauty showcased her striking features with minimal make-up. Agyness plays detective Elaine Renko in the six-part crime drama. She and Robert Hicks (Jim) will appear as two warring detectives who are operating in a modern London that is 'slipping close to certain destruction'. Party hoppers: Pixie Geldof and Henry Holland also attended the premiere of Hard Sun Having a whale of a time! The close friends appeared to be in great spirits as they posed at the event They completely distrust each other but must learn to work together in a world facing certain destruction while investigating the death of a hacker in London. The role is an achievement for Agyness who has been pursuing acting success since she first appeared on screen in the 2010 film The Clash Of The Titans. Last year, Agyness wed hedge fund manager Joel McAndrew in an intimate service in Brooklyn, New York. Keeping it casual: Pixie, 27, kept it casual in indigo dungarees layered over a pastel green sweater and butterfly necklace She rose to fame following her television debut on Channel 4's puzzle show Countdown, at the tender age of 22. And Rachel Riley, 31, commanded the attention in an elegant maxi frock, decorated with an efflorescent design, while she attended the British Takeaway Awards in association with Just Eat at The Savoy Hotel on Monday. She was joined by a host of famous faces, including Call the Midwife's Helen George, who showcased her slender physique in an off-shoulder jumpsuit. Scroll down for video Show-stopper: Rachel Riley, 31, commanded the attention in an elegant maxi frock, decorated with an efflorescent design, while she attended the British Takeaway Awards in association with Just Eat at The Savoy Hotel on Monday Highlighting her perky assets, the English mathematician graced the red carpet in a high-low frock, which featured a plunging neckline. Rachel radiated a beaming smile as she stood on black barely-there stilettos with a unique multi-coloured heel, while she held onto her crimson red clutch. Her platinum locks formed into tight curls as her tresses scraped her shoulders. Glamour: Actress Helen George donned a floor-length jumpsuit which was embellished with a draped beaded sleeve Pretty: Helen added colour to her outfit as she painted her lips in a gorgeous rouge, while her golden mane was swept into a neat top knot bun All smiles: Rachel radiated a beaming smile as she stood on black barely-there stilettos with a unique multi-coloured heel, while she held onto her crimson red clutch Platinum beauty: Highlighting her perky assets, the English mathematician graced the red carpet in the high-low frock, which featured a plunging neckline Ravishing: Accentuating her beauty with a slash of red lipstick, the Oxford graduate complemented her face with a pigmented rose blush, heavy false lashes and a thick eye liner Accentuating her beauty with a slash of red lipstick, the Oxford graduate complemented her face with a pigmented rose blush, heavy false lashes and a thick eye liner. The event is in dedication to local takeaway owners, as guests recognise their vast contribution to the nation through their cuisines. Hosted by John Bishop, over 300 of the most celebrated names in the British takeaway industry, including restaurants, chefs and delivery drivers, came together for one glamorous evening to applaud the success of Britains best independent takeaway businesses. Preened to perfection: Rachel styled her golden tresses in polished waves and plumped her pout with a slick of red lipstick Three's a crowd: Yvette Robinson, Helen George and Rachel Riley appeared to be in great spirits as they took their seats Looking good: The pair opted for contrasting outfits, with Helen going monochrome while Rachel kept it chic in colourful florals Celebration: Rachel Riley rang in her 2000th episode of the daytime puzzle show on Thursday, by sharing a throwback snap from her very first appearance Celebrities attendees included Kelly Brook with boyfriend Jeremy Parisi, Chris Hughes, Ainsley Harriott, Sarah Willingham and Lisa Faulkner. Actress Helen George also demanded the spotlight in a chic monochromatic one-piece suit. The 33-year-old donned a floor-length jumpsuit which was embellished with a draped beaded sleeve. Cinched at her waist, the stylish ensemble was complemented with a stand-out silver handbag. Busty! Kelly Brook's famous bosoms were on display as she rocked up to the event in a off-shoulder skater dress Buxom: The curvy brunette wore a Bardot neckline that framed her famous cleavage Flirtatious: Kelly's dress was a ladylike one with an A-line skirt and tulle overlay Give us a twirl: The brunette span, fanning out her A-line skirt Showing her shape: Kelly emphasised her incredible bust with a sweetheart neckline Double trouble: The brunette beauty was joined by her dashing French boyfriend Jeremy Parisi Sitting pretty: The couple were inseparable as they took their seats for the awards Helen added colour to her outfit as she painted her lips in a gorgeous rouge, while her golden mane was swept into a neat top knot bun. Rachel rang in her 2000th episode of the daytime puzzle show last Thursday, by sharing a throwback snap from her very first appearance. She excitedly took to Instagram to post the vintage shot to her 102,000 followers, which saw her clad in a cobalt blue figure-hugging dress, rocking a bob and posing in front of the show's famous clock. Elegant: Lisa Faulkner looked sensational in a midi semi-sheer frock, which features a ruffled neckline Dapper: Chef Ainsley Harriott was in his prime in a black tuxedo and bowtie Suave: Chris Hughes wowed in a light grey blazer, paired with black fitted bottoms She jokingly captioned the fresh-faced snap: 'This was my first episode in 2009, today is my 2000th! And aside from the numbers games, most of my favourite moments are too rude to type. havent changed much! Thanks for watching our lovely little show.' Rachel joined Countdown to replace show stalwart Carol Vorderman in 2009 after which she became a fan favourite and something of a pin-up. The daytime star joined Countdown to replace show stalwart Carol Vorderman in 2009 after which she became a fan favourite and something of a pin-up. Mane attraction: Chris appeared to be having something of a bad hair day on the night Shone on: Dragon's Den star and entrepreneur Sarah Willingham, 43, looked chic in a silver minidress Heading home: Kelly had a spring in her step as she left the venue Careful! But she risked a wardrobe malfunction with her busty dress Easy does it: Seen clambering into the back of a car, Kelly had to be careful not to overexpose herself Posing up a storm: She was still ready for the cameras as she left Giddy: With her boyfriend trailing behind, Kelly gave a broad smile Excitable: She was happy to be heading home after a fun-filled evening Also spotted: EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney exited shortly after Heading into the night: Rachel was a vision as she dashed off into the night She received high praise from Meghan Markle in a gushing Instagram post last year. And Pia Miller's secret friendship with the American actress could score the Home and Away star an invite to Meghan's royal wedding with Prince Harry next year. Newly-engaged Meghan, 36, previously hailed mother-of-two Pia, 34, as 'impressive' and 'entertaining' in a heartfelt post, ultimately revealing her secret friendship with the model. Wedding bells! Prince Harry, 33, and Meghan Markle, 36, announced their engagement on Monday and fans have begun speculating who will attend their royal wedding 'When @piamiller sends you some #foodforthought. Brilliant one, my friend - thanks for sharing. You are both entertaining and impressive. Xx,' Meghan captioned alongside the words: 'Beauty is entertaiing. Depth is impressive.' No doubt flattered by Meghan's words, Pia, who also announced her own engagement to Tyson Mullane this month, swiftly replied: 'word' alongside a heart emoji. The Logie award-nominee, who recently travelled to Meghan's native Los Angeles, previously collaborated with the Hollywood beauty on The Tig - a former lifestyle website founded by Meghan. The Aussie connection: Meghan previously hailed actress Pia Miller (R) as 'impressive' in a gushing Instagram post Secret friends: No doubt flattered by Meghan's words, Pia, who also announced her own engagement to Tyson Mullane this month, swiftly replied: 'word' alongside a heart emoji On Monday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement after 18 months of dating and the highly-anticipated royal wedding is set to take place early next year. Pia is not the only Australian connection to the future royal couple, with Hollywood starlet Margot Robbie previously revealing she knows Prince Harry. The Wold of Wall Street star, who was once pictured partying with the fifth-in-line to the British throne, once told E! News that she met him through British model Cara Delevingne and they've exchanged text messages. She said 'yes'! On Monday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement after 18 months of dating and the highly-anticipated royal wedding is set to take place early next year 'He's pretty quick on text actually,' she said. 'Unlike meI write back four days later, weeks later sometimes.' Last year, Margot attended Suki Waterhouse's Ciroc vodka bash along with Prince Harry and admitted that she initially didn't realise who he was. 'I didn't know it was him for about half an hour talking to him,' she told ET. Will she be invited? Pia is not the only Australian connection to the future royal couple, with Hollywood starlet Margot Robbie previously revealing she knows Prince Harry 'Suki was having a housewarming party. I was like, 'I'll pop in for 10 minutes.' About six hours later the photo booth happened.' Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to wed in the spring of 2018. In a statement released by Kensington Palace, Prince Charles said he was 'delighted' for his son and his future bride. Star-studded bach: Last year, Margot (centre) attended Suki Waterhouse's Ciroc vodka bash along with Prince Harry (bottom-left) and admitted that she initially didn't realise who he was. Also pictured Princess Beatrice (L), Sienna Miller (2-L), Cara Delevingne (R) 'His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle,' the statement read. 'His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. It continued: 'Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle's parents.' Prince Harry and Meghan's royal titles are expected to become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They're the Australian rock band known for their retro-inspired discography. And things may have gotten a little too rock and roll for Wolfmother at their concert last Friday, with frontman Andrew Stockdale accused of being 'removed from his own concert by security' after 'a two-hour drunken set', according to Music Feeds. But speaking to Daily Mail Australia Andrew denied he had been escorted out, explaining that the security had been providing a buffer between him and the fans. 'A few beers almost got the better of us!' Wolfmother frontman Andrew Stockdale denies being 'removed from his own concert by security' after 'a two-hour drunken set' during Byron Bay gig Wolfmother fan and concertgoer Josh Parkinson told Music Feeds Andrew performed 'a two-hour drunken set' which included ACDC covers. Management were trying to wrap up the concert when the band decided to perform their hit Joker and The Thief for a second time that evening, Josh claimed. 'And while they were playing that last song he jumped down from stage to get to the crowd but the security escorted him out. 11/10 unforgettable night,' he added. Joining the crowd: Andrew can be seen removing his shirt during the night before leaving the stage and being mobbed by the crowd A video of the concert Andrew can be seen removing his shirt during the night before leaving the stage and being mobbed by the crowd. A security guard can then be seen escorting Andrew out of the crowd as audience members cheered. But speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Andrew said he had been drinking but denied it resulted in him being 'removed'. 'Don't get me wrong I did without a doubt drink way too much - I'm not that in denial of the situation,' he explained, adding that the band had played for their entire two hour set. Video: A security guard can then be seen escorting Andrew out of the crowd as audience members cheered 'At the end of the show I just walked off through the crowd and the security were just acting like a buffer between me and the crowd, [I was] interacting with the crowd hugging people and then when back to the band room and that was it. '... The whole thing of being removed I don't know about that - If I was going to be removed I would be removed in an hour or 45 minutes into the night.' Andrew said he rarely drank that much before a gig but had relaxed the rules a little last week because he was in his home town of Byron Bay and his second child is due to be born next month. 'It's like a once in a blue moon - my theory is don't drink until an hour before the show whereas this time we drank a round as soon as we finished soundcheck,' he said. 'You're in your hometown you're at your local pub, you forget, ''oh yeah I've got to play a show in six hours' time''.' In a statement to Music Feeds, Wolfmother said their free Byron Bay show had been 'colourful and unique' after 'a few beers'. 'Let's just say a few beers in one of the most spectacularly located pubs in the world almost got the better of us. We're happy to say we made it through and are better for it,' they said. 'It's definitely one to be remembered, even though it's slightly hard to remember it': Wolfmother said their free Byron Bay show had been 'colourful and unique' after 'a few beers' 'The show was colourful and unique, let's just say that. It's definitely one to be remembered, even though it's slightly hard to remember it, thanks to all the who came along, thanks to the good people of The Beachy.' Bursting on to the Australian music scene with their self-titled first album in 2005, Wolfmother have gained a loyal following. The popular band have three ARIA awards to their name, including one for Best Rock Album. Wolfmother's new single Freedom is Mine is currently out and available on iTunes. She's been toted as a potential bridesmaid when Meghan Markle ties the knot with Prince Harry next spring. And Priyanka Chopra was spotted heading out of town from Los Angeles International Airport on Monday afternoon as excitement about the royal engagement reached fever pitch. The actress, 35, was sporting a brace on one knee as she strutted through the terminal ready to catch her flight. Here comes the bride(smaid)! Priyanka Chopra was spotted heading out of town from LAX on Monday afternoon amid claims she could be in Meghan Markle's bridal party The former Miss World looked positively chic in a black leather jacket lined with black velour as she walked through the airport. Priyanka donned a tight white tank top underneath her winter coat and sported a pair of figure-hugging light blue denim jeans. The Baywatch star cuffed her jeans around her ankles to reveal a pair of black leather booties. Priyanka carried a large black leather bag across her arm with books and an iPhone in her hand. Walk it out: The actress, 35, was sporting a brace on one knee as she strutted through the terminal ready to catch her flight Pals: Priyanka is believed to be just one of the names who could make up Meghan Markle's bridal party when she ties the knot with Prince Harry in an eagerly-anticipated royal wedding The former beauty queen may be on her way back to New York to film her hit show Quantico after a nice Thanksgiving break with her family. Priyanka is believed to be just one of the names who could make up Meghan Markle's bridal party when she ties the knot with Prince Harry in an eagerly-anticipated royal wedding in spring 2018. The pair first met at a party in Toronto, Canada - where Meghan, 36, filmed Suits - two years ago. After Meghan interviewed her for her blog, The Tig, they became friends and Priyanka has publicized photos of them together - including one where they drank cocktails together in a dimly-lit bar in Los Angeles. Stylish: The former Miss World looked positively chic in a black leather jacket lined with black velour as she walked through the airport Natural beauty: Priyanka donned a tight white tank top underneath her winter coat and sported a pair of figure-hugging light blue denim jeans For her part, Meghan shared a picture of herself and the Indian actress at Soho House in New York, at Broadway plays and hanging out by a pool. Serena Williams, Janina Gavankar and British reality star Millie Mackintosh are among those also touted as potential members of the bridal party. Harry and Meghan announced the happy news of their engagement on Monday after 16 months of dating. Happy couple: Meghan and Prince Harry announced the happy news of their engagement on Monday after 16 months of dating (pictured at Kensington Palace in London on Monday) Priyanka shared a host of images on Instagram as she celebrated Thanksgiving with friends last week. In one sweet photo, she perfectly positioned a massive plate of food in one hand while wearing a gorgeous black dress. Priyanka captioned the charming photo: 'This is how we do it', followed by the hashtagas #thanksgiving and #foodcoma. The actress is a UNICEF ambassador and recently returned from Jordan, where she highlighted the plight of Syrian refugees. Holiday spirit: Priyanka shared a host of images on Instagram as she celebrated Thanksgiving with friends last week Relax: The brunette beauty slipped into a red and white stripe bikini top as she tucked into a huge bowl of paella with a male friend or relative They've become firm friends since landing in the jungle together. However, it has been reported that Jennie McAlpine once witnessed one of Jamie Lomas' least proud moments, when he was kicked out a Coronation Street party. According to The Sun, the former Hollyoaks star, 42, had been invited to Katherine Kelly's birthday party with his then-other half Kym Marsh, 41, when he became embroiled in a tete-a-tete at Velvet nightclub in Manchester. Scroll down for video Reports: It has been reported that Jamie Lomas was once kicked out of Coronation Street star Katherine Kelly's 30th birthday party for allegedly starting a fight with another guest - which his I'm A Celebrity camp mate Jennie McAlpine witnessed The publication reported that a fellow male party-goer instigated the argument after he made a comment about Kym - Katherine's co-star - which prompted Jamie to throw a missed punch at the man in December 2009. As the argument raged on, the two men were reprimanded in separate toilet cubicles by security staff as they waited for the police to arrive - before they were both thrown out later on in the night, putting a 'dampener' on festivities. An insider said: 'Jamie had gone to the party with Kym but didn't really mingle with Katherine and Jennie - they just stood by the bar talking to the same few guests all night. MailOnline has contacted Jamie Lomas and Jennie McAlpine's reps for comment. We meet again: His now campmate Jennie McAlpine is said to have been a guest at the bash that Jamie once got ejected from 'Then towards the end of the evening, a man made a remark about Kym and Jamie just launched at him. He threw a punch but missed. Kym jumped straight in and tried to hold him back. There was a lot of shouting and bouncers had to intervene. The source added: 'They were later thrown out. Poor Katherine tried to pretend she wasnt bothered but it clearly put a dampener on things. The party was forced to finish there, as the mood had taken a serious nosedive.' Meanwhile, Jamie is currently battling it out alongside Jennie to be crowned this year's instalment of the jungle stalwart and has his ex Kym's support. Support: Kym admitted she is backing her former husband Jamie Lomas,who she shares six-year-old daughter Polly with, in his quest to become king of the I'm A Celebrity jungle She recently revealed she is continually voting for her ex Jamie to take part in the grisly I'm A Celebrity challenges, to please their young daughter Polly, six. And Kym admitted that she is backing her former husband, who she has a 'very good relationship' with, in his quest to become king of the jungle. In a candid chat with The Mirror, the Coronation Street star revealed the amicable pair went for coffee a few weeks before Jamie jetted to Australia, and said: 'Theres no bad feelings. We have a very good relationship, Jamie and I. Close bond: In a candid chat with The Mirror , the Coronation Street star, 41, said: 'Theres no bad feelings. We have a very good relationship, Jamie and I. Polly has a good relationship with her dad...We have nothing bad to say about each othee (Jamie and Polly pictured above) Excitement: Expressing her excitement for Jamie's creepy-crawly filled trial, The Hole, which will air on tonight's episode the star also tweeted: 'I cant tell you how excited my Polly is to watch her daddy do his trial!!! She has been waiting for this day!! Bless her little heart' 'Polly has a good relationship with her dad...We have nothing bad to say about each other. When she was asked if the Hollyoaks hunk could win the show, the star waxed lyrical with her praise for him, saying: 'Why not? Hes a character, hes got a personality.' Expressing her excitement for Jamie's creepy-crawly filled trial, The Hole, which will air on tonight's episode the star also tweeted: 'I cant tell you how excited my Polly is to watch her daddy do his trial!!! She has been waiting for this day!! Bless her little heart.' The support comes after Kym revealed in her OK! column, that her little girl wants to 'see her daddy eat bugs', and that the pair have been supporting Jamie from the comfort of their sofa. She set pulses racing as she stripped off for two steamy lesbian romps in political drama The Girlfriend Experience. But Anna Friel's first same-sex storyline occurred 23 years earlier, when she made television history with her lesbian kiss on Brookside at the tender age of 17. The actress, now 41, and her co-star Nicola Stephenson were the first girls to pucker up on British Primetime television in 1994. Scroll down for video Common ground: Anna Friel returns to familiar territory in The Girlfriend Experience (pictured), which sees her share lesbian love scenes, 23 years after the kiss that made defined her teenage role on Brookside Anna played the part of Beth Jordache on the soap - a teenager who discovers she's a lesbian and has an affair with her best friend Margaret Clemence (Nicola) In January 1994, the pair kissed in front of 6million viewers - the first ever pre-nine-o'clock watershed lesbian kiss. And the actress revisited the lesbian role more than two decades later, as she stripped off for lesbian love scenes in The Girlfriend Experience. Raunchy stills from the latest episode show Anna engaging in an extremely passionate sex scene with co-star Louisa Krause, 31, before romping on the sofa with Narges Rashidi, 37. Ground-breaking: Anna's first same-sex storyline occurred 23 years ago, when she made television history with her lesbian kiss on Brookside at the tender age of 17 History in the making: The actress (left), now 41, and her co-star Nicola Stephenson were the first girls to pucker up on British Primetime television in 1994. Pictured in 1995 Anna plays political executive Erica Myles, who falls for high-end escort Anna Garner (Louisa Krause) in the second series of the Washington DC-based racy show. The spicy scenes see Anna's character shedding her clothes for a raunchy sex scene with her escort love Anna, played by Louisa. The pair are seen writhing on the bed in ecstasy as they strip off, with Anna showing off her pert assets as she climbs on top of a topless Louisa, before the characters perform sex acts on one another. Sizzling: Anna set pulses racing as she stripped off for two steamy lesbian romps in political drama The Girlfriend Experience The sizzling scenes see both actresses pulling animated and passionate expressions as the romp gets underway. The steaminess continues as Anna's character is then seen meeting up with her dominant ex-girlfriend Darya Esford, played by Narges, with both stars leaning in for a sweet kiss before Anna's character performs a sex act on her ex. Discussing the scenes with Metro.us, Friel urged audiences to look beyond the sexual scenes at the drama taking place away from the sheets. Kiss: Raunchy stills from the latest episode show the 41-year-old actress engaging in racy sex scenes, including one with her on-screen girlfriend, played by Louisa Krause, 31 Raunchy: The spicy scenes see Anna's character shedding her clothes for a raunchy sex scene with her escort love Anna, played by Louisa Passion: The pair are seen writhing on the bed in ecstasy as they strip off, with Anna showing off her pert assets as she climbs on top of a topless Louisa She said: 'Weve got to concentrate on it as a piece of work. I've never really had an issue with nudity as long as I didn't ever feel like I was made to do it or thought that it was salacious. 'But if you're dealing with something where you know that sex is going to be involved, it's something that we really shouldn't shy away from.' In the critically acclaimed series Anna plays a high-powered political executive who has a relationship with a female escort. Elsewhere Anna has received critical acclaim for her most recent out as a talented but volatile detective. Hot under the collar: The scene intensifies as the characters perform sex acts on one another Wow factor: The sizzling scenes see both actresses completely stripping off in the bedroom In the ITV series Marcella, which wrapped filming on its new series over the summer, Anna played Detective Marcella Backland, who is devastated when her husband leaves her and their two children, but is forced to try and put her personal issues aside whilst on the hunt for a serial killer. Anna - who is thought to be currently single - raises her 11-year-old daughter Gracie Fields, from her previous romance with David Thewlis, 54. The former flames never married, but split for good after almost a decade together in December 2010. Kiss; The steaminess continues as Anna's character is then seen meeting up with her dominant ex-girlfriend Darya Esford, played by Narges Hundreds of the mayor's supporters took to the streets last month to call for his release. Senegal's national assembly has lifted the parliamentary immunity of Dakar mayor Khalifa Sall, a leading opponent of President Macky Sall, opening the way for his trial on graft charges. The mayor has been in pre-trial detention since March on what his supporters say are politically-motivated charges. After a raucous debate, the deputies late on Saturday voted by 125 to 27 to back a report by a parliamentary commission calling for Sall's immunity to be lifted. Earlier Saturday, security forces fired tear gas to break up a demonstration of dozens of his supporters outside the assembly, in the centre of the Senegalese capital, local media said. In March, Sall, who is no relation to the president, was accused of misappropriating 1.83 billion CFA francs ($2.85 million, 2.7 million euros) in city funds. He denies the charges. Mayor of Dakar since 2009, he was elected to Senegal's parliament in July, and had been seen as a key contender for 2019 presidential elections. Hundreds of his supporters, chanting "Khalifa until we die!", took to the streets of the capital last month to call for his release. The Supreme Court is set to rule in a 'love jihad' case An Indian woman whose marriage to a Muslim was annulled at her Hindu father's request has denied she was forcibly converted to Islam, ahead of her testimony in the Supreme Court Monday. The decision by a local court in May to nullify the marriage and force Akhila Ashokan, 25, to return to live with her parents has caused outrage among woman's rights campaigners. Her father had petitioned the high court in the southern state of Kerala to annul the marriage, claiming she had been forced into it and made to convert to Islam. But the court's decision was challenged by her former husband in the supreme court, which asked her to appear in person to give evidence on November 27. "I am a Muslim. I was not forced. I want to be with my husband!" a Press Trust of India report quoted Ashokan as saying. The news agency said she made the shouted comment to journalists as she was being whisked away by police to the airport for her flight to New Delhi on Saturday. Inter-religious relationships are still taboo in India, particularly in rural areas. The issue has become a flashpoint for nationalists in recent years, with Hindu extremists raising fears of "love jihad" -- claims that young Muslim men were attempting to seduce Hindu women in order to convert them. Ashokan married in December last year after converting to Islam and changing her name to Hadiya. She has not been allowed to leave her father's house since the marriage was annulled in May. The federal investigations agency has said it is looking into alleged links between her husband Shafin Jahan and extremist groups. He has not been convicted of any crime. Members of Sudan's Rappid Support Forces were ambushed near Mustariaha, the hometown of militia leader Musa Hilal Ten members of Sudan's controversial counter-insurgency unit have been killed in clashes with fighters loyal to a powerful militia leader in war-torn Darfur, the official SUNA news agency reported Sunday. Clashes between troops from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and fighters loyal to Musa Hilal erupted when a unit of RSF was ambushed near the hometown of Hilal in the state of North Darfur. "An RSF commander and nine other members were martyred when they were ambushed near Mustariaha," SUNA reported. Mustariaha is the hometown and bastion of Hilal, whose fighters have reportedly clashed with RSF troops in Darfur several times in recent months. The RSF commander and nine others were "ambushed by outlaws" when they had gone to check another ambush in the same area, the report said, referring to Hilal's fighters as outlaws. "The incident occurred when the RSF unit was in the area as part of the government's arms collection programme," it said. A separate statement issued by RSF confirmed the death toll. Tribal sources in the region said the clashes were fierce as both sides used light and heavy weapons. Darfur, a region of the size of France, has been awash with weapons since 2003, when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against President Omar al-Bashir's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of economic and political marginalisation. The weapons are held by tribal militias, including some backed by government forces, and authorities now want them to be surrendered claiming that the conflict has ended. Hilal -- a former aide of Bashir -- and his fighters have refused to surrender their arms. During the initial years of the conflict in Darfur, Hilal and his gunmen had fought on the side of government forces against rebels in the region. But a rift erupted between him and the government a few years ago when he accused Khartoum of ignoring his political demands. With Russian military backing, Syrian government troops have taken back large chunks of IS-held Deir Ezzor province At least 53 civilians, including 21 children, perished early Sunday morning when Russian air strikes hit "residential buildings" in a village held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, a monitor said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes hit the village of Al-Shafah in Deir Ezzor province, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. The Observatory relies on a network of sources inside Syria, and says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used. The monitor had initially given a death toll of 34 civilians but the number spiked after more bodies were recovered. "The toll increased after removing the debris in a long day of rescue operation," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP, adding the strikes hit "residential buildings". At least 18 people were also wounded in the air raids, he added. Russia is a close ally of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, and in September 2015 began a military intervention in support of his government that has gradually helped Damascus regain territory. Syria's Deir Ezzor is one of the last places IS jihadists hold territory in the country, after being driven from their major strongholds including their one-time de facto Syrian capital Raqa city. The oil-rich eastern province that borders Iraq was once almost completely under IS control, but the jihadists now hold just nine percent of Deir Ezzor, according to the Observatory. They have faced two separate offensives there, one led by the regime with Russian backing and the other by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. - Russia in driving seat - The latest strikes come as the United Nations tries to revitalise its flagging efforts to end a six-year civil war that has left Syria devastated and huge swathes of its population refugees. On Tuesday, the eighth round of UN-brokered talks will kick off. They have achieved little so far, but may be bolstered by the opposition's decision to bring a unified delegation to Geneva for the first time. For progress to happen rival sides will need to overcome the hurdle that has derailed past discussions: the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He retains Moscow's support but is loathed by much of Syria's rebel opposition who want him gone. Backed by Russia's decisive military support, Assad's government has regained control of 55 percent of the country, including major cities Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Hama, and around two-thirds of the population lives in regime-held areas. The rest is carved up between rebel factions, jihadists and Kurdish forces. Some experts believe that Russia has clearly put itself in the driver's seat in recent months, especially as US President Donald Trump's administration has pulled back from Syrian diplomatic front. Russia, fellow regime ally Iran and rebel-backer Turkey have hosted negotiations in the Kazakh capital Astana that led to the creation of four "de-escalation zones" which produced a drop in violence, though deadly air strikes and battles continue in some areas. And this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a "congress" of Syrian regime and opposition figures, a move backed by Ankara and Tehran. Indonesian authorities have now raised the highest alert warning for Bali's Mount Agung volcano The alert for a volcano belching huge plumes of smoke on Indonesia's resort island of Bali has been raised to the highest level, officials said Monday, with fears a significant eruption could be imminent. The exclusion zone around Mount Agung, which is 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the tourist hub of Kuta, has been widened to 10 kilometers, with people living in the exclusion zone being urged to evacuate. "The volcano's alert level has been raised to the highest level," said senior state volcanologist Gede Suantika. "Constant tremors can be felt." Huge plumes of smoke have been pouring out of the volcano since Tuesday and Suantika said it was belching thick grey smoke as high as 3,400 metres (11,154 feet) early Monday. About 25,000 people living nearby the mountain have already left their homes and evacuated since Mount Agung first started to spew smoke Tuesday. "Continuous ash puffs are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions accompanied by a weak sound of boom," the National Board for Disaster Management wrote on Facebook. "The rays of fire are increasingly observed at night. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent." National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho called for people to stay calm. The airport in Bali's capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has been closed. "Bali's airport has indeed been closed. We're still coordinating the next steps," airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim told AFP. The Australian government put out a travel advisory Sunday instructing travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia and follow the instructions of authorities. Mount Agung last erupted in 1963, killing about 1,600 people. It rumbled back to life in September and authorities raised the alert to the highest level, forcing 140,000 people living nearby to evacuate. The volcano's activity decreased in late October and many people returned to their home as the alert was lowered to the second-highest level. But Mount Agung started rumbling again last Tuesday. Mount Agung is one of more than 120 active volcanoes extending the length of Indonesia, which straddles the Pacific Ring of Fire. The new president Joao Lourenco sacked his predecessor's daughter as head of the state-run oil company as he set about dismantling the empire built by Jose Eduardo dos Santos The start of the clean-up operation did not take long. Within three months of taking control of Angola, President Joao Lourenco sacked his predecessor's daughter as head of the state-run oil company and set about dismantling the empire built by Jose Eduardo dos Santos. A presidential decree in mid-November swiftly ended the reign of Isabel dos Santos -- Africa's richest women -- as boss of Sonangol, the country's troubled economic flagship which supplied three-quarters of its revenue. A little over a year ago, the 44-year-old "Princess", was named by her father as head of the company, sparking outcry among the opposition. But despite her standing, Lourenco dismissed her, later saying: "Sonangol is Angola's golden goose, we are going to take care of it very carefully." A long-standing pillar of the regime, the new president had promised to distance himself from the dos Santos family during his successful campaign ahead of the August 23 poll. "No one will be above the law... I will be the only president," he said, although few took him seriously. But they were mistaken, because as soon as he took the reins of the south-western African nation, Lourenco kicked off a raft of appointments. - 'Pact broken' - Former leader Jose Eduardo dos Santos served as president from 1979 to 2017 Within a few weeks, the bosses loyal to dos Santos heading critical institutions and sectors -- including the central bank, oil, diamond industry and the media -- were replaced by allies of the new leader. "Joao Lourenco is setting up his team," the journalist and opponent Rafael Marques said. "What is out of the ordinary is that he is demonstrating that he is the president, not the MPLA (People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola)," the ruling party since independence in 1975. The police and the army did not escape the clear-out either. Before retiring, dos Santos took care to freeze by law the hierarchy of the security forces for several years. But Lourenco replaced the chiefs of police and military intelligence anyway. "He's tearing up the original compromise government that he negotiated with dos Santos around the time of his inauguration as head of state," said Alex Vines, an analyst at the British think tank Chatham House. "He has demonstrated that the dos Santos family is no longer protected." The initiatives of Angola's new boss have sent shockwaves through the MPLA, where "Comrade Number 1" dos Santos has kept a number of supporters. His other daughter, Welwitschia, herself a member of the central committee, complained publicly about the treatment of the family. "In Angola, citizens who promote the image of the motherland... are persecuted and stripped by the president," said Welwitschia, who made her fortune as the head of a television production and advertising company. - 'Same gang' - A lawmaker of the ruling party, Joao Pinto, warned the new head of state, telling Radio Ecclesia: "We must avoid witchhunts and revenge." The opposition and civil society are observing the clan war with interest, but remain sceptical. The opposition and civil society are observing the clan war with interest, but remain sceptica "The president wants to win the trust of global financial institutions and foreign governments by pretending that he is attacking corruption," said journalist Mussa Garcia. Stripped of Sonangol, the dos Santos family still retains control of another jewel in the crown, the sovereign wealth fund of the country, led by the former ruler's son Jose Filomeno. But rumours of his resignation are already well under way, especially since he was implicated in the "Paradise Papers" offshore tax scandal. And now another question is forming, that of the fate of Jose Eduardo dos Santos himself. Aged 75 and weakened by sickness, the former head of state announced he will retire from politics in 2018, until then keeping the presidency of the powerful MPLA as a guarantee of his protection. "Once he is no longer MPLA president, or his health worsens further, additional political pressure could be brought upon the dos Santos family," Vines said. France's President Emmanuel Macron will stress that he wants a partnership of equals with Africa, based on education and entrepreneurship. French President Emmanuel Macron will tour Africa this week to try to boost France's flagging influence on the continent and convince young people eyeing Europe's shores they have a future at home. Macron's first African tour, which begins Tuesday, takes him to Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, two former French colonies that deposed strongmen leaders in recent years, as well as to Ghana. It comes as Europe tries to find ways to stem the flow of migrants across the Mediterranean without leaving them to the mercy of traffickers in transit countries like Libya, where they face torture, rape, and -- as a CNN report showed recently -- being sold into slavery. Macron will also be seeking international backing for a new, five-nation African counter-terrorism force, which France hopes to see eventually take over the fight against jihadist groups in the Sahel region. Above all, his advisors say, he will stress that he wants a partnership of equals with Africa, based on education and entrepreneurship. France's youngest ever president at 39 has been taking counsel from a group of young French business people of African origin about how to buff his country's image on a continent where for decades it propped up ageing francophile autocrats. - 'Civilisational' gaffe - He is also on a mission to make amends for his controversial remarks this summer about Africa. Since becoming president in May, Macron has paid two visits to Mali, home to a 4,000-strong French regional counter-terrorism force. In a July speech diagnosing demographic, democratic and security challenges in Africa Macron said the continent had "civilisational" problems and listed women having "seven or eight children" as a challenge. Burkina Faso's new president Roch Marc Christian Kabore has called for a reset in relations, based on "equality, mutual interest and respect". Alain Antil, an Africa specialist at the French Institute for International Relations in Paris, said France appeared out-of-touch with the aspirations of ordinary Africans. "In francophone West Africa the feeling is that France is in tune with the leaders but not with youth or civil society"," he told AFP. Since becoming president in May, Macron has paid two visits to Mali, home to a 4,000-strong French regional counter-terrorism force. The first leg of his tour takes him to Burkina Faso, a country with a proud tradition of independence which ousted its president in a 2014 revolt after he tried to extend his 27-year hold on power. Several Burkinabe organisations have called for protests during Macron's visit over what they call the "looting" of resources by French companies and the continuing use by 14 West African countries of the CFA franc currency. France is also viewed with some suspicion for having helped ousted leader Blaise Compaore avoid justice by fleeing to Ivory Coast and faces growing pressure to extradite his brother Francois, who was arrested last month in Paris. Macron, who has a knack for disarming critics during face-to-face encounters, will deliver a speech Tuesday on his Africa policy to some 800 students in the capital Ouagadougou and take questions. "The president aims to change the perception of France through young people," his advisors said, acknowledging that Burkina Faso's youth "do not necessarily have a good image of France". From there he will continue onto Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan for an African Union-European Union summit. - Investment vs aid - Macron will call for greater efforts to combat the trafficking of migrants up through Africa to Libya, where they pile into rickety boats that often sink en route to Europe. Macron will call for greater efforts to combat the trafficking of migrants up through Africa to Libya, where they pile into rickety boats that often sink en route to Europe. He is expected to stress the importance of education and entrepreneurship in helping young Africans find jobs at home. In an interview with AFP ahead of the summit, the head of the African Union Alpha Conde, who is also Guinea's president, said African countries wanted "more investment than aid". "What we want is the ability to transform our wealth to develop Africa," he said. France's pro-business president will also lay the cornerstone of Abidjan's metro system -- a huge project for which Paris has provided a 1.4-billion-euro ($1.7 billion) loan. His tour will end in the former British colony of Ghana, a beacon of stability in the region that falls outside France's traditional sphere of influence. Macron's advisors say his Ghana visit demonstrates his two-pronged approach to Africa -- improving ties with former colonies while boosting trade with anglophone countries. The former investment banker, who speaks fluent English, will be able to draw on his own experience, having interned for six months at France's embassy in Nigeria as a student. Comparing Macron's Africa credentials with his predecessors, Frederic Lejeal, editor of La Lettre du Continent newsletter on West Africa, said: "The difference is he knows Africa....(he) has a multipolar vision and sees the continent as a tremendous wellspring of economic opportunity." Balinese people ride on an open car past Mount Agung erupting seen from Kubu sub-district in Karangasem Regency, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on November 27, 2017 A rumbling volcano on Bali could erupt at any moment, authorities warned Monday as they raised alert levels to maximum, accelerated a mass evacuation and closed the main airport, leaving thousands of tourists stranded on the Indonesian resort island. Massive columns of thick grey smoke that have been belching from Mount Agung since last week have now begun shooting more than three kilometres (two miles) into the sky, forcing hundreds of flights to be grounded. Some 40,000 frightened people have fled their homes around the volcano but as many as 100,000 will likely be forced to leave, disaster agency officials said, after raising the alert to its highest level. The exclusion zone around Agung, which is 75 kilometres (47 miles) from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta, has also been widened to 10 kilometres. Makeshift tents and community centres filled up Monday as nearly two dozen villages were emptied of their inhabitants, including farmers reluctant to leave precious livestock behind. "Continuous ash puffs are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions and a weak booming sound," the National Board for Disaster Management said earlier Monday. "The rays of fire are increasingly observed at night. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent." Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 140,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes. However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke up into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption -- caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater. Then on Monday so-called cold lava flows appeared -- similar to mud flows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava seen in many volcanic eruptions. "I'm very concerned because I left my house behind and I'm also worried about family," said 36-year-old farmer Putu Suyasa, who fled with some relatives from a village eight kilometres away from the volcano. "The mountain is spewing thicker smoke than before." - Scary memories - Dewa Gede Subagia was a teenager when Agung last roared. "I am very worried because I have experienced this before," the now 67-year-old told AFP from one evacuation centre. "I hope this time I won't have to evacuate for too long. In 1963, I left for four months." Mt. Agung last went off in 1963, killing around 1,600 people in one of the deadliest eruptions ever seen in a country with nearly 130 active volcanoes. The airport in Bali's capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has been closed. Some 445 flights were cancelled, affecting more than 59,000 passengers, officials said. Colin Cavy, a French dive-master who has been in Indonesia for a couple of months, was nervously looking at his now-expired visitor visa. "I need to go to the immigration office," he said. While there was dismay from some tourists who were unable to return to their homes and jobs, others took events in their stride. A foreign tourist takes pictures in front of Mount Agung erupting seen from Kubu sub-district in Karangasem Regency, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on November 27, 2017 "What can I say? We have to cooperate because this is a natural disaster," said Indian visitor Krisna Mustafa. Many were told that it could be several days before they could leave. "My 7:00 am flight this morning got cancelled, just when we were about to board," said 23-year-old Indonesian tourist Merry Handayani Tumanggor. "Now we have to stay in Bali again -- the earliest we can go is on Friday, they say." The airport on nearby Lombok island -- also a popular tourist destination east of Bali -- closed on Sunday as ash from Mount Agung headed in that direction, but reopened early Monday. The Australian government put out a travel advisory on Sunday, warning that volcanic activity "may escalate with little or no notice". "Past eruptions of Mount Agung have shown this volcano's potential to cause significant impacts," it added. - Prayers - Dozens of Balinese Hindus took part in ceremonies near the volcano on Sunday, offering prayers in the hope of preventing an eruption. Officials have said the activity could be a magmatic eruption -- one which involves the decompression of gas and results in the spewing of ash -- and advised people near the mountain to wear masks. Dozens of Balinese Hindus took part in ceremonies near the volcano, offering prayers in the hope of preventing an eruption Indonesia is the world's most active volcanic region. The archipelago nation with over 17,000 islands lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities. Last year, seven were killed after Mt. Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra erupted, while 16 were left dead by a Sinabung eruption in 2014. str-rws-dws-bbs/pb/kaf The huge blast that ripped through China's megaport city of Ningbo at the weekend started in a septic tank, authorities say A septic tank was the epicentre of a massive explosion that rocked one of China's largest port cities at the weekend, killing two people and injuring at least 19, authorities have said. The blast tore through a crumbling light-industrial area adjacent to crowded residential towers in the city of Ningbo, just south of Shanghai, and was so powerful that it was heard several kilometres (miles) away. The force of the explosion shattered windows in nearby apartments, mangled cars and reduced small buildings at the epicentre to rubble, though locals said the structures were already in poor shape and slated for demolition. Public security officials "have confirmed that the blast's epicentre is a septic tank in an empty field," the local government said in a statement late Sunday. Methane and hydrogen sulphide -- both highly flammable gases -- can build up in septic tanks. Officials have ruled out the possibility of a gas explosion or of the blast being intentionally set off by someone. The statement said in addition to the two fatalities, two people are missing after the explosion. Four people were severely injured and 15 others had minor wounds. "We were having tea and bwaaaah! It knocked my mother off her stool. It was incredibly loud," said a local woman who lives about 400 metres (yards) from the blast site and who gave only her surname, Wu. Authorities had thrown up a cordon around the collapsed buildings and were still investigating the cause of the explosion in Ningbo. - Missing relative - An elderly woman said one of her children was in the area at the time of the blast. The blast shattered windows in nearby apartments, mangled cars and reduced small buildings at the epicentre to rubble "Yes, we live here and one of my children is still inside (the cordoned-off area) and hasn't been found yet," she said, declining to give details. She dabbed tears with a tissue and repeatedly dialled a number on her phone. Asked who she was calling, she said, "my child". Early Monday, locals were sweeping up piles of debris and glass at the blast site where rubble was strewn across an area several hundred metres wide. The government said it had received hundreds of reports of damage, such as shattered glass, twisted window frames or damaged cars. The local government and state media have variously described the site of the explosion as a vacant lot or an abandoned factory. An AFP reporter at the scene said the site appeared to be a run-down former light industrial area. Residents said some people from outside Ningbo had been squatting there, but others disputed that. "Most people had left here a long time ago. It was just a wasteland lot," Wu said. She said most structures in the blast area had been crumbling for some time, and that not all the rubble seen was caused by the explosion. Another local man, who declined to give his name, said: "It's lucky that more people did not die but no one was living here anymore." The explosion was so powerful that it was heard several kilometres (miles) away China has been rocked by several industrial accidents in recent years. In 2015, giant chemical blasts in a container storage facility killed at least 165 people in the northern port city of Tianjin. The explosions caused more than $1 billion in damage and sparked widespread anger at a perceived lack of transparency over the accident's causes and its environmental impact. A government inquiry eventually recommended 123 people be punished. Tianjin's mayor at the time of the accident was sentenced to 12 years in prison for graft in September. Many of Myanmar's Catholics are travelling from other conflict-weary corners of Myanmar to join a huge, open-air mass led by the pope on Wednesday in the economic hub, Yangon Pope Francis flew to Myanmar on Monday in one of his most sensitive trips yet, as religious tensions fester in the mainly Buddhist nation that has bristled at global outrage over its treatment of Rohingya Muslims. Myanmar's military is accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against the stateless Muslim minority, more than 600,000 of whom have fled a crackdown in northern Rakhine State for neighbouring Bangladesh over the past three months. Francis will meet powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing during the trip in a highly anticipated encounter between a religious leader who has championed the rights of refugees and the man accused of overseeing the charge to drive out the Rohingya. He will also meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- a Nobel laureate whose international standing as a moral icon has crumbled over what the world sees as her lack of sympathy for the Rohingya. Myanmar's 700,000 Catholics -- just over one percent of the country's 51 million people -- generally enjoy good relations with their mainly Buddhist compatriots and are gripped with excitement over the first ever papal visit. "As I prepare to visit Myanmar and Bangladesh, I wish to send a message of greeting and friendship to everyone. I can't wait to meet you!" Francis said in a message posted on his official Twitter account ahead of his trip, which will also see him visit Dhaka. Pope Francis previously met Aung San Suu Kyi in Vatican City in 2013 and called for inter-religious dialogue in Myanmar Speaking to a crowd of 30,000 people in St Peter's Square, shortly before he left Rome, the pontiff said: "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope". The pope has been forthright about his sympathy for the Rohingya from afar, calling them "brothers and sisters" and deploring the plight of hundreds of thousands of children swept up in the violence. But the country is holding its breath over what the pontiff will say on Myanmar soil, where any mention of the word Rohingya could unleash anger from a public that broadly supports the army campaign. Many in the Buddhist-majority nation view do not view the minority as indigenous -- referring to them as "Bengalis" -- and view them with hostility. "The vast majority of people in Myanmar do not believe the international narrative of abuse against the Rohingya and the refugee numbers that we're seeing in Bangladesh," said Myanmar-based political analyst Richard Horsey. "If the pope did come and weigh in heavily on this issue, it would inflame tensions and it would inflame public sentiment," he added. - Prayers for peace - Asia's Catholic population Myanmar's army, which ran the country with an iron fist for nearly half a century, insists its Rakhine operation was a proportionate response to Rohingya "terrorists" who raided police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen officers. But rights groups, the UN and the US have accused the army of using its reprisal as cover to violently expel a minority it has oppressed for decades. Days before the pope's visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh inked a deal vowing to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees in two months. But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of coming back without guarantees of basic rights. Myanmar's around 700,000 Catholics -- just over one percent of the country's 51 million people -- generally enjoy good relations with their mainly Buddhist compatriots and are gripped with excitement over the first ever papal visit Many of Myanmar's Catholics are travelling from other conflict-weary corners of Myanmar to join a huge, open-air mass led by the pope on Wednesday in the economic hub, Yangon. Stepping down from a train in the city's bustling main station, Hla Rein said he had made the long journey from the northernmost state of Kachin with high expectations. "There is a civil war in our state," he told AFP, referring to a separate long-running conflict between Kachin rebels and government forces. "We believe that the Pope will bring peace with him to our country." As a growing number of people around the world learn simplified Chinese instead of the more complicated traditional characters, young creatives in Taiwan are fighting to promote what they fear will become a dying art As a growing number of people around the world learn simplified Chinese instead of the more complicated traditional characters, young creatives in Taiwan are fighting to promote what they fear will become a dying art. Introduced by the Chinese Communist Party in the 1950s to boost literacy, the simplified version of the script uses fewer strokes and is now the predominant writing system in the mainland. Foreigners learning Chinese also tend to be taught the simplified characters, used in official documents by international organisations including the United Nations. Even in Taiwan, where most people still use traditional characters, there is a growing tendency to opt for the more convenient simplified script. And with an increasing number of the island's young people pursuing higher education and careers on the mainland, the influence of the simplified system is expanding. Creators of a new Taiwanese app game called "Zihun" hope to help stem the tide. Players assume the identities of literary figures from ancient China and compete on speed and accuracy in writing traditional characters. In Taiwan, where most people still use traditional Chinese characters, there is a growing tendency to opt for the more convenient simplified script From filling in the blanks to "word solitaire" -- using the last word of a phrase to create a new one -- or matching simplified characters with their traditional version, players write the answers on their smartphone screens with their fingers or touch pens. "We see Taiwan as the sole place to pass on traditional Chinese characters," says Kevin Ruan, chief executive of tech firm Whale Party, which developed the app with Soochow University. "We hope the app reflects the cultural implications of the script." Predictive and voice activated messaging on smartphones is one of the reasons traditional characters are under threat, he adds, but says the initial reaction to the app has been encouraging -- over 5,000 people have downloaded a trial version ahead of the official launch in December. - Ancient meaning - Traditional Chinese script is a mixture of pictograph characters that represent objects, and ideographs that depict ideas or concepts. Different or the same characters can form a compound word -- the word "forest" consists of three "wood" characters, for example. There are rules to the formation of most characters but learning to write them depends heavily on memorisation. Critics say the simplified characters lose some of the meaning of the traditional versions. Steve Tsai, a designer of Zihun, an app that hopes to encourage more people to use traditional Chinese characters instead of the more modern, popular simplified version One commonly cited example is the character "love", which contains the word "heart" in the traditional form but not in the simplified version. "Traditional characters have allusions and meanings behind them and they reflect the imagination of ancient people. It's a big loss that such elements are taken out," said Jung Jeng-dau, head of the Chinese-language department at Soochow University in Taipei. The use of simplified or traditional Chinese has also become politically loaded in recent years. In semi-autonomous Hong Kong, where traditional characters still dominate, some see the promotion of the simplified version as symbolic of an assertive China as it tightens its grip on the city. There are similar sentiments in Taiwan, which China still sees as part of its territory to be brought back into the fold. - Easy learning - But for many, the bottom line is pragmatism. Young Taiwanese design duo Wang Man-lin and Wang Chieh-ying hope their latest invention will make traditional characters easier to learn and fun to use. Their craft business "lai zi na li," which translates as "where is the origin of words?" promotes the complex script and a new set of six stamps, embossed with lines and strokes, can together create all traditional Chinese words. The use of simplified or traditional Chinese has also become politically loaded in recent years -- some see the promotion of the simplified version as symbolic of an assertive China as it tightens its grip on Taiwan Many customers are Chinese-language teachers or handicraft fans who like using the stamps to write greeting cards or postcards, Wang Man-lin explained. "Traditional Chinese is considered the most beautiful writing system in the world," she told AFP. "We want to offer another way to learn it because writing traditional characters by hand is really difficult for non-native people." The stamp set has been available for online pre-ordering since September and sales are more than 10 times their original estimate, at over Tw$2 million ($66,500), said Wang, including orders from China, Malaysia and Canada. Lin Chen-ling, 40, was among the crowd trying out the stamps at an educational fair in Taipei last month and said the set would make the process of learning traditional characters "more interesting and interactive" for her four-year-old son. Some young Taiwanese at the fair also pledged to persevere with traditional script. "I never write simplified characters because traditional characters look prettier and more cultured," said 17-year-old student Chang Yao-shui. "I hope they won't vanish in future." Syrian-born guide Mohamed Hamadi combines tours of Milan with musings on religious tolerance He shows off some of Milan's most sumptuous frescoes to tourists, but Syrian Mohamed Hamadi also does more than that -- he reaches out to visitors across the cultural divide in a troubled era. Born 69 years ago in Homs, a city now devastated by the conflict in Syria, the bespectacled Muslim guide charms those in the Italian city by drawing on his memories of the religious tolerance taught in his youth. Those dropping in to admire 16th-century frescoes at the San Maurizio church, dubbed "Milan's Sistine Chapel", may not be expecting their lessons on Renaissance art to be accompanied by moral musings. Describing his education, Hamadi tells AFP: "The students were Muslims, Christians... we didn't pay any attention to all that. "Once a week at school there was a lesson on Christian faith, and another on Muslim faith. The Muslim pupils went along to listen, and vice versa," he says. "Diversity was a richness for the country," adds the guide, who has made his home in a continent where populism is on the rise and the far-right are making political gains following the arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants. Homs, the city where Hamadi was born, is now unrecognisable following Syria's civil war Hamadi fled Syria in his twenties. A member of the Arab Socialist Party and opposed to the ruling powers at the time, he had already been imprisoned twice, and tortured. He travelled first to Beirut, where he studied law, then on to Kuwait, Spain and finally Italy, working each time in the import-export business. He married a Milanese woman and says he feels first and foremost "a citizen of the world". - 'Open minds' - After Hamadi's wife died and he retired, he dedicated his time to helping Syrian asylum-seekers fleeing the war back home, who would arrive exhausted and disorientated in Milan, hoping to travel on to Britain or Germany. Two years ago, he joined the Touring Club of Italy, becoming one of around 2,000 volunteers -- including 800 alone in Milan -- who volunteer at sites such as museums and churches that would remain otherwise closed to the public. Mohamed Hamadi takes tours around the San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore in Milan At the San Maurizio, he tells visitors the history of the Benedictine Convent, and explains which religious scenes are depicted in the frescoes, from Noah's Ark to the Last Supper. Visitors are sometimes surprised their guide is Muslim -- a reaction he counters with a quick word on religious history. "The Koran, the Bible, the Torah... they are all linked," he says, recalling that key figures like Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses and Abraham feature in all three tomes, though the details may differ. "Syria has been a land that has hosted many cultures, with occupations by the Phoenicians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and even the French," he says. Hamadi, who speaks four languages -- Arabic, English, French and Italian -- says he sees his chats with visitors as a way to "open people's minds". The man who has worked as city councillor in the past has simple advice on tackling the thorny issue of "integration". People should "live, talk, eat together, but that does not mean they should forget their roots", he says. Ten badly decomposed bodies have been found on Japan's coast across the sea from North Korea The badly decomposed remains of ten people have been found on Japan's coast across the sea from North Korea, along with the wreckage of two boats, officials said Monday. The discovery comes just days after a group of eight fishermen, who said they were from North Korea, washed up on the same shore. Police said two cadavers were found in separate places on the edge of the surf on Sado island, which lies around 750 kilometres (450 miles) from North Korea across the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The bodies had begun to putrefy, and had nothing to identify them, senior local police official Hideaki Sakyo told AFP. However, he added, there were boxes of North Korean tobacco as well as boat parts and life jackets with Korean script nearby. A wrecked wooden boat with squid-fishing equipment was also found on the coastline. Separately, coastguard officials spotted eight bodies inside a battered wooden boat off northern Akita prefecture. High waves had prevented officials from investigating since the boat was first spotted on Friday, they said. Television footage showed a wrecked vessel with an eight-digit number on it, which washed up on Oga peninsula on Sunday. "Nothing else was found on the beach nearby, and so far we haven't found anything" that suggests a definite link with North Korea, a coastguard spokeswoman told AFP. Dozens of North Korean fishing vessels wash up on Japan's coast every year. Sometimes the boats' occupants have already died at sea, a phenomenon local media refer to as "ghost ships". Experts say some North Korean fishermen travel far out to sea in order to satisfy government mandates for bigger catches. But their old and poorly equipped vessels are prone to mechanical and other problems, including running out of fuel, and there are few ways for them to call for rescue. Surviving drifters frequently request to be sent home, but some of them are defectors who are eventually sent to South Korea. Japan and North Korea have a tense relationship, with Pyongyang routinely issuing verbal threats as well as firing missiles near or above Japan. But the Japanese coastguard occasionally rescues North Korean fishermen in maritime accidents in regional waters. Pakistani supporters of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Yah Rasool Allah Pakistan religious group shout slogans during a press conference by their leader Pakistan's law minister resigned Monday after the embattled government bowed to demands from a small Islamist group, striking a deal with the help of the military to end a weeks-long anti-blasphemy protest. At the site of the sit-in which had blocked a major road into Islamabad, demonstrators were slowly packing up tents and walking to bus stops as shops and markets reopened for the first time since the protest began. Khadim Hussain Rizvi and his supporters from the once-obscure Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLY) group had paralysed the capital since November 6 with just 2,000 demonstrators, enraging millions of commuters and the judiciary who blasted the government for hesitating to act against them. Analysts said the capitulation to him and his supporters was an unsettling sign of the influence even marginal religious groups wield in Pakistan and an embarrassment for the government before elections due in 2018. The demonstrators demanded the resignation of law minister Zahid Hamid over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the wording of an oath which election candidates must swear. The change was small and quickly reversed, but the TLY linked it to blasphemy, a hugely charged issue in the conservative Muslim country. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) remained silent Monday, with no official comment on the report by state media that Hamid had resigned. But a triumphant Rizvi called off the sit-in in a statement to supporters, saying the army had guaranteed their demands would be met and thanking the powerful military chief for "playing his role". "Respected army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had sent his representatives and we signed the agreement with them," he claimed. The declaration, as well as a widely-circulated text of the agreement signed by Rizvi, the interior minister and Major General Faiz Hameed, among others, spurred the Islamabad High Court to demand the government give a full accounting of the army's role in the deal. The government had called on the military to intervene to restore law after police and paramilitaries bungled an attempt on Saturday to dislodge the protesters. The move sparked clashes that left at least seven people dead and ignited protests across the nuclear-armed nation of 207 million people. But the army had still not publicly responded to the government's call by Monday, fuelling rampant speculation about what was going on behind the scenes. Hameed's signature on the text agreement was "most alarming" and Rizvi's gratitude to army chief Bajwa was "strange", Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said in an order that was made public as the official silence continued Monday. Analysts said the government had been so undermined it had been left with no option but to seek the help of the army, widely seen as the most powerful institution in Pakistan. "They wanted to put the army against the protesters, and when the military refused... the government was left with no way out," analyst Rasul Bukhsh Rais told AFP. "The government's capacity is eroded," he said. "Nobody was willing to listen to them." - 'Major embarrassment' - "It was our goal to be martyred for the honour of the Prophet," one protester, 19-year-old Mehboob Ahmed, told AFP at the protest site in Islamabad. "We fought fearlessly but I feel sad and regret that I could not get martyrdom." Authorities had initially hesitated to act over the sit-in. Pakistan's civilian government has long pulled its punches in such situations, fearing that a crackdown on a religious group would incite blowback, as it has in the past. Minister Hamid's ousting is the latest in a series of heavy blows to the ruling party. In July Nawaz Sharif was deposed as prime minister by the courts over graft allegations, while finance minister Ishaq Dar -- also accused of corruption -- has taken indefinite medical leave. Observers had previously warned that capitulation would set a dangerous precedent. "Politically, this is a major embarrassment for the PML-N," analyst Hasan Askari told AFP, adding that it would undermine their credibility and predicting more defections. He also warned it had strengthened the position of hardline groups like TLY. An injured Pakistani protester chants slogans along with others during a press conference by their leader TLY comes from the Barelvi sect of Islam that has strong ties to Sufism, a mystical branch of the religion seen as moderate. It emphasises personal devotion to the Prophet Mohammed. However the execution in 2016 of Barelvi follower Mumtaz Qadri -- who assassinated liberal Punjab governor Salman Taseer over his stance on the blasphemy laws -- appears to have galvanised Rizvi and his followers. Askari warned that the decision by TLY and other Islamist parties to contest the upcoming elections could further weaken the PML-N. The party has previously benefited from the right-wing religious vote. Pope Francis lands in Myanmar on Monday in a trip dominated by one word: Rohingya. Some 620,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from a Myanmar army crackdown to Bangladesh since last August, sparking global outcry. But there is little sympathy for the Muslim minority inside Buddhist-majority Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship and not even identified as Rohingya. They are instead labelled "Bengalis" -- shorthand for illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The big question is whether the Pope will address the group's plight head-on by using the 'R' word in front of a touchy Buddhist public. Who are the Rohingya? The Rohingya Muslim minority are based in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine. They numbered around 1.1 million until the current crisis sent nearly two-thirds of them fleeing into Bangladesh. Considered among the world's most persecuted peoples, they have been systematically stripped of their rights in Myanmar and coralled into an apartheid-like existence, with severe restrictions on movement and on access to basic services. Officials and many members of the Buddhist public reject the existence of a Rohingya ethnicity, instead labelling the group as immigrants from Bangladesh despite the fact that many have lived in Myanmar for generations. Bouts of communal violence have hit Rakhine since 2012. But the worst violence erupted in late August after Rohingya militants staged deadly attacks on police posts. The raids backfired, inviting an army reprisal so brutal that it emptied northern Rakhine of much of its Rohingya population, who told of mass rape, murder and arson. Both the UN and US have accused the army of ethnic cleansing -- a charge the military steadfastly denies. What has the Pope said about the Rohingya? Pope Francis has taken a close interest in the group's plight, speaking about them on at least three separate occasions this year. In February 2017 he called them "brothers and sisters" being tortured and killed for their faith. He described the Rohingya as good and peaceful people who had suffered for years and urged Catholics to pray for them. He again highlighted their suffering after the crackdown in August. Last month he mourned the plight of some "two hundred thousand Rohingya children in refugee camps" in Bangladesh. "They have barely enough to eat, though they have a right to food. (They are) Malnourished, without medicine," he said. Will he say the 'R word'? Nobody knows how the canny, outspoken and unconventional Pope will handle the issue. Catholic leaders in Myanmar have warned Francis against using the word "Rohingya" during his trip, fearing the country's small Christian minority could become the target of Buddhist hardliners. Vatican officials have indicated that he has taken the advice seriously. But he is renowned for his passionate appeals on behalf of the downtrodden. Any failure to mention the Rohingya by name may be seen as a disappointing concession. The pontiff could adopt the preferred wording of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who refers to the Rohingya only as "Muslims in Rakhine state" -- though that middle path has invited fire from both sides of the conflict. The 80-year-old pope's packed schedule will include many opportunities to weigh in on the crisis. He will conduct two masses, hold discussions with the Buddhist clergy and sit down with Suu Kyi and army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- the man whose troops stand accused of crimes against humanity. When he goes on to Bangladesh Francis may choose a diplomatic path and drop the "R-word". He made last-minute plans to meet a small group of Rohingya in Dhaka. Why is it such a big issue? Myanmar does not want its Rohingya, and support for them enrages Buddhist nationalists. The global outcry at their treatment has stirred a chippy, defensive response among swathes of the public. That largely plays out through social media invective but anti-Muslim violence has hit the country before. The Buddhist-majority public has been weaned on a narrative of the Rohingya as Bengali interlopers, a narrative embellished by hardliners in the clergy and the army. Some Buddhist nationalists accuse the Pope of meddling in a conflict he does not understand and may even inflame. Observers fear more violence may put the country's fragile democratic gains in peril. Pope Francis faces a tricky high wire act in Myanmar where his comments on the plight of Rohingya Muslims will be scrutinised by his hosts Pope Francis arrived in mainly Buddhist Myanmar Monday on a highly sensitive visit to a country facing sharp global criticism for the alleged ethnic cleansing of its Rohingya Muslim minority. The 80-year-old pontiff, the first to travel to Myanmar, was welcomed by children from different minority groups in bright, bejewelled clothes, who gave him flowers and received a papal embrace in return. Nuns in white habits were among the devotees to have travelled from across the country in his honour, waving flags as his motorcade swept by the golden Shwedagon Pagoda to the archbishop's residence in downtown Yangon, where the pope will stay on Monday night. "I saw the pope, he was sitting in the front of the car. I was so pleased, I cried!" Christina Aye Aye Sein, 48, told AFP after the popes convoy passed. "His face looked very lovely and sweet... He is coming here for peace." But the joyful scenes stood in stark contrast to the gravity of the main issue that frames his trip. Myanmar's military stands accused of waging a campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslims. Kachin people in traditional dress were among the crowds hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis when he arrives in Myanmar More than 620,000 have fled a crackdown in northern Rakhine state for neighbouring Bangladesh over the past three months. The pope's four-day visit intensifies pressure on Myanmar over its treatment of the stateless minority, a group he has called his "brothers and sisters" in repeated entreaties to ease their plight. His speeches will be scrutinised by Buddhist hardliners for any mention of the word "Rohingya", an incendiary term in a country where the Muslim group are reviled and labelled "Bengalis" -- alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Francis will meet civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner whose lustre has faded because of her failure to speak up publicly for the Rohingya. He will also hold talks with army chief Min Aung Hlaing -- a meeting between a religious leader, who has championed the rights of refugees, and the man accused of overseeing the brutal campaign to drive out the Rohingya. Speaking to a crowd of 30,000 people in St Peter's Square, shortly before he left Rome, the pontiff said: "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope." - 'A few seconds' - His visit is a historic chance for Myanmar's flock to get close to the head of their church. Pope's visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh Myanmar's estimated 700,000 Catholics make up just over one percent of the country's 51 million people and are scattered in far-flung corners of the nation, many of them roiled by conflict. Around 200,000 Catholics are pouring into Yangon, Myanmar's commercial capital, by plane, train and car ahead of a huge open-air mass on Wednesday. "People came from all corners of the country, even if we could only see him for a few seconds," Sister Genevieve Mu, an ethnic Karen nun told AFP. "I feel very good and proud of our Catholic people and our government for opening the country for his visit." - Prayers for peace - The Rohingya crisis looms large over the pope's visit. The army, which ran the country with an iron fist for nearly half a century, insists its Rakhine operation was a proportionate response to Rohingya "terrorists" who raided police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen officers. But rights groups, the UN and the US have accused the army of using its operation as cover to drive out a minority it has oppressed for decades. Francis' visit is a papal first for Myanmar, whose 700,000 Christians have turned out in force to welcome him The deluge of desperate refugees arriving in Bangladesh have carried with them accounts of murder, rape and arson, at the hands of troops and hardline Buddhist mobs. Inside the country a different opinion dominates. "The vast majority of people in Myanmar do not believe the international narrative of abuse against the Rohingya and the refugee numbers that we're seeing in Bangladesh," said Myanmar-based political analyst Richard Horsey. "If the pope did come and weigh in heavily on this issue, it would inflame tensions and it would inflame public sentiment," he added. Days before the pope's visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh inked a deal vowing to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees in two months. But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of coming back without guarantees of basic rights. Pope Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday, where he will meet a group of Rohingya Muslims in the capital Dhaka. Nur Mohammad, a 45-year-old Rohingya imam at the Nayapara refugee camp in Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh, said he hoped the pope would tell the Myanmar government to accept Rohingya, "give citizenship to them and end all discriminations against them." Vast swathes of rainforest are destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations, threatening endangered species and pushing indigenous people off their lands `Greenpeace slammed Indonesia's palm oil industry Monday for failing to live up to a pledge to halt deforestation, as the lucrative sector faces possible restrictions in Europe over environmental concerns. Palm oil is used in everything from soap to frozen pizza, but a consumer backlash has forced dozens of the worlds largest food and drink manufacturers to address its ecological impact. Vast swathes of rainforest are destroyed to make way for palm oil plantations, threatening endangered species and pushing indigenous people off their lands. International corporations, including Unilever, Kellogg and Mondelez, have pledged to adopt environmentally friendly supply chains by 2020. But Greenpeace said in a report published on Monday that large palm oil traders are failing on that commitment. The environmental group found that most of the 11 major traders operating in Indonesia did not have strict systems to monitor the origin of their goods and were not calling out non-compliant producers. "Broadly, the palm oil industry has agreed to end deforestation. The issue -- and it is a critical one -- is only two of the 11 (traders) we looked at was actually able to say when they are going to end deforestation," Richard George, a UK-based forest campaigner at Greenpeace, told AFP. None of the firms contacted by AFP replied to requests for comment on the report. The Greenpeace report comes against the backdrop of mounting concerns about palm oil's environmental impact. The European Union, the world's second largest consumer after India, passed a resolution in April calling for tougher environmental standards for palm oil linked to deforestation. Indonesia and Malaysia -- the worlds two largest producers -- have been lobbying against the resolution. Both countries have slammed possible EU import restrictions as unfair, and a move that would harm millions of mostly small-scale farmers. An estimated 624,000 Rohingya have fled a military crackdown in Myanmar since August Rohingya are still fleeing into Bangladesh even after an agreement was signed with Myanmar to repatriate hundreds of thousands of the Muslim minority displaced along the border, officials said Monday. The arrangement struck by the neighbours on Thursday raised the prospect of at least 700,000 Rohingya Muslims living in overcrowded camps in southeastern Bangladesh being returned to Myanmar. But at least 3,000 refugees have crossed since then, the United Nations said in its latest report on the crisis, with guards at check-posts along the frontier also reporting a largely uninterrupted flow of newcomers. "The number of arrivals has declined, but it has not stopped," Bangladesh border guard commander Lieutenant Colonel S.M. Ariful Islam told AFP. Islam said at least 400 refugees had passed by guards under his command along the border with Myanmar since the agreement was signed. An estimated 624,000 Rohingya have fled a military crackdown in Myanmar since August described by UN and US authorities as ethnic cleansing. The repatriation agreement applies to Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh who fled Myanmar in two major outbreaks of violence since October 2016. It does not extend to an estimated 200,000 Rohingya refugees who were living in Bangladesh prior to that date. The UN refugee agency UNHCR has raised concerns over the terms of the arrangement, saying conditions for the safe return of the Rohingya were not yet in place. Bangladesh said at the weekend those returned would initially live in temporary shelters or camps. Rohingya leaders have said they will not return to Myanmar unless they are recognised as citizens with full rights and ensured protection from violence. Myanmar does no recognise the Rohingya, denying them citizenship and restricting their movement. The UNHCR says any repatriation deal must include "the informed consent of refugees". A Bahraini man holds a portrait of jailed opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman during a protest on May 29, 2016 Bahrain's jailed Shiite opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman refused to appear in court Monday to face charges of contacts with Qatar to "overthrow the regime", the attorney general said. Salman and two members of his banned Al-Wefaq movement, Hassan Sultan and Ali al-Aswad, are charged with "communicating with a foreign state to commit acts hostile to the state of Bahrain with the intent to harm its political, economic and national interests in order to overthrow the regime", Osama al-Awfi said. The jailed leader of the Shiite movement "refused to attend the hearing", which has been deferred to Wednesday, the attorney general said in a statement. Ali Salman has been behind bars since 2014 serving a nine-year sentence for allegedly inciting hatred, while Sultan and Aswad are on the run. In August, Bahraini authorities accused Salman of having collaborated with Qatar in 2011 to encourage protesters to take to the streets. The accusations came after Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, cut ties with Qatar in June over alleged support for Islamist extremism and ties with Shiite-dominated Iran. Doha denies the allegations. Ruled for more than 200 years by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, Bahrain is home to a Shiite majority that for years has complained of political marginalisation. The archipelago, which is located between regional arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia, has been rocked by protests demanding an elected government since 2011. Bahraini authorities have also accused Iran of backing the protests and of aiming to overthrow the government. Tehran has denied any involvement. Over the past six years, Bahraini authorities have tightened their grip on all dissent, jailing dozens of high-profile clerics and activists and disbanding both religious and secular opposition groups. Bahraini Shiite cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim (portrait), who was stripped of his citizenship last year, is reportedly facing serious health issues Also on Monday, relatives of Bahrain's leading Shiite cleric, who has been under de facto house arrest since 2016, said he was facing serious health issues and had been seen by a team of doctors not linked to the government. London-based rights group the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy said Qassim was in "continuous pain" and had been diagnosed with a groin hernia that required urgent surgery. Qassim also has high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, according to the rights group. The cleric was stripped of Bahraini citizenship last year over charges of "serving foreign interests", money laundering and illegal fundraising. Salman's Al-Wefaq movement was once the largest bloc in Bahrain's elected lower house of parliament. Its members of parliament resigned en masse in 2011 in protest against the state's crackdown on demonstrators, before a 2016 court order dissolved Al-Wefaq for "harbouring terrorism". Iraqi security forces hold a position as they advance against Islamic State group jihadists in the western desert bordering Syria Iraqi forces said Monday they face a tough battle against the Islamic State group in deep gorges and other natural hideouts in the western desert along the Syrian border, their last bastion in Iraq. "Our units have cleared 50 percent of the total area of the desert of around 29,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq miles). The first phase is over," General Yahya Rassoul, spokesman of the Joint Operations Command, told AFP. "Now our units will proceed to clearing the rest of the desert zones, including Wadi (valley) Hauran," he said. "The valley is deep and reaches Syrian territory. The mission is to destroy all the hideouts in the desert and valleys to secure western Iraq's border with Syria" before soldiers are posted along the frontier, he said. Wadi Hauran, with 200-metre-deep (650-foot-deep) gorges, is the longest valley in Iraq, stretching 350 kilometres (210 miles) from the Saudi border to the Euphrates River, also reaching the frontier with Jordan. The Islamic State jihadist group has controlled most of the valley in Anbar province since 2014, setting up arms depots and resupply posts. Troops and paramilitaries launched the desert offensive on Thursday aiming to inflict a final defeat on IS. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said he will not proclaim victory until the jihadists have been cleared from the western desert bordering Syria. Pope Francis faces a tricky high wire act in Myanmar where his comments on the plight of Rohingya Muslims will be scrutinised by his hosts Pope Francis met Myanmar's powerful army chief on Monday at the start of a highly sensitive trip, with the military man saying he told the pontiff there was "no religious discrimination" in his country despite allegations of ethnic cleansing. The 80-year-old pope, the first to travel to Myanmar, received Senior General Min Aung Hlaing for a 15-minute meeting at the archbishop's residence in Yangon, where the pontiff is staying during his visit. At least 620,000 Rohingya have fled western Rakhine state to Bangladesh, describing rape, murder and arson at the hands of Min Aung Hlaing's army and ethnic Rakhine Buddhist mobs. The UN and US have accused the military of "ethnic cleansing" in a campaign sparked by attacks by a militant Rohingya group on police border posts in late August. The army chief told the pope that "Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all. Likewise our military too... performs for the peace and stability of the country", according to a Facebook post published by the general's office a few hours after the meeting. There is also "no discrimination between ethnic groups in Myanmar", he added. The Rohingya, who are denied citizenship, are not recognised as one of the Buddhist-majority country's formal ethnic groups. After the meeting a Vatican spokesman said the religious leader and the army chief had discussed the "great responsiblilty of the country's authorities in this moment of transition". Myanmar was ruled by a junta for five decades until a civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi came to power last year. The army retains sweeping powers over security and political heft through a parliamentary bloc of seats. The army crackdown on the widely reviled Rohingya looms large over the pope's four-day trip to a country with a tiny Catholic minority. Francis has called the Rohingya his "brothers and sisters" in repeated entreaties to ease their plight as the latest round of a festering crisis has unfolded. Earlier on Monday he was welcomed at Yangon's airport in a colourful ceremony led by children from different minority groups in bright bejewelled clothes, who gave him flowers and received a papal embrace in return. Pope's visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh Nuns in white habits were among devotees waving flags as his motorcade swept past the golden Shwedagon Pagoda. "I saw the pope... I was so pleased, I cried!" Christina Aye Aye Sein, 48, told AFP after the pope's convoy received a warm but modest welcome. "His face looked very lovely and sweet... He is coming here for peace." Myanmar's estimated 700,000 Catholics make up just over one percent of the country's 51 million people. But around 200,000 Catholics are pouring into Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon before a huge open-air mass on Wednesday. "People came from all corners of the country, even if we could only see him for a few seconds," Sister Genevieve Mu, an ethnic Karen nun, told AFP. - Peace and prayers - The pope's speeches in Mynamar will be scrutinised by Buddhist hardliners for any mention of the word "Rohingya", an incendiary term in a country where the Muslim group are labelled "Bengalis" -- alleged illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Francis' visit is a papal first for Myanmar, whose 700,000 Christians have turned out in force to welcome him On Tuesday Francis will meet Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, whose lustre has faded because of her failure to speak up publicly for the Rohingya. He will hold two masses in Yangon. Speaking shortly before he left Rome, the pontiff said: "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope." The army insists its Rakhine operation has been a proportionate response to Rohingya "terrorists" who raided police posts in late August, killing at least a dozen officers. But rights groups have accused the military of using its operation as cover to drive out a minority it has oppressed for decades and forced out in great numbers in previous "clearance operations". Days before the papal visit, Myanmar and Bangladesh inked a deal vowing to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees in two months. But details of the agreement -- including the use of temporary shelters for returnees, many of whose homes have been burned to the ground -- raise questions for Rohingya fearful of returning without guarantees of basic rights. Francis will travel on to Bangladesh on Thursday, where he will meet a group of Rohingya Muslims in the capital Dhaka. In Kutupalong, the largest fresh encampment of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, 25-year-old Aziz Khan implored the pope to help his people. "If he can help us, then I want to tell him that we want our country and our rights back," he told AFP. Vietnamese protesters demonstrate against Formosa during a rally in downtown Hanoi in May 2016 A Vietnamese court on Monday jailed a blogger for seven years for disseminating anti-state "propaganda" including articles which supported protests against a Taiwanese firm responsible for a toxic leak. Space for free expression is shrinking in the Communist country, with at least 15 activists and dissidents having been arrested and several others jailed so far this year. Nguyen Van Hoa, 22, an environmental activist, was accused of instigating protests against authorities via his Facebook account, mainly following the 2016 toxic leak at a steel factory operated by Taiwan's Formosa. Formosa was fined $500 million after being blamed for dumping waste along Vietnam's central coast, which poisoned fish and decimated the incomes of fishing communities. The plant became the focal point for anger at environmental damage wrought by big business. Protests against the Taiwanese company were met with crackdowns by authorities. Hoa was also accused of taking part in the protest, according to a state media report quoting the indictment, which said he had "posted articles, videos and images with negative content on his Facebook (page)" while spreading "spreading reactionary propaganda against the party and state's policies". Some of the posts in question date back to 2013. He was convicted after a speedy trial in Ha Tinh province, a clerk told AFP without giving details. The conviction comes more than one month after authorities detained Tran Thi Xuan, another Vietnamese activist demonstrating against Formosa. She was charged under a separate part of the criminal code that carries a possible death sentence for attempting to overthrow the government. Vietnam routinely imprisons activists, bloggers and lawyers, but its poor rights record worsened further after a new conservative leadership assumed power last year. Authorities have come under fire for a spate of arrests this year and in the lead-up to US President Donald Trump's visit to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang earlier in the month. During the trip artist Mai Khoi was locked inside her house after holding up a sign that said "Piss on you Trump" as the president's motorcade passed through town in Hanoi. Observers say Trump's hands-off approach to human rights has freed authoritarian leaders across Southeast Asia and beyond to launch crackdowns without fear of censure. In Vietnam's most infamous recent case, 37-year-old Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, better known by her pen name "Mother Mushroom", was sentenced to 10 years in June under the same charge as Hoa. US First Lady Melania Trump bestowed a "Woman of Courage Award" on Quynh in March. New President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his wife Auxilia at the inauguration: China denies any role in his ascent China on Monday congratulated Zimbabwe's new President Emmerson Mnangagwa but denied it played any part in his takeover or in the ousting of strongman Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe's army chief General Constantine Chiwenga visited Beijing shortly before the political crisis erupted in Harare, leading to questions about whether Beijing had any role in the power transition. China had long been one of Mugabe's most powerful allies and a major trade partner, as the West shunned him over his government's human rights violations. Calling the army chief's visit a pre-arranged and "normal interaction", foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang denied any involvement in Zimbabwean politics. "It was planned long before and it was also approved by the former President Mugabe," Geng said. "China always upholds the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and this remains unchanged." Beijing pointedly did not take sides after the army put Mugabe under house arrest earlier this month. Last week the Chinese foreign ministry declared that it respected his decision to resign but praised him as a "good friend" of China. Relations between the two countries date back to the liberation struggle of the 1960s, when Beijing provided arms and trained some of the top guerrilla leaders. During those years, Mnangagwa received training in China. Nicknamed "the Crocodile" for his ruthlessness, Mnangagwa was Zimbabwe's vice president until his sacking earlier this month, which ultimately led to Mugabe's downfall. "We congratulate President Mnangagwa on his inauguration," Geng said. "We firmly support Zimbabwe following a path that supports its own national conditions and we believe under the leadership of Mr Mnangagwa Zimbabwe's national development will make further progress." Palestinian children greet fighters from the armed wing of Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip on July 20, 2017 Palestinian movement Hamas again refused to disarm on Monday ahead of a key reconciliation deadline, instead threatening to carry out attacks against Israel in the West Bank. By Friday, the Islamists are due to hand over control of the Gaza Strip to the internationally recognised Palestinian government, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. But the future of their armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, remains unclear. "The weapons of the resistance are a red line that is non-debatable," Khalil al-Hayya, deputy head of Hamas in Gaza, told a press conference, referring to the Qassam Brigades. "These weapons will be moved to the West Bank to fight the (Israeli) occupation. It is our right to resist the occupation until it ends." Around 400,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, in settlements considered illegal under international law, alongside around three million Palestinians. In Gaza, which Hamas has ruled since seizing it in 2007, there are no settlers after Israel withdrew in 2005. The United States and Israel have said they will reject any reconciliation agreement leading to a unity government including Hamas unless it disarms. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has also said there will only be one security force in the Palestinian territories. The reconciliation agreement signed on October 12 in Cairo does not specify a future for the Qassam Brigades. Also on Monday a delegation from Egyptian intelligence arrived in Gaza, as they seek to push forward with the agreement they brokered. "We are working with everyone and we are optimistic of implementing reconciliation, achieving Palestinian unity and ending the suffering of the Palestinian citizens," an Egyptian security official told AFP. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's warning came just a month after foreign and local IS supporters ravaged Mindanao's main Muslim city of Marawi Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to correct "historical injustice" in a speech to Filipino Muslim rebels on Monday as his government seeks to reignite a stalled peace process in the nation's troubled south. He made the remarks at a mammoth gathering hosted by the country's main Muslim guerrilla group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), but which has also brought together Christians, rival Muslim factions and tribal groups from the southern region of Mindanao. Since the 1970s, Muslims have been waging a rebellion seeking autonomy or independence in the southern areas of the mainly Catholic Philippines that they regard as their ancestral homeland. The conflict has claimed more than 120,000 lives and left large areas of Mindanao in poverty. Duterte, who boasts of having Muslim ancestry, warned that the region could see worse violence if the issue is not resolved. "What is at stake here is the preservation of the Filipino republic and to correct historical injustice," he said. Duterte said that during the decades when the Philippines was under Spanish and then American colonial rule, the Christian majority had taken control of vast parts of Mindanao, leaving native Muslims and other tribes marginalised. He also warned that the violence could be exacerbated if Islamic State followers flee to the Philippines after losing their bases in the Middle East. - Islamic State threat - Duterte's warning came just a month after the foreign and local IS supporters who ravaged Mindanao's main Muslim city Marawi were defeated in October, ending a five-month conflict which left about 1,100 people dead. The 10,000-strong MILF signed a peace deal in 2014 that would give the nation's Muslim minority self-rule over parts of Mindanao, but the proposed law to implement the pact has not managed to get through Congress. The immediate objective of Monday's rally was to build support for the proposed law. Duterte said he would work for the law's passage, even calling Congress to a special session where Muslim leaders could explain their plans to the legislators. Such an agreement must be "inclusive" and acceptable to all groups in Mindanao, he added. Speaking at the event, MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim recalled that many of those attending had fought in the Muslim guerrilla wars in decades past. But he said they are now pushing for the autonomy law, stating "it presents us the rare opportunity to be part of the noble endeavour of peace-making". Hundreds of thousands of people attended the gathering at the main MILF base where a festive mood prevailed despite the history of conflict. The MILF previously said half a million had registered to attend. Unarmed MILF fighters accompanied by armed government soldiers and policemen secured the event, which was attended by Cardinal Orlando Quevedo -- the archbishop of Cotabato and Mindanao's highest Catholic Church official -- as well as members of the MILF's main rival, the Moro National Liberation Front. "The importance here is that there is coexistence between Christians, Muslims and Lumads (tribal people)," said Carlos Sol, director of the government's coordinating committee overseeing the peace accord. President Maithripala Sirisena's coalition government is embroiled in bitter infighting Sri Lanka Monday began preparing for long-delayed local elections seen as a key popularity test of embattled President Maithripala Sirisena, whose coalition government is embroiled in bitter infighting. Sirisena's allies say the president has deliberately stalled local council polls to buy time as he tries to heal rifts within his own party, an accusation he denies. The local vote, likely to be in early February, is seen as a crucial mid-term test for Sirisena, who has struggled to hold the raucous ruling alliance together since his election in 2015. Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon from the non-profit Campaign for Free and Fair Elections said voters were no longer considering this a small local election. "People felt they were being deprived of their vote for a long time," Tennakoon told AFP. "This could be a test of the president's popularity." Sirisena has said the election was delayed by nearly two years because authorities had to redraw complex electoral boundaries. The clash over the local polls is the latest in a series of disputes within the ruling coalition, formed after Sirisena split his own Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and secured support from the rival United National Party. The allies have since clashed over economic policy and on stalled investigations into corruption under the regime of former president Mahinda Rajapakse, who is also from the SLFP. Parliament last week announced an investigation into the alleged tapping of lawmakers' private phones by a Sirisena-appointed commission, deepening the acrimony within the coalition. The president's own party is split between him and predecessor Rajapakse, who ruled Sri Lanka for a decade and presided over the end of the decades-long civil war. Rajapakse remains a threat to Sirisena's leadership of the SLFP, wielding considerable influence in Sri Lankan politics. Bangladeshis gather beside tanks manned by army soldiers near the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters in Dhaka on February 26, 2009 A Bangladesh court on Monday upheld death sentences for 139 soldiers over the massacre of 74 people including 57 senior army officers during a 2009 mutiny, the attorney general said. "The verdict has upheld the death sentence for 139 people," Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters after the High Court handed down its judgement in Dhaka. "Nowhere in the world did anything happen like the way those 57 top army officers were killed," Alam said. The sentences will be appealed again in the Supreme Court, which by law has the final say in all capital punishment cases. In 2013 a court sentenced 152 soldiers to death for the grisly killings in which dozens of officers were shot, hacked to death or burnt alive before being dumped in sewers or shallow graves. One of those handed the death penalty died in custody, eight others had sentences commuted to life imprisonment and four were acquitted, Alam said. The sentences were condemned at the time by the UN rights chief, who expressed alarm at such a heavy punishment meted out in a mass trial. The mutineers stole thousands of weapons in February 2009 before going on a two-day killing spree at a barracks. Bangladesh has a history of military coups and the massacre threatened the newly-elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which responded by arresting thousands of suspects. Musa Hilal (C), the leader of the Arab Mahamid tribe in Sudan's Darfur region, salutes followers in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, on December 7, 2013 Sudan's counter-insurgency forces have arrested a powerful militia chief from Darfur accused by the United Nations of human rights abuses in the war-torn region, officials said on Monday. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrested Musa Hilal, a former aide to President Omar al-Bashir, near his home town of Mustariaha in the state of North Darfur, State Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Ali Mohamed Salem told parliament. Mohamed Salem said Hilal's son Habeeb was also detained. Both were detained on Sunday. "They were arrested after clashes in the area but the security situation there is now stable," Mohamed Salem said in a statement carried by the official SUNA news agency. On Sunday, fierce fighting erupted between fighters loyal to Hilal and an RSF unit near Mustariaha, in which the RSF said it lost 10 members including a commander. Mustariaha is a bastion of Hilal, whose fighters from the Arab Mahamid tribe have regularly clashed with RSF troops in Darfur in recent months. RSF told AFP that Hilal had been arrested with several of his fighters and three sons, and that they were all brought to Khartoum on Monday. "Hilal has been handed over to military intelligence for questioning," RSF spokesman Abdulrahman al-Jaali told AFP. "Hilal was a fugitive and he should face the law." RSF chief Mohamed Hamiditi said in a separate statement to SUNA that his troops confiscated "sophisticated communications equipment" from Hilal's fighters. "A foreign national is among those arrested, which confirms the participation of foreign parties in destabilising the security in Darfur," he said. "The foreigner is an Algerian and he was arrested at Hilal's house," RSF spokesman Jaali said later Monday. Sunday's fighting erupted when an RSF unit was ambushed as it oversaw a weapons hand-in near Mustariaha under a disarmament programme launched by the government across Darfur after it announced the conflict in the region had ended early this year. Darfur, a region the size of France, has been awash with weapons since 2003, when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of economic and political discrimination. - Refusing to disarm - The weapons are held by tribal militias, including some backed by government forces, and authorities now want them to be handed in. But Hilal and his fighters have refused to surrender their arms. During the initial years of the conflict in Darfur, Hilal and his fighters fought on the side of government forces against black African rebels in the region. Hilal is subject to a UN travel ban and on a list of individuals sanctioned for "human rights atrocities" during the early years of the conflict. The UN and rights groups have accused him of attacking villages and even displaced people's camps. The UN and Washington say he played a key role in mobilising pro-government Arab militias that attacked black African rebels and villagers for allegedly backing rebel groups. Hilal denies these accusations, saying that he organised his tribesmen in order to defend their lands and property following a call by Khartoum. In 2008, Hilal was appointed an adviser to Bashir, but later a rift erupted between him and the government when he accused Khartoum of ignoring his political demands. Since then, he and hundreds of his fighters have often clashed with the RSF in Darfur, threatening recent gains achieved in the region. The RSF also faces controversy over its role in crushing rebels in Darfur. The region has seen an overall fall in violence in recent years, although there are regular reports of tribal clashes. Some 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.5 million displaced since the Darfur conflict erupted in 2003, the UN says. Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and war crimes related to the conflict. He denies the charges. In 2013 a court sentenced 152 soldiers to death for the grisly killings in a mass trial criticised by the United Nations A Bangladesh court upheld the death penalty for 139 soldiers on Monday over their role in a "brutal and barbaric" mutiny in which dozens of top army officers were massacred. In delivering his verdict Justice Md Abu Zafor Siddique described the 2009 slaughter of 74 people -- including 57 top brass -- as an unprecedented atrocity in Bangladesh's relatively short history. "It was the most heinous, brutal and barbaric carnage of our history," he told the Dhaka courtroom of the two-day massacre in which victims were shot, hacked to death and burned alive by marauding troops. The sentences will be appealed again in the Supreme Court, which by law has the final say in all capital punishment cases. In 2013 a court sentenced 152 soldiers to death for the grisly killings in a mass trial criticised by the United Nations rights chief as failing to meet basic standards of due process. One of those handed the death penalty died in custody, eight others had sentences commuted to life imprisonment and four were acquitted. Thousands were rounded up and tried in special military courts in the aftermath of the massacre, as the newly-elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wrestled to regain control in a country prone to military coups. Hundreds were singled out for trial in civilian courts and handed punishments ranging from death to a few years. The high court in Dhaka on Monday upheld sentences of mixed severity to more than 380 accused, including 185 life sentences, prosecutor Jahid Sarwar Kazal told AFP. "Forty-five people were acquitted," he added. The mutineers stole thousands of weapons in February 2009 from the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) paramilitary squad before embarking on a killing spree in the barracks. The home of the BDR chief was also stormed and his wife, guests and staff slaughtered before the building was razed. The remains of those butchered in the carnage were dumped in sewers or shallow graves. "Nowhere in the world did anything happen like the way those 57 top army officers were killed," Bangladesh Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters outside the courthouse. The uprising quickly spread to other military bases, with thousands of soldiers seizing weapons and pledging allegiance to the mutineers in Dhaka before it was quashed by the army. An official investigation into the mutiny blamed years of pent-up anger among ordinary soldiers, who felt their appeals for pay rises and better treatment were ignored. Rights groups criticised the scale of the punishments meted out en masse, claiming the trials were "an affront to international legal standards". Bangladesh defended the death sentences, insisting those convicted would have a chance to appeal and denying claims that confessions were extracted through torture. Hundreds were killed in a string of clashes between the Oromo and Somali peoples in September, displacing thousands, and forcing people like this Oromo girl in October to live in temporary camps A renewed bout of clashes between two of Ethiopia's largest ethnic groups killed more than 20 people last week, the state-controlled broadcaster reported on Monday. Fighting again broke out between the Oromo and Somali peoples along the border of their ethnically-demarcated federal regions but the cause of the violence was unknown, according to the Fana Broadcast Corporate. Hundreds of people were killed and tens of thousands displaced in a string of clashes between the ethnic groups in September until the military intervened to quell the bloodshed. "Conflicts claimed the lives of more than 20 people from both regional states," the broadcaster said, citing government spokesman Negeri Lencho. It added that while the security situation has improved since September's bloodshed "it is impossible to say that the conflict is totally ended." The reports of the new clashes came after the government said 103 people had been arrested on suspicion of stoking the September fighting, though it was unclear if the arrests and the violence were connected. Somalis and Oromos have for years squabbled over access to arable land along their borders, but the clashes two months ago were much more widespread, with one local official in a city near the border saying 67,800 Oromos alone had fled. Ethiopia's government has prioritised ending the conflict and helping the survivors, and three other regions in the country have donated 30 million birr ($1 million, 919,000 euros) to assist people displaced by the crisis. Pope Francis, who is visiting Myanmar to spread a message of peace, has spoken up several times for the Rohingya Myanmar's army chief Min Aung Hlaing said he told Pope Francis his country had "no religious discrimination" after the pair met late Monday, in a papal visit framed by the exodus of the Rohingya Muslim minority. "Myanmar has no religious discrimination at all," he said in a Facebook post by his office. "Likewise our military too... (it) performs for the peace and stability of the country." The Tatmadaw, as his army is known, has been accused by the UN and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of conducting a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" by driving 620,000 Rohingya from western Myanmar into Bangladesh since August. Myanmar denies any wrongdoing despite testimony by refugees pointing to a widespread campaign of rape, murder and arson. The Rohingya, who are effectively stateless, are subject to a suffocating web of state-enforced restrictions. Most are denied citizenship by Myanmar, which says they are illegal "Bengali" immigrants. Last week Amnesty International called western Rakhine state a "crime scene", describing the restrictions on the Rohingya as tantamount to "apartheid". The pope, who is visiting Myanmar to spread a message of peace, has spoken up several times for the Rohingya as the crisis has unfolded calling the benighted group "brothers and sisters". His comments have enraged hardline Buddhist nationalists in Myanmar, who are now waiting to see if he uses the term "Rohingya" during his four-day trip. Min Aung Hlaing's office said the senior general had welcomed the pope during a brief 15 minute meeting in Yangon and told the pontiff there was also "no discrimination between ethnic groups in Myanmar". The Rohingya are not recognised as an official ethnic group. An Iraqi national flag flies in front of excess gas being burnt off in an oil refinery in Zubair, southwest of Basra in southern Iraq, on March 3, 2016 Iraq on Monday invited foreign firms to apply for tenders to explore and develop eight oil and gas fields along its Iranian and Kuwaiti borders, along with an offshore bloc. The call was issued by Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaybi. "The aim of these development plans... is to achieve the ministry's goal aimed at maximising oil and gas reserves and optimising investments in border blocs neglected in past decades due to wars," Luaybi said at a press conference in Baghdad. Eight of the fields are located in the southern and eastern provinces of Basra, Missan, Muthanna, Wassit and Diyala, while the ninth is offshore in Iraqi territorial waters in the Gulf, he said. Iraq fought a devastating eight-year war with its neighbour Iran from 1980 under former dictator Saddam Hussein, but the two countries have become close allies after Saddam's fall in 2013 and the rise of a Shiite-led government in Baghdad. In August 1990, Saddam ordered the invasion of Kuwait after Baghdad accused its neighbour of "stealing" Iraqi oil from the key Rumaila oilfield which straddles the two countries. The Kuwait invasion led to the first Gulf war, which ended after a US-led international coalition ousted Iraqi forces from the emirate. Another US-led invasion in 2003, the rise of the Islamic State group and the fightback against it, conflict between Baghdad and the Kurds over disputed northern oilfields and years of low crude prices have combined to devastate Iraq's oil industry. Iraq is a founding member of the OPEC cartel and its second largest producer after Saudi Arabia, but currently only exports around 4.4 million barrels of oil per day. Luaybi is due to travel to Vienna on Monday to attend a meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cartel, which is set to discuss a reduction in oil production. The bidding process to exploit the eight blocs will open on June 21, according to Abdel Mahdi al-Aidi, who heads the department in charge of contracts at Iraq's oil ministry. Supporters of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Qamishli celebrate the fall of Raqa in October 2017 Washington will "adjust" its delivery of weapons to an anti-jihadist alliance in Syria dominated by Kurdish fighters, Kurdish officials said Monday, insisting that collaboration with the United States will "continue". The Pentagon, however, was vague about what an adjustment might mean, and the comments come after Turkey said it had received White House assurances that it would halt weapons supplies to the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the main Kurdish militia in Syria. The US began supplying weapons directly to the YPG earlier this year as part of its support for the anti-jihadist Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, which is dominated by the Kurdish militia. The decision deeply angered Ankara, which considers the YPG a "terrorist" group. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that US President Donald Trump had told Turkey the weapons deliveries would end. "Mr Trump said he gave a clear order and that after this, weapons would not be supplied to the YPG, essentially he said this nonsense should have been ended earlier," Cavusoglu said at a press conference in Ankara. Washington was less explicit, describing only "pending adjustments" to its support for the YPG, which forms the backbone of the SDF that ousted the Islamic State group from Raqa last month. "We are taking a hard look at the adjustments that need to be made to the military support provided to our Kurdish partners," Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning told reporters. "We are always taking a look and assessing how we can do that better." He said the US had always been clear that weapons provided to the YPG would be limited, "mission-specific", and provided incrementally. "We are taking a look at the things that need to happen to make sure we are providing support consistent with those previous agreements," Manning added. - 'No changes' in relations - Kurdish officials told AFP on Monday that any changes to weapons deliveries were the natural consequence of their successes against IS, and not a reflection of any change in their ties with Washington. "There are no changes to the relations between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the US administration," said Abdel Karim Amr, an official with the Kurdish semi-autonomous administration in northern Syria. "Obviously, there will be an adjustment in the delivery of arms to the SDF after the elimination of IS, but there is no change in US policy regarding coordination" with the alliance, he added. "The support will continue until we eliminate all that remains of IS's presence in the entire region where there is coordination between the US administration and the SDF," said Amr, who is charged with external relations for the Kurdish administration. He described Turkey's statements on the issue as "incorrect" and "imprecise". "We are the partners of the international coalition that is fighting terrorism, and that partnership will continue," added Mustefa Bali of the SDF's press office. "We still have much to do with our partners in the coalition," he added. The SDF has been a key partner of the US-led coalition against IS, and together they have driven the jihadists from strongholds including their one-time de facto Syrian capital Raqa. But the relationship has caused tensions between Washington and Ankara, which launched its own military intervention in Syria last year targeting both IS and the YPG. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began with anti-government protests in March 2011. Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma unlawfully dismissed his vice president after he was expelled from the ruling party, a West African regional court said Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma unlawfully dismissed his vice president after he was expelled from the ruling party, a West African regional court said on Monday. Samuel Sam-Sumana was kicked out of the All People's Congress (APC) in March 2015 on suspicion of fomenting violence, deceit, fraud and threatening party officials. He went into hiding and applied for asylum in the United States, then appealed the expulsion to the country's Supreme Court, where he lost in September 2015. But judge Chijioke Nwoke and two others at the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said due process had not been followed. The APC constitution includes a 30-day appeals period. The party expelled Sam-Sumana on March 6, 2015 and he filed his appeal 20 days later. "On this ground alone, it is sufficient to void the applicant's removal from office," Nwoke said in a written judgment read to the court in Abuja on Monday. "In all circumstances, it is always required that the law should be allowed to run its course. "The exercise of power... should be circumscribed with the requirements of due process and this has not been satisfied in this particular case." The judges said as such, his right to participate in government and right to a fair hearing under the African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights had been breached. The court ordered Sierra Leone to back-date Sam-Sumana's salary and benefits from the day of his removal and pay court costs. He had applied for costs of some $10 million (8.4 million euros) but his lawyer, Raymond Atuguba, said it was not immediately clear how much would be paid. "This case was not just about cost," he told reporters outside court. "It's about the integrity of the Sierra Leonian state and the rule of law, which says that a president cannot just get up one fine morning and just dismiss his vice-president." Sam-Sumana hailed the ruling as "a message to our Sierra Leone and Africa as a whole" to use the courts, rather than violence, to resolve disputes. Sierra Leone holds elections next year and Sam-Sumana said the ruling paved the way for him to run for president. "I'm sure by March 7, you will be talking to the next president of Sierra Leone," he told reporters. The court's rulings are binding on all member states, final and not subject to appeal. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plans to raise human rights as well as trade and other issues during his second official visit to China Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will travel to China next week to bolster trade ties as North American continental trade talks fizzle. During the December 3-7 official visit, Trudeau "will promote a progressive trade agenda and tourism initiatives," said his office. He will meet with government and business leaders as part of Canada's concerted push to diversify its trade, most of which is currently with its neighbor the United States. "A strong relationship with China is essential to creating jobs, strengthening the middle class, and growing the Canadian economy," Trudeau said in a statement. He said he also plans to have full and frank discussions on "issues like good governance, human rights, and the rule of law." The visit to China will be Trudeau's second since he came to power two years ago, and comes as trilateral talks with the United States and Mexico to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement appear to be headed toward a deadlock. Canada and Mexico are staunchly opposed to US proposals for a NAFTA sunset clause, minimum US content in car parts and nixing of the pact's trade dispute mechanism. The US has adopted a more protectionist tone under President Donald Trump and his "America First" policy. Beijing, meanwhile, has openly courted increased trade with Canada, including calling for a free trade deal. China is currently Canada's second-largest trading partner, far behind the United States, with bilateral trade of more than Can$85 billion (US$67 billion). Last year Canada's merchandise exports to China rose four percent over 2015, topped by agriculture and forest products, copper and iron ores, and motor vehicles. During the visit to Beijing and Guangzhou, Trudeau will meet with his counterpart Li Keqiang, Chairman Zhang Dejiang of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and President Xi Jinping. Chinese Premier Li travelled to Canada in September last year, when the two sides agreed to double bilateral commerce by 2025. This handout photo taken and released on November 27, 2017 by the World Food Program shows a WFP vessel carrying 25,000 tons of wheat, moored in Yemen's Red Sea port of Saleef The Saudi-led coalition should do "much more" to ease a blockade on Yemen impeding shipments of aid and fully reopen the key port of Hodeida, the UN said Monday. Earlier this month, the coalition battling Iran-backed Huthi rebels imposed a blockade on Yemeni ports and airports in response to a missile fired by the Huthis that was intercepted near Riyadh airport. It eased the blockade allowing a UN plane carrying vaccines to land Saturday in rebel-held Sanaa and on Sunday a vessel carrying wheat docked at Saleef Red Sea port, also in the Huthis' hands. But little aid has entered through the Red Sea port of Hodeida, the main conduit for UN-supervised deliveries of food and medicine and vital to UN efforts as it is closest to the majority of people in need. "Obviously we welcome the easing of the blockade, the partial lifting of it... but much more needs to be done," Jamie McGoldrick, the UN's humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, told AFP. He singled out Hodeida. "We need the ports to be opened fully -- especially Hodeida -- for commercial and humanitarian goods so that people can get food cheaper. Otherwise, more and more people will suffer," he said. "What we need to do is to keep those ports opened and to expand the number of ships coming in to Hodeida port," added McGoldrick. A vessel carrying the first shipment of food aid in three weeks -- 25,000 tonnes of wheat -- docked Sunday at Saleef in western Yemen, a spokesman for the World Food Programme said. Saleef port is around 70 kilometres (45 miles) north of Hodeida. Also on Sunday a ship docked at Hodeida, with the deputy head of the port saying it was a "commercial" vessel not linked to WFP aid. McGoldrick stressed on Monday that the UN was trying to address the needs of seven million people in dire need of assistance, while the rest of Yemen's population "relies solely on the commercial sector". "If the goods don't come in through the normal channels there will be problems in terms of price rises," he said. "The actual amount of goods coming in Hodeida is not sufficient. We need the port opened fully. We cannot rely on other ports." UN officials say Yemen could face the world's largest famine in decades unless the crippling blockade is lifted. The Saudi-led coalition, which intervened to prop up Yemen's government after the Iran-backed Huthis drove it from Sanaa, has demanded tighter inspections of Hodeida port. "We replied to the Saudi-led coalition request. We have two teams ready to go to Riyadh," said McGoldrick, adding however that the UN is still waiting for the Saudis to grant them entry visas to the kingdom. More than 2,000 people have died of cholera in Yemen this year, adding to the 8,600 who have died in the conflict between the Saudi-backed government and the rebels since 2015. Zimbabwe's former finance minister, Ignatius Chombo (2nd R), leaves Harare Magistrate Court shackled to former ZANU-PF Youth League chairperson Kudzai Chipanga (R) after he was remanded in custody on fraud charges on November 25, 2017 Zimbabwe's former finance minister, Ignatius Chombo, who is facing graft charges dating back more than 10 years, was denied bail Monday by a magistrate's court. "The court is of the view that indeed there are compelling reasons to deny the accused person his right to bail,"magistrate Elisha Singano said. "I concur with the state that if the accused is released at this time there will be a public outcry." He also said the risk of Chombo fleeing was high. Chombo is a former secretary for administration in the ruling ZANU-PF party and the last finance minister under President Robert Mugabe. On Saturday, he became the first Mugabe loyalist to be charged following the military intervention that forced the 93-year-old leader from office. He was remanded in custody on fraud charges dating from 2004-2009, when he held a different ministerial role. Chombo -- seen as an ally of Grace Mugabe, the ex-president's controversial wife -- told the court on Saturday that armed men in uniform had detained and questioned him for days at an unknown location. Chombo appeared on Monday in the same court that denied bail to Kudzai Chipanga. The former ZANU-PF youth league leader is facing charges of causing disaffection in the military after he denounced the army chief, Constantino Chiwenga. He was remanded in custody to December 8. The initiative envisages linking China with Africa, Asia and Europe through a network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks A two-day investment forum opened in Morocco's Marrakesh on Monday as China seeks to revive ancient Silk Road trade routes from Asia to Europe and Africa. "The question is how to accelerate cooperation in the field of investment," said Wang Yong, vice president of the China-Africa Development Fund. The event brings together 400 business executives including 150 from China. Morocco's Industry Minister Moulay Hafid Ellalamy said China and Africa "share the same quest for development". "The Silk Road initiative will change the map of international trade," he said, adding that trade and cooperation were already at "unprecedented" levels. The "One Belt, One Road" initiative, unveiled by Xi Jinping's presidency in 2013, envisages linking China with Africa, Asia and Europe through a network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks. "China needs Africa and Africa needs China. We want to tighten ties together," said Tony Dong, executive president of the Sino-European Entrepreneurs Federation. He said Chinese came to Marrakesh "for investment opportunities". "The Chinese make business partners all over the world," he added. China is Africa's key business partner, with trade reaching $190 billion in 2016, according to figures released at the forum. Around 10,000 Chinese industrial enterprises operate in Africa, generating annual business of more than $60 billion. Last year, China was the top foreign investor in Africa with $31.6 billion, the figures given at the forum showed. By the end of 2016, Chinese companies had contributed to projects including railways, highways, ports, airports and power stations in Africa. No caption The US Justice Department charged three Chinese computer security experts Monday with hacking and stealing materials from Moody's Analytics, Siemens, and Trimble, a GPS technology firm. The three were associated with Guangdong-based Guangzhou Boyu Information Technology Company, known as Boyusec, which some Western security analysts allege has links to the Chinese Ministry of State Security. The indictment named Boyusec co-founder Wu Yingzhuo, executive director Dong Hao, and Xia Lei, an employee. It said they hacked the email server of Moody's Analytics in 2011, obtaining access to the emails of a person described as a high-profile economist who represented the Moody's brand -- a description that matches Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi. Moody's did not confirm or deny that, but said it had "worked closely" with the investigation, and had not lost any customer or employee data to the hackers. In 2014 the three Chinese hackers broke into German industrial giant Siemens' computer networks, stealing large amounts of files and data from its energy, technology and transportation businesses, according to the US indictment. It added that in 2015-2016 they stole newly developed hardware and software information from a new global satellite navigation system being developed by Trimble. The three were charged with computer fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, and theft of trade secrets. The indictment did not say what Boyusec did with the information, some of which had clear commercial value. "Once again, the Justice Department and the FBI have demonstrated that hackers around the world who are seeking to steal our companies' most sensitive and valuable information can and will be exposed and held accountable," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Dana Boente. In 2015 then-president Barack Obama extracted a pledge from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to halt Chinese theft of trade secrets. Since then industry and US intelligence experts say the practice has significantly diminished, but not disappeared. Boyusec has been watched as a suspicious actor by Western security firms for several years. Earlier this year the threat intelligence firm Record Future -- which is supported by the US Central Intelligence Agency -- said Boyusec works "on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State Security" and is behind hacking attacks known as APT3. "APT3 has traditionally targeted a wide-range of companies and technologies, likely to fulfill intelligence collection requirements on behalf of the MSS," Recorded Future said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far been questioned six times by detectives of the police national fraud and serious crimes squad over two suspected cases of corruption Israel's parliament on Monday approved at a first reading a bill that opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say is designed to help him survive an ongoing police investigation. If passed into law by a second and third reading it would alter current practice under which at the end of an enquiry police tell the attorney general if they feel that they have enough evidence for a prosecution. Netanyahu has so far been questioned six times by detectives of the police national fraud and serious crimes squad over two suspected cases of corruption. The bill is being fast-tracked by the government and was rushed through a parliamentary preparatory committee Monday hours before the house voted for it by 46 votes to 37. "Two revisions were inserted into the legislation," the website of the Knesset, or parliament, said in English. It said the first would allow the attorney general to ask the police for "input in the existing corruption probes into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." But the police opinion could not be made public, it wrote. "The second revision sets a one-year prison sentence for investigators who leak their conclusions to outside sources." Since the police started grilling Netanyahu in January, Israeli media have been full of leaks on the probe's progress, some reportedly coming from within the police force itself. The bill's sponsor, David Amsalem of Netanyahu's Likud party, said he sought only to protect the rights and reputation of suspects. The Knesset site said that during Monday's committee meeting, MP Tamar Zandberg of the opposition Meretz party called it "a corrupt bill to protect a corrupt prime minister". "The situation today is that the attorney general can make the (police) recommendations public," it quoted Dov Khenin of the opposition Joint List as saying. "According to the new clause, he cannot. This is a dramatic and extreme move. You are silencing the attorney general." Netanyahu is suspected of having received luxury gifts from wealthy supporters, including Israeli businessman and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, who has also been questioned. Milchan, a long-time friend of Netanyahu, reportedly sent him boxes of expensive cigars and other items worth tens of thousands of dollars. In addition to suspicions that the gifts constituted bribery, the police also suspect that he sought a secret pact for favourable coverage with the publisher of the top-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper. The alleged deal, not believed to have been finalised, would have seen Netanyahu receive favourable coverage in return for helping curb Yediot's competitor, the pro-Netanyahu freesheet Israel Hayom. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and says he has been the target of a campaign by political opponents. Australian authorities say more than a dozen attacks have been prevented in the past few years An Islamic State sympathiser planned to buy a gun and kill as many revellers as possible on New Year's Eve in Melbourne, police alleged Tuesday after foiling the plot. Ali Ali, born in Australia to Somali parents, was arrested in a raid on a house in the Melbourne suburb of Werribee on Monday. He appeared in court Tuesday charged with preparing to commit a terrorist attack and collecting documents to facilitate a terror attack. No bail was applied for. Police claim the 20-year-old accessed a guide book online produced by Al-Qaeda on how to carry out terror acts and use firearms, but was arrested before he could purchase an automatic rifle. "What we will be alleging is that he was intending to use a firearm to shoot and kill as many people as he could in the Federation Square area on New Year's Eve," said Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton. "It is a tremendous concern to us that (during) the festive season, when people are out enjoying themselves, that there is a potential plot to commit a terrorist act. That is a huge issue for us but that is why we put the resources in." Federation Square is in the heart of the city, opposite a busy train station and St Paul's Cathedral. It is one of the most popular places to see-in the new year and would be packed on December 31. The alleged plot comes a year after police prevented what they said was another attack in the same area on Christmas Day, arresting several men who planned to use explosives, knives and guns to target the location. - 'Quiet guy' - Patton said Ali, who lives with his parents, had been on their radar since the beginning of the year, part of a small community of extremists that police have been monitoring. His behaviour had gradually escalated over time, but police believe he was acting alone. "The potential of the attack was catastrophic," said Patton, adding that the man was an "Islamic State sympathiser". A person who knows Ali told the Melbourne Herald Sun: "He is a very quiet guy. This is an absolute shock." Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the fact that the Christmas -- New Year period was again a target "reminds us of the depravity of terrorists". "They seek to strike fear in the community when Australians are enjoying time over the Christmas period with their families and friends," he said, adding that there would be high-profile policing over the holiday period. Australian officials have grown increasingly concerned over the threat of extremist attacks, raising the national terror alert level to "probable" in September 2014. Since then, 74 people have been arrested in 347 counter-terror investigations. Authorities say 14 attacks have now been prevented in the past few years, including an IS-directed attempt to bring down a plane using poisonous gas or a crude bomb disguised as a meat mincer. Despite this, several attacks have taken place, including a cafe siege in Sydney in 2014 where two hostages were killed. "We have achieved certain progress in terms of de-escalation and reducing the tensions in the country and moving toward a cease fire," Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey's Prime Minister said Monday that the "Astana process" to revive the Syrian peace process, led by Russia, Turkey and Iran, is working alongside the UN's long-running Geneva discussions rather than competing with them. "This process is not competing with the Geneva process," Binali Yildirim said during an address at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. "Astana peace talks, trilateral meetings, (are) not an alternative to Geneva, what we try to do is prepare infrastructure for solution(s)... in Geneva," he said Russian President Vladimir Putin, alongside Iran and Turkey, has stepped up diplomatic and military initiatives focused on Syria in recent months, including holding seven meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan. He also hosted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last week for three hours of talks aimed at laying the groundwork for progress in the long-dormant peace process. The flurry of activity has resulted in the establishment of four "de-escalation" zones inside Syria. This small measure of success contrasts with THE stalled efforts at ending the war in Geneva. The UN said Monday the Syrian government had not yet confirmed that it would attend talks with the opposition due to restart there on Tuesday. "We have achieved certain progress in terms of de-escalation and reducing the tensions in the country and moving toward a cease fire," Yildirim added at his IISS talk. But the Turkish prime minister reiterated his country's determination to see Bashar al-Assad leave power. "Look how things evolved in Syria, who caused Syria to be in the situation that it is today -- it all happened because of the regime, because of Assad," he said. He added in the long-term, "Assad cannot possibly survive in Syria, we have to accept this". Yildrim also took the opportunity to reaffirm Turkey's commitment to NATO, but noted the tensions over American alliances in the fight against Islamic State (IS). He reiterated that Ankara views the Kurdish PYD group, and its armed wing the YPG -- part of the US-led coalition fighting IS -- as "terrorist organisations". "We have to protect our territory, and we would ideally want to do it together with NATO, and we work hard for that, but unfortunately, our voice was not heard," Yildrim said. The FBI failed to notify scores of U.S. officials that Russian hackers were trying to break into their personal Gmail accounts despite having evidence for at least a year that the targets were in the Kremlin's crosshairs, The Associated Press has found. Nearly 80 interviews with Americans targeted by Fancy Bear, a Russian government-aligned cyberespionage group, turned up only two cases in which the FBI had provided a heads-up. Even senior policymakers discovered they were targets only when the AP told them, a situation some described as bizarre and dispiriting. 'It's utterly confounding,' said Philip Reiner, a former senior director at the National Security Council, who was notified by the AP that he was targeted in 2015. 'You've got to tell your people. You've got to protect your people.' Scores of U.S. diplomatic, military and government figures were not told about attempts to hack into their emails even though the FBI knew they were in the Kremlin's crosshairs, The Associated Press has learned This image shows a portion of a phishing email sent to a Washington area-based military analyst on Nov. 9, 2017 In this image made from video, seen though an interior window, employees work in the offices of Secureworks in Atlanta on Oct. 4, 2017 Catalin Florica, who launched THCServers.com in 2013, poses for a portrait on Oct. 4, 2017. The company based in a remote part of Eastern Europe was used to register the website DCLeaks, which U.S. intelligence has accused of being a front for Russian spies The FBI declined to discuss its investigation into Fancy Bear's spying campaign, but did provide a statement that said in part: 'The FBI routinely notifies individuals and organizations of potential threat information.' Three people familiar with the matter including a current and a former government official said the FBI has known for more than a year the details of Fancy Bear's attempts to break into Gmail inboxes. A senior FBI official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the hacking operation because of its sensitivity, declined to comment on when it received the target list, but said that the bureau was overwhelmed by the sheer number of attempted hacks. 'It's a matter of triaging to the best of our ability the volume of the targets who are out there,' he said. The AP did its own triage, dedicating two months and a small team of reporters to go through a hit list of Fancy Bear targets provided by the cybersecurity firm Secureworks. Previous AP investigations based on the list have shown how Fancy Bear worked in close alignment with the Kremlin's interests to steal tens of thousands of emails from the Democratic Party. The hacking campaign disrupted the 2016 U.S. election and cast a shadow over the presidency of Donald Trump, whom U.S. intelligence agencies say the hackers were trying to help. The Russian government has denied interfering in the American election. The Secureworks list comprises 19,000 lines of targeting data. Going through it, the AP identified more than 500 U.S.-based people or groups and reached out to more than 190 of them, interviewing nearly 80 about their experiences. Many were long-retired, but about one-quarter were still in government or held security clearances at the time they were targeted. Only two told the AP they learned of the hacking attempts on their personal Gmail accounts from the FBI. A few more were contacted by the FBI after their emails were published in the torrent of leaks that coursed through last year's electoral contest. But to this day, some leak victims have not heard from the bureau at all. Charles Sowell, who previously worked as a senior administrator in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and was targeted by Fancy Bear two years ago, said there was no reason the FBI couldn't do the same work the AP did. 'It's absolutely not OK for them to use an excuse that there's too much data,' Sowell said. 'Would that hold water if there were a serial killer investigation, and people were calling in tips left and right, and they were holding up their hands and saying, 'It's too much'? That's ridiculous.' The AP found few traces of the bureau's inquiry as it launched its own investigation two months ago. In October, two AP journalists visited THCServers.com , a brightly lit, family-run internet company on the former grounds of a communist-era chicken farm outside the Romanian city of Craiova. That's where someone registered DCLeaks.com, the first of three websites to publish caches of emails belonging to Democrats and other U.S. officials in mid-2016. DCLeaks was clearly linked to Fancy Bear. Previous AP reporting found that all but one of the site's victims had been targeted by the hacking group before their emails were dumped online. Yet THC founder Catalin Florica said he was never approached by law enforcement. 'It's curious,' Florica said. 'You are the first ones that contact us.' THC merely registered the site, a simple process that typically takes only a few minutes. But the reaction was similar at the Kuala Lumpur offices of the Malaysian web company Shinjiru Technology , which hosted DCLeaks' stolen files for the duration of the electoral campaign. The company's chief executive, Terence Choong, said he had never heard of DCLeaks until the AP contacted him. 'What is the issue with it?' he asked. Questions over the FBI's handling of Fancy Bear's broad hacking sweep date to March 2016, when agents arrived unannounced at Hillary Clinton's headquarters in Brooklyn to warn her campaign about a surge of rogue, password-stealing emails. The agents offered little more than generic security tips the campaign had already put into practice and refused to say who they thought was behind the attempted intrusions, according to a person who was there and spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversation was meant to be confidential. Questions emerged again after it was revealed that the FBI never took custody of the Democratic National Committee's computer server after it was penetrated by Fancy Bear in April 2016. Former FBI Director James Comey testified this year that the FBI worked off a copy of the server, which he described as an 'appropriate substitute.' Retired Maj. James Phillips was one of the first people to have the contents of his inbox published by DCLeaks when the website made its June 2016 debut. But the Army veteran said he didn't realize his personal emails were 'flapping in the breeze' until a journalist phoned him two months later. 'The fact that a reporter told me about DCLeaks kind of makes me sad,' he said. 'I wish it had been a government source.' Phillips' story would be repeated again and again as the AP spoke to officials from the National Defense University in Washington to the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado. Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes, a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, was one of scores of U.S. diplomatic, military and government figures who were not told about attempts to hack into their emails even though the FBI knew they were in the Kremlin's crosshairs Among them: a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, retired Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes; a former head of Air Force Intelligence, retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula; a former defense undersecretary, Eric Edelman; and a former director of cybersecurity for the Air Force, retired Lt. Gen. Mark Schissler. Retired Maj. Gen. Brian Keller, a former director of military support at the Geospatial Intelligence Agency, was not informed, even after DCLeaks posted his emails to the internet. In a telephone call with AP, Keller said he still wasn't clear on what had happened, who had hacked him or whether his data was still at risk. 'Should I be worried or alarmed or anything?' asked Keller, who left the spy satellite agency in 2010 and now works in private industry. Not all the interviewees felt the FBI had a responsibility to alert them. 'Perhaps optimistically, I have to conclude that a risk analysis was done and I was not considered a high enough risk to justify making contact,' said a former Air Force chief of staff, retired Gen. Norton Schwartz, who was targeted by Fancy Bear in 2015. Others argued that the FBI may have wanted to avoid tipping the hackers off or that there were too many people to notify. 'The expectation that the government is going to protect everyone and go back to everyone is false,' said Nicholas Eftimiades, a retired senior technical officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency who teaches homeland security at Pennsylvania State University in Harrisburg and was himself among the targets. But the government is supposed to try, said Michael Daniel, who served as President Barack Obama's White House cybersecurity coordinator. Daniel wouldn't comment directly on why so many Fancy Bear targets weren't warned in this case, but he said the issue of how and when to notify people 'frankly still needs more work.' In the absence of any official warning, some of those contacted by AP brushed off the idea that they were taken in by a foreign power's intelligence service. 'I don't open anything I don't recognize,' said Joseph Barnard, who headed the personnel recovery branch of the Air Force's Air Combat Command. That may well be true of Barnard; Secureworks' data suggests he never clicked the malicious link sent to him in June 2015. But it isn't true of everyone. A motorcycle is parked outside the THCServers.com company headquarters, outside Craiova, southern Romania An AP analysis of the data suggests that out of 312 U.S. military and government figures targeted by Fancy Bear, 131 clicked the links sent to them. That could mean that as many as 2 in 5 came perilously close to handing over their passwords. It's not clear how many gave up their credentials in the end or what the hackers may have acquired. Some of those accounts hold emails that go back years, when even many of the retired officials still occupied sensitive posts. Overwhelmingly, interviewees told AP they kept classified material out of their Gmail inboxes, but intelligence experts said Russian spies could use personal correspondence as a springboard for further hacking, recruitment or even blackmail. 'You start to have information you might be able to leverage against that person,' said Sina Beaghley, a researcher at the RAND Corp. who served on the NSC until 2014. In the few cases where the FBI did warn targets, they were sometimes left little wiser about what was going on or what to do. Rob 'Butch' Bracknell, a 20-year military veteran who works as a NATO lawyer in Norfolk, Virginia, said an FBI agent visited him about a year ago to examine his emails and warn him that a 'foreign actor' was trying to break into his account. 'He was real cloak-and-dagger about it,' Bracknell said. 'He came here to my work, wrote in his little notebook and away he went.' Left to fend for themselves, some targets have been improvising their cybersecurity. Retired Gen. Roger A. Brady, who was responsible for American nuclear weapons in Europe as part of his past role as commander of the U.S. Air Force there, turned to Apple support this year when he noticed something suspicious on his computer. Hughes, a former DIA head, said he had his hard drive replaced by the 'Geek Squad' at a Best Buy in Florida after his machine began behaving strangely. Keller, the former senior spy satellite official, said it was his son who told him his emails had been posted to the web after getting a Google alert in June 2016. A former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, who like many others was repeatedly targeted by Fancy Bear but has yet to receive any warning from the FBI, said the lackluster response risked something worse than last year's parade of leaks. 'Our government needs to be taking greater responsibility to defend its citizens in both the physical and cyber worlds, now, before a cyberattack produces an even more catastrophic outcome than we have already experienced,' McFaul said. LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Latest on the 2017 edition of the Miss Universe pageant taking place in Las Vegas (all times local): 7 p.m. The woman representing South Africa has won the Miss Universe crown. Contestants embrace new Miss Universe Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, in crown, at the Miss Universe pageant Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, who recently earned a business management degree, was crowned Sunday during the event that took place at The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez. The second runner-up was Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett. Ninety-two women from around the world participated in the decades-old competition. This year's edition had the most contestants ever. The 22-year-old Nel-Peters has earned a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign and more prizes. Last year, Iris Mittenaere from France was crowned when the pageant took place in the Philippines. ___ 6:40 p.m. Women representing Jamaica, Colombia and South Africa are the last contestants on this year's Miss Universe pageant. The pageant on Sunday kicked off with 92 contestants, which were eliminated by stages that included geographic division, swimsuit and evening gown modeling, and a round of questions. The annual pageant is airing live on FOX from The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort in Las Vegas. This year's competition had more contestants than ever before. The 21-year-old Davina Bennett is representing Jamaica. The representative of Colombia is 22-year-old Laura Gonzalez. South Africa is being represented by 22-year-old Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters. The winner will go home with a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign and more prizes. ___ 6:20 p.m. Only five women are still in the running for the Miss Universe crown. The field of contestants was narrowed down Sunday, after 10 women modeled their evening gowns while Grammy-Award winner Fergie performed her new song "A Little Work." The remaining contestants represent South Africa, Thailand, Venezuela, Jamaica and Colombia. This year's edition of the annual pageant is airing live on FOX from The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort in Las Vegas. The five contestants will be asked questions during the next stage of the competition. The winner will go home with a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign and more prizes. ___ 5:50 p.m. Ten finalists have been chosen in the Miss Universe pageant. Six women were not selected to move on Sunday after the swimsuit portion of the competition, which is filmed live at The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort in Las Vegas. The U.S. representative Kara McCullough, of Washington, D.C., modeled a two-piece bikini and made the top 10. The other finalists represent Venezuela, Philippines, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Brazil, Colombia, Thailand and Jamaica. Host Steve Harvey has poked fun at his 2015 botched Miss Universe crowning throughout the night. Three days after people in the U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving, Harvey told the audience he is "grateful for the Oscars," referring to the best-picture flub at this year's Academy Awards. ___ 5:15 p.m. The competition is down to 16 women. The Miss Universe pageant has eliminated 76 contestants after separating the women by geographic region for the first time during the show airing live on Fox from The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort in Las Vegas. The women representing Thailand, Sri Lanka, Ghana and South Africa were chosen to move forward in the competition for the Africa and Asian Pacific region. Representatives from Spain, Ireland, Croatia and Great Britain have advanced from the Europe group. Meanwhile, Colombia, Canada, Brazil and the U.S. will continue in the pageant after being picked from the Americas region. The wild cards went to Venezuela, Jamaica, China and Philippines. The winner goes home with a yearlong salary, a luxury apartment in New York City for the duration of her reign and more prizes. ___ 4:25 p.m. This year's edition of the Miss Universe pageant has separated contestants by geographic region for the first time. The 92 women on Sunday were divided into three regions: Americas, Europe, and Africa and Asian Pacific. Four contestants from each region are guaranteed to advance to the finals. Four other women regardless of region will also move forward in the competition. This year's pageant has more contestants than ever before. Host Steve Harvey says Cambodia, Laos and Nepal are being represented for the first time in the show. The decades-old competition is airing live on Fox from The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort in Las Vegas. Grammy-Award winner Fergie and Rachel Platten, best known for her 2015 hit "Fight Song," are scheduled to perform during the show. ___ 4:05 p.m. The 2017 edition of the Miss Universe pageant has begun in Las Vegas. More than 90 women are taking part in the decades-old competition airing live on Fox from The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort. Members of the audience waved flags from dozens of countries as the showed kicked off. Steve Harvey has returned as the show's host despite botching the 2015 Miss Universe crowning. Grammy-Award winner Fergie and Rachel Platten, best known for her 2015 hit "Fight Song," are scheduled to perform during the show. The 92 women include representatives from Iraq, Austria, Japan and Venezuela. This is the largest Miss Universe in the pageant's history. The U.S. is being represented by Washington D.C.'s Kara McCullough. Current Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere from France will crown her successor. ___ 3:27 p.m. More than 90 women from around the world are set to take the stage in the Miss Universe pageant. A new Miss Universe will be crowned Sunday, when the contest returns to Las Vegas. Ninety-two women will take part in decades-old pageant that will air live at 7 p.m. EST on Fox from The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort. Steve Harvey returns as the show's host despite botching the 2015 Miss Universe crowning. Grammy-Award winner Fergie and Rachel Platten, best known for her 2015 hit "Fight Song," are scheduled to perform during the show. This year's judges include YouTube star Lele Pons and former judge on "America's Next Top Model" Jay Manuel. Kara McCullough of Washington, D.C. is representing the U.S. Current Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere from France will crown her successor. Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett competes at the Miss Universe pageant Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) From left, final five finalists Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett, Miss Thailand Maria Poonlertlarp, Miss Venezuela Keysi Sayago and Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters stand on stage at the Miss Universe pageant Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett competes at the Miss Universe pageant Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Contestants stand on stage during the Miss Universe pageant Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Contestants stand on stage at the Miss Universe pageant Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Contestants walk across the stage at the Miss Universe pageant Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) NEW YORK (AP) - A jury was selected Monday at a criminal trial where the fate of the lone defendant has been overshadowed by the mystery over the whereabouts of his onetime co-defendant, a wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader whose arrest caused a diplomatic stir. The trader, Reza Zarrab, had once been headed to go before a U.S. jury with Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla in federal court in Manhattan. But Zarrab stopped appearing at pretrial hearings several weeks ago, and his name was removed from a roster of jail inmates, prompting speculation he is cooperating with the U.S. and may testify against Atilla. Zarrab, 33, was a no-show again on Monday, with U.S. District Judge Richard Berman telling prospective jurors that Atilla is "the only defendant in this trial." This photo shows the federal courthouse in New York, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the trial of Halkbank Deputy CEO Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a top executive for a state-run bank in Turkey, accused of conspiring to help Iran evade economic sanctions. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) The names of Zarrab and his wife, Turkish pop star and TV personality Ebru Gundes, did appear on a newly filed list of people whose names could come up in the case. But it remained unclear if he'll have any role in a prosecution accusing him of bribing Turkish bank and customs officials with millions of dollars. Lawyers for Zarrab haven't commented. Prosecutors said he's still in U.S. custody, but they wouldn't comment further. Opening statements are expected to begin Tuesday. Attilla, a former deputy CEO for state-run Halkbank, has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he conspired to process hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of financial transactions for Iranian businesses or Iran's government through U.S. banks. Authorities say those transactions are banned by U.S. and international sanctions. The government in Turkey, where Zarrab is well-known, has depicted the trial as a conspiracy. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag described him as a "hostage" being forced to testify against Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly asked the U.S. to release him. NEW YORK (AP) - Weeks of deals didn't stop people from heading online to shop on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday is likely to be the biggest U.S. online shopping day ever, according to Adobe Analytics, the research arm of software maker Adobe. Nearly $6.6 billion in sales were forecast by the end of the day, up about 17 percent from a year ago, Adobe said. And more people are picking up their phones to shop: Web traffic from mobile devices, including tablets, is expected to top desktop computers for the first time this year, Adobe said. When Frank Yanover browsed Amazon's Cyber Monday deals through his phone, he wasn't looking for anything in particular. But he spent $300 on a Vitamix blender that he had eyed before, which he said was a $200 discount. FILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015, file photo, Amazon Prime employee Alicia Jackson hunts for items at the company's urban fulfillment facility that have been ordered by customers, in New York. Shoppers are expected to spend $6.6 billion on Cyber Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, up more than 16 percent from a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics, the research arm of software maker Adobe. And more people will be picking up their phones to shop: Web traffic from smartphones and tablets is expected to top desktop computers for the first time this year, Adobe said. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) "I never bought it because it was so expensive," said Yanover, who is retired and lives in Hollywood, Florida. Over the holiday weekend, he bought an iPad from Best Buy through his phone and then picked it up at a store. And using his voice-activated Echo, he bought Amazon's $30 Echo Dot for his bedroom, which was $20 off. Others seem to be doing the same. The Echo Dot was the top-selling electronic item on Amazon, followed by the Fire TV. Board games, Fingerlings and Legos were best-sellers in Amazon's toy section. Over at eBay, one $745 Apple MacBook Air was sold every five seconds, the company said. And J.C. Penney said its top-selling items on its website were towels, $25 diamond stud earrings and a Liz Claiborne bag that has a built-in phone charger. Target and Toys R Us offered 15 percent off most items. Walmart.com tripled the amount of items available on its site from last year. But Amazon is expected to be the big winner over the holiday season, with Bain & Co. expecting the online retailer to capture 50 percent of all online sales growth this year. C. Britt Beemer, the chairman of the consumer-focused America's Research Group, says computers and smaller electronics were the top-sellers this Cyber Monday, followed by clothing. "It's easier to ship," he says about apparel. The shift to online shopping has been noticeable even before Cyber Monday. At a Toys R Us in Toledo, Ohio, on Friday, the parking lot was about half full. Melissa Wetzel, who said she would also do some shopping online, said her Black Friday in-store shopping had been relaxing since she didn't have to fight the crowds. "It's been pretty easy," she said. "I guess most are shopping online." __ Associated Press reporters Shelley Adler in Washington, D.C., and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed to this report. SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (AP) - A Malaysian doctor has testified in the trial of two women accused of murdering the estranged half brother of North Korea's leader that the victim's pupils contracted and his underwear was soiled with feces, both signs of poisoning. Siti Aisyah of Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam, the only suspects in custody, pleaded not guilty at the start of their trial on Oct. 2. They were accused of smearing the banned VX nerve agent on Kim Jong Nam's face at a crowded airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13, killing him within two hours. Nurliza Abdullah, a government doctor who conducted the autopsy on Kim's body, told the court Monday that the pupil constriction and the large excrement found in Kim's underwear both pointed to poisoning. Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, right, is escorted by police as she arrives for a court hearing at the Shah Alam court house in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Huong and Indonesia Siti Aisyah are accused of killing Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (AP Photo/Sadiq Asyraf) CORRECTS NAME TO JONG UN - Indonesian Siti Aisyah is escorted by police as she arrives for a court hearing at the Shah Alam court house in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong are accused of killing Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (AP Photo/Sadiq Asyraf) KUTUPALONG REFUGEE CAMP, Bangladesh (AP) - Many of the refugees who have been flooding into Bangladesh to escape the Myanmar military say they're hopeful that a visit to the region by Pope Francis will help bring peace. Francis will be treading a difficult diplomatic line on his visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar, where he is due to arrive Monday afternoon. While the international community has condemned Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims as "ethnic cleansing," the Catholic church has resisted the term and defended Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi as the only hope for democracy. In this Sept. 7, 2017 photo, an exhausted Rohingya Muslim woman is carried in a cloth sling as she arrives at Kutupalong refugee camp after having just crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh. While the international community has condemned Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims as "ethnic cleansing," the Catholic church has resisted the term and defended Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi as the only hope for democracy. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) At the crowded Kutupalong refugee camp in southern Bangladesh, Mohammad Rafiq said he was very happy when he heard about the visit by Francis. The 20-year-old fled Myanmar last month. "Our rights, our minority community and our citizenship have been snatched by the Myanmar government," Rafiq said. "We are hoping that with his talks and his efforts, we will get all of that back." Mohammad Nadir Hossain, 25, said the pope will get to see the sad situation that refugees face. "If he wants, he can calm the Myanmar government down and bring peace by talking to us," Hossain said. "We are suffering a lot right now. We are very worried. So, we are very grateful that he is coming." In Myanmar, Francis will meet with Suu Kyi as well as the powerful head of the nation's military and Buddhist monks. In Bangladesh, he will meet with a small group of Rohingya but isn't scheduled to visit the refugee camps. The question remains whether the pope will even use the term "Rohingya" during the trip. Myanmar's local Catholic Church has publicly urged Francis to avoid the term, which is shunned by many locally because the ethnic group is not a recognized minority in the country. Rohingya in recent months have been subject to what the United Nations describes as a campaign of "textbook ethnic cleansing" by the military in poverty-wracked Rakhine state. Since violence erupted in late August, more than 620,000 Rohingya men, women, and children have crossed over into Bangladesh from Myanmar, carrying with them tales of persecution, rape, and murder by the Myanmar military and Buddhist vigilantes. Whatever term Francis uses, refugees like Hamida Begum, 35, believe the pope is visiting Myanmar to help them. She made the treacherous trip to Bangladesh three months ago. "He can help send us back to Myanmar legally," she said. "Or he can take us somewhere else from here. Perhaps to some other foreign country. Whatever he wants, he can do." Senu Ara, 35, who left Myanmar in September, also welcomes the pope's visit. "He might help us get the peace that we are desperately searching for," she said. "Even if we stay here he will make our situation better. If he decides to send us back, he will do so in a peaceful way." In this Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 photo, a Rohingya Muslim man carries an elderly woman through water after crossing the border from Myanmar into Bangladesh, near Palong Khali, Bangladesh. While the international community has condemned Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims as "ethnic cleansing," the Catholic church has resisted the term and defended Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi as the only hope for democracy. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) Pope Francis is greeted by young children in traditional clothes upon his arrival at Yangon's airport, Myanmar, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. The pontiff is in Myanmar for the first stage of a week-long visit that will also take him to neighboring Bangladesh. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) In this Nov. 11, 2017, photo, Rohingya Muslims travel on a raft made with plastic containers on which they crossed over the Naf river from Myanmar into Bangladesh, near Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh. Myanmar's local Catholic Church has publicly urged Pope Francis to avoid the term "Rohingya", which is shunned by many locally because the ethnic group is not a recognized minority in the country. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) In this Sept. 21, 2017 photo, a Rohingya Muslim boy pleads for food near Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh. Rohingya in recent months have been subject to what the United Nations describes as a campaign of "textbook ethnic cleansing" by the military in poverty-wracked Rakhine state. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) In this Nov. 10, 2017 photo, a Bangladeshi Border Guard, right, counts a group of newly arrived Rohingya Muslims near Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh. In Bangladesh Pope Francis will meet with a small group of Rohingya but isn't scheduled to visit the refugee camps. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) In this Sept. 14, 2017, photo, Rohingya Muslim arrive on a boat from Myanmar to Bangladesh in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh. . While the international community has condemned Myanmar's crackdown on Rohingya Muslims as "ethnic cleansing," the Catholic church has resisted the term and defended Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi as the only hope for democracy. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) In this Nov. 12, 2017, photo, Rohingya Muslims travel on a raft made with plastic containers on which they crossing over the Naf river from Myanmar into Bangladesh, near Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh. Many of the refugees who have been flooding into Bangladesh to escape the Myanmar military say they're hopeful that a visit to the region by Pope Francis will help bring peace. Francis will be treading a difficult diplomatic line on his visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar, where he is due to arrive Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/A.M. Ahad) KARANGASEM, Indonesia (AP) - The Latest on a rumbling volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali (all times local): 11:40 a.m. Thousands of tourists remain stuck on Indonesia's island of Bali after its airport was closed for a second day due to hazards created by clouds of ash from an erupting volcano. Mount Agung volcano erupts in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency says the airport on the tourist island of Bali is closed for a second day due to the threat from volcanic ash. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) The word "cancelled" lit up every slot on large flight information boards at the Ngurah Rai International Airport. Some passengers stood in line at help desks hoping for more information, while others sat waiting patiently. "I don't know, we can't change it," said German tourist Gina Camp, who is supposed to fly Tuesday afternoon. "It's the nature and we have to wait until it's over." She decided to look on the bright side, saying she planned to go back outside to enjoy another day on the island. Mount Agung, which has a history of violent eruptions, began waking up two months ago and prompted mass evacuations near the mountain. Its last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people. ____ 6:50 a.m. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency says the airport on the tourist island of Bali is closed for a second day due to the threat from volcanic ash. Mount Agung in the northeast of the island, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the airport, has continued erupting Tuesday, sending plumes of smoke and ash about 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) above the crater. Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the airport closure is in effect until 7 a.m. Wednesday. He said the airport on neighboring Lombok has reopened after being closed on Monday night. More than 400 flights were canceled and nearly 60,000 passengers stranded Monday on the first day of its closure. ___ 8:30 p.m. Ash from Bali's volcano is disrupting life on parts of the tourist island that are outside the immediate danger zone. At Buana Giri village, some residents said they were leaving because the area is now inhospitable for their livestock. Villager Made Kerta Kartika said ash has covered the area since Sunday and made farming difficult. "Ash that covered the trees and grass is very difficult for us because the cows cannot eat," he said. "I have to move the cows from this village." The eruption of Mount Agung has forced the closure of the island's airport and authorities have ordered 100,000 people to evacuate from areas close to the volcano. ___ 7:05 p.m. China says there were 17,000 Chinese tourists on Bali before the latest eruption of Mount Agung. The Chinese consulate on the Indonesian island said on its website that airlines and travel services were arranging 100 buses to take tourists to catch ferries to neighboring Java. The Chinese foreign ministry issued a statement urging travelers to be "vigilant about safety" when deciding whether to visit Bali. China Eastern Airlines, one of the country's biggest carriers, canceled flights Sunday and said passengers due to fly any time between then and Dec. 10 could obtain refunds. ___ 4:15 p.m. The closure of Bali's airport due to volcanic ash is having a disruptive effect on flights around Indonesia and the region. Bali is a hub airport in Indonesia with many flights transiting there for domestic as well as international destinations. Planes that would have flown other routes Monday are now stuck on the tarmac in Bali. Human Rights Watch Indonesia researcher Andreas Harsono said he was waiting two hours at Jakarta's terminal 3 for his delayed flight to a domestic destination. He said other flight delays have been announced at the terminal, which serves national carrier Garuda, and the departure area is filling up with many waiting passengers. ___ 1:10 p.m. Spokesman for Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency says lava is welling up in the crater of the Mount Agung volcano on Bali "which will certainly spill over to the slopes." Volcanologists say the lava's presence is sometimes reflected in the ash plume which takes on a reddish-orange glow even in daytime. Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said bigger eruptions than those currently happening are possible based on the information the disaster agency is receiving from the volcano monitoring center. He said that "since yesterday there were explosive eruptions whose sound was heard up to 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) away." Nugroho said officials are responding based on a worst-case scenario occurring because Agung has a history of violent eruptions. Its last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people. He said "We cannot be sure whether this time eruptions will be the same with 1963." ___ 11:50 a.m. Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency says as many as 100,000 villagers need to leave the expanded danger zone around the Mount Agung volcano on Bali, but that less than half that number have left. Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference in Jakarta that the extension of the danger zone to 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the crater in places affects 22 villages and about 90,000 to 100,000 people. The volcano's alert was raised to the highest level earlier Monday and ash clouds have forced the closure of Bali's international airport. Nugroho said about 40,000 people have evacuated but others have not left because they feel safe or don't want to abandon their livestock. He said that "authorities will comb the area to persuade them. If needed, we will forcibly evacuate them." ___ 10:50 a.m. Indonesia's Directorate General of Land Transportation says 100 buses are being deployed to Bali's international airport and to ferry terminals to help travelers stranded by the eruption of Mount Agung. Bali's international airport was closed early Monday after ash from the volcano reached its airspace. Hundreds of flights were canceled and tens of thousands of travelers affected. The agency's chief, Budi, said major ferry crossing points have been advised to prepare for a surge in passengers and vehicles. Stranded tourists could leave Bali by taking a ferry to neighboring Java and then travel by land to the nearest airports. Authorities say the airport closure is in effect until Tuesday morning and is being reviewed every six hours. A flight information board shows cancelled flights at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency says the airport on the tourist island of Bali is closed for a second day due to the threat from volcanic ash. (AP Photo/Ketut Nataan) Passengers talk to ground crew as their flights are cancelled at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency says the airport on the tourist island of Bali is closed for a second day due to the threat from volcanic ash. (AP Photo/Ketut Nataan) School students stand on a truck as their transport to go to school with the Mount Agung volcano spews smoke and ash in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. Indonesia authorities raised the alert for the rumbling volcano to highest level on Monday and closed the international airport on the tourist island of Bali stranding some thousands of travellers. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) School students stand on a truck as their transport to go to school with the Mount Agung volcano spews smoke and ash in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. Indonesia authorities raised the alert for the rumbling volcano to highest level on Monday and closed the international airport on the tourist island of Bali stranding some thousands of travellers.(AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) YANGON, Myanmar (AP) - The Latest on Pope Francis's trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh (all times local): 7 p.m. Pope Francis has met with Myanmar's powerful military chief and spoken about the "great responsibility" that authorities have in Myanmar's transition. Pope Francis, right, waves upon arrival at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) The Vatican said the meeting with Gen. Min Aung Hlaing and three officials from Myanmar's bureau of special operations took place Monday evening at the residence of the Myanmar archbishop and lasted about 15 minutes. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke didn't provide details of the private meeting other than to say that "they spoke of the great responsibility of the authorities of the country in this moment of transition." Min Aung Hlaing is in charge of military operations in Rakhine state, where security forces have launched a scorched earth campaign against Rohingya Muslims that has forced more than 620,000 to flee to neighboring Bangladesh in what the U.N. says is a campaign of "ethnic cleansing." Francis' meeting with the commander had been scheduled for Wednesday morning, but was moved up to just a few hours after he landed in Yangon on a trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh. ___ 2 p.m. Rohingya Muslims confined to a camp in a troubled Myanmar state say they hope Pope Francis will call them the same as he did when he prayed for the Rohingya as brothers and sisters. Myanmar's local Catholic Church has publicly urged Francis to avoid using the term, which is shunned by many locally because Rohingya are not a recognized ethnic minority in the country. More than 620,000 Rohingya have fled recent violence for Bangladesh, but more than 100,000 have been confined to a concentration camp-like enclave in the Rakhine state capital of Sittwe since 2012. Faizel, a 27-year-old Rohingya in the Sittwe camp, said the residents were hopeful the pope's trip would bring positive outcomes. But he feared the pope might not use the word in the face of the pressure. Faizel said "All Rohingya simply want to be treated the same as other human beings." ___ 1:30 p.m. Pope Francis has arrived in Yangon for a visit to encourage tiny Catholic communities in Myanmar and Bangladesh. He was greeted by local Catholic officials at the airport Monday afternoon. Thousands of Catholics came from across the country to Yangon, many waving to his car along the road, playing traditional music and wearing attire of their various ethnic groups. Francis will meet separately with Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, its powerful military chief and Buddhist monks during his stay in Myanmar. He goes later in the week to Bangladesh where he will greet a delegation of Rohingya Muslims and meet with Bangladesh's political and religious leadership in Dhaka. Masses for the Catholic faithful and meetings with the local church hierarchy round out the itinerary in each country. ___ 12:30 p.m. Thousands of Catholics from across Myanmar have come to the nation's biggest city of Yangon to welcome Pope Francis to the country. The pope is due to arrive Monday afternoon. His visit will include meetings with Myanmar leaders before heading to Bangladesh. Father Brang Htoi came with 1,600 Catholics from Kachin state to welcome the pope at the airport. He says, "We are very excited to welcome him." Catholics are one of the smallest religious minority groups in Myanmar with over 660,000 people, just over 1 percent of the population of 52 million. Ethnic Kachin men play instruments as they wait to welcome the arrival of Pope Francis outside Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Thousands of Catholics from across Myanmar have come to the nation's biggest city of Yangon to welcome Pope Francis to the country. The pope is due to arrive Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) Pope Francis, right, waves upon arrival at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw) An Ethnic Kachin Catholic devotee in traditional attire holds Myanmar national flag as devotees gather to see Pope Francis on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Yangon, Myanmar ahead of his arrival. Pope Francis begins a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh on Monday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) Ethnic Kachin Catholic devotees in traditional attire gather along a road to see Pope Francis Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Yangon, Myanmar ahead of his arrival. Pope Francis begins a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh on Monday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) An ethnic Chin Catholic devotee in tribal attire gathers along a road to see Pope Francis Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Yangon, Myanmar ahead of his arrival. Pope Francis begins a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh on Monday. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe) PANMUNJOM, Korea (AP) - South Korea is reportedly broadcasting on loudspeakers into North Korea news of the recent escape of a North Korean soldier who was shot five times by his former colleagues as he dashed across the rivals' border, part of Seoul's psychological warfare against the North. South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed military source, reported Monday that a recap of the soldier's defection and recovery from his wounds has been played on loudspeakers at the border since the dramatic Nov. 13 defection. The Defense Ministry declined to confirm the report. The wild escape, shooting, subsequent surgeries and slow recovery of the soldier have riveted South Korea. Pyongyang has said nothing about the defection, which is a huge embarrassment because Pyongyang claims all defections are the result of Seoul either kidnapping or enticing North Koreans to flee. Three North Korean soldiers look at the South side near the spot where a North Korean soldier crossed the border on Nov. 13, at the Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. South Korea is reportedly broadcasting into North Korea news of the recent escape of the North Korean soldier over the rivals' border as part of its psychological warfare against the North. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) The loudspeakers, reportedly installed at about a dozen sites near the border dividing the two Koreas, were not audible at the Panmunjom border village inside the Joint Security Area jointly overseen by the American-led U.N. Command and by North Korea. North Korea hates South Korea's border broadcasts. The South briefly resumed the broadcasts in August 2015 after an 11-year break, after Seoul blamed Pyongyang for land mine explosions that maimed two South Korean soldiers. The broadcasts stopped after the rivals reached a settlement, but reportedly resumed in January 2016 after a North Korean nuclear test. The broadcasts typically include popular South Korean songs, world news and information about the poor economic and human rights conditions in the North. Earlier Monday, South Korea's defense minister visited the area and criticized Pyongyang for firing across and physically crossing the border in pursuit of the defector, a violation of the armistice that ended the Korean War. Song Young-moo also said North Korean soldiers' possession of automatic rifles in the area was an armistice violation. The gun shots by North Korean soldiers left holes on a wall at the Joint Security Area. ___ Youkyung Lee reported from Seoul, South Korea. A South Korean soldier stands guard near the spot where a North Korean soldier crossed the border on Nov. 13, at the Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. South Korea is reportedly broadcasting into North Korea news of the recent escape of the North Korean soldier over the rivals' border as part of its psychological warfare against the North. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Three North Korean soldiers, back, look at the South side near the spot where a North Korean soldier crossed the border on Nov. 13, as South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo, right, visits the Panmunjom, in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. South Korea is reportedly broadcasting into North Korea news of the recent escape of the North Korean soldier over the rivals' border as part of its psychological warfare against the North. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo, front right, is briefed near the spot where a North Korean soldier crossed the border on Nov. 13, at the Panmunjom, in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. South Korea is reportedly broadcasting into North Korea news of the recent escape of the North Korean soldier over the rivals' border as part of its psychological warfare against the North. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Bullets' marks are seen as a South Korean soldier, left, stands guard near the spot where a North Korean soldier crossed the border on Nov. 13 at the Panmunjom, in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. South Korea is reportedly broadcasting into North Korea news of the recent escape of the North Korean soldier over the rivals' border as part of its psychological warfare against the North. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Three North Korean soldiers look at the South side at the spot where a North Korean soldier crossed the border on Nov. 13, at the Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. South Korea is reportedly broadcasting into North Korea news of the recent escape of the North Korean soldier over the rivals' border as part of its psychological warfare against the North. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) Three North Korean soldiers, background, look at the South side as two South Korean soldiers stand guard at the spot where a defector crossed the border on Nov. 13, while South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo visited the Panmunjom, in the Demilitarized Zone which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, South Korea, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Activists said Monday that a prominent Shiite cleric who has been under house arrest in Bahrain after having his citizenship stripped is seriously ill. Doctors visited Sheikh Isa Qassim on Sunday at his home in Diraz, a Bahraini town that's been surrounded by police for over a year, they said. Sheikh Maytham al-Salman, another Shiite cleric, told The Associated Press on Monday the 80-year-old Sheikh Isa "is in constant pain" and requires emergency surgery for a hernia. In this Feb. 2, 2014 photo, Sheikh Isa Qassim, Bahrain's top Shiite Muslim cleric, attends a gathering of Shiite clerics at a mosque in Manama, Bahrain. Activists say the prominent Shiite cleric who has been under house arrest in Bahrain after having his citizenship stripped is seriously ill. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali) Responding to questions from the AP, Fahad al-Binali of Bahrain's Embassy in London said Sheikh Isa received medical attention from a doctor and that his house arrest "has no bearing on his access to health care neither does his citizenship revocation." However, Sheikh Isa could be deported at any time after authorities stripped his citizenship last June over accusations that he fueled extremism and laundered money. His supporters deny the allegations. Al-Binali said Sheikh Isa's son declined the offer of an ambulance to take the cleric to a hospital. He also said the police cordon around Diraz remains "unchanged, in response to requests by community leaders... to increase safety for local residents and ensure public order." Followers of Sheikh Isa have held a sit-in around his home for months. A raid in May there saw police arrest 286 people in an assault that killed at least five demonstrators and wounded others. Bahrain, a predominantly Shiite island off the coast of Saudi Arabia, is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. The nation is ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa family, which continues a crackdown on all dissent, imprisoning or forcing politicians and activists into exile. Amid the crackdown, local Shiite militant groups have carried out several attacks on security forces. Independent news gathering there also has grown more difficult, with the government refusing to accredit two AP reporters and others. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap . His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz . MOSCOW (AP) - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov announced Monday that he is ready to step down - a move largely perceived as a publicly trick. Kadyrov said in a rare interview aired Monday morning that it is his "dream" to step down because he finds the responsibility of leading the Russian region to be too heavy. Kremlin-backed Kadyrov, a former rebel who switched his loyalties to Moscow, has been the dominant figure in Chechnya since the 2004 assassination of his father, President Akhmad Kadyrov. Kadyrov Jr. has previously spoken about wanting to resign but never followed through. His public statements have been widely seen as part of a power play with the Kremlin for privileges and extra funding for his region which relies on subsidies from the federal budget. "It is my dream," Kadyrov said in the interview on the Rossiya 24 channel, asked if he would be willing to step down at some point. "It's very hard to be a leader and bear the responsibility for the people, for the republic in the face of God, the country's leaders." Kadyrov has enforced strict Islamic rules in Chechnya, relying on his feared security forces to stifle any dissent. His rule has been marred by numerous reports of extrajudicial killings and torture in the republic which saw two devastating separatist wars in the 1990s. This year, Kadyrov came under pressure when widespread reports surfaced of a broad crackdown on gay people in Chechnya. While denying accusations of leading the purge, Kadyrov has publicly insisted there are no gays in Chechnya. An investigation ordered by President Vladimir Putin has not produced any results yet. The Associated Press has spoken to several Chechen men who were tortured for being gay but they have not identified themselves for fear of reprisals. The first man went public about his ordeal in October, filing a complaint with Russian authorities over systemic attacks against gay people that human rights defenders say have taken place in Chechnya under Kadyrov. The Kremlin sought to play down Kadyrov's statement Monday. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Kadyrov is a Putin ally and "in this instance he intends to work in the capacity that the country's president has instructed him to." HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A court in central Vietnam on Monday sentenced an activist to seven years in prison for producing online videos and interviews related to an environmental disaster that instigated anti-government protests, in the authorities' latest crackdown on dissent. Following a trial that lasted half a day, Nguyen Van Hoa was convicted of spreading anti-state propaganda by the People's Court in Ha Tinh province. He was also charged with using social media platforms including Facebook to spread documents that defamed the government, the state-run online Ha Tinh newspaper reported. It said Hoa also sent distorting articles to "reactionary" groups in exile for financial support. Nguyen Van Hoa, center, stands on trial in central province of Ha Tinhi, Vietnam, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Hoa was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of spreading anti-state propaganda at the trial that lasted half-day Monday. (Cong Tuong/Vietnam News Agency via AP) Court officials weren't immediately available for comment. In April last year, Taiwanese-owned Formosa Plastics Group's steel complex in Ha Tinh province dumped toxins into the ocean that killed hundreds of tons of fish along 200 kilometers (124 miles) of coastline in four central provinces. It was one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters. The incident devastated the region's seafood and tourism industries and sparked protests against Formosa and the local government for its allegedly slow response to the disaster. The Taiwanese company was ordered to pay compensation of $500 million. The Ha Tinh newspaper said 22-year-old Hoa had directly arranged for the videos, photos and interviews related to the disaster to be posted on social media to instigate protests against the government. Vietnam opened up to foreign trade and investment three decades ago and has one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, but the Communist government continues to have almost no tolerance for dissent. International human rights groups and some Western governments often criticize Vietnam for jailing people for peacefully expressing their views, but Vietnam's government says only lawbreakers are punished. In the last 12 months, police have arrested at least 28 people and charged them with vaguely interpreted national security violations, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch. More than 100 activists are currently serving prison terms for exercising their basic freedoms of expression, assembly, association and religion, the rights group says. WASHINGTON (AP) - Playing all sides in the Alabama Senate race, President Donald Trump made it known Monday he won't set foot in the state on behalf of embattled Republican Roy Moore, even as he intensified his insistence that voters must never elect Moore's Democratic foe. In search of safe political ground, Trump is embracing a tried-and-true tactic before the Dec. 12 special election. Weighing political needs, loyalty to his base supporters and his own struggles against allegations of sexual impropriety, the president is staking out a position that should bring him the least political exposure. Trump has repeatedly assailed Democratic candidate Doug Jones, has publicly defended Moore against allegations of child molestation and has broken with other GOP leaders calling on Moore to get out of the race. On the other hand, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday the president has no plans for an in-person appearance on Moore's behalf and in fact is too busy to "do anything between now and Election Day" for the candidate. Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks at a campaign rally, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Henagar, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) In addition, the president previously signed off on a decision by the Republican National Committee to cut off support for Moore's campaign. Still, Trump had held the door open to personal campaigning for Moore last week, when he all but endorsed the pugnacious conservative's candidacy while criticizing Jones. But he's carefully stopping short of that actual endorsement. For weeks the center state in the Alabama race has been held by accusations that Moore, now 70, sexually molested or initiated sexual contact with two teens, ages 14 and 16 - and tried to date several others - while he was in his 30s. Moore has denied the allegations of misconduct and has said he never dated "underage" women. "This is simply dirty politics and it's a sign of the immorality of our time," Moore said Monday night during a campaign event in the rural town of Henagar in northeast Alabama. Lashing out at national Republicans who want him to step aside, Moore said: "They are aware of my past. They are aware I am difficult to manage." Trump has been burned in this race before. He traveled to Alabama months ago to back Moore's Republican primary opponent, Sen. Luther Strange, who was then defeated in a September rout. Moore had the backing of the GOP's conservative and populist wings, including Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, but Trump acceded to requests from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to try to boost Strange. Trump later seethed to White House aides that the episode left him looking politically weak. Also, appearing with Moore now could expose Trump to a politically unpalatable image as allegations of sexual misconduct in politics, entertainment, business and the media fill the news. As he looks toward his own re-election in 2020, he doesn't want new attention focused on his own accusations of sexual impropriety in the waning days of the 2016 presidential election. The White House clarified Monday that Trump isn't contesting the authenticity of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape in which he bragged about sexually assaulting women, and for which he issued a rare apology. "The president hasn't changed his position," Sanders said. In the meantime, the president is determined not to alienate his core supporters - many of whom continue to defend Moore - at a time when his presidential popularity is lagging and his agenda faces headwinds in Congress. The outcome in Alabama could be crucial in the ongoing GOP fight for a tax overhaul, since a victory by Democrat Jones would narrow the Republicans' Senate majority to a mere two seats. Trump bashed Jones repeatedly on Twitter over the weekend. "The last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is WEAK on Crime, WEAK on the Border, Bad for our Military and our great Vets, Bad for our 2nd Amendment, AND WANTS TO RAISES TAXES TO THE SKY," Trump wrote from Florida, referring to Democrats' congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Moore's campaign quickly highlighted Trump's comments on social media and in a fundraising email. "President Trump calls them like he sees them. And, he's got my opponents in D.C. scrambling," Moore wrote Jones, speaking to reporters in Birmingham, shrugged off Trump's criticisms, saying his vote in the Senate would not be a partisan one. He said Alabama residents are focused on issues such as the economy, education and health care. "My record speaks for itself," Jones said. "I think I am very strong on the issues that the people of Alabama care for." Earlier in the month, the Republican National Committee pulled roughly a dozen paid staffers out of Alabama as the allegations of sexual misconduct against Moore piled up. Republicans involved in that decision said Monday they would be angry if Trump ordered the committee to re-engage, although there was no such discussion underway as of Monday afternoon. Opposition to Moore hadn't softened at the National Republican Senatorial Committee either. The Senate GOP campaign arm turned its back on Moore earlier in the month, and its chairman, Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, said his Republican colleagues should expel Moore from the Senate if he's ultimately elected. Alabama's other senator, Republican Richard Shelby, said Monday he did not vote for Moore. "I voted absentee. I didn't vote for him. I voted for a distinguished Republican write-in," Shelby told reporters, according to The Hill newspaper. Some Washington-based Republicans on Monday suggested they actually would welcome an opportunity to expel Moore if it comes to that. Such an action could mark "a public cleansing" for the party as it struggles with low approval ratings ahead of the 2018 midterms, said one Republican official who was not authorized to speak publicly about the Alabama race and commented only on condition of anonymity. There was still pressure for Trump to step in in person. Said former Trump campaign adviser Sam Nunberg: "It's his choice. Does he want to be the first president in two decades not to have two Republican senators from Alabama?" ___ Associated Press writers Kimberly Chandler in Henagar, Alabama; Steve Peoples in New York; and Thomas Beaumont in Iowa contributed to this report. Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore speaks at a campaign rally, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, in Henagar, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) In this Nov. 21, 2017 photo, President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House, in Washington for a Thanksgiving trip to Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., as first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron wait. President Donald Trump will not campaign for Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore before the Dec. 12 special election, a White House official said Monday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) - Some Republicans are hoping lawmakers will soon wrap up investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election that have dragged on for most of the year. But with new details in the probe emerging almost daily, that seems unlikely. Three congressional committees are investigating Russian interference and whether President Donald Trump's campaign was in any way involved. The panels have obtained thousands of pages of documents from Trump's campaign and other officials, and have done dozens of interviews. The probes are separate from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mueller can prosecute for criminal activity, while Congress can only lay out findings, publicize any perceived wrongdoing and pass legislation to try to keep problems from happening again. If any committee finds evidence of criminal activity, it must refer the matter to Mueller. FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2017, file photo, Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., right, speaks next to Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russian election activity and technology on Capitol Hill in Washington. As Congress returns from its Thanksgiving break, some Republicans would like to wrap up investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election that have dragged on for most of the year. But with new details in the probe emerging on an almost daily basis, that timeline seems unlikely. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) All three committees have focused on a June 2016 meeting that Trump campaign officials held in Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer and others. They are also looking into outreach by several other Russians to the campaign, including involvement of George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty this month to lying to the FBI as part of Mueller's probe. New threads continue to emerge, such as a recent revelation that Donald Trump Jr. was messaging with WikiLeaks, the website that leaked emails from top Democratic officials during the campaign. A look at the committees that are investigating, and the status of their work when they return from their Thanksgiving break: SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE The Senate intelligence panel, which has been the most bipartisan in its approach, has interviewed more than 100 people, including most of those attending the Trump Tower meeting. Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina and the panel's top Democrat, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, have said they plan to bring in Donald Trump Jr. The president's son was one of several Trump campaign officials in the meeting. The committee has looked broadly at the issue of interference, and called in executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google, pushing them to take steps to prevent Russian election meddling on their platforms. Warner told The Associated Press the committee is still looking for more information from those companies, which were initially reluctant to cooperate. Burr has said he wants to wrap up the probe by early spring. He said Monday that he hopes the panel can "at a minimum" release recommendations on election security before next year's congressional primaries begin. While there are many areas of bipartisan agreement on the meddling, it's unclear whether all members will agree to the final report. It's also unclear if the report will make a strong statement on whether the Trump campaign colluded in any way with Russia. Warner said it is plain there were "unprecedented contacts" as Russians reached out to the Trump campaign but what's not established is collusion. "What we don't know is, is there a there there," Warner said. "That's still something I am reserving judgement on." ___ HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE In the House, Democrats hope the intelligence committee can remain focused on the Russia probe as the panel's GOP chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes, and other Republicans have launched new, separate investigations into Democrat Hillary Clinton and a uranium deal during President Barack Obama's administration. Nunes stepped back from the Russia probe in April after criticism that he was too close to the White House, but remains chairman of the committee. Some Republicans on the panel have grown restless with the probe, saying it has amounted to a fishing expedition and pushing for it to end. Still, the committee has continued to interview dozens of witnesses involved with the Trump campaign, among them several participants in the 2016 meeting. The top Democrat on the panel, California Rep. Adam Schiff, told AP the committee has multiple interviews before the New Year. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was scheduled to come before the committee this week, likely answering questions behind closed doors about interactions between Trump campaign aides and Russians, and also his own contacts. The panel has also scheduled an interview Thursday with Erik Prince, the founder of the security firm Blackwater and a supporter of Trump's campaign. The Washington Post reported earlier this year that Prince was involved in a secret meeting in the United Arab Emirates in January with a Russian close to President Vladimir Putin. Prince's interview will be behind closed doors but the transcript will eventually be released, according to the committee. Schiff said the Republican investigations into Clinton and Obama could be "an enormous time drain," but they have not yet fully organized. He says the committee must be thorough and he doesn't believe the Russia investigation should end soon. ___ SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE The Senate Judiciary Committee has also divided along partisan lines as Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the panel's top Democrat, haven't agreed on some interviews and subpoenas. But as in the House, the panel has proceeded anyway, conducting bipartisan, closed-door interviews with several people who were in the 2016 meeting. The panel is showing recent signs that it is aggressively pursuing the investigation. The committee is the only one to have interviewed Trump Jr. And just before the Thanksgiving break, it sent Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a letter asking him to be more forthcoming with the committee. Grassley has been focused on a law that requires foreign agents to register and the firing of James Comey as FBI director. Along with the other committees, Judiciary is also looking into a dossier of allegations about Trump's own connections to Russia. It's not known if the panel will issue a final report, or if its probe will conclude before next year's elections. FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2017, file photo, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., center, standing with Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., left, and Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., right, speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. As Congress returns from its Thanksgiving break, some Republicans would like to wrap up investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election that have dragged on for most of the year. But with new details in the probe emerging on an almost daily basis, that timeline seems unlikely. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) - French President Emmanuel Macron landed late Monday in West Africa, where he is expected to try to revive French influence and move beyond post-colonial tensions despite threats of demonstrations. In his first big speech on Africa, the 39-year-old leader is expected to focus on more pragmatic relations, such as supporting startup entrepreneurs instead of giving aid. The Burkina government has ordered schools closed to ease traffic because of the heavy security measures in place during Macron's visit, though many view the closures as an effort to reduce the threat of student unrest. Unions in Burkina Faso already have called for protests against Macron's visit to Ouagadougou ahead of a Europe-Africa summit in Ivory Coast later in the week. Macron also will make a stop in Ghana after attending the summit in Ivory Coast. Burkina Faso, a former French colony, is now part of a five-country regional security force aimed at eliminating jihadists in the Sahel. Long a country of relative peace, Burkina Faso has seen the threat of Islamic extremists spill over the border from neighboring Mali in recent years. An attack on a Turkish restaurant in August left 18 people dead, while an ambush on another nearby restaurant in January 2016 killed 30 people. The northern border region near Mali is now the home of a local preacher, Ibrahim Malam Dicko, who has claimed responsibility for recent deadly attacks against troops and civilians. His association, Ansarul Islam, is now considered a terrorist group by Burkina Faso's government. On Sunday, a teacher of French and geography was killed in Burkina Faso's Yatenga province near the Malian border. Authorities have called it a "terrorist attack," and said two others were wounded. ___ Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report. GAUHATI, India (AP) - Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in a protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. Police commissioner Hiren Nath said five protesters were injured in a scuffle after police used tear gas in the Amchang forest area in Assam state. Authorities plan to demolish about 1,000 bamboo and tin huts. An elephant is used to demolish a house during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) State Forest Minister Pramilla Brahma said the area is an elephant habitat and the unauthorized settlements were forcing the pachyderms to leave in search of food. There have been many incidents in which wild elephants have entered villages, destroying crops and even killing people. Nath said the police action followed a court order to clear the forest of illegal encroachment by Thursday. The eviction drive is being carried out by wildlife wardens, with police providing protection against possible attacks by angry residents. An elephant is used to demolish a house during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) An elephant is used to demolish a house during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Elephants are brought to demolish buildings and other structures during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) An elephant is used to demolish a house during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) An elephant is used to demolish a house during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Elephants are used to demolish houses during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) An elephant is brought to demolish buildings and other structures during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) An elephant is used to demolish a house during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) BERLIN (AP) - German authorities say investigators somehow didn't spot a photo of a Tunisian terrorist suspect holding a firearm when evaluating data on his cell phone, months before he killed a dozen people in a truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market. North Rhine-Westphalia's interior minister Herbert Reul said Monday the phone was confiscated during a police spot-check in Berlin in February, 2016, and 12,000 media files were sent to investigators in his state, where the suspect was living. One file was a photo showing Anis Amri with a firearm. Reul called for a review of police procedures to "avoid such mistakes in the future." Public inquiries and German media have uncovered a series of mistakes by security agencies in tracking a man who authorities suspected posed a public threat. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., and accusations he groped women (all times local): 1:30 p.m. Democratic Sen. Al Franken says he knows he "let a lot of people down" - the people of Minnesota, colleagues and staff - in the face of sexually inappropriate behavior. He's vowing to regain their trust. FILE - In this July 12, 2017, file photo, Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington. Two women are alleging, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, that Franken touched their buttocks during events for his first campaign for Senate. The women spoke to Huffington Post on condition of anonymity. The women said the events were in Minneapolis in 2007 and 2008. Franken said in a statement, "It's difficult to respond to anonymous accusers, and I don't remember those campaign events." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) Speaking outside his Senate office, Franken told reporters on Monday that many people counted on him to be a champion for women. Instead, he is embarrassed and is apologizing after one woman alleges Franken forcibly kissed her on a USO tour and took a sexually suggestive photo while she was sleeping. Three other women allege Franken grabbed their buttocks while posing with them for photos during separate campaign events in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Franken dismissed any talk of resigning from the Senate. He said he would cooperate with an Ethics Committee investigation. __ 12:05 p.m. Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken says it's too early to decide whether he'll run for a third term in 2020. Three women allege Franken grabbed their buttocks during campaign events; a fourth woman says Franken forcibly kissed her during a 2006 USO tour. Franken tells The Associated Press that he's focused on returning to work on Monday and that he'll work to regain voters' trust. Franken initially avoided the public eye when allegations first surfaced earlier this month. Franken still disputes Leeann Tweeden's account of a forced kiss, calling it a "normal rehearsal" for a skit the two were performing. And he says he never intentionally grabbed or squeezed a woman's buttocks. But he says he's taking responsibility and says it's important "that we listen to women." ___ 7:15 a.m. Sen. Al Franken, the Minnesota Democrat accused of groping women without their consent, says he doesn't remember if he ever touched a woman inappropriately while photos were being taken. Three women allege Franken grabbed their buttocks during separate incidents at campaign events. A fourth woman says Franken forcibly kissed her on a USO tour. In an interview aired by CBS Monday, Franken says: "I take thousands and thousands of pictures, sometimes in chaotic and crowded situations. I can't say I haven't done that. I'm very sorry if these women experienced that." Franken added that he has to be "a lot more careful" when he meets someone: "I'm going to make sure that this does not happen again." ___ 1:07 a.m. Minnesota Sen. Al Franken says he's "embarrassed and ashamed" amid sexual misconduct allegations, but says he plans to continue his work in Congress. The Democrat says he'll return to work Monday after spending the holiday with his supportive wife and family. Franken missed votes after the first accusations were made public. Franken tells Minnesota Public Radio he's trying to handle allegations "in a way that adds to an important conversation." He says his goal is "to be a better public servant and a better man." Los Angeles radio news anchor Leann Tweeden released a photo showing the then-comedian reaching out, as if to grope her, while she slept on a military aircraft in 2006. Franken says the photo is "inexcusable." Three other women say Franken grabbed their buttocks during photos ops. Franken says that isn't something he'd intentionally do. GENEVA (AP) - The U.N.'s top envoy for Syria said Monday he hopes and expects the Syrian government will show up for "serious talks" with the opposition this week in Geneva, despite reluctance by Damascus officials to commit to the international body's negotiations process. The United Nations is scheduled to resume the peace talks between the government and the Syrian opposition in this Swiss city Tuesday. The opposition's delegation arrived Monday, after publishing a communique last week that said it was ready for talks "without preconditions." The government had not yet named a delegation to the talks, and the pro-government newspaper Al-Watan said Damascus would postpone its arrival, citing the opposition's position that President Bashar Assad must leave at the start of any transitional period that will lead Syria out of nearly seven years of civil war. The paper said the demand was a "hidden condition." But, speaking to the Security Council via videoconference, U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura said, "Naturally we hope, and indeed expect, that the government will be on its way shortly." A diplomatic official close to the negotiations said the U.N. was expecting the government team to arrive late, but meetings between the opposition and de Mistura would begin Tuesday as planned. The head of the opposition's delegation, Nasr Hariri, told reporters that the opposition was "ready to negotiate," and he accused the government of stalling. "The thing the regime is most afraid of is political negotiations," Hariri said. His delegation was expanded last week under Saudi Arabian auspices to include opposition factions seen by Damascus as more palatable for negotiations, including the "Moscow group," which has resisted calling for Assad's departure. Hariri said the reformulation removed any excuse for Syria's government and its chief diplomatic backer, Russia, to avoid the U.N. talks. Syria's government has refused to negotiate over Assad's future in any talks with the opposition. It says it wants to focus on defeating "terrorism," its byword for armed opponents of the Syrian president. The talks follow a week of high level meetings that were expected to pave the way for a revival of the stalled diplomatic process. Assad paid a surprise visit to Sochi, Russia, last week to thank Russian President Vladimir Putin for his vital military support. Putin directed Russia's air force to intervene on the side of Assad in 2015, likely saving the government from collapse when it appeared rebels would threaten the capital. Russia remains a key sponsor of the Damascus government and has shielded it against sanctions and punitive resolutions in the U.N. Security Council. De Mistura told the Security Council he expected the government's participation in the Geneva talks, "particularly in light of President Assad's commitment to President Putin when they met in Sochi." He stressed he would "not accept any preconditions by any party" and said the talks would be guided by a 2015 Security Council resolution mandating a political transition for Syria. This latest round of Geneva talks, the eighth since 2012, will focus on getting to an "inclusive process" to draft and ratify a new constitution, De Mistura said. This would put off the contentious issue of Assad's future. Parallel talks between the two sides in Sochi have been postponed until January or February, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said. Russian diplomats did not set a date for their conference after spiking an initial plan to hold it Nov. 18. The Syrian government said it welcomed the Sochi talks and would attend them. The opposition has said it prefers to meet the government under the auspices of the U.N. Asked about the Sochi negotiations track, de Mistura said, "It is premature for me at this stage to say anything about this initiative, and I will continue to view this proposal and all other initiatives through the same prism: Does it contribute to effective U.N.-led intra-Syria negotiations in Geneva?" In eastern Syria, meanwhile, opposition activists blamed Russia for an airstrike on a village held by the Islamic State that killed at least 25 people, all of them civilians. The DeirEzzor 24 activist group said Sunday's strike on the village of Shaafa in Deir el-Zour hit a residential compound where scores of internally displaced people were staying. The village is near the town of Boukamal, which Syrian troops and their allies captured this month. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gave a higher death toll, saying 53 people were killed, including 21 children. The Russian Defense Ministry said six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers scrambled from Russia and carried out a massed airstrike on "terrorists' property" in Deir el-Zour. Near Damascus, a wave of government airstrikes and artillery fire on the opposition-held eastern Ghouta suburbs killed at least 18 civilians, according to the Observatory. ___ Associated Press writer Jamey Keaten reported this story in Geneva and AP writer Philip Issa reported from Beirut. AP writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. Firefighters put out a small fire but no one was asked to evacuate Polk County Fire Rescue spotted the derailed train returning from a medical call at approximately 2am A train hauling hazardous molten sulfur has derailed in Florida, causing a dangerous leak. Four cars carrying the substance derailed early Monday morning. Nine total cars went off the tracks. After the derailment, officials in Polk County asked nearby residents to shut off their air conditioners, close windows and stay indoors. Molten sulfur spilled from a derailed train near Lakeland, Florida on, Monday, November 27 Four cars carrying the substance derailed early Monday morning. Nine total cars went off the tracks County spokesman Kevin Watler said in a later news release that residents are now free to leave their homes. Polk County Fire Rescue officials said a crew returning from a medical call at approximately 2am Monday saw that the train had derailed near Lakeland. Firefighters put out a small fire. Hazmat crews are working with CSX railroad, the Polk County Sheriff's Office and state officials to investigate the crash. No one was asked to evacuate. Polk County Fire Rescue officials said a crew returning from a medical call at approximately 2am Monday saw that the train had derailed Hazmat crews are working with CSX railroad, the Polk County Sheriff's Office and state officials to investigate the crash Officials are now working to clean up the molten sulfur spillage and remove the damaged cars. Roads are expected to be closed for an extended period of time, but CSX estimates that cross sections will remain closed until Monday evening. Molten sulfur is used in making sulfuric acid, rubber, detergents, fungicides and fertilizers. It can form toxic and flammable gases, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Lakeland is between Tampa and Orlando in central Florida. ATHENS, Greece (AP) - A leading global rights organization on Monday urged Greece's government to halt the sale of thousands of artillery shells to Saudi Arabia, saying the weapons could be used against civilians in the ongoing war in Yemen. Amnesty International voiced deep concern over the proposed deal, saying there was a "real danger" that 300,000 shells would be used by the Saudi-led military coalition fighting Shiite rebels in the impoverished country. "Amnesty International calls on Greece to immediately rescind the sale and transfer of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and to refuse approval of the transport of every type of conventional weapons, ammunitions and war materiel to points of conflict in Yemen," a statement said. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsirpas laughs during a debate at the Greek Parliament in Athens, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. A leading global rights watchdog is urging Greece's government to scrap a controversial arms sale to Saudi Arabia, saying the weapons could be used against civilians in the ongoing war in Yemen. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) The agreement, worth an estimated 66 million euros ($78.3 million), has been strongly criticized by Greek opposition parties, while at least two lawmakers in the governing left-wing Syriza party have called for its cancellation on grounds that the arms could be used in Yemen. During a parliamentary debate, Communist party leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas accused the Greek government of helping to fuel the war in Yemen that has resulted in "slaughter, famine" and the strengthening of radical Islamic militants. Other parties including the main opposition New Democracy suggested that Defense Minister Panos Kammenos had negotiated a shady deal through an unauthorized middleman instead of dealing directly with the Saudi government. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras strongly defended deal, saying that negotiations were above board and conducted with a representative authorized by the Saudi government. Tsipras accused opposition parties of resorting to unfounded allegations to undermine a government that is steering Greece out of eight years of crushing economic crisis that saw the country receive three multibillion euro (dollar) rescue deals. "They want to foment conditions of instability because they don't want this government to lead the country out of this crisis at all costs," Tsipras told parliament. Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos who heads the government's junior coalition member Independent Greeks speaks during a debate at the Greek Parliament in Athens, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. A leading global rights watchdog is urging Greece's government to scrap a controversial arms sale to Saudi Arabia, saying the weapons could be used against civilians in the ongoing war in Yemen. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsirpas arrives for a debate at the Greek Parliament in Athens, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. A leading global rights watchdog is urging Greece's government to scrap a controversial arms sale to Saudi Arabia, saying the weapons could be used against civilians in the ongoing war in Yemen. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) FILE - In this Sept. 13, 2014 file phtoto, OFI's coach Gennaro Gattuso of Italy gives instructions to his players during a Greek Soccer League match at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium against Olympiacos in the port of Piraeus, near Athens. On Monday, Nov. 27, 2017 AC Milan fired Vincenzo Montella and named Gennaro Gattuso as coach Monday after the club failed to produce inspiring results with a completely revamped squad. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis file) JERUSALEM (AP) - An Israeli court has ordered Uber to stop its ride-sharing operations in Israel less than a month after launching the service in Tel Aviv. A taxi driver union and rival transit application Gett petitioned the Tel Aviv District Court earlier this month to serve Uber with an injunction, claiming it violated an Israeli law forbidding drivers without taxi licenses from levying fares on passengers. Judge Eitan Orenstein ordered the ban on Uber's ride-share programs in Israel - uberDAY and uberNIGHT - to go into effect Wednesday, and raised concerns about its insurance for passengers. Uber may still operate its taxi-hailing service. Uber launched its pilot ride-sharing program in Israel last year, but has faced opposition from the Transportation Ministry, which filed suit against the company in May for violating regulations. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court turned away an appeal from Maryland gun owners who challenged the state's ban on assault weapons, which were used in recent mass shootings in a south Texas church and at an outdoor concert in Las Vegas. The justices left in place a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the Maryland law that does not permit the sale of a range of semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines. In the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling earlier this year, Judge Robert King wrote "we have not power to extend Second Amendment protections to weapons of war." Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, who pushed for the legislation as a state senator in 2013, said he hoped the appeals court's ruling and the high court's decision not to review it would encourage other states to adopt similar protections. "It ought to be a lesson to all states, and I would hope that they would look at the 4th Circuit's decision and the tragic events around the country and come to the conclusion that this is a common-sense law," said Frosh, a Democrat. Maryland passed the sweeping gun-control measure after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre that killed 20 children and six educators in Connecticut. It bans 45 kinds of assault weapons and puts a 10-round limit on gun magazines. "This success is even more significant as we near the five-year anniversary of the horrific tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School," said Jen Pauliukonis, president of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence. "While Congress may continue to fail to act, state legislatures must take the lead in protecting American citizens from the atrocities of gun violence in our communities." The high court has not re-entered the debate over guns since rulings in 2008 and 2010 that held that Americans have a constitutional right to have guns for self-defense in their homes and that local governments could not ban handguns. The justices also declined an appeal asserting a constitutional right to carry firearms openly in public. WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is leaving in place a Nebraska law that bars protests around funerals. Nebraska enacted the law in 2006. It prohibits protests near a cemetery, mortuary or church from one hour before the beginning of a funeral to two hours after. Members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church challenged the law but have lost in lower courts. Members of the church routinely conduct anti-gay protests outside military funerals. The protests have been a way of drawing attention to their incendiary view that U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are God's punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality. The Supreme Court said Monday it would not take up the church's challenge to Nebraska's law. LAKE WORTH, Fla. (AP) - A 51-year-old Florida man is accused of killing another man with a 3-foot sword. Palm Beach Sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said in a news release on Sunday that George C. Livingston is being held without bond on a second-degree murder charge. The booking sheet described the charge as "murder dangerous depraved without premeditation." The victim's body was found covered in blood near the railroad tracks in Lake Worth on Saturday afternoon. The sword was nearby. Barbera says detectives interviewed witnesses and quickly detained Livingston. The victim's name hasn't been released. Jail records don't list an attorney for Livingston. A spate of recent public revelations, including the spontaneous #metoo discussions on social media, is emboldening many victims of sexual harassment to speak up, but many still remain silent. Up to 85 percent of women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace and many men as well according to a report released in 2016 by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Common responses to harassment include: avoiding the harasser, downplaying the gravity of the situation or attempting to ignore or endure the behavior. The least common response? Taking formal action - either reporting their harassment internally or by filing a formal complaint. In fact, 70 percent of men or women who experienced workplace harassment "never even talked with a supervisor, manager or union representative about it," according to the EEOC report. FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2017, file photo, participants rally outside CNN's Hollywood studios on Sunset Boulevard to take a stand against sexual assault and harassment for the #MeToo March in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. A spate of recent public revelations, including the spontaneous #metoo discussions on social media, is emboldening many victims of sexual harassment to speak up, but many still remain silent. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) The Associated Press spoke to several experts about why this sexual misconduct in the workplace is still underreported: WHY THEY DON'T REPORT IT Q. Sexual harassment is part of a national conversation these days, but many victims still aren't coming forward. Why? A. The top reason is a fear of retaliation - either by the harasser or their employer. "While it is illegal...that doesn't mean it doesn't happen," said Emily Martin, vice president for workplace justice at the National Women's Law Center. "It happens a lot." Often, when a victim experiences harassment they calculate the best possible outcome of making a report and it doesn't look very attractive, Martin said. Even if they aren't terminated, it can affect relationships in the workplace and victims worry about how they will be seen at work and their ability to do their job. "The weighing of costs and benefits can very legitimately lead victims to conclude there is too much risk in coming forward," she said. Tammy Cho, co-founder of BetterBrave, a website that provides resources for sexual harassment victims, also talked about distrust in human resources. The site was launched after a female engineer at Uber publicly detailed her harassment at the company and how her complaints were ignored. BetterBrave, which interviewed hundreds of people on the topic, also found there is underreporting because of uncertainty about what is considered sexual harassment. The EEOC report, for example, found women were less likely to say they'd been a victim of sexual misconduct when they were asked about it in general terms but as the questions became more specific, citing examples of forms of sexual harassment, the prevalence grew much higher. And there is a preference to avoid drama, such as getting someone fired or having to go to trial. "Survivors don't speak up because as a society, we shame, isolate and doubt survivors when they come forward," said Sheerine Alemzadeh, co-founder and co-director of Healing to Action, which fights gender-based violence through workforce leaders. "Our culture normalizes violence and aggression against women - when it occurs we question why the survivor put herself in that situation, instead of why a person would grope, proposition, or rape another person. Until that changes, survivors only risk further trauma by coming forward. " There is also "bystander apathy" that BetterBrave says contributes to underreporting - as those who witness it assume someone else will report it. WATERSHED MOMENT? Q. There have been a number of victims speaking up lately in the press and through social media campaigns like #metoo. Will this help bring more victims forward? A. "Absolutely, I definitely think seeing women come forward empowers other women to come forward," said Cho. There are signs this is true: calls to the National Women's Law Center about harassment have doubled in the past month or so and Martin said searches of the EEOC website are up. However, Martin is more reserved in her assessment, saying it remains to be seen if this is an isolated moment in time or true turning point. Still, she believes there are benefits from the growing awareness. "What we are seeing now is the power of women's voices ... people sharing their stories of harassment is making women feel more empowered to say 'It happened to me too' and that they will be believed." Alemzadeh also expressed some caution about this being seen as a watershed point. Victims will come forward only if reports are "met with a strong, proactive response and clear consequences", she said. But if this movement "devolves into minimizing reports or backlash against survivors, you can expect even greater fear in coming forward." Q. Is there evidence that this tide of events has changed workplace policy at all? A. Some companies do seem interested in taking added steps now to prevent sexual harassment. Cho said BetterBrave has spoken to many organizations looking for ways to better support their employees, including creating better workplace policies that clarify the process for reporting and resolving issues like sexual harassment. "This is a good start, but creating stronger policies is not enough to address this problem," she said. "Many of the companies we've seen blasted on the news had sexual harassment policies in place and even internal hotlines to report harassment. "Policies are all optics until companies take the next step to properly enforce these policies and create a culture where employees not only feel safe, but are safe to speak up." HOW TO TAKE ACTION Q. What are your options if you were harassed and want to take formal action? A. Beyond confronting the harasser, you can report the situation in your workplace, file an EEOC charge or seek legal action. Report crimes, such as rape, to the police or contact a sexual assault service program for help. If you are going to make a legal claim, Martin said it's important to speak with HR or use whatever resources are available in the workplace first. Courts will look to see if the victim did everything they could to address harassment. And it may be in your best interest to file an EEOC charge, as you must do so in a timely manner to pursue a lawsuit in federal court. BetterBrave has tips online, the EEOC has information on its website and you can consult with an employment attorney. Most experts advise getting basic information about what your legal rights are. "It's so helpful to have someone sit down with you and walk you through what your rights are and what the options are," Martin said. "Even if you don't pursue it, that can be very empowering. National Women's Law Center is launching a "Network for Gender Equity" that connects women with attorneys willing to do a free initial visit. Q. What should you do first? A. Cho said the first step is to document it - save that email, take screen shots or save any other pertinent information. Or simply write down all the details you can remember with as many facts possible for your own reference. "The gut reaction is 'Oh shoot this never happened to me,' and to push it out of their mind or even delete evidence," she said. But that information can help you greatly down the line. Alemzadeh suggested telling someone you trust, who will believe you and support your decisions. "It is incredibly important to have a support system when experiencing sexual harassment," she said. "Navigating an employer's HR process, law enforcement, and the courts can be overwhelming. ... Make sure there is someone who can help you navigate your options and advocate for yourself. " Q. What can be done to ease the hurdles to reporting? A. The first step is having a workplace culture that values people equally, regardless of their gender, said Alemzadeh. Second is to have procedures that reflect the realities of trauma and sexual assault, both at the HR level and at law enforcement agencies. She points to the EEOC requiring complaints to be filed between 6 months and 300 days from the date of the harassment. But many survivors wait for years before being ready to share their stories. Other suggestions including focusing on the role of bystanders to speak up and addressing gaps in legal assistance. The latter is of particular importance for lower-income workers, Martin said. She said The Legal Aid Society doesn't really do workplace law as it's time consuming and expensive. And an absence of unions in the workplace means there is no workplace advocate for many workers to go to. Overwhelmingly, experts say people need to be aware of their rights. "A lot of these fears are understandable," Cho said. "At the end of the day there are some laws that protect us. I don't think enough people are aware of their rights yet." WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans moved forward on legislation to expand gun owners' rights, the first gun-related measure since mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas killed more than 80 people. The Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a National Rifle Association-supported bill that would allow a gun owner with a state-issued concealed carry permit to carry a handgun in any state that allows concealed weapons. The reciprocity measure would allow gun owners to travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state laws or "onerous" civil suits, said Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the bill's sponsor. Balloons are released at a graveside service for members of the Holcombe family who were killed in the Sutherland Springs Baptist Church shooting, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A man opened fire inside the church in the small South Texas community Sunday, Nov. 5, killing more than two dozen. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) The Judiciary panel also is expected to consider legislation to strengthen the FBI database of prohibited gun buyers after the Air Force failed to report the criminal history of the gunman who slaughtered more than two dozen people at a Texas church. Despite calls by Democrats for tighter gun control, Congress has taken no steps on guns in the weeks following the Oct. 1 shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 people and the Nov. 5 shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A bid to ban the "bump stock" device that the Las Vegas shooter used to fire a semi-automatic rifle at near-automatic rates fizzled, even as lawmakers from both parties expressed openness to the idea in the days following the shooting. Senators from both parties, including the Senate's No. 2 Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, support the background check measure, which would ensure that federal agencies, such as the Defense Department, and states accurately report relevant criminal information to the FBI. The Air Force has acknowledged that the Texas shooter, Devin P. Kelley, should have had his name and domestic violence conviction submitted to the National Criminal Information Center database. The bill would penalize federal agencies that fail to properly report required records and reward states that comply by providing them with federal grant preferences. House Speaker Paul Ryan said the Texas shooting showed the need to enforce current gun laws. "This man should not have gotten a gun," Ryan, R-Wis., said earlier this month. "How is it that this person, who was convicted of domestic abuse by the Air Force, how did he get through the system and get a gun?" President Donald Trump said tougher gun laws would not have prevented the Texas shooting, arguing that more restrictions might have led to more casualties. After the Las Vegas shooting, Trump and White House aides said it was inappropriate to consider a policy response while people were still grieving. Despite suggesting openness to outlawing the bump stock device, the Trump administration has shown no signs of urgency. Any action on gun control or background check would be notable. Previous mass shootings in Colorado, Connecticut, and Florida - and even attacks on lawmakers - failed to unite Congress on a legislative response. A bipartisan bill on background checks failed in the Senate four years ago, and since then Republicans have usually pointed to mental health legislation when questioned about the appropriate congressional response to gun violence. MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) - The family of a Hofstra University student killed by police while being used as a human shield in a 2013 off-campus shooting has settled a pair of lawsuits for $4.5 million. Andrea Rebello, 21, of Tarrytown, New York, was fatally shot by an officer during a botched home invasion that also killed the gunman. Rebello's family accused the department of negligence and said the officer acted "recklessly and unnecessarily" when he fatally shot Rebello and her hostage-taker. The family also said officers were not properly trained and supervised on how to handle hostage cases. FILE - This May 22, 2013 file photo shows Andrea Rebello's casket being carried after her funeral service at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. The Robello family has settled lawsuits for $4.5 million the death of the Hofstra University student, killed by police while being used as a human shield in a 2013 shooting. The Nassau County Legislature on Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, voted to approve the payouts. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) The Nassau County Legislature on Monday voted to approve the payouts. "Today's settlement was recommended as being in the county's best interest to resolve a difficult and awful tragedy," County Attorney Carnell Foskey said. Rebello family attorney David Roth confirmed the settlement but did not add any comment. A county prosecutor ruled in 2014 that the officer, Nikolas Budimlic, had no option but deadly force. Former District Attorney Kathleen Rice concluded the woman's death was caused by a gunman breaking into her home, taking several residents hostage and refusing to surrender to police. After entering the house, the officer encountered Dalton Smith holding Rebello in a headlock. Smith maneuvered down a flight of stairs and was attempting to leave with the young woman through a rear door, yelling expletives at police officers and threatening to shoot the student. Smith, 30, had been on parole for his involvement in an armed robbery, according to Rice's report. An arrest warrant had been issued for him about three weeks before the fatal shooting occurred. Smith also had prior convictions for attempted robbery and weapons possession. The victim's twin sister, Jessica Rebello, also had been inside the house but was not injured in the shooting, which occurred days before commencement. AMHERST, S.D. (AP) - TransCanada Corp. plans to resume operation of its Keystone pipeline nearly two weeks after crews shut it down in response to an estimated 210,000-gallon oil spill in South Dakota. The company said in a statement that it will operate the pipeline at reduced pressure beginning Tuesday. TransCanada says the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has reviewed its pipeline repair and restart plans with no objections. The agency didn't immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking additional information. South Dakota officials don't believe the leak polluted any surface water bodies or drinking water systems. The company disclosed the buried pipeline leak on agricultural land in Marshall County on Nov. 16. The company says that more than 44,000 gallons of oil had been recovered as of Sunday. The Archbishop of York has resumed wearing a dog collar after cutting up his previous one in protest at Robert Mugabes rule in Zimbabwe. Dr John Sentamu said a South African-style truth and reconciliation process was needed to heal Zimbabwes divisions following the end of Mr Mugabes 37-year rule. The Archbishop said Zimbabwes new president Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former ally of Mr Mugabe, should not attempt to bury the past and his role in it. The Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu. (Lynne Cameron/PA) .@JohnSentamu puts his dog collar back on, almost 10 years after he cut it up on #Marr, in protest at Robert Mugabe. #Zimbabwe pic.twitter.com/wFCfLvUa9a The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) November 26, 2017 He needs similar to what South Africa did a truth, justice and reconciliation commission to look into it so that this doesnt hang over him like a big cloud. Im a man of faith, a strong believer in hope and a strong believer that people can change so its quite possible that Emmerson Mnangagwa could actually be a very good president. But he cant simply bury the past, it wont go away. Asked if 93-year-old Mr Mugabe should be forgiven, he said: Mugabe at some point needs to say to the people of Zimbabwe: 37 years (ago) I took on a country which was fantastic, I nearly took it to ruin, Zimbabweans forgive me. The Ugandan-born Archbishop, who cut up his clerical collar in a symbolic protest on TV a decade ago, returned to the BBCs Andrew Marr Show to be handed back the remains of the item. Instead of attempting to reassemble the old collar he produced a new one from his pocket and put it around his neck. I actually think the lesson for Zimbabwe is the same you just cant try and stitch it up, something more radical, something new needs to happen in terms of the rule of law, allowing people to get jobs because 90% of people arent in work. You cant just stitch it up, I need a new collar. Dr Sentamu said a voice had told him to light a candle in the days leading up to Mr Mugabes downfall. The first burned out on November 14 as the military takeover began, while a second lasted until November 21 the day of Mr Mugabes resignation. Englands 10-wicket defeat in the first Ashes Test was confirmed in little more than an hour as Australia knocked off the 56 runs still needed on the final morning at the Gabba. David Warner (87no) and Cameron Bancroft (82no) took their opening stand to an unbroken 173, eclipsing the target England were able to set with more than two sessions to spare. A decidedly one-sided outcome here was not an entirely true reflection of an opening contest which ebbed and flowed through the first two-and-a-half days. Australia win the first Test by 10 wickets and take a 1-0 series lead.https://t.co/1xc8nkRzk4#Ashes pic.twitter.com/VL5g0m0r0x England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 27, 2017 Since then, however, Australia have been on an uncompromising victory surge thanks largely to their captain Steve Smiths epic 141 not out as he near single-handedly hauled them into a first-innings lead of 26 runs. England under a cloud on and off the pitch You've all heard the reports coming out of Australia...@MichaelVaughan gives his verdict on the Jonny Bairstow news. pic.twitter.com/4jP3Vzhnls Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) November 26, 2017 Reports of an incident in a Perth bar four weeks ago, in which Jonny Bairstow may or may not have headbutted Australia opener Cameron Bancroft, have not made Englands outlook any easier. The ramifications are unclear, depending which pundit or source is most trusted. Shot of the day AUSSIES WIN! 1-0 #BeatEngland Warner finishes 87* and Bancroft 82* as the hosts win by 10 wickets at the Gabba! https://t.co/P6sH6ROa7L #Ashes pic.twitter.com/kkxfmnzapw cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 27, 2017 Bancroft, on debut here, did plenty to prove he has suffered no distractions - including with a crisp off-drive off Jake Ball for a four which hastened the end on the final morning. Stat of the day 1-0 Australia... Cameron Bancroft finishes the job for Australia, hitting the winning runs on debut.#Ashes pic.twitter.com/uJKKHofzMX BT Sport (@btsport) November 27, 2017 1-0 - and counting. England have not won in their last eight attempts in Brisbane, so hopes were not high. But if they could somehow have stopped Australia getting off to their usual flier here, it would have sown much-needed belief in the tourists campaign. Mixed emotions at the Gabba Australia had a win to celebrate, but the thoughts of several players were inevitably also with the late Phillip Hughes, on the third anniversary of their former team-mates death after a blow to the neck from a short ball while batting. Tweet of the day What next? Ashes Test match schedule graphic England can only hope to bounce back with the pink ball in Adelaide next weekend. New International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has announced 12 million of extra UK aid to help Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Burma. An estimated 620,000 men, women and children have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following persecution from the Burmese military in their native state of Rakhine. A drawing made by a Rohingya refugee child from Burma showing what they witnessed before fleeing to the Batukhali refugee camp in Bangladesh On a visit to Bangladesh, Ms Mordaunt met some of the refugees living in camps in the fishing port of Coxs Bazar. The Department of International Development( DfID) estimates that international funding for the crisis will start to run out by February next year unless other countries pledge longer term support. UK is working at every level to help those affected by the #Burma crisis, ensuring that lifesaving aid reaches those in dire need right now pic.twitter.com/2tuYr0ebV7 DFID (@DFID_UK) October 17, 2017 The additional funding will bring the UKs total support for the Rohingya to 59 million since August this year. The money will be spent on food, drinking water, emergency latrines, temporary shelters, soap, cooking utensils and water cans. Thousands of shelter kits, sleeping mats and thermal blankets have already been distributed in Coxs Bazar and more aid is on the way #Burma pic.twitter.com/XW3uOmVcR5 DFID (@DFID_UK) October 17, 2017 Ms Mordaunt said in a statement: This looks like ethnic cleansing. The Burmese military must end this inhumane violence and guarantee unrestricted humanitarian access so aid can reach those in need in Burma. Any return of families to their homes must be safe, voluntary and dignified. Ms Mordaunt made the visit on the International Day To Eliminate Violence Against Women And Girls, which saw thousands of people take part in protests across the world. International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt in Bangladesh The money will also be used to provide sanitary products, female-only bathing cubicles as well as counselling for 2,000 survivors of sexual violence and 10,000 women suffering the trauma of war, DfID said. The International Development Secretary also announced a separate 12 million aid package to be spread across multiple countries to help protect women from sexual and gender-based violence. Putting smiles back on faces. UK aid is helping @UNICEF get children who've fled violence in Burma back to school in Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/T6GP7VBvd0 DFID (@DFID_UK) October 13, 2017 The countless stories of sexual violence I have heard from Rohingya women and girls are truly shocking and the high rates of this crime across the world are a global scandal, Ms Mordaunt said. The UK is absolutely determined to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls and we are increasing protection for Rohingya women and girls against sexual violence and exploitation. Britains economy has been boosted by the F-35 stealth fighter jet with UK companies playing a vital role in the aircrafts production, the company behind the warplane said. American company Lockheed Martin is manufacturing the multimillion-pound supersonic aircraft, which the UK has pledged to buy 138 of over the coming decades. The cutting-edge F-35B warplanes will undertake missions from both Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and bases such as RAF Marham, with nine set to arrive in Britain next year. The #F35 is a game-changer and a quantum leap in technology. Learn more at https://t.co/YbPb29jkku pic.twitter.com/uoTVaWdR8k F-35 Lightning II (@thef35) November 22, 2017 Andrew Linstead, director of strategic engagement at Lockheed Martin UK, said a National Audit Office report published earlier this year showed Britain had spent 3.9 billion on the F-35s since the start of the programme. We did some analysis between ourselves and Pratt & Whitney who make the engine as to the value of contracts placed in the UK, he told the Press Association. That value was 12.9 billion dollars so that is 8-9 billion over the same period. So you are already seeing a value of contracts placed being over twice the value of the expenditure the UK has put forward on the aircraft. And that situation is going to improve and get even better as we ramp up production and more aircraft are made. Lightning Force Commander Air Commodore David Bradshaw. (Joe Giddens/PA) Lightning Force Commander Air Commodore David Bradshaw said Britain has had a 25% stake in the programme from the outset, allowing huge influence. He said that like with the Harrier jet, it could be argued the F-35 has its heart in the UK. Indeed 15%, by value, of every single one of the 3,000 plus F35s that will be produced over the coming decades comes from the UK, he said. In terms of the propulsion system, particularly in the F-35B, with the lift fan and the three bearing swivel nozzle at the back - that is British engineering at its best. The Martin-Baker ejection seat - these are cutting-edge technologies that come from the UK. Some of the UK companies with contracts to produce parts of the jets include Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Ultra Electronics, Cobham and GE Aviation. Indonesian authorities have ordered 100,000 people to flee from an erupting volcano on Bali that forced the holiday islands international airport to close, stranding large numbers of travellers. Mount Agung has been hurling clouds of white and dark grey ash about 10,000ft into the atmosphere since the weekend and lava is welling up in the crater, sometimes reflected as a reddish-yellow glow in the ash plumes. Its explosions can be heard seven to eight miles away. Videos released by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency showed a mudflow of volcanic debris and water known as a lahar moving down the volcanos slopes. It said lahars could increase because it is rainy season and warned people to stay away from rivers. The agency raised the volcanos alert to the highest level early on Monday and expanded the danger zone to six miles in places. It said a larger eruption is possible. The volcanos last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people. Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference in Jakarta that the extension of the danger zone affects 22 villages and about 90,000 to 100,000 people. Graphic locates Mount Agung on Bali He said about 40,000 people have left the area but others feel safe or do not want to abandon their livestock. Authorities will comb the area to persuade them, he said. If needed we will forcibly evacuate them. About 25,000 people were already living in evacuation centres after an increase in tremors from the mountain in September sparked an evacuation. Lava rising in the crater will certainly spill over to the slopes, Mr Sutopo said. Balis airport was closed early on Monday after ash, which can pose a threat to aircraft, reached its air space. Flight information boards showed rows of cancellations as tourists arrived at the busy airport expecting to catch flights home. Passengers read flight information at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali (Ketut Nataan/AP) Airport spokesman Air Ahsanurrohim said 445 flights had been cancelled, stranding about 59,000 travellers. The closure was in effect until Tuesday morning, although officials said the situation would be reviewed every six hours. It had a ripple effect across Indonesia, causing delays at other airports because Balis I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport is a national hub with many connecting flights. Bali is Indonesias top tourist destination, with its gentle Hindu culture, surf beaches and lush green interior attracting about five million visitors a year. Mount Agung erupts in Karangasem, Bali (Firdia Lisnawati/AP) Indonesias Directorate General of Land Transportation said 100 buses were being deployed to Balis international airport and to ferry terminals to help stranded travellers. The agency said major ferry crossing points have been advised to prepare for a surge in passengers and vehicles. Stranded tourists could leave Bali by taking a ferry to Java and then travelling by land to the nearest airports. Bali is Indonesia's top tourist destination (Firdia Lisnawati/AP) Ash has settled on villages and resorts around the volcano and disrupted daily life outside the immediate danger zone. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has more than 120 active volcanoes. Families of the British men held in an Indian jail on weapons charges for four years have spoken of their relief and said their dreams had come true after all six were acquitted. The men, known as the Chennai Six, were first jailed in October 2013 while working as security guards on a ship to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean. The family of Nick Dunn, from Ashington, Northumberland, gathered together as they awaited news from the court in India. On hearing the men had been cleared his sister Lisa said: The longer it went on, as much as you still have an element of hope, it does dwindle after having so many delays and setbacks. But that hasnt happened today and weve had the best news ever. It will make all of our Christmases, all of our dreams have come true today. Mr Dunns father, Jim, said: Absolutely fantastic, the best news in the world. We havent been a full family for a long time now. Nick wont fully realise its over until his feet touch down in Newcastle. The family of Nick Dunn, one of the Chennai Six, celebrate after the group were found not guilty, according to supporters on a social networking page Customs officials initially boarded the vessel and were said to have found 35 guns and almost 6000 rounds of ammunition. Charges against the British men were dropped but they were forced to remain in India while prosecutors pursued an appeal. The men were Billy Irving, 37, from Argyll and Bute, Mr Dunn, 31, John Armstrong, 30, of Wigton, Cumbria, Nicholas Simpson, 47, of Catterick, North Yorkshire, Ray Tindall, 42, of Chester, and Paul Towers, 54, of Pocklington, East Yorkshire. Yvonne McHugh, partner of Billy Irving, said she was over the moon the men had been acquitted and also that it was a dream come true. She added: We are just waiting to hear how soon theyll be home. Thats the biggest hurdle we faced and all of them have been acquitted. Although the men have been cleared, Ms McHugh said she would be unable to speak to Mr Irving as he is not yet out of prison and does not have a phone. She said: I wont be able to speak to him until hes out of prison, we just want them home as soon as possible. Im absolutely ecstatic and feel proud weve managed to do this after four years. A post on The Chennai 6 Facebook page earlier said families were understandably delighted at the news. They are now waiting to hear when they will be allowed home from India to their families. The post said: We now wait to hear as and when the men will be allowed home to their families. This may take some time whilst the authorities decide whether they agree with the outcome or wish to appeal. If they wish to appeal the men might be released from prison but not allowed back to the UK. But the families are delighted that finally common sense and justice has prevailed. News of their acquittal reached Downing Street which said it will continue to offer consular assistance to the men. Family members of the Chennai Six (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Theresa Mays official spokesman said: The Government, from the Prime Minister down, has worked hard for over four years to support the men and their families and we share their happiness at the courts decision to give a full acquittal to each of the men. We are now working with the Indian authorities to discuss the next steps. We will continue to offer the men and their families consular assistance for as long as it is needed. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: Since I became Foreign Secretary, this case has been a top priority for everybody at the Foreign Office (FCO) and todays verdict is fantastic news. The FCO has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to reunite these men with their families. The importance the UK Government places on their case cannot be overstated. The men, their families and their supporters, who have campaigned unrelentingly, must be overjoyed. I share their delight and I hope they can return home as soon as possible. Erik Lamela has told Mauricio Pochettino he is finally ready to make his Tottenham return after more than a year out through injury. Lamela, who joined Spurs four years ago for a then club record 30million, has undergone operations on each of his hips and not played since October 25, 2016. But after beginning training early last month, Lamela gave Pochettino the green light on Monday and is now expected to be on the bench for Tuesdays game against Leicester. Erik Lamela set for Tottenham return after declaring himself fit for action It is very good news because he is in contention for tomorrow, Pochettino said. Its because after the training today he felt good and said, Ok I am ready to move on and be available if you want. Lamelas recovery has proven complex, with the 25-year-old even allowed to take treatment from his former club Roma in January. There was also a traumatic period in December last year when Lamela rushed back to his native Argentina to attend to his brother, who had been unexpectedly taken into hospital. TEAM NEWS: Good news that @ErikLamela has stepped up and is in contention for tomorrow. Always in a very busy schedule you need everyone fit to help the team and that is very good news for the team. Mauricio pic.twitter.com/prWeBuKwQI Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 27, 2017 Pochettino is likely to ease Lamela back in slowly over the Christmas period but he insists he never had any doubts that he would play again. No, never doubts. We trusted in our medical staff and him that hes a very competitive player, always focused on his recovery, Pochettino said. Its true that after a year its difficult for a player to be fit and find the feelings in the competition when its an injury for long term. Always its not easy and the expectations need to be low. Maybe similar to Danny Rose, after 10 months or year its similar. You need to provide them the time to be fit and feel again the competition. With Lamela theres no pressure on him, only to feel hes a player in the competition again. Tottenhams title challenge has been derailed by a disappointing run that has included only one win in their last four Premier League matches. They now sit 13 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City but Pochettino called for perspective. TEAM NEWS: @HarryWinks (illness) will be assessed ahead of tomorrows game against Leicester City. pic.twitter.com/vkjfgSFgfo Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 27, 2017 I think if you remember everything that happened three years ago, no-one would believe we would be talking about finishing first, beating Dortmund and Real Madrid and finishing first in the Champions League and have the capacity in the last three seasons to fight for the top four and the Premier League, Pochettino said. We were talking about in the next three or four seasons arriving to the new stadium and trying to reduce the gap to the top four, and now we are involved in the battle for the best competitions in the world. Harry Winks has fallen ill and will have to be assessed ahead of the trip to the King Power Stadium while Victor Wanyama (knee) and Toby Alderweireld (hamstring) are both out. Crisis talks between Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to avert a general election broke up on Monday night without resolution. Discussions are due to resume on Tuesday morning before a crucial vote of no confidence in Irelands deputy premier Frances Fitzgerald is scheduled to take place, potentially causing the Irish Government to fall. A spokesman for the Taoiseach said there was serious engagement on both sides during Monday nights talks. He added: All remain keen to avoid an election in the interest of the country. Earlier Mr Varadkar again stressed his support for Ms Fitzgerald, who is under renewed pressure to resign over her handling of a police whistleblower scandal. Case for the defence for Fitzgerald has utterly collapsed, documents prove it is time to go @Donnchadhol https://t.co/yxPHaLgtl0 pic.twitter.com/grJ5q2G5ft Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) November 27, 2017 It emerged on Monday that she was emailed in 2015 about an alleged aggressive stance towards Sergeant Maurice McCabe while she was justice minister deepening the political crisis. It was one of three emails she was sent about the legal strategy of the Garda force against the whistleblower. She received lines to take in public on the officer, who was taking part in a judicial investigation into policing in the Irish midlands. The new emails emerged as the future of Ms Fitzgeralds ministerial career hung in the balance. She has said she cannot recall the contents of that message. However, a department of justice civil servant wrote that the minister had noted the email. Maurice McCabe Despite ongoing calls for her resignation over her handling of the original 2015 email that revealed attempts to discredit the Garda whistleblower, a spokesman for Mr Varadkar insisted on Monday night that the Taoiseach continues to stand by her. The confirmation of the Taoiseachs ongoing support came as Mr Varadkar and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin met for crisis talks in a bid to prevent a snap election having to be called. Ms Fitzgerald also showed no indication of stepping down when she took to Twitter on Monday night to defend herself. She tweeted: As Justice Minister I could not interfere with the OHiggins Commission. This is confirmed twice in todays docs & has been confirmed by the AG (Attorney General). 1/2 As Justice Minister I could not interfere with the O'Higgjns Commission. This is confirmed twice in today's docs & has been confirmed by the AG. Frances Fitzgerald MEP (@FitzgeraldFrncs) November 27, 2017 2/2 The Tribunal will objectively judge the appropriateness of my conduct. I look forward to giving my evidence to the Tribunal early in January. Frances Fitzgerald MEP (@FitzgeraldFrncs) November 27, 2017 The Tribunal will objectively judge the appropriateness of my conduct. I look forward to giving my evidence to the Tribunal early in January. Sinn Fein parliamentary representative Donnchadh O Laoghaire said: The case for the defence for Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald has been unravelling for days. It has now collapsed. Ms Fitzgerald was contacted on May 15, 2015 and July 4, 2015 by officials in the Department outlining the strategy of the former Garda Commissioner, or top officer, Noirin OSullivan. One of the messages from Ms Fitzgeralds officials said the Commissioner phoned to let him know they had received media queries about Sgt McCabe. They were asked was it the case that Sgt McCabe was looking to be taken out of the traffic unit in Mullingar and was it the Garda Commissioner who had instructed counsel to adopt an aggressive stance towards Sgt McCabe at the OHiggins Commission. According to emails released by the justice department on Monday night, an official emailed Ms Fitzgerald on lines to take if Sgt Maurice McCabe was raised with her. He said Ms Fitzgerald should stress her belief that Sgt McCabe is a valued member of the force. Fianna Fail, which has been supporting the minority Fine Gael-led government, has demanded the resignation of Ms Fitzgerald over the affair. "The Tanaiste should step aside - that would avoid a General Election" - @MichealMartinTD #TodaySOR https://t.co/ewaYLcUuEU Fianna Fail (@fiannafailparty) November 24, 2017 Last-ditch negotiations, which could see a radical overhaul of justice affairs, are said to have been constructive. We are trying to find a middle way that allows the Government to continue and continue with the important work we are doing, particularly with Brexit and ensuring that we have necessary legislation through, the Taoiseach said. We are doing everything we can. If no compromise is reached then it will lead to the collapse of the delicate confidence and supply arrangement that was supposed to see Mr Martins party support the minority Fine Gael Government until the passage of the Budget in late 2018, and abstain in any no-confidence motions against ministers. The Taoiseach said only Sinn Fein wanted an election. Mr Martin has refused to back down on a motion of no confidence in Tanaiste Mrs Fitzgerald. It is scheduled for Tuesday night and, if Fianna Fail follows through with it, the confidence and supply pact would be broken and the Government would fall. Ben Stokes is not on his way to join Englands Ashes squad in Australia, Press Association Sport understands. Speculation about the all-rounders plans were raised by a picture on social media which appeared to show him at Heathrow Airport. However, it is understood Stokes is heading to New Zealand to practice and spend time with his family, rather than meeting up with his England team-mates. Ben Stokes was initially named in the England squad (John Walton/PA Wire) Love twitter for gossip but sorry England fans Ben Stokes isnt on a Big Bird Down Under ..... #Yet Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) November 27, 2017 Stokes was initially named in Englands 16-man squad to tour Australia but was quickly stood down from international duty following his arrest on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm in Bristol in September. The New Zealand-born 26-year-old has yet to hear whether he will be charged by Avon and Somerset Police. Stokes and Alex Hales, who was also involved in the Bristol incident, have been suspended from England selection until further notice. Just to confirm: Ben Stokes has in fact learned the trumpet, and will be joining us in Adelaide on Saturday. England's Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) November 27, 2017 However, it is understood that after being arrested and then released under investigation, Stokes is free to travel and leave the country. Stokes sent a good luck message to the England squad just hours before they began their Ashes campaign in Brisbane, where Australia cruised to a 10-wicket victory in the first Test on Monday. Ill be sat at home watching and following the lads in the hope they do really well, Stokes said in a video. In an apparent reference to Mondays picture on social media, Stokes wrote on Twitter: GIFs the best thing to grace twitter. By Clyde Russell LAUNCESTON, Australia, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The shifting dynamics of China's crude oil imports show the scale of the challenges facing the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies ahead of a decision on whether to continue with production cuts. The detailed Chinese customs data for October illustrates trends that should give pause for thought to the leaders of OPEC and its allies, particularly major exporter Russia, ahead of the meeting in Vienna on Nov. 30. Market share is the big issue for shippers to China, the world's largest crude importer, and there are two strands to the problem. The first is that the import data shows how China has been able to develop new relationships with oil exporters fairly rapidly, reducing reliance on some traditional suppliers from OPEC. The second is that it appears that the burden of reducing exports, at least as far as China is concerned, isn't being shared remotely equally by members of OPEC and their partners in output cuts. This imbalance raises the chance that an extension to the overall output cuts first agreed a year ago will prove ineffective as some parties to the deal are tempted to export more in a bid to retain, or expand, market share. U.S. EXPORT SURGE China's imports from the United States neatly encapsulate the dilemma that OPEC and its allies have in dealing with the challenge of rising U.S. exports on the back of the boom in shale oil. China imported about 206,900 barrels per day (bpd) from the United States in October, the second-highest monthly amount on record since this trade flow started late last year. Granted, that level of shipments doesn't seem to present much of a threat to top suppliers Russia and Saudi Arabia, whose exports to China in October stood at 1.09 million bpd and 1.08 million bpd respectively. But it represents a huge increase in less than a year, with China's imports from the United States going from virtually zero in 2016 to a monthly average of some 135,000 bpd in the first 10 months of the year. It also seems that U.S. exports are going to keep increasing in coming months, and quite strongly, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecasts. The shipping data show that China's November U.S. imports should be around 242,000 bpd, based on six cargoes that have already been discharged at Chinese ports. In December, they may rise to 379,000 bpd as the vessel-tracking data shows six cargoes already underway, all of them Very Large Crude Carriers with around 2 million barrels per ship. FROM NON-ENTITY TO SERIOUS PLAYER At a figure getting fairly close to 400,000 bpd, the United States would likely become China's seventh largest supplier of crude, something that becomes much more than just a nuisance as far as the big guns of Saudi Arabia, Russia, Angola, Iran and Iraq are concerned. The rise of non-traditional crude exporters to China such as the United States, Brazil and even Great Britain may also cause some of those countries trying to re-balance the market through output cuts to think more about preserving market share. Producers such as Russia and Saudi Arabia ship to numerous countries, but the China data shows that as far as exports there are concerned, some OPEC countries and their partners appear to be doing more than others. China imported 1.04 million bpd from Saudi Arabia in the first 10 months of the year, an increase of just 1 percent from the same period last year. Over the same period China bought 1.19 million bpd from Russia, up 16 percent, and 1.04 million bpd from Angola, a jump of almost 18 percent. Those two countries have overtaken Saudi Arabia as the top suppliers to China so far this year. While Russia and Angola may be cutting exports to other buyers, they have certainly worked to boost market share in China, with both achieving growth rates above China's overall 11.8 percent increase in crude imports in the first 10 months. The other major Middle East exporters have, similar to the Saudis, been more restrained in exporting to China, with imports from Iran up 2.2 percent and Iraq by 1.6 percent. If OPEC and its allies are going to extend their output cuts of 1.8 million bpd beyond the current March expiry, the key to success will be ensuring compliance. If some exporters are complying more enthusiastically than others, the deal risks gradually falling apart. Put another way, how happy will Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq be at seeing their allies Russia and Angola exporting more to China, as well as watching emerging rivals like the United States and others chip away their share of the China crude market? (Editing by Richard Pullin) By Mukhammadsharif Mamatkulov and Mariya Gordeyeva TASHKENT/ALMATY, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Sensing change in his native Uzbekistan, Hikmat Abdurahmonov plans to build a 10-storey office block and open a consultancy firm oriented towards foreign trade. In neighbouring Kazakhstan, banker Umut Shayakhmetova is considering an Uzbek subsidiary. "There is hope in the air," she says. Their plans, commonplace in many countries, are striking because Uzbekistan, as Shayakhmetova puts it, is "starting from zero". Until the death last year of former president Islam Karimov, it was one of the world's most isolated states. Karimov, who came to power in communist times, kept an iron grip on the economy and politics and mistrusted both Russia and the West. Since then, foreign delegations have been beating a path to the capital Tashkent, drawn by the potential of the Central Asian country's oil and gas and vast cotton crop as well as areas such as car and food production, machinery and chemicals. They also have political concerns: Uzbeks from a long-oppressed Muslim population have been arrested for attacks on civilians in New York, Istanbul, Stockholm and St Petersburg this year that killed at least 65 people and wounded many more. Karimov's successor, his longtime prime minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has maintained the top-down political system while starting tentative reforms to an economy that had failed to create jobs, fuelling discontent. In August, the country said it would abolish, in 2019, the exit visa system that prevented Uzbeks leaving without official permission, easing the path of millions of migrant workers whose remittances, mostly from Russia, are a vital source of income. A month later it stopped sending students, teachers and medical workers to harvest cotton after a global boycott campaign, and scrapped most of the capital controls that had bolstered state reserves but stifled trade and investment. For Abdurahmonov, 36, who has run property, trade, finance and other businesses and lived in the United States, Britain, China and Singapore, the currency reform means he can focus on making money instead of tracking it down in an opaque system. "I think you can feel it in the air how the atmosphere is really changing," he said in an interview at his three-storey, loft-style office building on the eastern outskirts of Tashkent. "People are planning new businesses, you can see a lot of start-ups coming (to us)." 'SERIOUS' While Abdurahmonov's company leases out office space, arranges foreign trade deals and provides other services for local entrepreneurs, Shayakhmetova is chief executive of Halyk Bank, Kazakhstans biggest lender by assets. "I have had meetings with high-level officials and I have the impression they are serious (about reforms)," she said in Almaty, Kazakhstan's financial centre. "We are studying the market and talking to the regulator to see what their plans are." Shayakhmetova said the bank, which has assets of $26 billion and units in Russia, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, could set up a subsidiary in Tashkent in a year and a half. The World Bank named Uzbekistan one of its top 10 improvers this year for ease of doing business, citing reforms in starting a business, construction permits, protection for minority investors, tax payments and electricity supplies. Ranked 74 out of 190 countries, it was slightly ahead of China and Ukraine but well below Russia, which is 35th. "Our next target is quite ambitious - we want to be in the top 20 by 2025," Azim Akhmedkhodjaev, head of the state investments committee, said, citing a draft "Investment Code" to replace more than a hundred separate laws and regulations. The country has not tackled the more complex and potentially painful restructuring of large state enterprises, however, or joined the World Trade Organisation, and is among states perceived as most corrupt, according to watchdog Transparency International, which ranks it 156 of 176. Ordinary Uzbeks have yet to feel the full benefits of the foreign exchange liberalisation, still unable to buy foreign currency in cash except on the illegal black market. GLOBAL OUTREACH, RUSSIAN FOCUS So far this decade, Russia, China and South Korea accounted for around two-thirds of investment, with most, last year, going into oil and gas, followed by chemicals and logistics. Akhmedkhodjaev said the country had attracted $4.2 billion so far this year, including $3.7 billion in direct investment or FDI, compared with $1.9 billion in FDI in the whole of 2016. According to World Bank data issued before Akhmedkhodjaev spoke to reporters this month, FDI inflows fell to $67 million in 2016. He did not comment on the discrepancy. http://reut.rs/2A4bDjy The drop followed high-profile disputes with investors such as Britain's Oxus Gold and Russian mobile phone operator MTS and a drop off in Chinese investment once a gas pipeline was built. This year, France's Peugeot announced a joint venture and Turkish firm Gentes Yapi ve Endustry Tesisleri Ltd Sti signed a deal to build a large logistics facility. That marked an easing of ties strained by Turkey granting asylum to a leading Uzbek opposition figure, although he and others have yet to return because, while some critics have been freed from jail, others have been detained. Akhmedkhodjaev listed United States, Germany and Japan among investors this year, a reflection of the president's global outreach, while the main inflow, almost a billion dollars, was expected to come from Russian energy giant LUKOIL. Mirziyoyev has described Russia as a strategic partner, and Russian central bank data shows $2.7 billion in money transfers from Russia to Uzbekistan last year. (Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Philippa Fletcher) Nov 27 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Monday. BUDGET DEFICIT The finance ministry could release January-October consolidated budget data. DEBT TENDER Romanian debt managers tender 500 million lei ($128.62 million) of Oct. 2020 treasury bonds. STREET PROTESTS Tens of thousands of Romanians rallied in the capital Bucharest and dozens of other cities on Sunday, protesting against a widely criticised plan by the ruling Social Democrats to overhaul the judiciary. CEE MARKETS Polish bank stocks retreated on Friday from 2-1/2 year highs after KNF, the country's financial market regulator set new leverage rules which may limit bank's dividend payments. MOODY'S Romania has made material progress in correcting macroeconomic imbalances, but these improvements could be eroded in the medium-term, Moody's said on Friday. MONEY SUPPLY Romanian M3 money supply expanded 13.6 percent on the year to 336.96 billion lei ($86.02 billion) at the end of October and rose 1.3 percent on the month, central bank data showed on Friday. For the long-term Romanian diary, click on For emerging markets economic events, click on For an index of all diaries, click on For other related news, double click on: --------------------------------------------------------------- Romanian equities RO-E E.Europe equities .CEE Romanian money RO-M Romanian debt RO-D Eastern Europe EEU All emerging markets EMRG Hot stocks HOT Stock markets STX Market debt news DBT Forex news FRX For real-time index quotes, double click on: Bucharest BETI Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX --------------------------------------------------------------- ($1 = 3.8875 lei) Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 1 hour): POWER EXCHANGE Polish power companies will be obliged to sell 30 percent of their electricity via the power exchange versus 15 percent now, Rzeczpospolita daily said quoting recent amendments to draft law on the power capacity market. EV Polish energy ministry wants to capitalise Electromobility Poland - a company owned by state-run utilities developing an electric car - with 1 billion zlotys from the state budget, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily said quoting unnamed government sources. RETAIL Limiting Sunday trade may result in increased online shopping in Poland, Rzeczpospolita daily said quoting analysts. KGHM Rzeczpospolita daily quoted the CEO of KGHM as saying that China's shift to domestic consumption and services from infrastructure and foreign investment as drivers of economic growth should not lead to fall in demand for copper. ****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.**** For other related news, double click on: Polish equities E.Europe equities Polish money Polish debt Eastern Europe All emerging markets Hot stocks Stock markets Market debt news Forex news For real-time index quotes, double click on: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX (Reporting by Warsaw Bureau) Nov 27 (Reuters) - A court in Vietnam jailed a blogger on Monday for seven years for "conducting propaganda against the state", the latest action against a critic of the one-party state. Nguyen Van Hoa, 22, rose to prominence after a toxic waste spill from a steel mill built by Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Corp's Vietnam unit that polluted more than 200 km (125 miles) of coast, sparking rare protests in the Communist Party-ruled country. Despite sweeping economic reforms and growing openness to social change, including gay, lesbian and transgender rights, Vietnam retains tight media censorship and its government does not tolerate criticism. In recent months, authorities have stepped up measures to silence critics whose voices on various issues have been amplified by social media in a country that is among Facebook's top 10 by users. The people's court in Ha Tinh province said on its website Hoa had been found guilty of propaganda against the state. It said Hoa produced videos to call for protests after the spill. Neither Hoa nor or a legal or family representative were available for comment. Hoa was arrested and prosecuted in April for publishing anti-government content. The Formosa incident, one of Vietnam's worst environmental disasters, is a sensitive topic for the government as it balances political stability, environmental protection and foreign investment, one of the drivers of economic growth. The government has said it will prosecute identified Formosa protesters for "causing public disorder". Another critic of the steel mill spill, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as "Me Nam" (Mother Mushroom), was given a 10-year jail term for publishing propaganda against the state. A prominent rights lawyer who has represented Quynh, said on Monday the Bar Federation in Phu Yen province had revoked his licence to practice. "The government does not want me to work as a lawyer anymore because I have been defending poor people, people who were unjustly charged ... cases that are sensitive in Vietnam," the lawyer, Vo An Don, told Reuters. Don said he would not be able to defend Quynh at her appeal hearing. Reuters was unable to immediately reach the Bar Federation or government authorities for comment on the case. (Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Robert Birsel) By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Iraq on Monday invited foreign companies to bid for contracts to explore and develop oil and natural gas reserves in nine new blocks as the OPEC nation seeks to boost its output capacity. "We invite all international companies to participate," Oil Minister Jabar al-Luaibi told a news conference in Baghdad. "This new exploration bidding round aims to maximise reserves." Five blocks are located at border areas with Iran, three with Kuwait and one is offshore in Gulf waters, a presentation by oil ministry officials at the conference showed. Luaibi said the areas had previously been "neglected" because they were the site of conflicts between Iraq and its neighbours in the 1980s and 1990s. The bidding terms will be finalised by the end of May and the ceremony to open the bids will be held on June 21, 2018, the presentation said. The foreign companies' opinions will be taken into consideration when formulating the new contracts, Luaibi said. The terms will be different from previous service contracts, which Baghdad is moving away from because they remunerate companies regardless of oil prices fluctuations. Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, depends on oil sales for over 90 percent of its public budget. The country's finances suffered when oil prices collapsed in 2014. "We are keen to make significant changes to the new exploration model contracts, and to adopt a new commercial and financial model different from the service contract," Luaibi said, adding the list of qualifying foreign bidders would be announced on Nov. 29. Iraq's oil output capacity should reach 5 million barrels per day (bpd) by the end of 2017, Luaibi said earlier this year. Its current capacity is about 4.8 million bpd and its production about 4.4 million bpd, in line with an agreement by oil exporting nations to curb output in order to support crude prices. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Jason Neely and Mark Potter) By Adela Suliman LONDON, Nov 27 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A group of senior Australian doctors have written an open letter to their government citing "great concern" for the physical and mental health of hundreds of asylum seekers cleared from an abandoned Australian-run detention camp in Papua New Guinea. The doctors outlined a range of concerns from poor hygiene and sanitation to the spread of disease and called for an immediate review of the health of the men still on Manus Island, offering to conduct the medical assessments themselves. "They, like all human beings, have a universal right - enshrined in the United Nations charter - to health and well-being. Their political and citizenship status should not affect this right," read the letter, published on Monday. Australia officially closed the Manus Island detention centre on Oct. 31, after it was declared illegal by a Papua New Guinea court, but the asylum seekers refused to leave to transit centres, stating that they feared for their safety. Papua New Guinean police cleared the remaining asylum-seekers from the Manus detention complex on Friday, ending a three-week protest which saw some 600 people surviving on rain water and smuggled food and supplies. The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. In Geneva, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR on Friday denounced the use of force by Papua New Guinean police to remove the refugees and asylum seekers and called for Australia to ensure their protection, noting that several refugees were "severely injured" in the raid and needed medical treatment. The open letter by the doctors follows a separate unanimous vote by members of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) which called on the government to grant access to the centre so doctors could assess health and living conditions. The international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) also said in a statement on Sunday that it had been refused entry to assess the health of the detainees after previously being granted authorisation. "I am very concerned by the fate of the refugees and people seeking asylum in Manus Island's transit centres," said Stewart Condon, president of MSF Australia. Mostly from Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria, the detainees are held under Australia's strict "sovereign borders" immigration policy, under which it refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores. "We believe that the humanitarian issues take precedence over politics," said the group of surgeons and physicians in the open letter. "This is a matter beyond immigration and border control, but one that affects the health of people and others' perceptions of our great nation." (Reporting by Adela Suliman; editing by Ros Russell. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org) By Pawel Florkiewicz and Pawel Sobczak WARSAW, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Poland's banking regulator has no intention of opposing further consolidation of the country's commercial banks, the head of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF) said on Monday, calling it a "natural process". Marek Chrzanowski also said that the KNF will allow more banks to pay out dividends for 2017 compared to 2016, adding that the largest banks would likely get a green light to do so based on their performance in the first three quarters of this year. "Consolidation is a natural process in the commercial banks sector," Chrzanowski told Reuters in an interview. "If stronger entities take over weaker ones ... then these are changes going in the right direction." He said there seemed to be no serious risks in a possible merger of Poland's second-largest lender Bank Pekao SA with smaller rival Alior Bank. Both are controlled by state-run insurer PZU. "If these two entities decide to merge, find synergies, then I do not see here any serious risk and arguments to oppose such a decision," Chrzanowski said. The head of KNF said it was important that a potential new owner of Deutsche Bank Polska, the Polish unit of Germany's Deutsche Bank, was "stronger" than its current owner. Reuters reported in November that Spanish bank Santander has entered exclusive talks to buy the bulk of Deutsche Bank's business in Poland. Chrzanowski said Austria's Raiffeisen would meet its obligations of listing its Polish banking unit, Raiffeisen Bank Polska, if it decided to sell the unit to another bank that was already listed in Poland. The KNF extended the latest deadline for the initial public offering in Raiffeisen Bank Polska by almost a year to May 15, 2018. "But we have to remember that we have time until May 15 for a possible due diligence process and agreeing the terms of a deal," he said. "Every investor entering our market should fulfil its obligations. We cannot create precedents." In November, Reuters reported, citing sources, that BNP Paribas has approached Raiffeisen Bank International to express interest in buying the Austrian bank's Polish division. ($1 = 3.5236 zlotys) (Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz and Pawel Sobczak; Writing by Marcin Goettig; Editing by Adrian Croft) By Bruno Federowski SAO PAULO, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Brazilian stocks fell on Monday as traders feared the government might have to weaken pension legislation further to ensure its approval in Congress. President Michel Temer's administration agreed last week to soften its controversial plan to streamline the social security system after facing strong opposition from lawmakers. That proposal would generate fiscal savings of about 60 percent of the government's original proposal, down from 75 percent under a previous version. Investors widely see the bill as necessary to curtail rising public debt and to allow the government to meet fiscal targets. Temer's allies in Congress have acknowledged that the plan might be watered down again to guarantee its approval in the lower house this year. In a report, analysts at Magliano Corretora brokerage said they expected stock market volatility to spike until the pension reform plan goes to a vote in early December. The benchmark Bovespa index fell 1.2 percent on Monday, dragged down by blue-chips such as miner Vale SA and lenders Banco Bradesco SA and Banco do Brasil SA. State-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA tracked crude prices lower. Shares of phone carrier Oi SA, which are not part of the benchmark index, fell after news of Chief Executive Officer Marco Schroeder's resignation. In a client note, Credit Suisse analysts said the move should make it harder to find a restructuring proposal that will please all shareholders, heightening the chances of a government intervention as Oi struggles to emerge from bankruptcy protection. The Brazilian real firmed 0.4 percent, in line with the Mexican peso. Both benefited as growing doubts about the U.S. government's ability to implement a tax overhaul weakened that nation's currency globally. Investors also cheered reports that Mexican Finance Minister Jose Antonio Meade might announce his intention to seek the presidency after resigning on Monday. Officials say his reputation for honesty and cross-party appeal will be vital if he hopes to defeat Mexico City mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in a presidential race. Obrador, who has captained a populist platform that investors fear could stir tensions with the U.S. government, has been leading polls for next year's elections, set to be the most competitive in decades. Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1335 GMT: Stock indexes daily % YTD % change change Latest MSCI Emerging Markets 1146.50 -0.67 33.86 MSCI LatAm 2803.28 -0.52 20.39 Brazil Bovespa 73295.96 -1.16 21.70 Chile IPSA 5030.73 -0.19 21.18 Chile IGPA 25323.58 -0.17 22.13 Venezuela IBC 752.00 5.61 -97.63 Currencies daily % YTD % change change Latest Brazil real 3.2192 0.38 0.93 Mexico peso 18.4905 0.43 12.19 Chile peso 634.4 -0.06 5.72 Colombia peso 2976.9 0.06 0.83 Peru sol 3.236 0.03 5.50 Argentina peso (interbank) 17.3400 0.12 -8.45 Argentina peso (parallel) 18.02 0.44 -6.66 (Reporting by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn) By Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi and Oliver Hirt ZURICH, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Activist investor RBR Capital Advisors has offered to connect Credit Suisse with the Saudi royal family as potential major shareholders for the Swiss bank, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Swiss hedge fund led by Rudolf Bohli, which has a stake in Credit Suisse, last month pushed for a break up of the bank into three parts, hoping to double its market value. The fund in October disclosed a roughly 0.2 percent stake in Credit Suisse. Switzerland's second biggest bank is two years into a restructuring under CEO Tidjane Thiam, who is aiming to boost profitability by concentrating more on wealth management and less on volatile investment banking. In late October, Bohli offered to put Thiam in touch with a representative of the Saudi royal family, the person said. Thiam's reaction had been polite but cool, the person added. In discussions with Thiam, the hedge fund manager had suggested Credit Suisse could play a more prominent role in the Middle East with a key shareholder such as the Saudi crown, the person with direct knowledge of the matter said. RBR declined to comment on the matter. The Saudi royal family did not respond to a request for immediate comment. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in early November began a crackdown on corruption in the country's political and business elite, which has included arrests of royals, businessmen and ministers. SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS In an interview in October, Bohli told Reuters he was in contact with 150 investors, including sovereign wealth funds. Most of these investors were not Credit Suisse shareholders, he said. According to the person, Bohli offered to introduce Thiam to a representative of the royal family named Rashad Janahi. Janahi, who formerly managed the Abu Dhabi Investment House, now known as Infra Capital Investments, could not be reached for immediate comment. Reuters could not independently verify Janahi's connections to the Saudi royal family. Credit Suisse said last week it had not been approached by any Saudi sovereign wealth funds about becoming investors after a Financial Times column suggested Saudi Arabian investors could be interested in taking a stake. The paper did not provide a source for its information. Several sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf region hold investments in some European banks. Qatar Investment Authority, for example, holds stakes in Credit Suisse and Barclays . Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Investment Co. has a stake in Italian bank UniCredit and Swiss private bank Falcon via its Aabar Investments division. Credit Suisse has cited Saudi Arabia as a very important market and is applying for an on-shore banking licence with the aim of expanding its business there. Privately held Saudi investment conglomerate Olayan Financing Company holds a 4.9 percent in Credit Suisse, according to the bank's information. This places Olayan, along with Harris Associates and Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, amongst its biggest shareholders. The Swiss bank's turnaround plan is nearing the final year. The plan has undergone several adjustments, including a paring back of profitability targets, since they were first established in 2015. Its aim to focus the bank more on wealth management and less on investment banking has included several thousand job cuts in Switzerland, London and New York. Credit Suisse shares, which have underperformed the European banking sector index, have fallen in value by nearly two-thirds from a high above 27 Swiss francs ($27.58) in late July 2015 to a low of 9.4 francs in July 2016. They have since recovered to trade above 16 francs per share. ($1 = 0.9791 Swiss francs) (Additional reporting by Stanley Carvalho in Abu Dhabi, Samia Nakhoul and Saeed Azhar in Riyadh. Editing by Jane Merriman) By Mark Weinraub CHICAGO, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures sank 1.4 percent to fresh contract lows on Monday, pressured by poor demand for U.S. supplies from overseas buyers, traders said. The drop in wheat weighed on corn futures while soybean futures edged higher, underpinned by concerns about crop development in South America. The U.S. Agriculture Department on Monday reported weekly wheat export inspections of 344,721 tonnes, in line with estimates for 200,000 tonnes to 400,000 tonnes. "The real problem in wheat is simply our exports," said Dewey Strickler, president of Ag Watch Market Advisors. "When you look at the U.S. market share of exports globally, it is about 14 percent compared to 63 percent for the Black Sea Region. That is the whole story." At 11:06 a.m. CST (1606 GMT), the benchmark CBOT March soft red winter wheat futures contract was down 6 cents at $4.28-3/4 a bushel after hitting a low of $4.28 earlier in the session. Deferred soft red winter wheat contracts and K.C. hard red winter wheat offerings also set new lows on Monday. "The market seems to have lost patience and concluded the U.S. is simply not going to export enough wheat," said Tobin Gorey, director of agricultural strategy at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. CBOT December corn futures were down 3 cents at $3.39-1/4 a bushel. Corn futures held support near Friday's lows. CBOT January soybean futures were 1-3/4 cents higher at $9.95 a bushel. Weekly soybean export inspections came in at 1.579 million tonnes, near the low end of market forecasts for 1.5 million to 1.8 million tonnes. Corn export inspections of 638,711 tonnes also were in line with the range of expectations. The most-active soybean contract pared gains after topping $10 a bushel for the first time since Nov. 9. The January contract had neared that key psychological threshold the previous two sessions but failed to top it both times. Weakness in soyoil also weighed on the soybean market. World soyoil prices will fall after India's decision this month to raise an import tax on edible oil to the highest level in more than a decade, Argentina's export industry chamber said on Friday. Traders were eyeing support for soybeans at the January contract's 30-day moving average. (Additional reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris and Naveen Thukral in Singapore; Editing by Marguerita Choy) By Anastasia Moloney BOGOTA, Nov 27 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Killings and violence against LGBT people in Central America are driving hundreds to flee their homes each year, but they have no safe sanctuary to run to, Amnesty International said on Monday. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are being forced to leave El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala to escape "epidemic levels of violence" and threats by criminal gangs and security forces, the rights group said in a report. "People are facing vicious discrimination in Central America due to their gender identities, and have absolutely nowhere to run for safety," Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International said in a statement. "Terrorized at home, and abused while trying to seek sanctuary abroad, they are now some of the most vulnerable refugees in the Americas." El Salvador and Honduras have some of the world's highest murder rates, and LGBT people are particularly vulnerable to macho, powerful gangs who control entire city neighbourhoods. At least 136 LGBT people in El Salvador have fled the country since 2012 and most crimes go unpunished, according to local rights group COMCAVIS. Cristel, a transgender women, said she was forced to flee El Salvador in 2014 after receiving death threats from a gang. They told her to leave within 24 hours or they would kill her. "I was forced to leave my country .. just because I was transsexual, just because I wasn't a biological woman," 25-year-old Cristel is quoted as saying in the Amnesty report. In Honduras, at least 264 LGBT people have been killed since 2009, of whom more than half were gay men, according to local rights group, Cattrachas. Last week the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) stressed its concern about the "high levels of violence against transgender people" and their low life expectancy. Under the U.N. 1951 refugee convention, LGBT people who have experienced persecution and hate crimes because of their sexual orientation and or gender identity are eligible to claim asylum. According to a study by the U.N.'s refugee agency, UNHCR, nearly 90 percent of LGBT asylum seekers and refugees from Central America it interviewed in 2016 said they had suffered sexual and gender-based violence in their countries of origin. Most LGBT people from Central America seek refuge in Mexico and the United States, having made dangerous overland journeys north during which they are often attacked by gangs. But few claim asylum because authorities in Central America and Mexico fail to inform them about their rights, Amnesty said. (Reporting by Anastasia Moloney @anastasiabogota, Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org) VIENNA, 27 November 2017 - The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) today held its Sixth Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development (ISID) Forum on the sidelines of the Organizations 17th General Conference. The event discussed some of the key features of the Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) model, the progress achieved in Ethiopia, Senegal and Peru, and the gradual roll-out of new PCPs. UNIDO launched the first PCPs in 2014, in Ethiopia and Senegal, and in December 2015 added a third pilot, Peru. The PCP aims to accelerate industrial development through a multi-stakeholder partnership approach, building synergies with various interventions and focusing on leveraging additional investment in priority industrial sectors or areas. "The PCP brings together different national ministries - from industry to finance, to agriculture and environment - with development partners around the same table, to create more synergy between the different interventions that support inclusive and sustainable industrial development. This cooperation platform is essential for ensuring the effective coordination of resources - be it finance, technology or expertise - the key elements needed for the realization of large-scale industrial development projects," said UNIDO Director General, LI Yong, at the ISID Forum. Li stressed that each programme is owned and led by the host government and aims to support a country in achieving its long-term industrial development goals. The event also served to introduce Cambodia and the Kyrgyz Republic as new pilots. By expanding the model to additional countries, UNIDO will cover each geographical region of the world and thus complete the piloting phase. The last pilot will be introduced in the Arab region in 2018. Recommendations and lessons learned from the independent mid-term evaluation conducted in 2017 will be incorporated into a gradual roll-out to additional countries. Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister of Industry and Handicraft of Cambodia, said, "For us, the PCP is particularly timely as the country has recently graduated from low-income to lower middle-income, thus is shifting from grant-funded to loan-funded development support and therefore seeking stronger partnership with financial institutions, which is a key component of the PCP approach." A joint declaration on PCP Cambodia, as well as a new partnership agreement between UNIDO and the Eurasian Development Bank aimed at strengthening partnerships, including within the framework of the new PCPs, will be signed this week during the General Conference. Programme development will commence next year. Titled, "The PCP approach - Evolving Partnerships for Greater Impact", the Sixth ISID Forum was attended by over 450 participants, including government representatives of existing and new pilot PCPs, as well as partners from financial institutions and the business sector. The event was moderated by the radio and television journalist, Zeinab Badawi. For more information on the Programme for County Partnership, please contact: Mr. Sayaphol SACKDA Advocacy and Communication Officer Corporate Communications and Media Relations Division United Nations Industrial Development Organization Tel: +43-1-26026-3974 Email: s.sackda@unido.org Content provided by UNIDO, via Reuters. Optiemus Infracom Limited, an Indian telecom enterprise, announced its entry into the Sri Lankan market with the launch of BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition |Black recently. Optiemus signed a licensing deal with BlackBerry in February 2017 to design, manufacture and distribute BlackBerry branded smartphones In India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. After successfully launching the BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black in India, Optiemus has partnered with Softlogic, to handle the distribution and retail operations of BlackBerry smartphones. Optiemusentry into Sri Lanka supports the companys growth strategy aimed at expanding its customer base in new geographies. BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black is the first BlackBerry branded device locally manufactured by Optiemus Infracom under the licensing agreement. The device offers the best of BlackBerry Limiteds software and security with Optiemus Infracoms commitment to deliver high-quality, reliable smartphones to tech-savvy customers in the country. The device will be available starting 20th Novemberat select retail outlets across the country. The entry to the Sri Lanka market marks the beginning of our business expansion into newer geographies outside of India. Our endeavor is to offer highly secure Blackberry smartphones that have the best of both worlds the convenience of Android and security of BlackBerry- to the sub-continent audience. We are confident that the customers in Sri Lanka will enjoy the BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black experience, as it offers unparalleled productivity, beautiful design, great camera quality and superior user interface.We have also signed Kumar Sangakkara as brand ambassador for BlackBerry Mobiles in Sri Lanka, said Hardip Singh, Executive Director, Optiemus Infracom Ltd. Alex Thurber, Senior Vice President, General Manager, Mobility Solutions at BlackBerry said,We would like to congratulate our partnerOptiemus Infracomand Softlogicon the launch of the BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black. It is very exciting to see our ecosystem of software licensing partners working together tobring BlackBerry-branded smartphones to new markets, and this latest launch shows that our licensing strategy continues to gain momentum. We have worked closely with Optiemus to ensure that the BlackBerry smartphone experience and security is intact and built into every layer of the device, offering the security and productivity that BlackBerry has always been known for. Ashok Pathirage, Chairman of Softlogic Holdings PLC said, We are pleasedto join hands with Optiemus Infracom to launch the BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black in Sri Lanka. This gives us an opportunity to offer the technology savvy audience in the country with a rich and enjoyable experience. We are very positive about the adoption of the device by our customers in SriLanka, and together we will make it a successful venture. Nalin Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Mobitel stated Mobitel is honoured to partner BlackBerry smartphones as its Official Mobile Telecommunication Partner in launching BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black in Sri Lanka. BlackBerry has always been among the leaders in innovation and technology with a strong focus on security, and we believe this device will add value to our customer base, specially targeting SME and Enterprise customers. Our goal is to enable the population to access enterprise solutions that would help them increase their efficiency and productivity. TNA MP Shanthi Skandarajah today requested the government to allow those in the Northern Province to commemorate their war heroes by visiting the cemeteries in which they were buried. Ms Skandarajah who was speaking during the committee stage debate in Parliament today said residents in the Province should be allowed to visit cemeteries and commemorate their war heroes. She also stressed the need to restore cemeteries in which the war heroes were buried. She went on to say that proper programmes should be launched to help women who were widowed by the war. "These women should be empowered to start self employment schemes and not be obliged t work for others, she said. (By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana) Sri Lankas trading pattern has been such that the two largest markets for its exports are the United States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK). Regionally, Europe is the single largest market for Sri Lankas exports. In terms of imports, Asian countries (such as China, India, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong) are the largest sources of imports to Sri Lanka. Consequently, Sri Lanka has a trade surplus with many western countries while having trade deficits with most Asian countries. Trade between Sri Lanka and India are centuries old, both formal and informal. In the present millennium, bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and India has soared, only partly induced by the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, which came into operation in 2000. India has been the single largest trading partner of Sri Lanka for a very long time, especially since 1977. However, China has overtaken India as the single largest trading partner of Sri Lanka for the very first time in 2016. Whilst the total trade value between Sri Lanka and China amounted to US $ 4,426 (imports from China US $ 4,215 million + exports to China US $ 211 million) in 2016, it was US $ 4,369 million between Sri Lanka and India (imports from India US $ 3,815 million + exports to India US $ 554 million). (See tables) As a corollary, Sri Lankas trade deficit with China is the single largest; amounting to US $ 4,004 million in 2016, followed by with India amounting to US $ 3,261 million in 2016. The trade deficit of Sri Lanka with China is expected to continue to rise in the next decade and beyond because of the large-scale public investments by the Chinese state-owned companies such as China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC), China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), et al. The CHEC is financing and undertaking the construction of the Colombo International Financial City/Centre (CIFC, which was formerly known as the Colombo Port City) by reclaiming land (269 hectares or 660 acres) from the sea by the southern side of the Colombo port. This is the single largest foreign direct investment Sri Lanka has ever received. This mega infrastructure project is expected to cost about US $ 1.4 billion and expected to attract US $ 13 billion worth of investments over the 30-year period of the project cycle. (Economy Next, May 5, 2017, http://www.colomboportcity.lk/press/2017/05/05/chinas-us$15bn-reclaimed-city-in-sri-lanka-targets-investors-from-the-west-india-middle-east.html accessed on August 5, 2017) The bulk of the machinery, hardware and raw materials for the aforementioned mega projects are imported from China. Moreover, a substantial number of technical, skilled and unskilled labour for these projects is also from China. A total of US $ 3.75 billion worth of loans has been disbursed by China to Sri Lanka between 2010 and 2014. (External Resources Department, 2014: 17) China has hardly provided any grants to Sri Lanka to date. Similarly, imports from India include goods imported for the Government of India-funded infrastructure and other projects across the country. India has provided total grants worth over US $ 200 million between 2010 and 2014 and over US $ 1 billion as loans between 2005 and 2014. (High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, 2014: 10-11) Roughly around 70 percent of Indian aids to Sri Lanka are loans and around 30 percent outright grants in recent years (2010-2016). The former are repayable but the latter are not. Sri Lankas exports in the past five years (2012-2016) in terms of top 10 destinations in terms of value are catalogued in Table 1. Accordingly, India is the third largest destination for Sri Lankas exports, accounting for a five-year average of 5.6 percent of Sri Lankas total exports between 2012 and 2016. The USA was the largest destination accounting for almost 25.0 percent (average) for the period 2012-2016. The UK is the second largest destination for Sri Lankas exports accounting for about 10 percent of the total exports of Sri Lanka during 2012-2016. China accounts for just 1.8 percent of the total exports of Sri Lanka during 2012-2016 (10th largest destination). (See Table 1) China has emerged as the single largest source of imports to Sri Lanka in 2016 accounting for 21.7 percent of the total imports of Sri Lanka worth US $ 4,215 million. However, on average for the five-year period 2012-2016, annual imports from China amounted to US $ 3,408 million, accounting for almost 18 percent of the total imports of Sri Lanka. (See Table 2) India was the single largest source of imports to Sri Lanka during the five-year period between 2012 and 2016, averaging US $ 3,783 million per annum, accounting for almost 20 percent of the total imports of Sri Lanka. However, in 2016 India was relegated to the second position (after China) in terms of the source of imports, accounting for19.7 of the total imports of Sri Lanka, amounting to the value of US $ 3,815 million. Singapore (averaging US $ 1,373 million per annum between 2012 and 2016), the UAE (averaging US $ 1,298 million per annum between 2012 and 2016) and Japan (averaging US $ 900 million per annum between 2012 and 2016) are the other three largest sources of imports into Sri Lanka. (See Table 2) Sri Lanka has had a trade deficit with India ever since independence. Only during the Second World War time Sri Lanka had a trade surplus with India as the latter had to import food, primary products and raw materials from the former to feed the war effort. The trade deficit of Sri Lanka has been increasing in absolute terms during almost every year since 1977. The ever-growing trade deficit with India has been an irritant in Indo-Lanka relations in the same way as Indias relations with other South Asian neighbouring countries. Some may argue that bilateral trade liberalisations (like the FTA) and trade facilitations (such as the proposed bridge) would result in trade diversion rather than trade creation. That is, according to this argument, bilateral liberalisations/facilitations may divert trade from other more competitive sources of import rather than creating additional trade between any two countries. However, studies on Indo-Lanka trade have shown that India is the main/major source of goods that are imported to Sri Lanka (for instance) because it is more competitive (least cost) than other sources (See, for example, Sarvananthan, 2001: 35-37). Trade with other South Asian countries Sri Lankas trade with the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries is meagre. Pakistan is the second largest trade partner of Sri Lanka within South Asia, followed by the Maldives and Bangladesh (exports only). There is hardly any trade (both exports and imports) takes place between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, Bhutan and Nepal. The latter three are landlocked countries whose trade passes through neighbouring countries such as India and Pakistan. The annual average two-way trade between Sri Lanka and Pakistan between 2012 and 2016 was US $ 397 million (exports to Pakistan US $ 74 million + imports from Pakistan US $ 322 million). The annual average two-way trade between Sri Lanka and the Maldives was just US $ 104 million (exports to the Maldives US $ 74 million + imports from the Maldives US $ 30 million) between 2012 and 2016. (See Tables 3 and 4) While with the Maldives Sri Lanka has a trade surplus, with Pakistan it has a trade deficit. The annual average total two-way trade between Sri Lanka and the SAARC countries amounted to US $ 4,992 million between 2012 and 2016; exports to SAARC countries average US $ 827 million per annum and imports from SAARC countries average US $ 4,165 million per annum. (See Tables 3 and 4) Whilst India accounted for 71 percent of the annual average exports of Sri Lanka to all eight SAARC countries between 2012 and 2016, India accounted for 91 percent of annual average imports of Sri Lanka from all SAARC countries between the same period. While too much noise is being made by certain businesses and of course, certain politicians about the growing trade deficit with India (China could be also bashed in the not so distant future), there is not much discussion about the imports from Singapore and the UAE. Singapore has been the second largest source of imports after India for a long period of time. However, the rapidly growing imports from the UAE are only about a decade long with the ascendancy of the Rajapaksa regime in 2005. To begin with, Singapore and the UAE are not producers of most items imported into Sri Lanka. However, many importers in Sri Lanka source their imports from Singapore and the UAE because the bulk of the black monies of Sri Lankan businesses, rich individual citizens and of course politicians, is stashed away in secure bank accounts in these two countries. It is these black monies that are whitened for the import trade into Sri Lanka. Moreover, the informal foreign currency market is also extensively used by the importers of goods from Singapore and the UAE into Sri Lanka. Traditionally, crony businesses, individuals and politicians aligned with the United National Party (UNP) have used Singapore to store their ill-gotten money and wealth. In the last 12 years, crony businesses, individuals and politicians aligned with the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) have effectively used the UAE to store their ill-gotten money and wealth. Therefore, businesses and politicians in Sri Lanka instead of crying foul about the growing trade deficit with India (and China), should request the government to investigate the sources of financing of the ever growing imports from Singapore and the UAE, which would pay rich dividends towards combating corrupting and taming the black economy of Sri Lanka and their inextricable entanglement with the governance of this country. (Muttukrishna Sarvananthan (Ph.D. Wales, M.Sc. Bristol, M.Sc. Salford, B.A. (Hons) Delhi) is a development economist by profession and Principal Researcher of the Point Pedro Institute of Development, Point Pedro, Northern Province and the author of An Assessment of Contraband Trade and Capital between India and Sri Lanka published by Kumaran Book House (Colombo and Madras) in 2001. Email: sarvi@pointpedro.org) By Indika Sakalasooriya The Danish pump giant, Grundfos, which has been in Sri Lanka for a quarter-century, sees ample opportunity in the island nation as the demand for water across drinking, agriculture and industrial use, is on the rise. Grundfos sees plenty of business potential in the country. We expect to continue experiencing double-digit growth in Sri Lanka, Grundfos Singapore and Export Markets (Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Myanmar) Country Manager Andy Tan told Mirror Business. Sri Lanka, after a 30-year-old civil conflict, is undergoing a rapid transformation and is one of the fastest growing economies in South Asia. The countrys middle class is growing and the businesses are expanding. Also, Sri Lanka, with a 21 million population, is seeing a massive development in its physical infrastructureboth state sponsored and private sector-drivenand is in the middle of an urbanization drive as more people flock to its capital city. Right now, Colombo is experiencing a property boom with a number of apartment complexes and top hotels dotting the citys skyline. On the ground According to Tan, Grundfos in Sri Lanka focuses on commercial building services, water utility and supporting the local industry with pump and water solutions, which offer a plenty of opportunity. Tan said the biggest project they have undertaken so far is supplying pump solutions to Shangri-La Hotel Colombo, which opened up for business a couple of weeks ago in the picturesque Galle Face Green promenade in Colombo. Another major project undertaken by Grundfos in recent times was the upgrading works at Lion Brewery, whose production facilities were inundated during the floods that havocked Sri Lankas Western Province, last year. Building a water treatment plant for the Vavunia General Hospital, the largest state-run hospital in the countrys Northern Province, was another important project undertaken by Grundfos in Sri Lanka. At present, the pump giant marks its presence in Sri Lanka through a Grundfos Singapore subsidiary, which has its office at the World Trade Centre in Colombo. It employs eight staffers, who are tasked with growing Grundfos business in the country. In addition, Grundfos Sri Lankan partners, Analytical Instrument and Hayleys Aventura (Pvt.) Ltd, provide after sales services to the industry and commercial building services sectors, respectively. We offer a partnership approach to our customers where we are able to consult on maintenance and troubleshooting after the product is sold, to make sure we are providing long-term solutions that ultimately reduce environmental and operational costs, Tan said. When queried as to whether Grundfos has any plans to set up a sales company in Sri Lanka, Tan said such a move is a possiblity in about five years time as the firms business grows. Grundfos Holdings A/S has a fully-owned subsidiary company in neighbouring India, which recently opened up a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Central Gujarat. Meanwhile, Tan said Grundfos is constantly on the lookout for suitable government projects for which they can provide their services and we participate in the public tender process via their partners Analytical Instrument (Pvt.) Ltd, a technology company supplying the medical, analytical and agricultural sectors and infrastructure development company Sierra Engineering & Construction (Pvt.) Ltd. What future holds? During 1970s only a quarter of the worlds population lived in cities and now its half. The United Nations predict that by 2030 two out of three people will live in a city. In that backdrop, the role of pumps play in modern lifewhere clean running water, central heating and sanitation are taken for grantedhas been highly understated. As the urban living paradigm evolves, now the policymakers and city planners are talking about smart cities and tapping into Internet of things (IoT) to successfully tackle the issues their cities face. In that context, the relevance of state-of-the-art pump manufacturers such as Grundfos is increasing and even coming under the limelight. Sri Lanka too in its own little way is also trying to address the changing dynamics. The government has embarked on an ambitious US $ 40 billion Western Province Megapolis Development Projectan attempt to create smart urban physical infrastructure in and around Colombo that will propel Sri Lanka into a higher income country within two decades. But a number of problems stand in the countrys way. Apart from the never-ending traffic, Colombo is prone to frequent flooding due to poor city planning, unapproved constructions and absence of an advanced flood control and water management system. The higher rainfall due to climate change is also not helping. Although a World Bank-sponsored project has somewhat improved the Colombos flood resilience, the problem is far from being solved as heavy rains for about half-hour could literally cripple the entire transport system in Colombo. So, Colombo has water problems and it will further aggravate as the city swells. The Chinese are building a port city adjacent to the Colombo harbour reclaiming the sea and experts opine that this will present a set of whole new problemsspecially with regards to water usage. Hence, it is important that the policymakers proactively address these issues before they snowball into major problems that impede the countrys growth and for that identifying the right partners and solutions remain key. The Government is suffering from a Gota Phobia and therefore, it is attempting to arrest former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on false charges of misappropriating public funds, the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) said today. PHU Leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila said the construction of the D. A. Rajapaksa Memorial and a Museum at Weeraketiya was funded by the D.A Rajapaksa Fund and not by the government. He said the project was handed over to the Sri Lanka Land Reclamation & Development Corporation (SLLRDC) as it was allowed to carry out private projects. The Director Board of the SLLRDC approved the project in February, 2014 with an estimate of Rs.33.9 million. Due to difficulties in finding labour, the SLLRDC paid Rs. 25 million to the navy to carry out the construction of the memorial which was opened on November 2014, he told a news briefing. He said no invoice had been sent until the D.A. Rajapaksa Fund had questioned the SLLRDC in early 2015. The Corporation had informed the Fund to pay Rs. 25 million and the Fund had paid the amount on August 31, 2015, he said. Later on, the Corporation has sent an invoice asking the Fund to pay Rs.90.8 million. Due to stark increase of this estimation, the Fund raised its objection and paid only Rs. 8.9 million on July 13 this year. The Corporation had probably made a double count error thus coming to a final estimate of Rs.90.8 million. In the final invoice, false expenditure had also been included, the MP said. He said the Fund had paid Rs.200,000 in addition to the Corporation today for the construction of the memorial and the museum. If someone says Mr.Rajapaksa has misappropriated public funds and therefore, he should be arrested, I invite them for a debate. Mr.Rajapaksa spearheaded the war against the LTTE and made Colombo a livable city. Therefore, attempts are being made to silence him, he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla) September trade gap widens to US $ 656mn; for 9 months US $ 6.84bn Exports cross US $ 1bn mark for the third consecutive month in September Oil bill in September 69.3% to US $ 298.5mn; for 9 months US $ 2.45bn, up 46.2% Despite a double-digit growth in exports revenue, surpassing the US $ 1 billion mark, Sri Lankas trade deficit in September widened due to higher fuel and rice imports, the data released by the Central Bank showed. Accordingly, the September trade deficit widened to US $ 656 million from US $ 610 million last year and the deficit in the first nine months expanded to US $ 6.84 billion from US $ 6.13 billion recorded for the same period, last year. Earnings from exports, which grew since March 2017, continued its increasing trend in September 2017 as well. For September, export earnings registered a growth of 12.6 percent year-on-year (YoY) to US $ 1.01 billion. This growth was mainly led by higher earnings from industrial exports owing to the increase in exports of textiles and garments as a result of improved garment exports to the USA and European Union market due to the restoration of the GSP Plus facility. Earnings from textile and garment exports rose 12.9 percent YoY to US $ 431.5 million. Earnings from petroleum products exports also soared over 100 percent YoY to US $ 40.2 million. Industrial exports earnings overall rose 11.1 percent YoY to US $ 744.5 million. The agricultural exports, which rose 17.3 percent YoY to US $ 262.7 million, were largely helped by tea and seafood exports. Due to the higher tea prices at the global market place, tea export earnings during September fetched US $ 136.9 million, up 19.2 percent YoY. Seafood exports, bolstered by the removal of the EU ban for Lankan fish exports, rose 68.5 percent YoY to US $ 20.8 million. Export earnings from spices also rose 22.5 percent YoY to US $ 48.9 million. For the first nine months of the year, the cumulative earnings from exports grew 8.2 percent YoY to US $ 8.42 billion. The USA, UK, India, Italy and Germany were the leading markets for merchandise exports of Sri Lanka in September 2017, accounting for about 51 percent of total exports. However, this positive growth in exports was overshadowed by higher import expenditure, which rose 9.7 percent YoY to US $ 15.26 billion for the cumulative period and 10.5 percent YoY to US $ 1.66 billion during September. Expenditure on fuel imports during September rose 69.3 percent YoY to US $ 298.5 million and the cumulative figure stood at US $ 2.45 billion, up 46.2 percent YoY. Expenditure on fuel imports increased significantly due to the combined effect of high prices in the international market and higher volumes of fuel imported for thermal-based power generation, the Central Bank said. Further, base metals led by iron and steel, mineral products led by cement clinkers and building materials led by cement imports increased notably, reflecting higher demand by the construction sector. Meanwhile, expenditure on consumer goods imports declined owing to lower prices and volumes of sugar imports. However, following the measures taken to fulfil the shortage of rice in the domestic market, expenditure on rice imports continued to increase in September 2017, adding around 497,889 metric tonnes so far during 2017 from 21,457 metric tonnes imported during the corresponding period of 2016. As a result, expenditure on rice imports rose to US $ 22 million from US $ 1.4 million YoY. Meanwhile, vehicle imports fell 8.9 percent YoY to US $ 55.4 million as people were expecting duty reductions from the November budget. With regard to the origin of imports, India, China, Singapore, the UAE and Japan were the main import origins during September 2017, accounting for about 58 percent of total imports. Workers remittances suffer sharpest decline Continuing with its disturbing trend, workers remittances during the month of September fell almost 17 percent YoY or by US $ 97 million to US $ 481 million, recording the sharpest monthly decline for this year. For the first nine months of the year, earnings from workers remittances fell 7 percent YoY or by US $ 397 million to US $ 4.98 billion. Slower growth in economic activities and adverse geopolitical conditions prevailing in the Middle Eastern region continued to have a negative impact on workers remittances, the Central Bank said. The diplomatic row between oil-rich Qatar and its Arab neighbours appears to be the key reason for the decline in remittances. About two million Sri Lankans work overseas, mostly in the Middle East and in construction and hospitality sectors or as housemaids. Money they send back is Sri Lankas biggest source of foreign exchange and helps to cover up 80 percent of the trade deficit. Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy told reporters in Colombo recently that the declining remittance income could be a blessing in disguise because the countrys small businesses, which are expanding, are now looking for workers. REUTERS, 26th NOVEMBER, 2017- Indias Supreme Court will begin hearing a case on Monday that prosecutors say shows how Islamic State sympathizers are using Love Jihad marrying Hindu women and converting them to Islam to win recruits and spread their message. Over the past 28 months, the National Investigation Agency has picked up dozens of interfaith couples in the southern state of Kerala to question them about their marriages. The women - all Hindus who married Muslim men were asked extremely personal questions during the interrogations, two police officers from the agency said: Did you sleep with your husband before getting married? Did he suggest you visit Islamic shrines before marriage? Did he blackmail you before you converted to Islam? They were looking for cases of Love Jihad, a term publicized by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other hardline Hindu groups soon after they helped propel Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power in 2014. It refers to what these groups say is an Islamist campaign to convert Hindu women through seduction and marriage. Police investigations at the time found no evidence of any organized strategy, and the claim was widely ridiculed. But since then, the NIA began focusing on Kerala - a southern state along the Arabian Sea with strong economic links to the Middle East. Protests erupted across Pakistan on Saturday, compelling the government to call out army troops and paramilitary rangers after nightfall to restore order in cities and towns filled with angry crowds. The nationwide protests developed after security forces in the capital launched a crackdown on thousands of religious demonstrators. Conflict began when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators camped on a highway interchange outside Islamabad, who fought back with clubs and stones. Hundreds of injuries were reported, with at least two people dead, according to accounts. The demonstrators called for a federal minister to be fired over a religious controversy, but by midday, many protesters were demanding that entire government step down. By evening, police had retreated and the protesters had regrouped, with more supporters joining them. The protests began over a proposed change in election laws that weakened an oath that all candidates for public office must repeat, swearing they believe that Muhammad was the final prophet. Pakistans population is 95 percent Muslim. The government swiftly apologized for the clerical error, but the protest leaders continued to push for the firing of the law minister, Zahid Hamid. The protests were spearheaded by a movement dedicated to defending the honor of Muhammad and the countrys strict laws against religious blasphemy. 2017, The Washington Post Nov 26, 2017 - (c) 2017, Bloomberg Kamran Haider, Iain Marlow Nov 26, 2017 - The U.S. escalated its criticism of Pakistans decision to set free the alleged mastermind of the deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai, with the White House warning that the move may damage bilateral relations. Hafiz Saeed, who allegedly planned attacks which left 164 people dead, had been detained at his house in Lahore without charges since January. A Pakistan High Court had ordered his release, and police withdrew from the home after midnight Friday, his spokesman Habibullah Qamar said in a text message. Given that, Saeeds release sends a deeply troubling message about Pakistans commitment to combating international terrorism and belies Pakistani claims that it will not provide sanctuary for terrorists on its soil, the White House said in an emailed statement on Saturday. If Pakistan doesnt detain and charge Saeed, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistans global reputation, the White House said in its statement. The release of Saeed is a step in the wrong direction. U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that Pakistani leaders take tougher action against terrorists. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has referred to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee, a complaint about an alleged breach of privileges due to the disclosure of telephone conversations among some government members of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and the Perpetual Treasuries PLC owner Arjun Aloysius. Why not also investigate the ethical aspect of those clandestine phone conversations that took place while Mr. Aloysiuss company is being investigated by the COPE? The Leader of the House, Lakshman Kiriella in a statement to parliament, has said the CID or the Attorney Generals Department should have obtained the Speakers permission before seeking information on the telephone calls of MPs, but neither of them had done so. This constituted a breach of privileges of MPs, he argued. The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Central Bank Bond has refuted these allegations. It claimed that it had found information during the forensic investigation of several electronic devices used by Mr Arjuna Aloysius and his father in-law, former Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran. The claims that the telephones of several Members of Parliament and other persons have been tapped or recorded in the course of this examination, are utterly false, it said in a statement. Minister Kiriella has also argued it was highly improper to publish details about MPs telephone contacts. The confidential information had been put out for public consumption. Media is now in a frenzy giving all sorts of twisted interpretations to this information, he said But, what if they provide crucial clues of a potential collusion? There are genuine concerns of a conflict of interest when the government MPs, including one who was appointed during the mid- way of the COPE investigation, made several hundred calls with a man whose company was being investigated by the COPE. A sizable number of such conversations had taken place during the period of the COPE investigation of itself. These concerns cannot be brushed aside as a coincidence. Coincidence does not happen over four hundred times. This is a pattern of events and in most likelihood, a case of collusion. Rather than investigating these concerns, scheming to hide behind Parliament privileges would set a dangerous precedent, and if anything it gives the impression that Sri Lankan politics has not changed much since the end of the Rajapaksa regime. The difference between a functioning democracy and one that is crippled is not how loud their parliamentarians can quarrel or how often protestors could block public roads, but how their elected leaders are held accountable for their actions. It is easy to feign democracy, but implementing it takes more than words. Sri Lanka celebrated seventy years of Parliamentary democracy this year. However, we are still not a mature democracy. Elected Members of Parliament are far less accountable to public than their predecessors in the last State Council could have been during the British colonial rule. The fundamental problem lies at the heart of weak independent institutions, which have been progressively weakened by the successive governments since the independence. This is not something unique to Sri Lanka, see everywhere in the former British colonies (with a few exceptions such as India, which albeit having millions living hand to mouth also have independent institutions that could check regressive impulses of both the government and public). That failure in our countries may have much to do with certain retrograde social, economic and cultural dynamics of native leaders and populace which can not be discussed without being accused of cultural relativism. Leaders elsewhere tempt to abuse power when it serves their interests, but where there is a functioning democracy, they are held accountable for what they do. When there is no such oversight, you can see them denying those charges with a straight face, pooh-pooh the independent institutions- and still better, divert the discourse by blaming the former government Leaders elsewhere tempt to abuse power when it serves their interests, but where there is a functioning democracy, they are held accountable for what they do. When there is no such oversight, you can see them denying those charges with a straight face, pooh-pooh the independent institutions- and still better, divert the discourse by blaming the former government. (Mr Sujeewa Senasinghe went a step further and blamed the President too). What is equally disturbing is the response of the so called civil society and NGO types, who condemn many things at the drop of a hat; when an anti-Muslim graffiti scrabbled on a wall, or LTTE detainees stage a hunger strike. Their concerns in all the above are laudatory, but why keep mum now, when there is a perceptible rot at the highest of the political institutions. So are the Ven. Mahanayakas who had spoken out selectively, though not so constructively. The peripheral problems like the above deserve attention, but they are only the symptoms of a wider political decay. If Sri Lanka could evolve a system that ensures equal rights to all its people, much of ethnic and religious grievances could wither away, whatever the left over can then be addressed proactively. But, nothing is possible when the legitimacy of political institutions is compromised by corruption. That makes public, especially the Sinhala majority to distrust the government, and traps the country in a progressively worsening political decay. That is exactly why the public, civil society and politicians should worry about the implications of the bondgate. Follow @RangaJayasuriya on Twitter The Canadian Prime minister, Justin Trudeau, apologized this Friday officially to the indigenous people of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador for the forced detention of thousands of children in school residences for three decades. Between 1949 and 1979, thousands of indigenous children in the province, located on the Atlantic coast of Canada, were taken from their families and interned in five school residences, where many suffered sexual and physical abuses. The objective of these school residences, established by the authorities but managed by the International Association Grenfell (IGA), an organization that provides religious and medical services, was to eliminate language and culture Aboriginal population. In a speech in Newfoundland and Labrador, Trudeau said that "this colonial form of thinking led to practices that caused great harm," and that in the five school residences "they were made to feel irrelevant and inferior." "They were taught to be ashamed of who they were and where they came from." "Many suffered negligence and were not fed, clothed or housed properly." Others suffered physical, psychological and sexual abuses. They were all deprived of the love and care of their parents, families and communities, the Canadian president added. "To all of you, we are sorry," said Trudeau after testifying to hundreds of indigenous and survivors of residences who appeared "humbly" to "offer the former students long overdue apologies" ". But the great chief of the Innu Nation, one of the indigenous groups affected by the internment in the school residences in Newfoundland and Labrador, Greg Rich, stated that his community did not accept the apology for being too limited. "Our elders are not ready to accept an apology made only on a small part of our experience," said Rich in a statement. "I really do not think that Canada is truly prepared to apologize to the Innu if it does not include the recognition of other damages suffered by our people." I am not convinced that Canada still understands what it has done to the Innu and what it continues to do, added the indigenous leader. Founders of Flipkart Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, along with three top officials have been booked for allegedly cheating a Bangalore-based businessman of Rs 9.96 crore. (Photo: PTI) Bengaluru: Founders of e-commerce biggie Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, along with three other top executives of the company have landed themselves in trouble for allegedly cheating a businessman of Rs 9.96 crore. The founders of million dollar homegrown e-commerce major, along with sales director Hari, accounts managers Sumit Anand and Shararaque have been booked in the case. The complainant, Naveen Kumar, owner of Indiranagar-based C-Store Company has alleged that the above named cheated him by not clearing his dues worth Rs 9.96 crore towards 12,500 laptops that he had supplied, reported TOI. According to Naveen, he had entered intro a contract with Flipkart to supply laptops and other electronic goods. Accordingly, he had supplied 14,000 laptops to the company between June 2015 and June 2016 for its Big Billion Day sale. Naveen alleged that Flipkart returned 1,482 units but did not pay for the remaining units. TDS and shipping charges for those units too were not paid. When asked to clear the dues, Flipkart falsely claimed it had returned 3,901 units. By not clearing the dues, they have cheated me to the tune of Rs 9,96,21,419," read Naveens FIR. A case has been registered under IPC sections 34 (common intent), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating), and a probe has been initiated by the Indiranagar police. The states which recently announced farm loan waivers are unlikely to see any impact on their market borrowings through state development loans (SDLs), says a report. Mumbai: The states which recently announced farm loan waivers are unlikely to see any impact on their market borrowings through state development loans (SDLs), says a report. States borrow from the markets through state development loans (SDLs) to fund their fiscal deficit. Five states--Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh--have announced farm waivers involving over Rs 1.2 trillion bank loans to tens of millions of farmers. When these states will raise their market borrowings through SDLs, the yield will be higher comparing to those states which have not announced farm loan waivers, according to a weekend report by SBI Research. "Interestingly, our findings suggest that, farm loan waiver has no impact on the yield of these states. In FY18 till November 14, data suggests that Maharashtra is borrowing at a low yield rate than the median range of 7.43 per cent," the report said. It said markets do not differentiate between different financial conditions of the states, notwithstanding their very different financial conditions. "All the states that are fiscally better managed may explore the feasibility of disseminating their best fiscal practices through various channels to attract lower yield," the report said. State development loans are issued by RBI through an auction-based system since 2006-07. Though these bonds are backed by government guarantee the yields on SDLs varies from one states to another and largely remain above the government securities yield. Such a yield differential could possibly be attributed to the fiscal marksmanship of individual states, the report said, adding state-wise data on SDLs borrowing indicate that the bigger states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, UP, Gujarat, Bengal, Andhra and Karnataka borrow more than 60 per cent of the market borrowings through SDLs. Northeastern states borrow the least because of more Central assistance. Karnataka, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand are the states which have seen a rapid spurt in market borrowings over the years. In FY12, total amount of SDLs borrowed from the market was Rs 1.6 trillion that jumped rapidly to Rs 3.6 trillion in FY17, clipping at 18.2 per cent per annum. The weighted average yield of SDLs on yearly basis of all the states has come down from 9.17 per cent in FY14 to 7.60 per cent in November 2017. States that frequently borrow from markets with higher ticket size are attracting better yield than those states which are not frequent in the market, it added. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has asked the industry to set a timeline for achieving a USD 1 trillion in manufacturing revenue and take its share in GDP to 20 per cent. (File Photo) Mumbai: Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has asked the industry to set a timeline for achieving a USD 1 trillion in manufacturing revenue and take its share in GDP to 20 per cent. The share of manufacturing in GDP has been trending at 16-17 per cent for some years now and the previous Manmohan Singh government had set a target of taking this share to 25 per cent of GDP by the turn of 2025. "The government aims to increase the share of manufacturing in GDP to 20 per cent," the minister told a CII-organised event on the topic here today without offering a timeline to achieve the same. But instead he asked the industry to set a timeline for themselves to achieve this as also to take the value of manufacturing GDP to USD1 trillion. "Without a number it is not possible for the industry to prepare a roadmap for achieving this milestone," he said. To help achieve this, the minister said government is working on getting into the top 50 slot in the World Bank's ease of doing business rankings. "We have jumped 30 slots to 100 in the ease of doing business ranking in 2018 (of the World Bank), and we want to be among the top 50. We are on the verge of a big economic growth and the recent upgrading by credit rating agency is also a recognition of a series of reforms undertaken by the government," he said. It can be noted that early this month, the World Bank ranked the country at the 100th slot in its ease of doing business report for 2018, climbing 30 notches from 2017 citing the central and state reforms. Prabhu also expressed optimism that exports will gather momentum going forward on the back of the revival in the economy which is on course to double to USD 5 trillion and become the world's third largest in over the next few years. He pointed out that government is establishing relationships with top Fortune 500 companies and will welcome all sorts of foreign investments that help in creating jobs. Promising to ease the problems being faced by exporters under the new tax regime, he admitted that "exporters are facing challenges in the goods and services tax (GST) regime and that his ministry is taking up the issue with the authorities concerned." "It is not possible for a small businessman to sit here and do business globally. We want to create a support system, especially for small businesses, by creating a brand equity for India globally. Linkages with global markets are necessary for promoting our products and we will do that," the minister said. He also said government is identifying specific products that can be sold in specific geographies globally through market research with the help of the Exim Bank, and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Taking note of the potential of countries like Russia and other geographies, he said, "we are working on a strategy for each of these markets. We are also looking at opening offices in 10 geographies to penetrate in global markets." He said his ministry will work on developing global supply chains for the agriculture sector. "We've the right to access global markets for our farm produce by removing all trade restrictive practices," he said. However, the collection of taxes under the GST is encouraging and likely to further improve revenue collection and return filing compliance, it said. New Delhi: The success in divestments and encouraging GST collections is likely to reduce pressure on the fiscal deficit, said India Ratings and Research on Monday. India Ratings (Ind-Ra) in a report said that the successful subscription of Bharat-22 exchange traded fund (ETFs) launched last week has helped government move closer to its FY18 divestment target of Rs 72,500 crore and it has raised Rs 52,300 crore by the end of November. The government has reiterated its commitment to narrow down the fiscal deficit to 3.2 per cent for fiscal 2018. Ind-Ra said it believes that the government could exceed its capital receipt target in the remaining four months of FY18, depending on ONGCs acquisition of the government stake of 51.11 per cent in Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL). The agency said that the disinvestment strategy has the potential to generate Rs 1 trillion and provide buffer against lower surplus transferred by the Reserve Bank of India and the likely shortfall from the telecom sector. While the states are expected to benefit from a committed 14 per cent growth in state revenue following the implementation of GST, Ind-Ra said it believes the central governments finances are likely to have an adverse impact of Rs 110 billion. However, the collection of taxes under the GST is encouraging and likely to further improve revenue collection and return filing compliance, it said. Ind-Ra believes front-loading of capex, which resulted in faster capex growth in the initial months of FY18, is now slowing down. At the same time, proposed bank recapitalisation and Bharatmala Pariyojana would not entail any additional budgetary allocation in FY18. The agency believes the expected revenue shortfall can be covered by higher non-debt capital receipts; however, this will not create fiscal space for additional spending, it added. Dealers attributed the rupee's fall to increased demand for the US currency from importers and banks and a lower opening in the domestic equity market. (Photo: PTI). Mumbai: The rupee depreciated 9 paise to 64.79 against the US dollar in early trade n Monday at the interbank foreign exchange amid fresh foreign fund outflows. Dealers attributed the rupee's fall to increased demand for the US currency from importers and banks and a lower opening in the domestic equity market. On Friday, the rupee had lost 12 paise to close lower at 64.70 a dollar due to renewed demand for the US currency. Foreign investors pulled out Rs 416.28 crore from equity markets on Friday, as per provisional data. Standard & Poor's on Friday kept its sovereign rating for India unchanged at 'BBB-minus' with 'stable' outlook saying vulnerabilities stemming from low per capita income and high government debt balance strong GDP growth. Meanwhile, the benchmark Sensex fell by 106.92 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 33,572.32 in early trade. Mumbai: Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur today said Sanjay Leela Bhansali did not make his upcoming film "Padmavati" with an intent to rake up a storm that has the country in its clutches today. Featuring Deepika Padukone in the title role, Bhansali's period drama is facing the wrath of various Rajput groups and political leaders, who have accused the director of "distorting historical facts". Addressing a Masterclass at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Shekhar said, "The intention of the filmmaker (Bhansali) was not to create controversy. He is a great filmmaker. But he has never been a political filmmaker. He wanted to make a great film, a big film. "There is a faction divide in our society, which is very obvious, because India is a society (which) is in absolute and definite flux. All the lines which were drawn once are breaking. The politics has risen around the film but the film has nothing political in it." The director, who received global acclaim for his films such as "Bandit Queen", and movies on the British monarch Queen Elizabeth I - "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age", recalled his run-ins with controversy. Shekhar said when he was making the first Elizabeth (featuring Cate Blanchett) movie, there were constant statements in the media, criticising him for his portrayal of the queen. "Here comes an Indian director who has shown our virgin queen in bed with... I said, "It was 400 years ago, how did you know she was a virgin? Were you there every time?" he quipped. The director said such historical films are merely a "representation" or a "metaphor" of history. He added, for him, the story of an individual is important if it tells a larger truth of the society today and that is why he chose to tell the story of infamous dacoit Phoolan Devi in "Bandit Queen". Shekhar also revealed he had "changed" the speech Queen Elizabeth was supposed to have delivered to inspire 5,000 of her troops at Tilbury in wake of an expected invasion by the Spanish Armada. "Everybody said, 'How come you did that? That's not what she said'. (But) I said, she was sitting on a horse that was frisky. There was a storm coming in. How did 5,000 people listen to her without a loudspeaker? Who said those words? The person standing next to her could not hear what she was saying. "So she went back to her tent and said, 'This is what I said so write that draft now'." He said knowledge of history in India is imparted in the form of a "moral tale", not a factual one. "History is a constant interpretation of facts, I'm not saying it's wrong... This is how history works. In India, till the British came, we believed in mythology, not in history... "What's our history? Gandhiji today is a saint for us. He's not a man, he is a great man (mahatma). The sense of history in India is a moral tale, it's not a factual tale... And who's saying that's wrong? That's probably right. Why else is history relevant? Either it has to have a relevance to our society today so we make it relevant by making it into a moral tale," he said. Sidharth in a still from 'Student of the Year'. Mumbai: Sidharth Malhotra hasnt been having a good few years, with his last few releases proving to be box-office disasters. His last three releases, 'Baar Baar Dekho,' 'A Gentleman' and 'Ittefaq, were all losing propositions for all parties involved. However, the actor still hass some exciting projects in his kitty, including Neeraj Pandeys Aiyaary alongside Manoj Bajpayee. The actor is also open to experimenting with his roles, and wont mind posing in the buff either. Of course, I would do it. But only if theres a reason or logic behind it. I will not drop my underwear unless its aesthetic and its great to do a character like that (laughs). I wont go nude just for the heck of it. Its pointless, Sidharth was quoted as DNA saying. Sidharth Malhotra will also be starring in a biopic on Kargil martyr Vikram Batra. When youre looking to forget an embarrassing drunken night, it's common to blame it on the alcohol. But a new study has found that alcohol does not change your personality, the Daily Mail reported. For the study, 156 participants completed a survey regarding their alcohol intake and their perception of their 'sober' personality and 'drunk' one. At the lab, participants were given a breathalyser test and researchers made a note of their height and weight. They then consumed individually-tailored beverages to produce a blood alcohol content of about .09 over the course of 15 minutes. There after they had to work through a series if activities like "discussion questions and logic puzzles", the report stated. The goal was to elicit a range of personality traits and behaviours. After the experiment, participants "reported feeling more open, agreeable and extrovert", the report revealed. However, onlookers suggested there was little difference between 'sober' and 'drunk' personalities. They only observed one difference in one personality factor, extroversion. "We were surprised to find such a discrepancy between drinkers' perceptions of their own alcohol-induced personalities and how observers perceived them," lead author of the study, psychological scientist Rachel Winograd of the University of Missouri, told the Daily Mail. "Participants reported experiencing differences in all factors of the Five Factor Model of personality, but extroversion was the only factor robustly perceived to be different across participants in alcohol and sober conditions," she further went on to explain. Researchers say further investigation is needed to come to more conclusive evidence. "Of course, we also would love to see these findings replicated outside of the lab - in bars, at parties, and in homes where people actually do their drinking," Dr Winograd told the Daily Mail. She and her team hope their findings could lead to interventions that could reduce the unhealthy and negative impact drinking has on peoples' lives. More than 500 black bears have returned to parts of their historic range in the Great Basin of Nevada where the species disappeared about 80 years ago, scientists say. A new study says genetic testing confirms the bears are making their way east from the Sierra ranges north and south of Lake Tahoe along the California line. In some cases, recent generations have moved hundreds of miles to sites near the Utah line, marking a rare example of large mammals recolonizing areas where they'd been wiped out. "The recovery of large carnivores is relatively rare globally," said Jon Beckmann, a conservation scientist for the Wildlife Conservation Society in Bozeman, Montana, who co-authored the new study. It concludes that bear populations originating in western Nevada mountain ranges have the genetic diversity necessary to sustain the new subpopulations. The findings are the result of a partnership between wildlife management and geneticists based on bear hair and blood samples taken over 20 years, said Jason Malaney, an environmental scientist at the University of Nevada, Reno, who led the study. He wrote that the study represents "one of the few empirical examples of genetic consequences of natural recolonization in large-bodied mammals." Carl Lackey, a Nevada state biologist, and Marjorie Matocq, a UNR scientist, co-authored the study. The data provides ammunition for advocates of increased protection of wildlife corridors for a number of species in the basin a vast stretch of desert and mountain ranges that covers most of Nevada, half of Utah and parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and California. The study says the results are timely and relevant because of projected climate change and the effects of human population growth. "As the human footprint expands over time in the region, this level of genetic connection among various mountain ranges may not last without conservation efforts to maintain connectivity," it says. Black bears were prevalent across most of Nevada during the 1800s but had been devastated in the Great Basin by the early 1900s, primarily due to unregulated hunting, conflicts with livestock ranchers, logging and overgrazing. Over time, bears have benefited from a reduction in logging, combined with improved land management practices and an emphasis on conservation, the study said. "While barriers such as highways often reduce gene flow in other large-bodied mammals, black bears in the western Great Basin appear to occasionally traverse these obstacles," the report said. Beckmann said the bears have moved into central Nevada around Tonopah and Austin. "We're starting to see them clear over in places like Ely" near U.S. Highway 50 about 40 miles from the Utah line, he added. Future steps to help the bears could include construction of wildlife-crossing structures at highways. "They're expensive, but within a decade or two they pay for themselves in terms of both wildlife connectivity and public safety," Beckmann said. A series of tunnels and bridges have been built in eastern Nevada on US Highway 93 north of Wells, and there's a large passage over Interstate 80 west of Wendover, Utah. Wyoming has them and one is planned in southeast Idaho. Grizzly bears use them at Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies. "It may take several years but once they are comfortable with them, they're used regularly," said Beckmann, who has authored a book on the topic. Bengaluru: Thirteen-year-old Shreya Adithya, a standard eighth student at DPS South, recently raised Rs 1,22,000 to help thalessemia patients who require blood transfusion. She was an enthusiastic participant in a campaign launched by crowdfunding platform Fueladream, which had approached DPS South to raise funds for thalassemia patients. The goal was to raise Rs 30 lakh for individuals with thalassemia. Thalassemia, which is a blood disorder, requires frequent blood transfusions for the entire life of the patients and costs a huge sum for the family. At the school, we created awareness about the disorder and how difficult it is for the patients and their financial burden. We made presentations to explain it to the children and the response was good," explains Mr Ranganath Thota, founder of Fueladream. The campaign was a success and a massive sum of money was raised in a short span. The principal of DPS South, Manju Sharma, too never expected that such a huge sum could be raised in such short time. Her students turned a tough task into an achievable goal. Close to 150 students from standards 8th, 9th and 11th participated in a campaign, 'Surviving Thalessemia one campaign at a time', with a goal of raising Rs 20,000 each, which helps 10 thalassemia patients, in 45 days. But within one week of the campaign, the students raised Rs 13 lakh and in two weeks, Rs 18 lakh. Each transfusion costs Rs 2,000 and with the goal of Rs 20,000, ten such patients can be helped. With that goal, we had approached the school. We spoke about the campaign and how it works," explains Mr Thota. We rolled out the campaign before Diwali with a message that students can gift a present like this for patients. The intention was not to make them feel pity, but to sow the seeds of compassion in them," the principal said, adding that the school has been participating in various other social service activities and raises funds for other NGOs, including the National Association for the Blind. We are all born with an innate sense of moral responsibility towards our society. A strong urge to do well, coupled with an act of positivity, can sometimes have an enormous impact on our own self-worth. Students of DPS Bengaluru South, in collaboration with FuelADream, an online crowdfunding platform, initiated the endeavour to facilitate treatment and make a difference to patients suffering from thalassemia. They believe that their enterprise would catalyse a change and promul gate the fact that the world would be a much better place if we embrace empathy and showcase social commitment towards a worthy cause," said Ms Sharma. The initiative is in partnership with the Bangalore Medical Services Trust (BMST), established by the Rotary Club of Bangalore and TTK Group of Companies. BMST has been providing blood banking services to patients and hospitals all over Karnataka. Mr Thota said, This is one of the best campaigns we have ever witnessed from students and just reinforces our belief how young minds can leverage technology. Its a collaborative effort that students embark on and it requires handholding by parents to be successful. We are thrilled with the early outcome of this initiative." The objectives of the thalassemia control program are to improve the management of patients undergoing blood transfusions and to enable screening and genetic counselling for first and second-degree relatives of thalassemia patients. Biswajit had assisted Santosh in execution of the acid attack on Pramodini at Tirtol over a suspected one-sided love affair, some eight years back. BHUBANESWAR: Hope of justice for Padmini Roul, an acid attack victim, - has finally come alive as the state police has managed to arrest two persons including the prime accused Santosh Bedanta in connection with 2009 ghastly act. Santosh, an Army jawan posted at Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested by a special team of Odisha police from Kolkata on Sunday. Apart from Santosh, the police has also arrested his associate Biswajit Dalsinghray from Nayagarh. Biswajit had assisted Santosh in execution of the acid attack on Pramodini at Tirtol over a suspected one-sided love affair, some eight years back. Sources said, Pramodini was 16 when the accused, Santosh, threw acid on her while she was returning to her uncles house on April 18, 2009. Following the incident, Pramodini underwent treatment and series of surgeries at SCB Medical College and Hospital for long. But she lost her eyesight in the acid attack. Lalu Prasad Yadav's son Tej Pratap said, 'We will get Narendra Modi skinned; go and tell him. (Photo: ANI) Patna: Former Bihar cabinet minister and the older son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu PrasadYadav, Tej Pratap has said that he will get Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'skinned' if any harm is done to his father Lalu Prasad. Tej Pratap's remark comes in the wake of the Centre's decision to scale down the Z-Plus security of Lalu Prasad Yadav and withdrawing of National Security Guards (NSG) from the Bihar leader's protection. "This is a conspiracy to get him (Lalu) murdered, but we will give a befitting reply to them (the Centre). We will get Narendra Modi skinned (Hum Narendra Modi ki khaal udedhva denge); go and tell him," Tej Pratap said. #WATCH: Lalu Yadav's son Tej Pratap responds to question on his father's security downgrade, says, 'Narendra Modi Ji ka khaal udhedva lenge' pic.twitter.com/FER7rIBjoK ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2017 When media persons sought clarification over his derogatory remarks for the Prime Minister, Tej Pratap reacted and said, "If something happens to my father then will you (media) take responsibility? Who will take responsibility if he is murdered? Isn't my father's life precious?" The centre reportedly thinned down the security of the RJD leader after the home ministry reviewed the security of the VIPs. However, more than 30 personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will still provide a shield to the RJD supremo. This is not the first threat to a political leader by Tej Pratap. Last week, after being invited to the wedding of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi's son, Tej Pratap said if he were to grace the occasion, it would be to assault Sushil Modi, who is a senior BJP leader, and "expose him". Sushil Modi responded by relocating the wedding for "security reasons." Apparently satisfied with his impact, Tej Pratap generously said the BJP leader should proceed with his plans "without fear". On Sunday, Lalu Prasad Yadav was removed from the group of VVIPS who are given Z plus security, the maximum protection offered to politicians. The Z plus cover is viewed often as a status symbol. Tej Pratap and his brother Tejashwi Yadav were given top positions in the Bihar government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar till July because their father's party RJD had the maximum seats in the Bihar legislature. But after the Yadavs were named in a corruption case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), they were dumped by Nitish Kumar as allies, along with the Congress. Lalu Prasad Yadav's wife and former chief minister of Bihar Rabri Devi, last week warned that there is no paucity of people in Bihar who are willing to assault the Prime Minister - her assertion was in response to a senior BJP leader demanding that criticism of Modi should be met with "hands being chopped off". Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal said said the BJP is trying to weaken the country by polarisation. (Photo: File | PTI) New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday launched a broadside against the BJP, accusing it of "polarising" the country, and said the saffron party has realised the goal of Pakistan of dividing the nation in just three years of its rule. Without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, Kejriwal said the AAP is "not like a Napolean" whose intention is to win every state election, but its real purpose is to change the system. "The country is going through a difficult time. The BJP is trying to divide the country by pitting Hindus against Muslims and Muslims against Hindus. What could be the biggest dream of Pakistan other than seeing India divided?" Kejriwal said. He said the BJP is trying to weaken the country by polarisation. "What Pakistan and ISI could not do in 70 years, the BJP has done in three years," he said, adding that those who were trying to create this divide were "ISI agents and traitors disguising as nationalists". Kejriwal was addressing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers at the party's national convention on the occasion of its fifth anniversary at the Ram Lila Maidan in New Delhi. Scores of AAP volunteers and party leaders from several parts of the country were present for the national convention. Kumar Vishwas, who has had an uneasy relationship with the party leadership, also addressed the crowd. The chief minister also raised questions about the death of CBI court judge BH Loya, who was hearing the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case in which Amit Shah was prime accused, and said even judges were not safe under the BJP rule. "The circumstances in which Loya was found dead have raised various questions," he said. Urging people in the poll-bound Gujarat to "uproot" the BJP, Kejriwal said the entire nation was looking at Gujarat and praying for the BJP's defeat. The AAP is contesting in a few seats in the western state. "Voters should vote for a candidate or party that is winning and capable of defeating the BJP. Our aim is to uproot the BJP. Make sure that the BJP loses," he told the gathering. Kejriwal claimed that the BJP is the "father" of the UPA in corruption. "We gathered five years back in the same place and protested against the UPA for its corruption. Nothing has changed. The BJP has become the father of UPA in terms of corruption," Kejriwal said citing the Panama Papers revelations and the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh. Tamil Nadu will be tested again, perhaps not so much to find out who gets the popular vote as to who can bribe the people in the most devious manner possible without the officials finding out. The bribing of voters has become a fine art in a State that used to think of itself as the Dravidian heartland in which the voters alternated between the giants once every five years and did so not for money. The voters used to switch sides to show their anger at ruling parties not doing enough to satisfy their everyday needs between elections. The parties used to vie with each other to lay out welfare schemes to attract the voters. Soon enough it descended to handing out freebies, a free-for-all field in which anything could be promised and given, from stoves to mixies and grinders, fans. At least there was some logic to making the womans lot in the kitchen somewhat easier and they represent about half the electorate. When the money started flowing in what is commonly as the Thirumangalam Formula, things began going south and fast. Today, a by-poll means a few thousand rupees per voter and a shrewd voter could take from more than one party provided he could take the pressures of post-poll queries or threats from the losing party. The people have become so cynical as to justify the bribe taking as an entitlement once every few years because they dont get to see their MLAs until the next poll comes along. And now that another poll is here in RK Nagar, the voter will look forward to another helping of the notes, ironically with the Mahatmas face on each of them. The scenario just got a lot more complicated this time. The Two Leaves is back in the fray. How important would that be is a question to which the answer will be known only after the result is out. There is talk of a four-way contest, but only three will be serious contenders in the capital of a Dravidian land. If there is split loyalty among traditional AIADMK voters, it will be to the benefit of the DMK. In fact, it doesnt need a prescient pollster to tell you that the DMK will be favored to win if all the conditions are equal. The larger question is whether the conditions can be equal when a by-poll to a single constituency is held. The party or candidate with the larger purse might have the advantage. The statistics that we will see put out by the supervisory agencies that will be tasked with keeping an eye on the poll will point to several crores of rupees and freebies including liquor having been seized in the run-up to December 21. Imagine if in a dry state like Gujarat they can recover 6.71 lakh liters of liquor, what quantities of Tasmac stuff will be distributed in RK Nagar. The rampant cynicism over by-polls, which generally tend to favour the ruling party, could not possibly apply this time. This is the funniest poll in which, much like in the IPL where friends will be playing with international foes in the same franchise, former friends will be foes and vice versa. The irony of the once official candidate of a united AIADMK being the principal rebel now even as the party symbol has been restored to the ruling group after a protracted battle before the ECI is inescapable. It wont be the traditional battle between the Two Leaves and the Rising Sun though. Opposition parties that crib about the announcement of the by-poll would do well to remember that the poll process is back and in place after all. It should least matter that the poll date was made public just after the symbol war was settled. At least, the fight is now on level terms for the ruling group that had a right to claim the symbol as it had the clear majority on numbers in legislators and among the partys general council. Any rump faction would naturally have to fight on the symbols available with the EC. Various divisions of the once united party of Jayalalithaa will be in the fray thus making it even more interesting. The DMK would probably profit from any split in the voting as it lost the 2016 assembly elections by very narrow margins in many seats. The smallest swing may see the party rebound. Also, even a single seat might matter as the Tamil Nadu version of controlled assembly democracy has to move forward at some time and call the assembly to order within six months of the last session. Fun and games are in store in January when the assembly will meet and that would be post-RK Nagar as well. The much-awaited Hyderabad Metro Rail will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister tomorrow and start commercial operations from November 29. (Photo: PTI/Representational) Hyderabad: The Congress has claimed credit for the Hyderabad metro rail project, to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, but the ruling TRS hit back at the opposition for allegedly not planning it properly. Claiming that Hyderabad metro rail is an "achievement of Congress", Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged on Sunday that the present TRS government was wrongly trying to take credit for the project. Congress held a power-point presentation on the Hyderabad metro project its office in Hyderabad on Sunday. Reddy also alleged that neither the TRS government in Telangana nor the BJP government at the Centre made any contribution to the project. The present launch is a case of 'hard work for caterpillar, publicity for butterfly', he claimed. Reddy said the then Chief Minister (of undivided Andhra Pradesh) YS Rajasekhara Reddy secured approval for metro rail from the Centre in 2007. The Concession Agreement was signed on September 4, 2010 and the metro rail works were launched by the then CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy on December 25, 2012, he said. Countering the Congress comments, state Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav said the previous Congress governments could not plan the project properly. "Could not understand what is your claim. Yesterday, you made some noise. What for? (You say) it is a project done by us. Ok. Because, you had governments then. You could not do even proper planning," he said. The much-awaited Hyderabad Metro Rail will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister tomorrow and start commercial operations from November 29. The 30-km-long first phase of the metro rail project between Miyapur and Nagole, having 24 stations, would be launched by the prime minister at 2.15 pm tomorrow at Miyapur station. Vijayawada: Six students of Fathima College, Kadapa, and a parent boarded a mobile cell tower here on Sunday and created a furore. The high drama started at about 10 am. The Fathima College students and parents started their protest at Vijayawada Dharna Chowk 27 days back. But as there was no response from the state government, the victims of Fathima College climbed the mobile cell tower and stayed there for the next eight and a half hours. The students involved in this high voltage drama included Kesar Khan, Jakeera Khan, Farook, Noorullah, Hussain, Kishore and Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, father of the student Vishnu. They refused the request of the citizens, students, police and the college officials. Students on the tower refused the calls of Mr Ramana Kumar, joint- commissioner of police, who reached the spot with policemen. The fire brigades also reached the spot. Finally, district collector Mr B. Lakshmikantham reached the spot and talked to the protestors over phone. Protestors demanded justice and the arrest of the management who allegedly cheated them. They asked for relocation as they were fighting with the management for the last two years. They demanded an assurance of CM, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu. The district collector informed the demands of the students to the CM who then agreed to talk to the students and gave them an appointment at 9 am on Monday. Only then did the protesting students come down the tower. Parents of the students, officers and police were finally relieved of the tension. Talking about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said it is good in the long run even though there are some issues. New Delhi: Ruling out any possibility of entering politics, former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan on Sunday said he is happy being a professor and it's the job he likes. On being asked if he had an offer from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to join the Rajya Sabha, he said, "No comments on whether I was offered anything. When I was in RBI, people were desperate to get me off to IMF, when I am back as professor, people are desperate to see me elsewhere. I am very happy being a professor. I have my brain working many hours of day. It is a job I like." On possibility to join politics, Rajan said, "The answer is no...on issue of politics my wife says very clearly no." The AAP had approached Rajan offering him a Rajya Sabha seat from Delhi, which was reportedly rejected by the ex-RBI governor. In a recorded interview played at the Times Litfest in New Delhi, Rajan, without disclosing much details, said he is working on another book. This book will be "an attempt to understand better the world we live in. The issue of identity, issue of community and how it impinges on the broader process of economic integration and growth", he said. His last book, titled 'I do what I do' was released in September, touched various aspects of the Indian economy. He also talked about issues like tolerance and connection between political freedom and prosperity in the book, which was a collection of essays and speeches during his stint as the RBI governor. Talking about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Rajan said it is good in the long run even though there are some issues. "There is need to remove the glitches," he observed. On the relationship between the RBI and the government, the former central bank governor said that it has been developed over the years and it is largely of mutual respect. "Yes, there are frictions which are always there in any relationship," he said. To a question if autonomy of the RBI as an institution compromised, he said, he is not alarmed. The RBI functions under the government and complete independence is not possible, he said. During the hearing in the apex court, Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for Hadiya's husband Shafi Jahan, told the SC that she is entitled to make decisions of her life. (File photo) New Delhi: Hadiya will no longer have to stay behind the closed doors of her parents house as the Supreme Court on Monday directed that she be sent back to the medical college in Salem, Tamil Nadu, to continue her studies. Hadiya had joined Sivaraj Homoeopathic Medical College in Salem, but could not complete her studies as she was put under house arrest in May. Hadiya will, however, not enjoy the complete freedom, which she sought at the apex court on Monday, as the dean of the college has been appointed as her local guardian. The apex court has granted the dean liberty to approach it in case of any problem. "I want my freedom," Hadiya, who was forcibly confined to her parents' house in Kerala after she converted to Islam and married a Muslim man, told the Supreme Court on Monday. She also told the court that she wanted to live with her husband. Hadiya expressed her willingness to pursue homoeopathic course, but said she does not want to study on the expense of the state. I want to but not on state's expense when my husband can take care of me, she said when Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra asked her if she wants to continue her studies on states expenses. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra directed the Kerala police to provide Hadiya with security and ensure that she travelled to Salem at the earliest. The bench, also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, directed the college and the university to re-admit Hadiya and grant her hostel facilities. Expressing happiness over Supreme Court's order, Hadiyas husband Sheffin Jahan said his stand has been vindicated. "My stand has been vindicated. I am very happy," Sheffin said. Meanwhile, Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for Hadiya's husband Shafi Jahan, has told the court that she is entitled to make decisions of her life. The apex court will again hear the case again in the third week of January. Jahan had on September 20 approached the apex court seeking recall of its order directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of conversion and marriage of a Hindu woman with him. At the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had asked Hadiya's father to bring her to the court on Monday. The 25-year-old flew to New Delhi from Kochi under tight security for the hearing. Hadiya, who was born to a Hindu couple in Kerala, converted to Islam and married Jahan but her marriage was annulled by Kerala High Court in May. It was alleged that the woman was recruited by Islamic State group's mission in Syria and Jahan was only a stooge. Ashokan K M, the father of the woman, had alleged that there was a "well-oiled systematic mechanism" for conversion and Islamic radicalisation. The high court, while declaring the marriage as "null and void", had described the case as an instance of 'love jihad' and ordered the state police to conduct probe into such cases. Ever since the Kerala High Court annulled Hadiya's marriage in May, she has been under virtual house arrest at home in TV Puram, Kottayam. (With inputs from PTI) The occasion is marked by the whole nation to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India.(Representational Image) Kurnool: Universities in Kurnool on Sunday ignored the directives given by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to celebrate November 26 as Constitution Day. Kurnool is home to Rayalaseema University and Urdu University, both being the state institutions that derive their power from a statute passed by the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh which itself was the creation of the Constitution of India. The UGC asked the universities to read the Preamble to the Constitution in the morning assembly on Samvidhan Divas otherwise known as the Constitution Day. The occasion is marked by the whole nation to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. The UGC had also asked educational bodies to read out the fundamental duties and arrange for a lecture on the importance of fundamental duties on the occasion of Constitution Day. When contacted, Rayalaseema University officials said that they did not observed any such function. Its spokesperson said that the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and two senior functionaries of the University were in New Delhi. The university has been facing a lot problems relating to governance and administration. Lack of transparency in recruitments has landed the University in a legal tangle with umpteen number of court cases, it is leart. Dr Abdul Haq Urdu University Vice-Chancellor Muzaffer Ali told Deccan Chronicle that he was indisposed on Sunday and so he was not available at the University. Asked about the UGC directive to observe Constitution Day, he said that he had to find out from the staff whether such a programme was held. Dr Abdul Khader, principal of Silver Jubilee Government Degree College, the premier Institute in South India run by the State Government, however, said that they had a week-long celebrations organised by the Political Science Department including a a mock Parliament, quiz competition, debate on fundamental rights and directive principles of state Policy. The KVR Government Women's Degree College, the largest women's college in terms of intake, also failed to observe the Constitution Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pointed out that while fighting for rights, one should not forget about duties. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed that the legislature, the judiciary and the executive were part of the same family and should work to strengthen each other, even as the Chief Justice and the law minister sparred over the issue of judicial activism. The Prime Minister also said that the three wings - the legislature, the judiciary and the executive - need to brainstorm on how to move forward in the changed scenario. "They are members of the same family...we do not have to prove anyone right or wrong. We know our strengths, we know our weaknesses," he said at a gathering of judges and advocates at the National Law Day event in New Delhi. Modi pointed out that while fighting for rights, one should not forget about duties. He emphasised that the balance between the executive, the legislature and the judiciary has been the backbone of the Constitution and it has helped the country during the Emergency. Modi also pitched for self-regulation and a system of checks and balances for the good health of any institution and quoted BR Ambedkar to state that there should be a limit for any authority. Before the Prime Minister addressed the gathering, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad reminded the judiciary of the principle of separation of powers between the judiciary, the legislature and the executive. He said the concept of separation of power is as binding on the judiciary as it is on the executive. Responding to the remarks of the law minister, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra said that "there should be mutual respect and there cannot be any claim for supremacy by any of the wings". The CJI said that the dream of the Prime Minister is a literate, educated and digitally-enabled India and the judiciary is "playing the role of a constitutional catalyst" to achieve the goal. Referring to the issue of judicial over-reach, Prasad said law-making must be left in the realm of those elected to make the law. "The founding fathers clearly meant that governance must remain in the realm of those elected to govern by the people of India and accountable to the people of India," he said. While independence of the judiciary was "important", judicial accountability, probity and propriety were "equally" necessary, he said. Justice Misra hit back by saying that, "We are not really interested to bring any kind of policy." "But the moment the policies are formed, we are allowed to interpret and see that they are implemented," he said. Misra said the judiciary follows the principle of 'judicially manageable standards' under which it does not get into realms where it can't do much. "If we can't do it, we will not get into it," he asserted. Misra rejected the suggestion that PILs were being used as a means to formulate policies and to govern the country. He said there had been several writs and PILs which the Supreme Court has turned down. He also said that the apex court has been going "slow" on economic matters, particularly tenders and especially global tenders. Prasad said while the government accepts the Supreme Court decision to strike down the National Judicial Appointments Commission which sought to overturn the system of judges appointing judges, it is important to appreciate the suggestion of an audit of judicial appointments. He referred to the contempt of court proceedings by the apex court against Justice CS Karnan. Prasad said his records show that the then collegium had described him as an expert in all fields of law. Perhaps, he was not an expert on contempt of court, the minister said, without naming Karnan. The CJI said whenever the law minister writes to the collegium, his observations are not ignored. The recommendations once rejected by the government are not reiterated out of mutual respect. Earlier in the day too, the two had countered each other's assertions. A view of the Virat Hindu Samajotsava in Udupi on Sunday organised on the conclusion of the three-day Dharma Sansad. (Photo: DC) Udupi: Leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) on Sunday came out strongly against the Deepika Padukone starrer 'Padmavathi,' during the Virat Hindu Samajotsav at Udupi on Sunday evening at the conclusion of the Dharma Sansad. VHP International working president Praveen Togadia and VHP general secretary Champat Raiji strongly opposed the release of the film during thier speeches. "Some people speak about freedom of expression when we oppose the film. But one should know that ones freedom ends at the tip of the others nose. The other person has the freedom of twisting the arm when the hand comes close to his nose," he declared clearly indicating that saffron outfits had the right to oppose and protest. "If you want to make a film, then make one about the (fall of) Afzal Khan and Sahithsa Khan. You can show the heroism of Ranjith Singh or Guru Tegh Bahadur or Guru Arjun Singh or Guru Govind Singh," he said. "We strongly condemn attempts to disrespect Hindu sentiments. All artists and all those in the film should respect Hindu sentiments. Theatre owners too should voluntarily refuse to screen the film," Champat Rai Ji said. Later in his address Praveen Togadia declared that Padmavati was a motherly figure for all Hindus in the country. "We condemn any move to disrespect her. Had she not shown heroism then today, Praveen Togadia would not have remained Praveen Togadia. We are Hindus because of her. We all remember her heroism and sacrifice. This created herosim in lakhs of Hindus which finally overthrew the tyranny of Muslim rulers," he said. Togadia demanded a ban on the movie and challenged the director Sanjay Leela Bansali to make a movie on Prophet Mohammed. He also thanked all state governments including the Congress government in Punjab for not allowing the screening of the movie. Bengaluru: A complaint has been filed against the Pejawar Math seer Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji at the Jnanabharathi police station for his alleged insulting remarks on the Constitution of India by calling it incorrect and "biased". The complaint filed on Saturday by the Postgraduate and Research Students Federation of the Bangalore University stated that the seer during the Dharma Sansad, organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Udupi, said, The Indian Constitution is in complete and biased and I dont accept it, which was an insult to the Constitution and amounts to violation of fundamental duties. The complainants further said that the seer had termed the Constitution biased and said that it had unequal laws for the country's majority and minority. He had even asked the central government to intervene and change the Constitution. The federation has asked the police to take action against the seer for his remarks, which they said were against the national interest. Attacking the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the grand old party did not allow Narmada water to come to Kutch region and has always wanted Gujarat to lag behind. (Photo: Twitter | ANI) Bhuj: Launching his political campaign in poll-bound Gujarat on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a jibe at Congress and said, "India was attacked on 26/11 and in Uri. You can see how India responded in wake of both attacks. This explains difference between their (Congress) government and ours (BJP). Indian Express reported that on that side, dead bodies were taken in trucks so at least you (Cong) don't lie." The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of celebrating the recent release of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind, terrorist Hafiz Saeed. "A Pakistani court released a Pakistani terrorist and the Congress is celebrating. I was surprised why. And this same Congress refused to believe our own Army on surgical strikes and preferred to believe the Chinese Ambassador," Modi said. Invoking the "Iron Man of India," Modi accused the Congress of insulting Sardar Patel. "We are not here for power, we are here for 125 crore Indians. We want to take India to new heights of glory," he said. "Congress is unhappy about demonetisation. They keep attacking me but I want to tell them... I have grown up in the same land as Sardar Patel. I will ensure that the poor get their due. We will not allow this nation to be looted," he said. The Prime Minister also alluded to allegations thrown at him during the campaign by Congress leaders, including party vice president Rahul Gandhi. "This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," he said. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Rahul had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. "The Gujarat election is a contest between trust on development and dynastic politics," the Prime Minister said. Taking another dig at the Opposition party, which is making all efforts to dislodge the long-ruling BJP in Gujarat, Modi asked, "When our soldiers were standing eye-to-eye in Doklam for 70 days, why were you hugging the Chinese ambassador." The Prime Minister also attacked the Congress over dynastic politics. "On one side there is Vikas (development) and Vishwas (trust) while on the other side there is Vanshwad (dynasty). Gujarat will never forgive the Congress party and this has been the case for long. Congress has never liked Gujarat, has always preferred to see it lag behind," Modi said. "Does any Congress leader talk about Kamraj, Acharya Kripalani, Subhas Babu, UN Dhebar (who belonged to Gujarat)...no because they only talk about one family," the PM said. Further intensifying his attack on the Opposition Congress, Modi said the grand old party did not allow Narmada water to come to Kutch region. "Officers did not want to get posted to Kutch region as the water here was black in colour. Congress did not allow Narmada water to come to Kutch region. What if the Narmada waters had come to Kutch 30 years earlier? It would have made such a big difference," the Prime Minister said. Referring to the 2001 earthquake in Kutch, Modi said, "When earthquake struck Kutch region in 2001, Atal Bihari Vajpayee sent me to the region to work among its people and that taught me a lot." "The development work in Kutch after the 2001 quake is for all to see. Who imagined that Kutch can do so well in agriculture. People from the nation are coming here to enjoy the Rann Utsav," the Prime Minister said. Narendra Modi praised the people of Kutch for their resilience. "When big earthquakes take place, people say see this building has fallen but in Kutch people say this school, this hospital, these buildings were made after the earthquake. All this was done on war footing by the Army of Kutch which consists of its people," Modi said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address between 32 and 35 rallies in his home state Gujarat in the coming fortnight, where Assembly elections for a total of 182 seats will be held in two phase - December 9 and 14. Later on Monday, the Prime Minister will address rallies in Jasdan town of Rajkot, Dhari in Amreli and Kamrej in Surat district. Amreli is dominated by the powerful Patel community. Hyderabad: In the countdown to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017, film actors tried to make their presence felt at pre-Summit events. Rana Daggubati and R. Madhavan participated in the Road to GES event held at Hitex in Hyderabad on Monday. The event was co-hosted by NITI Aayog, T-Hub and INK. Rana Daggubati spoke about his experience in virtual reality and 3D filmmaking at the event. I grew up in the movie environment and in the business of storytelling. I studied photography and worked on visual effects for about 85 films. Then I became an actor, he said. He said that before becoming an actor, he worked behind the scenes on Kamal Haasans movie Dasavathaaram. I started off very strangely. I was asked Will you shoot on a 3D camera with visual effects? he said. Rana said that he was an ardent follower of the advancements in virtual reality and added, It wont be long before we have a virtual reality movie. He said that the principles of artificial intelligence had been emulated and used to multiply the crowd of Mahishmati in Bahubali. Indian actor, writer and film producer R. Madhavan also spoke at the event and said, There is absolutely no formula that will work again and again when it comes to art, technology and stories. Technology depends on art and art depends on technology. Everybody has data, their interpretations keep changing. With just one flute a foreigner composed the Titanic tune. You have the air and the flute, as entrepreneurs, you just need to find the right tune. Stop being followers of the west. Redefine your horizons. He said that it was important for him to think about how he would entertain a technology-oriented audience that was hooked to smartphones. Aspiration is the key that will determine the market. What can I do that to ensure that people dont watch my movie on their smartphones, but go to theatres is what defines me as an actor, he said. Musician Usha Uthup also participated in the event on Sunday and said that it was the second time that she was attending INK Talks. With the latest technology I am able to define my chords and tunes better, she said. A panoramic view of the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, where the GES will be held. Gandhi. Hyderabad: The city is preparing for two historic events on Tuesday: the launch of Hyderabad Metro Rail, the worlds largest Metro Rail in PPP mode and the inauguration of the three-day Global Entrepreneurship Summit-2017 at HICC. This is the first time the GES is being held in South Asia. Hyderabad will join the league of cities that have added the metro rail to their public transport. The 30-km stretch that will be inaugurated is the longest metro in the country. Kochi has 13 km, Chennai eight, Bengaluru 6.7 km and Jaipur 9.63 km opened for commercial use. Both events will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will arrive at Begumpet airport at 1.35 pm on Tuesday. Ivanka Trump, the daughter and adviser of US President Donald Trump, who is leading the US delegation to the GES, will arrive in the city early on Tuesday. The state government has made unprecedented security arrangements for the smooth conduct of both the events. The city wears a colourful look to welcome the dignitaries and delegates attending the events. The state government hopes that Brand Hyderabad will be enhanced globally by both these events and will attract international investors to Telangana. Mr Modi will inaugurate Metro Rail at 2.15 pm and take a ride on the Metro from Miyapur to Ameerpet (5 km) and back. He will be accompanied by Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Thiruvananthapuram: Shefin Jehan, the former husband of Hadiya, expressed happiness over the Supreme Court's judgment to release her from her father's custody. Kerala Womens Commission chairperson M.C. Josephine too welcomed the SC order. A beaming Mr Jahan told reporters outside the Supreme Court that he is thankful to the Almighty. He said its a victory as Ms Hadiya was free and that the court had vindicated her stance. "The illegal detention is over, and that's is a victory. I will seek legal opinion on seeing her at the hostel. I understand that there is no ban on meeting her. Her disclosure before the SC that she should be allowed to live with me contains everything," said the 27-year-old. And as far as I understand, the courts verdict means Hadiya can go wherever she wants after completing her education. Ms Josephine told reporters in Thrissur that she welcomed the order. By sending Hadiya to Salem to complete her studies, the court has given her freedom," she said. The new addition to the curriculum, under the topic Gender Sensitivity, will be introduced in the ongoing academic year itself. Mumbai: In the wake of woman constable Lalita Salve seeking a sex-reassignment operation, the state department of medical education and research (DMER) will now introduce in the MBBS curriculum a detailed topic on gender sensitivity, which will cover sex-reassignment surgery. In doing so, Maharashtra will become the first state in India to include the topic in the MBBS curriculum. The new addition to the curriculum, under the topic Gender Sensitivity, will be introduced in the ongoing academic year itself. Ms Salve, 29, attached to Beed citys Majalgaon police station, has sought permission to undergo sex surgery. She has sought government assistance for the surgery and also that she be allowed to keep her job in the police force. The joint director of DMER Dr T.P. Lahane, said, The issues related to gender sensitivity were there but it was not in detail. It was taught but now students will be given proper assignments in addition to being taught about everything that comes under this topic. Maharashtra is the first state to introduce the topic in the MBBS curriculum. When asked if the move to introduce the topic was made in the wake of Ms Salves plea seeking government permission and assistance for a sex-reassignment surgery at the state-run J.J hospital, Dr Lahane said, Yes, but we should see to it that the students learn all the aspects related to such issues. They should have deep knowledge about all topics because that is what theyll be dealing with after completing their course. He said, The doctors should be able to help such people suffering from such ailments. New Delhi: After dramatic scenes in the Supreme Court, Keralas Hadiya aka Akhila, the key dramatis personae in the alleged love jihad case, walked free after 11 months confinement in her parental home. Ms Haiya, expressing her desire to be independent and complete the course which she could not do as she was confined to her fathers house in Kottayam, said, I want to meet my husband. I want to complete my studies and want to live my life according to my faith and as a good citizen. I want my freedom. I have been in unlawful custody for last 11 months. When the CJI suggested that the Tamil Nadu government would bear the expenses of her studies, Ms Hadiya told the court that she wanted her husband to meet the expenses and not the State. While hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by Mr Jahan, the bench, which also included Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, directed Kerala police to provide Mr Hadiya security and ensure that she travelled straight to college in Salem. The hearing in the habeas corpus matter was also posted for a hearing in January 2018. Their marriage is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency after Ms Hadiyas father alleged that she is one of many vulnerable young Hindu women being recruited by terror groups like ISIS through love jihad or marriage. Counsel Shyam Divan, appearing for Ms Hadiyas father K.M. Ashokan, urged the court to reconsider its earlier order to have an open court hearing. He said the matter has acquired a strong communal colour on account of the involvement of a group engaged in the conversion of women to Islam. Bhopal: Police personnel participating in a mock drill in a Madhya Pradesh district on Monday landed in trouble for playfully pointing guns at kids. The incident occurred in the district headquarters town of Mandsaur, where six farmers were killed in police firing in April this year during the tillers stir in the state. Reports said kids were used in the mock drill by the policemen. The incident has sparked outrage with child rights activists demanding action against the policemen involved in it. Two members of the NGO, Empowerment of Women and Child Protection, lodged a complaint with the local police in this regard. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a writ petition from a woman Amrutha alias Manjula, claiming to be the biological daughter of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, seeking DNA test to substantiate her claim. A Bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Neveen Gupta while rejecting the petition gave her liberty to approach the Karnataka High Court for relief as she is staying in Bangalore. The Bangalore based woman along with two other elder cousins L.S. Lalitha and Ranjani Ravindranatha sought the Supreme Court intervention as her efforts to meet Ms. Jayalalithaa during her lifetime was in vain as Ms. Sasikala family prevented such a meeting. She was also not allowed to attend the burial ceremony. New Delhi: After a high-voltage drama in the Supreme Court, Hadiya a.k.a. Akhila walked free after six months confinement in her parental home ever since she married Shafin Jehan and the Kerala High Court annulled the marriage in May. The Supreme Court on Monday sent her to Salem in Tamil Nadu to enable her to pursue her homoeopathic studies in Sivaraj homoeopathy medical college and complete her internship/house surgeon training. She told the court that she wanted to be independent and complete the course which she could not do as she was confined to the house. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud directed the Kerala police to provide Hadiya with security and ensure that she travelled straight to Salem at the earliest. The bench also directed the college and the university to readmit Hadiya and grant her hostel facilities. The issue of her marriage will be decided later, the bench said. The order came after the Hadiya, 24, told the court, I want to meet my husband. I want to complete my studies and want to live my life according to my faith and as a good citizen. I want my freedom. I have been in unlawful custody for last six months. The bench appointed the dean of the homoeopathic college to approach it in case of any problem. Hadiya has been staying at her parental home since May. When Hadiya wanted her husband to be the guardian, Justice Chandrachud said, no husband can be a guardian of his wife. At least, I cant say that I am the guardian for my wife. During the hearing, which went on for over two-and-a-half hours, Hadiya made it clear to the judges that she wanted to go with her husband Shafin Jehan. When Justice Chandrachud asked her about her dreams for the future, she said, I want freedom." The chief Justice conceded that this was a peculiar habeas corpus case and that he had never seen such a case in his tenure as a judge. When the CJI suggested that the Tamil Nadu government would bear the expenses of her study, Hadiya said that she wanted her husband to meet the expenses and not the state. The court fixed the hearing on Jehan's plea against the Kerala High Court order annulling his marriage with Hadiya to the third week of January. Earlier, Mr. Shaym Divan, appearing for the girls father Ashokan, urged the court to reconsider its earlier order to have open court hearing and said there should be in-camera proceedings as various issues were involved in the case. He produced a transcript of a voice clip of one Abdul Rasheed, an ISIS recruiter, in evidence of his association with the Popular Front of India, the Islamic fundamentalist organisation with which the present petitioner Shafin Jehan was associated. Additional solicitor-general Maninder Singh urged the court to go through the NIAs findings, which had demonstrated that the marriage of Hadiya was a sham as she was radicalised and was not in a proper frame of mind to take an independent decision. This was strongly opposed by senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaising, who argued that the purpose of the hearing was to ascertain whether she wanted to go free or not. Let her go wherever she wants but the court must speak to her and hear her views. Even if her marriage is a wrong decision, she is entitled to take a decision to go with him or not. There is no need to give communal colour to the whole issue. Justice Chandrachud referred to the arguments of Mr Maninder Singh that there was a pattern to this case and it was a programmed radicalisation and said, we need to examine whether the Stockholm syndrome (of praising the abductors who kidnapped the person) is true or not. We consider her individual autonomy, which has a cherished constitutional value. But can we ignore other issues is the question before us. The CJI told Mr. Sibal, there are two issues before us, one whether we should examine Hadiya before or after examining the materials placed before us. However, both Mr. Sibal and Ms Jaising insisted that the court should ask Hadiya questions as she had been waiting for over 90 minutes to speak. Finally, the bench relented and ascertained Hadiyas views and decided to send her to the Salem college for further studies. The bench posted the matter for further hearing in January 2018. Maqsood had been treated for six months in Satna before he was brought to Rewa (Representational Image | AFP) Satna: In a rare surgery, doctors in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district recently removed 5 kilogram iron objects - a chain, as many as 263 coins and shaving blades - from the stomach of a man who they said is not in a good frame of mind. The 32-year-old Mohammed Maqsood, who hails from Sohaval in Satna district, was taken to the state-run Sanjay Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in adjoining Rewa on November 18 after he complained of pains in stomach. Dr Priyank Sharma, attached to the Sanjay Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (SGMCH), on Sunday said that they identified the cause behind Maqsood's stomachache after conducting tests and through an X-ray. He said a team of six doctors surgically removed 10-12 shaving blades, four big needles, a chain, 263 coins, besides pieces of glasses - collectively weighing 5 kg, from the stomach of Maqsood on Friday. He said Maqsood had been treated for six months in Satna before he was brought to Rewa. "The patient was not in a good frame of mind and it seems he swallowed these objects secretly," Dr Sharma said, adding that Maqsood is doing well and is currently under the observation of a team of experts. The captive elephant is the Malayli devotee's preferred sacrificial goat. It is treated as a dangerous wild animal when any court of law in the country deals with civil or criminal cases involving the killing of humans by an over-worked captive elephant during religious festivals. In a major judgment in 2012 granting compensation to the family of a person killed when an elephant ran amok in 1984 during Thrissur Pooram, the High Court stated that the state had no Act or Rule to fix accountability of a person in deaths involving captive elephant. The state had not laid down any criteria for the compensation amount either. The court had then directed the state government to formulate such an Act and Rule. But the direction of the High Court has still not been heeded. It is not as if the Acts passed by the State had changed anything on the ground. For instance, the High Court eventually had to direct the state to implement the Rules and Regulations regarding the parading of elephants that the state itself had formulated. The Court wanted it implemented from March 18, 2008. These Rules state that elephants should not be paraded under scorching sunlight during day time, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. During the rest of the time, festival organisers can parade only three elephants inside the temple complex surrounded by a compound wall. The parade should also be limited to 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. It says that every elephant paraded for the period of 4 hours must have rest for next 12 hours. There were restrictions on the transportation of elephants, too. Elephants cannot be transported in lorries when the intensity of the heat is at the highest, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The maximum weight of persons sitting atop the elephant, elephant ornaments and chains must not exceed 1000 kilograms. A minimum of 500 kilograms of leaves and 250 litres of water must be given for the consumption of each elephant every day. At festival places, the elephant must be placed under shade during the rest period. Minimum space between each elephant at festival place must be kept at 3 meters. The minimum space between the crowd and elephant must be 3 meters. The veterinarian should perform two tests before issuing a fitness certificate to the elephant to participate in any festival. First he must ensure that the elephant is free from any wounds. Then the doctor will have to verify the elephants response to its mahout who, as the rules say, should not have any kind of weapon with him. If the elephant can be persuaded to do certain postures by a non-violent mahout, the veterinarian can infer not just that the beast and its minder are friendly but also that the elephant is not in musth. The fitness certificate will have a validity only for 12 hours. It means that if such a certificate is signed at 5 a.m., to parade that elephant after 5 p.m. the same day, another certificate is required. Fact is, most of these rules are followed in the breach. The Supreme Court was convinced that these stipulations were blatantly violated even during the conduct of Thrissur Pooram, and had in August 2015 directed the State Government to implement these rules in its letter and spirit. The apex court also wanted the state to initiate criminal proceedings against the offenders invoking non-bailable provisions of Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Many elephants having wounds all over the body are lined up for parades with their festering bruises masked by black powder mixed with oil. Mahouts use sharp edged ankush (a banned weapon with claw-like ends to tear into the beasts body) and valiya kolu (another banned weapon nine feet in length and sharp-edged on one side and broad edged on the other) to torture the elephants. Since an elephant in musth is not allowed to participate in festivals, mahouts, at the insistence of owners, force chemicals into the elephant to suppress the condition. This is done by giving the elephant bread soaked in such chemicals. After consuming the chemical food the elephant will stand at the festival ground in a drowsy state, without even moving its ears. Such elephants will show no tendency to urinate or to drink water or to eat leaves. But many such elephants have demonstrated a tendency to attack mahouts, and to run wild in the midst of a procession. Though many officials like veterinarians are aware of such heinous practices, they keep silent in return for the favours extended by festival organisers and elephant contractors. Only three district collectors, of Thrissur, Palakkad and Alappuzha have conducted the monthly meeting of district elephant monitoring committee appointed by Supreme Court of India to prevent cruelty to elephants at festival places. Eternally doomed in Gods Own Country The fate of the elephant Nandilath Gopalakrishnan is demonstrative of the fact that even meticulous safeguards are not enough protect the states most revered animal. Gopalakrishnan was paraded during the annual festival at Tripunithura Poornathreysha temple in Ernakulam district on November 23. The temple, under Kochi Devaswom Board, conducted this years festival with utmost caution. A new committee was constituted as the committee that organised the festival for past eight years was thrown out by the Kerala High Court. Nandilath Gopalakrishnan. (Photo courtesy YouTube.com) All the employees of the Kochi Devaswam Board had contributed their one day salary for the conduct of this festival. Moreover, to keep unscrupulous elements at bay, the court had handpicked a veterinary surgeon to issue fitness certificate for elephants. Despite all such precautions, an elephant named Nandilath Gopalakrishnan with a record of roguish behaviour (it had killed two persons before) and exhibiting tell-tale signs of musth was employed to carry the golden idol and the silver umbrella, and was selected as the main elephant to be paraded at the centre of other 14 elephants. At a crucial moment of the ritual, Gopalakrishnan refused to obey the orders of the mahout. As if deciding enough was enough, the elephant suddenly cut away from the procession and ran through the eastern gopuram of the temple. Before it was tranquilised the mahout had used an ankush to pierce the skin and flesh of the elephant near the sensitive part between the genitals and the right side of the hind leg to stop it from running. Then, in a further violation, the elephant was put in a lorry and transported to Thrissur under scorching heat. It is now known that Gopalakrishnan has difficulty urinating. (The author is the general secretary of Heritage Animal Task Force, the state's foremost elephant NGO) Hyderabad: Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday dubbed as lollipop the Telangana governments proposal to increase quota for backward sections among Muslims, and said reservation should be given within the Constitutions framework. The Telangana legislature in April passed a Bill, which seeks to increase the reservation for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and backward sections among the Muslim community in government jobs and educational institutions. Except the BJP, all parties backed the Telangana Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes Bill, 2017. Chennai: The screams and adulations that have seized the public imagination since the demise of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader J Jayalalithaa on December 5, 2016, more so after the Supreme court verdict was out in the disproportionate assets case involving Amma and her close aide, Sasikala Natarajan, are but symptoms of a deeper contested socio-political legacy. With people glued to their favourite 24/7 TV channels, amid anchors firing one salvo after another, there is all the more reason to try and understand Ammas legacy in the broader socio-economic context of the Tamil Nadu polity as shaped by both the DMK and AIADMK in the last 25 years. Cut back to January 29, 2001. The former Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, M Karunanidhi, doubling as Finance minister, presenting the Interim Budget for 2001-02, ahead of a crucial Assembly election that year, succinctly articulated the states perspective on one decade of Indias historic economic reforms. Coming on top of the golden jubilee year of the Indian Republic then, Karunanidhi told the Assembly, We have always respected those with differing views and accepted their reasonable suggestions, without in any way deviating from the social perspective of Thanthai Periyar and the principle of duty, dignity and discipline advocated by Perarignar Anna. The DMKs strains with the BJP then were already visible, as much his words were a fair mirror to the mix of pragmatism and idealism that the Dravidian parties have been votaries of. There was no way States could get insulated from the wave of the economic reforms, and Tamil Nadus policy, he maintained has been "economic development with a human face." In the period since 1996-97, he said the average annual growth rate had jumped from 6.05 per cent to 7.04 per cent. Equally interesting was Karunanidhi in that budget speech bringing up the eminent Carnatic musician, Semmangudi Sreenivasa Iyers request to publish "Thirukkural Madhura Keerthanai", written by Mayiladuthurai Viswanatha Shastri. Karunanidhi said the first of the three volumes was already published by the government in deference to Semmangudis wishes. The other two volumes were in the pipeline to "popularise Shastriyars musical works". His words spoke volumes for the catholicity of outlook and secular approach of the Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu. It has been this basic vision of a social structure, trying to balance the need for rapid economic growth with equity and social harmony, irrespective of caste or religion, that has crucially underpinned the legacy of the AIADMK founder MGRs protegee, J Jayalalithaa also. The arithmetic of alliance politics, from poll-to-poll, has been built on this architecture, even as post-1970s, as I had written earlier, the Congress in Tamil Nadu has been content to play the eternal third man. The challenges were even more when Ms. Jayalalithaa first assumed office as Chief Minister in June 1991. She had to not only contend with the aftermath of the assassination of a major national political leader, Rajiv Gandhi, on Tamil Nadu soil, but also deal with the violence that broke out after the Cauvery Waters Dispute Tribunal gave its Interim Award. Also her government, whose tenure paralleled P.V. Narasimha Raos regime in Delhi, had to "act swiftly" in assimilating the economic reforms unleashed after a severe Balance of Payment (BoP) crisis. Raos Finance Minister and eminent economist Dr. Manmohan Singh kick-started the big bang reforms with his historic July 24, 1991 Budget - a plethora of trade and import restrictions gone, licensing for most industries except 18 strategic ones abolished, automatic approvals, setting up the Foreign Investment PromotIon Board (FIPB) to attract FDI, and even allowing established exporters to maintain foreign currency accounts to help raise cheaper money abroad without being a strain on Indias debt servicing amid a grave possibility of default for the first time after 1947 - the changes were mindboggling for most Indians then. It was in that milieu, the government led by Ms. Jayalalithaa, ably assisted by her then State Finance minister and party veteran, late V.R. Nedunchezhiyan and an excellent team of officers, took bold initiatives to carry forward the reforms, as many things including infrastructure, had to be done at the State level. Much as it took care to keep outlays on social welfare programmes including the childrens noon-meal scheme intact, her government did well, as borne out by a study by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). The report said, between 1992-93 and 1995-96, there were signs of fiscal consolidation with the fiscal balance improving from around (-4 per cent) to (-2 per cent). In a seminal 2002 paper, Economic Reforms in India Since 1991: Has Gradualism Worked? Montek Singh Ahluwalia, then Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, adverting to the need for supporting action by state governments, as private investors required many permissions from state governments and have to interact with the state bureaucracy on a day-to-day basis, said, complaints of delays, corruption and harassment arising from these interactions are common. Some states have taken initiatives to ease these restrictions, but much more needs to be done. He also cited how a World Bank-CII study found Tamil Nadu being among more investor-friendly states. In a brilliant introduction to a more recent, equally insightful study, the Oxford Handbook of Politics in Indian States, Regions, Parties and Economic Reforms, eminent political scientist Dr Sudha Pai argues that given the different socio-political contexts regional parties have emerged, making generalisation across the subcontinent is almost impossible. Economic reforms have shown immense regional variations, amid entry of new groups into politics, and creation of regional elites. Some of the states with stronger regional parties, stable and centralised leadership like the TDP in Andhra Pradesh, the DMK and AIADMK in Tamil Nadu have been among the fast reformers, Dr Sudha underscores. Thus, amid a protracted leadership crisis, to reduce the larger contributions of either M. Karunanidhi or J. Jayalalithaa to the States politics and economy, to just scams and rent-seeking by few family clans on either side of the divide, would logically be a reductionist, gross over-simplification and devaluation of life process itself. Jayalalithaa Jayarams first death anniversary should hopefully remind us of the perils of political and party leadership in extremely difficult times. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the people of Jasdan to not let the Congress destroy the composite culture of Gujarat. (Photo: Twitter/PMO India) Rajkot: Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he took a swipe at the Congress party during a campaign rally in election-bound Gujarat on Monday. Modi, who is leading the BJP's campaign in his home state that is going to polls on December 9, was addressing the rally in Jasdan, Rajkot, when he accused the Congress of defaming Gujarat. Modi also said that the Congress dislikes him because of his poor origins. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become PM. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation, he said. The Prime Minister requested the grand old party to not mock the poor and my poor origins. Further attacking the Congress, Modi said the party has the tendency of pitting one caste against the other. He asked the people of Jasdan to not let the Congress destroy the composite culture of Gujarat. Earlier on Monday, the Prime Minister had alluded to allegations that the Congress leaders, including party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, made against him during poll campaigns. "This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," Modi had said. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Rahul had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. Modi will address between 32 and 35 rallies in his home state, Gujarat, in the coming fortnight, where Assembly elections for a total of 182 seats will be held in two phase December 9 and 14. Later on Monday, the Prime Minister will address rallies in Dhari in Amreli and Kamrej in Surat district. Amreli is dominated by the powerful Patel community. Prime minister Narendra Modi meeting public during his election campaign for the forthcoming Assembly polls in Bhuj, Gujarat, on Monday. (Photo: PTI) Jasdan/Bhuj (Guj): Pushing the BJPs campaign in Gujarat into high gear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he is ready to sell tea but will never sell the country as he asked Rahul Gandhi why he had applauded the release of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed. You are happy to hug the Chinese ambassador, you are clapping at the release of Hafiz Saeed, you cannot respect Indian Armys surgical strike... But why did you speak about it? You could have just remained silent, he said in Bhuj, not specifying how and where Gandhi had hailed Saeeds release. Mr Gandhi had recently tweeted, Narendrabhai, baat nahi bani. Terror mastermind is free. President Trump just delinked Pak military funding from LeT. Hugplomacy fail. More hugs urgently needed. The tweet had come after the release of LeT founder and 26/11 mastermind Saeed by a Pakistan court. Hitting out at the Congress over a recent meme targeting his chaiwala past, the Prime Minister said in Jasdan that he is being targeted by the main opposition party because of his humble background and for being born to a poor mother. They are feeling uneasy because a chaiwala became the PM. We used to read in books how the downtrodden get harassed by those in higher strata. But I never imagined they would stoop so low, Mr Modi said in his speech at Jasdan. He said he gets messages from people threatening him that they would once again turn him into a tea-seller. I want to tell them that I am Modi, who is ready to sell tea but will never commit the sin of selling the entire country, he said, in an apparent reference to scams during the Congress-led UPA rule. In an apparent bid to woo the influential Patidars, who seem to be drifting towards the opposition party, the Prime Minister said the Congress harassed four former chief ministers of the community because of a grudge against Gujarat. Babubhai Jashbhai Patel, Chimanbhai Patel, Keshubhai Patel and Anandiben Patel belonged to the Patidar community. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to Ashapura Mata temple at Mata nou Madh before election campaign for the Assembly polls in Bhuj on Monday. (Photo: PTI) Jasdan/Bhuj (Guj): Pushing the BJPs campaign in Gujarat into high gear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he is ready to sell tea but will never sell the country as he asked Rahul Gandhi why he had applauded the release of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed. Mr Modi, who started his high voltage campaign with rallies in Bhuj in Kutch district, Jasdan in Rajkot, Chalala in Amreli and Kadodara near Surat, took on the opposition Congress on issues related to China, Lashkar-e-Tayyabas Hafiz Saeed, the surgical strike as well as corruption. He accused the Congress vice-president of applauding the release of a terrorist in Pakistan and asked why he hugged the Chinese ambassador during the Dokalam standoff. Mr Modi pitched the election as a fight between trust on development and dynastic politics. Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad played it wrong when he asked the Supreme Court why it could not trust the Prime Minister and himself with the appointment of judges to the high courts and Supreme Court. He was speaking at the National Law Day celebrations in New Delhi on Sunday. (The National Law Day, or Constitution Day, was created by the Narendra Modi government in its bid to appropriate the image of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, who was chairman of the drafting committee of the Constituent Assembly, and is deemed the architect of the Constitution.) Mr Prasad was quite justified in indulging in political jousting in the wake of the Supreme Court holding the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act as unconstitutional in its 2015 judgement. Chief Justice Dipak Misra hit back by saying there is need for all branches of the State legislature, executive and judiciary to function within their respective spheres and that constitutional sovereignty is supreme. The Chief Justice had literally ticked off the law minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was cautious in the inaugural speech on the occasion when he talked of the balance between the legislature, executive and judiciary. The Supreme Court ruling on the NJAC has been a big blow to the Modi government. The governments case was badly argued by then attorney-general Mukul Rohatgi, though the Constitution is very clear that judges are appointed by the President. As the President in our constitutional system doesnt act on his own but on the advice of the council of ministers headed by the Prime Minister, it always meant that the government of the day was involved in the appointment of judges. The irony lies in the fact that it was the BJP and other Opposition parties which had clamoured for the change in the mode of appointment to the higher judiciary. And they argued the case for the Chief Justice of India and his senior colleagues to appoint the judges. The collegium system is a result of the insistence of the Opposition parties, including the BJP. It was soon recognised by all parties that the collegium system has created problems of its own, and that it had become opaque and even suspect about its ability to choose the right people to be judges. Even the Supreme Court had recognised and acknowledged that there is a need for transparency and accountability in the running of the collegium. The law minister should have avoided reference to the NJAC issue because it is quite evident that the Supreme Court ruling in the NJAC case goes against the spirit of the Constitution. The judges cant be a law unto themselves and they cant be left to make appointments to the high courts and the Supreme Court. The Modi government needs to have constitutional clarity and political courage to pass the NJAC bill again and include an amendment saying the Supreme Court cant invalidate it. This may not be legally outrageous because the jurisprudential principle should be that the Supreme Court cant be a judge in a matter which concerns itself. Mr Prasad has also wrongly framed the issue. Its not a question of trusting the Prime Minister and law minister, who, according to him, are popularly elected. That is an unconstitutional position. The PM and the law minister, per se, shouldnt have any powers to appoint judges. As a matter of fact, the NJAC, does not provide for the discretion of the Prime Minister and law minister. Their presence in the NJAC could be decisive, but it has to be seen to be fair and according to the rules laid down for the functioning of the NJAC. The law minister wanted to turn his leader, Mr Modi, into a knight-in-shining-armour who sets out to do good, and therefore, by implication, the judiciary should surrender its wisdom to him. Constitutional democracies like that of India dont depend on the good intentions of aspiring supreme leaders like Prime Minister Modi. All functionaries of the State, including the President and the Chief Justice of India, are bound by rules and norms. Mr Prasads Modi gambit was both bad politics and bad constitutional theory. Chief Justice Misra has certainly fended off Mr Prasads political assault by invoking the principle of constitutional sovereignty, but the higher judiciary isnt really standing on firm ground over the appointment of judges. The court cant appoint itself. It is done through the Constitution, which was legislated by a democratically elected body. The legislature has the right to make necessary amendments to the Constitution on how judges are to be appointed. It is often forgotten that in the famous Kesavananda Bharati case of 1973, where the Supreme Court had through a very narrow 7-6 margin propounded the basic structure of the Constitution theory, under which any law that is seen to be violating the intent and spirit of the Constitution is held to be null and void. But the theory does not amount to judicial infallibility, and it needs to be questioned and tested time and again as to what constitutes the basic structure. The appointment of judges as envisaged in the Constitution does not fall into the basic structure penumbra. The BJP is in a double bind on the issue of the judiciary. It has been most vocal while in Opposition that there should be no political interference in the appointment of judges, that is a politically naive position at the best of times. It cant now argue that the executive should be given the right to appoint judges. As the party in power, it is not too happy with a fiercely independent judiciary. What the BJP has to recognise is the fact that while the executive can appoint judges, it cant dictate terms to the judiciary on how the Constitution should be interpreted. Invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity is not the way to settle the issue. THE defeat of the militant Islamic State group marks not the beginning of peace, but simply the ending of one stage of the greater Middle Eastern war because IS, for all the horrors it perpetuated and all the press it got, was only a sideshow to the main act: the struggle for supremacy in the Middle East. In this struggle, IS was never a player; it was at best a distraction, a convenient opportunity for various players keen on securing and advancing their interests. For Israel, the entire Syrian situation was a win-win, as it distracted many of its key opponents, Syria, Iran and Hezbollah to name just three, from focusing on Israel. Tel Avivs view of the war echoed what former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin reportedly said during the Iran-Iraq war in the 80s: I wish luck to both parties. They can go at it, killing each other. It was thus in Israels interests for the conflict to continue as long as possible because, as one Israeli officer put it: If al-Assad wins we will have Hezbollah on two borders not one. Israeli Brig Gen Ram Yavne went further in explaining why Israel doesnt see IS or even Al Qaeda as a strategic threat, saying: The axis headed by Iran is more risky than the global jihad one. It is much more knowledgeable, stronger, with a bigger arsenal. Curiously, the view from Tel Aviv is very similar to the view from Riyadh which has looked on with horror as Iran has expanded its influence across the Middle East, and we know that after gravity, the greatest attractional force in the universe is the commonality of interests. It is that commonality that is now bringing these unlikeliest of allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia, closer together. On November 16, the Saudi online newspaper Elaph did the previously unthinkable by publishing an interview with Israeli military chief, Lt-Gen Gadi Eisenkot. Eisen-kots views about Iran echoed the words that have been coming from Riyadh for some time now. Eisenkot pointed out that Saudi Arabia and Israel had never fought a war and that said that there was near-complete agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia about the threat posed by Iran. If that wasnt enough, he also made an offer to share intelligence, saying: We are willing to share information if there is a need. We have many shared interests between us. A few days before that, Israels communications minister, Ayoub Kara, invited Saudis Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh to visit Israel Even earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was one of the few Middle Eastern leaders to exuberantly welcome Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariris farcical resignation, calling it a wake-up call to the international community to take action against Iranian aggression, which is turning Syria into a second Lebanon. More recently, in an interview with the New York Times, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman echoed Israeli language by calling Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei the new Hitler of the Middle East. For Israel, a formal alliance with Saudi Arabia may take away from the national narrative of a small nation surrounded by enemies, but such narratives can be adjusted. Moreover, Israel does maintain fairly cosy relations with Sisis Egypt, a concord that has effectively squeezed Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Similar ties are maintained with Jordan and so this rapprochement will not be unprecedented. For Saudi, the risks are somewhat higher. Apart from handing Iran a propaganda victory allowing it to paint itself as the last bastion of resistance against Israel, the monarchy will open itself up to accusations of betraying the Palestinian cause, and while this was always at best a talking point, closer ties with Israel, long demonised in Saudi media, will likely intensify more radical domestic opponents of the Saudi regime. Some of the sting could be taken out if Saudi proposals for a Palestinian peace plan were to be taken up by Israel, something that would be welcomed by the White House which is always looking for a win to take credit for, but how amenable the Israelis may be to this is unknown given the possible domestic outcry. But then, ideology is for the cannon fodder. At the top of the food chain, realpolitik rules. By arrangement with the Dawn It is regrettable that the government continues to show its unhappiness with the institution of the judiciary by expressing its annoyance with the Supreme Court for striking down the National Judicial Appointments Act in October 2015 at public functions even now. Such peevishness is apt to convey the impression that the government is not above seeking to bulldoze the crucial institutions of democracy, not stopping at trying to browbeat the judiciary when an independent judiciary is a part of the Constitutions basic structure. A more dignified and fruitful way may be for a careful and productive interaction between the executive and the judiciary away from the glare of publicity on finding the golden mean in evolving a structure for appointments to the higher judiciary, but one on which the governments shadow doesnt fall. This is important as the government is also the countrys biggest litigant. Besides, who wants a poodle judiciary in a democracy? If that happens, there would be no dividing line between a democracy and a dictatorship or an authoritarian dispensation of the kind that flourished for the brief period the Emergency was in force. Over the weekend, at functions celebrating National Law Day, the President, the PM, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad advised Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra to bear in mind the question of separation of powers and the need to strike a balance between Parliament, the executive and the judiciary the three pillars of the State. While the President and the PM conveyed their message in a dignified manner, the two ministers appeared to be growling their disapproval of the nations top judiciary. It was a lineup of dignitaries that appeared to put the CJI in the dock in a concerted and pre-planned manner. This was unwarranted and unbecoming. In 2015 and 2016, the government had similarly made strong public remarks in the presence of then CJIs H.L. Dattu and T.S. Thakur. Mr Jaitleys contention was that the judiciary was trying to muscle its way into the domain of the executive by instructing the government in various ways and wondered aloud what might happen if the reverse were to happen. Mr Prasad made it no holds-barred. He said it would seem from the judiciarys attitude that the Prime Minister could be trusted with the countrys nuclear button but not with a role in the appointment of judges. As an argument on the issue of the independence of the judiciary, this cannot be deemed a substantive point. The Chief Justice held his ground and duly noted that only an independent judiciary would be in a position to safeguard the fundamental rights of citizens in the face of any encroachment by the executive. The warfare is nevertheless completely unwarranted. As Donald Trump rages on against the media, he was given a perfect riposte by CNN. It reminded the US President that it wasnt the medias job to represent the country to the world, but to report the news. Having been the beneficiary of so much fake news floating on social media platforms in the run-up to the presidential election, Mr Trump has never seen the media in proper perspective, besides those elements favourable to him, and his America First and Alt-Right friends. The mainstream media, liberal or otherwise, may express opinions against the trends seen in Trumps America, which is why theyre all lumped together as fake news as they appear to represent the US poorly to the world. The war between Mr Trump and the media is being fought on Twitter. This may not be so in India and Turkey, which have similar problems with ruling forces as the mainstream media tend to report events as they see them. This perceived ideal of narrow nationalism, where the supposed will of the majority must be upheld, has led to distressing events, with pressure put on the media as it reports events truthfully. Theres also the suspicion that those who dont toe the line are being sorted out. Its a tribute to Indias mainstream media that it has stuck to its principal task of reporting the news, and reflecting a cross-section of opinions. To stand up to injustice is the medias job, and theres no lack of such courage in Indias media. But its not Mr Trump alone who tends to blame everything on the media. Last week, India created history at the United Nations by winning a fiercely-fought electoral contest against its former colonial ruler Britain for the re-election of Justice Dalveer Bhandari at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague. Indias victory had made global headlines since it was the first time in decades that a permanent member of the UN Security Council (the P-5 club) had been forced to retreat by a non-P5 member, a development that was also seen as heralding the winds of change at the UN and perhaps the end of an era of unbridled dominance of the P-5 countries. Syed Akbaruddin, Indias permanent representative at the UN and senior diplomat, tells Sridhar Kumaraswami how New Delhi managed to achieve almost the impossible. Indias campaign showed it could beat off the challenge of a P-5 nation despite the odds. What explains this? Our election efforts had the complete support of our political leadership. They were coordinated in a systematic manner by the brains trust of Indias diplomatic establishment led by the external affairs minister. All our missions globally were reaching out to interlocutors all across the world and we had meticulously analysed and planned for multiple eventualities, having researched past precedents and trend lines. All this ensured that the foot soldiers at the trenches in the UN were aware that we were part of an unprecedented Indian diplomatic effort and were confident that we would be able to overcome the numerous hurdles in our path. From the beginning, India had an overwhelming majority at the UNGA. Did you see it as a vote of solidarity by developing countries for the underdog? India is fortunate to have broad-based support across the globe. Of course, fellow developing countries are key components as the solidarity that has bound us together is based on commonalties of objectives and vision of a more inclusive multilateral framework that provides space for diversity. The contest was not just between two nations. It was between India and its former colonial master. Given the history of bilateral ties, what are the implications of this victory? The contest was not only about two countries, but also two competing visions of the future direction of multilateralism. It was a choice between those who were trying to stem the democratic drift and those who wanted the spirit of the times to prevail. However, one should see that the way it ended was also as remarkable as the way the election was fought. We ended the contest honourably. Both the UK and India agreed to abide by the moral and value framework that both of us are wedded to. This bodes well for the future of our ties as it was a cooperative and collaborative end in tune with our common values. This is indicative of the maturity of our ties. Was there ever any real possibility of India reaching a compromise with Britain or were you ready for a contest till the bitter end? Diplomacy is all about utilising every opportunity to promote your interests and following the best path to pursue your goals. We were confident that in this contest our interests would be better promoted by continuing the electoral process to its logical culmination. When did you feel the tide turned after 11 rounds of deadlock? We could always sense that the momentum was with us from the time of the first vote in the direct contest as despite every diplomatic effort by those supporting the other candidate, our tally remained steady. What are the lessons learnt in international realpolitik from the victorious campaign? We need to have faith in ourselves and capabilities as a country whose leadership is willing to set goals and work for their achievement in a focused manner. Will the result set the stage for reforms in the United Nations Security Council and how will it impact the future? Every organisation, if it has to be relevant, needs to change and reform itself. The UN is no exception to this global phenomenon. The choice only is to either do it in a structured manner or it may happen not by design but by chance. Either way, India is well situated to gain from such change. US-based aerospace company SpaceX will launch its Dragon spacecraft into orbit for its 13th commercial resupply mission. Nasa is set to launch a sensor that will measure space debris around the International Space Station (ISS), which could help reduce the risk to human life. The one square meter Space Debris Sensor (SDS) will travel on a SpaceX cargo mission on December 4 and will be mounted on the exterior of the station. The sensor uses dual-layer thin films, an acoustic sensor system, a resistive grid sensor system and a sensored backstop to provide near-real-time impact detection and recording, the US space agency said. Research from this investigation could help lower the risk to human life and critical hardware by orbital debris. US-based aerospace company SpaceX will launch its Dragon spacecraft into orbit for its 13th commercial resupply mission. The spacecraft will lift into orbit atop the Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in the US carrying crew supplies, equipment and scientific research to crew members living and working aboard the station. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Sometimes, numbers don't tell the full story. Industry monitors regularly record the shrinking market for laptop computers in the face of tablets and larger smart phones. Yet, the full-function portable PC refuses to roll over and die. Two industry trends have helped to keep laptops alive for professional users: One, is BYOD or Bring Your Own Device: Corporates encourage their staff to work in office on their personal machines. The other, is Work From Home: another canny move by employers who are OK with employees connecting to the office network, but doing their work from home or hotel. No wonder lakhs of professionals opt for a full function laptop or notebook PC to do this dual duty. If the device is thin-n-light, its so much the better. If it also offers a touch screen like a tablet or smart phone that also attracts many lay users who need to occasionally do a bit of word processing, accounting or imaging. Hyderabad-based RDP who made their name and fame with screen-less thin client PCs, now have a good range of what they call ThinBooks: lightweight laptops that unlike tablets, offer a full featured Windows environment. To achieve the level of portability that young millennial customers demand, such devices jettison the DVD drive and on-board hard disk drive. The storage offered is minimal around 32GB of solid state storage and the RAM memory too, is bare bones: typically 2GB. On-the-move users demand a working day of usage, so the battery is 8000-10,000mAh, good for 8-10 hours. RDP currently has three Thinbook models in the market and I have been trying them out for a week now. All are fueled by a quad core Intel Atom chip. The lightest (weight-wise and on purse!) is the Thinbook 1130, at 1.2kg. Its display is 11.6 inches across and like the other two models, comes with a resolution of 1366 by 768 pixels not quite full HD. The common camera in the series is a 0.3MP front camera, just about adequate for a Skype-type Video call. Two USB ports (one of them USB 3), a mini HDMI port and a 0.3 mm earphone jack are standard in all three models. The 1130 is currently offered at Rs 9999 by online sites. For Rs 3,000 more, you can go for the 1430b which has a larger 14.1-inch screen and weighs 1.36kg. All other specs are identical to the 1130, including the preloaded Windows 10 Home operating system. If you prefer the Windows 10 Professional version, go for the 1430p at Rs 13,999. The flagship of RDP's Thinbook range seems to be the 1100 which has the useful addition of a touch screen. We are so used to touch controls on the phone that our fingers itch to touch and swipe/move/ select stuff on the screen. For that reason alone I'm guessing a lot of users will be most comfortable with the 1100 even though it only offers the Win Home OS and at 11.6 inches is smaller than the 1430 and is priced Rs 13,999. There is another feature that was a clincher for me. The 1100 has a 360-degree hinge that means you can prop it up on the table in a "tent" mode or swing it all the way and use it like a tablet. You can't then access the keyboard, but who needs it with a touch screen! Somewhere among the three options, most users will find their sweet spot. But while great as highly portable computers, these thin books assume you are 'always on' the Internet and store most of your work in one of the cloud services like Google Drive or OneDrive. There is no room on the machine for heavy tools like Office or Photoshop, though you could store some lite versions on a plug-in microSD card up to 128GB. If you are OK with this caveat, you might well find that 'Thin is In' for you notebook-wise. IndiaTechOnline Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Authorities said up to 30 militants in camouflage clothing and flying the black banner of the Islamic State group surrounded the mosque and opened fire on the faithful during the main weekly prayers. (Photo: AFP) Al-Husayniyah: The young Egyptian imam who survived the Sinai mosque massacre that killed 305 people vowed Monday from his hospital bed to go back and resume the sermon he never finished. Mohammed Abdel Fattah, 26, was delivering the Friday sermon at the North Sinai Rawda mosque when blasts erupted. "I was only two minutes into my sermon when I heard two explosions outside the mosque, and then I saw worshippers running in horror," he said. "Then people entered the mosque and began firing at everyone who was still standing," the preacher said from his hospital bed in the Nile Delta town of Al-Husayniya. Abdel Fattah - who has been imam for two years at the Rawda mosque frequented by Sufis - said his sermon on that tragic day was about "Mohammed, the prophet of humanity". The imam fell from the raised minbar, or pulpit, when the attack broke out and was trampled by worshippers who tried to flee the carnage. And when he hit the ground, people stepped over him, before the bodies of those shot by the attackers piled on top of him, pinning him down and preventing him from lifting his head to see what was going on. "As soon as the shooting started I fell. I didn't see or feel anything except for the two or three bloodied bodies that fell on top of me," he said. Among the first casualties was 62-year-old Fathy Ismail, the mosque's muezzin who called the faithful to prayer. Authorities said up to 30 militants in camouflage clothing and flying the black banner of the Islamic State group surrounded the mosque and opened fire on the faithful during the main weekly prayers. Abdel Fattah suffered bruising, but his health appears to be improving and he hopes to be back on his feet to continue the sermon that was brutally interrupted. "If my health allows it, I will return next Friday week (to Rawda mosque) and finish my sermon," he said. Zimbabwes police and army will stage joint patrols as the country returns to normal after an army takeover that led to Robert Mugabes resignation, the authorities announced on Monday. You will soon notice the Zimbabwe defence forces and Zimbabwe republic police members conducting joint patrols, especially in the Harare central business district, police spokeswoman Charity Charamba said. We urge you all progressive Zimbabweans to respect the countrys laws and cooperate with our officers as they perform their duties, Charamba said, reading from a joint statement of the police and defence forces. Bali's airport was closed for 24 hours, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, due to the eruption warning and the presence of volcanic ash from Agung. (Photo: AP) Denpasar: Indonesia raised its warning for Bali's Mount Agung volcano to the highest 'level four' alert on Monday, closed the holiday island's airport and told residents near the summit to immediately evacuate, warning of the "imminent" risk of a larger eruption. Bali's airport was closed for 24 hours, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, due to the eruption warning and the presence of volcanic ash from Agung. TV footage showed cold lava flows (lahar) at a number of locations on the mountainside. Lahar carrying mud and large boulders can destroy houses, bridges and roads in its path. "Plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to 12 km (7 miles) from the peak," the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement. "The potential for a larger eruption is imminent," it said, referring to the visibility of the glow from magma at Agung's summit overnight. Residents were warned to "immediately evacuate" a danger zone that circles Agung in a radius of 8-10 km (5-6 miles). Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). Agung's last eruption in 1963 left more than 1,000 people dead and razed several villages. "I'm not worried (but) my friends in Russia are a little bit worried," said a Russian tourist, who only wanted to be identified as Dmitry, at an observation post in Rendang in Bali's east. Bali, famous for its surf, beaches and temples, attracted nearly 5 million visitors in 2016, and its international airport serves as a transport hub for the chain of islands in Indonesia's eastern archipelago. Tourism business has slumped in Bali since September when Agung's volcanic tremors began to increase. "In anticipation of the possibility and imminent risk of disaster, PVMBG (the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre) raised Mount Agung alert level from three to four," it said in a statement. Travellers Stranded According to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in nearby Darwin, Australia, there is "ash confirmed on the ground at Denpasar Airport" as well as ash at FL300 (which refers to flight level at 30,000 feet) in the vicinity of the volcano. Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport, which is about 60 km (40 miles) from the volcano, will be closed for 24 hours, according to a statement from its operator. It said a total of 445 flights - 196 international and 249 domestic - and 59,000 passengers had been affected. Five alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, such as airports in neighbouring provinces, the statement said. Bali airport's official website showed flights operated by Singapore Airlines, Sriwijaya, Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines and Jetstar had been cancelled. "It is a little bit frustrating because I checked the interneteverything was on schedule, now I am standing here everything was closed," said Jan Nicolai from Germany at Bali's airport. Television footage showed hundreds of holidaymakers camped inside the airport terminal, some sleeping on their bags, others using mobile telephones. "We have been here (in Bali) for three days we are about to leave today, but just found out our flights have been canceled. We have got no information because the gates, the check-ins have been closed indefinitely," said Carlo Oben from Los Angeles. A transport ministry spokesman said the main airport on the neighbouring island of Lombok had reopened after "no volcanic ash was detected". Airlines avoid flying when volcanic ash is present because it can cause significant damage to aircraft engines, leading to possible engine failure, and can clog fuel and cooling systems and hamper pilot visibility. In June 1982, a British Airways 747 suffered severe damage and had all four engines flame out after encountering ash from Mount Galunggung in Indonesia. It descended to 12,000 feet before being able to restart some engines and make an emergency landing in Jakarta. The alert level on Agung had been raised to the maximum in September, but was lowered in October when seismic activity calmed. However, volcanologists now say the volcano has entered a new phase with magma now visible and meaning a greater risk of a large eruption. A top Australian television personality was on Monday accused of indecent assault, sexual harassment and bullying, with one leading executive referring to him as a horrible, horrible man.The allegations against Don Burke come amid an ever-widening scandal following the downfall of American movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. They alleged he was a psychotic bully and a sexual predator. Two former TV researchers claim he groped their breasts, the ABC reported, while a young actress alleged he told her she would have to do an audition topless. The agreement between the two countries was signed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev after they held wide-ranging talks. (Photo: PTI) Moscow: India and Russia Monday agreed to help each other in combating terrorism as the two strategic partners signed a key agreement, asserting that there are no good or bad terrorists and the menace should be fought jointly. The agreement between the two countries for cooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism was signed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev after they held wide-ranging talks. The ministers underlined that cooperation in the field of security is an important aspect of this bilateral relationship further strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism, extremism and radicalism, a statement issued by the Indian embassy said. They agreed that terrorism must be fought in unification and there were no good or bad terrorists, it said. "The new agreement between India's MHA and Russia's interior ministry will replace the October 1993 agreement between both the countries. This agreement will help in expanding and deepening cooperation on issues related to internal security," Singh tweeted after signing the pact. The Indian embassy statement said the two leaders agreed to cooperate in combating new challenges, enhance exchange of information, cooperate in building a data base and in training of police and investigative agencies. Indian and Russian representatives also signed the joint action plan for countering the threat posed by narcotics and the agreement will provide legal framework for bilateral cooperation in this field. The pact was signed by Indian ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran and deputy minister for internal affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Zubov in presence of Singh and Kolokoltsev. The agreement on internal security is an updated and more comprehensive agreement on cooperation on security between the MHA and the Russian ministry of interior. This pact provides a comprehensive approach for help in security related issues, including information technology crimes, counterfeiting currency, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, trafficking in human beings, economic crimes, crimes related to intellectual property, cultural property amongst others, the statement said. During the meeting, the ministers emphasised the strength of the relationship between India and Russia that has been consolidated in the past 70 years in all areas. Before leaving for Russia, Singh said India and Russia share a special relationship which has withstood the test of time over the decades. Singh was scheduled to visit Russia on September 18, 2016, but he had cancelled it following a terror attack on that day at the Brigade headquarters in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 19 Army soldiers were killed. The Pope hopes to encourage efforts to contain a crisis that has seen many Rohingyas forced from their homes and left languishing in squalid refugee camps over the border in Bangladesh. (Photo: File) Rome: Pope Francis set off on his 21st and possibly most delicate overseas trip yet, a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. The 80-year-old pontiff's plane left Rome en route for Yangon, Myanmar's main city, shortly after 2100 GMT. He will touch down around 0700 GMT Monday hoping to encourage efforts to contain a crisis that has seen many of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority in the mostly Buddhist Myanmar, forced from their homes and left languishing in squalid refugee camps over the border in Bangladesh. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 620,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Aides say Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue and further efforts to alleviate the crisis following last week's tentative agreement between the two countries to work towards a return of some of the Rohingya to Myanmar. China has backed what Myanmar officials call a legitimate counter-insurgency operation in Rakhine, and stepped in to prevent a resolution on the crisis at the UN Security Council. (Photo: AP) Yangon: Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, will soon visit Beijing, state media said on Monday, as the southeast Asian nation appears to draw closer to its northern neighbour, China, amid global criticism over an exodus of Rohingya refugees. Myanmar has bristled at pressure from Western nations over its armed forces' brutal response to August attacks on security posts by Rohingya Muslim militants in the western state of Rakhine. The United States and the United Nations have accused Myanmar of "ethnic cleansing" and called for the military to be held accountable over allegations of killings, rape and arson that sent more than 620,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh. China, however, has backed what Myanmar officials call a legitimate counter-insurgency operation in Rakhine, and stepped in to prevent a resolution on the crisis at the UN Security Council. News of Suu Kyi's visit comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese military leaders welcomed Myanmar's powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing last week and pledged closer cooperation. The state-run daily Global New Light of Myanmar said Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi would "soon" depart to attend a Communist Party of China-hosted forum of world political leaders in Beijing. Read: Stakes are high: Pope Francis arrives in Myanmar Suu Kyi's spokesman Zaw Htay could not be reached for more details, but the meeting begins on Thursday and runs until December 3, according to China's official news agency Xinhua. Myanmar is in the international spotlight this week as Pope Francis makes the first visit by a head of the Roman Catholic church to the Buddhist-majority country. He has previously spoken out about the treatment of minority Muslims to whom Myanmar denies citizenship, but some Christians fear doing so in the country could provoke a backlash. Many in Myanmar refuse to recognise the name Rohingya, preferring to call them "Bengalis" to suggest they belong in neighbouring Bangladesh. Since IMCTC only includes Sunni Muslim countries and so far excluded Iran, Iraq and Syria, it was feared that it could be considered as anti-Shiite grouping. (Photo: AFP) Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa Monday left for Riyadh to attend a counter-terror conference hosted by Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar are also accompanying the prime minister and the Chief of Army Staff on a day-long tour, Radio Pakistan reported. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman opened the maiden meeting of defense ministers of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition in Riyadh Sunday. Read: First Islamic counter-terrorism summit kicks off in Saudi Arabia The Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) is a coalition of 41 Muslims countries and currently led by former Pakistan Army Chief General (retd) Raheel Shareef. The Saudi Crown Prince had announced about the formation of IMCTC in 2015 but it took more than two years to take it a shape. Since IMCTC only includes Sunni Muslim countries and so far excluded Iran, Iraq and Syria, it was feared that it could be considered as anti-Shiite grouping. Shareef, in his address to IMCTC defence ministers Sunday, had said that it was a counter-terrorism alliance and not against any country or any sect. The delegation, led by the prime minister, is expected to hold meetings with the Crown Prince and other officials. During the meetings, bilateral relations, regional and international situation would be reviewed, it said. The protesters had staged sit-in in the capital for about three weeks demanding removal of Hamid for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. (Photo: AP) Islamabad: Pakistan's law minister resigned Monday as the embattled civilian government bowed to demands from a small Islamist group whose anti-blasphemy protest in the capital has fuelled deadly violence and sparked demonstrations across the nuclear-armed nation. Protest leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi called off the sit-in after state media reported minister Zahid Hamid's resignation early Monday. Rizvi said he had military assurances that the demands of his Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLY) group would be met. "On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in," he told a crowd of around 2,500 demonstrators, adding that his group was abandoning plans to issue a fatwa against Hamid and was calling for roads and schools to be reopened. There was no immediate confirmation from the government of the resignation and no comment from the military. Read: Army called in as hardline protest claims 6 lives, injures 200 in Pakistan The decision to capitulate to the protesters' demands is a major embarrassment for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as it eyes elections in 2018, analysts said, and underscores the influence of religious groups in the nuclear-armed country of 207 million. Rizvi's previously obscure group has been calling for weeks for Hamid's ousting over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath which election candidates must swear. It has occupied a main highway into Islamabad since November 6 and virtually paralysed the capital. The protesters have linked the amended wording to blasphemy -- a highly contentious charge in Muslim Pakistan which carries the death penalty. Even unproven allegations have spurred mob lynchings and murders. Monday's announcement came after Saturday's botched operation to disperse the demonstrators sparked violence in Islamabad that left at least seven people dead and hundreds wounded. It fuelled the spread of the protests and blockades to major cities across the country including Karachi and Lahore. The government ordered police and paramilitaries to stand down after the clashes and called on the army to intervene to restore order. By Monday morning there still had been no official response from the military. As he called off the sit-in, Rizvi referred to what he said was the text of an army-brokered agreement between TLY and the government, though the document could not be verified with officials or the military. "We all now need to heal the fault lines that dharna (sit-in) has invoked on religious & sectarian basis & ensure it doesn't reoccur. It is a priority," tweeted Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, without further details. 'Major embarrassment' Authorities initially hesitated to act over the sit-in. Pakistan's civilian government has long pulled its punches in such situations, fearing that a crackdown on a religious group would incite blowback, as it has in the past. Critics have warned that this attitude allows extremism to flourish. But as the weeks dragged on the hesitation enraged millions of commuters in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi. The demonstration caused hours-long traffic snarls and the death of at least one child whose ambulance could not reach hospital in time. Hamid's ousting is the latest in a series of heavy blows to the ruling party. In July Nawaz Sharif was deposed as prime minister by the courts over graft allegations, while finance minister Ishaq Dar -- also accused of corruption -- has taken indefinite medical leave. Observers had previously warned that capitulation would set a dangerous precedent. "Politically, this is a major embarrassment for the PML-N," analyst Hasan Askari told AFP, adding that it would undermine their credibility and predicting more defections. He also warned it had strengthened the position of hardline groups like TLY. TLY comes from the Barelvi sect of Islam that has strong ties to Sufism, a mystical branch of the religion that is seen as moderate. It emphasises personal devotion by its followers to the Prophet Mohammed. However the execution in 2016 of Barelvi follower Mumtaz Qadri -- who assassinated liberal Punjab governor Salman Taseer over his stance on the blasphemy laws -- appears to have galvanised Rizvi and his followers. Askari warned that the decision by TLY and other Islamist parties to campaign in the upcoming elections could further weaken the PML-N. The party has previously benefited from the right-wing religious vote. The previously obscure Islamist group has been calling for weeks for Hamid's ousting over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath which election candidates must swear. (Photo: AP) Islamabad: Islamist leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi whose group clashed violently with Pakistani security forces and paralysed Islamabad for weeks called off the sit-in protest Monday after law minister Zahid Hamid resigned, meeting its key demand. "On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in," Rizvi told a crowd of around 2,500 demonstrators from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLY), who have occupied a main highway to the capital since November 6. His statement came after state media reported that Zahid Hamid had resigned. There was no immediate comment or confirmation from government officials. The decision to capitulate to the protesters' demands is a major embarrassment for the embattled ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as it eyes elections in 2018, analysts said, and underscores the influence of religious groups in the nuclear-armed nation. The previously obscure Islamist group has been calling for weeks for Hamid's ousting over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath which election candidates must swear. Read: Paks Law Minister Zahid Hamid resigns over hardline protests The protesters have linked the amended wording to blasphemy - a highly contentious issue in Muslim Pakistan that has often fuelled violence. Monday's announcement came after a botched operation on Saturday to disperse the demonstrators sparked violence in Islamabad that left at least seven people dead and hundreds wounded. It fuelled the spread of the protests to major cities across the country including Karachi and Lahore. The government ordered police and paramilitaries to stand down after the clashes and called on the army to intervene to restore order. By Monday morning, there still had been no official response from the military. The sit-in has enraged commuters in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi with hours-long traffic snarls, caused the death of at least one child whose ambulance could not reach hospital in time, and infuriated the judiciary. Hamid's ousting is the latest in a series of heavy blows to the ruling party. In July, Nawaz Sharif was deposed as prime minister by the courts over graft allegations, while finance minister Ishaq Dar - also accused of corruption - has taken indefinite medical leave. "Politically, this is a major embarrassment for the PML-N," analyst Hasan Askari said, warning that it would undermine their credibility and predicting more defections. He also warned it had strengthened the position of hardline Islamic groups like TLY, whose campaigning in the upcoming elections could further weaken the PML-N. The party has previously benefited from the right-wing religious vote. Mangalore is one of the port cities of the world that would witness a significant sea level rise due to polar glacier melting, NASA scientists have warned. The coastal Karnataka town, however, is not alone. Kakinada on east coast and Mumbai on the west too would have the same fate and so would be many other Indian coastal towns, thanks to the melting of the ice sheets at Greenland and Antarctica. This is the findings of a new research carried out by the scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on how the sea level rise as a consequence to polar ice melting would affect 293 port cities around the globe. Indian cities are far from Greenland and Antarctica, so they see sea-level rise on the order of about 3 mm per year, which is close to the maximum a city can see. In 100 years, this will be about 30 cm of sea-level rise, Eric Larour, a JPL scientist from the earth sciences section, who led the study told DH. Out of the three Indian cities, the rise at Mangalore would be the maximum at 2.94 mm per year. The annual rise in Mumbai would be 2.88 mm while for Kakinada it would be 2.87 mm. The Karnataka port town would be encountering one of the highest sea level rises in the south east Asia, eclipsed only by Yangon (2.95 mm) and Colombo (3.02 mm). Most of the Indian coastal towns are likely to face a similar level of sea level rise (around 30 cm rise in the next 100 years). We should be aware and get prepared, Larour said, when asked if it is a cause of alarm. Earlier this month, a US government report came up with the startling findings of sea level rise of 18-20 cm since 1900, with the last 25 years making up almost half that increase. The new study - published in a recent issue of Science Advances - is based on a computerised diagnostic tool, created by the JPL team to anticipate the consequences of large scale ice melting on the port cities around the world. For India, its far from most ice masses, so its impacted heavily, he said. The only relief for India is the presence of the Himalayas, which dampen the polar ice melt impact to some extent.. The only place that mitigates the sea level rise is the Himalayan glaciers. For India only, the Himalayan glaciers are responsible for a slight decrease in sea-level, Larour said. The impact of all the other masses of ice in the world are overwhelmingly impacting India in an adverse way. (EOM) Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani today announced his decision to contest the Gujarat polls from the Vadagam (SC) seat of Banaskantha district as an Independent candidate with outside support of the Congress. The moves come after sitting MLA Manibhai Vaghela said the state Congress asked him not to contest the polls from the seat "as a part of an agreement" with Mevani. Vaghela said the Congress has given an indirect support to Mevani for Vadgam seat, reserved for a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate. "The party has asked me not to contest from the Vadgam seat this time. Though Mevani will contest the polls as an Independent, he will have Congress' support. Thus, there won't be any Congress candidate on this seat," Vaghela told PTI. Mevani today announced that he will file his nomination as an Independent candidate for the Vadgam seat. In a message posted on social media, the face of the Dalit agitation in Gujarat claimed that he decided to jump into the poll battle after being "persuaded" by youth and numerous agitators. He even requested other opposition parties as well as aspiring independents not to file their papers. "Since the ruling BJP is our key enemy, I request aspiring candidates of other parties and independents not to file their papers, so that we can have a direct battle with the BJP. This is people's battle against dictatorship and we will continue our fight after winning this election," he said. Mevani will be in a direct contest with BJP's Vijay Chakravarthi. Earlier this month, Mevani had a meeting with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi during the latter's visit to south Gujarat. After the meeting, Mevani had said that the opposition party gave him an assurance that more than 90 percent of his demands will be incorporated in its manifesto. Stopping short of declaring an open support to the Congress after the meeting, Mevani had said that he would ask his community members to defeat BJP in the Gujarat polls. Mevani, who has been critical of the ruling BJP in the state and shot to fame after the Una Dalit flogging incident last year, had discussed 17 demands of his community in the meeting with Rahul Gandhi. The Dalit leader maintained that he had no plans to join any political party. Of the three young caste leaders, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor has already joined the Congress, while Patidar community leader Hardik Patel recently announced his decision to back the opposition party after accepting its proposed reservation formula. The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases - on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be taken up on December 18. In a stinging attack on the Congress in poll-bound Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the upcoming Assembly election is a fight between trust on the development and dynastic politics. He was addressing a BJP rally in Kutch district's Bhuj town ahead of the first phase of the elections on December 9. He also alluded to allegations thrown at him during the campaign by Congress leaders, including party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. "This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," he said. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Gandhi had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. "The Gujarat election is a contest between trust on the development and dynastic politics," the prime minister said at the rally. Taking another dig at the opposition party, which is making all-out efforts to dislodge the long-ruling BJP in Gujarat, Modi asked, "When our soldiers were standing eye-to-eye in Dokalam for 70 days, why were you hugging the Chinese ambassador." The prime minister will address a series of campaign meetings today and on Wednesday in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, which go to the polls on December 9. The elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be on December 18. A rumbling volcano on the resort island of Bali could erupt at any moment, authorities warned on Monday as they raised alert levels to maximum, accelerated a mass evacuation and closed the main airport, leaving tourists stranded. Massive columns of thick grey smoke that have been belching from Mount Agung since last week has now begun shooting more than three km into the sky, forcing flights to be grounded. About 40,000 frightened people have fled their homes around the volcano but as many as 1,00,000 will likely be forced to leave, disaster agency officials said after raising the alert to its highest level. The exclusion zone around Agung, which is 75 km from the beachside tourist hub of Kuta, has also been widened to 10 km. "Continuous ash puffs are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions and a weak booming sound," the National Board for Disaster Management said. "The rays of fire are increasingly observed at night. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent." Agung rumbled back to life in September, forcing the evacuation of 1,40,000 people living nearby. Its activity decreased in late October and many returned to their homes. However, on Saturday the mountain sent smoke up into the air for the second time in a week in what volcanologists call a phreatic eruption-caused by the heating and expansion of groundwater. Then on Monday so-called cold lava flows appeared-similar to mudflows and often a prelude to the blazing orange lava seen in many volcanic eruptions. "I'm very concerned because I left my house behind and I'm also worried about family," said 36-year-old farmer Putu Suyasa, who fled with some of his relatives from a village eight km away from the volcano. Mt Agung last erupted in 1963, killing about 1,600 people in one of the deadliest eruptions in a country that has nearly 130 active volcanoes. The airport in Bali's capital Denpasar, a top holiday destination that attracts millions of foreign tourists every year, has been closed, a move expected to affect tens of thousands of passengers. "I have to make sure that the runway has no ash," said Bali airport's general manager Yanus Suorayogi. The airport on nearby Lombok island-also a popular tourist destination east of Bali-closed on Sunday as ash from Mount Agung headed in that direction, but reopened on Monday. The Australian government put out a travel advisory on Sunday instructing travellers to exercise a high degree of caution. Indonesia is the world's most active volcanic region. The archipelago nation with over 17,000 islands lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic and seismic activities. Last year, seven were killed after Mt Sinabung on the western island of Sumatra erupted, while 16 were left dead by a Sinabung eruption in 2014. Former Indian Navy chief Admiral (Retd) L Ramdas has written to Chief Justice Deepak Misra, seeking a judicial probe into the death of Judge Brijmohan Harikishan Loya, the special CBI judge in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh encounter case. Loya (48), died of a heart attack in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, a day after he attended the wedding and reception of the daughter of a fellow judge. In the letter to Justice Misra, a copy of which was also marked to Justice Manjula Chellur, Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Ramdas wrote, "As a former chief of the Indian Navy, I feel strongly that it is critically important to clear any doubts about this entire incident. Therefore in the larger interests of the nation and its people, and above all in upholding the Constitution of India and the image of our entire legal system, a high-level judicial enquiry be initiated immediately." "All democracies exist and survive on three main pillars namely the executive, legislature and the judiciary. Freedom from British rule was won after a prolonged struggle and The Indian Constitution was evolved after nearly two and a half years of debate in the Constituent Assembly and passed on November 29, 1949, and India became a Republic on January 26, 1950. Our Constitution became effective. This one and only holy book which matters, subscribes to the above concept of our democracy, wherein all our citizens are considered to be equal in the eyes of the law," the former chief of naval staff, who is a recipient of the Magsaysay Award for Peace, stated in his letter. According to Ramdas, a probe is must as Judge Loya, specially appointed by the chief justice of the Bombay High Court to investigate the murder of Sohrabbudin, died under mysterious circumstances in Nagpur. "The silence of the two judges who apparently persuaded the late Judge Loya to travel to Nagpur, and accompanied him, is disturbing, to say the least. The inaction of the judiciary about this sequence of events thus far is indeed surprising. This is all the more puzzling in the context of the recent revelations by family members of the late Justice Loya, who have raised certain questions, apprehending foul play in the circumstances leading to his sudden death," Ramdas stated in his letter. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Monday said it will issue recommendations on net neutrality on Tuesday. "We will issue recommendations on net neutrality tomorrow (Tuesday)," Trai chairman R S Sharma told reporters on the sidelines of an open house discussion on in-flight connectivity (IFC) for providing phone call and data service. He also said recommendations on net neutrality should be able to provide some of the answers to issues around OTT (over-the-top) players and VoIP (Voice over Internet protocol) calls. Sharma also said recommendations on IFC will be issued within 10 days. Net neutrality principle says that access to internet or any internet-based service should be without any barrier or discrimination. Telecom operators have been asking the government to bring over-the-top (OTT) players like Skype, WhatsApp, Viber under regulation as they are making a dent in their revenues, while internet-based service providers oppose this. However, supporters of net neutrality have been demanding that the entire internet traffic should be available to everyone on equal terms without any discrimination. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad last week while addressing the 'Global Cyber Security' event at the national capital said the government is supporting the free flow of internet without any barrier. The telecom regulators recommendations will come at a time when there is a debate raging over net neutrality globally. US regulator, Federal Communications Commission, recently announced that it is planning to roll back the "net neutrality" rules that were adopted in America in 2015. A seven-member Legislature House Committee is all set to begin scrutiny of the state government's free laptop scheme, which has become mired in controversy. The committee, headed by Congress MLC K C Kondaiah, will review the process followed by the Department of Higher Education in purchasing laptops for college students. The committee was formed after members during the recently-concluded Legislative Council session in Belagavi flagged "financial irregularities" in purchasing laptops. MLCs Ivan D'Souza, Ramesh Babu, Raghunath Rao Malkapure, Sharanappa Mattur, Arun Shahapur and R Prasanna Kumar are members of the House committee, which is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Tuesday. In his 2017-18 budget, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced free laptops for 1.5 lakh engineering, medical, polytechnic and first grade college students at a cost of Rs 300 crore. The scheme was earlier confined to college students from SC/ST communities. Malkapure raised the issue of irregularities, citing a letter purportedly written by IAS officer M N Ajay Nagabhushan highlighting that the government's decision to procure laptops through four packages instead of a single tender would increase the per-laptop cost. Nagabhushan wrote to the chief secretary about this last month after he was transferred from the post of commissioner for collegiate education. The officer had also raised objections to the manner in which funds were releaed to the Bengaluru Dr BR Ambedkar School of Economics in Bengaluru. Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi has denied any corruption in the procurement of laptops for students. Since Millets are highly nutritious when compared to other cereals, the Centre is planning to distribute it to citizens through public distribution system and midday meal schemes. "We are trying to ensure millets are brought under the PDS (Public Distribution System) and schemes like Midday Meal. Niti Aayog has suggested this should be part of the PDS," Union Agriculture Secretary S K Pattanayak said on Monday. Ragi has a very high calcium content. Therefore, the government is thinking of promoting millets as "nutri-cereals' and is already in the direction of making the storage facility of the cereal better, he said. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is working on the issue of low yields and storage and is likely to release some high yielding varieties soon, he said. He also suggested that the states should promote setting up of farmer producers organisations (FPOs) for better production and marketing of millets, ensuring higher income to farmers. Karnataka in the front The Karnataka Government earlier demanded the Centre to procure millets from Karnataka which is one of the highest millet growing state in the country. Karnataka had held Organics and Millets International Trade Fare in Bengaluru in January to promote the marketing of the cereal. Since the millets can be grown using less water and dry land, it would be a blessing to farmers who have been suffering due to failure of monsoon, Pattanayak said. Millets is group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops. Some of the varieties of millets are bajra, ragi, sorghum, jowar , brown top millets ( korle), Little millet (samai) and Indian barnyard millet. A day after the Centre decided to downgrade former chief minister Lalu Prasad's security, the RJD chief's elder son Tej Pratap threatened the Prime Minister and made uncharitable remarks against him. "Lalu ji has to travel a lot. If any untoward incident occurs following withdrawal of his security cover, we will get the Prime Minister skinned. 'Khaal udhadwa lenge' (Will get him skinned)....Go and tell him," an agitated Tej Pratap, who was earlier health minister in Nitish's Grand Alliance Government, told reporters here on Monday. Lalu Prasad, whose security cover has been downgraded from Z+ to Z category and the NSG cover withdrawn, did not reprimand his son. Instead, he said that if he was killed, then the Centre and the State Government should be held responsible. "Agar mujhe kuch hua toh Modi aur Nitish jawabdeh honge. (If something happens to me, then Narendra Modi and Nitish should be held responsible," said Lalu. The UPA regime had provided Z+ security cover to Lalu in view of threat perception to the RJD leader. However, on Sunday, the Centre, after review of security cover of several politicians, decided to withdraw Lalu's NSG cover. "First, they (Modi-led BJP) decided to implicate me and my family in false cases of corruption. When nothing came out of it, they have now decided to downgrade my security cover. It's a larger design by the BJP to 'finish off' Opposition leaders," averred Lalu and added he won't be cowed down "unlike Nitish who surrendered before Narendra Modi in July." The BJP, however, blasted Tej Pratap for unsavoury remarks. "Either Tej Pratap should be booked for offensive comments or sent to mental hospital," said Union Minister Ashwani Choubey. The Bombay High Court has asked constable Lalita Salve who sought leave for sex-reassignment surgery to move the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal. Lalita's lawyer, Ejaz Naqvi, on Monday mentioned the petition before a division bench comprising Justice S C Dharmadhikari and Justice Bharti Dangre, seeking an urgent hearing. "Why should we hear the petition? Go to the state administrative tribunal," Justice Dharmadhikari said. The 29-year-old constable is now based in Majalgaon in the Beed district of the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Earlier, her application for sex-reassignment surgery and leave came before Director General of Police Satish Mathur, Inspector General of Police (Aurangabad Range) Milind Bharambe and Superintendent of Police (Beed) G Sreedhar - but were rejected. Last week, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asked the police top brass and the Home Department to take a positive stand on the plea. India and Russia on Monday signed agreements to counter terrorism and narcotics trade during Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's Moscow visit. The agreement for cooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism was signed by Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Moscow after they held wide-ranging talks. "The new agreement between India's MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) and Russia's Interior Ministry will replace the October 1993 agreement between both the countries. This agreement will help in expanding and deepening cooperation on issues related to internal security," Singh tweeted after signing the agreement. The agreement on internal security is an updated and more comprehensive pact on cooperation on security. This provides a comprehensive approach for help in security-related issues, including cyber crimes, counterfeiting currency, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, human trafficking, economic crime and crime related to intellectual property among others. Another agreement on cooperation between the MHA and the Ministry of Interior of Russian Federation has been signed by representatives of both the countries to tackle narcotics trade. The joint action plan for countering the threat posed by narcotics will provide legal framework for bilateral cooperation in this field. Potato prices in Punjab have plummeted to abysmally low levels leaving farmers distressed. The crop is being sold in the wholesale market at around Rs 2.5 per kg, sometimes even less. Punjab is staring at a repeat of the 2015 winter when farmers dumped hundreds of tonnes of potatoes onto the streets as a mark of protest amid falling prices. Farmers have now again threatened to throw their crop onto the streets in case the government does not intervene with viable solutions. The glut in cold storages has escalated the crisis. Farmers stocked their unsold produce early this year hoping they will get adequate remunerative price later. But that has not been the case. Reports suggest many farmers have even abandoned their stocks lying in cold storage. Hordes of tractor trolleys stocked with potato crop on roads have become a common sight in Punjab. Farmer associations have urged the government to work towards exporting the crop to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagha border. Producers say prices in Pakistan are far more remunerative and could help offset losses. The Confederation of Potato Seeds Farmers suggests the crisis started last year when more than half the produce was pushed into cold storage as there were no buyers. And the fresh produce has now led to a glut. In certain pockets, potatoes are being sold at less than Rs 250 per quintal. Last month, farmers staged a token protest by dumping tonnes of produce onto the streets near Mohali. The protest could get bigger, farmers threaten. Farmers say there is no way they can meet even their input costs. Loses could go up to Rs 20,000 per acre will plummeting prices. Input costs added up to Rs 35,000 per acre with returns hovering around Rs 15,000 per acre. The confederation also suggested the government export potatoes to Russia and the Middle East where there is a big demand. A senior government pleader who represented the Kerala Government in the Hadiya case has approached the state police chief with claims that he is being targeted and abused on social media. Advocate P Narayanan said he noticed defamatory messages and veiled threats against him on social media pages after he appeared in the case. "The messages are extremely abusive and some of them threaten me," Narayanan told DH on Monday. The government pleader, attached to the camp office of the Advocate General, had appeared on behalf of the state in the writ petition filed by Hadiya's father K M Ashokan at the Kerala High Court regarding her illegal detention. He had argued that Hadiya was forced and misled to her religious conversion and later, her marriage. Narayanan said the abusive messages were in retaliation to the High Court's order, in May this year, which annulled the marriage of Hadiya (Akhila Ashokan, before she converted to Islam) with a Muslim man, Shafin Jahan. He said he was being targeted by people who were trying to project him as an RSS sympathiser who acted in the organisation's interests while appearing in the case. "Distorted facts and innuendos are being spread through social media regarding my role as a State Law Officer in the conduct of the said case," he said in his complaint. Ernakulam central police have registered a case. The BJP has launched a tirade against writer Chandrashekhar Patil (Champa) over his "political speech" at the Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Mysuru and also for his critucism of Union Minister Ananth Kumar. State BJP general secretary Shobha Karandlaje on Monday sought an apology from Champa for his remarks against Kumar. She said Patil's statement Kumar did not know the meaning of secular was an insult to the people of Karnataka and demanded an apology from the writer. The former minister said Kumar had strived for the upliftment of Kannada language and the people of Karnataka were aware of his contribution. She said it was unfortunate that the Sahitya Sammelana was used as a platform for glorifying "leftist thoughts" for "political gains" and for "promoting pseudo-secularism." In Mysuru, MP Pratap Simha took severe exception to Patil's remarks against Kumar during the valedictory of the Sahitya Sammelana and sought an apology from him. Addressing reporters in the city, he said, "No one needs to certify Ananth Kumar. The people know about his contribution to Kannada," the MP said. "Champa, who highlighted secularism in his speech, has no minimum knowledge about it and he is trying to define it the other way. Lashing out at Champa for converting the literary event into a political battlefield, Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi said he (Champa) was a supporter of the Congress. Speaking to mediapersons in Dharwad, Joshi said, it appeared that Champa got elected as Sammelana president not as a senior writer, but as a Congress party agent. Whatever Champa has said does not suit his stature. The Congress, which is dreaming of coming to power after the next elections, will meet its Waterloo, he said. He said, Champa's daughter studied in English medium and Kannada was only a means of life for the writer. In Shivamogga, Leader of the Opposition in the Council K S Eshwarappa said Champa was acting like a 'chamcha' (stooge) of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The IFFI's Indian Panorama jury watched the censored version of controversial Malayalam film S Durga on Monday, but the suspense over its screening at the festival continued, with jury head Rahul Rawail saying the Information and Broadcasting Ministry would take a final call on the matter. The jury has submitted its report to the ministry, and a final decision on the film's screening at the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which comes to an end on Tuesday, was yet to be taken, Rawail said. The recent development on the public screening of the film has left its director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan disappointed. Sasidharan, who had earlier moved the Kerala High Court against the ministry's decision to drop the film, called the whole process a "dirty game". Rawail said the final decision was yet to be made and that he was not sure when the Malayalam film would be screened at the IFFI. "I cannot say anything at this point of time. The report has been handed over to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and it will forward the report to the court. After the final decision is made, I will be open to talk (to you)," he told reporters here. The censored version of the Malayalam film, which was excluded from the Panorama by the ministry, was screened for the jury of the section at 5.30 pm on Monday. Director Satish Kaushik, who also attended the screening, said the jury has decided to send a report to the ministry, which will take the final call. "Jury has taken the decision... The report has been submitted to the ministry... Now it will take the final call on the screening of the film soon," he said. The Supreme Court on Monday freed Hadiya, at the centre of a 'love jihad' case, from her parents' custody, enabling her to continue her homoeopathy course. The Kerala High Court had set aside the marriage of Akhila alias Hadiya to a Muslim man in December, accepting the contention that it was a case of love jihad. Answering a flurry of queries through an interpreter, the 25-year-old told the court, "I want my freedom. I want to go with my husband." "I am under unlawful custody for the past 11 months," she replied to another question. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, however, ordered that she be taken to her college in Salem at the earliest to complete an 11-month internship programme, and appointed the college dean as her local guardian. "She will be treated like any other student," the court said, directing the Tamil Nadu government to ensure her security during her stay there. To the court's question, if her education expenses would be met by the state, Hadiya said her husband can take care of it. "A wife is not a chattel. She is an individual with an independent status in society," the bench remarked. The court posted her husband Shafin Jahan's plea against the high court's May judgement, invalidating his marriage, for consideration in January. As the woman was brought to the court from her father's custody, the bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, asked if it should interact with her in open court, even as senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing Hadiya's father Asokan K M, pleaded for in-camera hearing. "What are the parameters to examine her? What should be the stage to allow individual freedom, autonomy and choice? We have to respect the dignity of the person. What is the stage where the court should cross the threshold in view of the constitutional principle of individual freedom... once consent is not voluntary, what is the duty of the court?" the bench said. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, along with advocate Indira Jaising, insisted, "The court has to interact with her in any case. We don't have any objection if the court wants to talk to her in chambers." Construction in the vicinity of Bangalore Palace, Trinity Church, Someshwara Temple and other places may be prohibited, if the BDA has its way. The Bangalore Development Authority has proposed to declare as 'protected heritage sites' a total of 191 government or public heritage buildings of the 558 it has identified. These 191 structures are located in the central business district and include the Hudson Memorial Church, St Mary's Basilica and the Crescent House. The CBD is a 27.74-square kilometre area in and around the Vidhana Soudha and the historic Pete areas. Once a building is given the protected heritage site tag, construction will be prohibited within 100 metres of its boundary, while the contiguous 200 metres will fall under the regulated area, where only an archaeological officer can undertake construction. At present, only nine heritage sites are protected in Bengaluru - two by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the rest by the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage. As part of its Revised Master Plan (RMP) 2031 preparation, the BDA has identified 558 heritage sites in Bengaluru, which is the first official inventory of the city's surviving heritage ever since the erstwhile Bangalore Urban Arts Commission had put together a list of 747 heritage sites before disbanding in 2002. As it turns out, 321 of the 558 heritage sites are in the CBD, which the BDA calls "the heritage core" of the Bengaluru metropolitan area. For the RMP 2031, the BDA carried out a physical survey for identification of heritage sites and documented them based on spatial location, extent, age, use of building, ownership and classification of heritage. 'Accordingly, the 558 sites have been classified under built heritage value (533), natural heritage value (16) and cultural heritage value (9). "With rapid commercialisation, there's a dire need to keep heritage structures from further damage," BDA commissioner Rakesh Singh said. The BDA will follow up with the ASI and the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage to protect heritage buildings, he added. The RMP 2031 also proposes creating a dozen heritage zones in the city: Central Administrative Heritage Zone, Pete & Bengaluru Fort Heritage Zone, Gavipuram, Basavanagudi and VV Puram Heritage Zone, MG Road Heritage Zone, Shivajinagar Heritage Zone, Cleveland Town Heritage Zone, Richards Town Heritage Zone, Malleswaram Heritage Zone, Ulsoor Heritage Zone, Whitefield Inner Circle Heritage Zone, Begur Temple Heritage Zone and Bengaluru Palace Heritage Zone. The proposal to build a railway station (halt) near the trumpet flyover to provide train connectivity to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has got the momentum with the state government holding talks in this regard. "The government has held discussions with the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). We will come out with a final plan soon," sources in the government said. The station will be about five km from the airport. It will be part of the suburban rail network with the government recently selecting RITES to conduct a feasibility study to provide rail connectivity to the airport. The Department of Urban Land Transport, which one of the nodal agencies in the suburban rail project, is likely to take the airport link on high priority. The project requires the doubling of Yalahanka-Devanahalli line and building a third line between Yashwantpur and Devanahalli. A 31-year-old spurned lover strangled an 18-year-old girl before hanging himself at the former's house in Marenahalli in Vijaynagar, West Bengaluru, on Monday evening. Police suspect that Ramakrishna alias Krishnamurthy grew furious after Divya Kumar spurned his advances. Ramakrishna, of Marenahalli, had been working at a chicken stall run by Divya's uncle Madhu for the past 15 years. Divya, a second-year BCom student at a private college in Vijayanagar, was alone at home when the incident occurred around 4 pm. While Madhu had gone to Shivajinagar, Divya's mother Subhashini had been to a relative's house. A few neighbours told the police that Ramakrishna and Divya were seen talking to each other near the main door. A little while later, they were heard screaming at each other. Suspecting something wrong, neighbours called up Madhu and informed the police. The police arrived and found during a preliminary investigation that Ramakrishna had strangled Divya with a veil and then hanged himself in the same room. The Vijayanagar police have registered a case of murder and suicide. Fast food chain Vasudev Adiga's Fast Food has won a case challenging the use of Adiga's as a trademark for running restaurants and hotels. The High Court of Karnataka dismissed an appeal by Adiga Sweets against a civil court order in favour of Vasudev Adiga's Fast Food in a trademark infringement case filed by Adiga Sweets. In 2007, the Adiga's adopted the name Vasudev Adiga's Fast Food. From 2003 to 2007, they applied for the trademark of 'Adiga's' and 'Vasudeva Adiga's' and the same were duly registered under different classes. While filing an application for the trademark, Vasudev Adiga's found that Adiga's had been selling sweets in the name of Adiga Sweets from a shop in Bengaluru. Vasudev Adiga's filed a civil case for a permanent injunction to Adiga Sweets that was granted by the court. The civil court had stated that Adiga's Fast Food started its business in 1993 while the Adiga Sweets began its business in 2003. Thus, Adiga's Fast Food is the prior user of the unregistered trademark Adiga's. In his order, Justice Raghavendra Chauhan of the high court stated that the use of the name Adiga's as a suffix or prefix would not prevent a person from initiating an action of infringement against the other and upheld the civil court's order. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is quietly planning to "privatise or rather outsource" the maintenance of water pump houses that supply water to the city. It recently placed an advertisement in newspapers inviting tenders for the annual maintenance of Cauvery Water Supply Scheme Stages 1, 2, 3 pump houses at Thorekadanahalli (TK Halli). The operation and maintenance of these pump houses were under the control of the board until now. BWSSB engineers, however, insist that the tenders were invited only for repair, not maintenance. "This is the second time we have invited tenders as there were no bidders the first time we called them two months ago. The repair of nine pumps at TK Halli was done by many contractors who took it up as piecework (small work). Now, we want to assign the repair to one contractor for a year," said Venkatesh S V, executive engineer, Cauvery head works division, BWSSB. He denied that the board was planning to outsource the work. A former engineer, who had toiled to bring Cauvery water from TK Halli, expressed displeasure at the recent development and described the outsourcing as the "advent of the East India Company". "By handing over the repair to contractors, engineers would be rendered redundant. The engineers' technical know-how about pump houses and motors would become zero," said Narayana Iyengar K R, retired chief engineer, BWSSB. The BWSSB has failed to nurture its employees by training them to handle the maintenance, he suggested, adding that outsourcing would increase the financial burden on the board. Kshitij Urs, the co-founder of Peoples' Campaign for Right to Water, said the operation and maintenance were the core job of the BWSSB and they should not be outsourced. "When the board invited tenders two months ago, the contractors did not come forward simply because such work is not financially viable. Secondly, the water supply to the public has a social risk. Mysuru city had privatised the water supply which completely failed a few years ago," he added. The retired engineer said the privatisation concept had failed in many countries and that the BWSSB should take a relook before heading for outsourcing. DH News Service Box BWSSB: In numbers * 3,500 sanctioned posts. * 2,157 employees. * 1,343 vacancies. * 1,900 contract employees. * 2,700 additional sanctioned posts sought by the BWSSB. * Valvemen, meter readers, data entry operators and drivers mostly work on contract. Commentary: China actively nurturing unicorns in Southeast Asia Statistics from US-based research body CB Insights show that non-US unicorn startups commanded a 50% share of total global unicorns as of the end of August 2017, sharply up from only 37% as of the end of 2014, indicating the US is no longer a dominant country in nurturing startups. It also suggests that against Asian enterprises, particularly those in China, unrelentingly pursuing development and growth, the Silicon Valley seems stuck in the status quo. Among Asian countries, China now takes the lead with 56 unicorns and India comes next with 10, with both countries being top targets for multinational investment funds. Korea ranks third with three unicorns, and Singapore and Indonesia have two each; but those unicorns in the two Southeast Asian countries all involve financial support from China tech giants. China's web population broke the 700 million mark to hit 731 million as of the end of 2016 after experiencing an annual growth of 6.2%, according to statistics released by the China Internet Network Information Center. The growth, however, has fallen under 10% for the first time in five years, indicating China's web population growth has entered a plateau period. Creating new miracles in new sectors Despite the relatively stable web population, it will be increasingly difficult to create unicorn companies in the future. But in the emerging sectors such as Internet of Vehicles (IoV), FinTech and related services, China still stands a chance of creating new miracles, given the fact that in 2016 alone, the user numbers of ride-hailing services shot up 38% on year to 168 million in the country. Eyeing huge business opportunities associated with Internet investment, Beijing authorities officially launched the China Internet Investment Fund at a scale of CNY100 billion (US$15.14 billion) in late January 2017, with China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom all among strategic fund providers. China has become the world's largest e-commerce market, with its trading scale estimated by iResearch to hit CNY400 trillion by 2020. But, beyond capturing the huge business opportunities in the domestic market, China Internet investment funds and venture capital funds will surely extend their tentacles to emerging markets surrounding the Indian Ocean by taking advantage of their powerful financial resources and abundant experiences. China to be world's No. 1 venture fund source in two years At the moment, one fourth of global venture capitals come from Silicon Valley. But as China contributed US$72 billion or 21.4% of total global venture capital funds in 2016, the country is expected to unseat the US as the world's largest source of such funds within two years. In fact, China tech giants such as Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu have been actively injecting funds to support startups, with Tencent, particularly, having invested in 19 unicorns, surpassing the corresponding figure of 13 recorded by Sequoia Capital in Silicon Valley. In May 2016, Google and Singapore-based Temasek Holdings jointly published a report on the digital economy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), showing that total digital economy investments by the ASEAN member states already amounted to over US$200 billion. And startups in the ASEAN garnered financings of US$3.1 billion in 2016 and absorbed much more new funds of nearly US$5 billion in the first seven months of 2017. Among them, the Singapore-based ride-hailing platform operator Grab has absorbed US$3.44 billion in financing, and the Indonesian motorbike on-demand startup Go-Jek has obtained US$1.75 billion in funds, with both firms already on the name list of global unicorns. Who are the major fund providers behind ASEAN startups? Besides Japan's SoftBank, China's four Internet giants BATJ (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com) have contributed the most of the funds for those startups. Among them, Alibaba and Tencent are the most aggressive, with Alibaba having almost completed Alipay service deployments in main ASEAN member countries via investments by its financial service platform Ant Financial. Alibaba, Tencent aggressively expanding presence in ASEAN Taiwan's New Southbound Policy - which aims at bettering trade ties with ASEAN and South India - still highlights the concept of hardware production. It seems that while Taiwan is still warming up for the race, Alibaba and Tencent are already miles ahead. As the main investor in Singapore's e-commerce platform Lazada, Alibaba has twice injected funds into the company, whose market value has now reached US$3.15 billion. In the ASEAN countries, Alibaba has demonstrated its determination to integrate and consolidate local payment flows by rendering Alipay services through its subsidiary Ant Financial. In fact, Taiwan's startups are not far away from the global stage, but they tend to confine themselves to only a small scale when soliciting venture capital funds. In facing the development of startups involving high risks and high investment returns, Taiwan has two questions to answer: Should the funnel's opening be widened to allow all nationals to join startups or let selected elites do the job? Should the country develop B2C startups or cultivate many mini-unicorns in the B2B or focus markets? (The comments are from a Chinese-language book "Borrowing East Wind: China-US Tech Wrestling and Taiwan" written by Colley Hwang, president of Digitimes.) Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Subscriber content preview Its a valuable commodity: Exports of Dutch water technology and expertise have doubled since 2000 to just under $9.3 billion a year. By MIKE CORDER Associated Press SPAKENBURG, Netherlands On a calm, clear morning, historic wooden fishing boats float tranquilly on the glassy waters of the Dutch harbor of Spakenburg. Yet just over a century ago, they were slamming through the houses lining the harbor as a powerful storm unleashed flooding that devastated this picturesque fishing village. These days, an innovative new self-raising dike protects the village on the edge of Eemmeer Lake, 30 miles southeast of Amsterdam. The 984-foot long barrier is concealed in the sidewalk when not in use, and is lifted up to 31 inches by the very floodwaters it is designed to keep out. . . . Life after oil: Shell partners top carmakers for electric charging stations Royal Dutch Shell has partnered with top carmakers to deploy ultra-fast chargers on Europe's highways, stealing a march on rivals in the race to remove one of the biggest obstacles facing the electric car sector as it prepares for life beyond oil. Shell, the world's second biggest oil company, has signed an agreement with IONITY - a joint venture between BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen - that will initially bring high-powered docks to 80 highway sites in 10 European nations in 2019, it said in a statement. Power giants including France's Engie and Germany's E.ON, as well as niche players such as US start-up ChargePoint, are all building vehicle-charging networks in Europe, but Shell says the IONITY technology is a key to addressing the problem of journey distances. While electric vehicles still account for only a small fraction of the global car market, the pace of growth and a sustained period of low crude prices are prompting oil companies to reassess century-old business models as the world move towards cleaner modes of transportation and experts agree the days of fossil fuels are numbered. The agreement builds on Shell's acquisition of Europe's largest electric-vehicle charging provider NewMotion last month. The deals come as markets including France, the UK and China are talking about phasing out the sale of fossil-fuel-powered cars in the coming decades, and major energy companies are looking to adapt. India too has vowed to have only electric cars on its roads by 2030, but experts don't seem to be taking this very seriously as in the absence of any concrete policy decision to further the aim, and with a perennial shortage of power, the proposition looks doubtful. Shell and IONITY will initially have charging points at 80 of Shell's biggest highway fuel stations, with an average of six posts in each. It will take five to eight minutes on average to charge an electric vehicle at these points, according to the statement. Shell opened its first rapid-charging point for electric cars at gasoline stations in the UK last month. The company wants 20 per cent of profit margins from fuel sold in its retail forecourts to come from vehicles that don't burn diesel or gasoline by 2025, John Abbott, the top executive of its downstream business, said in September. Under Shell's most aggressive projections the company expects the global electric vehicle fleet to grow from about 1 per cent of the entire auto fleet today to 10 per cent by 2025, displacing oil demand equating to about 800,000 barrels per day. Rival BP said in August that it was talking to electric car manufacturers on deals to offer battery recharging docks at its stations. The number of electric vehicle charging points in Europe nearly tripled from 2014 to 2017 to reach almost 120,000, according to the European Alternative Fuels Observatory. However, manufacturers have struggled to offer solutions for getting drivers to go beyond short journeys, mostly within cities, because of battery limitations, a lack of charging stations and long charging times. With the IONITY technology, cars with advanced charging capacity of up to 350 kilowatts will take as little as five to eight minutes to charge, Shell said. It can take several hours to charge a regular electric car today. ''Customers want to go on long journeys in their electric vehicles and feel confident that there are reliable, comfortable and convenient places to charge them quickly,'' said Shell's head of retail Istvan Kapitany. The 80 charging stations will be deployed in Belgium, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. With an additional 20 stations expected to be added in Germany, about a quarter of Shell's stations along highways in Europe will offer high-power electric charging within two years, Kapitany told Reuters. Shell will invest in changing power supplies to its stations to meet growing demand, he said, declining to disclose the size of the investment or terms of the IONITY deal. The IONITY partners joined forces with a plan to build a pan-European network of 400 charging stations by 2020. The initiative is latest in a number of small Shell investments in charging technology in recent months, including the acquisition of Dutch-based NewMotion, owner of one of Europe's largest charging networks. Uber to appeal to the UK's Supreme Court against ruling on drivers' status Uber intends to appeal to the UK's Supreme Court against a ruling that drivers should be classed as workers, which, according to commentators, sets the stage for a landmark legal battle with major implications for the gig economy. Uber lost a tribunal case brought by two drivers last year and lost an appeal earlier this month when the employment appeal tribunal (EAT) upheld the original decision. Uber is looking to the Supreme Court for granting it permission to leapfrog the court of appeal and take its case directly to the highest court in the country as soon as February. ''We have this afternoon requested permission to appeal directly to the supreme court in order that this case can be resolved sooner rather than later,'' said a spokesperson. The case would determine whether Uber's drivers should be treated as workers, a status which will grant improved rights such as guaranteed minimum wage and holiday pay. There could also be implications for a host of gig economy firms, which operate by inviting workers to accept small jobs at short notice, often via smartphone apps. According to commentators, the gig economy has proved to be a battleground for disputes involving firms such as takeaway company Deliveroo and courier firm CitySprint. Its emergence has also led to a full-blown government review into modern employment practices, led by Matthew Taylor, a former adviser to Tony Blair. According to Uber, its drivers enjoy the flexibility of their work and are self-employed, which entitles them in British law to only basic entitlements such as health and safety. After the Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld by the original tribunal ruling, Uber UK's acting general manager Tom Elvidge said, "Almost all taxi and private hire drivers have been self-employed for decades, long before our app existed, BBC reported. "The tribunal relies on the assertion that drivers are required to take 80 per cent of trips sent to them when logged into the app. As drivers who use Uber know, this has never been the case in the UK." Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Donegal company Cerebreon Technologies has been named Best New Start Company at the final of the 2017 InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition. Cerebreon Technologies scooped the top prize of 50,000 and the title of Best New Start Company at the 15th annual InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition at the grand final in Dublin. InterTradeIrelands Seedcorn competition is the islands biggest business competition for new start and early stage companies and is aimed at companies with a new funding requirement. The Portnoo-based company is developing fintech software targeted at the UK insolvency industry. It brings an advanced level of machine intelligence and automation to the processes involved in insolvency. Its software also improves compliance with financial regulators and will reduce the amount and duration of the debtors arrangement. The award was presented by Paul O'Sullivan, InterTradeIreland board member to Gillian Doyle from Cerebreon Technologies. Welcoming the successful conclusion of InterTradeIrelands Seedcorn competition, An Tanaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald TD, said: I heartily congratulate this years winners and I want to thank InterTradeIreland for organising this event. Securing funding can be a challenge for early stage companies and, while there can only be two major winners of the generous Seedcorn Competition funded by InterTradeIreland, all 276 companies which participated in the process will have benefitted from the competition and should now be a better position to pursue outside investment as their companies develop. I wish them all the very best for the future. Commenting on the announcement of the winners, Ken Nelson, Chairman, InterTradeIreland said: Its very rewarding to be in a position to promote the growth of new start companies on the island of Ireland, north and south. Entrepreneurs and innovators are essential to the health of every economy and InterTradeIreland is proud to support them as they turn ideas into action. Its great to see so many female entrepreneurs involved in the competition this year. I warmly congratulate both of our winners on their success in our very challenging Seedcorn competition. I wish them and indeed all those companies who entered this year all the best for the future. The Seedcorn competition is aimed at new start and early stage companies which have a new equity funding requirement. It has an overall cash prize fund of 280,000, with no equity stake. Since it started in 2003, the 2775 companies that have gone through the competition have raised over 229m. Ken Nelson, InterTradeIreland Chairman presenting the award for Best New Start Company to Gillian Doyle, Ken Doherty and Charlie Faurisson from Cerebreon Technologies. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. 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The event was organised by Spain's Ministry of Economy and Knowledge and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Seville. The seminar featured various interventions by entities and professionals with extensive experiences in international trade, specifically, in Iran. Pir Piran, the economic and commercial advisor of the Iranian Embassy, presented "Business opportunities in Iran for Andalusian companies". Other presentations were made by How2Go, Extenda's subsidiary in Iran, Aresbank - which talked about payment and banking systems - and CESCE, which dealt with risk coverage and perspectives. The day concluded with a presentation by Juan Luis de la Cruz, solutions manager at Silos Cordoba, about the long export experiences the company has concerning Iran. Extenda's CEO, Vanessa Bernad; Mohammad Hassan Fadaifard, the Ambassador of Iran in Spain; and Francisco Herrero, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Seville, were also at the event. In 2016 alone, the autonomous Spanish community of Andalusia exported EUR12.6 million (US$15 million) in value to Iran, which is 77% more than in 2015, thus placing Andalusia as the ninth largest exporting community to the country. The deputy head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that it may increase the range of missiles to over 2,000 km enough to strike Europe. Brigadier General Hossein Salami said: "If we have kept the range of our missiles to 2000 kilometres, it's not due to lack of technology we are following a strategic doctrine. 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Turkish security intelligence operates a team of specialists to track down FETO members who have fled abroad. SAFE BOX WAS CAPTURED The bussinessman, Memduh Cikmaz, who is said to have bankrolled the group behind last years defeated coup, was returned to Turkey from Sudan in a joint operation between the two countries intelligence agencies. LOCATED TWO MONTHS AGO Statement from the Turkeys National Intelligence Organization, Cikmaz's location had been pinpointed two months ago. Cikmaz was immediately brought to Turkey after the operation, sources said. Cikmaz had fleed to Sudan on Fetullah Gulens say so in 2016. He was sought with an arrest warrant for "leadership of an armed terrorist group" The security officials said, Cikmaz had transferred millions of dollars to FETO from Sudan. Turkey declares one day of mourning for Egyptians The government has ordered a national day of mourning for the attack on a mosque in Bir al-Abed, in the northern Sinai that killed over 300. Flags flew at half-staff at state buildings across Turkey on Monday to mark a day of mourning for the victims of Egypt mosque attack that killed over 300 people. WE COMMISERATE WITH EGYPT ON THEIR LOSS President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, and Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag condemned the attack and offered their condolences to the Egyptian nation. ANKARA Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's split is ongoing and unfortunately for the actor, it means that he has reportedly been forced to go without seeing his children for long periods of time. As Jolie and the kids, including 16-year-old Maddox, 13-year-old Pax, 12-year-old Zahara, 11-year-old Shiloh, and 9-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox, continue to be seen together in Los Angeles, Pitt is reportedly struggling to cope with the holiday season. The holidays are extra hard for Brad, a source close to Pitt told Hollywood Life on Nov. 25. He misses his kids more than ever. He does get to see them but its not nearly as much as he would like and its always up to Angelina when it happens. Since their breakup in September 2016, Jolie and Pitt haven't been seen together at all and Pitt also hasn't been spotted in public with his kids. As for Jolie, she is often photographed with the brood, who she frequently treats to shopping sprees near their home. In addition to Pitt missing his six children, his parents, William and Jane, have reportedly been kept from seeing their grandchildren. Theyre not seeing their grandchildren the way they would like to be, the insider said. They would love Brad to bring them all to Missouri for Christmas but its very unlikely Angelina will go for that, shes not going to want to be without them on Christmas. And whats even worse is that Brads got to worry that she might take them out of the country for the holidays, to London or something." "Shes very unpredictable, the insider added. Pitt and Jolie's romance began over a decade ago but it wasn't until 2014 when they tied the knot. As fans may recall, the couple chose to get married at their home in France with only their children in attendance and during the event, Jolie sported a wedding dress with drawings from her kids on the skirt. Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016 and requested full physical custody of the children at the time of her filing. According to reports, Pitt and his now-estranged wife frequently feuded over his parenting decisions for their kids as well as his drinking habits and potential use of drugs. South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has just been crowned as this year's Miss Universe. The 22-year-old beauty bested 91 other contestants on Sunday, Nov. 26. Prior to being crowned as the winner, Nel-Peters competed against first runner-up, Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, and second runner-up, Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett in the question and answer round. Nel-Peters was asked to name an important issue that women face in the workplace every day. "In some places, women get 75 percent of what men earn for doing the same job, working the same hours - and I do not believe this is right. I think we should have equal work for equal pay for women all over the world," said Nel-Peters. The Cape Town native, who just earned her business management degree at North-West University, also won the hearts of the judges and fans with her inspiring story. Not only did she manage to complete her undergraduate degree, she was also able to put up a self-defense program after being held at gunpoint. She wants women to have the same passion for learning self-defense. Miss Universe 2017 Runner-Up Responses Meanwhile, Gonzalez and Bennett also wowed the judges with their responses to the question and answer round. Miss Colombia was asked how she thinks adults can talk to children about terrorism. Bennett, on the other hand, talked about the ramifications of sexual abuse. Final Miss Universe 2017 Question At the end of the competition, all three runners-up were asked the same question: "What quality in yourself are you most proud of and how will you apply that to your time as Miss Universe?" Bennett talked about her drive and determination and said that those are the two qualities that will set her apart from the competition. Gonzalez said that she's very passionate about the things she does. This year's winner, Nel-Peters, talked about the importance of being confident. "You have to be confident in who you are as an individual. Miss Universe is one who has overcome many fears and will inspire other women too, to overcome their fears," Nel-Peters said. Nel-Peters is the second South African contestant to be crowned as Miss Universe. Margaret Gardiner also won the title in 1978. Following her big win this year, Nel-Peters will be rewarded with a year-long salary from the Miss Universe team, a luxury apartment in New York City, and more. She is also expected to appear in various television shows in the United States and other parts of the world. Nel-Peters will also be promoting her advocacies across the globe and will be traveling to different countries. Canadas new multiyear levels plan will see almost one million new permanent residents welcomed by the end of 2020, it has been confirmed, many of them moving to Ontario.Ontario is the top destination for newcomers to Canada and a new Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA) will guide the relationship on immigration between Canada and Ontario for the next five years.The new framework to strengthen the long term partnership between Ontario and Canada to welcome and settle immigrants will also boost the economy and address shared humanitarian responsibilities.The agreement outlines the respective roles and responsibilities, and shared immigration priorities in selection policy, programme integrity, attraction of French speaking immigrants, and newcomer and refugee settlement.In addition, Canada and Ontario also announced a joint effort to help internationally trained newcomers meet provincial requirements to work in their profession.A total investment of up to $91 million in bridge training programmes over the next three years, including $70 million from Ontario and up to $21 million from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, will help newcomers get the training they need to meet provincial requirements to work in their occupation.Through these initiatives, the Governments of Canada and Ontario said that they are demonstrating a commitment to cooperation to ensure the economic, social and cultural benefits of immigration are maximized in the province. Collaboration between the federal government and provincial partners is a crucial element of the ongoing success of Canadas world leading immigration system.Ontario is the top destination for new permanent residents settling in Canada each year, typically exceeding 100,000 newcomers. With the ambitious three year levels plan weve established on immigration, the time is right to put a new agreement in place that defines how Canada and Ontario will work together to achieve our mutual goals, said Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.He explained that the COIA takes effect immediately, including annexes that detail specific arrangements on provincial nominees and foreign workers. In the months ahead, additional annexes are planned that will set out Canada-Ontario collaboration on French speaking immigrants, international students, and the role of municipal governments as partners in immigration.He also pointed out that the Government of Canada is investing more than $334 million in settlement services for newcomers in Ontario in 2017/2018 and Ontario is investing over $110 million in newcomer and refugee supports including language training, settlement and employment programmes.Immigration is good for Ontario and good for Canada. The Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement strengthens Ontarios ability to partner with the federal government to attract skilled newcomers who will benefit our shared economies and contribute to Canadas future prosperity, said Laura Albanese, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. So, someone hit my car on the back one month ago. I was not liable and car repair shop chosen by my insurance estimated the repair costs in around 4600 EUR, above the value of the car (a Diesel 2010 Citroen C3, BTW). The bumb in the rear wasn't so bad, and I believe this value is way out of proportion. So I was given 2 options by the insurance company: 1) Sell them my car for 4500 EUR (I paid 1k EUR more for it 6 months ago) or 2) Keep my car and receive 3150 EUR I have chosen option 2. Now I am trying to find somewhere to fix my car, and I am surprise to know that: 1) EVERY Repair shop office I tried will contact the initial repair car shop to know how much THEY estimated on repair costs (and obviously push the repair cost to the same level - that is, the MAXIMUM amount my insurance will cover - Or beyond) 2) I cannot sell the car as it is without repairing. What options do I have? 1) Give in to the French car repair / insurance mafia and pay 4.5k for a simple rear bump? 2) Keep my car as it is and eventually just throw it away? 3) Repair it in some other country? I am in Nice, so Italy border is just half an hour away. Thanks for your advice!! It may be a matter of how the different mairies and prefectures do things, but when we decided to build our barn, all that was required was a "declaration" (i.e. because the barn was considered an "out building" and would be less than 20 sq meters. For a "declaration" we had to submit architect drawings and all sorts of details about just how far the edges of the barn would be from the house, the center of the road, etc. etc. So when we added a roof to the other side of the barn, and then put up a sort of car port, my husband just built it in a manner that he could claim the construction was "temporary" and we didn't declare anything. That seems to be how folks do things around here. No one on the street rats out any of the neighbors, because we all know full well what "non-regulation" construction has been done on each of the houses on the street. But, in the course of the declaration we did file, we found that the mairie can and will give you copies of the applicable sections of the building code. (We had to get several pages for the architect before he could do the drawings for us.) Evidently, they don't actually check out any of this stuff - until you sell the property. At that point, some sort of inspection is done, and the sale can't take place until anything found to be out of regulation has been fixed. Cheers, Bev This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas crude oil is being shipped worldwide at ever higher rates as foreign markets get used to the taste of light sweet crude. More than 70 percent of the crude oil moved into Port Corpus Christi in October was exported said Jarl Pedersen, the Ports chief commercial officer, who was speaking at the Hart Energys DUG Eagle Ford Conference held earlier this month at the Convention Center in San Antonio. That oil is not just coming from South Texas Eagle Ford Shale but also from the prolific Permian Basin oil field in West Texas. The exports are making the port, which has a major refining presence on the Gulf Coast, look at different ways to support exports. How do we, as a port authority, provide producers access to world markets? Pedersen asked as he spoke at a panel Friday. Its a great opportunity right now to export U.S. crude oil. We want to make sure that producers, marketers, they have optionality, flexibility. Oil exports were banned for almost 40 years until December 2015, when Congress voted to lift the prohibition. San Antonio-based NuStar Energy made the first known crude oil export from Port Corpus Christi weeks later. Since then, exports have grown as high as 1.8 million barrels a day in October, a record according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Pedersen said two projects that are underway will help the port take more advantage of oil exports in the coming years. A new $809 million bridge over the ports entrance is under construction and will allow taller vessels to enter the port, while an agreement to start a $327 million dredging project to deepen and widen the ship channel was recently signed. Together the projects would allow very large crude carriers with a capacity of upward of 2 million barrels of oil to enter the port empty and leave fully laden. Currently such vessels have to leave the port partly filled, and complete loading offshore. The first VLCC to dock at a Gulf Coast port occurred in May when Occidental Petroleum docked one such vessel at its Ingleside Energy Center Terminal, which can load upward of 300,000 barrels of crude oil a day. The bridge and dredging projects are estimated to be completed by 2021, Pedersen said. The Dallas Feds data shows the Eagle Ford Shale has seen production level off around 1.2 million barrels a day, down from more than 1.5 million barrels a day in early 2015. Production in the Permian Basin, on the other hand, has continued to grow steadily to nearly 2.6 million barrels a day, reflecting continued investment into the oil field. At one point, some deals for acreage in the Permian were worth $60,000 an acre. But while the Permian has been described as hot for much of the past two years, the calmness in the Eagle Ford is attracting some companies, said Stuart Traver, an executive director at Houston-based oil and gas consultancy Gaffney, Cline & Associates. Theres another group of buyers that just doesnt want to engage in such a heavy competition, Travers said. Were seeing people who are looking at the Eagle Ford and the Bakken as sort of a way to avoid some of the heavy competition that goes on in some of the other basins. Traver pointed to the lifting of the crude oil export ban in 2015 as why his firm is bullish on the Eagle Ford. In the future the markets for the Eagle Ford are likely to be overseas, he said. Thats why people we work with from overseas like the Eagle Ford. rdruzin@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With an eye on the 2020 expiration date for the city sales tax funding of Pre-K 4 SA, program advocates delighted in its fourth annual report the first to study all four of its centers at capacity which found students are still developing significant gains in their year there. It just consistently shows that Pre-K 4 SA is working, and thats exciting, said Sarah Baray, CEO of the program. If you look around, everything shows it should be, but without data you cant verify that claim. Westat, the independent entity hired to conduct the yearly reviews, found that while Pre-K 4 SA students came into the programs 2016-2017 school year with below-average scores on five out of six measurements compared to a national sample, they exceeded that norm by springtime in cognitive, literacy and mathematics measurements, and were up to par in oral language, physical and social emotional skills. The gap had been closed. Pre-K 4 SA is a city demonstration project that makes about 2,000 slots of all-day, high-quality preschool available for 4-year-olds at four city-run centers, using partnerships with school districts to draw students and funding. In exchange for teacher training and a chance at grants to bolster their own programs, participating districts share part of their state prekindergarten funding to supplement a 1/8th-cent-per-dollar sales tax that San Antonio voters approved for the purpose in 2012. The Westat report said there was no significant difference in childrens performance among the four widely dispersed centers, which Baray said she was very pleased about. However, it did note that the student assessments are based on teachers reports, not by an outside consultant, so the measurements cant account for teacher bias. Attendance rates have been stable for Pre-K 4 SAs lifespan, Westat reported, hovering a couple percentage points above 90 percent. Throughout last school year, 193 students withdrew, which Baray chalked up to the mobile lives of many low-income families. The report also implemented a new test this year dubbed the Pencil Tap to measure executive functions of a randomly selected group of 500 students. It measures if students can plan for the future and solve problems when obstacles present themselves, using their responses to an administrator tapping a pencil on the table in a series of tests. The important part is were better than New York, joked Baray. According to the report, Pre-K 4 SA students performed 8 percent better than a similar sample of students from New York City. In 2020, near the end of the sales taxs eight-year run, the City Council will have to decide whether to put it back on the ballot for a November vote to extend the program. Championed by former Mayor Julian Castro as part of his Brainpower Initiative Task Force, the citywide pre-K program has been nationally recognized for its unique model. The local politics of the program have been unpredictable, however. The 2012 sales tax referendum passed with 54 percent of the vote, with support weakest in the North East and Northside independent school districts but those districts quickly filled their allotted share of students. Parents in the citys smallest and poorest school districts did not as readily sign up, and one of them, South San Antonio ISD, later opted out of its partnership with the city. During its first year of operation in 2013-14, only the North and South centers were open. The East and West centers opened a year later but Baray said it wasnt until last year that all four centers were at capacity, with 500 students each, and its programs fully integrated. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a program that has emphasized quality and teacher credentials, Westat also reported overall higher scores in teachers performance using a methodology called CLASS compared to state and national standards for the Head Start program. While Pre-K 4 SA teachers performed well in emotional support and classroom organization, they remained at the low end of the middle range in the instructional support category. Its a really hard skill to develop, said Baray, adding that she was not surprised by that score. While the others are about forming relationships, developing a routine and classroom management, this measurement pinpoints how a teacher forms questions to children and pushes their learning, which she said is an advanced technique. Saying, Oh, OK, you counted to 10, can you count to 100? Thats not a reasonable leap. But you can say Oh, you counted to 10, is there a number that comes after 10? Baray said. She also pointed out that while the score was slightly low by CLASS standards, it remained above the most recent Texas and national Head Start program data. Pre-K 4 SA partners with eight school districts: Edgewood, Harlandale, North East, Northside, San Antonio, Southside, Southwest, and most recently, East Central. Those who attend school districts not on this list must pay tuition on a sliding scale or qualify for scholarships. Of the 2,060 students who were in the program last year, about 70 percent attended for free because their families are low-income, they are English-language learners, or their family has military connections (either active duty or injured while serving) and they live in a partnering school district. About 20 percent paid tuition, and an additional 9.6 percent received scholarships. Most of the students were Hispanic, at 76.3 percent, followed by 9.2 percent black students, 8 percent white, and 6.5 percent other ethnicities, the report said. On a recent Friday, Barbara Valdez came to Pre-K 4 SAs West Education Center to pick up her son as well as a Thanksgiving meal, donated by Pre-K 4 SAs partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank and H-E-B. Theyre really hands-on. At first he was really shy, and I couldnt tell if he was learning stuff, she said. They actually made him grow outside of his comfort zone, and he opened up much more. Im very grateful. sfosterfrau@express-news.net | @SilviaElenaFF This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate When advocate Robin Howard took the two oldest of her three boys, ages 2, 5 and 9, to get ice cream at the Rivercenter mall, one of the childrens eyes grew wide. Ms. Robin? he said. Is this a mall? The boys arent Robins biological children; shes one of more than 800 volunteers at Child Advocates San Antonio, or CASA, an organization that looks after kids who have been temporarily removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect or both. We exist to be their guide through that whole system, whether its with (Child Protective Services), their school or their public defender, said Kevin Moore, president of CASAs board of governors. The volunteers range of functions fall under a single mandate: Provide a source of constancy to Bexar County kids whose lives are full of moving parts, from changing homes to alternating CPS workers assigned to their cases. Howard has looked after the three boys, whose names were kept confidential under CASA policy, for almost two years. During that time, shes discovered how many ordinary activities the kids had never experienced. When she first took them to Pizza Hut last year, it was the first time in their life theyd eaten out. Even activities like their recent night of trick-or-treating can feel monumental. The volunteers at CASA spend time with children about once a week, taking them to places like parks and restaurants, while getting to know the kids across a span of a year or more. Every few months, they provide detailed reports to the Bexar County Childrens Court, helping judges decide who should permanently care for the kids. Were objective information gatherers, with an emphasis on getting to know the child to recommend the best needs, said Marina Gonzales, CASA president and chief executive. The volunteers tend to notice things others dont unmet health care needs, for instance because theyre the only people who stick with the kids throughout the CPS process, Howard said. Its a terrible situation for anyone involved when a child is removed from their family, Moore said. I think about it from the childs perspective: Theyre confused, theyre shuffled from foster home to foster home. They may have to move schools and end up in court all these things a child should never have to experience. Overseeing the volunteers are a team of advocate supervisors, full-time employees at CASAs office on San Pedro Avenue north of downtown. The supervisors help volunteers write court reports, which supervisor Nikole Spencer said can be overwhelming and intimidating for the volunteers. The advocate supervisors role boils down to supporting the volunteers in any way they need, Spencer said. At the top, Gonzales oversees a staff of roughly 40. A 16-person board of governors helps with the organizations strategy and fundraising, while a separate advisory board of directors works to raise CASAs profile in the community at large. CASAs San Antonio chapter operates under the state organization, which is part of a broader national CASA organization that started in 1977. San Antonios child advocacy chapter was founded seven years later. The profile of the organizations employees and volunteers is vast and diverse, Gonzales said. Some have links to child abuse or neglect themselves, either personally or through friends and family. Others are former teachers or social workers, people who didnt want to stop working with kids when they retired. Meanwhile, the organization stays afloat through multiple funding streams, from corporate sponsors and private foundations to individual donors. CASAs expenses for the 2016 fiscal year totaled about $3.4 million, most of which went toward paying for its programs. Other funding paid for community outreach and various support services. The organization has grown rapidly during the past decade or so, with a more than threefold increase in active volunteers since 2006. Its growth has far outpaced the national and state rates, according to data from the 2016 annual report. But CASA still serves less than 60 percent of eligible cases in Bexar County that go before a judge, Gonzales said. To reach 100 percent, CASA would need about 1,500 volunteers, Gonzales said, nearly double the current total. Moore estimates CASA would need to roughly double its operating revenue to get there. Even if the organization could find 700 more advocates, it would have to spend about $1,000 to train each volunteer, Moore said. CASA would also have to hire additional supervisors to oversee the volunteers. This year, the organization set a goal of serving 2,900 kids and increasing to 900 active volunteers. They reached 2,500 kids last year. Its hard to imagine a more powerful impact on a childs life, Moore said. jscherer@express-news.net | Twitter: @jaspscherer This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Mark Mattison used to fly F-16 fighter jets for the Air Force. Today he works at a grocery store. Hes OK with that. Its 7 a.m., and Mattison begins his day thinking about poinsettias as the manager of perishables at the Lincoln Heights H-E-B. An early-morning patrol of his domain brings him to the floral display at the store entrance. He doesnt tell his pilot friends, but Mattison said hes learned a lot about flower arrangements. At least, he knows with winter coming its time to deploy poinsettias to blitz customers as they walk in. Mattison left the Air Force three years ago. He said people often ask him why after jetting around the globe he decided to work at a grocery store. Like many veterans, he faced a difficult choice in finding a career after the military. I always knew when I was flying faster than the speed of sound, at altitude higher than 50,000 feet, that there was something better out there, Mattison said. And I found it in grocery. The moving doors whooshed open as Mattison walked outside to inspect a crate of fall pumpkins, where a pair of rotten gourds were in need of extraction. A man wearing a suit and tie walked past, and with a start, Mattison recognized it was somone who had mentored him as he left the Air Force. David Patrick, a retired Air Force colonel, counsels local service members leaving the military. Mattison sought Patricks advice, because after 29 years in, the prospect of getting out of the military scared Mattison. He knew how to fly, and he knew how to command troops, but finding a job? He hadnt interviewed for a job during his entire adult life. Patrick said hes talked to many veterans terrified of what comes next. While the unemployment rate for veterans has been decreasing in recent years, many veterans find themselves underemployed or unsatisfied in their civilian jobs, according to polls by the vet group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. One of the reasons, Patrick said, is because veterans sometimes limit their own options. Youre sort of expected to go into the discipline you were in in the military, Patrick said. I say, get out of your comfort zone. Mattison figured hed be a defense contractor or work for the government. Thats what all the other veterans did. But as he talked to recruiters and looked at his options, nothing appealed to him. One thing he knew was that he and his wife wanted to stay near San Antonio. Someone from H-E-B approached Mattison about working as a manager. The idea kinda threw him, he said, because he had just never considered it. It took almost a year before Mattison decided to interviewed for the job. When we're getting ready to leave, we limit ourselves to what we know, and I would add to that, we limit ourselves to what would be comfortable, Mattison said. Once while flying over the Rocky Mountains, Mattison noticed a nozzle in the engine of his F-16 lost power. A nozzle malfunction almost knocked the engine out. Mattison had to glide his multimillion dollar fighter jet down to a landing strip. Mattison was comfortable while landing a jet with a dead engine, and yet he found working in a grocery store was one of the hardest things Ive ever done. He knew so little about how such stores worked and was surprised at the complexity of running a business: thousands and thousands of boxes and cans and crates of food that need to be sorted and counted. But he liked that he was learning things again, Mattison said. Mattison walked through the bakery on his morning patrol. He inspected a cake, added zip ties near the banana stand, and wiped off water puddles near the potatoes (a potential lawsuit, as he sees it). With an employee, he discussed whether grapes or organic tomatoes should get more space. He guesses he walks eight to 10 miles each day, circling the store, making hundreds of small decisions. He recalled with pride the decisions he made during Hurricane Harvey, when the store had lost power. Its very similar to being in a command post, Mattison said. You make decisions and allocate resources to solve problems, all day long. During the last few years, Mattison has mentored other veterans getting out of the military. He said he tells veterans to be more creative in thinking about their next step. Sometimes learning a new job means getting down to pick up bean cans that have fallen off of shelves or scooping up smashed pumpkins, the retired colonel said. You have to be willing to humble yourself, and not worrying what your friends think or your families think, Mattison said. In the fish section, Mattison stopped to admire some salmon, which he said where shipped all the from Norway to the shelves in San Antonio. You kinda feel, he said, the store is waking up. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The American Heart Association is advocating a healthy city and healthy residents through their educational programs encouraging people to be physically active and eat healthy. Patricia Atiee has been volunteering since 2007, primarily with an event aimed at educating women, but she steps in wherever help is needed. She started having heart issues when she was 24 years old. It could happen to anyone, Atiee said. It happened to me. Because of the (heart) surgery, I was able to lead more of a normal lifestyle. I consider it my second birthday. It gave me new life. Atiee said the connection to heart disease or strokes is a common vein with volunteers and staff and a driving force in their passion. Now she is nearing retirement and thinking about volunteering full time with the association. We like each other, and we like what we are doing, Atiee said. If we can save even one person from heart disease or stroke, thats another motivation. Maybe it hasnt impacted you yet, but maybe it will, so we have to keep it fresh and keep it out there current in the community. Atiee said the Viva Roja event educates women who might not otherwise be aware of the symptoms and risk of heart disease. One reason that education is so important, Atiee says, is that with women, the symptoms are different and manifest themselves in different ways. Women who have participated realize how important this is how important they are. Atiee said. They realize they have to take care of themselves so they can take care of their families. A lot of mothers will take care of their families first. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the United States and strokes are No. 5, according to Medical News Today. But thanks to the heart associations efforts locally and nationally, strokes have come down in recent years from No. 4, said Joseph Marks, the local communications director. The goal is to make heart disease not No. 1, Marks said. What people dont realize is heart disease and stroke cause more deaths together than all cancers. Marks said the association does two big things for the community: fundraising and community outreach. That makes donations and volunteers two of the associations biggest needs. Thats not fundraising for the sake of fundraising, Marks said. We raise money to fund research in the community. The money raised goes into a pool of money nationally then is redistributed to the local entities. San Antonio heart health research received $2 million last year that went to research universities including the UT Health at San Antonio. It makes a direct impact on the people who live here, Marks said. The research done here is used basically immediately. This spring, for example, a heart disease survivor in San Antonio received a stent that was developed in San Antonio two years ago. The association does community outreach events every week from the While Living program geared to the senior population to wellness programs for companies to providing CPR education materials and equipment in high schools. Education is the focus, Marks said. We have a team that is out there every day. The organization relies very heavily on volunteer input. Its not just people in an office making decisions; its voices from the community. But it takes manpower. Marks said there is a place for anyone who wants to volunteer, from doing day-to-day tasks in the office to helping with big one-time events or smaller weekly events. While the mission has never changed, the tactics have changed and focus changes, Marks said. The goal of this organization is to reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke in the community. Its very simple, but its huge. Sarah Mohmedali is the community impact director at the association. She spends most of her time in the community at events large and small. When she first started, she was working with a program focused on checking blood pressure. Most people dont know they have high blood pressure until they start the program, Mohmedali said. We are educating as many people as possible about checking blood pressure. Be proactive dont wait for a doctors visit. I dont want to sound generic, and yet the goal is education, awareness and knowing the symptoms. Its a program that helped her mother. While working on the program, Mohmedali would bring her equipment home and found out her mother had high blood pressure, a discovery that may have saved her mothers life. We are creating an awareness for people who have no idea this impacts the community, Mohmedali said. Association staff and volunteers take an issue that people dont necessarily feel comfortable with and get them to talk about it and take action to improve their heart health. I see it in their faces and their smiles at the event that this is maybe something that people dont want to talk about, but they realize its important, Atiee said. Maybe one thing they heard may save themselves or their family member. Its about just knowing that Im helping. Jpolcyn@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN After 173 years, a historic Texas map has come into official hands. Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush has announced that an 1844 map of the Republic of Texas by noted early-day mapmaker Carl Flemming has been donated to the state by a Kerrville couple, who purchased it during the liquidation sale of a Dallas law firm. Republic of Texas maps are rare and high-priced artifacts of when Texas was its own country. Flemmings map, detailed from the days when Texas reached into what now is Colorado and New Mexico before its boundaries were redrawn in the Compromise of 1850, is considered a historic prize. Bushs office did not disclose the value of the map or how it ended up with the law firm. I am pleased that Carol and Morris McIntyre have helped us save Texas history by donating this rare map, Bush said in a statement last week. The GLO (General Land Office) Archives will be the permanent home for this map, where it will be conserved, digitized, and made available for study and reproduction. Carol McIntyre said she saved the historic map to ensure that it would have a safe, protected and permanent home. I acquired this map in the liquidation of a large Dallas law firm where I was employed as a paralegal on the liquidation team, she said in a statement through Bushs office. Throughout my business and legal career, I have seen a throw-away mentality to keep up with the fast pace of changing technology. I have learned that historically significant items should be given the highest level of consideration. It is extremely rewarding to put a historical item in a permanent preservation environment where it belongs, said Carol McIntyre, now retired. The map shows the northern boundary of Texas extending to the Arkansas River, encompassing territory into the Rocky Mountains and parts of New Mexico, including Santa Fe. The map appeared both as a separate issue and in some of Flemmings atlases. Flemming issued his 1842 German edition of a famous 1841 Arrowsmith map on a reduced scale for dissemination among the many potential German immigrants to Texas in the mid-1800s, according to Bush. As a result, the map is sometimes referred to as the German Arrowsmith because of the similar cartography. Arrowsmiths 1841 map probably was the first to show the full extent of Texas claim to the upper Rio Grande, the northern border of which ended at the Arkansas River. Flemming retained Arrowsmiths sprawling Republic of Texas boundaries through subsequent editions, even though the boundary changed with the Compromise of 1850, Bush said in a statement. Flemming even retained an erroneous statement describing the arid western region of Texas which stated that this tract of Country explored by LeGrande in 1833 is naturally fertile, well wooded, and with fair proportion of water. Thirty counties are numbered and identified by a key in the upper right portion of the sheet. In addition, the commissioner noted that Flemming followed Arrowsmiths model for his maps, as there is an inset plan of Galveston Bay at the lower left. Flemmings continental version has the distinction of being among the last maps showing the extended Republic of Texas boundary. Some sources state that the map is known to have been published up to 1853 without changes, according to Bush. The map includes bold tracings of counties boundaries. Large cities and towns are labeled, including New Washington, which had been burned by Mexican forces under Santa Anna in 1836. In recent years, the GLO has received several donated maps, ranging from early-day North American maps to a large 1854 map of North America to an incredibly rare 1848 Stephen F. Austin map of Texas. Texas became a state in 1845. The archives of the Texas General Land Office, home to 36 million documents and over 45,000 maps and sketches detailing the history of the public lands of Texas from the Republic era to the present, is one of the premier cartographic resources for Texas. Bush said reproductions of the donated Flemming map of Texas are now available for $20 each. All funds raised by map reproduction sales are directed toward the conservation of the GLOs archival collection. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A year after her former boyfriend violently attacked her, threatening to slash her face with a piece of a broken mirror, Alexandra Gonzalez still dealt with reminders of that Saturday night in January 2013. Gonzalez lost her job and struggled with sleepless nights, anxiety attacks, bouts of depression and feelings of guilt, anger and fear. But slowly, with time, she found healing. I had to literally forgive myself for finding myself in this situation, said Gonzalez, 43. It was his mistake, not mine. I didnt ask to be hit. I didnt ask to be almost killed. Weve been taught its shameful to talk about these things, Gonzalez added. I decided I didnt want to be silent. I want to tell my story. I want to live. Her story is a testament to the prevalence of domestic violence directed at women in the U.S. and the wide range of psychological and medical problems that survivors of domestic abuse experience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 1 in 4 women have experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Of those women, about 60 percent experienced fear and concerns for their safety after being attacked, while 52 percent had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, which is administered by the CDC. Today, Gonzalez has a job again, and she volunteers at several nonprofit organizations that aim to end domestic violence. Shes committed to telling her story and helping women who were once in her shoes. I want my children to know my story, Gonzalez said. That I fought for my life several times, and that these experiences did not change my spirit, they did not change my heart. After that fateful evening in 2013, Gonzalezs ex, Timothy Zapata, was arrested and charged with assault on a family member. It was then that Gonzalez learned that Zapata had been convicted of domestic violence before. In July 2013, Zapata pleaded no contest to Gonzalezs assault and was sentenced to five years in prison, according to court records. Hes been up for parole several times, and each time, Gonzalez has spoken to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles requesting that his parole be denied. In January, Zapata is expected to be released. Gonzalez said shes nervous but is going to remain active and continue standing up for herself. Shes in the process of seeking a second protective order to keep him away (she filed for the first after the assault), and shes going to petition the courts to restrict him from Bexar County. Its easy to let it go, Gonzalez said. Its easy to say, Im tired of doing this, but you shouldnt. You have to be active. You have to stand up for yourself. If you arent going to stand up for yourself, who will? Warning signs After a failed marriage when she was younger, Gonzalez decided in fall 2012 to start dating online. She would purposely look for someone stable, kind and willing to settle down. Zapata messaged her on an online dating website in October that year, and the two began talking. In hindsight, Gonzalez realizes that there were warning signs early on. There were times that he would threaten me, Gonzalez said. I dont know why at the time I didnt take those threats to heart. After that, he would say he was sorry and that he didnt mean it that way. I thought I was reading into it too much. Around that time, Gonzalez decided to buy a car. Zapata helped her with the arrangements, but soon, he grew possessive of the vehicle. On Nov. 25, he took the car keys from Gonzalez and pushed her out the door so hard that she fell on her knees, bruising them. At first, Gonzalez didnt do anything about it, but after Zapata still hadnt returned the car after a week, she told her son. Gonzalez, her son and a family friend approached Zapata at his workplace. When he wouldnt return the vehicle, they called police, who forced him to return the keys. At that point, Gonzalez told police he had hit her. They took photos of the bruises on her knees and she gave a statement, but she decided not to press charges because she had her car back. She also worried that the therapists and doctors she worked with at a home health agency might judge her if they found out she was a domestic violence victim. The two stopped dating, but Zapata reached out in late December and apologized. He said he wanted to start the new year off right. I dont know why, but I said OK, Gonzalez said. Against my better judgment I said, Well see what happens. The two talked for about three weeks before meeting Jan. 23, 2013, to get pizza with friends. The evening was going well, Gonzalez recalled, but then Zapata got a call inquiring about rent. Suddenly, he grew angry and began asking for money. After dinner, Gonzalez and Zapata stopped by a friends house before returning to his home around 8 or 9 p.m. There, Zapata began yelling at Gonzalez, accusing her son of stealing from him. Zapata left and returned home around 3 a.m., apparently drunk. Again, he grew angry. This time, he began attacking her, according to court records. He punched her in the forehead and started throwing full cans of beer at her. He broke a mirror and threatened to slash her face with a piece of the broken glass. I begged Timothy to let me go home, Gonzalez later wrote in a statement. He stated I would not leave his home alive. At that point, Gonzalez said, she realized that she had to stand up for herself. She had to fight. She discreetly began recording audio on her cellphone, figuring she could send it to a friend so the friend could send help or, if she was killed, tell her family what happened. Throughout the recording, Zapata can be heard cursing at Gonzalez and threatening her son. At one point, the sound of a loud strike can be heard. Then Gonzalez begins crying. It was like being in a bad dream, but you dont know how to get out of it, Gonzalez said. You dont know if you should love him to get out or if you should fight him to get out. Gonzalez doesnt know why, but eventually Zapata let her leave. She grabbed her keys, scrambled to the car and locked the doors. Zapata followed and began pounding on the car. Gonzalez sped off, stopping several blocks away to call 911. Then she lowered her head onto the steering wheel. She trembled and cried as she began praying. Police responded and arrested Zapata on a charge of assault on a family member, along with charges from two warrants. I remember them saying, We got him, Gonzalez recalled. I asked if I would have to see him. They said no, and I sighed a sigh of relief. He had this darkness to him. I had never felt anything so dark in my life. Finding love After the attack, Gonzalez lost her job and began struggling with a severe depression. She blamed herself for the attack and wondered what she did wrong. But she continued putting one foot in front of the other. She started seeing a psychologist, and in early 2014, she received a certificate in community leadership from Alamo Colleges. She also began volunteering at San Anto Cultural Arts, the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center and the P.E.A.C.E Initiative. Through her volunteer work, Gonzalez met Roberto Leija. At first, Gonzalez was wary of dating again. She was still depressed and had a hard time trusting people. Even now, when Gonzalez hears the Threes Company theme song which was playing the night Zapata attacked her she has flashbacks. For a long time, she rejected Leijas advances. But he was patient, loving and understanding. They eventually became friends. Gonzalez said Leija helped her through numerous panic attacks and difficult days. They dated for about four years and married this year. They say God works in mysterious ways, and I believe that, Gonzalez said. I learned to love by not being loved the right way. eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HARLINGEN Paul Lombardi and Daniel Johnston flocked to the Rio Grande Valley to see birds green jays and black-tailed gnatcatchers, pied-billed grebes and tropical parulas, to name a few. The group of wildlife refuges along the meandering Rio Grande attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, searching for species found nowhere else in the country. Even as exotic birds continue to captivate visitors, these days, conversation often turns to President Donald Trump and the specter of his big, beautiful wall looming over the native habitat that remains here. Its a shame, said Lombardi, a spry 76-year-old from the Salt Lake City area. They can pretend that somehow all the animals are going to get around the wall, but theyre not. The 54 miles of existing border wall and bollard fencing already cut through parts of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge wildlife corridor, but Trumps wall imperils several additional tracts, including the iconic Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, considered the crown jewel of the refuge system. Earlier this month, organizers for two of the Valleys biggest annual events the Texas Butterfly Festival and the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival did their best to focus on wildlife, but for many festivalgoers the border wall poses an existential threat to a cherished pastime. I saw the rusty-brown wall today, and it was not a pleasant sight, said Johnston, 69, a former elementary school teacher. In the long run, I bet these festivals will start to slow down. Thats what worries the Valleys tourism industry. Big money More than 165,000 nature tourists visit the region each year, infusing $463 million into the local economy and sustaining 6,600 jobs, according to a 2011 Texas A&M University study. The birding festival, the second-biggest event for bird-watching in the country, brings in nearly $2 million alone. About 600 people from five countries and 43 states attended the five-day festival this year, officials said. Creating the ecotourism industry has taken decades of hard work, fundraising and public-private cooperation. Much of the original native habitat in the Valley was cleared for farming. But in 1979, work began to create a wildlife corridor along the river from Falcon Dam to the Gulf of Mexico. Over the years, private landowners have sold parcels that community organizations, together with state and federal wildlife agencies, have carefully restored as habitat. Army Corps of Engineers maps show plans for 28 miles of new levee wall and 32 miles of new border wall in the Valley, slicing through the wildlife corridor. Congress has approved $341 million to repair and strengthen existing fence, far short of the $1.6 billion the Trump administration has requested, but its enough to worry wildlife advocates. In addition to nearly 3 miles of levee wall and fence through Santa Ana, the expected path of the fence would cut through or build around the 100-acre National Butterfly Center preserve; Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, a 797-acre preserve; and the Roma Bluffs World Birding Center. Santa Ana is slated to receive an 18-foot steel bollard fence atop a concrete-base levee wall. The project would also clear a 150-foot enforcement zone adjacent to the fence, all of which would cost an expected $45 million, Corps of Engineers records show. We dont take positions on politicians, said Jeffrey Gordon, president of the American Birding Association. Having said that, its clear that this proposed new wall is a disaster from a birder standpoint in terms of damage to habitat, in terms of loss of habitat. Blow to tourism Over the past 20 years, Keith Hacklands livelihood has depended on birders. All 20 rooms of the Alamo Inn B&B, Gear & Tours, where Hackland is innkeeper, fill to capacity during the butterfly and birding festivals. This year, everyone was talking about Trumps wall, Hackland said. Two things will happen when its built: It will change the aesthetics of the place, Hackland said of the wall. The other is that people will hear the place has been destroyed, which may or may not be true, but it will reduce tourism and affect the income of everyone in the Valley, including me. Fear of the unknown may already be taking a toll on ecotourism in the Valley. About 70 people showed up for the butterfly festival in Mission, generating $500,000 over four days. The buzz around this years festival was the sighting of an orange banner, Temenis laothoe, a species typically found anywhere from Mexico to Bolivia, not Texas. Still, the turnout was less than half the more than 150 people who attended the festival last year. The butterfly center plans to sue the government to stop construction of the wall through its property. I do think it has to do with the border wall, said Marianna Trevino Wright, executive director of the National Butterfly Center, a privately owned sanctuary. We might not be able to prevent the wall from going up, but hopefully we can prevent a wholesale destruction of the hospitality and tourism industry. About a decade ago, when the first sections of border fence broke ground under the 2006 Secure Fence Act, 18-foot bollard fencing marooned birding sites between the rust-colored barrier and the Rio Grande. One popular destination, the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse and World Birding Center, has not been the same since. A large swath of the birding centers trails ended up south of the fence and are virtually inaccessible, despite assurances to preserve the refuge for public use, according to Sue Griffin, the birding festival chair. As far as my being able to take people on an extended visit of that area and able to see all of the birds possible, I can no longer do that, I have to find alternative places for my participants to go, Griffin said. When that wall goes in at Santa Ana, I dont think anybody knows what will happen, but were hoping it will have some kind of a gate that gives people access to the other side. Investment at risk Since 1934, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Duck Stamp Act, the conservation program has funneled around $800 million toward the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. A little more than 1,980 acres of the 2,088-acre Santa Ana refuge were purchased through the duck stamp program. The refuge, established in 1943, is home to at least 400 bird species and 300 butterfly species. And yet, advocates note, the Homeland Security Department can brush aside environmental laws to expedite building the wall. So much money has been invested in these places, and so much money is derived from them, said Barbara Volkle, a Massachusetts resident who has been coming to South Texas since the 1980s. People come to birding because they want to relax. If people feel like they arent welcome, theyll spend their money somewhere else. Tiffany Kersten, a member of the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, moved to the Valley several years ago to work at Santa Ana. While she no longer works at the refuge, Kersten enjoys birding there and guiding others. She worked as a guide during two days of the birding festival. A sudden change of plans one day prompted her to give visitors the option of where they wanted to bird. I suggested Santa Ana, Kersten recalled, and they said, Thats that place that we may never have access to again. anelsen@express-news.net | Twitter: @amnelsen This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Against a backdrop of live Tejano music, hundreds of holiday shoppers perused a vast assortment of art, jewelry and other handcrafted goods Saturday at the International Peace Market, searching for the perfect gift for family, that special someone or, it often turns out, themselves. I love the crowd, the music and the handmade arts and crafts, said Helen Petry Stowe, a regular at the free event that began Friday and continues from noon to 6 p.m. today at the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, its host for 28 years, at 922 San Pedro Ave. Her daughter, Violette Dunn, 23, said, Wed rather support the locals than the Walmart. Vendor Rosie Zerpuche reported steady sales of her clay candelabras called Trees of Life, and other folk art items that she began making in her San Antonio garage a decade ago. You get to hang out with friends and meet new people and exchange ideas, said Zerpuche, 79, who has sold her goods at the annual market for years. Nearby, Teresa Jimenez Lopez exhibited elaborately embroidered blouses, shirts and dresses stitched by a collective that includes eight of her sisters in her hometown in Oaxaca, Mexico. Also on display were metal earrings featuring intricate filigree by husband David Lopez Lopez, 60, who learned the craft as a boy. More Information 2017 Peace Market What: More than 80 vendors offering wide variety of hand-crafted artwork and practical items Where: Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, 922 San Pedro Ave. When: Today, noon - 6 p.m. See More Collapse We are very proud to have our work showcased at Esperanza and to tell our story, Teresa Lopez, 58, said in Spanish through an interpreter. The 7.1 magnitude quake that killed nearly 400 people in southern Mexico in September also seriously damaged their home, but the couple says they are fortified by faith. International groups that rushed in with aid helped sustain them following the quake and, more recently, assistance from Graciela Sanchez, director of the Esperanza center, resolved logistical hurdles to bring them to the holiday market. Similar appreciation was heard from Jose Sosa Mendoza and Lupe Vasquez Gutierrez, another couple from Oaxaca, who also have counted on Sanchez to arrange housing, meals and other hospitality during their 14 years as Peace Market vendors. It has been the greatest experience to participate, Vasquez Gutierrez, 60, said through an interpreter while standing before a wall covered with beautiful, hand-woven decorative rugs made by relatives in five families. Sanchez considers the vendors almost family, particularly those she has recruited during her travels in Mexico. At the Peace Market, you can buy directly from the artists, and they might work with you (on cost), she said. Theyll also explain their techniques, from beginning to end. What may first appear an excessive price for a weaving is easier to digest once shoppers understand the intense amount of effort that went into creating it over a period of weeks or even months, Sanchez said. After spending too much time in line at the Kohls during a Black Friday excursion, San Antonio resident Terri Sinclair, 53, relished the comparatively tranquil setting of the Peace Market, where about 85 vendors hawked a mix of locally crafted and imported goods, ranging in price from just a few bucks to $3,500 or more. The offerings included lotions, soaps, masks, dolls and sculptures. For Corpus Christi resident Alma Cooley, the visit to the market evoked reminiscences of her childhood in Mexico. We just recently bought a new house so we need more artwork, she said as husband Michael picked out wall hangings on the centers second floor, where food and drink also are sold. Local teacher and painter Christian Withers cast the market as a more personal venue than big box stores. The market is about peace, harmony, cooperation and promoting the folk spirit, said Withers, 49, whose works often feature a feminine goddess figure. Its an alternative to the Black Friday mad rush retail shopping. Beverly Rodriguez made the drive from Houston to shop, but wound up also volunteering at the market. Everything is handmade, which is really important to me, said Rodriguez, 56. And theres a cultural influence on their products. While on the hunt for gifts for others, she confided, I spoiled myself with a handmade purse. zeke@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate McGREGOR As SpaceX, the brainchild of boundary-pushing Elon Musk, has become one of the biggest players working on the next generation of space travel, its test site in this Central Texas town has been quietly fulfilling an essential role in its quest. McGregor, less than 20 miles southwest of Waco, has grown to become SpaceXs second-largest location, in terms of employees. With the commercial space industry assuming a larger role in the evolving national space race, the Hawthorne, California-based company has been steadily increasing the size and workload at its McGregor test site, where it brings every one of its engines for testing. It is an optimistic time to be in the space industry, said Bill Ostrove, space market analyst for Forecast International, which provides consulting for aerospace and other industries. There is a lot of capital and talent flowing into the industry right now. Were definitely seeing a lot of advances that havent been made in a long time. The space industry received more than $2 billion in equity investment through the first nine months of this year, according to a report from Space Angels, a network of angel investors focused on early stage commercial space investments. That includes personal investments from individuals in the business such as Musk, Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com fame, Robert Bigelow and Richard Branson. Bezos Blue Origin, another of the bigger players working on powerful rockets, also has a base in Texas. SpaceX has successfully launched 45 missions since 2008, when it made history by getting the first privately developed liquid-fuel rocket into orbit. The rockets carry cargo into space for NASA, place satellites into orbit for commercial customers and complete national security missions for the U.S. government. First-stage boosters have successfully landed on drone ships or solid ground 19 times another history-making feat for SpaceX and three missions have reused one of the previously flown boosters. What more compelling mission is there than to make humanity an interplanetary species, right? asked Zachary Ledford, a former Army field-artillery officer who now works with SpaceXs human resources data and automation team. Theres nothing else going on in the world right now thats more exciting and more compelling. At McGregor, technicians and engineers build and maintain 14 test stands that secure rocket engines for testing, diverting the flames into a concrete trench. They work with their counterparts in Hawthorne to turn big-picture ideas into feats of modern science. Testing all those engines in preparation for their less-than-three-minute journey into orbit keeps employees at attention, and SpaceX is finding that military veterans play an integral part of its workforce. At the SpaceX test facility in McGregor, a third of more than 550 full-timers have military backgrounds. Employees say they are used to mission-driven tasks. Were where the action is at, said Michael Adams, a Navy Reserve officer and a SpaceX build-reliability engineer. Theres a lot of test ops out here. Were firing off engines. Were firing off stages. Theres a lot to be done out here. Co-worker Joel Fecke likens the work to his critical high-tempo job in the Army overseeing maintenance of vehicles, weapons and equipment for a cavalry scout squadron. The way we work together as a team, its really what speaks to the veterans, said Adams, who served aboard a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine. Only a handful of commercial companies are launching payloads into orbit or developing rockets. Orbital ATK used a medium-lift rocket last week to deliver cargo to the International Space Station as part of its contract with NASA. Blue Origin recently completed a hot-fire test of its BE-4 engine, which is capable of producing 550,000 pounds of thrust at sea level. The BE-4 engine will be used to power Blue Origins New Glenn rocket. The first-stage booster will have seven reusable liquid-oxygen, liquefied-natural-gas engines generating 3.85 million pounds of thrust. SpaceX is developing a heavy-lift and super-heavy-lift rocket of its own. The Falcon Heavy will have 27 Merlin first-stage engines, three times more than the Falcon 9 that SpaceX is currently flying, fueled by liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene. The engines combine for a total of 5.13 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. Theres a lot of interest and a lot of excitement in this area right now, Ostrove said of overall launch vehicle development. Musk is targeting Mars, ultimately. SpaceX is developing an even heavier-lift rocket, with new Raptor engines, that could one day reach the Red Planet. The vehicle is being called BFR. With 31 Raptor engines on the BFR booster, its expected to be more powerful than the Saturn V rocket that NASA used to propel astronauts to the moon. The Raptor engines will be fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane, the latter being available on the surface of Mars for the return journey to Earth. Raptor engines have been tested for a total of more than 1,200 seconds of firing across more than 40 main engine tests. SpaceX, Blue Origin and NASA are the main U.S. players developing heavy- and super-heavy-lift rockets, Ostrove said. The commercial companies, however, are taking opposite approaches to rocket development. SpaceX has less powerful engines but is building more of them. The rationale is that more practice will accelerate learning and bring down costs, Ostrove said. Blue Origin is putting fewer, more powerful engines on its rockets. Its rationale, he added, is that fewer working pieces will make it easier to integrate the various rocket elements. Blue Origin declined to comment for this article. Ostrove said the big question moving forward is whether the market can sustain both companies. That will largely depend on their pricing to carry payloads to the moon, Mars or beyond. I think its still very far out there, but were a lot closer to have, sort of, an economy around these heavy-lift launch vehicles, he said. Were probably closer to that now than weve ever been. Steve Fuchs, currently director of fabrication and support in McGregor, started working for SpaceX in 2005. He was living on Kwajalein Island, in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Australia, when the young company arrived with plans to launch rockets. Fuchs, who used reverse-osmosis equipment to create clean drinking water for troops, was working as a civilian contractor for the islands Army base, but he was immediately intrigued by SpaceX. He soon got a job preparing the launch pad and helping integrate the rocket. But everyone did everything in those days, so Fuchs also captained the 40-foot catamaran that ferried employees to and from the smaller island where launches would occur. We had a phrase in the Marine Corps that we used to use called Semper Gumby, which means always flexible, said Fuchs. Thats very much the same here at SpaceX. You may come to work thinking youre going to do a certain job, and that may change three times by the end of the day. He witnessed two liftoffs neither completely successful before moving to Texas in 2007. In the early days, most of McGregors SpaceX employees worked out of an underground bunker, a vestige of the sites extensive history developing explosives and missiles. The bunker had one restroom, a kitchen and offices. Fuchs recalled technicians working from two shipping containers pushed together. It was common for vehicles to get stuck in the mud and for the power to go out. Much has changed. The original test stand, left behind by Beal Aerospace, has been augmented with one more closely resembling a launch pad. Multiple buildings, spread across more than 4,000 acres, contain desks, work areas for technicians and rocket stages awaiting testing. That underground bunker is now a test control center. Complex systems are celebrated in the SpaceX Hall of Flame, with pictures depicting different iterations of engines undergoing testing. Employees cubicles are adorned with mission patches of successful launches. One notable Texas monument is the Grasshopper. Used to test guidance, navigation and control systems for landing a rocket booster vertically, the prototype has a name that comes from its large, insectlike landing gear. The Grasshopper started with hops of only a matter of inches, but ultimately it flew half a mile into the air. The celebrations of such successes also come with the recognition of setbacks. On Nov. 4, an engine caught fire during a qualification test that occurred before ignition. One test cell was damaged. No one was injured, and SpaceX doesnt expect the incident to affect its launch schedule. The engine being tested was a Block 5 Merlin, and SpaceX rockets are currently using the Block 4 Merlin. Testing of Block 4 Merlin and other engines has continued as planned. Such testing generally occurs twice a day, six days a week, so frequent that many employees hardly notice the noise. Yet some still go outside to watch. Fuchs can tell the type of engine and where its being tested by simply listening to the sounds reverberating through his workspace. Adams can watch second-stage tests from the window near his desk. I do take about 15 seconds, he said. I lean back and I look at it. And Im like, Yeah, thats cool. We do this for a living. Adams was transitioning to the Navy Reserve and working on his masters degree in aerospace engineering when he stumbled across SpaceX. He had been interviewing with the more established space organizations and planned to be a company man. Thats what space was. Space was the pencil ties and the pocket protectors, he said. But as government funding dried up, the established aerospace players werent able to pay for his level of experience. Adams came across a SpaceX booth at a career fair. His quality assurance experience with high-risk submarine systems has fit nicely with his current role of minimizing and eliminating risk while testing second-stage rocket boosters. SpaceX recruits employees with the skills and drive for making humans a multiplanetary species, said Brian Bjelde, vice president of human resources. In a statement, he described veterans as smart, passionate and driven individuals who are committed to achieving that mission and they bring a wide array of skills that can be deployed in so many of our roles. Ledford, the former artillery officer, was recruited via LinkedIn while earning his MBA at Baylor University. His grandfather worked at Vandenberg AFB, where SpaceX launches some of its rockets. As a kid, Ledford read books on solar systems and built rockets out of Legos. I really couldnt believe it, he recalled of the cold call from SpaceX. I was trying to hold back excitement. Fuchs said he can find himself talking about his job for hours with friends and family. I didnt join the company knowing were going to get this far, he said. So to be part of that journey, to see what weve done so far and then to know the potential of what we have to do, is just incredibly exciting. Fifteen years ago, the Pearl was an unlikely prospect for redevelopment. The deserted brewery was prone to flooding and next to an overgrown stretch of the San Antonio River with homeless encampments. Walmart considered it for a distribution center. Its transformation into a prosperous urban community is a source of hope and pride for local builders and politicians proof that derelict parts of San Antonio can have a second life. But all the growth thats taken place at the Pearl, and along the adjacent Broadway corridor and River North area of downtown, didnt occur on its own. It has been helped along by about $42 million worth of property tax breaks, cash grants, fee waivers and forgivable loans from the city with another $3.1 million from the county, according to data obtained through open records requests. Developers say they still need taxpayer help to build around the Pearl to make up for the high costs of land, construction and infrastructure repairs. But many local politicians are asking whether its time to cut off the funding, now that the area is home to San Antonios most expensive apartments and developers are flooding the area with plans for new homes and office buildings. How do we know when to stop helping? District 6 City Councilman Greg Brockhouse said in an interview. Thats what infuriates people about the Broadway corridor. Its just, enough already! Regular humans cant live over there. The regular San Antonian cant enjoy dinner at the Pearl. They can get an appetizer at Southerleigh, but thats about it. Last month, Brockhouse and Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff asked for reevaluations of city and countys incentive programs. Their concern is that too many incentives are used around the Pearl at the expense of neighborhoods that need them more. Their requests came after officials approved a controversial $8.4 million package to San Antonio credit union Credit Human to move its headquarters from the North Side into a 10-story office tower at the Pearl. Stricter guidelines Brockhouse and Wolff say the city and county should come up with stricter guidelines to determine when to stop incentivizing growth in neighborhoods like the Pearl for example, by excluding areas that reach certain levels of rental costs. Two other county commissioners, Tommy Calvert and Paul Elizondo, say they want to shift the focus of the countys incentives policy onto low-income areas. I want to save incentives for neglected areas of town where development has gone wanting, Elizondo said. For years, weve been wanting to have those incentives in the south and also on the west and east sides of our community. In the meantime, the city and nonprofit Centro San Antonio plan to reevaluate the citys development incentives early next year, Assistant City Manager Lori Houston said in an email. Depending on feedback from the community, the policies could be modified to incentivize affordable housing, she said. Incentives could also be used to promote growth in the 13 regional centers identified in the citys SA Tomorrow plan adopted last year. Builders say the Pearl area isnt ready to function without incentives. Because of high land and construction costs, development projects are not yet profitable without government help, said Bill Shown, the director of development for Silver Ventures, which built the Pearl. For example, Silver Ventures will have to build an underground parking garage, at a cost of about $30,000 a space, for a 223-unit apartment complex it plans to construct at the crossing of Interstate 35 and U.S. 281, Shown said. A suburban developer could build a surface lot at a much cheaper price, he said. Infrastructure costs Another purpose of incentives is to help urban developers recoup the cost of putting infrastructure in place for their projects, such as burying power lines and improving sidewalks, developers say. To be sure, suburban builders also often pay for infrastructure improvements. All San Antonians benefit when local government encourages growth in urban areas, Shown and other downtown advocates say. They argue that a vibrant urban core helps the citys economy by attracting new companies and well-educated young employees, and that San Antonio needs to compete with other cities that are building up their downtowns. On top of that, urban growth strengthens the local tax base, preventing San Antonio from becoming a hollowed-out city like Detroit, Shown said. The Pearls property tax bill was $144,000 in 2003, the year after it was bought by Silver Ventures, he said. This year, it was $6.7 million, with the city refunding $783,000 of that because of incentive deals, he said. Shown said he cant predict when incentives will no longer be necessary for the Pearls growth. It depends on how construction costs and rents change in the future, he said. The point at which incentives are no longer necessary is when we reach the pinnacle of our aspirations, he said. When weve reached everything we aspire to as a community, then we can stop working together as a community. Growth in the urban core Theres no doubt that the Pearl has been a huge success in the 15 years since local billionaire Christopher Kit Goldsbury targeted it for redevelopment. The brewery, formerly a textbook example of urban blight, has become a popular tourist destination, with many of San Antonios top-rated restaurants. It is home to Hotel Emma, one of the citys top hotels, and the Cellars, the areas most luxurious apartment complex. This fall, the American Planning Association named it one of five great neighborhoods in the U.S., and the Urban Land Institute honored it through its Global Awards for Excellence program. The Pearls apartment market is booming. Nine major complexes with 1,821 living units have been built within a half-mile of the community since 2011, according to data from analytic firm Austin Investor Interests, and another is on the way. The areas average rent is $2.08 a square foot, well above the local markets overall average of $1.13. Most of the complexes are almost full with occupancy rates at or above 90 percent, the data show. The only exceptions are three that were built this year, including Cellars, San Antonios most expensive complex with an average rent of $3.07 a square foot. Its 76 percent full and was opened just six months ago. The Pearls office market hasnt taken off like its apartment market has, but its slated to grow fast with the arrival of Credit Human. It is hampered by high construction and land costs, but benefits from being right next to downtown and to the juncture of U.S. 281 and Interstate 35, said Larry Mendez, an executive with Transwestern, a commercial real estate firm. Thats a very strong market, in general, he said. Its very close to the CEO housing in Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, Alamo Heights. Soaring rents The two office buildings owned by Silver Ventures at the Pearl, with 256,000 square feet of office space, are 100 percent occupied, according to Transwestern. The asking rate for office space within a half-mile of the Pearl has soared by 56 percent over the last five years, from about $16.12 a square foot in 2012 to $25.18 this year. Ernest Brown, an investment broker with Rohde, Ottmers & Siegel Realty Services, believes that the city and county were justified in offering incentives to Credit Human. The company will bring hundreds of employees to the Pearl who will occupy nearby housing and support retail shops, he said. All of that will foster growth downtown. But The Pearl is almost mature enough to go without incentives, he said. Downtown itself is another story it still lags behind when it comes to job creation and restaurants that are friendly to locals rather than tourists, he said. The Pearl, after this, has probably reached its turning point. Downtown hasnt gotten there yet, Brown said. Downtowns office market has strengthened in recent years, with its vacancy rate falling from 27.4 percent in the third quarter of 2014 to 16.8 percent during the same time this year, according to Transwestern. The average rent rose from $19.20 a square foot to $21.10 over that time. Companies such as USAA have been picking up more office space downtown, and projects are in the works that would add 1.4 million square feet of space to the district, including new headquarters for Frost Bank and CPS Energy. The districts apartment market is also growing, but not at the pace of the Pearls. The number of apartments downtown increased 30 percent between the end of 2014 and the third quarter of his year, from 2,749 to 3,575, according to Austin Investor Interests. The average rent rose by 7.1 percent to $1.65 a square foot during that time. Many new apartment complexes are planned downtown, promising to bring another 2,253 units to the market. One local developer even says he plans to rent apartments for more than $4 a square foot unheard-of in San Antonio at a new complex on the River Walk. Policy shift If Brockhouse and Wolff are successful in their calls for change, it could mark the most significant shift in the city and countys incentive policies since former Mayor Julian Castro declared the Decade of Downtown in 2011. Castros initiative led to the creation of two city incentive programs. One of them, the Inner City Reinvestment and Infill Policy, encourages development in low-income and undeveloped neighborhoods through waivers of SAWS and city fees. The other, the Center City Housing and Incentive Policy, promotes the construction of housing in the urban core with property tax rebates and construction loans that developers dont have to pay back if they meet certain conditions. In the last six years, developments making use of CCHIP program have created roughly 2,426 apartment units, with another 3,016 units planned or under construction, according to an analysis of city records. Overall, the city has awarded nearly $140 million in development incentives through CCHIP, ICRIP and otherwise. Bexar County has been offering tax abatements for multifamily developments in the urban core since the mid-2000s. Developers have received about $8.4 million overall, according to data received through an open records request. Broadway corridor The Pearl, the Broadway corridor and River North have received nearly a third of the city and countys development incentives this decade, records show. About $42 million, or 30 percent, of the total $140 million in city incentives have gone to those areas. From the county, the neighborhoods received $3.1 million of the total $8.4 million. Another $38.7 million, or 28 percent, of the city incentives went to downtown itself, excluding River North, the records show. Forty-two percent of the countys total, or $3.5 million, went to downtown. Brockhouse said he wants to eliminate the boundaries of ICRIP, making all of San Antonio eligible for development incentives. The city also should make greater use of fee waivers through SAWS, CPS Energy and its Development Services Department to encourage growth, he said. At the same time, city officials should reevaluate which areas of the city are in extra need of development and give them a priority for incentives, he said. The reform would fit into recent talk of distributing city resources through an equity lens, he said in other words, giving more to needy areas than to well-off ones. We need to expand it in a way that incentives are available everywhere, period, Brockhouse said. Were redlining parts of town, for the most part. We dont even look at them. For his part, Wolff wants the county to come up with stricter standards for when neighborhoods become exempt from incentive programs and to better define the areas that are eligible. He questions whether aid should be given to projects at the Pearl just because there are needy neighborhoods nearby. OK, youre right next to a currently economically depressed area. Should you continue to incent there because it will by definition increase the opportunities for other areas close by? he said. Affordable housing? Calvert, the county commissioner, said at an East Side community event last week that he wants to make sure that residential projects receiving government aid are affordable. The city and county have incentivized some of San Antonios priciest apartment complexes, such as Agave Apartments on the border of downtown and Southtown, where rents for a two-bedroom range between $1,700 and $2,725 a month. The city and county gave a total of $5.2 million in incentives for the complex. Residents of urban core neighborhoods also have had misgivings about the citys incentive programs, saying they have overwhelmed residential neighborhoods with too much construction. Last year, City Council responded by shrinking CCHIPs coverage area to less than a fifth of its former size. Rose Hill, president of the Government Hill Neighborhood Association, has mixed feelings about incentives. On the one hand, they help bring what she calls good developers, such as GrayStreet Partners, which plans to build a massive cluster of apartments, retail and offices that Hill thinks will beautify the neighborhood, wedged between downtown and the Pearl. But she is unhappy with other projects, such as a row of townhomes on Grayson Street that received $218,000 worth of city fee waivers and tax rebates. She feels that the 14 townhomes were crammed onto a 0.45-acre lot, ruining the whole block. Incentives are good to some extent, but you need to think, what do the residents get out of it? she said. The citys getting something, but what is the community getting? rwebner@express-news.net | Twitter: @RWebner This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Art deco, the jazzy design movement that combined modernist style, rich materials and decorative influences from ancient cultures such as the Egyptians and Mayans, found a firm foothold in Texas during the economic boom of the 1920s and left a formidable architectural legacy in San Antonio. With its symmetrical facades, beaconlike towers, vertical lines, angular detailing, geometric patterns, metal and mural artwork, and zigzag ornamentation, art deco found its way into everything from gas stations to courthouses from the Kress building downtown to the Woodlawn Theater in the Deco District along Fredericksburg Road. If the 1931 Chrysler Building in New York City, with its stainless steel spire and ornamental gargoyles like hood ornaments, is the summit of art deco, then our own 1929 Tower Life Building, with its classic stepped-back skyscraper structure, shares some of its regal, modernistic blood. Id even argue that the Alamo Cenotaph belongs in the category, said Michael Guarino, chairman of the citys Historic and Design Review Commission and a designer with Ford, Powell & Carson Architects, although it is the sub-species called art moderne, because of its blocky assertiveness and relative lack of ornament other than the Coppini figures on it. Like the music and movies of the time, art deco conveyed a sense of glamour and luxury, a feeling that things couldnt get much better (besides that pesky Prohibition). Paul Follot, a leading art deco interior designer in the 20s, described the movement like this: We know that man is never content with the indispensable and that the superfluous is always needed. If not, we would have to get rid of music, flowers and perfumes. By that reasoning, ebony, ivory and gold detailing is not far away. A more recent critic put it this way: Pretty much everything art deco looks like it belongs on the cover of an Ayn Rand novel. The main appeal of art deco in Texas was that it was modern, according to David Bush, co-author with Jim Parsons of the 2010 book Hill Country Deco: Modernistic Architecture of Central Texas. Companies, individuals and cities constructed deco buildings because they wanted to appear progressive and forward-thinking, Bush wrote in a recent email. After WWI, people were rejecting anything that was considered old-fashioned, and construction was booming. Texas cities were growing rapidly, which opened up opportunities for deco skyscrapers and commercial buildings. In San Antonio, new suburban development resulted in some exceptional deco school buildings and a good number of modernistic houses. Art deco is not a single style; rather, it is a sort of catchall term for a wide variety of stylistic elements, drawing on everything from cubism to Chinese lacquer to King Tuts tomb. It was a reaction to the much curvier, fussier art nouveau style of the early 1900s (which was itself an answer to previous historical styles such as neoclassicism), and a forerunner of the boxier art moderne style, which gave way to the stark, functional, international style of architecture that dominated after World War II. Although some of art decos principles could be found in European machine age design before World War I, the name is associated with the thoroughly modern Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925. But the term didnt gain widespread use until the late 60s, with the publication of British architectural historian Bevis Hilliers book Art Deco of the 20s and 30s. Calling something art deco is a good way to start an architectural argument, but a short list of modernistic buildings in San Antonio that might be called art deco, or at least share its bloodlines, include: Casino Club (1927, 102 W. Crockett St.) Tower-Life Building (1929, 310 S. St. Marys St.) Express-News building (1929, 301 Avenue E) Frost Bros. department store (1930 remodel, 217 E. Houston St.) Alamo National Bank Building (1930, 105 S. St. Marys St.) Aurora apartment building (1930, 509 Howard St. in Tobin Hill) Borden Creamery (1933, 875 E. Ashby Place, now Star Storage) Hermann Sons Lodge (1938, 515 S. St. Marys St.) Olmos Pharmacy (1938, 3902 McCullough Ave.) S.H. Kress (1939, 311 E. Houston St.) Frank Brothers (1939, 115 Alamo Plaza, now Fuddruckers), Karotkin furniture store (1939 remodel, 217 W. Commerce St.) Joskes department store (1939 remodel, now Shops at Rivercenter) The Alameda Theater should probably be on the list, but it is hard to pin down since its a late example, and the most exuberant, Guarino said. Its the capstone on the era, even though its construction didnt start until 1945. Id put the Mission Drive-In within the same category. Many of San Antonios finest examples of art deco architecture are on Houston Street downtown, because it was the real main street of San Antonio and South Texas prior to WWII, Guarino said. Houston Street was the prestige showcase for the style and placed higher-end retail cheek by jowl with the citys theater district, the building types that really supported art deco at its apogee, he said. As the nation became more of an automobile culture, the nations gas stations and car dealerships reflected the new modern design, and many examples still can be found all over San Antonio, notably on older thoroughfares such as Broadway and Fredericksburg Road. San Antonio has a long Spanish architectural heritage that sets it apart from Texas other major cities. The citys architects notably Ayres & Ayres, a strong proponent of art deco design created modernistic buildings with a regional accent, incorporating influences such as the missions and other Spanish colonial elements. You see quite a bit of that in San Antonio in the form of Aztec and Mesoamerican-influenced designs, Bush said. The Casino Club Building on Crockett Street downtown is a beautiful example. Bush notes that modern buildings such as the former Alamo National Bank Building (now the Drury Plaza Hotel) have a lot of Spanish influence, as does the facade of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts (the 1926 Municipal Auditorium), the Taj Mahal administrative building at Randolph AFB and Jefferson High School. All those buildings show how Spanish traditions could be combined with deco modernity, he said. Art deco continues to have a lasting impact all over the state and the nation. Deco was always meant to be glamorous and dramatic, and people still react to that, said Bush, whose latest book with Parsons is Dallas-Fort Worth Deco. There are very human elements, even on the tallest skyscrapers. And many art deco buildings are still very important to their communities. People live and work in deco buildings. Look at how many schools, post offices and courthouses from the 20s and 30s are still in use, not to mention bridges and parks. A surprising number of deco projects are functioning 80 years later. Recently U.S. Senator Robert Menendez joined the (growing) list of politicians who have managed to beat back corruption charges despite engaging in ethically questionable behavior. Like former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (about whom weve written here and here), Menendez claimed that the extravagant gifts he accepted over a number of years, including first-class travel, luxury hotel stays, and lavish vacations, were nothing more than presents from a good friend. Never mind the fact that he helped his good friend, Salomon Melgen, obtain visas for his foreign girlfriends, handle an $8.9 million Medicare overbilling dispute, and pressure the State Department to take actions to benefit Melgens business interests in the Dominican Republic. In the Menendez-Melgen version of events, these kinds of exchanges between good friends are routine. Except that theyre not. Most of us dont routinely spend thousands of dollars on our friends, and most of us are not in positions to wield political favors. Even so, the Menendez bribery and corruption case ended in a mistrial after jurors said they were unable to reach a verdict. Ten of the 12 jurors reportedly believed that the prosecution did not prove its case. Without evidence of a direct quid-pro-quo, bribery and corruption are difficult to prove in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in McDonnell v. United States, where the court narrowed the definition of what constitutes official action in corruption cases. Following the McDonnell decision, former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos saw their high-profile convictions overturned. And former U.S. Rep. William J. Jefferson, who was famously caught with $90,000 of bribe money in his freezer and was sentenced to 13 years (the longest prison term ever handed down to a member of Congress convicted of corruption charges), was released from prison after seven of the 10 counts against him were vacated. This does not bode well for federal prosecutors who are tasked with proving corruption in cases involving politicians and their wealthy friends. The McDonnell decision has likely made it easier for politicians to engage in ethically questionable behavior. Changing federal bribery laws in the current political climate seems like a monumental task. Gift laws in the 50 states, however, are remarkably varied and present many opportunities for reform. For example, many state laws exempt gifts from personal friends and make no distinction between friends and lobbyists. Other states exempt travel and hospitality expenses as long as 20 or 25 people attend an event. And lawmakers consistently reject efforts to tighten these laws. For example, the Virginia General Assembly tightened its gift laws earlier this year by approving an aggregate $100 annual cap on gifts, but lawmakers rejected amendments that would have modified the definition of personal friend and required more stringent disclosure. In the absence of much stricter gift laws or precedent changing court decisions, what can be done? For one, politicians can simply pledge to not accept extravagant gifts from their friends. Politicians should treat gifts from friends the same as gifts from any other source. Aggregate limit and disclosure rules should apply across the board. Unfortunately, lawmakers have shown little proclivity toward applying gift cap and disclosure laws to their wealthy, gift-bearing friends. This doesnt mean that voters cant still demand that they do so. Last summer, we launched the Virginia Integrity Challenge and asked all candidates running for statewide office and for the House of Delegates to voluntarily disclose on their campaign websites all gifts that they receive while running for or serving in office, including gifts given to their immediate family members. We also asked them to disclose their campaign contributions and expenditures, and their personal financial disclosure forms. Candidates running for statewide office were asked to disclose their most recent federal and state tax returns, as well. We firmly believe that when candidates are transparent about their personal and campaign finances, citizens can make informed choices and hold those who serve them accountable. We were pleased to report that candidates in almost 20 percent of all House of Delegate races pledged their support for the Integrity Challenge and provided links on their campaign websites to their disclosures. This level of support was an encouraging start and demonstrated that there are politicians who are willing to be proactively transparent, whether or not the law requires them to be. Our goal is to have these lawmakers establish new voluntary disclosure standards that will eventually become the norm. No statewide candidate responded to our calls asking them to pledge support for the Virginia Integrity Challenge. While this was troubling, it was not altogether surprising. Candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General run higher profile campaigns, costing millions of dollars. Governor-elect Ralph Northam spent approximately $23 million on his campaign while his Republican opponent, Ed Gillespie, spent about $15 million. These lawmakers serve in a full-time capacity (unlike members of the General Assembly) and deal with a broader array of policy issues. Disclosure is all the more important for candidates running at this level, yet more difficult to achieve. But its not impossible as long as the desire to campaign and serve transparently exists. We urge Governor-elect Northam to lead by example and disclose all gifts he and his immediate family receive, regardless of the source. We also urge the governor to revive ethics reform in Virginia and push to do away with friend exemptions in the states gift laws. These actions would go a long way toward assuring Virginia voters that their voices matter as much as those of the wealthy and politically connected. _____ Shruti Shah is a contributing editor of the FCPA Blog. Shes the Vice President of Programs and Operations at Coalition for Integrity (formerly Transparency International-USA). She can be contacted here. Marian Currinder is the Policy Director for the government accountability portfolio at Coalition for Integrity Heres a treat from Anglo-Swedish writer Helene Fermont. An extract from her third novel, His Guilty Secret, which takes the reader on a scandalous tale of death, betrayal, love and no less than five affairs. His Guilty Secret Helenes novels deal with the psychological and moral complexity of issues that readers will easily identify with. Her experience as a therapist helps her to understand the true emotions of her characters, leading them through their grief, addictions and escape from their toxic relationships. His Guilty Secret Extract Its okay, Im here for you. Clemency asked a passing doctor for directions to the morgue. Both women went up to the front desk where a receptionist took their details. May I identify the deceased man instead of my friend, please? Shes too upset to do it. Awaiting the stern-looking girls response, Patricia had a change of heart. If its my husband, I want to see him, she said weakly, convinced she would die if that man turned out to be Jacques. Certainly, Ill take you there myself, the girl replied in a brusque manner. She got up from her chair and led them towards a small passage, then gave their details to a stocky middle-aged doctor sitting behind a screen. As she left, the girl didnt say goodbye or express her condolences. Shed long since learned to not get personally involved with people identifying their next of kin. To her it was just a job that enabled her to pay the bills. Patricia and Clemency followed the doctor into a sterile white room, which smelt of disinfectant. The doctor turned and looked at Patricia. I appreciate this is hard for you, Mrs Beaumont. Youre about to identify the body of your husband who was brought here yesterday afternoon at 3.00 p.m. Perhaps you would like your friend to accompany you? He looked at Patricia, waiting for her to respond. Patricia was too upset to talk, so Clemency replied on her behalf. Im coming with her, she said in a firm voice, not letting go of her friends hand. It seemed surreal to think that less than twenty-four hours ago, Patricia had been looking forward to seeing her husband and shed been preparing to spend the evening with her guests. Nodding, the doctor led them to a corner at the back of the room where a body was covered with a white sheet on a trolley. Pulling down the sheet, he asked, Is the deceased your husband, Mr Jacques Beaumont? Patricia let go of Clemencys hand. Leaning forward, she took a closer look at the face and upper body of the man shed spent the best years of her life with, and nodded. Yes, thats Jacques. What happened to him? Her voice trembled so much the doctor moved closer to hear her. Your husband died of a heart attack. Im very sorry for your loss. His Guilty Secret by Helene Fermont is out on 27th November 2017 and will be available on Amazon. For more information see helenefermont.com Royal Navy sailors performed the Changing of the Guard ceremony for the first time in its 357-year history. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Onlookers gathered in their thousands to watch on as 86 sailors performed the routine - in which one team of guards takes over from another in a colourful spectacle - to mark 2017 as the Year of the Navy. Eddie Wearing, the warrant officer 1st Class, said: "It's daunting, but I'm very excited. To be the conducting warrant officer for the first mount ever in the Royal Navy is a massive privilege and an honour to do. I'm really looking forward to it." During the routine, the sailors marched through the famous Buckingham Palace gates while the 'Game of Thrones' tune played out. The ceremony is usually carried out by Foot Guards from the Army's Household Division regiments, but the sailors underwent training for a month at the navy's headquarters in Portsmouth, southern England, to ensure they had the routine spot on. As well as celebrating the Year of the Navy, the sailors were also paying tribute to a number of additional ships in its fleet, including the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The Changing of the Guard has been taking place since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. The traditional Guards consist of five infantry regiments - the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards - and two regiments of the Household Cavalry - the Life Guards and Blues and Royals. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are expected to announce their engagement "any day now". Meghan Markle The news was expected to be announced by Kensington Palace last Thursday (23.11.17) with a congratulatory statement said to have been prepared for Prime Minister Theresa May, and while the news was not revealed, it is expected imminently. A Government source told the Sunday Express newspaper: "Everyone was expecting the announcement to go out at 11am on Thursday. "We think the Palace got spooked by phone calls from various media outlets. The statement was being prepared on behalf of the Prime Minister. "It's now being considered a case of any day now." Last week, the 'Suits' star was spotted being accompanied by bodyguards from the Metropolitan Police's Protection Command. It is said to be another hint that she and Harry could be engaged after his brother Prince William's wife Duchess Catherine was only assigned police protection after he popped the question in Kenya, a month before their official November 2010 announcement was made. TV crews from around the world began gathering at Kensington Palace last night (27.11.17) ahead of a potential announcement. What's more, Royal insiders told the publication that staff have been informed the pair's engagement news would be a case of "when, not if", and it is said the plan is to make such an announcement prior to Christmas. Last week, Harry, 33, and Meghan, 36 - who have been dating for 16 months - were said to be gearing up to ask the Archbishop of Canterbury for his blessing for a church wedding. Wider acceptance due to rise in disposable income and more women joining the workforce has resulted in the Indian women ethnic wear market growing rapidly over the past few years, according to a report, which attributes religious and cultural diversity with a wide range of festivals and celebratory occasions as a key driving factor behind this trend.The Indian women ethnic wear market, segmented into saree, salwar kameez, kurta/kurti and lehenga, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10 per cent between 2018 and 2022, says the report titled Women Ethnic Wear: The Changing Paradigm by Dublin-based market research firm Research and Markets. Wider acceptance due to rise in disposable income and more women joining the workforce has resulted in the Indian women ethnic wear market growing rapidly over the past few years, according to a report, which attributes religious and cultural diversity with a wide range of festivals and celebratory occasions as a key driving factor behind this trend.# The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the market size of ethnic wear on the basis of sector, type and product classification and covers Fabindia, W, BIBA Apparels Pvt. Ltd., SOCH Studio, Ritu Kumar, Chhabra 555, Satya Paul, Meena Bazaar and Nalli, said a press release from the firm. (DS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) recently wrote a letter urging the labour ministry to form a minimum wage board to review the existing wages of the readymade garment (RMG) workers. Industry insiders, however, say, the move followed international pressure and is aimed at averting a likely labour unrest related to wages.Refixing the minimum wages would help brighten the image of the apparel sector both at home and abroad, the letter, signed by BGMEA president Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman, said. The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) recently wrote a letter urging the labour ministry to form a minimum wage board to review the existing wages of the readymade garment (RMG) workers. Industry insiders, however, say, the move followed international pressure and is aimed at averting a likely labour unrest related to wages.# The sector has been facing adverse situations since December 2013 when the last minimum wages regulation came into effect, a business daily reported citing the letter. The last wage board had fixed the minimum wages for garment workers at BDT 5,300.More than 50 RMG units in Ashulia zone remained closed for a week following a strike enforced in support of the demand for wage hike, among others, which drew international attention.Following that, global rights groups highlighted the worsening workers' rights situation in the country's RMG sector and urged the European Union (EU) to review Bangladesh's eligibility for generalised system of preferences (GSP).According to labour leader Sirajul Islam Rony, factory owners to judiciously negotiate product prices with buyers and should not pass their failure on to the workers. (DS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The Nigerian Textile Manufacturing Association (MTMA) wants a ban on the export of cotton from the country as it is needed for local manufacturing. MTMAs acting director general Hamman Kwajaffa said this at a public hearing organized by a parliamentary committee on industry to discuss setting up a cotton, textile and garment (CTG) development council.Kwajaffa welcomed the move to establish the CTG development council, saying it would create a conducive environment for the economy, according to a Nigerian daily. The Nigerian Textile Manufacturing Association (MTMA) wants a ban on the export of cotton from the country as it is needed for local manufacturing. MTMA's acting director general Hamman Kwajaffa said this at a public hearing organized by a parliamentary committee on industry to discuss setting up a cotton, textile and garment (CTG) development council.# Lamenting Nigerias over-reliance on imported fabrics, Ruff n Tumble founder Adenike Ogunlesi said it is unfortunate that the country is yet to reap the benefits from the US African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) due to the reverses suffered by the textile and garment sector over the years.Secretary general of the National Union of Textile and Garment Workers of Nigeria Issa Aremu said urged the government to grant full autonomy to the proposed council. (DS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India World's fifth-largest cotton producer Uzbekistans state-run company Uzbekengilsanoat recently signed agreements with major South Korean trading companies Posco Daewoo, Color Paradise, Solsang International Corp, Ratel E & T Co. Ltd., Korea Factory and the Lotte Mart retail network to supply textile products worth $70 million to them by the end of 2018.During the meeting with representatives from the Korean International Trade Association (KITA) and the national electronic trading platform (KTNET), agreements were signed on joint activities to promote Uzbek textile products in Korea in 2017-2018 through the electronic trading platform KOREA Trade and on providing services through representations of Uzbek companies in Korea for electronic customs clearance. World's fifth-largest cotton producer Uzbekistan's state-run company Uzbekengilsanoat recently signed agreements with major South Korean trading companies Posco Daewoo, Color Paradise, Solsang International Corp, Ratel E & T Co. Ltd., Korea Factory and the Lotte Mart retail network to supply textile products worth $70 million to them by the end of 2018.# Korean businessmen especially liked the dyed and melange yarn, terry and hosiery of the group of companies Uztex, Osborne Textile, as well as knitted and denim products of Uzbek brands Bofanda and Bonito, Uzbek media reported quoting the press centre which covered the recent visit of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to South Korea.Uzbekistan is likely to achieve full processing of cotton fibre in 2021.The country, which annually grows about 3.5 million tons of raw cotton and produces 1.1 million tons of cotton fibre, has a target to bring internal processing of cotton fibre to 70 per cent by the end of this year.The country plans to create 112 high-tech industrial factories, and expand, modernize and upgrade 20 operating ones. All this will increase the export potential of the industry up to $2.5 billion a year and create more than 25,000 jobs. (DS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India The VDMA Textile Machinery Association has successfully hosted events for the textile industries in the US and Mexico. The textile machinery conference in Charlotte, US was held on November 6, 2017. A two day event was consequently held on November 8 and 9, 2017, in Mexico City. The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association is headquartered in Germany.More than 80 decision-makers of the US textile, nonwoven and carpet industry as well as 25 leading textile machinery and accessories manufacturers participated in the US conference. The event in Mexico City attracted nearly 450 customers and 30 textile machinery and accessories manufacturers, making it one of the most successful events of the VDMA Textile Machinery Association ever. The VDMA Textile Machinery Association has successfully hosted events for the textile industries in the US and Mexico. The textile machinery conference in Charlotte, US was held on November 6, 2017. A two day event was consequently held on November 8 and 9, 2017, in Mexico City. The Mechanical Engineering Industry Association is headquartered in Germany.# The conference in Mexico City was addressed by Jose Cohen Sitton, president of the National Chamber of the Textile Industry Canaintex. Where these two events focused on customers, the training session at the Instituto Politecnico Nacional (Escuela Superior de Ingenieria Textil) in Mexico City on November 10, 2017 aimed at future engineers. About 500 textile engineering students followed the technical presentations from 18 textile machinery and components manufacturers.The company delegates also visited the machinery department of the faculty. The VDMAs contribution to improve the education of future customers was very much appreciated.In the US and Mexico, the VDMA member companies presented their latest production technologies from spinning to dyeing and finishing. Major topics addressed were digitalisation of the textile and textile machinery industry (Industrie 4.0 / industrial internet), higher efficiency and profitability, energy, water and material savings, new applications with growth potential, such as composites and nonwovens, higher quality with measurement, control and testing devices, technical training centres. (GK) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India NEC Seiichiro Toda s-toda@cj.jp.nec.com +81-3-3798-6511 TOKYO, Nov 27, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4005) today announced that it has adopted Software-Defined Networking (SDN) (1) solutions developed by NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) at its Chiba Works and constructed a new network infrastructure for the Works, aiming at realizing a next-generation manufacturing plant driven by IoT (a digital plant).Sumitomo Chemical's Three-Year Corporate Business Plan stresses the importance of "Business and Work Process Innovation Through IoT" as one of its strategic initiatives for sustainable growth. The Company is working proactively, among other things, to realize a digital plant by leveraging IoT technologies and promote greater real-time visibility and sophistication in the Sumitomo Chemical Group's global supply chain information management.Sumitomo Chemical considers it essential to reduce a variety of risks it faces in the IoT era of ubiquitous connectivity by deploying and strengthening multi-layered networks in order to minimize potential damage from cyberattacks and unexpected failures.The new network infrastructure at Sumitomo Chemical's Chiba Works has been designed and constructed around NEC's SDN-compatible product, the UNIVERGE PF series. Primary features include the following:1. Enables the flexible, rapid construction of a new networkSDN enables the flexible and rapid construction of a Virtual Tenant Network (VTN) (2) with different security levels. This permits the application of different security policies to each system and helps to minimize the damage level from cyberattacks, while supporting systems utilizing IoT.2. Visualizes the entire network with a GUIThe use of SDN enables the visualization of network configuration and the status of communications on a Graphical User Interface (GUI)(3) screen and centralizes control over the virtual network. This allows the rapid pinpointing of a failure if it occurs and enables measures to be taken for early recovery.The benefits of implementing SDN at Sumitomo Chemical's Chiba Works include the following:1. Minimizes impact of line disturbance between separated plant sitesSumitomo Chemical's Chiba Works is separated into two sites, the Anegasaki District and the Sodegaura District, both of which are connected with each other by a network at all times. Under normal conditions, common network segments are in place and operated for the entire Chiba Works by controlling them from the Anegasaki District. According to the new network, a backup SDN controller installed in the Sodegaura District and "a dual cluster function"(4) enable each of the Districts to operate its own network independently of the other. Such an alignment serves to minimize the impact of a line disturbance on the entire operation of the Chiba Works should it occur in one of the Districts, thereby contributing to increased competitiveness of the Chiba Works as well as its safe and stable operation.2. Reduces network maintenance and operation costsThe use of SDN allows the Company's personnel in charge of information system operation, instead of a system engineer from an external firm, to build and operate multi-layered networks more easily while maintaining their security. As a result, it is expected that the Chiba Works could reduce the current network maintenance cost by approximately 30%.3. Facilitates realizing a digital plantSumitomo Chemical is working on building a system which is capable of performing on-site maintenance with a tablet PC, such as examining drawings of facilities, equipment, etc. within the plant and prepare maintenance records at the site. A virtualized network with SDN enables maintenance staff to have easy access to information on plant instruments and equipment at the site while keeping strict security measures unaffected. In addition, as part of its preventative plant maintenance activities, Sumitomo Chemical is looking into the viability of predicting potential failures at the plant by means of AI and big data analysis with the use of sensors attached to plant equipment for collecting process data.(1) SDN (Software-Defined Networking): An architecture whereby networks are dynamically controlled by software.(2) VTN (Virtual Tenant Network): A logical network that is configured by software on the common physical network.(3) GUI (Graphical User Interface): A user interface where an operation target is represented by a picture. The interface can be operated intuitively using a mouse.(4) A system that enables operations to continue, even in the event of an unexpected failure or disaster, by employing two spare devices in addition to two devices that operate under normal conditions.About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.Based on its Mid-term Management Plan 2015, the NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.nec.com/en/global/about/solutionsforsociety/message.html.Source: NEC CorporationContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Group press release | Zurich, Switzerland, 27 November 2017 ABB and Kawasaki announce collaborative robot automation cooperation World's first collaboration that focuses on "cobots" and creation of common industry approaches to safety, programming and communications ABB and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, two global industrial automation and robot suppliers, announced today that the companies will join forces to share knowledge and promote the benefits of collaborative robots, in particular those with dual arm designs. The global cooperation will become effective immediately. Under the new cooperation, which is the world's first to focus on 'cobots,' both robot makers will continue independently manufacturing and marketing their own offerings while working together on joint technical and awareness opportunities. This includes educating policy makers, NGOs and the general public about the benefits of collaborative automation, and creating common industry approaches to safety, programming and communications. Collaboration between people and robots, machines and processes is increasingly important as production in many industries has shifted from larger lots with little variation to low volumes with a high mix. This means more variability and more human intervention. Collaborative automation allows people and robots to each contribute their unique strengths - people offer process knowledge, insight and improvisation for change, while robots offer tireless endurance for repetitive tasks. The cooperation also represents collaboration across borders, with ABB as Europe's largest robot supplier and Kawasaki one of Asia's industrial giants. "The scale and pace of change in the robotics industry today is unimaginable," said Per Vegard Nerseth, Managing Director of ABB's Robotics business. "Beyond the technologies behind collaborative automation, there is also a need for innovative new ways of working together and creating common industry approaches to safety, programming and communications." "Collaborative robots, especially those with two arms capable of human interactions, can greatly contribute to society and help the world cope with labor shortages and an aging workforce. We see high potential in expanding collaborative applications and processes where people and technology work together to create solutions," said Yasuhiko Hashimoto, Managing Executive Officer and General Manager, Kawasaki Robot Division. "I'm very pleased that ABB and Kawasaki are joining forces to lead the drive for more user-friendly, advanced collaborative automation." ABB is recognized as a pioneer in collaborative automation through its YuMi dual arm robot, the world's first truly collaborative robot. The YuMi robot makes it possible for people and robots to safely share common tasks such as assembling small electronics. Kawasaki is offering a very unique and innovative Dual-Arm SCARA Robot "duAro", which has been developed based on extensive application know-how and which can safely collaborate with humans in the workplace. The first output from this cooperation will be a collaborative dual arm robot demonstration in Booth IR3-56, IR5-22 and SR-82 at IREX, to be held in Tokyo, Japan from November 29 to December 2, 2017. ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a more than 125-year history of innovation, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization and driving the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 136,000 employees. www.abb.com ABB Robotics is a pioneer in industrial and collaborative robots and advanced digital services. As one of the world's leading robotics suppliers, we are active in 53 countries and over 100 locations and have shipped over 300,000 robot solutions in a diverse range of industries and applications. We help our customers to improve flexibility, efficiency, safety and reliability, while moving towards the connected and collaborative factory of the future. (www.abb.com/robotics: http://www.abb.com/robotics) Kawasaki was founded more than 120 years ago and has been developing globally while producing revolutionary products by working together to ensure technology synergies across its different divisions. Kawasaki is now recognized as a global leader in diverse industries in wide ranging fields going beyond land, sea and air, offering state-of-the-art technologies for environmental and energy infrastructure, machinery and robotics, and various types of transportation in marine, railway and aerospace to a leisure vehicles as motorcycles and personal watercraft in global basis with about 35,200 employees. (global.kawasaki.com: https://www.khi.co.jp/) Kawasaki Robotics is a leading supplier of industrial robots and robot automation systems with a broad product portfolio having shipped 170,000 robots in about 50 countries. As a pioneer in Japan, Kawasaki celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017. As one of the world's leading robotics suppliers, we are now transforming ourselves from an industrial to a fully integrated robot supplier. Kawasaki is a solution provider having deep application know-how through diverse business and products on land, sea and air. (robotics: http://robotics.kawasaki.com/)(.: http://robotics.kawasaki.com/)(kawasaki: http://robotics.kawasaki.com/)(.com: http://robotics.kawasaki.com/) VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 27, 2017 / EastCoal Inc. (TSXV: ECX.H) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on Friday, November 24, 2017 in Vancouver, British Columbia. All of the resolutions presented at the meeting were approved by the shareholders, with the votes cast by proxy representing 7.76% of the total shares outstanding as of the proxy cut-off date, October 19, 2017. Election of Directors The number of directors was fixed at three members and each of the three nominees listed in the Company's management information circular dated October 27, 2017 (the "Circular") were re-elected to the Company's Board of Directors. Detailed results of the votes cast by proxy are set out below. Nominee Votes Cast by Proxy For % For Votes Cast by Proxy Withheld % Withheld Hendrik Dietrichsen 506,282 99.97 157 0.03 John Conlon 500,925 98.91 5,514 1.09 Abraham Jonker 500,925 98.91 5,514 1.09 Appointment of Auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was appointed as the auditor of the Company to hold office until the close of the next annual meeting of the Shareholders, or until their successor is otherwise appointed and the directors were authorized to fix the auditor's remuneration. For Further Information Damien Forer, Tel: 1 (604) 973 0079 Chief Financial Officer Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the accuracy of this release. SOURCE: EastCoal Inc. LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Aerospace & Defense company Ultra Electronics Holdings plc (ULE.L) Monday said its Communication & Integrated Systems business, based in Greenford, UK, has received a UK contract, worth 16.6 million pounds, to support the provision of advanced surveillance capability until 2019. The Group will also provide specialist support over the course of the system's use. In addition, the Group's Precision Control Systems business in Cheltenham, UK, has received a 9 million pound contract from defence and security company Saab of Sweden. As per this contract, PCS will supply HiPPAG airborne compressor system solution for the new Gripen E/F fighter aircraft. Owing to commercial and security considerations, no further information can be provided in relation to this award, the Group added. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. New generation of Peugeot Expert and Citroen Jumpy models will join the line-up of cars produced at the Kaluga plant by Groupe PSA from first-quarter 2018 50% localisation rate to leverage Russian supplier network First steps in Groupe PSA's rebound strategy in the region in line with Push to Pass commitments Regulatory News: Groupe PSA (Paris:UG) will start up production of the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Jumpy at the PCMA Rus plant in Kaluga from the first quarter of 2018. This decision, in line with the Group's Push to Pass strategic plan, illustrates Groupe PSA's objective to offer competitive vehicles to Russian customers, based on highly efficient local production processes and deep localisation, with the strong involvement of Russian suppliers. This is part of the Group's LCV strategy to triple sales volumes outside Europe to xx and double global profit by 2021. The level of localisation is expected to represent 50% for the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Jumpy, compared with 35% for the Citroen C4 and Peugeot 408. It results from enhanced cooperation with local suppliers. These two commercial vans will join the line-up of passenger cars specially produced for Russia in Kaluga by Groupe PSA, along with the Citroen C4, and the new Peugeot 408, which are among the best-selling models in Russia representing about 40% of Groupe PSA sales in Russia. "Enlargement of the range is now key for the Peugeot and Citroen brands to rebound on the Russian market. Our commercial offensive across the region also aims at meeting the needs of SMEs boosted by the economic recovery, with medium-sized vans and their passenger vehicle versions Citroen Space Tour and Peugeot Traveller to follow in a few months." commented Christophe Bergerand, Executive Vice President of Groupe PSA, Chief Executive Officer for Russia and the Eurasia Region, and President of OOO PCMA Rus. "Groupe PSA has nearly finished the technological preparations for production of light commercial vehicles, with the full cycle of manufacturing at the factory in Kaluga. As we know, the company has always had strong positions in Europe's LCV segment, so we think that the production of new automobiles will be successful. It explains Groupe PSA's plans to increase the proportion of local production in Russia and to begin the next phase, when new vehicles will be produced locally", said the governor of the Kaluga region, Anatoly Artamonov. PCMA Rus facility PCMA Rus is based in the Kaluga region, 180 km from Moscow. Operational since 2010, the facility has been producing vehicles since 2012, covering the full cycle of manufacturing from welding and painting to final assembly. The facility has two production lines: one for Groupe PSA saloons and another for Mitsubishi SUVs. Applied equipment and technologies fully comply with the international quality, environmental and technological standards of the parent companies. About Groupe PSA The Groupe PSA designs unique automotive experiences and delivers mobility solutions to meet all client expectations. The Group has five car brands, PeugeotCitroenDSOpel and Vauxhall, as well as a wide array of mobility and smart services under its Free2Move brand, aiming to become a great carmaker and the preferred mobility provider. It is an early innovator in the field of autonomous and connected cars. It is also involved in financing activities through Banque PSA Finance and in automotive equipment via Faurecia. Find out more at groupe-psa.com/en. Media library: medialibrary.groupe-psa.com @GroupePSA Communications Division www.groupe-psa.com/en - +33 1 40 66 42 00 @GroupePSA View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171127005322/en/ Contacts: Groupe PSA Lilia Mokroussova, +79160290026/+74959373134 lilia.mokroussova@mpsa.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/27/17 -- Canstar Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ROX) ("Canstar" or the "Company") announces that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Danniel Oosterman, will be retiring as an officer and director. The transition will be conducted over the next thirty days. The Company is engaged in a search process for a new senior officer. The Company thanks Mr. Oosterman for his work on the behalf of the Company and wishes him the best for his future endeavours. Future announcements will be made on the status of these matters. Canstar Resources will be holding a conference call on Tuesday, November 28 at 1:30pm EST to discuss the results of the Kenora Gold Project announced on November 15, 2017, and future plans. The conference numbers are: Local Dial-in Number: (+1) 416 764 8658 Toll Free Dial-in Number: (+1) 888 886 7786 ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dennis H. Peterson, Chairman Forward-Looking Statements Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward- looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contacts: Canstar Resources Inc. Karen Willoughby Director Corporate Communications 1-866-936-6766 kwilloughby@canstarresources.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - PNC Bank, a member of PNC Financial Services Group Inc. (PNC), said it has agreed to acquire Trout Group LLC, an investor relations and strategic advisory firm servicing the healthcare industry, with more than 80 clients in the life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. Terms of the deal, which is expected to close in late December, were not disclosed. Upon the closing of the acquisition, Trout will be combined with Solebury Communications, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNC. The merged entity will provide investor relations and strategic communications services to clients across multiple industry sectors. The combined firm will be renamed Solebury Trout Communications, with more than 60 professionals. Solebury Trout will maintain its affiliation with Solebury Capital, an equity capital markets advisory firm in the U.S. PNC noted that the acquisition of Trout Group is another significant step in its strategy to build a major communications and advisory practice to provide long-term relationship-based advice to its constituents. Solebury Trout will retain the Founder and CEO of Trout, Jonathan Fassberg, as well as the rest of Trout's existing team. Fassberg will join Solebury Communications' Co-CEOs Jeff Grossman and Lisa Wolford to jointly lead Solebury Trout Communications. They will report to Solebury's Executive Committee, headed by Alan Sheriff, Ted Hatfield and Victor Cohn. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 27, 2017) - Canuc Resources Corporation (TSXV: CDA) ("Canuc" or the "Company") announces that it has closed a non-brokered private placement financing with gross proceeds of $464,934, resulting in the issue of 1,162,335 units ("Units") at a price of $0.40 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share ("Common Share") of Canuc and one-half of one warrant to purchase one Common Share. Each whole warrant ("Warrant") entitles the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of $0.60 per Common Share for two years from the closing date of the private placement. Proceeds will be used to continue exploration work on the newly discovered breccia zones of the El Tule claim block, and on the high grade structures proximal to the Santa Rosa mine workings. Further releases with exploration results will follow in due course. Canuc has agreed to pay cash finder's fees of $4,600 and has issued 4,000 finder's warrants ("Finder's Warrants") in relation to the private placement. Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of $0.40 per Common Share for two years from the closing date. Securities issued under the private placement will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of closing. Directors and officers of the Company (collectively, the "Insiders") subscribed for an aggregate of 62,500 Units, for gross proceeds of $25,000. The participation of the Insiders constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements contained in sections 5.5(a) and (b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that participation in the private placement by Insiders will not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization and that the Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and not listed on the specified markets of s5.5(b) of MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report at least 21 days prior to the completion of the private placement since the existence of Insiders' participation therein was not determined at that time. The private placement is subject to final acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. About Canuc Canuc is a junior resources company whose principal focus is exploration and development of the San Javier Silver-Gold Project located 146 km east of Hermosillo in Sonora State, Mexico. The company also generates cash flow from natural gas production in Central West Texas, where Canuc has an interest in nine producing gas wells, and has rights for further in field developments. For further information please contact Canuc Resources Corporation: (416) 548 - 9748 cberlet@canucresources.ca Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements that include risks and uncertainties. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and apply only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements include changes in the prevailing price of gold, the prevailing price of natural gas, the Canadian-United States exchange rate, amount of gas produced that could affect revenues and production costs. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Company's annual financial statements and MD&A. Raymond Yip (centre), HKTDC's Acting Executive Director, and Annie Tsoi (1st L), Second Deputy Secretary General of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property, William Ip (2nd L), Director, Large Enterprise, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan of PayPal, Patrick Fung (2nd R), Sales Manager from Win Win Industrial Company Limited, as well as Ringo Wong (1st R), Group Founder of Sunshine Laundry Convenience Store Co .,Ltd. The inaugural SmartBiz Expo gathers more than 500 exhibitors from 43 countries and regions to showcase various technological applications, inventions and start-up projects to spark new corporate thinking. The third edition of the Hong Kong International Franchising Show gathers more than 130 exhibitors from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, Korea, the ASEAN region, Australia, Europe and North America. Thematic zones include Hong Kong Catering, Hong Kong Non-Catering, International and the Chinese mainland, covering franchising business opportunities in food and beverages, retail, education and various personal and business services. HKTDC Communication and Public Affairs Department Banbi Chan (SmartBiz and Franchising Show), Tel: +852 2584 4525, Email: banbi.yc.chen@hktdc.org Sam Ho (Asian E-tailing Summit), Tel: +852 2584 4569, Email: sam.sy.ho@hktdc.org Katherine Chan (BIP Asia), Tel: +852 2584 4537, Email: katherine.cm.chan@hktdc.org Sunny Ng (BIP Asia), Tel: +852 2584 4357, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org HONG KONG, Nov 27, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - From 6 to 8 December, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will organise four events for SMEs at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Through exhibitions and thematic forums under one roof, global experts in fields that range from technological innovation (artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, VR, etc), entrepreneurship, IP management and e-tailing will showcase value-adding and versatile business solutions for SMEs. Two brand new events, the SmartBiz Expo (6 to 8 December) and the Asian E-tailing Summit (6 December), along with the Business of IP Asia Forum (7 to 8 December) and the Hong Kong International Franchising Show (6 to 8 December) will generate synergy and help SMEs capture new opportunities.Raymond Yip, Acting Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: "In the fast changing digital age, SMEs must adopt innovative strategies to stand out from competitors. The HKTDC has always strived to help SMEs capture the latest business opportunities. The two new events in December, the SmartBiz Expo and the Asian E-tailing Summit, will feature the latest intelligence and professional services in technological innovation, e-tailing, digital marketing and brand promotion. Combined with two flagship industry events, the Business of IP Asia Forum and the Hong Kong International Franchising Show, the four events are set to help SMEs enhance their competitiveness in the fast-changing global economic environment. The events also showcase unique advantages of our service industries."- Inaugural SmartBiz Expo sparks new business ideasThe ever-changing global trade environment is presenting different opportunities and challenges. The HKTDC will launch the SmartBiz Expo this year to showcase technological applications and innovative solutions to promote industry exchange and to inspire new business ideas. The event seeks to help businesses satisfy consumer needs and maintain productivity and competitiveness through business transformation, innovation, upgrade and technology.The inaugural SmartBiz Expo will gather more than 500 exhibitors from 43 countries and regions to showcase the latest business solutions, technology applications and operations support as a one-stop platform. At the Techtopia zone will be an array of technologies for business transformation and upgrade, including augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The Boosters zone will feature diverse business solutions, such as cloud services and e-commerce systems, logistics, branding, marketing, consultancy and financial and legal services. In addition, the Envision Lot zone will exhibit the inventions and research findings from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Europe and Asia. The HKTDC will also set up The Hatchery zone to the fair to let local and overseas start-ups promote their businesses to potential business partners.More than 20 seminars will be held during the fair, inviting industry experts to examine global market conditions, business opportunities in AI, technological innovation and marketing strategies, as well as the latest trends in online shopping and social media. Speakers include Herbert Chia, Venture Partner of Sequoia Capital China; Leo Liu, Alibaba Cloud General Manager (HK, Macau, Taiwan & Korea Region); Andrew Young, IBM China / Hong Kong Limited Commercial Sales Unit Executive; Gerardo Salandra, CEO and founder of Rocketbots; and David Tang, CEO of BeeHive Network Information Technology Limited. In addition, the HKTDC will organise a three-day "FitBiz Rendezvous" programme, where a series of thematic forums and seminars, multiple pitching sessions and inventors & tech savvy demonstrations will help businesses find new inspiration.In the age of big data, corporations are actively exploring cost-effective marketing strategies. The HKTDC and the Trade and Industry Department will co-organise a seminar series entitled "InnoTech for Branding - From Surviving to Growing". Topics covered will include online marketing, branding with virtual reality, and big data. The seminars will help SMEs understand branding strategies, identify consumers, adjust business models and build brands.- Developments and opportunities in Asia's booming e-tailing marketAs the number of consumers in the region continues to rise, economies are growing and smart phone penetration is becoming prevalent, the region's e-tailing market is manifesting immense potential and business opportunities. Euromonitor International has estimated that online sales in Asia would reach US$650 billion in 2017, a year-on-year increase of 23 per cent.The inaugural Asian E-tailing Summit will be held on 6 December. The event is a one-stop platform for business professionals and online retail experts to come together and examine the latest sourcing trends and market intelligence. With a focus on Asia, speakers will discuss the region's successful cases of e-tailing and business solutions. They will also explore the business opportunities in the Chinese mainland and in Asia markets.The Summit will spotlight three main areas -- digital consumption, cross-border e-commerce and social commerce and omni-channel strategies -- and examine the challenges and opportunities of e-tailing. The Summit has invited leaders from e-tailing giants, marketplace and platforms, think tanks and brands to speak at the event. The plenary session in the morning will focus on the impact of rising digital consumption on the world economy. Speakers include Dai Feng Jun, General Manager, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Suning Commerce Co., Limited; Tao Yang, Chief Executive Officer, Kilimall International Limited; Will Ross, Chief Executive Officer, Lazada Crossborder (Hong Kong), Lazada Group; Giulio Xiloyannis, Managing Director, ZALORA; and Kiril Popov, Senior Analyst, Fung Global Retail and Technology.At the two concurrent breakout sessions, respectively titled "Worldwide Procurement for Cross-border E-commerce" and "The Social Commerce Movement - An Omnichannel Priority", speakers include Jenny Hui, General Manager, Cross-Border Trade, eBay Hong Kong and Taiwan; Michio Takahashi, Senior Manager, Cross Border Trading, E-Commerce Company, Rakuten; William Ip, Director, Large Enterprise, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan, PayPal; and Bobby Liu, Executive Director, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd.In addition, the HKTDC will organise two workshops to offer practical knowledge and introduce the latest e-tailing trends and digital retail solutions to SMEs and to those planning on using e-tailing to expand their businesses. At the same time, the workshops will promote industry exchange and partnership to generate more opportunities to cooperate.- Business of IP Asia Forum promotes IP & innovationThe seventh edition of the Business of IP Asia Forum (BIP Asia) is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC). This year's Forum adopts the theme "IP & Innovation: Propelling Change, Growth and Connectivity". More than 80 IP experts have been invited to share the latest industry opportunities and the event is expected to attract more than 2,500 IP professionals. The Chief Executive of the HKSAR Mrs Carrie Lam and Deputy Commissioner, State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China He Hua will officiate the opening ceremony.On the first day, there will be two plenary sessions in the morning. The first session will feature representatives from the World Intellectual Property Organization, the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation, the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters of the Cabinet Office of Japan, and the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office to examine the evolving IP policy in the innovation era. The second session will feature Gustav Brismark, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, Ericsson AB, and Toshimoto Mitomo, Corporate Executive, Intellectual Property and Mid-to-Long-Term Business Development, Sony Corporation to discuss how to craft a comprehensive IP strategy for the new world order.Technological innovation and intellectual property are closely related. Another highlight of BIP Asia is the "Global Tech Summit - The Revolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI)" on the second day. The HKTDC has invited world-renowned AI experts and Asian industry pioneers to share their business insights and views about the opportunities and challenges in AI development to get participants prepared for the next wave of AI revolution. Speakers include Dr Eric Chang, Senior Director, Technology Strategy and Communications, Microsoft Research Asia; Prof Simon See, Director and Chief Solution Architect, NVIDIA AI Technology Center; Herbert Chia, Venture Partner, Sequoia Capital China; Rick Zou, Executive Vice-President, National Eastern Tech- Transfer Center; Barry Chan, Partner, Financial Services Sector, IBM Global Business Services, IBM China/Hong Kong Limited; Bruce Ren, Chief Strategy Officer, UBTECH Robotics Corp; Aldrin Yim, CEO, Codex Genetics; and Chris Au Young, General Manager, Smart Airport, Airport Authority Hong Kong.A series of thematic seminars will also be held during BIP Asia to explore such practical and diverse subjects as business practices and legal tips, industry-specific topics and market insights. This year, new topics such as food and beverage, fashion, digital media and film adaptations will be covered. At the exhibition zone, free advisory service on knowledge transfer and commercialisation, application, authorisation and trading of patents, trademarks and copyrights, as well as relevant laws will be offered.- Hong Kong International Franchising Show - A platform for franchisees and entrepreneursIn recent years, the rising consumption of Asia's middle-class has attracted many international brands to leverage Hong Kong as an Asian franchising hub to expand to the Asian markets. At the same time, the booming franchising activities in Hong Kong have attracted many young entrepreneurs and SMEs to join the industry.The Hong Kong International Franchising Show returns this year as a one-stop platform for companies and entrepreneurs to look for franchising brands, identify business partners and find franchising tips. Entering its third edition, the Show will feature 130 exhibitors from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, Korea, the ASEAN region, Australia and Europe and North America. Thematic zones include Hong Kong Catering, Hong Kong Non-Catering, International and Chinese mainland. The zones will feature franchising opportunities in food and beverage, retail, education and various personal and business services. Many well-known brands will be on show, including popular local cold-pressed juice brand, bless; Hong Kong's KamCha Milk Tea; Korea's popular Nolboo; and Singapore's "I Can Read".The HKTDC will also launch the new "Franchising and Wealth Building" seminar series, inviting more than 15 industry experts and leaders from around the world to host seminars to share business tips. The seminars will encompass various franchising domains, covering latest topics such as new business concepts for F&B in the digital age, as well as franchising business management from afar. During the fair, the HKTDC will also arrange business exchange and matching activities to promote business exchange and cooperation.Fair websites:SmartBiz Expo: http://www.hktdc.com/smartbizexpoAsian E-tailing Summit: http://www.asianetailingsummit.comBusiness of IP Asia Forum: http://www.bipasiaforum.comHong Kong International Franchising Show: http://www.hktdc.com/hkifsPhoto download: http://bit.ly/2A7P0dwAbout HKTDCEstablished in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Senator Rand Paul, R-Ken., revealed Monday he intends to vote for the Republican tax reform bill and urged his colleagues to do the same. In an op-ed piece for Fox News, Paul acknowledged the Senate tax reform bill is not perfect but said he would still vote for the legislation. 'One of the main differences between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans, in general, favor less government and more tax cuts,' Paul wrote. 'That's why I'm pleased to see us moving forward on a plan for tax cuts, and why I hope to vote to pass such a cut in the coming weeks.' Paul said he is pleased that the bill calls for a $1.5 trillion tax cut over the next ten years but indicated he would prefer a larger reduction. 'I would prefer that the Senate bill match the House bill and keep some form of state and local deductions so that no one gets caught in the trap of losing too many deductions at once and failing to benefit from the tax cuts,' Paul wrote. 'I'd like to see more permanence on the individual side.' He added, 'Some of that is still achievable. Some of it is due to the peculiarities of the budget and Senate rules and will have to wait for another day.' Paul called the tax reform bill a true test for his colleagues and urged them to support the legislation in a vote expected later this week. Republicans can only afford to lose two votes and still pass their tax reform bill through the budget reconciliation process, and Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has already expressed opposition to the bill in its current form. Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said she wants to see changes to the bill, while Senators Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and John McCain, R-Ariz., have also voiced concerns about the legislation. (Photo: Gage Skidmore) Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 27, 2017 / Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a boutique securities firm headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City, is investigating CalAtlantic Group, Inc. ("CalAtlantic" or the "Company") (NYSE: CAA) relating to the sale of the Company to Lennar Corporation (LEN). As a result of the merger, each CalAtlantic share will be exchanged for 0.885 shares of Lennar Class A common stock or $48.26 in cash Click here for more information: http://monteverdelaw.com/investigations/m-a/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you. The investigation focuses on whether CalAtlantic and its Board of Directors violated securities laws and/or breached their fiduciary duties to the Company's by 1) failing to conduct a fair process, 2) whether and by how much this proposed transaction undervalues the Company by 3) failing to disclose all material financial information in connection with the upcoming shareholder meeting. Monteverde & Associates PC is a boutique class action securities and consumer litigation law firm that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders and consumers from corporate wrongdoing. Monteverde & Associates lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions, whereby they protect investors by recovering money and remedying corporate misconduct. Mr. Monteverde, who leads the legal team at the firm, has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Securities Litigation in 2013 and 2017, an award given to less than 2.5% of attorneys in a particular field. If you own common stock in CalAtlantic and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341. Contact: Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC The Empire State Building 350 Fifth Ave. Suite 4405 New York, NY 10118 United States of America jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com Tel: (212) 971-1341 Attorney Advertising. (C) 2017 Monteverde & Associates PC. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Monteverde & Associates PC (www.monteverdelaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. SOURCE: Monteverde & Associates PC In this exclusive interview with pv magazine, SolarWorld Americas CEO Jurgen Stein gives his perspective on the Section 201 trade case, including responding to criticism of potential effects on the U.S. solar market.pv magazine: SolarWorld has issued statements indicating that the trade remedies recommended by the ITC on October 31 will be inadequate to restore U.S. manufacturing. For those who missed that statement, can you sum up why you feel that none of the three proposals by the commissioners are sufficient, and why a solution like your company's tariff-rate-quota proposal is necessary? Jurgen Stein: First of all, we have to point out that the work of the Commission and its staff was extensive. They went into the details, and, we have to thank them for their work and their unanimous finding of injury to the U.S. solar cell and module manufacturing industry. They took this case and brought it to the level where we are, but we think their suggested remedies could be amplified in several points in order to ensure the long-term success of the U.S. industry. In terms of the remedy findings of the Commission, all of the commissioners recommended a remedy and that it should be for a period of four years. Which shows that the injury to the industry is obviously quite substantial, and that we need the full four years of remedy for the recovery of the industry. So, we appreciate that all of the commissioners recognize that fact. Three out of four commissioners recommend tariffs, and three out of four also said that the industry needs funding. These are helpful findings. What maybe missed is that only a tariff is not sufficient. It addresses the price level to a certain point, but at a lower level, there is the high risk that the import prices will continue to fall so dramatically that at the end of the day the market price we see - even after the application of a lower-level tariff - is not very much different than today. We also need quotas. We learned this lesson in the dumping cases against China and Taiwan. In those cases, we saw the industry suffer as a result of the dumping of product into the U.S. market, and then circumvention or underpricing of the dumping duty orders. So, we see a high risk that if there is only an ad valorem tariff, vs a per-watt tariff, that the foreign producers will have a manual to bring the goods into the United States on a price level which is again dumping. On the other hand, if there is only a tariff and no quota we are not addressing the other negative behavior of the foreign industry, namely, that overcapacities will continue to build regardless of global demand. Thus, without a per watt tariff and a quota, the countries that produce the overcapacity will continue to do so. This is the reason that we proposed a per-watt tariff and a quota. We can address it differently with a minimum import price or a floor price, as our co-petitioner did, but you always need some combination of tariff and other remedy. pv magazine: This is interesting about prices. The latest figures by Bloomberg New Energy Finance indicate that tier-1 Chinese PV makers were making solar panels at $0.32-0.37 per watt in Q3. Assuming that U.S. manufacturers get four years of trade protection, do you think that SolarWorld and other American PV makers will be able to compete with Chinese costs after this four-year period? Stein: Yes - we will be competitive after four years of an effective safeguard remedy. The problem is, and has been for some time, state sponsored subsidization of production from China and other countries. There is no reason that United States-produced solar cells and modules should be on a different cost level than anywhere else. The highest cost input is material, and that is generally the same globally. Given the technology efficiencies, labor costs are rather small as a part of the total production costs. With good automation and high Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de MEXICO CITY, MEXICO / ACCESSWIRE / November 27, 2017 / Human tragedy is the immediate observable consequence when natural disasters of devastating magnitude strike, but after the initial shockwave, the affected society turns its attention to matters such as infrastructure, housing, and public services. The process of restoration begins and with it come new opportunities, especially in the areas of building construction and civil engineering. This is likely to be the case in Mexico, which was rocked by two massive earthquakes in September this year and faces the onerous task of rebuilding. But reconstruction campaigns could actually provide an economic boost to the affected areas and create opportunities for new employment, according to acclaimed foreign exchange broker Pablo Soria de Lachica. Despite the damage caused by the two temblors, the Mexican central bank said in October it did not expect the national economy to be significantly impacted in the long term. Although short-term growth could slow down, the country is likely to make up for the decline, the bank's deputy governor Javier Guzman said. Economists also opined that rebuilding work could drive the economy up in 2018, with Moody's Analytics' Latin American bureau projecting an additional 0.4% to 0.5% to gross domestic product. Most of the reconstruction activity will be concentrated on building and repair work and given the scale of damages, it will take a while to reverse the effects and get the regions back to normal, Pablo Soria de Lachica noted. This means a steady stream of funding and investment along with the creation of many new jobs. Mexico's emergency relief fund was estimated at about $500 million, and in the aftermath of the earthquakes, President Enrique Pena Nieto promised that his government would provide funds and low-interest loans to support rebuilding efforts. It has long been observed that natural disasters often trigger a medium-term economic upswing, which in turn stems from investing in reconstruction and the resulting creation of jobs, as Pablo Soria de Lachica pointed out. Such are also the prognoses for Mexico's earthquake-hit regions, with believers including the richest man in the country - telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim. He was among the largest contributors to relief funds, announcing that his foundation had donated more than $100 million to support restoration projects. Slim stated that the earthquakes would fuel economic activity because workers 'will be hired for all the reconstruction and renovation needed for schools, markets, and cultural heritage.' It remains to be seen how long the employment boost will persist, but it will undoubtedly play a key role in bringing the local economies back to life. A graduate of Universidad Tecnologico de Mexico (UNITEC), Pablo Soria de Lachica has built a stellar reputation in the forex trading community and is regarded as one of the foremost brokers internationally. Combining professional guidance and educational projects, he aims to ensure the best outcome for his clients and maximize their profits. At present, Pablo Soria de Lachica is collaborating with Kartoshka, a company providing the latest technologies in sales, telemarketing and customer support. He is also passionate about environmental and charitable causes, supporting organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Delta Epsilon Sigma, Bridges for Peace, and the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. Pablo Soria de Lachica - Foreign Exchange Specialist: http://PabloSoriaDeLachicaNews.com Pablo soria - Professional Profile - LinkedIn: https://mx.linkedin.com/in/pablosoriadelachica Pablo Soria de Lachica Discusses Ways to Move from the Domestic Market to the Forex Market: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/pablo-soria-lachica-discusses-ways-160400994.html Contact Information: PabloSoriaDeLachicaNews.com http://PabloSoriaDeLachicaNews.com contact@pablosoriadelachicanews.com SOURCE: Pablo Soria de Lachica Regulatory News: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) today announces that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's ordinary shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"): Trading Venue: London Stock Exchange Date of purchase: 27 November 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 12,634 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 1,022 pence 13.64 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 1,009 pence 13.46 USD Average price paid per Share: 1,014.33 pence 13.53 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Date of purchase: 27 November 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 27,334 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 13.61 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 13.44 USD Average price paid per Share: 13.55 USD PSH intends to cancel these Shares. The net asset value per Share related to this Share buyback is USD 17.32 GBP 13.09 which was calculated as of 21 November 2017. After giving effect to the above Share buyback, PSH has outstanding 236,317,528 Shares. The prices per share in USD were calculated by Jefferies. The number of PSH Management Shares and the 1 special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) has not been affected. About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171127005915/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Maitland James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151 Media-pershingsquareholdings1@maitland.co.uk The global smart carry-on bags market is expected to grow at a CAGR of close to 25% during the period 2017-2021, according to a new market research study by Technavio. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171127005844/en/ Technavio has published a new market research report on the global smart carry-on bags market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) The report categorizes the global smart carry-on bags market by technology (USB charging, connectivity, and sensors) and by distribution channel (online and offline). The report also determines the geographic breakdown of the market in terms of detailed analysis and impact, which includes key geographies such as APAC, the Americas, and EMEA. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. Market driver: premiumization through product innovation Technological innovation drives the global smart carry-on bags market to a large extent. Various players in the market are developing innovative smart luggage with features like built-in scales, proximity servers, alarm systems, and water-resistant accessories. The prime advantage of a smart carry-on bag is hassle-free travel. Some of the pioneers in the smart carry-on bags market are Bluesmart and Samsonite. According to Narendra Nandaigari, a lead analyst at Technavio for luggageresearch, "These days travelers are increasingly concerned about the safety of their luggage. This has added to the high preference for smart carry-on bags that have advanced features. Smart carry-on bags are folded and are incorporated with a biometric fingerprint scanner, which is used to open the bag. Smart carry-on bags are also incorporated with Bluetoothconnectivity and GPS, which ensure enhanced security." Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Market trend: strategic partnerships Manufacturers of smart carry-on bags, of late, are collaborating with technology companies. For instance, Samsonite International has collaborated with Google to launch a device (Track&Go) that aids in tracking and locating luggage. Also, Bluesmart has collaborated with Uber services. In situations where a Bluesmart carry-on bag is lost and tracked, the bag is delivered to the user's location through Uber. Market challenge: app interface issues in smart carry-on bags All smart carry-on bags are incorporated with 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi features and can be connected to sensors. Sensor-connectivity issues can lead to a disconnection between the app and the smart carry-on bag. During instances of poor connectivity, users are unable to detect the device. Wi-Fi and firmware issues also hinder the demand for smart carry-on bags. A sudden crash of the app can trigger connectivity issues between a smartphone and a smart carry-on bag. Distorted power supply is another challenge that impedes the growth of the market. Power fluctuations lead to distortion of connections between the app and the bag. Such app interface issues challenge the growth of the global smart carry-on bags market. Is your business on track for a successful future? Learn how Technavio can help Technavio helps businesses anticipate changes in their marketplace, make proactive adjustments, and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. Key vendors in the market AWAY Barracuda Bluesmart FUGU LUGGAGE RADEN Trunkster The global smart carry-on bags market is a highly-concentrated market with only a few players in the marketplace. The integration of technological features, ergonomic designs, and convenience contribute toward the high demand for smart carry-on bags. Several manufacturers in the market are constantly upgrading their products in order to attract a large number of customers. Get a sample copy of the global smart carry-on bags market free of cost Access Technavio's continuously growing luggage research library and find expert analysis on hundreds of markets. About Technavio Technaviois a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171127005844/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/27/17 -- Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE American: GORO) (the "Company") declares its monthly instituted dividend of 1/6 of a cent per common share for November 2017 payable on December 26, 2017 to shareholders of record as of December 11, 2017. Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, USA. The Company has returned $110 million to shareholders in monthly dividends since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010, and offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends and take delivery in physical gold and silver. For more information on Gold Resource Corporation's physical dividend program, visit the Company website at http://www.goldresourcecorp.com/gold-silver-dividends.php. Dividends may vary in amount and consistency or be discontinued at the Board of Directors' discretion depending on variables including but not limited to operational cash flows, Company development requirements and strategies, construction, spot gold and silver prices, taxation, general market conditions and other factors described in the Cautionary Statements below and the Company's public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. About GRC: Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, USA. The Company has 56,891,484 shares outstanding, zero warrants and has returned $110 million back to shareholders since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010. Gold Resource Corporation offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery. For more information, please visit GRC's website, located at www.Goldresourcecorp.com and read the Company's 10-K for an understanding of the risk factors involved. Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding Gold Resource Corporation's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Gold Resource Corporation on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Company's 10-K filed with the SEC. Contacts: Corporate Development Greg Patterson 303-320-7708 www.Goldresourcecorp.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 27, 2017) - Crown Mining Corp., (TSXV: CWM) ("Crown" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has retained Tetra Tech to complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on its 100% controlled Moonlight-Superior Copper Project in Northeast California. A PEA, as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101), is an economic analysis intended to comment on the potential viability of a mineral project. A PEA analyzes and assesses geological, engineering, and economic factors to reach its conclusions. Results of the PEA are anticipated by the end of the 1st quarter, 2018. Tetra Tech, Inc. is a leading provider of consulting and engineering, program management, construction, and technical services to the natural resource extraction industry with 16,000 associates worldwide. Tetra Tech has been serving North America's mining and minerals industry for 50 years and has worked at hundreds of mine sites, exploration projects and prospects. For more information about Tetra Tech, please visit tetratech.com. Crown's President & CEO, Stephen Dunn commented: "With the recent rally in copper prices, the time is right to develop a model that clearly demonstrates the economic value of this resource. We are looking forward to working with Tetra Tech, and drawing upon the extensive knowledge of their team." The Moonlight-Superior Copper Project in Northeast California includes four known copper deposits, three of which host the following National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") resources: Deposit Tonnes Grade Copper (tons in brackets) (%) (pounds) Moonlight (Indicated) 146 million (161mm) .324 1.04 billion Moonlight (Inferred) 88 million (88mm) .282 496 million Superior (Inferred) 54 million .41 487 million Engels - oxide (Inferred) 2.5 million 1.05 60 million The PEA will be done solely on the Moonlight deposit. Further details of the Moonlight resource can be found in the Technical Report on the Moonlight Copper Property dated April 12, 2007 at Sedar.com. Further details of the Superior and Engels resource can be found in the Technical Report on the Superior Project dated November 7, 2014 filed on SEDAR which also discloses a historical resource estimate for the fourth deposit. Mr. George Cole is the Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101 responsible for the technical information contained in this news release, and he has reviewed and approved this news release. For more information please see the Crown website at www.crownminingcorp.com. For Further Information Contact: Mr. Stephen Dunn, President, CEO and Director, Crown Mining Corporation (416) 361-2827 or email info@crownminingcorp.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in any jurisdiction. The flow-through common shares will not be and have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements. DENVER, CO--(Marketwired - November 27, 2017) - Monticello Associates, Inc, one of the country's leading asset management consultants, announced that William C. Howard, CFA has joined the firm as Vice President. Located in the firm's Denver office, Mr. Howard's primary responsibilities will include managing client relationships and contributing to the firm's manager evaluation process. Mr. Howard brings more than 19 years of investment experience to his role at Monticello. He joins the firm from Callan LLC, where he provided asset management consulting services to a variety of foundations, family offices and pension funds. Previously, Mr. Howard was a research analyst for Pritchard Investment Management and a portfolio analyst for Hulbert Financial Digest. Mr. Howard earned his MBA from the University of Denver and a BA degree from Vanderbilt University. In addition, he is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Society of Colorado. "Bill is a proven investment professional with valuable experience that will benefit Monticello's clients. We are thrilled to have him as a member of our team," said B. Grady Durham, founder of Monticello Associates. Denver-based Monticello, with its heavy emphasis on research-based advice, has built an impressive team of senior investment consultants with deep experience in directly evaluating investment managers. Serving a wide variety of clients, including tax-exempt institutions, endowments, foundations, high net-worth individuals, trusts, pension plans, and retirement plans, the firm has become one of the premier consulting firms in the country. About Monticello Associates Monticello Associates is an independent, fee-only asset management consulting firm based on historical Larimer Street in Denver with additional offices in Cleveland and Boston. Founded in 1992, the firm assists endowments, foundations, and family offices in the areas of asset allocation, investment policy development, investment manager search and selection, and performance measurement. As of December 31, 2016, the firm provided investment consulting services to 175 client relationships representing approximately $82 billion of assets under advisement. Media Contact: Laura Parsons Parsons Communications 303-887-2911 lauramparsons@comcast.net CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 11/27/17 -- Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI), a global designer and manufacturer of electro-mechanical devices, will release its second-quarter Fiscal 2018 results for the period ended October 28, 2017, on Thursday, December 7, 2017, before the market opens. Following the release, the Company will conduct a conference call and Webcast to review financial and operational highlights led by its President and Chief Executive Officer, Donald W. Duda, and Chief Financial Officer, John Hrudicka, at 10:00 a.m. Central time. To participate in the conference call, please dial (877) 407-9210 (domestic) or (201) 689-8049 (international) at least five minutes prior to the start of the event. A simultaneous Webcast can be accessed through the Company's Web site, www.methode.com, by selecting the Investor Relations page, and then clicking on the "Webcast" icon. A replay of the conference call will be available shortly after the call through January 7, 2018, by dialing (877) 481-4010 and providing Conference ID number 22900. On the Internet, a replay will be available for 30 days through the Company's Web site, www.methode.com, by selecting the Investor Relations page and then clicking on the "Webcast" icon. About Methode Electronics, Inc. Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI) is a global developer of custom engineered and application specific products and solutions with manufacturing, design and testing facilities in Belgium, Canada, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. We design, manufacture and market devices employing electrical, electronic, wireless, safety radio remote control, sensing and optical technologies to control and convey signals through sensors, interconnections and controls. Our business is managed on a segment basis, with those segments being Automotive, Interface, Power Products and Other. Our components are in the primary end markets of the automobile, computer, information processing and networking equipment, voice and data communication systems, consumer electronics, appliances, aerospace vehicles and industrial equipment industries. Further information can be found on Methode's Website at www.methode.com. For Methode Electronics Inc. - Investor Contacts: Kristine Walczak Dresner Corporate Services 312-780-7205 kwalczak@dresnerco.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - November 27, 2017) - Icon Exploration Inc. (TSXV: IEX.H) ("Icon" or "the Company") would like to announce Icon has received a strategic investment by Quinsam Capital Inc. ("Quinsam") to assist in completing the due diligence process as outlined in its corporate update on August 9th, 2017 which outlined Icon's intent to actively pursue opportunities in the medical marijuana industry, including a medical marijuana license under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Marijuana Purposes Regulations ("ACMPR license"). In addition to participating in the financing Quinsam will provide strategic advice, including the potential for future capital to assist Icon in completing an acquisition. Icon has identified several targets and will be prepared to announce an acquisition prior to year end that may include an existing ACMPR license or application to file an ACMPR license with an appropriate facility. The revised private placement of units will be priced at $0.08 per unit and consists of one common share and one-half of one warrant (a "Unit" or "Units"). Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share at any time on or before 5:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the date that is one year after the date of issuance of the warrants at an exercise price of $0.15 per warrant; except that, from and after the date that is four months and one day after the Closing Date, if the closing price of the Company's common shares on the Exchange exceeds $0.30/common share for 10 consecutive trading days, then the Company may anytime thereafter accelerate the expiry date of the warrants to the date that is 20 days following the date on which the Company issues notice to all the warrant holders of the new expiry date. The date for closing books on the offering has been set for December 1st, 2017. Rob Fia, CEO commented: "This strategic investment by Quinsam Capital Inc. is vote of confidence for Icon. We are pleased to work with such a fine group of individuals that will undoubtedly add value along the way in our due diligence process including value-added advice through an extensive network of advisors and if required the potential for future capital investment." The private placement offering of units is available directly from the Company or at the Stockhouse Deal Room www.stockhouse.com/dealroom and www.iconexploration.net. The Stockhouse Deal Room ("Stockhouse") is an equity investment platform created specifically for public companies to access investors. Stockhouse has more than 1 million unique visitors a month and provides access to a large number of qualified and accredited investors. It is important to note that, if successful in obtaining an appropriate facility and as a condition of the Company obtaining a license for the facility, Health Canada requires significant steps to be taken, including the construction of an indoor growing facility equipped with physical barriers, visual monitoring, recording devices, intrusion detection, air filtration systems, as well as other important controls around distribution and access. Consequently, although has Icon has identified several targets, the Company is currently at too early a stage in its due diligence process to provide any estimate of cost required to secure a facility or obtain a license, or to assemble the infrastructure or the personnel required in order to support a license application. As a result, none of the infrastructure required to support a license application has yet been optioned, purchased or assembled nor has the requisite personnel been hired or engaged. Until a facility meeting the requirements for an ACMPR license is acquired or constructed and available for inspection by Health Canada and the Company has received a final license from Health Canada, the Company would not be able to begin production of medical marijuana. It is anticipated that prior to year-end Management expects to finalize the review of several medical marijuana targets and will announce an acquisition after completion of due diligence. Upon completion of due diligence Icon will establish what will be the optimal structure to complete such acquisition (whether by option agreement, asset acquisition, joint venture or share purchase of any entity which would be considered an optimal facility that may obtain or holds a ACMPR license and appropriate infrastructure). Along with any potential medical marijuana acquisition, the Company will prudently explore funding to secure the assets and will draw on talent to complement the acquisitions and the Company. If the Company does find an acceptable target acquisition, such would constitute a change of business under TSX Venture Exchange policies. At such time, concurrent with filing a required change of business application, Icon would apply to the Exchange to change its listing categorization from a resource company to a company in the medical marijuana industry. The Company will provide shareholders with updates on these opportunities when material information becomes available. For further information contact: Icon Exploration Inc. Rob Fia, CEO & Director Email: rfia@iconexploration.net Tel: 416-722-4994 ABOUT ICON EXPLORATION INC. Icon is a publicly traded company on the NEX Exchange (TSXV: IEX.H) our primary objective is to create a well-diversified company that will produce long-term returns for its shareholders and investors. Our current focus is on the cannabis industry. www.iconexploration.net ABOUT QUINSAM CAPITAL CORP. Quinsam is a merchant bank based in Canada that is focusing on cannabis-related investments. Our merchant banking business may encompass a range of activities including acquisitions, advisory services, lending activities and portfolio investments. Quinsam invests its capital for its own account in assets, companies or projects which we believe are undervalued and where we see a viable plan for unlocking such value. We do not invest on behalf of any third party and we do not offer investment advice. Generally, Quinsam does not believe that individual investments are material reportable events. Quinsam chooses to announce certain investments once the company is certain that it has finished buying its position because the Company feels that this information helps Quinsam's investors understand its investment decision making process. Generally, Quinsam does not announce the sale of investments. For further information please contact: Roger Dent, CEO (647) 993-5475 roger@quinsamcapital.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking Statements: Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking" statements. These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance and include potential medical marijuana industry acquisitions, the offering and future capital investment as described in the news release. All such statements involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to vary from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to other risks, the Company's potential medical marijuana industry acquisitions may prove to be unsuccessful and the Company may be unable to complete any potential medical marijuana industry acquisition or future capital investment. Further, the Company may not complete any potential medical marijuana industry acquisition on the schedule it expects to complete as described in this news release or attract capital in the future to finance the Company. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, they should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and they will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions on the date of this news release, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 27, 2017 / LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. (OTCQB: LEDIF; TSX-V: LMD; FRA: LME) ('LED Medical' or the 'Company') today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017, reported in United States dollars and in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ('IFRS'). The Company's results are presented in comparison to the third quarter ended September 30, 2016. All balances are expressed in United States dollars unless otherwise stated. Business Highlights and Events Subsequent to the Quarter American Dental Partners selected LED Medical Diagnostics subsidiary Apteryx as their provider for cloud dental imaging software technologies. American Dental Partners will transition their entire network--nearly 300 US-based dental and specialty practices--to Apteryx's XVWeb cloud imaging technology within the next 12 months. Dental Care Alliance selected LED Medical Diagnostics as preferred imaging technology providers for dental imaging devices and software technologies. Dental Care Alliance is one of the United States' largest and oldest dental support organizations, with 265 affiliated practices across all of the dental specialties in 13 states. On October 30, 2017 (the 'closing date'), the Company issued 250 senior secured debentures with a principle amount of CDN $2,500,000 (US$1,938,690), maturing 24 months from the closing date. Each unit consists of a debenture in principal in the amount of CDN $10,000 and 21,250 common shares of the company and is attached with a 12% coupon. The Company issued 888,000 broker warrants (the 'Broker's Warrants') to arm's length brokers. Each Broker's Warrant is non-transferrable and exercisable at an exercise price of CDN $0.10 at any time up to and including the date which is 24 months from the closing date. Transaction costs associated with this issuance were CDN $232,031.65 (US$179,935) and have been netted against the debenture proceeds received. Certain insiders of LED, including a director and officer, acquired units in the offering. Financial Highlights LED Medical reported revenue of US$3.2 million, which is a decrease of 14% from the three months ended June 30, 2017 and a 28% increase from the three months ended September 30, 2016. The net loss before tax was US$1,447,713 for the three months ended September 30, 2017, as compared to a net loss of US$855,484 for the three months ended September 30, 2016. The net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was largely due to a significant decrease in the fair market value of the Company's Canadian dollar denominated warrants as well as losses resulting from normal business operations. The decrease in the fair market value of the Canadian dollar warrants is an accounting adjustment with no impact on cash flow. Gross Margin for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was 65% compared to 25% in the three months ended September 30, 2016. Increase in gross margin over the comparable periods was due to revenue mix, specifically the addition of higher margin Apteryx software products. Total operating expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2017 were US$2.25 million as compared to US$1.46 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016. Core operating expenses (excluding stock-based compensation, deferred share unit compensation and other operating expenses) for the three months ended September 30, 2017 were US$2.16 million, as compared to US$1.46 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016. The Company had cash of US$1.12 million as of September 30, 2017. Cash flow used in operations was US$2.7 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 compared to US$1.8 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2016. The cash outflows from investing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 were US$10.2 million relating to the purchase of Apteryx, Inc. There were inflows from financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 of US$13.6 million attributed to the financing related to the purchase of Apteryx. Dr. David Gane, CEO of LED stated, 'I am pleased to report that Q3 was near breakeven EBITDA from operations for the three months ended September 30, 2017 at US ($58,673). Revenues in Q3 declined over the prior quarter due to the lower sales seasonality typically seen in the summer months as well as a dip in Apteryx software revenues as we transition from sales of our perpetual license software to our cloud based XV Web software as a service (SaaS) subscription model.' Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis Please see the audited consolidated financial statements and related Management's Discussion & Analysis ('MD&A') for more details. The interim consolidated financial statements for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and related MD&A have been reviewed and approved by the Company's Audit Committee and Board of Directors. The Company has prepared this truncated news release to alert investors to its results and that a more detailed explanation and analysis is readily available in the MD&A. These reports have been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and also posted to www.ledmd.com. Non-IFRS Measures The following and preceding discussion of financial results includes references to Gross Margin and Core Operating Expenses, which are non-IFRS financial measures. The measure of gross margin is provided as management believes this is a good indicator in evaluating the operating performance of the Company. EBITDA is defined as net loss and comprehensive loss and excludes interest; income taxes; depreciation; amortization; finder's warrants issuance costs; stock-based compensation; deferred share unit compensation; mark to market adjustments on Canadian dollar denominated warrants; foreign exchange gain or loss; and other income. The measure of working capital is provided as management believes this is a good indicator of the operating liquidity available to the Company. About LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, LED Medical Diagnostics Inc., through its wholly-owned subsidiaries LED Dental Inc. and LED Dental Ltd, provide dentists and oral health specialists with advanced diagnostic imaging products and software, in addition to the award-winning VELscope Vx tissue fluorescence visualization technology. Backed by an experienced leadership team and dedicated to a higher level of service and support, LED Dental is committed to providing dental practitioners with the best technology available by identifying and adding leading products to its growing portfolio. The Company is currently listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol 'LMD,' the OTCQB under the symbol 'LEDIF,' as well as the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol 'LME.' For more information, call 844.952.7327 or visit www.leddental.com/investor-relations. Investor Relations: Bristol Capital Glen Akselrod Phone: 905-326-1888 x10 Email: glen@bristolir.com Media Contact: LED Dental Chris Koch Phone: 678.293.9413 Email: chris.koch@leddental.com Corporate Contact: LED Medical David Gane, CEO Phone: 604.434.4614 x227 Email: david.gane@leddental.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains statements which, to the extent that they are not recitations of historical fact, may constitute forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements or information include statements regarding, but not limited to the Company's future growth strategy, its distribution strategy and product offerings, potential expansion of the Company's technology to other medical applications or markets, or the potential introduction of new technologies by the Company. Persons reading this press release are cautioned that such statements or information are only predictions, and that the Corporation's actual future results or performance may be materially different. Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those suggested by these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to competition risks, distributor risks, product development risks such as regulatory, design, intellectual property and other factors described in the Corporation's reports filed on SEDAR including its Annual Information Form and financial report for the year ended December 31, 2016. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by this cautionary statement and there can be no assurance that actual results or developments anticipated by the Company will be realized. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. 1 EBITDA or Earnings before Interest, Taxes Depreciation and Amortization is a non-IFRS measure that does not have a standardized meaning and may not be comparable to a similar measure disclosed by other issuers. This measure does not have a comparable GAAP measure. EBITDA referenced here relates to net loss and comprehensive loss and excludes interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, finder's warrants issuance costs, stock-based compensation, deferred share unit compensation, mark to market adjustments on Canadian dollar denominated warrants, foreign exchange gain or loss and other income. This measure does not have a comparable IFRS measure and is used by the Company to manage and evaluate the cash operating loss of the business. 2 Gross margin is a non-IFRS measure that does not have a standard meaning and may not be comparable to a similar measure disclosed by other issuers. Gross margin referenced here relates to revenues less cost of sales. This measure does not have a comparable IFRS measure and is used by the Company to manage and evaluate the operating performance of the Company. 3 Core operating expense is a non-IFRS measure that does not have a standardized meaning and may not be comparable to a similar measure disclosed by other issuers. This measure does not have a comparable IFRS measure. Core operating expense includes sales and marketing, research and development and administration expense. The Company believes that the inclusion of this no-IFRS measure financial measure provides investors with an alternative presentation useful to investors' understanding of the Company's core operating results and trends. SOURCE: LED Medical Diagnostics Inc. Mumbai: The success in divestments and encouraging goods and services tax collections will help government reduce pressure on the fiscal math, says a report. "Disinvestment drive and GST rollout will reduce pressure on fiscal arithmetic," domestic rating agency India Ratings said in a report on Monday. It can be noted that government has reiterated its commitment to narrow down the fiscal deficit to 3.2 percent for fiscal 2018. Front-loading of expenditure, where government has exhausted 96 percent of the deficit by August, and also a slowdown in growth which led it to even mull a stimulus, had put question marks over whether it government will be able to meet the fiscal deficit target or not. The report said successful subscription of Bharat 22 exchange traded fund launched last week has helped government move closer to its FY18 divestment target of Rs 72,500 crore and it has raised Rs 52,300 crore by the end of November. It said government can exceed its capital receipts target through divestment alone in the remaining four months, depending on ONGC's acquisition of 51.11 percent government stake in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. This will bring in at least an additional Rs 32,000 crore to divestment kitty. Without elaborating, the report said the divestment strategy has a potential to generate Rs 1 trillion and also provide buffer against lower surplus transferred by the Reserve Bank and the likely shortfall from the telecom sector. On GST, it said even though there can be an adverse impact of Rs 11,000 crore on the Central finances due to a commitment of a 14 percent revenue sharing with the state from central GST to meet their projected shortfall, the final results will not be so bad. "However, GST collection is encouraging and likely to further improve going forward with higher return filing compliance," it said. The agency said government front-loaded capital expenditure and the same is now slowing down. It said the proposed bank recapitalisation and highway building work under the Bharatmala scheme will not entail any budgetary allocation this year. The Hyderabad Metro Rail, the countrys first elevated metro rail on PPP (private public partnership) is finally ready to chug after a rollercoaster ride of a decade. It will not only change travel patterns but also behavioural patterns of people in the Nizams town, said NVS Reddy, MD of HMRL, as it gets ready for launch on 28 November. This comes as a great relief for the core management team of L&T MRH, its chairman SN Subramanyam and MD Shivanand Nimbargi who, over almost a decade, went through several ups and downs caused by successive political interventions, social activism leading to delays, PILs and cost hikes. Thank God, we are rolling finally, said a representative of the L&T MRH, which is the concessionaire, spending almost 90% of the project cost of Rs 16,375 crore at Rs 13,000 crore. The L&T MRH, which is implementing the project with Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) (a Telangana government entity) and the Government of India, enjoys the concession for 35 years. The company laments that it has already lost two years since the appointment date of June 2012 set during Congress Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy as the real work picked up only after the formation of Telangana in 2014. Even after resolving the issue of diversion and re-routing with the current Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government, they have been able to complete only 30 km of the 72 km route for which they originally inked the PPP deal and need an extension of 2 more years. The TRS Roadblock The scene changed in 2014 after the TRS government took over the reins of the project and its Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao declared that Hyderabad would have a 200 km metro and that it would not be allowed to pass over historic locations like the Assembly and Sultan Bazaar. As if on cue, its political ally MIM also raised its voice against the Metro crisscrossing 12 historical locations in the Old City and sought realignment of the route. L&T group chairman AM Naik wrote several detailed letters to KCR in a bid to resolve the issues and also called for caution about the legal aspect. The letter of February 2017 was part of a huge correspondence with the government to resolve challenges in execution of the project. The letter of Naik sought to relieve L&T from the project as there were unusual terms from the Telangana government and adverse economic conditions contributed to unforeseen cost escalation which made the project incapable of performance. The letter seeking termination of the project was wrongly highlighted by the newspapers, it was only a gesture and not final, said VB Gadgil, Chief Executive of L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail in a media interaction in September. L&T had allegedly lashed out at the government interference and delay in finalisation of routes and corridors. Politically, the Centre which had put in 10% of the cost at Rs 1458 crore was also wary of the Telangana governments unsteady approach. It is alleged that the Centre finally cautioned that such an unclear approach by the Telangana government would only cause setbacks to other projects and subsequent central support cum guarantees. We kept mum and Telangana finally saw the light, and GoI intervention also helped, said a spokesman of the L&T HMR requesting anonymity. The issue was discussed at a cabinet meet and finally the CMO which had initially leaked the letter of the L&T threat to walk out worked out a compromise and dropped its demand for realignment and re-routing and asked the concessionaire to complete the project as scheduled. But the builder had lost two precious years already and the Telangana government kept dismissing L&Ts demand for an extension of the deadline by a year or two, insisting instead on completion of at least the first phase by hook or crook. We wanted to showcase the Metro during the Global summit at Hyderabad, said the CM who also holds the industry portfolio. A Tunnel of Woes The Metro Rail, Outer Ring Road and PV Expressway were part of the Vision 2020 document released by the Chandrababu Naidu government as urban infrastructure initiatives to support the IT explosion that began in early 2000. The Naidu government had done its homework on land acquisition from Wakf and endowment departments for development, and also the estimated Metro Rail cost at around Rs 10,000 crore. But his successor, YS Rajashekhara Reddy, with his focus on welfare schemes, put the Metro project in cold storage. After his 2008 electoral victory for a second innings, YSR finally brought the Metro Rail project out for bids. The first bids of the PPP project took place in 2008 and was awarded to the consortium of Maytas, a wing of Satyam group. This was cancelled after the unraveling of the massive Satyam scam involving its founder Ramalinga Raju and the failure of Maytas to raise funds. YSR died in a chopper crash the following year and the Metro Rail project was back in cold storage in the political anarchy that followed. The last Congress Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy relaunched the process and awarded it to L&T in 2010 for Rs 12,132 crore and after preparatory work the launch date was set as June 2012 with a deadline for 2017 to complete the project. The Telangana agitation then intensified and work was hit once again. When the project was finally flagged off in 2014, after the creation of the new Telangana state, the government wanted the project to be completed in three years. At present there are over 200 court cases including 12 public interest litigations (some of them filed by TRS supporters in 2010 protesting against Wakf land acquisitions for Metro) pending against the Hyderabad Metro Rail. The officials of HMRL and L&T claim that work is gathering pace and the project would be fully operational by December 2018 for the 72 km stretch of initial bidding. If the government is keen to take up other corridors, the project will have to go back to the negotiation table with the concessionaire. Stage Of The Hyderabad Metro The L&T MRH is ready to roll out six car trains with capacity to carry 2000 passengers at a frequency of 15 minutes each on its 24 stations between Miyapur-Ameerpet-Nagole, the maiden corridor being unveiled on November 28. It also has plans to install over 670 escalators at a cost of Rs 400 crore. The Telangana government has also invited Ivanka Trump for a journey with the Prime Minister, but US government officials have not approved it yet. As per the projections of L&T and HMRL the travel time is 45 minutes on Corridor 1 from MiyapurL B Nagar (29 km) as against 144 minutes by road, 22 minutes for Corridor 2 from Jubilee Hills to Falaknuma (15 km) as against 140 minutes by road and 39 minutes for Corridor 3 (28 km) from 126 minutes on road. In September last year, Congress leaders went to visit the works, but were stopped by the police on the directions of Metro officials and the government. Leader of Opposition in Telangana legislative council Mohammed Ali Shabbir says that the delay was deliberately caused by the TRS-MIM combine for political gains in the Hyderabad civic polls of 2016 by influencing Muslims voters of old city. Both TRS and MIM played to the gallery as protectors of Hyderbad heritage and put roadblocks in L&T works, he charged. Shabbir has sought PM Narendra Modis intervention at the Metro inaugural to assure that the Old City circuit of 5.5 km from Imliban to Falaknuma would be completed at the earliest in the interests of the development and progress of Muslim community. The political elements of MIM, who are scared of their (Muslims) growth and empowerment of youth and women in Old City, are opposing the Metro, he added. The Congress has also charged the TRS and MIM combine as responsible for the hike in project cost by a whopping Rs 4000 crore as a result of their political dillydallying. Now the people of Hyderabad who have already gone through hell due to the traffic jams during the construction of Metro rail have to bear the brunt of high tariffs, he said. L&T HMR now seeks a further extension of the deadline by a year or two along with the concession so that they can reap the benefits of their huge investments in the PPP. They have already projected the revenue as 40% from passenger tariff, 50% from malls and shops at Metro stations and only 10% from advertisements over 30 years i.e. till 2047. As of now L&T has invested 90% of the project cost at Rs 13,000 crore and may have to put in more for the final stage, said an L&T spokesman. The government of Telangana pitched in a mere Rs 300 crore towards land cost and the GoI is picking up 10% at Rs 1458 crore. As on date, we have put in Rs 9,000 crore which includes Rs 2700 crore equity, Rs 600 crore from VGF and the rest is debt, said J Ravikumar, Chief Financial Officer of L&T MRHL. The ball is also in the Telangana governments court now as L&T has made it conditional for extension of both deadline for construction and also the concession. The concession is for 35 years, including 5 years of construction period, which ended in June 2017. Only 30 kilometres have been completed in the scheduled 72 km and 42 km of construction activity remains, of which nearly 78% of works are already complete. The developer has requested the government for extension of schedule for a year or two and it is under consideration of the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said Chief Secretary SP Singh. But there is not enough light at the end of the tunnel. L&T will have a tough task in building the Old City corridor of Metro Rail. As many as 145 heritage structures including 15 listed heritage structures have been identified, though the builders contend that it will pass through only nine heritage structures. The convener of Forum for Better Hyderabad Veda Kumar who has filed a PIL on the issue wants the L&T and HMR to dig tunnels as in Delhi and Bengaluru to protect heritage townships and monuments instead of overhead tracks. The tunnel will cost Rs 600-700 crore per km, say the builders. As the future of the Metro Rail in the 400-year-old ramparts of Hyderabad city still hangs in confusion, the project shows why politics of development, votes and heritage should not be mixed up. New Delhi: There is no doubt that the Indian Railways needs a robust investment plan to upgrade creaky tracks, increase capacity and modernise its network. In this context, tying up incremental finances can only be good news. Former Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had laid out an ambitious investment plan of over Rs 8 lakh crore in five years and his successor Piyush Goyal has spoken of Rs 10 lakh crore. Either which way, a bulk of this money has to come from sundry sources, the Railways wont be able to generate any significant portion of this internally. So in this context, news that the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has got the green light to commence its promised Rs 1.5 lakh crore investment in the national transporter can only be good. LIC had signed an MoU with the Railways in March to make this investment through bonds issued by IRFC but the insurance regulator had raised some objections since such a large investment would exceed 25 percent of IRFCs net worth. Now, the government has put these doubts to rest, it seems, without having to back the LIC investment with a sovereign guarantee. And the investment can go ahead. So far, so good. But why does the railways need to raise so much debt? And should LIC be bailing out the Railways, something it has often been accused of doing for many government companies? In fact, there has been enough commentary about the LIC bailing NPA-laden public sector banks and helping the government to a large extent in raising disinvestment proceeds from PSU selloffs. The Indian Railways has traditionally cross-subsidised passenger fares with freight earnings, in thinking which smacks of socialist ideology, leading to precarious overall financial situation of the state transporter. And over the years, demands on its network have been increasing - the network today now thoroughly congested, leading to a spike in accidents, many of them fatal. This Reuters report quotes internal documents to say that gross traffic earnings, which make up the bulk of railways revenues, would fall short of the target by over $3 billion in 2016-17. It also said revenues were insufficient to cover expenditure and funding via market borrowing rose to about 22 percent last year from an average of 8 percent between 2010 and 2015. The railways now owe $20 billion, up $7 billion in the last three years. To add to the railways burden, passenger traffic has begun declining and freight earnings have started to weaken as commodities move to the lucrative road sector. Therefore, it is high time that passenger fares are rationalised. This will mean less of a drain on freight and consequently increased ability of the railways to rely on its own resources instead of going for more market borrowings. But even such a politically inexpedient move will not let the railways emerge from the current mess. Until it undertakes major reforms, including financial ones, its chances of getting any funding from a non-governmental agency are pretty bleak. Put simply, this means only a government backed entity or that which has been nudged by the government and which believes that any default will be covered by the government would agree to lend to the railways. This, of course, means LIC fits the bill in every way it is owned by the government, has a very large corpus of funds to be invested and can be nudged by the owner to put its money in seemingly risky schemes like bailing out the Railways. Until railways reforms its finances significantly, its ability to raise commercial capital will remain limited. So LIC will have to come in as a savior, like it has been accused of bailing out other government arms. What choice does it have in the matter, anyway? Coming to the much needed railways reforms, some of these are: 1) Ring fence some revenue flows. Railways generates only a limited surplus which makes it difficult for private lenders to consider its financing needs. Some surplus should be set aside for specifially servicing debt - this will require self discipline, efforts to increase revenues and simultaneous cost reduction measures. 2) Generate higher revenue either through better pricing or through improved market share or a mix of both. Why lose out to the roads sector in the case of freight, why not selectively increase passenger fares to reduce the cross subsidy? Manish Agarwal, Infrastructure lead at PwC says "There is a need for a comprehensive turnaround plan (of the Railways) encompassing initiatives to increase revenue, measures to manage costs and to decide on core functions and non-core functions." There is no doubt that a significant step-up in investments is the need of the hour for the railways. As for LICs meek act in following said and unsaid government directives, the agreement with railways is neither the first investment and nor may it be entirely detrimental to LICs own financial health in the long run. At least that is what J N Gupta, MD of proxy advisory firm Stakeholder Empowerment Services (SES), thinks. It is up to LIC to decide (where to invest) as long as it has taken care of returns versus risk profile and has not taken this decision due to any undue influence. Past decisions show that LIC has been functioning effectively, as can be seen by its leadership position in the insurance industry, which continues even after arrival of many private players, he said, adding LICs investment in PSUs like Nalco and some PSBs to say that its investments have appreciated over the years. Well, whether LIC wants to invest in government enterprises regardless of such investments generating gains and whether railways should be taking debt to fund its capex these questions will remain unanswered. In the current scheme of things, the railways cannot eschew raising funds since it is unable to generate adequate resources internally and LIC cannot say no to any nudging by the government precisely because of the size of its corpus it needs investment avenues and perhaps not enough are available in the corporate sector. New Delhi: Former Reserve Bank of India RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan on Sunday made a strong case for broad-basing economic growth and generating more employment opportunities, arguing that short-term political solutions to the job reservation issue can damage the fabric of the country. On the solution to the problem of majority of people feeling discriminated, he said, "The only way to solve this is to broad-base economic growth. We need to focus on that as the ultimate solution rather than emphasise grievances... (they are) politically in short-term very convenient but have potential to bring apart the fabric of this country." Rajan made these comments referring to rising populist nationalism and also agitation by powerful communities, including Patidar community in Gujarat which is feeling discriminated and is seeking reservation in jobs. "It (populist nationalism) has a potential to damage. I would define very simply as the majority community feeling aggrieved that it is being discriminated against. It exists across the world. It exists in India also. There are often underlying issues, for example an issue of job," the ex-Reserve Bank governor said in a recorded interview played at the Times Lit Fest 2017 here. Some strong communities in India have started protesting to press for reservations because they are not finding jobs, he said, adding that it is very important to tackle underlying economic issues, including unemployment. On the issue of "illiberal democracy, he said, it is worrying and this system needs to be tackled. "Illiberal democracy is not only function of leader, function of system which cowed out very easily to strong leader... the press, the business group, all of them tend towards bowing even though there are exceptions because their interests are all aligned," Rajan said. There are cosy relationships between political and corporate establishments, he said adding that often Press is also owned by corporate establishment and independent voices tend to get suppressed. On increasing incidences of censorships and bans, the former central bank chief said, these are not a feature of any particular government and have happened again and again since Independence. It is important to recognise that as a tolerant society India is better off having free speech with the provision that it should not propagate violence, Rajan said. On criticism from various quarters faced during his stint as RBI governor, he said, "We have to develop thicker skins." Citing example of flag burning incidents in the US, he said, once the Supreme Court decided to allow this as part of protest, the incidences slowly diminished. Rajan also said that India is a vibrant democracy and it has to be seen as a strength rather than as a weakness. "Growth in democracy is much more stable unlike authoritarian rule. It is beneficial because it tends to be egalitarian. It tends to take people along with. Democracy gives right, allows people to protest," he said. On the threat to Hinduism due to rising intolerance, Rajan said "it is a vast house and it can survive". "Hinduism is a tolerant religion which is the way it has always structured or evolved. So, I think specific incidence of intolerance is overstating the risk. My sense is that we have gone through this but Hinduism has survived," he added. From making her debut in Idhu Enna Maayam in 2015 to starring opposite high-profile heroes in Tamil and Telugu film industries such as Vijay, Pawan Kalyan, Suriya, Vikram, Sivakarthikeyan, Nani and more, Keerthy Suresh has come a long way in just two years. Now, she has truly emerged as one of the most in-demand actresses down South. I feel happy and blessed about the projects I land. Maybe it's the way I chose scripts, but it has always worked well (for me). Knowing the Tamil language is an added advantage. My proficiency in Tamil helps me understand Telugu too. After all, there is no room for improvisation if you don't understand the language. I think it's all God's grace, and I am going with the flow. 2018 is going to be a great year! I have two releases for Pongal PSPK 25 and Thaana Serndha Koottam and those will be followed by a couple of other releases, Keerthy told Firstpost in an exclusive interview. Keerthy, who excelled in humour with back-to-back comedy entertainers with Sivakarthikeyan (Rajini Murugan and Remo), plays to her strengths in Thaana Serndha Koottam, directed by Vignesh Shivan and produced by Gnanavel Rajas Studio Green. The character I am doing in TSK is quite different from the other films I have done till now, a humour-filled role. Suriya sir is also one of the reasons why I signed the project. As a child, when I used to watch my mother's films where she paired opposite Sivakumar sir, I would say, 'Some day, I am going to work with his son'. And something I said on a funny note came true... I was excited about working with him, and when we met on the sets for the first time, I told him about the incident from my childhood... Suriya sir is a very composed person, but while discussing a sequence, he will make sure that I feel comfortable. Among her line-up of projects is the Tamil-Telugu bi-lingual Mahanati/Nadigaiyar Thilagam, the biopic of legendary actress Savitri, directed by Nag Ashwin. Talking about the extensive homework the film required, Keerthy said, Mahanati is undoubtedly my most challenging project till date. To essay Savitri ma'am's role in a biopic demanded a lot of homework. Though I have seen her films, I revisited them thoroughly to observe the way she emotes for different sequences. If I hadn't done that homework or research, I would not have felt satisfied and confident. We shot for three song segments on the first day, and I had to rehearse for three days to perform it. The director and producer were so supportive and helped in whatever way they could. Portraying a character which the Tamil and Telugu audiences have loved and admired a lot is not so easy. Talking about working with ace filmmaker Trivikram in her Sankranti Telugu release PSPK 25, which is reportedly titled Agnathavasi, Keerthy Suresh said, Trivikram knows the knack of using humour in dialogues. And my character has many such dialogues. We could even foresee the audiences' reaction to those quirky dialogues while we were shooting. As a person, Trivikram is super positive and energetic. Keerthy said she was starstruck about sharing screen space with Pawan Kalyan for the first time in her career. Pawan Kalyan sir seems very calm but off-screen, he cracks a lot of jokes. Trivikram, Anu and our team used to sit and enjoy his humour. It was like one big family and (the team) was fun to be around. PSPK 25 is a project I really enjoyed working on. Keerthys upcoming projects include two long-awaited sequels in Tamil Vikram and director Haris Saamy 2, which marks her first appearance in a cop film, and Vishal-director Lingusamys Sandakozhi 2, the shooting of which is yet to begin. Keerthy, who plays the lead in Saamy 2, says she'll be sporting a different look in the film. I have many portions with Soori Anna throughout the film. I have not met Vikram sir before personally. When he visited Kerala for his Anniyan 100th day meet, I saw him from the audience gallery. Now, Im extremely delighted to co-star with him. The teaser of Naragasooran, starring Arvind Swami, Shriya Saran and Sundeep Kishan is intriguing and it looks like the film has grabbed eye balls for all the right reasons. After Dhuruvangal 16, Karthick Naren has, for the second time, created a film which is more than what meets the eye. The first glimpse, which also features Indrajith Sukumaran and Aathmika, presents to us a a well-shot mystery thriller set against the backdrop of hills. In the next minute we witness a series of events and a constant search for the missing cause of all events. Most of the leads, especially Arvind Swami, Shriya and Sundeep maintain a certain amount of intensity in terms of their characters, which only increases our curiosity in the film's gripping plot. Indrajith Sukumaran is seen leading the mission to solve the puzzle revolving around the lead characters in this film. Apart from a small glimpse of chemistry between Arvind Swami and Shriya, there also seems to be an element from the past affecting Arvind Swami and co in the present. And Ron Ethan Yohann's music adds the right feel to Naragasooran. Very little of this plot is revealed in the teaser, and we are definitely eager to find out how this drama thriller will play out, and who the Naragasooran actually is. Presented by Gautham Vasudev Menon and Badri Kasturi, the Tamil flick is due for release in early 2018. When I see the protests against Padmavati on news channels, it is almost like having a flashback of sorts, to my film Indu Sarkar. I know the pain of a film maker who has to fight against all odds to get their labour of love released. When I should have been celebrating the completion of my film, I was struggling to get my film released. I was everywhere, begging people to hear me out; that my story, though inspired by the Emergency, was a work of fiction with some relevant facts. The trauma began towards the end of June, when the film's trailer was launched. It started as an agitation, but slowly spread across multiple cities. I thought it was one of those times which would pass within few days. But it didn't; it just kept growing and within no time, the protests against Indu Sarkar had spread like wildfire across the country. It all started in Allahabad, where people started an agitation after watching a three-minute trailer. They were issuing fatwas in my name, burning effigies and they also threatened to blacken my face. I can never forget the nightmarish days of my film's promotions. Even when I think of it today, I can't help but shudder. I still remember a Pune college event I was supposed to attend with my lead actress, Kirti Kulhari. We left our hotel to go to the event, and I suddenly got a call that there were violent mobs waiting to attack us at the venue. We immediately turned back, and within no time, the mob had gathered almost inside the hotel lobby. The atmosphere was one of chaos and mayhem, and our entire team was held captive in their rooms for almost three hours. I called the authorities to save us from the hooligans... It wasn't just scary for us, but also for the other guests in the hotel. All we wanted, was to promote a film that I had made with such love and hardship. Mine was a small film with relatively new cast and many of the reputed names (who were part of it) didn't even charge me money, because they knew that my intentions and convictions were honest. The saga didn't end with Pune we faced the same horror in Nagpur. The city authorities told us that a violent mob was approaching our hotel; we were immediately escorted out, our luggage was loaded in police vehicles, and we were taken to the airport after four hours. The visuals running on all the news channels had scared my family, friends. I was getting calls from all over the world, people were worried about my well-being. My subsequent press meets were cancelled. My promotional tours to Bengaluru and Chandigarh were also cancelled. Back home, my 10-year-old daughter was petrified seeing people chant "murdabad" slogans with my name, while my wife feared for my safety. Matters had turned so grave that I had to opt for special security. The Maharashtra government provided me with police security for a month-and-a-half. I was hurt that I was being hounded and for what? Apart from the support of a few journalists and friends, it was a lonely battle. I had to firefight on three different fronts: the CBFC, the "offended" political party, and a lady who emerged from nowhere claiming to be the daughter of Sanjay Gandhi. I was dragged to court to safeguard the release of my film. At last, justice was granted to me by the Supreme Court. The CBFC had suggested 14 cuts, which wasn't agreeable to me as a filmmaker. There was an ex-Congress MP who had written to the authorities to have a special screening of the film so they could green light it (or not). Otherwise, they threatened to protest and create a ruckus before the release. The release date was nearing and there was no sign of the row easing. I was calling up the whos who of the industry to stand by my film, to condemn the senseless protests, to support a fellow filmmaker... they all said 'we're with you in spirit, but we will not say anything openly as it is a political film. My tribulations were taking a toll... sleepless nights clubbed with anxious days were playing havoc with my health. I was alone, but determined. Ultimately, I managed to get the film certified. But the censor copy came in so late, I could not release Indu Sarkar in major cities overseas a major financial toll for a small film. I was known for my topical films and this time too, I had made a similar kind of movie. It was a simple film, based on facts that were well documented. The Emergency was not a figment of my imagination but part of our history. I had dared to make a film on it and for that I was treated like a third grade criminal. When I was being hunted like this, I wondered where were the pseudo liberals who proclaimed themselves the flag bearers of freedom of expression. They speak about injustice, and yet they tolerated the injustice meted out to Indu Sarkar silently. I come from an industry where we have close, familial bonds and a feeling of fraternity...what was shocking was that even the fraternity had abandoned me. They could not even spare 140 characters to condemn these protests or support me as a fellow filmmaker. Fortunately, I have never been a bystander to the personal or professional trials and tribulations of other film makers. It may be the outrage over Udta Punjab, Vishwaroopam or Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, I have openly condemned the shackling of freedom of expression of film makers and always stood in support of my fellow film makers. Today, when I see the controversy over Padmavati, my heart goes out to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, because I can identify with his pain. It is my belief that the CBFC is the supreme body and its decision should be ultimate. Beyond that, no private person or fringe group should have a say in the making or release of a film. It is heart breaking to see what a film maker of Bhansali's calibre is being put through, or the language and threats the cast of the film are subjected to. I pray for a peaceful and triumphant release of Padmavati for Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The writer is a National Award winning filmmaker The British Board of Film Classification, days after clearing Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati, is reconsidering the release of the controversial film. According to a report by The Guardian, Paramount Pictures, the British distributor of the film has said that the UK release date is being reconsidered and might be delayed given the raging controversies surrounding the film back in India. The opposition of the Rajput Samaj of UK, which is a Hindu group operating in the UK, could be the reason behind the BBFC's decision to review the release date. The group has reportedly expressed its displeasure with the British board's decision to pass the film with no cuts. The charity group believes Bhansali's film distorts historical facts by falsely depicting that Rani Padmini was the motive behind the Chittor siege in 1303. The group, however, is strongly opposed to any kind of violence and insists that their protest is not based on any conjectures about a dream sequence between Ranveer Singh's Alauddin Khilji and Deepika Padukone's Rani Padmini. The Shri Rajput Karni Sena, a fringe-group based in India, had earlier issued open threats to Padukone and Bhansali, sparking off a raging debate. Firstpost had also earlier reported that the producers might not release the film in the UK despite getting a go-ahead from the BBFC. The makers are reportedly keen on settling things in India before releasing the film internationally. The film is yet be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification. Therefore, the film's future in the United Kingdom seems as bleak as it does, back in India. Pawan Kalyan's next is a romantic action flick titled Agnyaathavaasi - Prince in Exile and directed by his longtime friend Trivikram Srinivas. It was tentatively titled 'PSPK25' and is due for release on 10 January next year. The grand release of the film will be preceded by a number promotional events and a jazzy music launch event, scheduled to take place on 15 December. Agnyaathavaasi - Prince in Exile has been shot extensively in various parts of India, including Varanasi, and a long shoot was held in Europe as well. Pawan's 25th film is also his third collaboration with the director Srinivas. Previously, they have delivered hits like Jalsa and Attarintiki Daredi. While Pawan will be seen in an 'angry young man' avatar in the film, Keerthi Suresh and Anu Emanuel have been cast opposite him as the female leads. His character's name in the film is Abhijit Bhargav, a software engineer. Boman Irani will play the antagonist in the film. Initially, it was also said that Pawan will be lending his voice to a song titled 'Kodaka Koteswarraava' for this film. The news does not come as a shock, as the actor has previously sung tracks for films like Jhonny and Attarintiki Daaredi. Along with being the 25th film for Pawan Kalyan, it is also going to be the debut Telugu project for music director Anirudh Ravichander. 'Baitikochi Chuste', the first song from the film which was released recently on YouTube garnered one million views in a matter of a hours. According to sources, the team has sped up the shooting schedules as they want to wrap it up as soon as possible in order to release the film in the second week of January. DETROIT (Reuters) - Terminating the North American Free Trade Agreement would harm the U.S. and Canadian economies and reduce their competitiveness versus Asia and Europe, a report issued by the Bank of Montreal said on Monday. A NAFTA banner is seen during the fifth round of NAFTA talks involving the United States, Mexico and Canada, in Mexico City, Mexico, November 18, 2017. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/FilesAccording to the report, The Day After NAFTA, a failure to renegotiate the trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico would lead to a 0.2 percent net reduction in real U.S. gross domestic product over the next five years, and a 1 percent decrease for Canadas economy. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw from NAFTA unless it can be reworked in favor of the United States, arguing that the pact has hollowed out U.S. manufacturing and caused a trade deficit of more than $60 billion with Mexico. The United States, Mexico and Canada concluded a fifth round of talks to update NAFTA last week with major differences unresolved, casting doubt on whether a deal could be reached by the end of March 2018 as planned. Douglas Porter, chief economist of BMO Financial Group and one of the reports authors, said that while the three North American economies would adjust to a new reality, a shift in low-wage work to Mexico enabled by NAFTA had made them collectively more competitive on the global stage. Trucks wait in the queue for border customs control to cross into U.S. at the World Trade Bridge in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, November 2, 2016. Picture taken November 2, 2016. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/FilesIf we splinter up NAFTA into three separate economies, that makes all of us less competitive and ultimately the whole region will end up losing a bit versus other trading areas like Asia, Porter told Reuters by telephone. The point here is there would be a cost to the U.S. economy and its a totally unnecessary cost. Our view is even if the U.S. administration were to achieve that goal, it might come at the cost of an even wider deficit with Asia in particular, Porter said. If NAFTA negotiations were to fail, trade among the three countries would be subject to tariffs set by the World Trade Organization (WTO). According to the report, the U.S. industries that would be hardest hit by reverting to WTO tariffs would be automotive, where the supply chain straddles all three economies, and textiles, as Canada and Mexico account for 15 percent of U.S. manufacturers sales. The report did not examine a Zombie NAFTA scenario, where opposition from the U.S. Congress would stall Trump administration efforts to terminate NAFTA, but Porter said that would create huge uncertainty for businesses in North America. Arguably uncertainty would be a bigger drag on all three economies, he said. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. HOUSTON (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) Chief Executive Darren Woods is reorganizing the companys refining operations, part of a push to boost profits amid volatile oil and natural gas prices, the company said on Monday. The changes at the worlds largest publicly traded oil producer are the most sweeping to date by Woods, who became chief executive in January after former chief Rex Tillerson resigned to become U.S. secretary of state. Woods has moved first to reshape the parts of the businesses he knows best, according to sources familiar with the matter. Before taking the helm at Exxon, Woods ran Exxons refining operations. Exxon spokeswoman Charlotte Huffaker confirmed the downstream business overhaul in a statement, adding the company expects it will improve decision making and enhance performance in the market. The parts of the business impacted were refining and marketing divisions, said spokesman Scott Silvestri. Company sources told Reuters Exxons chemical operation also has been restructured, but Silvestri denied this. It was not immediately clear if the changes will involve job cuts or executive departures. Exxons Huffaker said she could not say if there would be any impact on jobs. The reorganization aims to squeeze more profits from the downstream business as the company works to improve its exploration and production operations, which have struggled since 2014 to adjust to lower oil CLc1 LCOc1 and gas prices NGc1. The downstream restructuring, disclosed internally last month, will combine the fuels and lubricants division with the supply and refining divisions. Financial responsibility for the merged operation will rest with country and regional chiefs who report to Exxons Irving, Texas, headquarters rather than divisional bosses as previously, according to people familiar with the matter. Darren Woods, Chairman & CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation attends a news conference at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidThe changes are designed to simplify operations and increase accountability for profitability, the sources said. REFINING STRENGTH Exxons refining and chemical operations have grown in stature under Woods, delivering steady earnings compared with its oil and gas production. Exxon operates 22 refineries in 14 countries, processing nearly 5 million barrels of oil per day. The firm builds chemical and refining plants in the same location, allowing managers to shift production between fuels or chemicals based on demand. Darren Woods, Chairman & CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation speaks during an interview at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermidThe changes come as Exxon expands the refining division. The company is investing $20 billion through 2022 to expand its chemical and oil refining plants on the U.S. Gulf Coast. The refining and chemicals arms contributed more than $4.2 billion apiece to 2016 earnings, compared with a $196 million profit from exploration and production. Last years results were affected by sharply lower crude prices. In some quarters, Exxon would not have made any money were it not for its refineries. This year, the companys oil and gas business bounced back to a $5 billion profit during the first nine months on stronger crude prices. Refining earnings were $4.03 billion and chemicals $3.25 billion, respectively, for the first three quarters this year. Some staff members have raised questions as to whether there is any need to alter a system seen as largely successful, said the sources who declined to be identified. It was unclear if the changes would impact an internal accounting practice known as general interest principle. That rule permits certain transactions to be loss-making for a local division if they are beneficial for the corporation as a whole. Exxon did not comment on any potential accounting changes. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The next meeting of U.S., Mexican and Canadian officials to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will begin on Dec. 11 in Washington, and they could reach agreement on some major chapters of the deal, Mexicos economy minister said on Monday. FILE PHOTO - Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo talks to reporters before an event in Mexico City, Mexico, November 21, 2017. REUTERS/Ginnette RiquelmeMinister Ildefonso Guajardo said that the Washington round, at which ministers will not participate, should register more advances in topics such as telecoms, e-commerce, technical barriers to trade and regulatory practices. There are things we can make progress on, he told Reuters, adding that those chapters could close during the discussions. Guajardo said the talks would extend through the week from Dec. 11. Two other NAFTA sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the talks were scheduled from Dec. 11-15. One said they could involve meetings before and after those dates. The talks follow a round in Mexico this month where the three sides failed to make major breakthroughs on the most contentious issues, prompting the Trump administration to complain about the lack of progress. [nL3N1NR4K2] U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to pull out of NAFTA unless he can rework it in favour of the United States, spooking investors and putting pressure on the Mexican peso. Mexican officials had hoped to close chapters on telecoms and e-commerce in the November round. However, discussions over telecommunications became mired in disagreement over how to incorporate Mexicos 2013-14 reform, which imposed regulatory curbs on America Movil, the Carlos Slim-controlled company that dominates the market. A major element of the reform was struck down by the Mexican Supreme Court in August, yet U.S. negotiators wanted the NAFTA chapter to include the original version, officials say. Guajardo said he was confident that agreement could be reached in wording the telecoms chapter in a way that applied the rules for all three nations, not singling out Mexico. I dont see it as an obstacle, he said. Its simply a case of fine-tuning on how we express it. Mexico has major reservations about a number of U.S. proposals, none more so than a plan to raise the required North American content in autos to 85 percent from 62.5 percent, as well as ensure half the total content is from the United States. Guajardo said after the previous talks that Mexico would make a counter-suggestion on the auto proposal once the United States had explained the feasibility of its plans. [nS0N1LV03D] Mexico made a tit-for-tat counterproposal to one U.S. plan to limit Mexican and Canadian access to public tenders, earning words of grudging respect from the U.S. side. However, Guajardo said that strategy would not work on all the tough issues. We cant project this solution for everything. Because there are things that are deep in our neighbours hearts, he said, pointing to the auto content proposal. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is streamlining its company structure and making sweeping changes to senior management as part of an overhaul it hopes will please investors worried about the companys massive debt. The logo of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world's biggest generic drugmaker and Israel's largest company, is seen in Jerusalem February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/FilesShares in the worlds largest generic drugmaker, which have been in a year-long freefall due to narrowing profit margins in generics and a series of pricey acquisitions, jumped 5.5 percent to $14.46 in early New York trade on Monday following the announcement. Teva said it was combining its generics and specialty medicine groups into one commercial business and was doing the same for its research and development activities. Three senior officers will be stepping down as well. Our new company structure will enable stronger alignment and integration between R&D, operations and the commercial regions, allowing us to become a more agile, lean and profitable company, said Chief Executive Kare Schultz, who joined the company at the start of November. Teva is saddled with nearly $35 billion in debt since its $40.5 billion acquisition of Allergans generic drug business Actavis last year. That deal has not paid off and investors have been pushing for clarity regarding the future. An employee of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries wears a shirt bearing the company's logo at its Jerusalem oral solid dosage plant (OSD) December 21, 2011. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/FilesTeva is taking decisive and immediate action to address external pressures and internal inefficiencies, Schultz said, adding the company was working on a detailed restructuring plan to be unveiled in mid-December. Hours earlier the Israeli company made a more vague promise for changes in a letter to the Israeli parliament, following media reports the company was set to cut thousands of jobs. Parliaments State Control Committee had called an emergency meeting to discuss reports that Teva was planning to cut up to a quarter of its 6,860-strong workforce in Israel, and a few thousand more staff in the United States. Teva, which has already been selling off assets to help meet its debt payments, said in the letter it needed deep, meaningful steps around the world, but did not give details. In its later statement, Teva said Chief Scientific Officer Michael Hayden, head of global specialty medicines Rob Koremans and Dipankar Bhattacharjee, head of the global generic medicines group, would retire at the end of the year. The company also appointed Michael McClellan as permanent chief financial officer, after he held the role on an interim basis since July, and made five other executive changes at the top of the company. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the greatest homage to those who sacrificed their lives during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai would be to learn lessons from what happened on that day and not letting it occur again. He was speaking at '26/11: Stories of Strength- A unique memorial' held at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai. "I think, there won't be any greater homage to our martyrs than learning lessons from what had happened and not letting it happen again," Fadnavis said. "I think, if all of us come together and become the eyes and ears of the forces, we will surely beat them. We will prevent any such tragedy in future," the chief minister said. Sunday was the ninth anniversary of the gory attack, carried out by 10 terrorists from Pakistan over three days, that left 166 people dead, including 18 police officers and two NSG commandos. On the preparations and enhancement of security measures, Fadnavis said, "I feel Mumbai has changed now. We have third eye-CCTV network, 'Sagar Kavach', joint-exercise with Navy, elite 'Force One' on the lines of NSG and bullet resistant jackets among others. We have technical intelligence, with the state and the Centre working together." "I think, we still require a resolve from the people. They should be the eyes and ears of our (security) forces, our police," Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, said. "The forces we are fighting have no principle and no state of law. They are enemies of humanity. They want to create an atmosphere of fear. "They are bombing all parts of the globe, ramming vehicles in public places, they are firing in theatres. All they want to tell the humanity is that we can win, we can terrorise you," he said. Anant Goenka, executive director of the Indian Express Group, said, "The attack on parliament and 26/11 are the two events that have shaped the way modern India thinks of terrorism and violence." "As a group that has been documenting a changing India for over 80 years, we recognised that we have rarely ever heard from those directly affected the survivors of 26/11. "From our interviews, we have been touched, inspired and awe struck at the courage, the positivity, the maturity, and realised that there are many inspiring stories that needed to be told, and it's our role as a responsible news media group, to give voice to these remarkable individuals," Goenka said. Addressing an event at the Bombay Gymkhana in south Mumbai, Fadnavis said, "Memories of 26/11 will haunt us all the time. It was not just an attack on Mumbai, it was an attack on humanity, sovereignty and on those who stand for peace." "But after nine years, we are standing and telling terrorists and all those who are against peace that we will always fight and we will always win," the chief minister said. "Today, we have moved on and things have changed. In Mumbai, we have vigilance through CCTV network which is the the third eye. We have best of protective gear for elite forces," Fadnavis said. He said the citizens need to be the eyes and ears of the security forces to fight the battle. "We need to be aware that it is a daily fight and we need to be a part of this daily fight," the chief minister said. Addressing the gathering, Maharashtra governor Ch Vidaysagar Rao said it is "unfortunate" that the mastermind of 26/11 attacks, Hafiz Saeed, has been set free. The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) head and LeT founder, who has a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, was freed by Pakistan on Friday. "No words are enough to condemn the dastardly attack. It is most unfortunate that the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, Hafiz Saeed, a designated terrorist, has been released and he has threatened to renew his war against India. I am confident that India is ready to curb and crush these terrorists," Rao said. A day after the Centre withdrew RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's Z+ VIP security cover, his son Tej Pratap threatened to skin Prime Minister Narendra Modi alive. In a video posted by ANI, Tej Pratap can be seen saying, "There is a murder conspiracy against Lalu Prasad Yadav. We will give them a fitting reply. We will skin Narendra Modiji." #WATCH: Lalu Yadav's son Tej Pratap responds to question on his father's security downgrade, says, 'Narendra Modi Ji ka khaal udhedva lenge' pic.twitter.com/FER7rIBjoK ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2017 The RJD chief did not condemn the remarks, instead saying that "if a son gets to know his father is being conspired against and his security is being revoked, he will react". He said a son's blood is bound to boil if something is said against his father. The RJD chief further said that he has talked to his son about not making such remarks again. He added that if Modi thinks he will get scared because his security is withdrawn, he is wrong. "All the people, even the children of Bihar, will protect me," he added. If a son comes to know that his father is being conspired against, his security is being revoked, he will react. I don't approve of this. I have spoken to him to not speak anything like that again.: Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tej Pratap Yadav's statement pic.twitter.com/jo6LnC7Qzx ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2017 After his VIP security cover was withdrawn, Lalu sought to know from the Centre if there was a plan to attack Pakistan. While talking to the media, he said, "if anything happens to me, Modi and Nitish (Kumar) will be responsible." "Even small BJP leaders are getting Z+ security, why was my security withdrawn?" the RJD chief questioned. He said it was a controversy to stop him from travelling in the country. He said he tried to talk to Union minister Rajnath Singh but the call could not get connected. The home secretary said he would revert on Monday but Lalu said, he is still waiting for the call. Official sources told PTI that Lalu's VIP security cover was withdrawn after the Centre reviewed the threat levels of its various protectees. He will now be given 'Z' category security and be guarded by an armed commando squad of the Central Reserve Police Force, in accordance with the protocol of the scaled down cover, sources said. BJP MP Parvesh Verma filed a complain against Tej Pratap in Delhi's Parliament Street police station for his remark on Modi. BJP MP Parvesh Verma files complaint against RJD leader #TejPratapYadav in Delhi's Parliament Street Police station for his remark against PM Modi (file pics) pic.twitter.com/29UVOv3te5 ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2017 Bihar minister DC Yadav also reacted to the statement and said, "only a person who is mentally unstable will make such a statement." ANI quoted him as saying, "Lalu ji also said things in the past but never crossed lines like this." Lalu's other son and former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, also blamed Modi and said that if anything happens to the RJD chief, the prime minister will be responsible. "If anything happens to Lalu Prasadji, Modi will be responsible and be blamed for it," he said. Tejashwi also said that his father was on the hit list of some vested interests who could murder him. With inputs from agencies Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek expansion of the central scheme for assistance to victims of terrorist and communal violence to cover the period of terrorism in the state. "Seeking widening of the scope of the scheme to cover the period 1982-2008, the chief minister has pointed out that Punjab faced unprecedented terrorism during 1982-1995. As many as 10,636 deaths were recorded during this period... 17,420 families had to leave their homes and migrate to other areas," a state government spokesperson said on Sunday. The Central government had, on 3 March, brought out revised guidelines for the Scheme for Assistance to Victims of Terrorism and Communal Violence, to be effective from the date of cabinet approval i.e. 24 August, 2016. "The chief minister has now sought further revision to the scheme and has requested the Prime Minister to make it applicable from 1 August, 1982, so as to cover the period of terrorism in the state. Currently, the scheme is effective from 1 April, 2008 and the chief minister, in his letter, has sought that it may be made effective from 1 August, 1982," the spokesperson said. The Punjab government had requested the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in August 2006 for a package of Rs 781 crore for the terrorist victims in the state, but did not receive any response. "Thereafter, the then chief minister, vide his DO letter 26 March, 2009 addressed to the then Prime Minister, requested that the new Central Scheme for Assistance to Victims of Terrorism and Communal Violence, which had been made effective from 1 April, 2008, be given effect from 1982, so as to cover the families affected by terrorism in the state," the spokesperson said, adding that several reminders at the level of Financial Commissioner Revenue in 2011 did not elicit any response from the Central government. While Assam eagerly awaits the release of an updated draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent a notice to the state government, seeking an explanation over the alleged harassment of people by the police over verification of identity and nationality. Kismat Ali, 41, recalls the night of 11 August 2015, when gun-toting cops picked him up from his hutment in Sonajuli village of the state's Udalguri district. Kismat, who worked as a truck driver, was taken in a police vehicle as cops rounded up another D-voter 'D' stands for 'doubtful' from Assam, Ashraf Ali. Ashraf, born in Siwan district of Bihar, moved to Assam with his parents in the 1980s. Kismat was born in Assam, in the state's Kharupetia town, to a father who had moved there from Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district. It wasn't until their arrest that Kismat and Ashraf learnt that the Election Commission of India marked them as 'D-voters' since 2006. D-voters lose their citizenship rights and government entitlements until their names aren't confirmed as Indian citizens. The two were held as "foreigners" under an ex-parte judgment and put in detention on 12 August, 2015. They approached the Supreme Court after the Gauhati High Court dismissed their writs. The case went back to the Foreigners' Tribunal, an exclusive body of the Assam state government, which declared them Indian citizens and set them free after two years, two months and 17 days in prison. Suspicion and segregation The Assam Police has been on its guard against infiltrators since 1962, when it first set up a special branch under the 'Prevention of Infiltration of Pakistan' (PIP) scheme, entrusted with deporting "foreigners" from Bangladesh, then East Pakistan, living illegally in the state. A sustained movement by All Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Ganasangram Parishad (AAGSP), who conveyed their apprehensions regarding the influx of foreign nationals into Assam during the 1980s, led to the introduction of the Assam Accord in August 1985. The Accord ruled that foreigners who came to Assam after 1 January, 1966, and up to 24 March, 1971, and foreigners who came to Assam after 25 March, 1971, shall continue to be expelled in accordance with the law. This suspicion regarding infiltrators had put more than 6.2 lakh people under investigation as "foreigners" until October 2016, parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary told the Assembly earlier this year. Of these, more than two lakh cases were still pending with the tribunals, he had said. The BJP-led government came to power in Assam on the promise of ridding the state of its illegal voters, and has since been pushing its agenda by updating the NRC to identify illegal migrants. The NRC is a document prepared in 1951 with names of all Indian citizens and was handed over to the police in 1960. Assam is utilising this record to prepare a draft NRC for the state. This will include names that appear in the 1951 NRC, and names that appear in any of electoral rolls up to the midnight of 24 March, 1971, and names of people with any other admissible documents proving their presence in the state before 24 March, 1971. Roushan Ara Begum, 28, works as a domestic help in Guwahati, but has often been labelled as 'Bangladeshi'. "I have submitted all my documents for NRC, but there is no clarity as to who will get a clearance from being labelled 'Bangladeshi'," she said. AASU and other groups demand that illegal migrants be sent back to their countries, but India is yet to sign a repatriation treaty with Bangladesh and Nepal in this regard. Total number of cases It's been over a year that Moinul Molla, 32, has been out of the detention centre where people accused of living illegally in the state are imprisoned. He is now involved in a stationery business in Guwahati with his brother Ainal. During their trial at the Foreigners Tribunal, Moinal won his case after the Supreme Court intervened. "I had been marked a 'D-voter' and sent to the detention centre, where I spent over three years, but my determination to fight for my right led me to freedom. I was aware it would require lot of time and money," Moinul said. An uneducated Moinul is among the 90,000-odd people who have been declared "foreigners" in Assam since 1985 though foreigners tribunals. Aman Wadud, who provides legal counsel for people like Moinul in proving their citizenship to the Foreigners Tribunal, said, "Marking someone a 'D-voter' should involve an investigation procedure. Many cases prove the 'D-voter' is chosen at random. How else would just one member of a family be an illegal resident when all others qualify as Indian citizens as per the voters' lists?" It's not only the uneducated or those part of the unorganised workforce who face the brunt of this scrutiny. At Kalgachia, 170 km from Guwahati, Samshul Haque Ahmed was given a "foreigner" tag despite having served the Indian Air Force for 35 years. "No specific verification takes place. They add a name in this list sitting at district headquarters, and never come on ground to check," he alleged. Another case that came to light was of Mahiruddin Ahmed, a retired Havildar who worked in the Indian Army for 18 years from 1986 to 2004, and was accused of being a Bangladeshi migrant. Ahmed has been served a notice by the Foreigners Tribunal in Assam. A person is tagged a "foreigner" in Assam either if he figures in the Election Commission's 'D-voter' list or is accused of being an outsider by the border police, a special wing of the Assam Police that detects illegal immigrants. DGP RM Singh (border branch) of the Assam Police said the probe takes the Foreigners Act, 1946, into consideration. "Challenges arise mainly in cases of 'D-voters'. In most of these cases, suspects flee before they can be nabbed," he said. The state has witnessed many protest marches in the past, some of which have led to violent clashes. On 30 June this year, Yakub Ali, 22, was shot dead by the police in Khutamari village in the state's Goalpara district while participating in a protest rally against the alleged harassment of Muslims by the state government. The resistance to this "selective" verification has resulted in several prime-time battles on TV, one such event being the recent comment by the chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Maulana Syed Arshad Madani. He drew severe criticism and three court cases under section 120 (B) and 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for saying in New Delhi that "Assam will burn, there will be killings and retaliation, if 50 lakh Muslims are left out of the updated NRC". The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment while hearing if the panchayat residency certificate can be considered a proof of citizenship. The apex court will, on 29 and 30 November, hear a plea regarding completion of the NRC by 31 July, 2018. Read Part 2: BJP's tardy approach to Aadhaar exposes its doublespeak on illegal immigrants The author is a Guwahati-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters. Aurangabad: Eight-year-old Judy Abdulghani Ali was tough as nails as she bargained with the autorickshaw driver. "Hum 50 nahi 30 rupees denge. Baki log utna hi lete hai, chalna hai to chalo (We'll give you 30, not 50 rupees, it's the standard rate, come if you want)," she said. Amused by her gumption, the driver gave in. Judy has lived in Aurangabad since she was four, when her parents left the hard conditions in Yemen, and moved to India. Like many Yemeni children her age, Judy is now fluent in Hindi and Marathi, a marker of how well-integrated the community is in their new home. For decades, Aurangabad, a tier-2 city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, has been a safe haven in India for Yemeni migrants. One of the Arab world's poorest countries, Yemen has been devastated by a civil war since 2015 that pits the Houthi Shia rebels against forces loyal to the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Over 10,000 civilians have died in the conflict and 40,000 wounded till January 2017, the majority in air strikes launched by a Saudi Arabia-led multinational coalition that backs the current president. A record number of Yemeni nationals are migrating to other nations. In India, Aurangabad has become their preferred destination, thanks to its safety, affordable college education, and the region's Islamic history. Most Yemenis come to the city as students in the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (BAMU) and affiliated colleges, that have for four decades reserved 15 percent seats for foreign students, including those from Kenya, Somalia, Iraq, and Thailand. The first three Yemeni students came in 1987. Yemeni alumni from the nineties have left to greener pastures: one is a leading English professor in Yemen, another is a manager in the Yemen vice-president's office, and yet another heads the language department in Amran University, Yemen. These success stories, and the assurance of a support system makes Aurangabad popular. Mansoor Ali Mohammad Almaswari, General Secretary of the Yemeni Students Union, is the first foreign student in BAMU to get the University Grant Commissions scholarship for PhD. He said that from 33 Yemenis in 2008, to 322 in 2012, in the year 2016-17, 675 Yemeni students were admitted in BAMU, Maulana Azad college, Sir Syed College and Swami Vivekanand College. Almaswari said the tuition fees are higher than in Yemen, but among the most affordable in India. Moreover, accommodation, food, and travel were cheaper compared to metropolitan cities. The Yemeni students hold student visas, or in the case of doctoral students, research visas. They enroll in course after course, because returning to Yemen is too risky. Professor Dr Mustajeeb Ahemad Masood Khan, Director of the Foreign Students Cell, said, "A graduation course is for three years, an undergraduate course is four years, then two years of post graduation, and five years of PhD. That is at least 10 productive years of their life in safe nation." Moreover, it's harder to get jobs and work visas in India. "In big cities like Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, we get some translation or writing jobs but they don't pay much," Almadwari said, adding that the community discouraged illegal work. "We have a crisis in Yemen, and we don't want to increase our problems with illegal stay." Prof Khan said BAMU had adopted a liberal stand in issuing certificates to help their foreign students extend their visas, or convert them from student to research visas. The Yemeni Student Union, formed in 2015 in Aurangabad, has 120 permanent members and has built strong roots in the city. The Aurangabad police commissioner, BAMU officials and Maulana Azad College officials have attended several of the union's cultural functions. In the colleges, many Indians seem to have built lasting friendships with Yemenis. Twenty-six-year-old Ashish Gaikawad befriended his Yemeni classmate Abdulghani Ali Musaeed Nasser Al-Bokwal from the very first day they met. Abdulghani is a PhD student in the environmental science department, but back home in Yemen, he had been the director general of the country's environment protection agency. Gaikawad was impressed with the 44-year-old Yemeni man's knowledge and humility. Chetana Walokar-Rajnekar, a 25-year-old environmental science educator found a best friend in Faeza Albabeli when they both pursued their M.Sc. "We came to know from Faeza how difficult life is in Yemen," said Rajnekar. "Still, she always extends a helping hand. She taught us about being positive in life." Like the Muslim communities in Hyderabad and Aurangabad, Yemenis are also Sunni Muslims. Prof Dr Syed Shafiuddin, the Head of Computer Science Department in Milliya College, Beed, offered a historical link between India and Yemen. "The Nizam of Hyderabad appointed Yemenis to guard their treasure, and they were known as chaukidar, later corrupted to chaus. All Muslim Chaus in India today are successors of Hyderabadi Yemenis," he said. Aurangabad's Milliya college, where Prof Shafiuddin teaches, is run by the Anjuman Isharat E Talim Trust, owned by Dr Salim Ahemed, who is a Chaus. About 70-75 Yemeni students have also brought their families, renting homes in six localities in Aurangabad, the most prominent one being the posh Roza Baugh, home to the city's prominent lecturers, government officials and businessmen, many of them Muslim. Asif Nadaf, the owner of a Roza Baugh grocery shop said, "Yemenis are our prominent customers. Due to their good nature and long stay, they are like family members." Another grocery shop owner, Prakash Jadhav, agreed. "Yemenis are trustworthy, gentle people, different from other foreigners." It seems to help that unlike immigrants from Africa or southeast Asia, the Yemenis' appearance allows them to blend into the crowd. Today, the Yemeni nationals have integrated well into their neighbourhood. Almaswari admits that he likes the rhythm of bands played in the Ganesh festival, popular in Maharashtra. The children attend nearby schools, and study Indian syllabi. Judy, and five-year-old Ali happily sing the National Anthem of India. Almaswaris son Humaid and daughter Lujain communicate with ease in the market. "Our kids have made our life easier here," Abdulghani said. "Their street smartness helps their mothers out often." A recent anxiety for Yemenis, however, is that since June 2017, India has been capping education visas to five years. But going back home to a war-torn Yemen poses a dilemma. "Everybody likes their home," said Almaswari. "But how will anyone like to go back to a home where there is no electricity for the last 2 years? Where there is no clean water to drink. Where government hospitals, schools and colleges are closed. Where you have no guarantee that you'll be alive tomorrow." The famine and world's worst outbreak of cholera in Yemen scared him, he said. So when the Indian student visa runs out, some Yemenis plan to go to a neighbouring nation to get stamp on the passport. "Then we return and get another 5 years in India." Once they exhaust all their possibilities of staying in India, the only option might be to move to another nation on a work visa. Almaswari hoped his country would finally be free of violence, and that home would be worth returning to soon. Until then, he hopes India will retain its warm welcome. The author is a Aurangabad-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters. On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a petition of a woman who claims to be the daughter of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. The petition, filed by a Bengaluru woman, claimed she is the biological daughter of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, according to media reports. The woman had also demanded a DNA test to prove her claim. A bench of Justices MB Lokur and Deepak Gupta refused to allow the plea of the woman to conduct DNA test for the purpose of proving her parentage. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, who appeared for the woman, had also sought cremation of Jayalalithaa as per Hindu rites since she was an Iyengar Brahmin. The court, however, said the petitioner is at liberty to approach the high court. In the petition filed on 22 November, Amrutha mentions that she was adopted by Jayalalithaas elder sister, Shylaja, and that she learnt the "truth" about her birth only after Jayalalithaa's death on 5 December 2016, according to Hindustan Times. Claiming she was born on 14 August, 1980 at the former chief minister's residence in Mylapur, Amrutha said that her birth was kept secret to avoid social stigma, and "uphold the dignity of the family as they belonged to a very religious, orthodox and cultured Brahmin family", the report added. The Bengaluru-based woman along with two cousins, LS Lalitha and Ranjani Ravindranatha, sought Supreme Court intervention as her efforts to meet Jayalalithaa during her lifetime were unsuccessful, The Times of India reported. The petitioners said that V Sasikala, former interim general secretary of AIADMK, allegedly prevented her from meeting the leader, and was also not even allowed to attend her burial ceremony. The report added that Amrutha and the co-petitioners had earlier approached President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CBI and Supreme Court judges, but did not receive a response. Amrutha said that she tried to meet Jayalalithaa four times at Apollo Hospital during her last days but was shooed away by security guards on instructions of Sasikala, "as was found later", The Telegraph reported. A Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Madan Lokur will decide on Monday whether to admit the petition, the report said. The Hindustan Times report mentioned Amrutha has also demanded that Jayalalithaas body, buried at Chennais Marina Beach, be exhumed and cremated in accordance with the Vaishnava Brahmin rituals. With inputs from PTI Banaras Hindu University vice-chancellor GC Tripathi, under fire for being unable to contain violence on campus after a student's molestation two months ago, lashed out at his critics at a farewell ceremony organised for him on Sunday. According to The Times of India, Tripathi, without mentioning the incident, said: "Protection of pride and respect of any individual is correct. But, it is 'dogla pana' (dual stand) if such efforts for an individual is made by sacrificing image and pride of any reputed institution that could not speak itself in its defence." In the aftermath of wide-scale student protests, Tripathi had gone on an indefinite leave of absence on 2 October after calls for his resignation. When he returned on Sunday evening for the event, according to a News18 report, he was greeted with slogans of "V-C go back" and posters asking "Do you feel ashamed now?" Only students from the medical branch were allowed inside the farewell venue, the KN Udappa Auditorium, according to the report. Tripathi, who was scheduled to retire on 30 November, had gone on the leave citing personal reasons. The development, however, came amid indications from top HRD ministry sources that the central government was upset with the manner in which he handled the entire episode, including a protest by women students of BHU following an incident of alleged harassment. In September, a number of students, including women, and two journalists were injured in a baton-charge by the police after a protest against an alleged eve-teasing incident turned violent in the BHU, one of the 43 central universities in the country. The students had claimed that the police had attacked them without provocation, not even sparing women students. Students also alleged that the police had entered a girls' hostel. Following the incident, five FIRs were lodged, while the National Commission for Women held Tripathi responsible for such incidents. With inputs from PTI Kolkata: Asura Bibi welled up as she remembered her late husband Sirajul Islam, who succumbed to dengue over two months ago. Asura, 29, a resident of Deganga block in North 24 Parganas district, is particularly appalled by the administration as none of the government officials visited her house to know about her predicament. What further aggravated her anger was the recent dengue deaths figure submitted by the West Bengal government in the Calcutta High Court, that confirmed just 39 dengue deaths in the state this year. "The government has been playing with our emotions and has scant respect for the dead. Several people have died of dengue, including my husband, but instead of offering words of condolence they are trying to suppress everything. The doctors treating my husband at a government hospital told me that he was suffering from dengue and his platelet count had dropped to dangerous levels but his death certificate mentioned haemorrhagic syndrome as the cause," she said, sobbing in between. Sirajul, 36, an embroidery worker, died on 29 September at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a state-run facility, after he was rushed there in a serious condition, a day before. In fact, their families are not alone in their grief. Several people have lost their loved ones in villages of Deganga blocks, that has been the epicentre of the dengue outbreak this year in West Bengal. Md Anwarul Haq, a local, claimed that he has shifted many people to various hospitals and has seen at least 50-60 deaths in Deganga due to dengue in the past three months. "I have rushed dozens of people suffering from high fever to hospitals. Over 50 people at least have died but the figures mentioned by the government have left me surprised and shocked," he said. Md Sohrab Ali, who lost his relative Rashida Bibi, 38, to an unknown fever said that none of the government officials turned up at his door to inquire about her death. "She was suffering from high fever and passed away four days ago. Her death has been dismissed as unknown fever but she was suffering from dengue." A section of the people is also aggrieved at the comments made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in October, saying that nobody had died of dengue in Denganga this year when almost every household has a dengue patient and deaths have become routine. "It is really shocking that the chief minister can make such insensitive statements. The toll is uncountable as Deganga block comprises over 80 villages and most of the casualties have gone unreported because deaths due to unknown fever have hardly been reported," fumed Md Dinbandhu Haldar, a local resident who added that people have been losing their lives due to dengue even in the state capital almost every day. Contrary to the claims of fewer deaths by the state government, the district hospitals are still witnessing long queues of patients coming from far-flung areas to get their blood examined. The medical-superintendent-cum-vice-principal (MSVP) of Habra district hospital though claimed that the number of patients has come down but blamed the people for failing to read the "warning signs" of the deathly mosquito. "There has been a decrease in the number of people turning up with unknown fever. It might also be due to the change in temperature as winter has begun to set in. The need is to frame a popular policy to stop the breeding of Aedes aegypti. People should also read the warning signs of dengue and immediately take their relatives to the nearest health facility if they complain of vomiting, bleeding, abdomen swelling and respiratory distress," he said. Deborshi Chakraborty, a Jadavpur University researcher who is among the seven persons who had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PILs) on 3 November in the Calcutta High Court seeking to form an expert committee to look into dengue menace has accused the government of trying to suppress figures. "The motive behind filing the PIL was to request the high court to take cognisance of the deaths due to dengue in the state. The government has been trying to suppress reality by refusing to mention even the correct cause of deaths in the certificates. They have been dismissing the majority of deaths as unknown fever which is really absurd," said Deborshi. Acting on the PILs, the court had then asked the state government to submit an affidavit on the dengue outbreak in the state. Advocate General (AG) Kishore Dutta on 16 November submitted before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice J Bhattacharya and Justice Arijit Banerjee that 38 people had died of the vector-borne disease this year (from January to 15 November), including 15 in private hospitals. The high court then questioned the reliability of the report submitted by the state government as the counsel of Deborshi challenged the figures by submitting the death certificates of four persons who had died of dengue at government hospitals before 15 November but whose names didn't figure in the list submitted by the government. In the last hearing, on 24 November, the state government increased its official toll to 39 by confirming one more death due to the vector-borne disease and termed the ten PILs filed to be politically motivated and based on media reports. Far away from the legal and political rumblings, people like Asura consider themselves to be cheated as they would never be able to know the exact reason that cut short the existence of their loved ones. TOKYO (Reuters) - Uber executives are travelling the globe to reassure regulators that the company is changing the way it does business, after a string of controversies hurt the ride-hailing firms reputation, its Asian head told Reuters on Monday. Uber's Asia Pacific Chief Business Officer Brooks Entwistle gives an interview to Reuters in Tokyo, Japan, November 27, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonIt is also still in talks with Japans SoftBank Group Corp for an investment, said Brooks Entwistle, Uber Technologies recently appointed chief business officer for Asia Pacific. The comments come on the heels of Ubers disclosure last week that it covered up a 2016 data breach involving 57 million customers and drivers. The revelation prompted governments in countries including Britain, the United States, Australia and the Philippines to launch probes into the breach and Ubers handling of the matter. We have changed tacks in so many ways in dealing with regulators, dealing with governments, Entwistle said in an interview in Tokyo, where he is meeting Japanese officials and potential business partners. This suggests the worlds largest ride-hailing firm, known for its tough stance against regulators, is taking a less disruptive and more consensual approach in the wake of scandals that have led to criticism of its corporate culture. A stream of executives have left Uber in recent months amid controversies involving sexual harassment, data privacy and business practices in Asia. The board also removed Travis Kalanick as its chief executive in June. SOFTBANK DEAL The disclosure of the 2016 data breach at a time when Uber is trying to bring in Japanese firm SoftBank as an investor has spurred speculation about the price of the deal. SoftBank and Dragoneer Investment Group agreed on Nov. 12 to lead a group that would invest as much as $10 billion in Uber, people familiar with the deal previously told Reuters. Uber's Asia Pacific Chief Business Officer Brooks Entwistle poses before giving an interview to Reuters in Tokyo, Japan, November 27, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonAnd according to sources, Uber has plans to disclose the pricing of the SoftBank deal in formal tender offers to existing investors this week. The transaction is still underway and its an extraordinary validation that an investor like SoftBank would look at Uber, said Entwistle. A SoftBank spokesman declined to comment. Uber's logo is pictured at its office in Tokyo, Japan, November 27, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonREGIONAL PLANS SoftBank has become a prolific investor in ride-hailing firms across Asia, including Southeast Asias Grab, Chinas DiDi Chuxing and Indias Ola, leading to expectations it could drive consolidation in the region. While Uber sold its business in China to DiDi last year, it remains committed to operating in the broader region for years to come, said Entwistle, who joined the company in August. The firm has not given up on the Japanese market, which has barred non-professional drivers from offering taxi services, and is working on partnering with traditional taxi firms, he said. Uber hopes the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could provide a venue to demonstrate the value of ride-sharing firms in a potentially lucrative market, he said. We are innovating and in some markets that will take longer and we realize that, Entwistle said. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Jammu: Following the abduction and killing of a Territorial Army jawan by militants, National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah on Sunday expressed concerns over the "worsening security situation" in Jammu and Kashmir and said the Centre has to frame its response vis-a-vis Pakistan for bringing peace in the region. A 23-year-old Territorial Army jawan was abducted and killed by militants in Shopian district of south Kashmir while he was on leave. His bullet-riddled body was recovered from an orchard in Watmullah Keegam area of the district. Abdullah also termed the meetings of Centre's special envoy on Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, with people as a "formality" and said peace would be achieved only when "sincere and serious efforts" were made. "Claims of peace (in Jammu and Kashmir) are falling flat in the face of increased killings. Yet another jawan has been abducted and killed," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Kathua district. The NC president attributed the grim security scenario to infiltration by militants from across the border and said the Centre would have to frame its response vis-a-vis Pakistan for the larger interest of peace in the region. All problems are originating from across the border and the life of those living along the border has become pitiable due to intermittent shelling, he said. "The nation should be taken into confidence as to how the Centre is sorting out issues with the neighbouring country," Abdullah said. Unfazed by the criticism of his remarks that PoK belonged to Pakistan and "this won't change" no matter how many wars India and Pakistan fight, he reiterated his stand saying this was the only realistic solution to herald a new era of peace and trust in the region. "Conversion of the Line of Control (LoC) into a line of peace will improve the living conditions of people on both sides and promote interaction and goodwill," Abdullah said. On the appointment of the Centre's special representative for Kashmir, he said, "Meetings of the interlocutor with the people are just a formality and peace will emerge only when sincere and serious efforts are made." Border skirmishes and violence in the state has pushed the people backwards, Abdullah said, adding, "The border dwellers are suffering due to fear psychosis and uncertainty." About the proposed withdrawal of cases and release of stone-pelters, the NC president said, "The coalition is itself uncertain about all this... At times they say the stone-pelters would be released and at times they talk about sending juveniles to rehabilitation centres." The former chief minister alleged that the present dispensation has failed on the deliverance front. "The scale of rations has been reduced and food-grains are scarce in ration depots. Prices are sky-high and essentials like LPG are going beyond the reach of the poor. Salaries of various categories of employees are being delayed," he said. Claiming that the state is faced with a "development inertia", Abdullah sought answers regarding "utilisation of the claimed funding from the Centre". He also alleged that elected representatives and ministers belonging to the BJP, which is a partner of the PDP in the coalition government, were being ignored by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. "The coalition partners have failed the people, who are realising the futility of their mandate," the NC chief said. On the upcoming panchayat elections, Abdullah blamed the coalition government for trampling democracy by introducing "indirect election of Sarpanchs" and said "it is against the spirit of democracy at grass roots level". New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday permitted the Centre to withdraw four of the eight companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (CAPF) from strife-torn Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal for deployment in poll-bound Gujarat. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud agreed to the Centre's plea to relocate half of the remaining paramilitary forces from the state's strife-torn districts to the poll-bound state. The apex court had earlier on 27 October permitted the Centre to withdraw seven of the 15 companies of CAPF from Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts for deployment along the borders of Jammu and Kashmir and in the north-eastern states and to the poll-bound states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The Calcutta High Court had earlier stayed the withdrawal of CAPF from Darjeeling hills, the scene of unrest over the statehood demand, till 27 October after the state government approached it opposing the Centre's decision. Gaya: A team of anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Gujarat police on Monday took away, for interrogation, terror suspect Tauseef Khan, an accused in the Ahmedabad serial blasts of 2008. Tauseef, who was arrested by the Bihar ATS a few months ago, had been lodged in the Gaya Central Jail. He was taken to Ahmedabad by a chartered plane amid tight security. The ATS team was led by inspector SL Chaudhary. "Tauseef is named in a total of 39 cases, all relating to terrorist activities, in various police stations of Ahmedabad and Surat", Chaudhary told reporters. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (City), Gaya, Alok Kumar Singh, "Tauseef was arrested, along with two of his associates, on 14 September from the Bhagat Singh Chowk under Civil Lines police station area". "He has been taken to Ahmedabad for interrogation by the Gujarat ATS team, which arrived here yesterday and obtained transit remand from a local court", Singh said. An engineering graduate, Tauseef worked as a teacher in a school in a Gaya village where he allegedly promoted anti-national sentiments among his students. Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a CBI probe into the alleged lynching of 17-year-old Junaid Khan, who was stabbed to death on a train in June. A single bench of Justice Rajan Gupta passed the order. "The judge dismissed the plea on the ground that the police investigation in the case was proper," said Arshdeep Singh Cheema, the counsel for Junaid's father Jalaluddin. "During the course of the hearing, the complainant has not been able to show that there are serious flaws in the investigation, which would lead to the conclusion that the same is shoddy or tainted. "Besides, there is nothing to show that the incident has any national or international ramifications. It is, thus, not a fit case to exercise extraordinary power to hand over the investigation to the CBI," the judge wrote in the order. On 17 November, the high court had reserved its order on the petition after the conclusion of arguments. Jalaluddin, through his counsel, had filed the petition on 26 October, seeking a probe by an independent agency, such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Junaid lynching case. The petitioner had also demanded a stay on the trial in a Faridabad court in connection with the killing of Junaid. The high court had issued notices to the CBI and Haryana government on the plea of Junaid's father. Junaid, who had boarded a Mathura-bound train from Delhi, was allegedly stabbed to death when he, along with his brothers and cousins, was returning home to Khandawali village after shopping for Eid in Delhi in June. His body was dumped near Asaoti village in Faridabad district. Moscow: India and Russia on agreed to help each other in combating terrorism as the two strategic partners signed a key agreement, asserting that there are no good or bad terrorists and the menace should be fought jointly. The agreement between the two countries for cooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism was signed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Russia's Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev after they held wide-ranging talks. Home Minister Rajnath Singh met Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation in Moscow, Russia. pic.twitter.com/ASe73MGQ98 ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2017 The ministers underlined that cooperation in the field of security is an important aspect of this bilateral relationship further strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism, extremism and radicalism, a statement issued by the Indian embassy said. They agreed that terrorism must be fought unitedly and there were no good or bad terrorists, it said. "The new agreement between India's MHA and Russia's interior ministry will replace the October 1993 agreement between both the countries. This agreement will help in expanding and deepening cooperation on issues related to internal security," Singh tweeted after signing the pact. The Indian embassy statement said the two leaders agreed to cooperate in combating new challenges, enhance the exchange of information, cooperate in building a database and in training of police and investigative agencies. Indian and Russian representatives also signed the joint action plan for countering the threat posed by narcotics and the agreement will provide legal framework for bilateral cooperation in this field. The pact was signed by Indian ambassador to Russia Pankaj Saran and deputy minister for internal affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Zubov in presence of Singh and Kolokoltsev. The agreement on internal security is an updated and more comprehensive agreement on cooperation on security between the MHA and the Russian ministry of interior. This pact provides a comprehensive approach for help in security-related issues, including information technology crimes, counterfeiting currency, illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, trafficking in human beings, economic crimes, crimes related to intellectual property, cultural property amongst others, the statement said. During the meeting, the ministers emphasised the strength of the relationship between India and Russia that has been consolidated in the past 70 years in all areas. Before leaving for Russia, Singh said India and Russia share a special relationship which has withstood the test of time over the decades. Singh was scheduled to visit Russia on 18 September, 2016, but he had cancelled it following a terror attack on that day at the Brigade headquarters in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 19 army soldiers were killed NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Indian steel companies can meet the needs of the countrys railways and local rail market entrants such as Jindal Steel and Power Ltd should be given a chance, a government panel said in a document seen by Reuters. A general view of the Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. complex is pictured at Nisha village in the eastern Indian state of Orissa March 27, 2012. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/FilesJindal Steel told the committee this month it could supply up to 600,000 tonnes of rails per year to Indian Railways, which recently floated a global tender for 717,000 tonnes of rails. The committee on domestically manufactured iron and steel products for government projects is headed by the top bureaucrat in the steel ministry, which has said the tender went against government policy to prefer local steel in state projects. Prima facie there exists domestic rail making capacity for the tendered quantity of Ministry of Railways, said the minutes of a committee meeting held on Nov. 3, which were seen by Reuters on Monday. Reasonable supply quantity may be assured for the new domestic entrant to demonstrate their capability and build up the performance/track record. State-run Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), currently the main supplier of rails to Indian Railways, has struggled to supply the steel as the worlds fourth largest rail network tries to upgrade and expand. SAIL is expected to deliver only around 950,000 tonnes of rails this financial year, which is two-thirds of the railways needs, according to the document. In response, Indian Railways last month opened up the global tender for steel rail worth an estimated 30 billion rupees ($464 million) to private bidders for the first time. Global steelmakers such as ArcelorMittal and Thyssenkrupp could bid for the tender. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Auto refresh feeds On Wednesday, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud said that application for an in-camera hearing of the proceedings when Hadiya appears before the court on 27 November would be taken up today itself Supreme Court to decide at 3 pm whether the hearing will be in-camera or not Muslims who account for 172 million of Indias 1.32 billion citizens have been under increasing pressure from the Hindu right. Muslims have been lynched for killing cows - considered sacred in Hinduism - and some of their slaughter houses forced to shut down. The RSS, which founded the first iteration of Modis ruling Bharatiya Janata Party six decades ago, believes India is fundamentally a Hindu nation. Since Modis election in May 2014, the RSS has expanded its membership and influence across India and either it or its affiliates now run key ministries, such as the home ministry that supervises the NIA and the finance ministry. Opposition parties say the investigation shows the government is allowing the RSS and others to use the state apparatus to further an agenda of establishing Hindu dominance in India, where 13 percent of the population is Muslim, reports Reuters . Opposition says this is the usage of state apparatus to establish Hindu dominance in India The NIAs nine Love Jihad cases were based on complaints lodged by the parents of the Hindu girls and all were found to have links with Islamic State, the NIA police sources said. The agency dropped the investigations into the other 80 cases because no links to militants were found, the sources said. The NIAs probe started in 2015 after the government identified Kerala, which sends tens of thousands of workers to West Asia, as a potential hotbed of Islamic State recruitment. Nearly half of Keralas 33 million people practice Islam and Christianity. Local police and the NIA said at least 100 people from Kerala have joined the Islamic State in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. A Kerala police team is accompanying Hadiya and her family members. Sources also said that an entire floor has been blocked for Hadiya, and 2-3 rooms have been booked for her and her family to stay. Delhi Police are also on alert for additional security. A day before the Supreme Court hearing in the controversial Love Jihad Case, the Kerala House in Delhi has turned into a fortress on the arrival of a new guest, reports News18 . In its report submitted in the Supreme Court, the NIA has underlined that hypnotic counselling is a technique employed by certain people belonging to particular groups. According to NIA sources, there are trained people who use hypnosis to influence vulnerable women. These non-Muslim women are then "drifted off to an altered state of mind where they are made to believe in doing what the counsellors wish". 'Hypnotic counselling' and 'Neuro-linguistic programming' are being used by radical organisations to entice young women to convert to Islam and marry Muslim men, the NIA has claimed, according to News18 . The first hearing as to whether the proceedings will be public or not will be held at 2 pm, reports CNN-News18. The actual hearing on the merits of the case will take place at 3 pm. Hadiya's father said that the case should be heard in judge's chambers (in camera) as this matter should not be publicised, reports CNN-News18. If the judges decide to hear the matter in camera then the details of the matter will be slow in emerging. The court will first take up the question of whether the proceedings will take place in camera, according to CNN-News18. It will then hear Hadiya's statement on the matter. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court will hear the Hadiya case, reports LiveLaw. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaisingh will argue for Shefin Jehan, ASG Maninder Singh for the Centre and Senior Advocate Shyam Divan for Hadiya's father, Ashokan. Supreme Court currently deciding if the hearing will be in-camera or in open As a three-judge bench starts hearing the Hadiya case, senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal says: "I am really saddened Today, Instead of asking Hadiya on what she want, we are taking about the venom filled in news channels." Instead of asking what Hadiya wants, we are taking about the venom filled in news channels: Sibal As the three-judge bench will start hearing the Hadiya case, the NIA has submitted a report stating that the case is not an isolated one, but is part of several similar cases, reported News18. The agency also said that Hadiya was not allowed to meet her father for over seven months. According to latest reports, Hadiya's father reportedly told the Supreme Court that the atmosphere has become extremely communal. Ashokan, Hadiya's father, also requested the top court to revisit its decision of open court hearing. The Supreme Court is currently deciding if the hearing will be in-camera or in open court Kapil Sibal and Indira Jaising are lawyers for Shafin Jahan Hadiya's husband, while Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh is appearing for the Centre. Advocate Shyam Divan and Madhavi Divan are appearing for Ashokan, Hadiya's Father. Supreme Court proceeding in the love jihad case have begun. All three judges of the Supreme Court CJI Dipak Misra, DY Chandrachud and AM Khanwilkar have assembled in the court. In a fresh report submitted in the Supreme Court, the NIA has underlined that hypnotic counselling is a technique employed by certain people belonging to particular groups. According to NIA sources, there are trained people who use hypnosis to influence vulnerable women. These non-Muslim women are then "drifted off to an altered state of mind where they are made to believe in doing what the counsellors wish". 'Hypnotic counselling' and 'Neuro-linguistic programming' are methods used by radical organisations to entice young women to convert to Islam and marry Muslim men, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has claimed, News18 reports. According to News18, the Supreme Court bench, headed by CJI Dipak Misra, then questioned if the larger issue of indoctrination needed to be de-linked from Hadiyas case. The NIA asked the three-judge Supreme Court bench to look at the 100-page report submitted by the agency before reaching any conclusion on the Hadiya case. News18 reports: CJI Dipak Misra asks, If it is established that the consent of the individual is not voluntary... what should the court do? While hearing theHadiya case of love jihad, Supreme Court asked NIA counsel, "Should we delink the larger issue of indoctrination with the specific case of Hadiya's marriage? At what stage can personal liberty be suspended by court?" If it is established that the consent of the individual is not voluntary... what should the court do: CJI asks NIA counsel In a normal case, we would have heard the girl and decided, but this is an unusual case: Supreme Court Justice Khanwilkar on Hadiya case When asked by Justice Chandrachud about her dreams for the future, Hadiya reportedly said, "I want freedom." According to The News Minute , the court further asked Hadiya if she wanted to continue her studies on state expenditure, to which she replied, "My husband is there to take care of my expenses, why should I study on state expenditure?" "My husband is there to take care of my expenses, why should I study on state expenditure: Hadiya The News Minute reports that the court was adjourned for the day and the Supreme Court will resume hearing of the case on Tuesday. "I was in unlawful custody for the last 11 months," Hadiya has told the Supreme court. Several reports said that Hadiya also told that she wants her husband to be her lawful guardian in case she decides to return to college. "I want to be true my faith and go back to my husband." "I have endured mental harassment and been in unlawful custody for 11 months. I want to go back to my college and continue my education." The court was adjourned for the day, as Hadiya voiced her demands in front of the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court. Hadiya's deposition will continue on Tuesday. I want to be true my faith and go back to my husband: Hadiya tells Supreme Court The Supreme Court ordered for Hadiya to be taken to Sivaraj Homeopathic medical college, Salem in Tamil Nadu by today or tomorrow, The News Minute reported. The court also asked women police police officers to be there in plain clothes around the college to ensure her safety. Date for next hearing has been set for third week of January News18 reports: CJI Dipak Misra asks, If it is established that the consent of the individual is not voluntary... what should the court do? While hearing theHadiya case of love jihad, Supreme Court asked NIA counsel, "Should we delink the larger issue of indoctrination with the specific case of Hadiya's marriage? At what stage can personal liberty be suspended by court?" If it is established that the consent of the individual is not voluntary... what should the court do: CJI asks NIA counsel In a normal case, we would have heard the girl and decided, but this is an unusual case: Supreme Court Justice Khanwilkar on Hadiya case When asked by Justice Chandrachud about her dreams for the future, Hadiya reportedly said, "I want freedom." 'Do you want to continue your studies on state's expense?' asks CJI. #Hadiya replied 'I want to but not on state's expense when my husband can take care of me' [ANI] According to The News Minute , the court further asked Hadiya if she wanted to continue her studies on state expenditure, to which she replied, "My husband is there to take care of my expenses, why should I study on state expenditure?" "My husband is there to take care of my expenses, why should I study on state expenditure: Hadiya The News Minute reports that the court was adjourned for the day and the Supreme Court will resume hearing of the case on Tuesday. "I was in unlawful custody for the last 11 months," Hadiya has told the Supreme court. Several reports said that Hadiya also told that she wants her husband to be her lawful guardian in case she decides to return to college. "I want to be true my faith and go back to my husband." "I have endured mental harassment and been in unlawful custody for 11 months. I want to go back to my college and continue my education." The court was adjourned for the day, as Hadiya voiced her demands in front of the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court. Hadiya's deposition will continue on Tuesday. I want to be true my faith and go back to my husband: Hadiya tells Supreme Court The Supreme Court ordered for Hadiya to be taken to Sivaraj Homeopathic medical college, Salem in Tamil Nadu by today or tomorrow, The News Minute reported. The court also asked women police police officers to be there in plain clothes around the college to ensure her safety. Date for next hearing has been set for third week of January The Supreme Court will hear the plea by Asokan, the father of Hadiya, a 24-year-old Hindu woman from Kerala who converted to Islam, for an in-camera hearing when she appears before the court in pursuance to its directions. The apex court, in its 30 October order, had directed Hadiya's to present her in the court on 27 November to ascertain her views on her marriage to a Muslim man, Shafin Jahan. Hadiya, who has to depose before the Supreme Court in an alleged 'love jihad' case, said she wanted to be with her husband, as she was whisked away by her parents and security personnel to board a flight to Delhi on Saturday. "I am a Muslim. I was not forced. I want to be with my husband," the 25-year-old shouted as she was being taken inside the airport. On Wednesday, the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud said that the application for an in-camera hearing of the proceedings when Hadiya appears before the court on 27 November would be taken up on that day itself after a lawyer mentioned Asokan's application for an early hearing. The court in the last bearing had said that before examining the later issue, it would like to ascertain if she had voluntarily converted to Islam and to her marriage. "We will have the lady before us and ask her if she has consented voluntarily" to conversion and marriage, the bench had said in the last hearing. Telling the court in the last hearing that Hadiya has been indoctrinated, senior counsel Shyam Divan, who appeared for Asokan, had told the court that every statement by Hadiya should not be taken as "absolute" for this reason. The court is hearing a plea by Shafin Jahan challenging the Kerala High Court order of May nullifying his marriage with Hadiya and seeking a recall of its order asking the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to investigate the conversion of Hadiya to Islam and her marriage. The NIA in its earlier report has pointed to a "pattern" involving conversion to Islam and marriages in Kerala. Aizawl: The Mizoram government has given shelter and relief to around 1,300 tribals from neighbouring Myanmar's restive Arakan state who have taken refuge in southern Mizoram, officials said on Monday. "Around 1,300 men, women and children have fled from Arakan state and taken refuge in four villages of Lawngtlai district (in southern Mizoram) on Saturday night," Lawngtlai district police chief Lalsanglura told IANS. "The Myanmarese fled their homes after the Army clashed with the outlawed 'Arakan Army' militant outfit cadres last week. As the armed clashes continue, we would not push back the refugees due to humanitarian grounds." According to the police official, the district administration now constructing makeshift relief camps for the refugees, adding that since the clashes are on, more refugees might cross over to Mizoram. Assam Rifles and state police were deployed in the area. Lalsanglura said he, Lawngtlai Deputy Commissioner Arun T, and senior Assam Rifles officials would visit the areas on the Myanmar border on Tuesday to supervise the relief and other necessary arrangements for the refugees. The people who crossed over to Mizoram were mostly Buddhists and Christians and they speak the same tribal language as the locals. This is the fourth instance in recent past of Myanmarese people entering Mizoram after ethnic troubles in the neighbouring country. The local villagers initially volunteered to provide food to the Arakanese people and arranged shelter for them. The mountainous, northeastern state of Mizoram has a 510-km border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh, guarded by Assam Rifles and the Border Security Force, respectively. Meanwhile, during the past twelve weeks, over 6,22,000 non-tribal Rohingya refugees fled to southeastern Bangladesh to escape a military crackdown in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. The current Rohingya exodus to Bangladesh started with the Myanmar security forces responding to the 25 August attacks on government outposts by the Rohingya rebel group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Ahmedabad: The screening of the Tehelka sting CD in the 2002 Naroda Gam case had to be deferred by the special SIT court on Monday after it was told that the video was with the Gujarat High Court. The court had made arrangements to screen the CD of "Operation Kalank", which was published by Tehelka magazine in its 7 November, 2002 issue, and also aired by Hindi news channel Aaj Tak in order to consider certain parts of it as evidence in the case. The court was told that the CD was currently with the high court, which heard a batch of appeals against the verdict in the 2002 Naroda Patiya case. Special judge PB Desai said the screening will be held when the CD is brought back, and ordered arguments over the deposition made by journalist Ashish Khetan, who had carried out the sting operation. The court will hear the case again on Tuesday. Former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi and VHP leader Jaideep Patel - both of whom are facing trial in the case -figure in the sting operation. Bajrangi is reportedly seen in the video saying that Hindu organisations operating in Naroda Gam, Naroda Patiya, and Gulberg housing society, the scene of the post-Godhra riots, were mobilised to avenge the Godhra train burning incident in which 59 kar sevaks were killed. Naroda Gam massacre is one of the nine major communal riots cases investigated by the Special Investigation Team. Eleven Muslims were killed in Naroda Gam in Ahmedabad during a bandh called to protest the Godhra train burning incident. Altogether 82 people are facing trial in the case. Days after multiple media reports raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of Justice Brijgopal Harkishan Loya in 2014, The Indian Express, quoting two judges from Bombay High Court, said there was "absolutely nothing suspicious about the death or the events around it". Special CBI judge Loya, who was presiding over the Soharabuddin "fake encounter" case at the time, died in Nagpur on 30 November 2014, where he was visiting to attend a colleague's daughter's wedding. He was said to have suffered a heart attack. According to the report, Justice Bhushan Gavai who, along with Justice Sunil Shukre went to the hospital on the day of Loya's death and made arrangements for the transport of the body said Loya experienced a "health problem" at 4 am, which was when Justice Vijaykumar Barde and high court official Rupesh Rathi took him to Dande Hospital in two cars. Contradicting claims that an ECG was not conducted at Dande Hospital when Loya was brought in, the report quoted the director of the hospital as saying, "Its only after the ECG was taken that we realised he needed specialised cardiac treatment which is not available with us so we advised them to go to a bigger hospital." The Indian Express report goes on to quote medical records that show Loya suffered "retrosternal chest pain and had collapsed" while being brought to the second hospital, and explains other claims such as blood stains on his body after the post mortem. On 22 November, Mumbai Mirror reported that Rubabuddin Sheikh, brother of Sohrabuddin, who was allegedly shot in a fake encounter by the Gujarat Police in November 2005, had written to then Bombay High Court judge Mohit Shah asking for a probe into the sudden death of Loya. At the time the incident occurred, Loya had been hearing the discharge petition filed by key accused in the case, BJP president Amit Shah. Within a month of Loya's death, Justice MB Gosavi cleared Shah of all charges, saying the BJP chief was "implicated" due to "political reasons". On 21 November, a report on The Caravan said Loya's sister Anuradha Biyani and father Harkishan claimed that the CBI judge was offered a Rs 100 crore bribe by Mohit Shah in return for a "favourable judgment". However, a former judge in Bombay High Court, Justice BH Marlapalle, wrote to Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Justice Manjula Chellur and sought an SIT probe into allegations of foul play in Loya's death, Live Law reported on Sunday. Marlapalle said that such a probe would "certainly make the subordinate court judges believe that they are not orphans." On 24 November, former Indian Navy chief admiral Ramdas wrote to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on the need to investigate circumstances around the death. Former Navy Chief Admiral Ramdas also writes to the CJI & CJ Mumbai on the imperative need to investigate highly suspicious death of Judge Loya who was trying Amit Shah for murder. His successor discharged Shah in a 10,000 page CBI chargesheet after a 15 minute hearing! pic.twitter.com/xpUqGGxGde Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) November 26, 2017 Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad from Hyderabad on their way to Sangli in Maharashtra. He was killed in an alleged fake encounter near Gandhinagar in November 2005, after which his wife disappeared. On Monday, Pope Francis started his six-day visit of Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. But in India, the top hierarchy of the Indian Catholic clergy has expressed disappointment that the Pope's itinerary does not include India. Despite repeated requests from the Catholic Christian community, the government did not express an interest in welcoming the Pope to India, even after the Vatican played a significant role in rescuing Father Tom Uzhunnalil from insurgents in Yemen, an official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) told The Hindu. "We have been in contact with the government and have conveyed our request at the highest level to invite Pope Francis to India, but we have not received any positive response so far," the official said. On 23 November, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "Indias link with Christianity is nearly 2,000 years old. Indian Christians have immensely contributed to India's growth and prosperity. Relations between India and the Holy See have always been cordial and strengthened over the years," according to the report. However, the ministry did not respond to the CBCI statement. Secretary-General of CBCI Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas said that it "hurt" that Francis' trip will not include India, The Indian Express reported. "It was with a heavy heart we received news that the Holy See cannot visit India. This is not vis-a-vis just Catholics in the country, a holy visit would have been a prestige for the whole country in the eyes of the world. It is indeed embarrassing that the Pope is coming to the neighbourhood, and visiting two smaller countries, but not India. As an Indian, it hurts that the Pope will not be coming here. I hope it hurts all Indians, too," he said. Mascarenhas added that given the current climate of "vigilantism and murderous lynchings", Francis' visit would have come as a "messenger of peace, bringing a salve to the people who are powerless in the face of the forces of hate and evil", the report added. On Monday, before setting off on his 21st and possibly most delicate overseas trip yet, to Bangladesh and Myanmar, Francis said, "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope." Francis' previous visits to the region was in 2015 when the pontiff toured the civil war-affected northern states of Sri Lanka, and urged people to follow the example of 17th Century missionary Joseph Vaz. The last Pope to visit India was Pope John Paul II, who visited the national capital in 1999. His stopover in India was part of a 10-day tour of 14 cities in 1986, according to Deccan Herald. Delhi: Noted historian Ramchandra Guha today took to Twitter to complain of "unprovoked rudeness" by staff of low-cost carrier IndiGo. "Three times this time, I have been subject to unprovoked rudeness by an @IndiGo6E staffer. Different people, different airports, same airline. Absolutely shocking," Guha tweeted. Three times this time, I have been subject to unprovoked rudeness by an @IndiGo6E staffer. Different people, different airports, same airline. Absolutely shocking. Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) November 26, 2017 He said he does not normally use Twitter as a means of consumer redressal, but did so as the same airline misbehaved thrice in a single week. "Friends and family also confirm that rudeness has become a habit with @IndiGo6E," he said. The airline declined to comment on Guha's allegations. Earlier in November, IndiGo was at the centre of a controversy after a video showing one of its staff members allegedly manhandling a passenger went viral. The outrage over the incident forced the airline to apologise, while in a report to the ministry of civil aviation it also maintained that the employee was doing his job. The government has also asked regulatory body Directorate General of Civil Aviation to probe the incident. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the appeal of the father of a seven-year-old boy, who was found dead in a Gurugram school, seeking cancellation of anticipatory bail granted to Ryan School management officials. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud agreed to hear the plea of Barun Chandra Thakur, father of the Class 2 boy, who had challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order granting anticipatory bail to the Ryan International Group trustees. The apex court considered the matter after advocate Sushil Tekriwal, the counsel for the child's family, sought urgent hearing in the case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on 21 November granted anticipatory bail to Ryan International Group's three trustees in connection with the murder in the Gurugram school. The single bench of Justice Surinder Gupta had imposed various conditions while granting bail to the group CEO, Ryan Pinto, and his parents, founding chairman Augustine Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto. The court had said that the Pintos would not try to influence the witnesses, tamper with any evidence or leave the country without permission of the court. The seven-year-old was found with his throat slit in the school washroom in Gurugram on 8 September. School bus conductor Ashok Kumar was arrested by Haryana Police in connection with the crime. However, a Gurugram civil court had granted bail to Kumar on a bond of Rs 50,000. The CBI, which took over the investigation on 22 September, apprehended a Class 11 student in connection with the killing. Mumbai: Former media baron Peter Mukerjea, an accused in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case, on Monday told the court that his wife and key accused, Indrani Mukherjea, was trying to mislead the court and creating "adverse publicity". Peter, through his lawyer Shrikant Shivde, was arguing on an application moved by Indrani, accusing Peter of playing a role in Sheena's disappearance. Shivde told the court that the application did not connect with the prayer of Indrani who had sought call data records (CDR) of Peter. "She is using the media and misleading the court", Shivde told the court, adding that she was creating media publicity for creating a "wrong perception" by portraying herself as a victim. Shivde argued that if Indrani had a strong reason to believe it (that Peter has any role in Sheena's disappearance), she should have said it to the police during the investigation. Peter's lawyer argued that there was no basis for these allegations other than getting media publicity. He added that there was a systematic attempt to create prejudice. "Indrani is creating an atmosphere which will prejudice the trial by making allegations against a witness (Indrani's former driver Shyam Rai who turned approver) and accused (Peter). It is contradictory to the prosecution's case, we will prove that during the trial," Shivde said. "She is drawing a further strategy to distort the trial," he said and added that the application moved by Indrani was exculpatory i.e. evidence favourable to the defendant in a criminal trial that exonerates or tends to exonerate the defendant of guilt. Shivde argued that the court may reject Indrani's application and ask her lawyers to file a proper application by providing the ground. Special CBi judge JC Jagdale will hear the arguments of Indrani and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday. On 15 November, Indrani had filed a plea in the court, saying her husband Peter Mukherjea might have caused her daughter's disappearance out of "greed and ill-will". Though she did not expressly accuse Peter of killing Sheena, Indrani said he and their former driver Shyamwar Rai could be behind her daughter's abduction, making her untraceable and destroying evidence. She had said that she believed Peter and others might have "manipulated the circumstances to frame her, and influence witnesses, situations and information that led to her arrest for the heinous crime that they may have committed, aided and abetted". She had prayed for the CDR of Peter for the period between January, 2012 and December, 2012, and from January, 2015 to December, 2015. While Peter had told the court that the application filed by Indrani was with an "ulterior motive", the CBI also admitted that she filed the application with malafide intention. The alleged murder of Sheena Bora came to light in August, 2015 after Rai, arrested in another case, spilled the beans. Mumbai Police arrested Indrani, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and Rai in the case. Later, Peter was also arrested. The victim was Indrani's daughter from an earlier relationship. Sheena was in a relationship with Peter's son. TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltds new chief executive officer ousted the companys three top division heads on Monday as he works to turn around and streamline the operations of the debt-laden drugmaker. The logo of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world's biggest generic drugmaker and Israel's largest company, is seen in Jerusalem February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/FilesCEO Kare Schultz, who joined Teva on Nov. 1, said he will combine the Israeli companys generic and specialty drugs business, as well as the research and development groups for those units. Shares in the worlds largest generic drugmaker, which have been in a year-long freefall due to narrowing profit margins in generics and a series of pricey acquisitions, jumped as much as 6.4 percent in New York trading on Monday. Various media had reported last week that Teva planned to cut up to one-quarter of its 6,860-strong workforce in Israel, and a few thousand more staff in the United States. Teva is taking decisive and immediate action to address external pressures and internal inefficiencies, Schultz said, adding that the company is working on a detailed restructuring plan to be unveiled in mid-December. Teva said Michael Hayden, the chief scientific officer, Rob Koremans, head of global specialty medicines, and Dipankar Bhattacharjee, head of the global generic medicines group, would step down at the end of the year. An employee of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries wears a shirt bearing the company's logo at its Jerusalem oral solid dosage plant (OSD) December 21, 2011. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/FilesThe company is saddled with nearly $35 billion in debt after its $40.5 billion acquisition of Allergan Plcs generic drug business Actavis last year. Profits from generics have slumped since that deal closed, and the CEO who engineered the purchase was forced to step down earlier this year. The company also appointed Michael McClellan as permanent chief financial officer, after he held the role on an interim basis since July, and made five other executive changes at the top of the company. It appears to us that the new CEO is approaching Teva with an ax in each hand, not hedge clippers or pruning shears, Wells Fargo analyst David Maris said in a research note. We think the market will like this in the short run, but will eventually have serious questions as to whether this approach is cutting fat or muscle. Earlier on Monday, the Israeli Knessets State Control Committee called an emergency meeting to discuss the reports of upcoming job cuts. Teva responded with a letter to parliament, saying it needs to take significant and comprehensive actions in order to secure its future. Teva, which has been selling off assets to help meet its debt payments, said in the letter it needed deep, meaningful steps around the world, but did not give details. U.S.-traded shares rose 6.1 percent to $14.44 in mid-day trading and were up 3.6 percent to 5,042 Israeli shekels in Tel Aviv trading. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Ahmedabad: The AAP Monday said it will not field any candidate against Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, who is contesting election from the Vadgam Assembly constituency in Gujarat as an Independent with the Congress's support. The Vadgam seat in Banaskantha district is reserved for scheduled castes. "The AAP has decided not to field any candidate from Vadgam from where Dalit protest leader Jignesh Mevani is contesting as an Independent candidate. "Looking at the appeal made by him, the party believes that the contest should be between the BJP and Jignesh Mevani," the party said in a statement. The Congress has supported Mevani's candidature and asked its sitting MLA Manibhai Vaghela not to contest from the seat as part of an agreement reached with the Dalit leader. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal extended best wishes to the 34-year-old Dalit activist. "Best wishes, Jignesh," Kejriwal wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter on Monday. Mevani had also taken to Twitter to announce his candidature. He wrote, "Friends, I'm contesting from Vadgam-11 seat of Banaskantha district of Gujarat as an independent candidate. We shall fight, we shall win." "All political parties opposed to the BJP are saying that Jignesh Mevani is a symbol of struggle against the ruling BJP, and they believe the contest should be between these two people only. "We have appealed to all political parties to support me," Mevani told reporters. The AAP has so far announced candidates for over 30 assembly seats in Gujarat. The Delhi-headquartered party has maintained its contest is with the ruling BJP. Narendra Modi's rallies on Day 1 of his two-day Gujarat campaign blitzkrieg threw up some interesting pointers about the mood in BJP's camp. A close scrutiny of his speeches at Bhuj for instance, his first pit stop reveals a determination to frame the political debate on his own terms instead of responding to the Opposition narrative. Inherent in this strategy is a tacit admission that BJP is feeling a little queasy about the political repercussions of GST. This isn't apparent on the surface, however. The question central to the Gujarat Assembly poll debate isn't whether BJP will win, but whether it will be able to meet its stated target of 150 seats. Rahul Gandhi's blistering attack on Modi has been noted, Congress' tie-ups with dissident caste groups and the Patidar movement has been acknowledged, and Rahul's new-found confidence on the campaign trail has generated some interest in certain sections of the media. Yet, the overwhelming narrative remains that of a BJP win, as explained on DailyO, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and The Hindu. But political pundits have been careful in their calculation of GST blues upsetting the Modi applecart. This is a little curious. It is undeniable that the tax reform has introduced a huge amount of discord in the economy and traders have been at the receiving end of it. But ground reports from Gujarat suggest that BJP workers and local-level leaders are facing hostility from communities that have been long and steadfast supporters of the party. Given the dominance of trading communities in Gujarat, BJP's goal of 150 seats should have appeared a little far-fetched. That it hasn't been so has a lot do with what happened earlier in the year during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Polls in Uttar Pradesh changed the political lexicon of India in a curious way. The Opposition, and even the media, were reasonably certain that Modi will suffer a demonetisation backlash. When results emerged overwhelmingly in BJP's favour, the media not only faced a crisis of credibility, its self-confidence was also bitterly shaken. It appeared that in its laser focus on caste and sub-caste groups, the media had miserably failed to gauge the groundswell of support in Modi's favour. Therefore, this time, despite evidence on the ground of an anti-incumbency mood, pollsters and media pundits have been playing it a little cautious. It was interesting, therefore, to note the approach taken by Modi on Monday: During his speeches in Bhuj and Rajkot, the prime minister refused to pick up the topic of GST until towards the very end, instead focusing on familiar tropes of development, 'Gujarati asmita' and his "son of the soil" pitch. In his exclusive focus on the past to build a narrative of the present, Modi's attempt was clear. He was trying to tap into the traditional Gujarati antipathy towards Congress to deny Rahul Gandhi a chance to exploit any GST-induced resentment. In his invocation of Congress' "step-motherly" attitude towards Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, insistence that water-starved Kutch could have got Narmada water at least 30 years ago had the Congress been a little more serious about the project, his achievements as three-time chief minister of Gujarat, rehabilitation and rebuilding of Kutch from scratch after the devastating 2001 earthquake the effort was to show himself as the maker of modern Gujarat. Modi threw in anecdotes of government employees being scared of being transferred to Kutch due to water scarcity, workers forced to migrate out of the district, cattle-herders forced to look elsewhere for food and water until he started the drip irrigation system that revolutionised the area and turned arid Kutch green and Rann of Kutch became a tourist attraction. This was constructed with Congress' attitude towards Gujarat, which Modi framed within the parameters of history by bringing in references to 'Mahagujarat' movement in 1956, when protesting youth were fired upon. Modi tried to constantly refresh public memory over Congress' role in the state to meet the challenges of the present. Rahul Gandhi has mocked, ridiculed and ripped into Modi over the "twin blows" of demonetisation and GST. Modi sought to turn it around into a personal battle between Gujaratis and Congress, by first identifying himself as the "son of the soil" an "embodiment of Gujarat" and from there, claiming that insulting him is akin to insulting Gujaratis. Congress will be taught a severe lesson for daring to do so, he thundered. In Rajkot, he added the "humble background" imagery into his attack and tried to capitalise on the recent Youth Congress meme that ridiculed his past as a tea-seller. "I'd rather sell tea than sell the country," quipped Modi. The one-liner virtually wrote itself the moment Congress had committed the gaffe. It was also fascinating to note Modi's attempt to portray Congress as an "anti-national" organisation by reminding the crowd that Rahul Gandhi had questioned the veracity of surgical strikes and met with the Chinese ambassador in the middle of the Doka La standoff. The reference to GST the timing of it and the framing of the debate was the most interesting takeaway. It indicated that even though the media might be iffy in drawing a causal relationship between BJP's electoral fortunes and the tax reform, Modi is more cautious. He suggested Congress' hypocrisy in the way the party representatives had behaved inside the GST council (where all provisions were discussed and agreed upon) and outside it. This signified Modi's willingness to make Congress a party to the collateral damage caused by the reform. He also reminded the crowd that his government has been responsive to criticism, sensitive and amenable to changes while defying Congress barbs as an attempt to insult Gujarati asmita. Read between the lines. The battle for Gujarat isn't a foregone conclusion. Mumbai: The Congress may field former MLA Dileep Mane for the 7 December bypoll to the Maharashtra Legislative Council seat vacated by former chief minister Narayan Rane after he quit the opposition party. "We have almost finalised the name for this election. The candidate will submit his nomination tomorrow (Monday). Dileep Mane's name has been recommended to the Congress headquarters," a senior Congress leader said on Sunday night. Leaders of the Congress and the NCP have been holding rounds of meetings for last few days to finalise the name of the nominee for the bypoll. 27 November is the last day for filing nomination for the bypoll. The scrutiny will be done on 28 November and the last date for withdrawal of nominations is 30 November. BJP has not yet announced its candidate for the byelection, as the party is in a dilemma over fielding Rane due to stiff opposition by its alliance partner the Shiv Sena. Rane had in September announced his resignation from the Congress amid indications that he was veering towards an innings in the ruling BJP. The 65-year-old Maratha leader, who was the chief minister in 1999 while in the Shiv Sena, had also resigned as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. After quitting the Congress, Rane formed his new political party Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksh. Last month, he said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had invited him to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. The BJP has 122 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. Sena has 63 members in the lower house. The opposition Congress and the NCP have 42 and 41 MLAs, respectively. Besides, PWP (Peasants and Workers Party) and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) have three members each, AIMIM has two members, Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, CPM, Samajwadi Party and MNS have one member each, besides eight independents. The BJP enjoys the support of four independent legislators. The Shiv Sena, another major player in the state, despite being a partner in the ruling alliance, has expressed reservations over Rane's entry into the NDA camp and his possible induction into the cabinet with a prime portfolio. According to political observers, the Sena's role will be crucial in the upcoming by-election. If a sizable number of Sena MLAs remain absent or vote against Rane in the event of his contesting the poll the results could be shocking for the BJP, said an observer. Rane had lost the 2014 Assembly polls from Malvan. He made an attempt to enter the Assembly in April 2015 in a by-election from Bandra (East) but lost to the Sena candidate. He, however, was given ticket by the Congress to contest the Legislative Council election in June last year. New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the new party president will be elected through a free and fair electoral process and that party workers felt a strong connect at a personal level with its vice-resident Rahul Gandhi. "... there will be free and fair elections among Congress workers. In case of Rahul Gandhi, any Congress member is free to put forth his nomination for the top post. The election will be held... there is an entire procedure," he said. "Sonia Gandhi had Jitendra Prasad running against her (for the Congress President's post). An election was held and she won," he added. Asked about the eligibility criteria, the former Union Minister said: "The honest answer is electability. Not just me, if any senior party leaders were to contest against Rahul Gandhi...." "Workers do feel a very strong loyalty and attachment to the Gandhi-Nehru family... to Rahul Gandhi personally," Tharoor said at an interactive session at the Times Lit Fest. Tharoor said: "The only reason we are expecting Rahul Gandhi to be elected unopposed is that no one has come ahead and said he intends to oppose Rahul Gandhi's election." "As Congress men, we all know there is no other candidate," he said. As for Gandhi having no connect with the people, Tharoor said: "We are seeing the kind of connect that he has been able to build with the people in Gujarat... there is a terrific connect. Ultimately, in a democracy, voters will decide." The Congress Working Committee has approved the road map for what looks like an unopposed elevation of vice-president Rahul Gandhi as party chief, barring an unexpected contest. His election will pave way for passing of the party leadership to him from his mother, who has helmed the Congress for 19 years. It would be clear on 11 December whether there would be a contest for the top party post. Nominations can be filed till 4 December, followed by scrutiny on 5 December. The last date for withdrawing nominations is 11 December and the date of poll, "if necessary", would be 16 December. Counting of votes will be done on 19 December. Ahmedabad: Congress' habitual problems have surfaced again in Gujarat as scenes of angry protests after announcement of candidates returned to haunt the party. A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis much-awaited campaign tour, Congress leaders had to call in the police to prevent furious cadres from creating ruckus at the party headquarters in Ahmedabad's Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, hours after it declared the third and the final list of candidates. Congress leaders in several constituencies threatened to resign from the party if "imported candidates" were not withdrawn and replaced by "dedicated partymen of their choice. For instance in Kutch, from where Modi begins his tour on Monday, the entire Congress-controlled agriculture produce market committee along with hordes of supporters quit the Congress and joined the BJP in protest against official party nominees. While the BJP too has been plagued by discontent over selection of candidates, the Congress has had to face tough questions from the party cadres since it was forced to accommodate OBC leader Alpesh Thakore and young Patidar leader Hardik Patel. After that, some late arrangements were also being discussed with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Sharad Yadav faction of the Janata Dal-United led by its lone legislator and leader of the faction Chhotu Vasava. The key reason for the protests is that a new system of picking candidates through consensus across the partys rank and file monitored by a special team of party general secretaries had to be jettisoned for political expediency. It is worth noting that the consensus method was devised by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi himself. Scores of party workers from Radhanpur, from where OBC leader Alpesh Thakore has been nominated, Patan, Vadodara and several other places laid siege at the state Congress office forcing the leaders to summon the police. In fact, in North Gujarat's Radhanpur, as many as 2,000 Congress workers have threatened to resign from the party to protest the candidature of Alpesh Thakore, who joined the party just a month ago. A nominee of Alpesh Thakore has been nominated for the Bayad seat and the Nikol seat in Ahmedabad has gone to a member of Hardik Patels Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) because the constituency has a large number of Patidars. A wave of protest has also broken out around the nomination of lone sitting Muslim MLA Gyasuddin Shaikh from the Dariapur constituency in Ahmedabad, while anger was brewing in the city's Vejalpur constituency too. Meanwhile, in Patel-dominated Mehsana in North Gujarat, local district panchayat education committee chairman Rekhaben Chaudhary, (believed to be a supporter of expelled leader Shankarsinh Vaghela) resigned from the Congress over the nomination of Jivabhai Patel. The latter had earlier sought a BJP ticket for the neighbouring Kadi seat. A haze of dust drifted from the Ram Leela Maidan as thousands of Aam Admi Party volunteers gathered to celebrate five years of the party on Sunday. Some strolled aimlessly on the ground, some were seen bingeing on puri-halwa which was distributed for free and a good number of them listened attentively to the leaders who addressed the crowd from an open-air dais. What was clear was that footfall in the celebration was far lesser than that of any event held in the initial days of AAP, which was seen by many as a sign of party's waning popularity. "Many wanted to the see the change happening faster. But soon after the party rose to power in Delhi in 2015, the state governments jurisdiction over the Anti-Corruption Bureau was taken away. The government became toothless. This has frustrated many volunteers, said Dr Vaishnav Singh, an AAP volunteer. The physician from Bihar, who is in his late twenties, joined the party four years ago with lakhs of others hoping to eliminate corruption and regional disparity. They made AAP what it is today, building it from the pedestal of India Against Corruption movement led by activist Anna Hazare. In fact, volunteers, like Singh, were seen as the driving force behind the party. Though upbeat about the partys journey so far, many AAP volunteers seem confused about how to expand the base of the party to other states. When asked whether or not their dreams have been fulfilled, a sense of loss of narrative was evident in the replies of the volunteers who spoke to Firstpost. "To fulfil these dreams the party needs to be in power in a good number of states. But when I think of raising issues in my home state Bihar, hardly anyone listens because many there still do not have access to newspaper and television and are unaware of the burning issues plaguing the nation, he said. His words resounded with that of Yogendra Yadav, one of the founders of the AAP who parted ways with it after a tussle with the leadership and formed another party Swaraj India in 2016. Soon after he resigned from the party, journalists had asked him whether or not the AAP had any political ideology? Yadav had then said, "Forget about ideology, the party does not even have a national vision to extend itself beyond Delhi." Given the diversity of India, it was felt that the AAP needed a clearly envisioned ideology on which a political narrative could be built weaving the issues of various states in it. Corruption was not the only major issue faced by Indians. In fact, there were many issues which required to be taken up by the party under the light of a clearly devised political vision. The consequence of lack of a vision for the nation became evident as soon as the Delhi governments lack of power to fight corruption came under public glare, once it came to power for the second time in 2015. For it was left with no alternative to focus on other than the daily tug of war with the Centre or the Lieutenant-Governor. . Manish Gupta, an AAP volunteer from Dwarka who attended the celebration, believes that the first AAP government that was formed in 2013 and lasted for only 49 days was more powerful than the present one. "Snatching away the powers of the Delhi government actually began only after the party came to power for the second time in 2015. Now, the situation is so grave that the Delhi government cannot even transfer a corrupt official to another office," he said. Even Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seemed to cherish the memories of his first government in Delhi as more successful as during a meeting on Sunday, he said, "What memorable days those were. Even traffic police stopped taking bribes." As the party got crippled in Delhi due to the power tussle, volunteers are faced with the difficult questions what next? How the aspirations of the party will be fulfilled at a time when expanding to other states seems a far away goal. Despite these limitations, many volunteers see a political plank in the achievements of AAP government in the health and education sector. "The Mohalla clinics providing free basic health care and the modern schools built by AAP government has put the party in the national spotlight and I think this will give us an edge over other parties in other states too, said Gupta. Sabeer Hussain, a middle-aged volunteer from Prem Nagar, said, "Earlier many government schools in Delhi did not have an adequate number of blackboards, but now these schools have been designed with all modern teaching amenities. I hope these achievements will help us expand base in other states." Even the AAP leadership seemed to be enthusiastic about Mohalla Clinics and schools. "The real strength of the AAP lies in the Mohalla Clinics and schools," said buoyant Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. But the drag the party is facing in taking itself to other states was felt in Kejriwal's words, when he rather than appealing to vote for AAP candidates in upcoming Gujarat election, appealed the people of Gujarat to vote for any candidate who can defeat BJP. "It is not necessary to vote for AAP candidate. I appeal to the people of Gujarat to vote for the strongest candidates against the ones fielded by BJP. It is time to defeat BJP," he said. These words were seen as his reconciliation with the failure to carry the AAP story to other states. What seems to have confused the AAP is the lack of fuel to keep the flames of anti-corruption movement burning in the absence of any major scams. A number of scams, which surfaced during the UPA regime, resulted in the Hazare-led India Against Corruption movement from which the AAP sprung. But the party is having a hard time only focussing on corruption as their agenda. No wonder Kejriwal made only a passing remark about corruption in his speech on Sunday. "...there is still corruption in the central government. The media, which is in hands in glove with the government is concealing it," claimed Gaurav Jain, a volunteer from Rohini. When asked whether he could mention any specific allegation of corruption, he said, I am not speaking about anything specific but corruption is there. Dr Singh seemed to be less confused and said that the issue of corruption is not dead as the cases of scams which happened during the UPA regime still continue. We need to ensure that culprits are punished, he said. Even rise of Hindu nationalism seems to have obfuscated the AAP about how to deal with it, as none of the volunteers could answer how they want it to be dealt with. Kejriwal was seen bashing Pakistan while speaking of safeguarding the secular fabric of the nation. "The people who are helping Pakistan by dividing Hinds and Muslims are nothing but ISI agents," he said. Being the leader of a party which wants to be seen as a secular one, strong words condemning religious intolerance was expected of him, especially at a time when communal violence has raised his ugly head. But nothing more was said. The famed 'Gujarat model' is back on the discussion table. It remains important for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is his trump card in the crucial Assembly elections in his home state. After all, it was the apparent success of this model that acted as a launchpad for Modi and elevated him to the national scene in the summer of 2014. Modis years as the chief minister of the industry-heavy state are closely linked to the evolution of the term itself. Modi is tasked with selling the model in the poll-bound state for the simple reason that there are hardly any alternatives on the table for his party to rely on as its savior in the tough battleground. Hence, it wouldnt be surprising if Modi switched on the old 'Narendra Bhai' avatar in the next few days and invoke his golden days as chief minister, hoping to convert those fond memories into votes this time around. That strategy would make immense sense for the BJP, because Modi the prime minister the originator of the contentious demonetisation plan and the anchor of a hastily-implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime is certainly a less desirable man to his fellow Gujaratis than Modi the chief minister, known for his administrative skills. He has been tasked with the job of averting a major embarrassment to his party in the ensuing polls. Even a sharp drop in the victory margin will be very unwelcome for the BJP. Also, Modi needs to safeguard his invincible image ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Things have changed in Gujarat. What was initially thought to be a cakewalk for Modi and the BJP has turned into a tough fight. This is also partly due to the repackaging of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi who was initially thought to be a lightweight by his political rivals. Rahul has undoubtedly begun to find an alignment with the public mood on the ground. So, it is Rahul versus Modi in Gujarat, with state-level leaders playing a very small role. Will Modi, once again, manage to sell the 'Gujarat model' story to the vote bank to overcome some negative factors (unemployment/rural distress)? Before attempting to find an answer, lets look at what the 'Gujarat model' did for the state. To understand the picture, lets look at a few numbers. On a host of economic indicators such as per capita state domestic product or gross state domestic product (GSDP), Gujarat is among the top states in the country. Economic indicators look good according to data on the NITI Aayog website, Gujarat recorded a growth of 16.26 percent in 2013-14 (as per 2004-05 series). If you look at state-wise per capita availability of power, Gujarat once again excels (1,714.7 kilowatt-hour in 2015-16), ahead of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The states gross fiscal deficit is comparable to other large states (Rs 246.1 billion in 2016-17); again it is not far behind when it comes to capital expenditure (Rs 367.6 billion). Similarly, if one looks at the number of factories set up, Gujarat is one of the top states with 23,433 units in 2014-15 only behind Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. So, on these parameters one can safely assume that whatever the so-called Gujarat model worked well for the state. But social indicators lag. The Gujarat model has certainly benefitted the industries, but has this improvement in the economic indicators translated into growth at the bottom of the pyramid? Lets find out. When it comes to social sector expenditure, Gujarat (Rs 619.6 billion in 2016-17) lags far behind Maharashtra (Rs 1,226 billion), Tamil Nadu (Rs 743.3 billion) and Uttar Pradesh (Rs 1,412.9 billion). Its literacy rate is 78 percent, behind other comparable large states; the poverty rate continues to be one of the highest (16.63 million) among the heavily industrialised states and infant mortality rate too remains high (33) compared with states like Maharashtra (21) and Tamil Nadu (19). But, the most critical indicator one should look at is the total employment data of state-wise medium and small scale industries. Here, Gujarat (47.73 lakh) lags far behind states like Tamil Nadu (80.98 lakh), Uttar Pradesh (92.36 lakh), West Bengal (85.78 lakh), Maharashtra (70.04 lakhs), Andhra Pradesh (70.69 lakh) and Kerala (49.62 lakh). This means while a large number of companies have been set up, not enough jobs have been created by the state. On the whole, it is quite clear that while Gujarat has advanced or stays among the top states on certain economic indicators, it has lagged behind when it comes to important social indicators, raising serious questions on the much-hyped success of the model and its actual benefit to the poor in the state. In simple words, the Gujarat model has, so far, failed to make an impact on the lives of poor people in Gujarat as indicated by the not-so-impressive performance of social sector indicators and employment generation trend in proportion with the increase in the number of companies. So, if one looks at Gujarat economy in this backdrop, there is no big surprise in the protests over job reservations and rural distress. It is needless to probe the deep unhappiness among the Patidars and other socially/economically backward communities with respect to the lack of availability of jobs and access to education facilities. The fall in social indicators show rising social inequality and this is why Rahuls standard accusation against Modi in Gujarat that only industries benefitted from the state GDP growth and not the poor resonates well with the people on the ground. That takes us back to the original question: Can Modi once again sell the 'Gujarat model' to Gujaratis to win this round of elections? Traditionally, there isnt much of a relationship between economic growth and poll results. People dont take notice of details. They often fall for promises and personality politics. Hence, the BJP may still win the Gujarat elections all while singing the same tune. One needs to wait and watch. But one thing is for sure: As Modi kicks off the last leg of his election campaign in Gujarat, he has a gigantic task ahead to save his partys fortunes. Follow all the LIVE updates from Modi's campaign trail here New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday night released its third list of 76 candidates for the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly election, filing of nominations for which ends on Monday. The party, which has been seeking to dislodge the BJP from power in the western state, earlier announced the names of 86 candidates in two phases. The party, however, could not finalise the names of its candidates in 20 more seats. Congress general secretary Oscar Fernandes released the third list to the media on Sunday. The list featured at least 11 candidates from Scheduled Tribes and three from Scheduled Caste communities. The Congress has been out of power in the crucial state for over two decades. The polling for the two-phase elections in Gujarat, having total 182 seats, will take place on 9 and 14 December and votes will be counted on 18 December. Eighty-nine seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region are going to polls in the first phase, while the remaining 93 seats in central and northern region would go for polls in the second phase. Ahmedabad: Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani on Monday announced his decision to contest the Gujarat polls from the Vadagam (SC) seat of Banaskantha district as an Independent candidate with outside support of Congress. The moves comes after sitting MLA Manibhai Vaghela said the state Congress asked him not to contest the polls from the seat "as a part of an agreement" with Mevani. Vaghela said the Congress has given an indirect support to Mevani for Vadagam seat, reserved for a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate. "The party has asked me not to contest from the Vadgam seat this time. Though Mevani will contest the polls as an Independent, he will have Congress' support. Thus, there won't be any Congress candidate on this seat," Vaghela told PTI. Mevani on Monday announced that he will file his nomination as an Independent candidate for the Vadgam seat. In a message posted on social media, the face of the Dalit agitation in Gujarat claimed that he decided to jump into the poll battle after being "persuaded" by youth and numerous agitators. He even requested other Opposition parties as well as aspiring Independents not to file their papers. "Since the ruling BJP is our key enemy, I request aspiring candidates of other parties and independents not to file their papers, so that we can have a direct battle with the BJP. This is people's battle against dictatorship and we will continue our fight after winning this election," he said. Mevani will be in a direct contest with BJP's Vijay Chakravarthi. Earlier in November, Mevani had a meeting with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi during the latter's visit to south Gujarat. After the meeting, Mevani had said that the Opposition party gave him an assurance that more than 90 percent of his demands will be incorporated in its manifesto. Stopping short of declaring an open support to the Congress after the meeting, Mevani had said that he would ask his community members to defeat BJP in the Gujarat polls. Mevani, who has been critical of the ruling BJP in the state and shot to fame after the Una dalit flogging incident last year, had discussed 17 demands of his community in the meeting with Rahul Gandhi. The Dalit leader maintained that he had no plans to join any political party. Of the three young caste leaders, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor has already joined the Congress, while Patidar community leader Hardik Patel recently announced his decision to back the Opposition party after accepting its proposed reservation formula. The 182-member Gujarat Assembly will go to the polls in two phases on 9 and 14 December. The counting of votes will be taken up on 18 December. Intensifying the BJP's campaign in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sarcastically thanked the Congress for "mud-slinging" against him, saying that it will only help the "lotus bloom". "I am grateful for all the kichad (muck) being thrown at me. After all, a lotus blooms only in kichad. So, I don't mind if more is thrown at me. Those slinging mud on us will help the lotus bloom even more, Modi said while addressing a rally in Bhuj. The prime minister was unsparing in his criticism for his opponents, even as he tried to hard-sell his government's track record on development policies. In several veiled and some not so veiled attacks, he slammed the Congress party over the recent 'chaiwallah' comments made by the party's youth wing on social media, and also its stand on demonetisation and GST, and the party's alleged "hatred for Gujaratis". The prime minister's speeches were mostly a mix of 'Gujarati asmita' (Gujarati pride) spiced with tinges of nationalism and clever one-liners. The lesson on nationalism He asked Rahul Gandhi why did the Congress applaud the release of a terrorist in Pakistan, and why he hugged the Chinese ambassador during the Doka La standoff. Modi, who started his two-day visit to his home state with a rally in Kutch district's Bhuj town on Monday, held four rallies in different towns of the poll-bound state. "You are happy to hug the Chinese ambassador, you are clapping the release of Hafiz Saeed, you cannot respect Indian Army's 'surgical strikes'. But why did you speak up about it? You could have just remained silent," he said. Gandhi had recently put out a mock tweet taunting Modi after Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed was released in Pakistan. Narendrabhai, . Terror mastermind is free. President Trump just delinked Pak military funding from LeT. Hugplomacy fail. More hugs urgently needed.https://t.co/U8Bg2vlZqw Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 25, 2017 "Recently, Pakistani court released a terrorist, I cannot understand why these Congress people are clapping here," Modi said. Taking a dig at the Opposition party which is trying to end BJP's 22-year-long reign in Gujarat, Modi asked, "When our soldiers... were standing eye-to-eye against the Chinese soldiers for over 70 days, at that time you were hugging the Chinese ambassador here... For whose benefit did you do this? I am asking you," Modi said, without taking any name. He referred to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the attack in Uri and asked what was the difference between one government and another, one leader and other. The meaning of living and dying for the country can be known by the response, Modi said. "They killed our soldiers in Uri, our soldiers went inside their territory, conducted a surgical strike and came back. The next day a newspaper said they (in Pakistan) carried bodies in trucks," he said. Modi alleged that the Congress raised questions about the surgical strike. "They could not respect Indian Army, they asked questions like 'None of our soldiers was injured', 'None of them died', 'Have you any photo or video evidence', 'Had they gone to shoot a movie in Pakistan'," he said. Gujarati asmita At Kutch and Rajkot, which have a sizeable population of Patels, he invoked Sardar Patel. Without naming Rahul, he took a dig at the Congress leader, saying, "People are coming here and saying all kinds of things and trying to malign the image of the state." He alleged that Congress had always mistreated Gujaratis in the past. "They speak about Sardar Patel but I don't want to dig out their history. They should turn the pages of Maniben's (Patel's daughter) diary, may be that will help them recollect how they treated him. Then, Morarji Desai, a Gandhian, became the prime minister and they conspired against him too. Indiraji had removed him from the Cabinet overnight. The truth is Congress hates Gujaratis," Modi said. Addressing a rally in Kadodara near Surat, he said that Congress has only showed disrespect and hatred for Gujaratis and now they have the "guts" to come and ask for support in the same state. "In Uttar Pradesh, Congress was feeling so confident about victory. They started calling Gujaratis donkeys. And now they are coming here to Gujarat to seek support. Nobody can insult the people of Gujarat like this. They mistreated Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai, who were legendary leaders from Gujarat. Their past and present shows they hate Gujaratis," Modi said. He also alluded to allegations made by Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. "This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations about the sons of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," he said. During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Gandhi had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. The prime minister hit back at him, asking, "When you go to the house of the poor and eat rotis, you ensure that you are filmed, but does that mean that a surgical strike should be filmed?" After addressing further rallies on Tuesday, Modi will oversee a series of campaign meetings on Wednesday in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, which go to polls on 9 December. The second phase of elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held on 14 December. Votes will be counted on 18 December. With inputs from agencies While talking to people about the upcoming Gujarat Assembly election, we came across a few members of the Siddi tribe, which lives in the Jambur village of the Gir Somnath district in Gujarat. We talked to Gafar, who speaks Gujarati fluently. When he realised that we are journalists from Delhi, he started talking to us in Hindi. He comes from the African Goma tribe. In Gujarat, these people are also known as Siddis. He has a vegetable shop in the same village. Where did the Siddi tribe come from? Gafar said, "there are several stories about our origin. Some say that we have come from Africa, some say that we come from Indonesia while others say that the Portuguese rulers brought us here. Few say that we were brought here to cut the forest and stayed back." After coming here, the Siddi tribe started believing in Islam. They are, therefore, also called Siddi Badshah or Siddi Muslims. Since last four centuries, many generations of the Siddi people here merged with India. Earlier, the elderly would discuss from where they came from. However, no one even talks about it now. Gafar said, "we have now settled here. All we know is, we are Indians." Siddis are ready for a change We met a few more boys outside a school in the village along with Gafar. Shaukat Ali said, "I am a student of BA first year right now and I want to become a police inspector." His father is a labourer but Ali is ready to carve his own identity. A student of standard X, Shakeel, said that he wants to join the army. The Siddi community, which works hard to earn their livelihood, has been living in the area next to the Gir jungle for generations. The Siddis associated with the adivasi community are upset because not much has been done for the development of their community. So much so that they could only get the papers of their house in their own names only recently. Gafar said, "Narendra Modi did this when he was the chief minister of Gujarat." He further said that Congress did not do anything for them and the BJP has done a better work. When will the village be developed? After entering the village, old mud houses were seen reflecting the backwardness of the village. The village has proper roads and even electricity now but, the many people of the Siddi community are still engaged in manual labour. At the time of election, their demands from the new government are the remaining houses be completed and they get more employment opportunities. There are a few more villages belonging to the Siddi community in the area and their total population is about 10,000. Some of the people from this tribe have gradually settled in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Junagadh, Okha and Bhavnagar. The Siddi population in Jambur is a little more than 2,000 and there are 1,100 eligible voters. Will they also enter Bollywood? The Siddi people are also hoping for offers from Bollywood. They think that if they get cast in a movie, they can play the role well. Gafar has worked with actor Om Puri in a telefilm in 1999. Now, some of the Siddis are hoping for a role in the movies, where the boys from this village can play the role of an African. Abdul said, "We are not scared of anything." Since it's the election season, when we started talking about the polls, the Siddi people were reluctant to say anything. Despite asking several times, all they had to say was, "there's still time. In the coming days, we will decide who to vote for." Ramzan, who has studied till standard X but works as a labourer now, said whosoever forms the government, be it Congress or BJP, we just want them to work for our development. Those who visited Bhuj and Anjar in the immediate aftermath of the 26 January, 2001, earthquake and came again a year later would've appreciated the relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts that had been undertaken there. The landscape of these two townships and its adjoining areas had changed. All signs of devastation and the worn-out look and feel usually associated with small towns had gone. They now represented refreshing, new cities that were marching ahead with changing times, towards modernity. Narendra Modi, who had been sent to Gujarat by the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani from Delhi in October 2001, took the baton from the then Gujarat chief minister and party's veteran leader Keshubhai Patel. Modi, in difficult times, managed to prove his administrative ability in just a matter of months and let the nation know that he was a man with a vision and mega plans. Before arriving in Ahmedabad, Modi was based in Delhi as the general secretary of the party. He had no administrative experience and had never fought an election. The way he went ahead with the reconstruction of Bhuj and Ajnar quietly working and keeping his cool even as political rivals and critics launched sustained attacks against him in the wake of the Godhra riots helped him take the first steps towards building the 'brand Modi' that he is today. The project to transform Rann of Kutch from miles of a barren desert to a tourist destination was taken up by Modi a piece of land he himself describes as 'one side registan (desert), the other side Pakistan'. No wonder then, Modi chose to launch his campaign for the upcoming Gujarat Assembly election from Bhuj. It was like getting back to his roots. The place will always have a bearing on Modi's political journey. Today, as prime minister, it is of utmost importance for him to win this election with an increased margin as it will help smoothen his journey to securing a second term. The importance of his Bhuj rally, his first since becoming prime minister and the first of his current campaign, was not lost on the people of the region either. Visuals of his visit to Ashapura Mata Mandir in Bhuj and his public rally later suggested as much. During his temple visit, men, women and children lined up to shake hands with him and exchange greetings. The crowd response must've been encouraging for him and his party. This time around, Modi has built his political narrative on three things first being development, (self/BJP) versus dynasty (Rahul Gandhi/Congress); second, on Gujarat's asmita (pride); and third, projecting himself as a son of the soil, an inheritor of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy. At Kutch and Rajkot (the best-known town in Saurashtra region and a place with a sizeable Patel population) he invoked Sardar Patel. Without naming Rahul, he took a dig at the Congress leader when he said that 'people are coming here and saying all kinds of things and trying to malign the image of the state'. "Those slinging mud on us will help the lotus bloom even more Gujaratis will not tolerate an insult to Gujarat," Modi said. He made eloquent references to Sardar Patel and how the Congress aligned with the first family systematically and tried to marginalise his public stature. He said that Jawaharlal Nehru as prime minister was least concerned about Gujarat. Modi slammed Nehru for not doing any significant work in the aftermath of an earthquake in Anjar during his reign and compared it with the work he (Modi) did as chief minister after the 2001 earthquake. It was important for him to convince people that he may have left Gujarat to become prime minister but his soul still rests in his home state: "Gujarat is my atma (soul) and India is my Paramatma (God). This land of Gujarat has cared for me, Gujarat has given me strength." The chaiwala jibe by Youth Congress came in handy for Modi to target the party and the dynastic politics it pursues. Modi has had made his humble background his biggest USP. By calling him a chaiwala in a tweet, which was subsequently deleted, Congress has inadvertently armed Modi with more firepower. Modi's point was simple yet impactful that the Congress cannot reconcile with the fact that the party and its first family have been thrown out of power. "I can sell tea, but wouldn't sell India," he added. Though he didn't refer to the Bofors or any other scams, his intended message was clear. Surat: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused the Congress of always trying to "degrade" Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and creating "hurdles" in his getting the Bharat Ratna. Addressing a gathering at Limbayat Assembly constituency in Surat, Adityanath also claimed that the Congress opposed the proposal put forward by Patel to restore the Somnath temple. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister congratulated the people for not letting Congress win a single seat in Gujarat in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi's call to disband Congress, Adityanath said the people were realising the dream of 'Bapu'. "Gujarat feels proud of iron man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. If Maryada Purushottam Bhagwan Shri Ram united India culturally from north to east, then it was iron man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who united India politically," he said while campaigning for local BJP candidate and MLA Sangita Patil. "You know that Congress always tried to degrade Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Congress had protested his proposal for the restoration of the Somnath temple as the party did not want it. When Sardar Patel took up the task to unite India's cultural heritage, Congress was the first to oppose," he claimed. "Congress never hesitated in demoralising Sardar Patel at every step. It created hurdles so that he did not get (the highest civilian honour) 'Bharat Ratna'. It was made possible only when (former Prime Minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee proposed the same saying that Sardar Patel was a great son of India and has a huge contribution in India's unification," Adityanath said. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also said the party that stood in opposition of Sardar Patel was today trying to stop Gujarat's development march. "Our biggest identity is our spiritual and cultural heritage which we have received from our forefathers. India's identity and people's patriotic feeling are the characters of this country." "The world is looking at Gujarat elections. The state will again pass through 'agni pariksha' (test by fire) and will carry forward the 'gaurav gatha' (the path of progress) which (Narendra) Modiji took up," he said. Polling in Gujarat is scheduled to take place on 9 and 14 December. Auto refresh feeds Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address eight rallies on November 27 and 29 in different parts of Saurashtra and south Gujarat, where polling for the first phase of assembly polls will be held on 9 December. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his tour from Kutch disrict in Gujarat. According to his itinerary, he will first visit the famous Ashapura Mata temple before starting his campaigning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address people in Bhuj town of Kutch district and later in the day in Jasdan town of Rajkot, Dhari in Amreli and Kamrej in Surat district. Modi is slated to visit Jan Sabha in Bhuj at 11 am, while he will be in Jasdan city in Rajkot at around 1.20 pm. He will be in Amreli at 3.00 pm and he will finally visit Kamrej in Surat at 5.15 pm. "Each rally has been organised in such a way that people from five to six surrounding constituencies can also attend it," Bhupender Yadav, Gujarat BJP-incharge said. Ahead of his two-day Gujarat visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has this to say: Narendra Modi says Kutch is very close to his heart Congress leaders in several constituencies threatened to resign from the party if "imported candidates" were not withdrawn and replaced by "dedicated partymen of their choice. A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modis much-awaited campaign tour, Congress leaders had to call in the police to prevent furious cadres from creating ruckus at the party headquarters in Ahmedabad's Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, hours after it declared the third and the final list of candidates. In Kutch, from where Modi begins his tour on Monday, the entire Congress-controlled agriculture produce market committee along with hordes of supporters quit the Congress and joined the BJP in protest against official party nominees. While Modi will visit his home state today, BJP chief Amit Shah is already in the state and actively campaigning. On Sunday, Shah slammed Congress for lacking an agenda for the elections and said, "Congress lacks leaders as well as strategy." 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region will go to polls in the first phase of voting on 9 December. These 89 seats come under 19 districts of the state. The star campaigners include Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states Yogi Adityanath and Vasundhara Raje as well as several Gujarat BJP leaders. No, nothing is simple in this year's election. It is turning out to be a racy whowinit even Holmes would have left alone. Two things are clear after a fortnight on the campaign trail: One, both parties are confident in public and confused in private. Two, Hindutva is getting replaced with caste identity, depriving the BJP of its biggest weapon. Votes will be counted on 18 December, the same day as the results of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election. According to CNN-News18, Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani. who has been spearheading a campaign against the Narendra Modi government, along with Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakore. will be contesting as an Independent from the Vadgam constituency. In North Gujarat's Radhanpur, as many as 2,000 Congress workers have threatened to resign from the party to protest the candidature of Alpesh Thakore, who joined the party just a month ago. The rally is in Bhuj but all BJP contestants from Kutch district would be on the podium with Modi. The significance of the visit to this temple of local deity Ashapura Mata is that it is located in an area with a sizeable Muslim population. Local sources say even one visit by Modi there will pep up the Hindu population in the area. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who begins his whirlwind campaign from the desert district of Kutch that was devastated in the January 26, 2001, earthquake, will first offer prayers at Mata nou Madh temple that falls in the Abdasa constituency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Kutch and proceeded to famed Ashapura Mata temple at Mata nou Madh. He offered prayers to the deity and met devotees outside the temple. Modi earned encomiums as the 'Hindu Hriday Samrat' (Hindu heartthrob) in post-Godhra Gujarat, moreso after his statewide Gaurav Yatra that saw rabid Muslim-bashing, but brought him bountiful seats in the election that followed in 2002. However, no sooner did he acquire national ambitions manifested in the three-day Sadbhavana fast in September 2011, that he sought to open a line to the minority community through Ahmedabad-based businessman Zafar Sareshwala, who was subsequently appointed chancellor of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad after Modi became prime minister. CNN-News18 quoted BJP sources as saying that the party shifted the rally from Kamrej to Kadodara after sensing trouble from the Patidar community. The report added that the party shifted the rally about two days back. Just ahead of Modi's rallies, BJP releases the names of 34 candidates for the upcoming Gujarat elections. With the latest list, the names of all BJP candidates have been released. Patel quota agitation leader Hardik Patel's open support to the Congress in the December Assembly polls is not an electoral alliance but a "deal" between two sides, Rupani told PTI in an interview. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has accused the Congress of seeking refuge in casteism and "outsourcing" its campaign to caste leaders while dismissing any threat to the BJP's poll prospects from the Congress-Hardik Patel tie-up. He alleged that the Congress was "deceiving" the people over the issue of reservation, while the agitators were lining up for poll tickets. Rajyaguru had won the previous election from Rajkot (East) constituency. He was among the three lucky winners for the Congress from the 38 urban constituencies in Gujarat's three big cities Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot. But, acting on his promise of chasing the chief minister, he decided to shift to Rajkot (West) last year. "I decided to contest against Rupani the moment I heard he would be named chief minister. He is not a good man, he needs to be defeated," he says. The delay is apparently because Lallan College Ground, where he is to speak, was more than half empty at the scheduled time. Now, there are better crowds and he is likely to reach anytime now. Security preparations are on full swing in Amreli's Chalala, where Modi is expected to address a rally at 1 pm. Chalala is 25 kilometre from the district headquaters Amreli. Narendra Modi urges the crowd to bless the candidates and vote for them. I am happy that i got the opportunity to visit Ashpura temple at Abdasa. I have come to seek the blessings of the common man," says Modi Happy to have taken darshan of Ashapura mata, says Modi "On one hand, there is vikaas (bjp), then there is 'vansh vaad' (Dynasts) (in a reference to Congress) Gujarat will not forgive you at all." Gujarat will never accept you.. The reason is since you have kept Gujarat backwards since the times of Sardar Patel.You people (Congress) shot bullets outside the Congress headquarters in Ahmedabad," Modi said while slamming Congress "There was an Anjar earthquake in 1956. The earthquake was so severe that Pandit Nehru had to come here. But do you remember the Congress doing anything for you people. But now this party is asking our report card.. See we did so much after 2001 earthquake. Vajpayee sent me to Gujarat to help Kutch. I took the responsibility of rehabilitation. My training began from Kutch crisis itself. You have helped me grow like a boy. Now these Congressmen are blaming me over corruption. Will you forgive Congress?" Modi said. "Rann was already there. But I thought that we can turn it into tourist spot and earn money. Our mantra is vikaas so we did it. People never imagined that there can be any kind of farming in Kutch. At one side is desert and then another side there is Pakistan. Now it is a krishi shtra. Nobody thought that saffron can be grown here. After drip irrigation, it is a model for farming," Modi said. "There are so many tourist sites in Kutch that tourists will take more than a week to complete their tour to this district," Modi said. "Had Congress helped us with the Narmada project, we would have got the water 30 years back. You people would not have to migrate to other places," Modi said. "At a time when Doka La was going on, Rahul was hugging Chinese ambassador. We conducted surgical strike after Uri attack but did Congress do anything after Mumbai in 2008? This is the difference in leadership," Modi said on surgical strike and Doka La standoff. "Pakistan released Hafiz Saeed. Why is Congress clapping for it. I don't understand this because a terrorist has been released," Modi said referring to Rahul Gandhi's tweet questioning Saeed's release from house arrest. "We will prove every pollster wrong by winning 151 seats in Gujarat. please come in full force to vote on 9 December," says Modi It is instructive how Narendra Modi is focusing on the past to build his narrative of present. In his first pit stop in Bhuj on Gujarat campaign trail, the prime minister embarked on a two-pronged strategy to counter Congress. One, highlight his achievements in Kutch as Gujarat chief minister. Two, project himself as the son of soil and claim that his insulting him is akin to insulting Gujaratis. None of these are exactly new strategies but Modi obviously feels confident enough that his work as an administrator be it rebuilding Kutch after the devastating earthquake of 2001 or brining Narmada to the water-starved district has not been forgotten. In his avoidance of GST topic and conflation of self with Gujarati 'asmita' lies another pointer. A tacit acceptance that Modi is aware of the potential political repercussions of a glitch-ridden implementation of GST. The ambitious Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana is supposed to be benefiting Surendranagar the most. The main Saurashtra Branch Canal brings water to Surendranagar, from where three of the four pipe canals, which are supposed to distribute water to the entire region, originate. Farmers in rural Surendranagar are particularly pleased with SAUNI. The Botad Branch Canal originating from Dholidhaja dam in Surendranagar runs through the district covering well over half of the 600 plus villages. Since the district is a large cotton producing belt, farmers' water woes have been resolved to a great extent, and they credit Modi for it. BJP has its task cut out. Jains and Kolis, who are in large numbers in Surendranagar here, and who have been BJP's traditional vote base are upset over ticket distribution. The fight is on in Surendranagar, with just one caveat that Modi is yet to arrive in the district. Lack of deliverance by BJP and lack of trust in the Congress made many people say they will abstain from voting in the elections. The voter turnout in Surendranagar would be interesting to look at on 9 December. There are several farmers who are disatisfied with Modi even though their water problem has been resolved to a large extent. Surendranagar is a cotton belt. When he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he demanded higher MSP from the UPA-ruled central government. Now that he is PM, the MSP continues to be 810 rupees per 20 kilos while the expenses are around 700 rupees per 20 kilos, say farmers. These farmers seem to be titling towards Congress. Two BJP youth workers, Chetan Patel and Milan Patel, believe that Patels are not as angry with the BJP as it is being projected in the media and by the Congress. "Right now, it is 50-50. but after Modi's rally, it will be 70-30 in favour of BJP," they claim. Patel anger not as much as it is being projected A large constituency cannot conceive of voting against BJP. Rupani does not wield much of an image. Modi's charm endures, which was evident in Paresh Rawal's speech when he had come to inaugurate a local BJP office in Wadhwan. He hardly mentioned BJP. "Ek taraf congress hai, aur ek taraf Modi saheb," he kept saying. In spite of the problems in the city, there are several voters who would continue to vote for Modi out of sheer habit. The water woes were a poll issue in 2007 as well as 2012. But it did not hamper BJP's chances. "Congress was totally in favour of the GST during the discussions. However. when after the dicussions, it began opposing the new tax law." Modi said during the Bhuj rally. After addressing a rally in Kutch's district headquarter of Bhuj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a rally in Rajkot's Jasdan. While the rally was supposed to start at 11 am, it has not begun yet. Congress does not have policy, leaders or any connection with Gujarat's common man: Modi "In last fifteen years, you have chosen us three times. You all know that Gujarat has adopted the route of "vikaas'. We have not left anything for ensuing your welfare in Jasdan," Modi said. "These people spoke of bringing Narmada here. But they ridiculed and insulted us for demanding better facilities. Had Congress helped us, then we would have had Narmada at least 30 years back," Modi said. He added that only after the BJP government came to power that policies were made to help people benefit from Narmada project. These Congress leaders have lost their charecter. The Gujarati janta does not like you (Congress) but still you are working so much. You insulted Sardar Patel.. We all you know what you had done to Sardar. Everything is is recorded in Manibehn diary. "Morarji. He had an impeccable character and a Gandhian. But he is a Gujarati. The way the Gandhi family insulted him. They just threw him out. Babubhai Patel became CM. But they could not tolerate a Patel as CM. The smae about Chimanbhai. We tried to help him make CM (in 1990). After that Keshubhai became Cm, the first from Kathiawar," Modi said while claiming that Congress conspired against Patels. I am asking you has any government at the Centre thought of giving free housing to poor and middle class? We are helping them get home loans so that they can get a home," Modi said. He added," We are making sure that even those who wear chappal will fly planes." "Our forces have scored a double century," Modi said while referring to over 200 militants being killed this year. "There used to be a kind of unofficial curfew every day under Congres rule. Secuirty was an issue. But have we not provided you with security? Once there is security, there is peace and communal harmony," Modi said. "Congress is making baseless allegations against BJP and me. But the people of Gujarat will teach them a lesson on 9 December (polling day). I ask you, will these people (Congress high command) who sit in Delhi help in Gujarat's 'vikaas'?" Modi said during his address. Quiz: How well do you really know the state that's about to go to the polls? "I am glad I got the opportunity to visit Amreli. I have come here to take your blessings," the prime minister said as he greeted a cheering crowd that had been waiting for him for over two-and-half hours. I have come to take your blessings: PM Modi "The Congress party, which had reigned the country for more than 70 years. What stopped them from developing Amreli district. Hatred for Gujaratis and our state flows in their blood," Narendra Modi said. "They know that the common man, even the one who lives in villages, have aspirations of having good road, and then good tar roads, and then good double track roads... this hunger for development should persist, only then will India progress." "Since I was a child, I heard one thing. 'Ghogha-Dahej RORO ferry service' 'Ghogha-Dahej RORO ferry service,' who stopped you from making this service when you ruled the country for 70 years? We made it happen, this is called progress. This ferry service is going to be functional from Kutch to Mumbai. The whole kutch andmn kathiawad will reap the benefits of this" Congress couldn't start ferry connectivity in 70 years, we did it within months: Modi "Amreli has a vast coast, which could have been developed to benefit so many. Congress could have changed your future but for 70 years they did nothing. We brought job opportunities through port land development and blue economy. You'll enjoy the benefits soon," Modi tells Amreli. Congress had the change your future, but we are working for your present: Modi Even after 12 months, why is Congress still talking about note ban. Everyone knows life and death is part of the process, but nothing beats the sorrow of losing an earning son. Eve after 12 months of the tragedy, you still get tears in your eyes, if you lose the bread winner of the family. This is why Congress has tears in their eyes even after 12 months after demonetisation; they have lost all their black money." Congress still mourning loss of black money: PM Modi on Oppn campaign against demonetisation People start queuing up outside the rally venue at Kadodara, an industrial area that falls within the Kamrej constituency, which is a Patidar dominated area "Congress has shown contempt for Gujarat. They prevented Narmada waters from reaching people across the state, their reign was characterised by poor law and order, and they destabilised Chief Ministers from the Patel community be it Babubhai, Chimanbhai, Keshubhai and Anandiben," Narendra Modi Yes I sold tea, but at least I didn't commit the sin of selling off the nation: Narendra Modi Narendra Modi is a master marketer, he wants to gain sympathy: Congress on Modi's chaiwala comeback Narendra Modi, while speaking in Gujarat hit out at Congress party, saying Congress has neither niti (policy), niyat (intention) nor neta (leader). Meanwhile, News 18 reported that the earlier, the venue for the rally was inside main Surat city, however, it was later shifted out to Kadodara, at the outskirts of city. Even as BJP cited logistical reasons for the change in venue, News 18 sources said that intel agencies have warned of a Patidar agitation at the rally. Supporters have come in busloads from more nearby talukas to attend Modi's Kadodara rally. Most of them were wearing BJP sashes and chanting slogans - Har Har Modi. "Thirty years ago, during Congress rule, villagers had to give a letter to get roads fixed. Today, the letters are to get double lanes... that is the difference between Congress and BJP rule," Narendra Modi "We want to extend Ro-Ro ferry service from Kutch on one side and Mumbai on the other," Modi said. He said that the previous governments had only fooled Gujaratis while he would ensure that everything that is promised actually reaches the beneficiaries on ground. "In the 21st century, 18,000 villages still don't have power in India. Shouldn't Congress be held responsible?" Narendra Modi asked. He said that his government ensured that electricity reaches to each and every village. "I was told it is an impossible task to provide electricity 24/7 to cities. Every one told me, that its a difficult to take electricity to each home. But then I thought, didn't my Gujarati brothers and sisters choose me to accomplish the difficult? And within 3 years, I ensured that electricity reached every house in Gujarat," Narendra Modi Gujaratis chose me to do achieve the unachievable: PM sells development track record at election rally "Rajiv Gandhi understood the problems of the people, but did he solve anything? This is Congress' problem. There is a huge difference between the villagers 30 years and today. But Congress doesnt understand this. They think what worked then, will work now," Modi said. Arrogance of Congress party is at a record high. They don't realise that times have changed. Things are very different in Gujarat from the time they ruled here 22 years ago. Society is no longer divided, there is progress now: PM Narendra Modi in Surat He said that for the first time, there is a govt at the Centre which is helping the middle class get loans and build a house. "Has there ever been a precedent when a government helped the people own a home? Tell me which government has done anything for you," Modi asked people amid resounding cheers. No govt ever helped the poor achieve the dream of owning a home: Modi "This govt is not going to move away from the path of honesty. Those who have robbed the poor will have to give it back. Three lakh companies have been served notice whose finances were suspicious," Narendra Modi said defending the demonetisation scheme." Those who have robbed the poor will have to give it back: Modi "Before BJP came to power, people were used to living under the shadow of curfews. It was hard to imagine a life otherwise. Such was the situation. In 22 years, BJP has ensured peace and tranquility in the state," Modi said. They speak about Sardar Patel but I don't want to dig out their history. They should turn the pages of Maniben (Patel's daughter's) diary, may be that will help them recollect how they treated him. Then, Morarji Desai, a Gandhiaite, became the prime minister. Overnight, Indira Ji removed Morarji Bhai from the Cabinet. The truth is Congress hates Gujaratis," Narendra Modi said. "In Uttar Pradesh the Congress was feeling so confident about victory. They started calling Gujaratis donkeys. And now, they are coming here to Gujarat to seek support. Nobody can insult the people of Gujarat like this. They mistreated Sardar Patel, Morarji Desa who were legendary leaders from Gujarat. There past and present shows they hate Gujaratis," Modi said. Narendra Modi, addressing a rally in Kadodara said that the Congress has only showed disrespect and hatred for Gujaratis and now they have the guts to come and ask for support in the same stae. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address poll rallies in Morbi, Prachi near Somnath, Palitana in Bhavnagar all in Saurashtra and at Navsari in south Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his high voltage campaign with rallies on 27 November in Bhuj in Kutch district, Jasdan in Rajkot, Chalala in Amreli and Kadodara near Surat. The rally at Morbi is scheduled for 9 am, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive around 10 am. While the Morbi was scheduled to begin at 9 am, it has been delayed now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to speak at around 10 am. And caste-based movements across Gujarat in the recent past the Dalit protests after the Una flogging incident and the Patidar agitation have sent the Muslims to the sidelines. And poll math only warrants a change in strategy. It is no coincidence that nobody is talking about the Muslim vote bank this election season. The BJP is never known to explicitly woo the minority community; the Muslim voter has looked at the Congress as its only support. However, the Congress, this season adapted a different strategy prioritising winnability over anything else. BJPs Gujarat Vikas Rally will cover 25 Assembly seats in Saurashtra and south Gujarat."Each rally has been organised in such a way that people from five to six surrounding constituencies can also attend it," Bhupendra Yadav had said. Not only Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi but also Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Somnath Temple. Modi is expected to be there at around 1 pm, reports Financial Express. According to India Today, Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to arrive at Somnath temple for darshan at 1 pm while Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public rally 1.20 pm in Prachi, 23 kilometres from the temple. Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi just 50 kms apart from each other Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to Prachi, 20 kilometres from Somnath. It is said, one visit to Prachi is equal to 100 visits to Kashi. Morbi is a ceramic hub. Over 700 factories are located in the district, expected to be hit by GST and demonetisation. Yet, by and large, traders and businessmen seem to be behind Modi. It created problems initially but the reduced GST rate of 18% from 28% is no cause for concern, they say. Local journalists in private conversations say the traders and industrialists are disillusioned with Modi after demonetization and GST, but won't express it to the media out of fear, since they've long been loyal to BJP and can't be seen siding with Congress. They are certainly not as okay with the decisions as they try to convey, they say. In 2002, Modi set out on his Gujarat Gaurav Yatra in the backdrop of serious allegations of state-sponsored communal violence after the Godhra train attack where he played the same victim- hood card converting all criticism against him and his government as an insult to the Gujarati pride. And it worked. Similarly, the condemnation of state-sponsored violence established him as a veritable Hindu Hriday Samrat who had taught the Muslims a lesson. Speaking to Firstpost, the co-ordinator of the Prachi rally said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to visit the Somnath. This is contrary to some media reports that he may make it to the famous Shiva temple today. However, a local police official told Firstpost that temple visits by the prime minister are revealed only half an hour before the schedule visit due to security reasons. Morbi has a large Patidar population. While the urban Patels remain firmly behind Modi and BJP, the discontent is palpable amongst rural Patidars. Hardik has struck a chord here. The 1985 riots in Ahmedabad are important in the context of BJPs rise to power. While it began on an anti-reservation plank, it quickly degenerated into a communal one because of the entry of the BJP, Yagnik said. Yagnik added that riots in the late 80s and in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition communally polarised the state, which helped the BJP win the 1995 Assembly election. At least 40 dams in Saurashtra get water through Morbi's Machu 2 dam in the SAUNI Yojana. Yet, there are several villages which continue to starve for water in Morbi. Rural Morbi is an agrarian belt. The entire Taluka of Maliya with 40 villages has not received benefits of the SAUNI Yojana. These farmers are upset with BJP. Just like Surendranagar, farmers mostly cultivate cotton in Morbi. They are upset that Modi has not increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of cotton when he would demand the same thing as CM of Gujarat from the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. "Now people from other states and countries are coming to Saurashtra to see how we were successful to create water management system (SAUNI)," Modi said in Morbi. "We have laid such water pipelines that even Congress leaders can sit in Maruti car and go," Modi said while taunting the pet project of Sanjay Gandhi. Due to Narmada project, farmer incomes are at least Rs 70,000 cores now. Under BJP, there were three agricultural university that were established, Under Congress, there were only one," Modi added. "When we came to power, we focussed on water. Congress asks what is our Gujarat model. We know what is Congress' development agenda waterpump. Our development is SAUNI of Narmada. Often, Congress promised handpump just for sake of vote," Modi said. Urea production was not an issue but the subsidy with it. But the urea produced was diverted to chemcical industries. This was the issue. We requested Congress to do something on this. But they did not listen to us. They were only interested in early black money through leaks in subsidies. We initiated a mass movement to conserve every drop of water, says Modi "We created a 6000 crore kisan sampada yojna for farmers. We helped you develop dairy farming. We have helped fishermen buy new boats," Modi said while counting his government's pro-poor schemes Prime Minister Narendra Modi taunts intellectuals over GST. He said," You people call it 'Grand Stupid Talk' but I ask you have you worked for the poor? Congress wants to decrease GST on cigarette and alcohol and give cancer to people. Gujaratis won't forgive Congress for anti-poor and anti-middle class thought process," Modi said. "Let the Congressmen cry over noteban but people of Morbi only understand the language of vikaas. Gujaratis should be proud that for the first time , they have a have a man in Delhi. I am a Gujarati, who has a good business sense. I request you to vote all candidates of the BJP," Modi said while concluding his speech. Gujaratis must be happy that one of them occupies top post in New Delhi Once upon a time, water was an issue in Kutch-Saurashtra. People used to walk great distance to get water, says Modi We brought soil health cards for the welfare of farmers, says Modi "I want to ask Congress why is it so obsessed with the demonetisation drive. Is it because any of their members were affected by the note ban. You (Congress) looted the poor for seven decades. Even a year later, they are crying over the move," Modi said Three months back, serious floods devastated miles of cotton crops of farmers, predominantly in Maliya Taluka when a dam overflowed. They have still not received compensation. The BJP is skating on thin ice among that constituency. Surendranagar district, bordering state capital Ahmadabad, is at the edge of Saurashtra region. It is poorly developed, enveloped by dusty air and potholed roads. "The Patidar fight is no more for a community. It has become a private affair. The Patidars and the BJP are two sides of the same coin, they will vote for us," Rupani said at a conclave of India TV. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday accused PAAS leader Hardik Patel of betraying his Patidar community and claimed that the Congress will pay heavily in the Assembly elections for portraying Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "chaiwala" on social media. The Dalit factor has emerged in this year's Assembly election primarily because of the Dalit movement after the Una incident. Under the leadership of Mevani, the Dalits have come closer to the Congress. Jignesh Mevani, who emerged after the incident, is considered a hero among the Dalits here. They are talking about organising protests for their rights and justice. The Dalits only form about eight percent of the voters in Gujarat, while they make up 16 percent in the country. They are not much influential in the poll-bound state. It is not the BJP which is winning any election. It is in fact Modi who was winning all this while. There is a huge leadership crisis in Gujarat Congress which helped Modi to grow stronger and stronger, Sanjay Kumar, director of Centre for the Study of Developing Societies told Firstpost. After Modi became the chief minister in October 2001, Congress has been struggling to find an equally strong match to counter him. Under Modi, the BJP won three consecutive Assembly elections, a feat not achieved by any of the chief ministers in the past. Speaking before Narendra Modi, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani said, "On one hand, there is development. On the other hand, there is anarchy (Congress). On our end, you would experience, sabka saath sabka vikaas. But the Congress only believes in caste politics and dividing the people of Gujarat. "Our niyat (intention) is clean. But I cannot say that of the Congress.Their intention is dynasty. It is corruption," Rupani said. Our aim is to fulfil our goal of 'sabka sath sabka vikaas' Clarification: We had stated earlier that the prime minister arrived late for the Morbi rally. The BJP has clarified that while the rally was scheduled to begin at 9 am, Modi was only expected to arrive at 11 am, which he did. "Had Sardar Patel not been there, no grand temple would have been in Somnath. So there a people who are reminded of Somnath (Rahul Gandhi and Congress) I want to ask them: Do you know history? Your great grandfather,, grandfather, grandmother. Nehru was not happy with Sardar Patel's restoration work of Somanth.. Rajendra Babu sent a invite to Nehru for the inauguration. But he got an angry letter," Modi said in Prachi, a town in Somnath. "Those who ruled India for 70 years are now asking for my report card. When your family was ruling, there is SC/ST commission. However, we are also giving OBC commission a constitutional status. But you did nothing. Caste politics by Congress destroyed Gujarat. We demanded constitutional status for OBC commission but we received no answer from you," Modi said in Prachi. "The Delhi treasury is for the common man. It is for poor people. We believe in engaging with the farmers so we have all these schemes for them," Modi said. "Congress has no neeti (policy) or neta (Leader). It does not have any connection with the common man. How can these people create India's destiny?" asked Modi as he concluded his speech. Modi is campaigning in Patidar strongholds, which saw the maximum effect of the Patidar quota stir in last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dropped veiled hints at considering the demand for reservation, without explicitly naming the Patidar community. He said: "I want to assure you- Congress may try to throw any roadblocks, I am committed to ensure their designs fail. Parliament is meeting soon and we are going to bring that issue on the floor of the House again. We want to give our OBC communities their due." We want to give our OBC Communities their due: Modi in Patidar-dominated area "Congress is seeking votes of OBC communities but they should answer why they did not allow OBC Commission to get Constitutional Status for all these years. We brought in the move, it was passed by Lok Sabha but stalled in the Rajya Sabha, where Congress has majority," Modi said. He said that the Congress was the party, which stalled the process of giving OBC commission a constitutional status. Taking on Congres, which has earned the support of Patidar leader Hardik Patel, Modi said that the Congress is only making promises of OBC reservation to get the community's vote. Modi will address his next rally in Palitana in Bhavnagar All development in Gujarat has been done by BJP: Yogi Adityanath We belong to the heirs of the fakir Gandhi. And they are the Gandhi varisdar who are born with a golden spoon.They do not know how it feels to walk barefoot and have a stone or thorn hurt your feet. It is upto you to choose which Gandhi you want. The fakir or the one with the golden spoon, Modi said. "They hate development, they hate Gujarat, they hate Modi and now they hate sweat also. That is because they have never had to sweat it out in life & work hard. They are mocking everyone who works hard. This is their mindset. Such hatred for the poor is shocking: PM Modi in Palitana," Modi said accusing Congress of being the party of the elites. Congress hates Modi, Gujarat, and development because they never had to sweat it out in life Refering to the Congress rule, Modi told a massive gathering in Palitana, "Do you remember the water shortage in the region? This is because the Congress controlled the tanker business. It suited them to have this shortage. The BJP has changed this in the last 22 years. We have made the tanker industry irrelevant." Coming down heavily on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his Gabbar Singh Tax jibe on GST tax reform, Modi said, "Those who looted nation think only of dacoits... They are propagating grand stupid thought on GST." Hardik is too young to contest elections but he has vowed to defeat BJP, and Morba, an industrial town has been voting for the BJP for the past decade but it also has a sizeable Patel population Hardik Patel, the young leader who rose to fame after the Patidar stir, was addressing a rally just 30 kilometres away from the venue of Modi's rally in Morbi. Hardik has since been tweeting pictures of crowds assembled at his rally, apparently in a show of strength. Narendra Modi will now address his day's fourth and last election rally in Gujarat's Navasari Amid chants of Modi Modi and Bharat Mata ki Jai, the prime minister started address at Navsari. "As far as the eye goes, it looks like Gujarat has donned a saffron sheet." "Take whichever election you may like, Gujarat and saffron are one. In Gujarat election, no one apart from BJP can win and in Congress elections, nobody apart from a Gandhi can contest," Modi said. "There are three elections going on- one in UP local bodies, one in Gujarat and the third one for the Congress President. In the first two the BJP is sure to win. And in the third one, no one except one family will win," Narendra Modi "When they wanted votes in Uttar Pradesh, they referred to us as Gujarat's donkeys. Now when they have come to ask for votes Gujarat's people will clear all their accounts and show them their reality," Modi said. They ask me questions about terrorism, Pakistan, and surgical strikes. "You tell me who was responsible for the problems at the root at the Kashmir issue. You tell me who is responsible for years of violence," Modi said. "Congress loves asking me- Modi ji what did you do. I want to tell them due to our efforts the corrupt are languishing in jail. They could also have done that but for them fighting corruption is a non-issue," Modi said. Congress love asking me what did I do, I tell them I rounded up corrupt: Modi " Congress dislikes Gujarat as they will be defeated here. Victory and defeat are a part of life. There was a time when our party would distribute sweets when we saved our deposits. These things happen in a democracy, Congress should not be consumed by such hatred," Modi said. As a mark of respect for Muslim prayers (Azaan), prime minister interrupted his speech and took a long pause as people wondered what went wrong. Many in the crowd were seen cheering him, chanting Modi Modi as they waited for the PM to restart his speech. When Modi spoke again, he briefly mentioned that he had stopped as he heard the sounds of Azaan, and continued with his speech. Modi said that Congress loves to question the army, they questioned the surgical strike too. "They asked for proof, they asked for pictures... should we make a film for them," Modi asked. He said that they even asked that if our side did have any casualty as our soldiers languished and suffered on border. People who talk like that should not expect votes in Congress. Narendra Modi, speaking about the Doka La crisis, said that his question to Congress is clear, "Why do you believe the Chinese and not our army and our foreign ministry." "The Congress version of GST places salt, which a poor person wants with expensive cigarettes and alcohol. How can I allow this? Our fight is for giving the poor their rights while Congress fights for the interests of the rich," Modi said. Meanwhile... Hardik Patel to address rally in Rajkot shortly; huge crowds seen at venue "And this is why we are against them," Hardik said. "They may label me a Congress agent, but they have always divided the society. It was because of them that Patidar samaj was brought on roads, they were the reason Dalits had to fight for their rights," Hardik said. "This is not just the fight of the Patidar samaj, this is not about Dalits or Kshatriyas. This is the fight of 6 crore Gujaratis. You place a hand on your heart and tell me where is vikas. How many gas cylinders did you get, how much water do you get tell me honestly. This is the fight to defeat their arrogance," Hardik said. This is not the fight of Patidars alone: Hardik "What is vikas (development), where is vikas, villages don't have pucca houses, if you recharge phone with 4g data pack you get 2g internet, is this vikas. show me where is vikas and I will suspend my kranti anddolan (movement). Show me where is your vikas I will stop my kranti andolan: Hardik Patel challenges BJP As a mark of respect for Muslim prayers (Azaan), prime minister interrupted his speech and took a long pause as people wondered what went wrong. Many in the crowd were seen cheering him, chanting Modi Modi as they waited for the PM to restart his speech. When Modi spoke again, he briefly mentioned that he had stopped as he heard the sounds of Azaan, and continued with his speech. Modi said that Congress loves to question the army, they questioned the surgical strike too. "They asked for proof, they asked for pictures... should we make a film for them," Modi asked. He said that they even asked that if our side did have any casualty as our soldiers languished and suffered on border. People who talk like that should not expect votes in Congress. Narendra Modi, speaking about the Doka La crisis, said that his question to Congress is clear, "Why do you believe the Chinese and not our army and our foreign ministry." "The Congress version of GST places salt, which a poor person wants with expensive cigarettes and alcohol. How can I allow this? Our fight is for giving the poor their rights while Congress fights for the interests of the rich," Modi said. Meanwhile... Hardik Patel to address rally in Rajkot shortly; huge crowds seen at venue "And this is why we are against them," Hardik said. "They may label me a Congress agent, but they have always divided the society. It was because of them that Patidar samaj was brought on roads, they were the reason Dalits had to fight for their rights," Hardik said. "This is not just the fight of the Patidar samaj, this is not about Dalits or Kshatriyas. This is the fight of 6 crore Gujaratis. You place a hand on your heart and tell me where is vikas. How many gas cylinders did you get, how much water do you get tell me honestly. This is the fight to defeat their arrogance," Hardik said. This is not the fight of Patidars alone: Hardik "What is vikas (development), where is vikas, villages don't have pucca houses, if you recharge phone with 4g data pack you get 2g internet, is this vikas. show me where is vikas and I will suspend my kranti anddolan (movement). Show me where is your vikas I will stop my kranti andolan: Hardik Patel challenges BJP Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address eight rallies on November 27 and 29 in different parts of Saurashtra and south Gujarat, where polling for the first phase of assembly polls will be held on 9 December. On the morning of 27 November, Modi will address people in Bhuj town of Kutch district and later in the day in Jasdan town of Rajkot, Dhari in Amreli and Kamrej in Surat district, Gujarat BJP in-charge Bhupender Yadav told a press conference in Ahmedabad. Modi is slated to visit Jan Sabha in Bhuj at 11 am, while he will be in Jasdan city in Rajkot at around 1.20 pm. He will be in Amreli at 3.00 pm and he will finally visit Kamrej in Surat at 5.15 pm. On 29 November, Modi will address poll rallies in Morbi and Prachi villages near Somnath, Palitana in Bhavnagar and at Navsari in south Gujarat. "Each rally has been organised in such a way that people from five to six surrounding constituencies can also attend it," Yadav added. The polling for the two-phase elections in the state, having total 182 assembly seats, will take place on 9 and 14 December and votes will be counted on 18 December, the same day as the results of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election. While 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region will go to polls in the first phase, the election in the remaining 93 constituencies in central and northern regions will be held in the second phase. These constituencies in the first phase will cover 19 districts and the second phase will cover 14 districts. On 26 and 27 November, several prominent BJP leaders will address rallies in different parts of the western state where the first phase of polling is scheduled to be held. The star campaigners include Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states Yogi Adityanath and Vasundhara Raje as well as several Gujarat BJP leaders, said Yadav. "On 26 and 27 November, our star campaigners will address rallies in all the 89 seats going to polls in the first phase," Bhupender Yadav said. Modi has visited Gujarat almost 10 times in the months ahead of the polls to attend various government events, including completion of the Narmada Dam, laying the foundation stone of the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai bullet train project and inauguration of a ferry service linking south Gujarat and Saurashtra region via sea routes. With inputs from agencies New Delhi: The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of trying to mislead the people of Gujarat on the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru with his "untrue" statements and said it reflected his "unhealthy mindset". Hitting back at Modi over his charge that the Congress propagated dynastic politics, the party's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the prime minister "has forgotten" that the Congress gave prime ministers like Lal Bahadur Shastri and Manmohan Singh, who came from a humble background. Defending the Nehru-Gandhi family, the former union minister said none of the Gandhis were part of the government since the last almost three decades. He condemned Modi's claims that the Congress and country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru did nothing for Gujarat and alleged that such a campaign emanated from the BJP's frustration due to its "impending defeat". "The prime minister has said that the country's first prime minister has not done anything for Gujarat. It is wrong and far from truth. We condemn it. The prime minister is having an 'aswasth mansikta' (unhealthy mindset) which is an issue of grave concern for the country," he told reporters. Sharma said that the prime minister's remarks at an election rally in Gujarat on Monday were "untrue". "The BJP is disturbed over the increasing support for the Congress in the state," he claimed. Sharma cited several projects initiated by Nehru in Gujarat like Amul cooperative movement, IIM Ahmedabad, National Institute of Design, formation of Gandhinagar, the state's capital, ONGC's complex at Ankleswar and development of ports like Kandla and Dahej, besides setting up of airports. "It is not right on the part of the prime minister to speak like this. He should abstain from giving such statements as the Congress is capable of denying them with facts. The prime minister is trying to mislead the people of Gujarat by giving wrong statements and is trying to lure the people of the state ahead of assembly elections," he alleged. Sharma asked what the Modi government had done for Gujarat and said it should be left to the people of the state and the country to judge its performance. "He (Modi) should not give certificates of honesty to his government," he said, alleging that the government was full of "tainted" people and was trying "to put a lid on big scams". "The Modi government is running away from accountability and that is why the prime minister never convened Parliament session ahead of Gujarat assembly polls and neither did he answer any of our questions," the Congress leader said. On Modi's charge of dynastic politics, Sharma said the Congress was led by stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gopal Kishna Gokhala and Madan Mohan Malviya. Countering the prime minister's attack on Nehru-Gandhi family, he said Rahul Gandhi, being an elected representative, was asked by the then prime minister Manmohan Singh to join him, but he did not do so during the 10 years of UPA government. "The Congress has never told the BJP whom it should elect as its chief. The prime minister should stop worrying about the Congress and focus on his party instead," he said. On the Rafale aircraft deal, he said the prime minister had no right to cancel the previous deal signed between the governments of India and France during the UPA. He alleged a scam in the deal as a public sector undertaking was ignored and a private entity without any experience in the defence sector was brought in. Earlier the prime minister, while campaigning in Gujarat today, hit out at the Congress over dynastic politics and alleged that the party did not do anything for the state. "On one side there is 'Vikas' (development) and 'Vishwas' (faith) while on the other side there is 'Vanshwad' (nepotism). Gujarat will never forgive the Congress Party and this has been the case for long. Congress has never liked Gujarat, has always preferred to see it lag behind," Modi said while campaigning in Kutchh region. Modi also alleged "Congress has shown contempt for Gujarat. They prevented Narmada waters from reaching people across the state, their reign was characterised by poor law and order, and they destabilised Chief Ministers from the Patel community be it Babubhai, Chimanbhai, Keshubhai and Anandiben." New Delhi: Ruling out any possibility of entering politics, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan on Sunday said he is happy being a professor and it's the job he likes. On being asked if he had an offer from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to join the Rajya Sabha, he said, "No comments on whether I was offered anything. When I was in RBI, people were desperate to get me off to IMF, when I am back as professor, people are desperate to see me elsewhere. I am very happy being a professor. I have my brain working many hours of day. It is a job I like." On possibility to join politics, Rajan said, "The answer is no... on issue of politics my wife says very clearly no." The AAP had approached Rajan offering him a Rajya Sabha seat from Delhi, which was reportedly rejected by the ex-RBI governor. In a recorded interview played at the Times Litfest in New Delhi, Rajan, without disclosing much details, said he is working on another book. This book will be "an attempt to understand better the world we live in. The issue of identity, issue of community and how it impinges on the broader process of economic integration and growth", he said. His last book, titled 'I do what I do' was released in September, touched various aspects of the Indian economy. He also talked about issues like tolerance and connection between political freedom and prosperity in the book, which was a collection of essays and speeches during his stint as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor. Talking about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Rajan said it is good in the long run even though there are some issues. "There is need to remove the glitches," he observed. On the relationship between the RBI and the government, the former central bank governor said that it has been developed over the years and it is largely of mutual respect. "Yes, there are frictions which are always there in any relationship," he said. To a question if autonomy of the RBI as an institution compromised, he said, he is not alarmed. The RBI functions under the government and complete independence is not possible, he said. Amid signs of discord, the AIADMK faction's EPS-OPS camp called for a truce on Monday after the seven-member governing council was expanded to nine, CNN-News 18 reported. A press release from the party said it was "unanimously" resolved in Monday's meeting to authorise the AIADMK parliamentary board to select the candidate for the RK Nagar bypoll. The AIADMK announced it was "restructuring" the parliamentary board, which now includes Chief Minister K Palaniswamy and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam. #BREAKING | EPS-OPS call truce. 7 member governing council expanded to 9 member council pic.twitter.com/lToJVw4sZp News18 (@CNNnews18) November 27, 2017 Former ministers KP Munusamy and R Vaithilingam, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, Madhusudhanan, Tamil Magan Hussein, P Valarmathi, A Justin Selvaraj and P Venugopal are the other members of the board. Earlier, deposed and jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala was the head of the board. She had selected her nephew and then AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran for the 12 April bypoll. The ruling party also discussed the first death anniversary of J Jayalalithaa and the various events associated with it, the release said. The AIADMK has already announced taking out a procession from the arterial Anna Salai to Jayalalithaa's mausoleum in Marina Beach, which was reiterated in Monday's meeting. On Sunday, Panneerselvam denied rumours of a row and had stressed on unity in the party and exhorted workers to ensure that 'Amma's' (Jayalalithaa's) rule continues its stride. In a series of tweets, Panneerselvam praised K Palaniswamy saying he was providing good governance based on the path shown by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa. He, however, chose not to comment on the simmering discontent that came to the fore last week after his loyalist and Rajya Sabha MP V Maitreyan hinted at differences among the leaders of the two factions which merged earlier this year. Two days ago, in what seemed to be a fresh sign of discord in the ruling AIADMK, loyalists of Panneerselvam had said they did not get an invite for a key party event in which Palaniswamy had participated, PTI reported. Significantly, Panneerselvam, who was conspicuous by his absence in the event that was held in Madurai the same day, later batted for unity in the party while taking part in another function along with Palaniswamy. Recounting a tale of a wrestler narrated by late Jayalalithaa years ago to party workers to underscore the importance of unity among party workers, he said Amma highlighted the importance of unity through that story. "We have got back our victorious two-leaves symbol as we all stood united following the words of Amma," Panneerselvam said. Indicating that unity was essential to winning the 21 December RK Nagar bypoll, he had said, "With the same unity, and with the support of people we will script a massive win in the bypoll and dedicate the victory to Amma." Palaniswamy, who spoke after him in the event to commemorate former chief minister MG Ramachandran's birth centenary, promptly referred to the unity call in his opening remarks. The chief minister said, "Honourable deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam has articulated good views on staying united." Palaniswamy further said his deputy expressed good views and gave good advice to the party workers. Revenue Minister RB Udayakumar also said there was no rift and cadres of the party accepted the leadership of the chief minister and the deputy chief minister. "For us, of the two leaves (party symbol), one leaf stood for EPS (K Palaniswamy) and one leaf stood for OPS (O Panneerselvam)," he had told reporters. "There is no rift or crack in the party and the chief minister and the deputy chief minister are working like a double-barreled gun," he had said. Asked about Panneerselvam not taking part in the Madurai event, he had said they (Palaniswamy and Panneerselvam) are united. Panneerselvam had to participate in some temple function and hence he could not come to Madurai, the minister said, adding every issue is tackled by both leaders in consultation with others. The Madurai event, called Mupperum Vizha, (a single event to mark the celebration of three different occasions) had been organised to celebrate the AIADMK getting back its two-leaves symbol, the centenary of party founder MGR and to hail Jayalalithaa. Maithreyan had said in Chennai that proper intimation should have been sent to all party workers, functionaries, and leaders. Maithreyan, who recently raised the discontent row between Panneerselvam and Palaniswamy factions, said the Madurai event was important since it was the first to celebrate the party getting back its poll symbol. He said Madurai-based MP Gopalakrishnan and MLA Saravanan, who were in the Panneerselvam camp previously, did not get the invite and added that such "goof-up" should be avoided."I do not know if Panneerselvam was invited, if he was formally apprised about the Madurai event, or if he had any other engagement (at the time of the event)," he told reporters in response to a question. Maithreyan had said he believed that party coordinator Panneerselvam and co-coordinator Palaniswamy would discuss the issue and "prevent its recurrence". A party information technology wing functionary and Panneerselvam loyalist, Aspire K Swaminathan, in his Facebook post in Tamil, had also said that there was no invite or information for anyone including the leaders for the Madurai event. Some publicity material like posters for the Madurai event prominently had the name of Palaniswamiy but not Panneerselvam's. Earlier, on 23 November, the Election Commission (EC) had announced that the partys disputed 'two leaves' symbol will now be assigned to the Unified AIADMK faction led by Palaniswamy.The decision had come as a big boost for the EPS-OPS camp as the symbol legitimised their claim to the political legacy of MGR and Jayalalithaa. With inputs from PTI Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday questioned the government claim that terror activities have come down in Jammu and Kashmir and said terrorists were now killing jawans to create fear among the youth in the Valley. Referring to the killing of Territorial Army jawan Irfan Ahmed, the Sena said it is a "new technique" aimed at demoralising and creating fear among the Kashmiri youth. The Sena said the brutal killings of jawans is a Pakistani game plan. "All this is the 'Mann ki baat' of Pakistanis. Will the person, who does his 'Mann ki baat' every (month on a) Sunday will realise this?" the Sena questioned, alluding to the radio programme hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also said that the release of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed from detention in Pakistan may give a new lease of life to militancy in the border state. "Soldier Irfan Ahmad was abducted and killed in Shopian district. Terrorist organisations are adopting this technique to demoralise the Kashmiri youth working in the army and instill fear amongst them," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana. According to the army, militants abducted and killed the 23-year-old Territorial Army jawan. His bullet-riddled body was found in an orchard in Watmullah Keegam area in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Saturday. The latest killing was part of a technique being adopted by terror outfits to kill Kashmiris who have joined the army or paramilitary forces, the Marathi daily said. In May this year, Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz was killed in a similar manner and later in September, BSF jawan Ramzan Pare was also killed, the Sena publication said. "The killing of Irfan Ahmad challenges the claims of those who say terrorist activities have reduced in Kashmir. Also, Hafiz Saeed being released from house arrest may give a new lease of life to terrorist activities," it said. "The government claims 100-150 militants have been killed (this year) in Kashmir and incidents of stone-pelting have reduced. At the same time, killings of youth haven't stopped. Terrorists cannot digest the Kashmiri youth joining the army to serve the nation," it added. As terror mastermind Hafeez Saeed walked free in Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi tweeted to ridicule Prime Minister Narendra Modis diplomacy, and in response BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao called him a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) sympathiser. Suitably chagrined by the BJPs counterattack, the Congress once again played the emotional card. Congress leader Anand Sharma recalled the contribution of the Nehru-Gandhi lineage in making the nation what it is. Sharma came out with all guns blazing in support of Rahul and said, It is shameful. It deserves to be condemned. The BJP leaders have lost their mental balance in arrogance. Mr Gandhi is the leader of Congress, which has made sacrifices in fighting terrorism and for the integrity of India. For them to say such a thing, I will say it has hit a new low, he said. If Sharma is to be believed, Rahul deserves unqualified adoration on account of his lineage. Of course, Sharma belongs to a generation of leaders who drew their political sustenance by clinging to a lineage and allowed it to monopolise and pervert an indeed outstanding and glorious political movement called the Congress. To call todays Congress a continuum of that past is worse than a lie. Even admirers of Jawaharlal Nehru found it quite baffling when Indira Gandhi ascended as the Congress president in 1959. And a corollary of her ascension was the sacking of a democratically elected Communist government in Kerala. Nehru prevaricated when Indira prevailed. That showed the signs of Nehrus filial weakness. Stalwarts of those times found Nehrus vulnerability quite unacceptable and many of them fell out with him. This history bears out in todays political context when the Congress has been desperately trying to clutch a straw to save a sinking ship. Nothing is more ill-timed than the promised ascension of Rahul Gandhi to the post of Congress chief. And nothing could be as bad a political strategy as projecting him as the son of a family who contributed a great deal to the nation. Let us put the record straight to see what is the contribution of the family. Granted, Nehru was an exception whose contribution cannot be undermined. He was a unique political figure whose strengths as well as failings were many and could be discussed historically, but that hardly diminishes his stature. But what about Indira Gandhi? Though trained by her father and other stalwarts of the freedom struggle, she got the position of the prime minister through matchless guile and exploiting the fact that she was Nehrus daughter. Reeling under tentativeness and overawed by Nehrus personality, a fledgling nation was quite ready to forgive this indiscretion. The argument that Indiras heart bled for the poor is quite akin to arguing that industrialist puts up industries only to give jobs to the poor. Is it not a fact that in her second longest stint as the countrys prime minister (after Nehru), the garibi hatao slogan was as much a political "jumla" as the Congress now accuses the BJP of deploying? It does not require the perspicacity of a scientist to unravel that the democratic values and institutions destroyed under Indira Gandhis watch were enormous. Now, take the case of Rajiv Gandhi. He was happily leading a life of a pilot before he was para-dropped into a cesspool of politics (to use the phrase of his friend Amitabh Bachchan) after the death of Sanjay Gandhi. Sycophancy once again reigned supreme in the Congress when even VP Singh, of all people, entreated in a party session, Mera Krishna mujhe de do (give us our Lord Krishna). After Indira Gandhis tragic assassination, the nation overcame its shock by electing Rajiv as her successor. Once again emotion came to the Congress rescue. After a phase of virulent insurgency in Punjab that saw Operation Bluestar, the killing of the prime minister and subsequent anti-Sikh riots, people of the country chose the son of the assassinated prime minister in order to give out a definite message of unity and cohesion. We are perceived to be a society that glorifies the past. Those who eulogise Rajiv today would do better to look at the newspapers clippings of 1987-89 when VP Singh turned against him and painted him as chor in the Bofors pay-off scandal. And the allegations were not without substance. Rajiv Gandhi exited as the prime minister who supervised India's biggest corruption scandal till date. And that led to the emergence of VP Singh though he had no party organisation of his own. Bofors became the sobriquet for corruption in high places, to be replaced by 2G, CWG and Coal scam under the benign supervision of former prime minister Manmohan Singh who danced to the tunes set by 10 Janpath and 12 Tuglaq road (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to the uninitiated). Now, take the case of Modis emergence as the most powerful leader since Indira Gandhi. It happened against the background of Sonia Gandhi running the office of the countrys prime minister through an appointee. The manner in which the Congress leaders amended the partys constitution to bestow the sole right of appointing the leader of the house (in effect, the prime minister) to Sonia Gandhi just before Manmohan Singh was appointed the prime minister, spoke eloquently about who was holding the power strings. Luckily for Manmohan Singh, in his first term as prime minister, he had an adversary in LK Advani who could not weave a new narrative except for calling the former the weakest prime minister. Advanis formulation was rejected outright as, by then, he had lost the halo of a strong leader after a series of humiliations at the hands of the RSS-BJP leadership. In sharp contrast to Advani, Modi spun a new narrative in 2014. After his unqualified dominance within his own party, he campaigned on themes that resonated with people across the country. There may be many shortcomings in his three and half years so far. But one thing is certain, he dominates the political narrative. If one looks at the recurrence of his favourite themes at frequent intervals, it is indeed mind-boggling. And it would indeed be naive to describe them as mere rhetoric. Ujjwala and Jan-Dhan are impacting peoples live in rural areas positively. Swachch Bharat is still a project in the works, but it is also changing mindsets, lifestyles and the health of rural populations across the country. In such an innovative political conversation, do you find any new idea from Rahul Gandhi to counter Modi? He instead resorts to adolescent rants against Modi which may gain traction in social media but are unlikely to resonate with people. Perhaps it would be instructive for Rahul to carefully study the manner in which Nitish Kumar outwitted Modi in the Bihar assembly polls in 2015. Nitish carefully weaved his own narrative and forced the BJP to respond to it. Rahul is doing none of it. A bigger problem is that leaders like Anand Sharma are trying in vain to evoke sympathy where none exists. There is nothing special about one family's selfless service to the nation. If three prime ministers, one super prime minister and a prime-minister-in-waiting were to emerge from my family or yours for that matter I would be singing paeans to the Indian voters' magnanimity, not to the alleged greatness of one family. Anand Sharmas protestations notwithstanding, Rahuls only qualification is that he is the son of Sonia and Rajiv, that they are the daughter-in-law and son of Indira Gandhi and that she is the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. Bereft of it, he seriously lacks the credentials for high office. IANS Amid controversies about growing threat on "security and privacy" with the digitisation of the economy, a former official of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on Sunday raised concern upon how digital companies are taking control over the global economy. "The platform provided by digital companies is not limited to only commerce. It has been expanded to logistics, finance, payments and others areas. Digital companies have now expanded to cover a large part of the economy without any governance. "Digital companies are taking over control over the global economy, which is a concern," said Supachai Panitchpakdi, a former Secretary General at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In his address at the Horasis Asia Meeting, co-hosted by the West Bengal government and the Indian Chamber of Commerce, he said that the "proliferation of Chinese companies" in the "digital space" in Asia and Southeast Asia in particular, was also a "concern". "They are buying up production, trading units, inventories and others in Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia," he said. Asked whether digitisation of the economy could lead to a threat to security and privacy, he said, "Yes, of course." Panitchpakdi advocated for bringing "more monitoring and governance" or "regulatory" measures on digital companies. He also said the Asian countries have been going for "cashless" economy or "less cash" economy and what it promotes is easy consumption and according to him, too much focus on consumption could lead to disruption. Asked about thrust on digital economy being given by the Indian government, he said: "I think India needs more savings than consumption. Cashless society must make people understand that consumptions have to be well planned." AP The FBI failed to notify scores of US officials that Russian hackers were trying to break into their personal Gmail accounts despite having evidence for at least a year that the targets were in the Kremlin's crosshairs, the Associated Press has found. Nearly 80 interviews with Americans targeted by Fancy Bear, a Russian government-aligned cyberespionage group, turned up only two cases in which the FBI had provided a heads-up. Even senior policymakers discovered they were targets only when the AP told them, a situation some described as bizarre and dispiriting. "It's utterly confounding," said Philip Reiner, a former senior director at the National Security Council, who was notified by the AP that he was targeted in 2015. "You've got to tell your people. You've got to protect your people." The FBI declined to discuss its investigation into Fancy Bear's spying campaign, but did provide a statement that said in part, "The FBI routinely notifies individuals and organisations of potential threat information." Three people familiar with the matter including a current and a former government official said the FBI has known for more than a year the details of Fancy Bear's attempts to break into Gmail inboxes. A senior FBI official, who was not authorised to publicly discuss the hacking operation because of its sensitivity, declined to comment on when it received the target list, but said that the bureau was overwhelmed by the sheer number of attempted hacks. "It's a matter of triaging to the best of our ability the volume of the targets who are out there," he said. The AP did its own triage, dedicating two months and a small team of reporters to go through a hit list of Fancy Bear targets provided by the cybersecurity firm Secureworks. Previous AP investigations based on the list have shown how Fancy Bear worked in close alignment with the Kremlin's interests to steal tens of thousands of emails from the Democratic Party . The hacking campaign disrupted the 2016 US election and cast a shadow over the presidency of Donald Trump, whom US intelligence agencies say the hackers were trying to help. The Russian government has denied interfering in the American election. The Secureworks list comprises 19,000 lines of targeting data. Going through it, the AP identified more than 500 US-based people or groups and reached out to more than 190 of them, interviewing nearly 80 about their experiences. Many were long-retired, but about one-quarter were still in government or held security clearances at the time they were targeted. Only two told the AP they learned of the hacking attempts on their personal Gmail accounts from the FBI. A few more were contacted by the FBI after their emails were published in the torrent of leaks that coursed through last year's electoral contest. But to this day, some leak victims have not heard from the bureau at all. Charles Sowell, who previously worked as a senior administrator in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and was targeted by Fancy Bear two years ago, said there was no reason the FBI couldn't do the same work the AP did. "It's absolutely not OK for them to use an excuse that there's too much data," Sowell said. "Would that hold water if there were a serial killer investigation, and people were calling in tips left and right, and they were holding up their hands and saying, 'It's too much'? That's ridiculous." It's Curious The AP found few traces of the bureau's inquiry as it launched its own investigation two months ago. In October, two AP journalists visited THCServers.com , a brightly lit, family-run internet company on the former grounds of a communist-era chicken farm outside the Romanian city of Craiova. That's where someone registered DCLeaks.com, the first of three websites to publish caches of emails belonging to Democrats and other US officials in mid-2016. DCLeaks was clearly linked to Fancy Bear. Previous AP reporting found that all but one of the site's victims had been targeted by the hacking group before their emails were dumped online. Yet THC founder Catalin Florica said he was never approached by law enforcement. "It's curious," Florica said. "You are the first ones that contact us." THC merely registered the site, a simple process that typically takes only a few minutes. But the reaction was similar at the Kuala Lumpur offices of the Malaysian web company Shinjiru Technology, which hosted DCLeaks' stolen files for the duration of the electoral campaign. The company's chief executive, Terence Choong, said he had never heard of DCLeaks until the AP contacted him. "What is the issue with it?" he asked. Questions over the FBI's handling of Fancy Bear's broad hacking sweep date to March 2016, when agents arrived unannounced at Hillary Clinton's headquarters in Brooklyn to warn her campaign about a surge of rogue, password-stealing emails. The agents offered little more than generic security tips the campaign had already put into practice and refused to say who they thought was behind the attempted intrusions, according to a person who was there and spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversation was meant to be confidential. Questions emerged again after it was revealed that the FBI never took custody of the Democratic National Committee's computer server after it was penetrated by Fancy Bear in April 2016. Former FBI Director James Comey testified this year that the FBI worked off a copy of the server, which he described as an "appropriate substitute." "Makes me sad" Retired Maj. James Phillips was one of the first people to have the contents of his inbox published by DCLeaks when the website made its June 2016 debut. But the Army veteran said he didn't realise his personal emails were "flapping in the breeze" until a journalist phoned him two months later. "The fact that a reporter told me about DCLeaks kind of makes me sad," he said. "I wish it had been a government source." Phillips' story would be repeated again and again as the AP spoke to officials from the National Defense University in Washington to the North American Aerospace Defense Command in Colorado. Among them: a former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, retired Lt Gen Patrick Hughes; a former head of Air Force Intelligence, retired Lt Gen David Deptula; a former defense undersecretary, Eric Edelman; and a former director of cybersecurity for the Air Force, retired Lt Gen Mark Schissler. Retired Maj. Gen. Brian Keller, a former director of military support at the Geospatial Intelligence Agency, was not informed, even after DCLeaks posted his emails to the internet. In a telephone call with AP, Keller said he still wasn't clear on what had happened, who had hacked him or whether his data was still at risk. "Should I be worried or alarmed or anything?" asked Keller, who left the spy satellite agency in 2010 and now works in private industry. Not all the interviewees felt the FBI had a responsibility to alert them. "Perhaps optimistically, I have to conclude that a risk analysis was done and I was not considered a high enough risk to justify making contact," said a former Air Force chief of staff, retired Gen Norton Schwartz, who was targeted by Fancy Bear in 2015. Others argued that the FBI may have wanted to avoid tipping the hackers off or that there were too many people to notify. "The expectation that the government is going to protect everyone and go back to everyone is false," said Nicholas Eftimiades, a retired senior technical officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency who teaches homeland security at Pennsylvania State University in Harrisburg and was himself among the targets. But the government is supposed to try, said Michael Daniel, who served as President Barack Obama's White House cybersecurity coordinator. Daniel wouldn't comment directly on why so many Fancy Bear targets weren't warned in this case, but he said the issue of how and when to notify people "frankly still needs more work." Cloak and daggers In the absence of any official warning, some of those contacted by AP brushed off the idea that they were taken in by a foreign power's intelligence service. "I don't open anything I don't recognise," said Joseph Barnard, who headed the personnel recovery branch of the Air Force's Air Combat Command. That may well be true of Barnard; Secureworks' data suggests he never clicked the malicious link sent to him in June 2015. But it isn't true of everyone. An AP analysis of the data suggests that out of 312 US military and government figures targeted by Fancy Bear, 131 clicked the links sent to them. That could mean that as many as 2 in 5 came perilously close to handing over their passwords. It's not clear how many gave up their credentials in the end or what the hackers may have acquired. Some of those accounts hold emails that go back years, when even many of the retired officials still occupied sensitive posts. Overwhelmingly, interviewees told AP they kept classified material out of their Gmail inboxes, but intelligence experts said Russian spies could use personal correspondence as a springboard for further hacking, recruitment or even blackmail. "You start to have information you might be able to leverage against that person," said Sina Beaghley, a researcher at the RAND Corp. who served on the NSC until 2014. In the few cases where the FBI did warn targets, they were sometimes left little wiser about what was going on or what to do. Rob "Butch" Bracknell, a 20-year military veteran who works as a NATO lawyer in Norfolk, Virginia, said an FBI agent visited him about a year ago to examine his emails and warn him that a "foreign actor" was trying to break into his account. "He was real cloak-and-dagger about it," Bracknell said. "He came here to my work, wrote in his little notebook and away he went." Left to fend for themselves, some targets have been improvising their cybersecurity. Retired Gen Roger A Brady, who was responsible for American nuclear weapons in Europe as part of his past role as commander of the US Air Force there, turned to Apple support this year when he noticed something suspicious on his computer. Hughes, a former DIA head, said he had his hard drive replaced by the "Geek Squad" at a Best Buy in Florida after his machine began behaving strangely. Keller, the former senior spy satellite official, said it was his son who told him his emails had been posted to the web after getting a Google alert in June 2016. A former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, who like many others was repeatedly targeted by Fancy Bear but has yet to receive any warning from the FBI, said the lackluster response risked something worse than last year's parade of leaks. "Our government needs to be taking greater responsibility to defend its citizens in both the physical and cyber worlds, now, before a cyberattack produces an even more catastrophic outcome than we have already experienced," McFaul said. Donn reported from Plymouth, Massachusetts. Associated Press writers Vadim Ghirda in Carcea, Romania, Chad Day in Washington, Frank Bajak in Houston, Justin Myers in Chicago and Lori Hinnant in Paris contributed to this report. AP New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas are among scores of police departments across the country quietly using a highly secretive technology developed for the military that can track the whereabouts of suspects by using the signals constantly emitted by their cellphones. Civil liberties and privacy groups are increasingly raising objections to the suitcase-sized devices known as StingRays or cell site simulators that can sweep up cellphone data from an entire neighbourhood by mimicking cell towers. Police can determine the location of a phone without the user even making a call or sending a text message. Some versions of the technology can even intercept texts and calls, or pull information stored on the phones. Part of the problem, privacy experts say, is the devices can also collect data from anyone within a small radius of the person being tracked. And law enforcement goes to great lengths to conceal usage, in some cases, offering plea deals rather than divulging details on the StingRay. "We can't even tell how frequently they're being used,'' said attorney Jerome Greco, of the Legal Aid Society, which recently succeeded in blocking evidence collected with the device in a New York City murder case. "It makes it very difficult.'' At least 72 state and local law enforcement departments in 24 states plus 13 federal agencies use the devices, but further details are hard to come by because the departments that use them must take the unusual step of signing nondisclosure agreements overseen by the FBI. An FBI spokeswoman said the agreements, which often involve the Harris Corporation, a defence contractor that makes the devices, are intended to prevent the release of sensitive law enforcement information to the general public. But the agreements don't prevent an officer from telling prosecutors the technology was used in a case. In New York, use of the technology was virtually unknown to the public until last year when the New York Civil Liberties Union forced the disclosure of records showing the NYPD used the devices more than 1,000 times since 2008. That included cases in which the technology helped catch suspects in kidnappings, rapes, robberies, assaults and murders. It has even helped find missing people. But privacy experts say such gains come at too high a cost. "We have a Fourth Amendment to the Constitution,'' said Jennifer Lynch, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, referring to the protection against unreasonable search and seizure. "Our Founding Fathers decided when they wrote the Bill of Rights there had to be limits placed on government.'' Lawmakers in several states have introduced proposals ranging from warrant requirements to an outright ban on the technology; about a dozen states already have laws requiring warrants. Federal law enforcement said last year that it would be routinely required to get a search warrant before using the technology the first effort to create a uniform legal standard for federal authorities. And case law is slowly building. Two months ago, a Washington, DC, appeals court overturned a conviction on a sex assault after judges ruled a violation of the Fourth Amendment because of evidence improperly collected from the simulator without a proper warrant. In the New York murder case argued by the Legal Aid Society, a judge in Brooklyn last month ruled that the NYPD must have an eavesdropping warrant signed by a judge to use the device, a much higher bar than the "reasonable suspicion'' standard that had previously been required. "By its very nature, then, the use of a cell site simulator intrudes upon an individual's reasonable expectation of privacy, acting as an instrument of eavesdropping and requires a separate warrant supported by probable cause,'' wrote state Supreme Court Judge Martin Murphy. New York City police officials disagreed with the ruling and disputed that a StingRay was even used in the case, even though there had been a court order to do so. Police officials also said they have since started requiring a higher standard of probable cause when applying for the devices. Legal Aid Society's Greco said he hoped the ruling will push the nation's largest department into meeting the higher standard and help judges better understand the intricacies of more cutting-edge surveillance. "We're hoping we can use this decision among other decisions being made across the country to show that this logic is right,'' Greco said. "Part of an issue we're facing with technology, the judges don't understand it. It makes it easier if another judge has sat down and really thought about it.'' IANS Imagine how it would be if you can enjoy a chilled beer on Mars? US-based brewing company Anheuser-Busch is all set to make "Budweiser" the first brand of beer on the Red Planet. Budweiser is upholding its commitment, announced earlier this year at an event South by Southwest that "it would create a beer suitable for drinking in space... and when people get there they will toast on Budweiser...", the company said in a statement this week. "Budweiser is always pushing the boundaries of innovation and we are inspired by the collective American Dream to get to Mars," said Ricardo Marques, vice president, Budweiser. "We are excited to begin our research to brew beer for the red planet," Marques added. The company also plans to send 20 barley seeds a core ingredient in Budweiser's recipe into space. Twenty Budweiser barley seeds will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS), packaged in two Space Tango CubeLabs shoebox-sized facilities that host small-scale experiments. They will be sent to space on the upcoming cargo supply mission SpaceX's CRS-13 scheduled to be launched on 4 December from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The seeds will be in orbit for approximately 30 days to see how they react in a microgravity environment, before being brought back to earth for Budweiser's innovation team to analyse. The two barley experiments will focus on barley seed exposure and barley germination. Not only will the research offer insights on steps to creating beer on the red planet, but it could also provide valuable information on the production of barley and the larger agricultural community here on earth. These experiments on the ISS are the first of many steps Budweiser will take to reach its larger goal of creating a microgravity beer for Mars, the statement said. Dhaka: The Bangladesh High Court on Sunday upheld the death sentence of 139 and the life imprisonment of 146 convicted soldiers over the massacre of 74 people, including 57 Army officers, in a 2009 mutiny, in the country's biggest-ever criminal case. The judgement comes after the court started delivering the verdict on Sunday in the death sentence of the total 152 convicted soldiers of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) for the brutal killing at the border guards' headquarters. "One thirty nine will have to walk to gallows and 146 will be imprisoned for life," Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told a media briefing, quoting the long verdict delivered by a three-judge high court bench. The judgement comes four years after a lower court in Dhaka handed down capital punishment to 152 and life term to 158 soldiers of the BDR. The bench on Sunday started reading out the entire judgement on the death sentence and appeal hearing of the trial of what is said to Bangladesh's biggest ever criminal case. A Dhaka court had awarded death penalty to 152 jawans and non-commissioned officers of the BDR, which was renamed as the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), in November 2013. The court had sentenced 158 to life imprisonment, 251 to imprisonments up to 10 years for the 25-26 February, 2009 carnage, when 74 people, including 57 military officers serving in the BDR, were killed. "It appears from discussions and reviews before and after the BDR mutiny that it was a conspiracy by a quarter with vested interest to hamper the stability of the state and socio-economic safety," said the bench in its observation part of the judgement. The bench observed that it was "an attempt to destroy a trained and skilled professional force through conspiracy". The BDR jawans had been accused of masterminding the mutiny plots, torturing and killing their officers, looting their belongings or keeping their family members captive during the rebellion. They had also killed eight civilians, eight fellow BDR soldiers who apparently were opposed to the revolt and an army soldier apart from the 57 military officers. Legal experts had called it the country's biggest-ever criminal trial in which some 800 ex-paramilitary soldiers had been accused of the murder of 74 people during the revolt in February 2009. Never before had so many accused, 850 in total, been tried in a single case in the history of Bangladesh. The bench heard the death sentences and appeals for over a year during which BDR's former deputy assistant director Touhid Ahmed, a soldier-turned-officer, appeared as the key leader of the mutineers. He was also given the capital punishment. Two civilians, who were awarded the life term, included former lawmaker of main opposition BNP Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu and Awami League leader and ex-BDR soldier Torab Ali as they were found guilty of collaborating with the mutineers. Pintu died few years ago. Bangladesh had renamed the mutiny-stained force as BGB in 2012 under a massive reconstruction campaign that also witnessed the changes in the border force's law, uniform, flag and monogram as part of desperate efforts to free the force from the stigma of rebellion. The rebel BDR soldiers had staged the mutiny, alleging "deprivation", at the force's Pilkhana headquarters. It soon spread at the frontier force's sector headquarters and regional units across the country. The soldiers turned their guns on their commanders, shot them from close range or hacked and tortured them to death. They hid their bodies in sewers and hurriedly-dug graves and also held captive their frightened family members and humiliated them in barracks. They had set the date for staging the revolt coinciding with the annual 'Darbar' or meeting of ordinary soldiers with the top brasses, while the then BDR chief major general Shakil Ahmed was their first victim. The casualties took place at Pilkhana alone during the mutiny when the rebel soldiers outside Dhaka defied the command, took charge of the armoury and came out of their barracks confining their commanders from military inside. The rebels went on a killing spree during the 33-hour revolt at Pilkhana when they also murdered the then Dhaka sector chief Colonel Mojibul Haque and other army officers. The mutiny was a challenge for the newly elected government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It also angered the army officers as they lost 57 colleagues serving the paramilitary border force on deputation. RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabias powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday an attack on an Egyptian mosque that killed more than 300 worshippers would galvanise an Islamic military coalition that aimed to counter terrorism and extremism. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the meeting of Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition defence ministers in Riyadh November 26, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Al NasserTop defence officials from 40 Muslim-majority nations met in Riyadh on Sunday. They are part of an alliance gathered together two years ago by Prince Mohammed, who is also Saudi defence minister. The crown prince has said he would encourage a more moderate and tolerant version of Islam in the ultra-conservative kingdom. Prince Mohamed told delegates that Fridays attack in Egypt was a very painful occurrence and must make us contemplate in an international and powerful way the role of this terrorism and extremism. Gunmen carrying the flag of Islamic State attacked the mosque in North Sinai. The group of Muslim nations, called the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, has yet to take any decisive action. Officials say the group would allow members to request or offer assistance to each other to fight militants. This could include military help, financial aid, equipment or security expertise. The group, which will have a permanent base in Riyadh, would also help combat terrorist financing and ideology. The biggest threat from terrorism and extremism is not only killing innocent people and spreading hate, but tarnishing the reputation of our religion and distorting our belief, Prince Mohammed told officials from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Iraq and Syria, at the forefront of the battle against Islamic State, are not members, nor is mainly Shiite Muslim Iran, the regional rival to mostly Sunni Saudi Arabia. Qatar, originally part of the alliance, was not invited to Sundays meeting after Riyadh led a group of states seeking to isolate Doha, saying it supported terrorism. Doha denies this. Abdulelah al-Saleh, a Saudi lieutenant general and the coalitions secretary general, said Qatar was excluded to help build a consensus for launching operations. He also said the group was not aimed at creating a Sunni bloc to counter Iran. The enemy is terrorism. Its not sects or religions or races, its terrorism, Saleh told reporters. Saleh said military initiatives had been proposed to the groups ministerial council, but he did not elaborate. Despite agreement on principles, members voiced different priorities at the meeting. Yemens delegation said the focus should be Iran, al Qaeda and Islamic State, while Turkey called for support from our friends against Kurdish separatists. Critics say the coalition could become a means for Saudi Arabia to implement an even more assertive foreign policy by winning the backing of poorer African and Asian nations with offers of financial and military aid. Alongside leading a diplomatic charge against Qatar, Saudi Arabia is also leading a war against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in its neighbour Yemen, Saleh said Riyadh would pay the 400 million riyal ($107 million) bill for the coalitions new centre, but said other nations could offer financial support for specific initiatives. ($1 = 3.7502 riyals) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Ismailia: "The whole thing started with a grenade thrown from the window, then masked militants rushed into the mosque, showering us with bullets, leaving dead bodies everywhere," Mohamed Ali said, recalling the Friday attack on a mosque that killed 305 people in Egypt's North Sinai. It was a real inferno, said the 33-year-old man who suffered two bullet wounds in the legs, reports Xinhua news agency. He is now receiving medical treatment in Ismailia province by the Suez Canal, southwest of the terror-stricken North Sinai. Ali, a father of four who works as salesman at a grocery in al-Rawda village where the attack took place, said he still could not believe that he survived the "heinous massacre". The militants attacked the mosque minutes after the preacher started his sermon, he said with a low fatigued voice as he grappled with pain. "The terrorists threw bombs from the windows and doors of the mosque, besieging us inside and started to shoot randomly," Ali said. "Bodies of the dead and panicked injured worshippers were everywhere, blood splattered across the mosque." Ali said he was praying on the frontline chairs near the preacher's rostrum, which he used as a cover from the terrorist showers of gunshots. "The pulpit did not protect me as I was injured with two bullets but at least it saved my life," Ali said, looking at the central venous line placed into his arm. When some worshippers attempted to get out of the mosque, he said, some masked men finished them off with rounds from their machine guns. "It was horrible and chaotic... They showed no mercy, it was an act of genocide," he said, tears rolling down his pale cheeks. "Three brothers from my neighborhood were killed in cold blood." On Saturday, the Egyptian general prosecutor announced that the death toll in the mosque attack had climbed to 305, including 27 children, while 128 others were wounded. Meanwhile, the Egyptian military spokesman said air force jets hit a number of vehicles loaded with terrorists involved in the deadly attack. In addition, the air forces targeted a number of hideouts containing weapons and ammunition that belong to the extremists, the spokesman added. The airstrikes came hours after Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi vowed to respond fiercely against terrorists who carried out the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the bloodbath. However, fingers are pointed at a Sinai-based group loyal to the Islamic State which has claimed most major terrorist operations in Egypt over the past few years and whose affiliates are currently facing a massive security crackdown in Syria and Iraq. It is the first time a mosque was targeted by militants in Egypt. The North Sinai province, a mostly desert area bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, has been experiencing waves of anti-security attacks that have killed hundreds of police and soldiers since an army-led ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Momentum in Germany is building for a new grand coalition between Chancellor Angela Merkels conservative bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD) to end the political instability created by the collapse of her coalition talks with other parties. The conservatives and SPD have ruled together for the last four years and most ministers are keeping their posts in an interim government until a new coalition or minority government is formed. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier hosts a first meeting of Merkel, the head of Bavarias CSU conservatives, Horst Seehofer, and SPD leader Martin Schulz on Thursday. Here are some of the overlaps and differences in policy areas likely to be discussed in any coalition talks. Finances Merkel has stressed she wants to maintain Germanys solid finances. Germany has run a budget surplus since 2014 under the stewardship of her hardline conservative finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble. She has also said she wants some tax cuts, mainly for low and medium earners. The SPD is far more focused on boosting spending and has in the last few days said it wants to increase investment in education and homes as well as on infrastructure. The SPD wants to increase inheritance tax, some in the party want to insist on raising the minimum wage and it fought the election on a pledge of keeping pensions stable. The conservatives and SPD both want to increase spending to expand broadband. Migration/Security An area of possible conflict. Since the election, Merkel has bowed to pressure from her Bavarian allies to put a cap on the number of people Germany will accept on humanitarian grounds. Merkel repeated on Saturday that she wanted to limit the number to about 200,000 a year. The SPD opposes this, arguing it breaches the constitutions guarantee of asylum to people who are persecuted for political reasons. Some leading party members have said they will not agree to a cap. Europe The SPD is more positive than Merkels cautious stance towards French President Emmanuel Macrons proposals for a euro zone budget and a euro zone finance minister. The SPD also backs the idea of turning the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) bailout fund into a European Monetary Fund along the lines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). There is little difference on approach to Brexit talks. Foreign Policy Broad agreement on most areas of foreign policy, including with the United States and Turkey. The SPD puts greater emphasis on mending ties with Russia which have been hurt by the conflict in Ukraine, but this is more a matter of nuance than a deep policy rift. Also agreement on armed forces missions abroad although the SPD is more sceptical on NATO demands to move towards increasing defence spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2014. Social Justice The SPD fought its election on the platform of social justice and wants to improve the lot of the less affluent. A long-standing commitment which several senior SPD members have repeated recently is the idea of making health insurance fairer for everyone by introducing a citizens insurance. The SPD also wants to ensure men and women have equal pay and working conditions. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Germany defeated its key EU ally France in a very tight vote on Monday to clear the use of weed-killer glyphosate for the next five years after a heated debate over whether it causes cancer. After months of indecisive votes among the 28 member states in Brussels, Germany, whose Chancellor Angela Merkel has yet to form a new coalition after a September election, came off the fence after abstaining in previous meetings. It said it backed a European Commission proposal against the wishes of France. The Commission, the European Unions executive, said in a statement that 18 countries had backed its proposal to renew the chemicals license. Nine countries were against and one abstained, giving a positive opinion by the narrowest possible margin under rules requiring more than a simple majority. The extension was opposed by Germanys center-left Social Democrats (SPD), with which Merkel is expected to launch exploratory talks this week on renewing their grand coalition after plans for an alliance with two other parties failed. French President Emmanuel Macron, who was elected in May on a platform of pursuing deeper EU integration alongside Germany, had wanted a shorter extension and a rapid phasing out of glyphosate, which is a mainstay of farming across the continent. After the vote, he said he would take all necessary measures to ban the product, originally developed by Monsanto, as soon as an alternative is available and at the latest within three years. Monsanto declined to comment. Europe has been wrestling for the past two years over what to do with the chemical, a key ingredient in Monsantos top-selling Roundup, whose license was set to expire on Dec. 15. The chemical has been used by farmers for more than 40 years, but its safety was cast into doubt when a World Health Organization agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), concluded in 2015 it probably causes cancer. The European Union agreed to roll over the license for 18 months pending the results of a study by the European Chemicals Agency, which said in March this year that there was no evidence linking glyphosate to cancer in humans. Protestors wearing make-up and masks depicting a skull, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker demonstrate against a five-year extension of the license for weed-killer glyphosate that the European Commission will propose on Monday, in Brussels, Belgium, November 27, 2017. REUTERS/Yves HermanProtest groups, however, seized on the IARC report, questioned the science in other studies and complained about the influence of big business. The people who are supposed to protect us from dangerous pesticides have failed to do their jobs and betrayed the trust Europeans place in them, Greenpeace said after Mondays vote. In theory, the Commission could have pushed through a license extension, but it said it wanted governments to make the call on an issue that has become so politically charged. After a series of indecisive votes, they finally produced a clear majority in favor of the Commissions proposal. Protestors wearing masks depicting Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker demonstrate against a five-year extension of the license for weed-killer glyphosate that the European Commission will propose on Monday, in Brussels, Belgium, November 27, 2017. REUTERS/Yves HermanTodays vote shows that when we all want to, we are able to share and accept our collective responsibility in decision making, said health and food safety commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis. Farmers association Copa-Cogeca said it was glad a decision had been taken, but regretted the license renewal had not been for 15 years given strong scientific evidence from EU agencies. The key swing vote came from Germany, whose government is operating in an acting capacity following the indecisive election. Berlin abstained earlier, but threw its weight behind a decision opposed by France. Poland, Bulgaria and Romania, all did likewise, leaving only Portugal still on the fence on Monday. Had any of the others continued to abstain, deadlock would have gone on. An extension required 16 states representing 65 percent of the EU population to vote in favor. The 18 supporters account for 65.7 percent. The German vote exposed internal divisions in Berlin ahead of this weeks coalition talks. Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks, an SPD lawmaker, accused the chancellors center-right group of reneging on a deal to continue abstaining. French Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert told reporters that Paris would push to change farming practices that embraced alternatives to glyphosate, so that its use could be ended. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. New Delhi: India and Greece on Monday agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in a range of key areas including trade, maritime security and energy and inked a pact for launching the first direct flight service between the two countries. Greece also extended support to India's bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias held extensive talks covering the entire expanse of bilateral relations besides delving into major regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. In a statement, the external affairs ministry said the discussions between the two ministers focused on building closer cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, agriculture, maritime sector, culture and tourism. "The two ministers held discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties as well as important regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest," the ministry said. Later, speaking at a think tank, Kotzias said that Greece fully supports India's bid for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council as a "new balance of power" is emerging in the world. Observing that the world was passing through a difficult time, he said forces of fundamentalism and terrorism are trying to destabilise the world. After their talks, Swaraj and Kotzias inked an air services agreement and another pact on cooperation in the field of new and renewable energy. The air services agreement will allow Indian airlines to operate to Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion. Similarly, the Greek airlines will also be able to launch flight services to major Indian cities. At present, there is no direct air connectivity between India and the southeastern European nation. On talks between the two ministers, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the discussions covered all aspects of bilateral relations and that the two leaders reaffirmed commitment to further expand cooperation in mutually beneficial spheres. The volume of bilateral trade has gradually declined, primarily due to the economic recession faced by Greece. The country has been dependent on bailout packages to deal with its borrowing needs since 2011. The size of bilateral trade between India and Greece was $606.93 million in 2009-10 which fell to $445 million in 2015-16. Greece's exports to India include cotton, marble and granite, aluminium foils and calcium carbonate while main Indian exports are petroleum products, automobile components, electrical transformers, frozen shrimps and cashew nuts. Indian companies have established their presence in infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and steel sectors in Greece while the Greek companies are present in the fields of IT and construction in India. "The sectors such as agriculture, shipping and tourism also offer scope for cooperation," the ministry said. About 10,000 Indian nationals are living in Greece and most of them are employed in factories or in the construction sector. Kotzias is on a four-day visit to India which will conclude on Tuesday. Islamic fundamentalism and the fuelling of terror are alive and kicking in Pakistan, if the outpourings of public support in the wake of Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed's release from house arrest and the violent protests against a proposed new version of an oath to be taken by lawmakers that omitted mention of Prophet Muhammad are anything to go by. In the latter case, the changes in the oath were dropped forthwith by a chastened government but the agitation escalated to such an extent that Law Minister Zahid Hamid, who was seen to be the architect of the 'blasphemous' changes, was forced to quit. Tehreek-i-Labaik firebrand leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who is the agitation spearhead, is indeed in no mood to let up. He called for an immediate nationwide strike to agitate against the 'atrocities committed' by the police on Saturday, even as the agitation spread to Karachi, Lahore and Multan. To the new generation of Pakistani liberals who abhor the whole hypocritical emphasis on 'blasphemy', the fact that Facebook, YouTube, DailyMotion and Instagram were all down in parts of the country, as the government mulled blocking cell phone signals, was a signal for obscurantism which angered them. Just prior to this, Pakistani authorities had announced a ban on all live TV news coverage of the operation to remove the protesters. "All satellite TV channel licensees were directed to exhibit utmost sensitivity on the matter and refrain from live coverage of the ongoing operation at Faizabad, Islamabad," read a notice from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority. Hamid tried to cover up the decision to change the oath-taking text by ascribing the whole thing to a 'clerical error' but the ferocity of the demand for his ouster was unrelenting. At least six protesters were killed and 200 injured including dozens of police officers and paramilitary troops as stone-throwing crowds fought with police for control of a highway intersection. Supporters of Rizvi's political party, camping at the Faizabad Interchange, blocking the main road from the capital Islamabad to neighbouring Rawalpindi, clashed with thousands of Pakistani police officers in riot gear who were firing tear gas and rubber bullets, paralysing the Pakistani capital for weeks with a protest on the main highway. Interestingly, there was a perceptible reluctance on the part of the army to deal with the agitators, pointing to the fact that the forces did not want to be seen as being on the side of the government against the Islamists. This is an ominous sign indeed. It raises possibilities that if the agitation continues despite Hamid's resignation, the army's support to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) government cannot be taken for granted. As the standoff has escalated, protest leaders have stepped up their demands, and are now calling for the entire cabinet to resign. Behind-the-scene attempts are, however, being made to defuse the situation. On Saturday, a new dimension was added to the rally when Rizvi, addressing his supporters from atop a trailer, accused the authorities of working on behalf of the United States. "(Donald) Trump says change Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Are you acting on his orders?" he asked the police. There is a section in Pakistan, especially among the hardcore elements, that despises the Americans. Especially when passions are aroused against them, there are many takers for defying them. While the Americans have already expressed great displeasure over Saeed's release and the sham nature of his arrest and trial, United States' statements on scrapping the blasphemy law are likely to meet with fresh resistance. The law on blasphemy was the result of former president Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's attempts to ingratiate himself to the mullahs when he was losing ground with the people. It was Zia-ul-Haq as a former army chief who had built up a strong army-mullah bond. Finding Pakistan increasingly isolated in the world with a recognisable tag of a fundamentalist state, the Pakistan government thought it expedient to modify the oath of office as a move to look more liberal than it actually is. This is what led to the agitation that is threatening the existence of the Shahid Khaqan Abbasi government. There was no love lost between the Nawaz Sharif government and the army top brass in the latter's last days in power. The same is the case with Sharif's chosen successor and the forces. Pakistan is today widely looked upon as a failed state as much because it is the fountainhead of terror but also because of the power the fundamentalists wield in the country among large sections of people. As it is, over the years, the severely depleted Hindus and Christians have been reduced to second-class citizens. Successive governments in Pakistan trained and armed terrorists to fight the Indian Army in Kashmir. Today, the Pakistanis themselves are victims of unbridled terror because extremism has a tendency to escalate beyond proportions. By fanning the flames of fundamentalism over the years, have successive Pakistan governments been committing the blunder of raising another monster that would prove to be a huge liability for Pakistan? Only time will tell but that appears a strong possibility. Tegucigalpa: Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez declared himself the winner of elections before official results were announced and his top rival did the same. "The result is more than clear: we won this election," Hernandez told a crowd of supporters who cheered him in the capital Tegucigalpa. Shortly after his announcement, 64-year-old Salvador Nasralla of the leftist Alliance Against the Dictatorship coalition also proclaimed himself to be the winner. The Opposition denounces the Constitutional Court's decision to allow Hernandez to run for re-election, despite a constitutional one-term limit, a move that has also sparked fears of a crisis in the crime-wracked country. An estimated six million people were eligible to vote, electing not just a president but also members of Congress, mayors and members of the Central American parliament. Still "we have observed a quiet process; what we have seen so far has been positive," said Marisa Matias, a European parliament observer from Portugal, one of some 1,60,000 monitors. Hernandez's conservative National Party which controls the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government contends that a 2015 Supreme Court ruling allows his re-election. "Thanks to everyone for strengthening democracy," Hernandez said on Twitter. "We are leading and we are going to win decisively." The Opposition, though, has denounced his bid, saying the court does not have the power to overrule the 1982 constitution. Hernandez's main rivals former TV anchor Nasralla and Luis Zelaya, 50, of the right-leaning Liberal Party had both said before the vote that they would not recognize a Hernandez victory. "It's an atypical electoral process with an illegal re-election," said Zelaya after voting. Nasralla, while visiting voting stations around the capital to rally his supporters, urged them to be vigilant for signs of fraud. "They are out here offering poor people food, roof tiles or cement in exchange for their vote," he complained. "I tell them that that's how they are going to stay poor. I am going to create jobs for them." Hernandez, 49, cast his vote early in his hometown of Gracias, in mountainous western Honduras, accompanied by his daughter and several National Party deputies. "Four more years," supporters chanted as he arrived. Hernandez told reporters he had been up early, messaging with organizers to be sure the elections would take place smoothly. Honduras, in the heart of the "Northern Triangle" of Central America where gangs and poverty reign, has one of the highest murder rates in the world, though that metric has fallen during Hernandez's four years in office. What credit he claims from that progress is counterbalanced by tensions from a 2009 coup. That year, then-president Manuel Zelaya was deposed by the armed forces, with backing from the right and from powerful businessmen, for nudging closer to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Zelaya no relation to the Liberal Party candidate was notably accused of wanting to change the constitution to vie for a second term. Islamabad: The Islamist leader whose group clashed violently with Pakistani security forces and paralysed Islamabad for weeks called off the sit-in protest Monday after the law minister resigned, meeting its key demand. "On the assurance of the Chief of Army Staff, we are calling off the sit-in," Khadim Hussain Rizvi told a crowd of around 2,500 demonstrators from the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLY), who have occupied a main highway to the capital since 6 November. His statement came after state media reported that law minister Zahid Hamid had resigned. There was no immediate comment or confirmation from government officials. The decision to capitulate to the protesters' demands is a major embarrassment for the embattled ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as it eyes elections in 2018, analysts said, and underscores the influence of religious groups in the nuclear-armed nation. The previously obscure Islamist group has been calling for weeks for Hamid's ousting over a hastily-abandoned amendment to the oath which election candidates must swear. The protesters have linked the amended wording to blasphemy a highly contentious issue in Muslim Pakistan that has often fuelled violence. Monday's announcement came after a botched operation on Saturday to disperse the demonstrators sparked violence in Islamabad that left at least seven people dead and hundreds wounded. It fuelled the spread of the protests to major cities across the country including Karachi and Lahore. The government ordered police and paramilitaries to stand down after the clashes and called on the army to intervene to restore order. By Monday morning there still had been no official response from the military. The sit-in has enraged commuters in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi with hours-long traffic snarls, caused the death of at least one child whose ambulance could not reach hospital in time, and infuriated the judiciary. Hamid's ousting is the latest in a series of heavy blows to the ruling party. In July, Nawaz Sharif was deposed as prime minister by the courts over graft allegations, while finance minister Ishaq Dar also accused of corruption has taken indefinite medical leave. "Politically, this is a major embarrassment for the PML-N," analyst Hasan Askari told AFP, warning that it would undermine their credibility and predicting more defections. He also warned it had strengthened the position of hardline Islamic groups like TLY, whose campaigning in the upcoming elections could further weaken the PML-N. The party has previously benefited from the right-wing religious vote. Islamabad: Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid reportedly decided to resign following clashes between police and protesters triggered by a clearance operation, the media reported on Sunday. Hamid made the decision during his meeting with Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, said the Express news, adding that the law minister would tender his resignation to the prime minister on Monday. Many other news channels also quoted sources as reporting that the minister is likely to resign shortly. The Pakistani government last month passed a religion-related bill and triggered strong opposition from religious community. The government later retracted the bill, but some religious groups demanded the resignation of the law minister and staged the sit-in protest for almost three weeks. The protesters blocked the main road linking Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The government took a clearance operation on Saturday after rounds of negotiations with the protesters. However, the operation triggered more protests in major cities across the country. Local reports said that several were killed and over hundreds injured during Saturday's nationwide clashes. Islamabad: Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid has tendered his resignation following the deadly clashes across the country between police and protesters belonging to hardline religious groups, state broadcaster said on Monday. The protesters had staged sit-in in the capital for about three weeks demanding removal of Hamid for changes in a law related to the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (finality of prohpethood) oath in the Elections Act 2017. They alleged the action undermined Islamic beliefs and linked it to blasphemy. Hamid, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, presented his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to bring the country "out of a state of crisis", Radio Pakistan reported. The resignation came as part of an agreement reached between the government and the protesters overnight. The deal came after a two-day face-off in Islamabad and other parts of the country between protesters and security forces that saw at least six people killed and hundreds injured. ISMAILIA, Egypt (Reuters) - The mosque was packed with hundreds of worshippers for Friday prayers in Egypts North Sinai when gunmen in military-style uniforms and masks appeared in a doorway and at windows. Damaged vehicles are seen after a bomb exploded at Al Rawdah mosque in Bir Al-Abed, Egypt November 25, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Soliman The ease with which they mounted an attack - killing more than 300 people in the worst bloodshed of its kind in Egypts modern history - highlighted the threat militant groups pose in the most populous Arab country. After four years of battling Islamic State in the Sinai, where the group has killed hundreds of soldiers and police, authorities still face an enemy with growing ambitions in Egypt, despite its defeats in Iraq, Syria and Libya. Carrying the black flag of Islamic State, the assailants arrived in off-road vehicles before opening fire on the cream-coloured Al Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed, leaving its carpets stained with blood, officials and witnesses said. People scrambled to escape as gunmen opened fire at worshippers, including dozens of children. By the time the shooting stopped, many of the villages men were lifeless. No group has claimed responsibility. ATTACK RATTLES EGYPTIANS Egyptians were stunned because the attack was directed at a mosque - a rarity in the countrys history of Islamist insurgencies. The possibility that ultra-hardline Islamists are shifting tactics and picking new targets is worrying for Egypt, where governments have struggled to contain groups far less brazen than Islamic State. Egyptian leaders have adopted a zero-tolerance policy, with air strikes, raids on militant hideouts and long prison sentences. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has once again threatened to crush the militants. The armed forces and the police will avenge our martyrs and restore security and stability with the utmost force in the coming period, he said after Fridays carnage. Sisi has called for a comprehensive campaign to counter what he describes as the existential threat of radical jihadism, deploying moderate clerics to promote moderate Islam, for instance. He is expected to run for a second term early next year. Even with a convincing win, he will face pressure to deliver on promises of stability, especially if attacks like that on Al Rawdah persist. For Islamic State, the village was a target because of its ties to Sufism, a mystical form of Islam that hardline Islamist groups consider heretical. Some villagers recalled how these threats were made about a year ago in an Islamic State internet publication. In a December 2016 issue of al-Nabaa, one of the groups religious leaders left little doubt that Sufis would be targeted. It mentioned Al Rawdah directly. Our primary focus lies in the war against polytheism and apostasy, and of those, Sufism, sorcery and divination, he said. More threats were made in early 2017. SUFIS CONDEMNED FOR BELIEFS In March, Islamic States branch in the Sinai posted a video of its religious police forcing a group of Sufis to renounce their beliefs under threat of death. It showed what it said were militants beheading two elderly Sufi men in the desert after they were found guilty of witchcraft and sorcery. Egypt has about 15 million Sufis, and their shrines and saints appear in villages across the country. Ultra-conservative Salafists abhor Sufi practices and some have in the past threatened to smash their symbols with hammers and iron bars. Five police and army sources said there was no recent specific threat against Sufis in Al Rawdah. Fridays attack began in the early afternoon. The mosques imam said he had just stepped onto the podium for his sermon when gunfire erupted and worshippers struggled to escape. I found people piled on top of each other and they kept firing at anyone, imam Mohamed Abdel Fattah told Reuters from his hospital bed in Sharqiya city. They fired at anyone who breathed. Ramadan Salama, 26, said all he remembers before ending up in hospital was gunmen entering the mosque during the sermon and spraying worshippers with gunfire. As Egyptian security forces try to reassure an anxious public, they face yet another dangerous enemy. A new group with military training is already posing a more complex threat. In October it mounted a sophisticated attack, not far from Cairo. The little-known Ansar al-Islam claimed responsibility for the attack on police in the Western desert, far from northern Sinai. Security sources said dozens of police officers and conscripts were killed. The government said 16 police and conscripts died. Security sources said the heavy weapons and tactics employed indicated ties to Islamic State or more likely an al Qaeda brigade led by Hesham al-Ashmawy, a former Egyptian special forces officer turned jihadist. For now, security and intelligence officials will continue to hunt Ashmawy, described as the countrys most wanted man. Egypts prosecutors office, citing its investigation and interviews with wounded survivors, says gunmen carried an Islamic State flag as they stormed the Al Rawdah mosque. Authorities say 305 people, including 27 children, died as gunmen even attacked ambulances arriving on the scene. Another 128 were wounded. They entered the mosque from outside, almost 10 to 20 people with weapons, and they destroyed everything, said resident Magdy Rezk from hospital. It was a huge toll for a tiny village. Tribal leader Ibrahim el-Menaie, told Reuters via social media that it has a population of only 800. The whole village is black with mourning, said resident Haj Ahmed Swailam. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli parliament voted on Monday in favour of a draft law barring police from publicising its conclusions in criminal probes -- legislation seen as shielding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under investigation for corruption. FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem November 13, 2017. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File PhotoThe draft must still pass two more parliamentary votes. But if written into law, police would not be allowed to say whether they have found sufficient grounds to charge Netanyahu, keeping the Israeli public in the dark until the attorney-general determines whether the prime minister is to be prosecuted. The draft law also proposes a one-year jail term for officials who leak findings to the press. Its two sponsors, confidants of Netanyahu, said the law is meant to protect suspects rights and reputation, while the opposition derided it as a blatant attempt to protect Netanyahu and withhold knowledge from the public about his investigations. The public doesnt need to know everything. The public will find out at the end, Netanyahus coalition head, David Bitan told the Knesset television channel. Netanyahu has said he has no interest in promoting personal legislation but he has not ordered Bitan and his co-sponsor of the bill, David Amsalem, to withdraw the legislation. Netanyahu is a suspect in two cases, one into alleged meddling in the media industry and the other into gifts he received from rich businessmen. He denies any wrongdoing. But, if charged, he would come under heavy pressure to resign or could call an election to test whether he still had a mandate. FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem November 13, 2017. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File PhotoThis is a Netanyahu law, said Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition party Yesh Atid, which latest polls show as neck in neck with Netanyahus Likud. It is tailored for very few people. The only people to benefit from it are politicians, mafia heads and politicians who behave like mafia heads. All four prime ministers of the past two decades have been suspects in police investigations, but only Ehud Olmert was charged and convicted. He spent 16 months in jail for accepting bribes from real estate developers. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem November 19, 2017. REUTERS/Ronen ZvulunIn high-profile cases such as these, police usually say if they have gathered sufficient evidence against the suspects, before handing over to the Justice Ministry, where the Attorney-General and prosecutors decide whether to file charges. The attorney-general has expressed alarm about the proposed legislation. [L8N1NK5EK] The two investigations in which Netanyahu is a suspect are known as Case 1000 and Case 2000. Case 1000 revolves around gifts he received from businessmen, including cigars and champagne. Netanyahus lawyers say they were simply presents from long-time friends, with no quid pro quo. Case 2000 focuses on suspicions Netanyahu negotiated with the publisher of Israels best-selling newspaper for better coverage in return for curbs on the competition. The prime ministers lawyers say Netanyahu never seriously considered any such deal. Netanyahu has described himself as a victim of a political witch hunt and said of the cases against him: There will be nothing because there is nothing. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. FAIZABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - Islamist party activists on Sunday clashed with Pakistani security forces for a second day outside the capital, Islamabad, burning vehicles before withdrawing into an uneasy stand-off at a protest camp they have occupied for two weeks, police said. A passerby takes a selfie in front of a police prison van destroyed during clashes with police near the Faizabad junction in Islamabad, Pakistan November 26, 2017. REUTERS/Caren Firouz Despite orders from the civilian government to the army on Saturday night to help restore order, no troops were at the scene around the protest camp in Faizabad, on the outskirts of the capital, witnesses said. The militarys press department did not respond to queries about the governments order. According to media reports at least six people were killed on the previous day, when several thousand police and paramilitary forces tried to disperse the religious hardliners, who have blocked the main route into the capital demanding that the law minister be fired for committing blasphemy. At least 150 people were wounded in Saturdays clashes, hospitals reported, and police superintendent Amir Niazi said 80 members of the security forces were among those casualties. Reuters could not confirm that there had been any deaths. Throughout Sunday, baton-armed supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labaik party blocked several main highways, roads and arteries in major Pakistani cities, paralysing traffic and daily life. We have orders just to contain them, Islamabads Assistant City Police Commissioner Mohammad Ali said. Smoke billowed from the charred remains of a car and three motorcycles burned that morning near the Faizabad protest camp, where several thousand Tehreek-e-Labaik activists have gathered in defiance of the government. After the early morning clashes, the area settled into an uneasy stand-off. The paramilitary Rangers force - which had held back from Saturdays confrontation - was in charge of Sundays operations, officers said. We still dont have orders to launch an operation. We will act as the government orders us, said Rangers commander at the scene Colonel Bilal, who gave only one name. We have surrounded the protesters from all sides. We can move in when the government orders us. FAILED CRACKDOWN A policeman takes a picture of a car burned during clashes near the Faizabad junction in Islamabad, Pakistan November 26, 2017. REUTERS/Caren FirouzActivists from Tehreek-e-Labaik have blocked the main road into the capital for two weeks, accusing the law minister of blasphemy over a wording change in electoral law the party says weakens the Islamic tenet of Mohammad as Gods final prophet. We will not leave. We will fight until end, Tehreek-e-Labaik party spokesman Ejaz Ashrafi told Reuters on Saturday. Led by cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Labaik is one of two new ultra-religious political movements that became prominent in recent months. Labaik, which campaigns on defending Pakistans strict blasphemy laws, won a surprisingly strong 6 percent and 7.6 percent of the vote in two recent by-elections. While Islamist parties are unlikely to win a majority they could play a major role in elections that must be held by the summer of next year. Slideshow (3 Images)Tehreek-e-Laibak was born out of a protest movement lionizing Mumtaz Qadri, a bodyguard of the governor of Punjab province who gunned down his boss in 2011 over his call to reform strict blasphemy laws. Party leader Rizvi called Qadri, who was executed last year, a hero in a September interview with Reuters. By Sunday afternoon, private TV stations that had been ordered off the air the day before were broadcasting again. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube remained blocked in many areas. After Saturdays failed crackdown by police, the government called for military assistance for law and order duty according to the constitution. However, there has been no public statement from the military in response and no sign that any troops had left their barracks. On Saturday before the government order, Pakistans army chief called on the civilian government to end the protest while avoiding violence from both sides, the military press wing said. The ruling party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif - who was disqualified by the Supreme Court in July and is facing a corruption trial - has a fraught history with the military, which in 1999 launched a coup to oust Sharif from an earlier term. Minister of Interior Iqbal on Saturday said the protests were part of a conspiracy to weaken the government, which is now run by Sharifs allies under a new prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. There are attempts to create a chaos in (the) country, Iqbal said on state-run Pakistan TV. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Rome: Pope Francis set off on his 21st and possibly most delicate overseas trip yet, a six-day visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh against the backdrop of the unfolding Rohingya refugee crisis. The 80-year-old pontiff's plane left Rome en route for Yangon, Myanmar's main city, shortly after 9 pm GMT. He will touch down around 7 am GMT on Monday hoping to encourage efforts to contain a crisis that has seen many of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority in the mostly Buddhist Myanmar, forced from their homes and left languishing in squalid refugee camps over the border in Bangladesh. "I ask you to be with me in prayer so that, for these peoples, my presence is a sign of affinity and hope," Francis told 30,000 believers in St Peter's Square, shortly before packing his bags for the diplomatically fraught trip. Some 6,20,000 Rohingya, more than half their total number, have fled from Myanmar's Rakhine state to Bangladesh since August as a result of violence that the UN and the United States have described as ethnic cleansing. Aides say Francis will seek to encourage reconciliation, dialogue and further efforts to alleviate the crisis following last week's tentative agreement between the two countries to work towards a return of some of the Rohingya to Myanmar. Beirut: At least 53 civilians, including 21 children, perished early Sunday morning when Russian air strikes hit "residential buildings" in a village held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria, a monitor said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes hit the village of Al-Shafah in Deir Ezzor province, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. The Observatory relies on a network of sources inside Syria, and says it determines whose planes carry out raids according to type, location, flight patterns and munitions used. The monitor had initially given a death toll of 34 civilians but the number spiked after more bodies were recovered. "The toll increased after removing the debris in a long day of rescue operation," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP, adding the strikes hit "residential buildings". At least 18 people were also wounded in the air raids, he added. Russia is a close ally of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, and in September 2015 began a military intervention in support of his government that has gradually helped Damascus regain territory. Syria's Deir Ezzor is one of the last places Islamic State jihadists hold territory in the country, after being driven from their major strongholds including their one-time de facto Syrian capital Raqa city. The oil-rich eastern province that borders Iraq was once almost completely under Islamic State control, but the jihadists now hold just nine percent of Deir Ezzor, according to the Observatory. They have faced two separate offensives there, one led by the regime with Russian backing and the other by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters. More than 340,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests. Russia in driving seat The latest strikes come as the United Nations tries to revitalise its flagging efforts to end a six-year civil war that has left Syria devastated and huge swathes of its population refugees. On Tuesday, the eighth round of UN-brokered talks will kick off. They have achieved little so far, but may be bolstered by the opposition's decision to bring a unified delegation to Geneva for the first time. For progress to happen rival sides will need to overcome the hurdle that has derailed past discussions: the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He retains Moscow's support but is loathed by much of Syria's rebel opposition who want him gone. Backed by Russia's decisive military support, Assad's government has regained control of 55 percent of the country, including major cities Damascus, Aleppo, Homs and Hama, and around two-thirds of the population lives in regime-held areas. The rest is carved up between rebel factions, jihadists and Kurdish forces. Some experts believe that Russia has clearly put itself in the driver's seat in recent months, especially as US President Donald Trump's administration has pulled back from Syrian diplomatic front. Russia, fellow regime ally Iran and rebel-backer Turkey have hosted negotiations in the Kazakh capital Astana that led to the creation of four "de-escalation zones" which produced a drop in violence, though deadly air strikes and battles continue in some areas. And this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a "congress" of Syrian regime and opposition figures, a move backed by Ankara and Tehran. Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's crown prince vowed to "pursue terrorists until they are wiped from the face of the earth" as officials from 40 Muslim countries gathered on Sunday in the first meeting of an Islamic counter-terrorism alliance. "In past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries... with no coordination" among national authorities, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also Saudi defence minister, said in his keynote address to the gathering in Riyadh. "This ends today, with this alliance." The summit is the first meeting of defence ministers and other senior officials from the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, which officially counts 41 countries and identifies as a "pan-Islamic unified front" against violent extremism. The alliance was announced in 2015 under the auspices of Prince Mohammed, whose rapid ascent since his appointment as heir to the throne in June has shaken the political scene across the region. Sunday's meeting comes as several military coalitions, including key Saudi ally the United States, battle to push the Islamic State group from its last remaining bastions in Iraq and Syria. The alliance groups largely, although not exclusively, Sunni-majority or Sunni-ruled countries. It excludes Saudi Arabia's arch-rival, Shiite-dominated Iran, as well as Syria and Iraq, whose leaders have close ties to Tehran. Sunday's meeting coincides with an escalation in tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, particularly over wars in Syria and Yemen and the political structure of multi-confessional Lebanon. Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of supporting armed groups across the Middle East, including Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah and Yemen's Huthi rebels. "The pillar of this coalition is inclusion," said Saudi General Abdulelah al-Saleh, the alliance's acting secretary general, playing down the exclusion of the three countries. "Our common enemy is terrorism, not any religion, sect or race." The alliance meeting in Riyadh brings together Muslim or Muslim-majority nations including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Uganda, Somalia, Mauritania, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen and Turkey. 'Distorted image of Islam' Retired Pakistani general Raheel Sharif, who has been appointed commander-in-chief, also insisted that the coalition was not against any religion or state. The alliance aims to "mobilise and coordinate the use of resources, facilitate the exchange of information and help member countries build their own counter-terrorism capacity," Sharif said. While the alliance officially includes Qatar, which is the target of a six-month boycott led by Saudi Arabia, organisers in Riyadh said no Qatari officials were present at the meeting. Qatar's flag was also absent. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain abruptly cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in June, accusing the emirate of being too close to Iran and supporting Islamist extremism. Doha denies the allegations. Egypt, which sent a military official and not its defence minister to Sunday's meeting, is reeling from a Friday attack on a mosque that killed more than 300 people during prayer time. While the Islamic State has not claimed responsibility, Egyptian authorities say the organisation is the main suspect as the mosque is associated with followers of the mystical Sufi branch of Sunni Islam, whom Islamic State has branded heretics. Prince Mohammed said Friday's "painful event" was a reminder of the "danger of terrorism and extremism". "Beyond the killing of innocent people and the spread of hatred, terrorism and extremism distort the image of our religion," he said. Since his sudden appointment as crown prince, Prince Mohammed has moved to consolidate power, announcing crackdowns on both terrorism and corruption. A corruption purge saw around 200 members of the Saudi elite including princes, ministers and business tycoons arrested or sacked earlier this month. GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. Human Rights Council is expected to hold a special session on killings, rapes and other crimes committed against Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar that have driven more than 600,000 into Bangladesh since August, U.N. sources said on Monday. Nine-month pregnant Rohingya refugee Taslima,18, is helped after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border at a relief centre in the Teknaf area, Bangladesh, November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Susana VeraThere will be a special session on December 5, a senior United Nations source told Reuters. Council spokesman Rolando Gomez could not confirm the date but said: There are moves to convene a special session to address the human rights situation in the country. At least 16 of the 47 member states must request holding a special session of the Council, which are rare. Bangladesh and Muslim-majority countries were expected to back the call. Rohingya refugees push each other as they line up to receive food supplies at Hakim Para refugee settlement near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, November 21, 2017. REUTERS/Susana VeraIn March, the Council already set up a fact-finding team. The investigators reported after their first mission to Bangladesh last month that Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar had testified that a consistent, methodical pattern of killings, torture, rape and arson is taking place. The latest Rohingya exodus from Rakhine state to Bangladeshs southern tip began at the end of August, when Rohingya militants attacked security posts and the Myanmar army launched a counter-offensive. Slideshow (5 Images)U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad al-Hussein has described the armys crackdown in Rakhine state as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing. The military has denied the accusations of murder, rape, torture and forced displacement. Amnesty International and other activist groups, in an open letter sent last week to member states, said that a special session was imperative to launch decisive action and ensure international scrutiny and monitoring of the situation. Pope Francis arrived in Myanmar on Monday on a diplomatically delicate visit for the leader of the Roman Catholic church to the majority-Buddhist country. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations Syria mediator Staffan de Mistura said on Monday that the Syrian government had not yet confirmed that it would attend an eighth round of peace talks in Geneva this week, but indicated that we would be hearing from them soon. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura attends a news conference at the United Nations office in Geneva, Switzerland, September 6, 2017. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/FilesLast night we received a message that the government would not travel to Geneva today. Naturally we hope, and indeed expect the government will be on its way shortly, de Mistura told the U.N. Security Council on Monday. This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Though Microsoft Android Apps are available for Android phones, they were never available for Chromebooks which was a deal breaker for those who are into the Microsoft ecosystem. However, that changes today as the company has silently made available the office suite apps for all Chromebooks. The company didnt have a formal launch; rather it just launched them directly. Folks at Chrome Unboxed have tried the apps on a handful of Chromebook models Samsung Chromebook Pro, Pixelbook, Acer Chromebook 15, etc. and they seem to be working just fine. Though Chromebooks had support for documents in the form of Google Docs, for users who are well into the Microsoft ecosystem, it is a tough call for them to switch. With Microsoft Office apps now being available for Chromebook, it is a huge selling point for Google. It is obvious that the Android app doesnt match the functionality of a desktop, it does have all the basics and support syncing through Office 365. All the 10-inch Chromebooks can create and edit documents for free after logging in to a Microsoft account, but for anything larger, you will need an Office 365 subscription to edit documents. You can download the Microsoft Office apps; Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint directly from Play Store. Source Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu talking about the Apples manufacturing plant in India has said that the Government of India is happy to receive Apple and will support the company to set up a manufacturing unit in the country. He said that they are awaiting a formal proposal from the Cupertino-based company. Furthermore, he adds that the Central Government will be calling all state chief ministers who are willing to give Apple the best deal. Apple had requested certain concessions like duty exemptions, components, capital equipment and consumables for smartphone manufacturing and service/repair for a period of 15 years for setting up a manufacturing unit in the country. Government of India has sought investment and job creation details from Apple to expedite the proposed manufacturing facility in India. Apple is also seeking relaxation in the mandated 30% local sourcing of components, reduction in customs duties on completely-knocked-down and semi-knocked-down units of devices that are to be assembled in the country. Back in March, Nirmala Sitharaman, the then Commerce and Industry Minister had mentioned that Government of India has rejected most of the demands of Apple for settings up its plant in India. The company currently doesnt manufacture iPhones, iPads, rather it just gets its job done through contract manufacturers and sells the products through its own retail stores. Suresh Prabhu talking about the same said in a PTI interview: Let us get a good proposal from themWe will be very happy to receive Apple, one of the top brands in the world. We are willing to find out if there is any difficulty they may face. We will be more than happy to resolve that difficulty. So we will await a formal proposal. Source Olam Cocoa A leading originator of cocoa beans, a globally leading cocoa processor, and the worlds foremost focused supplier of cocoa beans and cocoa products (cocoa powder, cocoa butter and cocoa mass), Olam Cocoa is a fully integrated cocoa business. Cocoa beans are sourced from all major origins across Africa, Asia and South America, and Olam Cocoas portfolio of respected brands is spearheaded by deZaan, with its heritage of more than 100 years of excellence, as well as African origin brand Unicao, South American origin brand Joanes, the well-established Macao cocoa powders and Britannia confectionery and speciality fats brands, and the recently launched Huysman cocoa powder brand. Olam Cocoa has processing, refining and milling presence in the main cocoa producing countries, as well as in, or adjacent to, primary consumption markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Alongside a substantial operational infrastructure, Olam Cocoa recognises the clear responsibility to operate sustainably, Grow Responsibly and drive change by Re-imagining Agriculture. As one of the worlds leading suppliers of sustainable cocoa, Olam Cocoa is accelerating progress towards the goal of 100% traceable and sustainable cocoa volumes from its direct supply chain by 2020. The deZaan product range is organised around the three key elements of consistency, quality and functionality (flavour, colour and performance in application) and the three ingredient categories of cocoa powders, cocoa masses and cocoa butters. These are available in a wide range of technically specific formulations that cover the entire spectrum of application possibilities, from dairy and bakery to beverages, ice cream, cereals and high-end chocolates. D11BK is the ideal black cocoa powder for perfectly balanced recipes. This is the first ever nib alkalised black cocoa powder that provides superior sensory properties and colour impact without any added sodium. D11BK offers the option for a substantial sodium reduction in recipes and the ability to produce health conscious products that support permissible indulgence trends in categories ranging from biscuits and muffins, to cereals, desserts and ice creams. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's transparency body said on Sunday it would seek information from Uber about the consequences of a large data breach that the ride-hailing company disclosed on Tuesday. The National Institute of Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data said it would attempt to determine how many users, drivers and employees in Mexico had been affected, as well as the steps Uber would take to mitigate the damage and prevent such breaches from occurring in the future. On Tuesday, Uber said it paid hackers $100,000 to keep secret a massive breach last year that exposed personal data from around 57 million accounts. "We confirm that no type of historical information related to trips, credit card numbers, birth dates or social security numbers was exposed in the case," an Uber spokesman said in a statement. "We will continue to provide in a timely manner all the information that pertains to this case." The disclosure sparked concerns from regulators around the world. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday that it was "closely evaluating the serious issues" presented by the incident, and Britain's data protection authority said that concealment of the data breach raised "huge concerns" about Uber's data policies and ethics. (Reporting by Julia Love; Editing by Peter Cooney) Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Canadian oil transport company Enbridge Inc. announced an agreement Monday intended to boost the safety of twin oil pipelines beneath the waterway where Lakes Michigan and Huron converge. The deal does not call for the decommissioning of Line 5 as environmental groups have demanded, although it does include a procedure for temporarily halting the flow of oil through the 5-mile-long (8-kilometer-long) underwater segment when storms cause sustained periods of high waves. It also calls for a study to examine the possibility of digging a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac through which the existing pipelines or a new one could be routed. The two 20-inch (50-centimeter) lines have lain on the lakebed since 1953. It also calls for steps to allow faster detection of and quicker response to a potential spill. Business as usual by Enbridge is not acceptable and we are going to ensure the highest level of environmental safety standards are implemented to protect one of Michigans most valuable natural resources, Snyder said. Line 5 is a 645-mile (1,040-kilometer) line that runs from Superior, Wisconsin, through northern Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario. The company says the 5-mile (8-kilometer) underwater segment is safe, but environmental groups and some officials have raised concerns about recent disclosures of gaps in protective enamel coating. Crestwood Equity Partners (NYSE: CEQP) currently yields a dreamy 10.3%. While a yield in the double digits is typically a sign of trouble, that's not the case with Crestwood. If anything, the pipeline and processing company's payout and growth prospects have only grown stronger this year, thanks to its ability to complete several strategic initiatives. As a result, the company is a dream stock for income seekers since it offers an ultra-high yield that's becoming increasingly safe and probably heading higher. Drilling down into the numbers During the third quarter, Crestwood Equity Partners generated $50.3 million in distributable cash flow (DCF), which is money it could pay out to investors during the quarter. However, despite sporting an ultra-high yield, the company didn't come close to exhausting its available resources in paying its current distribution to investors, since it covered the payout with cash flow by a comfortable 1.2 times. The company subsequently had some money left over to help finance growth projects. Those results kept it on pace to generate between $210 million to $230 million in DCF for the full year, which should cover its lucrative distribution by 1.2 to 1.4 times. Not only can Crestwood easily cover its current payout, but its balance sheet is also on solid ground. The company ended the quarter with a 4.1 leverage ratio and expected that metric to be between 4.0 to 4.5 this year. That's in line with the levels of some of the top-tier MLPs: Meanwhile, Crestwood's financial situation is about to get even stronger because the company recently agreed to sell its non-core U.S. Salt business for $225 million in cash. Crestwood initially plans to use those proceeds to pay down its credit facility. However, that will free up money so the company can finance its current slate of growth projects through the end of next year without needing to issue any more equity. As a result, it expects the deal to bolster DCF per unit between 3% to 5% by 2019. Visible growth on the horizon However, those incremental earnings are just a sample of what Crestwood has in the pipeline, since it has several expansion projects under construction. The first of them to enter service was the Nautilus gas-gathering system in the Delaware Basin, which has already started gathering natural gas from Royal Dutch Shell's (NYSE: RDS-A)(NYSE: RDS-B) wells in the region. Shell signed a 20-year fixed-fee contract supporting that system, enabling Crestwood to collect steady cash flow for years to come. Furthermore, Shell's midstream arm, Shell Midstream Partners (NYSE: SHLX), recently bought a stake in that entity, which not only handed over a portion of the financial burden for the future expansion of that system but also provided Crestwood with some incremental cash to finance some of its other projects. One of those developments is the first phase of the Bear Den processing plant in the Bakken, which it expected to start up shortly after the third quarter ended. That facility will separate raw natural gas into higher-valued natural gas liquids for producers in the area, earning Crestwood a fee as it processes those volumes. Meanwhile, the company expects to bring the second phase of that project online by the end of next year, while finishing a similar plant in the Delaware Basin by the third quarter of 2018. Crestwood anticipates that these projects will provide it with $30 million in incremental cash flow next year, which should ramp up to $75 million in annualized cash flow by 2020. Those increasing earnings, when combined with less capital spending as it winds down its current expansion phase, gives the company the confidence that it will have the financial flexibility to start increasing its already lucrative payout in the second half of 2018. Given the sheer magnitude of the anticipated cash flow growth, it's possible Crestwood could boost its payout by a double-digit annual rate in the coming years while still maintaining a healthy balance sheet and coverage ratio. A windfall of income and upside could be just over the horizon Crestwood is a dream stock for income investors because it offers them an increasingly secure high-yield payout with highly visible growth prospects. That positions them to collect a boatload of income with the potential to capture significant capital gains not only as its earnings rise but also as the market revalues the company closer to its peer group average instead of its current absurdly low price. That income with upside makes Crestwood a stock that investors shouldn't just dream about but consider adding it to their portfolio. 10 stocks we like better than Crestwood Equity Partners LPWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Crestwood Equity Partners LP wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017 Matthew DiLallo owns shares of Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners and Magellan Midstream Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. As the launch date for the CME bitcoin futures contract approaches, the cryptocurrency continues to rally. On Monday, bitcoin zoomed past $9,770, setting another record high. The controversial investment has garnered a great deal of interest this year and while it has been called a fraud by JPMorgan & Chase (NYSE:JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon while Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said bitcoin will "implode" one day, bitcoin continues to set new records. At the beginning of 2017, bitcoin was trading below $1,000. Legendary investor Jim Rogers, when asked by FOX Business Stuart Varney if Bitcoin is in a bubble said, If you just showed me charts, and showed me what has happened in that market for the past year or two, and didnt tell me what it was, Id say, Stuart, this looks like every bubble Ive read about. He went on to say, I dont own any bitcoin, Ive never bought or sold so I am not a good one to ask, but it sure looks like a picture of a bubble. Not everyone has a negative take on bitcoin. Billionaire and PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel told FOX Business that while hes skeptical of most cryptocurrencies, bitcoin is very underestimated. Bitcoins rally gained impetus since the CME announced that it would launch a bitcoin futures contract. The futures contract is expected to launch sometime before the end of the year, pending regulatory review periods. FOX Business reached out to the CME for comment on the progress on the CME bitcoin futures contract, and they had not responded by the time this article went to publish. HP (NYSE: HPQ) Q4 2017 Earnings Conference CallNov. 21, 2017 5:30 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good afternoon, and welcome to the fourth-quarter 2017 HP Inc. earnings conference call. All participants will be in listen-only mode. Should you need assistance, please signal a conference specialist by pressing the * key followed by 0. After today's presentation, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. To ask a question you may press * then 1 on your telephone keypad. To withdraw your question, please press * then 2. Please note, this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Steve Fieler. Please go ahead. Steve Fieler -- Head of Treasury Good afternoon. I'm Steve Fieler, Head of Treasury for HP, and I'd like to welcome you to the Fiscal 2017 fourth-quarter earnings conference call with Dion Weisler, HP's President and Chief Executive Officer; and Cathie Lesjak, HP's Chief Financial Officer. Before handing the call over to Dion, let me remind you that this call is being webcast. A replay of the webcast will be made available shortly after the call for approximately one year. We posted the earnings release and the accompanying slide presentation on our Investor Relations webpage at www.hp.com. As always, elements of this presentation are forward-looking and are based on our best view of the world and our businesses as we see them today. For more detailed information, please see disclaimers in the earnings materials relating to forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. For a discussion of some of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, please refer to HP's SEC reports, including our most recent form 10-K. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update any such forward-looking statements.We also note that the financial information discussed on this call reflects estimates based on information available at this time and could differ materially from the amounts ultimately reported in HP's form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, and HP's other SEC filings. For financial information that has been expressed on a non-GAAP basis, we've included reconciliations to the comparable GAAP information. Please refer to the tables and slide presentation accompanying today's earnings release. And now I'll hand it over to Dion. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President Thank you, Steve. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. It was great to see so many of you at our recent Security Analyst Meeting here in Palo Alto. Our results today echo what you heard from us. HP is strong and getting stronger, and our message to all of you is, we're just getting started. As I look at our performance in the quarter and for the full fiscal year, I'm pleased with our consistent execution, ability to grow revenue, generate cash flow, and invest in our future to create sustainable growth over time. It's results like these that give us confidence in the trajectory of our business moving forward. It was just two years ago that we began our reinvention journey. We committed to compete and win in our core, enter new growth markets and natural adjacencies, and invest in our future where we can disrupt industries and create new categories. We are also committed to our relentless focus on productivity to take cost out of the business. We did what we said we'd do, and I'm proud of the substantial progress we have made. There is more work to do, but we've never been more competitive, more fixated on the customer, more innovative, and more focused on operational excellence than we are today. Let me review the highlights. We drove impressive top-line growth with net revenue up 11% year-over-year to $13.9 billion, including double-digit growth and share gains across the Americas, EMEA, and APJ. Both personal systems and printing grew year-over-year together for the third consecutive quarter. We grew non-GAAP-diluted net earnings per share year-over-year, delivering $0.44 for the quarter. We delivered $0.5 billion of free cash flow in the quarter, taking us to $3.3 billion for the full year. And we returned 69% of our FY '17 free cash flow to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. Now let me turn to segment performance. In Quarter 4, personal systems had another stellar quarter, driving growth, gaining profitable share, and delivering impressive innovations. This team is hitting their stride with truly outstanding performance. Personal systems net revenue grew 13% year-over-year, which came on top of last year's 4% growth in Quarter 4. For the full year, we grew 11% year-over-year with double-digit growth in each of the past four quarters. Growth in personal systems continued to be broad-based with double-digit year-over-year revenue gains in consumer and commercial, and across all three regions. We also saw consistent growth across product categories, led by notebooks, and strong performance in desktops and workstations. Our regional leaders and sales partners are doing an incredible job of driving growth and delivering value for our customers. In calendar Quarter 3, the overall PC market returned to year-over-year growth, both in units and revenue. We, once again, outperformed the PC unit market growth and increased our market share to 22.5%, up 1.2 points year-over-year. And we saw year-over-year share gains continuing in each region in both consumer and commercial. In Quarter 4, we continued to surprise and delight the market with innovation. We announced our biggest premium launch across consumer and commercial, introduced the world's most powerful and first detachable PC workstations, unleashed our most powerful OMEN X laptop for gaming athletes, and, as you heard from us at SAM, we're doubling down on security with the world's most secure and manageable commercial PCs. Security is built into our systems from the buyer's level on up, securing at, below, and above the operating system. As customer demand for services grows and the market transitions toward an on-demand-based economy, we are gaining steady traction with enhanced devices and service offerings for fleet management. We are seeing strong wins by our channel partners and a healthy pipeline for the future. Shifting to printing. This business continues to make significant progress with year-over-year growth in revenue, operating profit, and market share. In Quarter 4, total revenue was up 7% year-over-year, with growth across all three geographic regions. We delivered year-over-year revenue increases in consumer hardware, commercial hardware, and supplies. Quarter 4 supplies revenue grew again, demonstrating the huge progress we've made with this business during the year. Hardware units grew both year-over-year and sequentially, driven by consumer. This is our fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year unit growth. Total print unit market share was 40% in calendar Quarter 3, and we gained share in both our office and home businesses. The graphics business continues to grow, even without the positive uplift that we experienced last year from the industrywide Drupa event. And as highlighted at the Security Analyst Meeting, we signed the single largest deal in our graphics history with Lightning Source. It's a multimillion-dollar, multiyear deal to deploy 24 PageWide digital presses to five printing sites on three continents. Lightning Source prints roughly 40% of the books sold through Amazon, and this deal is going to help transform the distribution and sales model for book publishers all over the world. In A3, we continued to onboard new partners and gain market share both year-over-year and sequentially. And I'm excited that on November 1, we closed the acquisition of Samsung's printing business. This creates a combined team focused on innovation, acceleration, and print excellence. Together, we're building on more than 30 years of print leadership and innovation, and now we have an unmatched portfolio and amazing technologies that will enable us to drive growth over time. As our two teams become one, we will preserve the best: the best talent, the best culture, and the best technology to become better, stronger, and faster. We've gained critical IP and now have a broad portfolio of laser and ink offerings that better positions us to attack the overall $55 billion A3 growth opportunity. And that also strengthens our A4 business. Twenty-seventeen was a great year for 3D. We turned our 3D printing initiative into a business with global reach, repeat customer orders, an expanding partner and materials ecosystem, and revenue. This quarter, we continue to grow our business with new customers such as Medtronic, one of the largest medical device and service companies in the world. As previously highlighted, we added more than 20 new partners, including Henkel, our first worldwide reseller, and announced partnerships with Deloitte and Siemens to digitally transform manufacturing. Looking to 2018, we plan to introduce a new lower-cost full-color system, allowing us to expand into new markets. We believe that Multi Jet Fusion will be the only 3D printing technology in the industry that can make mechanically robust, fully functional color parts. Not only are we leaders in polymers, but we are going to disrupt 3D printing with metals. Stay tuned for more news about this in the coming year. Overall, we've done what we said we would do: we're growing the business top line and bottom line, and generating strong cash flow. We're delivering returns for our shareholders and investing in the future to create long-term value. I'm very pleased with our Q4 and FY '17 results, but we always have more work to do for our customers, partners, employees, and investors. Our markets remain highly competitive and our year-over-year compares are now much tougher, but we're ready for it. I'm optimistic about our future and excited that we're just getting started. I'll now turn the call over to Cathie to provide more details on our performance and our financial outlook. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Dion. I'm very pleased that we have sustained the momentum achieved during our first three quarters of FY '17 and drove strong Q4 results. We delivered net revenue of $13.9 billion, up 11% year-over-year as reported, or 12% in constant currency. Our performance remained consistent across businesses and geographies. Regionally, year-over-year, Americas grew 10%, EMEA was up 11%, and APJ grew 16%, all in constant currency. Gross margin of 18.1% was down 20 basis points year-over-year, driven by segment mix, with the higher commodity costs in personal systems partially being offset by the improved rate in printing. Gross margins were down 50 basis points sequentially, driven by continued strength of personal systems revenue combined with lower supplies mix and higher unit growth in printing. Non-GAAP operating expenses of $1.5 billion were up 6% year-over-year and sequentially, driven by SG&A investments to support growth. Net OI&E expense was $65 million for the quarter with a non-GAAP tax rate of 21.5% and a diluted share count of approximately 1.7 billion shares. We delivered non-GAAP-diluted net earnings per share of $0.44. Non-GAAP-diluted net earnings per share primarily excludes restructuring and other charges of $113 million and acquisition-related charges of $49 million, partially offset by non-operating retirement-related credits of $34 million, tax indemnification credits of $23 million, and the related tax impact on these charges. In Q4, GAAP-diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations was $0.39. Turning to the segments. Personal systems net revenue was $9.1 billion, up 13% year-over-year as reported, or 14% in constant currency. We've been delivering strong top-line performance and are now beginning to lap tougher compares. At customer segment, consumer revenue was up 18% and commercial revenue was up 11% year-over-year. We again achieved strong results by product category with notebooks up 16%, desktops up 10% and workstations up 8% year-over-year. This consistent performance is a result of our innovative product portfolio and effective execution. We delivered 3.8% operating margin in the quarter, which is up 10 basis points sequentially and down 50 basis points year-over-year. As we've highlighted throughout this fiscal year, margins have been pressured by industrywide increases in component costs. We've increased prices globally, continued to leverage our supply chain scale and balance sheet, and have driven positive mix shift in the business, enabling us to offset much of the commodity cost increases. Turning to printing. Revenue was $4.9 billion in the quarter, up 7% year-over-year. Total hardware units were up 3% year-over-year, with consumer units up 3% and commercial units flat. In calendar Q3, overall print unit share was up about a point year-over-year, with share gains in both our home and office businesses. Now moving to Q4 supplies performance. Revenue of $3.1 billion was up 10% year-over-year or up 3% after adjusting for currency and last year's negative impact resulting from the supplies' sales model change. We continue to operate below our channel inventory ceiling. We are also making good progress with our growth initiative. We're still in the early days of A3 and adding Samsung's printing team and technology should be a further accelerator to the business over time. As Dion highlighted, the graphics business continued to grow, and we look forward to entering into textile later this year. It was also a very strong quarter for managed print services with high double-digit new TCV growth. Managed print services results can be heavily impacted by large deals signed in the quarter, and this was the case for us in Q4, which was driven by key wins. Print operating profit was 16.6% in the quarter, up 2.6 points year-over-year. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to the lower margins in Q4 '16 resulting from the supplies sales model change. Excluding this one-time adjustment, we still saw good operating profit dollar expansion year-over-year. Sequentially, print operating margins were down 70 basis points, driven by materially higher than normal unit shipments, especially in consumer. The overall supplies revenue mix for the quarter was 64% versus 66% in Q3. Now turning to cash flow and capital allocation. Cash flow from operations was $680 million in Q4 and approximately $3.7 billion for the full year. Free cash flow was $515 million in the quarter and approximately $3.3 billion in Fiscal '17. Cash conversion cycle was minus 30 days, which weakened five days sequentially, driven by a three-day decrease in days payable outstanding and a two-day increase in days of inventory. Our cash conversion cycle and free cash flow results were better than expected for the quarter, driven by continued strength in personal systems revenue. During Q4, we had a total capital return of $722 million through share repurchases and cash dividends. For the full year, we returned $2.3 billion or 69% of free cash flow, which is toward the higher end of our target range of 50% to 75%, even after overachieving our full year free cash flow guidance provided at our 2016 SAM. Looking forward, keep the following in mind related to our financial outlook. Starting with Samsung's Printing business, we are updating our full year FY '18 outlook to include the operational impact of the acquisition. This includes: approximately $1.4 billion incremental revenue, primarily A4, which has been in decline, particularly in the low end; an additional penny of non-GAAP EPS for the full year; and as a reminder, we expect to be in investment mode in the first half of the year. Looking ahead, we expect to record various business combination accounting adjustments, which are not yet reflected in our outlook since the acquisition just closed. These are noncash and GAAP-only costs, and include adjustments to the fair value of certain acquired assets such as purchased intangibles and inventory. In addition, we will continue to look at opportunities to take cost out of the business now that the deal has closed. For the rest of printing, we expect supplies revenue to be flat to slightly up for the full year. This is organic growth and excludes any impact from the acquisition of Samsung's printing business. In addition, we expect to continue placing units with a positive NPV. In personal systems, we now expect the cost of components will continue to increase from Q4 into Q1 and will remain elevated throughout FY '18. We anticipate that ASPs may be pressured due to competitive repricing, effectively offsetting a sizable portion of any gross currency tailwind. But this will depend on the actual market dynamics, including component costs, competition, and currency rates. Overall, we would expect more of the FX favorability to show up during the second half of the year as prior hedges roll off. For the full year, we expect to deliver our productivity initiatives as guided at SAM. We'll also continue to leverage our balance sheet if we see attractive economic opportunities to do so. With all that in mind, we expect free cash flow to be at least $3 billion for the full year and our cash conversion cycle to be approximately minus 29 days as we exit FY '18. Q1 '18 non-GAAP-diluted net earnings per share is in the range of $0.40 to $0.43. Q1 '18 GAAP-diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations is in the range of $0.38 to $0.42. With the penny increase in EPS from our acquisition of Samsung's printing business, we are raising our full-year Fiscal '18 non-GAA- diluted net earnings per share by a penny, to be in the range of $1.75 to $1.85, and our full-year Fiscal '18 GAAP-diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations to be in the range of $1.70 to $1.80. With that, let's go eat some turkey. Or we can open up the call for questions. Questions and Answers: Operator We will now begin the question and answer session. To ask a question, you may press * then 1 on your touchtone phone. If you are using a speakerphone please pick up your handset before pressing the keys. Please limit your questions to one and a single follow-up. To withdraw your question, please press * then 2. The first question comes from Jim Suva with Citi. Please go ahead. Jim Suva -- Citigroup -- Analyst Thank you and congratulations to you and your team, as well as a happy early Thanksgiving. I have two questions; I'll ask them at the same time. Perhaps the first one is to Dion or Cathie and the second one more toward Cathie. Regarding, Dion, the sales upside looks like across basically almost every line and every end market, which is great. But the drop through the EPS at the bottom, I guess, some investors could have wanted or hoped for more. Are you spending a little more for like investing in the business, in the channel, in products and R&D? And if so, what specific areas as to where you're investing or not seeing the drop-through? And a follow-up is on the Samsung acquisition, a penny of earnings, I assume that was first half of the year more of a headwind as you integrate and the accretion comes in at the tail end, and then longer term, it should be much more than a penny of annual EPS. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer So Jim, let me start with the first one in terms of your comment around the drop. I think the way we think about this is if you go back to kind of the Q3 earnings call, we provided an EPS range and we ended up at the higher end of that range. So we anticipated kind of where we thought we would end up. Now we did see a little bit of upside from a personal systems perspective and that drove a lot of the top line. And there just isn't as much drop in personal systems, especially when you combine that with commodity cost headwinds that we've seen in that business. And then on top of that, in print, what we were really focused on this quarter was not only keeping supplies stabilized, which we did -- very pleased with the results there -- but we also took advantage of a little bit bigger market and also the opportunity to place materially more printer units than what we would normally see on a sequential basis. And so that obviously puts some downward pressure on operating profit and EPS as well. Operator The next question comes from Katy Huberty with Morgan Stanley. Please go ahead. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer Actually, can you -- operator, can you hold on just one sec? I think there was another question, specifically related to Samsung, Jim, if I remember correctly. And basically, we've just -- we've obviously just closed the acquisition at the beginning of November, and for FY '18, we do expect to see about a penny of accretion. But it is more back end-loaded. So well, for the whole year, it will be about penny, but we do expect to be in investment mode in the first half of '18. And then over time, the pressure that we see on the math around the OP rate as a result of the acquisition of the Samsung printing business, we do expect that as we integrate that business and take advantage of the disruption, the disruptive technology they have in the A3 copier space, that in fact the margins will recover. OK, Operator, next question. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President Go ahead, Katy. Operator Next question comes from Katy Huberty with Morgan Stanley. Please go ahead. Katy Huberty -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Thank you. A couple of follow-ups on the printer business. If I heard you right, organically, printer supplies grew 3% in the quarter. You're guiding for flat to slightly up next year. So can you talk about the elements in the Four Box Model that suggest a little bit of a deceleration as you go into next year? And then just a follow up on printer margins, they came in below the 17%-ish that you were at the last few quarters. Can you just walk through some of those factors? And as you bake in some of the new categories you're entering, as well as Samsung, where do you think the near- to medium-term range for printer margins will be? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer Let me start with the supplies question. Katy, thanks for that question. We have really proven to ourselves and hopefully to you that you should have confidence in our Four Box Model. We saw that we had performed at least as well as we had expected and in some cases a bit better than what we had expected both for the full-year '17, quarter by quarter, as well as in Q4. And, based on that, we grew supplies obviously in Q3 and Q4 operationally, and we've plugged that into the model and what we see coming out of the model is supplies for FY '18 would be flat to slightly up. But keep in mind, we are always working on ways to optimize kind of each of the boxes with a variety of strategies and tactics, and we'll continue to do that and try to drive even better supplies performance. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President The second question was around print margins over time. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer And in terms of print margins over time, what we talked about at the Security Analyst Meeting, this was without Samsung, was that over the long term we would expect that the print margins would be in the 16% to 18% range. In the shorter term with Samsung, there will be pressure on the rate. I mean, think about it, we've brought Samsung in at about $1.4 billion in revenue for FY '18 and about a penny of net profit to the company. And in the near -- the very short term, so the next half, we expected to be an investment mode, so there will be incremental pressure. But we do think over time that those margins get back to the 16% to 18% range. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President And Katy, just to reiterate a point that Cathie made to Jim's question. The rate was slightly down this quarter, but we did place sequentially many more units than we ordinarily would, and, of course, that being the razor-razorblade business model, generates returns over time. It's positive NPV units and a good deal for our investors. Operator Next question comes from Steve Milunovich with UBS. Please go ahead. Steve Milunovich -- UBS -- Analyst Thank you. Following up on that, you did put more units out there, but the growth at least was higher in consumer than in commercial. And generally, the commercial units, I would think, would have a greater attach rate. So I guess, what's your confidence that those are, in fact, going to be NPV positive if it skewed a bit more toward consumer? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer So Steve, we have a lot of confidence. Our consumer portfolio, particularly in the ink jet space, those printers phone home regularly and they let us know where and what types of printers are getting the really strong attach rates. You're absolutely right. Most of the incremental units were in the consumer space, because that's where we saw both a little bit better market sizing and then also an opportunity to place positive NPV units. Steve Milunovich -- UBS -- Analyst OK. And then should we look for a little bit of growth for the printer business next year? It sounds like graphics probably grows; supplies, flat to up. I don't know what hardware does, but you put it all together, I assume it's a little bit of growth. And we're sitting here a year from now, what are your priorities? What are you hoping to achieve? And how do we -- this last year was all about stabilizing supplies. What are we looking for to accomplish in the next 12 months? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer I think, Enrique said it best at the Security Analyst Meeting. We're really focused on accelerating growth. We don't guide revenue. But if you do the math as you've done the math, you can imagine. I mean, if supplies is 60-plus -- 65-plus percent of the revenue and it's flat to slightly up, and we've got growth initiatives across the A3 copier space where we think there's real opportunities, we've got the 3D printing opportunity to grow. We just -- we think that we're actually, as Dion has said, just getting started in that space. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President I think it's always important to remember, Steve, we're executing across to -- across our entire strategy, which is across three pillars. We've got our core business. It generates the vast majority of our revenue and operating profit today. The growth initiatives around A3; our graphics business; Everything as a Service, which will obviously provide growth opportunities for us over the next two to three years; and then further out into the future over the next five to 10 years, the work we're doing around immersive computing and 3D printing really creates an opportunity for long-term growth for our shareholders. Operator The next question comes from Sherri Scribner with Deutsche Bank. Please go ahead. Sherri Scribner -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst Hi, thank you. I want to ask a question on the printer -- the PC business as we move forward into Fiscal '18. I think, Cathie, you mentioned the compare is much more difficult in Fiscal '18. I think the bearish view is that the PC business will have a hard time growing next year. Are you guys anticipating being able to grow the PC business? And what will help drive that growth? Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President Well, let me start sort of long term and Cathie may want to weigh in a little more than that. I'd still remind everybody this is still a $333 billion market, about one in five machines is -- got an HP logo on it. It means four out of five don't, that represents opportunity for us. I've said consistently that the market is consolidating. The top four grew 3.5%. We grew to 2.5-point premium to that. So certainly, the big are getting better and we're growing much faster than the big four. And that's really off the back of strong innovation. It's the best lineup I think we've ever had. We're getting incredibly positive reviews consistently. It's continuous transformation of the business to more profitable subcategories, finding where the heat is into the market and where we can get value for the innovation that we're creating. And in Quarter 4, that paid off yet again. We saw top-line, strong top-line growth, sequential growth in operating profit. We saw year-over-year share gains. But those share gains, I will remind everyone, are not an objective but rather an outcome of all this work. There is no single magic pill that was all categories, all regions. The channel inventory was well under control. The aged inventory was well-managed. I think really strong kudos to the team, both regionally within the business units, the supply chains and the functions. I think we're in a very good position to compete as we go forward in this market. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer And I think, Ron laid out at the Security Analyst Meeting the fact that the core traditional PC market from a unit and revenue perspective would be down in '18 over '17. But as you've seen, and as Dion talked about, we're playing our game and we know how to compete and win. We've got, we make sure that we've got a great cost structure, that we do hyper segmentation, and that we reinvest back into innovation so that we can outgrow the market. The compares are tougher. No question about that. I mean, last year, we grew 10% in Q1 year-over-year, 10% in Q2, 12% in Q3, and now 13% in Q4. So there are tough compares, but we know how to operate in this environment and to outgrow our competition. Sherri Scribner -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst OK, perfect. And then just a question on Samsung. I think you mentioned $1.9 billion in revenue to add. Can you give us some sense of how that breaks up between the supplies and units, hardware units? And then also on the margins, just to clarify, would you expect to be below the 16% to 18% operating margin in the first half of the year because of the dilution from the acquisition? Or do you think you can still be in that 16% to 18% range? Thanks Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President Why don't I sort of start, because I know we've got some new investors that have come into the stock, and I think it's important to reiterate and recall why this transaction was important to us, given that we've disclosed the transaction, and then Cathie can talk specifically to those numbers. First of all, we welcome the Samsung print team to our family, and for our new investors, we bought this business for three primary reasons: Firstly, the A3 market is a $55 billion market. We're underpenetrated in that market relative to the A4 market, where we have very strong market leadership. The traditional A3 players operate very complex machines. If you were to break those machines down, they would, you would see thousands of parts on the ground. The Samsung technology really disrupts those traditional copiers with copy-level performance but significantly less complex machine. The thousands of parts when you werer to break a Samsung down would be hundreds of parts. And this lowers the cost to operate, and that translates to increased margins for our partners and/or lower cost per page for our customers. So we have an extremely strong portfolio when you put our technology together with the Samsung technology, now HP technology, in both the A4 and A3 spaces in ink, in PageWide, and in laser. The second reason is that we integrated the A3 and the A4 portfolio, which really increases our managed print services capability. There are certain customers and tenders that would come out that had a requirement for a mixed deployment of both A3 and A4 and we were often excluded from those A4 deals. Now having a very full portfolio actually opens up A4, new A4 opportunities for us. And the third is we now have an incredible team. We inherited more than 1,000 top-class engineers, industry-leading R&D team in laser space, increased go-to-market capability, more than 6,500 patents being added to our core. And I think this newly combined team is increasingly diverse and industry-leading. And so with that, we have a lot of confidence in our ability to attract at least 12 points -- or 12% of A3 market share in the next three years. And then with respect to Samsung's business, some of the things to keep in mind is that the revenue that I talked about for FY '18 is $1.4 billion. And the business that Samsung has is mostly A4 laser. And within that historically has been largely low-end laser, which means their supplies mix as a percentage of the total print business is materially lower than our current business. And our job is to obviously improve that. But they are, they do run quite a bit lower in terms of percentage of revenue. In terms of the margins, I'll leave it up to you to actually do the math on whether or not you think they drop below '16%. We know that in the very short term, there's pressure from the Samsung business, but over the long term, we will get back to good strong margins. Operator The next question comes from Toni Sacconaghi with Bernstein. Please go ahead. Toni Sacconaghi -- Sanford Bernstein -- Analyst Yes. Thank you. I just wanted to follow up on Samsung. So I think when he bought the business, he said it was a $1.8 billion business and supplies were about $1 billion. You're guiding for $1.4 billion for next year. Maybe you can tell us what the trailing 12 months was? And given that the supplies shouldn't roll off all that quickly, that feels like a really dramatic decline in hardware, and maybe you can speak to that. And I have a follow-up, please. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer So Toni, in terms of the $1.8 billion, that was the 2015 revenue for the Samsung printing business. But we've never talked about what the percentage was of that that was supplies. And they run materially lower on supplies as a percentage of the revenue mix than HP does. So I can't really talk to that. But what is pretty typical is that when you have a long period between announce and close, there's a lot of uncertainty and customers make choices, right? And so we're not surprised by the fact that Samsung printing has lost market share and declined their revenues. And keep in mind again, this is mostly in the A4, low-end A4 laser space, and that's really not the reason why we bought the Samsung printing business. We really bought it to disrupt the A3 copier space. Toni Sacconaghi -- Sanford Bernstein -- Analyst OK. It just, if we're ever going to really know what your organic supplies growth rate is next year, we really need to know how much is coming from Samsung. So if you're not going to give it out now, are you going to be giving it out in the future? And then my follow-up or separate question is just on PC ASPs. They were up about 8% year-over-year, which I think is a reflection of DRAM and some of the high-end targeting that guys have done. I guess, the question would be, why wouldn't we expect pretty rich ASP declines again in Fiscal '18, particularly in the first half? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer In terms of Samsung, one of the challenges we are absolutely going to have on a go-forward basis with Samsung is that if we do our job right and we fully merge and integrate the HP print business with the Samsung printing business, we're going to be doing things like optimizing the portfolio and completely integrating go-to-market and R&D. So it will become increasingly difficult for us to break out what was, what is the Samsung business, Samsung's printing business, versus the HP printing business, so that will be a challenge on a go-forward basis. I can -- we can discuss and decide whether or not we're going to talk about supplies, tell you what the supplies percentage is of the $1.4 billion, but on a go-forward basis, it's going to be very difficult. We will do the best we can so that we can give you a good view of whether or not we are flat to slightly up on supplies. And we expect that we will be without Samsung. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President The other thing to remember, Toni, on Samsung is that still the largest portion of the composition of the revenue today is A4. You'll recall that we acquired these assets for the A3 capability, which was still largely in an investment mode. And so as we move more and more into the A3 market and we shift the business from transactional to contractual, that generally comes with a higher supplies attach. And so the competition of supplies over time is indeed going to change. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer And then in terms of your question on ASPs, Toni, can I just ask a clarifying question? You talked about the ASPs being up year-over-year as a result of kind of the pressures from commodity cost and the repricing actions that we took. And I agree that is a big piece of it, as is the mix shift to higher-end products, things like premium gaming and workstations. But then you said, why wouldn't we expect a decrease, did you say, in -- a material decrease in ASPs in '18? Is that what you asked? Toni Sacconaghi -- Sanford Bernstein -- Analyst No, I'm sorry. Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was saying why would you not expect a similar level of ASP increases, particularly in the first half of the year and a substantial increase still year-over-year? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer So on a year-over-year basis, we do expect that there will be an increase in ASPs related to commodity costs. But what we've been talking about in terms of the counter-pressure is that the currency environment has gotten -- the currencies have gotten much stronger, and therefore there's kind of the counterbalance to that is what are the pressures going to be, the competitive pressures to actually decrease local currency prices in the foreign markets? And that's where we think there could be some significant downward pressure in ASPs for personal systems. Operator The next question comes from Shannon Cross with Cross Research. Please go ahead. Shannon Cross -- Cross Research -- Analyst Thank you. I have one follow-up on Samsung and then another. So with regard to Samsung, curious sort of operationally how you are thinking about the integration? And I'm trying to figure out within the one penny of accretion, how much synergy is in there or how much visibility you've had prior to the closing of the deal three weeks ago? And then I have a follow-up. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President Of course, we were competitors up until about sort of 20 days ago, and so you can imagine this is somewhat of a tricky acquisition in terms of exactly how much information that we had leading into the closure. I would say it's still very early days. The integration is going incredibly well. The teams are incredibly focused on our customers, doing all the right things. But we're learning every day as we get under the covers of this business. We would expect that as our team looks at best industry practice that's got us to the position where we are today that there will indeed be opportunities to capture those synergies. But I would just say it's a little too early, not more than 20 days into the acquisition to give you a lot of specifics around that. Shannon Cross -- Cross Research -- Analyst OK. And then sort of to some extent, utilizing those synergies or maybe incremental synergies. You have 3D printing, you have A3, I guess, gaming on the PC side and some other investments that you're making. How are you gauging the level of investment per initiative? Or how are you thinking about the return on what you're doing? And then on the other side, I would assume continuing to reduce costs and simplify the business within sort of the core that maybe isn't growing as much as some of your growth opportunities. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President Well, I think, you've actually summarized it really well. We focus incredibly on costs. It's table stakes. You have to be in the right cost position. If you're not in the right cost position, you're not, you don't have the opportunity to make the investments. As it relates to investments, we feel good about the investment choices ahead of us. We believe we can create significant shareholder value, as we outlined at the Security Analyst Meeting. We have confidence in our ability to execute and hope that we've dropped $1 or $2 in the trust bank over the course of the last couple of years to demonstrate that we can execute. I would say that our investment thesis and process that we follow is that we identify investment opportunities across the business. We weigh them all against one another. We're very targeted to ensure that the investments that we do make advance our strategies so that we don't surprise anyone with the investments that we're making. We're very disciplined about establishing and hitting the milestones that we've laid out. And ultimately, generating profitable growth is what it's all about. Growth, just for growth's sake, is not particularly fascinating. I think segment by segment, we're demonstrating that those investments are good choices in personal systems, broadly in premium, and specifically in gaming are great examples of investments that we made that are paying dividends right now. Same is true for graphics and the very targeted unit placements that Cathie talked about, NPV positive units in print. 3D printing has gone from a business that was nonexistent a year ago to a real business today, 65 channel partners around the globe in every single region, an ecosystem that we've developed, partners in Deloitte and Siemens, more than 50 materials partners that are starting to look at making materials for the platform, plus the technology announcements that we made at the Security Analyst Meeting around a lower-cost color platform and the technology announcement we make around metals in '18. So we're feeling good about our ability to execute in the core, in the growth areas that we outlined, as well as the future. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer And Shannon, just to remind you, this is all very returns-based analysis. We step back and we look at what the investment is that's necessary and then what kind of the opportunity is in terms of cash flows on a go-forward basis to determine whether or not it will add value to the firm and then also to stack rank and determine which ones we're actually going to invest in. Operator The next question is from Wamsi Mohan with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Please go ahead. Wamsi Mohan -- Bank of America / Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Yes. Thank you. I have a Samsung question then a follow-up. So Cathie, I think you said that the mix of hardware relative to supplies is intrinsically quite different in the Samsung business relative to the core HP business. Now the shrinkage in revenue from the time you announced the $1.8 billion to $1.4 billion, I would think that's more or less hardware-related. Is that a right assumption to make? And so the percentage mix that you're alluding to, is that something that, that holds true both at the $1.8 billion and $1.4 billion level? And I have a follow-up. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer So Wamsi, yes. The mix of the $1.4 billion in revenue for supplies is materially lower than the current HP business. Wamsi Mohan -- Bank of America / Merrill Lynch -- Analyst But would you say, Cathie, that the decline from $1.8 million to $1.4 billion was largely hardware-related? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer I think it was led by hardware, but it had obviously ramifications for supplies as well. Wamsi Mohan -- Bank of America / Merrill Lynch -- Analyst OK. And if I could follow up, on the PC gaming market, maybe Dion, you could share some sense of how much share you're gaining in this market, how big of a growth driver it was. In Fiscal '17 out of your total growth, maybe if you could give us how many points of growth was driven by PC gaming, that'd be great. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President We don't break it down at a segment level, and I think there are better sources of data to look at how much share we've taken in that particular space and I wouldn't want to make our analysts redundant. I would just say that this has been a material business for us that's grown up over the last 18 months from nothing to a sizable portion not only in terms of revenue, but the gross margins that are there, as well as the halo effect that it has on the overall brand, which I think is lifting our premium segment as well as every other segment that we have within the PC business. This is an incredible franchise. It's a growing franchise. The area is growing. There's more people that are tuning in to these battlegrounds than Game 7 of the NBA. So we like being in this business and we see the growth continuing. Operator The last question comes from Amit Daryanani with RBC Capital Markets. Please go ahead Amit Daryanani -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst Perfect. I guess, I'll need to start with the Samsung question as well. I guess, Cathie, it sounds like the deal is dilutive near term, your Jan. quarter EPS guide that you guys gave us essentially bracking The Street numbers. I guess, could you quantify what the EPS dilution is in the Jan. quarter from Samsung? And what's the timeline to get this asset back to the 16%, 18% margin range that you guys have talked about core IPG historically? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer So Amit, we're not going to break down Samsung in that level of detail quarter-by-quarter. I think, and suffice it to say, that with our guide for Q1 '18, $0.40 to $0.43 for non-GAAP EPS, we are covering and absorbing the headwind that we -- the little bit of headwind that we get from Samsung. And I'm sorry, what was the second part of your question? Amit Daryanani -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst I guess, the second part was really you've talked about the Samsung asset longer term being in line to core IPG margins, 16% to 18%. What sort of timeline is that? Is that a Fiscal '20 target? Or is that much more longer term than that? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer It will take us some time, but we will see pretty consistent progress over the next few years to get it back to those levels. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President I think it's really worth reiterating why we acquired this asset. It was not to buy revenue, and I've been pretty clear about that, as has Cathie. We don't chase share for share's sake. And while the revenue is interesting, it's not fascinating. What's fascinating for us is the incredible disruptive technology that this team invented to take on a pretty unconsolidated A3 $55 billion copier market with a better mousetrap that enables our partners to earn more money and it enables a lower cost per page for our customers with a very different value proposition from a servicing perspective. More than 1,000 engineers, a very rich portfolio of patents, it's all of those reasons that will pay dividends over time that we are incredibly interested in and why we acquired this asset. And we're just kind of getting started in this space. Amit Daryanani -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst That's helpful. And if I could just follow-up on the core PC business, could you just talk how much of a headwind did you guys have on operating margins from memory right now? I mean, year-over-year, it's down about 50 basis points, revenues were up double digits. So just trying to get a sense of how much memory have you been dealing with on an op margin basis? Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer So Amit, if you look at the total year, our commodity cost headwind was about $1 billion. And so we've actually done, I think Dion talked about it, we've done a really good job of managing in what has been a very tough industrywide commodity cost environment. And we've done that by leveraging our balance sheet, looking at basically buying strategic, doing some incremental strategic purchases to assure ourselves a supply, entering into longer-term agreements, so that we not only assure ourselves a supply but also that we are able to negotiate better prices. We also have mitigated it by using our balance sheet by putting more product on the sea and then when all of that, we figure all that out and then we look at what kind of repricing that we are able to do and still be able to be very competitive in the market and, in fact, as you see, significantly outgrow the market with kind of all of those tactics coming together. Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President So with that, I want to take the opportunity to thank you all. I have been Americanized, and I understand it is a season of Thanksgiving, and we are between you and the turkey. So I want to thank you for following us through the course of our reinvention journey. Our results give us real confidence in the trajectory of our business going forward. We're leading in our core markets. We're entering new growth markets and natural adjacencies, and at the same time, investing in the future. We've never been more competitive. We remain humble and focused. We're proud of the results that we're delivering and proud that we're being very open and transparent and dependable. We think it's been a great year of reinvention, and we're just getting started. Thanks, all. Have a great Thanksgiving. Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer Happy Thanksgiving. Operator The conference is now concluded. Thank you for attending today's presentation. You may now disconnect. Duration: 54 minutes Call Participants: Steve Fieler -- Head of Treasury Dion Weisler -- Chief Executive Officer and President Cathie Lesjak -- Chief Financial Officer Jim Suva -- Citigroup -- Analyst Katy Huberty -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Steve Milunovich -- UBS -- Analyst Sherri Scribner -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst Toni Sacconaghi -- Sanford Bernstein -- Analyst Shannon Cross -- Cross Research -- Analyst Wamsi Mohan -- Bank of America / Merrill Lynch -- Analyst Amit Daryanani -- RBC Capital Markets -- Analyst More HPQ analysis This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. 10 stocks we like better than HPWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and HP wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017 The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Information technology outsourcing firm Infosys is opening a design and innovation hub in Rhode Island and plans to add 500 jobs in the state in the next five years, company and state officials announced on Monday. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo and Infosys President Ravi Kumar celebrated with a news conference in Providence, where the hub is planned. It's the third of at least four planned Infosys hubs in the U.S. as part of a commitment the Bangalore, India-based company made earlier this year to hire 10,000 American workers. State officials said Infosys is eligible for an estimated $10 million in various state incentives and the average annual salary of the jobs in the state would be $79,000. "Five hundred good-paying jobs, well above the average salaries in Rhode Island," Raimondo said. "Good-paying, family-supporting jobs. I have a feeling there's much more in store. They're starting with 500, but it's on us to make sure they fall in love with Rhode Island." Raimondo said jobs would be at every level, with and without a college degree. Kumar said the company chose Rhode Island because of factors including its academic ecosystem and design focus, location near many of its clients in the northeast and economic incentives. One of the world's most prestigious design schools, the Rhode Island School of Design, is located in Providence, but Kumar also cited the state's community college network and the University of Rhode Island and Brown University. "Digital design is one of the most high-demand skills in the market," Kumar said. He added that those skills are lacking in the United States and said Infosys plans to train workers to develop them through "a finishing school." Among the steps the company will take is to hire design students who are oriented to physical objects and train them with digital skills, Kumar said. "We create talent pools which don't exist today," he said. President Donald Trump has blasted an American visa program that tech companies have heavily relied upon to temporarily bring in workers from other countries at lower wages. Asked about that criticism and changes in federal immigration policy under the Republican president, Kumar said the program to train Americans and put workers closer to clients has been in the works for the last two years. "You have to be closer to clients," he said. "When you design a digital experience, you cannot design in isolation. You have to design and co-create along with your clients." The company already has 300 to 400 employees in Rhode Island, many of whom work with Citizens Bank, but Kumar said the 500 workers would be in addition to those and focused on design. Infosys previously announced its first two hubs, focused on technology and innovation, will be located in Indiana and North Carolina. Kumar on Monday said the company is continuing to evaluate locations for the next hub but could eventually establish five. Infosys said it employs more than 198,000 people worldwide. This past year has been a tough one for pipeline stocks. Despite an improving oil market, most have declined in value even as the stock market has marched higher. Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) is no exception: The MLP has fallen more than 11% through late November. However, that decline masks a relatively solid year for the pipeline and processing company since distributable cash flow (DCF) rose every single quarter versus the year-ago period. Meanwhile, the company made excellent progress on its expansion strategy, not only putting the finishing touches on several projects but securing new ones to fuel growth. Because of that, and an increasingly strong financial position, the company looks like an excellent value for income seekers. Building a brighter future Enterprise Products Partners entered the year with $5.3 billion of expansion projects under construction, including $2.9 billion that it expected to finish this year. While the company encountered a delay in finishing a large petrochemical project due to Hurricane Harvey, which pushed its in-service date back a few months, it now expects to complete $4.5 billion in projects by year-end. Driving the increase was the company's placing one of its large pipeline projects in service much sooner than anticipated. As a result of this progress, Enterprise should see a significant spike in DCF over the next couple of quarters. The company also secured several additional projects this year and had nearly $5 billion of expansions lined up to go into service in 2018 and 2019. One of the largest is the Shin Oak pipeline, which will transport natural gas liquids (NGLs) like propane and butane from the fast-growing Permian Basin to the company's NGL hub in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The 571-mile pipeline should enter service and start generating cash flow in the second quarter of 2019. In addition, the company announced plans to build another petrochemical plant, which will turn butane into a higher-valued product. This facility should enter service in late 2019. The company also pressed forward on several development-stage projects, which could extend the visibility of its growth beyond 2019. One of those expansions is a potential joint venture with Navigator Holdings (NYSE: NVGS) to build an ethylene marine export terminal in the Houston Ship Channel. That facility would enable Enterprise to export the widely used chemical, which is one of the building blocks of plastics. Navigator Holdings, meanwhile, would serve as the floating pipeline to move this product to world markets. Enterprise is also working on a large pipeline project to move natural gas from the Permian to the Gulf Coast, though it is a bit behind rivals. The foundation is growing firmer Despite spending billions of dollars on expansion projects, Enterprise Products Partners has only strengthened its financial foundation in 2017. Its leverage ratio, for example, has fallen from an average of 4.4 in 2016 down to 3.8 as of the end of the third quarter. That's due in part to the incremental income from newly completed expansion projects. The company recently announced plans to further strengthen its already top-tier financial position by slowing the pace of its distribution growth rate through 2019. That will enable the company to retain more cash flow, which will both widen the margin of safety on the distribution while giving it more cash to finance expansion projects. The company estimates that by 2019 it will be able to fund the equity portion of a $2.5 billion annual investment budget with internally generated cash flow, meaning it would no longer need to issue equity to finance that rate of spending on growth projects. Furthermore, the company said that it could even start using some of its growing cash flow to repurchase units, which could create greater long-term value for investors. Don't let this opportunity slip away With its recently completed expansion projects and a solid financial foundation, Enterprise Products Partners enters 2018 in an even stronger position than it started this year. Despite that progress, units are inexplicably down double digits this year. That dip, along with continued steady quarterly increases, has pushed the company's distribution yield up to an attractive 7%. That's just too good to pass up, in my opinion. Investors should consider taking advantage of this year's sell-off to scoop up this excellent income stock at one of its lowest values in years. 10 stocks we like better than Enterprise Products PartnersWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Enterprise Products Partners wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017 Matthew DiLallo owns shares of Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rep. Peter King, a staunch opponent to the current version of the House Republicansa tax reform plan, said the elimination of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction could increase the average New York homeowneras taxes by at least $1,000. aMaybe more than that -- $2,000 to $3,000,a King, R-N.Y., told Maria Bartiromo on aSunday Morning Futures.a aItas difficult to fully compute it right now, but thereas no doubt there will be increases.a King and other lawmakers from high-tax states, which include New York, New Jersey and California, argue that getting rid of these deductions will hurt hard-working, middle- to upper middle-class people. The New York Republican has said that the reason why New York is considered ahigh-taxa is because much of the revenue that goes to the federal government isnat returned to the state. aNew York gets $48 billion less from the federal government than it pays in revenues,a he said Sunday. aOther states get almost twice as much back as they put in, so we have to make that up somehow. If we can get that $48 billion back in New York, that would make it a lot easier for us to reduce tax rates.a King said his region is being treated unfairly since other states will not see such an impact. In nearby New Jersey, Senate President Steve Sweeney said last week that his state, as well as New York and California, are aunder attacka by conservative lawmakers in the nationas capital. aIf we lose the millions of dollars that theyare talking about and taxes are going to be raised on average families by $2,500 when they lose the deductions theyare going to get, how can you do anything? Right now we have to re-evaluate where weare going to go,a Sweeney said during an interview on FOX Business. Much like Sweeney, the New York congressman said he could see a mass exodus happening in his state if tax rates go up on residents, which he also explained includes parts of the stateas business community. aBig people in the business community who feel this is going to terribly impact them a they are talking about moving their address to North Carolina, Florida, wherever a and that then will have a compounding effect because thereall be less state revenues available. That means local governments will have to raise property taxesaitas really a vicious cycle,a King said. U.S. Treasury Public Affairs Assistant Secretary Tony Sayegh on Monday explained why the elimination of the state and local tax deduction should remain in the Senates tax reform plan. The Senate bill would fully repeal the SALT deduction, which leaves Americans in high-taxed states such as New York, New Jersey and Illinois concerned with paying more in taxes. Im sympathetic. Im a New Yorker. I understand. Lets remember were talking about six states where essentially the highest income earners get to deduct high state taxes thats not really the responsibility of the federal government to subsidize, and in order for us to really expand the base, we need to get rid of a lot of these kind of deductions, he told FOX Business Trish Regan on The Intelligence Report. Sayegh said the tax benefits included in the Senate bill will outweigh the negative effects that eliminating the SALT deduction may have on those in high-tax states. The vast majority of people losing that deduction still will have lower taxes because we are reducing their rates, were expanding the child tax credit, were doubling the standard deduction making the first $24,000 of their income not taxed if you are a family, were getting rid of the alternative minimum tax which is a backward tax, he said. Sayegh believes that the Senate bill will boost the American economy and will be passed by years end. We are very encouraged because nine of the leading economists in the country sent the Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin a letter. It appeared in the Wall Street Journal where they confirmed what weve been saying all along, which is you experience significant economic growth with what we are trying to do with tax reform, he said. However, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the Senates plan would increase the deficit by $1.4 trillion over the next 10 years. Officials at Tufts University in Massachusetts have postponed an event with Anthony Scaramucci after the former White House communications director threatened a lawsuit over an opinion piece published in the student newspaper. The Boston Globe reports Scaramucci was scheduled to speak at the Medford university's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy on Monday. Earlier this month, 26-year-old Camilo Caballero wrote a piece in The Tufts Daily newspaper criticizing Scaramucci's position on a Fletcher advisory board. Scaramucci's lawyer said Nov. 21 they would take legal action unless the graduate student and newspaper retracted "false and defamatory allegations of fact." Caballero says Scaramucci is trying to prevent him from using his First Amendment rights. Scaramucci said Sunday he's not limiting free speech, but he wants to defend himself against "factually inaccurate" attacks. He took to Twitter to explain further asking for an apology. I asked for an apology for defamatory statements. That is a teachable moment professor. The student is an adult, let his actions stand without any coddling. You cant defame people in America because you dont like their political views. https://t.co/q5fi8wszqn Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) November 27, 2017 This is not the first time the former financier has stirred the pot. After inking a deal to sell his firm SkyBridge Capital to Chinese conglomerate HNA last year, a deal which is still pending, Scaramucci laid in wait for a position in the Trump administration. That was slow to materialize, partly due to infighting among Trumps former lieutenants Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus, as reported by FOX Business. Scaramucci eventually was appointed to White House communications director, only to flame out in days due to a rant that was deemed inappropriate and offensive, giving him the title of the shortest person to hold that role in history. Before his White House stint, Scaramucci was a contributor to FOX Business and FOX News. He earned a B.A. in economics at Tufts University and went onto to earn a J.D. at Harvard Law School. Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) is officially a no on the Senates tax reform bill after he voiced his concerns with President Donald Trump on Sunday, FOX Business has learned. Daines joins the rank of Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) as the Senate Republicans who are against the bill as its crafted. The Senator has concerns regarding the current bill and how it unfairly favors large corporations over Main Street businesses, a.k.a. pass throughs, said one aide familiar with the matter. He is a no on the bill but optimistic about making changes, the same aide added. His sudden call for changes to the bill could be a problem for a Republican Senate that is in dire need of a win and as leadership hopes to cobble together enough support to call for a vote in the coming weeks. Since the GOP only have a slim 52-48 majority in the Senate, they cant afford to lose more than two votes if they want to pass their signature tax reform plan. Dainess concerns with the negative impact the bill could have on small businesses may be justified because while there is a provision within the legislative text that allows owners of partnerships, limited liability companies and various other pass-through companies to get a 17.4% reduction on their business income taxes, Johnson isnt convinced that its enough of a cut. In a statement to FOX Business, Daines confirmed he could not support the bill in its current form and reinforced that he needs to see changes to small business tax cuts if Senate leadership want his vote. I want to see changes to the tax cut bill that ensure Main Street businesses are not put at a competitive disadvantage against large corporations. Before I can support this bill, this improvement needs to be made, Daines said. A White House spokesman did not return emails for comment about the discussion between Trump and Daines. While Johnson and Daines are officially no votes and could be swayed to back the tax bill, there are other undecided lawmakers that could derail the Republican tax plan. Micah Johnson, a spokeswoman for Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), told FOX Business in a statement that while Corker is hopeful he can get to yes, he still believes that some work needs to be done. Senator Corker spent the entire Thanksgiving break on the phone with his Senate colleagues and with the administration working on a responsible path forward. While more work remains, all parties are hopeful that the final bill will be good for our country, Johnson said. Another unknown lawmaker is Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who continues to be concerned the bill could add to the national debt. When asked where Flake stands on tax reform, his spokesman Jason Samuels said he remains concerned about the bills impact on the national debt. Two teenagers have been arrested after a stolen car smashed into a tree in Britain, killing five. Police said Sunday the two 15-year-old boys are held on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. The victims included a 12-year-old, two 15-year-olds, and two men aged 24 and 28. The accident happened Saturday night in Leeds, a city 200 miles (320 kilometers) north of London. West Yorkshire police said it was not clear if some of the victims were pedestrians or if the seven people had been riding in the stolen Renault Clio. The Spectator columnist Melanie McDonagh is being slammed across social media on Monday for a column that says actress Meghan Markle is unsuitable to marry Prince Harry because she has been married in the past, and is a liberal. McDonagh is Irish but lives in London and also writes for the Evening Standard. Her controversial column headline, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: The union of royalty and showbiz, makes it clear she isnt a fan of the upcoming marriage because she is both a divorcee and liberal. Obviously, seventy years ago, Meghan Markle would have been the kind of woman the Prince would have had for a mistress, not a wife, McDonagh wrote. Obviously, seventy years ago, Meghan Markle would have been the kind of woman the Prince would have had for a mistress, not a wife." Melanie McDonagh McDonagh continued: Things have changed. Shell now be the apotheosis of the union of showbiz and royalty, with a glorious subsidiary cast of embarrassing relations. Markle married film producer Trevor Engelson in 2011, but the pair divorced two years later. Prince Harrys grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, is supreme governor of the Church of England and the church apparently doesnt believe the Prince of Wales should marry a divorcee, despite the fact that numerous members of the royal family have gotten divorced. The Spectator columnist then attacked the Suits star for her liberal political views, mocking Hollywood for being anti-Trump. Like every self-respecting member of the acting profession these days, shes got liberal political views, McDonagh wrote. Hmm. Great. You can see it now, cant you: when President Trump calls, Princess Meghan will be almost visibly holding her nose. McDonaghs take on the young couple has received a ton of social media backlash. One user called the column a churlish, miserable sourpuss piece while another said, McDonagh must shut up. Another took to Twitter to ask, Why does she still live in the 1800s? McDonagh was also called the most joyless person alive and her column was ripped as an absolute disgrace. The couple is expected to get married in spring 2018, Kensington Palace announced through Harrys father, Prince Charles, on Monday. The couple got engaged in London earlier this month after meeting in the summer of 2016 through mutual friends. "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle, the statement read. His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. It continued: Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markles parents. The statement said the couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace. The upcoming wedding will be the first grand royal wedding since Prince William and Kate Middleton got married in 2011. Katherine Lam contributed to this report. Anyone paying enough attention lately likely saw this coming, but CBS is ending Jeremy Pivens new drama Wisdom of the Crowd after just 13 episodes. The news comes as the actor is battling allegations of sexual misconduct, which he vehemently denies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, CBS has decided that it wont order more episodes of the freshman drama. As a result, it will run through the 13 episodes that the network ordered, but wont be picked up for more after that. The news comes as the network is looking into allegations that Piven, the series star, is guilty of sexual misconduct after Ariane Bellamar claimed he groped her while they were both working on the set of Entourage. Since then, more women have come forward, but the star maintains his position that he never did anything inappropriate. Wisdom of the Crowd, which premiered about a month prior to the allegations against the star, focuses on a fictional character named Jeffrey Tanner, a tech innovator who created a crowdsourcing hub in an effort to solve his daughters murder. While many are quick to blame the allegations against Piven for the end of the shows run, The Wrap notes that the series has struggled immensely to gain an audience since its been on. The latest Nielsen ratings metric puts it with an average rating of 1.2 among adults aged 18-49, which is pretty bad for a new show. Some even wonder if this would be happening were Piven not under investigation by the network. "Wanted to thanks all of you guys for supporting us at #WisdomoftheCrowd," the star wrote on Twitter following the news. "Sorry we don't get to continue with this great family we have created. Proud of the work we did and we will Finish out our 13 episodes with full hearts !" Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met on a blind date, and he proposed last month over a roast chicken dinner, the pair revealed on Monday. The couple shared details about the night they got engaged in their first interview with BBC since the announcement. The 36-year-old actress said they were having an ordinary night and trying to roast chicken when the prince proposed. "It was just an amazing surprise," Markle told the BBC. "It was so sweet and natural and very romantic, he got on one knee." Harry added, "She didn't even let me finish. PRINCE HARRY IS ENGAGED TO MEGHAN MARKLE, KENSINGTON PALACE SAYS Harry and Markle, who are expected to wed next spring, recalled meeting through mutual friends in July 2016. They said they knew very little of each other before then. Markle recalled the only thing she asked her friend about Harry was, Is he nice? Harry revealed he had never even heard of the American actress or about the show, Suits, where Markle is best known for her role as Rachel Zane. "I was beautifully surprised when I walked into that room and saw her," Harry said. "I was like, 'I'm really going to have to up my game here. That night led to a five-day camping trip in Botswana three to four weeks later where they got to know each other. Harry added he felt like the stars were aligned. "The fact that I fell in love with Meghan so incredibly quickly was confirmation to me that all the stars were aligned," Harry told the BBC. "This beautiful woman just tripped and fell into my life, I fell into her life. I know that she will be unbelievably good at the job part of it as well." Markle revealed she is transitioning out of her acting career, confirming she will not be returning to the eighth season of Suits. The future duchess also fueled rumors about her departure when she moved out of her Toronto home and headed to London last week. Though she will be leaving acting behind, Markle said she will be moving into the role of being part of the royal family. "I'm excited to really get to know more about the different communities here and smaller organizations that are working on the same causes that I've always been passionate about, Markle said. "I don't see it as giving anything up. I see it as a change. It's a new chapter." HERE'S THE LINE OF SUCCESSION TO THE BRITISH THRONE Markle said it was incredible to meet Queen Elizabeth II. Markle told the BBC, "It's incredible, I think, you know, to be able to meet her through his lens, not just with his honor and respect for her as the monarch, but the love that he has for her as his grandmother. "All of those layers have been so important for me so that when I met her I had such a deep understanding and of course incredible respect for being to have that time with her, she added. When asked about their plans to start their own family, Harry replied: "One step at a time, hopefully we'll start a family in the near future." MEGHAN MARKLE'S ENGAGEMENT RING FROM PRINCE HARRY HAS SPECIAL CONNECTION TO PRINCESS DIANA Harry also spoke about his late mother Princess Diana and how she would be over the moon, jumping up and down knowing he was engaged to Markle. The future royal also has something old added to her engagement ring, designed by Harry himself two diamonds from Dianas jewelry collection. The center stone is from Botswana, where they camped early in their relationship. "The ring is is obviously yellow gold because that's... her favorite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the the little diamonds either side are from my mother's jewelry collection to make sure that she's with us on this on this crazy journey together." "It's days like this I really miss having her around," he said. "Not being able to meet his mother, it's so important to me to know that she's a part of this with us," Markle also said. The interview came hours after Kensington Palace announced the high-profile couple was engaged. They made their first public appearance shortly after, with Harry donning a blue suit jacket and Markle wearing a white coat and flashing her diamond ring. Their relationship was first confirmed last November when the palace issued a statement but also condemned the outright sexism and racism in some online comments. Harry also said some articles with "racial undertones," alluding to Markles mixed-race heritage, had crossed the line. Meghan Markles life and career will transform dramatically in light of her engagement to Prince Harry. Markle, 36, has starred in the legal drama Suits since 2011, but the future member of the royal family confirmed she will retire from acting when she marries Prince Harry. Markle told the BBC she will be "transitioning" out of her acting career, confirming she will not be returning to the eighth season of "Suits." The couple announced their engagement on Monday. Experts told us it is expected that Markle will follow in the footsteps of Grace Kelly, who had a successful acting career but gave it up to become to Princess of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier III in 1956. Grant Harrold, an etiquette expert who served as a butler to members of the royal family including Princes William and Harry said Markle will be too busy with her duties as a royal to pursue an acting career. Royal duties do take up a lot of time with royals working for weeks at a time with very little time off especially with overseas tours, he told Fox News. However, Harrold said the decision to give up acting is ultimately Markle and her now-fiance Prince Harry's choice.0 The royal family would not judge anyone's career as many members of the royal family [have] followed their own career paths, therefore this would be a personal decision, he insisted. William Hanson, a British etiquette consultant and longtime royal watcher, told Fox News that Markle could return to acting down the line. If she ever goes back they would probably be conservative roles not like her last role in Suits. She will probably focus more on her charitable interests, humanitarian interests, said Hanson. Her role when she gets married will be the Duchess of Sussex. Markle and Prince Harry revealed on Monday that they became engaged earlier this month in London. The two posed for photos on Monday, and she told the press she was so happy as she clutched Harrys arm on the grounds of Kensington Palace. Meghan Markle is on her way to becoming the future bride of Britains Prince Harry, but before becoming the royals main squeeze, the American actress was married to Hollywood producer Trevor Engelson. Kensington Palace announced Monday the 36-year-old Suits star is engaged to the 33-year-old son of the late Princess Diana. The two are set to marry in the spring of 2018. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MEGHAN MARKLE Heres what you need to know about the man who was once married to the potential new royal princess: Us Weekly previously reported Markle and the 41-year-old tied the knot on Sept. 10, 2011 at the Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Jamaica where they had a casual wedding in front of 102 guests. It was the same year the USA Network starlet took on the role of Rachel Zane in the series Suits. Vogue reported Markle would later return to the tropical getaway in March 2017 with Prince Harry to celebrate the wedding of a mutual friend. Prior to the marriage, Markle and Engelson dated for six years while they were both pursuing their high-profile careers. However, the marriage wouldnt last. In September 2013, a source confirmed to Us Weekly the couple quietly separated. While its not exactly clear why the pair parted ways, they cited irreconcilable differences. One insider hinted to Womans Day at the time that Markles hectic schedule to film Suits in Toronto while her husband resided in Los Angeles made married life difficult for the two. Engelson has remained tight-lipped about his marriage to Markle, despite alleged rumors of publishers offering a major paycheck for a tell-all that is until this year. Deadline.com reported in September Engelson was working on an untitled project about a lead character sharing custody with the British royal family after his ex-wife marries a prince. While the comedy may have been inspired by real-life events, the Hollywood news site added the premise is a work of fiction. Markle and Engelson have no children together and shes reportedly not involved with the TV series in any capacity. However, it was noted the project originated from a conversation Engelson shared with fellow producer Dan Farah about what life would have been like if the former lovers did have kids. Engelson has kept busy in Hollywood. FX Networks reported that his role as a producer took off with the 2007 film License to Wed, starring Robin Williams, John Kransinski and Mandy Moore. Then in 2009, he produced All About Steve with Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper. In 2010, he worked on the 9/11-themed drama Remember Me with Robert Pattinson, of Twilight fame. Engelson is currently producing Snowfall, a series that explores the early days of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles during the 1980s. Hes also executive producing the upcoming Heathers remake for television. "Suits" may have been reportedly to blame for Markles first marriage's demise, but it may have also led to her recent engagement to Prince Harry. Last month, gossip magazines reported Prince Harry visited Markle on the sets of Suits in Toronto. Morrissey said if he was given the chance to kill President Trump, he would take it for the "safety of humanity." The former Smiths frontman told the German publication der Spiegel that he would not hesitate to kill Trump if presented with a button that would kill the president. "I would [push it], for the safety of humanity," Morrissey told the German outlet according to a translation of the interview by the Washington Times. "It has nothing to do with my personal opinion of his face or his family, but in the interest of humanity I would push." The 58-year-old also said he believes Trump won the election because of the media. "The American media helped Trump, yes, they first created it," he said. "Whether they criticize him or laugh at him, he does not care, he just wants to see his picture and his name. The American media have shot themselves in the leg." Morrissey also said he was shocked Trump won and he now has "no faith" in the political system. "He grabs after everything like a little child. He is not a leader. He is vermin," he said of Trump. MSNBCs Kasie Hunt seemed happy that Republican Sen. Rand Paul suffered six broken ribs and a buildup of excess fluid in his lungs when he was attacked earlier this month, before quickly apologizing for her on-air statement. New details today on the incident that left Senator Rand Paul with six broken ribs this might be one of my favorite stories, the liberal reporter said last week. The MSNBC host quickly seemed to realize she was condoning violence and started to downplay her comments, but appeared to lose her train of thought midsentence, saying, Although, of course, we dont clearly Senator Paul still struggling. Hunt took to Twitter shortly after her on-air mishap, saying there is nothing funny about 6 broken ribs. My apologies to @RandPauI for suggesting on air earlier today there was. Hope your recovery is on the right track, senator, looking forward to seeing you in the hallways soon, she tweeted. Hunt is the liberal networks Capitol Hill correspondent and hosts Kacie DC, which airs on Sunday nights. She is billed as a straight-news reporter, as opposed to an opinion host. The 32-year-old Hunt is seen as a rising star at the liberal network. She appears across all NBC News and MSNBC platforms including Nightly News with Lester Holt, TODAY, and Morning Joe. Hunt started her career as a writer for the Associated Press and Politico before joining NBC. Meanwhile, Paul returned to Capitol Hill two weeks ago after he was brutally attacked at his Kentucky home. He was attacked while mowing his lawn on Nov. 3, according to authorities. The neighbor -- Rene Boucher -- attacked Paul from behind after he had gotten off of his lawn mower. Boucher's attorney insisted the attack had "nothing to do" with politics, but rather was due to a "landscaping dispute." A senior adviser to Paul disputed that claim. Boucher, 59, was charged with misdemeanor assault for the attack. MSNBC did immediately not respond to request for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Rebel Wilson opened up in a tearful interview about her defamation lawsuit against a global magazine publisher, saying it was devastating to be labeled a liar. Wilson told Australian television show Sunday Night it was very stressful to be the center of a scandal. I went from this girl who has just worked her absolute ass off to get where she was to just being torn down in a second, in a 24-hour period, Wilson said. Its very, very stressful when you become in the center of a scandal. And it was so salacious. People were like, Shes fabricating her own life to make it. Wilson recalled feeling her 17 years of hard work was finally going to pay off after appearing in the film Pitch Perfect until articles ran in Womans Day and Australian Womens Weekly managed by Bauer Media claiming the actress had lied about her age, family background and her name. She said the articles damaged her career and calls for acting roles soon stopped. People were calling me a liar and a fake, and for someone like me whos so candid and authentic, it was just probably the most devastating thing they could have said to me, the 37-year-old actress said. After month after month after month, coming up to the 12 months deadline, I thought, I mean, I just have to sue them, Wilson said. Ive proved very publicly that what I was saying was the truth and that they wrote a bunch of lies, and that I was maliciously defamed. Wilson said she never chose to reveal her age and that her name, Rebel, was a family nickname she had legally adopted in 2002. She also provided photographic evidence to prove what she said about her upbringing were true, according to Sunday Night. Yes, Im an actress, and Im in the public eye, she added. But Im a human being, who worked really, really hard to get to that point. And then to have it all taken away was just, it was just malicious, and it was ugly. Wilson was awarded $3.7 million in defamation damages, the biggest payout in Australian history. Bauer Media is expected to appeal the amount of damages, which the actress called gross because she is planning to donate the money to charity. Crikey! An NYPD detective was arrested when he flashed his gun during a fight at an Outback Steakhouse in Brooklyn, officials said Monday. Joel Crooms, 31, was at the Australian-themed eatery at the Gateway Center in East New York when he got into an argument with another man around 10 p.m. Sunday, police said. The two had been drinking and appeared to know one another, cops said. During the exchange, Crooms allegedly lifted up his shirt to reveal his weapon, police said. Crooms was arrested and charged with menacing and disorderly conduct, officials said. He was issued a desk-appearance ticket for the incident and released, according to court records. Additional reporting by Emily Saul. This article originally appeared on the New York Post. As theyve demonstrated several times in the past, the people behind the Wendys Twitter account arent afraid to mix it up with their competitors in the fast-food industry. And on Black Friday, the chain hit McDonalds right where it hurts: in their ice cream machine. It all began early on the morning of Nov. 24, after McDonalds posted what appeared to be an incomplete Black Friday-themed tweet which read, Black Friday **** Need copy and link*****. WENDY'S SHUTS DOWN CARLS. JR WITH SINGLE TWEET Realizing its own mistake, the chain decided not to delete the tweet, but rather to make light of the gaffe, blaming the blunder on severe grogginess caused by a lack of McCafe coffee. When you tweet before your first cup of McCafe Nothing comes before coffee, joked McDonalds. Several commenters praised McDonalds for its good save, but the people at Wendys werent about to let McDonalds off the hook. Just a few hours after Mickey Ds responded with its McCafe tweet, Wendys retweeted the restaurants remarks and added, When the tweets are as broken as the ice cream machine. With its tweet, Wendys was presumably referring to the ice cream machines at McDonalds, which are reportedly being replaced after customers complained that they're frequently broken, or otherwise out of service. NEW APP TELLS YOU WHEN MCDONALD'S ICE CREAM MACHINES ARE DOWN The post has since been retweeted almost 275,000 times, and earned more than 740,000 likes. Commenters also appeared to appreciate the snarky comment, with one telling Wendys that they deserved a Twitter Oscar, and another telling the restaurant that she one day [hopes] to reach this level of sass. Wendys replied to its own tweet as well, writing, We're gonna end up owing ourselves a year of free chicken nuggets at this rate which is a reference to the time Wendys told a Nevada teen that if he somehow accumulated 18 million retweets, he could earn free chicken for a year. (He never earned the required retweets, though Wendys ended up awarding him with a year of free nuggets regardless.) FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS McDonalds, meanwhile, has yet to respond to Wendys or their Twitter posts, but Wendys would likely be ready if they do. In the past, the Ohio-based chain has poked fun at: Hardees, for offering a similar $4 deal; Carls Jr., for its meager Twitter following; Wing Stop, for its rapping skills; and even a single Twitter user who couldnt fathom that Wendys doesn't freeze its beef prior to cooking. A woman who was called a trailblazer for becoming the first person with Down syndrome to compete in the Miss Minnesota pageant won the Spirit of Miss USA on Sunday. Mikayla Holmgren, 22, was given the award after competing on Saturday at the pageant in Burnsville. Its the first time someone with Down syndrome has competed in a Miss USA state pageant, according to FOX9. I'm really good at them because it's my passion," Holmgren told KSTP of her pageantry experience. "It's really fun. As I do more pageants and I'm really proud of myself ... this is my dream. The 22-year-old had previously been crowned Minnesota Junior Miss Amazing in 2015 and competed in the national Junior Miss Amazing in Los Angeles, the Star Tribune reported. Mikayla is a trailblazer, executive co-director of the pageant, Denise Wallace, told the newspaper. Wallace told People in May that she is the epitome of what the Miss Universe Organization strives to look for in contestants someone who is confidently beautiful. Holmgren said she wants the world to know that her Down syndrome does not define her. With your help, I can help break through walls, she told KARE television. Kalie Wright, of Eagle Bend, was ultimately crowned Miss Minnesota 2018. This was the second year the pageant has made history. Last year, Halima Aden, a Somali-American woman who was a semi-finalist in last years pageant, was the first person to compete wearing a hijab. Massage Envy, the nations largest massage franchise, says it is planning to strengthen its policies after more than 180 women have come forward with accusations of sexual assault against the companys massage therapists and managers. According to a report published by Buzzfeed News on Sunday, scores of former clients have accused Massage Envys employees of criminal behavior, including unwanted groping, fondling and sexual assault. Franchisees and managers, too, have been accused of mishandling or covering up incidents of alleged sexual misconduct. In one complaint, former customer Susan Ingram said she was assaulted in 2015 by a male masseur named James Deiter, who inserted his fingers in her vagina and pushed his erection against her body while she lay frozen in fear. Ingram added that she later informed the manager about his behavior, only to be told that she was welcome to return to the massage parlor to discuss the incident. She opted instead to phone the police, and Deiter admitted to assaulting Ingram during questioning. Deiter was subsequently sentenced to prison for assaulting nine of his clients in total. MOTHER-DAUGHTER DUO BUSTED IN MASSAGE PARLOR STING OPERATION Other complaints against Massage Envys employees include unwanted touching or oral manipulation and manipulation of clients breasts and genitals and in one case, a masseur ejaculating on a customers face, Buzzfeed reports. Victims also say that in many of these cases Massage Envy did not take any immediate action against the offending masseurs. Buzzfeed News also stated that a subsequent review of the companys policies do more to protect the company brand than to ensure customer complaints are handled appropriately. The companys corporate office has also claimed that Massage Envy is not responsible for the actions of its franchisees or employees, according to court filings obtained by Buzzfeed. In a statement to Fox News, Massage Envy said that it is heartbroken over the news, but maintains that these incidents only account for a tiny fraction of the companys millions of massages. "Each of these incidents is heartbreaking for us and for the franchisees that operate Massage Envy locations, and we will never stop looking for ways to help our franchisees provide a safe environment at Massage Envy franchise locations, said the company. The article references 180 reported incidents. These occurred over a span of 15 plus years and 125 million massages. But, we believe that even ONE incident is too many, so we are constantly listening, learning, and evaluating how we can continue to strengthen our policies with respect to handling of these issues. MASSAGE THERAPIST ACCUSED OF RAPE AT BOSTON'S LOGAN AIRPORT Meanwhile, former Massage Envy employees who spoke to Buzzfeed claim that Massage Envy didnt prepare them for how to file such complaints, and that their policies centered on defusing the situation before police became involved. The American Massage Therapy Association, however, stresses that victims should call the police immediately if they feel theyve been assaulted or taken advantage of, rather than to wait for a masseurs employers to take action. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Massage Envy currently operates over 1,170 franchises across the country. As of 2015, it was the nations largest employer of massage therapists, with more than 22,000 employees. "Suits" actress Meghan Markle started turning heads as a fashion icon in 2012, when she stepped out at the Characters Unite event thrown by the USA Network and The Moth at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, Calif. The new bride-to-be dressed in a flirty lace mini frock with scalloped neckline and three-quarter sleeves. Kate Middleton, too, has been photographed in a floor-length verison of the same Diane von Furstenberg dress. There are times in history when the confluence of events conspire to install a position that was once regarded as a fantasy. For years, from one presidency to the next, it was believed a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians could be achieved. Yet in every instance the best laid plans of diplomats became a chimera. At the risk of assuming the best, it now appears as if an understanding is achievable. Egyptian officials have united Fatah and Hamas entities for political purpose, thereby setting the stage for negotiation without internal discord. Second, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has been the catalyst in bringing parties together. It would be an extraordinary feather in his cap if an accord were written. Moreover, it would enhance his reputation throughout the region, putting the Crown Prince on the side of moderation and liberalization. Then, there are the terms. Up to this point the Hamas Charter calls for the decimation of Israel. But as Egyptian diplomats have pointed out, there is a willingness for Hamas and Fatah to recognize Israel as a Jewish state for the first time in their collective past. Clearly this is a noteworthy development if true. As noteworthy is the Saudi plan for the right of return. Arab doctrine includes the belief that those who were forced to leave Israel in 1948 should be allowed to return. However, as the Saudis note, the return does not necessarily mean to the place of origin. As a consequence, the Saudis propose to widen the map for refugees citing locations in Egypt to Saudi Arabia as potential homes. Whether these conditions hold is impossible to predict, albeit previous negotiations did break down over Palestinian recalcitrance. Alas, that might happen again. What the plan does offer is hope for the future based on the new actors on the Middle East stage. The third leg in this three-legged peace stool is a joint Saudi and Israeli effort to defeat Iran and Hezbollah and develop a plan to interrupt an imperial desire for a Shia Crescent. When an Iranian missile was fired into the Saudi capital, the Crown Prince realized a direct confrontation with Iran is inevitable. He also assessed his ability to defeat Iran in a land battle and concluded his forces do not measure up. However, with Israeli assistance a joint force might prevail. Hence the Crown Prince is developing joint military maneuvers with Israel as his key ally. Whether these conditions hold is impossible to predict, albeit previous negotiations did break down over Palestinian recalcitrance. Alas, that might happen again. What the plan does offer is hope for the future based on the new actors on the Middle East stage. The Crown Prince is facing conditions at home opposition to his plan for social and political liberalization that warrant success in regional stabilization. President Sisi of Egypt has made it clear he and his government oppose terrorist activity, most noteworthy being Iran, the leading state sponsor of terrorism. This is even more true following Fridays horrific attack on a Sinai mosque. Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel realizes the favorable conditions on the ground may not be duplicated again. He cannot miss this opportunity. He also recognizes the tectonic changes in the Sunni world and those implications for Israels role in the Middle East. President Trump has played his diplomatic hand very cleverly. He has given the Crown Prince the leverage to negotiate terms without imposing a U.S. agenda. He has sought support from Netanyahu without forcing the Israeli hand. And most significantly, these discussions have occurred under the radar and beyond tweets. In a world where there is confusion and tocsin in the air, it is refreshing to conceive of a positive development in the Middle East. Of course, this may turn into a dismal failure when the bargaining begins, but for the moment high hope prevails. Its been more than three decades since Congress has worked with the White House to modernize the nations outdated tax system. But that is all about to change. Over the last several months, lawmakers in both chambers have laid the groundwork for historic tax reform. And it all started with the budget process, within the Budget Committee that I chair in the House of Representatives. When our committee began writing the budget, we recognized that tax reform should be a priority, so we specifically addressed it in our plan. Through the unique tool known as reconciliation, our budget instructed tax writers in Congress to tackle reform. The Senate also acknowledged the desperate need to overhaul the federal tax code and similarly included text, in its version of the budget, to move the process forward. However, it wasnt until both chambers agreed to the same budget that conservative tax reform could begin in earnest. For that reason, I often called passage of the budget the golden key to unlock tax reform. Without the budget, we couldnt advance or expand on the tax reform framework that received praise from President Donald Trump when it was unveiled earlier this fall. The average middle-class family will see a $2,200 increase in wages. This will provide a welcome jolt to the economy following the lackluster years under the Obama Administration. The good news is that things are steadily moving along. Following agreement to the same budget in both chambers at the end of October, we swiftly rolled out comprehensive tax reform legislation in the House: the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Earlier this month, the House Committee on Ways and Means, of which I am also a member, was hard at work getting the bill ready for the floor. After four full days of productive dialogue and fine-tuning the text, I was proud to see it approved by the committee. I was even prouder to see it passed on the House floor. Along with the president, Republicans in Congress clearly recognize that something must be done about the heavy tax burden weighing down hardworking Americans and holding back job creators. We also recognize the need to bring simplicity to the tax code. In our tax reform plan, we help low and middle-class Americans see more of their hard-earned paychecks by lowering tax rates and doubling the standard deduction for individuals and married couples. For an average middle-class family of four, that translates to nearly $1,200 off their taxes. We also establish a new Family Credit that raises the Child Tax Credit and introduces new credits for family members and other dependents. The tax code also becomes less confusing and less cumbersome, making it possible for most Americans to file their taxes on a simple post card. Our plan rightly provides tax relief for job creators, empowering entrepreneurs and small businesses to continue opening, operating and expanding. In my state of Tennessee alone, the nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimates the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will create 20,000 new jobs. And the average middle-class family will see a $2,200 increase in wages. This will provide a welcome jolt to the economy following the lackluster years under the Obama Administration. During my nearly seven years as a member of the House, Republicans have been committed to modernizing the federal governments outdated and overly complicated tax system. This is the year we fulfill that promise to the American people. Without question, enacting tax reform is a challenge, but the benefits of seeing it through will be felt for generations to come. We cannot miss this opportunity. One of the fundamental problems in Washington is the attitude that the money that people make belongs to the government. Thats why you hear arguments about how much a tax cut costs, or big government advocates disingenuously and breathlessly complaining about the people who pay taxes getting a tax cut. I believe it is the other way around. Our default position should be that the money you earn belongs to you, and government has to justify why it should take it from you. Currently, there are at least 97 different federal taxes. The tax code that instructs people how they must hand over their hard-earned money to government spans some 74,000-plus pages. This is absurd, and so is the fact that government will collect over $3 trillion from taxpayers next year but still is not satisfied. The good news is we can do this every year. Want a bigger tax cut? Urge your legislators to do one every single year. Ill sponsor it. Want them to be permanent? Well, one good start is to keep extending them, every single year. One of the main differences between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans, in general, favor less government and more tax cuts. Thats why Im pleased to see us moving forward on a plan for tax cuts, and why I hope to vote to pass such a cut in the coming weeks. I spoke out all year against the GOP leaders initial plan to make their tax reform revenue neutral meaning not really a cut. Im pleased to see my point of view has prevailed, and the current tax plan calls for a $1.5 trillion cut over the next ten years. I would have liked to see more in fact, I offered an amendment to move it up to $2.5 trillion but Ive stated many times that as long as it is a real cut, Ill vote for it, even if it isnt as large as I would prefer. Im also pleased to note that, in part by my urging, the Senate tax-plan writers have included repeal of the ObamaCare individual mandate in the tax plan. The mandate is clearly a tax, a fact that was established by the Supreme Court when it upheld ObamaCare. So including it in the tax bill only makes sense. In addition, with CBO scoring it as a $350 billion savings, repealing the mandate helped pave the way for increased middle-class tax cuts, like an expanded child tax credit. I was pleased to work directly with President Trump to push this important change that lets us keep multiple promises in one bill cut taxes and repeal the ObamaCare mandate weve been fighting against for years. This bill is not perfect. I would prefer a larger cut. I would prefer that the Senate bill match the House bill and keep some form of state and local deductions so that no one gets caught in the trap of losing too many deductions at once and failing to benefit from the tax cuts. Lastly, Id like to see more permanence on the individual side. Some of that is still achievable. Some of it is due to the peculiarities of the budget and Senate rules and will have to wait for another day. The good news is we can do this every year. Want a bigger tax cut? Urge your legislators to do one every single year. Ill sponsor it. Want them to be permanent? Well, one good start is to keep extending them, every single year. This tax bill is a true test for my colleagues. Im not getting everything I want far from it. But Ive been immersed in this process. Ive fought for and received major changes for the better and I plan to vote for this bill as it stands right now. I urge my colleagues to do the same. I urge you, their constituents, to make sure they hear from you. The next few weeks in Washington will be important. Will we keep our word and cut taxes? Will we do what we campaigned on and repeal the ObamaCare mandate? I will fight for both, and I look forward to ending the year keeping these important promises to the American people. Prince Harrys engagement to Meghan Markle will be a boost to the U.S.-UK special relationship. The Los Angeles-born actress will wed the fifth in line to the British throne next spring, in what will likely be one of the most watched global events of 2018. The wedding will further reinforce the ties that bind Great Britain and the United States, the two most powerful forces for freedom on the world stage. It will be a fitting symbol of the close-knit, enduring international partnership that has been in place for over 70 years. The wedding is also excellent news for Britains monarchy, which retains its position as the worlds most powerful Royal Family. At the age of just 33, Prince Harry is already a hugely popular figure in Britain. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's marriage will also strengthen the ties between the United States and the United Kingdom, at a time when American and British leadership is essential. There is tremendous goodwill toward Harry and the Royal Family as a whole, with opinion polls showing strong public backing for the monarchy. Support for the monarchy has steadily risen in Britain in recent years, a reflection of the popularity of Queen Elizabeth II, Britains longest reigning monarch, as well as Princes William and Harry, who have played an increasingly prominent public role. Prince Harry has earned the publics admiration. An Afghanistan war veteran, he showed great courage and leadership on the battlefield in southern Helmand province, where he served two tours of duty with the Household Cavalry Regiment. His bravery fighting the Taliban was a powerful demonstration of the British warrior spirit. It moved then Chief of the General Staff Sir Richard Dannatt to declare that Prince Harry was a "credit to the nation." In the years since, the young prince has emerged as a leading campaigner for wounded warriors, serving as a patron with the charity Walking with the Wounded. He appears destined to be an outstanding ambassador for Great Britain. Great Britains Royal Family plays a vital role in strengthening and uniting the British nation, and in representing the British people across the world. It is a powerful symbol of the defining values and character of the British nation. Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle will play an important role in the coming decades in ensuring that Britains monarchy continues to flourish. Their marriage will also strengthen the ties between the United States and the United Kingdom, at a time when American and British leadership is essential. Both Democrat and Republican politicians on Sunday called for increased transparency on how lawmakers handled allegations of sexual misconduct in the past. There is a bipartisan effort to pass legislation that would require all sexual harassment claims to be handled in the public, The New York Times reported. It is unclear if the legislation would expose payouts in the past. Some politicians are in favor of exposing these older cases, while others warn of potential issues with victims who've had no interest of going public with their claims. I think it should be more transparent, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told NBC's Meet the Press. I certainly think that if you accept taxpayer funds for settlement, that should be transparent. The call comes amid recent allegations against two high-profile politicians: Michigan Rep. John Conyers and Minnesota Sen. Al Franken. Conyers is under investigation over allegations he sexually harassed female staff members. He said Sunday that he will step aside as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee while fiercely denying he acted inappropriately during his long tenure in Congress. Denying the allegations, Conyers, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus who was first elected to the House in 1964, urged lawmakers to allow him due process. I very much look forward to vindicating myself and my family, Conyers said. Franken broke his silence Sunday after being swept into a nationwide tide of sexual harassment allegations, saying he feels "embarrassed and ashamed," but looks forward to returning to work on Monday and gradually regaining voters' trust. Three women allege that Franken grabbed their buttocks while taking photos with them during campaign events. Franken told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he doesn't remember the photographs but that such behavior is "not something I would intentionally do." Asked whether he expected any other women to step forward with similar allegations, Franken said: "If you had asked me two weeks ago, 'Would any woman say I had treated her with disrespect?' I would have said no. So this has just caught me by surprise ... I certainly hope not." The Times reported Sunday that the House is expected to adopt a resolution that all representatives and their staffs must take anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on Monday blasted net neutrality activists who protested outside his home with signs directed at his children, saying the demonstration crosses a line. The protests followed Pai saying last week that he would follow through on his pledge to repeal Obama-era Internet regulations. The move set up a showdown with consumer groups, but the backlash recently reached Pai's own home -- with activists putting up cardboard signs that ask if this is the world he wants his children to "inherit." One sign says, "They will come to know the truth. Dad murdered democracy in cold blood." It certainly crosses a line with me, Pai told Fox News Fox & Friends on Monday. Families should remain out of it and stop harassing us at our homes. ... It was a little nerve-racking, especially for my wife whos not involved in this space. FCC CHAIRMAN MOVES TO DISMANTLE OBAMA-ERA INTERNET RULES The 2015 rules -- known as net neutrality -- were designed to ensure that Internet service providers treat all online content and apps equally. They impose utility-style regulation on ISPs such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon to prevent them from favoring their own digital services over those of their rivals. But Pai argues the rules discourage the ISPs from making investments in their network that would provide even better and faster online access. He also said Monday that he thinks the five-member Federal Communications Commission will vote 3-2 in favor of repealing the regulations. The vote is scheduled for Dec. 14. The solution is not more regulations, he said. The problem was this was slapping on more regulations. Pai has reportedly distributed his alternative plan to other commissioners. Fellow Commissioner Mignon L. Clyburn has called Pais proposals a giveaway to the nations largest communications companies, at the expense of consumers and innovation. Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel are the lone Democrats on the commission. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Democratic Sen. Al Franken, in his first press conference since allegations surfaced of sexual misconduct, said Monday that he was sorry but hopes to regain the publics trust and confidence by getting back to work. And the senator made clear he has no plans to resign. Its going to take a long time to regain peoples trust, but I hope that starts today by getting back to work, he said outside his Capitol Hill office. Ive been trying to take responsibility. ... I am going to be accountable. The Minnesota lawmaker first broke his silence on the issue Sunday, telling state-based newspaper and radio reporters that he was ashamed by his behavior and sorry for his actions but that he would not resign from Congress. Four women have publicly said Franken groped them, including one who said he forcibly kissed her and others who say he grabbed them at photo opportunities. I take a lot of pictures, he said Monday. Franken said he didn't remember such actions regarding the pictures but understood the women felt disrespected. For that I am tremendously sorry, he said. I am going to have to be much more conscious when in these circumstances, much more careful, much more sensitive. ... This will not happen again. Franken also echoed his earlier apologies by saying, I am embarrassed. I feel ashamed. Im going to start my job, and go back to work. The first claim against Franken emerged nearly two weeks ago, when Leeann Tweeden, a Los Angeles radio host, said the senator forcibly kissed and groped her during a 2006 USO tour, before he was elected to the Senate. She said Franken kissed her while rehearsing a sketch. And later on the tour, Franken was photographed with his hands over Tweedens breasts, grinning at the camera, as she slept. The two-term senator has repeatedly apologized to Tweeden and says he will cooperate with a Senate ethics investigation. Franken told Minnesota Public Radio on Sunday that the photo was inexcusable. She ... didn't have any ability to consent, he said. She had every right to feel violated by that photo. I have apologized to her, and I was very grateful that she accepted my apology. The second allegation against Franken was reported several days after Tweeden's. Lindsay Menz told CNN that Franken grabbed her buttocks in 2010 when they posed together for a picture at a Minnesota state fair, while he was a senator. Two other women have since anonymously reported such incidents to the Huffington Post. One woman said Franken groped her in 2007 during a photo at the Minnesota Women's Political Caucus. The other said he cupped her backside with his hand in 2008 and suggested that they go to the bathroom together at a Democratic fundraiser in Minneapolis. The senator said last week that he feels badly that Menz felt disrespected but does not remember the photograph being taken. He told the Star Tribune of Minnesota on Sunday that he was ashamed and embarrassed by his actions but wouldn't resign. The senator also told the newspaper that he spent the past week thinking about how that could happen. And I just recognize that I need to be more careful and a lot more sensitive in these situations. He said he didnt expect similar allegations would follow. I certainly hope not, he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Sen. John McCain is blasting Hillary Clinton for penning a memoir so soon after her stunning defeat in the 2016 presidential election while also noting that her problem is she doesnt have anything to do. What's the f------ point? Keep the fight up? McCain, R-Ariz., says in suggesting in an interview with Esquire published Monday that Clinton erred in writing What Happened when she did and then going on a media blitz to promote it. History will judge that campaign, and its always a period of time before they do," the senator told writer David Usborne. "Youve got to move on. This is Hillarys problem right now: She doesnt have anything to do. McCain, 81, who is being treated for brain cancer, told the magazine that he resisted the temptation to immediately set the record straight about his 2008 loss to Barrack Obama. Youve got to understand that you cant rewrite history, he said. One of the almost irresistible impulses you have when you lose is to somehow justify why you lost and how you were mistreated: I did the right thing! I did! The hardest thing to do is to just shut up. Clinton published her tell-all in September. In it, she holds herself partly responsible for her upset loss to Donald Trump. "I go back over my own shortcomings and the mistakes we made, she wrote. I take responsibility for all of them. You can blame the data, blame the message, blame anything you want -- but I was the candidate. It was my campaign. Those were my decisions. But she also casts blame on her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders for his attacks on her during the primary, former FBI Director James Comey for his handling of the investigation into her private emails and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the hacking of her campaign managers emails. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is facing a backlash for defending Rep. John Conyers and even questioning those accusing him of sexual harassment during a Sunday interview. Pelosi, D-Calif., touted Conyers, D-Mich., on NBCs Meet the Press as an American icon. John Conyers is an icon in our country, she said. He has done a great deal to protect women. She added: I believe he understands whats at stake here. He will do the right thing. Pelosi said Conyers, and the women accusing him, were entitled to due process, but also asked: I dont know who they aredo you? Host Chuck Todd asked whether Pelosi believed the women alleging Conyers treated them inappropriately. Thats for the ethics committee to review, she replied. Pelosis interview drew harsh criticism on Twitter from those who accused her of playing party politics and focusing on power. Pelosi is a survivor and knows she cant lose support in black caucus so she is gentle w Conyers. Its always about power, Chairman of the American Conservative Union Matt Schlapp tweeted Monday. Political editor for TownHall.com and Fox News contributor Guy Benson pointed to Pelosis interview as an example of a double standard used by Democrats in regard to sexual harassment allegations. Benson cited Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, who has been accused of pursuing teenage girls when he was in his 30s, and even sexual assault -- claims he denies. Im no Roy Moore defender, to put it mildly. But for those unable to comprehend why many conservative voters are willing to stand by him, look no further than Pelosis MTP performance today. Many GOP voters see Dems as ruthless defenders of power & are sick of double standards, Benson tweeted Sunday. Despite Pelosis defense of Conyers' record, she applauded the Democratic congressman's decision later Sunday to step down from his leadership position on the House Judiciary Committee while the Ethics Committee reviews the harassment allegations against him. Zero tolerance means consequences, Pelosi said in a statement Sunday, noting that she asked for an ethics investigation into Conyers and that he agreed to step aside as ranking member on the committee. We are at a watershed moment on this issue, and no matter how great an individuals legacy, it is not a license for harassment, Pelosi said. I commend the brave women coming forward. Pelosis statement seemed to add more fuel to the Twitter fire, as pundits and journalists pointed out the difference in tone from her comments earlier that day. The 88-year-old Conyers is the longest-serving current House member. The ethics committee announced last Tuesday that it began an investigation into Conyers, after receiving allegations of sexual harassment and age discrimination involving staff members and about the congressman using official resources for impermissible personal purposes. The announcement followed a BuzzFeed News report last Monday that Conyers office paid a woman more than $27,000 under a confidentiality agreement to settle a 2015 complaint that she was fired from Conyers staff for rejecting his sexual advances. Also last week, Melanie Sloan, a lawyer who worked with Conyers on the House Judiciary Committee, alleged that she was called into Conyers office to discuss an issue and found him walking around in his underwear. It is unclear when the alleged incident occurred. She also claimed Conyers screamed at her, fired and re-hired her, and criticized her for not wearing stockings. Conyers has continued to deny the allegations, but said he would fully cooperate in the probe. Many national Republican leaders pulled their support for Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate, in the wake of allegations claiming he had inappropriate sexual contact with teenage girls. The Washington Post reported that four women accused Moore of initiating sexual contact with them in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when he was an assistant district attorney in his early 30s. One of the women, Leigh Corfman, told the newspaper that Moore had sexual contact with her when she was 14. The age of consent in Alabama is 16. Several additional women have since come forward to accuse Moore of sexually inappropriate behavior. Moore denied the allegations, saying in a statement obtained by Fox News that the allegations are "based on a lie supported by innuendo." "It seems that in the political arena, to say that something is not true is simply not good enough. So let me be clear. I have never provided alcohol to minors, and I have never engaged in sexual misconduct," he said. Multiple Republican lawmakers called on Moore to step aside from the Dec. 12 special election. However, President Trump offered his endorsement for the embattled politician, and the Republican National Committee began supporting Moore after having previously cut its fundraising ties to him. The White House White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president had no plans for an in-person appearance on Moore's behalf. In addition, the president previously signed off on a decision by the Republican National Committee to cut off support for Moore's campaign. But publicly, Trump unleashed his criticism on Democratic candidate Doug Jones instead of Moore. The last thing we need in Alabama and the U.S. Senate is a Schumer/Pelosi puppet who is weak on crime, weak on the border, bad for our military and our great vets, bad for our 2nd Amendment, and wants to [raise] taxes to the sky. Jones would be a disaster, Trump tweeted on Nov. 26. And just over one week before the election, Trump said he needed Moores vote in the Senate when it comes to certain issues, such as immigration, gun rights and judicial appointments. Trump also encouraged his Twitter followers to vote for Moore on the morning of the election as he contended that Moore "will always vote with us." Vice President Mike Pence found the allegations in the story disturbing and believes, if true, this would disqualify anyone from serving in office, his press secretary, Alyssa Farah, has told reporters. Sen. Mitch McConnell While speaking to reporters, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he believes the women quoted in the Washington Post story. He urged Moore to step aside in light of the allegations. Previously, McConnell said Moore should step aside if "these allegations are true." Sen. Cory Gardner Cory Gardner, the National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, said he believes the women who have alleged Moore's misconduct. In a statement, he encouraged the Senate to "vote to expel" Moore should he win the election next month. "He does not meet the ethical and moral requirements of the United States Senate," Gardner, R-Colo., said. Sen. Mike Lee A former backer of Moore, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, pulled his endorsement from Moore after the allegations came to light. "Having read the detailed description of the incidents, as well as the response from Judge Moore and his campaign, I can no longer endorse his candidacy for the US Senate," Lee said in a tweet. He had also requested that Moore's campaign no longer use his image. Sen. Lisa Murkowski Im horrified and if its true, he should step down immediately, Murkowski told reporters. She reportedly also urged Sen. Luther Strange, who was appointed to fill Jeff Sessions seat when he was tapped to become attorney general, to launch a write-in campaign. The deadline to take Moore off the ballot has passed. Sen. Mike Rounds If they are true, then he should seriously think about stepping aside," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said. Sen. John Cornyn I find it deeply distrusting and troubling. Its up to the governor and the folks of Alabama to make that decision as far as what the next steps are," Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, said. He later withdrew his endorsement of Moore. Sen. Tim Scott If theyre accurate, he absolutely should [step aside]," Tim Scott, of South Carolina, said. Sen. Susan Collins In a tweet, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called for Moore to "withdraw from the Senate race in Alabama." Collins wrote that she listened to Moore deny the allegations in a recent radio interview, but "did not find his denials to be convincing." Collins' most recent statement comes after she previously tweeted: "If there is any truth at all to these horrific allegations, Roy Moore should immediately step aside as Senate candidate." Sen. Steve Daines "I am pulling my endorsement and support for Roy Moore for U.S. Senate," said Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Sen. John McCain "The allegations against Roy Moore are deeply disturbing and disqualifying. He should immediately step aside and allow the people of Alabama to elect a candidate they can be proud of," Arizona Sen. John McCain said. Sen. Richard Shelby Its a devastating nasty story, Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby told reporters. If its true, I dont believe thered be a place for him in the U.S. Senate. He said that he did not vote for Moore when he sent in his absentee ballot but voted instead for a "distinguished Republican write-in." Sen. Jeff Flake Like other Republicans, Flake called on Moore to step aside from the election. "Just to be clear. If the choice is between Roy Moore and a Democrat, I would run to the polling place to vote for the Democrat," Flake tweeted. Hes said that Republicans to support Roy Moore over Doug Jones is political tribalism at its worst. Flake also tweeted a photo of a check made out to Jones for $100 with "Country over Party" written in the memo line. Sen. Luther Strange Alabama Sen. Luther Strange, who lost the special election primary to Roy Moore, called the allegations disturbing. It is too late to take Moore off the ballot, but Strange has been encouraged to launch a write-in campaign. Sen. Rob Portman I think if what we read is true, and people are on the record so I assume it is, then he should step aside, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman said. Sen. Ben Sasse Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called the Washington Posts story "heartbreaking." Sasse also slammed the Republican National Committee for providing funds to Moores race. This is a bad decision and very sad day. I believe the women and the RNC previously did too. Whats changed? Or is the party just indifferent? Sasse said on Twitter. This sends a terrible message to victims its not that the party wont believe you if you come forward. It might. But just doesnt care. The senator than warned that if the National Republican Senatorial Committee decided to contribute to Moore, he would no longer be a donor to or fund-raiser for it. Sen. Ted Cruz "These are serious and troubling allegations," Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who previously endorsed Moore, said in a statement. "If they are true, Judge Moore should immediately withdraw. However, we need to know the truth, and Judge Moore has the right to respond to these accusations." Sen. Bill Cassidy Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., officially withdrew his support from the candidate. "Based on the allegations against Roy Moore, his response and what is known, I withdraw support," he said. Sen. Orrin Hatch "I stand with the Majority Leader on this. These are serious and disturbing accusations, and while the decision is now in the hands of the people of Alabama, I believe Luther Strange is an excellent alternative," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, tweeted. But a week before the election, Hatch said Trump didnt have another choice but to endorse Moore, Bloomberg reported. He also said that many of the things he allegedly did are decades ago. So its hard to thats a decision that has to be made by the people in that state. If they make that decision, who are we to question them? Hatch said. Sen. Pat Toomey We'll probably never know for sure exactly what happened," Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said on NBC's "Meet the Press." "But I think the accusations have more credibility than the denial. I think it would be best if Roy would just step aside. Sen. Lindsey Graham South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham took to Twitter to say Moore should step aside in the Alabama Senate race. "In light of the most recent allegations and the cumulative effect of others, I believe [Moore] would be doing himself, the state, the GOP, and the country a service by stepping aside," Graham said. "If he continues this will not end well for Mr. Moore." He has also bemoaned Trumps attempt to throw a lifeline to Moore. Rep. Paul Ryan House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said if the allegations are true, they would disqualify Moore from the special election. These allegations are disqualifying if true. Anyone who would do this to a child has no place in public office, let alone the United States Senate, Ryan said in a statement. Rep. Peter King "I would say unless he can prove his innocence, the burden is now on him within the next day or so, I believe he has to step down. He owes it to himself, he owes it to the state and and he owes it to the U.S. Senate," New York Rep. Peter King said after the allegations came out. Rep. Lee Zeldin In a tweet, Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., called for that "creepy Roy Moore dude" to step aside from the campaign. "It's about that time for that creepy Roy Moore dude to exit stage left. He should step aside & let someone take his spot on the ballot who doesn't prey upon young teenage girls as a grown man," he said. Gov. John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich said on Twitter that hes long opposed Moore and called on him to step aside from the race as well. Ive long opposed Roy Moore [and] his divisive viewpoints. The actions described make him unfit for office. The GOP must not support him. He should step aside, Kasich said. Former Gov. Mitt Romney Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, slammed Moore on Twitter. Innocent until proven guilty is for criminal convictions, not elections. I believe Leigh Corfman, the former governor said. Her account is too serous to ignore. Moore is unfit for office and should step aside. "Roy Moore in the US Senate would be a stain on the GOP and on the nation. Leigh Corfman and other victims are courageous heroes. No vote, no majority is worth losing our honor, our integrity," Romney said in another tweet on Dec. 4. Former Gov. Jeb Bush Former Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Moore should step down in light of the allegations. "This is not a question of innocence or guilt like in a criminal proceeding; this is a question of whats right and whats wrong. Acknowledging that youre dating teenagers when youre 32 years old as assistant state attorney is wrong. Its just plain wrong," he told CNBC, adding that he agreed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who said earlier Monday that Moore should "step aside." "We need to stand for basic principles, and decency has to be one of those," Bush added. "In the really poisonous political environment we have right now, one of the rules I think has to apply is that when you attack somebody on the other party, and the other team for doing something wrong, when it happens on your team, you have an obligation I think to speak out as well." Ivanka Trump The president's daughter had some harsh words for Moore. "There's a special place in hell for people who prey on children. I've yet to see a valid explanation, and I have no reason to doubt the victims' accounts," Ivanka Trump told the Associated Press. Condoleezza Rice While she didnt name Moore, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who is from Alabama encouraged voters to take a stand for our core principles and for what is right. These critical times require us to come together to reject bigotry, sexism and intolerance, Rice said in a statement to AL.com. "It is imperative for Americans to remain focused on our priorities and not give way to side shows and antics. I know that Alabamans need an independent voice in Washington. But we must also insist that our representatives are dignified, decent, and respectful of the values we hold dear, she said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump has no plans to travel to Alabama to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, the White House said Monday. The president initially hinted last week that he might campaign for Moore. And over the weekend, Trump slammed Moores Democratic rival Doug Jones on Twitter, saying that electing the Democrat would damage his agenda and be a disaster. But a White House official told The Associated Press that Trump would not travel to Alabama on Moore's behalf. Asked about the president's plans with regard to Moore, a White House official confirmed to Fox News there is nothing on his schedule at this time." Seven women have come forward and accused Moore of sexual misconduct. One said she was 14 when the incident occurred. In recent weeks, several Alabama newspapers as well as prominent Republicans including Sens. Mike Lee and Ted Cruz have withdrawn their endorsements of Moore. Trump, however, seemed to minimize the allegations of sexual misconduct, while telling voters last week not to support Jones. When pressed on the allegations against Moore, some of which date back 40 years, Trump said, "Look, he denies it ... He says it didn't happen, and you know, you have to listen to him also." Fox News' Serafin Gomez and The Associated Press contributed to this report. President Trump on Monday resumed his long-running battle with what he calls "FAKE NEWS," just hours after returning to the White House from Mar-a-Lago where he spent the Thanksgiving break. We should have a contest as to which of the Networks plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me), Trump tweeted. They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY! CNN's Jake Tapper quoted the president's tweet, sharing a link to a CNN poll from earlier this month, reflecting Trump's approval ratings at a "new low." "Trump approval ratings: historic lows," Tapper tweeted. "Trump honesty: 1,628 false or misleading claims over 298 days." Earlier, Trump replied to a tweet from White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino Jr., which shared a Breitbart News article criticizing MSNBC and its hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough for pretending their pre-taped post-Thanksgiving show was live. Fake News: Morning Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) Caught Pretending Pre-Taped Day After Thanksgiving Show Was Live, Scavino tweeted, sharing Breitbarts coverage. The good news is that their ratings are terrible, nobody cares! Trump replied, referring to the morning shows ratings. Trump has criticized both Scarborough and Brzezinski for hammering his administration during their early-morning show. He's also been on the warpath against CNN. @FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly, Trump tweeted Saturday. The outside world does not see the truth from them! The outlet counter-punched. Its not CNNs job to represent the U.S to the world. Thats yours. Our job is to report the news. #FactsFirst, CNN Communications tweeted in response to the president on Saturday. President Trump on Monday revived his favorite nickname for Sen. Elizabeth Warren -- Pocahontas -- during a White House event to honor Navajo code talkers. The president hosted the event to honor the veterans who used their native language during World Wars I and II to protect the U.S. during battle. Youre very, very special people. You were here long before any of us were here, Trump said in the Oval Office. But his comments took an unexpected turnto the Democratic senator from Massachusetts. Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas, Trump said. But you know what? I like you. Because you are special. Trump has repeatedly mocked Warren for claims she has made about being part Native American. But Trump's jab on Monday was met with a backlash from critics who said the president should not have used this forum to toss around that nickname. These code talkers deserve our nations praise and gratitude, not a president who disrespects the Native American community and dishonors Native American veterans, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said in a statement Monday. What Trump displayed today was an embarrassment to our values and a disgraceful insult to the heroes of our history. Our country deserves better than this. But White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders defended the presidents comments after being grilled by reporters over why the president felt the need to say something offensive during the press briefing on Monday. I think what most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about heritage to advance her career, Sanders said. When asked whether it was a racial slur, Sanders said that was ridiculous. I dont think it is a racist term, I dont think that was his intent, Sanders said. Senator Warren was offensive when she lied about something to advance her career. Warren responded to Trump on MSNBC after the event, saying that it was deeply unfortunate that the president of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur. Donald Trump does this over and over thinking somehow he is gonna shut me up with this, Warren said. It hadnt worked in the past, it is not gonna work in the future. Warrens claims of Native-American heritage originated during her Senate campaign. She was ultimately unable to prove she is Native American. More than 100 reindeer in Norway have been killed in recent days after getting caught on tracks and subsequently hit by speeding freight trains, sparking an outcry to erect some type of barrier during their migration. Torstein Appfjell, a reindeer herder who was dizzy with anger, called the deaths totally tragic and unprecedented. He said that the worst incident occurred on Saturday when 65 reindeer were killed. He said over 106 reindeer were killed since Thursday, making it the worst 12-month period they have seen in the area. At least 250 animals were killed in train accidents since last November. SCIENTISTS DISCOVER WHY REINDEER ANTLERS ARE SO STRONG Groups of reindeer, led by their herders, have been migrating from their summer pasture in the mountainous regions of Norway towards the coast, according to Sky News. But many of the animals get caught on the train tracks. Residents in the area, tired of seeing the animals being slaughtered every year, are calling for a barrier to be constructed to prevent and protect the animals from train tracks. Local media has reported that Bane NOR, the company which runs the train, has since reduced speeds in the area in response to the massacre. Earlier warnings for trains to decrease speed at the migration areas failed to reach the train operators due to a technical failure, Sky News reported. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Elon Musk has repeatedly sounded the alarm against the rise of artificial intelligence as a threat to humanity. Now, the venerable tech exec has observed that Boston Dynamics' latest robot, which does backflips, is just the start of things to come. "This is nothing," Musk wrote on Twitter, describing a video in which Boston Dynamics' latest robot does backflips in a warehouse. "In a few years, that bot will move so fast youll need a strobe light to see it. Sweet dreams" When asked why people would need strobe lights to see it, he responded: "Otherwise youd only see a blur." It's unclear if Musk was taking inspiration from the recently released "Justice League" movie, in which The Flash, played by Ezra Miller, runs so fast, he is just a blur to the human eye. ELON MUSK THINKS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COULD CAUSE WORLD WAR III According to research firm IDC, worldwide spending on robotics will top $188 billion by 2020, up from $91.5 billion in 2016, due in part to new use cases and acceptance in the marketplace. "Innovators in the field of robotics are delivering robots that can be used to perform a broader range of tasks, which is helping to drive the adoption of robotics into a wider base of industries," said IDC Manufacturing Insights research manager John Santagate in a January statement. Investment in artificial intelligence, which allows machines to perform tasks as well or better than humans, is expected to surgeduring the same time frame as well, IDC noted separately. Earlier this month, Boston Dynamics, known for its terrifying-looking robots, released a new video of its humanoid robot. The new video shows the robot jumping from block to block and it eventually does a backflip, further casting a light on our robot-pocalypse future. 'NIGHTMARE INDUCING' ROBOTS ARE NOW ABLE TO DO BACKFLIPS Musk, who has previously said artificial intelligence could be the cause of World War 3, has repeatedly asked for governments around the world to regulate artificial intelligence and robotics, much like society does with other sectors, such as food and drugs. He expressed his sentiments again on Sunday on Twitter. "Got to regulate AI/robotics like we do food, drugs, aircraft & cars," Musk wrote. "Public risks require public oversight. Getting rid of the FAA wdnt [SIC] make flying safer. Theyre there for good reason." Boston Dynamics, which Google sold to Japanese tech conglomerate Softbank earlier this year, has acknolwedged that its robots can cause fear, with its CEO, Marc Raibert, once making a joke about it in a presentation. In February, Raibert showed off the wheeled version of one of its robots and described it as "nightmare-inducing." "This is the debut presentation of what I think will be a nightmare-inducing robot if you're anything like me," Raibert was quoted as saying. Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia We know that crossing off your holiday shopping list is the intention behind days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But with so many incredible travel deals slated for this year, it's a great time to get out your bucket list, too. We've combed through the Cyber Monday sales to highlight some of the deepest discounts on airfare, hotel stays, tours and more. Some have already started, and that dream vacation you've always wanted to take just might be within reach. So without further ado, we present the very best travel deals this holiday shopping season. Airfare Sales If you're planning to book a flight for more than three people, use the promo code CYBER30 to take $30 off flights booked at CheapOAir.com. Expedia is hosting a fare sale with airlines like Lufthansa, Air China, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines, where you can find international round-trip fares from $399. At the time of publish, a March round-trip flight from Los Angeles to Bangkok was a steal at $419. Hotel and Resort Sales Hotels.com is offering an entire week of deals with up to 50 percent or more in savings when you book before Wednesday, November 29. Starting on Black Friday, the site is also running a promotion for a mystery coupon that will give 300 people an additional 99 percent off a single booking of up to $1000 through Cyber Monday. Users can also unlock other secret prices by subscribing to emails. At select Marriott properties worldwide, you can save on stays from Dec. 7, 2017 to Jan. 15, 2018, at Marriott's five-day cyber sale, with rates from $89 per night. The Peninsula hotels in New York City, Chicago, Beverly Hills, and Paris have some great savings on room bookings as well as spa, dining and hotel gift cards. For example, at the Peninsula New York, you can save 30 percent on stays when you use the code NYCYBER to reserve any room category online for travel from now through March 31, 2018 The Wyndham Hotel Group is giving travelers up to 55 percent off the best rate at properties all around the U.S. from Chicago to Tucson to Aspen to Orlando. One example: $71 per night at the Wyndham New Orleans-French Quarter, from now until Sept. 30, 2018. At Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas, stays that are booked for four or more nights will receive a complimentary fifth night, valid on bookings through Oct. 15, 2018. Sandals Beaches & Resorts is touting up to $1,730 in savings as part of its Cyber Monday deals. Travelers who book will receive up to $1,000 as an instant bonus, up to 65 percent off rates, and one free night in select room categories. Plus, they're tossing in a free catamaran cruise, a $250 spa credit, and more fun extras. Loews Hotels' Cyber Sale runs from Monday through Wednesday, November 29, with 20 percent off all room rates. Guests can enjoy discounted rates from hotels like Loews Hollywood, Loews Philadelphia, Loews New Orleans, and more. At 36 participating Destination Hotels across the country, travelers can save up to 40 percent on bookings through Dec. 1, 2018. There are plenty of perfect ski trip spots included, like The Gant in Aspen, and Manor Vail Lodge in Vail, Colorado. Tour Sales Contiki Travel will offer 18- to 35-year-old travelers up to 30 percent off select trips, along with $150 off all worldwide flights spanning from across six continents. Travelers simply need to book their travels before Dec. 4. Trips include Contikis Costa Rica Unplugged trip, where vacationers will explore jungles and volcanoes, coffee plantations and beaches, and discover small Costa Rican towns for two weeks. The trip includes accommodations, 23 meals, in-destination transportation and excursions starting at $2,493. At Intrepid Travel, you can take 15 percent off all trips departing between Feb. 1 and Sept. 30, 2018. That's valid on more than 1,000 tours to 120 countries on six continents. Solo trip to Peru to hike Machu Picchu, anyone? Global tour operator Friendly Planet Travel is offering travelers huge Cyber Monday savings, including up to $1,400 off per person on 68 tours to over 40 international destinations. A great option for adventure lovers is Friendly Planets 13-day Best of South Africa tour. Friendly Planet will offer up the trip for $2,899 per person, marking a $700 savings. For even bigger savings book the tour operators eight-day Captivating Cuba tour, which will go for $3,199 (a $1,400 savings). Packages include all airfare, accommodations, most meals, transfers, English-speaking guides, and more. Cruise Sales Royal Caribbean is offering 50 percent off for the second passenger and up to $400 in credits to spend at sea depending on the length of your cruise. At CruiseDirect.com, travelers can sail for as little as $35 per night, with tons of added bonuses: free drinks, free upgrades, up to $2,000 of onboard credits, and more. Right now with Princess Cruises, select sailings from winter 2017 through spring 2018 are eligible for up to $1,000 off per stateroom plus reduced fares for the third and fourth guests. On Cyber Monday only, guests also can receive 50 percent off deposits now only $50. Spending time in New York City? Iconic tour company Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises has buy-one-get-one-free adult tickets for the Best of NYC Cruise, Landmarks Cruise, Liberty Cruise or Harbor Lights Cruise with code BOGO17. Travel Gear Sales eBags has Cyber Monday Doorbuster Deals at up to 75 percent off, including brands like Bose, The North Face, Samsonite, Briggs & Riley, and other favorite luggage brands. Plus, the promo code DEALS will get you an extra 25 percent off your order. To finally become the packing pro you know you can be, look no further than Eagle Creek, which is offering 20 percent off select travel gear (including some of the best packing cube sets on the market!). In its travel department, Amazon is also offering up to 20 percent off on luggage and travel accessories from brands like Travelpro, Herschel Supply Co., Travelon, and Victorinox. To stock up on outdoor adventure gear, check out Eastern Mountain Sports' biggest sale of the year. The code GIVEGEAR will save you 20 percent off one full-price item and also off one clearance item. And there are also limited-time savings of up to 50 percent on outerwear, camping gear, hiking shoes, and more. Tumi is running its semi-annual sale through December 31, but on Cyber Monday, you can also take an additional 20 percent off already-reduced styles, including some of the brand's best-selling collections. At Kohl's, there are more than 2,000 incredible luggage deals. Shop brands like American Tourister, Olympia, Travelers Choice and more with discounts of up to 50 percent. Looking for some comfy travel boots? Zappos is offering limited-time savings of up to 50 percent on UGG, Frye, SOREL, Hunter, and Columbia. Tens of thousands of travelers are still stuck on the Indonesian island of Bali after authorities extended the closure of Bali's international airport due to nearby volcanic activity. Airport officials have announced that Ngurah Rai International Airport will remain closed for another 24 hours for safety reasons, as volcanic ash from Mount Agung which has reached heights of 30,000 feet continues to pose a threat to outgoing flights. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, shared the news early on Tuesday morning, though he stated that the nearby Lombok International Airport, on the neighboring island of Lombok, had reopened. MORE THAN 40 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA FOUND IN LUGGAGE AT NASHVILLE AIRPORT Tourists, meanwhile, are still at a loss for what to do. "I don't know, we can't change it," German tourist Gina Camp told the Associated Press from a bench at the airport. "It's the nature and we have to wait until it's over." Balis Mount Agung has been spewing smoke and ash since Saturday, the AP reports, and lava has been welling up in the crater. A potentially dangerous mudflow known as lahar which is made up of volcanic debris mixed with water has already begun to flow down the mountain, and Indonesias National Disaster Mitigation Agency believes that its only a matter of time before lava spills over the slopes as well. Indonesias volcanology center had since issued a red alert to all airlines, warning of excessive amounts of ash in the atmosphere for miles around, Sky News reports. And on Monday morning, officials closed the Ngurah Rai International Airport (also known as Denpasar International Airport) in Bali for 24 hours. A nearby airport on the Indonesian island of Lombok had already closed as of Sunday, The Telegraph adds. Multiple airlines, too, had confirmed as of Sunday that flights out of Bali would be canceled. Garuda Indonesia, the countrys national airline, further responded to a concerned traveler via Twitter with news that Denpasar would be closed at least until 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Airport officials are said to be reviewing their decision every six hours, according to Buzzfeed News. As of Monday afternoon local time, at least 445 flights were canceled and 59 thousand travelers affected. An airport spokesman confirmed those numbers on Tuesday, AP reports. AIRPORT PASSENGERS BREAK OUT ACCORDION AFTER FLIGHT DELAY IS ANNOUNCED Hundreds of hopeful tourists, meanwhile, have reportedly been waiting at Ngurah Rai since Monday, according to photos taken at the airport. One stranded passenger who spoke with Sky News said that she, like other tourists, were aware of the risks involved with traveling to Bali. "Yeah I had knowledge and, like with everything, there's a risk," said Chelsea Van De Ven. "I took that risk and got stranded but, hopefully, we will get through. Another woman claimed on Twitter that she had checked out of her hotel and headed to the airport, only to return and re-check into the hotel, as there was no other way to learn when or if the airport had reopened. She says she will likely do the same thing again tomorrow. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS The National Disaster Mitigation Agency says that the volcanos danger zone encompasses 22 villages and some 90,000-100,000 people. Authorities are trying to move them to the islands evacuation centers, which were already housing about 25,000 other evacuees who had moved in following tremors in September. Mount Agungs last major eruption occurred in 1963, and claimed the lives of around 1,100 people. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A man in Florida has been charged with murder after he allegedly stabbed someone with a three-foot-long sword. George C. Livingston, 51, was arrested after a man was found dead and covered in blood next to a three-foot sword near railroad tracks on Saturday, according to the Sun Sentinel. Law enforcement reportedly responded to a call in which someone reported a subject covered in blood was lying next to the railroad tracks. FLORIDA MAN WIELDS SAMURAI SWORD DURING ROAD RAGE INCIDENT, POLICE SAY The victim, identified by the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office as David Beckett, 58, had "visible injuries consistent with a violent attack," a spokesperson for the sheriff's office told the Palm Beach Post. Livingston and Beckett reportedly both lived at a nearby homeless camp. Police believe the attack, which was referred to as murder, dangerous depraved without premeditation on Livingstons booking sheet, was part of a fight he had with Beckett. In 2011, Livingston, who was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Becketts death, was reportedly caught with a nine-inch knife attached to his belt near a children's area of the Boynton Beach Mall. He claimed he needed the knife to protect himself from gangs. After having his knife confiscated, Livingston reportedly asked, "Why did the other officer take my pocket knife but not my taser?" Police then confiscated his taser. TEXAS ABOUT TO LEGALIZE OPEN-CARRY OF BIG SWORDS AND KNIVES The Post reported Livingston spent five years in state prison after he failed to abide by a 1998 court-order to cease contact with someone "for protection against repeat violence." Livingston continued to harass and engage in "threatening behavior toward the victim." He later spent two years in prison for another charge of aggravated stalking, according to the Palm Beach Post. Livingston is currently being held without bond in the Palm Beach County jail. Police say an officer shot a suspected shoplifter near the food court at a busy Dallas-area shopping mall. Arlington police spokesman Lt. Christopher Cook says the incident occurred Sunday afternoon after a theft was reported at a store inside The Parks at Arlington mall. Police say the suspect attempted to flee from security before going up an escalator toward the food court. Cook says the male suspect then pulled a replica handgun from his waistband and was shot by an officer who thought the weapon was real. The unidentified suspect was taken to an area hospital. His condition is not yet known. Authorities say no one else was injured. The mall closed early as police evacuated the remaining shoppers. Additional details were not immediately available. Police are investigating. A high-powered Los Angeles attorney has joined the cadre of lawyers fighting to free Cyntoia Brown from the life sentence she received for shooting a man to death who had solicited her for sex when she was 16 years old. Brown has been behind bars for nearly a decade in the 2004 murder of 43-year-old Johnny Michael Allen, who solicited Brown for sex from a pimp named "Kutthroat," who himself had repeatedly raped the teenage girl. Brown isn't eligible for parole until she's 69. Brown has said she believed Allen, who was a sharp shooter in the U.S. Army, was reaching for his gun when she shot him in the head while the pair was laying in bed. She also claimed she had rebuffed Allen's sexual advances. Prosecutors, however, said Brown shot Allen in his sleep -- noting he was found face down with his hands under his head -- so she could rob him. Brown stole Allen's weapons and his money, and her juvenile criminal history and drug use were cited during the trial. Recently, however, celebrities such as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian have posted on Instagram and Twitter about Browns case, pleading for what they see as justice, while petitions to set Brown free or re-try her have received more than 225,000 signatures. Rhiana wrote in a post something is horribly wrong when the system enables these rapists and the victim is thrown away, while Kardashian enlisted the help of Shawn Holley, who served on O.J. Simpson's defense team and has worked with high-profile clients such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie. Additionally, during her 2006 trial, Brown's defense team brought up other mitigating factors that supporters are now shining a renewed light on, such as the money "Kutthroat" made by forcing Brown into prostitution and that Brown suffered from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder due to her mother's heavy drinking during pregnancy. [Cyntoia] was a victim of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. She was on the tail end of three generations of women being abused. Her birth mother had been raped and Cyntoia was born from that rape, filmmaker Dan Birman, who spent seven years studying Browns case for his 2011 film Me Facing Life: Cyntoias Story, told Fox News. How does any kid survive that? We want to throw away our children? I think thats a bad idea. Indeed, Birmans PBS documentary, and the subsequent attention it brought to the case, helped to prompt a change in Tennessees laws regarding child sex trafficking. It's now impossible to be charged with prostitution in Tennessee if youre under the age of 18. SUPREME COURT: NO MORE LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR JUVENILES Still, the celebrity and activist posts using the hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown wont be what determines Brown's fate. Tennessees Board of Parole Executive Clemency Unit is responsible for processing commutation, pardon and exoneration applications. The process begins with determining if a hearing is warranted and then making a recommendation to the governor. "Parole is granted by the board of parole, not the governor, in accordance with statutory eligibility," Jennifer Donnals, press secretary for Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, told Fox News via email. "Requests for clemency must begin with an application to the board." Birman believes the entire outcome of the case is against Supreme Court precedent, referencing recent decisions saying mandatory life sentences without parole should not apply to people convicted of murder as juveniles. The whole possibility that the nation can sentence a child to life imprisonment for a crime when theyre kids -- it goes against the Supreme Court, Birman said. Life in prison is a death sentence for many of these kids. Brown's attorney Charles Bone told NBC that if Brown were tried under current Tennessee law "she would most likely today be charged with second-degree murder at the most," which would make her eligible for parole almost immediately, based on time already served. According to The Sentencing Project, a nonprofit that advocates against mass incarceration, approximately 2,100 individuals who were sentenced as juveniles could be released in the wake of the Supreme Courts recent rulings. Twenty states and the District of Columbia have banned life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles. Three states, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Louisiana, account for about two-thirds of the juveniles currently serving life sentences without the chance of parole. Now 28 years old, Brown recently completely her associates degree through Lipscomb Universitys in-jail program and is working on her masters. Although pictures released when she graduated showed her looking hopeful, she has acknowledged the difficulty of her plight. Ive questioned out loud, how am I going to do this, how am I supposed to do this, how I am going to spend the rest of my life in prison? Brown asks in Birmans film. Now that her case has received renewed nationwide attention, it remains to be seen if Brown will be freed. If she gets released, it will be because there was enough merit for a governor to look at it and say we need to do this differently," Birman said. "The things that were not considered are big: the social things, the chemical things, the brain things. I think she has a shot. A suburban Chicago mother who administered a fatal dose of medication to her severely disabled daughter in 2015 has been found dead of an apparent suicide, authorities said Sunday. Bonnie Liltz was sentenced in 2016 after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her adult daughter. Liltz has had cancer and said she feared for her daughter's future as her own health declined. She has recurring cancer and gave her daughter, Courtney, a fatal dose of prescription medication on May 27, 2015. Tom Glasgow told People that she wanted to spare her daughter the risk of being institutionalized. She adopted the girl because she was unable to have children of her own, the magazine reported. She had Stage III ovarian cancer at 19 and had a hysterectomy. Its a tragic, tragic end, Glasgow, her attorney told The Chicago Tribune. She just didnt want to die in prison. Liltz pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. Liltz was released on bond while appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case. Bonnie Liltz was pronounced dead Saturday, the Cook County medical examiner's office said. A county judge had ordered the 57-year-old to return to prison Monday. Schaumburg Police said authorities haven't found any evidence of foul play and believe her death was a suicide. Shes at peace now, in heaven with her daughter, Gladys Liltz, 89, her mother, told the paper. Thats all she ever wanted, was to be with Courtney. The Associated Press contributed to this report A 40-pound wild bobcat traveled more than 50 miles stuck to the grille of a car that hit her on a Virginia road. The young bobcat suffered only a small scrape on her back after the harrowing ride on Thanksgiving morning. We just couldnt believe it, Richmond Animal Care and Rescue director Christie Chipps Peters told Fox News Monday. It was so crazy. Its just so great that it ended well. The woman who hit the animal knew she hit something after leaving her house in Gloucester County in eastern Virginia. She found out what it was an hour later when she reached her job at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Peters, who confirmed the bobcat was a female, responded to the scene with an animal control officer. The woman who hit the animal was driving a Prius, WTVR reported. We got on scene and it really was true. Its really a bobcat stuck in the front of a Prius grille, Peters told the station. When we walked by, (s)he hissed at us, so (s)hes alive and may be OK, which was so crazy since (the woman) drove from Gloucester to VCU. The bobcat was freed after being sedated. Peters said the bobcat was taken to the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro and eventually will be released back into the wild near the crossroads where she was hit. In a story Nov. 22 about a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was injured in a Nov. 18 incident being released from a hospital, The Associated Press reported erroneously that a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation said both that agent and an agent who didn't survive the incident, Rogelio Martinez, may have fallen. The official only said Martinez may have fallen. A corrected version of the story is below: Border agent injured in West Texas incident out of hospital A Border Patrol agent injured in an incident that left a fellow agent dead has been discharged from an El Paso hospital EL PASO, Texas (AP) A Border Patrol agent injured in an incident that left a fellow agent dead was discharged Wednesday from an El Paso hospital. The agent was discharged Wednesday from the University Medical Center in El Paso, said Doug Mosier, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in El Paso. He declined to identify the agent and referred to the FBI all questions about the status of the investigation into Saturday night's incident near Van Horn that left agent Rogelio Martinez dead. A message left with an FBI spokeswoman Wednesday wasn't returned. Speculation about the incident has run rampant with several politicians calling it an attack and promoting the building of a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr. in the FBI's El Paso office had said Tuesday that investigators were treating the incident as a "potential assault," but they could not rule out other scenarios. Representatives from the border patrol's union were also insistent from the accounts of other agents who responded to the scene that the incident was an attack. Chris Cabrera, a spokesman for the National Border Patrol Council, told The Associated Press that agents responding to the scene called it "grisly." However, a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press on Monday that Martinez may have fallen, and that the surviving agent had no memory of his duty-shift. The official spoke on condition of anonymity and is not authorized to speak publicly. Border Patrol officials hoped to have answers for Martinez's family as they planned his visitation and funeral, set for Friday and Saturday in El Paso. ___ Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report. Since Bailey Sellers was 16 years old, she received flowers and a note from her deceased father on her birthday. William Sellers had a strong attachment to his daughter. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2013 and-- a month before he died at 56-- arranged it so she would get a flower delivery on her birthday every year until she turned 21. He wanted to remind his daughter that he was thinking of her. This year, Bailey received her final card. Bailey, this is my last love letter to you until we meet again. I do not want you to shed another tear for me my baby girl for I am in a better place. You are and always will be the most precious jewel I was given. It is your 21st birthday and I want you to always respect your momma and yourself. Be happy and live life to the fullest. I will still be with you through every milestone, just look around and there I'll be, the letter read. Bailey tweeted the note along with the photo of the flowers and an earlier picture of her with her dad. My dad passed away when I was 16 from cancer and before he died he pre payed flowers so I could receive them every year on my birthday. Well this is my 21st birthday flowers and the last. Miss you so much daddy, Baily posted on Twitter on Friday. The tweet went viral and was retweeted 352,000 times and liked 1,438,630 times by early Monday. Kristy Sellers, Baileys mother, told ABC that she was sitting on the couch with her husband about a month before he died and he came up with the idea. The East Tennessee State University student told ABC News she was so happy reading that message. Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here. Developing now, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017: Congress faces looming deadlines and scandals in return from Thanksgiving break Lawsuit challenges President Trump's appointment of his budget director as interim director of consumer financial protection agency Bali volcano erupts, stranding tens of thousands of tourists Jurors in the Kate Steinle murder trial resume deliberations today Prince Harry engaged, Kensington Palace announces It's Cyber Monday and online shoppers face a bevy of post-Black Friday promotions and savings THE LEAD STORY: Congress returns from Thanksgiving break facing a lengthy to-do list amid looming deadlines and scandals on both sides of the political aisle ...Lawmakers have only a four-week window before their Christmas break deadline to pass tax reform legislation, avoid a potential government shutdown, and deal with lots of leftover spending bills. Trump and congressional leaders plan a meeting Tuesday to discuss how to sidestep a shutdown on Dec. 8 and work though the legislative to-do list. However, there are distractions - sexual misconduct scandals have dogged both Democrats and Republicans. Democratic Sen. Al Franken broke his silence Sunday on sexual misconduct allegations, reportedly saying hes embarrassed and ashamed but will not resign from the Senate. Meanwhile, Rep. John Conyers stepped aside as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, but again denied recent allegations of sexual and inappropriate conduct. On the GOP side, today is the last day for voters to register for Dec. 12 special election to fill the Jeff Sessions' Senate seat. President Trump continues to support Roy Moore, despite multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him involving minors and GOP angst over the Moore scandal. Congress faces pressure to come clean on sex harassment payouts LEGAL BATTLE OVER TRUMP APPOINTMENT: President Trump's appointment of his budget director as interim director of a consumer financial protection agency championed by Democrats was challenged in a lawsuit filed in federal court Sunday night ... Leandra English, the federal official elevated to the position of interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by its outgoing director, filed the suit against Trump and his choice, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney. The suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asked for a declaratory judgment and a temporary restraining order to block Mulvaney from taking over the bureau. Sen. Thune tells 'Fox News Sunday' Mulvaney, not Cordray pick, will lead US consumer financial watchdog agency BALI VOLCANO DANGER ZONE: Hundreds of thousands have been urged to evacuate and about 59,000 tourists were stranded in wake of the eruption of Mount Agung in Bali ... The Indonesian disaster agency has called on 100,000 to evacuate and expanded the danger zone after the eruption of Mount Agung. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, leaving about 59,000 tourists stranded on the Island. The closure will continue until Tuesday, but officials said they are closely monitoring the situation and will determine every six hours whether the airport should remain closed. VERDICT WATCH: Jurors deciding the fate of the illegal immigrant accused of killing Kate Steinle will resume deliberations today after two abbreviated days of deliberations and the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend ... After 12 days of testimony, dozens of witnesses and two days of closing arguments in the murder trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, jurors were given the case last Tuesday to determine whether Steinles death was the result of an act of murder or a tragic accident. They deliberated for a few hours before leaving for the day without a verdict. Steinle was walking with her father and a family friend in July 2015 when she was shot, collapsing into her father's arms. 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. PRINCE HARRY OFF THE MARKET: Prince Harry and actress Meghan Markle became engaged in London earlier this month, Kensington Palace announced today on Twitter ... The two will get married in the spring. CYBER CHA-CHING: Today is Cyber Monday, the day when companies offer a wide array of discounts online ... Cyber Monday shoppers can look forward to an array of special promotions in the wake of Black Friday. Click here for a look at some of the best deals. AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS WEEKEND CARLY'S STORY: "Was I groped by a friend of my family? Of course. Was I propositioned? Of course. Was I introduced as a bimbo? Of course. Did I have on occasion men banging on my hotel room door and then lying about it the next morning? Of course. This is common occurrence, unfortunately, and that is my point. My point is not that most men are bad; most men are good and respectful. And many, many men have helped many women, myself included. And all women are not victims. But the perennial abuse of power by men over women has been with us for a long time. And everyone knows it." Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, "Fox News Sunday," telling her personal experience with sexual harassment. WATCH TAX REFORM OR BUST: "I think it's going to be very difficult if they don't get this bill done for those Republicans to go back to their districts in the election year next year and say, 'Look what we've accomplished,' 'cause they really haven't accomplished anything." Former Trump Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski, on "Fox & Friends Weekend," sounding off on the potential impact if lawmakers fail to pass tax reform. WATCH ACROSS THE NATION Indiana 'Night Nurse' whose tweet about white women sparked investigation 'no longer' with hospital. Texas exploiting day laborers after Harvey, advocates say. Florida man arrested after man found dead next to three-foot sword. MINDING YOUR BUSINESS Meredith to acquire Time Inc. in $2.8B deal. 'Sunday Morning Futures' Interview: Rep. Peter King says NY homeowners will see taxes increase without SALT. American Airlines president takes the long view. NEW IN FOX NEWS OPINION Rep. Diane Black: Conservative tax reform is on the way. Is the fantasy of a Middle East peace accord about to come true? Unhinged coverage of Trump is hurting the media. HOLLYWOOD SQUARED Susan Sarandon thinks Hillary Clinton would have been 'very dangerous' as president. South Africa contestant wins Miss Universe 2017 crown. Nick Lachey wants to 'find some justice' for his employee who was shot in the face. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS? Russia to declare McDonald's a 'foreign agent' for misleading advertisements. More than 100 reindeer dead in Norway after getting hit by freight train. Fast food employee tricks Twitter with soda cup illusion. STAY TUNED On Fox News: Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Art Del Cueto, National Border Patrol Council vice president Southwest, discusses the investigation on the killing of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez; FCC Chairman Ajit Pai explains the potential impact of dismantling net neutrality rules; Kurt the "CyberGuy" shares Cyber Monday tips; Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman and his wife Beth Chapman share her heart-wrenching battle with throat cancer. Tucker Carlson Tonight, 8 p.m. ET: Exclusive: Former federal watchdog Inspector Gen. Charles McCullough speaks out on the Clinton email scandal and its true ramifications to Fox News Chief Intelligence Correspondent Catherine Herridge. On Fox News Radio: The Fox News Rundown podcast: Egypt is reeling after one of the deadliest terror attacks since 9/11. Fox News' Eric Shawn discusses the ISIS mosque killing spree and what we can do to defeat radical Islamic terrorism with Amb. Dennis Ross of the Washington Institute. Plus, we'll take a look at Cyber Monday as it is expected to bring in billions for retailers. And a commentary by Fox News contributor Guy Benson. Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 am to Noon ET: New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin explains why he believes Mayor Bill de Blasio's NYC is lies stacked on top of lies; former interim DNC Chair Donna Brazile gives the inside story on reaction to her new book; former CIA intelligence analyst Kenneth Pollack sounds off on President Trump's Iran strategy. #OnThisDay 1978: San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk, a gay-rights activist, are shot to death inside City Hall by former supervisor Dan White. (White served five years for manslaughter; he committed suicide in Oct. 1985.) 1967: The Beatles album "Magical Mystery Tour" is released in the United States by Capitol Records. 1924: Macy's first Thanksgiving Day parade billed as a "Christmas Parade" takes place in New York. Thank you for joining us on Fox News First! Enjoy your day and we'll see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday morning. A Georgia mom said she was heartbroken when no one showed up at her autistic sons 7th birthday. He kept saying his friends were just getting ready, going to get presents, thats why they were late, Amanda Bridges told Fox News, adding that her son invited everyone in his class. When Holden realized none of his classmates showed up to his party, he started crying. So his father did the first thing he could think of he flagged down a passing fire truck and asked Ware County firefighters if they could stop by the party. 'VEGAS STRONG' F-15 FIGHTER JET DEBUTS AT NEVADA AIR SHOW The firefighters ended up showing up in a fire truck, along with several EMTs, two ambulances and several police officers. They brought Holden presents, a firemans hat and a badge. He was super excited, Ware County Fire Lt. Drew Mccarthy told Fox News. His daddy said he always wanted to be a firefighter, so that made it special. Now, Holden also wants to be a police officer and EMT. They let him blow the horn, which is big for him because he doesnt like loud sounds all the time, Amanda Bridges said. 'VEGAS STRONG' F-15 FIGHTER JET DEBUTS AT NEVADA AIR SHOW She said what could have been a lonely birthday for Holden became one of his most memorable. We were all crying, it was very emotional for all of us, Amanda said. My son has always been my hero, but they are our new heroes. In a Facebook post, Amanda thanked all the emergency personnel who showed up at her sons birthday party. The post has been liked and shared thousands of times. They didnt do it for any rewards or recognition, she said, they did it out of the kindness of their hearts. A man who walked into a crowded Costco Wholesale store in a Kansas City suburb brandishing a gun was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer Sunday, officials said. At about 11 a.m., the gun-toting man entered the store in Lenexa, Kan., located about 14 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City, police said. Ryan Vacca told FOX 4 Kansas City he was working at the Costco photo center when he heard "some commotion." "I turned and looked at the front door and saw a guy walking in - just kind of yelling and screaming," Vacca said. "One of my co-workers told me to drop, and I did." Lenexa Police Capt. Wade Borchers told FOX 4 the off-duty police officer happened to be at the store, and immediately jumped in to subdue the man as shoppers fled toward exits. "He was just shopping, and he happened to be there while all this occurred. And you know, thankfully, he was," Borchers said. MISSOURI HOMEOWNER SHOOTS, KILLS SUSPECT DURING HOME INVASION Authorities have not released the names of the suspect or officer. Some people who had to be treated for panic attacks but there were no other injuries, police told FOX 4. Shopper Nikki Lotia told FOX 4 she heard four shots, and ran to hide in the store's pharmacy area. "It was very scary," she said. "That 45 minutes of my life. All of the time I was thinking, 'this might be my last day.'" Lotia said she's grateful that off-duty officer just happened to be shopping at Costco early Sunday. A 33-year-old man is in critical condition Monday after getting stuck inside a garbage truck compactor outside a halfway home for prisoners in Philadelphia. The man was found trapped inside a Waste Management truck around 5:30 a.m. local time near The Kintock Group halfway house, facility and fire dispatchers told NBC 10. Firefighters removed trash for more than two hours to pull him out. He was taken to Temple University Hospital. The man is in critical condition after suffering abdomen, hip and leg injuries, Philadelphia police told NBC 10. The halfway house is a final stop for prisoners before they re-enter the general community, the station added. The mans identity was not immediately available. The FBI on Friday received 203,086 requests for instant gun background checks, which would mark almost a 10 percent increase from 2016 and sets a new record for the most ever in one day, USA Today reported. Authorities did not speculate on why so many Americans are seeking guns this holiday season, but the theory is that there is a fear about tougher gun laws in the future. The FBI received 185,713 requests on Black Friday last year. USA Today pointed out that background checks do not indicate the number of guns actually sold because a buyer could purchase more than one gun in a check. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, earlier this week, ordered a far-ranging review of the FBI database used to check the backgrounds of prospective gun buyers, after the Air Force failed to report the criminal history of the gunman who slaughtered more than two dozen people at a Texas church. The failure enabled him to buy weapons, purchases his domestic violence conviction should have barred. Sessions directed the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine if other government agencies are failing to report information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. He also wants a report detailing the number of times the agencies investigate and prosecute people for lying on their gun-purchase applications and a closer look at the format of the application itself. The database is critically important to protecting the American public from firearms-related violence, Sessions wrote in his memo. It is, however, only as reliable and robust as the information that federal, state, local and tribal government entities make available to it. The Pentagons inspector general launched a separate review of the Texas gunman, Devin P. Kelley, after the Air Force revealed it had failed to submit his domestic abuse case to the database. Kelley was able to buy four guns despite the conviction. He used a Ruger AR rifle with a 30-round magazine during the Nov. 6 shooting, going from aisle to aisle as he shot parishioners. Sessions said the revelation was alarming. But the Pentagon has long known about failures to give military criminal history information to the FBI. The Associated Press contributed to this report Rutgers University's president is defending professors at the school who've been accused of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic remarks, arguing many of the controversial comments fall under academic freedom. Several professors have recently drawn sharp criticism for propagating conspiracy theories about Jewish people, such as claims they control global money markets to assertions they carry out ritualistic organ harvesting. Rutgers University president, Robert Barchi, addressed those issues one by one during a student government-sponsored town hall last week. If Im a Ku Klux Klan member, and Im going to burn a cross on a vacant lot, thats a constitutionally protected right, Barchi said, according to Tap Into New Brunswick. You put that cross on my front yard, and you light it, that is not constitutionally protected. Thats harassment. Its an exception to the First Amendment. JEWISH STUDENTS AT NEW JERSEY UNIVERSITY WORRY ABOUT RISING ANTI-SEMITISM Barch said online posts from microbiology professor Michael Chikindas that called Judaism the most racist religion in the world and made crude jokes about Israel, Judaism, women, homosexuality were repugnant. But Barchi said its all protected speech so theres nothing there that is actionable. But the question is: Does having posted that create an environment in his work that would compromise his ability to teach or to do research?" Barchi said. "Thats an employment issue, so we are actually investigating him." STUDENT GROUP ADMITS USING ANTI-SEMITIC PROPAGANDA TO UNSEAT JEWISH CAMPUS LEADER Barchi then defended "well-respected scholar" Jasbir Puar, a tenured womens studies professor whose latest book accuses the Israel Defense Forces of maiming Palestinians in order to control them. That book and the material in it were reviewed independently by scholars around the country, Barchi said. Lastly, Barchi stood by Mazen Adi, an adjunct professor of international law who, while serving as a spokesperson for Syrian President Bashar Assad, accused Israeli officials of trafficking childrens organs. Were fully aware of his past, having vetted his employment credentials, Barch said. Everything is absolutely in order. Barchi added: We are faced with the difficult challenge to thread the needle on free speech and academic freedom. I just ask you to keep in mind when you hear things and those things get picked upthere is very often a back-story to it. Barchi's comments come at a time of worry for some of the school's Jewish students. In recent days, some Jewish students have said they've seen a spike in anti-Semitism on campus -- from swastikas scrawled on walls to threats of violence. This is a disturbing trend, what were seeing here at Rutgers, which has one of the largest Jewish student populations in the country, Austin Altman, a sophomore at Rutgers and a member of the campus Hillel organization, told Fox News. But Rutgers said it stood steadfast in its commitment to free speech. NEW SCHOOL UNDER FIRE FOR PUTTING LINDA SARSOUR ON ANTI-SEMITISM PANEL Rutgers position on free speech is clear," the university wrote in a statement to Fox News, adding that while Rutgers strive[s] to foster an environment free from discrimination, faculty and staff are free to express their viewpoints in public forums as private citizens. The statement continued: Anti-Semitic comments, materials and posts on social media are antithetical to our universitys principles and values of respect for people of all backgrounds, including, among other groups, our large and vibrant Jewish community. Adi, Puar and Chikindas did not immediately respond to Fox News' requests for comment. The Supreme Court is leaving in place a Nebraska law that bars protests around funerals. Nebraska enacted the law in 2006. It prohibits protests near a cemetery, mortuary or church from one hour before the beginning of a funeral to two hours after. Members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church challenged the law but have lost in lower courts. Members of the church routinely conduct anti-gay protests outside military funerals. The protests have been a way of drawing attention to their incendiary view that U.S. deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are God's punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality. The Supreme Court said Monday it would not take up the church's challenge to Nebraska's law. After a rumbling volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali erupted several times over the weekend, authorities raised the alert to the highest level on Monday and closed the international airport, stranding thousands of travelers. Emitting thick plumes of smoke, Mount Agung has been hurling ash thousands of miles into the atmosphere since Saturday, which had already forced the small international airport on the neighboring island of Lombok to close as the plumes drifted east. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said Balis international airport, where most flights had been continuing, was closed for 24 hours. It said authorities would consider reopening it Tuesday after evaluating the situation. Video showed passengers on the tarmac at Balis airport checking their phones and chatting. Geological agency head, Kasbani, who goes by one name, said the alert level was raised at 6 a.m. because the volcano has shifted from steam-based eruptions to magmatic eruptions. However he says hes still not expecting a major eruption. We dont expect a big eruption but we have to stay alert and anticipate, he said. The exclusion zone around the crater was widened to six miles. Previously it ranged between 3.7 to 4.7 miles. Ash up to less than half an inch thick has settled on villages around the volcano and soldiers and police distributed masks over the weekend. Agungs alert status was raised to the highest level in September following a dramatic increase in tremors from the volcano, which doubled the exclusion zone around the crater and prompted more than 140,000 people to leave the area. Many residents returned home after the alert was lowered on Oct. 29 after a decrease in activity, but about 25,000 residents are still in temporary shelters, Fox News previously reported. A possible major eruption has deterred many travelers from visiting Indonesias top tourist destination. More than 5 million visitors a year travel to Bali for its Hindu culture, surf beaches and lush green interior. Nearby Lombok is relatively undeveloped as a tourist destination, receiving fewer than 100,000 international visitors a year. However, Bali has lost at least $110 million in tourism after major evacuations were ordered in September, the BBC reported. Agung also had a minor eruption on Tuesday, but authorities have not raised the alert status from the second-highest level that would include more people in the exclusion area, forcing them to evacuate. Though ash from the volcano could rain down for at least another month, no major eruption is expected, government volcanologist Gede Suantika said. A red-yellow light visible in ash above the mountain was the reflection of lava in the crater. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has more than 120 active volcanoes. The volcanos last major eruption, in 1963, killed about 1,100 people. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A Texas man on vacation with his son was reportedly arrested in the United Arab Emirates for filming security guards rummaging through his things. Joseph Lee, who was returning home from a trip to Thailand with his son, Jonathan, was detained at the Abu Dhabi International Airport on Nov. 20, Fox 4 reported. After touring the city of Abu Dhabi during a layover, Joseph was randomly selected for an extra security screening inside the airport. Seemingly frustrated, Joseph filmed the guards searching his luggage. GROUP URGES EGYPT, UAE TO REVEAL PRISONER'S WHEREABOUTS We had been traveling for about 20 hours or so, son Jonathan told Fox 4. Of course, my dad would be agitated like anyone else would be. Jonathan said he wasnt allowed to stay with his father during the screening and had to leave the security area. He believed his father would be released and they could go home. We both had, I guess, the notion that he was going to be able to make at least the next flight, not actually be arrested, Jonathan said. Jonathan landed back home in the U.S., but hadnt heard from his father. It wasnt until days later, after Jonathan and his sister, Elaine Strathern, spent days contacting the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, that he learned his father had been transported to a prison. The siblings told Fox 4 the U.S. Embassy doesnt know what Joseph has been charged with. They dont know anything. They just know hes being held at Al Wathba prison, the siblings said. UAE STOPS ISSUING VISAS FOR NORTH KOREAN LABORERS Jonathan and Elaine created a petition directed toward Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to help their father get home. The petition which offers their deepest apologies to the UAE government and authorities says Joseph isnt in great health, and he may possibly have a fractured rib. Wed just like the government to know it was an honest mistake, Strathern said. He meant no harm, no ill intent. Indonesian authorities on Monday expanded the established danger zone around an erupting volcano that is hurling ash 9,800 feet into the atmosphere and whose explosions could be heard over seven miles away. Experts said lava is welling up in the crater, sometimes reflected as a reddish-yellow glow in the ash plumes. The agency raised the volcano's alert to the highest level early Monday and expanded the danger zone to six miles. It said that a larger eruption is possible. Spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told a news conference in Jakarta that the extension of the danger zone affects 22 villages and about 90,000 to 100,000 people. He said about 40,000 people have evacuated but others have not left because they feel safe or don't want to abandon their livestock. "Authorities will comb the area to persuade them," he said. "If needed we will forcibly evacuate them." About 25,000 people were already living in evacuation centers after an increase in tremors from the mountain in September sparked an evacuation. Lava rising in the crater "will certainly spill over to the slopes," Sutopo said. The volcano's last major eruption in 1963 killed about 1,100 people. The Indonesian disaster agency called on 100,000 to evacuate and expanded the danger zone after the eruption of Mount Agung. Authorities raised the alert to the highest level on Monday following the increased activity over the weekend. The move to close the airport came after tests showed the volcanos ash had reached its airspace, making it dangerous to fly. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, leaving about 59,000 tourists stranded on the Island. The closure will continue until Tuesday, but officials said they are closely monitoring the situation and will determine every six hours whether the airport should remain closed. We now have to find a hotel and spend more of our money that theyre not going to cover us for when we get home unfortunately, said Canadian tourist Brandon Olsen. Officials at the Disaster Mitigation Agency said in a statement Monday that a volcanic eruption is imminent though the exact scale remains unclear. Continuing plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to 12 km (seven miles) from the peak, the statement read, according to Reuters. Rays of fire are increasingly visible from night to the following day. This indicates the potential for a larger eruption is imminent, it added. The Associated Press Contributed to this report. A group of Nobel Peace Laureates on Monday urged the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen to end their blockade on the Arab world's poorest country that has deprived it of much-needed aid and squeezed it to the brink of famine. The Nobel Women's Initiative said in a statement said that the blockade "rendered access to humanitarian assistance impossible for the people of Yemen," and "denies millions of vulnerable and innocent civilians access to food, fuel and medical supplies." "It further aggravates what the United Nations has called the world's 'worst humanitarian crisis' to date," they wrote, where over 20 million people lack needed life-saving humanitarian assistance in what amounts to "collective punishment." The Saudi-led coalition went to war against the rebels, known as Houthis, in March 2015 on behalf of Yemen's internationally recognized government. But the coalition has made little progress, and the rebels still control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. The U.S.-backed coalition tightened a land, sea and air blockade Nov. 6 after a missile attack by rebels on the Saudi capital Riyadh. Saudi Arabia said Monday the coalition would lift the blockade. The letter was signed by Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland, Rigoberta Menchu Tum of Guatemala, Jody Williams of the United States, Shirin Ebadi of Iran, Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen. Over the past two years, the war in Yemen has killed more than 10,000 people and left over 3 million displaced amid the coalition's air campaign. A skeleton-filled ghost ship carrying the remains of eight ill-fated seafarers washed ashore on Japans North Korean-facing coast, the Japanese Coast Guard said Monday -- days after the body of a suspected North Korean man and parts of another wrecked wooden craft were discovered on a Japanese island. The grisly find could be evidence of desperate defectors trying a new route to freedom after despot Kim Jong Un has clamped down on those fleeing the Hermit Kingdom this year. A Japanese resident spotted the 22-foot wooden boat Friday floating in Miyazawa Beach in Oga, Akita Prefecture, along the Sea of Japan, Japan Times reported. Officials searched the vessel Sunday and Monday and found several of the remains were skeletonized, indicating a long period had elapsed before it washed ashore. The remains were so severely decomposed it was hard to decipher if they were men or women. The 68-year-old woman who initially spotted the boat told Kyodo News she saw rescue workers carrying skeletal remains using stretchers. "I was surprised to see the boat in such a bad condition," the woman told the Japanese news site. The discovery has puzzled Japanese officials, who found no clues that indicated the ships origin. The Coast Guard said the boat may have come from North Korea, according to Kyodo News. Mondays gruesome discovery follows a series of bizarre findings within the last week, including that of a mans body on Sado Island, located off the coast of Japans northwestern prefecture of Niigata, and wooden boat parts, the coast guard official said, according to Reuters. The body was found about 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and is believed to be from North Korea after they found Korean letters written near the body. The coast guard also found a pack of cigarettes and other personal belongings with Korean letters scrawled on them near the body, the official said. Its still unclear how he died. And on Thursday night, a boat with eight North Korean men were located at the seaside town of Yurihonjo. The fishermen, who were standing outside of the boat when police found them, appeared to have stopped at the shore because they were having boat issues. Police said they were most likely not defectors and were hoping to return home soon after about a month out at sea. The boat, carrying squid, also had a sign saying Chongjin, possibly related to a major port city on North Korea's eastern coast, Kyodo News reported. Three other North Korean men were rescued on a capsized boat in the Sea of Japan two weeks ago. They were sent back to the Hermit Kingdom on a North Korean vessel. Waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula are known to be rich fishing grounds, where poachers from North Korea and China have been spotted. About 650 miles sit between the coast of North Korea and Japan across the Sea of Japan. Wreckage from North Korean boats regularly washes ashore in northern Japan during winter due to seasonal winds. This also isnt the first time skeletal remains of North Korean fishermen have been found. In 2015, a wooden boat drifted ashore in another coastal town in Akita and skeletal remains of two men were found one inside the vessel and another one nearby. Three North Korean boats with 10 bodies inside also washed up on the Noto Peninsula. At least nine bodies have drifted to the Japanese coast this year before Mondays skeleton-filled ghost ship discovery. Another three boats have been collected on and off the coastline, Japan Times reported. More bodies have been pulled from the waters in past years 11 in 2016 and 27 in 2015. Japan and North Korea have no diplomatic ties and tensions are often high due to their colonial and wartime history and Pyongyang's missile and nuclear threats. Kim Jong Un had previously threatened multiple times to "sink" Japan with a nuclear bomb and fired a missile that flew over a Japanese island before splashing into the Pacific Ocean. North Koreans typically escape the brutal regime by traveling through China. An estimated 1,000 people flee Kim Jong Uns volatile regime each year, and a total of about 30,000 North Koreans have made the treacherous escape since the end of the Korean War. A North Korean soldiers defection to the South recently made international headlines when he dashed across the JSA at the Demilitarized Zone to freedom. He was shot five times and went through two major surgeries before regaining consciousness. This year, North Korean defectors successfully escaping the regime fell by 12.7 percent, according to the Telegraph. The Associated Press contributed to this report. U.S. and South Korean authorities used a bullhorn to reprimand North Korea regarding several armistice violations, with at least one U.S. Navy official reportedly standing in the rain at the Demilitarized Zone to admonish Kim Jong Un's regime that "this sort of thing should never occur again." The violations occurred after several of the Hermit Kingdom's soldiers chased a comrade who was defecting to South Korea earlier this month. U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Daniel McShane, of the UNC Military Armistice Commission, told Stars and Stripes he stood in the rain at the Demilitarized Zone and read out the list of violations the North Korean soldiers committed on Nov. 13 while they attempted to stop the defector, identified as Oh, from surviving his bid. McShane said he and a Korean translator read a note six times requesting a meeting with North Korean officials. To my knowledge they havent acknowledged this event at all other than the initial firing, McShane said. SOUTH KOREA TAUNTS NORTH KOREA OVER DEFECTING SOLDIER BY BROADCASTING NEWS THROUGH LOUDSPEAKERS, REPORT SAYS He said he initially read the admonishment three times, but the North Korean soldiers, using a flashlight as their main communication, told him to repeat it so they can videotape it. We were about 30 feet from the [Military Demarcation Line] and they came up to 10 feet, McShane said. We have a phone in our office, but theyre not answering. South Korean Minister of Defense Song Young-moo also issued his stern warning while standing where Oh collapsed into a pile of leaves with five gunshot wounds at the Joint Security Area, Reuters reported. Song was visiting the DMZ and commended the South Korean soldiers at the JSA. Shooting towards the South at a defecting person, thats a violation of the armistice agreement, Song said, according to Reuters. Crossing the military demarcation line, a violation. Carrying automatic rifles [in the JSA], another violation. He added: North Korea should be informed this sort of thing should never occur again. The defense minister was just 11 yards away from a new trench and trees the North Korean soldiers planted, possibly to prevent more defectors from copying the Nov. 13 incident, Reuters reported. Four of Kim Jong Uns soldiers were reportedly seen listening closely to the message. South Korea has been reportedly taunting the North by blasting updates about the defectors health and status through its militarys loudspeakers at the DMZ, Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday. The loudspeakers have been sporadically turned on since the end of the Korean War for psychological warfare. Sundays update included information about the former soldiers nutritive conditions, seemingly taking a hit at the Hermit Kingdoms alleged health issues. The broadcasts are reportedly so loud that people within 12.4 miles from the DMZ are able to hear it, though it's unclear how many North Koreans actually live that close to the DMZ. POSSIBLE NORTH KOREA DEFECTORS MAY BE OCCUPANTS OF SKELETON-FILLED GHOST SHIP FOUND ON JAPAN COAST Oh is said to have regained full consciousness and is recovering from his bullet wounds after undergoing two major surgeries. Dramatic video released last Wednesday showed the soldier running across the JSA as his fellow comrades watched in amazement, then chased and fired dozens of rounds to prevent him from making it across alive. He fell into a pile of leaves against a small wall before being dragged to safety by South Korean troops. Days after the defection, North Korea has reportedly replaced all of its security force of 35 to 40 men at the JSA, Yonhap News Agency said, citing an unnamed intelligence source. The source also told the South Korean news site the North seems to have temporarily closed a bridge over which the defector drove a military jeep to reach the border before his escape on foot last Monday. The source said the North could be preparing to install a security gate at the bridge for strengthening its screening of personnel coming in and out of the area. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The United States warned Monday that efforts to uphold the global ban on the production and use of chemical weapons are at a "critical juncture" in the wake of their use during Syria's civil war. As the Syrian government and its allies seek to discredit conclusions by international investigators that Damascus has repeatedly used such weapons, Andrea Hall of the U.S. National Security Council said the ban on chemical weapons, such as nerve agents and poison gas, is now under threat. "We must take every opportunity to deter states from using chemical weapons," Hall said. "If we fail to take action now, non-state actors use will also rise." Hall was speaking on the opening day of the annual conference of state parties to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize for overseeing the global ban on weapons, such as nerve agents and poison gas. "Chemical weapons use by the Syrian Arab Republic remains the most serious violation of the CWC in the convention's 20-year history and the greatest modern challenge to the global norm against chemical weapons use," Hall told delegates in The Hague. A joint investigation team made up of OPCW and UN experts has concluded that the Syrian government used chlorine gas in at least two attacks in 2014 and 2015, and used the nerve agent sarin in an aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun last April 4 that killed about 100 people and affected about 200 others. The team also accused the Islamic State extremist group of using mustard gas in 2015 and again in September 2016 in Um Hosh in Aleppo. Russia, Syria's staunch ally, recently vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mission. That mandate expired earlier this month, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad branded the investigation unprofessional and biased. "So we are always seeing politicized reports, false conclusions aiming to bring even more pressure to bear on Syria," he said. British Ambassador Peter Wilson echoed U.S. concerns, saying that the chemical weapons convention "is under unprecedented attack." Hall also rejected Syria's criticism of the UN-OPCW investigation team, saying that the team had produced, "serious, thorough, technical and compelling reports." Could this be the solution to homelessness? A British charity is getting ready to install its first vending machine tailored specifically to homeless people, offering free 24/7 access to food, clothing, and other basic necessities. My hope is that the idea takes root in cities all over the world, and the homeless have a life-line to rely on, while government policies work towards ending homelessness for once and for all, Huzaifah Khaled, the founder of Action Hunger, told Fox News. The machine will be placed at a shopping center in Nottingham, England, in early December and Khaled says they will be expanding the effort to American cities in early 2018, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. The idea was borne out of a desire to help the homeless, Khaled said. It came about when I was struck by the rising number of homeless in the United Kingdom, and realized there had to be a way to ensure they had 24/7 access to food, clothing, and other basic necessities, and without being limited to the fairly disparate opening hours of the various shelters and charities that exist. The machines will dole out water, fruit, energy bars, toothbrushes, sanitary towels and even books. Action Hunger says around half of the items will be received from redistribution organizations and grocer Tesco, while the charity will purchase the other half. Usage of the Nottingham machine donated by N&W Global Vending is permitted to three times a day to around 100 special cardholders, who must check in weekly with The Friary, a local homeless outreach facility, to keep using it. We want our low-cost solution to complement other services that are available, as engagement with professionals and local support services is instrumental to breaking the cycle of homelessness, and getting these men and women off the streets for good, Khaled told Fox News. Friary CEO Sam Crawford said rough sleepers will be at the front of the line to receive the cards. "Not everyone who visits us is a rough sleeper, some are homeless in other ways such as those in temporary accommodation, so that would be who we would prioritize, Crawford told the Nottingham Post. A court in central Vietnam has sentenced an activist to seven years in prison for producing videos and interviews that instigated anti-government protests, in the authorities' latest crackdown on dissent. Following a trial Monday that lasted half a day, Nguyen Van Hoa was convicted of spreading anti-state propaganda by the People's Court in Ha Tinh province. He was also charged with using social media platforms including Facebook to spread documents that defamed the government, the state-run online Ha Tinh newspaper reported. It said Hoa also sent distorting articles to "reactionary" groups in exile for financial support. Court officials weren't immediately available for comment. International human rights groups and some Western governments often criticize Vietnam for jailing people for peacefully expressing their views, but Vietnam's government says only lawbreakers are punished. RICHMOND - As bad as the overall outcome of Virginia's recent election was for Republicans, there was one facet of the vote that raises special alarm for the party's future. That's the performance of young voters, who came out in historic numbers and overwhelmingly cast their ballots for the Democratic candidate for governor, Ralph Northam. While Republicans have been wrestling with an aging demographic for some time, analysts say the unpopular actions of President Donald Trump are pushing away a new generation. "One of the biggest challenges facing the Republican Party in Virginia and nationwide is that the Republican Party has become toxic to a lot of young voters," said Bob Holsworth, a longtime Virginia political scientist. "I think Trump has exacerbated a trend that was emerging, and it has become very problematic." Northam defeated Republican Ed Gillespie by an overall margin of 54 percent to 45 percent, as certified this week by the state Board of Elections. Young voters - who are often among the least-engaged, especially in a nonpresidential election - had a turnout rate of 34 percent, according to an analysis of exit polling by a group at the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. That's up from 26 percent in the 2013 governor's race and double the youth turnout in 2009. And that surge of millennials was a windfall for Democrats: Sixty-nine percent of those voters supported Northam, vs. 30 percent for Gillespie. The same trend held when measured in different ways. In precincts adjacent to college campuses, turnout was up 8 points over 2013 and Northam won 72 percent of the vote for governor. Young voters didn't surge in New Jersey - turnout of 18 percent was similar to the past two governor's elections there - but 73 percent of them voted for the Democrat, according to the Tufts analysis. "Young people have increasingly moved away from the Republican Party, given its perceived status as being the anti-immigrant party and not being tolerant of alternative lifestyles," said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. "I find even with my students who are Republican-leaning, on social or cultural issues they're very libertarian for the most part," Rozell said. "As long as the Republican Party is seen as not embracing or accepting people as they are, be they gay, transgender, immigrants and the like, that's a big turnoff to young voters these days." The Virginia results, he said, are "a wake-up call to the Republican Party about the way things are going to go for them next year" in congressional races across the country. Some Republicans get the message. David Ramadan, a former Republican delegate to the General Assembly who supported Gillespie for governor, said the youth turnout "is one number that certainly has popped out. I'll summarize that with one word for the GOP: Trouble." Ramadan has long warned that his party has a problem wooing minority voters. "But this election shows that it's not just a minority problem, it's a youth problem" - and even broader than that, he added. Those problems were accelerated this year by "the Trump effect," he said. Trump is extremely unpopular in Virginia, with a 34 percent approval rating in a recent Washington Post-Schar School poll. And his rhetoric appeared to influence Gillespie to shift his campaign toward issues of illegal immigration, Latino street gangs and support for Confederate statues. That was a losing formula for wooing young voters, Ramadan said. Millennials care about reducing student debt, finding a comfortable job and being able to have an easy commute to work, he said. "Unless Republicans get back to mainstream issues instead of sanctuary cities and Confederate statues, we're going to lose elections," he said. Republican pollster Gene Ulm said he was most concerned about "young suburbanites" in the Virginia results. "We basically had 300,000 people show up who don't normally vote in a gubernatorial election," he said. "We won 85,000 of them and lost the other 215,000." There was one silver lining: Exit polls show Gillespie won about 12 percent of the African American vote, higher than most recent GOP candidates. By Ulm's calculation, that would roughly translate to nearly 63,000 votes - a small number but far more than any Republican statewide candidate in recent years. "Ed Gillespie got more black votes when he lost than the last Republican governor got when he won," Ulm said, referring to former governor Bob McDonnell, who got fewer than 29,000 black votes in 2009 by his reckoning. But the overall trend of young, white and suburban voters is a bad sign for the party going into next year's congressional races, he said. "That affects certainly Barbara Comstock," he said, referring to the Northern Virginia congresswoman, a Republican whose district went for Northam. "But there's a lot of other districts in America where that's going to play a role," Ulm said. There are a host of progressive and grass-roots groups aiming specifically to get a large turnout of young voters for Democratic candidates, and they were taking credit for the big showing. "At least three voter registration and mobilization groups had a presence on our campus, and there may have been more at some of the bigger campuses," said Quentin Kidd, a political scientist at Christopher Newport University in Newport News. At Virginia Tech, in fact, the progressive group NextGen Virginia staged a petting zoo to get students to come out to vote. The group spent $3.3 million statewide and knocked on 350,000 doors as part of its efforts. After Northam's win, NextGen crowed in a letter to supporters that "it's clear young people and people of color made the difference in this historic election . . . If anger at Donald Trump and the GOP continues to drive turnout up through the 2018 election cycle, when young people will be the largest bloc of eligible voters, we could be looking at a progressive wave powered by millennial voters." Kidd said evidence of the youth trend's staying power can be found in the crop of new Democrats elected to the General Assembly, who are far younger - and more female - than the current legislature. "Half these new delegates are probably millennials," he said. "The impact of the millennial generation on the electorate is going to be pretty profound, and Democratic candidates tend to be the beneficiary of this far more than Republicans are." Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. Severn Trent is offering farmers in parts of the Midlands region grant aid to make improvements to their farm management and infrastructure, which reduces the risk of pollution into local watercourses. The Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme (Steps) offers grants of up to 5,000 a year to farms located within a Severn Trent priority water catchment area. The money can be used for a range of capital projects including watercourse fencing, hard bases for livestock troughs, pesticide handling areas, biobeds and the purchase of precision farming equipment. See also: 14m grant funding for water management available Payments are also available for implementing management options such as the removal of livestock from high-risk fields (500/ha) or growing cover or catch crops (60/ha). Farmers also have the opportunity to propose their own innovative ideas in a farmer innovation option. The application window for grant applications for 2018-19 opens on 1 January 2018 and closes on 16 March 2018. Jodie Rettino, Severn Trent catchment manager, said: The more work we can do with farmers to reduce pollution from their land, the more well protect local watercourses, such as rivers, and the environment. In turn itll also help reduce how much we have to treat the water we take from these watercourses. Over 600 farmers have been awarded Steps grants over the past three years. News Police: Pay is not competitive; study is misleading STUART VILLANUEVA/The Daily News League City Police officers stand at attention during a Veterans Day ceremony at Chester Davis Sportsplex in League City on Nov. 11. LEAGUE CITY Police officers in League City say they dont agree with a recent salary study that found their pay was competitive with that of other cities. The League City Police Association crunched the numbers and instead found its pay average, and the group has called the citys commissioned salary study misleading. Salaries for most League City government employees are competitive within surrounding cities, but compensation for some jobs lags behind the market, New York-based Segal Waters Consulting said. The study found police salaries are 107 percent of the market, making those the most competitive of League Citys jobs. The minimum pay for an entry-level cadet is $42,671 a year, according to city documents. A police officer with 10 years on the job makes $69,027 a year, while one with 19 to 20 years on the job makes $76,837. The top pay a sergeant with 19 to 20 years amounts to $91,352. Captains with 11 or more years on the job can make $121,364, the top pay on the scale. The study recommends that pay-raise promotion steps for police officers be cut, which the association agrees with, police association representative Cory Beyer said We really need to focus on maximum pay, he said. Our maximum pay is too low and it takes us too long to top out, he said. In other Texas cities, police are able to reach the highest pay in nine to 10 years, both Beyer and the authors of the study said. Police officers in Baytown, for example, can make as much as $160,000 more than League City officers over the span of a career, Beyer said. A five-year officer here looks at Baytown where he can make more, Beyer said. Cutting the promotion steps would give police officers an incentive to stay, he said. City Manager John Baumgartner has proposed cutting two steps for police promotion, allowing police officers to reach the highest salary in 12 years. The study compared League City to Allen, Baytown, Bryan City, Dickinson, Friendswood, Galveston, Lewisville, Longview, Missouri City, Pearland, Richardson, Round Rock, Sugar Land, Texas City, Tyler and Webster. One reason League City police pay appeared competitive was because it was compared to smaller cities such as Dickinson, Beyer said. The city council in April hired New York-based Segal Waters Consulting for $100,000 to determine whether city employees were paid enough or too much. Segal Waters also looked at job descriptions and recommended a few changes. Making those below-market jobs competitive would cost the city about $924,000, the study found. Although the citys pay structure is mostly competitive, some classifications fell below the market and some were above it, according to the study. The fire marshal position minimum salary is at 77 percent of the Houston-area market average, the lowest in the study. The study also looked at 50 job classifications and reviewed what jobs included supervisory duties and whether certain positions are exempt from overtime status. Segal Waters chose 66 jobs to statistically represent all jobs, Ruth Ann Eledge, vice president and senior consultant, said. The 66 jobs chosen represent 25 departments and all levels, from entry level to manager level. This sample represented 69 percent of the employees and 33 percent of the job titles, Eledge said. Of those 66 jobs, 27 are below market and 12 are above market, she said. In general, the citys pay policies and practices are similar to peer employers, Eledge said. Segal Waters looked at entry level, midpoint and maximum pay for the jobs in the sample. The study also factored in data from the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin areas, Councilman Nick Long said. League City employee salaries could be lagging behind those markets, Long said. We are beating most of the cities in the Houston area, Long said. You could make the case its much cheaper to live here. Segal Waters will come back to the city council to show the aggregate of the Houston area only. The city council would have to vote to approve pay increases for those jobs below market. That would mean fixing inequities in the future to balance out those salaries that, at present, are above market, Long said. Not all bonuses are created equal. Just ask the fine folks at LiveCasino.com. Live casino bonuses come in a number of different forms. A welcome bonus: Penny slots may be the closest thing to playing in a land-based casino for free but online, the introductory or welcome bonus allows you to do just that, for a little more than a penny. An introductory offer when signing up to an online casino that includes no deposit, match, percentage deposit or purchase method bonuses. A no-deposit bonus: Including refer-a-friend, sticky, high-roller/VIP, loyalty and other special casino bonuses. Current promotions: When we compare bonuses at the various live online casinos, it is critical to look beyond the simple welcome bonuses and what said casino has to offer to encourage loyalty. It is with these types of promotions where one can truly rake in the dough while enjoying their favorite casino games. Current promotions run daily, weekly and/or monthly for existing players and include such things as reload, multiple deposit, happy hour, mobile-only, exclusive, high-roller, tournament bonuses and prize draws. Be sure to visit LiveCasino.com to discover some of the best online casinos on the Net today. - Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com Thanks to an economy that continues to recover from the recession and keeps rolling along, the mid-Willamette Valley has a plethora of new stores and, in particular, restaurants. Thats great news for locals this holiday season, business leaders said. Residents have more options than theyve had in years for gifts or a memorable meal, and they dont have to leave town for Eugene, Salem, Portland or elsewhere. People dont need to shop outside the area, said Lise Grato, executive director of the Albany Downtown Association. I think the mid-valley now offers so many shopping opportunities, especially one-of-a-kind items you can find downtown. Spending at home means residents can save wear and tear on their cars and gas money, added Joan Wessell, executive director of the Downtown Corvallis Association. It works well for citizens and the city, she said. Food services surge Benton and Linn counties have both seen substantial job growth in recent years for restaurants, microbreweries and other food services businesses, said Pat OConnor, a regional economist with the Oregon Employment Department. In Benton County, its definitely been on the rise. Its both new businesses coming in and growth of existing businesses, OConnor said. He pointed to the microbrewery scene as an example where existing operations expanded. From 2009 at the height of the recession to 2016, the latest year for which the state has data about the average number of workers in any given industry, Benton County added roughly 900 food service workers, jumping to nearly 3,500. Linn County added about 500 workers in that sector to move to 3,000 jobs in the same eight-year period, according to Oregon Employment Department figures. The trend has been more pronounced since 2014. Linn and Benton counties combined added 900 food service workers in the last three years, according to state data. The restaurant scene is thriving in both counties, and especially Corvallis, which has plenty of college students, who tend to eat out more than families. The stronger economy in Benton County, anchored by Oregon State University, also likely plays a role, as residents in general have more disposable income. Population increases also could play a part, but the number of food service workers has risen at a far greater pace, OConnor said. Regardless, Restaurants just keep popping up, said Cooper Whitman, president and CEO of the Corvallis Chamber of Commerce. The fact that so many are opening is absolutely a sign that things are going well, he added. Even Lebanon is seeing a surge of restaurants. It seems to me like theres a lot more options. We even have the Veterans Home to go eat at. Great prices on malts, by the way, said Shelly Garrett, executive director of the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center. People in Lebanon have been begging for places to eat. They want to be able to eat here, Garrett added. OConnor said the restaurant boom appears to be occurring across America. Its possible were part of a national trend of more people eating out more, he said. Some analysts are thinking, at least in terms of fast food restaurants, that its an industry that may be getting oversaturated, with too many businesses chasing too few customers, OConnor added. But the local area has also added plenty of high-end and mid-tier options. Think of Bellhop, Taco Vino, Castor and Sidecar in Corvallis, The Cellar Cat in Albany and 1847 in Lebanon. Its a far cry compared to a couple of decades ago or three decades ago, where the Gables and Michaels Landing were your only two good restaurants, OConnor said. Retail rebound Janet Steele, president of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, said that during the recession, retailers and restaurants closed their doors. But business gradually recovered. Over the last three or four years, there certainly seems to be a resurgence. Business is strong. Business is really going strong right now, Steele said. In some cases, Steele acknowledged, new businesses have replaced enterprises that shut their doors during the downturn. WinCo, for example, moved into the old Kmart space. The economic recovery has been particularly strong in manufacturing, industrial and construction in Linn County. As more people arrive for high-paying jobs, retailers and restaurants have a chance to start or grow to fill the need for services, Steele said. In a strong economy, a lot of businesses are able to open their doors and build a strong base, Steele said. And more retailers and other companies, Steele hinted, are considering the Albany area. Garrett said that Lebanon also has a few more stores and shops than a few years ago. OConnor noted that the growth often has occurred beyond downtown business districts, and pointed to Lowes and WinCo's entry into Albany as examples. In any event, since 2009, Linn County has added nearly 700 retail workers and Benton County has added roughly 370 retail employees. Despite hundreds of new jobs, Whitman said that a range of retailers hes talked to said they are struggling. Vacant storefronts in downtown Corvallis, however, continue to be relatively rare, Wessell said. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Government shelves plans : Sales plan for Cologne/Bonn airport off the table for now Cologne A few days before the planned talks about the privatisation of Cologne/Bonn airport, the plans for such a groundbreaking step have been put on hold. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken A few days before the planned talks about the privatisation of Cologne/Bonn airport, the sales plans are off the table for now, according to information from the Kolner Stadtanzeiger newspaper. At my request, the acting Federal Minister of Finance, Peter Altmaier, stopped all Federal activities until further notice, Mondays paper quoted the North Rhine-Westphalia Minister President, Armin Laschet (CDU), as saying. Talks at an operational level planned for 29 November in Berlin will be cancelled. The Federal Ministry of Finance had said on Friday that the government was considering selling its shares in the airport. The state, federal government and the city of Cologne each hold almost a third of the shares in NRWs second largest airport. Bonn, the Rhine-Sieg district and the Rheinisch-Bergisch district hold smaller shares. The former CDU politician Friedrich Merz will be appointed as the new chairman at a meeting of the airports supervisory board on Monday (10am). Laschet told the newspaper: I have chosen Friedrich Merz to represent the state, because I want to strengthen Cologne/Bonn airport. Merz is the right choice given the airports transatlantic and international outlook. The 62-year-old Merz replaces the former Federal Transport Minister, Kurt Bodewig (SPD), who was previously head of the committee. The issue of personnel has been criticised by the opposition who had feared, among other things, that it could be a step towards privatising the airport. It is the view of the SPD and Greens that clarification of the accusations of embezzlement against airport head Michael Garvens, who is currently on leave of absence, could also be affected by the change. The public prosecutors office is investigating Garvens. He has denied the accusations. Bonn public transport : Unions demand new tramlines in Bonn Bonn The German Federation of Trade Unions has invited debate on mobility in the region. A union position paper makes many demands of politicians. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken The journey to work each day is stressful. Deliveries arrive at businesses too late. The journey into the town centre for a shopping trip often becomes a test of nerves. On Saturday 2 December from 9.30am in the DGB Haus, Endenicher Strae 127, the German Federation of Trade Unions will discuss how mobility in Bonn and the Rhine-Sieg district could look in the future and which measures must be urgently taken. The basis is a position paper on mobility and infrastructure drafted by the DGB Bonn/Rhine-Sieg. In it, they demand that more is invested in the maintenance and modernisation of local public transport. The most urgent tasks, according to the DGB, are an increase in capacity on the tramlines 66, 16 and 18, as well as consolidating the frequency of regional transport. The construction of a Hardtberg train as well as a tram between Holzlar and Beuel would free up train routes and roads, said DGB chairman Bernd Weede. The stress on the Cologne-Bonn route should, according to the paper, be relieved through a tram on the right Rhine bank from Beuel via Niederkassel to Cologne and a left Rhine bank S-Bahn to Bad Godesberg. In addition, the construction of a goods transport route outside the Rhine valley would make sense. The planned Rhine bridge at Niederkassel should have tracks for trams, long distance trains and goods trains in addition to the road. A further demand: ticket prices must be reduced. One solution is a citizens ticket funded through taxes. The union is demanding a regional construction site management system for the upcoming repairs to the Friedrich-Ebert-Bridge and the Tausendfuler (centipede) road system so that traffic does not deteriorate. This would also include incentives to change to using public transport or bicycles. The extension of bike paths and footpaths should play a greater role in order to create attractive alternatives. To increase the subjective feeling of traffic safety, it should be considered whether a speed limit of 30 km per hour makes sense in towns. Safe places to leave bikes are also important. Therefore the construction of the new bike station at the train station is a high priority. Small stations in Beuel and Bad Godesberg would make these train stations more attractive to commuters, says the DGB. Bonn and the Rhine-Sieg district are congested areas with nearly a million residents. Due to increasing population figures and the current situation on the housing and property market, they must cooperate more closely and collaboratively, said Weede. Article Protecting the worlds oceans an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs. TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov 27, 2017) - Pasinex Resources Ltd. (CSE:PSE)(CSE:PSE.CN)(CNSX:PSE)(FRANKFURT:PNX) (The "Company" or "Pasinex") today reported net income of $1.8M for the third quarter of 2017 compared to $0.4M in the third quarter of 2016. In addition, considering net income from the first half of 2017 of $1.3M, Q3 shows a marked improvement in profitability due to a continuing upward trend in production and sales from its 50%-owned Horzum AS Joint Venture company ("JV company"), in Turkey. In Q3 the Pinargozu Mine produced 15,760 tonnes (wet weight) of direct shipping material (DSO) with an average grade of 35% zinc, which is an increase of 10% from Q2 2017 and 34% from Q1 2017. Mine output grew for the seventh consecutive quarter. The Q3 2017 unaudited financial statements and the corresponding Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) are available on SEDAR.com and the Pasinex website where the financial results for both Pasinex and the JV company are provided. The positive financial result of Pasinex is due to the strong financial result from the JV company. Below is a review of the JV company financial results followed by a review of the Pasinex financial results. All dollar amounts are Canadian unless otherwise indicated. Highlights of the Third Quarter and Nine Months 2017 and 2016 Financial Results (CDN$) Q3 2017 Q3 2016 9 Months 2017 9 Months 2016 Horzum AS (described on a 100% basis) Revenues $ 9,327,185 $ 3,413,571 $ 19,394,413 $ 6,931,254 Net Income $ 5,397,392 $ 1,187,340 $ 9,596,680 $ 1,591,785 (72% margin ) (35% margin ) (62% margin ) (23% margin ) Pasinex Resources Equity Gain $ 2,698,696 $ 593,671 $ 4,798,340 $ 795,893 Net Income $ 1,838,461 $ 417,898 $ 3,151,954 $ 215,907 (1) Pasinex Financial Highlights Pasinex's consolidated net income for Q3 2017 was $1.8M, which included a $2.7M equity gain from the JV company, offset by corporate expenses of $0.9M. Total assets at the end of Q3 2017 were $9.0M up from $6.8M at the end of Q2 2017 due to the equity gain. In addition, the remaining warrants were exercised for cash proceeds of $0.3M during the third quarter of 2017. Shareholder equity rose from $3.8M at the end of 2016 to $8.7M at September 30, 2017. The JV company declared a dividend of US$2M earlier in the year, of which US$0.9M is owing to Pasinex as of September 30, 2017. An additional US$0.2M was received by Pasinex in October. The remaining US$0.7M is expected prior to the end of the year. (2) Horzum AS 50%-owned JV company Financial Highlights (described on a 100% basis) In Q3 2017, the JV company, which holds the zinc mine in Turkey (Pinargozu), produced 15,760 tonnes (wet weight) of direct shipping material (DSO) with an average grade of 35% zinc. Mine production in the third quarter was over 170 tonnes / day; an increase of 10% from Q2 2017 and 34% from Q1 2017. Figure 1 below shows the production chronology over the past seven (7) quarters. Production from the Pinargozu mine has steadily increased through each of these quarters due in large part to the addition of a new third adit at the mine in August 2016 and on-going mine development in 2017 that has opened up many new mining stope areas. Sales revenue for the Q3 was $9.3M representing 13,714 wet tonnes of zinc and 263 wet tonnes of lead sold compared to $3.4M in Q3 2016. This has been the highest revenue to date recorded in a quarter by the JV company due to higher zinc production, including a greater proportion of higher grade sulphide zinc, which demands a higher sales price. In addition, the JV company finalized invoices which were provisionally issued in 2016 and the first quarter of 2017 resulting in an upward adjustment to revenue of $2M; all recorded in Q3. Approximately 7,000 tonnes of mineralized material was stockpiled through the second and third quarters of 2017 to accommodate a large vessel shipment. Delivery is expected in the fourth quarter and corresponding revenues should be recorded at the same time. The total costs for the JV company in the third quarter 2017 were $134 / tonne mined. The net profit (before tax) for Q3 2017 was $6.7M, which represents a 72% gross margin. To view Figure 1, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/pasinex1127fig1.pdf. Steve Williams, CEO commented, "We are very pleased with our superb operating results this quarter. We continue to show improved productivity at the Pinargozu Mine. We look forward to continued strong performance from the Pinargozu mine in the years ahead." About Pasinex Pasinex Resources Ltd. (CSE:PSE)(CSE:PSE.CN)(CNSX:PSE)(FRANKFURT:PNX), a metals company, is a 50% owner of the high grade Pinargozu Zinc Mine which is in production. Under its DSO Program, Horzum AS is shipping directly to zinc smelters / refiners from its mine site in Turkey. The Company has a strong technical management team with many years of experience in mineral exploration and mining project development. The mission of Pasinex is to build a mid-tier zinc company based on assembling a large land position within a productive CRD district in Turkey. The Pinargozu Mine is included in Horzum Arama Isletme AS (Horzum AS), which is a 50-50 corporate joint venture between Pasinex and Turkish mining house Akmetal Madencilik San ve Tic. AS (Akmetal AS). Akmetal AS is one of Turkey's largest family-owned conglomerates with the nearby past-producing Horzum Zinc Mine. Visit our web site at: www.pasinex.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, PASINEX RESOURCES LTD. Steve Williams, President/CEO The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although Pasinex Resources Ltd. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, exploration results, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. OTTAWA, Nov. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orezone Gold Corp. (Orezone or the Company) (TSX-V:ORE) is pleased to report recent and final Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling results from the last two of four specifically identified target areas (See Press Releases of June 22nd 2017 and September 12th 2017) that have been prioritized within the Bombore deposit to better define the extent and the geometry of discrete zones of high-grade gold mineralization within the oxidized portion of the known gold resources. The drilling at both P11 and CFU has been successful in intercepting high-grade mineralization in the targeted areas, which should improve grade domaining and resource modeling. More drilling will be required in certain areas to confirm the geometry and continuity of discrete higher-grade zones. Highlights from P11 and CFU (true width approximately 85% of the drill length): BBC4580: from 30 to 35 m: 5 m @ 3.24 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 10.7 gpt; BBC4608: from 23 to 31 m: 8 m @ 3.54 gpt, incl. 2 m @ 8.7 gpt; BBC4615: from 20 to 22 m: 2 m @ 6.43 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 10.4 gpt, and from 39 to 42 m: 3 m @ 3.44 gpt; BBC4620: from 30 to 33 m: 3 m @ 4.19 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 11.9 gpt; BBC4637: from 52 to 58 m: 6 m @ 3.51 gpt, incl. 2 m @ 7.7 gpt; BBC4644: from 31 to 44 m: 13 m @ 1.43 gpt; BBC4647: from 3 to 6 m: 3 m @ 5.41 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 12.7 gpt; BBC4664: from 10 to 15 m: 5 m @ 4.80 gpt, incl. 4 m @ 5.8 gpt; BBC4666: from 28 to 33 m: 5 m @ 3.34 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 6.5 gpt; BBC4670: from 23 to 35 m: 12 m @ 1.72 gpt; BBC4673: from 10 to 21 m: 11 m @ 2.22 gpt; incl. 1 m @ 5.6 gpt; BBC4675: from 34 to 38 m: 4 m @ 3.71 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 9.2 gpt; BBC4678: from 48 to 56 m: 8 m @ 2.23 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 10.2 gpt; BBC4679: from 24 to 30 m: 6 m @ 2.62 gpt; incl. 1 m @ 12.2 gpt; BBC4692: from 27 to 33 m: 6 m @ 2.60 gpt; incl. 1 m @ 6 gpt; BBC4693: from 60 to 67 m: 7 m @ 2.7 gpt; incl. 2 m @ 8.1 gpt; BBC4695: from 2 to 7 m: 5 m @ 7.83 gpt; incl. 1 m @ 36.4 gpt; BBC4696: from 19 to 23 m: 4 m @ 3.55 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 12.4 gpt; BBC4716: from 3 to 8 m: 5 m @ 10.27 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 45.8 gpt. Other Significant highlights (true width approximately 85% of the drill length): BBC4612: from 56 to 67 m: 8 m @ 1.47 gpt; BBC4623: from 8 to 17 m: 9 m @ 1.26 gpt; BBC4648: from 40 to 45 m: 5 m @ 2.37 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 7.9 gpt, and from 49 to 58 m: 9 m @ 1.29 gpt; BBC4669: from 25 to 30 m: 5 m @ 2.91 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 8.0 gpt; BBC4674: from 0 to 8 m: 8 m @ 1.75 gpt; BBC4686: from 4 to 11 m: 7 m @ 1.73 gpt; BBC4693: from 93 to 98 m: 5 m @ 2.67 gpt, incl. 2 m @ 5.5 gpt; BBC4709: from 11 to 22 m: 11 m @ 1.36 gpt, and from 38 to 45 m: 7 m @ 1.76 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 6.0 gpt; BBC4712: from 49 to 51 m: 2 m @ 5.30 gpt, incl. 1 m @ 10.1 gpt. Patrick Downey President and CEO stated We set out earlier this year to test four target areas within the existing pit shells that we believed would yield high grade intercepts based on historic results and our new interpretation of the controls for higher grade mineralization. This work has been very successful and we will now proceed to model these zones based on this better quality information. We are confident that once completed this will have a positive impact on the grade of the shallow oxides in these areas and therefore a positive impact on overall grade and project economics within the shallow oxide zone. We also plan to continue to target higher grade zones to determine if these extend on strike and at depth within the sulphide mineralization. The RC drilling programme commenced on July 8, 2017 and was designed as essentially infill holes to tighten up the drill spacing from 50 m by 25 m to 25 m by 25 m in the four specific target areas. Some 249 drill holes totalling 13,900 m have been completed on the Siga South, Siga East, P11 and CFU targets by October 18, 2017 when the program was suspended. Similar infill drilling targeting discrete high-grade oxide mineralization is planned in 2018 where more drilling should better confirm the geometry of the high-grade zones. All drill holes in the Siga South and Siga East areas were oriented at the collar N2501 with a plunge of -50 degrees. All drill holes in the P11 area were oriented at the collar N270 with a plunge of -50 degrees. All drill holes in the CFU area were oriented at the collar N312 with a plunge of -50 degrees. 1 WGS84 UTM31N projection. The mineralized intervals are based on a lower cut-off grade of 0.45 g/t, a minimal width of 2 m and up to a maximum of 1.5 m of dilution being included. The true width of the mineralization is approximately 90% of the drill length at Siga South and Siga East, and 85% of the drill length at P11 and CFU. The RC drilling samples were divided by Orezone employees using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 2-kg split was prepared by SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. at the Bombore sample preparation facility and then split by Orezone to 1 kg using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 1-kg aliquot was analyzed for leachable gold at BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l in Ouagadougou, by bottle-roll cyanidation using a LeachWellTM catalyst. The leach residues from all samples with a leach grade in excess of 0.2 g/t were prepared by BIGS Global Burkina s.a.r.l. and then split by Orezone to 50 g using Rotary Sample Dividers (RSDs). A 50-g aliquot was analyzed by fire assay at SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l. SGS Burkina Faso s.a.r.l is independent of Orezone. The composite width and grade include the final leach residue assay results for most of the drill intercepts reported; some leach residue assays are pending for 5 RC holes. Orezone employs a rigorous Quality Control Program (QCP) including a minimum of 10% standards, blanks and duplicates. A complete list of assay results from the current RC drilling programme can be found on the Companys website at the following link (Drill Results). Qualified Person(s) Tim Miller, Orezones Chief Operating Officer, Pascal Marquis, Orezones Senior Vice-President, Exporation and Patrick Downey, Orezones Chief Executive Officer, are each a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and none are independent of Orezone. Each of Messrs. Miller, Marquis and Downey have review and approved the information in this release. Each has also verified the underlying data disclosed. Readers should refer to the annual information form of Orezone for the year ended December 31, 2016 and other continuous disclosure documents filed by Orezone since January 1, 2017 available at www.sedar.com, for further detailed information, which is subject to the qualifications and notes set forth therein. As well, Orezones current technical report on the Bombore Project titled TECHNICAL REPORT ON THE UPDATED MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE FOR THE BOMBORE GOLD PROJECT, BURKINA FASO, WEST AFRICA and filed on SEDAR on February 27, 2017 contains further details on Orezones QCP and assurance programs and data verification measures used to support the scientific and technical information disclosed in this press release. About Orezone Gold Corporation Orezone is a Canadian company with a successful gold discovery track record and recent mine development experience in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Company owns a 90% interest in Bombore, a fully permitted, undeveloped oxide gold deposit in West Africa, which is situated 85 km east of the capital city, adjacent to an international highway. For further information please contact Orezone at +1 (613) 241-3699 or visit the Companys website at www.orezone.com. Orezone Gold Corporation Patrick Downey, President and Chief Executive Officer Tel: 1 613 241 3699 / Toll Free: 1 888 673 0663 info@orezone.com /www.orezone.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are frequently characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate, potential, possible and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may, will, could, or should occur. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding, among others; the drill results from both P11 and CFU should improve grade domaining, resource modeling and project economics within the shallow oxide zone and to complete additional drilling to target higher grade zones during 2018. All such forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believe are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure, the failure of exploration programs, including drilling programs, to deliver anticipated results and the failure of ongoing and contemplated studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ceylon Graphite Corp. (Ceylon Graphite) (TSX-V:CYL) (OTC:CYLYF) (FSE:CCY) announces significant advancements in the clearing and refurbishment of the graphite shaft and adit at its K1 site. The upgraded and refurbished shaft has now reached a depth of 100 ft. and will continue to the current bottom of the shaft which is anticipated at around 130 ft. Drilling operations simultaneously continue as previously announced. Upgrades and advancements include the refurbishment of the shaft access, strengthening of the passageway with steel and timber as well as installation of an electric winch and dewatering pumps. Work has also commenced on refurbishing the adit, which serves as a natural ventilation system and will be used to transport goods in and out of the shaft. All infrastructure upgrades are being installed throughout the underground area in anticipation of Ceylon Graphite achieving graphite production in the near term. In this regard, Ceylon Graphite expects to apply to upgrade its exploration license to a IML A license with the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau as soon as work on the shaft is completed. For recent images of the K1 shaft and current work program please see Ceylon Graphites updated website and presentation. Website link: www.ceylongraphite.com In addition to these significant advancements at its K1 site, Ceylon Graphite has begun preparatory geological work on two new grids in preparation for exploration through drilling and refurbishment of existing shafts. These grids, one in Ingiriya and the other in Katuwana both have vein graphite visible on the surface. Bharat Parashar, Chief Executive Officer states: We are very encouraged with the pace of work at the K1 site. With preparation now underway for work at our next sites we are confident in our ability to become a near-term graphite producer of some of the worlds purest naturally occurring graphite. Qualified Person Robert Marvin, P. Geo (ONT) is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the geological information provided in this news release. About Ceylon Graphite Corp. Ceylon Graphite Corp. is a public company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (CYL:TSX-V), that is in the business of exploring for and development of graphite mines in Sri Lanka. The Government of Sri Lanka has granted the company exploration rights in a land package of over 100km. These exploration grids (each one square kilometer in area) cover areas of historic graphite production from the early twentieth century, and represent a majority of the known graphite occurrences in Sri Lanka. Graphite mined in Sri Lanka is known to be some of the purest in the world, and currently accounts for less than 1% of the world graphite production. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking information as such term is defined in applicable securities laws, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. The forward-looking information includes statements about Ceylon Graphites grids, Ceylon Graphites plans to undertake additional drilling and to develop a mine plan, Ceylon Graphites intention to apply for a Mining License and to commence establishing mining operations. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to Ceylon Graphite, including the assumption that, the drilling exercises will confirm the presence of high quality graphite, sufficient financial resources will be available, the records from the drilling exercises prove to be accurate, there will be no unanticipated delays or costs materially affecting Ceylon Graphites exploration, development and production, there will be no material adverse change in metal prices, all necessary consents, licenses, permits and approvals will be obtained, including a IML A License and the market. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking information include, among other things, an inability to reach a final acquisition agreement, inaccurate results from the drilling exercises, a failure to obtain or delays in obtaining the required regulatory licenses, permits, approvals and consents, an inability to access financing as needed, a general economic downturn, a volatile stock price, labour strikes, political unrest, changes in the mining regulatory regime governing Ceylon Graphite, a failure to comply with environmental regulations and a weakening of market and industry reliance on high quality graphite. Ceylon Graphite cautions the reader that the above list of risk factors is not exhaustive. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, Ceylon Graphite does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) Further information regarding the Company is available at www.ceylongraphite.com Bharat Parashar, Chairman and & Chief Executive Officer Chairman & Chief Executive Officer info@ceylongraphite.com Corporate Communications (604) 559-8051 TSX-V: SNG VANCOUVER, Nov. 27, 2017 /CNW/ - Silver Range Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:SNG) ("Silver Range") reports that Rover Metals Corp. ("Rover") has provided the results of a drill program conducted on the Up Town Gold Property ("Property") in August and September 2017. A more complete summary of the drill program including drill plans and sections may be found on Rover's website, www.rovermetals.com. In August and September 2017, Rover completed 14 drill holes (total drill length 803 metres) on the Property. Drilling at the Rod Zone (10 holes / total 528 m) intersected short intervals of high grade gold enclosed in lower grade rock in 4 of the 10 holes. In addition to testing the known mineralization at Rod, a second structure (Rod West) was intersected at depth and returned best results of 0.6 m @ 15.20 g/t Au in hole ROD-17-004. Drill results from the Rod Zone are tabulated below: Drill hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) ROD-17-001 14.1 14.7 0.6 0.71 ROD-17-002 11.0 16.4 5.4 4.28 including 15.0 15.9 0.9 22.10 ROD-17-003 14.7 15.3 0.7 1.36 ROD-17-004 14.6 15.2 0.6 15.20 ROD-17-004 26.0 27.2 1.2 1.52 including 26.0 26.6 0.6 2.73 ROD-17-005 28.5 30.5 2.0 1.08 ROD-17-005 30.5 31.5 1.0 0.52 ROD-17-006 14.5 17.0 2.5 0.90 ROD-17-007 15.0 18.3 3.3 3.73 including 16.1 16.4 0.3 35.00 ROD-17-008 13.8 17.3 3.4 3.30 including 14.8 15.2 0.3 32.60 ROD-17-009 No assays > 0.30 g/t Au ROD-17-010 48.0 48.3 0.3 0.34 ROD-17-010 76.6 77.0 0.4 0.58 At Fox South, drilling was focused on testing the shear zone south of the known mineralization. The results of this work (4 holes / total 275 m) extended the strike length of drilled mineralization to 250 m. Drill results are summarized in the table below: Drill hole From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) FS-17-001 24.5 25.2 0.7 1.23 FS-17-001 29.2 30.2 1.0 0.34 FS-17-002 25.9 35.0 9.1 0.32 including 33.1 34.0 1.0 2.16 FS-17-003 39.6 46.6 7.1 0.62 including 45.3 45.6 0.3 5.12 FS-17-004 59.1 59.3 0.2 0.47 FS-17-004 3.5 3.9 0.4 1.02 FS-17-004 9.7 10.0 0.3 0.35 FS-17-004 38.2 38.9 0.7 0.93 FS-17-004 43.7 44.5 0.8 0.66 FS-17-004 51.4 52.0 0.6 1.52 FS-17-004 82.2 82.8 0.5 1.38 The drilling at Fox South confirms that the open north end of the zone may be more prospective. Holes drilled here in 2013 returning 4.14 m @ 2.62 g/t Au and 2.13 m @ 4.67 g/t Au (Silver Range Press Release dated August 30, 2016). The initial drill program at Up Town Gold confirmed the presence of shallow high-grade gold mineralization at Rod and provided a vector to potentially higher-grade mineralization at Fox South. At Rod, a second parallel structure hosting high grade gold was intersected west of the principal vein system. The Up Town Gold property, adjacent to Giant Mine, hosts high grade surface gold mineralization and remains largely unexplored. Only 2 of 8 known veins and vein systems were drill tested during the initial program. None of the known gold zones have been drill tested at depth. The results of the 2017 drill program will be integrated with recent surface mapping, geochemical sampling, airborne geophysical surveys and historic shallow drill data to define prospective structural traps that may host significant high-grade gold mineralization either along strike or beneath the known gold occurrences. Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mike Power, M.Sc., P.Geo., President and CEO of Silver Range Resources Ltd. and a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. Silver Range is a precious metals prospect generator working in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Nevada. The company is actively seeking joint venture partners to explore the assets in its portfolio. ON BEHALF OF SILVER RANGE RESOURCES LTD. "Mike Power" President, C.E.O. & Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of exploration and other risk factors beyond its control, and actual results may differ materially from the expected results. SOURCE Silver Range Resources Ltd. Vancouver, November 27, 2017 - LiCo Energy Metals Inc. ("the Company" or "LiCo") TSX-V: LIC, OTCQB: WCTXF Uptick Newswires host Everett Jolly welcomes back Tim Fernback, President and CEO of LiCO to update listeners on the Uptick Network "Stock Day" Podcast. Mr. Fernback updates listeners on the Company's current drilling status for cobalt in the Ontario property, briefly discusses the results from the drilling and the grade that Lico Energy is pulling from current drill sites. Continuing the interview, he overviews what the future may hold for Lico Energy and the potential properties that the Company is actively looking for to add grounds to current assets. Switching the conversation, Mr. Jolly asks Mr. Fernback to elaborate on Lico Energy's commodities that intertwine within the lithium and cobalt industry and the goals for the each of the properties that Lico Energy has ties or partnerships with for these properties. In closing CEO Tim Fernback states, "We touched on the market for both of these commodities. I think every analyst that is out there that comments on them is extremely bullish on both lithium and cobalt as a commodity and as the price goes up the demand for good quality exploration programs and properties that we have will also increase. We are in the middle of financing right now, we have a flow through financing in Canada and if people are interested in that then they can help participate in the financing for that property." The private placement details and subscription agreements will now be available to investors on the Stockhouse Deal Room (www.stockhouse.com/dealroom). To listen to the full interview please click here or the following link: https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-ceo-tim-fernback-of-lico-energy-metals-inc-otcqb-wctxf About LiCo Energy Metals LiCo Energy Metals Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's focus is directed towards exploration for high value metals integral to the manufacture of lithium ion batteries. https://licoenergymetals.com/ On Behalf of the Board of Directors Tim Fernback, President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information: This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. Copyright (c) 2017 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. VANCOUVER, Nov. 27, 2017 /CNW/ - Resolve Ventures Inc. (TSX-V: RSV) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement, where by the Company may acquire a 100% interest in the Mary Property (the "Property") located 30 kilometres southeast of Houston, British Columbia, Canada from two arm's length vendors,. The Property consists of 6,365 hectares and lies 1500 metres east of the New Nadina block. The underlying geology of this claim block is Cretaceous Kaslaka Group andesitic volcanics. These rocks are overlain by Eocene Endako Group Goosley Lake Formation alkaline volcanic rocks and Buck Creek Formation basaltic volcanics. All small plug of the Eocene Goosley plutonic suite intrudes the Cretaceous rocks. Historic exploration on the Mary block included induced polarization surveying and follow up percussion drilling of IP anomalies. Of the 22 percussion drill holes completed in 1985, only 9 actually reached bedrock. Four of those intercepted anomalous pathfinder elements. The IP anomalies remain untested. (Source: BC Ministry of Mines Assessment Reports 14346 and 15967). Resolve cautions investors that this historical exploration data has not been verified. The Property appears to have seen additional historical exploration. Resolve's technical team will review the assessment record of historical work on the Mary Property. Based on the findings of this review, an exploration program will be designed to best assess and evaluate the potential. Resolve Ventures, President and CEO Clive Massey stated: "We are very excited about the acquisition of these claims in this emerging area play as it puts us in a position to exploit some very interesting exploration opportunities in an area proven to be rich with mineral resources." Property Transaction Terms: Under the terms of the agreement, the Company can earn a 100% interest in the Property by issuing 5,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company upon TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") approval and incurring a minimum $100,000 in exploration expenditures within the first year. The vendors shall retain a 2% net smelter returns royalty of which the Company may purchase 1% for $1,500,000. The agreement is subject to Exchange approval. All shares issued will be subject to a four month and one day hold period. ABOUT RESOLVE VENTURES; Resolve is a Vancouver based publicly listed exploration company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange. The company is led by a highly skilled management and technical team with numerous previous successes in the junior mining sector. R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo., Resolves's Geologist and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. For further information on the Company, please email cmassey@cmassey.ca On Behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, Clive Massey President, Resolve Ventures Inc. (604) 664-6794 Neither TSX Venture Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on the Company's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements with respect to the Company's exploration and development plans. The words "will", "anticipated", "plans" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: uncertainties related exploration and development; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund exploration and development; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; increases in input costs; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or inability to obtain permits encountered in connection with exploration activities; and labour relations matters. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Resolve Ventures Inc. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Search Minerals Inc. ("Search" or the "Company") (TSX-V:SMY), and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Alterra Resources Inc. (Alterra), are pleased to announce that the 2000m drill program at Deep Fox has started. The drill is operating at the first hole site and the Company will be processing all the drill core at its facilities in St. Lewis, before being sent to ActLabs for assays. Search is also pleased to announce the results of an infill channel program, completed in July 2017, at the Deep Fox CREE (Critical Rare Earth Element) prospect located in the Port Hope Simpson (PHS) CREE District in SE Labrador. These results support high grades and significant widths at Deep Fox and establish a surface assay database that will be merged with results from the upcoming drill program to define a CREE resource at Deep Fox. Greg Andrews, President and CEO comments: We are very excited to initiate the Deep Fox drill program. This drill program has been a goal of the Company, and we are happy to deliver on this milestone. In addition, the new infill channel assay results for Deep Fox allow Dr. Randy Miller and his team to utilize the information for the drill program. The compelling reasons to drill the Deep Fox property remain: 1) Deep Fox has shown higher grades on surface of the key rare earth elements (Nd, Pr, Dy, Tb); 2) it has a similar strike length to Foxtrot but larger widths; 3) it displays better extraction results to those achieved on the Foxtrot material, and; 4) definition of a second resource supports the district concept. DRILL PROGRAM UPDATE The drilling has commenced on drill hole FD-17-01 at the Deep Fox prospect. Additional holes will test for mineralization at depth along the 450m observed surface strike length. The Company expects that this 2000m program will provide it with approximately 13 holes, designed to intersect mineralization from 25m to 100m depth. A successful drill program would confirm that the geological model at Deep Fox is similar to that observed at Foxtrot. At Foxtrot, drilling confirmed a close correspondence between surface channel geology/assays and drill core geology/assays down to at least 400m intersections. The drill program is expected to take 30 - 50 days and should be completed in January, taking into account the Christmas/New Years Day break. Assays results and analysis should be available in up to 6 weeks following completion of the drill program. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEEP FOX CHANNEL PROGRAM New Deep Fox infill channels support high CREE grades and significant widths that are similar to or higher than Foxtrot grades; Assay highlights: 1421 ppm Y, 1955 ppm Nd, 516 ppm Pr, 50.6 ppm Tb and 282 ppm Dy over 6.54m (true width); New channel results will be used to help guide the 2000m drilling program at Deep Fox. The new five-channel infill channel program at Deep Fox, which provided 215 assay samples over 220 m, was carried out in July 2017. Table 1, below, provides highlights of the channel program. Analytical techniques, sample preparation, and channel sampling procedures are below under Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC). Table 1. DEEP FOX PROSPECT VALUES DEEP FOX PROSPECT FDC-17-02 (Channel) FDC-17-04 (Channel) FDC-17-05 (Channel) FDC-17-05 (Channel) From (m) To (m) Interval (m) 23.86 30.40 6.54 24.72 32.13 7.41 12.71 51.26 38.55 27.50 33.70 6.20 Y 1,421 1,239 1,104 1,277 Zr 14,122 13,706 10,614 12,588 Nb 692 635 643 678 La 2,095 2,054 2,019 1,961 Ce 4,428 4,259 4,021 4,025 Pr 516 485 448 460 Nd 1,955 1,814 1,677 1,746 Sm 363 340 304 328 Eu 19.3 17.5 15.4 16.0 Gd 296 269 237 256 Tb 50.6 44.5 38.6 40.3 Dy 282 255 217 244 Ho 53.0 47.5 40.5 48.3 Er 148 135 115 138 Tm 20.5 18.6 15.7 19.4 Yb 127 115 96 119 Lu 17.8 16.8 14.6 17.1 LREE 9357 8952 8469 8520 HREE 1014 919 790 899 HREE+Y 2435 2158 1894 2175 TREE 10371 9871 9259 9419 TREE+Y 11792 11110 10363 10696 % TREE 1.04% .99% .93% .94% %TREE+Y 1.18% 1.11% 1.04% 1.07% %HREE 9.78% 9.31% 8.53% 9.54% %HREE +Y 20.65% 19.42% 18.28% 20.34% Note; REE TREE LREE HREE Y %HREE+Y %HREE All elements parts per million (ppm), 10,000 ppm = 1% = 10kg/tonne Rare Earth Elements: La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu (Lanthanide Series). Total Rare Earth Elements: Add La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu Light Rare Earth Elements: Add La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm. Heavy Rare Earth Elements: Add Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu. Y not included in HREE due to relatively low value compared to most Lanthanide series HREE. %(HREE+Y)/( TREE+Y) %( HREE/ TREE) The program assay and logging results were combined with previous results from 2014/2015 (see Search Minerals news releases Jan. 27th, 2015 and Oct. 15th 2015) to develop a surface geological and geochemical database. This database will be used to guide the drill program at Deep Fox (see Search Minerals news release Oct. 25th, 2017) and will be combined with the drill results to develop a Deep Fox CREE resource. The Deep Fox (formerly Deepwater Fox) prospect (see Search Minerals news releases Jan. 27th, 2015 and Oct 15th 2015) occurs about 2 km NE from the port of St. Lewis on the SE Labrador coast and within 12 km of the Foxtrot Deposit. It can be accessed by all-weather gravel roads and by water through the port of St. Lewis. Qualified Person(s): Dr. Randy Miller, Ph.D., P.Geo, is the Company's Vice President, Exploration, and Qualified Person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101) who has supervised the preparation of and approved the technical information reported herein. The Company will endeavour to meet high standards of integrity, transparency, and consistency in reporting technical content, including geological and assay (e.g., REE) data. Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC): Channel samples, 10cm deep and 8cm wide, are cut by gas-powered diamond saw from cleaned outcrops to provide samples for assay and logging/reference. Each channel is cut into two vertical sections, similar to drill core, with a 6 cm thick section (weathering removed) being sent out for assay to Activation Laboratories Ltd. A 2 cm thick section is stored in channel boxes for reference and to provide due diligence/verification samples. The channels are cut perpendicular to strike, pieced together, logged and photographed to produce geological and geochemical sections. These channel samples, or horizontal drill holes, produce the same data as vertical diamond drill holes, except the data is from horizontal geological sections and the collected sample is 6 to 8 times bigger than NQ drill core. Additional 8 cm wide cuts from a channel interval make excellent preliminary metallurgical samples (1m of channel yields about 30kg of sample). Lithogeochemistry samples, all from bedrock, are collected by Company personnel, bagged and described. Reference samples are also collected for each grab, lithogeochemistry and channel sample. The samples are shipped to Activation Laboratories Ltd. (ActLabs) sample prep facility in Ancaster, Ontario, where they are crushed to 80% -10 mesh and riffled to produce a representative sample. This sample is then pulverized to 95% -200 mesh with the pulverizing mills being cleaned between each sample with cleaning sand. A representative sample is treated by a lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion and then analyzed by ICP and ICP/MS techniques. Mass balance is required as an additional quality control technique and elemental totals of the oxides should be between 98% and 101%. For QA/QC purposes Search requires duplicates every 25 samples and two Search reproducibility standards every 50 samples. ActLabs analyzes duplicates and splits approximately every 15 samples and also analyses 29 measured standards for QA/QC. To further enhance our QA/QC procedures Search has a program of checking analytical results with other labs to confirm the ActLabs results. ActLabs is a ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory. About Search Minerals Inc. Led by a proven management team and board of directors, Search is focused on finding and developing resources within the emerging Port Hope Simpson Critical Rare Earth Element (CREE) District of South East Labrador (the District). The Company controls a belt 70 km long and 8 km wide including its 100% interest in the FOXTROT Project which is road accessible and at tidewater. Exploration efforts have advanced Deep Fox and Fox Meadow as significant new CREE prospects very similar and in close proximity to the original FOXTROT discovery. While the Company has identified more than 20 other prospects in the District, its primary objective remains development of FOXTROT with the clearly demonstrated success of the proprietary processing technology at the pilot plant level and delineation of prospects that will ensure competitive-low cost production beyond the 14-year mine life contemplated in the preliminary economic assessment of FOXTROT completed in April 2016. The FOXTROT Project has a low capital cost to bring the initial project into production ($152 M), a short payback period and is scalable due to Searchs proprietary processing technology. The preliminary economic assessment is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The preliminary economic assessment includes the results of an economic analysis of mineral resources. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. All material information on the Company may be found on its website at www.searchminerals.ca and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com About neo-CREOs (Adamas Intelligence December 2016) We consider neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium to be neo-CREOs and they are vital to NdFeB magnets used widely in renewable power generation, electric mobility, and energy-efficient technologies. We consider terbium to be a neo-CREO because upon experiencing shortages of dysprosium, consumers in the magnet industry will rapidly consume available terbium supplies in its place for applications involving renewable power generation, electric mobility and energy efficient technologies. Lanthanum is considered a neo-CREO because it is widely used in catalytic converters and rechargeable batteries, and will be increasingly used as a thermal stabilizer by producers of poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) to minimize lead consumption and improve the energy efficiency of PVC and other processing equipment. For further information, please contact: Greg Andrews President and CEO Tel: 604-998-3432 E-mail: info@searchminerals.ca Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information. This news release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as expects, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, potential, possible, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results will, may, could, or should occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, technical results from the Companys drilling program. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. (David Kidd) Phil Bertolini has spent the better part of his career dealing with tech issues for the second-largest county in Michigan. But what hes best known for these days is his commitment to helping smaller communities around the state get access to better technology.Oakland County, where Bertolini is CIO, has been providing shared services to other localities for decades. But Bertolini has taken that process a huge step further. In 2011, he brought the intergovernmental process online to let smaller governments with limited investment capacity take advantage of the work that bigger ones like Oakland had already done. He did that by launching G2G Cloud Solutions, which provides computing services that allow residents of even the smallest municipality to pay tickets, bills and property taxes online. Soon after that, Oakland County followed up with the G2G Marketplace, an online store where governments can find lists of approved vendors and ready-to-go contracts that they can use to research and buy technology and services.A number of the larger governments around the country do this to some extent. But none have done it on the scale Oakland County has. So far, 82 agencies in Michigan have joined G2G Cloud Solutions, and 52 of them are outside Oakland. Even more remarkable is the fact that there are 721 users participating in the G2G Marketplace across 49 states. Bertolinis team also makes house calls: They swoop in and troubleshoot IT problems in a number of other jurisdictions, including the state government in Lansing.The reason for sharing is simple, says the 54-year-old Bertolini: Its the right thing to do. Oakland County, with a population of 1.2 million and an annual IT budget of more than $55 million, has tech resources that most local governments in Michigan couldnt possibly afford. Philosophically, I believe bigger governments should be helping smaller governments, Bertolini says. I believe if we have the wherewithal to help somebody, why wouldnt we?Oakland isnt exactly giving away the store in this deal. Bertolini has structured it so Oakland makes a little money in the process. The county takes a share of any access fee a city or town might charge its residents for a service that uses Oakland County computers. Last year, those fees totaled $1.7 million. And whenever another locality takes advantage of a vendors rate that Oakland has negotiated and put up in the G2G Marketplace, Bertolinis county gets a discount on its own contract with that vendor. To date, that procedure has saved the county some $630,000.The collaborative mindset has earned Oakland County national recognition as a tech leader. Earlier this year, Oakland was named one of the most digitally advanced counties in the country (it came in second to King County, Wash.). All of this, says County Executive Brooks Patterson, is a far cry from when he took office in 1993 and discovered county employees were still using typewriters. We came from nowhere, Patterson says. And it all goes to Phil. Hes really put this place on the map.-- By Liz Farmer A stinging defeat 3 rulings in 2017 The Texas Legislature is among the most aggressive in the nation when it comes to regulating the practice of abortion, churning out a steady stream of laws since 2011 that have been met with an equally aggressive legal response by abortion providers.The result is a well-worn path between the Capitol and the federal courts, leading most recently to U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel's decision Wednesday to strike down a Texas law limiting the most common second-trimester procedure.It was the seventh time this decade that a federal judge has blocked an abortion-related law or regulation that had been championed by the state's Republican leaders, putting Texas in a familiar position -- ground zero in the abortion wars."Texas is certainly one of the most active states when it comes to anti-abortion legislation," said Molly Duane, a lawyer with the Center for Reproductive Rights, which has filed five lawsuits against Texas this decade, including the challenge to the second-trimester law."It's fair to characterize Texas as one of the most restrictive states when it comes to regulating abortion out of existence," Duane said.State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, has been a leading advocate for tighter restrictions on abortion since he entered the Texas House in 2003.The success in passing laws this decade was the result of strong Republican majorities in the Legislature and committed opposition to abortion by Gov. Greg Abbott and his predecessor, Rick Perry, Hughes said.But a second important factor was a shift in strategy away from efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade -- the U.S. Supreme Court case out of Texas that established a right to abortion in 1973 -- toward a focus on "limits we can place on abortion," Hughes said."Pro-lifers in America still want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, but in the meantime we want to save as many little babies as we can," he said.In 2011, the Legislature passed a law requiring pre-abortion sonograms. The regulation required abortion doctors to describe what the sonogram revealed, including the size of the fetus, body features and internal organs. The law also mandated a 24-hour waiting period -- or two hours for women who live more than 100 miles from the nearest clinic -- in hopes that the information would prompt women to opt out of the abortion.U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks of Austin blocked the law from taking effect, ruling that it violated the First Amendment by improperly requiring doctors and patients to engage in government-mandated speech.Sparks' decision, however, was overturned by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the sonogram law remains in force.Also in 2011, Yeakel blocked Texas from removing Planned Parenthood from a state program to provide low-income women with contraceptives and other medical care, but the 5th Circuit Court -- one of the most conservative federal appeals courts in the nation -- also overturned that ruling.With those court victories secured, abortion opponents cranked up their efforts in the 2013 legislative session, passing a sweeping law that banned abortions after 20 weeks and severely limited the availability of drug-induced abortions.The centerpiece of that law, however, was a pair of provisions -- requiring doctors to get admitting privileges in a nearby hospital and mandating that all abortions take place in hospital-like settings -- that would have left nine abortion clinics open in Texas, down from 42 when then-Gov. Perry signed the regulations into law in July 2013.Yeakel overturned both requirements, but once again the 5th Circuit Court overruled the judge and allowed Texas to enforce the restrictions.The victory for Texas was short-lived, however. The U.S. Supreme Court tossed out both regulations last year -- a stinging defeat for abortion foes because the ruling required restrictions to have health benefits that outweigh their burdens, a standard that will make it harder to justify future regulations that limit access to the procedure.The ruling also could be expensive. Lawyers for the abortion providers, as the winning side, are seeking $4.55 million in legal fees and expenses from Texas. Yeakel has yet to rule on the request.This year, three Texas abortion-related restrictions have been overturned:--A state rule requiring health facilities to bury or cremate fetal tissue, whether from an abortion or miscarriage, was blocked in January by Sparks, who said the policy appeared to be a pretext to restrict abortion access because there were few vendors available to handle fetal remains. Texas appealed, and the 5th Circuit Court will hear oral arguments Jan. 4.In the meantime, the Legislature approved a law in May that also required burial or cremation of fetal remains. That law takes effect Feb. 1, and abortion providers have asked Sparks to include it in his injunction.--Sparks also blocked Texas from ousting Planned Parenthood from Medicaid in February, ruling that state health officials tried to punish the organization based on "unsubstantiated and indeterminate allegations" in undercover video footage shot in 2015 by abortion opponents. The 5th Circuit Court has not set an argument date.--Last Wednesday, Yeakel struck down a state law requiring abortion doctors to stop the fetal heartbeat before beginning the most common type of second-trimester abortion. Yeakel said the law improperly required doctors to use unproven and medically unnecessary methods to cause fetal demise that increased a woman's risk of infection and other medical complications.State Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately appealed that ruling.Abortion providers and civil rights groups have vowed to remain vigilant, challenging any law or regulation that attempts to restrict abortion access in Texas.Hughes said he and other abortion opponents will not be dissuaded by the threat of future litigation."We're not going to be paralyzed by fear of the courts when we draft pro-life legislation," he said. The state of Missouri is reversing course and will allow anyone on Medicaid with hepatitis C to receive the medication that cures the disease.The change in policy comes after a lawsuit was filed against the department that oversees the state's Medicaid program, arguing that some Medicaid patients were denied medically necessary treatment.The case, filed in federal court in Missouri's western district last year, was dismissed Monday following the state's decision to change its policy, effective Nov. 1."We are glad that Missouri health officials will start to ensure that Medicaid enrollees receive these medications in a timely manner. This therapy is not only medically necessary for the individual patient, but it is vital in helping to halt spread of a communicable disease," Abigail Coursolle, an attorney with the National Health Law Program, said in a statement released Tuesday.Coursolle, along with the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri and the St. Louis University Legal Clinic, represented the three plaintiffs in the case, all unnamed Medicaid recipients with hepatitis C.In an attempt to curb spending on the costly medication, a serious budget concern for many states, the department implemented the policy that allowed only the sickest of Medicaid recipients with hepatitis C to receive the new treatments.Initially, the price of the treatment was $93,000 for a 12-week course of the medication, according to a statement from MoHealthnet, the state agency that oversees the Medicaid program.It's estimated that 13,000 Medicaid recipients in the state have hepatitis C, according to court documents.The price of the drugs has since declined, the state said in a statement.Hepatitis C is an infectious disease that can lead to liver failure or death. An estimated 3.9 million individuals across the country have the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."This will actually save the state money in the long run," John Ammann, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, told the Post-Dispatch."A poor person on Medicaid, their liver gets worse and worse, Medicaid would have paid for a liver transplant. But we don't have that expense if they're cured," he said. Seeking Out Veterans Focusing on Students Cyber Women Internships for veterans, cyber classes for high school and college students and mentoring programs aimed especially at middle-school girls are among the ways states are trying to beef up their cybersecurity ranks.Cybersecurity is the most pressing issue for state information technology officials, as hackers and cybercriminals increasingly take aim at government networks, which contain information such as Social Security, bank account and credit card numbers of millions of people and businesses.But hiring and keeping qualified IT staffers, particularly cybersecurity experts, continues to be a serious problem for states, according to a recent survey of state chief information officers. Job candidates dont perceive state government as an attractive and challenging work environment, the report found.State cyber salaries generally cant match those in private industry and its often hard to move up the ladder in state government. And the disappearance of generous government retirement plans is making the jobs less appealing to cyber professionals.Stanton Gatewood, Georgias chief information security officer, said the shortage stems not only from competition from the private sector, an aging workforce and lack of interest from high school and college students, but from states stringent educational and experience requirements that make it hard to recruit. Were writing requirements that are just through the roof, he said last month at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers annual conference in Austin.Gatewood recommended that states rethink those requirements and seek out nontraditional job candidates who have different types of backgrounds, such as gamers, code writers, and law enforcement and military officials.Its great to understand theory and principles. But our need is immediate, he said, adding, We need to put the butts in the seats.Nearly 300,000 public and private cybersecurity jobs are available in the U.S., according to CyberSeek, an interactive online tool for job seekers. Frost & Sullivan, a market research firm, forecasts a shortage of 1.8 million cybersecurity workers globally by 2022.Some states are looking to the military to try to fill cybersecurity jobs.In March, Virginia, which has more than 700,000 veterans, kicked off its Cyber Vets Virginia pilot program in partnership with private industry and a Syracuse University research institute focused on veterans. The program aims to help veterans enter the cybersecurity field in Virginia by providing them free hands-on training, assistance in getting industry certification and career services.The 12- to 15-week program is open to veterans, those transitioning out of the military, spouses, reservists and National Guard members. So far, more than 125 people have enrolled, said program administrator John Malfitano.A lot of them have cyber experience, and cyberattacks are really a new form of warfare and we need to be able to defend against it, Malfitano said. But even those with experience may need additional training to meet industry certification standards, he said.In Colorado, the Legislature allocated more than $900,000 this year to create and fund the Veterans Transition Program, a nine-month paid internship at the state technology department for service members leaving the military who have shown an interest or aptitude in cybersecurity or have some cyber experience.These are people who already have a demonstrated interest in public service, said Deborah Blyth, the states chief information security officer. They also have done some consistent time in the military, so Im not worried about them job-hopping.The program started in July, and two veterans already are on board. Officials expect to add eight more.Were hoping to create a pipeline for ourselves, Blyth said. So as we have turnover and openings, we are able to have these veterans transition into our agency.For the last two years, Virginia has offered a public service scholarship program to in-state college students studying cybersecurity. It awards them up to $20,000 a year and in return, they must commit to working at a state agency or institution for as many years as they receive the scholarship.Virginia also is one of seven states that participate in a partnership with the SANS Institute, a global information security training company, to provide cyber skills to high school and college students through a free online training exercise called CyberStart. The top performers at the state level can win thousands of dollars in scholarships and compete nationally for up to $500,000 in scholarships for more advanced cyber coursework.Delaware registered 359 students for this years program and 20 of them received scholarships at the state level, said Elayne Starkey, Delawares chief information security officer. Delaware also has hosted and run weeklong national U.S. Cyber Challenge camps attended by hundreds of young people that offer workshops, labs and a competition, she said.While such programs are a great way to entice young people to choose cybersecurity careers, Starkey said, it may not be enough to keep the pipeline of cyber talent flowing, considering the large number of experienced staffers who will retire in the coming years.Its a very complex problem that we havent been able to find answers to, Starkey said. At some point you stop and take a look behind you and ask whos coming to fill our shoes. And you find theres no one there.While cybersecurity is a booming field, its still male-dominated. Women make up only 14 percent of the cyber workforce in North America, according to a 2017 study.State officials say the pool of women qualified to fill cyber jobs is shallow, which makes it difficult for young girls interested in a cybersecurity career to find role models and mentors.One way Delawares IT department is trying to break that cycle is by co-sponsoring an annual event that brings together 150 eighth- and ninth-grade girls to immerse them in technology and give them hands-on practice, Starkey said. One track is devoted to cybersecurity.In Colorado, Blyth recently worked with a local university to start a chapter of CyberGirlz, an initiative that offers mentoring and workshops for middle-school girls interested in the cybersecurity field.The problem were having in cyber is that when I open positions, there just are not a lot of women who apply because there are not a lot of women in security, Blyth said.Ambareen Siraj, a computer science professor at Tennessee Tech and founder of Women in CyberSecurity, a networking and mentoring group for cyber professionals and students, said young women often cant relate to the stereotypical image of the cyber techie.Many young women going to college think this is a field of socially challenged men wearing black hoodies and hacking away in dark basements, eating pizza, she said. We need them to realize that its not. Its a field where they learn how to solve problems using their own skills. On Friday, in the afternoon, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted an afternoon tea for the presentation of the 2017 Winston Churchill Fellowship Awards where the Governor addressed guests. In the evening, at the Pullman Hotel Brisbane, the Governor attended the 70th Anniversary St Andrews Day Dinner. On Saturday, in the afternoon, at Government House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey hosted a reception for participants of the 4th Australia-Indonesia Ministerial Council on Law and Security, where the Governor addressed guests. Description GIS 27 November, 2017: A first cohort of 80 students is starting today a three-year full time National Diploma course in nursing at Polytechnics Pamplemousses campus. The programme is jointly offered by Polytechnics Mauritius Ltd (PML) and the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life. It will lead to the award of the National Diploma by the Mauritius Institute of Health. The National Diploma in Nursing was officially launched during a ceremony on Friday 24 November 2017 by the Minister of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Mrs Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, in the presence of the Minister of Health and Quality of Life, Dr Mohammad Anwar Husnoo. In her opening address Minister Dookun-Luchoomun observed that skills development is the new mantra on the international scene and it has always been a priority for the Mauritian Government to invest in skills development. Skills development and relevant training are in themselves a major form of investment in people, she said. As regards the polytechnic sector, the Minister pointed out that polytechnics will, as from now, be indissociably part of the educational landscape of Mauritius, as it will be called upon to act as the flagship institution for skills development programmes at the higher end of the spectrum. In fact, Polytechnics have come out with the aim to better connect the world of learning to the world of work, especially keeping in view the priority sectors of the economy, she added. For his part Minister Husnoo outlined that the aim behind the partnership with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, is to strengthen and to broaden the mutual cooperation in the provision of education and training in the nursing field. The collaboration with PML needs to be considered as a major step towards enhancing knowledge and training facilities in Mauritius, he said. Moreover, Dr Husnoo recalled that the initiative is in line with Governments 2030 Vision and the objective of transforming Mauritius into a regional hub for health care and medical services. This joint effort heralds the start of a promising future in the education sector in Mauritius considering that Government has the will to promote the quality level of the health service personnel so as to meet the needs of our nation, he stated. In his speech the Chairperson of PML, Professor Theeshan Bahorun, pointed out that the new industrial revolution, referred to as Industry 4.0, is called upon to change industries and economies at a fast rate. Mauritius therefore will have to develop new sets of leadership skills and most importantly technological and middle management knowhow adapted to suit the purposes of the industry, he highlighted. National Diploma in Nursing The National Diploma in Nursing is fully sponsored by the Human Resource Development Council for the first cohort under the National Skills Development Programme. Students are benefiting from a monthly stipend of Rs 5 000 for the duration of the programme which also comprises placement in Public hospitals. Additionally, students have the option of embarking on a beginners course in a foreign language. The existing Polytechnic campus building at Pamplemousses, which has undergone structural adjustments to cater for workshops and teaching and learning amenities, will allow students to have access to immediate industry facilities for their training at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam National Hospital. The National Diploma is offered following the signature, on 21 July 2017, of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life and PML, which is a body corporate set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research. It makes provision for the training of both Mauritian and international students in Nursing and Paramedical fields. Description GIS - 27 November, 2017: The Government of Mauritius and the United Nations (UN) are committed to strengthen existing relations and pledge to continue and reinforce their collaboration. The Government of Mauritius and the United Nations (UN) are committed to strengthen existing relations and pledge to continue and reinforce their collaboration. This was at the centre of discussions during a courtesy call by the UN Coordinator of United Nations Development Programme, Ms Christine Umutoni, on the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, on 24 November 2017 at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis. In a statement, the UN Coordinator commended the work being undertaken by the numerous UN agencies in Mauritius in various sectors including social, cultural, educational, the fight against poverty and actions related to climate change. Ms Umutoni also reiterated the continuing support of the UN for local governmental initiatives in several spheres. She further highlighted that the Prime Minister shares the willingness to continue the bilateral partnership and emphasised that the UN will maintain and even scale up the ongoing collaboration. Description GIS - 27 November, 2017: The first payment of Negative Income Tax (NIT) allowance to beneficiaries was effected on Friday 24 November 2017 at the seat of the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) in Port Louis in the presence of the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. The first payment of Negative Income Tax (NIT) allowance to beneficiaries was effected on Friday 24 November 2017 at the seat of the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) in Port Louis in the presence of the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth. Cheques were handed over symbolically to some thirteen beneficiaries under the NIT scheme which came into effect as from 1st July 2017. Out of the 21 800 applications received, 12 100 persons have already benefitted from an allocation. The NIT consists of a financial support from the Government to be effected by the MRA on a quarterly basis to employees whose basic salary is less than or equal to Rs 9 900 monthly. In his address, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation on the early implementation of the NIT previously forecasted for January 2018 and lauded the MRA for the zeal and hard work in making the project a reality. According to him, such measure is a landmark achievement for Mauritius which he added is among the few countries in the world that have successfully implemented such a scheme. He recalled that the measure of NIT was announced in his summing up speech to the Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2017 as a means to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor and reduce inequality hence contributing to poverty alleviation in the country. Such measure, he added will help bring social justice and improve the quality of life for those at the lower rung of the social ladder while helping them integrate the mainstream society. He reassured each and every one that the share of growth should be fairly distributed among all segments of the population. For his part, the Director General of the MRA, Mr Sudhamo Lal, welcomed the NIT initiative as a challenge and a change in the mandate of the MRA from a mere collector of taxes to both a collector and distributor of taxpayers money. He expressed his satisfaction that the MRA is called upon to distribute part of the revenues it has been collecting to needy people and be part of the endeavour to directly contribute to poverty alleviation. The Negative Income Tax system will provide financial support to some 150 000 employees in full time employment, and earning emoluments less than or equal to Rs 9 900 monthly. Description GIS 27 November, 2017 : It is unacceptable that violence against women and girls still happens in 2017. We are here today to say no to any forms of violence against women and girls, this should stop! The strong call to end violence against women and girls was made by the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, on 25 November 2017 at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Moka on the occasion of the launching of a media campaign on the elimination of violence against women. The event was held in the context of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, commemorated on 25 November, in the presence of the Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus, several Ministers, Members of the National Assembly, and other personalities. The Prime Minister recalled that violence against women and girls is one of the most persistent human rights violations and among the most extreme form of discrimination. Violence involves verbal, physical, and sexual abuse and mutilation and may as well be cause of death in some cases; we will not tolerate such practices anymore, said Mr Jugnauth. Speaking on Governments initiatives on the issue, the Prime Minister highlighted that everything is being done to eliminate domestic violence and give support to victims. He gave the example of the Men as Caring Partners Project, aimed at mobilising men to take an active stand for gender equality and against gender-based violence. The importance of education in tackling gender based violence was highlighted by Mr Jugnauth, who recalled that the ongoing reforms in the education sector will contribute to promote positive attitudes towards gender equality and ensure understanding and awareness on the need to combat any forms of violence. But, he underlined, education begins at home and parents have a key role in providing a caring family setting and inculcating the right values to their children. The Prime Minister also made an appeal to men for a change in mindset and to become part of the solution to prevent and end violence against women and girls. He pointed out that real men should respect women and portraying women as the weaker sex to demean and degrade the latter was no longer valid in this time and age. While urging people with authority and power to lead by example, Mr Jugnauth called for the participation of every citizen in the national efforts to uphold human rights for women and combat discrimination. For her part Minister Jadoo-Jaunbocus announced that an integrated service centre, making use of latest technologies, will come into operation soon to provide immediate solutions and facilities to victims of violence. She said that her Ministry is focusing on initiatives that would empower victims, offering assistance and skill-based training to these women so that they become financially independent. With regard to the media awareness campaign on the theme Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Minister dwelt on the necessity to sensitise the population on the impact of verbal, physical, and sexual abuses on women which cause the disintegration of family and disruption of society. The Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare is running a media campaign from 25 November to 10 December on the elimination of violence against women. Messages have been placed on billboards at strategic locations and similar clips are broadcast over radio and television. It is time to pull down the wall of violence against women and move together towards a society free of discrimination, affirmed Mrs Jadoo-Jaunbocus. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2017 The United Nations theme for this year is Together we can end Gender-Based Violence in Education. Activities organised by the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare to commemorate the International Day include a high level panel discussion on gender-based violence in collaboration with the European Union; workshops on themes such as Giving Women a Voice, and Community Response to Domestic Violence; pre-marital counselling for engaged couples and marriage enrichment programmes for married couples. (TNS) ST. THOMAS In the aftermath of the destructive 2017 hurricane season which formally ends on Thursday technology companies have moved in to field test a variety of new technologies.In Puerto Rico, Tesla has deployed its solar and battery power systems and Alphabet, Googles parent company, has obtained permission to use a balloon-based system to provide cell service to rural areas damaged by the hurricanes, though a spokesman for X, the subdivision of Alphabet developing the balloon project, said the project has not been deployed in the Virgin Islands.In Virgin Islands, as well as in Puerto Rico, Microsoft has successfully deployed something called TV white space technology to provide wireless Internet.On the broadcast dial, traditional television channels are separated by bands of white space to prevent one channel from bleeding into another. The white space bands between channels are themselves separate television channels that can be used to broadcast information.The resulting networks can work better than cellphones in some circumstances, according to a Microsoft white paper authored in July.This available spectrum is uniquely suited for delivering broadband to rural areas because it can carry communications over far greater distances and penetrate through walls and other obstacles than cellular and other spectrum bands, the paper reads in part. Because of these unique characteristics, technologies leveraging TV white spaces are sometimes referred to as Super Wi-Fi.Microsofts initiative titled Airband has been successfully used to broadcast Internet to sections of rural America, and the company hopes to use the system to balance out a lack of broadband Internet access in the United States, according to the white paper.After Hurricane Irma blew through the northern end of the territory on Sept. 6, followed by Marias southward trajectory on Sept. 20, a Microsoft sales representative based in Puerto Rico approached the V.I. Bureau of Information Technology Director Angelo Riddick about potentially using Airband to get Internet to hard-to-reach sections of the territory.The move was part of a larger push by Microsoft involving both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, according to a blog post written by Shelley McKinley, the companys general manager for Technology and Responsibility. The company is partnered with NetHope, an international organization which serves as an incubator for Internet-based projects in the developing world.McKinley used the acronym TVWS to refer to the project.TVWS technology is helping people in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands reconnect with people outside their immediate communities, McKinley wrote. In addition to Utuado, we have TVWS sites up and running in Humacao, Puerto Rico; and in the U.S. Virgin Islands in St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas. And, TVWS will soon be working in Barranquitas and San Lorenzo in Puerto Rico. Our hope is that TVWS broadband connections will hasten the recovery in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, making it a little less difficult for people in the region to communicate and to recover.The reality has been a little more pragmatic, Riddick said. The government has been able to use the technology to direct Internet to a V.I. Planning and Natural Resources office on St. Croix, and they have put up a station on Blue Mountain to potentially expand the service.We did prove the concept, so it does work, he said.The way the technology is used in the territory, the white-space based Internet is beamed to local routers, which in turn serve as hot spots for nearby users, Riddick said. Like any newly implemented technology, there are some challenges, Riddick said.The challenge to it is the bandwidth is really limited typically 2 megs per, he said. Its really slow.The limit for an Internet connection to be considered broadband is 25 megabits per second, or roughly 12 times faster than the speeds the government has seen over the white space project.Microsofts project is not the only technological deployment the government is trying to work around hurricane damage, Riddick said. The issue is frequently the federal regulations governing communications, which can sometimes slow the speed of deployment for new technologies, as well as the logistics of getting new devices installed in the territories, Riddick said.I think they are, Riddick said, of technology companies viewing recovery as an opportunity to test new technologies. But the logistics pipeline and the political pipeline is probably slowing them down.For example, Riddick said he recently received an unanticipated phone call from the Ocean State.The state of Rhode Island called, and said We need to ship some satellite to you at no cost, he said.Rhode Island isnt sending satellites, but rather dishes used to receive satellite Internet, which can range in speed from 4 kilobits per second up to 16 megabits per second.We expect to be getting those within the next two weeks, he said. With Google Fiber now available in Louisville, Ky. , city leaders expect multiple ultra-fast Internet options to start fueling economic development and help ongoing efforts to foster digital equity in struggling and underserved neighborhoods. Google Fiber, which took its first signups in Louisville in October, has given the city a second provider to go along with AT&T Fiber . It took a long time to get to this point Google first announced tentative plans to develop a fiber network in the city in 2015 but the benefits for the community have quickly become evident, said Grace Simrall, chief of civic innovation and technology with Louisville Metro Government. Simrall pointed to Chattanooga, Tenn., as a model for what Louisville is now moving toward in terms of economic development driven by the availability of world-class Internet. Armed with a rapid and city-owned broadband network that consumers have ranked as the best in the country , Chattanooga has branded itself as Gig City, using its digital infrastructure to create an innovation district that has renewed its economy. Whereas Chattanoogas economy was once dependent on outmoded manufacturing businesses, it is now alive with an innovation economy driven by tech entrepreneurs, largely thanks to having a fiber-optic network available to all homes and businesses in its 600-square-mile territory. While Louisville is still working to spread fiber all throughout its community Google reports being available in three neighborhoods, while AT&T reports being available to 50,000 users Simrall said the city has already fielded inquiries from companies interested in relocating there. Plus, the availability makes Louisville a more desirable place to live for tech-savvy residents working within the new economy, who can live in Kentucky and work seamlessly for companies across the globe. It is also expected to improve current tech work in the city. Its a boost to our exploration around the smart home, Simrall said. CNET has its smart home facility headquartered here in Louisville, Ky. In order to really be able to test these technologies for consumers, they need significant bandwidth. Ultra-high-speed Internet can provide that for them. To help bring Google Fiber to town, policymakers in Louisville did much work in advance, including passing a One Touch Make Ready rule that gives ISPs like Google faster access to utility poles it needs to create a fiber network. AT&T sued Nashville in U.S. District Court in 2016 to potentially slow Google Fiber deployment in that city. Louisvilles city leadership was vocal in supporting the ordinance for the dual purposes of making the city broadband ready and fostering competition among Internet service providers. That competition speaks to the other major benefit of having multiple fiber providers now active in Louisville: digital equity. Digital equity, which means making sure that all citizens and neighborhoods have access to technology and the skills they need to use it, is an increasingly prevalent concern among city governments. This year marked the first National Digital Inclusion Week , during which Louisville launched its PNC Gigabit Experience Center . This facility is aimed at giving denizens of the traditionally impoverished Russell neighborhood access to high-speed Internet. Of the three neighborhoods Google Fiber has launched in, two are similar to Russell in terms of impoverishment. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer wrote a column in the citys newspaper detailing the history of Google Fiber in the city and why this was all so positive for the community, focusing in part on how more competition would lead to faster speeds and lower rates. He described how it felt to be at a launch event for the service in the citys Portland neighborhood. Our ultimate goal is to create equity in access to technology and the Internet for all Louisvillians and thats what I was envisioning on Wednesday at Neighborhood House in Portland, the mayor wrote. (TNS) - Springdale, Pa., officials want to offer tax credits to volunteer firefighters, but how they would qualify for the program remains a question.Council recently held a public hearing on offering a credit, but didn't vote on enacting it after council President James Zurisko raised concerns about the criteria for it not being available.Councilman Mike Ziencik said that he, the fire chief and Borough Manager Kim McAfoose were going to settle on the criteria after council approved providing it.Ziencik, himself a volunteer firefighter, said he would be abstaining from any vote on a credit because he would benefit directly from it.He was frustrated by what he saw as a delay.But Zurisko questioned how council could move forward without the criteria. He said it should be established and put forth first.We need all that broken down, he said. I think everybody's all for it, don't get me wrong.Councilwoman Eileen Miller agreed.We have to know what we're getting into, she said.Act 172 of 2016 gives municipalities the option to offer a real estate or earned income tax credit to active members of volunteer fire companies and nonprofit emergency service agencies.Each municipality may choose to offer an earned income tax credit, a real estate tax credit, or both, according to the Pennsylvania Governor's Center for Local Government Services.Springdale's ordinance initially provided for both earned income and property tax credits.But after discussion with Zurisko, Ziencik said the borough would consider an earned income tax credit.The amount may be increased from $200 to $500.Firefighters would have to live in Springdale to be eligible for the earned income tax credit, Ziencik said.More volunteer firefighters would qualify for the earned income credit than property tax, Zienick said.While only about seven would benefit from a real estate tax credit, he said at least half of the 53 firefighters on the department's roster would qualify for the earned income tax credit.Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or on Twitter @BCRittmeyer.2017 The Valley News-Dispatch (Tarentum, Pa.)Visit The Valley News-Dispatch (Tarentum, Pa.) at www.triblive.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. $2 million for Rushford Village/rural Rushford fiber build AcenTek will install fiber-optic cable to improve broadband levels to a minimum of 1 gigabit per second download and 100 megabits per second upload. It will benefit an estimated 226 unserved households, 20 underserved businesses and two underserved community anchor institutions. Fillmore County is providing a $75,000 loan to the company for the project. Total eligible project cost is more than $5 million with more than a $3 million local match. $606,108 for rural Kasson fiber build KMTelecom will install fiber optic cable to provide high-speed Internet access to 149 unserved households and nine unserved businesses in Canisteo and Ashland townships, which are located south of Kasson in Dodge County. Internet speeds will be 1 gigabit per second download and 1 gigabit per second upload. Total eligible project cost is more than $1.5 million with a $948,016 local match. $202,125 for Fountain broadband build Mediacom will leverage its existing hybrid fiber and coaxial network in the city of Fountain in Fillmore County to provide high-speed Internet access to 161 unserved households and 20 unserved businesses. Internet speeds will be 25 megabits per second download and 3 megabits per second upload. Total eligible project cost is $421,094 with a $218,969 local match. $768,600 for Wanamingo broadband improvements Midcontinent Communications plans to extend high-speed Internet access to 597 unserved households, 76 unserved businesses and four community institutions in the city of Wanamingo in Goodhue County. Internet speed levels will be 1 gigabit per second upload and download. Total eligible project cost is $1.5 million with a $768,000 local match. $411,704 White Rock rural fiber to the premises New Ulm Telecom will provide high-speed Internet access to 22 unserved households and 88 unserved businesses in the White Rock area in the northern half of Goodhue County. Internet speeds will be 1 gigabit per second download and upload. Total eligible cost is $914,898 with a $503,194 local match. Push for More Broadband Funding in 2018? (TNS) ST. PAUL High-speed Internet access will soon be available to an additional 1,195 households and 260 businesses in southeast Minnesota thanks to grant funding.The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced this week that $26 million in grants had been awarded to 39 broadband projects statewide. Of that money, more than $4.3 million is being used for seven projects in southeast Minnesota.Approximately 20 percent of Minnesotans lack access to high-speed Internet access that meets the basic state standard of 25 megabits per second download speed and 3 megabits per second upload speed. Lt. Gov. Tina Smith said the state needs to do more to expand broadband access in Greater Minnesota."It is a basic utility of the 21st century. Without it, you can't get your work done, you can't get your school work done, you don't have access to health care. It's not something that is nice to have. It's something that is really necessary to participate in the economy of the 21st century," Smith said.Among those celebrating the grant announcement was Fillmore County Coordinator Bobbie Vickerman. Two Fillmore County projects one in Fountain and one in Rushford made the cut."It is exciting especially for the rural patrons to have that access," she said.Below is a list of local projects that received funding:One of the big questions looking ahead is whether lawmakers will invest more in the state's Border-to-Border fund during next year's legislative session. The Legislature approved $20 million for broadband funding this year. The Governor's Task Force on Broadband has recommended $100 million be invested over two years. DFL Gov. Mark Dayton called for a $66 million investment last session.Demand for the grants is outpacing funding. The state received a total of 70 applications seeking $50 million during the most recent grant cycle.Deputy Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, authored the jobs budget bill that included the $20 million for broadband funding. He said he is a strong supporter of the state's Border-to-Border broadband program. However, he said lawmakers first need to see the updated budget forecasts to see if there will be extra money available to invest in broadband. Those forecasts project whether the state will have a budget surplus or budget deficit in the coming year.Miller added, "It's important for folks in rural areas to have high-speed Internet access. Times are changing and Internet access is more important than ever. So think it's critically important that we are investing in getting folks that access." (TNS) Juan Marte helped bring Internet service to a developing nation a decade ago, then came to King George County and discovered the situation was worse than in his homeland.He was working this summer with Steve and Michele Wido, missionaries he met years ago when they visited his native Dominican Republic. He was shocked by their lack of access to high-speed Internet service and the fiber-optic cables that supply it."This is crazy. How can you live?" Marte told Michele Wido. "We have to have fiber here; the future is fiber."The 33-year-old Dominican decided to bring it to the rural county, where he's invested in the couple's business, CRC Contracting Inc. He's also spent more than $200,000 on equipment, licenses and hiring employees for the new company, KGI Communications Inc.Marte and his wife live in Spotsylvania County so their three children can learn English in a private school. After that, the family plans to move to King George, where he's chief executive officer of the new company, as well as its primary investor. Michele Wido is the president.Steve Wido, who ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the King George Board of Supervisors earlier this month, told the supervisors Nov. 14 that the new business is poised to provide much-needed service in the most rural areas of the county.The company plans to install equipment on three towers in King George. The cost for each is about $36,000, Marte said.The rectangular boxes, which Marte described as stations, will broadcast a signal, via a radio frequency, to homes within a 360-degree radius, Marte said. No line of sight is needed.This "air fiber" will provide the fastest form of broadband technology, according to the company's website, kgicomm.com And the company doesn't want anything from the county except a contract to put equipment on one of its water towers."We're not looking for grants or money, nothing from the county," Steve Wido said. "It's our money that we're investing, and we want to make sure it succeeds."The announcement was one of four presentations the King George board heard on the same night about possible solutions to Internet access problems. The lack of reliable, affordable and fast broadband service has been a regular complaint of county residents and a campaign platform for local candidates.It's brought up almost as often as criticisms about the quality and cost of county water.The problem isn't limited to King George, but occurs in any area that doesn't have a dense enough population to make it financially feasible for companies to extend underground fiber optic cables.Marte said the solution is easier since the government made it possible for small businesses to tap into this radio frequency that provides access to the LTE network. Some of the big technology companies bought licenses just so others wouldn't have access to them, Marte said, but KGI Communications was able to acquire one.The company already has gotten permission to put its equipment on a private tower at State Route 218 and U.S. 301. The second tower, still under negotiation, is past the CVS Pharmacy on U.S. 301.After the company finalizes its second lease, it will work with King George about placing equipment on the water tower at Arnold's Corner, at State Route 3 and Dahlgren Road."We're going to concentrate on the area where they don't have anything, in The Meadows and for the Shiloh people," Marte said.Installation and monthly fees would vary, based on the proximity to the towers and the desired speed. Those who want to check their email occasionally might want slower speeds, at a monthly cost of about $49, Marte said, while those requiring faster speeds might pay up to $200 a month.Steve Wido told the supervisors that after negotiations are completed, the company could be up and running within two weeks."We're excited about it, we can't wait," he said.Marte seems calm about the money he's already spent, saying he'll need about 1,000 customers to get a return on his investment."He's a risk-taker," Michele Wido said about Marte, a former race car driver."In business," Marte added, "if you don't assume risk, you're never gonna make money." (TNS) If Uber had been using the product of a Columbus company, the ride-service company might have been able to catch and address its culture of sexual harassment before its image took a hit.That's the assessment of Wiretap CEO and co-founder Jeff Schumann.The young company can help businesses monitor workers' use of company social networks such as Workplace by Facebook, Chatter by Salesforce, Slack and Microsoft Yammer and alert management about everything from security breaches to rumors and inappropriate behavior.Wiretap is able to do what it does because many businesses are putting their work processes and information "in the cloud" that is, using on-demand computing resources over the internet."There's a megatrend in business, that movement to cloud computing," Schumann said."Companies like Microsoft have bet the farm billions and billions of dollars on that move to the cloud," said Wiretap Chief Operating Officer Greg Moran. "And we're taking advantage of that."Wiretap started when Schumann and co-founders Matt Huber, Shawn Domer and James Tsai all of whom have backgrounds in technology and software engineering began meeting at Stauf's Coffee Roasters to discuss issues at the office."We suddenly realized everyone has the same issues," Schumann said.Employees were working collaboratively online and wanted ways to communicate and collaborate around the clock.They also realized that human-resource managers and internet administrators needed a way to keep track of what is being said both good and bad.Working quickly, the four created Wiretap and soon began attracting investors who found merit in the fledgling company's approach to a widespread problem. Among the investors is Rev1 Ventures, the Columbus-based venture-capital and business-incubator organization."We think Wiretap has a unique approach to securing and drawing valuable insights from enterprise-collaboration tools like Microsoft Yammer and Facebook at Work," said Tom Walker, president and CEO of Rev1 Ventures.Wiretap software, which can be installed on-site or in the cloud, continuously analyzes all conversations and file content that moves across a company's in-house social network. The automated review and analysis can flag actual or even emerging patterns of malicious or harassing behavior. This enables the company to act quickly and prevent patterns of improper behavior, such as those that occurred at Uber.Although the highest-profile aspect of Wiretap is focused on security, the system also gives its corporate customers insights into the growth of informal teams and provides data to help build a stronger and more productive corporate culture.That's one of the positive aspects of Wiretap that the company offers when employees raise questions about privacy."One of the keys is, we don't sneak up on people," Moran said. "We tell them 'This is security to protect you,' to be transparent. Also, if we can use our data to tell them that the last few people who were promoted out of this position had these three characteristics, that gives you a model for your career path."Wiretap quietly launched in January 2015 and had four employees a few months later. Sales surpassed $1 million at the same time. The company recently passed the 25-employee mark and, with nine large customers signed up and more on the way, plans to quickly double its employee count next year. It's headquartered in the Brewery District.Pricing is based on the client's number of employees and the number of years the client wants to license the software. Most customers have two- or three-year agreements. Pricing starts around $1 to $2 per user per month, but larger companies may negotiate different pricing.Bigger-name clients include multinational insurance corporation AIG; biopharmaceutical company Shire; pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline; consumer-products maker SC Johnson, and information-technology services corporation Wipro.More than 1,000 other companies, including Disney, Ikea and Louis Vuitton, use Wiretap's free product.As part of the large and fast-growing cybersecurity segment of enterprise software, "there is a lot of noise in the space, which Wiretap will need to cut through to achieve its potential," said Rev1 Ventures' Walker. "As part of our decision to invest, we concluded that Wiretap had the right team and product, and was going after an attractive market segment. We're optimistic on the future of Wiretap."So are Moran and Schumann, both of whom passed up lucrative opportunities to lead Wiretap.Moran, 52, a veteran executive in digital operations for companies such as Nationwide and Ford Motor Co., passed on two job offers "to work with a team that shares values that I admired, to do something worth doing, and to have the opportunity to learn."Schumann, 32, has become something of a local legend for turning down an offer from Mark Zuckerberg to lead the launch of Workplace by Facebook in order to start Wiretap."I said, 'Run, not walk, to Facebook,'" said Moran, chuckling."Everyone (said so), but I didn't go," Schumann said. "It's the unicorns of the world that define entire industries. We think we've found a completely different thing to do." Jean Todt has dismissed rumours the controversial Halo concept will be scrapped ahead of the 2018 season. In a garage test in Abu Dhabi, Valtteri Bottas failed to get out of a Halo-equipped Mercedes within the prescribed 7 seconds. Amid existing concerns about the aesthetics of the cockpit protection solution, and the fact the extra weight will make next year's cars slower, it all triggered rumours Halo could be scrapped at the eleventh hour. "There is no way back," FIA president Todt is quoted by Speed Week. "The Halo is coming and it is staying. Why? Because it offers incredible value for safety. "I am fascinated by what has been written about it," said the Frenchman, addressing the criticism. "The Halo is simply part of the natural continuity of formula one. "Of course it does not have to be the final word either. If we find a better solution then we will introduce it," Todt added. (GMM) Jean Todt says the FIA cannot be swayed by Ferrari's threats about quitting formula one. Amid Liberty Media's plans for new engine rules and a budget cap for the future, the Italian team is warning that it may not sign up for 2021 and beyond. "That's their choice," said FIA president Todt, who led Ferrari through the ultra-successful Michael Schumacher era. "We do not want any manufacturers to leave the sport. "Ferrari is an icon and it is unique, and it would be very painful if they were not in formula one anymore. But that's not my responsibility," the Frenchman is quoted by Speed Week. Todt said the decision to sell F1's commercial rights to Liberty a year ago was "right". "Chase Carey is a great CEO and I recognise a structured organisation with real professionals like Ross Brawn and Sean Bratches. The sport is in good hands," he added. (GMM) Top F1 drivers have reacted coolly to the unveiling of the sport's new logo. Although the full F1 rebranding won't be launched until the start of next season, the world got a peek at the new logo on the podium of the 2017 finale in Abu Dhabi. "We wanted to present it now in order to help our partners look into how they will use it," F1 commercial boss Sean Bratches is quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport. But Sebastian Vettel, referring to the iconic 'flying 1' logo that was introduced in the Bernie Ecclestone era in 1993, said: "I liked the old one better." Liberty Media's new F1 trademark is a stylised F and 1, similar to the red Espn logo. "It feels like the new owners want to prove themselves by abandoning what was done before," Igor Yermilin, a Russian motor racing official, told Sportbox. "But the new logo is incomprehensible, uninteresting, cheap and primitive," he argued. Abu Dhabi winner Valtteri Bottas added: "What was wrong with the old one?" And world champion Lewis Hamilton said: "I think the one we had already was iconic. Just imagine Ferrari or Mercedes changing their logos." F1 commercial boss Sean Bratches explains: "Many people never realised that there was an invisible 1 between the F and the 1 in the old logo. The new logo is clearer. "It was also difficult to embroider the impression of speed in the old logo on shirts, etc. "In the digital era, big brands like Starbucks and Coca-Cola have simplified their logos for clarity, and that's the case for us as well." As for the criticism, Bratches said: "Every time a brand is changed, and especially a brand that arouses so much passion, you have to expect these reactions. "It's normal that people do not like change, but I think that's good because it shows that people care about the brand," he added. FIA president Jean Todt said the sport's governing body approves of the new logo. "It's up to the rights holders to introduce a new logo if they want to," he said in Abu Dhabi. "People should be positive about change. The people at Liberty are very talented and have proven their qualities in other sports. I trust their judgement." (GMM) On behalf of the Australian Government, ARENAs funding will go towards the completion of the pilot demonstration plant which will produce ethanol from a range of non-food waste plant matter left over from crop harvesting and forestry. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is awarding $11.9 million (US$9 million) in funding for Australian biofuel company Ethanol Technologies Limited ( Ethtec ) to complete the development and demonstration of its advanced biofuel technology. As part of a $48-million (US$36.5 million) project, Ethtec aims to construct a $30-million (US$23-million) purpose-built pilot-scale facility based in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Ethtec has developed an innovative and cost-effective approach to production of bioethanol from a range of waste or low-value lignocellulosic biomass including sugarcane bagasse, forestry residues and cotton gin trash. In our pilot plant we convert lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks to sugars in solution, which are then fermented to ethanol and other biorenewable products. This pre-commercial facility can process around two dry tonnes of feedstock per day and is used to generate the engineering data required to construct commercial scale plants. The pilot plant project is about developing the engineering data for the process, to ensure that it is commercially viable. We know you can take lignocellulosic waste streams, convert them to sugars and then convert those sugars into biofuels or green chemicals, but its got to be commercially competitive with products derived from crude oil. Andrew Reeves, Ethtecs senior research engineer Dr. Tony Banks, Ethtecs senior research chemist, said that the Ethtec technology can be implemented across multiple sectors because it can process any lignocellulosic feedstock, including mixed feedstocks. For this industry to be commercially viable, the technology must be able to deal with real world feedstocks. Demand for ethanol in Australia is expected to increase by approximately 500 million liters each year over the period to 2030, with mandates in Queensland and New South Wales. All of Australias ethanol is currently first-generation, sourced from wheat and sugarcane, while second-generation ethanol is derived from inedible plant waste. ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the next phases of the project were important in making advanced biofuels a viable option to support emission reduction for the transport sector. Ethtecs Chief Scientist Dr Russell Reeves said ARENAs support was pivotal to the project, which has also secured $11.9 million in matching funding from industry partner Jiangsu Jintongling Fluid Machinery Technology Company Limited. The facility will partner with researchers from the Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources at the University of Newcastle and is also receiving support from Muswellbrook Shire Council. Several advocacy groups have scheduled an empty chair town hall meeting Thursday in Greensboro to criticize efforts now under way to change the way that judges in North Carolina are placed in office. A gathering at 7 p.m. at Temple Emanuel, 1129 Jefferson Road, takes aim at moves currently afoot in the Republican-led General Assembly to rig the system in their favor, activist group Progress NC stated Monday in a news release. All state lawmakers representing Guilford County were invited to attend regardless of party affiliation and will be given an equal opportunity to discuss their support for or opposition to these attacks on the courts, Progress NC stated. An empty chair will be placed on stage for each local legislator who does not attend or sign a pledge to oppose partisan attacks on the judicial system, Progress NC spokesman Logan Smith said. The group highlighted four bills in various stages of approval in Raleigh that it described as partisan attacks on North Carolinas court system. Leading GOP legislators instead characterize their efforts as reform measures aimed at improving the efficiency and responsiveness of a system that has not been updated for decades. But critics allege efforts that require judges to list their political party affiliations and that create new election districts statewide are intended to weaken judicial independence. Progress NC notes that under one measure currently being considered nearly half of all black judges would be packed into a district with another incumbent, forcing them to run against each other or step down. Other groups involved in the event include NC Voters for Clean Elections, Democracy North Carolina, the North Carolina NAACP and the League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad. So I guess you can take men off the endangered species list. It wasnt that long ago we were hearing that men were in trouble. It was said that our manly maleness was under siege from a culture of runaway political correctness hellbent on snipping off our masculine accoutrements and turning us into sissified wimps who ate kale, clipped coupons and talked about our feelings. Fox News sounded the alarm about what it dubbed the feminization of the American man. From commentator Todd Starnes warning about colleges turning men into women, to anchor Brit Hume explaining that people only think Chris Christie is a bully because theyve been feminized, to morning show co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck asking if all those unmanly men might pose a threat to national security, Fox was on this story like hyenas on a gazelle. Beyond Fox, people were writing books with titles like The War Against Boys and Save the Males. The recent spate of sexual harassment and assault headlines suggests, not shockingly, that this concern was a tad overblown. Since last month, when film producer Harvey Weinstein was revealed as a porcine abuser of women, weve seen dozens of men unmasked as alleged predators against hundreds, maybe thousands, of victims, their reported crimes ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault to child molestation, and stretching back for decades. Its a dishonor roll that includes the gay (Kevin Spacey), the straight (Ben Affleck), the reporter (Glenn Thrush), the comic (Louis C.K.), the hypocrite (Roy Moore), the guy you never would have expected (Al Franken) and the guy you really never would have expected (George H.W. Bush). This column is too short for a complete list and, besides, itd probably be easier at this point to name the men who have not been accused. Suffice it to say, it seems obvious the problem with men isnt that theyve become feminine. Rather, the problem is what it has always been: that, as men, we too often define manhood by the use of our (usually) superior strength and/or position to take what we want. Which makes this an opportune moment to reconsider manhood, to ask anew what being a man means and should mean. With that in mind, a brief story. A few years ago, I chanced to call one of my sons on the phone. He was huffing and grunting, obviously doing something that required great exertion. It turned out he was walking through a blizzard in knee-high snow on a day when every store was closed, trying to find diapers for his daughter. Ive never been more proud of any of my kids than I was of him right then. It was, I felt, a moment that deftly illustrated a truth about manhood that has gotten lost along the way. Namely, that our (usually) superior strength and position are not an end unto themselves. Nor are they a license to prey on those who are less strong or in subordinate positions. Rather, they are a gift that allows a man more ways to be of service to those around him. By itself it means little that you are bigger or more exalted. The measure of a man is what you do with those things. It speaks to their massive failures of imagination and character that so many men apparently think of nothing better to do with them than cop a feel. Our boys, and girls, deserve better examples. They deserve to be taught that genuine manhood, authentic manhood, requires no apologies or excuses 20 or 30 years down the line. You see, Fox News has it exactly wrong. Men are not an endangered species. Real men are another matter. EDEN Washington Street is dressed to the nines now, thanks to the opening of Ciotoli Formal Wear. Kristin Ciotoli had worked in a Danville, Virginia formalwear store for nearly a decade. She started attending church in Eden about four years ago, and those friendships prompted her to consider moving across the state line and settling in the hometown of her place of worship. The first person to walk through her Virginia house bought it for full asking price. She and her family packed up and were out within eight weeks. I was ready for a change. I really, really love Eden. Its peaceful and quiet, everybodys nice, its just a better environment [than Danville], she said. When we moved, I knew Judith [Warren] had passed, and there was a need [for a formalwear retailer]. I thought, I know how to do this, why not go for it? She opened Ciotoli Formal Wear in downtown Reidsville in October 2016. It was a great opening, it was a great place to start, but we were running out of space fast, Ciotoli said. I wanted to expand the bridals and I was having to smush everything in there. She discovered Elaines Antiques had vacated from downtown Leaksville, leaving a space five times as big as Ciotolis Scales Street store. The community and local business owners flooded us with warm welcomes, she said. We have loved it. The building was spiffed up. The owner even built dressing rooms large enough for brides-to-be to try on full-skirted wedding gowns, or friends to pile in to try on prom dresses together. She opened in August. If its formalwear, we do it all, Ciotoli said. And her merchandise is pretty inclusive: prom dresses, bridal gowns and veils, mother-of-the-bride dresses, tuxedo rentals, flower girl and ring bearer outfits, jewelry, and shoes. Some people want name brands, but some want the look without the price, she said. If you see a dress in a magazine, a lot of times we can get that dress, or we can come as close as we can. Formal dresses take a week to come in, while bridal gowns take a bit longer. We also price match, or maybe make it [a better price] if we can, Ciotoli said, adding that she offers free layaway. In January, she will add a consignment area, and from January through May, she gives away a monthly $100 gift card. Whether a dress is found on a rack in the store or is special-ordered, when clients try on a favorite, Ciotoli knows what alterations should be made for the perfect fit. Ill walk across the street with her and introduce her to Linda Moore [at Make it Fit Moore alterations shop], she said. I sent people there when I was in Reidsville. I also have some backup [seamstresses], and a personal designer who can customize a dress or totally design one. Ciotoli keeps up with current styles through magazines and emails from numerous formalwear companies, as dress trends hop back and forth over time, she said. She gets her new style books in January and February. Three or four years ago, everyone wanted strapless, but now they want a thicker sleeve. Two or three years ago, they liked them short, now theyre long. Last year two-piece dresses were popular, and half the girls went to prom in them, Ciotoli said. We also register our dresses so we wont let two girls go to the same prom in the same dress. We will only allow one style per event, so that girl will feel special in her dress, she said. Our dresses won Morehead homecoming queen and princess this year and prom queen last year in Reidsville. So our dresses are getting some recognition on those beautiful girls. Ciotoli Formal Wear is located at 647A Washington St., Eden. Hours are 1-6 p.m. Mondays and Fridays, 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays, and other days by appointment which is popular during prom season. She is also willing to jump in her car and deliver a dress to a client. For more information, call 336-589-7314 or find the shop on Facebook. Theres a myth among business leaders that mobile technology will cause productivity to skyrocket. Its the big driver behind the trend of todays mobile workplaces. More than half of enterprises believe mobile apps will boost productivity by 40 percent or more. Eight in 10 global workers say mobile technology makes them more productive. Its no surprise then that more than 90 percent of organizations have a mobile work strategy in place or plan on implementing one. So now that nine in 10 corporate employees are using at least one mobile app at work, productivity should be soaring, right? Not exactly. U.S. labor productivity increased just 0.3 percent a year between 2011 and 2016, and it hasnt grown more than 2 percent in any given year since the tech boom. Mobile is on its way to becoming ubiquitous, yet many enterprises are still struggling to see the productivity gains they were promised. So, whats the problem? Related: 8 Ways to Work Smarter and Improve Productivity For all the enthusiasm surrounding this new model for efficiency, our fast leap to mobile has come at an ironic cost -- it has produced a new kind of productivity gap, says entrepreneur and mobile expert Javier Soltero. The productivity gap is the chasm between all the information we can access on our phones, and the limits on using that information in an effective way. Mobility by itself doesnt improve productivity. What it does is create infinite opportunities for employees to work more productively. But its up to enterprises to leverage the technology to actually help people get more work done -- whatever that looks like for each organization. The challenge: Mobility focuses too heavily on technology. The massive move toward mobile is a major transition for enterprises, but many organizations dont go far enough. They try to fit mobile into their existing way of doing things. They implement the technology without considering the context and changing the culture (and workflows) around it. The end result: Devices and apps that throw more work at employees without actually helping them complete it. Part of the problem is that enterprises are still stuck in a desktop computer mindset, expecting mobile work to look and feel the same as it does in the office. But the mobile interface and the optimal way to use it have very little in common with the desktop interface and its uses, Soltero says. The faster we accept this reality, the more quickly we can begin to evolve a new understanding of how to use our mobile working hours more efficiently and effectively. Mobile devices and apps are just one part -- albeit an important one -- of the overall shift that needs to happen. To close the productivity gap, enterprises must focus on all aspects of work, not just mobile, and start removing the obstacles getting in the way. And that demands a cross-disciplinary, omnichannel approach led by someone with a clear vision for what a productive digital workplace should look like. The ultimate goal, says the Harvard Business Review, is an organization in which all knowledge workers have full context, tools, and support to focus their time on the biggest value drivers of the business without being bogged down by overhead and bureaucracy. More than 80 percent of digitally mature companies get there by employing an actionable digital strategy that draws upon numerous technology solutions -- one of which is mobile -- to solve the challenges that are getting in their employees way. Related: 6 Ways to Make Your Business More Efficient The reality: Productivity is being held back by legacy processes and practices. Think about the last time you got an email on your mobile device requesting a document. Chances are, you werent able to easily send it from your device. Or consider the last time someone texted you about a meeting. How many clicks and scrolls did it take to check your availability? Even after making the transition to mobile, many enterprises are continuing to grapple with the same barriers to productivity they had before, such as: Inaccessible data . Two in five enterprises say their datas too siloed to be accessible, let alone useful. Information overload . Seventy-four percent of employees struggle with the amount of data they have access to and would prefer access to only the data that is personalized to them. Clunky software interfaces . More than 40 percent of employees say it takes too long to accomplish basic work tasks. Complex workflows . Sixty-two percent of employees delay completing tasks that require the use of multiple systems. Poor communication . More than 85 percent of employees and execs say ineffective communication is a top reason for workplace failures. Work overload . Employees who dont feel like there are enough hours in the day to get all their work done suffer an 68 percent productivity loss. Stress. Nearly 60 percent of stressed-out employees report feeling less productive and disengaged. On its own, mobility doesnt solve any of these problems -- and it may even exacerbate some. A mobile device may allow employees to receive texts and emails and access certain systems wherever they are, but reading texts and emails and completing complex workflows on a mobile device doesnt equal productivity. Unless people have a seamless way to access their business systems and get real work done in the systems they are already using, its just extending the workday and contributing to feelings of stress and work overload. And this is the disconnect between what mobility can do and what enterprises are asking it to do. To truly improve productivity, employees need a new and better way to get work done wherever they are. They need relevant information sent to them before they are forced to log into hard-to-use systems; they need complex workflows to be broken down into simple tasks that can be completed in just a few clicks; they need information that matters to them to be accessible based on their context (role, location, etc.) in real time; and they need this all to be available to them where they are, regardless if that is on their devices, their intranet, or in the other applications they are using. Related: Harness Technology to Become a Mobile Mogul To harness productivity as a differentiator for an organization, business leaders need to start rethinking how information can be distributed and tasks can be completed in a manner that will make employees more effective. Questions to start with: Where are the biggest pain points hampering employee effectiveness? How could employees solve these challenges by working differently? How can their mobile devices, as well as their laptops and desktops, and the applications they use help make that happen? Answer those questions and focus on building a culture that empowers your employees to make a difference. Do that, and the productivity gains will follow. Related: Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com A cook, and a shopper, reflected in the windows of Chefs Table at Brooklyn Fare. Photo: Mark Abramson for New York Magazine There are many reasons for a world-weary critic to put off visiting the new Manhattan version of the seminal Brooklyn tasting room, Chefs Table at Brooklyn Fare, for as long as possible. Theres the extravagant price ($390 includes service, but not drinks, the friendly voice on the end of telephone said), and the usual jockeying for a reservation. There is the fact that, like the original (now-shuttered) location, this restaurant is attached to a Brooklyn Fare grocery store, this time on West 37th Street in Manhattan, a borough that is already lousy with overpriced luxury meals; hushed, chef-centric tasting counters; and solemn, big-bucks omakase opportunities. There is also chef Cesar Ramirezs formidable reputation for imperious behavior (photos were strictly forbidden in the old room), and the antiquated jackets-required dress code, which meant that when I finally did arrive at the restaurants discreet entrance, next to a display of the stores pastas and extra-virgin olive oil, I was presented with a dusty, black loaner coat that happened to be a couple sizes too small. But many of these worries and frustrations began to dissipate as soon as I took my place at the 18-seat counter, which is far larger and more commodious than the one in Brooklyn, and surrounds the much larger, busier kitchen, like seats around a stage. The show began with a tart of Japanese mackerel, crisp kelp, and shiso blooms; a puree of Japanese eggplant, cucumber, and dashi gelee spooned with farmed Kaluga caviar from Shanghai; and little rounds of toasted brioche layered with ribbons of sea urchin from Hokkaido, topped with a thin wafer of heart-shaped black truffle. These polished little bites were followed by a carefully orchestrated symphony of fish and shellfish that began with subtle, perfectly soft pieces of perch and baby red snapper (dressed with different formulations of daikon, Brussels-sprout leaves and green, peppery kinome leaf), and reached its impressive crescendo with a serving of rosy, barely cooked lobster; and dishes of seared bay scallops, finished by the chef himself, with drifts of white truffles. Other highlights from this impressive procession of dishes included a segment of Pacific black cod set in a bubbling, coral-colored pool of bouillabaisse that tasted like it had been flown in from one of the grander fish houses of Marseille. The steak portion of my meal was insanely tender A5-graded beef from the millionaire cattle farms of Japans Miyazaki Prefecture. Dainty little pieces of quail originated in southwestern France, according to my loquacious server, and when she politely instructed me to eat the sticky, sour, sweet morsels of bird flavored with dijonnaise and pomegranate reduction with my fingers, I gobbled them without even noticing the awkward tightness in the sleeves of my borrowed coat. The Manhattan dining room is far more luxurious than the previous space in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo: Mark Abramson for New York Magazine Ramirez has always had a fondness for these kinds of Michelin-approved luxury signifiers, but the food here seemed to have more depth and polish to it than back in Brooklyn, and the caviar and truffles are integrated into his particular Japanese-influenced, Continental brand of cooking in a more seamless way than before. The ingredients werent the only things that had arrived in New York from various far-flung locations around the world: This decidedly non-locavore version of Chefs Table appears to be deliberately designed as an international destination like many of New Yorks other big-money, multi-starred restaurants these days and, on the night I dined there, the room was filled with diners who looked to be visiting from, say, Tokyo, and maybe Greenwich, Connecticut. Just as it was at the old location, the kitchen is the central stage here, and for a grumbling critic who spends far too many evenings sampling upscale comfort food in cramped, noisy little dining rooms, its part of the fun to watch a top-flight chef and his attentive staff saute, grill, and serve one highly technical course after another with balletlike grace and efficiency. Is this elaborate show worth the reservations hassle, the extreme prices (when my bill arrived, it was suspiciously small, so we paid for drinks and dutifully left a very large tip), and the possible indignity of arriving at the back of some random Hells Kitchen grocery store only to be presented with an ill-fitting loaner jacket? Thats the weighty question I pondered during dessert, which was an efficient, classically Japanese combination of tart, palate-cleansing lightness (yuzu sorbet), inventiveness (soba-cha ice cream sprinkled with toasted buckwheat and a warm, soy-spiked caramel sauce), and style (a decorative, gourmet custard flan, touched with tonka beans). As a vocal advocate of less-pretentious tasting rooms and simpler, less-pricey omakases, it pains me to admit that, if you avoid the inevitable barrage of trophy wines and limit yourself to one visit, say, every year or so, the answer to the question may very well be yes. Its spinach salads from now on. Photo: Sally Anscombe/Getty Images Lifes about to get tougher for London teens who want to sneak off campus and grab a Burger King Long Chili Cheese. The Evening Standard reports that in an effort to tackle the capitals child obesity epidemic, Mayor Sadiq Khan has decided to put the kibosh on new fast-food restaurants opening within 400 meters of city schools. Any takeaways, as theyre called over there, that want to enter this no-burgers-land will have to pledge ahead of time to serve food that meets certain health standards. (Good luck with that, guys.) The policy more sweeping and kid-targeted than L.A.s, which only bars chains from opening in one neighborhood, South L.A. is part of Khans changes to the London Plan, which are set to be released later this week. The ban should help London stop the ticking time bomb of childhood obesity, he says in the announcement. Almost 40 percent of kids in the city are overweight by the time they finish primary school, the worst rate anywhere in the U.K. The move wont affect fast-food chains already in operation next door to schools. Which, it turns out, is not a small number: Experts have argued for some time that the number of fast-food restaurants kids pass on their way to class is alarming (there are supposedly 15,000 within a five-minute walk, some 5,000 of which opened in the last decade), even if this so-called plague has also become distinctly Londony. Takeaway restaurants are a vibrant part of London life, Khan says in defense of his ban, but its important that they are not encouraging our children to make poor food choices. Sichuan Spicy Beef Tallow Broth and Rich Pork Bone Broth with goji, jujube, ginger, and green onion. Photo: Liz Clayman In New York, hot-pot restaurants dot New Yorks Chinatowns from Flushing to Sunset Park but they tend to be all-you-can-eat or budget-minded. This is good for the wallet, but it can also mean underwhelming broths and less-than-ideal restaurant experiences. In China, on the other hand, hot pot is big business. Its the countrys most popular way to eat out, according to one report, and there are options for a range of budgets. (One chain, Haidilao, even offers massages and manicures for waiting customers.) For Yu Li, one of the owners behind East Village noodle shop the Tang, New Yorks hot-pot scene was missing a more genuine taste of Chengdu, which is why Li decided to open his own place, Tang Hotpot which soft-opens tonight on the Bowery where hell offer a more upscale (but not too pricey) take on the idea. The flavor and ingredients over [in Chengdu] have never been seen in New York, Li explains, before throwing down the gauntlet. I dont see any good, authentic hot pot in New York right now. To help upgrade his ingredients and broth, Li has hired chef Yan Zhang, who previously worked at the 150-year-old Beijing roast-duck chain Quanjude Duck and Canadian hot-pot chain Morals Village. Hes created five different soups to choose from, including pumpkin seafood made with clams and crab meat that will debut in a few weeks. But the version Li is most excited about is the Sichuan Spicy Broth, made with a heavy dose of beef tallow. (When you mix it with the spice and really cook it, that flavor is really there and its going to taste more flavorful and spicier after boiling for 20 minutes.) They wont skimp on spices or herbs, and Li says youll be able to taste the difference, especially with the more absorbent ingredients like tofu. There will be dipping sauces like housemade sesame paste and shacha sauce, and four different combo platters to choose from. Meats will include lamb shoulder roll, goat leg, wagyu strip loin, and plenty of offal (chicken gizzard and pork brain are both accounted for). Lots of fish will be up for grabs, too, including tiger prawns and lobster, as well as the usual assortment of vegetables (celtuce, watercress) and starches (sweet pumpkin rice cakes, tofu skin). To cool down after dipping meats into bubbling broth, theyll serve scoops from Chinatown Ice Cream Factory and matcha-and-black-sesame shaved snow. And in a few weeks, there will be a small selection of appetizers, like shredded bamboo shoots in chili oil and five-spice braised beef. Like his other restaurant, Li describes Tang Hotpot as a mix of modern Chinese with high-end New York restaurants. The space was designed by the same firm that built out Hao Noodle and Tea, and its dimly lit with white brick walls, marble tables, and contemporary Chinese art, including one painting depicting a group of women enjoying a hot-pot meal. Hot pot is as much a meal as it is a night out, and there will be beer, wine, and maybe sake cocktails about a month down the road. But dont expect it to be stuffy. We do try to not be too formal, Li says. Hot pot is a social gathering, for people to go with family and friends. Platters include the Tang Deluxe with prime rib eye, goat leg, sea bass, quail egg, rice cakes, and much more. Photo: Liz Clayman Get some shrimp. Photo: Liz Clayman Get shaved snow for dessert. Photo: Liz Clayman Photo: Liz Clayman Tang Hotpot, 135 Bowery, nr. Grand St.; 917-421-9330 Nobody sets out to be a bad boss but long hours and a heavy work load can cause many people to behave in ways they always swore they wouldnt. However, the change from optimistic up-and-comer to cynical supervisor is often a gradual one and its not always easy to spot your mistakes. Now, recruitment giant Robert Half has provided a guide to help managers check theyre not going down the wrong path. According to the firm, there are nine common traits to look out for: You are unable to communicate There are many occasions that need good communication skills: giving instructions, sharing praise, announcing deadlines or providing positive and negative feedback. Good bosses are comfortable addressing people on a one-on-one basis and as a group. And because communication is a two-way street, employees also have to feel they can talk to you. You keep secrets Sure, there are many things in the business that are not for public consumption. But if you are particularly opaque, your team will have a hard time trusting you. Wherever possible, keep your staff informed as to what is going on in the company, both within your team and the organisation. Employees will appreciate your openness and it reduces the likelihood of rumours spreading, said Megan Alexander, GM of Robert Half New Zealand You make inconsistent decisions If you respond in a different way to the same situation, your staff will find it difficult to take comfort in your judgment or take you seriously. Alexander advises that if you have to make decisions that are out of the usual, you must explain to your team why you did so. You take all the credit and none of the blame A team is a team. Nobody likes a boss who reaps all the credit when things go well, and blames others when they go awry. Make sure you give credit where credit is due and keep people motivated when things dont work out as planned. You micro-manage everything Imagine a boss watching employees like a hawk all day, every day, scrutinising their every move and giving instructions at every turn. To get the best out of your employees, you need to give them autonomy in the workplace, especially if youre the kind of leader who believes in fostering their career development, said Alexander. If you're not confident in their ability to do the job to the required standard, then delegate the work to another team member, or invest in training. You make unreasonable demands Examples of such demands are expecting employees to come into the office early, stay late, work through their lunch hour, or cancel their annual leave at short notice. All these will sour relations and make the workplace less conducive for productivity. As a boss, you should avoid asking your employees to do anything you wouldnt be prepared to do yourself, Alexander said. You pick favourites A bad boss treats team members differently. This undermines ones authority, Alexander said, because a managers job is to treat all employees equally. You shout to get heard There are days in which things will not go as planned. Bad bosses lose it bad. Even in the worst of times, a leader is not supposed to snap at employees or storm out of the room or shout just to make everybody know whos boss. Its important to be able to control your emotions, whilst expressing your views in a clear, controlled, effective and professional manner, Alexander said. A bad boss can have an immediate impact on a company through lower productivity, poor morale and higher staff turnover, she continued. Poor leadership can have direct consequences for the wider business through missed objectives and increased costs, which can significantly decrease company revenue. Related stories: Are your managers driving staff elsewhere? Revealed: Most important attributes employees need for the future Sex Age Race Disability Race Sex Sexual Orientation Age Physical or Mental Disability Marital Status Family or Carers Responsibilities Pregnancy Religion Political Opinion National Extraction Social Origin tralia supports a discrimination-free workplace for all of its citizens within their places of employment. There are two agencies tasked with the creation and compliance of the laws that govern fair and discrimination-free workplaces.These agencies and laws govern not only a discrimination-free work place, but fairness in hiring policies, anti-harassment and bullying policies.The first of these agencies is the Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales Australia . This Board is in place to promote and facilitate policies of fairness for all employees.The Board is under the jurisdiction of the New South Wales Department of Justice and handles complaints against employers for discrimination and unfair work conditions. The Anti-Discrimination Board implements the laws as set out in the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1977 The second of these agencies is the Australian Human Rights Commission . The Commission investigates complaints of violations against human rights in the workplace and elsewhere. Some of the key areas of complaints include issues pertaining to harassment or bullying with regard to;The Commission assists with complaints that involve employment, but also education, commerce and other administrative issues. In addition, the Fair Work Ombudsman Act also address the legalities of employment discrimination. The categories which cannot be discriminated against in workplace setting include;Discrimination can occur as a result of a myriad of employer actions. Some of the more common forms of discrimination in the workplace include refusing to hire someone due to their age, race, or for being pregnant. In addition, employers can make the mistake of firing an employee for expressing a political opinion, practicing their religion or for their sexual orientation.Lastly, if an employer refuses to promote an employee due to their marital status, or the appearance of a disability, a complaint can be brought against the employer.A person who believes they have been discriminated against in the course of their employment, or during the hiring process or firing process, can make a complaint to the Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales.The Board can investigate the complaint as long as it has occurred within the last 12 months. The complaint must be in writing and sent to the Board for review. Thereafter the Board will contact the person for further details regarding the incident. They will also contact the employer involved and request to speak with them about the incident. The Board also has the option of setting up a conciliatory meeting between the parties to discuss the complaint and attempt to resolve it.If the complaint is filed with the Australian Human Rights Commission, the process is very similar. They, too, offer a form of conciliation to promote discussion and resolution for all parties involved. To prepare for a conciliation meeting be sure to have your facts straight and be able to express them to the conciliator in a calm and articulate manner.After speaking with the complainant privately, the conciliator will also speak with the respondent, privately. Subsequently, the conciliator may decide to bring the parties together to speak and resolve the issue(s). Conciliation is meant to be a confidential and highly successful process for resolving discrimination and human rights issues amongst the parties. If the conciliation is unsuccessful, the parties may elect to take the issue to the proper Federal court.One of the many ways in which an employer can thwart the accusation of workplace discrimination is to be sure to hire a diverse workforce.Diverse meaning that the employees are of various ages, male and female, married and single, parents and non-parents, those with disabilities and those who are able bodied. A workplace of diverse backgrounds, ages, and races, shows that an employer is serious about being an equal opportunity employer.In addition, it is important that employers are careful not to fire any employee except for instances of well documented poor work performance, excessive absenteeism, or other documented work related incidents that are against company policy or relate to work performance only.An employer who fires an employee for any reason pertaining to any of the prohibited categories can find themselves in violation of the laws against discrimination.Rolf is Managing Partner of Owen Hodge Lawyers. He has been in the legal practice since 1986 and a partner of Owen Hodge Lawyers since 1992. Rolf focuses on assisting clients to proactively manage legal responsibilities and opportunities to achieve competitive advantage. Rolf concentrates on business planning and formation, directors duties, corporate governance, fundraising and business succession. His major interest is to assist business owners and their financial advisers plan and implement strategies to build and exit from successful businesses. (Bloomberg) Since releasing a position paper in April, the worlds biggest wealth fund has increased the number of votes against management compensation proposals in the companies it invests in, Carine Smith Ihenacho, its global head of ownership strategies, said in an interview in Oslo. It has this year voted against pay plans at Alphabet Inc., Googles holding company, offshore driller Noble Corp. and media company Liberty Global Plc, among others. To read this article: WHITETOP, Va. Chris Shumate wants to chop down misconceptions about Christmas trees. At 47, this Christmas tree grower has practically heard it all, from how you might be allergic to trees to how farmers are seemingly foraging forests. Christmas trees have got a bad rap, Shumate said with a smile. People think youre out here destroying the forest, cutting down trees. Its hard for people to picture unless they drive up here and see what you actually do for a living. Farmers like Shumate meticulously set their trees in symmetrical rows; they dont just yank trees out of forests or cut off the tops of 30-foot trees, Shumate said. Oh, heres another thing: Shumate wants to trim trees of any allergies. A lot of people think theyre allergic to real trees. Im not going to deny that, Shumate said. But what theyre actually allergic to is the stuff in the trees. Like dust or pollen. Shumates solution: Wash off your Christmas tree before taking it in your house. In earnest, Shumate took up tree farming in the 1990s after a four-year stint in the Air Force. He wanted to be a highway patrolman. But he came home to the mountains of Ashe County, North Carolina, just below the Virginia border, when he realized, Trees dont talk back. Today, Shumate is a co-owner of New River Tree Co., one of the largest operations in the Whitetop region with 600,000 trees growing on 10 farms in both North Carolina and Virginia. Shumates office stands in nearby Warrensville, North Carolina, but his shipping point lies in Grayson County, Virginia just over a hill from Virginias Washington County. In this high-altitude area, Christmas tree farming ranks among the top industries, said Shumate, and farmers here must always be ready for whatevers next. You might have a great year and a drought the next, and you lose a lot of your transplants. You might get too much rain, and some of them root-rot, Shumate said. Youre dealing with Mother Nature. So I guess its the unknown. ABINGDON, Va.A man charged with reckless driving early Sunday morning was also charged with possession of marijuana and distribution of marijuana according to the Washington County, Virginia Sheriffs Office. At approximately 4 a.m. Deputy Sheriff Jerry Farley stopped a vehicle for speeding while working traffic enforcement on 1-81 in Washington County, according to Sheriff Fred Newman. The driver, Andre Malik Copeland, was charged with reckless driving and was transported to the Abingdon Facility of the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail. Copeland, 25, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was held on a $1,500 secured bond. Farley was called back to the Abingdon Facility after pills were found in Copelands wallet. After receiving consent from the owner of the vehicle, Farley and Deputy Seth Sparks searched the car and found a backpack that contained two large plastic bags containing marijuana, according to a news release. The backpack belonged to Copeland. After locating the bags, the deputies charged Copeland with possession of marijuana and distribution of marijuana. Copeland is currently being held without bond on the charges. HICKORY Eddie Hamrick has experienced being at the top. The Hickory wood artist has crafted gifts for several U.S. presidents, four North Carolina governors, the Queen of England, celebrated composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Pope. He has appeared on numerous PBS woodworking shows, worked on four movies, created works for 19 churches including Lenoir-Rhyne Universitys Grace Chapel, and has twice been honored with the Governors Business Award in the Arts and Humanities. Hamrick also has gone broke several times, come uncomfortably close to death, and in the not-too-distant past knew what it was like to struggle to barely get by financially. Earlier this month, Hamrick was honored with the North Carolina Folklore Societys 2017 Brown-Hudson Folklore Award during a ceremony at the Hiddenite Arts and Heritage Center, which nominated him. Previous recipients of the award have included musicians Doc and Merle Watson and Etta Baker, potter Nell Cole Graves and playwright Paul Green. The 63-year-old master craftsman also is in the process of establishing the Eddie Hamrick Folk Life Center in downtown Newton, and is in the enviable position of having nearly all of his creations sold before he finishes them. The American dream is still alive, Hamrick said. Its up to us to take the gifts God gave us and do something with them. But if were willing to strive mightily, success can be ours, no matter what. Never give up. Hamrick grew up in Newton, the son and grandson of furniture makers. When he was 6, Hamrick wanted an electric train set for Christmas, but his parents couldnt afford it. He built one himself out of wood. That, he said, was the beginning. A 1972 graduate of Newton-Conover High School, Hamrick has held various jobs over the years. He apprenticed for five years at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, made furniture at Hickory Chair, built boats for Dixie Boat Works, was a nurse for several years at an area nursing home, and did picture-framing at Hobby Lobby. He spent a decade working in the Wheathouse Gallery at Murrays Mill in Catawba, and taught for years at the John Campbell Folk School in Cherokee County. For a while he had his own Twisted Tree Gallery and Studio, a successful business in downtown Hickory. Whatever I did, God kept bringing me back to my craft, Hamrick said. He has opened so many doors for me. Hamrick is thankful for that, as well as several second chances, he said. Among the challenges he has faced is severe narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brains ability to control sleep-wake cycles. He was diagnosed in 2007, after losing consciousness. The doctors said I died, Hamrick said. I revived, but lost my memory. They said I probably would never be the same, that I would never work again. It took time, effort and determination, but Hamrick did come back, stronger than ever. Recent years have seen him carving a banjo out of maple and walnut for President Obama in 2012; and in 2013, personally presenting Gov. McCrory with a traveling desk that he carved out of Catawba County wood. Hamricks works are also part of the collections at the George H.W. Bush presidential library in College Station, Texas, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Hamrick has received numerous honors over the years, including being named NC Artist of the Year and NC State Craftsman. He has served as an artist in residence in Alexander County and as the woodwright at Hart Square Village in Catawba County. For decades, Hamrick has donated his time, talents and resources to charitable causes, including the Western Piedmont Symphony, Catawba Science Center, Hickory Museum of Art, Family Care Center, Cooperative Christian Ministries and The Heart Fund. His donations of artwork have raised more than $1.5 million for charitable causes. Eddie is one of our local treasures, said Kathryn T. Greathouse, executive director of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Not only is he a superlative wood artist, but he gives back to the community by donating his work to a variety of causes. He loves people and he always wants to help others. Eddie is gifted, but he is also humble. He has been through a lot in his life, but is always positive and focused on the bright side. Among other current projects, Hamrick is working with area supporters to establish the Eddie Hamrick Folk Life Center in downtown Newton. The facility is to house a museum, workshop and Hamricks living quarters, and will be the setting for folk art classes and demonstrations. Hamrick is also hopeful the area around the Folk Life Center can be the setting for free, family-friendly concerts featuring folk and bluegrass music. One of the greatest things anyone can do is to take the gifts you have and turn them into gifts for your community, Hamrick said. Thats what Im hoping to do in Newton. Hamrick also is hoping for good things at Trade Alley Art, a new artists cooperative in downtown Hickory. This will be my exclusive place to sell my art in the Hickory area, Hamrick said. Trade Alley Art is a real gallery, comparable to those in Asheville and other larger cities. Its something this area can truly be proud of. Hamrick has two sons, a grandson and a granddaughter. He looks at young people, and says its important that they learn the value of craftsmanship. Craftsmen built this country, Hamrick said. If we can get arts back in front of our children, they can learn to work with their hands and create things that are not thrown away, but are passed down for generations. Thats important to me. There is a major power imbalance in the world, which comes from the language that dominates the world of discovery, innovation, and science and technology. Today, that language is English. The intellectual domination of the West comes from the building of communities whose power comes from their deep connection with their native language. The language which they use to think, dream and shape the world is their own. This results in ideas that can change the world. If you do not use or have a mastery over your native language in science and technology, then, mere facility makes you a great follower and never a leader. While overthrowing political and economic colonialism, we have failed to overthrow intellectual colonialism. In making English the sole language of intellectual discourse in science and technology in India, we have lost on many fronts. First, exceptions aide, as a community even our best institutions can never lead globally if English is the only language of high-level intellectual discourse. Our best minds will merely be eloquent paraphrasers of the ideas of others. Second, we close opportunities in intellectual leadership to huge sections of our population. In other words, as intellectuals we cannot be the best in the world. In addition to this, we lock the doors to even the second- level positions we occupy as elites. One of the many consequences of this is a poor connection of professional leadership with our society. Thus, we fail in being great intellectuals, we exclude and do not share a sense of purpose for society. In turn, our society responds to this elitism by undervaluing learning and the intellectual enterprise. There have been many examples of countries which have successfully addressed the twin-challenges of developing communities of intellectual leaders in science and technology and are yet deeply rooted in using their native language for churning ideas. In Germany, science students would have had their principal language as German and yet be fluent in English. Many of the best German labs are international and the language of discourse may well be in English, yet, the advantage that comes from the ability that German scientists have to think in their native language, in the most advanced scientific subjects, is not small. Conversely, no country, including India, that has chosen English as its primary language of scientific discourse, ignoring its local languages, has become an intellectual powerhouse. Whenever there is a discussion on this subject, two arguments are made against university education in ones native language. The first is that English is necessary in todays world, which is valid. The answer is not to diminish English, but to enhance the use of ones native language at every level. The second argument is that the task is impossible to implement. This argument is both a cop-out and false. It is a cop-out because not taking this up forever makes us an intellectual vassal-state, while maintaining an elite that is both dysfunctional and disinterested. The argument is false because the task is entirely feasible with focus and investment. What, then, is to be done? Currently, the bulk of our college education in science and technology is notionally in English whereas the bulk of our high-school education is in the local language. Science courses in college are thus accessible largely to the urban population and even when this happens, education is effectively, neither of quality in English nor communicated as translations of quality in the classroom. Starting with the Kendriya Vidyalayas and the Nayodya Vidyalayas as test-arenas, we can ensure the training of teachers so that students in high-school are simultaneously taught in both their native language and in English. This already happens informally, but its needs formalisation. The student should be free to take exams in either language or indeed use a free-flowing mix. This approach should be steadily ramped up and used in all our best educational institutions in college and then scaled to be used more widely. Public and private colleges, in STEM subjects, for example, can lead and make bi-lingual professional education, attractive and economically viable. Technology, can of course assist implementation, but the primary driver is a will to change. Our international partners envy the facility many Indians have with English. Without losing this, we must also have the ability to think deeply about complex and difficult subjects at the level of the best in the world. This can come only when communities in Rajasthan, Kerala or Odisha can wield, in their minds, their respective languages in the frontier areas of science the way in which the French, the Dutch or the Germans do. We should not conflate the use of English as the vehicle for communication and commerce with the use of language as the basis for the power of ideas. K VijayRaghavan is secretary, department of biotechnology, ministry of science and technology, and former director of The National Centre for Biological Sciences The views expressed are personal Vijay Dabhi is faced with an impossible choice. The 29-year-old farmer from Gujarats Bhavnagar district can either enroll his daughter in a private school or hire a diesel pump to draw water for his wheat crop from the Vallabhipur branch canal of the Narmada. The annual school fee is Rs 30,000 and the pump costs Rs 25,000. I can secure her future or support my family by paying for the pump, he says in frustration. Vijays village, Patna, is serviced by three canals of the more than Rs 50,000 crore Sardar Sarovar Dam, whose waters are supposed to irrigate more than 3,000 villages and 18.45 million hectares of land. The project was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in September on his 67th birthday. Calling the dam an engineering miracle, he had said, I have a list exposing all those who tried to derail the project but I do not want to politicise the issue. I am just happy this dam will benefit the farmers, the environment and countrymen. But despite the completion of the main dam, in the three main districts of Saurashtra supposed to benefit from it Bhavnagar, Botad and Surendrangar villagers complain of broken promises, flawed design and lack of accountability. The inauguration was just a farce. Every election we were promised Narmada water. This time we have decided to vote for a new government in protest, says Vijay. With elections in the state next month, the BJP has focused on shoring up votes in rural areas, a weak link for the ruling party that trailed the Congress even in the last election the saffron party won 44 seats, compared to Congress 49, according to post-poll analysis by Delhi-based think tank Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. The BJP also suffered losses in the local body polls two years ago, attributed by experts to Patidars moving away from their traditional choice, BJP, over being denied quotas in jobs and education. Party chief Amit Shah has stressed on boosting ground-level organisation, setting up several committees to ensure turnout on polling day and help BJP bridge the rural gap. But farmers in Saurashtra say they have voted for the BJP in the past but are now fed up with waiting for water. Sagar Rabari of the Gujarat Khedut Samaj, one of the largest farmers body in the state, says, The government has been lying to the farmers over the Narmada irrigation issue for years now. Either the work is incomplete, what was completed is lying in ruins and the plan has been changed several times to give water to industry. In Vijays village, the dam, canal and the last-mile minor network is complete but the fields are still dry. All the water of the canal, he alleges, goes to a Gujarat Water Infrastructure Limited (GWIL) plant that supplies drinking water to villages in Saurashtra and to the industry. Mohabbatsinh Parmar, GWIL supervisor, admitted many villages in the area were not getting irrigation water but blamed the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL). The problem is wastage of water by the time it reaches us. There are over 100 pipelines upstream, so water is constantly overdrawn. We have complained to SSNNL but they do not take any action, he said. A top official of the SSNNL, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the upcoming elections, said it was impossible for them to patrol the 50,000 km stretch of the dam project. Amidst this finger-pointing, there is only frustration for Vijay. He has filed six RTI applications, sat on a hunger strike, and even attempted to breach the canal wall last year. Now, he and others from 13 villages are trying to file a case in the Gujarat high court. Meanwhile, local farmers say they are forced to illegally draw water through pumps. This year because of the elections, they are letting us use pumps but usually the State Reserve Police of the SSNNL trouble us for doing it, Vijay says. In a 20km stretch of the canal, over 300 such pumps are installed. In Halvad taluka in Surendranagar district, a few years ago, the police took away the pumps and booked the farmers. SSNNL officer said that these should be viewed as anti-encroachment drives, carried out occasionally. About 75km away in Botad, another group of angry farmers has the same grievance about lack of irrigation water from the Narmada for differing reasons. At Gunda village, the sub-minor network has not been finished, which means there is no last-mile connection of the branch canals to the fields. According to the latest SSNNL report from October 2017, 20% of the minor and 40% of the sub-minor network is incomplete. In terms of irrigation potential, this means only 60% of land is currently serviced, according to the same report. The SSNNL officer says the onus for this lies on the farmer. 2.5% of the total cost of the sub-minor must be borne by the farmer, which comes to Rs 600 for every hectare of land. We are making them on 97.5% subsidy but sometimes the farmers maybe the reason for the delay depending on crop cycle, the officer said. They hope to complete the work by December 2018. At Nanivavdi village, farmers say they have run from pillar to post requesting the SSNNL and the government to fill the Hamirsar lake with Narmada water that can service six neighbouring villages but to no avail. Amongst the group of 10 cotton farmers we meet at Nanivavdi, nine are BJP voters two are BJP office bearers at taluka level. All except one have made up their minds to vote for Congress. They still believe in PM Modi but say that is not enough. We dont have faith in the BJP government anymore. It has not done anything for farmers. They are only good at marketing, which we have foolishly being buying into, says Ajitsinh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani will contest the Gujarat polls from the Vadgam seat as an independent candidate after Congress tacitly left the seat vacant for him. (Modi in Gujarat | LIVE updates) Mevani announced his candidacy on social media on Monday, hours after Congress released its third list of 76 candidates early Monday. Sitting Congress MLA Manibhai Vaghela told PTI that his partys state unit had asked him not to contest the seat as a part of an agreement with Mevani. Vaghela said the Congress has given an indirect support to Mevani for the Vadgam seat, reserved for a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate. The party has asked me not to contest from the Vadgam seat this time. Though Mevani will contest the polls as an Independent, he will have Congresss support. Thus, there wont be any Congress candidate on this seat, Vaghela said. The party officially has not confirmed its support to Mevani. Mevani too has not announced his support to the Congress. He, however, requested other parties not to contest the seat. Since the ruling BJP is our key enemy, I request aspiring candidates of other parties and independents not to file their papers, so that we can have a direct battle with the BJP. This is peoples battle against dictatorship and we will continue our fight after winning this election, he wrote on Facebook. Mevani, who shot to limelight after a Dalit family was flogged publicly by cow vigilantes for allegedly killing a cow last year, will be in a direct contest with BJPs Vijay Chakravarthi if others do not file the nomination papers on Monday, the last day for the same. Congress, meanwhile, has also left seats for Chhotubhai Vasavas Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) and the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) of Hardik Patel. Vasava, a JD(U) rebel who helped Congresss Ahmed Patel win the Rajya Sabha polls earlier this year, said his party will contest on five seats on the symbol auto-rickshaw in alliance with Congress. Hardik Patel, who has led the Patidar agitation for inclusion of their community in the Other Backward Classes category, is yet to finalise the seats they will contest. Congress had earlier announced the names of 86 candidates in two phases. Party sources said some candidates have been informed over phone about them being given the mandate to avoid any backlash from other contenders. Angry workers had attacked party offices at several places such as Surat after the first list was announced on November 19. Many Congress rebels later filed the nomination papers against the official candidates, prompting the leadership to rush senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, B K Hariprasad and Mukul Wasnik to Gujarat to pacify them. In another development, a close aide of Hardik Patel informed that the Patidar leader will hold rallies at Morbi and Surat at the same time Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses public meetings there. Modis much-awaited Gujarat campaign starts on Monday with four rallies at Bhuj, Jasdan, Amreli and Surat in Kutch district. He will again visit Gujarat on November 29 and address four public meetings at Morbi, Somnath, Bhavnagar and Navsari. Gujarat goes to polls in two phases 89 seats on December 9 and 93 five days later. The results will be announced on December 18. (With inputs from PTI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the opposition Congress on Monday, saying the people of the state would not forgive those who are insulting the son of Gujarat. Modi addressed four public meetings in his home state as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stepped up its campaigning for the two-phase assembly elections in Gujarat. The PM spoke at rallies in Bhuj, Jasdan, Dhari and Kamrej. Here are the highlights on PM Modis Gujarat visit: 6.27pm: PM Modi concludes his speech at the rally in Kamrej. He will now head back to Delhi. 6.22pm: Morarji Bhai Desai was a successful Finance Minister and a believer in Gandhi Ji. The Congress mistreated him and even when he became PM they troubled him, says PM Modi at a rally in Kamrej. 6.18pm: Overnight, Indira Ji removed Morarji Bhai from the Cabinet. She did not open the doors of the bank for the poor. When we got the opportunity to serve, the first thing we did was to start the Jan Dhan Yojana and focus on financial inclusion, says PM Modi. 6.14pm: The Congress party has not done anything, it does not want to do any thing and it does not want others to do anything for the people, says PM Modi. 6.07pm: Our government has taken steps to ensure people from middle class families can own their homes. We reduced prices of stents and made healthcare affordable, says PM Modi. 5.59pm: At every opportunity, the Congress has indulged in corruption, says PM Modi. 5.55pm: The Congress is disconnected with the aspirations of the people of India, says PM Modi. 5.49pm: Arrogance of the Congress party is at a record high. They do not realise that the times have changed. The youth sees things very differently. Things are very different in Gujarat from the time Congress ruled here 22 years ago. Society is no longer divided, there is progress now, says PM Modi. 5.46pm: After campaigning in Kutch, Rajkot and Amreli districts, I have come to Surat. I am seeing the energetic response among people. I am also seeing the Congress is scared of defeat and is unable to match the BJPs focus on development and good governance, says PM Modi in Surat. 5.41pm: PM Modi begins his speech in Kamrej, his last rally for the day. 4.29pm: PM Modi tweets: Addressed a massive rally in Dhari, Amreli district. Spoke about the efforts by @BJP4Gujarat Governments to create a vibrant dairy and cooperative network in Saurashtra. Also highlighted the steps being taken to promote the blue economy. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 27, 2017 3.53pm: Our efforts against corruption have naturally troubled the Congress, says PM Modi. 3.48pm: The BJP government in Gujarat got dairies to Saurashtra. Amreli is emerging as a hub for dairy and cooperative sectors over the last two decades, says PM Modi. 3.46pm: Amreli district is on the coast and it is the BJP government in Gujarat that worked on harnessing the coastal strengths of this district. We focussed on the blue economy, says PM Modi in Dhari. 3.41pm: PM Modi begins speaking in Dhari, Amreli. 2.41pm: PM Modi concludes his address in Rajkots Jasdan. 2.40pm: Remember the Gujarat before BJP came to power? To travel to Ahmedabad also people had to ask is it safe. Law and order situation in the state was very poor. All this changed after BJP came to power, says PM Modi. 2.31pm: We have served Gujarat without any discrimination. Our belief is in the Mantra of Sauno Saath, Sauno Vikas, says PM Modi. 2.27pm: We are making healthcare affordable for the poor. We brought down the prices of stents, says PM Modi. 2.23pm: The solution to all problems is development. Development has to be continuous. We want to work even more for the people of Gujarat, says PM Modi in Rajkot. 2.21pm: I had to go on hunger strike against the Congress to make sure Narmada water reaches parched Saurashtra-Kutch, says PM Modi. 2.19pm: I request the Congress not to mock the poor and my poor origins, says PM Modi. 2.18pm: The Congress dislikes me because of my poor origins. Can a party stoop so low? Yes, a person belonging to a poor family has become PM. They do not fail to hide their contempt for this fact. Yes, I sold tea but I did not sell the nation, says PM Modi. 2.15pm: The Congress was not fair to other Patidar leaders -- Babubhai Patel, Chimanbhai Patel and Anadiben Patel. 2.14pm: It was with the support of the Jan Sangh that a person from the Patel Community, Babubhai Patel became CM. The Congress did not like this and ensured that Babubhai Jashbhais government did not last, says PM Modi. 2.12pm: How did the Congress treat Sardar Patel and Morarji Desai? That is for everyone to see. Which was the party that made the entire nation a prison during the Emergency? That also everyone knows, says PM Modi. 2.11pm: A new party came up in Delhi, whose style is to keep abusing and running away. I thought the Congress, being an older party would not indulge in such politics but they have also taken this short cut in the past two months and only hurled abuses and lies, says PM Modi. 2.10pm: When we started bringing the waters of the Narmada here to Saurashtra, there were people who were mocking us. Their negative politics has not changed over the years. Our faith is in politics of development and good governance, says PM Modi in Jasdan. 2.04pm: PM Modi begins speaking at a rally in Jasdan. 1.57pm: PM Modi to address a public gathering in Rajkots Jasdan shortly. 12.06pm: We are not here for power, we are here for 125 crore Indians. We want to take India to new heights of glory, says PM Modi at Bhuj rally. 12.05pm: Congress is unhappy about demonetisation. They keep attacking me but I want to tell them...I have grown up in the same land as Sardar Patel. I will ensure that the poor get their due. We will not allow this nation to be looted, says PM Modi. 12.02pm: India was attacked on 26/11 and in Uri. You can see how India responded in the wake of both attacks. This explains the difference between their Government and ours, says PM Modi. 12pm: A Pakistani court released a Pakistani terrorist and the Congress is celebrating. I was surprised why. And this same Congress refused to believe our own army on surgical strikes and preferred to believe the Chinese ambassador, says PM Modi: 11.59am: Does any Congress leader talk about Kamraj, Acharya Kripalani, Subhas Babu, UN Dhebar (who belonged to Gujarat)...no because they only talk about one family, says PM Modi. 11.57am: There are some people who love spreading negativity and pessimism. My appeal to them is to stop doing that. They lack neeti, niyat, a neta and a naata with the people, says PM Modi. 11.56am: Whatever I have achieved in the past 15 years is because of Gujarat, says PM Modi. 11.51am: The Congress insulted Sardar Patel; the people of Gujarat still forgave them. But they will no longer tolerate any attack on their prestige, says PM Modi at Bhuj rally. 11.48am: Gujarat is my atma, Bharat is my Parmatma, says PM Modi. 11.46am: After the Kutch earthquake Atal Ji asked me to go to Gujarat. On taking over, I spent considerable time in Kutch and learnt what administration is about. You can say that my training happened here in Kutch, says PM Modi. 11.40am: It was the Congress that killed youngsters who were associated with the Maha Gujarat Movement... The misgovernance by the Congress adversely impacted Kutch, says PM Modi. 11.39am: On one side there is Vikas and Vishwas while on the other side there is Vanshwad. Gujarat will never forgive the Congress Party and this has been the case for long. Congress has never liked Gujarat, has always preferred to see it lag behind, says PM Modi at Bhuj rally. 11.38am: I am grateful for all the kichad being thrown at me, after all, a lotus blooms only in kichad so, I dont mind if more is thrown at me, says PM Modi. 11.37am: PM Modi says: I have the good fortune of knowing every part of Gujarat well. 11.27am: Interacting with people gives me unparalleled joy. Every moment of my life is devoted to the welfare of India and 125 crore Indians, tweets PM Modi ahead of his rally. 11.25am: Kutch has overwhelmed me with affection. It is indeed special to be here, tweets PM Modi. 10.54am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets people outside Ashapura Mata temple in Gujarats Kutch. The PM will address a rally in the area shortly. 10.30am: Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend about 20 public meetings and rallies in the next 15 days ahead of the assembly polls to be held on December 9 and 14. 9.49am: PM Modi visits Ashapura Mata temple in Kutch before beginning his rally in Bhuj. He will address four rallies on December 27 and another four on December 29 ahead of the two phase elections in Gujarat. 9.25am: Preparations are underway at Bhuj where the Prime Minister will address public in his first stop in Gujarat today. 9.21am: Dalit leader Jignesh Mawani will contest as an independent candidate from Banaskanthas Vadgam constituency. Kapil Sharma will be seen playing a patriotic character in Firangi, which is set to hit the screens this Friday. His second film as the lead actor, Firangi is a film set during the British era. However, the film will strike a balance between patriotism and a light-hearted tone, Firangi is set before Partition. Even my grandfather was born in Pakistan. Because Partition coloured our world view for a long time, we couldnt see beyond it. With Firangi, we decided to make a light-hearted story based in that era. The film, which is shot in Ropar, Gajner and Bikaner, is pegged around a love story. I am playing an underdog character Monga who falls in love with a girl. Unemployed youths have a tendency to fall in love anyway, but his marriage seems difficult because he doesnt do anything. He gets a job with the British army by fluke, but the girls family is not ready to accept Monga because he is serving the enemy. Does he ever worry that comedies may get him typecast? He says, Every actor has their own speciality. I will start laughing if I try to do romantic scenes like Shah Rukh Khan or stunts like Akshay Kumar. I like making people laugh and I take the tag of comedian seriously. Asked about his real-life story, he nimbly dodged the question with a joke, It doesnt happen in real life. Have you seen a rich girl falling in love with a taxi driver in real life? Nobody ever loved me. I am a workaholic guy and I get scared by the idea of marriage. He, of course, knows how to deflect questions. He takes a jibe at the media also for publishing only the controversies. Kapil says, Once we were shooting with Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan before the release of Happy New Year. It went on for good six hours, but nobody wrote about it. Bas cancel wala aa jaata hai. So, is he getting back with Sunil Grover anytime soon? I enjoy working with him. But will he get Sunil to act alongside him in a film as well, I havent adopted him (laughs). There were reports about his Hollywood debut as well. Its only half truth. I have talked with some people on phone, but nothing concrete yet. He is also upset about the protests against Padmavati. Mentioning the threat against Deepika Padukone, he says, You can express your opinions, but all these talks of cutting somebodys head is wrong. Not long ago, you said Deepika Padukone was the pride of our country, and now you say such things. There is a Censor Board that will decide on the films content. Directed by Rajiev Dhingra, Firangi also features Ishita Dutta and Monica Gill. Its scheduled to hit the screens on December 1, 2017. Interact with Rohit Vats at Twitter/@nawabjha SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Manushi Chhillar visited Mumbais Siddhivinayak temple on Monday with her parents and brother to seek blessings and express gratitude after her win at the Miss World 2017 pageant. The beauty queen returned to India on Saturday after her win in Sanya, China. She also posted a video about her experience at the temple. The 20-year-old medical student is from Rohtak, Haryana. Her father, Dr Mitrabasu Chhillar, is an endocrinologist at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), Delhi, and mother, Dr Neelam Chhillar, is a doctor at the Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), Delhi. Manushi Chhillar prays at Siddhivinayak temple with family... Seeking blessings from Lord Ganesha at the Siddhivinayak Temple in Dadar, Mumbai. So much positivity around the place. @MissWorldLtd @feminamissindia pic.twitter.com/aTrjf4E0CU Manushi Chhillar (@ManushiChhillar) November 27, 2017 The Haryana girl broke the 16-year jinx for India at the Miss World 2017 pageant with her win. The last Miss World from India was Priyanka Chopra in 2000. In the final round of Miss World, she was asked, Which profession deserves the highest salary and why? Her winning answer was, I think a mother is of the highest respect. I dont think its just about cash but love and respect she gives to someone. She is the biggest inspiration in my life. Mother should get highest salary and respect. She received a warm welcome in India and later thanked her fans for all the love. I thank each and every one who came to welcome me. It was overwhelming and I am grateful for your support. Thank you for showering me with all your love, Manushi said in a statement. When Manushi came out of the international airport, she was greeted with numerous fans chanting India, India as they held up Indian flags and posters of Manushi. The posters read: Welcome back Manushi Chhillar, Manushi Chhillar is Beauty with Brains, Miss World 2017. Feels great to be back home. Thank you India, for such a grand welcome, Manushi tweeted. Talking about life after winning the crown, she told Times of India, The victory is slowly sinking in. I am getting a lot of congratulatory calls and messages from everyone back home. Im overwhelmed by all the love and support that I have received. It has been two years since Ved (Ranbir Kapoor) and Taras (Deepika Padukone) love story hit the silver screen. Filmmaker Imtiaz Alis film, Tamasha, gave hopes to many youngsters to follow their passion. While everyone knows about the story as it played out on the screen, we bring some interesting facts about the film, which many of you might not know. 1) The original title The film was promoted through a train journey as well. When the film was conceptualised, it was reportedly titled Window Seat. 2) High on emotions A still from the song Agar Tum Saath Ho The ionic scene shot just before the song Agar Tum Saath Ho wasnt scripted, as told by Imtiaz Ali. The crew was bowled over to see the intensity of both the actors. This is the reason, no one said cut to end it. 3) Deepika was not the first choice Before Deepika Padukone, the film was offered to Anushka Sharma, but she turned it down because the film focused more on Ranbir Kapoors character Ved. 4) The little Ved : Yash Sehgal Child artist Yash Sehgal with actor Ranbir Kapoor. The child artist, Yash Sehgal, who plays the younger Ranbir in Tamasha, also played the younger version of the actor in the film Bombay Velvet (2015). The child came in limelight because of his sticking resemblance to Ranbir. 5) Three month wrap In all, it took 91 days for the team to film Tamasha in Corsica, Shimla, Delhi, Tokyo, Kolkata and Mumbai. 6) Last minute addition to the film This was added after the films wrap up. The song, Agar Tum Saath Ho was not shot during the filming of the project. It was shot much later and then added to the film. 7) The real Tamasha! There is a village located in Mungaoli Tehsil of Ashoknagar district in Madhya Pradesh, which is called Tamasha. It became more popular after people discovered it post their search on the films name. 8) Stop the leak! The stills from the songs shoot were leaked during the shoot. Several images and video footage of the song Matargashti (previously noted as Dil Ka Bayaan) shot at Bastia Museum Cafe were leaked in August 2014. 9) Elaborate arrangements for a song The song and sequences in the song Agar Tum Saath Ho took over three days to finish. 10) CBFCs diktat Following the Censor board of Film Certification rule, Ranbir Kapoors lines like Apna Haath Jagannath and Din Mein sister, raat mein bistar were removed from the film. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON All the nine ministers of the BJP government in Uttarakhand will soon start attending janata darbars (peoples court) in districts to ensure on-the-spot redressal of their problems. The move is being seen as part of the ruling BJPs spadework for the next Lok Sabha polls. So far, the ministers attended janata darbars at the party headquarters in Dehradun. They will now attend janata darbars in remote areas to ensure on-the-spot-redressal of the problems people are facing, state BJP president Ajay Bhatt said. The step aims to reach out to the people in keeping with our partys concept of Janata ki Sarkar, Janata ke Dwar. Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, however, would continue holding the janata darbar in Dehradun once in a month. Bhatt said that the ministers attending janata darbars at district, tehsil and block headquarters would benefit the people inhabiting remote areas who otherwise had to incur travel and lodging expenses while visiting Dehradun to attend a janata darbar. The number of people from far-flung areas attending the janta darbar at Doon had started dwindling. Besides, only the people of a certain area (read Dehradun and suburbs) had easy access to janata darbars organised here, Bhatt said explaining the rationale behind the decision. Stating that people would be happy when their problems would be resolved right at their doorstep, Bhatt agreed that it would pay the BJP the electoral dividends in the local body polls due next year and the Lok Sabha elections in 2019. Definitely, there is no doubt about that. The ministers HT spoke to, however, sought to play down the electoral gain angle. That has nothing to do with electionsAs it is, there is a lot of time to go for the next Lok Sabha polls, parliamentary affairs minister Prakash Pant, who returned from Garhwal on Thursday after attending a couple of janata darbars, said. The sentiment was echoed by social welfare minister Yashpal Arya. Holding janata darbars is part of our duty We are doing our work and people are equating that with electionsThat is not fair, he said. Arya claimed that he had started attending janata darbars in districts even before such a decision was taken by his party. Sharing his experience, Arya said whenever he held a janata darbar in remote areas he ensured that officials remained present. That helps in resolving the issues as you can instantly refer them to officials and also enquire from them about the follow up action in the next janata darbar, he said. Pant agreed that such an approach would also help resolve the issues facing the people in border areas. That will also help check forced migration from the border areas which are emptying out, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON More than two months of efforts chasing tip offs and trails in several states and even along international borders has finally paid dividend for Dehradun Police that has finally nabbed a doctor couple in connection with the kidney racket that was busted in the Uttarakhand state capital in September this year. Dr Sanjay Das and wife Dr Sushma were Sunday arrested from Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad district, where they had gone to attend a wedding, Dehradun senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nivedita Kukreti Kumar said. The couple, which lives in Nepal, had visited Uttarakhand for assisting in illegal kidney surgeries at Gangotri Charitable Hospital at Lal Tappad, around 30 km from Dehradun, the SSP said while presenting the duo before the media on Monday. With this, the number of arrests in the interstate kidney racket that was busted on September 11 has risen to 14. Another prime main accused in the racket Dr Akshay Raut, the son of alleged kingpin of the racket Amit Kumar Raut is still absconding. The couple assisted Amit Kumar Raut in carrying out at least 12 kidney extraction and transplantation surgeries at the Dehradun hospital. While Sanjay is an anaesthetist, Sushma is a gynaecologist. Our teams raided several locations in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal border looking for the accused. Through our intelligence network, we finally succeeded in arresting the accused from Ghaziabad, the SSP added. The couple hails from Araria district of Bihar, but is currently settled in Viratnagar in Nepal, she added. Both the accused were wanted in connection with the kidney racket case and had helped in administering anesthesia to patients, Kumar said. The accused were presented before a Dehradun court, from where they were sent to 14-day judicial custody. The accused have been booked under sections 420 (cheating), 342 (wrongful confinement), 370 (trafficking) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 18/19/20 of the Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994. Last month, the stringent Gangster Act was slapped against six of the accused including the doctor couple. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Haridwar sistrict administration will soon demolish more than 15 structures that are encroaching upon National Highway-58 (Saptrishi -Bhoopatwala-Khadkhadi belt). The said buildings havent yet been vacated despite the administration issuing them notices. The encroachments are hindering the widening process of the four-lane road. The administration aims at evicting the encroachers by December 7 after which National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) would start work on the NH. The administration had given a deadline of 15 days to encroachers on November 13 after providing compensation to vacate the ashrams, rest houses, lodges and hotels that have come up along the road. However, none of the owners vacated the properties. On Monday, Haridwar district magistrate (DM) Deepak Rawat announced that all the buildings would be demolished to ensure smooth work of NH. We will have to demolish the buildings as even after setting a deadline, the property owners havent vacated them, Rawat told Hindustan Times. The anti-encroachment squad will now take over and demolish all illegal structures. Two police posts --- Saptrishi police post on border of Haridwar-Dehradun and Rodibelwala police post opposite Har-Ki-Pauri --- are also hampering the widening of the highway. Asked about the two properties, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Haridwar, Krishan Kumar VK said it was up to the highway construction authority to provide new premises for police posts. It was only after social activist Ratan Mani Dobhal threatened to go on indefinite strike over delay in highway widening work that the administration became active. Dobhal had highlighted that the delay in the widening project has led to further delay in shifting potable waterline on Saptrishi-Doodhadhari belt, which was posing problems for locals. For past six months, water leakage problem has affected our colony and we are waiting for highway work to get over. The project is already four years late and we dont want to suffer any longer, said Uday Ram Semwal, a resident of Hari-Pur-Kalan, Shantikunj. NHAI project director Pradeep Singh Gusain said, Encroachments are posing problem but now with assurance by Haridwar DM, we hope to resume work on the project. Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing into the hands of Pakistan by pitting Hindus against Muslims since it came to power. Pakistans biggest dream is to divide India on religious lines, Kejriwal said, while addressing workers at the partys national convention to mark the fifth year of its foundation at Ramlila Maidan. The convention was held at the same venue where the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, led by Anna Hazare, had started. The movement later led to the birth of the AAP in 2012. Those fake patriots who want to weaken the nation by pitting Hindus against Muslims are actually agents of Pakistans Inter-services Intelligence (ISI). BJP has done in last three years, what the ISI could not achieve in 70 years, Kejriwal said at the convention, which was attended by party workers from 22 states. Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta termed Kejriwals comments as a reflection of the AAPs frustration over its failure to deliver. They have nothing else to do except criticising the BJP and abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is reflected in their below-the-belt comments by giving religious colour to everything, the BJP leader said. Read: Five years of AAP: Kumar Vishwas says party has drifted from its vision On Sunday, party leaders, including Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, senior leaders Gopal Rai and Ashutosh, Punjab MP Bhagwant Mann and founder-member Kumar Vishwas, among others, spoke during the occasion. AAP MLAs from Delhi and Punjab as well as AAP corporators from Delhi were present on the occasion. Kejriwal along with other activists of the then India Against Corruption movement had launched Aam Aadmi Party on November 26 , 2012, on the occasion of Constitution Day, following differences with Anna Hazare over whether to float a political party or not, With 20 MLAs, AAP is the principal opposition in Punjab Assembly and overall has four MPs, 86 MLAs and 52 councillors. Kejriwal also pledged that his party will continue its anti-graft movement, no matter how many hurdles other parties created. He also listed the achievements of the AAP government during the second stint besides going down memory lane by recalling how the anti-graft movement led by Anna Hazare had taken the shape of a political party. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A quarrel over a jacket during a bus ride turned fatal, when a 29-year-old man was beaten to death by his friend in east Delhi. The incident was reported from Anand Vihar in the wee hours of Monday. Police identified the deceased by his first name, Balbir, and the suspect as 30-year-old Shankar. Both lived in south Delhis Lado Sarai and worked as sanitation staff for a private firm. Balbir was to catch a bus from Anand Vihar bus terminal to Sambhal where he had to attend a friends wedding. Shankar decided to see him off at the bus terminal, said a police officer. Before departing, the two allegedly consumed alcohol outside a liquor shop near the bus terminal. But when Balbir was about to take the bus at around 2am, he felt he was not adequately dressed to escape the cold during the bus journey. Balbir asked Shankar to lend him his jacket for the journey and promised to give it back upon returning. But Shankar refused to hand over his jacket, leading to a drunken quarrel, said the officer. The argument soon turned into a brawl even as other passengers tried to intervene and separate them. It was during their scuffle that Shankar picked up a wooden stick lying nearby and hit Balbir on his head, the officer added. Though Balbir was struck only once on his head, he collapsed and fell unconscious. He was taken to a hospital as passengers nabbed Shankar from the spot and handed him over to the police.Balbir, however, bled to death before he could be admitted in the hospital. Shankar has been booked for murder and sent to jail, said the officer. Delhi traffic police have decided to crack the whip against trucks which have been responsible for 136 fatal accidents in the city so far this year and prosecute drivers for drunk driving. The traffic police launched a drive on Saturday night in various parts of the city, during which 22 truck drivers were fined, booked for dangerous driving and their vehicles impounded. Several teams, each under the supervision of an inspector, have been formed to check heavy vehicles flowing in from the borders between 11pm and 2 am. Since the inflow of trucks is in the thousands surprise checks will be conducted across all the borders. More than the number of challans, we intend to send a message that serves as a deterrent for all such drunk drivers, said special commissioner of police (traffic) Dependra Pathak. Police said if they found a driver driving under the influence of alcohol, then he will face charges of rash and negligent driving. Further the driver will also lose his licence for three months. The hassle of going to the court to get the trucks and the goods back we hope will act as a deterrent for owners to keep a better check on their drivers, Pathak added. Sources said that 136 cases of fatal accidents involving trucks were registered till November 15 this year. The corresponding figure for the entire 2016 year was 148. The much-awaited Signature Bridge, which will reduce the travel time between north Delhi and north-east Delhi, and Ghaziabad, will see a delay for the fifth time. This time because of the ban on construction activities by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) following severe levels of pollution in the city. The project was conceptualised in 2004 and got Delhi Cabinet nod in 2007. It was scheduled to be completed before the 2010 Commonwealth Games but it missed the deadline, which was revised to 2013. When the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government came to power in Delhi in 2015, it promised to complete the bridge by June 2016 which was further extended to July 2017. In July this year, the Delhi government released 100 crore for the bridge and set a deadline of March 2018. But the officials of the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) the agency responsible for executing the project now says that work cannot be completed before April 2018. According to sources in the government, the funds released could not reach the agencies engaged for the construction, on time, which also delayed the construction work of the bridge. After pollution levels increased in the city earlier this month, all construction activities were banned across the national capital by the green court. Construction of the bridge remained closed for around a week after the NGT orders which will affect the progress of the project. We will now be able to complete the construction work by April end next year, Shishir Bansal, chief project manager, told Hindustan Times. Bansal said that before formally inaugurating the bridge, a trial run would be conducted in May for around 45 days to assess the behaviour of the bridge towards the traffic.We are hoping to begin the trial run on the bridge by May 15 which will be limited to the peak hours only for light traffic. Around 90% of work has been completed, he said. The project has missed several deadlines for its completion. First it was to be completed before October 2010 but was delayed because of hindrances like environmental clearance. It received environmental clearance in 2011 and then it was set to be completed by December 2013. This deadline was pushed to June 2016 and then to July 2017 and then again to March 2018. Now the construction it is expected to be completed by April 2018. It will be the fifth time when the project is going to miss its deadline scheduled as March 2018. After the trial run the bridge is expected to be formally inaugurated by September, 2018, a government official told Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity. Once completed, the Signature Bridge will share the burden of vehicular traffic currently being borne by the Wazirabad bridge, used to commute to and from Delhi and Ghaziabad. The bridge will connect the Outer Ring Road on the western bank with the Wazirabad Road on the eastern bank of the Yamuna. It will reduce the time travel by at least half an hour for commuters going to Ghaziabad and Bhopura Border via Khajuri Khas, from Wazirabad, Timarpur, Mukherjee Nagar and Baurari. To avoid heavy traffic at the existing Wazirabad bridge, the commuters at present prefer to reach Ghaziabad or east Delhi via either ISBT Kashmere Gate or ITO bridge. COST Constant delays also increased the cost of the project. Initially the estimated cost was of the project was 887 crore which increased to 1,131 crore in 2013. At present, the officials say, the cost of the project has reached 1,575 crore. Being touted as a state-of-the-art bridge by the engineers associated with this project, the Signature Bridge will be the first asymmetrical cable stayed bridge in the country. A 675 metre long and 35.2 metre wide, the bridge will have a bow-shaped steel pylon with a height of 154 metres twice the height of Qutub Minar. The government has planned to develop businesses and tourism around the bridge as part of the second phase of the project. A 19-year-old domestic help was found dead at a high-rise in Greater Noida on Sunday, triggering protests from her family members and other workers who suspected foul play. A murder case was registered against the couple inside whose house at AWHO Society in Kasna area of Greater Noida, the helps body was recovered. The help is a resident of a village in Greater Noida. Her employers told the police that she allegedly hanged herself from a fan but the family suspected murder and staged a protest outside the high-rise on Monday. Superintendent of police (rural), Suniti, said, On a complaint filed by the helps mother, we registered a case under provisions of the SC/ST Act and for murder against the couple. Investigation is on. The police said the case was registered against Dr Puja Rastogi, head of department of forensic science at a private university, and her husband Mukul Gupta, an engineer with a private firm in Greater Noida. The helps mother said that when she went to pick up her daughter from her employers house around 4.30pm on Sunday, she was fine. Guptas mother told me she and her eight-year-old grandson are alone and will send my daughter only after her son and daughter-in-law are back from work. She was fine when I saw her last. After half an hour, I received a call from Guptas mother, who told me to reach Yatharth Hospital. She said my daughter committed suicide, she said. When I reached the hospital, my daughter was dead. She had marks on her neck, which suggests she was murdered, she said. On Monday, family members of the women and other domestic helps staged a protest outside AWHO Society, alleging the she was sexually abused and hanged. The protesters tried to block the road after which the police took them into custody. They were later released. Post-mortem reports confirmed death by hanging. It says there was no sexual assault, said Suniti, superintendent of police (rural), Gautam Budh Nagar. The 19-year-old was a full-time domestic help and would go back to her house at the end of the day. Her mother would come to drop and pick her every day, police said. Amit Kishor Shrivastava, circle officer, Greater Noida 1, said, The couple told us that they found the girl hanging from a fan when they reached home. We were not informed by the couple from the spot. They called us from hospital. The parents did not mention sexual harassment anywhere . When Hindustan Times called Puja Rastogi, she said, Whatever I have to say, I will tell the police. Police are investigating. The truth will come out in a day one or two. I know there are various allegations against us but they are not true. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi Police Crime Branch on Saturday arrested five men for allegedly burgling goods worth nearly 2.5 crore from industrial units and warehouses, in outer Delhis Samaypur Badli. The burglaries were committed in the past seven months. The men had rented a godown to store the stolen goods and used a rented truck to move the goods, said the police. The arrested men included the alleged mastermind Ravi Mandal and his accomplices Ram Vilas and Mansoor, the police added. The three are accused of lifting anything they could lay their hands on from industrial polymers to grains, to even betel nuts, the police added. Two others Anwar and Dinesh Goel have been arrested for buying the stolen articles and selling it at their shops at prices cheaper than market rate. DCP crime (headquarters) Joy Tirkey said a team of Crime Branchs Special Operations Squad had a tip-off about a gang of burglars coming near Siraspur Gurdwara in Nangal Puna area of outer Delhi on Saturday afternoon. Around 4.30pm, when Mandal, Vilas, Mansoor and Anwar reached, the police arrested them. Goel was arrested from his shop later on Saturday after the arrested men revealed his role. Tirkey said with their arrests, at least nine cases of burglary, all registered in Samaypur Badli, have been solved. All these burglaries were reported between May and November this year. All of them had previous criminal involvements too and were arrested. After coming out on bail in February, the three men re-grouped and started committing the burglaries. They first did a recce of the properties when no security guards were present, and then struck later by breaking locks, said Tirkey. Hired truck, rented godown Mandal and his accomplices used a canter truck to carry the stolen articles. They even hired labourers claiming that the goods that they were loading and unloading at nights belonged to Mandal and his accomplices, informed Tirkey. Mandal and Anwar had rented a godown in Siraspur. The stolen goods would be kept in the godown till the time it was disposed off, Tirkey added. Goods worth 15 lakh and the truck used by them have been recovered, said Tirkey. Theft victim to alleged thief Investigators added that Mandal had migrated from Bihar in search of work. He had first set up a small fruit cart which was stolen few days after he started the business. He told us he started burgling because he could not find any other job for a living. He then took up theft, roped in Mansoor and Vilas, who, too have come from Bihar, said Tirkey. Opposition parties on Sunday hit out at Delhis ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for failing to deliver its promises. The Congress said that AAP betrayed the people while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused its leaders of indulging in corruption. AAP completed five years of its inception on Sunday and celebrated its journey by terming it as five years of revolution at Ramlila ground here. Delhi Congress president, Ajay Maken said that Arvind Kejriwal led AAP government not only failed to fulfil any of the promises made to the people but the party which was established as the peoples party has broken all the standards on the basis of which it was formed. AAP had promised that they would not take government bungalows, vehicles and security and would not indulge in corruption. They had also promised public participation in decision-making, inter-party democracy and transparency. But after coming to power, they have systematically broken all these promises, Maken told reporters at a press conference. The Congress leader said that the AAPs ministers, who were removed from the Cabinet due to corruption charges, continue to remain as party MLAs which exposed the double-speak of the party on corruption. He added that the Jan Lokpal Bill passed by the AAP Government in Delhi Assembly was a complete sham, compared to the one enacted by the then Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. Reacting to AAPs celebration on its foundation day, leader of opposition in Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta said that the celebration should be termed as five years of misconception of AAP. The leaders of the AAP, which was voted to power on the promise of eradicating corruption and clean politics, are involved in corruption, the BJP leader said in a statement. Gupta said that while taking oath as chief minister, Kejriwal had declared that even if his own son was involved in corruption he would not be spared but one of his ministers was found involved in hawala scam but is still part of the government and walks shoulder to shoulder with the CM. With winter on Delhis doorsteps, the citys feathered guests have started arriving. While thousands of migratory birds have already made the capitals water bodies their temporary homes till summer, more are expected to arrive as the mercury dips further. On Friday, Delhi registered its coldest November day in 11 years, as the minimum temperature dropped to 7.6 degree Celsius. The list of birds arriving in Delhi this year include the pallid harrier a raptor which has been spotted for the first time at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. This is the first time that we have spotted a pallid harrier at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. It is an uncommon sighting, said Sohail Madan centre manager at Conservation Education Centre maintained by the Bombay Natural History Society at the sanctuary. Migratory birds like painted stork have started arriving at the Delhi Zoo. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO) According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this bird of prey, breeds primarily in the steppes of Asiatic Russia, Kazakhstan and northwest China. Even though this year we havent estimated the number of birds yet, but apparently there seems to be a drop in their number compared to last year. But more are still arriving. The estimation would be conducted in January, Madan said. While experts have spotted black redstart, grey-headed canary-flycatcher and red-breasted flycatcher among the passerine birds, water birds such as bar-headed goose, greylag goose, lesser whistling duck and tufted duck have also arrived in large numbers at the wildlife sanctuary. The water body in the National Zoological Park in Delhi is also teeming with migratory birds. They started arriving since end of October. Now there are more than 1,000 birds here. The largest numbers are that of the painted stork. This apart, we have northern shoveler, northern pintail and spot-billed duck among others, said zoo director Renu Singh. The feathered visitors for winter arrive in India by October and usually stay on till April. Summer migrant birds start coming to India from mid-March and remain in India till August. We are trying to restore another water body in the zoo, which is lying dried up and unutilised. It would be restored before the 2018 monsoon and hopefully the next winter we would be able to create another location for more migratory birds, said Singh. Great white pelicans seen at Delhi Zoo. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO) Earlier this year the former Union environment and forest minister Anil Madhav Dave had informed the Lok Sabha that an estimated 370 species of birds migrate to India, out of which 175 species undertake long-distance migration using the Central Asian Flyway area which also include Amur falcons, Egyptian vultures, plovers, ducks, storks, ibises, flamingoes, jacanas, pochards and sociable lapwing among others. At the Yamuna Biodiversity Park too, water bodies echo with the chirping of migratory birds. A preliminary estimation by park authorities, however, suggests that compared to November 2016, the number of birds that have arrived this year are fewer till now. By the fourth week of November 2016 around 3,500 birds had arrived at the park. This year around 2,800 have arrived till date, authorities said. Large flocks of Eurasian coot, gadwall, tufted pochard and northern shoveler have arrived. We expect the numbers to swell as more are arriving, said Faiyaz A Khudsar, scientist in-charge of the Yamuna Biodiversity Park. Several factors determine the number and arrival of migratory birds including the changing climate, urban pollution and availability of food and suitable habitat among and poaching among others. To reduce reaction time government agencies take to introduce emergency measures when pollution hits severe and severe-plus levels in the National Capital Region, the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority will seek appointment of nodal officers at the district level. The Supreme Court-appointed panel would soon write to the chief secretaries of the NCR states to designate officers in each district. When pollution hits severe-plus levels, EPCA would send directions to these officers so that emergency measures can kick in without delay. We are trying to develop a standard operating procedure in which the chief secretaries would be asked to nominate district magistrates or collectors as the nodal officer in each NCR district. EPCAs will issue directions to these nodal officers so that emergency measures can be implemented immediately. We are trying to standardise the drill, said Sunita Narain, a member of EPCA. Currently, when air pollution hits severe levels, the EPCA has to wait and monitor for 48 hours before it can issue directions to implement emergency measures. Once EPCA issues the directions, the Delhi government holds a meeting with the Lieutenant Governor to discuss the issue. Once it is cleared, the state government comes up with its own orders, which are then implemented. In the NCR states, the chief secretaries issue the orders based on EPCAs directions. In the first week of November when the air quality started deteriorating and some drastic measures had to be introduced, it took at least 24 hours for the state governments to issue orders and implement them on the ground. We received directions from the EPCA one evening. The next day, the chief secretary held a meeting with the top officials and issued the orders. It took another day to implement them, said a senior Haryana government official. In a similar move, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had on November 17 directed Delhi and neighbouring states to frame an action plan that will kick in automatically when air quality deteriorates to severe levels. The NGT move was expected to end a long process that involves the EPCA passing orders when the air quality turns severe. State governments and other agencies then pass their own orders to enforce pollution control measures under the Centres Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). To get some headroom to minimise the impact of foul air, both the Central Pollution Control Board and the EPCA have urged the India Meteorological Department to give them prior intimation about dust storms in West Asia and tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, both of which have a bearing on the citys air. We hope to bring down time gap, the next time it becomes necessary to introduce emergency measures. While on one hand we hope to receive advance alerts from the MeT department, on the other hand we are trying to come up with a system in which EPCAs directions can go directly to the district magistrates, said Narain. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 33-year-old criminal, with over two dozen criminal cases against him, was arrested near south Delhis Moolchand metro station in the early hours of Monday, police said. Interrogation of the suspect, Mannan, revealed that he had shot at and injured a man, Mohd Zaki, near Okhla Sabzi Mandi last Thursday, said Romil Baaniya, DCP (south-east). Police had initially suspected the shooting to be a case of road rage, but it turned out to be a prelude to a contract killing, allegedly at the behest of the victims wife, said the officer. Explaining the relationship between Mannan and Zaki, the officer said that the duo had turned good friends during their stay in Tihar Jail. After being released from the jail, Mannan continued to visit Zakis home. It was during those visits that Mannan became friends with Zakis wife, said the DCP. But Zakis wife allegedly wanted to marry a man named Mujibbudin and move to Dubai with him, said the officer. He also said that she decided to get rid of her husband to marry Mujibuddin. In order to implement her plan, she first instigated Mannan against his friend before offering him a contract of Rs 5 lakh if he got rid of her husband. She allegedly paid him Rs 50,000 in advance. But Mannan did not entirely trust Zakis wife of paying him the entire amount after the murder. So, he decided to first shoot Zaki in his thigh, prove his murderous intent and collect the entire Rs 5 lakh payment before actually killing the target, said the DCP. Mannan managed to shoot and injure Zaki and pass it off as a road rage, but was caught before he could actually execute the contract killing, said the officer. He was arrested around 2 am on Monday after police received a tip-off that he would be arriving near Moolchand Metro station. Police set up barricades and waited for him to arrive. But Mannan allegedly rammed the barricades with his motorcycle and tried to get away. When that failed, he tried to take a U-turn, but another police team ensured trapped him. Finding himself surrounded, Mannan finally pulled out a pistol and shoot at the police team, but he was overpowered before he could open fire, said the DCP. Officials in Delhi allegedly fudged land records using fake court orders to transfer at least 30 acres of prime government property, worth over Rs 600 crore, to private individuals. In what could be one of the biggest land scams in the national Capital, at least three of these properties in south Delhis Asola village were then sold at less than one-twentieth of their market rates, according to papers accessed by Hindustan Times. The scam, uncovered over the last one year, has prompted Delhis Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal to ask the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take up the case. Last week, Baijal also asked the Delhi governments revenue department to submit case details of 13 plots whose records have allegedly been tampered with. The citys divisional commissioner Manisha Saxena has ordered magistrates across the city to check all government land records for similar cases of forgery. HT has examined records of all 13 properties in question. The land in each case belonged to the gram sabha and came under the Delhi government. It was transferred using non-existent court orders to alter the Khatauni and Khasra Girdawari (KG) documents in the sub-divisional magistrates office. A Khatauni is a government record showing the lands original owner and transfer details, if any. A KG is a bi-annual inspection report by revenue officers to check the lands ownership and current usage. Parts of a detailed canvas map, dating back to 1908 the only physical representation of how land in Asola is distributed were slashed , perhaps by the perpetrators of the scam. The map is stored in the sub-divisional magistrates office in Saket. An acre of land in Asola costs nearly Rs 20 crore, according to local property dealers. Copies of sale deeds with HT show that in three cases, land was sold for less than Rs 1 crore per acre even lower than the Asola circle rate, which is illegal. Delhi revenue minister Kailash Gahlot confirmed on Sunday that land records had been tampered with. Specific cases are being looked into to see the role of revenue department staff. All gram sabha land is being mapped, he said. The scam came to light when the governments annual survey of property in 2016 revealed that plot (Khasra) number 1354 a 2-acre land in Asola worth over Rs 40 crore was transferred and sold for just Rs 2 crore the previous year. The Khatauni record of the plot showed the land was transferred to one Mahesh under court order 144/RA/85 in December 1986. When officials checked the KG records, Mahesh was mentioned as the owner only since April 2015. The records prior to 2015 showed that the land belonged to the gram sabha. How the fraud was done Officials also found a sale deed, dated May 19, 2015, which showed that Mahesh sold the land to an Amritsar resident, Raman Mehra, for Rs 1.42 crore. Another sale deed, from April 2016, showed Mehra had sold the land to a Dwarka-based property dealer for Rs 2 crore. According to an additional district magistrates inquiry report, no court order (144/RA/85, on which the transfer was made) exists. The ink used for making the entry on the KG appeared to be different from the ink used for other entries made in 1986, says the report. Accused of forging records, a patwari (keeper of records) and kanungo (supervisor) were suspended, and the district administration annulled the sale deed. We asked Mahesh to produce original or even photocopy of property papers if the land belonged to him. He could not. We have reclaimed our land, said an officer of the state revenue department, who asked not to be named. After this case, officers found tampering of ownership records of 11 more properties over the last nine months. Records accessed by HT show that a similar modus operandi was used to transfer ownership of each of these properties. Two of them were sold. In one instance, we identified two officers who allegedly forged the records. They have been suspended. We are submitting a detailed case report to the L-Gs office, district magistrate (south) Amjad Tak said. HT contacted Mahesh on the phone number given on the sale deed. The person who answered the call insisted that the property was rightfully his. It is my land. I had got in around 40 years ago from government. I will sue them. I have already given my statement to ADM, he said. Amritsar resident Raman Mehra declined comment. The number of state police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel who committed suicide in Chhattisgarh has gone up this year. As many as 36 personnel ended their own lives in the Maoist-affected state in 2017, the highest annual incidence in more than a decade, says a report based on data accessed by Hindustan Times. Before this, the highest toll for the state in one particular year was 13 in 2009. Between 2007-2010, as many as 368 CAPF soldiers committed suicide, while 208 lost their lives fighting. One of the things that pushes our jawans over the edge is depression. This is caused by a combination of factors: gruelling hours, hostile terrain, difficulty in getting leave and being to always be alert and vigilant. This is especially true in regions worst affected by Maoist violence the seven districts of Bastar division: Kanker, Kondagaon, Jagdalpur, Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur and Narayanpur. The constant fear that a landmine could at any moment blow up beneath ones feet is not easy to deal with. It isnt that the Centre is not aware of the magnitude of the crisis. Replying to a question on suicides among armed forces personnel in the Rajya Sabha last year, minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said 109 personnel killed themselves in 2014, 97 in 2015 and 82 in 2016. The one time the subject gets the undivided attention of our lawmakers is during question hour. This has remained true irrespective of which political coalition is in power. In ministry-speak whether it is the UPA or the NDA regime the reasons attributed to soldiers turning the barrel of the gun towards themselves are several: family problems; stress at work; depression; and fragile mental health. Even when the highest ranked officers admit that more personnel are dying of mental illnesses than in the line of duty BSF director general KK Sharma said as much last year politicians are unwilling to admit that our soldiers need help. Even when they do, little else changes except the routine posturing about improving their working conditions and bringing more transparency to leave and transfer policies. Then theres the question of stigma. A 2014 study by Medical Journal Armed Forces India suggests that 96% of our soldiers are reluctant to discuss mental health problems. Although the Indian Army one of the biggest in the world boasts a dedicated medical corps, resources allotted to dealing with mental health issues are limited. A high number of American Armed Forces personnel (97%) know where to turn when they need help. This is far from true in India. Soldiers in the army and paramilitary forces are periodically appraised on physical parameters. Isnt it necessary that their mental well-being was regularly evaluated by trained psychologists to scope out suicidal tendencies? To reduce the reluctance of the soldiers in admitting they need help, technology can come to the rescue. The State can always evolve an online counselling mechanism or a suicide helpline dedicated to our jawans. Its time we slay the invisible killer of depression before it gets to more of our soldiers. At the start of this month more than 100 researchers from 20 countries met in New Delhi. It is not new to travel to another country to learn, Nalanda welcomed international students centuries before Oxford, and the UK warmly welcomes more international students than almost any country. What is new is the scope for research to address shared global challenges and the range of disciplines we must draw on, from anthropology to zoology. The event was a chance for researchers and research users to engage with opportunities, including the Global Challenges Research Fund, the UKs most ambitious research fund yet. The challenges facing us may be becoming more complex and interrelated, but so are the means for research and innovation to address them. The challenges come from an increasingly interconnected world and humans increased power through technology to impact on each other and the planet. Looked at through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals, the wicked policy problems seem to lie at the intersections between multiple Goals.How do we get the food, water and energy that we need zero hunger and no poverty at the same time as affordable energy and climate action, all with only one planet to sustain the next generation? Indian and UK researchers were recently awarded the Newton Prize for work on new forms of solar energy and the two countries will work together to raise incomes of farmers with small- and marginal- holdings using technologies from biotech to artificial intelligence (AI). How should one address health challenges that respect no borders but that also depend on our own behaviours?India and the UK are working through joint research to address antimicrobial resistance that could undo decades of health gains. Then comes the challenge of unemployment.How do we find new models of development that can provide decent jobs for all, with transformations like AI poised to both create and remove jobs, and how should education prepare the next generation for jobs that do not yet exist? How are cities to be made productive and livable? How will demographic and social shifts create, and corrode, communities and trust?How to share the benefits of growth so that no one is left behind?These challenges are socio-technical, not solved by new technology alone, but by how people interact with technology and each other as culture bearing and creative creatures. We can also see these global challenges through the lens of business opportunities they present, for example India has set an early date for the transition to electric vehicles, and the UK has just established the Faraday Institution to address the challenge of energy storage. The fourth industrial revolution is eroding lines between physical, digital and biological, spurring business models that blur the distinction between product and service. The challenge for researchers, and so for research funders, is to integrate the way that science itself is changing with the changing challenges it can be applied to. This means more collaboration across institutional and disciplinary as well as international boundaries. It requires building teams of the best talent the world has to offer, with diversity and pooled resources beyond the reach of any one country. India with the worlds largest youth population surely has a lot to offer our collective future. It also means making the most of all the talent available, to educate the full range of the next generation of researchers, especially women and people from historically disadvantaged groups. The challenges are not solved by researchers, businesses, communities or policy makers alone, but we can increase and accelerate the collaboration between them. Impact is not the preserve of either the fundamental or the applied, as structural biologist Professor Venkatraman Ramakrishnan wrote recently, almost every modern invention has one or often many fundamental discoveries that make it possible. New technologies let us see deeper and further into the nature of ourselves and the universe, from the cryo-electron microscopy behind the 2017 Chemistry Nobel Prize to the gravitational-wave observatory to be located in India.Technology has made sharing knowledge faster and cheaper, but can also affect trust if users struggle to distinguish between evidence and opinion. The UK is creating a new agency, UK Research and Innovation, bringing together its Research Councils,Innovate UK and a new university funder Research England. Creating a single voice for research and innovation, combined with the largest funding boost for a generation, aims to build on existing strengths and achieve a challenging combination: answers to fundamental questions (from the structure of the cell to gravitational waves) and answers to the needs of society; advancing the UK economy (it will play a key role in UK competitiveness as part of the new Industrial Strategy) and research and innovation as a key element of the UKs place in the world and advancing global development. The UK and India are natural partners of choice for each other -UK research and innovation is world-class, India is the worlds fastest growing science power. We are rightly proud of our partnership as nations and relationships between individuals form a living bridge between research communities. Together we can achieve more than either could on our own, but we can also set an example for the wider world to address shared global challenges. The scale of the challenge is awesome, but the opportunities are inspiring. The author is director of Research Councils UK (RCUK) India. He is responsible for delivering a vision for a stronger and deeper UK-India research and innovation partnership, working with Indian and UK collaborators to achieve excellence with impact. Views expressed are his own. Diabetic JEE (Main) aspirants will be able to carry sugar , fruits and water in transparent bottles inside the examination halls when they appear for the entrance test next year. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which conducts the pan-India exam, announced the new guidelines in the information bulletin of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) (Main). The candidates will be allowed to carry fruits such as banana, apple and orange, however, they will not be permitted to bring packaged food items like chocolates or candies inside the exam halls. The CBSE had made a similar provision for diabetic students appearing for board exams earlier this year, noting that the children suffering from diabetes need frequent meals to avoid hypoglycemia which may otherwise affect their health/performance. A circular was issued by the board in this regard but the candidates were required to submit a certificate from a diabetic specialist. It (move to allow diabetic students to carry eatables) was very much warranted as those kids who are on insulin may face sudden drop in sugar levels and the absence of any option may severely hamper their concentration and performance in the examination. Not just fruits, they should even allow them to carry cookies, said Dr Anoop Misra, chairman, Fortis C-DOC centre of excellence for diabetes, metabolic diseases & endocrinology. This year, over 11 lakh candidates took the JEE (Main), the entrance test for admissions to IITs, NITs, ISM Dhanbad . The online application process for JEE (Main) 2018 will begin on December 1 and will last for a month. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on Monday released the preliminary answer key for the written exam to recruit Agriculture Extension Officer Grade-II in agriculture and cooperation department of the state on its official website. The exam was held on November 22. Steps to access the answer key for AEO exam: 1) Visit the official website of TSPSC 2) Click on the link for Preliminary Key for Agriculture Extension officer Grade-II (Notfn.No. 51/2017) 4) Enter the TSPSC ID and Password on the login page 5) Click on Login Candidates can raise objections to the answer keys online through the TSPSC website from November 29. They can submit their objections only in English and only as per the order of questions appearing on the screen with the question numbers allotted by TSPSC. Representation received after the December 5 will not be taken up. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON If the idea of a male therapist giving you a shoulder massage or pedicure makes you apprehensive, your fear is not totally unwarranted. Last week, a young woman filed a police complaint against a male therapist for molesting her while giving her head message in a leading parlour in Ashok Vihar. While the incident has left people shocked, similar incidents have been reported in the past. A few months ago, the district court in Gurgaon sentenced a male therapist to five years in jail and fined him 50,000 for molesting a 17-year- old girl during a pedicure. A similar incident of molestation took place in a spa of a five-star hotel in Vasant Vihar a few years ago. Parlour owners say that while these are one-off incidents, owners must ensure safety. Most women who come to us for pedicure ask for male therapists as they are good at giving pressure massage. So we dont have females for these services. No untoward incident has ever taken place ,says beauty expert Naina Arora who owns a salon in Shivalik. Arora insists that she has set strict rules for male therapists. While doing a pedicure, the guy will only massage below the knee. During head massage, service providers are instructed to ask the client if she wants a neck and shoulder massage. They use a towel and are not allowed to touch the skin, says Arora. Kanchan Mehra, makeup artist, who runs a salon in Anand Vihar says that before hiring a male therapist, she gets police verifications done and also studies their personal and family background, past record, education and behaviour. We are also very observant of their behaviour. We also take regular feedbacks about their conduct from our clients, she says. Clients too say that generally, male therapists are well-behaved and professional. If the therapists is doing a good job, gender is irrelevant. I have been getting my pedicure and hair wash done by men since long and I never had a bad experience, says Anjali Verma Guglani, 28, homemaker. However, some women are not comfortable with male therapists. Its shocking that the woman had to face such disgusting behaviour in a salon. Ive never been comfortable with male therapists. I stopped getting pedicures as most parlours only have male staff for head spa and pedicure, says Shveta Gupta, computer engineer, 28. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a bid to reduce pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR), the Haryana government enlisted a slew of measures on Monday. Prominent among these are that vehicles in Gurgaon and Faridabad will have to be parked at designated spaces and steps have to be taken to boost the extent of plantation. Chief secretary DS Dhesi directed the commissioners of Gurgaon and Faridabad police to ensure that people visiting shopping malls and other public places park vehicles in designated parking spaces such as basements of shopping arcades and not on roads. He issued the directive during the 7th State level meeting of the committee constituted to reduce pollution in the NCR. The meeting was held in Chandigarh and was chaired by the chief secretary. We will take appropriate action in the matter, Sandeep Khirwar, commissioner of Gurgaon police, said. During the meeting, the officials observed that wrong parking on roads leads to traffic jams and congestion that aggravates vehicular pollution. Dhesi also directed officials to put up a list of pollution checking centres online. He said that pollution checking centres would be established at all petrol pumps in the state for which the deputy commissioner concerned shall issue licenses. Gurgaons air quality has lurched between severe and very poor since Diwali when the citys air quality index shot up alarmingly to 450. The government was forced to implement measures under the Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP), which included a temporary cease on construction and closure of schools till the air quality improves. Read I MCGs new list says only 26 commercial sites will offer free parking At the meeting, officials of the Urban Local Bodies Department informed that a plantation drive was being planned in Gurgaon and Faridabad. They said a plantation drive is already under way on dividing roads in sectors. Dhesi directed the officials to speed up work and complete it within stipulated time. It was informed at the meeting that the state government would give a subsidy of 61 crore for the optimum utilisation of crop residue up to December 2017, an official spokesperson said. Officials from the agriculture department informed that farmers are being encouraged not to burn crop residue and violators are being booked by the police. As many as 2,955 cases of crop residue burning have so far come to light and 236 FIRs have been registered in the state, the spokesperson said. As compared to last year, cases of crop residue burning are considerably less this year, he added. The officials further informed that renewable energy plants were being set up for processing crop residue and there is a plan to generate 50MW electricity from them. Officials from the industries department informed that as per the directions of the Supreme Court, the use of pet coke and furnace oil was prohibited with effect from November 1. The residents of Tulip Ivory and Purple in Sector 69, the entry and exit points of which were sealed by officials of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), said they would protest at Vatika Chowk and the MCG office on Wednesday if the gates of their residential complex were not opened. The civic body officials said the MCG has sealed half of the entry and exit gates of these two societies as the developer has failed to pay the property tax since 2015. At present, Tulip Purple only has one gate operational for entry and exit of vehicles, and the MCG has even sealed half of that gate. The remaining space is so narrow that no school bus can enter society the complex and my children, and all the other children who live in the society, have to brave unruly traffic to catch the bus; they could meet with an accident, Vikas Ranjan, a resident of Tulip Purple, said. The residents have also questioned the MCG action at the apartment complex when the developer is at fault. The developers office should be sealed, not the gates of the society, they said. We will raise this arbitrary act of the MCG at all levels. This is a concerning situation and our developer should immediately intervene and our gate should be de-sealed before residents meet with an accident, Ranjan said. Residents have also alleged that they did not receive any notice regarding any pending property tax or the about MCG action. They added that most residents have paid their property tax to the MCG since the time they bought their apartment in the year 2015. As residents, we have not received any tax notice. We would like to approach the MCG to reconsider its decision of sealing the gates. As residents, we are facing problems like restricted entry and exit, potential inability to respond to emergency situations, like fire or medical emergencies. We are facing problems for no fault of our. We are suffering due to builders fault and his inability to explain the delay on their side to the MCG, Priyank Jain, a resident Tulip Violet, said. The developer of The Tulip Ivory and Violet said he did not receive a notice from the MCG and he, too, was shocked when the gates were sealed. The residents are directly paying property tax and they should not be harassed by the officials. The officials have closed the gates illegally, they should have informed us before taking such action, said Praveen Jain, chairman and managing director of Tulip Infratech and also the president of National Real Estate Development Council. Jain added that the MCG is now demanding 18% interest on the tax on vacant land. We have asked them for details. I have no problem submitting the tax, but it should be justified. On the other hand, the MCG officials said they have been reminding the developer about tax submission for two years, and have already given all details. The developer is well aware of the taxes and he met the zonal taxation officer on Monday. We have sealed the gate of an under-construction site, and half-sealed gates for the residential complexes that are occupied,MCG joint commissioner Gaurav Antil said. We will open the gates once the property tax is paid, Antil said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When Suvodeep Das, a 42-year-old marketing professional, took a Jet airways flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai in September, he said a software bug in the airlines website wouldnt let him check in online without first punching in his Aadhaar number. When I got my boarding pass, it had my Aadhaar number printed on it, Das told HT, wondering, Why do you need an Aadhaar number to take a flight, and why display it publicly? In October, another passenger found their Aadhaar number on the boarding pass: this time, it was barcoded. HT has reviewed both boarding passes. Publishing Aadhaar numbers is an offence under the Aadhaar Act 2016. Jet Airways did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Speaking off the record, airline executives said Jet encoded Aadhaar numbers to test the proposed Aadhaar Enabled Entry and Biometric Boarding System (AEEBBS): a complex Aadhaar-seeding project that aims to replace a passengers boarding pass with his/her fingerprint. Bangalore International Airport (BIAL), which plans to install AEEBBS, says it will improve passenger security and reduce check-in time at the Kempegowda International, Indias third busiest airport. Privacy advocates, however, say the system, which stores passenger biometrics and Aadhaar numbers on the servers of a private corporation, is an example of how the absence of a data protection law in India lets companies compile and deploy sensitive personal information without legal oversight. Future uses of the AEEBBS, according to the BIAL website, include integrating the system with passenger blacklists, typically maintained by the ministry of home affairs, to determine who can and cannot board a flight. The unregulated proliferation of Aadhaar uses is compromising the digital identities of citizens and putting them at risk, said Usha Ramanathan, a legal theorist who has written extensively on Aadhaar. There is a misconception that data protection is about data being at risk. It is actually about the rights of people being at risk. Pilot Project In January, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), the corporation that runs the Bengaluru terminal, and Jet Airways integrated their flight and passenger databases as part of a four-month pilot project to test the AEEBS. The pilot project incorporated the entire airport journey from entry right through to the boarding gate and included all security check points, a BIAL spokesperson said in an email. The project allowed for quicker processing time for a passenger from entry to security gate while simultaneously enabling fewer points of human interaction. Participation in the project was voluntary. BIAL said about 15% of passengers opted to use it. In October, BIAL called for bids for a full roll-out of the AEEBBS by December 2018. The system, tender documents reveal, works in the following way: First passengers enter their Aadhaar numbers when they book their flights. The airline turns this number into a QR code printed on the flight ticket. Once at the terminal, passengers bypass the standard practice of showing their ticket and ID to a security guard, and instead they enter the terminal by flashing the ticket at a QR code scanner while pressing their fingers against a biometric reader installed at the entrance. The AEEBBS verifies the passengers identity by querying the UIDAIs database, and then checks the airports flight information system to see if the passenger is booked to fly that day. Thereafter, the system creates a passenger dataset that bundles the passengers biometrics and flight information into a single file unique to each passenger. This dataset is used to verify the identity of the passenger at each checkpoint, allowing the airport to track the passenger until she boards her plane. The tender document states that the biometric data should be purged immediately after the passengers flight departs. If flights are rescheduled, the biometrics shall persist until the passenger finally departs. Why Biometrics? Bengaluru isnt the only airport experimenting with systems like the AEEBBS. We have initiated trials on facial recognition, iris and finger-print scanning etc., to generate Aadhaar + Biometric enabled passenger data-sets, said a spokesperson for the GMR Hyderabad International Airport. We hope to complete these trials in the next two months and deploy them by June 2018 for all domestic passengers. Yet biometrics isnt a fool-proof way of verifying someones identity. Biometric experts have maintained that fingerprints can be copied and printed onto fake fingers a process known as spoofing. At Michigan State University, biometric expert Anil Jain and his team have developed so-called fake fingers using 12 different materials, the most sophisticated of which mimics the physical properties of human skin. Many of the commercial systems may not have state-of-the-art spoof detection facilities, Jain said, adding that he has advised the UIDAI on biometrics in the past. Jain said it was important that a secured space like an airport have biometric readers that include liveness detection, a term that refers to a broad set of techniques that use a combination of advanced hardware and software to avoid spoof attacks. However, it is not mandatory for UIDAI-certified biometric devices to have liveness detection features. Documents published by Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC), the agency tasked with certifying Aadhaar devices, make clear that liveness detection is preferable but not mandatory. Some manufacturers of certified devices say their devices have liveness detection, but STQC does not include this specific feature in its testing. Prof Jain said biometrics are harder to forge than the identity cards that are currently needed to gain access to airport terminals, suggesting that the AEEBBS could increase security only if the data that undergirds the system is properly secured. Storage Concerns Under regulations framed by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), it is illegal to store biometric data captured for any Aadhaar-related transaction. Also, UIDAI-certified biometric devices are prohibited from storing biometric data which casts a cloud over BIALs proposal to create passenger datasets to merge passenger flight data, biometric data and Aadhaar numbers, and store it on a local BIAL network. While UIDAI did not respond to requests for comment on if these passenger data sets violated its regulations, BIAL said it would work around the system by capturing passenger biometric data twice once to verify passenger identities in accordance with UIDAI regulations, and once for the purpose of creating the passenger data set. Our intent is to capture data and store a separate set of biometrics records (delinked from Aadhaar) that include face/iris/fingerprints for the purpose of authentication of passenger at various check points inside the airport, the spokesperson said. Some experts believe this may not be enough. The Aadhaar Act and Regulations are supposed to ensure that our biometric records are safe, and entities capturing biometrics for Aadhaar-related purposes cannot store the biometrics, said Pranesh Prakash, policy director at the Centre for Internet and Society. If biometrics collected doesnt need to follow the Aadhaar regulations because of a technicality, how strong are the regulations? Prakash said. Last year, 22.18 million passengers travelled through Bengaluru airport. Once the AEEBBS is installed, the airports servers shall become a temporary repository of millions of fingerprints, and a lucrative target for sophisticated hackers who could capture this data by implanting malicious software in the system. Such software has become easier to access since August 2016, when a group calling itself the Shadow Brokers announced it had stolen some of the worlds most advanced cyber-weapons from the vaults of the Tailored Access Operations unit of National Security Agency, which manages the cyber-arsenal of the United States of America. Designing the system to minimise the use of biometrics could alleviate these concerns, according to Rahul Matthan, a partner at law firm Trilegal. If data minimisation is the principle that we keep on top of mind, Aadhaar should be used to allow entry, Matthan said, Then the airport must devise other methods and standards to ensure that security and passenger tracking is achieved. Safeguarding Aadhaar Numbers The AEEBBS also raises questions on the manner in which airlines and airports will store non-biometric data like passenger Aadhaar numbers. UIDAI regulations published in July 2017 say companies and government departments must store Aadhaar numbers in secure, isolated, databases called Aadhaar Data Vaults. Each Aadhaar number in these vaults must be associated with a reference key which is like a nick-name for the Aadhaar number. So instead of using a citizens Aadhaar number for a given transaction, businesses must preserve the confidentiality of the number by using the reference key instead. Jet Airways decision to print Aadhaar numbers, rather than the reference keys, on the boarding passes, suggests that the airline is not following UIDAI guidelines a problem that is likely to multiply as more airlines start gathering this information to avail of the AEEBBS facility. Jet Airways did not respond to requests for comment. Once the AEEBBS is in place, BIAL also intends to use passenger data, harvested during check-in and boarding, for commercial purposes, but it is unclear if and how this data will be anonymised before it is used. We aim to make meaning of the abundant data that will be collected, the BIAL spokesperson said, insisting that the airport would respect traveller privacy and the data would not be sold to third parties. In due course and with passenger consent we intend to use business intelligence to make the journey more impactful. For lawyer Matthan, the AEEBBS is an example of why India needs a comprehensive data protection law to address issues between citizens and private corporations. There is a need to ensure that Aadhaar is based on a sound framework of privacy protection, he said, noting that the recent Supreme Court judgment protected citizen privacy against infringement by the government. Data protection legislation, he said, would ensure that private corporations are held to the same standard. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Bombay high court on Monday asked a 28-year-old woman police constable in Beed district to approach the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal over her request for leave to undergo a sex-change surgery. Lalita Salve, who now prefers to be called Lalit, had sought a months leave to undergo a sex reassignment surgery, but the request was refused by the Beed police authorities. She filed a petition in the high court last week, seeking a direction to Maharashtras director general of police (DGP) to grant her leave for the surgery. Salves lawyer, Ejaz Naqvi, today mentioned the petition before a bench of Justice S C Dharmadhikari and Justice Bharti Dangre, seeking an urgent hearing on it. Why should we hear the petition? Go to the state administrative tribunal, Justice Dharmadhikari said. According to the petition, Salve, born in June 1988, noticed changes in her body three years ago and underwent medical tests, wherein it was found that the presence of Y chromosome in her body was more. The petitioner later undertook counselling sessions with psychiatrists at the state-run J J Hospital. The doctors detected that she had a gender dysphoria abnormality and advised her to undergo a sex reassignment surgery, if she was willing to and was of sound mind, the petition said. Subsequently, Salve approached senior police officials and sought a months medical leave to undergo the surgery. Last week, the superintendent of police (SP) of Beed district informed the petitioner that she could not undergo a sex reassignment surgery and refused to grant her leave, the petition said. It contended that the said decision of the Beed police authorities was violative of the petitioners fundamental rights. After the US, France has also conveyed its anguish to Pakistan over the release of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who heads the UN- proscribed outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). French diplomatic sources said in New Delhi that Paris has conveyed its deep concern to Pakistan over the release of Saeed whose outfit was listed as a terror group by the Sanctions Committee of the UN. They said France and India will continue their relentless efforts to combat terrorism, and enhancing cooperation to deal with the menace will be an important aspect of French President Emmanuel Macrons visit here in early 2018. In a strong reaction, India on Friday expressed outrage over Saeeds release, calling it an attempt by Pakistan to mainstream proscribed terrorists and a reflection of its continuing support to non-state actors. On Saturday, the US also demanded immediate re-arrest and prosecution of Saeed, warning Islamabad that there would be repercussions for bilateral ties if it fails to take decisive action against the notorious terrorist. The banned JuD head, who carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for terror activities, walked free on Friday after the Pakistan government decided against detaining him further in any other case. He was under house arrest since January this year. A team of anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of Gujarat police on Monday took away, for interrogation, terror suspect Tauseef Khan, an accused in the Ahmedabad serial blasts of 2008. Tauseef, who was arrested here by the Bihar ATS a few months ago, had been lodged in the Gaya Central Jail. He was taken to Ahmedabad by a chartered plane amid tight security. The ATS team was led by inspector S L Chaudhary. Tauseef is named in a total of 39 cases, all relating to terrorist activities, in various police stations of Ahmedabad and Surat, Chaudhary told reporters. According to deputy superintendent of police (City), Gaya, Alok Kumar Singh, Tauseef was arrested, along with two of his associates, on September 14 from the Bhagat Singh Chowk under Civil Lines police station area. He has been taken to Ahmedabad for interrogation by the Gujarat ATS team, which arrived here yesterday and obtained transit remand from a local court, Singh said. An engineering graduate, Tauseef worked as a teacher in a school in a Gaya village where he allegedly promoted anti-national sentiments among his students. Hadiya, a 24-year-old Hindu woman from Kerala who converted to Islam to marry, arrived at the Supreme Court Monday to give her statement. Her decision to convert has kicked up a countrywide debate over individual liberties, parental authority and so-called love jihad. Born Akhila Ashokan, Hadiya married Shafin Jahan without her family consent last December. Her father, retired military man Ashokan KM, approached the high court in May, alleging in his petition that there was a well-oiled systematic mechanism for conversion and Islamic radicalisation that had trapped his daughter. The Kerala HC struck down Hadiya and Shafins marriage, calling it a sham, but the husband moved the Supreme Court, which in its last hearing on October 30 said Hadiyas consent as an adult is prime. Lawyer Kapil Sibal appearing for Shafin, told the Supreme Court that since Hadiya was present, the court should listen to her and not the National Investigation agency (NIA), which is probing her conversion, and that she is entitled to make decisions in her life. The NIA submitted a 100-page probe report to the court. At the heart of the matter is whether Hadiyas parents have the power to override her decision. The Union government has said parental authority can be invoked in cases where someone is manipulated or indoctrinated. The SC said that before examining the love jihad issue, it would like to ascertain if Hadiya had voluntarily converted to Islam. On Saturday, as Hadiya left Kerala to appear before the apex court in New Delhi, she said out loudly to mediapersons that she wanted to stay with her husband. But Hadiyas parents are certain that she has been indoctrinated. The SC has asked the NIA to investigate the Hadiyas conversion, an order that her husband wants recalled. The NIA, in an earlier report, has pointed to a pattern involving conversion to Islam and marriages in Kerala. On November 18, an NIA team arrived at her home for the second time and took statements from her and her parents to present their case before the court. The Patna high court on Monday quashed its stay on the district judges order declaring null and void the election of office-bearers to the prabandhak committee of Takht Sri Harimandir Ji, Patna Saheb, on technical ground. A division bench of chief justice Rajendra Menon and justice Anil Kumar Upadhyay passed the order on Amarjeet Singhs appeal challenging the November 21 verdict of the high courts single bench. The single bench had stayed the Patna district judges November 7 order declaring the office-bearers election, held on September 3 as null and void. The division bench, however, permitted the petitioner to make necessary corrections so that the application may be converted into a civil writ petition. The matter might then be placed before an appropriate single bench for hearing afresh, the judges said. The judges observed that the district judge had exercised his administrative power in his capacity as a custodian of the prabandhak committee. So the petition filed as a civil miscellaneous jurisdiction case against the district judges order was not maintainable, they said. The learned writ court has acted without jurisdiction and has committed material irregularity. In view of the above, we allow this appeal and quash the order dated 21.11.2017 passed by the learned writ court in a civil miscellaneous jurisdiction case, the judges said. The district judge, while hearing Amarjeet Singhs petition, had declared the election to be illegal on the ground that it was not conducted in accordance with the provisions of the prabandhak committees bylaws. The order was then challenged before a single bench of the high court by the prabandhak committee through its member Charanjit Singh. While staying the district judges order, the single bench had issued notices to five office-bearers of the committee and posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks. Reacting to the Patna high courts order, Charanjit Singh said the stay on the district judges order had been vacated on technical ground. A fresh petition would be heard on November 29, he said. His rival Sarjendar Singh, however, described the order as victory of justice. Sevadar Samaj Kalyan Samiti president Trilok Singh said he respected the decision of the high court and requested the rival groups keep away from the court battle and come on a single platform to celebrate the 351th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. Former general secretary of the committee Mahendra Pal Singh Dhilon termed the infighting as disappointing and urged the rival groups to sit together to shed their differences. The infighting was sending a wrong message to the Sikh community across the world ahead of Guru Gobind Singhs 351st birth anniversary celebrations, said another prominent member of the community, Prem Singh. In yet another controversial remark, Jammu and Kashmirs former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday dared the Centre to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar city before talking about unfurling it in PoK. Abdullahs remarks drew criticism from the BJP, with deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh saying the National Conference leader was strengthening the separatists and militants. He said the tricolour was being hoisted in all parts of the state, including Lal Chowk. They (Centre and BJP) are talking about raising flag in PoK. I ask them first you go and raise the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. They cant even do that here and they are talking about PoK, the former J-K chief minister said. Abdullah, who had recently claimed Pakistan Occupied Kashmir cannot become a part of India, said he only told facts and that what he spoke about PoK was the truth. They (Centre and BJP) are talking about raising flag in PoK. I ask them first you go and raise the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar. They cant even do that here and they are talking about PoK, he said. If you dont like to hear the truth, then live in the untruth. The truth is that (PoK) is not our part and this (J&K) is not their part. That is the truth, Abdullah said defending his comment that PoK does not belong to India. He was speaking to reporters after paying floral tributes to Congress leader and MP the late G L Dogra on his 30th death anniversary. Asked whether he was not hurting the Indian sentiment by making such comments, he retorted, asking What is Indian sentiment? You think I am not an Indian? Whose sentiments are you talking about? Those crooks, who dont sees our miseries. Who dont see the miseries of our border people? How they suffer when shelling starts? When asked to comment on the recent killing of an armyman on leave, he said the Centre should be asked the question as it claimed peace had returned to Kashmir after demonetisation. Abdullah deprecated the incident where two students did not get up when the national anthem was being sung in Rajouri district a few days ago. Honour to the nation is important and national anthem is most honourable, he said, adding the government should take action against them until they apologised and gave an undertaking that they would not repeat it. The National Conference leader said he was not aware if cases against stone pelters were being withdrawn. He wished good luck to the Centres special representative Dineshwar Sharma who is holding talks with stakeholders to restore peace in the restive state. Abdullahs comments on PoK and the national flag prompted criticism from Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh. Farooq Abdullah is strengthening separatists and militants with his controversial remarks because he is frustrated. He has forgotten that tricolour is being unfurled in all parts of the state including Lal Chowk, told reporters. The Roman Catholic Church in India expressed disappointment at missing out on an expected visit by Pope Francis who started a rare trip to South Asia on Monday. The 80-year-old pontiff arrived in Myanmar on a six-day trip that will also take him to Bangladesh. The church leader said a year ago that he would almost certainly visit India and Bangladesh in 2017 and diplomats said protracted negotiations were held on the itinerary. India was finally dropped from the schedule without any official reason given by the Vatican or Indian government. The Pope is coming close by and is not coming to India. As an Indian it hurts me as I am sure it hurts all Indians, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, told AFP. The Pope would have come as a messenger of peace, bringing a sort of a balm to the people. Indias Cardinal Oswald Gracias told the US National Catholic Reporter in July that finding a time that aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modis schedule had proven a little bit of a difficult situation. India has an estimated 28 million Roman Catholics who had urged the government to accommodate Francis. The last papal visit to India was by Pope John Paul II in 1999. Christians -- overwhelmingly Catholic -- are the third-largest religious group in India. Around 80 percent of the countrys 1.25 billion population is Hindu, followed by a sizeable Muslim minority. The Indian Express newspaper on Monday quoted the Archbishop of Nagpur as saying that a papal visit would have been a great boost for the countrys image in the world. Look at the size of Bangladesh and Myanmar, compared to us, Abraham Viruthakulangara was quoted as saying. Rights groups say religious tensions in officially secular India have spiked since the election of Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in 2014. The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday dismissed a petition seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the lynching of Junaid Khan, a Faridabad youth, in June on board a Mathura-bound train, allegedly by right-wing sympathisers. Junaids father Jalaludin had filed the petition last month. A single-judge bench of Justice Rajan Gupta while pronouncing the judgment said the petitioner could not bring before court any flaw in the investigation by the Haryana police, states additional advocate general Deepak Sabharwal said. The detailed judgment is awaited. The petition was reserved for judgment on November 17. In his petition on October 25, Jalaludin had sought a CBI probe arguing that the Haryana Police had deliberately distorted all witnesses statements to introduce ambiguity, discrepancies and contradictions to benefit the accused. The stab injuries to two cousins accompanying Junaid and his lynching were motivated by deep-rooted communal hatred against the community the victims belonged to, Junaids father had alleged in his petition. He had also submitted that the conduct of the accused and others in the lynch mob was concealed and projected as if the occurrence/events were spontaneous. The police deliberately acted with undue haste because the crime had attracted huge nationwide outcry, he had said. Junaid (16) was stabbed to death when he along with his brothers was returning home to Khandawli village after shopping for Eid in Delhi. His body was dumped close to Asaoti village in Faridabad district. Haryana had defended the investigation arguing that the family did not lodge any protest on the investigation before the trial court. Now, the challan has been filed and charges have been framed against the accused, Sabharwal had submitted arguing that petition was not maintainable as investigation had been concluded. Out of the six accused, Naresh Kumar and Rameshwar Dass have been charged with murder. The government had also claimed that Junaids family demanded 2 crore for settlement of the case from the accused. The family refuted the claim and insisted that it was an attempt to defame them. The Supreme Court on Monday asked Hadiya, a 24-year-old woman from Kerala who converted from Hinduism to Islam, to return to a homeopathy college in Salem to complete her studies, freeing her from the custody of her parents. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, however, didnt say anything on her husband Shafin Jahans plea against a Kerala high court order annulling their marriage. The matter, which has come to be known as the love jihad case and has a bearing on inter-religious marriages and a womans right to choose her partner, will now be heard in the third week of January. I want freedom I want to complete my studies and live my life according to my faith and as a good citizen, Hadiya said, when asked if she wanted to go back to college. The court told the college to allow Hadiya to complete an internship and the Kerala Police to ensure she joined the institute in neighbouring Tamil Nadu at the earliest. Hadiyas marriage to Jahan was struck down on May 24 and her custody given to her parents, who challenged the relationship in the Kerala high court on the grounds that it was part of a systematic conversion drive. I want to meet my husband, Hadiya said, adding that she was in unlawful custody for the last 11 months. She had spent five months in a girls hostel before being sent to her parents. Hadiya wanted Jahan to be named her guardian. Your husband cannot be your guardian. You can approach the dean if there are any problems, the three-judge bench said. The court accepted Hadiyas submission that her husband would take care of the expenses but refused her request to be allowed to meet or talk to her husband freely. Whatever the hostel rules say would be followed, the court said. The judges interviewed Hadiya, who arrived in Delhi on Sunday as the court wanted to speak to her, for almost 25 minutes in an open court, overruling her fathers plea for a closed hearing. Since Hadiya doesnt speak English, senior advocate VV Giri helped the court communicate with her. The hearing carried on beyond the courts closing time of 5pm as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) wanted the judges to first take up its probe report into Hadiyas and 11 similar cases of alleged forced conversions. Born Akhila Ashokan, Hadiya married Jahan without her familys consent last December. Her father, Ashokan KM, who retired from the army, approached the high court in May, alleging there was a well-oiled systematic mechanism for conversion and Islamic radicalisation that had trapped his daughter. Additional solicitor general Maninder Singh on Monday backed the high court order annulling the marriage, saying NIA had gathered evidence to show the marriage was a sham. The Kerala government, too, wanted the court to go through the NIA report before hearing Hadiya. Earlier in an affidavit, the state government had opposed an NIA probe, saying Hadiyas was not a case of indoctrination and there were no forced conversions in Kerala. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tej Pratap Yadav threatened to skin Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an angry reaction on Monday to the Union governments decision to downgrade the security cover of his father Lalu Prasad. Laluji ko maarne ki saazish ho rahi hai. Hum chup nahi baithenge, Narendra Modi ji ka khaal udhedva lenge (a conspiracy is being hatched to kill Laluji. We will not stay silent. We will skin Narendra Modiji), Tej Pratap, Lalus eldest son, told reporters at the state assembly, drawing sharp reactions from the ruling bench members. The Union ministry of home affairs announced on November 23 a reduction of the security cover of several people, including Bihars three top politicians: Lalu Prasad, another ex-Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Sharad Yadav. On his sons threat, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said: If a son comes to know that his father is being conspired against, his security is being revoked, he will react. I dont approve of this. I have spoken to him to not speak anything like that again. RJD leaders across state are angry at the decision, and the Yadav family is leading the response. Reacting to Tej Prataps statement, Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Ajay Alok said since the Prime Minister has been threatened, both the state and Centres security agencies should take cognisance and initiate punitive actions. Bihar BJP vice-president Devesh Kumar condemned Tej Prataps statement in strong words. He said the kind of politics RJD practised; it is highly deplorable. Although there is a generational shift, the narrative and the language of political discourse remains the same. They always speak the language of violence and practise unwholesome politics. We deplore such politics as we believe in the language of peace and development. We will not allow any element to derail the discourse of development. Prasad currently has Z+ category security, which has been pared back to Z. The MHA has also withdrawn the National Security Guard cover with immediate effect in wake of the reduced security threat perception. Manjhis Z+ category protection has also been withdrawn. RJD leader Bhai Birendra said he would raise the matter of Prasads security in the state assembly. If anything happens to our leader, we will spare none, he said. Tej Pratap had earlier threatened to disrupt the wedding of Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modis son. News channels had beamed the video footage showing Tej Pratap delivering a speech in Aurangabad district, where he said, I have been invited by Sushil Modi to attend the wedding of his son. If I go there, I will expose him in public. Uske ghar mein ghus kar maarenge, us shaadi mein vahin sabha karenge, tod phod karenge (will thrash him inside his house, hold a public meeting at the marriage venue and vandalise things), he was heard saying in the video. Following Tej Prataps comments, Sushil Kumar Modi changed the venue of his sons wedding from Shakha Maidan in Rajendra Nagar to veterinary college ground (near Patna airport) for security reasons. Lalu, however, denied that his son would do such things. ------------------------------------------------- BLURB The Union ministry of home affairs announced on November 23 a reduction of the security cover of several people, including Bihars three top politicians: Lalu Prasad, another ex-Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Sharad Yadav Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit the campaign trail in Gujarat in earnest on Monday, appealing to Gujarati pride, and lashing out at the Congresss dynastic politics. It is a formula that has worked well for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Modi in the past. The Prime Minister, who is expected to address rallies in all 33 districts of the state, addressed four on Monday, his first stop on the campaign trail after elections were announced in the western state. Modi, a four-time chief minister of Gujarat who led his party to a landslide win in the 2014 general elections, thanked the people of the state for making him, an ordinary tea seller, the Prime Minister of the country. He lashed out at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for levelling allegations of corruption against him. By accusing him of wrongdoing, Modi said, the Congress was insulting the son of Gujarat and the people would not forgive it for doing so. You dare to come to Gujarat and say things against the son of Gujarat? Will any Gujarati forgive people who make charges against the son of Gujarat? No Gujarati will endure this insult. This land is my mother and I am its son, he said. Responding to Gandhis jibe that Modis hugplomacy had failed (he was linking Modis greeting of US President Donald Trump with a hug with the release of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed), Modi said the Congress leader was hugging the Chinese Ambassador in India at a time when Indian troops were facing off against Chinese troops in Doklam. He also accused the Congress of indulging in dynastic politics and not doing anything for Gujarat in its long rule at the Centre. On one side there is Vikas (development) and Vishwas (faith) while on the other side there is Vanshwad (nepotism), he said, claiming that Gujarat would never forgive Congress for this. How many people remember Kamaraj or Debharbhai (UN Dhebar), who were Congress presidents. Many in the party would not even know that Debharbhai was a Gujarati. The party that does not go beyond one family, what do you expect from them? In the afternoon, Congress leader and former union minister Anand Sharma reacted by accusing Modi of misleading the people of Gujarat on contributions of Indias first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru with his untrue statements. The Prime Minister suffers from an unhealthy mentality, which is an issue of national concern, Sharma told reporters in Delhi. He (Modi) feels that nothing happened in Gujarat and the country before he camehe needs to be told that India became a nuclear power in 1974 and Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan had already been launched. Sharma countered the BJP charge of dynastic politics in the Congress, saying the last member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to take oath of an important post was when Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. Rahul Gandhi was asked to join the government when Manmohan Singh was PM but he did not take it, he said. Modi accused the Congress of negativity. There are some people who love spreading negativity and pessimism. My appeal to them is to stop doing that. They lack neeti, niyat, a neta and a naata with the people, he said. He also alleged Congress has shown contempt for Gujarat by preventing Narmada waters from reaching people across the state, and said the party destabilised chief ministers from the Patel community, playing on the minds of Patidars. The community has been protesting for quotas in college admissions and government jobs and Patidar leader Hardik Patel and his Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti has partnered with the Congress, which has promised these should it come to power. Apart from disgruntled Patidars, the BJP also has to deal with the fallout of the Goods and Services Tax, which has affected small traders in the state. Referring to this, Modi said the government was open to making the changes and compared the teething problems with implementation of the tax regime with a new shoe that can bite for some time. Gujarat is going to polls in two phases in December and the results will be announced on December 18. (With agency inputs) Apprehending a political design in withdrawal of his national security guard (NSG) security cover, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, on Monday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar should be blamed if anything unfortunate happened to him as a result of downgrading of his security. Prasads outburst came after the centre downgraded his security from z+ to z category, which resulted in replacement of NSG personnel by CRPF jawans and curtailing of the number of personnel deployed as his body guards. Upset by the development, the RJD leader said the move was aimed to scare him and restrict his movement during the campaigning for the Gujarat assembly poll next month and the general election in 2019. But, I am not the person to be frightened by the move. I am sure that people of Bihar will take care of my security concerns and I would be safe in their hands until the almighty wills otherwise, said Prasad, while speaking to reporters. He wondered why his level of security, which was granted during the UPA regime at the centre, was de-scaled without proper assessment even though small-time leaders of the BJP were enjoying the same. Prasad claimed that the NSG security was withdrawn as BJP leaders, including PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, were feeling threatened by him and hence wanted to restrain his movement and curb his voice ahead of upcoming polls. But, I am not the kind of person to be tamed. They (BJP leaders) have degraded the level of politics. They want to highjack democracy and take the nation towards autocracy. Whosoever in the opposition raises his voice is being victimised by the Central agencies. My family is being framed in false cases, even as the design was to put me in jail, alleged Prasad. He, however, disapproved of his son, former minister Tej Pratap Yadavs spontaneous emotional outburst against PM Modi over withdrawal of his security. It is quite natural for a son to loose his cool when he feels a threat to his father. I have told him that his father is still young enough to deal with it, said the RJD leader. While urging the opposition parties to understand the nefarious design of the BJP-RSS combine to divide the country, Prasad wondered as to why the security of former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi was downgraded despite well-perceived threat to his life. It may be because he (Manjhi) is a poor fellow hailing from an underprivileged class, said Prasad. However, BJP leader and Bihar deputy CM Sushil Modi ridiculed the protests over the scaling down of Prasads security, saying, Lalu se log darte hain...Lalu ko kisse dar lagta hai (People are scared of Lalu. Who does he fear)? Modi said Prasad was using security more as a status symbol than out of any real requirement. Union minister Giriraj Singh also mocked at Lalus protest over change in security level. Manjhi, also Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular president and MLA from Naxal-infested Imamganj of Gaya said he was unaware about the basis on which the Centre had downgraded his security. I still face threats to my life, said Manjhi, whose party is a part of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit said on Monday that director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was unable to maintain the sanctity of history, in an apparent reference to the controversy surrounding his film Padmavati. Speaking at the Lucknow University during a seminar on famed Hindi poet Jai Shankar Prasad, Dixit said Prasad had portrayed the history of the Vedic era in Kamayani - which is considered one of the greatest literary works in modern Hindi literature - and maintained the sanctity of Indias culture. Sanjay Leela Bhansali was unable to do this. He should have maintained the sanctity of Indias culture. He should not have done any ched-chaad with the history, he said, according to a release issued by the Speakers office. His remarks apparently refers to the protests by fringe Rajput groups, who allege Bhansalis film distorts history. The epic drama is based on queen Padmini, or Padmavati, who immolates herself to avoid falling prisoner to Sultan Alauddin Khilji. Historians, however, are divided whether the queen even existed, but irate Rajput groups have called the film an insult to their honour and forced the filmmaker to defer its release to a yet-unannounced date. The fringe groups are also protesting over a rumoured romantic dream sequence between the characters of Padmavati and Khilji. Bhansali, in a video appeal earlier this month, stated there was no such sequence in the movie. He said he was careful in depicting the Rajput honour and dignity. The film has been facing protests since Bhansali began its shooting earlier this year. He was roughed up by members of a Rajasthan-based Rajput group in Jaipur. The films elaborate sets were also vandalised during shooting schedules in Jaipur and Kolhapur. All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) president Yashpal Maliks rally in Rohtaks Jassia village got a major boost on Sunday with INLD leader Abhay Chautala backing the communitys demand for quota and Union minister of steel Birender Singh sharing the dais at the venue. The rally, which was organised to lay foundation stone of an education institute the AIJASS is constructing for the Jat community at Jassia, was given a miss by the Haryana Congress leaders, including former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, in whose bastion it took place. The rally had Abhay Chautala and AIJASSs Malik and Ashok Balhara bashing chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the BJP government for betraying the Jat community and planning large-scale violence in Haryana, even as senior BJP leader Birender Singh watched in silence. CM Khattar says he wants to help Jats, but does nothing to grant reservation or withdraw cases against the Jat youths, Abhay said. Addressing the rally, Malik warned the Jats will choke Delhi again with their tractors if Khattar did not fulfil their pending demands by December. The INLD leader didnt mince his words and attacked Birender as well, asking him where he was when his government was killing innocent Jat youths last year. He also announced 1 crore donation for the educational institute and promised all Jat youths arrested in the quota violence cases will be out of jail within 36 hours of his party being voted back to power. Birender, in his address, offered no defence for CM Khattar, the BJP government or even himself. He said he supported reservation for the Jat community and will ensure it is given at all cost. Being steel minister, he also promised to donate steel required in building the educational institute for Jats. Earlier in the day, the National Highway-71 A (Rohtak-Panipat road) remained choked due to the rally. Around 3,500 police personnel were deployed on ground to keep a check on the situation. The rally, however, passed off peacefully. Govt resumes mobile internet service Mobile internet service resumed in Haryana after two parallel rallies of the All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) chief Yashpal Malik at Rohtaks Jassia village and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Raj Kumar Saini passed off peacefully on Sunday. Mobile internet and SMS services were suspended by the state government in 11 districts of the state, including Jind, Hansi, Bhiwani, Hisar, Fatehabad, Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Rohtak, Sonepat, Jhajjar and Charkhi Dadri, two days ahead of the rallies to control spread of rumours and inflammatory messages apprehending threat to law and order situation. Highlights | Haryana Jat rally: Internet services restored, situation remains peaceful in state SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Parliamentary panel has asked the information and broadcasting ministry to invite film maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the chief of the central board of film certification (CBFC), Prasoon Joshi, to appear before it on November 30. The Standing Committee on Information Technology that will meet to discuss issues related to films, has decided to invite Bhansali after his film Padmavati based on a legendary princess set off protests from several in the Rajput community over what they allege is distortion of history. Several BJP leaders and a group, Karni Sena, have been demanding a ban on the release of the film starring Deepika Padukone in the role of Padmavati. Sources told Hindustan Times that the committee is not mandated to summon Bhansali to depose before it and so it has asked the ministry to invite the filmmaker to the meeting. It has asked for Joshi and the secretary of the ministry to be present at the meeting. Earlier, the Lok Sabha Committee on Petitions also sought a report from the ministry on the issue, after two BJP MPs, Om Birla and CP Joshi, filed a plea seeking a ban on the movie, for alleged objectionable content. The Petitions committee, too, will meet on November 30. The CBFC is yet to certify the film and the filmmakers decision to screen Padmavati for a select group of media persons before it was viewed by the censor board has also stoked a controversy. A few BJP-ruled states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have announced that they would not allow the films release. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The legislature, the executive, and the judiciary should respect boundaries laid out in the Constitution and work together to strengthen Indian democracy. This comment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi may again get people talking about the executive and the judiciary disagreeing over crucial issues. Modis comment comes at a time when the government and the judiciary are locked in a long-running debate over so-called judicial activism. Here are five instances of recent times where the executive and the judiciary disagreed with each other. Right to privacy: The Supreme Court (SC) in August 2017 ruled individual privacy is a guaranteed fundamental right, a verdict that could test the validity of Aadhaar, the controversial biometric identification project the government has been pushing but critics have opposed as intrusive. The government had argued citizens have a right to privacy but it is not an absolute right. Appointment of judges: The SC and the government have been at loggerheads over how to appoint judges. In 2015, the court struck down a law the government brought--the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act--to end a more than 20-year-old practice of judges appointing judges under a collegium system. The court asked the government to draft a so-called new Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) to lay down guidelines for appointments to the higher judiciary in consultation with the chief justice of India and the collegium. But the two sides have failed to agree on it. SC scraps 2G spectrum, coal block allocations: The SC in 2011 cancelled 122 licences for 2G spectrum granted in January 2008, saying they were issued in a totally arbitrary and unconstitutional manner. The government should have auctioned spectrum instead of using a flawed first-come, first-served policy, it said. The judgment dented the UPA goverments image, embarrassing it before the 2014 elections. The SC in 2014 scrapped all but four of 218 coal blocks allocated by the government over the past two decades, saying that licences to operate them were illegal and arbitrary. SC strikes down PJ Thomass appointment as CVC: The Supreme Court struck down in 2011 the appointment of civil servant PJ Thomas as Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), embarrassing the United Progressive Alliance government. The court removed Thomas because he was an accused in a corruption case, saying a person who will be CVC should be without blemish. It criticised a high-powered committee, which was headed by then prime minister Manmohan Singh, that had cleared Thomass appointment. Powers of the legislature: A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled 4-1 in the cash for-query case that as a legislative body, the Parliament has rights but its actions must adhere to the basic structure of the Constitution. Any trespass can be struck down, the court said in 2007. A nine-member bench of the court decided 9-0 that all laws put in the ninth schedule of the Constitution, to avoid judicial intervention, will now be open to examination if they violated fundamental rights.The court gave the two decisions while hearing petitions by MPs who had challenged their expulsion from Parliament, India Today reports. The Telangana government is planning to gift US president Donald Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump, who will be in Hyderabad beginning Tuesday, a handloom silk saree woven in Pochampally. Besides Ivanka, other VIP women delegates attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) are also likely to get the Pochampally saree as a memento from the state government. The exquisite Ikat sarees are made by weavers of Pochampally, a village in Yadadri Bhongir district, about 40km from the state capital of Hyderabad. Officials have refused to comment on the kind of saree, its cost and other details of the gift to be given to Ivanka but weavers in Pochampally are jubilant over the promotion of their brand at the high-profile summit, where Ivanka will lead the US delegation. It will definitely bring a global recognition to this unique Telangana brand of saree. We are awaiting the day when she really wears our saree, Bharata Vasudev, president of Pochampally handloom weavers cooperative society, told the Hindustan Times. Vasudev said the uniqueness of Pochampally is the Ikat design, also known as Patola or Chikti in local parlance. Unlike in other brands, where the dyeing and designing are done after the saree is woven, Ikat design adopts tying and dyeing technique, he said. Goverdhan, a weaver, said the Ikat design involves the transfer of intricate design and colouring onto warp and weft threads first and then weaving them together. The design of Pochampally sarees received the Geographical Indication (GI) status for intellectual property right in 2005 after a lot of struggle, he said. Vasudev said the Pochampally saree was the most favourite dress of several women politicians in the country. Former prime minister Indira Gandhi used to wear our saree regularly and so does AICC president Sonia Gandhi. In 2003, Air India ordered Pochampally sarees for their cabin crew for a couple of years, he recalled. We hope Ivanka would love our Pochampally saree... Apart from the gifts to the VIPs, the government has also chosen to highlight Pochampally handlooms through its volunteers. As many as 500 volunteers, including 300 women, will wear handloom clothes made at Pochampally. Women volunteers would wear cotton sarees and men would sport waistcoats on kurta and pyjama made of handloom clothes woven at Pochampally. These trained volunteers, mostly fashion design graduates, have been entrusted with the task of receiving delegates at the airport, coordinating their summit participation and guiding them to various tourist spots. Alternatively, we have also supplied around 200 handloom cotton sarees of Gollabhama design made at Sircilla for the sake of volunteers, a handlooms and textiles department official said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The term Twenty20 may be synonymous with the gentlemens game but in Kerala, it is also about a non-political outfit that is giving well-entrenched parties a run for their money. An outfit floated by a corporate house is running a local body a first-of-its-kind in the country. When Twenty20 swept to power in a tiny village in Kizhakkambalam (18km east of Kochi) with 69% votes two years ago, the development was difficult for the politically-conscious state to digest, with many dubbing it a major irritant in the vibrant political scene. Corporatisation of politics, they cried foul. Two years later, results are visible in the semi-agrarian panchayat, which is home to 36,000 people. Houses for the needy, free Wi-Fi, better medical facilities and nutritious food for pregnant women, the Twenty20 stamp is everywhere. What is worrying political parties is that many neighbouring villages also want to go the shorter, Twenty20 route. The outfits office-bearers are flooded with requests to start a unit in their areas as well. Last week, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, who was in the panchayat to inaugurate a food security market where edible items are available at half the market price, was bowled over by the achievements of the village, so much so that he sanctioned Rs42 crore for the development of roads in the village. Kizhakkambalam is a role model. We should replicate it in the whole country, he said. Locals say this political experiment has changed their lives. Even small things are taken care of here, said Thresyamma, 72, coming out of the food market clutching two bags and a red smart card. There are four different cards here. Since I am holding a red card, I get everything free, she said with a chuckle. What sets Kizhakkambalam apart from other villages? Here, all have equal say and chorus for change is everywhere. We want to become the best local body in the country by 2020. We focus on four things house for all, food for all, good drinking water and better roads, explained Kizhakkambalam panchayat president KV Jacob. For panchayat members, he adds, politics is not a career but an opportunity to serve people. Though the annual income of the panchayat is only Rs5 crore, the corporate house pumps in money for its developmental works. Soon after storming to power, Twenty20 shut the only liquor outlet, which was collecting Rs12 lakh on a daily basis, and sent many habitual consumers to de-addiction centres. That was the turning point. We recruited a number of MSW (master of social work) graduates for regular interaction with people and monitoring of all ongoing works, said vice-president Jincy Aji. It was not a smooth sail. Sidelined, parties used every opportunity to run it down and foisted several cases on it. But it chugged along. We won because successive political parties run us down badly. In two years, we did what political parties couldnt do in decades. We effectively channelised a peoples movement, said Sabu M Jacob, the brain behind the movement, and the managing director of Rs1,000 crore worth Kitex group. Firms are required to spend at least 2% of the profit on CSR (corporate social responsibility); Kitex share, Jacob said, is 6-8%. While villagers are happy, politicians are not amused. It is not a healthy trend, said CPI(M) district secretary P Rajeev, adding that it will pose a big threat to democracy. A Congress leader said it was a warning signal for politicians. Government officials admit Twenty20 has brought changes in their work culture too. We plan to make all services online, said a Kunnathunad taluk official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 15-year-old Uttarakhand girl allegedly raped for several months by a school teacher has urged her father to give away her baby, who was born last week. The alleged rape victim gave birth to a girl last week, a little over two months after the pregnancy was discovered by her family who took her to hospital for stomach pains. Papa isey kisi ko de do, ye mere bas ki nahin hai (father, please give her away, I cant handle all this), the girls father quoted her as saying. The girl belongs to a village in Tehri district. Shes been quite distressed, the father, who is a farmer, said. The family has for the time being summoned a cousin of the victim to help take care of the child. The childbirth has hit the girls preparations for her board exam. Parmesh Kumar, a 57-year-old history teacher at the government school she went to, has been accused of sexually assaulting her several times. The pregnancy was discovered in mid-September and doctors then said an abortion was not possible since the pregnancy was in its seventh month. The police, meanwhile, have said that theyll go ahead with a DNA test to establish the paternity of the child. We will get the DNA test done (to match the DNA of the child with that of the accused) soon so that we can build a strong case against the accused, Manoj Negi, station house officer of Kempty police station, told HT. Once formalities are done, the child may be given up for adoption through the child welfare committee if the family wishes to, he added. Kumar is accused of having also threatened the student with harm if she revealed about the alleged sexual assault. He is currently in prison, slapped with charges under sections 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON KOTA. A man was arrested on Monday for allegedly abducting and raping a minor Dalit girl in Khanpur town of Jhalawar district, police said. Parents of the 12-year-old girl, residing in Teliya ka Mohalla area, filed a complaint at the Khanpur police station on Sunday, saying Vijay Rathi (22), their neighbour, had abducted and raped their daughter. The parents are daily-wage labourers. Neighbour Vijay, who works as a cook, took the girl on Sunday with him on his bike on the pretext of attending a birthday party in a nearby area, said Surendra Singh, assistant sub-inspector at the Khanpur police station. The accused then took the girl to a room in Harigarh area, 25 km from Khanpur, and raped her, Singh said. The accused later dropped the girl at her house in Khanpur and absconded. Police took the girl to the community health centre (CHC) in Khanpur in their van, which overturned on the way in which the victims father sustained minor injuries. After girls medical examination in Jhalawar, her statements were recorded before the magistrate. Surendra Singh said, The accused has been arrested; he has been booked under section 376 of IPC, section 3 of SC/ST Act, and under POCSO Act. Students of government hostels in the state will now have to sing the national anthem every morning, a release from the government said. The decision is one of the many recent orders by various government departments for organising recitals of the national anthem and national song. Students of 800 government and government-aided hostels run by the social justice and empowerment department in the state shall sing Jana Gana Mana every morning at 7 in the assembly prayers. The decision has been taken to kindle the spirit of patriotism among the children, the release said. Residential schools have already been organising recital of national anthems. We are now starting this tradition in hostels, said Dr Samit Sharma, director, social justice and empowerment department. Earlier this month, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) had ordered that national anthem will be played at the JMC headquarters every morning while Vande Mataram will be played in the evening. The order was issued by the JMC additional commissioner to keep the spirit of patriotism alive. The Rajasthan government this month also organised a mass Vande Mataram recital programme and told all school and college students enrolled in National Service Scheme to participate. The event was organised jointly with the Hindu Spirituality and Service Foundation. Tobacco products continue to be sold around educational institutions in Jodhpur in violation of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), a survey report revealed. Section 6(b) of COTPA bans sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of educational institutes; the 2003 Act also mandates display of signage outside schools warning against using tobacco. The survey, conducted by Gurugram-based NGO Sambandh Health Foundation in September, covered 20 educational institutions, randomly selected from north, south, east and west zones of Jodhpur. All the schools, the study found, had shops selling tobacco within 100 yards of the premises -- 45% of them within 0-35 yards. None of the schools displayed anti-tobacco signage, as per the law, outside the main gate. In four schools, pan shops selling tobacco products were located within 20 yards of the buildings, within 21-35 yards in five, and within 36-50 yards in another four. Indian Asthma Care Society president Dharamveer Katewa said, In Rajasthan, 250 children initiate into tobacco use every day. Based on the survey findings, the Rajasthan governments immediate intervention is required to make educational institutions safe for youngsters. He said the government has taken proactive measures, including issuing notifications, to curb tobacco use. But all stakeholders need to join hands and work towards successful implementation (of the Act), Katewa said. Dr Amit Goyal, head of ENT department, AIIMS Jodhpur, said tobacco consumption kills more than 10 lakh people every year in the country. Quoting a survey, he said 5.80 lakh die every year due to smoking bidi and cigarette, and 3.5 lakh because of consumption of tobacco in other forms. Moreover 5500 children initiate into tobacco use daily and become addicts. In Rajasthan, 250 new people take to tobacco use every day. According to the 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 32% (15 million) people in Rajasthan were using tobacco in one form or the other; among them, 72,000 died due to tobacco-related illness every year. In Rajasthan, the average age of tobacco consumption among boys is 17, and among girls its 14. National Tobacco Control Programme state nodal officer Dr SN Dholpuria said, It is really worrying. If tobacco is being sold within 100 yards of educational institutions, then the chief medical and health officer of Jodhpur should ensure 100% implementation of COTPA, even by taking help from the district administration. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The state government is considering amending a provision of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, which prohibits a person with more than two children from contesting rural local body elections. Responding to a petition filed at the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur, the government has assured that an amendment to the provision will be brought in, under which physically challenged children will not be counted. The high court has ordered the government in the second week of this month to submit a compliance report in four weeks. Sources in the government claimed that the panchayati raj department has suggested that amendments should not be brought in as it would violate the Centres Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Section 13(2) of the 2016 Act states: The appropriate government shall ensure that the persons with disabilities enjoy legal capacity on an equal basis with others in all aspects of life and have the right to equal recognition everywhere as any other person before the law. The law department has also opined that section 13(2) in the central Act is clear on the inviolability of the legal rights of persons with disabilities, the sources said. But the states top law officer said relaxation has been given to parents of disabled persons in government services. I have sent a positive opinion to the state government with regard to proposed amendment to the (panchayati raj) Act. The government will soon decide on the amendment, said KL Thakur, additional advocate general. Chief secretary Ashok Jain told HT, The issue is under consideration of the government and the opinion of the advocate general has been taken. Petitioner Shrawan Singh Rao (43), a resident of Borly village in Jalore district, was disqualified from contesting panchayat elections because he has three children. Singh challenged last year the validity of section 19(l) of the Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, which disqualifies a person having more than two children from contesting elections; while counting the number of children, no exception is provided to a person having a physically handicapped child. The petitioners counsel, Hemant Ballani, said Singh Rao married Damini Shravan Singh in 1994 and in 1996, they got a boy child, Vivek Singh, who has been suffering from cerebral palsy, a very rare disease, since birth. The petitioners son suffering from cerebral palsy has irregular posture and spinal curvature, and mental impairment. Due to this physical and mental impairment, Vivek is suffering from more than 70% permanent disability, and is totally dependent on the petitioner and his wife, Ballani said. The counsel said the petitioner was disqualified from contesting panchayat elections as he has three children, including the disabled. The state government has made amendments in service rules, under which physically handicapped children will not be counted. We challenged this discrepancy in the high court, Ballani said. The court intervened and ordered for necessary amendments in the rules. Now the government has assured amendment in four weeks. DR Mehta, founder and chief patron of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Samiti, said, It (changing the panchayat Act) will be a violation of the 2016 central Act as it stands today. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing Bajrang Dal (BD) have left Bengal out of the nationwide map to celebrate 25 years of Babri Masjid demolition on December 6. The outfits have planned to celebrate the day as Shaurya Divas (Day of Valour). Both VHP and its youth wing were involved in the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on December 6, 1992. Read: Spiritualism helped Hindus evade conversion during invasions, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat In Bengal, they all (read Trinamool Congress, the Left and Congress) observe December 6 as Black Day. Instead of confronting them, we would leave the field to them, Sachindra Nath Singha, who is in charge of VHPs Bengal, Assam, Sikkim and Andaman units told HT on Monday. Singha, who recently paid a visit to Guwahati to finalise celebration plan there, said that Shaurya Divas will be celebrated in Assam with full valour. In Bengal, their only programme is the concluding ceremony of membership drive that started earlier in November. Read: VHP distances itself from Sri Sri Ravi Shankars bid to mediate Ram temple dispute Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is a vocal opponent of the saffron camp and has lashed out at it on a number of times for the demolition of the masjid on December 6, 1992. Bengal believes in harmony between communities. If somebody wants to celebrate Babri Masjid demolition, the people wont accept it, said Tapan Dasgupta, a minister in Mamata Banerjee cabinet. In West Bengal, all major parties except BJP, observe December 6 as Black Day. This year, too, Trinamool Congress, the Left Front and the Congress have programmes across the state. Leaders of these three parties are expected to use the occasion to lambast BJP, its ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and VHP. Human rights organisations and some Muslim and dalit outfits, too, have scheduled agitation programmes in Kolkata. Read: VHP plans rath yatra to create atmosphere for Ram temple While the RSS does not conduct any event on Babri Masjid demolition anniversary, its student wing, Akhil Bharat Vidyarthi Parishad, will observe the day as Pratigya Divas to commemorate B R Ambedkars death anniversary. They will take oath of maintaining social harmony. Incidentally, in a programme organised in Karnataka by VHP on November 24, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has demanded that only a Ram Mandir should be constructed at the disputed site. His statement came just a few days ahead of the apex court beginning final hearing in the Ram Janmabhoomi case. VHP state leaders were, however, in favour of organising a token event for the record in Kolkatas fringes. The outfit also kept their controversial Shastra Puja (weapon worship) on Bijoya Dashami a low key event in Bengal. VHP has working towards a target of enlisting 1 lakh members from Bengal including 20,000 from Kolkata between early November and December 6, said Sourish Mukherjee, state VHP spokesperson. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav has hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modis digital India push, pointing out reports of many names missing from the civic polls voters list. Yadav on Sunday tweeted, Media reports that a lot of voters names are missing from the voting list of todays election.This type of digital India cannot take us forward. His party charged the ruling BJP of misusing government machinery in poll campaigning. The national secretary of the party Rajendra Chaudhary said: All government work has come to a standstill as the top ministers are engaged in campaigning--going from districts to districts. The ministers are misusing government machinery while they are campaigning. The BJP leaders are also intimidating public and using allurements like promising jobs to the youth, houses for all, or free power connections. Chaudhary said despite the fact that BJP was engaged in luring people through its old trick of misleading people through lies and making false promises, the people had now turned wise. People are angry with the party--both at the state and the centre--as the party didnt do any development work and did not fulfil poll promises. So they are pouring their anger through their votes against the BJP. Now, the voters have realised that it was only Samajwadi Party that worked in the interest of people through its all-inclusive development works across the state during the last regime of the party, he said. Read more: Missing names, faulty EVMs mar polling in second phase of UP civic elections He said in the second phase of civic polls on Sunday in 189 urban local bodies in 25 districts, the Samajwadi Party continued to be ahead of all the parties, and it was certain that it would win more seats than the first phases. The voters have realised that it is only Samajwadi Party which honours its promises to people. Akhilesh Yadavs works and clean image are drawing voters back to the party, he said. A group of class 10 students from New York-based THINK Global School--a travelling high school that sends its students from different nations to other countries on learning trips-- collected samples of the Ganga water during their visit to Varanasi between Thursday and Saturday. Their aim was to find a solution to check burgeoning pollution in the river often referred to as the lifeline of northern India. These students are working on a project to find answers to driving questions of how fresh water and basic sanitation can be supplied to Indias diverse and growing population. About THINK Global School It is an independent high school that travels the world, giving students the opportunity to study in nine different countries over the course of three years. The school is non-profit, co-educational, and non-denominational. The school was created by travel photographer Joann McPike, who contributed the founding donation. It also lays emphasis on leaning while travelling, education through experience and sharing best practices with other educational institutions worldwide. We are working on Path to Sustainability project-based learning module under which we are trying to find an answer to a major question how growing pollution level in the Ganga can be checked and what may be the ways and what could be the best solution, Julia Gwiozdzik, a member of the team, shared with HT. As part of the study, we collected samples of the Ganga water at Varanasi and Rishikesh. We will examine the samples to find out level of pollutants and will accordingly suggest few measures through infographics on dos and donts to create awareness among the people, Julia said. The group also interacted with PK Mishra, a professor at department of chemical engineering, IIT-BHU, to have an idea about the ethos and philosophy of the Ganga. We called on Dr Mishra at IIT-BHU. He delivered a lecture related to culture and ethos of River Ganga. He also apprised us of the facts adding to pollution level of the river. We also discussed issues related to water sustainability and the future of Indias holy Ganges River in which pollutants increased alarmingly as Indias cities have burgeoned, Paula said. Julia is from Poland while Paula is from Mexico. Their project is led by two teachers Chelle Marshall (Canada) and Maria Valle (Spain). The students will also create awareness among people through their group on social media. The group will also apprise Mishra of the suggestions. Principal, THINK Global School, Adnan Mackovic accompanied the students. The students will also try to come out with a suggestion on how a change in the habits of locals may be brought about. They are also helping creating e-store for selling the artefacts made by artisans in Jawahar village of Mumbai. They said they enjoyed their trip to Varanasi and would like to visit the city again. The group has been to Bosnia. Their next destination would be Japan, Greece and Spain. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Despite the campaign blitzkrieg for the civic elections, voters of the state capital did not appear enthusiastic on the polling day on Sunday. Lucknowites virtually said no to franchise, with only 38.66% casting their vote. In the last civic polls in 2012, voter turnout was 34%. In the three-phase civic polls, voter turnout was 49% in the first phase of polling on November 22. Voting for the last phase is scheduled on November 29. Just eight months back in March this year, during the assembly polls, voting percentage in Lucknow was 58.45%-- a good turnout. Barely eight months later, the voters seemed disenchanted. In the 2014 general election, voter turnout in the state capital was 53.02%, an increase of 17.69% from 35.33% in 2009. But the civic poll saw only a marginal increase of four percent in turnout as compared to the 2012 municipal elections. Polling started on a slow note and did not pick up throughout the day. People simply refused to come out of their houses to exercise their right to vote. In stark contrast to the low turnout of voters, campaigning for these civic polls was the most high-voltage till date. Not only did the ruling BJP take the civic polls seriously, even the opposition went all out to mobilize voters. This was the first time the Bahujan Samaj Party fielded its candidates in civic polls on the party symbol- elephant. The BSP had always refrained from contesting civic polls proactively as they are considered purely urban centric elections. The Samajwadi Party also pulled out all resources to make a come- back in UP politics by seriously contesting civic polls. For the Aam Aadmi Party, these civic polls were a battle for political survival in the state. With stakes high, all parties had launched a high-profile campaigning. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath himself led the BJPs campaign by addressing public meetings not only in the state capital but all over the state. Such a low turnout in civic polls was not expected. Just eight months ago in assembly polls people came out in large numbers to cast their votes, said Vijay Narain, a Varanasi-based socialist leader. But poll percentage in civic elections has always been low. Low turnout does not mean that voters are disenchanted with the electoral process, he added. After the chief ministers secretariat in Lucknow, the historical Ghantaghar clock tower in Yogi Adityanaths hometown Gorakhpur has been painted saffron. The clock tower was constructed by social activists Seth Ram Khelawan and Thakur Prasad in 1930 in the memory of freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil. The tower that stands in busy Sarrafa market was painted yellow four years ago. Earlier, the CMs secretariat (annexe) was also given a saffron touch. While the exteriors of the building were painted saffron, the decorative designs on the white boundary wall also got a saffron finish. Over half-a-dozen labourers worked tirelessly to paint the 20-feet high structure located next to the famous Jama Masjid in Urdu Bazaar. Though city residents said it was wrong to paint a building in a colour associated with any party, officials claimed the decision was taken unanimously. There is no government order on painting of buildings in a particular colour. The decision to use saffron colour was taken unanimously by municipal authorities, said additional municipal commissioner DK Singh. Sources at the Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation (GMC) said Rs 57,000 was spent in painting of the tower. According to officials at Gorakhpur chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), freedom fighters, including Ali Hasan, were hanged from a tree on August 29, 1859, at the spot where the clock tower stands today. Freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil, who conceived the Kakori case in 1925, was hanged in Gorakhpur jail on December 16, 1927, after which his body was kept at the spot where people paid last respects to him. When chief minister Yogi Adityanath demanded Rs 10,000 crore from NABARD for development projects last week, he probably had resource crunch on top of his mind. The Yogi government has been looking for loans from public financial institutions to fund development projects as a large chunk of states own resources are being used to implement the loan waiver scheme for farmers. We need Rs 10,000 crore for rural infrastructure and irrigation projects. The state government will return this amount to NABARD, the CM said during his meeting with NABARD chairman Harsh Kumar Bhanwala last week. In another interaction with a delegation from the Asian Development Bank here on Friday, Yogi discussed projects like construction of maha mandis (large markets) with modern facilities to ensure that farmers get remunerative price for their produce. ADB will prepare a detailed project report keeping in view the prevailing conditions and need of farmers. While approving Rs 36,000-crore farm loan waiver scheme, the state cabinet in its first meeting presided over by chief minister on April 4 decided to float farmers relief bonds to provide funds for the scheme. The government later decided to fund the loan waiver scheme from its own resources when the idea of relief bonds was not found to be workable. Besides getting assistance from NABARD and ADB for development projects, the state government also has sought loan from HUDCO and other public finance institutions. A government order (GO) issued on June 7 gives details of the decision to take a loan of Rs 16,580 crore from public sector financial institutions in 2017-2018 to fund development schemes. The GO said the loan would be taken from HUDCO, NABARD, Rural Electrification Corporation and Power Finance Corporation for construction of roads, upgradation of highways, construction of expressway, urban development projects, rural housing schemes and strengthening of power distribution network. The state government has taken loans from financial institutions in the past. However, this is for the first time that such a high amount is being taken from these institutions, said a senior officer on condition of anonymity. As loan waiver scheme has put an additional burden of about Rs 36,000 crore on the states resources, the government recently asked various departments to release funds to construction and implementing agencies only for use in next two months. As some of the departments released funds in bulk ignoring finance departments directives, a reminder was sent to senior officers of all major departments earlier this month. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Buoyed by the statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at Udupi Dharma Sansad in Karnataka, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has decided to create an atmosphere for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. It was after a gap of 32 years, Dharma Sansad was held in Udupi on November 24-26. Way back in 1985, the Dharma Sansad had given the call for mandir ka taala kholo (open the locks of the temple) after which the then prime minister late Rajiv Gandhi had ordered opening of the locks. Saints feel that Udupi Sansad had been lucky for them, which is the reason why they are hopeful that temple construction will begin soon. The Congress party was ruling at the Centre at that time and Narendra Modi was known to a handful of RSS men. Now, Modi is the Prime Minister. With an RSS man at the helm, we are expecting that temple will be constructed soon, the saints said at the Dharma Sansad after the RSS chief set the tone of the meet. VHP leaders are aware that the Supreme Court would begin hearing the Ayodhya issue from December 5. Saints from across the country are unanimous that a grand temple would come up in Ayodhya at the same spot where idols of Ram Lalla (Lord Ram as an infant) are presently placed. The Lord is already there and a grand temple is just a matter of time, said VHP general secretary Champat Rai. The atmosphere is likely to be created between March 18 and 31 when the VHP would engage cadres to get all the devotees to publicly chant the name of Lord Ram and hold aartis in temples. VHP leaders plan a simultaneous build up of meetings in villages where they would get people to reaffirm their commitment to the cause. Saints associated with VHP like Krishnanand Saraswati of Kerala are contemplating a rath yatra from Ayodhya to Rameshwaram to revive the movement. The rath yatra will be named Ram rajya rath yatra that would start from Ayodhya and return after 14 months, Saraswati told the HT over phone from Udupi. Part of the plan is also to ensure that the proposed blueprint for grand temple reaches Hindu households an activity that VHP leaders hope would further re-connect the community to temple construction that would help in keeping Hindus united. Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the RSS had stepped up efforts to unite the Hindus by getting its upper caste cadre to dine with Dalits, which, along with the Modi wave helped the BJP win not only the 2014 Lok Sabha elections but most state assembly elections, including Uttar Pradesh. We want Hindus to stay united. Not just for temple construction, we would work to keep the community united after ending the barriers of caste, VHPs Ayodhya-based spokesman Sharad Sharma, who attended the Dharma Sansad, said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mira Road doctors saved the life of a 11-month-old girl from Bhayander, who swallowed a safety pin that got stuck in her esophagus (food pipe) last week. The girls mother said she realised something was wrong after the infant began crying profusely and refused to drink water or milk. The woman took her daughter to the family paediatrician, who saw the pin on a chest X-ray. She then took the infant to Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road, where ENT surgeon Dr Neepa Vellimuttam examined the child and ruled out respiratory distress. Images showed that the open safety pin was embedded in the pharynx wall, but had not pierced it. Doctors gave the child anaesthesia and attempted to remove the pin using forceps. After an unsuccessful attempt, they decided upon endoscopic removal of the pin. Using specialised rat tooth forceps, we caught one end of the pin and released it into the girls stomach, said Dr Lalit Verma, paediatric gastroenterologist. After an hour-long surgery, the pin was retrieved without any injury or trauma to the infants upper gastrointestinal tract. The girl was kept under observation for 24 hours and the sent home, he said. The infants parents were counselled and asked to keep sharp objects out of her reach. Had the safety pin not been removed in time, the infant could have died of internal bleeding, said Dr Verma. In a first, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon form a new cell to monitor dilapidated structures in the city and standardise their structural audits. The new cell will focus on older buildings and initiate necessary action for their safety. The cell will identify structures that are older than 30 years and will issue notices to the societies concerned for further structural audits. The data of older buildings will be uploaded on a software, which will automatically alert officials about notices to be sent to the societies to conduct structural audits. Also, the cell will find the best possible ways to demolish high-rises, if required, and figure out new technology to safely carry out demolition work without harming nearby structures. Speaking to HT, civic chief Ajoy Mehta said, The new cell will also initiate necessary action against societies. Pending cases of dilapidated structures will be expedited. We have also invited suggestions and objections from citizens for the policy of dilapidated structures that has been uploaded on the BMC website. The move comes after the Siddhi Sai building collapse at Ghatkopar, which killed 17 residents in July this year. The BMC had formed a three-member committee, which offered 13 recommendations, including setting up this cell. A senior civic officials said there are approximately more than 30,000 buildings in the city older than 30 years. He said, Illegal alterations in these buildings will be monitored closely by this cell, which will also initiate action against them. Societies will have to get no objection certificates from the cell before carrying out alterations. The cell will have officials at the ward level, who will conduct regular surveys to determine the safety of these structures. There are more than 600 dilapidated structures in the city that are declared extremely dangerous for occupation. Hindustan Times had reported the BMC is coming up with a new policy for dilapidated structures. The policy for C1 category buildings (extremely dangerous and need to be demolished) aims to secure tenancy rights and enforce guidelines to determine dangerous buildings. The Bombay high court on Monday asked a 28-year-old woman police constable from Beed district, who has sought a months leave to undergo a sex-change surgery, to approach the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) for relief. Lalita Salve, from Rajegaon in Beed district, approached the high court on Thursday, seeking a months leave for gender reassignment surgery. Her counsel, Ejaj Naqvi, on Monday mentioned the petition for urgent hearing before a division bench of Justice SC Dharmadhikari and Justice Bhartai Dangre. The bench, however, refused to take up the matter for hearing. Instead, it asked the woman police constable to approach MAT for the relief as the issue falls within the ambit of the tribunal. According to Salves petition, she completed her BA in literature from Lokmanya Tilak College at Wadvani in Beed district and joined the Maharashtra police constabulary in May 2010. The petition said for the past 2-3 years, she has been experiencing a conflict within herself, which is why she felt the urge to undergo the surgery. The petition stated, The physical abnormality associated with the gender is by birth. Even though Salve is born as a girl, her orientation is that of a male. In her plea, Salve said she underwent a psychological test at JJ Hospital in Mumbai in June 2016, where the doctors told her she suffered from gender dysphagia, and to lead a normal life she would have to undergo sex reassignment surgery. Salve, in her petition, said she approached her seniors with a request to grant leave for the surgery, but they refused. She claimed that the superintendent of police in Beed asked her not to undergo the sex reassignment surgery, violating her fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The constable also sought a direction to the superintendent of police of Beed to allow her to use her new identity Lalit Salve as a male in the police constabulary. She has sought medical expenses for the surgery and hormonal supplements. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will contest 65 seats on its own in the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls in December. Former allies, the Congress and NCP, failed to reach a consensus on Monday, the last day to file nominations. The NCPs decision is likely to help the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), by splitting the opposition vote. We are contesting on 65 seats in Gujarat after our alliance talks failed. The Congress believes that it can win the Assembly elections on its own, which is untrue. The party is arrogant, said senior NCP leader Praful Patel. The Congress kept us hanging till the last day and then were not ready to share even nine seats with us, he added. The NCP has two MLAs in the 182-seat Gujarat Assembly. In 2012, the party had got nine seats in the seat-sharing arrangement with Congress. Last week, Patel said the party would go solo in the polls after the Congress declared its first list of 77 candidates without taking them into confidence. Sources said the NCP got upset as the Congress announced its candidate, Vejabhai Modedara, for the Kutiyana Assembly constituency of Porbandar district, which the NCPs Kandhal Jadeja is the sitting MLA from. Soon after Patels announcement, alliance talks resumed once more, but remained inconclusive. Jadeja is the same MLA who had publicly backed BJP candidate Balwantsinh Rajput against Congress nominee Ahmed Patel in the high-voltage Rajya Sabha elections held in August. However, Patel said the Congress should have risen to the occasion. Alliances should be formed keeping in mind the larger interests of the party, Patel said. Congress sources told HT that their trust in the NCP had decreased. We felt that there was no need to ally with the NCP as we will not be able to count on the party following the elections, said a Gujarat Congress state leader. The Gujarat polls will take place in two phases December 9 and 14. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Senior BJP leader and medical education minister Girish Mahajan is again in the news for wrong reasons. In a video being played on Marathi news channels, the minister, with a revolver in hand, is seen participating in a search operation for a leopard at Chalisgaon of Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra. Mahajan said the man-eater leopard was sighted 400ft away from his convoy, after which he decided to go after him. The incident took place on Monday. Mahajan joined a team of forest and police personnel who were permitted to shoot the animal at sight for killing people. The leopard has killed five people in the district in the past one-and-a-half months. On Monday, I visited the families of the people killed by the leopard. On my way, the forest officials sighted the leopard and so we decided to chase it down. Being a legislator and guardian minister of the district, I wanted to participate in the operation, instead of sitting safely in my car, Mahajan told HT. The leopard, however, managed to stay out of sight of the search team. Mahajan, a five-time BJP MLA, is considered to be a close aide of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. He is also the guardian minister of Jalgaon, his home district. The senior minister is no stranger to controversies. Earlier, he got flak for attending a function meant for children with hearing and speech disabilities, with revolver tucked to his waist. He also reportedly attended the wedding of a relative of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim earlier this year. Recently, he came under fire from women activists and opposition parties for advising a sugar factory to name liquor brands after women for higher sales. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Union railway minister Piyush Goyals surprise visit to the city on Monday was an action-packed one. While on the one hand, the minister surveyed the progress of work on passenger infrastructure, including two foot overbridges (FOBs) being built by the railways and Indian Army at Elphinstone Road, on the other, he went on his first suburban train journey from Parel to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). Goyal reviewed the ongoing work by the Army on extending the FOB at Currey Road and other infrastructure projects. After a visit to the CSMT heritage building, which houses central railway headquarters, Goyal floated the idea of revamping the building and transforming it into a world-class transport museum. He also directed railway officials to launch the first air-conditioned local for Mumbai on December 25. Earlier, it was to be launched on January 1, 2018. Goyal reached Elphinstone Road station around 4pm. The [Armys] work is progressing quickly. The bridge will be ready before the January 31 deadline. Once the work is completed, engineers from 17 railway zones will visit and inspect it to see how the work can be done at such a pace, said Goyal. The minister has asked railway officials to explore the possibility of construction of a skywalk up to Tulsi pipe road for easy entry and exit to the stations. Railway officials said the Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS) has given approval for the FOBs by Army at Currey Road and Ambivli, and the construction will begin soon. The Currey Road FOB needs land acquisition, which will be done with the help of BMC soon. The Army officials said pile work of the FOB at Elphinstone Road will begin from Tuesday, while the construction will start from December 5. The Army has asked the railway officials for blocks ranging from 2 to 24 hours. One platoon consisting of 50 Armymen will be involved in the construction of each FOB. The blocks are being finalized, said an Army official who did not wish to be named. During his train journey, Goyal interacted with commuters, who praised the governments efforts, and promised 3,000 CCTV and 360 escalators for suburban stations. Girish Dave, a commuter from Sion, said, The railways are doing a commendable job. Another commuter Ashish Narshana said Masjid railway station needs work. The platform is narrow and there is no place to move. In response, Goyal said, the infrastructure is 150 years old. The population has increased over the years. This city is mine. We are working on making it better, the minister said. This was Goyals second visit to Elphinstone Road after the stampede that killed 23 passengers on September 29. A 11-year-old boy, who ran away from his Juhu home after being scolded by his father, was found dead in an Andheri jungle five days later. Officers said he had drowned and there were no external injuries on his body, indicating he was not assaulted.. The Juhu police said Rushi Waghela was a resident of Prem Nagar in Irla, Vile Parle (West). He lived with his parents and two brothers. After returning from school on Wednesday, he played carom with his friends near his house. He then went home, where his father scolded him, said an officer. Rushi left the house at 7pm. His parents waited for him to return till 11pm, but when there was no sign of him, they approached the Juhu police station, where according to Supreme Court guidelines a case was registered against an unidentified person under section 363 (kidnapping). Around 50 locals had started searching for Rushi. An Irla resident said he spotted Rushi, but the boy ran off before he could inform anyone. Rushis parents said they put up missing persons posters all around Juhu, hoping someone would come forward with information. On Sunday night, police said they were informed that a decomposed body had been found at a jungle area in Yari Road.Police identified the boy as Rushi, based on the clothes he was last seen wearing a blue pair of shorts. Officers said he died of drowning and there are no external injuries on his body, indicating he was not assaulted. They have registered a case of accidental death. It is untrue that his father scolded him. I do not believe that he drowned. We do not have any enemies, but I think someone murdered Rushi. We did not get any ransom calls and are happy with the polices investigations. They did whatever they could do. We will accept whatever cause of death is established in the autopsy report, the uncle of Rushis father Vandev, 57, told HT. The Mumbai police has assured the Bombay high court that it will scan the entire stretch from Sion to Ghatkopar, covering areas such as Chembur, Govandi, Mankhurd and Deonar, to try and trace missing children who have been engaged forcibly in the collection and segregation of scrap materials. The assurance came recently, after a division bench of Justice SC Dharmadhikari and Justice Bharati Dangre expressed concern that many children might have been kidnapped and engaged forcibly in the collection and segregation of scrap by dealers, as its a big business in Mumbai. The court was hearing a petition filed by a Bainganwadi resident, whose minor son is missing. The judges were irked to note that though some of his school mates said they had seen him in Govandi carrying a big plastic sack on his back, the police had not taken heed, though an FIR has been registered in connection with the missing child. We expect the count and identification to result in something fruitful, if not in finding this minor child, at least in rescuing several others who may be caught in the net and are being exploited, the bench said. It is impossible to penetrate an illegal trade, particularly in scrap and garbage in this city, said the bench. The extent of garbage and scrap generated on account of the immense population provides those with fertile imagination and brains ideas to make money and make that a regular business. This is an organised and regular business activity, and we are happy that the police machinery now at least knows it, the court said. It does not, however, know as to who is involved and who is the kingpin, in the sense who is instrumental in ensuring that the entire garbage or the scrap is collected, handed over to traders and businessmen and thereafter they make goods and articles or commodities. The court also expressed concern that many of the missing children may also be forced to work as drug peddlers. There are regular pavement dwellers and people sleeping on footpaths, setting up a house and cooking food and we ignore them thinking that on account of abject poverty, they are living in such sub-human conditions, the bench said. Such colonies are seen along railway lines and on unprotected railway properties, and eventually these easy-to-access spaces facilitate criminal activities. We see that such persons then set up illegal businesses, including trade in narcotic drugs and substances, the bench said. In that process, they use children and exploit them. Police arrested a 54-year-old tuition teacher on Monday for allegedly raping his 11-year-old daughter multiple times over the past year at their Santacruz home. Police said the matter came to light a week ago, after the girl told her mother about the sexual assault. They added that they had conducted awareness drives in the girls school earlier this year, as part of their Police Didi initiative, which might have encouraged her to speak up. The girl said her father would rape her every time the mother left the house. Police registered a case on Saturday under section 354 (sexual harassment), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 6 (Aggravated Penetrative Sexual Assault), 10 (Aggravated Sexual Assault) and 12 (Sexual Harassment of the Child) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The accused was arrested on Monday and produced before a sessions court, which remanded him in police custody till November 30. He and the victim were sent for medical tests. The police have arrested one more person in connection with the Sanpada bank heist from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. This is the eight arrest made in the case so far. Our teams were searching for the culprits in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and some other states in the country for the past several days. One team managed to arrest one of the key accused from Allahabad on Sunday. The team is now on its way to Mumbai, said Suraj Padvi, senior police inspector of Sanpada police station. The police have not officially disclosed the name of the accused so far. Once our team reaches Mumbai, we will take the person in our custody after producing him before the court. We will be able to say something about his identity and background only after that, said another police officer. On November 20, the police arrested the seventh accused from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. A day before that, a goldsmith was arrested from Malegaon. That goldsmith had allegedly purchased some of the stolen jewellery from the culprits. Sudhakar Pathare, deputy commissioner of police (zone 1), said, There are some major developments in the investigations. Our teams are still travelling at different places of the country searching for the other accused. We hope to arrest all other accused soon. Sources said the police are also interrogating some jewellers from Nashik suspecting there involvement in the case. However, none of them have been arrested so far. As many as 30 lockers of Bank of Baroda were looted by culprits between November 10 and 12 by digging a 30-foot tunnel from a nearby shop. After taking statements of all the people, the police have come to a conclusion that valuables worth Rs 3.19 crore were stolen. Accused attempts suicide to evade interrogation The police have registered a fresh case against Hajid Ali Baig, an accused in the Sanpada bank heist, for allegedly attempting to commit suicide on Sunday. On Friday, when Baig was taken to NMMC hospital in Vashi for a routine check-up, he banged his head against a mirror a couple of times to commit suicide. However, cops pulled him away. Sudhakar Pathare, DCP (zone 1), said, Baig had earlier also been arrested for other offences. We have come to know that he had tried to commit suicide in police custody a number of times then. So it seems to be his modus operandi to get rid of interrogation and divert the investigation. He suffered minor injuries and we did not have to admit him to the hospital, Pathare said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Mumbai Central Government Railway Police (GRP) recently arrested a 69-year-old for allegedly posing as travel ticket examiner (TTE) to cough up money from unsuspecting ticketless commuters. According to Mumbai Central GRP, around 9.30pm on Saturday an alert commuter noticed that Ramniranjan Chomal, 69, was checking rail tickets and passes of commuters. He informed the Railway Protection Force (RPF) officer in the vicinity about it. Chomal refused to show his ID card to the RPF officer. When the officer asked him to come with him to the RPF chowky, Chomal started to abuse him and threatened to strip him of the stars on his uniform and assaulted him. Chomal, a Borivli resident, was then arrested. An FIR has been registered against him under section 170 (personating a public servant), 419 (cheating by personation), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code. A police officer said, Till now, we have not got any information of his criminal record. Chomal was sent to judicial custody on Sunday. He was granted bail on Monday. The long awaited first air-conditioned suburban train in Mumbai is likely to start running from December 25. Union railway minister Piyush Goyal on Monday directed Western Railway (WR) officials to commence the AC train on December 25. If there is no issue or any problem with the train, then the train service would be a gift for commuters on Christmas and Good Governance Day, he told officials. Goyal made the statement while taking a ride on a suburban train from Currey Road to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. He also inspected the construction of foot overbridges at Elphinstone Road and Currey Road stations. On the train ride, Goyal asked AK Gupta, General Manager of Western Railway, to give him updates on the AC local train, which will run on the Churchgate-Virar route. Gupta replied the train would be back from its Periodic Over Haul (POH) on December 10, to which Goyal said services could begin from December 25. Starting the train service before the deadline will be good because commuters will be able to take the first ride on Christmas and Good Governance Day. It will be a gift from us. We can start services on December 25,said Goyal. WR officials were expecting the minister to make a formal announcement at a media briefing in the evening, which was cancelled as Goyal fell ill. A WR official refused to comment saying it would be the prerogative of the minister, but stated the AC local will be back from the POH in the second week and the train can be started any day after December 10. Further, the WR division has prepared a proposed fare for the AC local train. In order to keep ticket prices for the AC train within the common mans reach, WR officials have proposed an affordable fare structure in which they intend to charge commuters Rs10 for the first five kilometres of their journey. The maximum fare for the 60-km stretch between Churchgate and Virar has been capped at Rs85. Read more: In Mumbai, Union railway minister travels by train from Parel to CSMT, reviews infra projects Mumbai civic chief Ajoy Mehtas suggestion that the committee that governs the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) should be dissolved and an administrator should be appointed to run the troubled electricity and transport company has stirred the hornets nest. Late last week, the BMC submitted a 10-page letter to the civic standing committee, which takes decisions on policy issues, pointing out that the BEST committee is not showing enough urgency to implement measures needed to pull the loss-making BEST out of its current financial mess. The letter has details on the financial indiscipline, monopolistic behaviour and problems of the transport body to justify the proposal that the BEST committee should be dissolved. As expected, the politicians have expressed their unhappiness. There is definitely a case for what Mehta has suggested. Over the years, the BEST was governed poorly. There was no reaction to the changes in the city, the need for commuters and changing nature of the public transport. No measures were taken even as its ridership kept declining and losses mounted. The inefficiency in BESTs governance was exposed after the electricity regulator prevented the BEST from using its profits from electricity supply division to offset the losses in transport division. In August, it reached a stage that it did not even have money to pay salaries to its staff. The BEST, which comes under administrative control of the BMC, sought funds from the latter. The BMC put certain conditions insisting that the BEST adopt cost-cutting measures and improve its efficiency. Irked that the measures are not being taken immediately, the civic administration has now suggested that the decision making body of the BEST should be dissolved and an administrator should be appointed to handle the undertaking. However, experts in the subject of public transport differ on the issue. Instead of scrapping the committee, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and civic chief Mehta should restructure it and appoint experts on public transport, finance, electricity and technology on the same to handle the BEST. As per BEST constitution, there needs to be experts on the committee and councillors can also be members. Political parties have ignored the first and taken only the second part seriously, says city-based transport expert Ashok Datar. In fact, the current situation is a perfect opportunity to do so. The century-old BEST is serving on an average 27 lakh commuters with its fleet of 3,400 buses every day. It has the burden of cumulative losses of Rs1,759 crore. It definitely needs to be revived and modernised for the city. For years, the BEST was being run by the political nominees most of whom were clueless about how it should be governed. Even now, there are 17 members on the committee and all are politicians nominated by political parties who have representation in the civic elected house. BEST needs to be run professionally and efficiently. It needs to restructure its routes considering changing nature of commute and new modes of mass transport in the city. It needs to get smaller buses that would run faster on citys congested roads. It needs to procure smaller AC buses (strangely the BEST committee opposed this even though such buses of private ride-sharing companies get good response of the commuters). Basically, BEST needs fresh ideas. It needs to pick best practices and technology from transport bodies in mega cities across the world and customise the same for Mumbai. The experts, however, insist that the civic administration should not stress on profitability of the BEST as the bus service should be promoted for decongesting roads. Increasing the ridership should be the focus and not the revenue, they say. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 15-year-old girl from Latur, who had alleged that an army jawan raped her under the pretext of marriage, claimed she was expelled from school after filing a complaint. The teenager said she initially fought to get the FIR registered at the local police station in April this year. The girl alleged the jawan raped her during a visit to her village. He kept physical relations with me under the pretext of marriage, she told news agency ANI. According to the teenager, the school expelled her after the police went to them to enquire about the complaint. The school then allegedly called her brother and told him about their decision. I want to study further and I have not been going to school since it resumed in June, she said. District collector of Latur G Shreekanth ordered a probe to verify the allegations levelled. A school-leaving certificate (SLC ) was given on the basis of a request made by her brother, who studies in Class 12. I have called the principal and family members for a meeting on Tuesday. If the SLC was issued without application of mind, action will be taken, Shreekanth said. The girls family also alleged harassment from the police. A police officer demanded Rs50,000 from us to get the FIR registered. The girl told him her family earns a living by cutting sugarcane and is not in a position to pay the amount, her uncle said. The family approached the police superintendent, after which a medical examination was conducted and a case against the jawan registered. The family alleged the police undertook a spot panchnama only once and there has been no progress in the case ever since. Latur SP Dr Shivaji Rathod was unavailable for a comment. NM Shaikh, education officer from Latur, said no complaint had been registered with him yet regarding the expulsion. All north-bound trains from CSMT to Kalyan on the central line were suspended for more than 20 minutes owing to a signal failure around 1.30pm on Monday, with services terminating at Thane station. Since then services have resumed, but trains are running late. AK Singh, public relations officer, Central Railway, said: There was a signal flashing problem owing to which all slow and fast trains running to Kalyan were suspended. We are trying to resolve the issue and resume services soon. Ive been staring at the indicator, and for a good 10 minutes now, and there has been no sign of any train. I have an important business meeting, but I think Ill have to cancel it, said Mitesh Sanghvi, 23, a Naupada resident who was waiting for a Kalyan train at CSMT. Services were disrupted during non-peak hours so there was no chaos, but there was considerable crowd on platform numbers 2, 3 and 4 at CSMT, and commuters were gathered and waiting for announcements on foot over-bridges as well. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) on Monday complained to the Noida authority that garbage is burning above a gas pipeline near Kanhan Park is putting the facility at risk. GAIL has demanded that the Noida authority put an end to rampant practice of garbage burning as it could lead to a major mishap. The garbage is being brunt regularly on the stretch between DND Flyway and Shani temple adjoining Kanhan Park. Sanitation employees of the Noida authority and others dump solid waste on the stretch along which the gas pipeline runs. Unidentified persons often put the garbage to fire. According to the fire department, 32 fire incidents have been reported from this stretch between October 10 and November 10. GAIL security guard had reported the fire incidents to top officials. Garbage burning is banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) with an aim to mitigate air pollution. The Noida authority, in compliance with the NGT order, had imposed penalty on those found burning garbage. A pipeline that supplies gas from the GAILs Dadri facility to Delhi passes through Noida. The pipeline passes through the Yamuna embankment road located between Kanhan Park (Sector 15A) and Shani temple/DND Flyway office. We have also informed the Gautam Budh Nagar fire department about the menace. The fire department had in the past doused the fire after we filed complaints. But the menace is rampant and we have requested the Noida authority to curb the practice as it can cause a major mishap, said AP Gupta, chief manager, GAIL. Our pipeline is laid deep but the gas is highly flammable. Therefore, we need to ensure that fire incidents are stopped completely, Gupta said. We have directed the staff to take immediate action against those who are caught burning garbage in the open. We will take legal action against persons involved in garbage burning, said RK Mishra, additional chief executive officer, Noida authority. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The final polling percentage for the nine local bodies in Ghaziabad stood at 46.34% on Monday, whereas the final polling percentage for Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation was 41.65%. The figure was computed after incorporating all data for the votes cast in Sundays local body elections. Voting for the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation registered a drop of almost 2% from 43.3% in 2012 to this years 41.65%, officials said. Out of the total 13,59,145 registered voters, only 5,66,052 cast their votes on Sunday. Out of this, 3,14,164 votes were cast by men (42.34%), while women polled a total of 2,51,888 votes (40.81%). Many residents had complained about their names missing from the voters list. The figures provided on Sunday night were provisional. On Monday, we added actual number of votes cast at the respective polling booths. The overall revised figure for all nine local bodies in Ghaziabad is 46.34%, Ghaziabad district economic and statistics officer Pramod Kumar said. For all the nine local bodies, there were a total of 21,62,088 registered voters, but only 10,01,841 votes were cast on Sunday. As per the revised figures, maximum votes were cast in Patla (75.34%) with the Farid Nagar Nagar Panchayat coming a close second with 74.96% polling. Total votes polled at Khoda Nagar Palika stood at 52.21%, while Murad Nagar registered 88.34% polling. In Modi Nagar Nagar Palika, 59.85% people cast their votes in Sundays local body elections. The Nagar Palika of Loni recorded 49.53% polling. For ease of management, district officials divided all the wards into sectors. The 100 wards of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation were divided into 49 sectors. However, some of the key urban sectors recorded low polling. Sector 13 for areas in Vaishali, which had the highest number of listed voters 53,333, saw only 28.57% polling on Sunday, i.e., only 15,237 voters turned up to elect their local body representative. In sector 16, comprising of Makanpur, Shakti Khand and Shipra Riviera in Indirapuram, only 36.25% of the 27,154 registered voters cast their ballot on Sunday. Likewise, Sector 16A, comprising of Makanpur and areas of Ahimsa Khand, Shipra Sun City and Shakti Khand in Indirapuram, which has a total voter base of 30,343 voters also registered low polling. The polling percentage here was 30.59%. In sector 12, comprising of Kaushambi, Bhovapur and Seemant Vihar, registered low voter turnout with 32.84% from a total of 18,073 casting their votes. In rural areas, however, peoples participation was much higher. Among the 49 sectors, highest voting was witnessed in Sector 42 comprising Naifal, Bayana, Kazipura and Mehrauli all of which fall under the rural belt. These areas registered 65.02% voting during the municipal corporation election. Although, the overall votes cast by women was lower than men, they outnumbered men in Loni Nagar Palika, Farid Nagar Nagar Panchayat and Patla Nagar Panchayat. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The re-emergence of the Quad comprising Australia, India, Japan and the United States has raised many questions among the Indian strategic community. This is despite the fact the meeting itself was at a fairly junior level, no common statement was released and each of the countries had a different take on it. A number of commentators, including from the defence community, have cautioned the government from even moving ahead on it. They see the Quad as an American conspiracy, meant to ensure that India and China become suspicious of each other, making normalcy in their relationship difficult to achieve. This view is not correct in that there is a cloud hanging over India-China ties that does not seem to go away. These commentators are wrong in attributing this regrettable downturn to India and the US coming close to each other. They confuse the effect for the cause. That India and the US have developed a better appreciation of each other is something to be welcomed; the mutual suspicion was unnatural and went on for far too long. India has justifiable grievances against the US and the international order. Some of this Indias weak economic position that prevented it from historically playing a key role in the Indo-Pacific and subsequent refusal to engage meaningfully with East Asian and Asean countries is a result of its colonial experience for which the US can hardly be blamed. The US propping up Pakistan and failing to make it accountable for destabilising its neighbours, is more troubling. Fortunately, the US seems to have realised the consequences of its policies and is attempting a correction, even if one cannot predict the outcome. A basic proposition that must be understood is that ultimately each country acts in its self-interest. Having said that, to not take advantage of congruence of interests would be foolish. Chinas increasingly aggressive posture is motivated by its desire to re-establish a Sino-centric world since it feels economically, militarily and politically confident to do so. This feeling has been strengthened by the US increasing reluctance to commit itself to upholding the global order, let alone lead it. This reluctance predates US President Donald Trump, even if he has made this more obvious. The 2008 financial crisis and Barack Obamas election were key inflection points. Obama began, like Bill Clinton in 1998 after the India-Pakistan nuclear tests, by envisaging a G2 world in which China could be called upon to police Asia. However, it had to withdraw from going ahead due to the backlash from other countries in the region and Chinas own unilateral actions, particularly in the South China Sea. It is not as if the Quad has not been attempted before, but Chinas strong reaction to it made Australia and India rethink their position. This was in 2007; the Australian economy was too dependent on exports to China and India, and it was consequently diffident since it felt that establishing the Quad would provoke China enough to try and undercut India in its backyard. Worse, for the Quad, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lost his job and the idea was put at rest. However, it was merely put on hold as subsequent developments have shown. And this time it was not Abe who brought the Quad together, though he pushed for it, but it was Chinese President Xi Jinping. Far from satisfying China, this forbearance seems to have convinced it that circumstances had turned irrevocably in its favour. Its promoted aggressive action in the South China Sea, including land reclamation, militarising the newly-created islands, notification of an air defence zone over international waters and raising the pitch over its dispute with Japan over the Senkaku islands. China also became hyperactive in Indias neighbourhood, rolled out the Belt Road Initiative unilaterally supported by its largesse and worse, from the Indian point of view, launched the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The Doklam incursion was possibly the last straw on the proverbial camels back. India, on the other hand, went out of the way to try and develop good ties with China. For example, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Xi in China and hosted him in Ahmedabad before he met Abe. The Indian government, throughout the Doklam episode, behaved very maturely and refused to be provoked into hasty statements or action, despite the stream of unpleasant language used by China. It is this continued Chinese unilateralism posing a threat to global rules of behaviour that led to the resurrection of the Quad, albeit in a low-key, non-threatening manner. Xi, and not Abe, should be seen as the catalyst. Shakti Sinha is director, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, New Delhi, and distinguished fellow, Institute for National Security Studies Sri Lanka The views expressed are personal Ecology is no longer the preserve of the environmentally-oriented elite. It has become the business of everyone it has become a fight for survival. In the last 10 to 12 years, I have seen the waters of the Kaveri, the Krishna and the Godavari, the most significant rivers of southern India, deplete very rapidly. Scientific studies say that we currently have only 25% of the per capita water we had in 1947. By 2025, we will have 7% of that. By 2030, only 50% of the water necessary for the survival of 1.25 billion people will be available. This is not activist, alarmist talk this is based on scientific projections that show what our nation is heading towards. When water bodies deplete, soil conditions deteriorate drastically. The projections are that 25% of Indias agricultural land will degrade to desert conditions in the next three to five years. Going by this, in another 20 years, 40% of Indias agricultural land will be unusable for cultivation. The soil would have become sand. In another 40 years, 60% of Indias land will be unusable for agriculture. There is a unique history of 12,000 years of year-round agriculture in this land. Nowhere else can you find such rich agricultural history. This has given our farmers an innate and deep-rooted knowledge of the land and an intrinsic understanding of genuinely organic agriculture. This is the greatest feat in our country our farmers have been providing food for 1.3 billion people with almost no technology or much infrastructure. With traditional wisdom and knowledge, in soil that is rapidly depleting, they have managed to continuously supply vital produce. It is no small accomplishment. Given this, is it not a shame, that those who feed us cannot feed their children or themselves? In the last 12 years, nearly three lakh farmers have committed suicide. But people try to explain this citing the falling prices of tomatoes! We should understand that if any of us were to turn towards agricultural activity in a land which is not fertile and with inadequate water, we would also edge towards suicide. Right now, we must focus on getting the water bodies back in full flow, which will naturally lead to an improvement of soil quality. So what is the solution? The simplest way is to create a green cover around our rivers. As a first step, we need to create proper forests in upper riversides and a buffer zone filled with a green cover on either side of the river. This will enhance the water retention capacity of soil along the river. It is important the nation stands up in one voice for our rivers. If all of us are determined, if we make a strong statement to the government that the people of this nation are with them, with enhanced green cover and proper management of water, we will definitely see an increase in river flow in the next 15 to 20 years. Let us make it happen. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a spiritual leader and author The views expressed are personal Gudri Sahni, a fish trader in north BiharMuzaffarpur district, would have been alive today had the police acted on his petition and provided him protection. Sahni, 50, was gunned down at Pitaunjhia village in Hathauri police station area of the district on Sunday night, just five hours after he petitioned the police fearing threat to his life and seeking protection. Sahni had visited the Hathauri police station, 23 kms north of Muzaffarpur and 94 km s from State capital Patna, on Sunday evening and submitted a petition in which he apprehended threat to his life from a village strongman over a land dispute. But they sat over my fathers application and he was shot dead hardly five hours after he returned from the police station, the victims son, Manoj Sahni said. The news of Gudri Sahnis murder spread like wildfire in the village and an angry mob blocked the national highway-77 near Pitaunjhia. The blockade was lifted only after senior officials reached there and assured the protestors of action against culprits. While the station house officer of Hathaudi did not responded to HTs calls, Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Kumar said he would look into the matter. If any laxity was found from our men, stern action will be taken against them, the SSP said. Pune Hinjewadi police were on the hunt on Sunday for an engineer who is accused of secretly filming a couple living in a flat next to where he was staying, on his mobile phone. The accused filmed the couple getting intimate with each other. He suspended the mobile phone outside the couple's window with the help of a selfie stick and recorded their private moments without their consent or knowledge, according to police. He allegedly managed to do that as he lived in the flat above the couple. The incident came to light when Ashte showed the videos to the woman and she, in turn, went to the police and filed a complaint. It then emerged that he had been filming the couple for at least three months, according to the police. Police officials said Ashte stays in the residential society with his wife, child and parents. A case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against Kundan Ashte, based on a complaint filed by the 29-year-old woman. "The complainant and others in the housing society confronted Ashte before lodging the police complaint, senior police Insector Nitin Vaykar said. He confirmed the police are currently looking for him. Ashte is also believed to have transferred and saved the footage on his laptop, according to the woman's complaint. It will cost about Rs 11,000 crore to increase the train speed up to 200 km per hour on the Delhi-Chandigarh route so that a passenger can travel the distance in two hours, according to the draft final report submitted by SNCF, Frances national state-owned railway company, to the Indian Railways. The 245-km corridor, one of the busiest routes in North India, is slated to be the first semi-high speed project being taken up to run trains at maximum speeds of 200 kmph with French help. In numbers Distance: 245 km Max speed: 200 kmph Travel time: 2 hours The 1,700-page detailed report will be taken up for finalisation by the Indian Railways on Monday for preparing tendering documents and drawing out an action plan as a way forward. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit India in January 2018 when the project will be formally launched. The total travel time will be 2 hours and 2 minutes, with two stoppages at Panipat and Ambala, according to the report. Currently, the Shatabdi Express covers the distance in about three hours and 30 minutes, travelling at a maximum speed of 110 kmh. The report has pegged the total estimated cost at Rs 11,218 crore, which includes the cost of signals upgrade, main civil works and rolling stock among others. Senior officials from both sides will examine the report and a final cost will be decided after the discussion on Monday, said a senior railway ministry official. There will be re-alignment as there are about 20 major curves spanning over 32.7km on the existing Delhi-Chandigarh rail route. However, there will be no acquisition of fresh land for the realignment as it will be done within the Railways right of way. Beside Delhi-Chandigarh, there will be upgrades of seven more routes totalling about 4,000 km, including Mumbai-Goa, Chennai-Hyderabad, Mysuru-Chennai, Delhi-Kanpur and Nagpur-Secunderabad. The Delhi-Chandigarh route is expected to be a demonstrative project by France. The special investigating team (SIT) formed by the Punjab Police to investigate the drug case in which leader of Opposition in Punjab assembly Sukhpal Singh Khaira has been summoned by a Fazilka court had recommended questioning of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader. The case of drug smuggling from India-Pakistan border revolved around Khairas close aide Gurdev Singh. Khaira was never summoned in the case till October 31 this year, when the court of additional sessions judge, Fazilka, summoned him under Section 319 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) after awarding sentence to all ten accused, including Gurdev Singh. The SIT report, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times, had raised strong questions over Khairas role stating that during his campaign in 2012 assembly polls, Gurdev, who was chairman of Dhilwan market committee in Bholath constituency, used to manage funds for campaign in ten villages. Perhaps due to this reason, Gurdev was indulging in drug and narcotic trade without any fear as he felt assured that in case of any difficulty or involvement in any criminal activity, he will be protected by Khaira with whom he had very close relations, submitted the SIT, headed by then deputy inspector general (DIG), Ferozepur, AS Chahal. The Fazilka SSP and SP (detective) were the other two members of the SIT formed on March 9, 2015 by then IG Bathinda Parmjit Singh Umranangal after Khairas name cropped up in the case following the arrest of Gurdev and ten other accused. Gurdev, who was arrested by Fazilka police with 1.8 kg heroin, 24 gold biscuits, one country-made pistol and 2 Pakistani SIMs, was sentenced to 20-year imprisonment in the case by the Fazilka court. He was accused of smuggling heroin by using his Tata Safari car. The SIT claimed that Dara Singh, a notorious drug racketeer based in Canada, had also figured in the nexus run by Gurdev. GAVE KHAIRA RS 1 LAKH FROM DRUG MONEY: ACCUSED HT has also accessed the case dairy of the police in which Gurdev has stated that he gave Rs 1 lakh from the drug money as election fund to Khaira. Proper examination of Khaira is required to understand and unravel the working of Daras cartel and the linkages between that cartel and the one run by Gurdev, recommended the SIT. Accusing Khaira of making efforts to save Gurdev, SIT also found that when police was hunting for Gurdev, Khaira directed Gurdevs UK-based sister Charanjit Kaur that she should talk to him on the mobile phone of his personal security officer (PSO) Joga Singh. Charanjit told her brother that Khaira wanted him to remain underground till things are settled. When the police raided house of Baljit Kaur, Gurdevs second sister based in Delhi, she told the police party that Khaira Bhaji must have given a telephonic call to the police with regard to his brother. She boasted that Khaira would take care of this case and it would be brushed under the table, reads the SIT report which claims to have a record of 65 telephone calls made between Khaira, Gurdev, Charanjit Kaur, Khairas PSO Joga Singh and Khairas PA Manish Kumar. When on the run, Gurdev spoke to Khaira five times and Charanjit Kaur called Khaira 15 times from UK. Khaira has also been accused of calling police officers to portray Gurdev as innocent. THE POLICE ROLE The duly-signed SIT report is not having any date, and when HT talked to senior police officials involved in the case, they did not divulge anything. SIT head AS Chahal, who is a DIG rank officer, said he could not recollect any details. Its a two-year-old matter and I am in Gujarat for poll duty. Umranangal, who had formed the SIT, also passed the buck on the issue. I got transferred as IG Bathinda after the case and as far as I know, the SIT report was submitted when Jitender Jain replaced me as IG, he said. Jain, however, denied Umranangals claim. SIT report was never submitted to me, he said. Interestingly, what has further raised strong doubts over police officials in the case is the fact that the SIT report was never made part of the challan filed in the case in which Gurdev and nine others were awarded imprisonment. The challan was filed on September 6, 2015 and the SIT report, according to sources, came after March 2016. Still no effort was made by the police to make it as part of court proceedings. Who sat on the file of SIT report, that too when Shiromani Akali Dal was in power, is a big mystery. An after-thought to fix me: Khaira Khaira, when contacted, claimed that SIT report was an afterthought. This is what I have been claiming. When SIT recommended my questioning why I was not asked to appear before the police. Why SIT report was not made part of the challan or subsequent challan was not filed, he questioned. Khaira said the SIT report must have been prepared recently to fix him in the case. Punjab Police has the best track record in fixing people and has zero credibility in investigating sensitive cases, he said while rubbishing the SIT findings as a trash. Over receiving election funds from drug case accused Gurdev, Khaira said Gurdev was never involved in drug trade as per police findings in 2012. 5 questions that beg answers 1. Why Khaira was not summoned in the drug case even after the SIT recommendation? 2. Why the SIT report was not attached with the court case or made part of the challan? 3. Who dumped the SIT findings under the SAD-BJP regime, which was desperate to raise questions over Khaira? 4. Why Khaira was summoned in the case only after the court convicted his aide and other accused in the case? 5. Why public prosecutor in the case never asked for the SIT report during the trial for more than two years? Punjabi is not the language that can ever die, says Sahitya Akademi awardee Punjabi playwright Atamjit Singh. He said, The languages that do not have the pull cant survive but Punjabi is not one of those. Atamjit was in conversation with authors Manmohan Singh and Jasbeer Mand at the Chandigarh Literati 2017. Ravee Pandher was moderating the discussion. The discussion mainly focussed on the situation of Punjabi literature in the present time. Atamjit further said, A large number of Punjabis now live outside Punjab and the pull they feel towards their mother tongue will not let it die. Mand talked about the violence that Punjab has seen in the past 1,000 years which was mostly by the outsiders and how the people had turned violent to each other in 1947. Love for language beyond borders He recited two poems to tell that the love for Punjabi is as strong beyond borders as it is here, one by Tariq Gujjar named Poore Panjab Di Adhi Nazam and another by Ahmed Saleem namely Wahga. Mand talked about the violence that Punjab has seen in the past 1,000 years which was mostly by the outsiders and how the people had turned violent to each other in 1947. Manmohan added, To understand Punjab, one has to understand Punjabs relation and history with violence. Mand said, Punjabis had invented a word for the violence in 1947, Halle. This word gave voice to the feeling that jo asin karya oh vi galt si jo tusi karya oh vi galt si (what we did was wrong and what you did was wrong). It was a word that came out of peoples minds. Changing literature with time The writers also talked about how the Punjabi literature has changed with time. Atamjit mentioned a young poet, Harmanjeet, whose book Rani Tat had a wide reception in Punjab. He read a poem called Khyalan da Lehnga and showed the audience how the poetry and the expressions in it have changed over time. He said that the sound and the music too have changed. He said, Fine poetry is being written on the social media, it is not the case that poetry or literature is the talk of the past. Publication is of course in a dismal situation. The number of writers in Punjabi has, on the contrary, increased. Introspections the key for revival Mand said he had continued writing in Punjabi while living in Japan. When asked about his experience, he said, When we see our culture and tradition after a gap, it gives the writer a scope to see it clearly and write about it. When asked about how they see the current situation, Atamjit said, This is the period when we are writing about history. It means that we are introspecting. And introspection is the most important thing for revival. He concluded the discussion with Jaswant Zafars poem, Eh Banda Ki Hunda. Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) MLAs Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjeet Singh Bains on Monday released an audio clip about bribe allegedly given to a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court in a case against Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who is an MLA of the LIPs ally Aam Aadmi Party and leader of Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. Khaira had moved the HC against summons issued to him in a case by a court in Fazilka that wanted him to face trial as an additional accused in a 2015 drug seizure case. But the HC on November 17 dismissed the petition challenging the summoning, and asked Khaira to approach the trial court for anticipatory bail. In light of that, at a press conference on Monday, the Bains brothers released the audio recording of a purported conversation between prominent lawyer Amit Chaudhary and a dismissed Punjab Civil Services (PCC) officer, TK Goyal. In it, Amit talks about payment of Rs 35 lakh to the judge in connection with the Khaira case. Simarjeet said the audio was recorded when Goyal had gone to meet Amit for some work. Amit is heard saying that he had got work done for Rs 35 lakh for an adverse order in Khairas case too. Simarjeet added, We have full faith in the judiciary, but this matter needs to be probed as the allegations are of a serious nature. I will provide evidence in case the probe is given to a central agency. Later, the brothers and some MLAs from the AAP, including Khaira, met Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore demanding a CBI probe and immediate registration of FIR. We also sought time from the Chief justice of India and the high court CJ to place before them the audio and seek a probe, Simarjeet said. Goyal, who was recently dismissed from service on corruption charges, was not available for comment. Efforts to get the judges comment did not bear fruit either, as staff at his home said he was out of town. Meanwhile, Amit told HT that the allegations are vendetta against him because he was appointed additional advocate general (AAG) by the previous SAD-BJP government. The MLAs claiming possession of the audio recording are trying to hide the drug charges against them, and Goyal is mixed up with them, he said. He denied having said anything that is being alleged, yet added, I had a throat infection that day and had consumed some liquor. He accepted that Goyal came to meet him to discuss the case of his dismissal. Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh refused to be drawn into the controversy: The matter is in the court, I dont want to comment. Khaira said he had demanded from the assemblys business advisory committee a discussion in the ongoing session. He accused the CM, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, and specifically the power minister, Rana Gurjit Singh, of targeting him for exposing corruption. Indonesia closed the airport on the tourist island of Bali on Monday and ordered 100,000 residents living near a grumbling volcano spewing columns of ash to evacuate immediately, warning that the first major eruption in 54 years could be imminent. The airport was closed for 24 hours from Monday morning, disrupting 445 flights and some 59,000 passengers, after Mount Agung, which killed hundreds of people in 1963, sent volcanic ash high into the sky, and officials said cancellations could be extended. Plumes of smoke are occasionally accompanied by explosive eruptions and the sound of weak blasts that can be heard up to 12 km (7 miles) from the peak, the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said in a statement after raising the alert from three to its highest level of four. The potential for a larger eruption is imminent, it said, referring to a visible glow of magma at Mount Agungs peak overnight, and warning residents to evacuate a danger zone at a radius of 8-10 km (5-6 miles). Sutopo, a BNPB spokesman, said there had been no casualties so far and 40,000 people had left the area, but tens of thousands still needed to move. Video footage shared by the agency showed volcanic mud flows (lahar) on the mountainside. Lahar carrying mud and large boulders can destroy houses, bridges and roads in its path. Villagers are seen at a sport hall used as temporary shelter during the eruption of Mount Agung in Klungkung, Bali. (REUTERS) Read: Bali volcano eruption: What travellers need to know Bali, famous for its surf, beaches and temples, attracted nearly 5 million visitors last year, and its airport serves as a transport hub for the chain of islands in Indonesias eastern archipelago. But tourism has slumped in parts of Bali since September when Agungs volcanic tremors began to increase and the alert level was raised to maximum before being lowered in October when seismic activity calmed.Im really worried. Maybe Ill go somewhere south that I think will be safe to avoid being trapped by the ashfall, said Maria Becker, a German tourist staying in Amed, around 15 km (9 miles) from the volcano. Agung rises majestically over eastern Bali to a height of just over 3,000 metres (9,800 feet). Northeastern Bali is relatively undeveloped compared to the more heavily populated southern tourist hub of Kuta-Seminyak-Nusa Dua. Indonesias Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Centre (PVMBG), which is using drones, satellite imagery and other equipment, said predictions were difficult in the absence of instrumental recordings from the last eruption 54 years ago. In 1963, an eruption of Agung killed more than 1,000 people and razed several villages by hurling out pyroclastic material, hot ash, lava and lahar. Recordings now show the northeast area of Agungs peak has swollen in recent weeks indicating there is fairly strong pressure toward the surface, PVMBG said. It warned that if a similar eruption occurred, it could send rocks bigger than fist-size up to 8 km (5 miles) from the summit and volcanic gas to a distance of 10 km (6 miles) within three minutes. Some analysis, however, suggests the threat should not be as great this time because energy at Mount Agungs magma chamber is not as big and the ash column only around a quarter as high so far as the 20 km (12 miles) reached in 1963, Sutopo said. Passengers gather at the Gusti Ngurah Rai International airport in Denpasar, Bali. (AFP) CHECK-INS CLOSED Bali airport, about 60 km (37 miles) from the volcano, will be closed for 24 hours, its operator said. Ten alternative airports have been prepared for airlines to divert inbound flights, including in neighbouring provinces. Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said it was cancelling flights on Tuesday, while Jetstar was offering to exchange Bali bound tickets for other destinations. Television footage showed hundreds of holidaymakers camped inside the airport terminal, some sleeping on their bags, others using mobile telephones. We have been here (in Bali) for three days we are about to leave today, but just found out our flights have been cancelled. We have got no information because the gates, the check-ins, have been closed indefinitely, said Carlo Oben from Los Angeles. Cover-More, Australias biggest travel insurer, said on its website customers would only be covered if they had bought policies before the volcano alert was first issued on Sept. 18. Indonesias hotel and restaurant association said stranded tourists at member hotels would get one nights free stay. The main airport on Lombok, next to Bali, was closed after being open for much of the day, a spokesman said. Airlines avoid flying when volcanic ash is present because it can damage engines and can clog fuel and cooling systems and hamper visibility. China on Monday congratulated Zimbabwes new President Emmerson Mnangagwa but denied it played any part in his takeover or in the ousting of strongman Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwes army chief General Constantine Chiwenga visited Beijing shortly before the political crisis erupted in Harare, leading to questions about whether Beijing had any role in the power transition. China had long been one of Mugabes most powerful allies and a major trade partner, as the West shunned him over his governments human rights violations. Calling the army chiefs visit a pre-arranged and normal interaction, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang denied any involvement in Zimbabwean politics. It was planned long before and it was also approved by the former President Mugabe, Geng said. China always upholds the principle of non-interference in other countries internal affairs and this remains unchanged. Beijing pointedly did not take sides after the army put Mugabe under house arrest earlier this month. Last week the Chinese foreign ministry declared that it respected his decision to resign but praised him as a good friend of China. Relations between the two countries date back to the liberation struggle of the 1960s, when Beijing provided arms and trained some of the top guerrilla leaders. During those years, Mnangagwa received training in China. Nicknamed the Crocodile for his ruthlessness, Mnangagwa was Zimbabwes vice president until his sacking earlier this month, which ultimately led to Mugabes downfall. We congratulate President Mnangagwa on his inauguration, Geng said. We firmly support Zimbabwe following a path that supports its own national conditions and we believe under the leadership of Mr Mnangagwa Zimbabwes national development will make further progress. Today Medinat Ghazzah, or Gaza City, is running on empty and yet still going. Gaza City, the Gaza Strips principal urban centre, carries various scars of war. Since 2006, Gaza has endured one civil war between Palestinians, three wars between the ruling Hamas militant group and Israel, a decade of Hamas repressive rule, and a crushing blockade by neighbouring Israel and Egypt all of which have crippled the economy and turned the tiny territory into a site of humanitarian crisis. Gaza Citys dusty buildings and bumpy roads, many still damaged or half-rebuilt from the last war, are at times reminiscent of facades found in Egypt and the Palestinian West Bank. But it is the crushing monotony and suffocating limits of life that define the city for residents who have walked the same streets for a decade without a chance of getting out. Still, the city carries on, with coffee shops, traffic, clothes stores, restaurants and even a new upscale mall offering diversions for those who can afford them. The citys framework, like the rest of Gaza, is innately tied up with politics. Gaza was once part of Britains Mandate Palestine. Then came Egyptian occupation in 1948, followed by Israeli in 1967. Now, for the last decade, Hamas, which the European Union has designated as terrorist group, has ruled the tiny territory while Israel controls most borders. Palestinian children take part in a demonstration in Gaza City on November 23, 2017, calling for reconstruction of their homes, which were destroyed during the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the summer of 2014. (AFP) This month on 29 November brings the United Nations international day of solidarity with Palestinians. Gazans, however, dont see much of the international community these days. Thats in part because Israel strictly limits entry to the Gaza Strip, with mainly journalists (Israelis and Palestinians excluded) and aid and development workers allowed through. Even then, UN bodies and NGOs working in Gaza constrain much of the movement of their foreign staff due to security protocols. Along Gaza Citys highly polluted coast are two expensive hotels that are considered the safe zone where aid workers and many journalists stay. Facing an effective and corrupt government, the UN and NGOs have stepped in. Gazans are grateful but know they can do better and mistrust the politics that dictates where funds are directed. Around much of Gaza are signs thanking Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates for funding reconstruction projects. But the Arab countries have pledged far more for reconstruction than theyve actually delivered, while many Gazans feel acutely abandoned by the Arab states and international community, and know new buildings still go first to those with Hamas connections. Highlights 40 rank of Gaza city in 2014 list of most densely populated cities worldwide. At the time, the population of Gaza City and surrounding area was estimated at 750,000. 360 square kilometers covered by the Gaza Strip, about the size of Detroit. 80 percentage of families in Gaza who receive some sort of aid. 44 percentage official unemployment rate in Gaza; for those aged 15-29, the rate rises to 60%. 3 number of hours of electricity generated by Gazas only working electricity plant at a severe low point this summer. For the last few years Gaza has averaged around at most eight hours a day of electricity. Gaza City, famed for its port, is more than 5,000 years old. Over centuries various empires between the Nile River and Middle East Philistines, Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Alexander the Great, Romans, Byzantines, Moguls, Ottomans, among others ruled Gaza, as Jean-Pierre Filiu documents in Gaza: A History . Gazas status as a key trading and transit place shaped its unique culinary traditions, melding flavours like hot pepper and dill. Today Gazan culture and society has expanded to incorporate the Palestinian refugees who fled to here during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Each of Gaza Citys 10 neighbourhoods have their own rhythm and reputation. Theres the Remal neighbourhood, the citys nicest, where many of the fancy shops and NGOs are based. Along the main drag, Omar Mukhtar Street, cars honk and shouting street vendors sell all kinds of wares. Along the way are various historical landmarks: the Square of Unknown Soldiers, Gazas largest open space, filled with music and light-up cars for kids to ride at night; Saraya Square, an old prison where political rallies are now held; cinemas that have been closed by Hamas; and the citys public park, teeming with children. Keep going and theres the old city, with the traditional Al-Zawiya market, one of the oldest in the Gaza Strip and filled with everything from spices to shoe shiners, and the Great Mosque of Gaza, the largest and oldest in Gaza and originally a Byzantine-era church. To Gaza Citys east is the Shejayia neighbourhood, a dense network of cement houses and narrow side streets that was heavily bombed during the 2014 war, and has the reputation as housing its toughest people. On Gaza Citys Mediterranean side is Al-Shati, known as the beach refugee camp. Here the sounds and rhythm of the sea mix with the honking of horns and occasional wafts of sewage as Gaza City brings the sweet and sour all at once. Palestinian vendors sell cigarettes at a shope in Gaza City on November 13, 2017. (AFP) For many residents, to remain living in Gaza is a point of national pride. But after a decade of war, siege, and Hamas rule, just about everyone wants out even if only temporarily. The generation born since the siege have mostly never left Gaza; the older generation have memories of what came before, when Israelis came to the citys markets and Gazans worked in restaurants and construction in Ashkelon and Tel Aviv. Now unemployment in Gaza is among the highest in the world, electricity and clean running water are in dire shortage, and the young generation is well educated with no place to go. Most people get around by foot, shared taxi or car the former growing more common towards the end of the month, as salaries are stretched thin. The city has no formal public transport. Instead, regular cars roam around looking for riders heading in the same direction, each ride costing the customer one or two shekels (about the price of a falafel sandwich) depending on the distance and the drivers mood. Inside the shared taxi, there are informal rules governing how males and females should interact. There used to be buses and microbuses serving Gaza City. Now they are mainly reserved for students to get to school or for travel between Gaza City and other areas. There are a few hubs around the city to catch cars going to the rest of Gaza. Companies sometimes provide transportation for employees, as does the government. Gas is expensive due to import restrictions (Gazans say the gas from Israel is better than Egypts watered-down offerings). For a more secure, albeit expensive ride there are private taxi companies. It has been three years since the last war between Hamas and Israel and for many in Gaza the dream of whats next is the same as it ever was: reconstruction and employment. Huge swaths of the territorys infrastructure, including 171,000 homes, were damaged or destroyed during the 2014 war. The city centre is now hesitantly bustling during the day , and a little brighter than other areas at night when the sun sets and electricity-starved Gaza largely goes dark. Many structures remain partially finished as people can only sporadically afford building materials. Palestinian young men use their smart-phones as they wait to cross at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt before being allowed to pass out of the southern Gaza Strip on November 20, 2017, following its opening for three days for the first time since a Palestinian reconciliation deal. (AFP) These days, the streets convey a sense of hesitant hope tempered by fatigue. Last month, Hamas and its rival, the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority based in the West Bank, signed a unity deal intended to end the territorial dispute that began when Hamas evicted Fatah from Gaza in 2007. Reconciliation has eased some imports, hindered some of Hamas much-resented taxes and provided more work for Fatah employees in Gaza. But people in Gaza have heard these promises before and then repeatedly seen them fail. In Gaza City, the centre of economic activity, people say therell believe this time is different when theres work and opportunities again. For now, its still the same suffocation. Gaza may be physically and politically isolated, but many Palestinians in Gaza have turned to Instagram to get their version of their city and lives out. For slices of life you can check out some of Gazas most popular instagrammers such as Fatma Mosabah and Ensaf Habib , or the photojournalist Wissam Nassar . A Pakistani hardline Islamist group whose supporters clashed with police over the weekend is to call off its weeks-long protest after the government agreed to its demands and the law minister resigned, the groups spokesman said on Monday. Seven people were killed and 200 wounded in the clashes after a police bid to disperse the protesters failed on Saturday, sparking instead demonstrations in other major cites nationwide. Our main demand has been accepted, Ejaz Ashrafi, spokesman of the Tahreek-e-Labaik group, told Reuters. Government will announce the law ministers resignation and we will end our sit-in today. Law minister Zahid Hamid has resigned on Monday. Shipping containers that police had used to block off the main protest site were being removed, media said. The government on Saturday called in Pakistans powerful military to tackle the protests after the police operation failed, but there was no sign of troops around the protest camps on Sunday. For the past two weeks, activists of Tehreek-e-Labaik blocked the main road into the capital, Islamabad, in a protest that blamed the law minister, Zahid Hamid, for changing the wording in an electoral oath. The party says the words I believe, used to replace the clause I solemnly swear in a proclamation of Mohammad as the religions last prophet amount to blasphemy. The radical Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik called off its countrywide protests and its followers started to disperse peacefully in most cities on Monday after the resignation of Pakistan's law minister Zahid Hamid. Blockades by the anti-blasphemy groups supporters in the cities of Karachi and Lahore were being lifted and life was returning to normal, local media reported. Karachi was blocked at 10 places while in Lahore there were 16 points where roads were blocked by the group which held a weeks-long protest in the capital Islamabads Faizabad area, demanding the ouster of Hamid over a hastily abandoned legislation that they considered blasphemous. However, some points in Lahore continued to be blocked and it is expected that these would be opened by the end of the day. Most schools, businesses and public transport took the day off but as the situation eased, many shops could be seen to be opening. While the army continued to stay in the barracks, the military high command intervened on Sunday to have news channels re-opened. Block was lifted on social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook also. The TV channels and main social media sites had been shut down since Friday when the government launched an operation against the group who had been occupying the capital's busiest traffic intersection. At least seven people were killed and some 200 others injured in the operation. Law minister Zahid Hamid on Sunday decided to resign after paramilitary Pakistan Rangers took control of many important streets and thoroughfares of Islamabad. Radio Pakistan reported that the Rangers had also circled the Faizabad interchange on Sunday after clashes re-erupted between protestors and the Islamabad police. Earlier, the government held negotiations with both the protestors on Faizabad interchange as well as with the military high command on how to end the crisis in the country. A political settlement is reportedly being worked out between the government of Prime Minister Shahid Abbasi and Tehreek-e-Labbaik, which has been protesting what it called a pro-Ahmadi legislation, which had already been withdrawn. The radical Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan called off countrywide protests and its followers dispersed in most cities on Monday after the government gave in to its demand that law minister Zahid Hamid should resign over a blasphemy row. Blockades by the anti-blasphemy groups supporters in Karachi and Lahore were lifted and life slowly returned to normal. But protestors remained in Islamabad, saying they would disperse after the government freed their arrested colleagues. Tehreek-e-Labbaik chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi, whose protest had paralysed Islamabad for almost three weeks, thanked the army chief for helping end the stand-off, raising questions about the militarys role. The governments climbdown will be an embarrassment for the ruling PML-N party ahead of elections expected in mid-2018, and it also highlighted the power of religious groups. Seven people were killed and nearly 200 wounded during an unsuccessful police operation over the weekend to disperse the protesters in Islamabad. The clashes in the capital triggered violent protests in other cities. File photo of Pakistan law minister Zahid Hamid at a news conference in Islamabad. (AFP) Law minister quits Law minister Hamid sent his resignation to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to take the country out of a crisis-like situation, state-run PTV reported. Hamid said, The decision to resign was taken in a bid to steer the country out of the prevailing critical situation. Karachi was blocked at 10 places while roads in Lahore were blocked at16 points by the group, which staged a prolonged protest in Islamabads Faizabad area, demanding the ouster of Hamid over a hastily abandoned legislation that it considered blasphemous. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik and the government signed an agreement following negotiations apparently brokered by the army. The agreement was signed by interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, Rizvi and an ISI official, Maj Gen Faiz Hamid. According to the agreement, the government also agreed to free dozens of protesters who were arrested over the weekend. Head of the radical religious party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, arrives for a news conference regarding his talks with the government to end the sit-in protest in Islamabad on November 27, 2017. (AP) The Pakistan Armys role The government had called on the army to tackle the protests after the failed police operation, but the troops remained in the barracks. The military said army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa had advised the premier to resolve the protests peacefully during a meeting on Sunday. Media reports quoted military sources as saying that Bajwa was opposed to the use of force as he believed it would affect the peoples trust in the army. Rizvi highlighted the armys role in ending the standoff. The honourable chief of army staff, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, sent his special envoys to us. We said we do not want to talk to the government; they are our murderers, he said. So the general took personal interest and sent his team, saying We will become the guarantors, and have your demands fulfilled. So we said, All right. That is what we want. Supporters of the radical religious party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan celebrate after the country's law minister Zahid Hamid's resignation during a sit-in protest in Karachi on November 27, 2017. (AP) Judiciary criticises army and government However, the Islamabad high court criticised the armys role in the entire affair, questioning how it had acted as a mediator. An order issued by the court raised several objections to the agreement with the protesters and the role played by the army chief, which was besides the Constitution and the law of the land. The Tehreek-e-Labaik launched its protest after blaming the law minister for changing the wording of an electoral oath. It claimed the words I believe, used to replace the clause I solemnly swear in a proclamation of Mohammed as Islams last prophet, amounted to blasphemy. The government blamed the change on a clerical error and swiftly restored the original wording. The military high command also intervened to have news channels reopened after they were shut down over the weekend. A block on social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook was also lifted. The law ministers resignation is the latest in a series of blows to the PML-N. In July, party chief Nawaz Sharif was ousted as prime minister by the apex court over graft allegations while finance minister Ishaq Dar also accused of corruption has taken indefinite medical leave. Tehreek-e-Labbaik is one of two new ultra-religious political groups to reach prominence in recent months. It won 6% and 7.6% share of votes in two recent by-elections. Islamist parties are unlikely to win a majority in the next general election but could play a major role. Pope Francis arrived Monday on a visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh to encourage their tiny Catholic communities and reach out to some of Asias most peripheral and poor, but the big question looming is whether hell utter the word Rohingya while hes here. The will he or wont he? issue has dominated debate before Francis trip, which began Monday and ends with a youth rally in Dhaka on December 2. Upon arrival in Yangon, the pope was greeted by local Catholic officials and his motorcade passed by thousands of Myanmars Catholics, who lined the roads, wearing traditional attire and playing music. In Myanmar, Francis will meet separately with the countrys civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, its powerful military chief and Buddhist monks. Hell greet a delegation of Rohingya Muslims and meet with Bangladeshs political and religious leadership in Dhaka. Masses for the Catholic faithful and meetings with the local church hierarchy round out the itinerary in each country. Myanmars local Catholic Church has publicly urged Francis to avoid using the term, which is shunned by many locally because the ethnic group is not a recognized minority in the country. Rohingya in recent months have been subject to what the United Nations says is a campaign of textbook ethnic cleansing by the military in poverty-wracked Rakhine state. Women in traditional dress gather outside the airport in Yangon on November 27 ahead of the arrival of Pope Francis for his visit to the country. (AFP Photo) Francis, though, has already prayed for our Rohingya brothers and sisters, and any decision to avoid the term could be viewed as a capitulation to Myanmars military and a stain on his legacy of standing up for the most oppressed and marginalized of society, no matter how impolitic. Being a religious leader Catholic leader means that he is well-regarded, but of course there is this worry if he says something, people might say, OK, he just came to meddle, said Burmese analyst Khin Zaw Win, a former political prisoner. So, I think a lot of diplomacy is needed, in addition to the public relations. The trip was planned before the latest spasm of violence erupted in August, when Rohingya militants attacked security positions in Rakhine. Myanmar security forces responded with a scorched-earth campaign that forced more than 620,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh, where they are living in squalid refugee camps. The signals from the Vatican going into the trip were mixed: The Vatican spokesman used the term Rohingya in a pre-trip briefing and said Its not a prohibited word as far as the Vatican was concerned. But the Holy Sees top diplomat, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, avoided it in an interview with Vatican media on the eve of the trip. Catholic faithful arrive outside the airport in Yangon on November 27, 2017 with the hopes of greeting Pope Francis upon his arrival to the country. (AFP Photo) The debate isnt just semantic: Myanmars government and most of the Buddhist majority consider them Bengali migrants from Bangladesh living illegally in the country, though Rohingya have lived there for generations. Its going to be a tricky situation (if he uses the word), I think because most of the people cant accept it, said farmer Win Myaing. Seaman Kyaw Thu Maung said the issue is difficult because the term Rohingya carries so much political weight for all of Myanmars people. But my feeling is that if the pope is going to talk about the Rakhine issue, the people arent going to like the pope anymore, he said. How a group of gentleman explorers became Britains legendary Long Range Desert Group. MAJ. RALPH A. BAGNOLD sat before the commander of British forces in the Middle East. He watched nervously as Gen. Archibald Wavell picked up the note Bagnold had sent him half an hour earlier outlining why, in Bagnolds view, it was imperative to send men into the interior of the Libyan Desert. Wavell fixed his one good eye on the man in front of him. Tell me about this, he said. It was June 23, 194013 days after Italy declared war on Britain, an act of belligerence that had ominous implications for His Majestys forces in Egypt and their control of the Suez Canal. Italy had garrisons in southeast Libya; it might launch an attack from there, or from the southfrom Eritrea and Ethiopia, and then across Sudan. Faced with such a dire situation, Wavell had been immediately intrigued when Bagnolds note landed on his desk. The 44-year-old Bagnold explained that we ought to have some mobile ground scouting force, even a very small scouting force, to be able to penetrate the desert to the west of Egypt, to see what was going on. What if you find the Italians are not doing anything in the interior? Wavell retorted. Bagnold thought for a moment. How about some piracy on the high desert? Wavell grinned, then asked Bagnold if he could be ready to start operation in six weeks. Yes, said Bagnold, provided Yes, I know, therell be opposition and delay, Wavell interjected, picking up a small bell on his desk. At the sound of the bell, Wavells chief of staff entered the room and Wavell instructed him to type up an order: I wish that any request by Major Bagnold in person should be met instantly and without question. And with that order, the Long Range Desert Group was born. Over the next five years the LRDG would carry out more than 200 operations behind enemy lines, from the deserts of North Africa, to the islands of the Aegean Sea, to the mountains of the Balkans. But it was in the Libyan Desertan ocean of sand stretching 1,000 miles from the Mediterranean coast to Sudan in the south, and a similar distance from the Nile Valley in the east to the Tunisian border in the westthat the LRDG established its illustrious reputation. Before the groups arrival, much of this expanse was uncharted territory. The men of the LRDG not only charted it, they became the ears and eyes of the Allied forces that eventually defeated the Axis armies, while throwing some hard punches against the Axis on their own. David Stirling, the Scot who in 1941 created the British Armys foremost special forces unit, the Special Air Servicewhich is still in existence and active alongside the U.S. Armys Delta Force in Iraq and Afghanistanpaid tribute to the LRDG in his memoir. We had learned so much from them, he wrote, it is debatable whether we could have got off the ground so swiftly without them. That Ralph Bagnold was in Egypt at all was only by a stroke of good fortuneor misfortune, depending on ones interpretations of events that led the intellectual Englishman to Cairo. A tall, wiry man with an air of reserve, and a veteran of the First World War, Bagnold was recalled to the colors and given his old rank of major not long after Britain declared war on Germany. But with the shortsightedness that characterized much of British military thinking in the early days of World War II, Bagnold, a world-renowned expert on the deserts of North Africa, was ordered instead to Kenya, in East Africa. Then fate intervened. Bagnolds troopship was involved in a collision in the Mediterranean en route to Kenya in the winter of 19391940. The damage forced the ships captain to divert to Port Said, on the Egyptian coast, and Bagnold and his fellow passengers disembarked while the vessel was repaired. Bagnold installed himself in the bar of Shepheards Hotel in Cairo, the fashionable meeting place for British officers and the citys affluent expatriate community, where a society reporter for the Egyptian Gazette spotted him. A couple of days later the papers gossip column contained news of the famous desert explorers arrival: Major Bagnolds presence in Egypt at this time seems a reassuring indication that one of the cardinal errors of 191418 is not to be repeated. During that war, if a man had made a name for himself as an explorer of Egyptian deserts, he would almost certainly have been sent to Jamaica to report on the possibilities of increasing rum production. Nowadays, of course, everything is done much better. On reading the column Wavell canceled Bagnolds posting to Kenya and transferred him to the 7th Armored Division, based on the Egyptian coast, as a signals officer. There, Bagnold gauged the precarious situation confronting the British. Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, commander of the Italian army in North Africa, was estimated to have around 500,000 troops at his disposal, a force far superior to the 50,000 men under General Wavells command. There were Italian garrisons in southeast Libya at Kufra and Uweinat, the latter uncomfortably close to the borders of Egypt and Sudan. It was imperative, in Bagnolds view, that the British learn precisely where the Italian forces were and in what strength; otherwise there was the very real likelihood the enemy would strike east and seize the Nile and then Cairo. His mind turned to the 1920s, when he and a small group of like-minded explorers drove model T Ford cars out into the desert at a time when people thought that cars were for use on roadsout into the Libyan Desert further than anyone before, as he wrote in 1935s Libyan Sands: Travel in a Dead World. As a result of his epic adventures Bagnold knew the Libyan Desertwith its landmass of approximately 750,000 square milesbetter than any other white man. He knew its harshness, its pitilessness. But he also knew how to harness its immense power. It was Bagnolds exploration team that in 1928 developed a sun compass, a modification on the sundial, for use in the desert, where it was more reliable than a magnetic compass. They also learned then how to conserve that most precious of desert commodities, water; they introduced sand channels (five-foot-long sheets of steel that slid under a vehicles rear wheels for support on the sand); and they discovered how to surmount the deserts towering sand dunes in a two-wheel-drive Ford truck. As Bagnold later recalled, it entailed driving 40 mph at the dune and putting ones trust in the vehicle (and God) as a glaring wall of yellow shot up highthe lorry tipped violently backwards, and we rose as in a lift, smoothly and without vibration. We floated upall the accustomed car movements had ceased; only the speedometer told us we were still moving fast. Armed with this experience, Bagnold formulated his plan for small patrols of highly trained men to penetrate deep into the Libyan Desert to gather information on Italian forces. It was this scheme that Bagnold took to Wavelland Wavell swiftly acceptedin June 1940. Who to recruit to his fledgling enterprise? That was Bagnolds first concern. Experience had told him that the merciless hinterland of a desert either made or broke a man. He contacted some of his old exploring friends, and before long Bill Kennedy Shaw, Pat Clayton, Teddy Mitford, and Rupert Harding-Newman had joined him in Cairo. Bagnold overcame the fact that Kennedy Shaw and Clayton were civilians by having them commissioned as officers in the British Intelligence Corps. For the small cadre of enlisted men he needed, Bagnold chose New Zealanders because, he wrote, I wanted responsible volunteers who knew how to look after things and maintain things rather than the British Tommy who is apt to be wasteful. The second pressing issue was transport. Bagnold needed reliable vehicles capable of covering in excess of 1,500 miles without breaking down. The British Army possessed no such thing, so Bagnold turned to a commercial Chevrolet one-and-a-half-ton truck with a single 20-gallon fuel tank. Thirty-three of them were purchased from the Egyptian army and from vehicle dealers in Cairo, and fitted with machine guns front and back. As for sun compasses, sand channels, radios, and medical supplies, they were begged, borrowed, or stolen in the weeks following the units formation. So were the Arab headdresses and leather sandals that replaced the army-issued leather boots and service dress caps. Bagnold organized the Long Range Desert Group into three patrolsR, T, and W (the letters chosen at random), each comprising two officers and about 30 men. The patrols were assigned 10 one-and-a-half-ton trucks and a three-quarterton car apiece, along with 10 Lewis guns of World War I vintage, 4 Boys antitank rifles, a Bofors antiaircraft gun, and an assortment of small arms. Pat Clayton, an 18-year veteran of the Egyptian Survey Department, led the first LRDG patrol in August 1940. It was a reconnaissance of the route the Italians used out of the port at Benghazi, on the northern coastline of Libya, to resupply their garrisons at Kufra and Uweinat. Claytons twovehicle patrol drove west into Libya and watched the track for three days, but observed no enemy vehicles. It wasnt a wasted expedition, however. Clayton returned to Egypt with two important details: He discovered that enemy aircraft rarely detected sand-colored vehicles in the desert as long as they were stationary. And he found a route that crossed the Egyptian Sand Sea and, inside Libya, the Kalansho Sand Sea. The two seas vast landscapes of continuous rolling sand duneswere in fact connected further north to form, as Bagnold later described, an irregular horseshoe shape in the south. The route Clayton pioneered would become the entry point into Libya for future LRDG patrols. The Egyptian Sand Sea is a breathtaking phenomenon. Roughly the size of Ireland, it stretches from the Siwa oasis, in northwest Egypt, almost as far south as Sudan, and its fearsome reputation is just as imposing as its size. One LRDG officer, Capt. Michael Crichton-Stuart, never forgot his first sight of it: The parallel lines of dunes run almost north and south, rising to some 500 feet in the centre of the Sand Sea. Packed and shaped by the prevailing wind over thousands of years, this Sand Sea compares in shape and form with a great Atlantic swell; long rollers, crested here and there, with great troughs between. It is utterly lifeless, without a blade of grass or a stone to break the monotony of sand and sky. On September 5, 1940, Bagnold led the entire LRDG into Libya on the trail Clayton had blazed a month earlier. He was delighted with the way the New Zealanders adapted to their unfamiliar surroundings, and they were soon averaging 30 miles a day as they pierced the interior of the Libyan Desert. There they split, with R Patrol returning to their base in Siwa to resupply, while W reconnoitered north towards Kufra, and T went south as far as the border with Chad. The three patrols returned to Cairo with little to report. Marshal Graziani was safely ensconced in his Egyptian coastal base of Sidi Barrani, and the Italian troops garrisoned inland apparently never ventured out of their forts unless it was necessary. The news prompted Wavell to amend the units operational instructions in October. Instead of carrying out reconnaissance missions, they were to go on the offensive and, as Bagnold later wrote, stir up trouble in any part of Libya we liked, with the object of drawing off as much enemy transport and troops as possible from the coastal front [around Sidi Barrani] to defend their remote and useless inland garrisons. The LRDG threw themselves into their new role with gusto. While some patrols mined roads, others blew up bomb dumps or attacked isolated desert outposts manned by bored Italians. Just as Wavell had hoped, Graziani diverted troops from the coastal regions into the interior to escort supply columns and reinforce outposts. Encouraged, the LRDG planned an audacious assault against a well-defended Italian fort and nearby airfield in Murzuk, in south-central Libya. As Bagnold noted, the fortapproximately 1,500 miles west of Cairowas far beyond our self-contained range but a raid on it seemed possible geographically if we could get some extra supplies from the French Army in Chad. But no one in Cairo knew whose side the French forces in Chad were on. Other French dependencies had declared for the Vichy regime; Chad had made no such announcement. Bagnold and Wavell thought that inviting the French to support a daring raid might be just the sort of escapade to rally them to Britains cause. Bagnold flew to Chad and met the commander of its French troops, Lt. Col. Jean Colonna dOrnano, who demanded to know the purpose of Bagnolds visit. I told him frankly what I wanted petrol, rations and water, Bagnold recalled. Ill do all you ask but on one condition, dOrnano replied. You take me with you to Murzuk with one of my junior officers and one NCO and we fly the French flag alongside yours. By the time the LRDG rendezvoused near Taiserbo350 miles east of Murzukon January 4, 1941, the composition of the unit had changed. The commander of the New Zealand division in the desert had recalled most of his countrymen now that his resources were more stretched than they had been six months earlier. To compensate for the loss, Bagnold had formed a new patrol G Patrolcomposed of skilled soldiers from the British Armys Coldstream Guards and Scots Guards. This patrol, along with T Patrol, made up the LRDGs attacking force, under the overall command of Pat Clayton. DOrnano delivered the supplies Bagnold requested, and the Frenchman, along with nine of his men, was seconded to the LRDG as they struck out west toward their objective. On January 11 the force divided just a few miles from Murzuk, with Claytons T Patrol heading for the airfield while G Patrol targeted the fort. As the convoy approached the fort, above the main central tower of which the Italian flag flew proudly, the Guard turned out, Captain Crichton-Stuart recalled. We were rather sorry for them, but they probably never knew what hit them. In the maelstrom of fire that followed, the LRDG lost two men (including Lieutenant Colonel dOrnano) and suffered several casualties, but the damage inflicted on the Italians was far worse. A withering mortar barrage destroyed the main block of the fort. The garrison commander had the misfortune to return from lunch midway through the onslaught; neither his staff car nor the escort vehicle made it through the forts gates. Clayton arrived at the fort having wreaked havoc on the airfield, where his patrol destroyed three light bombers and a sizeable fuel dump, and killed or captured all 20 guards. Now he ordered the LRDG to withdraw into the vastness of the desert before the inevitable aerial reinforcements arrived from Hon, a large Italian air base 250 miles northeast. The decision to court the French in Chad had been a sound one. Though dOrnano had died, his successor, Gen. Philippe Leclerc, formed an effective alliance with the LRDG. On March 1, 1941, a Free French force, guided by T and G Patrols, captured the Italian fort at Kufra and its 400-strong garrison. But that success was a rarity for the Allies in what was an otherwise wretched few months. German general Erwin Rommel had arrived in North Africa on February 12; by the end of April, his Afrikakorps had pushed back the Allies Western Desert Force (later known as Eighth Army) to the Egyptian frontier, leaving the Mediterranean port of Tobruk as the sole remaining British possession in the eastern coastal region of Libya known as Cyrenaica. By that summer, the LRDG was in an upheaval of its own. It grew to include two more patrols: S, composed of southern Rhodesian recruits, and Y, drawn from the British 1st Cavalry Division in Palestine. It also had a new commanding officer, Maj. Guy Prendergast, a desert explorer of some repute and a good friend of Bagnoldwho, in August 1941, was ordered back to Cairo to oversee the raising of five more formations similar to the LRDG. Prendergast was barely less audacious than the man he was replacing. Besides having explored the desert by motor vehicle between the wars, the Englishman had also mapped it from the cockpit of an airplane. Another new addition to the LRDG was Capt. David Lloyd Owen, who had spent the first half of the year as a training officer in Palestine with the Queens Royal Regiment, hoping in vain to see some action. Around the time Bagnold returned to Cairo, Lloyd Owen left it to join Y Patrol. It was a unit, and a landscape, in which he reveled. In his war memoir Providence Their Guide, he described the wonder of life in the desert with the LRDG: There are no buildings, no roads, no street lightsno need for anyone to shout or to have money or to pretend about anything; those human beings who are with you are probably fairly well known to you, and are there for the same reason that you arethey know the dangers and delights of solitude just the same as you do, and they will react to the unblemished and staggering loveliness of a huge expanse of desert sky, deep blue by day and of a marvelous purple at night. In early November 1941, Gen. Claude Auchinleck, who had taken over for Wavell in the Middle East, was finalizing plans for an offensive code-named Crusader, which was intended to rid Cyrenaica of the Afrika korps. One of the tasks the LRDG assumed then would lead to a famous partnership for the rest of the desert war. Britains Special Air Service (SAS) had come into being that summer, the brainchild of a charismatic young Scots Guards officer, Capt. David Stirling. Having overcome fierce hostility to his concept of a small force of paratroopers waging war behind enemy lines, Stirling had won permission to lead raids against five coastal airfields strung out along the Cyrenaica coast. Once they had dropped into the desert on the night of November 16, the SAS would attack the airfields and then march to a rendezvous point 50 miles inland. There the LRDG would be waiting to transport them back to base. But the assault began at the same time as what one war correspondent described as the most spectacular thunderstorm within living memory. None of the raiding party got close to their objectives and the terrible conditions resulted in the deaths of 34 of the partys 55 men. For those lucky enough to land in one piece, survival was the only thing on their minds. All that night we marched or rather waded through water which was sometimes up to our knees, Jeff Du Vivier, a sergeant in the SAS, wrote in his diary. I could not explain how cold it actually was, to believe it one would have to experience it. I was not shivering but shaking. All the bones in my body were numbed. The exhausted survivors from the SAS staggered to the rendezvous, with Stirling among the last to arrive. Waiting for him was Lloyd Owen, who brewed a pot of tea and listened as Stirling described the doomed raid. Stirling didnt seem defeated by the failure, merely frustrated at how best to get at the Germans. Suddenly an idea struck Lloyd Owen: Surely the answer was for the LRDG to convey the SAS parties to within a few miles of their targets. We would then lie off while they were doing whatever they had in mind, and we could return a day or so later to collect them. Three weeks later, on the night of December 8, the SAS put the idea into action, with spectacular results. Four SAS soldiers blew up 24 aircraft at Tamit, a coastal airfield in Libya, while at nearby Agedabia, another group of SAS saboteurs destroyed 37 planes. On both occasions the LRDG drove the SAS close to the target and then waited with a hot breakfast at the rendezvous. After a while we started to call them the Long Range Taxi Service, Du Vivier recalled, but it was a joke the LRDG took well. They knew how much we respected them. The SAS werent alone in their respect for the LRDG. Throughout their operational life in the North African desertwhich ended in March 1943, when the American First Army, advancing from the west, and the British Eighth Army, coming from the east, trapped Axis forces in a small pocket of Tunisiathe LRDG won plaudits for their pluck and professionalism. During the Second Battle of El Alamein in autumn 1942, the LRDG carried out invaluable reconnaissance patrols on the German forces, as well as laying mines and strafing enemy transport columns. Y Patrol, for example, spent several perilous days concealed near Marble Arch, 600 miles west of El Alamein, reporting on the Axis army as it fled towards Tunisia. Between October 30 and November 10, 1942, the number of enemy vehicles headed west each day rosefrom 100 to 3,500. At times the retreating Germans pulled off the road and rested, their lorries and tanks a matter of yards from the hidden LRDG patrol. In his report on their exploits during this period, the British Armys director of military intelligence in Cairo wrote, Not only is the standard of accuracy and observation exceptionally high but the Patrols are familiar with the most recent illustration of enemy vehicles and weapons. Without their reports we should frequently have been in doubt as to the enemys intentions, when knowledge of them was all important. In the final two years of the Second World War, the Long Range Desert Group served with distinction in the Aegean and the Balkans. But the desert is where their indelible legacy remains. Never during our peace-time travels had we imagined that war could ever reach the enormous empty solitudes of the inner desert, walled off as it has always been by sheer distance, by lack of water, and by impassable seas of huge dunes, Bagnold recalled in 1945. The success of the war the LRDG waged in the desert owed much to their courage and resourcefulness, but just as important was their maverick spirit, daring to venture where others had feared to tread. Originally published in the August 2010 issue of World War II Magazine. To subscribe, click here. At a place that evokes loss, America forged an unlikely victory. As seen from Lt. William E. Dyesss new vantage point, this war was not going well. Not for the United States. Not for his men. And certainly not for him. In mid-January 1942, Dyess, the commanding officer of the 21st Pursuit Squadron, was out of a cockpit and out of his element. Instead of leading missions in the skies above the Philippines, he was crawling through the Bataan jungle, leading puzzled Army Air Forces pilots and mechanics on an infantry training exercise. The tall, 25-year-old Texan with blue eyes and recruiting poster good looks had two aerial kills and a destroyed Japanese truck convoy to his credit, but he had little training and even less patience for his current assignment. Its easy to picture the folksy, frustrated flier tramping through the steamy jungle, rifle in hand, grousing that he would rather be home, staring at the south end of a north-bound mule. Little did Dyess know just how difficult the proverbial plowing in the Philippines, not to mention elsewhere in the Pacific, would become. Reeling after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the ABCD powers American, British, Chinese, and Dutchhad been powerless to stop Japans war machine. By the last week of December 1941, the Rising Sun flew over the American outposts of Guam and Wake Island, as well as the British colony of Hong Kong. The Solomon Islands, New Britain, the Dutch East Indies, and Singapore were in their sights. The last barrier to the successful completion of Japans opening offensive was the Bataan Peninsula, the spine of volcanic rock and jungle into which the defenders of the Philippines had retreated after a 43,000-man Japanese invasion force had overrun Luzon. But just how long that besieged bulwark could stand depended on a single piece of paper. On January 10, Gen. Douglas MacArthur had signed Field Order No. 4 of the United States Army Forces Far East (USAFFE), which authorized the temporary transfer of most Army Air Forces personnel to infantry commands. The decision was born of necessity and desperation. American army lines lacked depth; the Far East Air Force, decimated in the devastating attacks in the wars early hours, lacked planes. This fateful order had grounded Dyess indefinitely, as a reserve army was carved out of the planeless pilots and airmen of five pursuit squadrons. Dyess and his 218 officers and men were now one of several provisional battalions assigned to fill gaps in army lines in western Bataan. Shipless sailors marooned by the departure of the Asiatic Fleet would also be impressed into the infantry. Within two weeks, Field Order No. 4, and the force it conjured, would play a key role in delaying Japans conquest of the Philippinesa delay that would have severe consequences for Japans greater war aims in the crucial months of early 1942. Indeed, as Japanese landing barges churned toward shore in the final hours of January 22, no onenot MacArthur, not his Japanese counterpart, Gen. Masaharu Homma, and definitely not Ed Dyesshad any notion that a ragtag force of pilots, airmen, sailors, and other hastily assembled troops created by MacArthurs obscure order was the only thing that stood between Japanese success in a daring operation perhaps years in the planning and a swift and potentially calamitous American defeat. Taking place months before the fall of the Philippines and the well-chronicled, savage aftermath of the Bataan Death March, the Battle of the Points would become a strategically pivotal fight as the Americans sought to disrupt Japans conquest timetable. The battle would also see Americas first amphibious landing of the war against the Japanese, as well as provide a frightening first look at their fanaticism on the field of battle. And it would provide America with its first, if fleeting, taste of victory. The Japanese believed the ill- equipped and inexperienced Allied forces were incapable of prolonged resistance. Indeed, one Japanese officer described the retreat of Filipino and American troops into Bataan as a cat entering a sack. The Imperial General Headquarters was so confident it detached half of Hommas original force to aid in the southern thrust to the Dutch East Indies, yet still expected him to adhere to his 50-day deadline for the capture of the Philippines. Left with only the Fourteenth Armys 16th Division and the 65th Brigade to accomplish the task, Homma was forced to attempt an amphibious end-run. The plan called for landing roughly 2,000 troops on the rocky, finger-shaped promontories on Bataans southwestern coast, defined as difficult-to-pronouncepoints on American maps, in late January. The 2nd Battalion of Lt. Col. Nariyoshi Tsunehiros 20th Infantry Regiment would sever the West Road which led from Bagac to Mariveles on the peninsulas southernmost tip, disrupt communications, and wreak havoc in the Americans rear. Homma would then launch a frontal assault, crumple the American I Corps line, flank II Corps, and roll up the remaining American positions, precipitating the fall of the Philippines. Just after midnight on the morning of January 23, Ed Dyess awoke to news of enemy landings not far from his bivouac outside of Mariveles. The 21st Pursuit, attached to the Philippine Armys 71st Infantry Division under Brig. Gen. Clyde Selleck, was not the only such unit to receive a wake-up call from the Japanese. MacArthur had just ordered a pullback from the defensive line spanning the widest part of Bataan, to the north. But the army did not immediately understand the size, nor the significance, of the landings. Rather than risk withdrawing regular troops from the skeletal main line of resistance just to the south, additional ad hoc units would be mobilized. While Dyess headed west to Quinauan Point, a U.S. Navy unit took the lead in action near Longoskawayan Point, 3,000 yards southwest of Mariveles. Three hundred troops from Tsunehiros 2nd Battalion, which had been fractured due to a chance encounter with a U.S. Navy motor torpedo boat, PT-34, had scaled the sheer 100-foot cliffs and melted inland. The Naval Defense Battalioncomposed of sailors, PBY seaplane pilots, and marine artillerymen reinforced by Philippine Scouts (crack Filipino troops under American officers who were widely considered the best combat units in the command), as well as men from the 3rd Pursuit Squadron and the 301st Chemical Companywas immediately dispatched to the area. The provisional battalions first hours in the field were tragicomic. Arriving at the thousand-yard promontory that tapered into Quinauan Point on the morning of January 23, Ed Dyesss outfit was melded with Philippine Constabulary troopsessentially a military police forceand the 803rd Aviation Engineer Battalion. The mission was to root out a loose aggregation of what was reported to be 30-odd Japanese soldiers. Signal whistles blared and the motley troops in doughboy-style helmets crashed into the jungle, chattering and smoking cigarettes, blithely unaware that they were likely being observed by snipers or scouts. At Longoskawayan, the men of the Naval Defense Battalion had displayed interesting initiative in using coffee grounds to dye their whites, but the exasperated call of one sailor, holding his rifle aloft during a patrol, not only exposed the provisional battalions inexperience in infantry tactics, but also a frightening unfamiliarity with their weapons: Sarge, how do you get the bullets in this thing? I was a familiar refrain. The weapons issued to the 21st Pursuit, Dyess later remarked, looked as though they might have been picked up at an ordnance rummage sale. The antiquated arsenal included old navy Marlin and Lewis machine guns, .50 calibers stripped from P-40 wrecks, Browning automatic rifles, British Bren gun carriers, grenades, Springfield rifles, .45 revolvers, and, finally, three bayonets.But this was all right, Dyess explained of the latter, because only three of our Air Force men knew anything about using them. The dense jungle in the points area caused widespread confusion. When asked his whereabouts, one perplexed member of the Signal Corps, perched atop a telephone pole near the Anyasan-Silaiim points area, offered an honest reply: For Christs sake, sir, I dont know. I am somewhere between asinine and quinine points. There was also the strange argot of their army handlers.Maintain your interval, thundered one infantry officer at Quinauan Point. A frustrated airman fired back: Let the son-of-a-bitch who gave that order try to maintain it! Enveloped in a sinister labyrinth of swamps and bamboo, the soldiers spent patrols swearing and chasing silhouettes. Tall hardwood trees and the fronds of banana and nipa palms formed a canopy that blotted the blazing sun. Groping along in the purplish, perpetual dusk, they clutched the bandoliers and rifle stocks of their comrades to stay in formation. Razor-sharp blades of cogon grass shredded their clothes and skin. They tripped over boulders and logs and were ensnared in giant spider webs. Intermittent gunfire echoed through the emerald walls of jungle, but it was the skittering monkeys and snapping twigs that made them jittery. Rarely seen, the Japanese seemed to be nowhere, yet everywhere. At Quinauan Point, a paranoid airman fired some staccato bursts from his BAR. A few seconds later, a weary American voice emanating from the direction of the supposed enemy target replied, Hell, youre shooting kind of low. The flank had pulled over in front of us, explained Sgt. Jack Donohoe of the 21st Pursuit.Thats how well trained we were. The situation went from bad to horrific once the real shooting began. The provisional battalions discovered the Japanese were well trained in jungle and night warfare, as well as in battlefield subterfuge. The Americans could not see their well-camouflaged enemy until it was too late; bullets scythed through the stifling, humid air, mowing down rows of poorly-dispersed troops. And to the Americans surprise, they were subjected to artillery barrages, facing everything from large shells to terrifyingly effective mortar fire. The Japanese also proved adept at setting traps. Early in the Longoskawayan fight, the Japanese allowed a patrol to advance all the way to their beach supply area just so they could ambush the party on its return inland. Corpses were booby trapped with grenades; firecrackers gave the impression of multiple machinegun emplacements. The Japanese also played dead and hid amid corpses before jumping up to shoot or bayonet unsuspecting troops, a tactic Dyess called possuming and one that had but one sure remedy: We countered this by never passing a dead Jap without shooting him to make sure he was hors de combat. By nightfall on January 24, the gritty Naval Defense Battalion had secured the high ground of Mt. Pucot and succeeded in driving most of the Japanese invaders back to the tips of Longoskawayan and Lapiay points. But the unit did not have enough men or weapons to clear the area. That same evening found a newly-promoted Capt. Ed Dyess and his men facing a more serious situation at Quinauan Point. No one on the ground at Quinauan or at Allied headquarters realized that the majority of Tsunehiros 2nd Battalion, approximately 600 men, had come ashore in that vicinity and was well-armed and expertly entrenched. Instead, it was believed that General Selleck was simply not aggressive enough; he was relieved by Col. Clinton Pierce, a rugged cavalry officer who would soon make brigadier and later make history as the first American general to be wounded in the war. Dyess and his comrades were fighting on many fronts against the Japanese, against faulty equipment and shoddy intelligence, against the jungle, against hunger. Getting an enemy in sights was difficult; killing him, nearly impossible. Their rusty Springfields frequently jammed. Some constabulary troops fired a three-inch Stokes mortar, only to have one shell smack an overhanging tree branch and fall at their feet. Luckily, as was usually the case with their ordnance, it was a dud. Grenades, so heavy they had to be thrown sidearm, leaked gunpowder and were almost useless. In fact, in the pages of a captured diary, one Japanese soldier professed to be more afraid of getting hit by the objects than he was of the grenades actually exploding. Shelter halves and mosquito nets were scarce, so the Americans slept in foxholes and shell craters, under unrelenting attack from swarms of insects, shaking and sweating as the chills and fevers of malaria spread through the ranks. Since mess trucks had difficulty navigating the jungle roads, they were fed at odd intervals, if at all. With dabs of cotton in their nostrils to block the putrid, omnipresent odor of rotting corpses, the Americans ate sourdough bread and salmon gravy washed down by water ladled from oily fuel drums. But the men of the provisional battalions kept fighting. Although January 2526 saw no appreciable advances, more importantly there were no retreats. At Quinauan, Ed Dyess was proving as talented a leader on the ground as he was in the air. The Japanese were unable to penetrate inland according to plan. But Dyess could not continue the act indefinitely, nor could the men of the other provisional battalions. Accustomed to bunking aboard ships or working in hangarsnot in a jungle battle zonethey grew increasingly irritable, sick, and bewildered. Their maps and their army commanders said they were making progress, but the closer they advanced toward their respective points, the more resistance they met from the Japanese. It would take a Japanese attempt to reinforce the troops at Quinauan on January 27, as well as alarming casualty reports from the provisional battalions, to finally awaken American commanders to the gravity of the situation. A series of skirmishes along the American main line of resistance now several miles farther to the southhad revealed that the points landings were not supplementary feints: they were the primary attacks. MacArthur immediately ordered the Philippine Scouts to help the exhausted provisional battalions drive the Japanese into the sea. On January 27, 12-inch mortars on the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay blistered Longoskawayan Point; the next day, a detachment from the 57th Philippine Scouts relieved the weary sailors of the Naval Defense Battalion. Within three days, all Japanese resistance at Longoskawayan Point was eliminated. It would not be so easy at Quinauan. On January 28, Dyesss men were relieved by more than 500 scouts. Yet six days later, Dyess and his now battle-tested veterans returned, picked up the M-1 Garands made available by the scouts heavy losses, drew batches of hand grenades, and rejoined the fight. With the aid of portable radio sets and Stuart light tanks from the 192nd Tank Battalion, the outfit gnarled its way forward through the corpses, human entrails, and unexploded ordnance that littered the mangled vegetation, and penned the Japanese into an area nearly 100 yards wide and some 50 yards from the seaward edge of the points sheer cliff. It was there that Americans first started to get a sense of the enemy they would face for the next three years. It became clear that many Japanese preferred death to surrender. Some jumped from the cliffs to perish on the rocks below; others dove into Agloloma Bay and swam into the South China Sea, there to drown. A few Japanese waited for the arrival of reinforcements. But the wait would be in vain: American artillerymen and the handful of remaining P-40s in the Bataan air force had seen to that. In the moonlit early morning hours of February 2, four P-40s attacked a convoy of 13 landing barges carrying the Japanese 20th Infantrys 1st Battalion just off Quinauan Point. Shore-based searchlights illuminated the craft and the pilots swooped down to drop fragmentation bombs and spit thousands of rounds of .50 caliber bullets into the barges. By 3 a.m. they had all but destroyed the flotillaand nearly half of the 1st Battalion. As debris and corpses lolled in the surf, interpreters used bullhorns and sound trucks to entreat the Japanese to surrender. Again, the Americans were confounded by the illogical responses. Holed up in caves and scattered redoubts on the rocky beach, the Japanese usually answered with bullets, occasionally with actions and words. Two Japanese, their ammunition expended, threw their shoes at an American tank. When they refused to surrender, the tank ran them over. The American and Filipino troops established a tight perimeter at the edge of the cliffs. It was here on the west coast of Bataan that the first American forces in the Pacific would attempt to evict well-armed, fanatical Japanese holdouts. And without the aid of flamethrowers, bazookas, and air and naval support, the task would prove even more difficult for the defenders of Bataan than it would for Allied troops island hopping across the Pacific years later. They improvised, hurling gasoline bombs, as well as jury-rigged land mines and sticks of dynamite lashed to bamboo spears that were thrown like javelins. They attempted to smoke the Japanese out of their hideouts with oil-soaked rags and smudge pots, and detonated 50-pound boxes of dynamite at the mouths of caves. Finally, after days of negligible results, Ed Dyess was summoned to the 45th Philippine Scouts command post. There he learned that now-General Pierce wanted men from the 21st Pursuit to board navy landing craft and storm the beach at Agloloma Bay, which had a far more accessible landing spot than the adjacent point, to put an end to the Japanese resistance once and for all. Once again, the pilots job description had changed. Dyess, in so many words, was now a marine. As dawn broke on February 8, the steel-plated bows of the launches plowed through the shimmering waves, leaving a gurgling, foamy wake receding in the distance. Dyess watched the sunbeams wash over the coastline and burn the blanket of fog off the land, revealing the verdant hills and rocky cliffs, spattered with the vivid orange and red blooms of talisay trees. The grounded pilot was leading what is now believed to be the first amphibious landing of U.S. forces against the Japanese in the war. Dyess surveyed his landing party, which he had hand-picked for the mission. The group included 20 enlisted men who had proven themselves at Quinauan, plus Lt. I. B.Jack Donalson, one of Dyesss favorite pilots. Their four-vessel convoy chugging up from Mariveles was led by two 35-foot launches that had been converted to gunboats under the command of Lt. Comdr. Henry Hap Goodall. The gunboats, products of the talented artificers of the USS Canopus, an old submarine tender anchored off Mariveles, each towed a motorless whaleboat containing 10 airmen. The tactical plan was a simple one. Two squads, one led by Dyess, one by Donalson, were to land on opposite sides of the bay. Dyess would attack from the right, or southern side of the Agloloma Bay inlet, and Donalsons men were to be deposited on the northern shore, and advance toward the center, eliminating all resistance encountered en route to their rendezvous. Shortly after 8 a.m., the navy gunners spied the white bed sheets, visible among the clusters of shrubby balibago trees, that Filipino and American troops had used to mark Japanese positions. At Goodalls signal, the bow-mounted, 37mm guns commenced a furious 10-minute cannonade. Suddenly, a sailor alerted Goodall to a flight of Japanese dive-bombers in the eastern sky. Dyess, who had been riding in the lead gunboat in order to direct the bombardment, watched in admiration as Goodall ignored the enemy planes.To hell with the airplanes, sailor, Goodall barked, before pivoting to address Dyess. Where do you want the next shot, Captain? But Goodall did take evasive action as bombs splashed around them, rocking the vessels and shooting geysers of water onto the decks. As Goodall veered in, the sailors released the whaleboats, which drifted off with the tide through the turquoise phosphorescence, Japanese bombers still droning like angry bees above them. Clambering aboard his barge, Dyess found his landing party frozen with fear. I thought you guys were the men of the outfit! he yelled, in an effort to break the spell. Several tense, agonizing seconds passed. Well, are you? Dyess got his answer. As salt spray stung their faces, they tumbled overboard into the neck-high waves and lunged through the crystal churn. Burdened by their cumbersome arsenal, the airmen stumbled ashore, rushing for cover as Japanese fire swept the beach. Working in teams and armed with rifles and Thompson submachine guns, Dyesss men scrambled across the sand, lobbing grenades into caves and foxholes while Dyess and Sgt. Cecil Ammons sprayed the brush with their Lewis guns. Meanwhile, Jack Donalsons party was making progress 200 yards to the north. Employing tactics similar to those of Dyesss men, Sergeants Bob Miller and Bryan Gibson were making short work of the enemy redoubts. Donalson was leading the charge, firing his Lewis gun from his hip, oblivious to the bullets spattering the sands around him. The smoke eventually began to clear, and by 2 p.m. the battle for Agloloma Bay was over. As was, for all intents and purposes, the Battle of the Points. The Japanese holdouts at Anyasan and Silaiim pointsseveral hundred soldiers from the 20th Infantrys 1st Battalion, the survivors of the relief force that the P-40s had destroyed near Agloloma, had washed up therewere neutralized by the 17th Pursuit Squadron and the 45th and 57th Philippine Scouts in mid-February. By the conclusion of the battle, it was estimated that the provisional battalions, with help from the scouts, had wiped out nearly the entire invasion force. While a few were taken as prisoners, only 34 Japanese were believed to have survived the battle and returned to their lines. The gambit cost Homma two full battalionssome 2,000 men. By comparison, in the course of the battles for Quinauan Point and Agloloma Bay, the 21st Pursuit Squadron lost less than one-tenth of its total strength. The defenders of Longoskawayan Point suffered 22 dead and 66 wounded. At Anyasan-Silaiim, the final count was 70 dead. When one weighs the odds that faced the provisional battalions against their collective accomplishment, the numbers are extraordinary. For their efforts at Agloloma Bay, Dyess, Donalson, and Goodall would receive Distinguished Service Crosses, and the enlisted men Silver Stars. Dyess and his men were also rewarded with the announcement that the 21st Pursuit would be relieved of its infantry responsibilities and reassigned to flight operations at the Bataan and Cabcaben air fields, the Far East Air Forces new, hidden airdromes on the besieged peninsula. The news, Dyess later wrote, touched off a wild charivari of clanging tinware, shots, and Indian yells. While the immediate threat to the Allies western flank had been eliminated, the ultimate consequences of the battle would be revealed by time. Viewed through the wide-angle, panoramic lenses of hindsight and history, the Battle of the Points can arguably be considered Americas first strategic victory of the Pacific War, for it forestalled an earlier fall of Bataan, severely altering Japans chronology of conquest in both the Philippines and elsewhere in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. Homma, missing his deadlinethe Philippines would fall in 149 days instead of 50would have to shamefully request reinforcements in order to end the campaign. This siphoning of reinforcements and resources, which could have been used elsewhere in other battle zones, would ultimately slow the momentum from Japans opening offensive, momentum the Japanese would never recovermomentum that might just have been Japans only hope for winning a negotiated peace in the Pacific. Though the primary goal of Japans opening thrust would eventually be reachedthe capture of the resource-rich Dutch East Indiesand Nippon would eventually expand its empire across seven time zones, from Burma to the Aleutian Islands, by mid-1942, the loss of those 100 days on Bataan effectively prevented Japan from ever consolidating its newly-conquered possessions, penetrating the Malay Barrier, threatening Australia and New Zealand, and, most significantly, from fully fortifying its holdings in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in order to interdict Allied shipping. Had Japan been able to do so, and lay siege to Australiaa vulnerable, nearly defenseless targetand deny the Allies a local base of operations, the Americans would have been forced to stage offensive operations from perhaps as far away as Hawaii and could have conceivably been fighting the Japanese on Vanuatu, or perhaps Fiji, instead of on Guadalcanal in late 1942. This crucial turn of events would never have been possible if not for USAFFE Field Order No. 4, proof that battles cannot be won, but they canin the most extraordinary of circumstancesbe decided on paper. More importantly, it could not have occurred if not for the blood, fighting spirit, and sacrifices of the men of the forgotten provisional battalions of Bataan. Originally published in the October 2010 issue of World War II Magazine. To subscribe, click here. 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. Critically acclaimed Lyric Soprano Celine Byrne releases Christmas classic O Holy Night, with all proceeds going to the Jack and Jill Foundation and the Children in Hospital Ireland. Universally acclaimed Irish Lyric Soprano, Celine Byrne today launched her mesmerising and spellbinding charity Christmas single O Holy Night. An acclaimed Christmas carol, Celine has married tradition with the operatic world working in company with the RTE Concert Orchestra with all proceeds going to both the Jack and Jill Foundation and the Children in Hospital Ireland. The recording is proudly supported by An Post, and was managed by NK Management. The single is available to stream and download from all DSPs and is available to buy for 2.99 in CD format in Topaz, Applegreen, Carrolls Irish Gifts, Dubray Books, and various leading outlets Nationwide. 'O Holy Night', a beloved worldwide Christmas carol, was originally inspired by a clergyman in a small French town in the 1800s and soon propelled from a simple poem to a cherished Christmas anthem known to many in an abundance of languages. Advertisement Celine Byrne, a performer of fine lyrical quality, who has been noted for the ease with which she manages to combine power and confidence with delicate and heartfelt intensity, has brought an exquisite touch to the classic carol. Celines velvety and elegant voice ensures the listener a spine-tingling experience. Working with the RTE Concert Orchestra, the single was conducted by Robert Houlihan, Gavin Murphy worked on the arrangement, while Gareth Hudson produced the single. Speaking about the launch of the single, Celine Byrne said: " O Holy Night is the most beautiful Christmas carol and always invokes special memories for me. "It was truly an honour to lend my voice to this recording and was such a wonderful experience to record with the RTE Concert Orchestra. "The Jack and Jill Foundation and the Children in Hospital Ireland are two such deserving charities, so I ask you to please spread the Christmas cheer and pick up your copy of O Holy Night today!" 'O Holy Night' will also be available to purchase at Celine Byrnes Christmas Gala taking place in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre on 15 December. You can keep up to date via social media on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/celinebyrnesoprano/ , Instagram @Celinesporano and @CelineSoprano on Twitter. Following a triumphant show at 3Arena earlier this month, Jools Holland has announced he will return to Dublin next October with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Joining Jools once again are Gilson Lavis, Ruby Turner & Louise Marshall. Jools recent 3Arena show, which featured the iconic Jose Feliciano, was one of the stand-out concerts of the year, with multiple standing ovations and mass sing-alongs as Jools brought out the best in his band and guests, with some special magic being weaved by his old Squeeze sidekick Mr Gilson Lavis. Jools Holland will return to the 3Arena on October 20, 2018. Advertisement Tickets from 54 including booking and facility fees go on sale Friday 01 December at 8.30am. Laura Whitmore and fashion designer and tailor Gresham Blake have joined forces to design an incredible tie for an Aids charity, the MTV Staying Alive Foundation. Laura tells Hot Press, "I've created a pattern with my friend and designer Gresham Blake based on my favourite things - Music, flowers and the colour yellow. "This print makes me smile everytime I see it! And hopefully can brighten up many other people's day. "Profits go towards MTV Staying Alive, a charity I've been involved with for almost 10 years, and aims to build an empowered and educated generation of young people, equipped with the tools and knowledge to protect themselves and their peers from the HIV epidemic." She also tells Hot Press: "It's shocking that today, AIDS is still the leading cause of death among young people (aged 10-24) in Africa, and second leading cause globally. So we're launching this tie print on World AIDS day to help raise awareness and necessary funds to eradicate the HIV epidemic for good." Greshams passion for the partnership is fuelled by the fact he has lost a dear friend to this non-discriminatory virus. For every tie purchased, Gresham Blake will donate 20 from each tie sale to MTV Staying Alive available from www.GreshamBlake.com. The funds raised from the ties will go towards supporting grassroots, youth-led initiatives around the world that provide education about HIV and sexual and reproductive health in local communities. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate If you think Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google already have monopolistic power, just wait until the FCC rolls back net neutrality rules. President Donald Trump's appointee to lead the Federal Communications Commission announced last week that he intends to hand the internet over to corporate interests, allowing service providers to speed up content from some companies while slowing down content from others. The so-called FANG companies and internet service providers couldn't be happier. In the current age of doublespeak, of course, the Trump administration is portraying the move as a blow against Big Brother. "Under my proposal, the federal government will stop micromanaging the internet," Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said in a statement. Pai's initiative, though, would end the last egalitarian aspect of a technology that early developers believed would make information freely available to everyone. Under current rules, internet service providers must treat all data equally, whether it comes from Facebook or a web site that hasn't been updated in a decade. The repeal of net neutrality would allow internet service providers to set up multiple lanes on the information highway, each with its own speed limit, and of course, different tolls. This will bring profound changes to how we experience the internet. Streaming video provider Netflix will not only be able to pay a provider like AT&T to get in the fast lane, it will theoretically be able to pay AT&T to put Hulu in the slow lane. For the consumer, that means lightning-fast access to "Stranger Things," but not-so-great service when watching "The Handmaid's Tale." If we want the priorities flipped, AT&T could charge us for that. Under Pai's proposal, Google could favor shopping results from its site over those of Amazon. Or vice versa, if Amazon struck a deal with major service providers. Lastly, what are the odds of a new social media company challenging Facebook and Twitter if those companies can pay to make sure that they are always the fastest, highest-quality service? How can a new video streaming company or a shopping network break into the market if incumbents can rig the system against them? This gives internet service providers enormous power not only to auction off access to the fast lane, but also limit a company's access to large swaths of the country. Most Americans only have one or two choices of service providers, so they have to take whatever their service provider gives them. Pai claims the Federal Trade Commission will block these kinds of abuses, but in fact, the FTC does not have the authority. Preserving competition and consumer choice in telecommunications is the FCC's mission, and Pai is abdicating that role and allowing the world's wealthiest and most powerful technology giants to bolster their monopolies. "For more than a decade, previous Republican and Democratic FCCs have tried to bring fairness and balance to the delivery of the internet to consumers," Tom Wheeler, a former FCC chairman under President Barack Obama, wrote in an op-ed. "Now the Trump FCC has simply cut to the chase, there is no need for the big companies to sue - they'll just be given everything they want." Pai's proposal comes at a fascinating moment in internet history, when companies are becoming more powerful and governments fearful. Russian intelligence services managed to use Facebook and Twitter to deliver false propaganda messages to tens of millions of American voters, possibly influencing a presidential election. When all of us do our online socializing on just two unregulated, poorly moderated sites, we become easy pickings for foreign intelligence agencies. Amazon, meanwhile, is doing its best to wipe out local retail stores. In addition to selling consumer goods, Amazon also offers streaming video, prepared meals and is expected to enter the pharmacy business. Google actively scrapes our email for consumer data and has trained its voice technology to look for clues about future purchases. Even before Pai's announcement about rolling back net neutrality, many governments were opening investigations. The European Union fined Google $2.7 billion for favoring its own shopping service in search results after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission declined to take action. Germany, Japan and the U.S. Congress are digging into whether Facebook is abusing its market power or acting as an unwitting dupe for Russian agents. Trump's Justice Department last week sued to block AT&T from merging with Time Warner, an unusual move since the companies do not compete. AT&T has pointed to the FANG companies' growing market power to justify the acquisition. One thing is certain. Allowing internet companies to boost their power will not benefit consumers, only hurt them. FCC commissioners will vote on lifting net neutrality rules on Dec. 14, and the repeal will likely pass on a party-line vote. After that, big business will control the internet like never before. Maison Pucha Bistro, a stylish French restaurant in the former Black & White space at 1001 Studewood, is now open for business in the Heights. Chef Manuel Pucha announced in the summer he was leaving his post as executive chef at La Table in the Galleria area to realize his dream of owning his first restaurant. He managed to convince two of his brothers, Victor, a French-trained pastry chef, and Cristian, a budding sommelier and bar manager, to give up their jobs in New York to move to Houston to collaborate on the project. The restaurant had a soft opening last week during the busy Thanksgiving rush. Manuel Pucha's menu is technique-driven French with a few flourishes of his native Ecuador and a whole lot of visual flair. All his years in fine-dining kitchens (Bistro Moderne, Philippe Restaurant & Lounge, La Table) are evident in his dishes at the bistro. The debut menu touts starters such as crab and avocado in a ponzu and green apple dressing; Akaushi beef tartare; beet and goat cheese salad with baby arugula; lobster bisque; lobster tortellini in a Thai lobster sauce; foie gras duo (seared and terrine) with a port wine reduction and brioche; and classic French onion soup. Pucha's promise to incorporate flavors of South America and his native Ecuador show up in fish tiradito with aji amarillo and Peruvian corn, as well as his Ecuadorian-style ceviche of lightly poached shrimp in orange, lime, and lemon juices served with crispy plantain chips. The mains include classic bistro fare: steak frites (hanger with sauce Bearnasie); coq au vin; duck confit with salad frisee and duck fat potatoes; lamb navarin; trout almandine with brown butter and saffron potatoes; roasted chicken with pommes puree; filet mignon with gratin dauphinoise; branzino en papillote; and a showy bouillabaisse with broth poured tableside. For special occasions there is a grand presentation of chateaubriand for two, available on Friday and Saturday only. Victor Pucha's dessert list is tres French, too: Tarte Tatin and profiteroles. But he also works with Ecuadorian products such as chocolate, which shows up in his souffle and in his chocolate cake, as well as coffee from his homeland, which flavors his creme brulee served with vanilla-orange Madeleines. The Puchas promise to bring more flavors and foods from Ecuador (native spices and vegetables) once the restaurant is properly established. It will always be, however, a place where the refinements of French cooking can be found. Manuel Pucha said he is happy with the first few days of service last week, and the plates coming out of his kitchen, open to the dining room. "It has color, passion, and movement," he said. "It's cooking from the heart." Maison Pucha Bistro, 1001 Studewood, 713-637-4976; maisonpucha.com. Open for dinner Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 p.m., Sunday 5 to 9 p.m. The leader of several adoption and foster care initiatives in Montgomery County apologized for submitting a proclamation to county commissioners that supported adoption from adults regardless of their gender identity. Terri Jaggers, who is the president of the Montgomery County Child Protective Services board, took to Facebook Live Nov. 17 making the teary-eyed apology and calling it a "mistake" that gender identity was included in the submitted proclamation. Jaggers helped organize Montgomery County Adoption Day Nov. 15 where more than two dozen children were adopted by families inside a Conroe courthouse. Now Playing: Lim speaks with Lu Mueller-Kaul of MBA Orlando, the LGBT Chamber of Commerce, and Deb Ofsowitz of Orlando PRIDE, about what it means to be an LGBT ally in Orlando, Florida. Video: Orlando Sentinel The proclamation Jaggers submitted, marked Nov. 15, 2017, as Montgomery County Adoption Day, in part, states "there are no restrictions on who can adopt based on race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or marital status " Commissioners passed the proclamation unanimously. Some members of the online community lashed out at Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal, who also read the proclamation on Adoption Day, for helping pass the proclamation. In her video, Jaggers said she copy and pasted the proclamation from a template she found and did not read it through before submitting it to Doyal's office for consideration. "I screwed up," Jaggers said in the video. "Not Craig Doyal, and not the commissioners court. It was me. They trusted me to provide the right proclamation. I've done it every year. This year, it was a new template. I hardly read it myself." "I know we're a conservative county, and my heart bleeds," Jaggers further said. "If you know me, you know I'm a conservative. But I also love every child in this foster care system. As much as my Christian faith controls and determines my acts of obedience and what I do every day, I also understand the hurt and the realities some of these children face every day (with) abuse at the hands of their abusers. Sometimes, the very best families for these kids are not a mother and a father. They need some healing from either a female that's been in their life or a male father figure that's been in their life. Did I put that in there intentionally? No. Did I realize it was in there? No." In a statement emailed Friday to The Courier, Doyal said the proclamation was "purely ceremonial" and did not affect any adoption law or practice. "The court's intent was simply to promote adoptions, utilizing language provided by someone we trust who has offered up similar resolutions over the last decade without controversy," Doyal said. "Allegations that the court intended to make any broad statements of policy beyond promoting adoptions are simply incorrect. It is unfortunate that attention has been taken away from thousands of children needing a loving home and instead placed on a manufactured political controversy." Jaggers said she would more closely review any future proclamations before submitted them to commissioners. In a text Saturday, she told The Courier she never meant to make a controversy out of the proclamation. "I will make sure any such ceremonial proclamations accurately reflect the celebration of our community's love for our children," Jaggers said. "I want it to be completely clear that improving the lives of our community's most vulnerable children is, and will remain, my priority." LGBT community supporters said they saw nothing wrong with the proclamation and believe commissioners should leave it in place. Griffin Winkworth, LGBT& outreach coordinator for the Montgomery County Democratic Party, said the first two lines of the proclamation, rather, are what stuck out to him the most. They read, "children are the key to the state's future success, prosperity and quality of life" and "all children and teens deserve a safe, loving family yet there are 89 children and teens in Montgomery County who are waiting to be adopted." He said those lines should be the focus of the proclamation. "The proclamation passing the way it was is how it should have exactly passed," Winkworth said. "To me, it comes back to those first two lines. Provided people meet all the requirements for the agency, they should be able to adopt. It goes along with the whole rhetoric that transgender people are somehow a danger to children. I'd argue that excluding them from this kind of representation is more harmful to those 89 kids who are still waiting to be adopted." Dave Welch, president of the Texas Pastors Council, thought otherwise. The council, undersigned by Welch, sent a letter to Doyal's office Nov. 20 chastising him and the four commissioners for leaving gender identity in the proclamation. "There are literally countless categories of human condition on which 'there are no restrictions,' so the inclusion of 'sexual orientation or expression, gender identity' give them special status equal to legitimate state and federal equal rights characteristics listed prior to that," the letter stated. "The question is why a Republican County Commissioners court would cater to a radical anti-family agenda in violation of your own party platform, credible social science and basic common sense?" The letter, as well as a follow-up letter sent Friday, asked that commissioners address the issue in some way. Nothing related to the proclamation appears on the commissioners court agenda for Nov. 24. In an interview Wednesday, Welch said he understood how Jaggers brought the proclamation to the court erroneously. "We are very, very pro-adoption and pro-foster care and work closely with legislatures with some of the policy changes as well as our churches to increase participation," Welch said. "However, we're also deeply concerned that we're following this infiltration of the radical LGBTQ influence into the social service structure by putting children in the homes that are not in the best interest of the child. That's how some of these things seep into the process. Our concern is basically to continue to watch those very carefully. This resolution was clearly authored by somebody with that agenda in the social service system that, unfortunately, Terri got a hold of innocently. But it's clearly a reality of what is being attempted to be done in changing the nature of opening children up to potentially very damaging situations." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate EDINBURG - An 84-year-old former Catholic priest will stand trial in the 1960 death of a schoolteacher and beauty queen in South Texas after a district attorney made good on his campaign promise to attempt to get justice for the slain woman's family. A Hildago County grand jury decided in February 2016 that there was enough evidence to charge former priest John Bernard Feit in the 1960 slaying of Irene Garza. Jury selection is expected to begin Monday with opening arguments set for the end of the week. The mysterious circumstances surrounding the slaying of Garza, a 25-year-old McAllen schoolteacher who went missing in April 1960 and was found dead five days later in a canal, has piqued both the interest of locals and national media, such as CNN and "48 Hours." Garza had gone to visit Sacred Heart Church in McAllen for confession during Holy Week when she disappeared. Even after a large-scale manhunt for her killer, police were unable to arrest anyone. Feit, now 84, worked as a visiting Catholic priest in the Rio Grande Valley in the early 1960s - and had been questioned by authorities in the young woman's disappearance. But ultimately at the urging of local Catholic church officials, authorities were steered away from Feit. They eventually ruled him out as a suspect and never questioned him again. The case went cold until 2002, when McAllen police and the Texas Rangers renewed their efforts and reopened the case into Garza's death. They interviewed key witnesses like the Rev. Joseph O'Brien, a McAllen priest who said he'd seen scratches on Feit's hands in the days following Garza's disappearance. He eventually told the Rangers that Feit confessed to Garza's slaying. The renewed interest in the case led to public pressure on the county's district attorney, Rene Guerra, who at that point had been the county's top prosecutor for more than 20 years, to have a new grand jury look at the case. Guerra initially declined to have the case sent to a grand jury because he questioned both the McAllen police department's and the Texas Rangers' handling of the case and subsequent interviews. But he bent to pressure and sent the case to a new grand jury in 2004 - only to have them come back and decline to indict the former priest, citing a lack of any new evidence. Ten years later, during a highly contentious race in 2014, Garza's case proved to be Guerra's undoing and was seen as one of the primary factors leading to Guerra losing the district attorney post to Ricardo Rodriguez, who at the time was serving as state district court judge. Rodriguez, who had the support of the victim's relatives, ran for the position in part with the promise of taking a closer look at the cold case, and bringing Feit to justice. He eventually reopened Garza's case, requested a new grand jury, which led to a subsequent indictment against Feit in early February 2016. Feit was arrested that month at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home after Rodriguez argued there was enough evidence to prosecute him. Since his extradition last March, the octogenarian has remained in custody at the county jail under 24-hour medical watch because of a slew of ailments. Feit, who has publicly denied any involvement in Garza's death on multiple occasions, is expected to sit through about three weeks of trial testimony. If Harris County were its own state, it would have a more active death chamber than the entire country outside of Texas. Of the 1,465 U.S. executions in the modern death penalty era, 125 have come from Harris County, or roughly 8 percent. The next-closest executioner is Dallas County, with 55 death sentences carried out since the Supreme Court reinstated the ultimate punishment in 1976. Houston's reputation as ground zero for the death penalty, it seems, is well-earned - even though prosecutors have been less apt to dole out capital sentences in recent years. While the numbers are stark, the reasons behind the Bayou City's apparent zeal for capital punishment are less apparent. It's not driven by public support for the practice. It's not driven by an unusually high crime rate, or by especially heinous murders. So what is driving it? What sets apart jurisdictions that frequently turn to capital punishment? That is one of the questions Frank Baumgartner and his co-authors explore in "Deadly Justice," a numbers-heavy study of capital punishment released this month. The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill political science professor took some time this week to field questions from Chronicle reporter Keri Blakinger about his new book and its implications in the Houston area. Here are excerpts from the interview: Q: Harris County is known as the capital of capital punishment - why is that? Are Houstonians just more supportive of it? A: Well, actually I would say two things. We got data from a Rice University Houston-area poll, and it turns out the public opinion in Houston is less supportive for the death penalty than in the rest of Texas. In general across the country, we don't find any correlation between public opinion and executions, and the reason for that is that if you don't support capital punishment you're not allowed to sit on a jury. The key driver in the system is the choices that district attorneys make, because they start the process, and they get to pick and choose whether to seek death. Looking at all 3,000 counties in the U.S., there are just a few counties that have executed more than, say, 10 people - there's only 20 counties like that - and it's really astounding that there would be so much concentration in a few jurisdictions. There's really no rhyme or reason to it. Q: It's not that Houston has more horrific crimes? A: No, not at all. I think it's something about a local culture that develops around the courthouse. Most counties never go there, but a few counties happen to sucessfully carry through to the end a death sentence - and then when the next really bad murder happens the prosecutors say, "Well this is just as bad as that one where we sought death, so we kind of have to do it again this time." Q: We hear a lot about botched executions; is this happening more than it used to, and why aren't we seeing these botched executions in Texas? Or is it just a matter of time? A: Lethal injection is a medicalized procedure, but - in most states - no doctors are allowed to participate, so I think it does lend itself to botches in a way that other methods like firing squads or hangings did not. But Texas has a lot more practice. So there have been fewer botches in Texas because, I think, the teams in the corrections department are relatively in practice. In carrying out 400 or 500 hundred executions, they've just done it a lot more. Q: People always seem to express frustration over the length of the delays - sometimes it's 20 years. Is Texas an outlier in this, or is this a pretty normal time frame here? A: The average as of 2015 is about 20 years delay from crime to execution, so that's pretty shocking. There are three shockers. One is the extreme delay - that's 20 years in solitary confinement. So it's 20 years of harsh punishment followed by execution. The other shocker is that we only carry out 13 percent of the death sentences. It's just astounding. And the third shocker is that even when the governor signs a death warrant it's not usually carried out. On average, those things are canceled. Q: How are the questions and discussions around the use of the death penalty changing? A: The biggest change was in the 1990s: We started to pay serious attention to the concept of innocence and whether there might be innocent people on death row and whether we should celebrate it when we identify them and they're exonerated, or if we should interpret that number as catastrophic. The innocence argument has really shaken people's faith that you can count on the government to get it right every single time. Q: One of the topics that comes up a lot now - and has been written about a lot - is one of your chapter titles: "Is the death penalty dying?" Is it? A: I think it's in a stranglehold. The system is so tied up in knots, partly because of the concern of executing an innocent person. It's really hard to justify or have enthusiasm about a system so dysfunctional as the current modern death penalty, even if you're a prosecutor. Rosemary Billquist had worked a little late Wednesday, so by the time she returned to her home in western New York it was already getting dark. She took her yellow Labrador retrievers, Sugar and Stella, for a walk around 5:30 p.m., while her husband, Jamie, stayed behind at their home in Sherman, New York, about 65 miles southwest of Buffalo. But 15 or 20 minutes later, Sugar and Stella came bounding back without her. They were peering backward, barking with unusual urgency. "They obviously knew something happened," Jamie Billquist said in an interview Saturday night. "And I'm thinking to myself, 'This isn't right.'" Billquist reached for his phone to call his wife. When he looked up he saw an ambulance barreling into view. There had been a shooting, a volunteer medic told him. As he would soon find out, the victim was his wife. Authorities said Rosemary Billquist, 43, was walking when one of her neighbors, Thomas B. Jadlowski, believed he saw a deer in a field and fired a single-shot pistol. Jadlowski heard a scream, and then ran about 200 yards to where he found Billquist with a gunshot wound, the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. He called 911 and applied pressure to her wound until medical help arrived. She was pronounced dead at a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania. Jadlowski, 34, had fired his pistol after sunset, and it is illegal to hunt deer after the sun goes down, the statement said. Chautauqua County, where the shooting occurred, is a rural and agricultural county of about 132,000 people in the far western corner of New York that is bordered by Pennsylvania to its south and Lake Erie to its north. Jamie Billquist said he kept calling his wife's phone until Jadlowski answered it and told him where to meet him. When Billquist found his wife less than 100 yards from the back of their house, she was unresponsive, he said. "It's been a tough few days," Billquist, 47, said. "It just saddens me because it's something that could have been avoided." Authorities said Jadlowski had been cooperating with investigators, and no charges had been filed as of Wednesday. Officials noted that the investigation was continuing, and said prosecutors would review the case. Attempts to reach Jadlowski on Saturday were unsuccessful. Jamie Billquist said he and his wife knew the Jadlowski family in the way that neighbors casually do. They would wave when they saw each other and Billquist said he and his wife watched Jadlowski grow up. There were "never any bad feelings" between them, he said. "I'm not looking for vengeance, and I know Rosemary's not either," Billquist said. "There's got to be some kind of lesson." Billquist said he was not a hunter but added that "not knowing what you're shooting at when you think you're shooting a deer, it boggles my mind." He said he was considering starting a foundation to offer hunting safety courses. First-time hunters must pass one or more courses before getting a hunting license in New York, according to state rules. Four people were killed in hunting-related shootings in New York last year, according to State Department of Environmental Conservation figures. Dale Dunkelberger, a firearms instructor for the department's hunter education program, told The Buffalo News that hunters "have to understand there are other people using trails" and using parks "in areas where we as sportsmen hunt." After sunset, "you're done," he said. "That's the law." It was Dec. 6, 1990, when Jamie Billquist was in a shopping mall with a friend and saw Rosemary in a white dress shirt and a black blazer. She was 17; he was 20. He recalled telling his friend: "This girl is beautiful. I'd like to meet her." They hit it off, got married and made a home in Jamestown, New York, before returning to Sherman to fix up and live in the same home where she grew up. He worked in sales for Pepsi. She became a health information medical specialist, a job that allowed her to help people. When she wasn't working, Rosemary Billquist volunteered at a local hospice program, bringing in pets to cheer up patients. If a woman receiving care complimented her fingernail polish, Billquist would return the next day to paint the woman's nails with that polish. Even when she was working, Rosemary Billquist would spend her lunch breaks helping dialysis patients return to their cars, Jamie Billquist said. One day, when she was going for a walk, she saw a man outside the hospital struggling to stand as he waited for his ride. With the help of her husband, Rosemary Billquist brought a bench from home. She stenciled a message on it. "In a world where you can be anything, be kind," it said. AUSTIN -- Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller praised President Trump on Facebook for removing a Muslim judge from the bench who made a ruling that would implement Sharia law in the United States. However, that never happened. Miller, one of the state's most prolific politicians on social media, shared a link Sunday to a made-up story published on a site called Trump Solid Supporters. Miller added the comment, "Good on President Trump. Sharia law has no place in the United States of America." The story claims a 22nd Court of Appeals justice named Hansam al Alallawalahi-Smith made a ruling in Michigan that supported two tenants of Sharia law, a religious code used in some Muslim communities. Now Playing: President Trump is taking another aim at the mainstream media outlets. Video: GeoBeats The story has been debunked numerous times this spring and summer. A "22nd Circuit Court of Appeals" does not exist in the federal court system, and removal of a federal judge must happen via impeachment, according to the U.S. Constitution, not presidential executive order. In previous iterations of the story published on other sites, the justice's name appeared with a picture of a Florida judge by a different name. The post has been shared more than 6,500 times. Monday afternoon, Miller edited his post, saying, "Well it looks like I may have been duped. This may be fake news, but I still think Sharia law has no place in the United States of America." Miller, who has nearly 637,000 people who have liked his Facebook page, has a record of making gaffes and controversial statements in social media. Last month he posted a political cartoon of a Congressional Democrat dancing on a soldier's grave, and a year ago someone on his staff shared a retweet referring to then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton by a vulgar term. Miller blamed the retweet on a staffer. His team in the past has also shared a Facebook post depicting an atomic bomb blast, saying, "Japan has been at peace with the U.S. since August 9, 1945. It's time we made peace with the Muslim world." That post was taken down the next day, sparking outrage on Miller's Facebook page. At the time, Miller's office said future posts would reflect the commissioner's views. Miller is up for re-election in 2018. Kim Olson, a retired Air Force colonel, filed paperwork earlier this month to run as a Democrat against Miller. Andrea Zelinski covers state government, politics and the courts. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Send her tips at andrea.zelinski@chron.com. AUSTIN -- Bending to years of pressure for Texas to provide better care for victims of sex trafficking, state officials are launching a new initiative to help victims. Kim Grabert, who recently was named the state's first-ever director of human trafficking prevention, is leading the charge for more funding and resources to address the issue that's a priority for Houston and other cities statewide. A recent University of Texas study estimated the state now has more than 300,000 human trafficking victims. Grabert, a veteran of the child welfare industry in Florida, said changing the statewide procedure of caring for victims of child sex trafficking is one of many things on to-do list since arriving at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services in June. "The largest hurdle initially is to have everybody have an understanding of this issue of sex trafficking," Grabert said. "Texas is at a place where I think we've been building up to this conversation, and I think now is the right time to have staff in positions to address it." Texas has long tried to address the problem of human trafficking in the state, but Texans have been critical of the government's efforts at providing rehabilitative care for victims of the crime. In 2014, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for a statewide effort to help the more than 79,000 minors and youth victims of sex trafficking in the state, but the Texas Legislature has done little to address the problem. During the 85th legislative session, the legislature allocated $1.3 million per year to create a grant program specifically for assisting child sex trafficking victims. However, legislators also removed a proposal to create a $3 million grant program aimed at helping all trafficking victims, continuing a decade-long pattern of providing little funds towards the issue. "When it comes to serving this population, there has to be greater funding, and there has to be funding for more than one avenue," said Grabert. "Government alone, in whatever capacity, we're not going to have the resources to treat the complexities of the needs of this population, whether they're minors or adults, so everyone has to step up and provide a piece." To do this, Grabert said she is reviewing the methods for responding to victims of sex trafficking from everyone who deals with the problem in the state. "When you engage with these children ... you have to build a relationship," Grabert said. "It's not simple. This is neurologically driven, trauma driven behavior and punitive action is not effective." Grabert said her position was created through a grant from the governor's office to allow the state to respond to the issue of child sex trafficking on behalf of the child welfare program. "Governor Abbott is fully committed to doing everything he can to put an end to the horrific practice of human trafficking, while helping rehabilitate child sex trafficking victims and vigorously prosecuting the criminals involved," said Ciara Matthews, spokesperson for Abbott. "The governor is pleased with the work Kim Grabert has done already, and he will continue to dedicate the necessary resources to combat this heinous crime." In Texas, A Houston based shelter is the only privately run safe house that provides long-term housing for girls who are victims of sex trafficking, called Freedom Place. There are multiple drop-in shelters that provide short term care in the state. Houston a hub Hilary Sherrer, spokesperson for Houston victim's daytime drop-in shelter The Landing, said she wishes Texas had addressed the problem of victim care sooner. "I think it's always frustrating when things aren't done as quickly or efficiently as we would like them to be done," Sherrer said. "Yes, it's frustrating that this hasn't happened before, but there will always be things to do, and I am happy that something is being done, and I think it is a better step in the right direction." Houston is one of the largest hubs for sex trafficking in the United States, but Sherrer also said Texas should look to the city as a blueprint to addressing the issue. "Houston has developed a very strategic plan on how to combat human trafficking as a city," Sherrer said. "It's a great first step, strategically getting a plan to put together, and that would be a great thing to see in Texas on how we can address this as a state, all across this huge state." Texas is taking a great step by adding the position of director of human trafficking, Grabert said, and coordinating the state's response is one of the objectives in the early months of her new job. "I think every state needs this position and this type of response," Grabert said. "I think they need it in all of the state agencies, but particularly when people talk about child sex trafficking specifically. They function under this concept that this is a new issue, and it's escalating, and it's not. The conversation around child sex trafficking is certainly not new." Our nation's energy industry got some good news during Thanksgiving week. The long delayed Keystone XL pipeline, stalled by years of politically motivated setbacks, finally got the green light it has badly needed. Unfortunately, it still isn't clear whether the project will finally be completed. And at the same time, an oil spill pointedly highlighted precisely the kind of accident the developers of this pipeline must now scrupulously avoid. Keystone finally won approval from regulators in Nebraska, whose decision removed the last major hurdle for the completion of a project that would ultimately link Canada's Alberta oil sands to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. That decision was a triumph not only for TransCanada Corp., the pipeline developer that employs nearly 1,000 people in Houston, but also for America's entire oil and gas industry. Keystone has been a lightning rod for controversy because of intense opposition from fossil fuel critics, who naively believe that blocking this project will help wean the world off oil. Other pipeline projects have also been delayed during the past few years because of what's been called "the Keystone effect." So last week's Nebraska decision was rightly celebrated throughout the industry. But what happens next is anybody's guess. When the project was launched almost a decade ago, oil sold for almost double today's price. So there's now some question whether finishing the pipeline makes economic sense. Let's hope it does. This 1,700 mile conduit would bring 700,000 to 800,000 barrels of heavy oil to plants and refineries in our state every day. Unlike crude imported from the Middle East, this critical commodity will come from our country's most reliable ally and neighbor, Canada. Unlike oil transported by train, it will flow through the most secure mode of transit possible: a pipeline. Still, an accident that happened a few days ago dramatically demonstrates that pipelines aren't foolproof. More than 200,000 gallons of crude spilled out of Keystone in South Dakota, providing ammunition to opponents who argue the project poses an unacceptable environmental hazard. That should serve as a warning to TransCanada, which must ensure that the dire predictions promoted by Keystone's opponents don't become a reality. Americans rely upon products refined from oil. That simple reality will not change in our lifetimes. So Keystone's last major regulatory approval is a sensible decision that will benefit the economy of Houston, Texas and the whole nation. At the same time, it's vital that federal and state regulators hold TransCanada to the highest safety standards. As that accident in South Dakota proves, even a single oil spill is one too many. I was born in Azerbaijan but came to Houston 20 years ago with my husband, who is a petrochemical scientist. I was surprised that my adopted city could feel so much like home. My hometown of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and my adoptive home of Houston are natural siblings. Both are port cities. Both have economies built on the energy industry. Both are international cities with diverse and inclusive cultures. That's why, for the past 12 years, I have volunteered with the Houston-Baku Sister City Association. The idea of sister cities may seem purely ceremonial to some in the United States. But I can assure you, when Houston and Baku became sister cities in 1976, it had a big impact on Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was a part of the U.S.S.R., and there was not much contact between East and West. There was not one single Azerbaijani living in Houston. Former Mayor Louis Welch had the idea of linking the two oil-producing cities. A few years later, the two cities' relationship was established by then-Mayor Fred Hofheinz. Under the sister city program, many Azerbaijanis got their first look at America. They were welcomed by Houstonians and formed real bonds, allowing both sides to cut through some of the Cold War tension of the time. After Azerbaijan gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, many Texans came to work and live in Baku to help Azerbaijan develop its oil and gas resources. Our organization is non-political, so it would be in inappropriate for me to comment on the op-ed "Sister city violates Houston values" (Page A17, Nov 4). There are a couple things I can say, however. First, America's sister cities overseas have never been selected based on whether their home countries' governments are like the U.S. Indeed, quite the opposite is the case. The sister city program is designed to bring people together and to celebrate our common humanity. If U.S. cities chose only foreign cities that look like ours, what would be the point? Second, it would be a shame to allow politics to harm or possibly end the tremendously friendly and productive relationship that Houston and Baku have built over the past 41 years. I remember the old ways in my home country when leaders were eager to restrict humanitarian contact between countries and turn person-to-person programs into political tools to punish foes and reward friends. Doing the same again has no place in Houston or in America. In addition to the annual musical and cultural events our organization puts on - often in cooperation with the Sister Cities of Houston, which includes all 18 Houston sister cities - we are working to provide opportunities for Azerbaijanis and Texans alike. We were a key part of the 2014 visit to Houston by the Baku Higher Oil School to the University of Houston. A year later, a group from the University of Houston visited Baku. As a result, three of the top universities in Azerbaijan signed an agreement with UH for education exchange. Already, UH is hosting four Azerbaijani students. In turn, UH students from several majors can study at ADA University in Baku. Our group also organizes reunions of Houstonians who have lived and worked in Azerbaijan's oil fields to help them reconnect and to thank them for their profound impact on my home country's development. I know on a personal level how much these opportunities have meant to the people who've had a chance to take advantage of them. I'm happy to have lived in Houston for the past 20 years because of the warmth and friendliness that Houstonians have always shown me and my family. We've been here long enough that my second grandchild is on the way. Maybe aside from Baku, I can't think of a better place for a baby to be born. Akhoundova is the president of the Houston-Baku Sister City Association. The following are excerpts from reports generated by the Texas County Sheriffs Department: A deputy was dispatched at about 12:20 a.m. Nov. 11 regarding a suicidal man at a Highway B residence at Raymondville. A woman had reported that the man, 24, had sent her text messages indicating he was going to kill himself, including photos of a Mossberg shotgun he intended to shoot himself with. When the officer arrived, he observed the man sitting in a truck with the shotgun leaning against the bed. The man reported got out of the truck and refused to comply with commands to put his hands up. The man then moved toward the gun and officers tased him. He was taken into custody and placed on a 24-hour hold pending a judge signing a 96-hour commitment. A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper was called in to assist at the scene. No charges are being sought. A deputy on Nov. 14 investigated a reported burglary at a Valley Dale Drive residence at Plato. A 34-year-old man who owns the home told the officer he had been gone for four days and when he returned he found that several items with a total value of $6,200 were missing. There are no suspects. A deputy was dispatched at about 7:50 p.m. Nov. 16 to assist the Houston Police Department on Industrial Drive after a woman had locked her two children inside her car. The deputy was called in because he had tools to make entry into a locked vehicle. The deputy successfully opened the vehicles door without causing any damage and got the kids out. A 77-year-old man reported on Nov. 19 that his 1989 GMC pickup valued at $3,500 had been stolen. Missouri State Highway Patrol officers located the truck Nov. 22 on Jacks Fork Hill on Highway 137. It was towed to a lot into Houston, and the owner was told he could pick it up there. There are no suspects. A 66-year-old Mountain Grove man reported on Nov. 20 that his 2001 GMC pickup truck (valued at $2,000) had been stolen from his Strain Drive residence. The man stated two guns and several tools had been inside the vehicle. The vehicle was recovered Nov. 21 on Austin Lake Road at Mountain Grove. On Nov. 22, the Mountain View Police Department reported that a vehicle had been recovered that was reported stolen in a different Texas County case, and that two guns were found inside it matching the description of the mans missing firearms. An male inmate in the Texas County Jail reported on Nov. 22 that another male inmate had stolen his drinking cup. The victim said he been let out of his cell for a one-hour recreation period and the suspect swiped his cup while he was out. A report was sent to the county prosecutor. A Mountain Grove man reported on Nov. 22 that his 1998 Chevrolet pickup (valued at $8,000) had been stolen from his Mount Zion road residence. There are no suspects. Texas County Jail admissions Nov. 17 Mary Jane West stealing Vance O. Lane assault Mallory R. Buell driving without a license Adam E. Smith possession of controlled substance Nov. 18 Cody E. Hall DWI, leaving scene of a motor vehicle accident Nov. 19 Scotty G. Barham stealing rented property Jennifer D. Hendrix failure to appear (assault) Nov. 20 Stanley E. Cornman possession of controlled substance Nov. 21 Orion D. Wickert assault, tampering with witness Clarence L. Hall driving while revoked Joshua D. Eisenhauer 5-day commitment Alexus N. Henson Pulaski County hold Christopher White Christian County hold Sterling L. Moore parole violation Dandy J.M. Nettles possession with intent Nov. 23 Tyler J. Smith possession of controlled substance Jeremy L. Shelton harassment Ryan D. Thompson parole warrant Nov. 24 Brittany L. Scrivener Greene County hold Tanya A. Harris 48-hour shock Nov. 25 Ryan D. Burns Platte County hold Nicholas W. Berriault 48-hour shock Chance I. Gale 48-hour commitment Nov. 26 Christopher Daugherty failure to appear As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. HR professional sets out to establish a gender pay gap within their organisation but a number of external factors combined with unconscious bias means disparity can quickly creep in however, putting it right isnt always as easy, or is it?Robin Davies is the director of people and culture at beverage giant Lion her firm was recognised as a gold-standard winner at this years YWCA Equal Pay Awards after it eradicated its gender pay gap in one fell swoop.The company, which has approximately 1,000 across New Zealand, identified a 3.2 per cent pay gap across its workforce and chose to take immediate action.I found it quite confronting to be honest because Id heard about the gender pay gap but I just didnt feel like it could apply to us, says Davies. From conversations Ive had since, it seems thats quite a common perception.With a gap of 3.2 per cent, Lions initial disparity was significantly lower than New Zealands 9.7 per cent national average but Davies says the entire senior leadership team agreed any disparity was unacceptable.It wasnt difficult at all to convince any of our senior leaders to close the gap and to close it immediately, Davies tells HRD. I was really blown away by the unconditional support we had across the New Zealand business, from our CEO, Stuart Irvine, and from our board.Davies, who has held various roles since joining the company in 2003, also said there was no hesitation about the timeline for closing the gap.We had various options about the time period over which we would close it but we all felt that it had to happen immediately, she says. I really think this is an amazing example of a board demonstrating its values and being prepared to stand up for something.For organisations that hope to achieve something similar, Davies says they should seek the support of their executive team and prepare to absorb significant financial cost.It absolutely requires the commitment right through the organisation from all of the senior leaders, she stresses. Then obviously there is a significant financial cost but weve proved that we can make a decision in accordance with our values, weve closed it immediately and we managed the cost of what it is. We just get on and make it happen.Despite the cost, Davies says the initiative has already had a huge impact on employees both those who saw their salaries rise and those who were left unaffected.One of our core principles is transparency with our people and our people saw that we were demonstrating transparency in action so its strengthened our culture even further and developed the trust they have in us, she says. Humane Society International hosted Brazils first corporate animal welfare roundtable, bringing together food industry leaders to discuss the cage-free egg movement in the country. In recent years, egg-laying hen welfare has become a priority corporate social responsibility issue for the food industry, with dozens of food companies committing to sourcing exclusively cage-free eggs. The roundtable, which took place at the Mercure hotel in Sao Paulo, included speakers from Arcos Dorados, the company that operates all McDonalds restaurants in Brazil and 19 other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Bunge, one of Brazils largest food and agribusiness companies. They spoke about their corporate commitments and actions to achieve a transition to a 100 percent cage-free egg supply chains by 2025. Other speakers included representatives from FAI do Brasil, who discussed technical information regarding cage-free egg production systems, and from Certified Humane, who shared information on animal welfare certification in Brazil. Representatives from Brazilian companies that have already committed to or are looking into cage-free supply chains attended the roundtable. Leonardo Lima, director of sustainable development for Arcos Dorados, said: Arcos Dorados has a strong commitment to animal welfare in all its procurement and follows advances in farm animal production models. That is why we are sourcing exclusively cage-free eggs by 2025, committed to providing our clients with higher quality products. Our partnership with Humane Society International will help ensure that our animal welfare policies are robust and applicable to our suppliers. Meire de Fatima de Ferreira, sustainability manager for Bunge in Brazil, stated: At Bunge we take corporate social responsibility and responsible consumption seriously, which includes animal welfare in our supply chain. Were committed to only sourcing cage-free eggs by 2025, and will work with Humane Society International and our peers to make this happen. Fernanda Vieira, corporate policy and program manager for HSI Farm Animals in Brazil, stated: Were thrilled to host Brazils first corporate animal welfare roundtable and bring together forward-thinking companies that are committed to higher animal welfare standards in their supply chains. Humane Society Internationals mission is to not only call for the improved treatment of animals, but to support companies as they implement animal welfare policies, and encourage collaboration among various stakeholders. We want to help ensure that companies have all of the tools and resources they need to make a cage-free future for laying hens a reality. Support farm animals. In Brazil and around the world, egg-laying hens spend their entire lives confined in wire battery cages, so small that they cannot even fully spread their wings. Science confirms what common sense tells us: the lack of space and restriction of movement is detrimental to the physical health of these animals and causes enormous frustration and suffering. However, advocates for better animal welfare are making enormous progress in Brazil. Dozens of the largest food corporations, including McDonalds, Bunge, Cargill, Nestle, BFFC, and GRSA, have committed to using exclusively cage-free eggs in their supply chains in Brazil, by 2025 or earlier. ADVERTISE Hypebot & MusicThinkTank With the internet and digital technologies driving rapid change within the music industry, articles about new releases and who has been hired and fired are no longer enough. Our up to the minute industry news alongside insightful commentary helps our readers sift through the rumors and developments to find the information they need to keep their businesses moving forward. Hypebot is read daily by more than 30,000 music industry professionals including executives and senior staff of music related tech firms, internet based music sites, every major label group and most indies as well as many managers, artists and members of the live music community: Contact us for the latesst stats, ad rates and sponosorship opportunites. We also offer combined rates with MusicThinkTank. FCC Released Its Net Neutrality Killing Order, Hoping You Were Too Busy Cooking Turkey To Read It "The FCC is trying to use the Thanksgiving holiday to distract the press and public from its blatant handout to one of the least liked and least competitive industries in America," writes Karl Bode of Techdirt, "Trying to bury such an epic middle finger to consumers behind the cranberry sauce is an obvious underestimation of just how unpopular this plan is, and the policy, political, and cultural backlash it's going to generate for years. That said, all six of you not currently driving long distances, buying turkeys and potatoes, or otherwise distracted by holiday preparation can now read a fact sheet provided by the FCC (pdf) explaining what Ajit Pai and his lobbying friends in the telecom industry have planned for you. To Ajit Pai's credit (and I'm using that term loosely here), the rules do pretty much everything he promised they would, including rolling back the Title II classification of ISPs as common carriers that gives the FCC its ability to enforce net neutrality. Without that authority, the FCC can't really protect you as giant broadband providers abuse the lack of competition in the last mile (a lack of competition Ajit Pai refuses to acknowledge, much less actually fix). ISPs have been very busy trying to claim that gutting this authority doesn't kill net neutrality protections, though we've already explained at length why that's nonsense. Throughout the order, the FCC repeatedly tries to claim that the very real harms we've seen in the broadband sector thanks to a lack of healthy competition are entirely "speculative" and "hypothetical": "Because of the paucity of concrete evidence of harms to the openness of the Internet, the Title II Order and its proponents have heavily relied on purely speculative threats. We do not believe hypothetical harms, unsupported by empirical data, economic theory, or even recent anecdotes, provide a basis for public-utility regulation of ISPs.428 Indeed, economic theory demonstrates that many of the practices prohibited by the Title II Order can sometimes harm consumers and sometimes benefit consumers; therefore, it is not accurate to presume that all hypothetical effects are harmful." You know, speculative instances like that time AT&T blocked customer access to Facetime in order to drive them to more expensive mobile data plans. Or the time AT&T throttled users then lied about it (something AT&T's still fighting a lawsuit over). Or that time Comcast applied arbitrary and completely unnecessary usage caps and overage fees to its broadband service (again, thanks to a lack of competition), then exempted the company's own content from those caps while still penalizing competitors. Or how about that time Verizon blocked competing mobile wallets from even working on its phones to give its own payment platform an advantage? There's plenty more very real, very non-speculative examples where that came from, and the problem gets worse if you look at the bad behavior by ISPs on the privacy front (also caused by a lack of competition). Like when AT&T decided to charge users hundreds of extra dollars a monthjust to opt out of snoopvertising, or the time Verizon was busted covertly modifying user packets to track users around the internet without telling them or letting them opt out. If you think these very real market harms are "speculative" you've been in a coma for the last decade. Yet this argument that net neutrality is an entirely theoretical problem sits at the heart of the FCC's order. It's an order that makes it abundantly clear that the real goal is to completely dismantle the FCC's authority over broadband mono/duopolies, then shovel any remaining authority to an FTC that's technically incapable of actually policing abuses in the sector. Anybody framing this as anything other than a grotesque example of crony capitalism is either viciously misinformed or intentionally lying to you for personal financial benefit. One thing of particular note in the Orwellian-named "Restoring Internet Freedom" order is the fact that the FCC wants to ban states that try to protect net neutrality and consumer welfare in the wake of the federal handout to industry . The agency doesn't specifically spell out how it intends to do this, but it's something ISPs like Comcast have been lobbying for for several months. ISPs have similarly been lobbying the government to ban states from protecting your broadband privacy after the GOP and Trump administration rushed to kill fairly basic broadband privacy protections earlier this year. For years, ISPs have quite literally been allowed to write awful protectionist state laws that prohibit towns and cities from building their own broadband networks, or even striking public/private partnerships with companies like Google Fiber. Even in cases where the private sector refuses to. When folks pointed out that maybe giant uncompetitive duopolies shouldn't be allowed to write shitty state law, ISPs and their pay-to-play allies insisted this was an assault on states' rights. But when these same states try to protect consumers, you'll notice these concerns magically disappear. Another thing to note: the FCC's original net neutrality order contained some very useful transparency rules that required that ISPs be entirely candid about what kind of traffic management they're using on your connection. And while Pai and his friends at Comcast have made a big deal about how they'll be retaining some of these protections, the order itself makes it abundantly clear that they intend to strip out most of the enforcement mechanisms that actually make these transparency protections work. For example, the order proclaims: "Our enforcement changes will ensure that ISPs will be held accountable for any violations of the transparency rule. But then proceeds to point out how it intends to eliminate most of the safeguards in place to ensure these requirements are actually adhered to: "We eliminate the formal complaint procedures because the informal complaint procedure, in conjunction with other redress options including consumer protection laws, will sufficiently protect consumers. Additionally, we eliminate the position of Open Internet Ombudsperson because the staff from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureauother than the Ombudspersonhave been performing the Ombudsperson functions envisioned by the Title II Order. We also eliminate the issuance of enforcement advisory opinions, because enforcement advisory opinions do not diminish regulatory uncertainty, particularly for small providers. Instead, they add costs and uncertain timelines since there is no specific timeframe within which to act, which can also inhibit innovation." The FCC's order also makes it clear that it wants to do away with protections governing interconnection. You'll recall that as people got wise to how ISPs were trying to throttle or otherwise hamstring competitors, ISPs got more creative and began intentionally letting interconnection points with transit operators and companies like Netflix get congested. Why? ISPs like Comcast and Verizon hoped to 1) kill the common practice of settlement-free peering, and 2) force companies like Netflix to pay an additional toll if they wanted video packets to reach subscribers on time, and intact (aka "double dipping" or more bluntly, extortion). Unnoticed by many in the lawsuit by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman against Charter over slow speeds was the fact that Charter executives were busted candidly discussing this strategy to drive up costs for competitors and transit operators. When the FCC passed its 2015 net neutrality rules, this behavior mysteriously and magically ceased. Not surprisingly, the FCC is eager to eliminate any protections for this kind of anti-competitive behavior, insisting said protections were "unnecessary" and could magically be resolved by "market forces": "We believe that applying Title II to Internet traffic exchange arrangements was unnecessary and is likely to inhibit competition and innovation. We find that freeing Internet traffic exchange arrangements from burdensome government regulation, and allowing market forces to discipline this emerging market is the better course. Indeed, the cost of Internet transit fell over 99 percent on a cost-per-megabit basis from 2005 to 2015. In short, the FCC's plan to dismantle net neutrality rules is every bit as bad as most people expected it to be, and potentially a little bit worse. It opens the door to all manner of anti-competitive behavior by AT&T, Verizon, Charter and Comcast, while mindlessly dismissing the very real harms a lack of broadband competition is having on numerous industries. It tries to ban states from stepping in and filling the void in the face of obvious federal regulatory capture, and opens the door to giant, unaccountable ISPs to do pretty much whatever they'd like as they take full advantage of the broken residential and business broadband markets. It's easy to be disheartened by this grotesque handout to duopolists, but users should take heart in the fact that this FCC order is so aggressively vile and obnoxious as to be potentially legally indefensible. In court, the FCC will have to prove that the broadband market has changed so substantially in the last two years as to justify such a brutal reversal of consumer-friendly policies. It will also have to defend the fact that it ignored 22 million, largely oppositional public comments on the FCC effort, and turned a blind eye to numerous instances of fraud and abuse of the comment system in order to downplay the massive backlash to its plan. Even if the FCC does manage to win in the courts, it then has to stop the inevitable political backlash that is likely to eject Ajit Pai and friends from power. That's why you'll likely see an ISP effort in the new year to try and pass a new net neutrality law ISP lackeys and sockpuppets will breathlessly claim "solves" this problem once and for all, but will be integrated with so many loopholes as to be effectively useless. It's real purpose: to prevent the FCC from revisiting this subject down the road under the guise of "putting this issue to bed once and for all." The problem for ISP lobbyists is that we're entering an election season, and countless politicians are going to be tripping over themselves to distance themselves from the unpopular policies of the current administration. You're not going to find a more unpopular policy than this myopic assault on net neutrality and the health of the internet. That said, it's important to remember that net neutrality isn't a fight that magically ends with the passage or elimination of consumer protections, strong, weak, or otherwise. Since net neutrality violations are just a symptom of a lack of competition in the broadband market, it's a battle we're going to have to fight in perpetuity or at least until somebody in the United States government discovers the fortitude and courage to actually stand up to AT&T, Verizon, Charter and Comcast and begins implementing policies that finally attempt to actually fix our obvious competitive logjam. Share on: Berkshire County Republican Association Chairman Tyler Hasting, on the left, has a laugh with attorney general candidate Jay McMahon. Republican Attorney General Candidate Visits Berkshires McMahon's three main priorities are on protecting the second amendment, increasing public safety, and tackling the opioid addiction problem facing the state. PITTSFIELD, Mass. Jay McMahon wouldn't want a "bump stock" on his rifle. "You can shoot faster without it and more accurate," the Bourne attorney said. "Your bullets are scattering and they aren't going on target. Anybody who cares about their shots is not going to want a bump stock." But McMahon vehemently opposes Massachusetts' decision to ban the device. He says it is an infringement on the 2nd Amendment and he wants to defend that right. "To me, it is not what do you need. To me, it is that is your right," McMahon said. "As soon as they justify taking some part of your right, they're going to justify the rest. We're going to ban the slide stock. They already did large-capacity magazines. You can only have magazines that have up to 10 rounds." McMahon uses a SeeAll aiming device, which he says improves accuracy immensely. Yet that remains legal. He said when it comes to gun rights, the Legislature is reactionary and doesn't make sense. "They said he had a bump stock in Las Vegas. So our Legislature, the Massachusetts Legislature, votes to ban bump stocks. Not one person even so much has gotten a hangnail from the bump stock -- forget about Massachusetts, in New England, no one in New England has been injured let alone killed by a bump stock," McMahon said. "And our Legislature goes right in and kills the bump stock, just kills it. It is a felony." And last year when Attorney General Maura Healey issued an enforcement order banning so-called "copycat" assault weapons, it got under McMahon's skin. "I saw that as arrogance beyond. It is total callous disregard for the 2nd Amendment right of the American citizens," McMahon said. So he has tossed his hat into the ring to run on the Republican ticket against Healey next year. One of his top priorities is defending the 2nd Amendment. "They don't like that it is menacing looking. They call it copycat assault weapons. They are rifles and nothing more. They've got stuff around it. Some people have a laser, some people have a flashlight. It does nothing to enhance the bullet," McMahon said. "I say if you have a menacing gun and somebody breaks into your house and you have that menacing gun and somebody looks at it, you may never have to shoot it because they'll realize they have the wrong address." McMahon said those in government are "are always trying to infringe. Nobody ever says 'hey let's try to expand that right. Why don't we let these people enjoy life?' Why is it that they always want to choke something out." McMahon visited with a core group of Republicans in the Berkshires last Tuesday. He recorded a few television shows on Pittsfield Community Television and then had lunch with a some members of the Berkshire County Republicans Association, with whom he discussed his major issues. "My main issue is the opioid crisis," the former military police officer said. McMahon says he has a three-fold plan to address the opioid crisis and that overdoses have quadrupled since Healey took office. The first step, he said, is to enhance rehabilitation programs. "Most of the rehabilitation programs in Massachusetts, ones you get sentences to or compelled to attend, have a 99 percent fail rate. The odds are against you of being rehabilitated if you go through a typical rehabilitation in Massachusetts. People say insurance companies don't want to pay for it. Here is the reason they don't want to pay -- they don't want to pay 10 times, 12 times, 20 times somebody going through a program when they know it is not working," McMahon said. McMahon said there are other models for rehabilitation that have proven track records -- specifically programs that take a longer period of time to help heal the brain. "We have the technology and the education to do it. We just don't have the will to do it," McMahon said. "It takes longer for the brain to heal so you keep the people longer and work them through it." He is calling for involuntary admissions to rehabilitation programs. "How about if it is a one-car accident and the cops save the guy with Narcan. There is a candidate right there [for involuntary admission]," McMahon said. "Let's save the person. Because if you can get them off of opioids and get them thinking correctly, they are going to be better fathers, better husbands, better employees, they are going to do the careers they are intended to do and they are going to put their hearts and souls into living their life." His second piece is to "dry up the source." He again criticized Healey's effort fine CVS and Walgreens drugstores earlier this year over prescriptions. "CVS and Walgreens are not selling opioids over the counter. And they are certainly not selling heroin and fentanyl, which is killing 80 percent of opioid addicts. So what are they doing? You can't go to CVS and Walgreens and get opioids by asking over the counter or even if you have an empty bottle ask to get it refilled. A doctor has to issue the prescription," McMahon said. "If the doctor gives a scrip to a guy, why is it CVS or Walgreen's responsibility or any other pharmacy to check to see if anybody else is doing it?" He wants the office to put the responsibility on the doctors and not the pharmacies. And then he wants to work with law enforcement to put a severe crackdown on heroin trafficking. "I want to make it so miserable for people in Massachusetts who are selling this poison, make it hazardous to do business. Let them go to another state," McMahon said. "Let's get our people clean from this poison." He said he'll work with federal authorities to ascertain information about trafficking into the state and then have troopers pull the dealers over. He said Healey is cutting off those ties by pushing for the commonwealth to become a "sanctuary city." "She doesn't want to deal with the feds. She wants to protect illegal immigrants. There is no other reason. She is not communicating with the feds," he said. "If you cut off your federal law enforcement assets for political expediency, you just killed all the intelligence that you have on how that stuff is coming into the state. I'm going to do just the opposite. I find that if you do just the opposite of anything Maura Healey is doing, you are probably going to do the right thing." He further opposes the sanctuary city declaration because he says it makes the state more unsafe. He said Healey is welcoming potential terrorists into the state at the same time she is "disarming the citizens." He wants to move in the opposite direction. McMahon knows a bit about public safety, too. Right out of high school he took an internship at the Barnstable House of Correction. He worked there and then went to the National Guard. "I was in a military police unit and from 1973 to 1974, I went to Massachusetts Military Academy where I graduated as second lieutenant. I stayed in there until my enlistment was up," he said. He earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School. He went into business management for a number of years and then into general law practice. He worked for just about 30 years in law, starting in 1988, in civil, criminal, domestic, and bankruptcy cases. He lives in Buzzards Bay with his wife of 25 years, Shelley, and has raised five children. In the 1990s, he ran for state representative as an independent because the candidate field was large and he felt it was a better chance to avoid a primary. "I got a lot of votes but I didn't win. The more I thought about it, I decided if I ran for public office ever again, I'd run as a Republican," McMahon said. "I wasn't always a Republican. Ronald Reagan is the guy that convinced me. My father would tell everybody 'we're Reagan Democrats.' And we were for a while. But in the early 1990s, I changed." He's been fairly silent in the political realm, though he remained active but not as a candidate. But when that enforcement order was issued, McMahon decided he wanted another run. This time, he's aiming for the attorney general job. Bibi to Assad: Well Strike If You Let Iran Set Up Bases in Syria The Fellowship | November 27, 2017 Bibi to Assad: We'll Strike If You Let Iran Set Up Bases in Syria Israels concern with Iranian encroachment in Syria continues to grow, with the Islamic Republic striving for arms factories there, as well as naval and air bases. The Times of Israel reports that PM Netanyahu conveyed a stark warning to the Syrian president, not to allow Iran to set up such bases in his country: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned Syrian President Bashar Assad that Israel will intervene militarily in the Syrian civil war if Assad gives formal permission to Iran to establish a military presence in Syria, Israeli TV reported on Sunday night. Netanyahu conveyed the message to Assad via a third party, Hadashot news (formerly Channel 2) veteran Middle East analyst Ehud Yaari reported. The warning specified that Israel will depart from the policy of non-intervention it has maintained throughout the six years of the civil war to date, Yaari said, if Assad invites Iranian forces to establish themselves in Syria via an agreement of any kind. Iran has provided significant logistical, technical, training and financial support for Assads regime and forces, as well as deploying military advisers and some combat troops in Syria. It also arms, trains and funds Hezbollah, the Lebanese terror group that has sent thousands of gunmen to fight alongside Assads troops. Thus far, Israel has provided medical and humanitarian aid to victims of the war across its border, has hit back when gunfire has crossed the border, and has used air strikes to target weapons stores and convoys intended for the Hezbollah terrorist organization. But, to date, there was no direct targeting of the Syrian Army or of Assad, Yaari noted. The report noted tellingly that this non-intervention contrasted with previous Israeli policy. In 2006, for instance, Israeli jets broke the sound barrier flying over Assads presidential palace in Latakia, in what was seen as a warning to him against supporting Palestinian terrorist groups. The reference to any formal Syrian invitation or agreement with Iran, the TV report elaborated, stems from the fact that Iran and Russia have been discussing future arrangements for Syria, under which all foreign forces would have to leave the country, except those which are present by agreement with, or invitation from, Assad Imperial Valley News Center Jailer Pleads Guilty to Abusing Inmate Atlanta, Georgia - Dwight Hamilton, a former correctional officer at the DeKalb County Jail, pleaded guilty on Monday to abusing a female inmate by tasing her without any legitimate justification. Leonard Dreyer, Mr. Hamiltons former supervisor at the DeKalb County Jail, previously pleaded guilty to attempting to obstruct the federal investigation into Mr. Hamiltons use of excessive force by making false statements to an FBI agent. According to the charges and other information presented in court, Dwight Hamilton worked as a sergeant at the DeKalb County Jail, and on November 1, 2011, he responded to the medical floor of the jail when a female inmate, T.P., asked to speak to a supervisor because her family visitation had been unexpectedly cancelled. Rather than explain the situation, Hamilton tased T.P. until she defecated on herself. Hamilton, who had been trained on proper taser usage, admitted he knew that what he was doing was wrong and continued anyway. As a result of the tasing, Inmate T. P. suffered permanent taser burns to her breast. Any correctional officer who violates an individuals right to due process and protection from unreasonable force will be held accountable under the law, said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. The Department of Justice will continue to work to ensure that the civil rights of all individuals will be protected. Officers who have sworn to maintain security and protect the inmates inside our county jails have a difficult job but despite challenges, most do their work in a professional manner, said U.S. Attorney Byung J. BJay Pak. However, Hamilton ignored that oath and unlawfully punished an inmate by inflicting severe pain and causing a permanent injury. Hamiltons conduct was clearly a violation of the inmates constitutional rights that warranted this criminal prosecution. Mondays guilty plea in federal court will clearly begin the process of holding former Dekalb County Corrections Officer Hamilton responsible for his criminal conduct involving the tasing of a female inmate, said David J. LeValley, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office. The FBI continues to play a significant role in investigating credible allegations of law enforcement misconduct, to include those occurring within a correctional facility, and presenting them, when appropriate, for federal prosecution as was the case with Mr. Hamilton. Dwight Hamilton, 53, of Atlanta, Georgia, will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy C. Batten on February 8, 2018. This case was investigated by the Atlanta Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brent Alan Gray of the Northern District of Georgia, and Trial Attorney Christopher Perras of the Civil Rights Division. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} If you'd noticed there was something slightly... off about Superman's top lip in Justice League, you'd be absolutely correct. Back in July, reports surfaced that the film's extensive reshoots hit an unusual set of complications: Henry Cavill could only be scheduled in right in the midst of his filming Mission: Impossible 6, which meant he was sporting a giant moustache at the time. Paramount, however, strictly refused to let the actor shave the facial fuzz he grew for the film, meaning his upper-lip buddy had to be digitally removed in Justice League's post-production. Of course, the immediate question is: why couldn't Cavill just shave the moustache off and wear a fake one for MI:6? According to an anonymous VFX artist on Justice League, in a Reddit AMA, Paramount simply refused. "Paramount should've shaved him and stuck a fake one on for MI6," he wrote. "Ridiculously petty of them. We did tests on already shot footage of Superman to add a beard as well, to show the MI6 team at Paramount it was loads easier. "Warner Bros offered to pay for all the beard adding shots in MI6," he continued. "They said no." Justice League Clip - How Many Of You Are There? He further pointed out that the film's opening shot, in which the blurring of Superman's top lip is the most obvious, was actually completed by a different effects company. "I'm not sure which other studio did that opening shot on the cell phone, but it's dreadful," he wrote. "It shouldn't have been approved internally let alone gone all the way to make it into the film. That shocked me a bit. We were all looking at each other when the film started like, 'WTF is this?!'" In addition, he stated his own regrets that the team weren't given more time to work on the film's reshoot effects, adding: "If you give us ridiculously hard shots to do four months before the film comes out, they're not gonna be the best they could be... I thought half [of] the Flash scenes looked crappy, and the CG Batman at the start even worse." Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Eric Clapton has been announced as the fourth headliner for BST Festival 2018. The iconic artist will play a special concert on 8 July, with special guests Santana, Steve Winwood and Gary Clark Jr. This isn't the first time Clapton will appear on the Great Oak Stage. He first performed with Blind Faith on 7 June 1969 alongside bandmates Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Rick Grech in front of 120,000 people. Clapton then returned in 1996 to record a concert that raised money for The Prince's Trust. He has performed almost 200 times down the road at the Royal Albert Hall. "I have happy memories of performing in Hyde Park in the past," he said, "and I'm really looking forward to playing there again - the whole atmosphere is very special." Also set to headline next year's BST festival in Hyde Park are Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters, Michael Buble, and Bruno Mars. Tickets to see Eric Clapton go on sale at 9am on 1 December. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Kipembawe Division is hidden in the southern highlands of south-west Tanzania, a long seven-hour drive north from the city of Mbeya. The scenery is stunning, yet when you look closer you can see that tobacco plants dominate agricultural areas, and the sound of trees being felled is a constant background noise. Just the word tobacco conjures up vivid imagery of death and disease, as depicted on graphic cigarette packets and through hard-hitting anti-smoking campaigns. But tobaccos impact starts long before it is found wrapped in a cigarette, and affects many more people than the estimated one billion smokers worldwide. Tobacco also impacts the health and well-being of the people who grow it and the environment where it is grown, often with devastating consequences. My colleagues and I have recently published research demonstrating just how damaging it can be to the environment and communities in rural Tanzania. Most villages in Kipembawe dont have electricity or mobile phone coverage. There are minimal healthcare facilities, and water is obtained from wells and rivers. There are few crops people can grow to make money and the dominant one is tobacco, farmed by 86 per cent of the 196 households we surveyed. In Tanzania, 47 per cent of the population lives below the international poverty line and rural poverty rates are even higher, where most people are reliant on agriculture. Farmers must clear more woodland almost every year to create new fields In Africa, tobacco cultivation is often associated with the presence of a dry tropical woodland called miombo, which dominates Kipembawe. Miombo woodland covers over 2.4m km in Africa, but is undergoing rapid deforestation and degradation throughout its range. Both tobacco and miombo trees like sandy, slightly acidic soils. Unfortunately, these soils dont contain many nutrients, and tobacco is one of the most nutrient-hungry crops there is. This means farmers must clear more woodland almost every year to create new fields, because the land can only support one or two cropping cycles. For tobacco leaves to be preserved for transportation and further processing they must be dried or cured. This places another burden on the trees, which are used for fuel. In total, approximately 4,134 hectares of woodland are cleared annually within Kipembawe. This reduces biodiversity and the benefits the local environment can provide people, including carbon storage, firewood, building materials and fresh water. Risks to farmers But woodland clearance is just the start of the process. Throughout the growing season, farmers apply several rounds of fertiliser and pesticides to the crop, yet few farmers understand the risks associated with their use. During our time in Kipembawe, we didnt see anyone using protective clothing or equipment, exposing farmers, families and labourers to harmful chemicals. Whats more, despite regulations that aim to reduce the impact of fertilisers on water sources, the crops are often initially grown close to rivers so that the distance to carry water is shorter. This means the only source of drinking water for livestock can become contaminated, causing conflict between livestock keepers and tobacco farmers. Child labour within tobacco growing is a also well-known issue, and the main tobacco organisations have joined the Eliminating Child Labour in Tobacco Growing Foundation. But we saw children working in the fields, and evidence from primary schools indicates that children are likely to start working on their parents fields from around the age of 13. While this has obvious consequences for their education, there are also severe health impacts. Green tobacco sickness is a form of nicotine poisoning that occurs when the tobacco leaves are wet and contact the skin. Nicotine is absorbed through the skin, and leads to fever, vomiting and dizziness. While it rarely results in death it can be extremely frightening to children, who are more susceptible to severe symptoms due to a lack of nicotine tolerance and smaller body size. Little other choice So why do farmers grow tobacco? Many people have few alternative ways to make a living and farmers can get a good price for top quality tobacco. This money can significantly improve the lives of the farmers, enabling them to pay school fees, invest in other businesses, and afford bicycles and solar electricity. Some men spend their money during the weeks after harvest drinking in the local pubs and pop-up bars which emerge. Canny women brew home beer from maize, and make a roaring trade. But prostitutes also flock to the area around this time, raising the risk of STI transmission. HIV rates in Mbeya are the third highest in the country, with nine per cent of 15-49 year olds testing positive for HIV four per cent higher than the national average. Deforestation could leave local workers without a source of income and a degraded environment Despite the 2005 World Health Organisations Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and falling smoking rates, global population growth means total tobacco use looks likely to keep rising in the foreseeable future. But in Kipembawe, the deforestation associated with tobacco cultivation will ultimately make production unviable because there will be no fuel left to cure the crop. This will leave the community without a significant source of income and a degraded environment. If people had other ways to make their living, it would help reduce the social and environmental burdens of tobacco production, but opportunities are limited. Tobacco production could be made more sustainable using alternative drying methods, reforestation, more efficient use of fertilisers and pesticides and land use management plans. But extensive training and support is needed, and child labour must be eliminated. All of this will be difficult while there is such great demand for tobacco. So next time you think about lighting up, remember its not just your health at risk. Kicking the habit could save both trees and childrens chances. Eleanor Jew is a researcher in conservation and agriculture at the University of Leeds. This article originally appeared in The Conversation (theconversation.com) Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} On a quiet strip of Rue de Marignan, just down the block from the Paris power-lunch spot LAvenue, Alex Bolen, the chief executive of Oscar de la Renta, was standing outside No 4, where the brand is to open a store next May. We think long and hard before we enter into a lease, Bolen said. With all thats going on in retail, we need to think even harder. For a luxury brand, whats the point of a store, at least a bricks-and-mortar store? It is a question many in the industry are asking, and trying to answer anew. In a difficult climate for retail, the stakes are very real, as 4 Rue de Marignan makes clear. Above the doorway, a sign hung reading Reed Krakoff. Krakoff, now the chief artistic officer of Tiffany & Co, shuttered his namesake brand in 2015 and never opened a shop in the space. Recent years have seen store closings from small brands and seismic contractions from major retailers, including Hudsons Bay Cos sale of the landmark Lord & Taylor building on Fifth Avenue last month to WeWork, the office-sharing startup. (Lord & Taylor will rent about a quarter of its former space to continue operating.) But the solution, say several retail innovators, is not the end of bricks and mortar, as some in the industry once anticipated. There was a time six or seven years ago when there was only talk of pure play e-commerce, said Stephanie Phair, the chief strategy officer of Farfetch, the marketplace and retail platform that helps brands do business online. What weve seen from a millennial consumer behaviour point of view is customers really want that joined-up online and offline experience. What that means is a renovation of the old bricks-and-mortar ideal. Instead of the arms race for the biggest location on the most desirable street, a new model focused on multifunctional, integrated stores is gaining currency: less storehouses of product than event spaces, classrooms, community centres, showrooms or studios. In the case of Oscar de la Renta, the two-story Marignan space will serve as not only the brands retail home in Paris but also the showroom for its four annual wholesale presentations. Jeang Kim, an interior designer and sister of Laura Kim, the brands co-creative director, is designing it as a modular space: displays can be cleared for customer-entertaining events and dinners, like the brand has begun to hold in New York following its runway shows, and a tailoring studio will allow customers to have fittings and alterations done on site. But while the physical stores continue to drive business, Oscar de la Renta has been finding new customers outside of its usual channels. Since joining Farfetch earlier this year to expand its e-commerce, often by way of the sites personal shoppers, the company has seen sales in the range of $200,000 a month, mostly from new customers. Two hundred thousand dollars, seemingly out of thin air, Bolen said. The brands stores now are inviting those personal shoppers to visit, to learn more about the collections. And they, in turn, may take their clients to the physical shops. The model for success, as Bolen sees it, is a combination of on- and off-line. We think bricks and mortar is going to be a critical part of it, but a very different part than its been in the past, Bolen said. Bricks-and-mortar stores those arent necessarily advantages anymore. Especially in second-tier markets, he added, stores might be a real millstone. Where brands affiliated with major luxury groups, like LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Kering, once had a clear competitive advantage in negotiating for real estate, given their ability to leverage entire portfolios of brands, smaller companies like Oscar de la Renta and the upstart London-based evening wear label Galvan are finding the playing field levelled by the rise of the smaller shop. I was with these very big brands that sell tens of thousands of units a week and have flagship stores, said Paul ORegan, the chief executive of Galvan, who previously was an executive at the Gucci Group (now Kering) and Burberry. Everyones closing stores around us and the fashion models changing. Galvan just opened its first store, combining its workspace and showroom with shopping for walk-in customers and by appointment. And its location in the Notting Hill area of London ensures lower overhead than on a luxury retail strip like Mount Street, a few miles east. Not only will the store have the current seasons options but customers also may order from the next seasons collection and browse past collections to have pieces revived in custom colours, working with personal shoppers or, in some cases, the founders themselves. Appointments also may be made at a clients home or office. We wanted to throw away all of those preconceptions and say: What would be the dream scenario for a woman buying a dress? ORegan said. Robert Burke, whose New York-based company has consulted on retail strategies for industry players including Ralph Lauren, Chloe and Bulgari, has seen such thinking emerge in recent years. Even the larger retailers, he said, are looking at just how many flagships or large stores they really need. That format worked for decades and decades. With the growth of online, it doesnt seem to be working. Bigger isnt better, necessarily. More focused is better, I think. And more intimate and more personal. The distinction, he added, was between the old idea of department stores and the emerging model of the apartment store. Technically speaking, the store-as-home or hub is nothing new. Harry Gordon Selfridge, the founder of Selfridges in London, once decreed that a store should be a social centre, and put an ice rink and a shooting range in his. But after several years of chilly, gallery-like shop design, a homey feeling is again becoming dominant. MatchesFashion.com, the London-based retailer, began as a single bricks-and-mortar store in Wimbledon Village (called simply Matches). But while business from its (now three) stores has been dwarfed by its global e-commerce, as its rechristening as MatchesFashion.com suggests, the company is continuing to invest in new stores. After a year of testing smaller, homier stores as part of a pop-up program called In Residence, it is scheduled to open a new permanent space (the company prefers not to call it a store) at No 5 Carlos Place in Mayfair in the spring. The space will have two floors of retail as well as floors for private shopping, but equally important will be the floor that is to house the companys broadcasting and content hub. Classes, panel discussions and events will be held there, all of which will be streamed on Facebook Live and YouTube, its social channels and its website. And all of it will be digitally shoppable. Thats the beauty of what were doing, said Ulric Jerome, the companys chief executive. You dont have to create an enormous department store to have a reach that is 10 or 100 times bigger than that department store. The reach is way bigger than the physical space. But the physical space enables you to produce amazing content. The Carlos Place store will have fewer choices than the full MatchesFashion.com range; it will be the curation of the curation, and well change the product quite often, Jerome said. But iPads will allow browsing in-store, and all products will be available within 90 minutes for delivery within metropolitan London. But at the companys existing stores, 40 per cent of the sales already are done via iPad. It reflects the reality that, for Matches, the online dwarfs the physical in every way: 95 per cent of Matches business is online, Jerome said, and 85 per cent is done outside of Britain. Jerome has confidence in the hybrid online/offline model, with smaller physical and larger digital space. We tested it, Jerome said. Now we are investing in it. We think its part of the future of the way we see retail. And he added that Apax Partners, which in September announced an agreement to take a majority stake in the company one that values it at about $1bn is fully supportive. Even those brands born online are stepping into the physical world. The RealReal, the online luxury consignment giant it receives 8,000-10,000 consignment items per day, according to Julie Wainwright, its founder and chief executive has spent a year testing pop-ups. And this month it is setting up a permanent retail space on Wooster Street in New York City. Wainwright is envisioning the space as community centre as much as shop: RealReals staff of experts, from watch gurus to fashion historians, will offer clinics and classes and offer appraisals, and the store will include a coffee bar and flower shop. It will also, lest one forget, have a curated selection of the websites clothes, shoes, accessories, jewellery and more: a fraction of the online offering, but a selection tailored to New York consumers. The RealReals pop-up experiment last December in New York revealed a particular synergy between on- and off-line shopping, and a customer base ready and willing to combine the two, Wainwright said. And, she added, the average purchase at the pop-up was larger than the average one online. If you walk into the store, everything you see will also be online, and anything you see online you can see in-store, she said. What we saw when we ran the pop-up, some people went in, saw the item, thought about it, ordered it online that night and picked it up in the store that next morning. Such synergy is what drives Wainwright, and others like her, toward their new approach. While the death knell for the bricks-and-mortar store has been premature, the online experience is never far away. There are going to be iPads everywhere, Wainwright said. New York Times Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Just when you thought celebrities had it all, it transpires that a select few have McDonalds gold cards that entitle them to unlimited free meals from the fast food giants. Rob Lowe, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates are just some of the starry names to reportedly possess a legendary McGold Card. Lowe flashed his shimmering card on Jimmy Kimmel Live, telling the US talk show host that his friends father invented the McMuffin, hence why he was given one. This is a real thing that exists you guys, Lowe said, failing to mention that in order to get your hands on one, you need to have some pretty strong connections. David Petersons father, named Herb, created the popular breakfast dish in 1972 and co-owned a Santa Barbara, California branch of McDonalds with his son until his death in 2008. The card Peterson subsequently gave to Lowe entitles the Hollywood actor to unlimited food for a year but theres a catch. Lowes McGold Card is only valid at his friends Santa Barbara franchise. Meanwhile, according to Santabarbara.com, Peterson also gave a McGold Card to Larry Crendell, a local philanthropist, for his 90th birthday. Warren Buffet revealed that he and Bill Gates were also lucky cardholders in 2007. There's just a few of them, the billionaire investor told CNBC. Bill Gates has one. His is good throughout the world, I guess. Mine is only good in Omaha, but I never leave Omaha so mine is just as good as his!" While its not known whether the mysterious cards are available to the general public or not, a McDonalds spokesperson told Mirror Online that they do not currently exist in the UK. Individual stores will make a call on the individual, for example a regular customer or local/national hero but there is no policy in the UK of giving away food to people and no plans to introduce it, they explained. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Kazakhstan is to adopt a new alphabet, replacing the Russian Cyrillic script with the alphabet you are reading at the moment. This was announced in October by Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Kazakh President, who signed decree Number 569, which also sets out an expanded version of the Roman alphabet to be introduced in schools in 2018. The aim is for full transition by 2025. The Cyrillic script currently used for Kazakh has 42 symbols (33 derived from the Russian alphabet plus nine for additional Kazakh sounds). Because the Roman alphabet contains just 26 letters, additional provision has had to be made. The new Kazakh script will use the apostrophe to extend the number of letters to 32. The official name of the country, , will henceforth be rendered Qazaqstan Respyblikasy, according to The Guardian. The proposed switch of alphabets has been in the pipeline at least since 2006, so this pronouncement should have caused little surprise. The plan was announced in April, building on proposals put forward in December 2012 as part of the Presidents Kazakhstan-2050 strategy, where the political rationale comes across unequivocally: For the sake of the future of our children we should make this decision [adopt the Roman alphabet] and create it as a condition of entry for our wider global integration. Another reason why Nazarbayevs decree should have come as no surprise is that periodic language reform is very much part of the landscape in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, which has a population of 18.2 million people, is a multilingual country with 117 spoken languages. Russian remains the dominant language of communication but the prestige of Kazakh is increasing. The official policy is one of societal trilingualism (Kazakh-Russian-English), with particular support for the state language what the Kazakhstan-2050 strategy calls the spiritual pivot. Kazakhstan occupies a strategic position in Central Asia and shifting allegiances can be clearly charted in the history of script reform. Early Runic scripts were gradually replaced by the Arabic script following the introduction of Islam in the 8th century. In 1924, the inherited Arabic script was modified to better reflect the sounds of Kazakh, which gave way to a Roman-based script in 1929. This, in turn, was replaced by Cyrillic in 1940, under the Soviet-era policy of Russification. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, neighbouring Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan quickly adopted the Roman script. Kazakhstan, the last of the former Soviet republics to declare independence, was politically more cautious. The economic situation in the early 1990s didnt permit the luxury of alphabet reform, but a rapid upturn in the economic fortunes of the nation since 2000 has meant an increasing commitment to Western ideals, to communication with the West, to learning English and to adopting its script. Tongue-tied The English-speaking world is not used to state-level intervention in the language, meddling in how it should be structured and how it will be used. Proposals for an official language body have come and gone over the centuries, but English unusually in the international context is relatively unplanned. Language planning (sometimes referred to as language management or cultivation) and the associated development of language policies is not just a state-level matter but also characterises how relationships play out at other levels: in education, in religious groups, in business, even within families. Wherever language practices are controlled or modified by those in authority (parents, teachers, religious or business leaders) we have language planning. Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has been politically cautious about adopting the Roman script (EPA) Sticking to state-level planning for now, there are plenty of examples: German was subject to orthographic reform in 1998 including limiting the use of the symbol and relaxing its rules about the use of commas. Meanwhile, Icelandic vocabulary is closely scrutinised and monitored to keep it free from foreign borrowings. The role of the Academie francaise in moderating the French language is well known. Is the direction in language planning always and inevitably top-down? Is it always the ideology of the dominant party (government, teacher, parent) that dictates language practices and prevails? The term language planning was coined in the 1960s to describe the ongoing process of state-level intervention in Norway. Successive reforms in the spelling and structure of both standard forms of Norwegian the Bokmal (book language) and Nynorsk (New Norwegian) were introduced as part of a process that would ultimately lead them to converge into a single standard variety of the language (Samnorsk, or Common Norwegian). Generations of Norwegians objected to the constant changes but seemed powerless to prevent further reform coming down from Norways Language Council. However, it appears now that the will of the people has prevailed in Norway and the official policy has shifted from direct engineering of the written forms of Norwegian to leaving them alone to develop organically. Norway will continue to write the two forms of the language into the foreseeable future. The success of language policies depends crucially on their political context. Watch your language In Kazakhstan, it is unlikely that the direction of influence in language planning will change very soon. Language policy will continue to be pursued in the post-Soviet regions as a central vector for change in the reconfiguring sociopolitical constellations for some time to come. In other words, its more about politics than language. Despite the enormous practical challenges inherent in the wholesale replacement of one script with another in a country of massive linguistic variety, we can be sure that Decree 569 will be made to work, heedless of a swell of indignant reactions among nationalistically inclined commentators in Russia. While such top-down intervention in language practices may stick in the craw of monolingual English speakers, used to a decidedly bottom-up approach to managing the national language, the Kazakh policy of trilingualism (the three-language policy) is one we should respect. As Britain prepares to leave the EU, like Kazakhstan, Britain will have cause to reconsider its international political relations. In pursuit of wider global integration Britain would do well to cling to the official EU language policy of multilingualism and the recommendation that every European citizen should master two other languages in addition to their mother tongue. Andrew Linn is the pro-vice-chancellor and the dean of social sciences and humanities at the University of Westminster. This article was originally published on The Conversation (theconversation.com) 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 }} American cities have been accused of surrendering to corporations and using democracy as a bargaining chip in their desperate bids to woo Amazon. The e-commerce giant said last month that it had attracted 238 offers from cities that want to be the location for Amazons second headquarters. The company says it will spend $5bn (3.8bn) on the new base, known as HQ2, which will employ 50,000 people. Several of the cities bids have been published, revealing the lengths that authorities are willing to go to lay out the red carpet for big businesses. Chicago and the state authorities of Illinois have jointly offered to hand Amazon more than $2bn in tax breaks, including $1.32bn of its workers income taxes. The scheme, known as a personal income tax diversion, would mean Amazon workers pay full income taxes, but instead of the state getting the money to use for schools, roads and other public services, Amazon would keep it. A 2012 report by the Good Jobs First non-profit organisation said such practices mean that workers are, in effect, paying taxes to their boss. Even Chicagos offer is dwarfed by the $7bn in incentives tabled by the Republican governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, a former ally of President Donald Trump. The proposal includes paying Amazon up to $10,000 for every job it creates and comes despite the fact that New Jersey has around $60bn in unfunded pension obligations, according to CNBC. Critics have said that Amazon does not need tax breaks. The companys share price has soared, boosting founder Jeff Bezos personal fortune by more than 32bn this year and recently making him the only person in the world worth more than $100bn. Other cities have made up for lower cash incentives by offering Amazon unusually close access to the corridors of power. Bostons published bid includes the offer to create an Amazon Task Force of city employees who would focus on fulfilling the companys needs. Fresno, in California, has promised to put 85 per cent of taxes paid by Amazon into a fund which would be ringfenced from normal taxation and overseen by a board made up of city officials and Amazon representatives. The rash of proposals have attracted criticism from US commentators, with Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times describing the spectacle as a parade of municipalities draping themselves in their most alluring swimsuits. Danny Westneat, a columnist writing in The Seattle Times, a newspaper in Amazons home city, questioned whether some of the proposals are even legal, labelling them a surrender of democracy to corporate interests. A single company is viewed as such a shiny prize that some seem ready to wave the white flag on the whole for the people, by the people experiment, he wrote. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Swathes of rainforest are being destroyed to make palm oil that ends up in thousands of household products and foods, a decade after a landmark investigation revealed the environmental damage wrought by the industry. Thats the conclusion of new research by Greenpeace, which looked at 11 of the worlds largest palm oil traders. All members of the Consumer Goods Forum industry group, which includes a host of well-known companies have committed to eliminating deforestation from their supply chains by 2020. The report concludes that, at the present rate of progress, there is no chance of the industry delivering on that promise. Just one of the 11 traders that supply much of the global palm oil market had so far made any meaningful commitment to protect forests, Greenpeace said. Most traders adopted No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation (NDPE) policies in 2014, but deadlines to ensure that producers actually comply were found to vary wildly and some traders have set no deadline at all, the research found. The report describes traders commitments as more aspirational than functional, with implementation at best inconsistent. Much of the worlds palm oil is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia and recent analysis by risk analysts Chain Reaction Research suggests that companies with NDPE policies operate 74 per cent of the total refinery capacity in those countries. However, clearance by smallholder farmers remains a serious concern. The single greatest threat to rainforests in Southeast Asia comes from small- and medium-sized plantation company and producer groups, Greenpeaces report claims. It warned that these groups often have strong links to the Indonesian and Malaysian governments and appear able to use their connections to undermine progressive companies efforts to reform the industry. Greenpeace said some groups of producer companies employ deliberately complex corporate structures, using a maze of shell companies to conceal their relationship with subsidiaries that are clearing forests. Despite pledges to increase transparency, the industry remains shrouded in secrecy, the report claims. Members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have provided the industry group with maps of palm oil concessions but these have not been made public making effective monitoring difficult. The Malaysian government continues to insist that maps of concessions in much of the country are state secrets, making it almost impossible for traders sourcing from these regions to determine which producers have stopped clearing rainforests and which have not, according to the report. The new research comes ten years after Greenpeace published an expose on the palm oil industry. Since then, the organisation acknowledges that progress has been made but it says glaring gaps remain, meaning that consumers cannot be confident that the products they are buying arent causing damage to the environment. One global palm oil trader, Cargill, told Greenpeace that our proactive monitoring covers our entire supply chain, including indirect suppliers, but also admitted that it did not require the mills that it purchased from to supply data on where the raw materials came from. Over the past 18 months, Greenpeace has presented traders and other companies in the palm oil industry with cut-and dried cases of producers clearing forests, draining peatlands or exploiting workers and communities, the report said. Evidence of these breaches was publicly available in reports by other NGOs and complaints to the RSPO among other sources, but had not been picked up by traders. If they do discover breaches by suppliers, most traders also have inadequate mechanisms to deal with them, the report said. 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 }} Uber has been banned from operating in its car-sharing service in Israel, according to local news outlets. A judge ordered that all of Ubers ride-sharing services in the country must stop by 10am local time on Wednesday, the Jerusalem Post reported. Uber had hoped that a trial in Tel Aviv could be expanded, but those plans have now experienced a damaging setback after a judge in the city ruled that the drivers for the Uber Day and Uber Night car-sharing services didnt have the correct insurance and licences. The injunction quoted Uber's lawyer as agreeing to "a permanent stay on everything to do with Uber Night and Uber Day operations in their current format", Reuters reported. Recommended Uber data hack could be investigated by EU privacy regulators In Israel, all taxi drivers must have a licence in order to carry passengers but Uber had argued this did not apply to its car-sharing service. Drivers were not making a profit, they were only earning enough to cover the cost of maintaining their vehicles, the company reportedly said. The injunction follows complaints by Israel's Ministry of Transport, the taxi drivers union and rival ride-hailing company Gett, who claimed that Uber was undercutting rivals by flouting rules. Uber began testing its service in Israel late last year and expanded its car-sharing operations in October despite objections from some sections within the government. The ban is the latest legal blow for Uber, which is facing numerous battles with authorities around the world. The company is currently appealing a decision by Transport for London not to renew its licence to operate a taxi service. Also in the UK, the ride-hailing service has announced that it is going to the Supreme Court to appeal a decision that its drivers should be entitled to rights such as holiday pay and sick leave. The company has also faced challenges over how it operates in Norway and Italy, among other countries. An Uber spokesperson said: While we are ending our Uber Night and Uber Day pilots, we will continue to offer UberTAXI in Israel. We are committed to working with the Israeli authorities to explore how technology can improve our cities with safe and affordable transportation alternatives. 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 }} UK business groups gave a broadly positive welcome to the Governments new industrial strategy white paper, which was published on Monday. Stephen Martin, director general of the Institute of Directors, said the document identifies the key challenges that the UK will need to overcome if businesses are to remain competitive. Adam Marshall, the head of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the concerns of firms had been listened to by the Business Secretary Greg Clark during the consultation period. Mike Cherry, chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, welcomed, in particular, the focus on improving technical skills, new physical and digital infrastructure and increased research and development spending. But the CBI warned that the Government needed to focus on delivery. This is a time for consistency and determination, not perpetual change with the political winds, said Carolyn Fairbairn, its director general. And the Conservative Party grandee and veteran of previous attempts to boost the productivity of British industry Michael Heseltine said on Sunday night that the best industrial strategy for the UK now would be to stop the Brexit initiative. When Theresa May became prime minister in 2016 she promised a proper industrial strategy with the implication that the strategy of the government under David Camerons leadership had been inadequate. The document published on Monday strategy is built around meeting what are described as four grand challenges: Artificial intelligence Clean growth Ageing society Future of mobility It also has identifies five focuses for improving the UKs productivity deficiencies: Ideas People Infrastructure Business environment Place The Government outlines a goal to raise R&D (research and development) investment throughout the economy to 2.4 per cent of GDP by 2027. Such spending in the UK (public and private combined) currently stands at 1.7 per cent of GDP, which is relatively low by OECD standards. Last weeks Budget outlined plans to increase the R&D tax credit to 12 per cent. However, Mark Tighe, CEO of the R&D tax specialist, Catax, called the R&D tax move tinkering. The industry was looking for a rise of 4 per cent in R&D tax relief to 15 per cent. Instead, its stuck with a raise of 1 per cent ...This isnt change on a scale that will supercharge the potential in our economy as many would wish, he said. Recommended The Budget was small and stubborn when it needed to be big and bold The public sector investment package laid out by the Chancellor at the Budget last week also fell short of the 1 per cent of GDP (20bn) a year increase by 2020-21 that the IPPR think tank was calling for. The IPPR had suggested that at least half of this additional infrastructure funding should go on the industrial strategy. The Office for Budget Responsibility severely downgraded its productivity growth forecasts for the UK last week. And most economists expect that Brexit will set back productivity growth further, by erecting barriers to trade between the UK and its biggest commercial partner and also by restricting the supply of high-skilled immigrants. Surveys show that many UK firms are holding back on investment while they wait to see what kind of trade deal, if any, the Government is able to conclude with the rest of the EU. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Fear of immigrants and foreigners is associated with support for Brexit, according to a pair of studies conducted by an international team of researchers. Results of the two studies presented in the same paper suggest that psychological predictors of xenophobia were strongly linked with voting to leave the EU and support for the outcome of the referendum. These findings were true regardless of voter age, gender or education. Stand Up To Racism protest in Croydon The association between widespread xenophobia and Brexit has been discussed extensively both in the run up to the referendum, and in the time that has elapsed since. Brexit racism and the fightback Show all 9 1 /9 Brexit racism and the fightback Brexit racism and the fightback Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London's March for Europe in July 2016 PA Brexit racism and the fightback These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum Twitter/@howgilb Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback Romford, Essex, June 25 @diamondgeezer Brexit racism and the fightback A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a love bombing rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners. JustGiving/Helen Linehan Brexit racism and the fightback This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26 Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own. Courtesy of Eoin Palmer Brexit racism and the fightback Getty Brexit racism and the fightback More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism Courtesy of Bernadette Russell In research for the paper, the team wanted to examine the extent to which prejudice was actually associated with support for the referendums outcome. They began by identifying psychological groups associated with xenophobic views. There are three groups that we can differentiate that are supportive of those sorts of views, said Dr Agnieszka Golec de Zavala, a social psychologist at Goldsmiths, University of London, and the lead author of the Frontiers in Psychology paper. Two of these personality traits are commonly used as predictors of prejudice, and have previously been implicated in voting for radical right-wing parties. These were right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation the idea that ones group needs to fight for superiority in the world. The third is a particular focus of Dr Golec de Zavalas research, a trait known as collective narcissism a belief in the unparalleled greatness of ones country. From Brexit, Trump and support for Vladimir Putin in Russia to the nationalist, ultra- conservative government in Poland, studies from our and other labs show that collective narcissism systematically predicts prejudice, aggression and a tendency to interpret innocent behaviours as provocation to the national group," said Dr Golec de Zavala. Dr Golec de Zavala and her collaborators then looked at the relationship between these three predictors and attitudes towards immigrants and the EU. The first study took place shortly after the EU referendum, and it consisted of an online questionnaire of 280 participants who had voted in it. The second study involved 226 people and took place after the Government announced support for a hard Brexit option in September 2016. They found that the three personality traits they examined were independently related to xenophobia and support for Brexit. Though xenophobia has often been cited as a key factor in the referendum result, many have emphasised the multifaceted nature of Brexit. Its not helpful to look for one answer for why people voted for Brexit. There are obviously lots of different reasons for why people voted remain or leave, including sovereignty, immigration, protest vote or local issues, said Dr Hannah Jones, a sociologist at the University of Warwick who was not involved in the study. Anti-racism protesters at Ukip meeting report being 'man-handled out of the building' That said, Dr Jones said she was not surprised by this finding, as the perceived threat of immigrants is something that has been fostered by successive governments. Home Office campaigns such as the controversial go home vans have been accused of playing into peoples fears around immigration. The received wisdom around Westminster is that you cant talk to people about the pros and cons of immigration, you have to take fear of immigration as a given, she said. A spike in hate crime over the past year has been attributed by some groups to tensions that have followed the Brexit vote. "The Brexit referendum seems to have led to a further rise in 'anti-foreigner' sentiment, said Christian Ahlund, chair of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance. What people see is acceptable, they do, agreed Dr Golec de Zavala. However, she notes that the traits she described in these studies tended to be more permanent fixtures of peoples personalities. People have those sorts of beliefs in a more or less stable way. That would mean that they had them before Brexit. Those attitudes were made salient by the Leave campaign, and were more likely to mobilise these people. Personally I think the Leave campaign gave a new, acceptable way to express xenophobia, said Dr Golec de Zavala. 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 }} Christmas could be ruined for thousands of passengers with crackers, party poppers and chestnuts on many airlines naughty lists. Strict rules imposed by airports and airlines mean passengers arent always allowed to travel with these seasonal essentials - either in their hand luggage or checked bags. As a result of heightened security measures, the likes of Ryanair, Etihad, Emirates and Norwegian Airlines all have crackers on the no-fly list. Even those using airlines which do allow them can usually only take them on board if they are sealed and in their original packaging. Recommended Airline workers share 14 insider facts about flying Party poppers are banned on all flights leaving the UK while chestnuts are only permitted on arrivals from certain countries. Nick Caunter, MD of Airport Parking & Hotels Ltd, said: Packing crackers in particular is a bit of minefield, with airlines and airports having their own, sometimes conflicting restrictions. So weve undertaken this research to hopefully make life a little easier for those flying this Christmas. Budget carrier easyJet, along with Aer Lingus and BMI Regional, permit passengers to bring crackers with them in both checked and cabin luggage. But despite the stance of some airlines, UK airports have rules of their own on the festive favourites. Gatwick, Heathrow and Birmingham allow one unopened box of crackers to be placed in hand luggage as long as they are permitted by the passengers airline. While Manchester, Stansted, Liverpool, East Midlands and London City airports allow them in checked luggage only. Passengers carrying high-end crackers should also be wary of gifts contained inside as items such as scissors and screwdriver sets may need to be packed in checked luggage - depending on size. And anyone travelling to America should leave the crackers at home. A spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration said: They are flammable and should not be brought on airplanes. Those who opt to make their own crackers should stick to shop-bought items when flying, as homemade ones are banned from the skies in both checked and hand luggage. It also emerged passengers wanting to pack chestnuts should tread carefully - you can bring up to 2kg into the UK from anywhere in the EU, most European and Mediterranean countries, along with Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, but nowhere else. Nick Caunter added: If you do decide to bring crackers, with you when flying the best thing to do is pack them in checked luggage and avoid having them in hand luggage. But its really important you tell check-in staff youve packed them in your checked luggage. Christmas Cracker no-fly zone: These airlines have banned the carriage of Christmas crackers on their flights. Failure to comply could result in delays or luggage not being loaded. Air France Air India Air New Zealand American Airlines Cathay Pacific Delta Emirates Etihad Icelandair KLM Norwegian Airlines RyanAir SAS Scandinavian Singapore Airlines South African Airlines United Airlines WestJet Wow. SWNS 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 }} Moped criminals have been caught by police in London, only to threaten an officer with a knife, slash the wheels of his motorbike and escape. The incident will provoke fresh alarm following mounting calls for a crackdown on offenders using scooters to launch robberies, stabbings and acid attacks with relative impunity. The Government launched a review of rules governing police pursuits in response to the ongoing wave of moped-enabled crime, which included the unprovoked murder of a teenager earlier this month. But the incident in north London raises questions over the safety of officers who manage to confront armed suspects. An officer riding a marked police motorbike had seen two men on a moped acting suspiciously in Benwell Road, Holloway, the Metropolitan Police said. The officer signalled for them to stop and the vehicle made off, eventually stopping for the officer in Sunnyside Road, N19, a spokesperson added. The pillion passenger then dismounted from the bike and threatened the officer with a large knife, which he then used to strike the tyres of the police bike. Both rider and pillion then made off. Police release video of moped attack using 'liquid' in Knightsbridge The police officer was not injured in the incident and no one has been arrested. Scotland Yard is appealing for witnesses to the incident, which came at around 2.30pm in Sunnyside Road on Wednesday. The suspects were described as men aged between 18 and 22, both wearing dark clothing and black helmets, and their moped was not displaying a rear registration plate. Detective Inspector Greg Coates said the moped riders were clearly dangerous and need to be arrested. We would like to hear from anyone who was in this area at the time and has dashcam footage, he added. Please call police; your information could be vital. Identifying moped criminals has been made difficult by the wearing of helmets, masks and gloves, while some have chosen not to use head protection in the belief it will prevent police chasing them. Police associations said officers feared being prosecuted if suspects were killed or injured in crashes, after four officers were charged with gross misconduct over the death of 18-year-old Henry Hicks in 2014. They were cleared by an inquest that determined professional standards had not been breached in the pursuit leading up to a fatal collision. Speaking to a police summit earlier this month, Amber Rudd said the Government was reviewing the law and practice regarding police pursuits. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty We want to make sure officers feel they have the legal protection they need to go after moped and scooter gangs, the Home Secretary added, saying the review would be completed in early 2018. These criminals terrorise our streets, intimidating people into giving over their phones or wallets and leaving many too scared to walk outside their front doors. The Metropolitan Police recorded 16,158 thefts by criminals on mopeds in the 12 months to June, more than three times the number in the previous year. Crimes using the vehicles have included robberies, smash and grab raids, stabbings and acid attacks many of which have been carried out in order to steal mopeds from food delivery drivers. Jabed Hussain, the first of five victims attacked during a spate of assaults over just 90 minutes in East London, told The Independent that stolen mopeds were being used to commit more crime. Weve got a lot of criminals who will do it again and again because nothing is being done about it, he said. A lot of drivers have left their jobs and become minicab drivers because they dont feel safe. Its like were working in a jungle. This is my home where I live and I want my safety, everyone deserves their safety. Adding insult to injury, he said that many stolen scooters or number plates are later used to commit crimes or rack up speeding tickets traced back to the original victims, adding: Youve the victim but they think youre a criminal. (ONS (ONS) The Office for National Statistics confirmed the trend, saying mopeds typically lack immobilisers and have have little to no security, driving rises in vehicle theft. In the year to June, there were 14,943 thefts of powered two-wheel vehicles in London, making up half of all vehicles stolen in the capital. Moped crime is part of a wider rise in violent offences across England and Wales, although robbery has been disproportionally concentrated in London and other large cities. Cressida Dick, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said stabbings had risen by 15 per cent in the capital so far this year. Speaking earlier this month, she said the crime wave was being driven by a core group of young offenders repeatedly committing assault and robbery with relative impunity. Scotland Yard has separately announced it is stopping investigating some lower-level crimes as it works to save 400m, and other forces are believe to be publicly and privately exploring similar measures. Ms Dick is among the police chiefs calling for more funding to combat rises in recorded crime and 999 calls, amid the unsustainable strain exerted by the national terror threat. The Home Office has pointed to its police transformation funding and a separate boost for counter-terrorism policing, claiming that further efficiencies can be found. Anyone with any information on the incident on 22 November is asked to contact police on 101, via Twitter @MetCC, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Amazon workers are so exhausted by long hours and relentless targets they are falling asleep on their feet, according to a new investigation. Employees reportedly had timed toilet breaks, a claim denied by the company. Some were made to do compulsory overtime, meaning they were working a 55-hour week ahead of the Christmas period. Pictures taken by an undercover reporter captured workers asleep standing up as they reportedly had to process a parcel every 30 seconds. Sunday Mirror reporter Alan Selby spent five weeks working at the online shop's warehouse in Essex and finished his last shift on Black Friday. A number of workers who could not cope with the relentless targets were attended to by ambulance crews after they collapsed on the job, the investigation found. The reporter was told to pack 120 items an hour, although that target is set to rise to 200 items. Workers are paid 8.20 an hour. One colleague told him: Everybody suffers here. I pulled my hamstring but I just had to carry on. My friend spent two days off after she damaged her knee ligaments. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA Amazon said in a statement: Amazon provides a safe and positive workplace with competitive pay and benefits from day one. We are proud to have created thousands of permanent roles in our UK fulfilment centres in recent years. We offer great jobs and a positive environment with opportunities for growth. As with most companies, we expect a certain level of performance. Targets are based on previous performance achieved by our workers. Associates are evaluated over a long period of time as we know a variety of things could impact the ability to meet expectations in any given day or hour. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Black and minority ethnic children account for more than a quarter of all child arrests across England and Wales, new figures show, raising concerns of "appalling" disproportionality in the justice system. Data obtained through Freedom of Information law shows 26 per cent of all child arrests are youngsters from minority ethnic backgrounds a figure more than double the proportion of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people in the population as a whole. Campaigners and politicians have said the findings are a cause for great concern, and have called on the Government to take urgent action to tackle the "institutional racism" in the criminal justice system. The findings will fuel growing concerns about the high proportion of BAME children in custody, which has risen dramatically in recent years to 49 per cent despite the fact that the overall number of children entering the justice system has recently fallen to a record low. The new figures, obtained by the Howard League for Penal Reform, show 22,579 black or minority ethnic under-18s were arrested last year out of a total of 87,529. Five per cent of the total arrests were listed as "other", indicating shortfalls in recording practices by police forces. While a lack of population data in relation to boys and girls aged 10 to 17 means it is difficult to directly assess the level of disproportionality, Home Office figures show that the BAME proportion of the overall population is 13 per cent, providing an indication that the child arrest figures are disproportionate. In London, more than half (60 per cent) of all child arrests by the Metropolitan Police were black and ethnic minority children with this group accounting for 12,000 out of 20,000 of the total. The capital has a 40 per cent BAME population overall. Minority ethnic children meanwhile accounted for 42 per cent of child arrests in Bedfordshire a policing area where only 23 per cent of the total population is BAME, while in the West Midlands, where 30 per cent of the total population is non-white, police recorded the arrest rate of minority children at 41 per cent. The disproportionality in several regions was particularly stark. In Dorset, which has a non-white population of 4 per cent, BAME children accounted for 14 per cent of child arrests by police, while in Dyfed Powys, where non-white people make up just 2 per cent of the population, BAME children made up 25 per cent of child arrests. It comes after a report by the prison watchdog last week revealed that almost half (49 per cent) of children in jails are from a black or other ethnic minority background, compared with 41 per cent the previous year and 35 per cent the year before that. In 2006, the proportion of BAME young offenders in custody was just 25 per cent. The increase comes despite the fact that the overall number of children entering the justice system has fallen considerably. Police forces across England and Wales made fewer than 88,000 arrests of children in total last year, down from almost 250,000 in 2010, and the number of children in prison fell by 58 per cent between 2010 and 2016, according to a report by the Howard League earlier this year. The Lammy Review, published in September by David Lammy MP, highlighted growing BAME disproportionality in the criminal justice system. Among other findings, it showed that the proportion of young people from ethnic minorities offending for the first time rose from 11 per cent in 2006 to 19 per cent a decade later. The Tottenham MP subsequently called for a principle of explain or reform to apply to every institution in the criminal justice system, saying that if agencies cannot provide an evidence-based explanation for apparent disparities between ethnic groups, then reforms should be introduced to address those disparities. Shortly after the review was published, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick sparked fury after suggesting that harsher jail terms should use to deter teenagers driving a spate of knife crime in London, adding that young black men and boys were statistically more likely to be the victims and perpetrators. Responding to the new arrest figures, Mr Lammy told The Independent: While it is welcome news that the total number of child arrests is going down, it is a cause of real concern that the levels of disproportionality are so severe and are in fact getting worse. My review found that once a young person enters our criminal justice system for the first time, they are then much more likely to become a repeat offender and much less likely to be able to find a job and lead a stable life. "I await the Government's response to my recommendations and I am hopeful that political parties can work together to make important and much-needed progress on this issue." Corbyn: We will not tolerate anti-Semitism or other racism Fellow MP Diane Abbott, who has also campaigned against racial inequality, echoed his concerns, saying: Concern over the disproportionate arrests of young black people goes back decades. It is appalling that that this has been allowed to continue for so long. Report after report raises the same issue, and communities are left asking just how much damning evidence is needed before the Government introduces reforms. Its time that real action was taken to stamp out institutional racism in the criminal justice system. Zubaida Haque, research associate at the Runnymede Trust, told The Independent the figures fed into "glaring evidence" of racial discrimination and unconscious biases, citing disproportionately high stop and search rates and restraint-related incidences involving black and ethnic minorities. We need to ask more challenging questions about what is going on within police forces when there is evidence showing that BME people are six times more likely to be stopped and searched compared to white people, that a high proportion of restraint-related incidences involve black people and when there is considerable evidence of differential arrest rates of BME children," she said. We are aware that there are issues relating to cuts in policing, cuts in community support services and cuts in youth clubs, but we cannot ignore the glaring evidence of racial discrimination and unconscious biases. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said while the reduction in children entering the penal system was considerable progress, there is still more work to do". She continued: The disproportionate number of BAME children being brought into the system is of great concern. It raises serious questions about decision-making throughout the criminal justice journey from the polices decision to arrest, to the remand and sentencing decisions of the youth courts. The Lammy Review has called on police forces and other criminal justice agencies to either explain disparities or reform. Our analysis of child arrests data is intended to assist this discussion. Stand Up To Racism protest in Croydon A Government spokesperson said: Discrimination is as unacceptable in the criminal justice system as it is anywhere else - race and ethnicity cannot be used as justification for an arrest. The Government is committed to shining a light on injustice as never before which is why we published the Race Disparity Audit last month and will confront the issues it raised. We are looking carefully at the recommendations in David Lammys review. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Negative comments made by Meghan Markle about Donald Trump are expected to receive renewed attention after it was announced she was to marry Prince Harry. Members of the royal family remain impartial, according to protocol. But in a 2016 interview, long before Ms Markle announced her engagement to Prince Harry, she publicly branded the President a divisive misogynist. The Suits actor will marry Prince Harry in early 2018, in a ceremony it is considered unlikely that Mr Trump will be invited to. In May 2016, Ms Markle was asked on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore how she thought the momentum surrounding Mr Trump could be stopped. She replied: It's really the moment that I go, we film Suits in Toronto and I might just stay in Canada. I mean come on, if that's reality we are talking about, come on, that is a game changer in terms of how we move in the world here. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The Invictus Games is an international sport event for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. It was created by the Duke of Sussex and aims to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding of all those who serve their country Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for a photograph in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement AFP/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2017 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene in King's Lynn Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers on arrival at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 The couple watching a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during their to Cardiff Castle AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people in Edinburgh. The reception celebrated youth achievements, marking Scotlands Year of Young People 2018, an initiative that aims to inspire Scotland through its young people: celebrating their achievements, strengthening their voice on social issues and creating new opportunities for them to shine AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London. Under the theme 'Making a Difference Together', the event showcased the programmes run or initiated by The Royal Foundation Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Prince William, Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers after a visit to one of Belfast's most historic buildings, The Crown Liquor Saloon, a former Victorian gin palace, now run by the National Trust. It was the Royal couple's first joint visit to Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures April 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet participants as they attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arriving at Cliveden House Hotel the night before her wedding to Prince Harry Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Royal fans sing for the television in Windsor the day before the Royal wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, during her wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand facing each other hand-in-hand before Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during their wedding ceremony AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry kisses the Duchess of Sussex, as they pass through the Cambridge Gate into the grounds of Windsor Castle at the end of their carriage procession AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 The newly married royals leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Queen Elizabeth II sitts and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan return in a horse-drawn carriage after attending the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour' on Horseguards parade AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF Chris Jackson/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Meghan and Prince Harry kiss after the Sentebale Polo event that was held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures August 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet the cast and crew of "Hamilton" backstage after the gala performance in support of Sentebale at Victoria Palace Theatre Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2018 Meghan meets 7-year-old Matilda Booth during the annual WellChild awards at Royal Lancaster Hotel in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet 98-year-old Daphne Dunne during a meet and greet at the Sydney Opera House during an official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala named Ruby and its koala joey named Meghan after the Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry looks on as his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is hugged by student Luke Vincent of Buninyong Public School following the couple's arrival at Dubbo Regional Airport in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Harry and his wife Meghan watch aboriginal dances at Victoria Park in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet with lifeguards at South Melbourne Beach. BeachPatrol is a network of volunteers who are passionate about keeping Melbourne's beaches and foreshores clear of litter to reduce the negative impact of litter on the marine environment and food chain, and provide a safe environment for the public to enjoy their local beach Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan join a circle during a "Fluro Friday" session run by OneWave, a local surfing community group who raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The British royals kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands on Bondi Beach AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa, Tonga Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in Rotorua AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2018 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Kasbah of the Udayas near the Moroccan capital Rabat AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan speak on stage during WE Day UK 2019 at The SSE Arena in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry react as they are presented with baby gifts by Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Janice Charette, at Canada House, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 A congratulatory banner message circling the BT Tower reading "Congratulations Harry and Meghan It's a Baby Boy!" AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace on May 6, announcing the birth of a son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Pround parents pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 5:26 on 6 May Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan walk away after posing for photographs with their newborn son AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan join the New York Yankees in their clubhouse and receive gifts for Archie ahead of their match against the Boston Red Sox at the London Stadium. The historic two-game series marked the sport's first games ever played in Europe and The Invictus Games Foundation was selected as the official charity of Mitel and MLB London Series 2019 Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet cast and crew, including US singer-songwriter Beyonce and her husband, US rapper Jay-Z as they attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dance as they arrive for a visit to the "Justice desk", an NGO in the township of Nyanga in Cape Town, as they begin their tour of the region. Their first official family visit in the coastal city AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan pose with members of "Waves For Change" NGO at Monwabisi Beach outside of Cape Town. "Waves For Change" NGO fuses surfing with child-friendly mind and body therapy to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in challenging communities AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The royals arrive to visit the oldest mosque of Cape Town in Dorp Street in Bo Kaap district AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duchess of Sussex visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with the Duke of Sussex during their royal tour of South Africa. Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa and for the Muslim community, this mosque symbolises the freedom of former slaves to worship Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The British royal couple were on a 10-day tour of southern Africa -- their first official visit as a family since their son Archie was born AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Duke last met with Mrs Machel during his visit to South Africa in 2015 Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2019 Prince Harry holding his son Archie. The photo was used on Instagram to wish their followers a happy new year SussexRoyal/PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House in London after visiting to show thanks for the warm hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Front page headlines, from UK daily papers, reporting on the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, plan to step back as "senior" members of the Royal Family AFP via Getty Yes of course Trump is divisive. Think about just female voters alone. I think it was in 2012, the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points. That's a huge number and with as misogynistic as Trump is and so vocal about it, that's a huge chunk of it. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make first official appearance You're not just voting for a woman if it's Hillary because she's a woman, but certainly because Trump has made it easy to see that you don't really want that kind of world that he's painting. Prince Harry is reportedly critical of the President in private, sources told US Weekly, although Kensington Palace denied the claims. The resurfacing of Ms Markle's comments come after Mr Trumps state visit to the UK was put on hold following large protests. Her fiancee met Melania Trump at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September during Ms Trumps first solo foreign trip as First Lady. Prince Harry posed for the pictures in an unusual way, holding his jacket with one hand and prompting conspiracy theorists to claim he was making the sign of the devil horn with his fingers. Ms Trump reportedly said the Prince was welcome to visit the White House whenever he was in the US. It is unclear if he accepted the visit, or would take his wife with him. Close Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced their engagement Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Prince Harry is to marry his American actor girlfriend Meghan Markle, Clarence House has announced. The official announcement said: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle. The wedding will take place in spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course. His Royal Highness and Ms Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markles parents. The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The Invictus Games is an international sport event for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. It was created by the Duke of Sussex and aims to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding of all those who serve their country Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for a photograph in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement AFP/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2017 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene in King's Lynn Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers on arrival at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 The couple watching a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during their to Cardiff Castle AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people in Edinburgh. The reception celebrated youth achievements, marking Scotlands Year of Young People 2018, an initiative that aims to inspire Scotland through its young people: celebrating their achievements, strengthening their voice on social issues and creating new opportunities for them to shine AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London. Under the theme 'Making a Difference Together', the event showcased the programmes run or initiated by The Royal Foundation Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Prince William, Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers after a visit to one of Belfast's most historic buildings, The Crown Liquor Saloon, a former Victorian gin palace, now run by the National Trust. It was the Royal couple's first joint visit to Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures April 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet participants as they attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arriving at Cliveden House Hotel the night before her wedding to Prince Harry Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Royal fans sing for the television in Windsor the day before the Royal wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, during her wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand facing each other hand-in-hand before Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during their wedding ceremony AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry kisses the Duchess of Sussex, as they pass through the Cambridge Gate into the grounds of Windsor Castle at the end of their carriage procession AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 The newly married royals leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Queen Elizabeth II sitts and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan return in a horse-drawn carriage after attending the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour' on Horseguards parade AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF Chris Jackson/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Meghan and Prince Harry kiss after the Sentebale Polo event that was held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures August 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet the cast and crew of "Hamilton" backstage after the gala performance in support of Sentebale at Victoria Palace Theatre Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2018 Meghan meets 7-year-old Matilda Booth during the annual WellChild awards at Royal Lancaster Hotel in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet 98-year-old Daphne Dunne during a meet and greet at the Sydney Opera House during an official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala named Ruby and its koala joey named Meghan after the Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry looks on as his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is hugged by student Luke Vincent of Buninyong Public School following the couple's arrival at Dubbo Regional Airport in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Harry and his wife Meghan watch aboriginal dances at Victoria Park in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet with lifeguards at South Melbourne Beach. BeachPatrol is a network of volunteers who are passionate about keeping Melbourne's beaches and foreshores clear of litter to reduce the negative impact of litter on the marine environment and food chain, and provide a safe environment for the public to enjoy their local beach Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan join a circle during a "Fluro Friday" session run by OneWave, a local surfing community group who raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The British royals kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands on Bondi Beach AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa, Tonga Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in Rotorua AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2018 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Kasbah of the Udayas near the Moroccan capital Rabat AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan speak on stage during WE Day UK 2019 at The SSE Arena in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry react as they are presented with baby gifts by Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Janice Charette, at Canada House, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 A congratulatory banner message circling the BT Tower reading "Congratulations Harry and Meghan It's a Baby Boy!" AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace on May 6, announcing the birth of a son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Pround parents pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 5:26 on 6 May Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan walk away after posing for photographs with their newborn son AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan join the New York Yankees in their clubhouse and receive gifts for Archie ahead of their match against the Boston Red Sox at the London Stadium. The historic two-game series marked the sport's first games ever played in Europe and The Invictus Games Foundation was selected as the official charity of Mitel and MLB London Series 2019 Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet cast and crew, including US singer-songwriter Beyonce and her husband, US rapper Jay-Z as they attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dance as they arrive for a visit to the "Justice desk", an NGO in the township of Nyanga in Cape Town, as they begin their tour of the region. Their first official family visit in the coastal city AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan pose with members of "Waves For Change" NGO at Monwabisi Beach outside of Cape Town. "Waves For Change" NGO fuses surfing with child-friendly mind and body therapy to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in challenging communities AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The royals arrive to visit the oldest mosque of Cape Town in Dorp Street in Bo Kaap district AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duchess of Sussex visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with the Duke of Sussex during their royal tour of South Africa. Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa and for the Muslim community, this mosque symbolises the freedom of former slaves to worship Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The British royal couple were on a 10-day tour of southern Africa -- their first official visit as a family since their son Archie was born AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Duke last met with Mrs Machel during his visit to South Africa in 2015 Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2019 Prince Harry holding his son Archie. The photo was used on Instagram to wish their followers a happy new year SussexRoyal/PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House in London after visiting to show thanks for the warm hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Front page headlines, from UK daily papers, reporting on the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, plan to step back as "senior" members of the Royal Family AFP via Getty The fifth in line to the throne has been dating Markle since last summer and the 36-year-old actor is rumoured to be moving to the UK after quitting the hit US show Suits which she rose to fame for. Prince Harry said he was "delighted to announce" the engagement and had gained the blessing of Markle's parents in a statement. Speculation of a major royal announcement has grown in recent weeks as rumours about the couple's engagement have mounted. Markle's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland celebrated news of the engagement in a statement issued by Kensington Palace. "We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person," they said. "To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together." A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness". Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Duchess of Cambridge married into the Royal Family and has barely put a foot wrong since becoming an HRH. Now Meghan Markle is about to wed Prince Harry. Here are some nuggets of advice that Kate might offer her future sister-in-law as she prepares to embark on a life with the Windsors. Get to know Granny The Queen, with her many years of experience, has much to teach royal newbies. Recommended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce engagement She's also The Boss - what she says goes. This could be everything from the uniform Harry must wear on his wedding day and how royal children should behave on the Buckingham Palace balcony to etiquette for official engagements. As the Duke of Cambridge once said: You don't mess with your grandmother. Watch out for the long lenses Kate was snapped sunbathing topless by photographers while enjoying a break in the south of France in 2012. William was furious at the intrusion and a costly legal fight and court case ensued, with William and Kate being awarded more than 100,000 euros in damages. Make sure you have a trusted circle of friends and staff Discretion is key for William and Kate. Within Kate's close circle of confidantes, long-term friend Sophie Carter was rewarded for her loyalty by being asked to be Princess Charlotte's godmother. Ms Markle will need to be able to rely on friends not to blab to the media about her life with Harry. Staff are also vital for ensuring the smooth running of royal life. William and Kate have a nanny, a housekeeper, an orderly, as well as their bodyguards. Kate also has a private secretary, a PA and stylist, and a press team, and when she is on tour, her hairdresser goes too. Get a house in the country Anmer Hall, a wedding gift from the Queen, has given Kate, William and their children, sanctuary and privacy away from London. The 10-bedroom country retreat, which is a short drive from Sandringham House in Norfolk, underwent a major refurbishment overseen by the Cambridges. Do not worry about buying your own tiara The Queen often loans priceless jewellery to family members, meaning there is no need for Ms Markle to head to Cartier to begin her own collection. Kate borrowed one from the monarch for her wedding. Focus on your interests Kate has been careful to support charities which reflect her passions - such the arts, tackling bullying and improving the mental health of children. She is likely to guide Ms Markle into doing research and taking her time before picking patronages - many of which she will be committing herself to for decades. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The Invictus Games is an international sport event for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. It was created by the Duke of Sussex and aims to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding of all those who serve their country Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for a photograph in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement AFP/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2017 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene in King's Lynn Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers on arrival at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 The couple watching a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during their to Cardiff Castle AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people in Edinburgh. The reception celebrated youth achievements, marking Scotlands Year of Young People 2018, an initiative that aims to inspire Scotland through its young people: celebrating their achievements, strengthening their voice on social issues and creating new opportunities for them to shine AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London. Under the theme 'Making a Difference Together', the event showcased the programmes run or initiated by The Royal Foundation Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Prince William, Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers after a visit to one of Belfast's most historic buildings, The Crown Liquor Saloon, a former Victorian gin palace, now run by the National Trust. It was the Royal couple's first joint visit to Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures April 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet participants as they attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arriving at Cliveden House Hotel the night before her wedding to Prince Harry Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Royal fans sing for the television in Windsor the day before the Royal wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, during her wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand facing each other hand-in-hand before Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during their wedding ceremony AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry kisses the Duchess of Sussex, as they pass through the Cambridge Gate into the grounds of Windsor Castle at the end of their carriage procession AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 The newly married royals leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Queen Elizabeth II sitts and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan return in a horse-drawn carriage after attending the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour' on Horseguards parade AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF Chris Jackson/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Meghan and Prince Harry kiss after the Sentebale Polo event that was held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures August 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet the cast and crew of "Hamilton" backstage after the gala performance in support of Sentebale at Victoria Palace Theatre Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2018 Meghan meets 7-year-old Matilda Booth during the annual WellChild awards at Royal Lancaster Hotel in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet 98-year-old Daphne Dunne during a meet and greet at the Sydney Opera House during an official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala named Ruby and its koala joey named Meghan after the Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry looks on as his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is hugged by student Luke Vincent of Buninyong Public School following the couple's arrival at Dubbo Regional Airport in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Harry and his wife Meghan watch aboriginal dances at Victoria Park in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet with lifeguards at South Melbourne Beach. BeachPatrol is a network of volunteers who are passionate about keeping Melbourne's beaches and foreshores clear of litter to reduce the negative impact of litter on the marine environment and food chain, and provide a safe environment for the public to enjoy their local beach Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan join a circle during a "Fluro Friday" session run by OneWave, a local surfing community group who raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The British royals kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands on Bondi Beach AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa, Tonga Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in Rotorua AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2018 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Kasbah of the Udayas near the Moroccan capital Rabat AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan speak on stage during WE Day UK 2019 at The SSE Arena in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry react as they are presented with baby gifts by Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Janice Charette, at Canada House, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 A congratulatory banner message circling the BT Tower reading "Congratulations Harry and Meghan It's a Baby Boy!" AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace on May 6, announcing the birth of a son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Pround parents pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 5:26 on 6 May Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan walk away after posing for photographs with their newborn son AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan join the New York Yankees in their clubhouse and receive gifts for Archie ahead of their match against the Boston Red Sox at the London Stadium. The historic two-game series marked the sport's first games ever played in Europe and The Invictus Games Foundation was selected as the official charity of Mitel and MLB London Series 2019 Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet cast and crew, including US singer-songwriter Beyonce and her husband, US rapper Jay-Z as they attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dance as they arrive for a visit to the "Justice desk", an NGO in the township of Nyanga in Cape Town, as they begin their tour of the region. Their first official family visit in the coastal city AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan pose with members of "Waves For Change" NGO at Monwabisi Beach outside of Cape Town. "Waves For Change" NGO fuses surfing with child-friendly mind and body therapy to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in challenging communities AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The royals arrive to visit the oldest mosque of Cape Town in Dorp Street in Bo Kaap district AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duchess of Sussex visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with the Duke of Sussex during their royal tour of South Africa. Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa and for the Muslim community, this mosque symbolises the freedom of former slaves to worship Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The British royal couple were on a 10-day tour of southern Africa -- their first official visit as a family since their son Archie was born AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Duke last met with Mrs Machel during his visit to South Africa in 2015 Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2019 Prince Harry holding his son Archie. The photo was used on Instagram to wish their followers a happy new year SussexRoyal/PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House in London after visiting to show thanks for the warm hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Front page headlines, from UK daily papers, reporting on the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, plan to step back as "senior" members of the Royal Family AFP via Getty Protect your children at all costs For William and Kate, protecting their children from the limelight and intrusion is paramount. In 2015, Kensington Palace accused paparazzi photographers of harassing Prince George, saying the royal youngster had become their number one target and accusing them of going to extreme lengths to get pictures of him. George and Charlotte are rarely seen in public, except on overseas tours and at the occasional UK appearance, and the Duke and Duchess release a number of photos throughout the year in an attempt to keep the public and press happy. PA Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Prince Harry is to marry his girlfriend Meghan Markle, Clarence House has announced. The prince, fifth in line to the throne, will marry Markle next spring and the pair will live at Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in London. A statement issued by Clarence House said: "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle. "The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course. "His Royal Highness and Ms Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle's parents." The couple have been dating since last summer and the 36-year-old actor is rumoured to be moving to the UK after quitting the hit US show Suits. In a statement, Prince Harry said he was "delighted to announce" the engagement and had gained the blessing of Ms Markle's parents. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The Invictus Games is an international sport event for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. It was created by the Duke of Sussex and aims to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding of all those who serve their country Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for a photograph in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement AFP/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2017 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene in King's Lynn Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers on arrival at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 The couple watching a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during their to Cardiff Castle AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people in Edinburgh. The reception celebrated youth achievements, marking Scotlands Year of Young People 2018, an initiative that aims to inspire Scotland through its young people: celebrating their achievements, strengthening their voice on social issues and creating new opportunities for them to shine AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London. Under the theme 'Making a Difference Together', the event showcased the programmes run or initiated by The Royal Foundation Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Prince William, Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers after a visit to one of Belfast's most historic buildings, The Crown Liquor Saloon, a former Victorian gin palace, now run by the National Trust. It was the Royal couple's first joint visit to Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures April 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet participants as they attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arriving at Cliveden House Hotel the night before her wedding to Prince Harry Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Royal fans sing for the television in Windsor the day before the Royal wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, during her wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand facing each other hand-in-hand before Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during their wedding ceremony AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry kisses the Duchess of Sussex, as they pass through the Cambridge Gate into the grounds of Windsor Castle at the end of their carriage procession AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 The newly married royals leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Queen Elizabeth II sitts and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan return in a horse-drawn carriage after attending the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour' on Horseguards parade AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF Chris Jackson/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Meghan and Prince Harry kiss after the Sentebale Polo event that was held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures August 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet the cast and crew of "Hamilton" backstage after the gala performance in support of Sentebale at Victoria Palace Theatre Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2018 Meghan meets 7-year-old Matilda Booth during the annual WellChild awards at Royal Lancaster Hotel in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet 98-year-old Daphne Dunne during a meet and greet at the Sydney Opera House during an official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala named Ruby and its koala joey named Meghan after the Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry looks on as his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is hugged by student Luke Vincent of Buninyong Public School following the couple's arrival at Dubbo Regional Airport in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Harry and his wife Meghan watch aboriginal dances at Victoria Park in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet with lifeguards at South Melbourne Beach. BeachPatrol is a network of volunteers who are passionate about keeping Melbourne's beaches and foreshores clear of litter to reduce the negative impact of litter on the marine environment and food chain, and provide a safe environment for the public to enjoy their local beach Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan join a circle during a "Fluro Friday" session run by OneWave, a local surfing community group who raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The British royals kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands on Bondi Beach AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa, Tonga Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in Rotorua AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2018 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Kasbah of the Udayas near the Moroccan capital Rabat AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan speak on stage during WE Day UK 2019 at The SSE Arena in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry react as they are presented with baby gifts by Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Janice Charette, at Canada House, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 A congratulatory banner message circling the BT Tower reading "Congratulations Harry and Meghan It's a Baby Boy!" AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace on May 6, announcing the birth of a son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Pround parents pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 5:26 on 6 May Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan walk away after posing for photographs with their newborn son AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan join the New York Yankees in their clubhouse and receive gifts for Archie ahead of their match against the Boston Red Sox at the London Stadium. The historic two-game series marked the sport's first games ever played in Europe and The Invictus Games Foundation was selected as the official charity of Mitel and MLB London Series 2019 Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet cast and crew, including US singer-songwriter Beyonce and her husband, US rapper Jay-Z as they attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dance as they arrive for a visit to the "Justice desk", an NGO in the township of Nyanga in Cape Town, as they begin their tour of the region. Their first official family visit in the coastal city AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan pose with members of "Waves For Change" NGO at Monwabisi Beach outside of Cape Town. "Waves For Change" NGO fuses surfing with child-friendly mind and body therapy to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in challenging communities AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The royals arrive to visit the oldest mosque of Cape Town in Dorp Street in Bo Kaap district AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duchess of Sussex visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with the Duke of Sussex during their royal tour of South Africa. Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa and for the Muslim community, this mosque symbolises the freedom of former slaves to worship Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The British royal couple were on a 10-day tour of southern Africa -- their first official visit as a family since their son Archie was born AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Duke last met with Mrs Machel during his visit to South Africa in 2015 Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2019 Prince Harry holding his son Archie. The photo was used on Instagram to wish their followers a happy new year SussexRoyal/PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House in London after visiting to show thanks for the warm hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Front page headlines, from UK daily papers, reporting on the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, plan to step back as "senior" members of the Royal Family AFP via Getty Kensington Palace said Prince Harry and Markle would appear for a photo call at Kensington Palace later on Monday afternoon. The couple will also take part in a broadcast interview to be broadcast this evening UK time. In a statement issued by Kensington Palace, Ms Markle's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland celebrated news of the engagement. Recommended Michelle Obama and Prince Harry join forces for Chicago school trip "We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person," they said. "To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together." The Queen gave her blessing to the marriage as Prince Harry is obliged to ask her permission under the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. Rumours about the pair's engagement have abounded in recent weeks and speculation of a major royal announcement has mounted. The prince and Markle made their first public appearance as a couple this September at the Invictus Games. Their 16-month relationship began after the couple met through mutual friends in London but they have grown particularly close in recent months. Markle has been reported to be staying regularly at the prince's home at Kensington Palace. The Canada-based actor, who rose to fame for playing ambitious paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits, has been married once before. Markle married film producer Trevor Engelson in Jamaica in 2011 but they broke up after just two years. News of the engagement is set to spark a media circus that is likely to put yet more strain on Harry's already fraught relationship with the press. After their relationship became public just over a year ago, the 33-year-old royal condemned the paparazzi for subjecting Markle to a wave of abuse and harassment. In a statement, the Palace attacked the racial undertones of media coverage of Markle and said the prince feared for her safety. The actress, whose father is white and mother is African American, has described herself as biracial and half black and half white on her website. My dad is Caucasian and my mom is African-American. To say who I am, to share where Im from, to voice my pride in being a strong, confident mixed-race woman," Markle has previously said. Markle, who has criticised President Donald Trump, is a humanitarian and gender equality campaigner. She is a UN womens advocate (for Political Participation and Leadership) and has publicly supported Emma Watsons He For She campaign. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Prince Harry is to marry his girlfriend Meghan Markle in Spring 2018. Harry, 33, who is fifth in line to the throne, has been dating the 36-year-old American actress since the summer of 2016. Ms Markle found fame in the US legal drama Suits. When will the wedding be? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The Invictus Games is an international sport event for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. It was created by the Duke of Sussex and aims to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding of all those who serve their country Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for a photograph in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement AFP/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2017 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene in King's Lynn Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers on arrival at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 The couple watching a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during their to Cardiff Castle AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people in Edinburgh. The reception celebrated youth achievements, marking Scotlands Year of Young People 2018, an initiative that aims to inspire Scotland through its young people: celebrating their achievements, strengthening their voice on social issues and creating new opportunities for them to shine AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London. Under the theme 'Making a Difference Together', the event showcased the programmes run or initiated by The Royal Foundation Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Prince William, Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers after a visit to one of Belfast's most historic buildings, The Crown Liquor Saloon, a former Victorian gin palace, now run by the National Trust. It was the Royal couple's first joint visit to Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures April 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet participants as they attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arriving at Cliveden House Hotel the night before her wedding to Prince Harry Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Royal fans sing for the television in Windsor the day before the Royal wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, during her wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand facing each other hand-in-hand before Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during their wedding ceremony AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry kisses the Duchess of Sussex, as they pass through the Cambridge Gate into the grounds of Windsor Castle at the end of their carriage procession AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 The newly married royals leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Queen Elizabeth II sitts and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan return in a horse-drawn carriage after attending the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour' on Horseguards parade AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF Chris Jackson/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Meghan and Prince Harry kiss after the Sentebale Polo event that was held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures August 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet the cast and crew of "Hamilton" backstage after the gala performance in support of Sentebale at Victoria Palace Theatre Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2018 Meghan meets 7-year-old Matilda Booth during the annual WellChild awards at Royal Lancaster Hotel in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet 98-year-old Daphne Dunne during a meet and greet at the Sydney Opera House during an official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala named Ruby and its koala joey named Meghan after the Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry looks on as his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is hugged by student Luke Vincent of Buninyong Public School following the couple's arrival at Dubbo Regional Airport in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Harry and his wife Meghan watch aboriginal dances at Victoria Park in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet with lifeguards at South Melbourne Beach. BeachPatrol is a network of volunteers who are passionate about keeping Melbourne's beaches and foreshores clear of litter to reduce the negative impact of litter on the marine environment and food chain, and provide a safe environment for the public to enjoy their local beach Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan join a circle during a "Fluro Friday" session run by OneWave, a local surfing community group who raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The British royals kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands on Bondi Beach AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa, Tonga Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in Rotorua AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2018 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Kasbah of the Udayas near the Moroccan capital Rabat AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan speak on stage during WE Day UK 2019 at The SSE Arena in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry react as they are presented with baby gifts by Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Janice Charette, at Canada House, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 A congratulatory banner message circling the BT Tower reading "Congratulations Harry and Meghan It's a Baby Boy!" AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace on May 6, announcing the birth of a son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Pround parents pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 5:26 on 6 May Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan walk away after posing for photographs with their newborn son AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan join the New York Yankees in their clubhouse and receive gifts for Archie ahead of their match against the Boston Red Sox at the London Stadium. The historic two-game series marked the sport's first games ever played in Europe and The Invictus Games Foundation was selected as the official charity of Mitel and MLB London Series 2019 Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet cast and crew, including US singer-songwriter Beyonce and her husband, US rapper Jay-Z as they attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dance as they arrive for a visit to the "Justice desk", an NGO in the township of Nyanga in Cape Town, as they begin their tour of the region. Their first official family visit in the coastal city AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan pose with members of "Waves For Change" NGO at Monwabisi Beach outside of Cape Town. "Waves For Change" NGO fuses surfing with child-friendly mind and body therapy to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in challenging communities AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The royals arrive to visit the oldest mosque of Cape Town in Dorp Street in Bo Kaap district AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duchess of Sussex visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with the Duke of Sussex during their royal tour of South Africa. Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa and for the Muslim community, this mosque symbolises the freedom of former slaves to worship Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The British royal couple were on a 10-day tour of southern Africa -- their first official visit as a family since their son Archie was born AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Duke last met with Mrs Machel during his visit to South Africa in 2015 Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2019 Prince Harry holding his son Archie. The photo was used on Instagram to wish their followers a happy new year SussexRoyal/PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House in London after visiting to show thanks for the warm hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Front page headlines, from UK daily papers, reporting on the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, plan to step back as "senior" members of the Royal Family AFP via Getty Royals usually have a short engagement and are traditionally during the week rather than at the weekend. A brief statement by the Prince of Wales issued by Clarence House said: "The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. "Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course." William and Kate wed on a Friday and the Queen on a Thursday. Where will the wedding take place? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a Wheelchair Tennis match during the Invictus Games 2017 at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto, Canada (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation) (Getty) It has not yet been announced, but St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle is a good bet. The chapel is smaller than Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral, but still grand enough for a high-profile royal wedding. Will the wedding day be a public holiday? It will be up to the Government to decide whether to give Britons the day off. An extra one-off bank holiday was added for William and Kate's nuptials, but William is a future king, whereas Harry is now only fifth in line to the throne. Will Harry be made a Duke? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation) Tradition dictates royal men receive a title when they marry, and Prince Harry is expected to become the Duke of Sussex. On the morning of his wedding, the prince is likely to be given a dukedom by his grandmother the Queen. Ms Markle would become both an HRH and a duchess after saying her vows. Will Meghan Markle become a duchess or princess? Meghan Markle (Getty) Harry, whose full name is Prince Henry of Wales, could turn down a title, in which case, Ms Markle would be known as HRH Princess Henry of Wales. She is not entitled to be Princess Meghan - even though this may be how she eventually becomes known in the media and to the public. Ms Markle will not be a princess in her own right, only through marriage, just like the Duchess of Cambridge - who would have used the title Princess William of Wales if she had not been a duchess. Even if she becomes a duchess, Ms Markle will still technically also be HRH Princess Henry of Wales. When Kate signed Prince George's birth certificate, she listed her occupation as "Princess of the United Kingdom". Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Prince Harry is to marry his American actor girlfriend Meghan Markle, Clarence House has announced. News of the forthcoming spring wedding was welcomed by people around the world. Leading the congratulations was Prince Harry's father, Prince Charles, who said he was "thrilled" and "very happy indeed" for the couple. Prime Minister Theresa May said: "This is a time of huge celebration for two people in love". But even if the news of their marriage and the inevitable media furore surrounding the event leaves your distinctly underwhelmed, there could still be something to celebrate - you may get an extra day off. Royal weddings are traditionally held on a weekday, rather than at the weekend. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married on a Friday and a one-off bank holiday was added for their big day in 2011. The Queen and Prince Philip were wed on a Thursday. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty Whether a public holiday is declared for Harry and Meghan's nuptials, will be up to the Government to decide. William is the future king, whereas Harry is now fifth in line for the throne - making an extra holiday day more unlikely. The wedding is also likely to take place in a less high profile venue than Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate were wed. St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle which is smaller, but still grand enough for a royal wedding is thought to be a likely setting. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Pope Francis has condemned politicians who propagate alarm over immigration and argued their fear-mongering engenders violence and racism. The pontiff, who has frequently spoken out in defence of migrants, issued a plea for politicians to practice the virtue of prudence to welcome refugees into their societies and help them integrate. Writing in a message titled Migrants and Refugees: Men and Women in Search of Peace which was sent to heads of state and government, Pope Francis said trepidation about immigrants demeans the human dignity due to all as sons and daughters of God. The pontiff said: Those who, for what may be political reasons, foment fear of migrants instead of building peace are sowing violence, racial discrimination and xenophobia, which are matters of great worry for all those concerned about the safety of every human being. Pope Francis, who has clashed with President Trump on immigration, said that while immigrants can compound numerous existing problems, leaders have to find ways to integrate them into their countries. Francis said that while immigrants can compound numerous existing problems, the onus is on leaders finding ways to welcome and integrate them into their countries. By practising the virtue of prudence, government leaders should take practical measures to welcome, promote, protect, integrate and, within the limits allowed by a correct understanding of the common good, to permit (them) to become part of a new society, he said. The pontiff made a renewed plea for an open door policy towards migrants and denounced a spread of rhetoric that emphasises the risks posed to national security or the high cost of welcoming new arrivals. 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 Many destination countries have seen the spread of rhetoric decrying the risks posed to national security or the high cost of welcoming new arrivals, and doing so demeans the human dignity due to all as sons and daughters of God, he wrote. He added: Those who, for what may be political reasons, foment fear of migrants instead of building peace are sowing violence, racial discrimination, and xenophobia, which are matters of great worry for all those concerned about the safety of every human being. The comments come after Pope Francis called on world leaders to do more to help refugees and migrants over the summer in a plea to put pressure on politicians to improve what he called the lamentable situation facing people fleeing conflict. He said states must also do more to help refugees into work and education and called for wealthier nations to support developing countries that are dealing with the brunt of the refugee crisis. Additional reporting by agencies Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An American barge with 3.5 million litres of oil is reportedly in distress off the coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia, posing a potentially huge threat to the areas indigenous lands and wildlife were it to spill. The Jake Shearer was sailing in turbulent waters near Bella Bella and Goose Island, when two of its three tug boats broke free and the barge dropped its anchor. It is carrying millions of litres of diesel and 468,000 litres of gasoline, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), although at the time of publication there was no indication that any of the fuel had spilled. The vessel is anchored about 1.6km from Goose Island in a pretty exposed area, said Katelyn Moores, spokeswoman for the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. Two Canadian coastguard vessels are trying to help and additional resources were being sent to the location, according to officials. Rescue tug en route. CCG teams working throughout the night to ensure barge remains in place and the safety of those onboard, the Canadian Coast Guard tweeted, adding that the safety of the two crew members on board the barge was the highest concern. Boat with containment box at US oil spill site Show all 1 1 /1 Boat with containment box at US oil spill site Boat with containment box at US oil spill site 367861.bin AP Officials said they were devising a plan to rescue the ship once the tugboats arrive to attach a tow line, but strong westerly winds of 45 knots are slowing down efforts. The situation is also being monitored by members of the Heiltsuk First Nation, who live near the distressed vessel. The incident comes one year after vessel Nathan E Stewart ran aground in the same area and prompted a massive oil spill of 110,000 litres and devastating marine life. "Nathan E Stewarts replacement, Jake Shearer appears to have lost power and is drifting toward the Goose Islands," tweeted Greanpeace Canada. "McInnes Island is blowing 35S and gusting. Unlike the Nathan E Stewart, this barge is full of fuel." Jess Housty, a member of the First Nation community in Bella Bella, said: Last time I was glued to the VHF like this it was the start of six weeks of emergency phase hell with NES. my heart cant take a repeat." The Heiltsuk people have called for an Indigenous Marine Response Centre. "This incident highlights the desperate need for Indigenous-led response capacity on the central coast," said Marilyn Slett, chief councillor of the Heitsuk Tribal Council in Bella Bella. Environmentalist group Sierra Club BC tweeted: "Not again. Our thoughts are with the Heiltsuk tonight." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The number of young people being used as money mules to transfer the proceeds of crime has shot up by 75 per cent in the last year, a study has found. According to Cifas, the UK's fraud prevention service, there were 8,652 cases of 18-24-year-olds having their bank accounts used by criminals from January to September this year. Young people and students from poorer backgrounds are believed to be targeted because of their obvious need for fast cash. The organisation has come together with Financial Fraud Action UK to raise awareness of the potentially serious consequences for young people who allow themselves to be used as mules as well as the wider harm caused. Simon Dukes, chief executive of Cifas, said: This is a serious issue that not only has consequences for the money mule, but for society as a whole. "The criminals behind money mules often use the cash to fund major crime, like terrorism and people trafficking. We want to educate young people about how serious this fraud is in the hope that they will think twice before getting involved. Cifas has warned students they could find it difficult to obtain student loans, mobile phone contracts or other financial products, if their bank account is closed due to money laundering. Katy Worobec, head of fraud and financial crime prevention, cyber and data sharing, at UK Finance, the organisation behind FFA UK, said: Money muling is money laundering and criminals are using young people as mules in increasing numbers. When you're caught, your bank account will be closed, making it difficult to access cash and credit. You could even face up to 14 years in jail. We're urging people not to give their bank account details to anyone unless they know and trust them. If an offer of easy money sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Cifas and FFA UK have launched a campaign, Dont be Fooled, to deter young people from falling into the money mule trap. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA The warning comes as a separate investigation by The Times highlights the growing problem of children being exploited as drug mules by criminal gangs. The National Crime Agency (NCA) believes that criminals routinely attempt to avoid prosecution by grooming vulnerable children to carry their drugs. Modern slavery laws are to be used for the first time in the fight against the exploitation of children as drug mules, which has been compared to the street grooming of young girls across the UK. Alleged drug dealers in two forthcoming criminal trials have been charged under human trafficking and modern slavery laws, the paper reports. Those convicted of modern slavery face a maximum sentence of life in prison and it is hoped the tougher penalties will deter the use of children in drugs running operations. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Ministers face a battle after withholding certain elements in a release of 850 pages of detailed analysis into the impacts of Brexit on the UK economy. Labour said a failure to publish all of the analysis compiled by David Daviss department in full risked leaving the Government in contempt of Parliament, which has ordered the documents publication. But the Government insists it has a duty to ensure that whatever is released is not commercially sensitive and does not risk putting the UK at a disadvantage in Brexit negotiations. The transfer of the papers to the Commons Committee on Exiting the EU after weeks of pressure came a single day before a deadline that Parliament had set. The committee is now due to meet on Tuesday to decide whether to make public all or part of the documents they have been handed. The handover to the committee, chaired by ex-Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn, came after Labour won a Commons vote on the issue, pushing the Government to act. Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said: Parliament was very clear in its instruction to ministers. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA All 58 impact assessments should have been shared with the select committee in full, without redaction and unedited. If the Government has failed to comply with this ruling then we will not hesitate in raising this matter with the Speaker. On 1 November, Labour tabled a humble address to the Queen asking for what it termed the impact assessments of Brexit to be provided to the Commons committee. Labours motion was passed without a vote earlier this month after ministers indicated the Government would not oppose it. Commons Speaker John Bercow said at the time that the arcane parliamentary procedure of a humble address used by Labour has traditionally been regarded as binding or effective, and said he would be willing to consider an accusation of contempt if the Government failed to respond. But an official at Mr Daviss Department for Exiting the European Union explained that the Government had never had 58 separate assessments as such, but instead had a broad body of information consisting of all the analysis that the UK Government had done on Brexit and issues related to various sectors. EU demands in next round of talks set to enrage Cabinet Brexiteers, leak reveals In a bid to comply with Parliament and assist the Commons committee, civil servants had drawn together in some 39 reports totalling 850 pages, documents that touched upon 58 sectors, the official said. But The Independent understands that some information will have been withheld from the newly compiled reports if officials have deemed it damaging to commercial or the UKs interests. A Government spokesperson said: The Government has satisfied the motion, providing the House of Commons [committee] with information covering 58 sectors of the economy. We have also shared the information with the Lords EU Committee. The spokesperson went on: We have taken time to bring together the analysis we do have in a way that meets Parliaments specific ask. Our overall programme of work is comprehensive, thorough and is continuously updated. This sectoral analysis is simply one part of it. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Turkeys prime minister has warned of the long queues his countrys trucks face trying to cross into the European Union, under rules that could be forced on Britain after Brexit. Interviewed by The Independent, Binali Yldrm revealed that Turkeys transport companies went to court because of the tailbacks and the big costs they had run up. The problems arise despite Turkey being in the EU customs union, because like Theresa Mays plan for Brexit it does not have free movement of people and is outside the single market. Brexit: Article 50 author says Theresa May is misleading the public on reversing result There are sometimes long lines, long queues that is right, Mr Yldrm said. And he added: Unfortunately, certain practices of the customs union, certain advantages of the customs union, were not offered to Turkey for years. Turkey was disadvantaged. There is no free circulation of people there is no free circulation of goods either. These are things that are important for Turkey. Mr Yldrm blamed Bulgarian practices for the long border queues, but added: Unfortunately, the EU is acting way too slow in this area. Kate Hoey on the Irish Border: 'We wont be putting up the border, theyll have to pay for it' The comments come as the controversy over the future Irish border rages, with ministers facing down calls from the Irish Government to soften its Brexit stance. Instead, the Government has insisted Britain will leave both the single market and the customs union although it will seek identical arrangements in a two-year transition period, after March 2019. Turkish lorry drivers have protested at queues of anything between 4 km and 17 km (10.5 miles) at Bulgarian checkpoints, forcing them to wait up to 30 hours to get through. Each driver requires an export declaration, invoices for the products they are carrying, insurance certificates and a transport permit for each EU nation they will drive through. Recommended Ireland says it has EU backing to push for more concessions on border The bureaucracy is the result of the EU, so far, only granting the right of lorries to move freely if there is also an agreement on the free movement of people. Open-access road transport deals have been agreed with Norway and the other members of the European Economic Area (EEA), but Britain has insisted it will not join the group. Instead, ending free movement is a red line for Ms May in the Brexit talks, with tough immigration restrictions planned for when any transition period ends. Furthermore, say critics, the UK could be heading for a worse deal than Turkey, because it is seeking some sort of associate membership of the customs union not full membership. Prime Minister Theresa May with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim at Downing Street (PA) Ankara has given up its right to set its own external tariffs in trade deals, but Britain is thought unlikely to do the same. Speaking to journalists in London, Mr Yildirim said Britain and Turkey had begun work on a post-Brexit free trade agreement, by setting up a working group. Preparations would take place "in parallel" with the Brexit negotiations, he said, but acknowledged a deal could not be finalised until the UK had actually left the EU. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA Mr Yildirim dismissed suggestions that Turkey would be prevented from striking its own trade deal with the UK by its membership of the EU customs union. Once the UK moves out of the EU, the UK will belong to the same club as Turkey, he said. The world is not only made up of the EU. Turkey has free trade agreements with a number of other countries. Forging these agreements does not mean a contradiction with our relations with the EU. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Britain and the EU will hopefully reach an agreement on sufficient progress in Brexit talks within the next few days, the EUs chief negotiator has said. Michel Barnier told an EU conference in Tallinn, Estonia that the moment of truth was approaching for Britains exit talks and that real, sufficient progress was in sight. I do hope in the next few days we will come up with an agreement on principles, and a real agreement, he said. We need to have real, sufficient progress in the three key areas where the UK's decision has created a lot of uncertainty and fear even. Mr Barnier added: The moment of truth is approaching, we have a council under the Estonian presidency on December 14 and 15, and I really hope that will be the point where we will see real, sufficient progress on the conditions of our separation. And that will allow me to recommend the opening up of the next two phases of negotiations, first of all on the transition period and then on the future relationship. The EU official's reference to "the next two phases" raises the possibility that transitional arrangements might be discussed before a full trade negotiation is put on the table by the EU. The chief negotiators upbeat comments however come as the Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said on Monday that the UK needed to give more assurances over the status of the Irish border for sufficient progress to be made. Other than the Irish border, European Council president Donald Tusk has said much more progress is also needed on the issue of the financial settlement the question of what the UK will pay when it leaves the bloc. Theresa May and David Davis has been given a 4 December deadline to make the progress on the two issues ahead of the make-or-break summit in Brussels. The EU, Ireland, and UK are wrestling with how to avoid a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as required by the Good Friday agreement while also ensuring the EU still has an external customs border. The European Parliament and European Commission have suggested customs checks could be moved to ports on the Irish Sea, effectively keeping NI in the customs union and putting a customs between two parts of the United Kingdom. The DUP, on which the Government relies on to have a majority in the House of Commons, has however ruled out any such plan, as has David Davis the Brexit Secretary. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA On the financial settlement, the EU is demanding more detail than Theresa May gave during her Florence Speech, where she said only that "the UK will honour commitments it has made during the period of our membership". If and when the "separation issue" talks are finally cleared, both sides will also have to reach an agreement on a transition period. Internal EU docuemnts leaked to The Independent at the weekend show how at loggerheads the two sides are over the transition period with the EU insisting on new European rules implemented in the UK during the two years, but key figures in Theresa May's Cabinet being dead-set against such a move. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Brexit has parallels to the Vietnam War in terms of the violation of human rights and British peoples reluctance to criticise it for fear of being labelled unpatriotic, according to a professor. Conor Gearty, professor of human rights law at the London School of Economics, wrote in a blog post: "Brexit strikes me as our Vietnam. Everybody rational knows it is how can I put it politely? not going well. But no one with authority seems able to say so." He warned against Brexit resulting in a "large transfer of power to the executive branch", referring to the so-called Henry VIII clause which allows the Government to adopt and disband EU laws without requiring a vote in Parliament. Brexit chief David Davis tells EU: "Don't put politics above prosperity" Potential changes after Brexit, Mr Gearty said, could affect equal pay, health and safety protection, holiday entitlements, clean air and food standards issues that the UK was "hostile" towards as part of its drive to become a "low-regulation, business-friendly" country. "Expect more denunciations of human rights law as post-Brexit reality bites taking back control is a long war, fed by scapegoats for failure," he wrote. The professor warned it would be harder to ascertain causality between Brexit and "deaths, ill-health or misery" compared to the "tangible evidence of impact" ie the body count in Vietnam and that it was easier to link negative impacts to almost a decade of austerity. For example, the Institute for Fiscal Studies found there would be 5.2 million children in the UK living in poverty in five years' time. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA However, he said a hard Brexit would mean a "shrinking of opportunity for UK citizens in terms of education abroad; freedom of movement; access to health care when abroad, and much else." Even under a potential Labour government in the near future, which he said was highly probable, he questioned socialists stance towards the Human Rights Act, which he said made figures like Jeremy Corbyn in the 1970s "suspicious... [the Act was thought of as] a tool with which the powerful could resist change." Mr Gearty added that Irish citizens were also being "ignored". His blog came in the same week that international trade minister Liam Fox said he could not rule out the possibility of a hard border with Ireland until Brexit had been finalised. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Britain should threaten the weak Republic of Ireland with new border controls in order to get its way over Brexit, Ukip has said. Gerard Batten, the party Brexit spokesperson, said Ireland was a tiny country that relies on UK for its existence and that it amounted to the weakest kid in the playground sucking up to the EU bullies. The MEP said the UK had been threatened by the Republic over the issue of the Irish border after Brexit and that Britain should respond in like manner. Ireland says it has EU backing to push for more concessions on border Recommended EU makes case for Northern Ireland staying in customs union We should advise, we are free to revoke common travel area, he said, adding that the Republic was nothing but a subservient client state to the EU. Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar said earlier this month that Ireland needed written assurances from the UK that there would be no return to a hard border between the north and the Republic after Brexit a position both sides have said they support. The Taoiseach hinted that if no such written promise was made Ireland would not deem sufficient progress to have been made in negotiations to move to trade talks at the upcoming December European Council summit. If sufficient progress, as defined by the EU, is not agreed in December, the next opportunity to start trade and transition talks will be in March throwing the Brexit talks timetable into even more disarray and dramatically increasing the likelihood of a no deal. After an outcry on social media Mr Batten doubled down and said it was amazing how upset some people have got because I have suggested Ireland threatening to derail [a] Brexit agreement could invoke a response. Ireland is currently part of the Common Travel Area with the United Kingdom, which has existed since 1923 and means travellers do not require a passport to travel between the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man and channel islands. Both are also currently members of the EU customs union, meaning goods moved between the two countries do not need customs checks but Theresa May has committed the UK to leaving it as part of her plans for a hard Brexit. The EU, Ireland, and UK are wrestling with how to avoid a hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as required by the Good Friday agreement while also ensuring the EU still has an external customs border. The European Parliament and European Commission have suggested customs checks could be moved to ports on the Irish Sea, effectively keeping NI in the customs union and putting a customs between two parts of the United Kingdom. The DUP, on which the Government relies on to have a majority in the House of Commons, has however ruled out any such plan, as has David Davis the Brexit Secretary. Leo Varadkar, Irish prime minister, has called for more clarity from the UK(AFP/Getty Images) (AFP/Getty) The issue was one of two which, along with the financial settlement, European Council president Donald Tusk has said requires much more progress before Decembers European Council summit. In a statement sent to The Independent after the initial publication of this article, Ukip head of delegation Ray Finch MEP said the partys Brexit spokesperson did not speak for the party on the issue. Mr Battens late night tweets do not reflect UKIP policy or sentiment, he said. We wish to maintain free trade and free movement between the North and South of Ireland, full stop. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA Instead, Mr Finch said that the best way of solving the border issue was for Ireland to leave the EU too. Outside the EU, Ireland would once again operate as a sovereign self-determining State with the opportunity for global Free trade, and an independent foreign policy without membership of an EU army, he said. The best way to avoid the European Commission imposing a hard border is to create an equal partnership of independent states outside EU. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Irelands foreign minister has said the European Unions most senior leaders have assured him Brexit talks will not move on to the next stage unless the UK gives greater guarantees over the Irish border. Simon Coveney said Ireland did not need to use its veto as an EU member state to block progress in talks, because other European countries are in complete solidarity with Dublin over the issue. It comes a week ahead of a key meeting between Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel Barnier, at which she is expected to try to secure their backing to move on from the first stage of talks and on to discussions of transition and trade. Recommended Labour MP draws Trump comparison for claim Ireland will pay for border Mr Coveney told Irish broadcaster RTE: We dont need to use a veto because we have complete solidarity on this issue with 26 other EU countries. It is clear to us that if there is not progress on the Irish border, we will not be moving onto phase two in December and that was reinforced to me as late as last Friday by very senior EU leaders. Ms May appears to have won some consensus on the issue of the UKs divorce bill, having agreed to increase the amount Britain pays to settle its financial obligations, potentially up to 40bn. But the other two withdrawal issues the Irish border and EU citizens rights are outstanding. Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA Downing Street said on Monday that a meeting between Ms May and European Council President Donald Tusk had ended following good progress in negotiations, adding theres more to be done in a number of areas and that talks continue to take place. But Ireland has been pushing for more clarity on how the UK intends to avoid a land border between the Republic and Northern Ireland. Dublin has said that if either the whole UK or just Northern Ireland remains in the single market and customs union, then there would be no problem with maintaining the current soft-border arrangements, but Downing Street has ruled them both out. Any arrangement which appeared to give Northern Ireland a separate status to the rest of the UK would be strongly resisted by the Democratic Unionist Party party, whose 10 Westminster MPs are propping up Ms Mays Commons majority. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has said: We dont want there to be a hard border but the UK is going to be leaving the customs union and the single market. He told Sky News on Sunday: We cant come to a final answer to the Irish question until we get an idea of the end state. Arlene Foster addresses DUP Conference: "We want a sensible Brexit" Irish European affairs minister Helen McEntee has acknowledged that some of the final details of the border question would have to be dealt with in the next phase of Brexit talks, but said the UK must come forward with further proposals to achieve the aim of maintaining a soft border. Meanwhile, Irish senator Neale Richmond, a European affairs spokesman for the Fine Gael party that leads the government, warned of violence if there is a return to a hard border. He told the BBCs Today programme: There is paramilitary and criminal activity on both sides of the border at the moment, and indeed from both communities, and I come from an Irish community myself. Budget 2017: Philip Hammond puts aside 3bn for 'all Brexit outcomes' So to simply say that theres no threat ... there is a threat, the PSNI [Police Service of Northern Ireland] and An Garda Siochana [the Republics police], have said there is a viable paramilitary threat to the peace process. You put up one watchtower, or put out one customs patrol, and they will be a target, and I would argue they would be attacked within a week of them going up. Moving on to phase two of the negotiations, on transition and trade, can only happen if all other 27 EU state leaders agree at the European Council summit on 14 and 15 December that sufficient progress has been made on withdrawal issues. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be a national holiday, Downing Street has announced. News of the pair's engagement had prompted hopes the country's workers would be granted a day off on the day of the nuptials next year. But Theresa May's official spokesman said: "There are no plans for a Bank Holiday. "There isn't a precedent in this area." The spokesman pointed out that there was no Bank Holiday to mark the weddings of Prince Andrew in 1986 or Prince Edward in 1999. But a Bank Holiday was held for the wedding of Princess Anne in 1973, who like Harry was not a direct heir to the throne but was behind her brothers in the line for succession. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Show all 55 1 /55 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. The Invictus Games is an international sport event for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. It was created by the Duke of Sussex and aims to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding of all those who serve their country Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for a photograph in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement AFP/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2017 Meghan Markle shows off her engagement ring AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2017 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene in King's Lynn Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan during a visit to Reprezent 107.3FM in Pop Brixton. The Reprezent training programme was established in Peckham in 2008, in response to the alarming rise in knife crime, to help young people develop and socialise through radio Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers on arrival at Cardiff Castle for a day showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Wales AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2018 The couple watching a dance performance by Jukebox Collective during their to Cardiff Castle AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle walk through the corridors of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on their way to a reception for young people in Edinburgh. The reception celebrated youth achievements, marking Scotlands Year of Young People 2018, an initiative that aims to inspire Scotland through its young people: celebrating their achievements, strengthening their voice on social issues and creating new opportunities for them to shine AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2018 Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in London. Under the theme 'Making a Difference Together', the event showcased the programmes run or initiated by The Royal Foundation Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Prince William, Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2018 Meghan Markle greets well-wishers after a visit to one of Belfast's most historic buildings, The Crown Liquor Saloon, a former Victorian gin palace, now run by the National Trust. It was the Royal couple's first joint visit to Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures April 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle meet participants as they attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath AFP via Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle and her mother, Doria Ragland arriving at Cliveden House Hotel the night before her wedding to Prince Harry Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Royal fans sing for the television in Windsor the day before the Royal wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Meghan Markle walks down the aisle in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, during her wedding AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand facing each other hand-in-hand before Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during their wedding ceremony AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 Prince Harry kisses the Duchess of Sussex, as they pass through the Cambridge Gate into the grounds of Windsor Castle at the end of their carriage procession AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2018 The newly married royals leave Windsor Castle after their wedding to attend an evening reception at Frogmore House AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Queen Elizabeth II sitts and laughs with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in the town of Widnes in Halton, Cheshire Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan return in a horse-drawn carriage after attending the Queen's Birthday Parade, 'Trooping the Colour' on Horseguards parade AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF Chris Jackson/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2018 Meghan and Prince Harry kiss after the Sentebale Polo event that was held at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures August 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet the cast and crew of "Hamilton" backstage after the gala performance in support of Sentebale at Victoria Palace Theatre Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2018 Meghan meets 7-year-old Matilda Booth during the annual WellChild awards at Royal Lancaster Hotel in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet 98-year-old Daphne Dunne during a meet and greet at the Sydney Opera House during an official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan meet a koala named Ruby and its koala joey named Meghan after the Duchess of Sussex during a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry looks on as his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is hugged by student Luke Vincent of Buninyong Public School following the couple's arrival at Dubbo Regional Airport in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Harry and his wife Meghan watch aboriginal dances at Victoria Park in Dubbo AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet with lifeguards at South Melbourne Beach. BeachPatrol is a network of volunteers who are passionate about keeping Melbourne's beaches and foreshores clear of litter to reduce the negative impact of litter on the marine environment and food chain, and provide a safe environment for the public to enjoy their local beach Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan join a circle during a "Fluro Friday" session run by OneWave, a local surfing community group who raise awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach AFP Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 The British royals kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands on Bondi Beach AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan visit an exhibition of Tongan handicrafts, mats and tapa cloths at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre in Nuku'alofa, Tonga Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2018 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visit Redwoods Tree Walk in Rotorua AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures November 2018 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at a service marking the centenary of WW1 armistice at Westminster Abbey Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures February 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visit the Kasbah of the Udayas near the Moroccan capital Rabat AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan speak on stage during WE Day UK 2019 at The SSE Arena in London Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures March 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry react as they are presented with baby gifts by Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Janice Charette, at Canada House, during an event to mark Commonwealth Day, in central London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 A congratulatory banner message circling the BT Tower reading "Congratulations Harry and Meghan It's a Baby Boy!" AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Footmen Stephen Kelly and Sarah Thompson set up an official notice on an easel at the gates of Buckingham Palace on May 6, announcing the birth of a son to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Pround parents pose with their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The Duchess of Sussex gave birth at 5:26 on 6 May Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures May 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan walk away after posing for photographs with their newborn son AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures June 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan join the New York Yankees in their clubhouse and receive gifts for Archie ahead of their match against the Boston Red Sox at the London Stadium. The historic two-game series marked the sport's first games ever played in Europe and The Invictus Games Foundation was selected as the official charity of Mitel and MLB London Series 2019 Invictus Games Foundation/Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures July 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet cast and crew, including US singer-songwriter Beyonce and her husband, US rapper Jay-Z as they attend the European premiere of the film The Lion King in London AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dance as they arrive for a visit to the "Justice desk", an NGO in the township of Nyanga in Cape Town, as they begin their tour of the region. Their first official family visit in the coastal city AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan pose with members of "Waves For Change" NGO at Monwabisi Beach outside of Cape Town. "Waves For Change" NGO fuses surfing with child-friendly mind and body therapy to provide mental health services to vulnerable young people living in challenging communities AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The royals arrive to visit the oldest mosque of Cape Town in Dorp Street in Bo Kaap district AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The Duchess of Sussex visits Auwal Mosque on Heritage Day with the Duke of Sussex during their royal tour of South Africa. Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque in South Africa and for the Muslim community, this mosque symbolises the freedom of former slaves to worship Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan hold their baby son Archie as they meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife Leah at the Tutu Legacy Foundation in Cape Town AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures September 2019 The British royal couple were on a 10-day tour of southern Africa -- their first official visit as a family since their son Archie was born AFP via Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Prince Harry and Meghan meet Graca Machel, widow of the late Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Duke last met with Mrs Machel during his visit to South Africa in 2015 Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures October 2019 Meghan and Prince Harry attend a roundtable discussion on gender equality with The Queens Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and One Young World at Windsor Castle Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures December 2019 Prince Harry holding his son Archie. The photo was used on Instagram to wish their followers a happy new year SussexRoyal/PA Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Duke and Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House in London after visiting to show thanks for the warm hospitality and support they received during their recent stay in Canada Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in pictures January 2020 Front page headlines, from UK daily papers, reporting on the news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, plan to step back as "senior" members of the Royal Family AFP via Getty A Bank Holiday was declared throughout the UK in 2011 for the wedding day of Prince William to Kate Middleton, and the nation was given the day off for the Prince of Wales's marriage to Diana Spencer in 1981. The couple announced their engagement on Monday morning following a sixteen month romance, prompting calls on social media for the nation to have the day off. Recommended Journalists booed for asking Jeremy Corbyn about royal engagement Prince William is much further up in the line of succession than his brother, being second in line to the throne. Prince Harry has dropped to fifth behind his nephew and niece Prince George and Princess Charlotte. He will drop to sixth once the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's new baby is born. The wedding will take place in the spring, Clarence House announced, although no further details have yet been given as to the venue or date. It is thought unlikely to take place in April, as this is when the new royal baby is due. Politicians across the political spectrum have offered congratulations to Prince Harry and his American actress fiancee. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who said he hoped the couple would have "a lot of fun together", had promised the nation an additional four bank holidays in the party's election manifesto. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Government has been warned that a "very substantial rebellion" was brewing among Tory MPs over potential defence cuts, which could see army numbers slashed to below 70,000. Newly-elected Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was told his colleagues were in "open rebellion" at proposals to reduce the armys full-time strength, which have already drawn threats of resignation from Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood. It comes as Tory MP and former army officer Johnny Mercer warned up to 30 Conservatives were prepared to "hold the Government's feet to the fire" on defence spending - in comments likely alarm the weakened Prime Minister, whose lack of parliamentary majority makes her vulnerable to even a small number of rebels. Recommended Government set for climbdown over defence cuts in face of Tory revolt Speculation over defence cuts has mounted since the launch of a review by Theresa Mays national security adviser Mark Sedwill, but the Ministry of Defence (MoD) insists that the no decisions have been made and the claims were only conjecture. Conservative MP James Gray, addrssing Mr Williamson in the Commons, said: "Will he speak to the national security adviser, and indeed the Secretary of State at the Cabinet Office, to remind them that they must not use this review as some kind of camouflage to cut our services? "Will he speak to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make sure he digs deep in his pockets to produce the money we need? "And above all, will he speak to the Chief Whip to remind him if he does not do so he's going to be facing a very substantial rebellion?" Former Tory defence minister Mark Francois also intervened, saying the defence of the realm is "the first duty of Government above all others", while shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith said Tory backbenchers were in "open rebellion" on the proposed cuts. Mr Williamson, in his first Commons appearance since he took on the role, said he wanted to understand the threats faced by the UK, with a defence review ongoing across Government. He replied: "I can assure him I will speak to every single one of those people that he has outlined. "And as he rightly points out, the defence of our nation is the first and primary responsibility of every government. That is one I take exceptionally seriously." The new Defence Secretary also talked tough on the Government's commitment to meeting the Nato target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence, describing it as "a base rather than a ceiling" following calls to boost expenditure to 3 per cent. However Mr Williamson sidestepped questions on whether he had pushed Chancellor Philip Hammond to boost defence spending before the Budget. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 16 November 2022 Emma Woolf, great niece of British author Virginia Woolf, and her son Ludovic sit next to a new bronze statue of Woolf, unveiled in Richmond, London Reuters UK news in pictures 15 November 2022 Lesley Sutcliffe shelters from the rain next to a life-sized replica of the innermost coffin of King Tutankhamun by artist Amanda Stoner as it goes on display inside a traditional red telephone box which has been converted into a museum, in Barnsley, South Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty MPs also urged him to push for the cost of the Trident nuclear deterrent to be taken out of the defence budget, something he indicated was being examined as part of a Whitehall review. It comes after former soldier Mr Ellwood made headlines at the weekend after telling colleagues he was "deeply concerned" at proposals to cut army numbers and hinting he was prepared to resign over the issue. His calls were backed by an increasingly influential group of former servicemen within the Tory party, including ex-army officers Tom Tugendhat and Mr Mercer, both of whom have pledged to fight any cuts to the armed forces. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has vowed to fully fund the costs of dealing with the Manchester terror attack after the Governments initial offer fell short by millions of pounds. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham provoked outrage when he revealed the Prime Minister had only offered 12m of the 28m needed to compensate public services over the fallout from the deadly bombing. Some 22 people were killed in the devastating blast at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena in May, while hundreds were injured or traumatised by the attack. Recommended May condemned for failing to pay full cost of Manchester terror attack Describing the bombing as "one of the darkest moment's in the city history", Ms May told the Manchester Evening News: Be in no doubt, Manchester will get the financial support it needs and if that costs 28m, as Andy Burnham has estimated, then that is what we will make available. The intervention came following warnings from Mr Burnham that local authorities might have to cut services to make up the 5m shortfall on what has already been spent - with additional expected costs of 10.4m to cover inquests and an inquiry. A new Cabinet Office taskforce will coordinate the Government's response and speed up payments where necessary, she said. Ms May added: "I promised in the wake of the appalling atrocity this Government would do all it could to help victims recover and the city to heal. I repeat that commitment today. Where your public services have had to bear, or will bear, unexpected and exceptional costs in coping with this terrible attack, these will be met by the Government. "The process of making those payments is on-going and I understand the frustration felt at the pace of delivery. So I have taken steps to speed up our response. In response to the announcement, Mr Burnham tweeted: I thank the Prime Minister for her helpful words this evening. "We will work constructively with the taskforce to achieve a fair resolution. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hawaii has reinstated a Second World War-style missile warning system amid fears of an attack by North Korea. The sirens have not been tested since the Cold War but are being brought back as the US state responds to the on-going war of words between Donald Trump and the secretive communist state's leader Kim Jong-un. Reintroduced at the start of next month, the warning system will utilise existing technology that is already used to warn local people of an incoming hurricane or tsunami. Experts believe a North Korean missile could take just 20 minutes to reach Hawaii, meaning residents would have only have a very short time to react. Hawaii is protected by US anti-missile systems but the states leaders are taking extra precautions. They have expanded an educational programme teaching residents how to respond to a nuclear strike and arranged a series of public meetings and television and radio announcements to ensure Hawaiis 1.4 million residents know what to do in the event of an attack. Local people are being told to have a plan in place for where they will take shelter if alarms warn that a strike is imminent. They have also been advised to hide in a concrete structure and have enough food and water to last at least 48 hours and ideally two weeks. 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 While he said a nuclear attack was unlikely, Vern Miyagi, a retired army major general who is now administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, told NBC News, that the state was "a likely target because were closer to North Korea than most of the continental United States." He said: As we track the news and see tests, both missile launches and nuclear tests, its the elephant in the room. We cant ignore it. People of Hawaii need to know what Hawaii is doing in preparation for this. Recommended University of Hawaii prepares students for nuclear attack Each individual, each family should have a plan to be resilient, so they can take care of themselves, while we focus on getting the critical infrastructure, the harbours, the water, the roads, all back to some sort of normalcy. Officials believe that, if precautions are taken, 80 to 90 per cent of the population of Hawaii could survive a nuclear attack. The decision to prepare for a possible strike comes after a heated dispute between the US and the North Korean regime. The pariah state has threatened to launch a missile at American territory, while Donald Trump recently vowed to inflict fire and fury the like of which the world has never seen if North Korea launches an attack. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} New details have emerged in the alleged murder of an American teenager in Paraguay. Once ruled a suicide, prosecutors are now treating the case as a rape and murder, based on phone logs, crime scene photos, and interviews with suspects. Sixteen-year-old Alex Villamayor died more than two and a half years ago, during a visit to a friend's family ranch in Encarnacion, Paraguay. The last time he spoke to his father, former Paraguayan congressman Luis Villamayor, he called to report that he and his friends were drinking mushroom tea on the property. The phone call cut off, and Mr Villamayor never heard from his son again. The death was initially ruled a suicide. Now, new evidence in the case has emboldened prosecutors who are treating the case as a murder. Crime scene photos show Alex was shot on the right side of his head, while the gun was found in his left hand, according to the Daily Beast. There was no gun residue discovered on his body, or any of his friends. Family members said the clothes he was found dressed in were not his own. A medical examiner discovered bruises all over the teenagers body, including on his genitals, according to Villamayor family lawyer Pablo Fernandez. The examiner also discovered semen in his anus, Mr Fernandez told Ultima Hora. 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 Phone records obtained by the Daily Beast reportedly show Rene, the friend whose house Alex was visiting, had called his father more than 50 times that day, starting at 3 am. Both Rene and his friend Alain initially said they had woken up at 6 am to find Alex dead. In August, Paraguayan news outlets reported that Mathias Wilbs, a worker at the ranch, had confessed to moving the boy's body and putting a gun in his hand. He later admitted to having done so to protect Rene, according to Ultima Hora. So far, Paraguayan officials have denied the FBIs assistance in the case. Both Rene and Wilbs are in prison on charges of premeditated murder, but they have not gone to trial. Alain was indicted for murder more than two years ago, but was acquitted before the investigation was completed. Alexs aunt, Kim Luk, is lobbying to change American laws to mandate the FBI become involved when a US citizen is killed abroad. More people have to understand what happens to you when you travel overseas, Ms Kim told the Daily Beast. Were in an administration right now that is seeking Americans first. This is a perfect time for us to change laws. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A plane carrying hundreds of people experienced tyre issues upon landing, with passengers reporting that two of the tyres had exploded. The United Airlines flight 961 was landing at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday having departed Frankfurt International Airport hours earlier. There were 264 passengers and 15 crew on board at the time. All are said to have disembarked safely. The airline did not provide details of the fault but one passenger on board said two of the planes tyres had blown upon landing. Recommended United Airlines escapes fine after dragging passenger off a plane Hillary Kwiatek wrote on Twitter: If you hear about a plane landing with malfunctioning brakes and two blown tires at Newark, don't worry we're all fine. A United Airlines spokesperson said: United Airlines flight 961, a Boeing 777-222, experienced tyre issues upon landing at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from Frankfurt (FRA). The aircraft landed safely and customers were deplaned and bussed to the terminal. The incident occurred on the same day that another United Airlines flight was diverted to London after reports of a medical emergency on board. 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 Flight 31 from Munich to Newark made an unscheduled stop at London Heathrow, where paramedics assisted a number of passengers. According to those on board, several passengers had reported feeling nauseous and lightheaded during the flight. The plane was around 180 miles west of London when the crew decided to turn back and land so that those affected could receive medical attention. Passengers were rebooked on to other flights and hotel rooms were provided to those who needed them. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the issue and the plane has temporarily been removed from service. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In his fourth book, American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures in North America, award-winning author Colin Woodard identifies 11 distinct cultures that have historically divided the US. The country has been arguing about a lot of fundamental things lately including state roles and individual liberty, Woodard, a Maine native who won the 2012 George Polk Award for investigative reporting, told Business Insider. [But] in order to have any productive conversation on these issues, he added, you need to know where you come from. Once you know where you are coming from it will help move the conversation forward. Here's how Woodard describes each nation: Yankeedom Encompassing the entire Northeast north of New York City and spreading through Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, Yankeedom values education, intellectual achievement, communal empowerment, and citizen participation in government as a shield against tyranny. Yankees are comfortable with government regulation. Woodard notes that Yankees have a Utopian streak. The area was settled by radical Calvinists. New Netherland A highly commercial culture, New Netherland is materialistic, with a profound tolerance for ethnic and religious diversity and an unflinching commitment to the freedom of inquiry and conscience, according to Woodard. It is a natural ally with Yankeedom and encompasses New York City and northern New Jersey. The area was settled by the Dutch. The Midlands Settled by English Quakers, The Midlands are a welcoming middle-class society that spawned the culture of the American Heartland. Political opinion is moderate, and government regulation is frowned upon. Woodard calls the ethnically diverse Midlands America's great swing region. Within the Midlands are parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Tidewater Tidewater was built by the young English gentry in the area around the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina. Starting as a feudal society that embraced slavery, the region places a high value on respect for authority and tradition. Woodard notes that Tidewater is in decline, partly because it has been eaten away by the expanding federal halos around D.C. and Norfolk. Greater Appalachia Colonised by settlers from the war-ravaged borderlands of Northern Ireland, northern England, and the Scottish lowlands, Greater Appalachia is stereotyped as the land of hillbillies and rednecks. Woodard says Appalachia values personal sovereignty and individual liberty and is intensely suspicious of lowland aristocrats and Yankee social engineers alike. It sides with the Deep South to counter the influence of federal government. Within Greater Appalachia are parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, and Texas. Deep South The Deep South was established by English slave lords from Barbados and was styled as a West Indies-style slave society, Woodard notes. It has a very rigid social structure and fights against government regulation that threatens individual liberty. Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina are all part of the Deep South. El Norte Composed of the borderlands of the Spanish-American empire, El Norte is a place apart from the rest of America, according to Woodard. Hispanic culture dominates in the area, and the region values independence, self-sufficiency, and hard work above all else. Parts of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California are in El Norte. The Left Coast Colonised by New Englanders and Appalachian Midwesterners, the Left Coast is a hybrid of Yankee utopianism and Appalachian self-expression and exploration, Woodard says, adding that it is the staunchest ally of Yankeedom. Coastal California, Oregon, and Washington are in the Left Coast. The Far West The conservative west. Developed through large investment in industry, yet where inhabitants continue to resent the Eastern interests that initially controlled that investment. Among Far West states are Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. New France A pocket of liberalism nestled in the Deep South, its people are consensus driven, tolerant, and comfortable with government involvement in the economy. Woodard says New France is among the most liberal places in North America. New France is focused around New Orleans in Louisiana as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. First Nation Made up of Native Americans, the First Nation's members enjoy tribal sovereignty in the US. Woodard says the territory of the First Nations is huge, but its population is under 300,000, most of whose people live in the northern reaches of Canada. Woodard says that among these 11 nations, Yankeedom and the Deep South exert the most influence and are constantly competing with each other for the hearts and minds of the other nations. We are trapped in brinkmanship because there is not a lot of wiggle room between Yankee and Southern Culture, Woodard says. Those two nations would never see eye to eye on anything besides an external threat. Woodard also believes the nation is likely to become more polarized, even though America is becoming a more diverse place every day. He says this is because people are self-sorting. People choose to move to places where they identify with the values, Woodard says. Red minorities go south and blue minorities go north to be in the majority. This is why blue states are getting bluer and red states are getting redder and the middle is getting smaller. Why bottled water is one of the biggest scams of the century This 12-year-old came up with a way to stop allergies before they star Millennium Falcon found on Google Maps Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump will not campaign for the controversial Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, multiple outlets have cited White House officials saying. The decision to stay away from a race that is key to maintaining Republicans' Senate majority an already-narrow margin that is crucial for the Republican effort to pass a sweeping tax overhaul bill demonstrates how politically risky Mr Moore has become, even for a President who has not joined other Republicans in calling on Mr Moore to exit the race. A swirl of sexual misconduct allegations, including multiple women who have accused Mr Moore of having made advances when they were teenagers, has imperiled the former judges election prospects and forced the Republican Party into a difficult political situation. Mr Moore has denied any wrongdoing, saying in a statement that I have never engaged in sexual misconduct and saying allegations against him are politically motivated. His campaign doubled down on that line with a new advertisement dismissing false allegations as part of a scheme by liberal elites and the Republican establishment to protect their big government trough. Despite those disavowals, Republican senators who would be Mr Moores colleagues have distanced themselves and called upon him to leave the race. But Mr Trump has not done so, and this weekend he weighed in on the race with a series of tweets warning against electing Mr Moores Democratic opponent effectively giving his backing to the embattled Republican. 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 While Senate Republicans have said they believe Mr Moore's accusers to be credible, Mr Trump has been reluctant to do the same. He has noted that Mr Moore has been consistent in denying misconduct. He totally denies it. He says it didn't happen. And you know, you have to listen to him also, Trump told reporters last week, adding that He's run eight races and this has never come up, so 40 years is a long time. The Alabama race has also exposed wider fissures among Republican voters. Mr Moore prevailed in the primary over a more centrist Republican, Sen Luther Strange, whom Mr Trump had endorsed. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An ethics lawyer in President Donald Trumps White House has resigned after spending nearly a year working on financial disclosure issues. James Schultz said he had discussed the matter of his departure with Don McGahn, lead White House counsel, very early on. I was interested in continuing with private practice and saw this as a tremendous opportunity to go serve and get things up and running and the plan was to move on about this time, Mr Schultz said. He is moving to law firm Cozen OConnor in Philadelphia, where he previously worked prior to the White House position. Mr Schultz said his resignation late last week was not related to the ongoing alleged ethics violations of members of the Trump administration, including advisors Kellyanne Conway and Jared Kushner, husband of Ivanka Trump. These are typically year to about 18-months type positions, Mr Schultz told Politico. Mr Schultz also took a shot at members of the news media, saying they unfairly criticise this administration... even when theyre not justified. The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images The lawyer said the White House counsels office has been more onerous and gone beyond legal requirements for staff divestments and recusals. He also said he would be among the host of former administration officials available for comment on the ongoing controversies. I will be out, but I dont plan to make a career out of being a pundit on TV, he said, but that it would be something Id be willing to do. Mr Schultz noted he would not take the path of Office of Government Ethics former director Walter Shaub, who is someone out there trying to make a name for themselves in that space by being critics in order to set themselves up for other positions down the road. Mr Shaub recently filed a complaint against Ms Conways comments made on television regarding who to vote for in the 12 December special election in Alabama, pitting Republican Roy Moore against Democrat Doug Jones. Nobody knew who Walter Shaub was before [Mr Trump] became president ... He immediately thrust himself into the limelight instead of being helpful on the issues where he could have been. It was more about him than about ethics, Mr Schultz said. In response, Mr Shaub said: I wish Jim well. I hope hes better at his next job, or at least lasts a full year in it. Mr Schultz is not prohibited from contacting federal agencies on behalf of others within a year of his departure because his salary of $140,000 (105,000) does not fall within the applicable federal rule. He has also taken a pledge from becoming a registered lobbyist for at least five years and never becoming a registered foreign lobbyist. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} President Donald Trump's choice to name Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget director, as the acting head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has created confusion over who is supposed to lead the bank regulator that has constantly been under attack by Republicans. Mr Trump appointed Mr Mulvaney just hours after the CFPBs director, Richard Cordray, stepped down and promoted his chief of staff Leandra English as the interim replacement. The move by Mr Cordray, who was appointed by former Democratic President Barack Obama, was widely seen as an attempt to prevent the White House from naming a successor. The 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which established the CFPB, explicitly says the independent agency's deputy director shall serve as acting Director in the absence or unavailability of the Director. But the Justice Department, in a memo over the weekend, said Mr Trump has the authority to name a new director to the independent agency created in the wake of the 2007 financial crisis. The Federal Vacancies Act allows the president to install a temporary acting head of any executive agency who has already been confirmed by the Senate to another position, such as Mr Mulvaney. It it is unclear whether the the Dodd-Frank Act supercedes the Vacancies Act, or the other way around, which is something the courts may end up having to sort out. If Mr Mulvaney ends up in charge, he is likely to implement sweeping change at the agency he has called the very worst kind of government entity. The 50-year-old former congressman has wanted the bureaus authority significantly curtailed. The CFPB is a wonderful example of how a bureaucracy will function if it has no accountability to anybody, Mr Mulvaney said in 2014, adding that it is a sick, sad joke. The President wrote on Twitter that the CFPB has been a total disaster as run by the previous Administrations pick. Financial Institutions have been devastated and unable to properly serve the public. We will bring it back to life! Mr Trump exclaimed. Financial services companies had characterised the outgoing director as overly aggressive. Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Show all 30 1 /30 Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Threatening to shut down Twitter after being fact-checked After the president tweeted that voting by post would be "substantially fraudulent", Twitter attached a warning label to his tweet and referred readers to a site which explained how the claim was "unsubstantiated". Trump then said Twitter was "stifling free speech" and that he may have to shut it down, something which he would not have the power to do AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Flippantly dismissing a serious allegation of sexual assault When author E Jean Carroll accused Trump of raping her, the president responded: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?" AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Insulting the Mayor of London as he landed in London Just before touching down at Stansted Airport for his state visit, Trump took time out to @ the London mayor Sadiq Khan on twitter. He said that Khan has done a "terrible job"as mayor and that he is a "stone cold loser" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Taking plenty of "Executive Time" The president's official schedule sets aside the hours from 8 to 11am daily for "Executive Time". Further intermittent periods of "Executive Time" are scheduled throughout any given day, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours. His duties in these hours have not been officially disclosed, though Axios reports that he spends them watching TV, reading the newspapers and tweeting Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Shutdown the government for over a month in an effort to secure funding for his wall With Mexico declining to pay for the wall, the president has faced difficulty in raising the required $5bn at home. Due to his demand that the money for the wall be included in the budget, and Congress's refusal, the government partially shut down on 22 December 2018. It remained shut for over a month, the longest period in history Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Joking about the Nazi occupation of France to President Macron In this tweet from 13 November 2018, the president mocks Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of a "true, European army" by invoking the conflict between France and Germany in the world wars Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Railing against the Mueller investigation The president has repeatedly claimed that the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is a "rigged witch hunt" Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting a US intelligence report on Russian meddling in the presence of Vladimir Putin In the press conference that followed his landmark meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, Trump stated that he saw no reason why Russia would have meddled in the 2016 US election. This contradicted a 2017 report by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence that found evidence of Russian interference in favour of Trump Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Contradicting his contradiction of a US intelligence report on Russian meddling Following furious backlash in the US, the president claimed that he meant to say that he saw no reason why it would not have been Russia who meddled in the 2016 US election. As to why he would have intended to use such bizarre phrasing, he did not comment Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Colouring in the US flag wrong The president coloured in the US flag wrongly during a visit to a children's hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He added a blue stripe where in tradition, and statute, there have been only white and red stripes AFP/Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing a Secretary of State over Twitter The president announced on Twitter that he was appointing Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, much to the surprise of then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Quoting a catchphrase from a reality TV show when discussing police brutality While addressing the issue of black athletes not standing for the national anthem in protest of police brutality, the president made reference to his catchphrase from reality TV show "The Apprentice": you're fired! Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Calling African nations "S***hole Countries" Ever one for diplomacy, the president reportedly referred to African nations as "s***hole countries". Asked to confirm this when meeting with Nigeria's President Buhari, Trump stated that there are "some countries that are in very bad shape". Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Defending Russian President Vladimir Putin Trump appeared to equate US foreign actions to those of Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying: There are a lot of killers. You think our countrys so innocent? Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Asking for people to 'pray' for Arnold Schwarzenegger At the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump couldnt help but to ask for prayers for the ratings on Arnold Schwarzeneggers show to be good. Schwarzenegger took over as host of The Apprentice which buoyed Trumps celebrity status years ago Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Hanging up on Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull Early in his presidency, Trump reportedly hung up the phone on Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull after the foreign leader angered him over refugee plans. Mr Trump later said that it was the worst call he had had so far Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... The 'Muslim ban' Perhaps one of his most controversial policies while acting as president, Trumps travel ban targeting predominantly Muslim countries has bought him a lot of criticism. The bans were immediately protested, and judges initially blocked their implementation. The Supreme Court later sided with the administrations argument that the ban was developed out of concern for US security Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Praising crowd size while touring Hurricane Harvey damage After Hurricane Harvey ravaged southeastern Texas, Trump paid the area a visit. While his response to the disaster in Houston was generally applauded, the president picked up some flack when he gave a speech outside Houston (he reportedly did not visit disaster zones), and praised the size of the crowds there AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... 'Little Rocket Man' During his first-ever speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Trump tried out a new nickname for North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: Rocket Man. He later tweaked it to be little Rocket Man as the two feuded, and threatened each other with nuclear war. During that speech, he also threatened to totally annihilate North Korea Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Attacking Sadiq Khan following London Bridge terror attack After the attack on the London Bridge, Trump lashed out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan, criticising Khan for saying there was no reason to be alarmed after the attack. Trump was taking the comments out of context, as Khan was simply saying that the police had everything under control Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming presenter Mika Brezinkski was 'bleeding from the face' Never one not to mock his enemies, Trump mocked MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski, saying that she and co-host Joe Scarborough had approached him before his inauguration asking to join him. He noted that she was bleeding badly from a face-lift at the time, and that he said no MSNBC Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming the blame for Charlottesville was on 'both sides' Trump refused to condemn far-right extremists involved in violence at 'the march for the right' protests in Charlottesville, even after the murder of counter protester Heather Heyer AP Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Retweeting cartoon of CNN being hit by a 'Trump train' Trump retweeted a cartoon showing a Trump-branded train running over a person whose body and head were replaced by a CNN avatar. He later deleted the retweet Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Tweeting about 'slamming' CNN Trump caught some flack when he tweeted a video showing him wrestling down an individual whose head had been replaced by a CNN avatar. Trump has singled CNN out in particular with his chants of fake news Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Firing head of the FBI, James Comey Trumps firing of former FBI Director James Comey landed him with a federal investigation into Russias meddling in the 2016 election that has caused many a headache for the White House. The White House initially said that the decision was made after consultation from the Justice Department. Then Mr Trump himself said that he had decided to fire him in part because he wanted the Russia investigation Mr Comey was conducting to stop Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Not realising being president would be 'hard' Just three months into his presidency, Trump admitted that being president is harder than he thought it would be. Though Trump insisted on the 2016 campaign trail that doing the job would be easy for him, he admitted in an interview that living in the White House is harder than running a business empire Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Accusing Obama of wiretapping him Trump accused former president Barack Obama of wire tapping him on twitter. The Justice Department later clarified: Obama had not, in fact, done so Reuters Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Claiming there had been 3 million 'illegal votes' Trump was never very happy about losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million ballots. So, he and White House voter-fraud commissioner Kris Kobach have claimed that anywhere between three and five million people voted illegally during the 2016 election. Conveniently, he says that all of those illegal votes went to Clinton. (There is no evidence to support that level of widespread voter fraud.) Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Leaving Jews out of the Holocaust memorial statement Just days after taking office, Trumps White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, but didnt mention jews or even the word jewish in the written statement Getty Donald Trump's least presidential moments so far... Anger over Inauguration crowd size Trumps inauguration crowd was visibly, and noticeably, smaller than that of his predecessor, Barack Obama. But, he really wanted to have had the largest crowd on record. So, he praised it as the biggest crowd ever. Relatedly, Trump also claimed that it stopped raining in Washington at the moment he was inaugurated. It didnt, the day was very dreary Reuters Multiple Republicans have sided with the President in the debate over who should be Mr Cordray's successor. I expect that Mick Mulvaney will be on the job and hell be calling the shots over there, said John Thune, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, in an interview on Fox News Sunday. I think very much it sounds like the Justice Department has come out and supported the presidents position on this, he added. Ultimately, this may end up in court. Senator Lindsey Graham told CNN: I think the presidents on good ground here to appoint somebody under the vacancy statute. Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Richard Durbin said he supported the decision of Mr Cordray. In an interview with CNN, he suggested Mr Trump is catering to the desire of Wall Street to blow up the watchdog agency that regulates consumer lenders. Wall Street hates it like the devil hates holy water. And theyre trying to put an end to it with Mr Mulvaney stepping into Cordrays spot, Mr Durbin, the Senate minority whip, said on State of the Union. The debate is currently centred on who will temporarily be at the helm of the CFPB. But Mr Trump will ultimately be in charge of nominating Mr Cordray's permanent replacement, which could still be Mr Mulvaney. That pick would need to be confirmed by the Senate. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The White House has defending President Donald Trump referring to Senator Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas during a meeting with Native Americans, saying he meant no offense while accusing Ms Warren of lying about her career. Already fond of branding his political opponents with nicknames, the President has taken to calling Ms Warren Pocahontas for referencing what she calls her slight Native American ancestry a claim that her political adversaries have repeatedly derided. During an event honoring Navajo code-talkers, who worked with the American military during World War II, Mr Trump again used the word in an apparent reference to Ms Warren. You were here long before any of us were here, although we have a representative in Congress who, they say, was here a long time ago, Mr Trump told attendees. They call her Pocahontas. Mr Trump has set off a backlash in the past for what detractors call a racial slur, and his administration immediately faced questions about the appropriateness of invoking a well-known Native American figure to demean an opponent at an event meant to memorialize Native American achievement. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the term was not a racial slur and that it was ridiculous to label it as such. 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 Using a racial slur was certainly not the President's intent, Ms Sanders told reporters.Asked why the President felt the need to say something that is offense to many people while honoring Native Americans, Ms Sanders deflected blame to Ms Warren. I think what most people find offensive is Sen Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career, Ms Sanders said. Ms Warren has invoked family lore in saying she has a small amount of Cherokee and Delaware heritage and maintains she never used that ancestry for personal gain. In an interview with MSNBC following the President's remarks, Ms Warren said it was deeply unfortunate that the President of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honouring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur. 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 }} More than six years after a tsunami overwhelmed the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japan has yet to reach consensus on what to do with a million tonnes of radioactive water, stored on site in around 900 large and densely packed tanks that could spill should another major earthquake or tsunami strike. The stalemate is rooted in a fundamental conflict between science and human nature. Experts advising the government have urged a gradual release to the nearby Pacific Ocean. Treatment has removed all the radioactive elements except tritium, which they say is safe in small amounts. Conversely, if the tanks break, their contents could slosh out in an uncontrolled way. Recommended Robots reach contaminated heart of ruined Fukushima nuclear plant Local fishermen are baulking. The water, no matter how clean, has a dirty image for consumers, they say. Despite repeated tests showing most types of fish caught off Fukushima are safe to eat, diners remain hesitant. The fishermen fear any release would sound the death knell for their nascent and still fragile recovery. People would shun Fukushima fish again as soon as the water is released, said Fumio Haga, a drag-net fisherman from Iwaki, a city about 50 kilometres (30 miles) down the coast from the nuclear plant. And so the tanks remain. Fall is high season for saury and flounder, among Fukushima's signature fish. It was once a busy time of year when coastal fishermen were out every morning. Then came 11 March 2011. A 9 magnitude offshore earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people along Japan's northeast coast. The quake and massive flooding knocked out power for the cooling systems at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Three of the six reactors had partial meltdowns. Radiation spewed into the air, and highly contaminated water ran into the Pacific. Today, only about half of the region's 1,000 fishermen go out, and just twice a week because of reduced demand. They participate in a fish testing program. Lab technicians mince fish samples at Onahama port in Iwaki, pack them in a cup for inspection and record details such as who caught the fish and where. Packaged fish sold at supermarkets carry official safe stickers. Only three kinds of fish passed the test when the experiment began in mid-2012, 15 months after the tsunami. Over time, that number has increased to about 100. The fish meet what is believed to be the world's most stringent requirement: less than half the radioactive cesium level allowed under Japan's national standard and one-twelfth of the US or EU limit, said Yoshiharu Nemoto, a senior researcher at the Onahama testing station. That message isn't reaching consumers. A survey by Japan's Consumer Agency in October found that nearly half of Japanese weren't aware of the tests, and that consumers are more likely to focus on alarming information about possible health impacts in extreme cases, rather than facts about radiation and safety standards. Fewer Japanese consumers shun fish and other foods from Fukushima than before, but one in five still do, according to the survey. The coastal catch of 2,000 tonnes last year was 8 percent of pre-disaster levels. The deep-sea catch was half of what it used to be, though scientists say there is no contamination risk that far out. Naoya Sekiya, a University of Tokyo expert on disaster information and social psychology, said that the water from the nuclear plant shouldn't be released until people are well-informed about the basic facts and psychologically ready. A release only based on scientific safety, without addressing the public's concerns, cannot be tolerated in a democratic society, he said. A release when people are unprepared would only make things worse. He and consumer advocacy group representative Kikuko Tatsumi sit on a government expert panel that has been wrestling with the social impact of a release and what to do with the water for more than a year, with no sign of resolution. Tatsumi said the stalemate may be further fuelling public misconception: Many people believe the water is stored because it's not safe to release, and they think Fukushima fish is not available because it's not safe to eat. The amount of radioactive water at Fukushima is still growing, by 150 tonnes a day. The reactors are damaged beyond repair, but cooling water must be constantly pumped in to keep them from overheating. That water picks up radioactivity before leaking out of the damaged containment chambers and collecting in the basements. There, the volume of contaminated water grows, because it mixes with groundwater that has seeped in through cracks in the reactor buildings. After treatment, 210 tonnes is reused as cooling water, and the remaining 150 tonnes is sent to tank storage. During heavy rains, the groundwater inflow increases significantly, adding to the volume. The water is a costly headache for Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), the utility that owns the plant. To reduce the flow, it has dug dozens of wells to pump out groundwater before it reaches the reactor buildings and built an underground ice wall of questionable effectiveness by partially freezing the ground around the reactors. Another government panel recommended last year that the utility, known as Tepco, dilute the water up to about 50 times and release about 400 tonnes daily to the sea - a process that would take almost a decade to complete. Experts note that the release of radioactive tritium water is allowed at other nuclear plants. Tritium water from the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the United States was evaporated, but the amount was much smaller, and still required 10 years of preparation and three more years to complete. A new chairman at Tepco, Takashi Kawamura, caused an uproar in the fishing community in April when he expressed support for moving ahead with the release of the water. The company quickly backpedalled, and now says it has no plans for an immediate release and can keep storing water through 2020. Tepco says the decision should be made by the government, because the public doesn't trust the utility. Fukushima: Return to the disaster zone Show all 5 1 /5 Fukushima: Return to the disaster zone Fukushima: Return to the disaster zone Pg-4-disaster3-epa.jpg EPA Fukushima: Return to the disaster zone mcneill.jpg Fukushima: Return to the disaster zone Pg-4-disaster2-epa.jpg EPA Fukushima: Return to the disaster zone Pg-4-diaster4-epa.jpg EPA Fukushima: Return to the disaster zone Pg-4-disaster1-ap.jpg AP Our recovery effort up until now would immediately collapse to zero if the water is released, Iwaki abalone farmer Yuichi Manome said. Some experts have proposed moving the tanks to an intermediate storage area, or delaying the release until at least 2023, when half the tritium that was present at the time of the disaster will have disappeared naturally. AP 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 }} Activists were calling on Pope Francis to speak out for the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state as he arrived in Burma on Monday, as part of a state visit to that country and Bangladesh which was organised before the latest violence began. Human Rights Watch told The Independent the pontiff must "express the outrage of the international community" during his stay in the capital Yangon. But other advisers, including a Burmese Catholic cardinal and former UN chief Kofi Annan, warned Pope Francis against even using the word "Rohingya" in the presence of his hosts. The Burmese government refers to the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, hundreds of thousands of whom have fled the country citing a campaign of persecution, as "Bengalis" - painting them as illegal immigrants. Rohingya is "a very contested term, and the military and government and the public would not like him to express it, Burmese Cardinal Charles Maung Bo said earlier this month, following a meeting with Pope Francis. Catholics inside the country have also expressed concern about a backlash. Like other people, Im afraid of what he will say about Rakhine state, a priest called Father Paul said. I dont think he will say anything. Mr Annan, who headed a commission of inquiry into the Rakhine persecutions, said using the term could be incendiary. The word is so emotional, he said. However, Pope Francis has already used the word: in one of his weekly addresses in February, the pontiff said he wanted people to pray particularly for our Rohingya brothers and sisters. They have been thrown out of Burma, moved from one place to another because no one wants them. But they are good people, peaceful people, he said. They are our brothers and sisters. For years they have suffered, they have been tortured and killed simply because they practice their own traditions, their own Muslim faith. Last week, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke refused to confirm whether Pope Francis would utter Rohingya during his trip, adding that its not a prohibited word. Lets just say its very interesting diplomatically, he told reporters. The UN dubbed the Rohingya the most oppressed people on Earth even before the latest military offensive began in August. More than 600,000 have fled to refugee camps in Bangladesh over the past three months. Last week, the US labelled the ongoing violence against the Rohingya ethnic cleansing. Considering the scale of the violence and displacement faced by the minority group, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, told The Independent he believes the pontiff should make a point of using the word Rohingya. [He] should express the outrage of the international community and all people of faith about the brutal ethnic cleansing campaign against the Muslim Rohingya of Rakhine state, and make a point of using the word Rohingya to maintain faith with those long-suffering people who the Burmese government refuses to allow citizenship or the right of self-identification. Rohingya refugees in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees in pictures A young girl and a baby wade through mud after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma on 10 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees walk through a camp in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after arriving from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures A young Rohingya refugee gathers firewood after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees wait for sacks of rice to be distributed in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees arrive on a boat in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after crossing from Burma on 8 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees react after being re-united with each other after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Getty Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees walk along the remains of a road after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Myanmar Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees stand in the rain after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Indian children hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma EPA/Raminder Pal Singh Rohingya refugees in pictures Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organisation, listen to their leaders' speeches against Burma's persecution of Rohingya Muslims, during a demonstration in Karachi Reuters/Akhtar Soomro Rohingya refugees in pictures Hundreds of Iranians take part in a protest against violence in Myanmar after weekly Friday prayers, in Tehran EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh Rohingya refugees in pictures Indonesian Muslim activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya minority in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia EPA/Ali Lutfi Rohingya refugees in pictures Members of an Islamic organisation shout slogans against the Burma government during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh EPA Mr Robertson also called for the pontiff to speak out against Burmese laws which allow discrimination towards Christians. [He should] press the government to repeal the four so-called race and religion laws that enshrine discrimination on the basis of religion in marriage and family matters, and mandates intrusive government oversight of persons seeking to convert to another religion. Just over one per cent of Burmas 53 million people are Catholic. Though they are not persecuted like the Rohingya Muslims, Christians still face discrimination in mostly Buddhist Burma. To be honest, if you are a Christian in this country, you will never get promoted, Reverend Mariano Soe Naing, a spokesman for Burmas Bishops Conference, told the Associated Press. There are no Catholics in the government administration or in any significant leadership positions. While in Burma, Pope Francis is scheduled to hold a mass in a stadium in Yangon, spend time with Buddhist leaders and meet Burmas de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and president Htin Kyaw. The pontiff will also be introduced to Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmars commander-in-chief and the man responsible for the military operation in Rakhine state. Pope Francis is then expected to go to Bangladesh and spend time in the refugee camps along the Burmese border. 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 }} Pope Francis had landed in Yangon, the start of a delicate visit for the world's most prominent Christian to majority-Buddhist Burma, which the United States has accused of ethnic cleansing its Muslim Rohingya people. The Pope will also visit Bangladesh, to where more than 620,000 Rohingya have fled from what Amnesty International has dubbed crimes against humanity by Burmese security forces, including murder, rape, torture and forcible displacement. The Burmese army denies the accusations. Rohingya refugees in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees in pictures A young girl and a baby wade through mud after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma on 10 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees walk through a camp in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after arriving from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures A young Rohingya refugee gathers firewood after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya refugees wait for sacks of rice to be distributed in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees arrive on a boat in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after crossing from Burma on 8 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees react after being re-united with each other after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Getty Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees walk along the remains of a road after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Myanmar Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees stand in the rain after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees in pictures Indian children hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma EPA/Raminder Pal Singh Rohingya refugees in pictures Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organisation, listen to their leaders' speeches against Burma's persecution of Rohingya Muslims, during a demonstration in Karachi Reuters/Akhtar Soomro Rohingya refugees in pictures Hundreds of Iranians take part in a protest against violence in Myanmar after weekly Friday prayers, in Tehran EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh Rohingya refugees in pictures Indonesian Muslim activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya minority in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia EPA/Ali Lutfi Rohingya refugees in pictures Members of an Islamic organisation shout slogans against the Burma government during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh EPA Only about 700,000 of Burma's 51 million people are Roman Catholic. Thousands of them have travelled by train and bus to Yangon, the country's main city, to catch a glimpse of the pope. Reuters 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 }} South Korea has accused Pyongyang of violating an armistice agreement when soldiers from the North shot and wounded one of its troops who defected. Ministers in Seoul also warned their northern neighbours not to repeat what they said was an infraction of the truce. Footage showed the soldier, named only by his surname, Oh, dash south with at least three troops in pursuit and firing at him. He was later seen bolting across a road before he collapsed after being hit with at least five bullets. The soldiers withdrew and he was rescued by members of the South Korean armed forces. Doctors later determined he had been shot in the shoulder, knee and stomach. They also treated him for pre-existing conditions including tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and a case of massive intestinal worms. The North has not publicly responded to the defection at the sensitive border. But the incident came at a time of heightened tension between North Korea and the international community over its nuclear weapons program. South Korean Minister of Defence Song Young-moo issued his warning to the North while on a visit to the border between the two countries. Shooting towards the South at a defecting person, thats a violation of the armistice agreement, Mr Song said. The ceasefire accord between North and South was signed at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. Mr Song said: Crossing the military demarcation line, a violation. Carrying automatic rifles (in the JSA), another violation, he added as he stood near where South Korean soldiers had found Oh, collapsed and bleeding from his wounds. North Korea should be informed this sort of thing should never occur again. Since the defection, North Korea has reportedly replaced guards stationed there. Soldiers have fortified a section of the area seen aimed at blocking any more defections by digging a trench and planting trees. Mr Song delivered his rebuke around 10 meters away from the new trees. Four North Korean soldiers were spotted listening closely. South Korean military officials pointed out two bullet holes in a metal wall on a South Korean building, from North Korean shots fired at Mr Oh as he ran. 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 Oh has undergone several operations in hospital to remove bullets. His lead surgeon, Lee Cook-jong said his patient has suffers from nightmares about being returned to the North. Six soldiers, three South Korean and three American, were given awards by the US Forces Korea last week in recognition for their efforts to rescue the defector. After meeting troops stationed there for lunch, Mr Song praised them for acting "promptly and appropriately". South Korea has been broadcasting news of the soldiers defection towards North Korea via loudspeakers, according to the Souths Yonhap news agency, although military officials have declined to confirm that. Additional reporting by Reuters 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 }} Russias former economy minister Alexei Ulyukayev has had a difficult year, and it shows. The first serving minister to be arrested for 60 years, Mr Ulyukayev has lost a considerable amount of weight and youthful exuberance. What lies ahead could be even more testing. Prosecutors allege the ex-minister extorted a $2m (1.5m) bribe from Vladimir Putin associate and head of state oil company, Rosneft Igor Sechin. Monday was Mr Ulyukayev's first opportunity to address the allegations. He used it to turn the spotlight back to Mr Sechin, a man considered to wield significant informal influence behind the scenes. Not guilty I categorically deny it, he began. He said there had been no requests for a bribe, no threats, and no misuse of ministerial position, and that the presented evidence was obviously ... and deliberately false. It is now 13 months since the former minister was arrested after leaving Rosneft offices with a locked bag containing several kilos of cash. Mr Sechin had played a leading role in the sting inviting him to his office, bugging their conversations, handing him the bag and arranging his arrest. Mr Sechin has objected to the public nature of parts of the trial. In September, he described the decision to release transcripts of the bugged conversations as professional cretinism. So far, the Rosneft chief has refused to testify as a witness. For a long time, his staff even refused to take court summons. After the third attempt to deliver the summons, press secretary Mikhail Leontiev declared there were no gaps in the diary until the end of the year. The courts persistence in inviting his boss amounted to Sechin-hunting, he said. President Putin and Igor Sechin (left) push the button launching a new oil terminal in 2012 (Getty) (Getty Images) Today, lawyers for the defence admitted defeat and confirmed they would not call Mr Sechin for the fourth time. This allowed the trial to move a step closer to the verdict. In court today, Mr Ulyukayev said he was surprised to find out what was inside the bag. He said he was under the impression it contained fine wine that is what he had been promised by Mr Sechin. The oil chief often gifts presents, including watches, he said: That was his standard business etiquette. This time, however, the bag had been deliberately locked so that it was difficult to see what was inside before being arrested. The court heard witness testimony from linguistic expert Yelena Galyashina, who said it was possible that Mr Ulyukayev did not understand what was inside the bag. According to the prosecution, Mr Ulyukayev solicited the money to give the green light to Rosnefts purchase of 19.5 per cent of rival Bashneft. Mr Ulyukayevs ministry had doubted the logic of the majority state-owned company taking part in what was supposed to have been a privatisation. Later, they appeared to come round to the Rosneft bid. In court, Mr Ulyukayev said he had been against the deal, but his quasi-judicial ministerial role gave him no grounds to veto it. It was absurd to suggest he had taken a bribe for a deal that had already, in fact gone through, he said. I certainly did not threaten [Mr Sechin]. At the time, many of Mr Sechins opponents noted the incongruity of the lowly minister presenting such an ultimatum to the all-powerful Mr Sechin. Writing on Facebook, the former deputy prime minister Anatoly Chubais expressed disbelief: They are saying Ulukayev was threatening Rosneft. Have I suddenly stopped understanding something about this world? Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described Mr Ulyukayevs arrest as a difficult event ... beyond my comprehension. Over time, the trial has offered a visible barometer of splits and rivalries within the Kremlin. At key points in the process, video and audio evidence unflattering to the Rosneft chief has been leaked to the press. Many believe Mr Sechin has overstepped his mark in the affair. It is not clear if President Putin played an active role in the sting operation, but sooner rather than later, the President will have to deal with the fallout. His decisions will offer as many clues about Mr Sechins future as it will about Mr Ulyukayev. 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 }} France is to ban gender-based insults and wolf whistling in the street in a crackdown against sexism, the countrys president has said. In a speech Emmanuel Macron said it was unacceptable for France to be one of those countries where women live in fear of verbal violence against women. Gender-based insults will be punishable by law. Offenders will face a deterrent fine, Mr Macron said. Many women have said that the first sexist violence they meet is in the street, the French President said in the address to mark International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. He added: And many harassers practice wolf whistling and other types of verbal stigmatisation - and for a long time people reacted with indifference. This is unacceptable. Women must feel comfortable in public spaces. Women in the republic must not be afraid to use public spaces. This must be one of the priorities of the police. During the speech Mr Macron, whose popularity with voters has struggled since his election in May this year, observed a minute's silence for the 123 women killed by their partners or ex-partners in 2016. He unveiled a package of measures, one of which will make create an offence which will give the police the right to issue a fine if there is a verbal attack on a woman". The president also said he would create on-demand bus stops in the evening to help women to get home safely, and set up a 24-hour national online service for victims of sexual discrimination and harassment. 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 Macron has also called for an awareness campaign against online pornography and the extension of the powers of the French television regulator, the Conseil Superieur de l'Audiovisuel, to internet videos. Last month in the UK the Green Party called for attacks against women to be recorded by police as hate crime. Under current rules the Crown Prosecution Service recognises religious, racist, anti-disability, homophobic, biophobic and transphobic hate crimes. 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 29-year-old drunk man deliberately crashed his car into a crowd outside a nightclub in a town in north Germany, police say. Police in Cuxhaven, a seaside town at the mouth of the river Elbe, said the man ploughed into six people standing outside the club on Sunday evening before he crashed into a bollard 300 metres down the road. He was held down by passers-by until officers arrived to arrest him. Police released a statement ruling out a terrorist motive for the attack. The statement said: "The investigation shows that a dispute in or outside a Cuxhaven nightclub could be the reason for the incident. A political motive can be ruled out at this time. On Twitter they had earlier said the driver probably came from Syria but asked people not to spread rumours of fake news. All of those injured are German nationals aged between 19 and 29. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The group was taken to hospital but five of them have since been discharged. The sixth person is not thought to be in a critical condition, German news outlet The Local reported. Despite the incident not being connected to terror, it is likely to be exploited by the far-right in Germany which has tried to stoke racial tensions by claiming the refugee crisis has prompted the recent wave of terror attacks. The country has been on edge as it approaches the first anniversary of the Berlin Christmas market attack. Twelve people were killed on 19 December 2016 when Anis Amiri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker, ploughed a lorry into a crowd at a Christmas market next to Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz in the capital. 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 politician in Sweden has been forced to step down after he said in a live TV debate that Muslims were not fully human. Martin Strid, a member of the right-wing Sweden Democrats, sparked the controversy when he ranked Islamists on a scale of 0 to 100 while speaking at a party national conference. "On one end you are 100 per cent human, a person, everything thats part of that concept. At the other end, you are 100 per cent Mohammedan," he said, according to a translation of his comments by the Swedish edition of The Local. Recommended Farage attacked for claiming joggers need armed escorts in Sweden Mr Strids party colleagues immediately denounced his comments, with its secretary Richard Jomshof saying the statement amounted to "racism". "Everyone has fundamental human worth, the same for everyone. If you think that someone has a worse value based on a certain skin colour or the community they are part of, that is racism for me. We will not accept that," Mr Jomshof said Mr Strid tried to explain himself by saying Isis members were "close to being 100 per cent Mohammedan" but added that "all Muslims are somewhere on that scale". The local politician from the town of Borlange added: "If you are an ex-Muslim you have come quite far towards being fully human. He was speaking at the partys national conference in Norrkoping, Ostergotland in the south east of Sweden. SD board member and MP Aron Emilsson later officially distanced the party from Mr Strid. "It is a statement we, from the party leadership, take a clear distance from. Categorising people and human values based on what religious beliefs you have is a way we cannot argue, it said, according to a report by SVT. It is contrary to our basic view of human dignity. Mr Emilssons statement did not call for Mr Strid to step down, only saying his comments will certainly be handled in some way". Mr Strid later apologised for his statement after a barrage of criticism. 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 "It was very unfortunate, I expressed myself very clumsy," he told news site TT. Mr Strid quit the party hours later, The Local reported. But party leader Jimmie Akesson dismissed the controversy, saying he had "never heard of [Strid] before" his speech, TV4 reported. "In this case it is very clear that if it isn't racism it is very close to racism," said Akesson. Sweden is set to go the polls in a general election scheduled for September next year, with Sweden Democrats recently becoming the most popular party in the country, according to one poll. A YouGov survey in March found nearly a quarter 23.9 per cent of people said they would vote for the party if an election was held then. 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 }} Saudi Arabias powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has vowed terrorists will be pursued until they are wiped off the face of the earth in the first meeting of a new Arab alliance designed to defeat extremism. We will not allow them (terrorists) to distort our peaceful religion. Today we are sending a strong message that we are working together to fight terrorism, Prince bin Salman told assembled defence ministers in a keynote address in Riyadh on Sunday. In past years, terrorism has been functioning in all of our countries... with no coordination against it from governments, he added. This ends today, with this alliance. Egyptian mosque attack death toll rises to more than 300 The crown prince, who is also defence minister, created the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition in 2015 in response to the growing threat of Isis and criticism that Islamic countries were not doing enough to counter religious extremism. The first meeting this week comes as Isis faces the collapse of its so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria but in the wake of a suicide bombing and gunmen assault on a mosque in Egypts Sinai province last week which killed more than 300 people. The painful event was a reminder of the danger of terrorism and extremism, Prince bin Salman said. Beyond the killing of innocent people and the spread of hatred, terrorism and extremism distort the image of our religion, he added. The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters Countries involved in the coalition include Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Uganda, Somalia, Mauritania, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen and Turkey. Iran Saudi Arabias regional arch-rival is not included in the group. Syria and Iraq, whose governments have close connections to Tehran, are also not part of the alliance. While the alliance officially includes Qatar, the target of a six-month boycott led by Saudi Arabia, organisers in Riyadh said no Qatari officials were present. Recommended Saudi Arabia and Iran are jostling for control over the Middle East The pillar of this coalition is inclusion, said Saudi General Abdulelah al Saleh, the alliance's acting secretary general, playing down the perceived tensions. Our common enemy is terrorism, not any religion, sect or race. The meeting coincides with a low in relations between Riyadh and Tehran over their roles in the wars in Syria and Yemen and the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al Hariri from Riyadh this month, which many observers believe was orchestrated by the Saudi authorities to destabilise Lebanons coalition government. Saudi Arabia has 'declared war' on Lebanon and detained Lebanese PM, says Hezbollah leader Mr Hariri said he had resigned in protest at the growing power of Iran-allied political and militant organisation Hezbollah. He postponed the move on his arrival back in Beirut last week. Since his sudden appointment as heir to the throne in June, Prince bin Salman has shaken up the political scene both in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. In what is widely seen as a move designed to consolidate his power, more than 200 members of the Saudi elite, among them princes and business tycoons, were arrested in a crackdown on corruption. 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 }} Lebanon is just the latest target in a Saudi campaign of intimidation that risks destabilising the Middle East, Qatars Deputy Prime Minister has claimed. Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who also serves as the nations foreign minister, accused Riyadh of bullying its neighbours and risking new conflict amid an ongoing diplomatic crisis. The minister repeated allegations made by Lebanese politicians that Saad Hariris shock resignation as Prime Minister was forced during his time in Riyadh, where some claimed he was kept under house arrest before making the announcement. Lebanon is a fragile country, and pressuring the Prime Minister to resign and leave a vacuum in a country which is very sensitive for everybody is a counter-productive policy, Mr al-Thani said at a round table discussion including The Independent, at a conference in London. This is a big country bullying a small country we have seen it in Qatar and now we are seeing it repeated in Lebanon. Thanks to God and all the allies that contained the situation before it evolved and got worse If it was not contained from the beginning we would have a horrific impact. Mr Hariri left Saudi Arabia following intervention by Egypt and France, returning to Lebanon last week and postponing his resignation at the request of President Michel Aoun while a dialogue takes place. Lebanon Prime Minister Saad Hariri says resignation on hold awaiting talks Saudi leaders have denied holding Mr Hariri a dual Saudi-Lebanese citizen - against his will and forcing him to resign, while claiming its sanctions against Qatar are justified. Mr al-Thanis comments came amid the continuing Qatar diplomatic crisis, which saw countries led by Saudi Arabia sever relations in June and accuse the government of supporting terrorism and violating cooperation agreements. The dispute has seen ambassadors withdrawn, diplomats evacuated, Qatari broadcaster al-Jazeera banned and Qatars only land border, air and see routes blockaded in a move that sparked international alarm. Qatars al-Udeid Air Base houses the regional headquarters for US Central Command and RAF, hosting 11,000 members of coalition forces and 100 aircraft launching air strikes against Isis in Iraq and Syria. Mr al-Thani said that although emergency air corridors were open, planes were being forced to fly over Yemen and that military operations were being put in jeopardy by the blockade, which has closed the border used to import 90 per cent of supplies for Qatar. He claimed a list of 13 demands issued by Saudi Arabia and its allies in exchange for lifting the restrictions were impossible to meet, and a clear indication that they dont want [the agreement] to be accepted. They dont want to resolve this - they want our country in submission, which is the main reason they started the entire thing, he added. This is just part of a pattern of impulsive leadership They entered this conflict with no exit strategy. No one has identified a strategy; no one has any idea on the way forward with them. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and other countries have suspended flights to and from Doha (AFP/Getty) The Gulf Cooperation Council has temporarily collapsed under the strain of the crisis, with a scheduled meeting next month thrown into doubt. The minister was also highly critical of Saudi Arabias involvement in the continuing Yemen war, which has developed into a humanitarian catastrophe amid sieges and air strikes, and raised concern that its continued proxy conflict with Iran could worsen. We hope that there will not be any confrontation, Mr al-Thani said. Yemen needs to end, Iraq needs to be stabilised, we need to reach a just solution for the Syrian people, otherwise we are going to face a new generation of extremism. There are enough crises on the table we hope that no more will be created. Mr al-Thani told the Westminster Counter-Terrorism Conference that the Middle East a region brimming with extremism - could not afford more turbulence, as conflict continues in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the Middle East was once a region of peace and co-existence, it has unfortunately been transformed into a region of turbulence and totalitarianism, where extremism flourishes, he said. What is the root cause of terrorism? Tyranny, totalitarianism, aggression and the absence of justice. He said 24 million children across the Middle East were being left vulnerable to recruitment by terrorist groups, authoritarianism and a lack of education and opportunity, adding: We need to address this issue of regimes who are not respecting the rights of their people or the law. Saudi Arabia has accused Qatar of funding terrorist groups and sheltering extremists, allegations repeated by Donald Trump in June. Qatar refutes them, saying it prosecutes jihadis where they are found and has merely facilitated talks involving Hezbollah and Hamas upon international request. 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 There is absolutely not any link between Qatar, terrorism and terrorist movements, Mr al-Thani said. They see the West as enemies, they see us as enemies Other countries are accusing any political opponents of being terrorists. Some countries are just using terrorism as justification for political matters against Qatar - they see this is the only way they can get sympathywwe learnt from the blockade that we have to present our case very clearly and not to ignore any accusation which can be used against us. The Deputy Prime Minister said Qatar would not retaliate by cutting of gas supplies to the United Arab Emirates or other Saudi allies, because it would not use the same approach they have used against our people. He called for allies including the UK to be more engaged in the region, after Boris Johnson travelled to Qatar and Kuwait in a bid to ease tensions. The Foreign Secretary later welcomed the Emir of Qatars commitment to combat terrorism in all its manifestations, including financing. The Emir also pledged to resolve the remaining differences with Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain through dialogue, negotiation, and Kuwaiti mediation, Mr Johnson said earlier this year. We hope that in turn Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain respond by taking steps towards lifting the embargo. The UK will continue to engage our partners in the region to help them reach a solution. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The first UN aid ship has been allowed access to a port in rebel-controlled Yemen, three weeks after the Saudi-led coalition shut down all of the countrys borders. The blockade, put in place as retaliation for a rebel Houthi missile which was intercepted near the Saudi capital of Riyadh, has pushed the war-torn country even further towards complete humanitarian catastrophe. Enough food arrived at the port of Saleef on Sunday to feed 1.8 million people in northern Yemen for a month. Aid agencies warn, however, that without unfettered access to commercial imports and goods such as fuel generators which power hospitals and treat drinking water, the country is still on track for a large-scale famine. Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year More than 7 million Yemenis already live on the brink of famine and 20 million two-thirds of the population are dependent on aid to survive. As a result of the latest blockade, the World Food Programme estimates an additional 3.2 million people have been pushed into hunger. The Arab coalition, fighting on behalf of Yemens exiled government, said on 22 November that key sea and airports would reopen following satisfactory reviews of the UNs inspection procedures to prevent weapons smuggling. The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters UN planes carrying cholera vaccines and other medical supplies touched down in the rebel-held capital of Sanaa on Saturday. Hodeidas ports through which the majority of Yemens imports flow were still blocked as of this weekend. I reiterate my plea to everyone with a heart for children, not to prevent us from delivering what is urgently needed and massively needed, said Geert Cappelaere, Unicefs Middle East director. Yesterday was just a very small step. Recommended The UK hypocritically condemns blockades in Syria but not in Yemen More than 10,000 people have died in the two-year conflict to date as a result of violence, starvation, the worlds largest cholera epidemic, and other diseases. Aid agencies warn that the true statistics are likely to be much higher. Saudi Arabia and its regional partners have justified an extensive bombing campaign on Yemens Shia Houthi rebels, who are backed by the Kingdoms regional rival Iran. The intense air strikes, which in some cases have targeted hospitals and funeral gatherings, have killed thousands of civilians. Western governments, including the UK, have been heavily criticised for selling weapons export licences to Saudi Arabia, which rights groups say are destined for use in Yemens war. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} There are few sights more impressive than Balis Mount Agung as it stands today, with its magnificent 3,000m peak tripled in size by billowing black smoke. Id been planning to come to Bali for a work trip since September it was then that the volcano which has been asleep for half a century or so started its rumbling. I watched the news, feeling for the residents of Mount Agung, evacuated by their thousands, away from their livelihoods on fertile farmlands to makeshift accommodation in areas just outside what would be the danger zone if something were to happen. It wasnt just those in the immediate vicinity who lost out. Balis beautiful hotels lost panicking customers, who cancelled holidays. Friends who lived on Bali told me it was the foreign media whipping up the drama, and it was likely nothing major would happen for months. The authorities raised the alert to its highest, and as social media conveyed a little hysteria over what was actually a bit of a non-event, the government then dropped the warning down again perhaps, partly, as the economy was tanking, with an estimated 100m loss of income to the island. So I booked my trip. I landed on Saturday, just as flights from Australia were being cancelled. My friend Wayan picked me up and explained the volcano was finally flexing his muscles. As we headed towards Seminyak, one of the most popular resorts, it did seem uncharacteristically quiet but then again, it is low season, and my hotel, once I got there, seemed full. Since I was due to head north towards Mount Agung on Sunday, I messaged a few local friends who all seemed blase and unconcerned that I would be moving in the volcanos direction. As we drove up through the winding mountain roads there was heavy rain; it was hard to tell if the fog around Mount Batur, the dormant neighbour, was amplified from the smoke from active Agung. The radio was playing 1980s classics with no out-of the-ordinary announcements. I asked our driver if I was crazy to be heading towards the volcano, but he seemed confident it was no big deal. Bali's volcanic activity has put tourists' plans on hold - but Juliet doesn't mind (AFP/Getty Images) (Getty) Now Im up in Tembok, 21 km east of Agung and its incredibly peaceful, if I'm honest. There are no signs at all that anything is awry except for the constant ping of messages from people watching the news back home, picturing me in a Pompeii-style situation. The only change Ive noticed is that instead of chocolates on my hotel room pillows today, there were flimsy disposable masks though I cant see them being much use in an emergency. A friend in Manggis, on the east coast of the island, messaged me to say theyre having to clear up a little ash, but otherwise all is well. Last week I heard there had been a phreatic splutter a burst of steam rather than the serious magma action. But over the last two days, the talk of lava rivers all seems a bit more real. Today, I even had to google what cold lava (also known as lahar) is, having heard a rumour that it might start seeping into rivers. But otherwise, its business as usual. Today, a group of us took a boat around the coast to get a better view of the volcano, which our friends thought was brave of us but the fishermen out in the calm waters didnt bat an eyelid. What we could just about see when we were out on the water, just under 10 miles from Agung, was the extraordinary sight of smoke billowing around it, dwarfing the island landscape. The biggest challenge right now is the spanner in the works for anyone trying to fly out, as the airport is teeming with the victims of cancelled flights. Some friends of mine who flew in for the weekend from Singapore are grounded a nightmare for one of them who's seven months pregnant. But as someone who was stranded in Thailand during the Icelandic ash cloud over Europe, Ive learned to just roll with the punches when it comes to travel. To be honest, Im more gutted for Balis economy than my own plans. Tourism is an essential part of their revenue, and I can only hope that if tourists like me end up being stranded here longer than planned, we can support local business at a time when they really need it. That may seem flippant when an imminent large-scale disaster could be happening any minute, but Im fairly confident theyve predicted the worst case scenarios. So am I annoyed to be stuck here? Not at all. From a tourists point of view, its an inconvenience more than anything else. And if I had to be stranded on holiday, I can think of worse places to be. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Id rather go through childbirth. Marine biologist turned cinematographer Richard Fitzpatrick is recounting his latest war wound; one he can add to his extensive history of shark tail slaps, sea snake bites and involuntary intakes of stonefish venom. I got a crown-of-thorns spike the other day. I passed out trying to pull it out of my finger. But, hey, I try to make it to the ER at least once a year. The crown-of-thorns or more specifically, the burgeoning numbers of them is one of the problems facing the Great Barrier Reef. The spiky, venomous starfish are eating coral faster than it can be replaced. Their numbers are thought to be boosted by sediment washed off the mainland, which increases the amount of plankton the crown-of-thorns feed off. Culling programmes are in place, boosted by divers from tourism operators, but these predators are by no means the only issue the Great Barrier Reef has to deal with. Fitzpatrick is in a better position than most to judge what sort of state the reef system is in. He has been filming there since completing his degree in 1992, and has provided substantial chunks of footage for nature documentaries including David Attenboroughs recent Great Barrier Reef series. Hes recently back from Lizard Island, where CEOs from the 20 biggest Australian companies were hosted in a not entirely subtle attempt to get funding for attempts to preserve the reef. Fitzpatrick says they were first taken to a badly affected patch to show the worst of the havoc being wrought, but then to a thriving section. Theres got to be hope, he says. Without hope, nothing will be done. Fitzpatrick believes that, while climate change in particular poses a serious threat to the reef, scaremongering reports about its future have been grossly over-exaggerated. Last year, the media was reporting that 90 per cent of the reef was bleached, he says. But that just means that 90 per cent of the nearly 3,000 individual reefs which make up the system showed some sign of bleaching on one section. The data should have been presented better. Also, hes keen to point out, bleaching is a natural process that doesnt necessarily lead to death. Coral is an animal like an upturned jellyfish and it has an incredible symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, algae that it invites to live within its skin. Its the algae that provide the colour, he explains. But during a stress event such as unusually warm water temperatures they expel the zooxanthellae into the water. They can get the zooxanthellae back, but if conditions dont change, they dont get it back, and the coral dies. Richard Fitzpatrick has been documenting the reef since 1992 (Christian Miller) Coral bleaching events have happened in the past, but 2016 and 2017 have been the first time theyve happened back to back. Different sections of the reef were hit each time in 2016 it was from around Port Douglas in the north, while in 2017 it was further south, from around Port Douglas to the Whitsunday Islands. Were expecting the frequency of bleaching events to increase, says Fitzpatrick. But it will be species-specific. More heat-tolerant ones will survive. Weve had 50 years of increasing temperatures. The next couple of generations will be weathering the storm. The Barrier Reef will always be there. But its level of biodiversity will depend on what is done now, and there may have to be some hard decisions on which reefs to save. We have the skills. We have the technology. All thats lacking is the political will. Will its fate kill tourism? Not according to Fitzpatrick. I dont believe theres a difference between having 450 species and 300 species of hard coral, tourism-wise, he says. What we need is a functioning reef. The Caribbean, for example, has only around 50 species of hard coral. Part of the problem is expectation. There will always be dead coral, as dead coral is the prime real estate for newly-spawned coral to settle on, thus expanding the reefs. Destruction is part of construction, says Richard. And while tourism operators usually take snorkellers out to the more spectacular reef edges, Richard says: The media has skewed the idea of what a healthy reef looks like. Super-colourful corals are a small percentage. Around 80 per cent of corals are brown-coloured. The Great Barrier Reef will always be there, says Richard (Richard Fitzpatrick) Theres also ebb and flow. Last year, for example, the southern Barrier Reef had exceptional coral growth. Recommended Divers explore giant sinkhole discovered in Great Barrier Reef And for visitors, getting the best out of the reef may well be a case of selecting wisely. It depends on what they want to experience, says Fitzpatrick. The southern reef has not been as badly affected, so go stay at Lady Elliot or Heron Island resorts where kids can watch turtle hatchlings run down the beach. Further north, the inner reefs are undoubtedly more affected than the outer reefs, so the big boats can punch out to where the reef is best. But you can also swim with minke whales in winter, go diving with live-aboard trips. And from a helicopter, the aerial perspective is just incredible. Richards footage library can be found via Biopixel.tv. More reef information: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Airline passengers desperate to fly out of Denpasar airport in Bali have besieged airline desks, as dozens of flights were cancelled because of volcanic ash from nearby Mount Agung. The airport, which normally handles around 40,000 passengers a day, closed at 7am on Monday, initially for 24 hours. But the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin, northern Australia, predicted that by 2.50pm on Tuesday, local time, the whole island of Bali would be under a cloud of volcanic ash up to a height of 30,000 feet. One passenger, Jakob Aungiers, tweeted: Chaos at Bali airport as @AirAsia cancelled all flights and now no more info has been given. Check-in counters understaffed and no #AirAsia staff on hand to help out. Passengers confused. AirAsia is offering passengers whose flights are cancelled only a choice between re-booking for travel within 30 days and a credit for future travel. An Indian national, Aarthi, tweeted the minister of external affairs in Delhi, Sushma Swaraj, to say: Indians stranded in Bali need a way out. If Denpasar airport is shut for a week help us get to the nearest International Airport. KLM, the only European airline with flights to Bali, said all departures from and to Denpasar are cancelled until further notice. "KLM follows strict safety rules concerning volcano eruptions and does not consider it safe to land and depart at Denpasar Airport as long as the volcano is active," said the carrier. The Australian airline, Jetstar, is offering anyone from Western Australia booked to Bali up to 4 December to fly to Singapore instead. Meanwhile various foreign diplomatic missions, including Australia, the UK, France and Singapore, have set up consular desks at Denpasar airport. The British consulate-general tweeted: We have a team at Bali airport to liaise with airport authorities and airlines; and to provide additional support to British nationals. British visitors were urged by Foreign Office officials in Bali: Make sure to wear face mask as announced by the local government. You can get the masks at Search & Rescue Post of Tanagampo, Karangsem. Outside this area, you must provide by yourself. Some airline passengers decided to leave by sea instead, to Ketapang in Java and Lombok - whose airport is likely to open before Denpasar. The flight specialist OAG said the closure had happened at an unfortunate time; December is the busiest month for passenger numbers at Denpasar airport. John Grant, senior analyst for the firm, said: A change of wind direction or a reduction in volcanic activity and the airport could re-open in a short space of time. Equally, when Mount Eyjafjallajokull erupted in Iceland in June 2010 over $1.75bn [1.3bn] was lost by airlines unable to operate their planned schedules. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The volcanic alert level on the Indonesian island of Bali has been raised to the maximum, level four, as Mount Agung appears to be on the point of a major eruption. With the airport closed, tens of thousands of tourists are stranded on the island. Many more are due to travel to Bali over the next few weeks; the island is a popular destination at Christmas and New Year. Simon Calder provides answers to the key travel questions. What is happening to Mount Agung in Bali? Mount Agung, in the east of the island, became more active in September. Magma, made up of molten rock as well as gases and fluids, has been moving up through the volcano. Starting on 21 November, plumes of steam and ash began to emerge from Mount Agung, reaching a mile into the sky. Now it appears that a full-scale eruption is imminent. Indonesias National Disaster Management Authority has raised the alert level to its highest, 4. Communities close to the volcano are being moved, to try to avoid a repeat of the tragedy in 1963: last time Mount Agung erupted, around 1,600 islanders died. What is the travel advice for tourists who are in Bali? Around 330,000 British nationals visit Indonesia every year, many of them heading to Bali though Abta, the travel association, said: There will only be a relatively small number of UK holidaymakers on the island at this time of year. The main tourist areas, Kuta and Seminyak, are around 40 miles from Mount Agung, while the cultural hub of Ubud is about 25 miles away. The Foreign Office says: Monitor local media reports, follow the advice of the local authorities and stay outside of the exclusion zone. Australias foreign ministry says: Past eruptions of Mount Agung have shown this volcanos potential to cause significant impacts to the island of Bali, including the potential for widespread ash fall outside the declared danger area surrounding the volcano. Many holidaymakers will want to leave the island, but its only international airport, Denpasar, is closed until at least 7am, local time, on Tuesday morning. Many flights to and from Lombok airport, on the adjacent island, have also been cancelled. With dozens of flights grounded, thousands of tourists are stranded, and the numbers are growing with each cancellation. When services re-start, priority will be given to people already booked on those departures rather than those whose flights have been cancelled. Mount Agung volcano in pictures Show all 8 1 /8 Mount Agung volcano in pictures Mount Agung volcano in pictures The Mount Agung volcano spews hot volcanic ash, as seen from Datah, Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia. According to media reports, the Indonesian national board for disaster management raised the alert for the Mount Agung volcano to the highest status and closed the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali due to the ash cloud rising from the volcano EPA Mount Agung volcano in pictures A long exposure photograph shows the Mount Agung volcano spewing hot volcanic ash as seen from Amed, Karangasem regency, Bali, Indonesia. EPA Mount Agung volcano in pictures A villager walks as Mount Agung volcano erupts in the background in Kubu, Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia Reuters Mount Agung volcano in pictures Women wait for customers at a market as smoke rises from the Mount Agung volcano AP Mount Agung volcano in pictures Vegetable sellers wait for customers at a market with Mount Agung erupting in the background AP Mount Agung volcano in pictures Balinese people ride on an open car past Mount Agung erupting seen from Kubu sub-district in Karangasem Regency AFP/Getty Mount Agung volcano in pictures Villagers rest at a makeshift tent at an evacuated area in Karangasem AP Mount Agung volcano in pictures Evacuees stay at an emergency shelter in Klungkung, Bali EPA What are stranded tourists in Bali entitled to? Anyone booked on KLMs daily departure to Amsterdam has to be looked after by the airline; under European passenger rights rules, EU carriers must provide accommodation and meals until they can fly you out. Most travellers, however, are on South East Asian and Australian airlines, which have no such obligations. Tourists booked on a proper package holiday can ask their tour operator to provide care. Independent travellers may be able to get some recompense from their travel insurers. The Association of British Insurers said: "Check your travel insurance for the scope of any cover provided against cancellation and disruption caused by a volcanic eruption." Some standard policies cover volcanic ash disruption, but many do not. For example, with Columbus "Ash Cloud Cover" is an optional extra. The firm says: "No claims arising as a result of volcanic ash are eligible without this upgrade." Note that anyone who took out the insurance policy after Mount Agung started rumbling may have their claim rejected. Is volcanic ash really a threat to aeroplanes? The complete shutdown of the skies in 2010 after the Icelandic volcano erupted was seen as excessive: tens of thousands of flights were cancelled; eight million individual journeys were disrupted and airlines collectively lost around half a billion pounds. But the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) spells out the dangers succinctly: Volcanic ash consists mostly of sharp-edged, hard glass particles and pulverized rock. It is very abrasive and, being largely composed of siliceous materials, has a melting temperature below the operating temperature of modern turbine engines at cruise thrust. A volcanic ash cloud may be accompanied by gaseous solutions of sulphur dioxide (which when combined with water create sulphuric acid), chlorine (which when combined with water create hydrochloric acid) and other chemicals which are corrosive to the airframe and are hazardous to health. A tourist in front of Mount Agung on Monday (AFP/Getty) Given these facts, it is self evident that volcanic ash in the atmosphere may pose a serious hazard to aircraft in flight. Thus, aircraft should avoid volcanic ash encounters. In 1982, a British Airways Boeing 747 inadvertently flew through a plume of volcanic ash over Indonesia, on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Perth, and all four engines shut down at 37,000 feet. Eventually an engine was restarted and the aircraft landed safely. The Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in northern Australia, which is responsible for advising aircraft in the region, issued a red alert warning of continuous volcanic ash to 30,000 feet. There are also reports of volcanic ash on the ground at Denpasar airport. What happens to flight routes that take aircraft over Bali? The fastest track between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to Sydney goes directly over Bali, therefore potentially affecting UK travellers to Australia. In practice the chosen route will depend on a range of factors, notably predicted wind speeds. But even if an ash cloud starts to form, airlines could tolerate a diversion of up to 500 miles without too much trouble. Flights on 27 November were typically delayed by a few minutes. Can tourists cancel planned trips to Bali? Singapore Airlines, which carries many British travellers to and from Bali, is allowing anyone with bookings between now and 4 December to request a refund, or to postpone their trip to a future date up to the end of January 2018. The airline says that passengers requesting refunds should not contact the call centre immediately because of high call volumes. If you have booked through an agent, then your contract is with them, and they will need to make changes on your behalf. Anyone who chooses a new destination should be able to switch travel insurance can usually be transferred to cover the new location. Can travellers cancel Christmas or New Years flights to Bali? At present airlines and holiday companies are unlikely to offer alternatives: they are dealing with imminent departures and waiting to see what happens with Mount Agung over the next week or two. Unless and until the Foreign Office warns against travel to Bali, there is no legal obligation for tour operators to provide refunds or alternative holidays. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At last its becoming clear to the Brexiteers, and the right-wing British media, that the question of the Irish border will be the defining issue of the Brexit negotiations. Theresa May has long promised that the UK will be withdrawing from the single market and the customs union, while simultaneously promising no border on the island of Ireland. The simple fact is that she cannot keep both of these promises something that the Republic of Ireland, the European Union, and large swathes of Remainers have long pointed out. Now, as the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar puts his foot down against the threat of a hard border on the island, the UK is flirting more with the prospect of moving that border into the Irish Sea which is exactly where it should be. John McDonnell: Brexit threatens to 'undermine the peace process' if Northern Ireland hard border installed Fifty-six per cent of voters in Northern Ireland, where I spent the first 19 years of my life, voted to Remain in the EU. Brexit was not the wish of the people there. Certainly this does not mean people would suddenly vote for a united Ireland just to stay in the EU, but the erosion of Northern Irelands place in the UK began long before 2016, and the Brexit vote is one of the final, potentially fatal blows to that union. It was an act of political self-harm for the Democratic Unionist Party to support Brexit an exercise in nostalgia and flag-waving they could not resist, which will now only serve to accelerate the reunification that republicans have fought for for decades. Do not be deceived by the fact that the DUP is currently the kingmaker at Westminster. It is now entirely foreseeable that Theresa May will accept a hard border in the Irish Sea in order to achieve the dreams of English Brexiteers, even if it means Arlene Foster huffing and puffing and blowing the House of Commons down. If May has limped along thus far, she can surely get over the finish line without the wildly expensive DUP. Back home, the DUP doesnt have much to celebrate either. The resignation of Martin McGuinness in January reminded the party that it is beholden to its republican opponents in Belfast. Since then, Sinn Fein (who could soon enter coalition in the Republic of Ireland) has refused to re-enter the power-sharing Executive in Northern Ireland until equal rights are granted to all citizens, including LGBT people and Irish language speakers. Each day the DUP continues to reject this, it proves that the party is out of step with the general public, and shows younger generations that the puritan, sectarian backwater version of Northern Ireland to which the DUP wants to return is not fit for purpose. The 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election showed unionists had lost their majority in Northern Ireland for the first time ever. By the hundredth anniversary of the division of Ireland in 2021, its entirely plausible we will have overturned that catastrophe entirely. For most of my life, while the notion of a united Ireland has been dreamt of by many and worked hard towards by others it has often been dismissed as a fantasy. Now in 2017, anything seems possible. Trumpers and Brexiteers were once dismissed too, right up until the point where their dreams became a stunning reality overnight. That moment is coming for Ireland, and its coming soon. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} For a long time, Jared Kushner carried himself with something of a swagger. After playing a central role in Donald Trumps election campaign, he along with Ivanka Trump took up offices in the West Wing. There were few peoples counsel the Presidents trusted more than that of his eldest daughter and his son-in-law. Kushner had come to the campaign with no experience other than in real estate. Despite that, Trump appeared to believe there was nothing he could not do. He tasked him with improving US-China relations, overseeing a project to improve government efficiency and appointed him head of the White House Office of American Innovation. He was also asked to take care of that little issue of peace in the Middle East. But have things gone sour for Kushner? Amid the backdrop of Special Counsel Robert Muellers ongoing probe into Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign, two reports published on the same day have suggested Kushners role is being reduced and that he is keeping a much lower profile. The New York Times article said the shrinking of his portfolio was a result of the appointment of John Kelly as Trumps new chief of staff. John Kelly has proved less permissive than his predecessor, it said. The Washington Post said: His once-sprawling White House portfolio, which came with walk-in privileges to the Oval Office, has been diminished to its original scope. Background check chief has 'never seen' mistakes and omissions at level of Jared Kushner forms Reports suggest Kushner is becoming increasingly jittery and worried about the direction Mueller probe is taking, especially after he issued indictments against three former Trump campaign figures Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos. Do you think theyll get the President? Kushner asked a friend, according to Vanity Fair. Washington is gripped by Muellers probe and the question of who may be next to be charged. Many believe it could be Trumps former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Norman Eisen, who saved as Barack Obamas White House Special Counsel for Ethics and Government Reform, suggested Mueller may be seeking to put the squeeze on Flynn in order to get at Kushner and then Trump. Kushner, Donnie Jr and the rest of the Trump crime family better keep their overnight bags handy. Pack shoes with no laces guys, he tweeted. 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 Kushner has reportedly not yet been interviewed by Muellers team. But he has testified in camera to congressional investigators. I did not collude, nor know of anyone else in the campaign who colluded, with any foreign government. I had no improper contacts. I have not relied on Russian funds to finance my business activities in the private sector. I have tried to be fully transparent, he said in a statement afterwards. Hopefully, this puts these matters to rest. There would have been plenty for them to ask about; his presence at a meeting at Trump Tower at which a Kremlin-linked lawyer sought offer damaging material about Hillary Clinton, his four meetings with Russian officials, his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey and his presence a the centre of the unlikely campaign that defeated Clinton. Reports suggest neither Kushner or his wife are enjoying their time in the White House, or the fact that their rather progressive circle of New York friends have reduced in size. He said to be deeply concerned his conversations are being picked up by government-authorised wiretaps, or even by Russia or China. Mr Mueller was appointed after Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey (Getty) Even though Kushner and his wife have bought a house in Washingtons Kalorama neighhourhood, close to the Obamas, such has been their desire to return to New York that one plan was reportedly floated which would have seen Ivanka Trump replace Nikki Haley as the US Ambassador to the UN, if Haley were to replace Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. Those around Kushner are pushing back at any suggestions he could ever be more than a witness to Muellers investigation, or that he is being sidelined inside the White House. His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, declined to comment. A White House spokesperson, speaking on background, told The Independent it was a ridiculous question to ask about possible indictments of the Presidents son-in-law. Trump, the man who insisted that his daughter and son-in-law join him in the White House, also insisted nothing had changed. Jared is working very hard on peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and the last thing I would ever do is get in the way of that possibility, he said in an email to The Times. Jared has been very effective since the earliest days of the campaign and the same is true today. He added: He understood the movement then and has been helpful implementing the agenda the American people voted for since. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} This year Boris Johnson said: Together we should make clear our abhorrence of the regimes tactic of starve or surrender. He was talking about Syria. But when it comes to Yemen, where siege and starvation are in full force with British military and diplomatic support, he doesnt talk like this. Instead, profound concern and polite phone calls are the order of the day, not abhorrence, and certainly not determination to end the crisis. There are important differences between the crises in the two countries, including the scale of the killing. Yet there are also many similarities that represent uncomfortable truths for Britains diplomats. In both cases, a government with little domestic legitimacy survives because international law, embodied in the UN Security Council, grants it sovereignty, and because foreign powers provide it with the means to visit massive violence and starvation upon its own population. In both cases, while all parties to the conflict undoubtedly commit war crimes, those carried out by the sovereign state are by far the most extensive and deadly. In both cases, those crimes are perpetrated under the banner of the fight against terrorism, and against foreign intervention, both of which are in reality more limited than the rhetoric suggests. Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year Yet Britain refuses to acknowledge that the strangulation of northern Yemen is indeed a blockade, contradicting leading humanitarian actors and the manifest evidence of the diseased, skeletal children whose images too infrequently make news. It is not that imports are totally impossible although they were made so for 19 days this month. More commonly, the Saudi blockade works by making imports so time-consuming, difficult and expensive that Yemenis impoverished by war cannot afford to eat, and the resources of humanitarian organisations are drained. Commercial food imports and fuel, a necessity for hospital generators, are still banned. Britain colludes in two lies which enable the blockade, and the war of which it is a part. The first is that the coalition is defending the legitimate political order of Yemen. The man who the UN recognises to be the president of Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, was elected for a two-year term in 2012 in an uncontested election. He was supposed to preside over the creation of a new, inclusive political settlement, but botched it, and sparked the current crisis. Now he squats in a palace in Riyadh, issuing ineffectual proclamations to a country where few listen. It is not clear that he is allowed to leave Riyadh, and even if he was, he certainly could not enter his own country safely. Most of the southern part, that not under control of the forces that ousted him in 2015, is controlled by forces who take their pay and orders from the UAE, which has made an alliance against him with local secessionists. When the Saudi authorities obstruct humanitarian flights and shipments to North Yemen, they do so on the basis of the legal authority granted by the UN Security Council to this man. The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters Britain is not only one of five permanent members of the Security Council but the penholder on Yemen, meaning that it holds the responsibility to bring any future resolution. The second lie is that its blockade of northern Yemen is motivated by the legitimate need to prevent the smuggling of Iranian arms to Houthi rebels. Iran does support the Houthis, but the Houthis are not reliant on their support and are motivated by domestic concerns. The UN group of experts on Yemen has not seen sufficient evidence to confirm any direct large-scale supply of arms from Iran to the Houthis, and no evidence that a missile recently lobbed ineffectually toward Riyadh was smuggled in by Iran. It was likely imported before the war from North Korea. The recent total closure blocked access even to UN flights; clear evidence that it was not motivated by weapon smuggling. The true objective is simple: to deploy the Assad playbook from Syria: siege, starve, surrender and to hell with the civilian population. Britain angrily denounced this tactic when it was carried out by our established enemies, and when our words made no difference. But when our allies are culpable for those same actions, we offer only deep concern. It makes Britain a hypocrite. And whats worse, a hypocrite motivated by greed. Three days after Saudi Arabia escalated its blockade on Yemen on 6 November, the Government offered a $2bn loan guarantee to Saudis national oil company if it chooses to make its initial public offering on the London stock exchange, a boon for brokers there. It would likely be the largest such guarantee in history. The value of UK arms exports to Saudi Arabia grew 500 per cent over the first two years of the war to more than 4.6bn. Former Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told the House of Commons last month that "criticism of Saudi Arabia in this Parliament is not helpful" for further sales. So there is little doubt that commercial considerations impact what the Government is willing to say and do when it comes to Yemen. For as long as the UK economy is based too narrowly on financial services, and its manufacturing export industry on arms, our politics will be vulnerable to this sort of bribery. Only massive investment to diversify our economy can excise this vulnerability permanently. In the meantime, what is needed is courage. Rejecting the bribery of arms sales is only part of the story. In Syria, Britain and the EU funded journalists and civil society, amongst others, to document a conflict which international media couldnt reach, often producing powerful video footage that swayed public opinion. In Yemen there is no similar provision. This should change immediately: images need to begin making their way out of the country on a massive scale to circumvent the Saudi prohibition on international journalists. Britain also needs to campaign, both in public and private, for a new Security Council resolution on Yemen. Such resolution must recognise that President Hadi is no longer bear of legitimate authority and a neither he nor his foreign backers have a right to obstruct entry to northern Yemen. Calling for peace or a political solution isnt enough whilst the international community provides one side with a political advantage, and hence the incentive to keep on fighting, even as front lines remain static. As long as the blockade and bombardment continues under Britains diplomatic cover, this country remains not merely a self-interested hypocrite, but an accomplice to the slow starvation of a nation. A Salisbury man was allegedly shot and injured over neighborhood dispute. The Rowan County Sheriffs Office responded to a report of a possible disturbance and shooting at 4595 Mt. Hope Church Road in Salisbury at about 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. The sheriffs office was assisted in this incident by the Granite/Faith Police Department. Deputies arrived to find Dusty Bryant, 35, who resides at 4665 Mt. Hope Church Road. Bryant was shot one time and was hit in the left knee, law enforcement said. Bryant was transported to North East Medical Center by Rowan EMS for treatment of his non-life threatening injury, according to a report. Deputies and investigators continued to conduct an investigation of the incident by taking witness statements from all persons involved and collecting evidence from the scene. Investigation revealed that this incident began as a dispute between neighbors, law enforcement said. The other person involved was neighbor Joshua Daniel Harrington, 26, who resides at 4595 Mt. Hope Church Road, according to a report. Investigators said the dispute began over allegations that Harrington was shining a light on the Bryant residence. Bryant and his wife, Carla, reportedly went to the Harrington residence to confront Harrington about the flashlight shining, and this is when the shooting occurred, according to a report. Deputies seized a Smith & Wesson .380 handgun from Harrington and one magazine for evidence along with several shell casings collected from the crime scene. Investigation continues, and law enforcement will present the evidence and facts of the case to the Rowan County District Attorney on Monday, Nov. 27. SALISBURY Rowan-Cabarrus Community College proudly recognized its latest group of student leaders at a recent Board of Trustees meeting. The Rowan-Cabarrus Student Ambassador Program is a group of students who are selected to represent the college in multiple capacities. Student ambassadors reach out to prospective students, conduct campus tours, participate in and help promote various college events and assist with the successful transition of new students to the campus. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College began the Student Ambassador program in 2010. The Rowan-Cabarrus Foundation sponsors the leadership program and provides scholarships to the student participants. The program has grown to include robust leadership development opportunities. Im very proud of the Rowan-Cabarrus Student Ambassadors and am excited to welcome this new group of leaders into the program, said Dr. Carol S. Spalding, president of Rowan-Cabarrus. We believe that developing our students into community leaders and active citizens is a part of our job at the college. These students will definitely leave Rowan-Cabarrus equipped to lead in their careers and communities. The 2017-18 Rowan-Cabarrus Student Ambassadors include: Sara Coello, Associate in Science, lives in Rockwell; Mai Ha, Associate Degree Nursing, lives in Salisbury; Mark Hill, Associate in Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering, lives in Salisbury; Thomas DJ Lowman, Associate in Arts, lives in Salisbury; Jacob Mohammad, Associate Degree Nursing, lives in Salisbury; Eva Nicholson, Associate in Applied Science in Medical Office Administration, lives in Concord; and, Damola Ogunyomi, Associate in Science, lives in Concord. Student Ambassadors are dedicated to student success, diversity and strengthening student connections. Ambassadors enjoy working with people, are committed to creating change in their respective communities and are excited about sharing their experiences at Rowan-Cabarrus with others. These top student leaders act as liaisons between the college and prospective students, their families, guests, alumni, business partners and friends of the college, said Natasha Lipscomb, executive director for Student Success South Campus. This leadership opportunity enables this prestigious team to develop and expand a wide range of transferrable skills that will benefit them well beyond their time here at Rowan-Cabarrus including public speaking, networking and communication and interpersonal skills. The program is supported by the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation. Student ambassadors earn a scholarship for their service to the college. For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, please visit www.rccc.edu or call 704-216-RCCC (7222). The college is accepting applications for the spring term with classes beginning January 8, 2018. By The Gulf Intelligence Image Attribute: Youtube Screenshot is taken from WADA FX Official Channel Technology will create more jobs than it will destroy in the Middle East Energy Industry over next 10 Years, according to the clear majority of those polled in a Gulf Intelligence Survey on the eve of the Oman Energy Forum which will seek to answer the question on how the future of work will be impacted by digital disruption. The challenge isnt insignificant, for despite the optimism expressed in the GIQ survey results on the ability of technology to create jobs, the challenge may rest in not having the required quantity of talent available to fill these new positions created as 90% of those polled said industry and academia werent aligning fast enough to ensure the right skills will exist for the energy jobs of the future. More than 200 of Omans oil and gas industry stakeholders will gather in Muscat on Nov. 28th, including the leadership of Petroleum Development Oman, Occidental of Oman and Shell Development Oman, to identify the best strategies to adapt to prepare the energy sector for the arrival of such disruptive technologies as artificial intelligence, robotics and automation. While the ongoing technological innovation will lead to a supply-side step-change with long-term gains in efficiency and productivity - this revolution could yield greater inequality, particularly in its potential to disrupt labor markets, said Raoul Restucci, Managing Director, Petroleum Development Oman, which employs close to 9,000 people. However, we can be victims and debate threats from downward circles, or we can focus on the radiating possibilities and opportunities this revolution will bring, he said Restucci. The commemorative 5th anniversary of the Gulf Intelligence Oman Energy Forum, which will also be supported by S&P Global Platts and Oman Trading International, will seek to aggregate views on how the so-called 4th Industrial Revolution could transform the employment requirements of the Industry over the coming decade. The recommendations harvested will be compiled into a whitepaper and presented to Omans Minister of Oil & Gas His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al-Rumhy for consideration as a roadmap to inform new policies. In such a rapidly evolving industry landscape, the ability to anticipate and prepare for future job requirements is increasingly critical for all stakeholders involved in Omans energy industry. Identifying what new skills will be required, while also mitigating the risk of potential disruption to Omans workforce, is vital for the profitability of companies and for the socio-economic development of the Sultanate. There are a huge market and business opportunities arising in Oman and the region, and I believe these will offset and spawn from the automation substitutes, thus creating more jobs, Mr. Restucci commented in response to the results of the GIQ Survey, which polled some 500 Oman energy stakeholders over the last week. To ensure this happens, we need to increase our ability and speed to adapt. Integral to that is the constant real-time re-assessment of our development and training needs so that leadership and our people can embrace the change and are skilled and able to redirect employment in this fast-changing world. Closer collaboration and alignment with other stakeholders on matters ranging from regulatory enablers to the proficient deployment of new technologies will also be essential, said the Managing Director of PDO. The fifth edition of the Oman Energy Forum will present a progress report on the Oman Energy Master Plan 2040 and the launch of the Oman Energy Industry-Academia R&D Protocol an uber-like digital platform for industry, academia, and government to connect on research and innovation. The annual industry gathering will also host the OXY Oman Student Awards 2017 for the Advancement of Post-Graduate Education in the presence of H.E. Dr. Muna Bint Salim Al Jardani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Manpower. The Forum will be supported by GlassPoint Solar and the Oman LNG Development Foundation. The latest political furor in still bailout-dependent Greece made its way to Parliament on Monday, with the leftist-rightist coalition government clashing with the opposition over a controversial munitions deal with Saudi Arabia that has attracted intense scrutiny both inside the country and abroad. The Bangladesh government on Monday sentenced 139 soldiers to death by hanging, over the massacre of 74 people, including 57 senior army officers, in a 2009 mutiny, this was confirmed the attorney general. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters after the High Court handed down its judgement in Dhaka. The Verdict has upheld the death sentence for 139 people Source: ( AFP) A commercial bus has been shot dead by some suspected armed robbers in the Mile 2 area of Lagos State. It was learnt that the victims vehicle had been hijacked by the robbers, who were taking turns to dispossess passengers of their valuables, but he refused to let go of the bus. He was said to have been shot and thrown out of the bus. The assailants were reported to have abandoned the vehicle and fled after a team of the Rapid Response Squad pursued them on motorcycles. A witness, Liberty Whitney, who was on the bus and had been dispossessed of her valuables by the robbers, told the police that the suspects were three in number. The 20-year-old International Relations graduate of Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, said the incident happened on Sunday, November 19, while she was on her way to school. Whitney said she had boarded the bus at Oshodi en route to Mile 2. She said, It was around 9.30pm that I boarded the bus. I was the only passenger in the vehicle as of then. More people later joined and the bus had two vacant seats left. The bus left the park and was about to pick more passengers at Cele bus stop when two men in white native attires pointed guns at us. They asked that we remained calm and do as we were told. They then joined the bus. While other passengers were screaming and jumping down from the bus, I was held by a man that had joined the bus earlier when I tried to jump down as well. Like other passengers, I never knew the man was a member of the gang. When I made another attempt to jump down, one of the robbers pointed a gun in my face with a threat to shoot if I didnt comply. One of them asked me for my phone, bag and money and when I was reluctant, he hit me in the neck with the butt of the gun. I couldnt breathe well for some time. I handed over all I had with me instantly: travelling bag, polythene bag, laptop, phone, chargers and school certificates. I was allowed to jump down from the vehicle afterwards. A few minutes later, I heard a gunshot. A man was thrown off the bus. He had hanged on the back of the bus when he was shot by the side. She explained that after the gunshot, operatives of the RRS chased the vehicle on motorcycles. The 20-year-old Warri, Delta State indigene said the robbers shot continuously into the air to scare the policemen who continued the chase. Whitney, who claimed to have trailed the vehicle on a motorcycle, said she was relieved when the robbers abandoned the vehicle and fled at Mile 2. She said she recovered all her valuables back, except for the phone which the gunmen took away. The RRS said it was later discovered that the man who was shot was the driver of the bus. He was said to have been rushed to the Critical Care Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where efforts to revive him failed. He was fighting for his bus, which was his only source of livelihood, when he was shot. The driver passed away on Thursday, November 23. He died of the gunshot injury he sustained, the police said. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, who confirmed the incident, said investigations were ongoing. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, for further investigations, he added. Oti advised residents of the state not to endanger their lives by arguing with armed robbers. Source: (Punch Newspaper) Days after the resignation of the former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar left, from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the aide of Atiku has confirmed that his boss has not ruled out the possibility of holding talks with, President Olusegun Obasanjo, in pursuit of his political ambition. Atikus Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, stated this on behalf of his principal during a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Sunday. Ibe explained that Atiku, a master of consensus building, would not discountenance the importance of carrying everyone along. He spoke in reaction to the advice given by former President Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan had, in an interview, described ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as the boss of bosses. He had advised the former vice-president to reconcile with Obasanjo in order realize his political ambition. Ibe said, His Excellency, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, is a savvy politician and he will not discountenance the importance of carrying everybody along in order to build a consensus. Source: (Punch Newspaper) A thief was nabbed in Masindi town Uganda after a witch doctor sent bees to smoke him out. The unidentified man was stung by the insects which perched on is head and chest and forced him to confess. He marched on the streets in pain as he returned the stolen items to its owner. The proverbial 40 days of thief became reality to a man who stole music systems in the town of Masindi when a swarm of bees attacked him at his hideout. The unidentified man was forced to return the stolen woofer after the bees attacked him with stings and making a home on his head, neck and almost half of his body. Carrying the woofer in one hand and trying in vain with the other to chase the insects, the man marched in the streets without a shirt as he returned the stolen items to the owner in the little Ugandan town. A guy stole woofers in Masindi town and these bees were sent to arrest him. Someone direct me to the Musawo please, Facebook user Basudde Sam posted on his page. State Governors on Monday gave President Muhammadu Buhari conditions to meet before abiding by his conditions of paying workers salaries before Christmas. Speaking on behalf of the governors, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State said payment of the arrears was dependent on the presidents approval of the payment of the 50 per cent Paris Club loan refund. He said this while addressing State House Correspondents after the governors had a closed-door meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Okorocha disclosed that governors would put pressure on the president to get approval for the balance so that they can make adequate appropriation arrangements. Confirming Buharis directive, Okorocha said, Yes, with the Paris Club coming, every worker should enjoy his/her Christmas. The president has expressed the need to make ensure that every Nigerian especially the workers have a beautiful Christmas and the issue of outstanding Paris club was discussed and that was taken care of. We also made a request for Mr. Presidents approval so that the balance should form part of our 2018 budget, because we cant include it, until we are sure that the money is coming. That was also sorted out. So, as it is now, the issue of workers took the centre stage and Mr. President was concerned about those who depend on their salaries to feed their families and pay their house rent and he had the assurance from the governors that we will meet up those obligations. Source Dailypost Governors of the 36 states in Nigeria have been urged by President Muhammadu Buhari to pay workers all salaries owed them before Christmas. President Muhammadu Buhari has charged state governors to ensure that they pay all the salaries owed workers before Christmas, according to a Tweet released by the Presidency on Monday. The tweet reads: President @MBuhari has directed the Ministers of @FinMinNigeria and Budget & National Planning and Governor @cenbank to commence negotiations with the Governors Forum to enable payment of outstanding Paris & London Club refunds, before the end of the year. According to the report, the President gave the directive on Monday when he met with the governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Many states are owing workers several months of salaries of salaries and allowances. More details coming U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday criticized the Democratic party on Twitter, on Sunday while talking about his record thus far, bragging that hed possibly accomplished more than any president in 10months. Following the brutal murder of Bilyaminu Haliru Bello by his wife, Maryam Sanda, the family members of the slain man have finally broken their silence on their sons death. Bilyaminu was murdered on Sunday, November 19th. While speaking to TheNation, a brother of the deceased, said the family is still in shock over the unfortunate incident. The brother who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they are waiting on the law enforcement agencies to ensure that justice prevails in this matter. The brother of the deceased spoke at a night of tribute held in honor of the deceased in Abuja last Thursday. So far, the family is grieving. Maryams family have come to pay their condolence. The mother has come but what is more painful is the fact that Maryam does not look remorseful for what she did at all. I just pray one day, she finds it in her heart to honestly say what it is that made her do what she did. As a family, we are looking at the authority to do what is right, to let justice prevail. This is an example to others. The way this case is treated will determine how we move forwardBilyamin was not just my older brother but best friend. he said A friend of the deceased, Hakeem Ali, who also spoke at the night of tribute, said Bilyaminu was a prisoner in his matrmonial home. He denied allegations that Bilyaminu was a serial cheater. My friend was being held a prisoner in his own home. He couldnt leave the house in the sense that it was an ongoing thing; the abuse went on for a while. For me there is a difference between love and when somebody is being obsessive. People tend not to understand the difference between love and obsession. It wasnt the best marriage and I believe either of them could have just walked away. Its easier to sit down in that sorrow and think you can change things, or that if I cant have him, no one will. I dont consider it love. I cant speak on his behalf. I cant speak on his personal issue, he is a good friend and he is gone. He was that one guy that the minute we step out, we will be like, it is time for you to go home, your wife is about to call, after hanging out for as little as an hour or even 30 minutes. Even in the afternoon because she always calls. So we formed the habit of going to see him at home. The situation with the law, there are a lot of speculations right now on social media but if Nigeria should excuse people for murder just because they have a child, then if I am a murderer, then I will keep on having babies every week, that is not an excuse, for me. If somebody has committed a murder, either intentionally or by mistake, she should not be allowed to even see her baby because you dont even know her state of mind. I dont understand the system. A conversation has to begin on domestic violence against men as well because its becoming recurrent. If it is a case of murder by mistake then there is a price to pay of which a family can forgive but only God gives life and only God can take it. So, if you take a life, then your life should be taken. It is that simple. If the evidence shows it is a murder, then there is no excuse. It should be a case of an eye for an eye. It is that simple. Another friend of the deceased, Jemila Shehu, who was also at the tribute night, suggested that Maryam might have bipolar disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD I have no idea. I was not in her mind. I dont know what she was thinking. All I know is that they both loved each other. There was love there, only God knows. It beats my imagination and I dont want to think about it or give any excuse as a Muslim. He is gone but I dont know what she was thinking. I dont know what to think about her. For me, she should be punished. She committed murder. So, she should serve the punishment fully. This happened to someone that was loved by a lot of people. He was kind, quiet and people knew them to be in love. So, it beats everybodys imagination. Domestic violence should be treated. People should relax, love is not by force. Obsession is a disease. There are a lot of people in Nigeria that are sick but people dont know because you think that if you go to the therapist, they look down on you or think you are crazy but there are a lot of PTSD, bipolar patients and they live among us. Maybe she flipped, maybe it was a psychotic break or maybe she planned it. The Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sitting in Abuja has been urged by the Federal Government to dismiss a fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu. It stated that Kanu having been granted bail and allegedly escaped from his ongoing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the judgment of the ECOWAS Court on the suit would serve no purpose. Kanu had filed the suit on March 3, 2016 demanding $800m as compensation from the Federal Government for his alleged unlawful arrest in 2015 and continued detention. But the lawyer representing the Federal Government, Mrs. Maimuna Shiru, stated in an objection to the suit that Kanu having been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja where he is being tried alongside others on charges of treasonable felony, on April 25, 2017, it was unnecessary for the ECOWAS Court to adjudicate on the IPOB leaders suit. ADVERTISING She also noted that Kanu having allegedly jumped the bail granted him by the Federal High Court, Abuja, event had overtaken the suit. The three grounds of the application stated, Having regards to Article 88(2) of the Rules of the Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, this suit has become devoid of purpose and unnecessary to adjudicate upon. The result of a judicial decision in this suit will serve no purpose. There are no live issues in controversy between the parties for the court to determine. Mr. Thomas Etah, who deposed to an affidavit filed in support of the Federal Governments motion, stated that Kanu filed his notice of registration before the ECOWAS Court on March 3, 2016, while the plaintiff was granted bail by the Federal High Court on April 25. He added, That the plaintiff/respondent has now jumped bail and his whereabouts are unknown. That further to paragraph 8 above, it is public knowledge that the Federal High Court of Nigeria has ordered Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and two other sureties to produce the plaintiff/respondent or forfeit their bail bonds. That the plaintiff/respondent and the group he represents, the Indigenous People of Biafra have been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the defendant/applicant (Federal Government). That this suit before this honourable court has been overtaken by events and has become devoid of purpose. Kanus lawyer, Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, told the ECOWAS Court on November 21 that he needed to respond to the application by the Federal Government. He alleged that the Federal Government deliberately delayed the filing of the motion in order to frustrate the hearing of the case. But the Federal Governments lawyer denied the allegation insisting that the motion was filed early enough. The presiding judge of the ECOWAS Court panel, Justice Hameye Mahalmadane, also noted that the court paper filed by the Federal Government had to be interpreted to the panel members who were all French-speaking. The court adjourned until February 7 for hearing. Source A former governor of Plateau State, Fidelis Tapgun, on Sunday expressed satisfaction with the exit of Atiku from the APC. He, however, warned the PDP not to give him automatic presidential ticket in 2019. Tapgun said, If Atiku is leaving the APC and coming back to the PDP, he is coming with a lot of supporters. We all know that Atiku leaving the APC is 99.5 per cent minus for the APC. The PDP is now back on its feet, a lot of the wrong things done in the past are being corrected. So, all of us are happy to see Atiku back in the PDP. Tapgun said he did not expect the PDP to give Atiku automatic ticket for 2019 presidency, describing such practice as undemocratic. He said, I dont expect the PDP to give him an automatic ticket. We want a political party which practises democracy. Anybody who wants to contest the 2019 presidency should indicate interest. There should be a level playing field for anybody who wants to contest. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) A Good Samaritan has settled the bill of a 21-year-old woman, Blessing Agbo, and her newborn baby boy, who were detained in a Lagos hospital for four months over a medical bill. It was learnt that the man, who wanted to be anonymous, also gave Agbo N50,000 for baby food and clothes. This is just as the management of the hospital, God Cures Hospital, appealed to Nigerians to stop calling at the facility to pay for the bill. It was earlier reported that Agbo went into labour sometime in June while her live-in lover, Chibugo Duru, a truck driver, travelled to Calabar, Cross River State, on a business trip. She was said to have undergone a caesarean section and was delivered of a baby boy after Duru agreed to pay N245,000 for the operation. He was, however, said to have fled the hospital after paying N30,000. Duru, who told PUNCH Metro that he was preparing to pay Agbos bride price in December 2017, said he stopped going to the hospital over threats of arrest by the hospital management. He claimed that the hospital turned down his offer to amortise the bill. But the hospital denied the allegations, saying the 27-year-old abandoned his lover and baby despite signing an undertaking. It claimed that Duru once assaulted the new mother during an altercation over the bill. Our correspondent gathered that after the report, a Good Samaritan contacted the hospital and paid the bill through an aide. A top official of God Cures Hospital, who asked not to be named, said the man paid into the hospitals account. He said, The man called through his aide. I was told he is a politician based in Abuja. We also had to give him some discounts. After paying the bill, he gave the woman and her baby the sum of N50,000. He said he wanted to be anonymous. But since then, we have had some other people coming to the hospital and offering to settle the bill. I think it is important you help us tell people to stop offering to pay the bill. I have personally received up to three calls on this case already. Her lover, Duru, said, She was discharged on Friday morning. We are in the house together now; both mother and child are fine. Thank you for the assistance. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) A 28-year-old man, identified as Maduka Nworiegu, was killed by a gang of assailants in Akunakuna, Amagu, in the Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Friday. It was gathered that the late Maduka was beaten by his assailants with an iron, among other objects, till he gave up the ghost. A source alleged that the attack on the victim was masterminded by a relative with whom he had political differences. His younger brother, Donald Nworiegu, who confirmed the incident, said the assailants dropped his corpse at their fathers house in Amagu. He denied reports that the killing was politically motivated. I was not at home when it happened, but my people told me that the assailants beat him with an iron and other objects and when they discovered that he was died, they took him to our fathers palour and ran away, he added. Media personality, Toke Makinwa, has been accused of being in a romantic relationship with billionaire Festus Fadeyi by his children, a relationship that has been trailed by misery and bitter reaction by the billionaires children. Heres capitalngs report of the face-off between Toke Makinwa and Billionaire Festus Fadeyis kids; You can tell what effect billionaire, Festus Fadeyis romance with OAP, Toke Makinwa, has on his family by his childrens unfathomable misery and bitter reaction to their relationship. Toke arouses despise from Fadeyis children. That is why they desperately seek her exit from their fathers life. Like angry runts seeking to fall a veteran gladiator, Fadeyis children tirelessly engage in never-ending plots to extricate their dear father from the perceived web of Tokes allure. At first, their fears were deemed unfounded by family friends, close and distant relatives, but ever since their father completed his sprawling mansion in Ikoyi, the children have become very worried about the possibility of seeing Toke hop in the master bedroom with their father. Fadeyis children are very angry with the way he splurges on his love interest, Toke. They believe he is squandering too much money on her at a time he is heavily indebted to Skye Bank. Recall that the well-heeled founder and CEO of Pan Ocean Corporation, an indigenous independent oil firm, acquired a multi-billion naira loan from Skye Bank. His indebtedness to the bank is estimated at N196 billion few months ago. Notwithstanding, Fadeyi spends extravagantly on Toke. For instance, he allegedly bought her a brand new Range Rover 2016 model worth over N50 million. He is also responsible for her acquisition of top of the line and very expensive designer bags, shoes and apparels. From Louboutin, Bottega, Chanel, Louis Vuitton to Hermes among others, Fadeyi spoils Toke silly with the most pricey ware. Thus the worlds most expensive designer brands are mere names on Tokes list. The popular social media big girl considers Selfridges and Harrods as ordinary shopping points at the moment,. Whenever she visits London, United Kingdom (UK) via business class or first class flights paid for by Fadeyi, she spares no expenses at the citys posh shopping points. It is very interesting to note that Fadeyi foots such outrageous bills for Toke while he wallows in loan debt to his bank. What Fadeyis children find alarming however, is Tokes continual neglect of her lovers precarious financial situation. Consequently, they have declared war against her, warning her to leave their father alone. Frightened by the undisguised animosity, Toke has resorted to extreme measures to avoid their wrath or unpalatable encounters with them. For instance, she now tries to steal around town incognito by covering her vehicles number plate with leather. Following the shocking ousting of former Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe, there have been reports of looting in the country. Zimbabwes security forces say there are reports of looting and illegal occupation of farms and houses following the resignation of former President Robert Mugabe and the inauguration of his successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa. However, the military and police also said in a joint statement Monday that the situation in our country has returned to normal after a crisis during which the military staged a takeover and crowds demonstrated against Mugabe at the end of his 37-year rule. The statement said the police, largely absent from the streets of Harare during the tumultuous leadership transition, will assume its role as stipulated in the Constitution. It said the police and army will conduct joint patrols. Renowned Nollywood actor, Odunlade Adekola was in the news last week when pictures of himself and colleagues signing out after their final exams in the University of Lagos emerged online. In a new interview with Sources, the actor talked about his experience at the school and stated that he might go back to further his education. He said; It has been by the grace of God that I was able to conclude my education at the University of Lagos. Because of my profession, there were times that my schedule was so tight that I had to forgo one for the other. But I always had it at the back of my mind that I must finish what I started. I also thank my fellow students and lecturers for their support throughout my stay in the school. I really had a nice time there, . I have always had the dream of owning my company. I love to manage people to achieve set goals, and I believe that this course would help me in that regard. actor On what his next move is in academics, the actor added, Knowledge gathering is a continuous process; it never stops. One should never stop learning because you can never know it all. I may decide to return to school to study another course. I dont know what the future holds. I am interested in constantly developing myself and that has been of great advantage to me. Source: Naijaloaded A female graduate of Lead City University has been saved by men of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command after she was attacked by robbers. Liberty Whitney 20 years, from Warri, Delta State had her valuables recovered from one chance robbers by the men of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command. The International relations graduate from Lead City University, Ibadan, was on her way from school at about 9.30pm on Sunday 19th, boarded an unpainted transport Vanagon public bus from Oshodi to Mile 2. She was the only passenger in the vehicle as at the time she boarded. Minutes after moving, more passengers came on board and the bus was left with two empty seats. On getting to Rainbow bus top, two men boarded the bus and that was when pandemonium struck. The men unleashed mayhem on the passengers. According to Whitney, she said, the bus was slowing down to pick passengers at Cele bustop when two guys in white native attires, having two guns each and pointing at us while asking that we remained calm and do as we were told. She continued that, while other passengers were screaming and jumping down from the bus, she was held by a man that had joined the bus earlier and unknown to others, was a member of the gang, he pulled her back so she could get robbed. She noted that when she made another attempt to jump down, one of the robbers, now three (3) brandished a gun in her face with threat of getting shot if she didnt comply, he asked her to part with her valuables. She said One of them asked me for my phone, bag and money and when I was reluctant, he hit me on my neck-line close to my chest with the butt of the gun with him. I couldnt breathe well for some minutes. I handed over all I had with me instantly, my travelling bag, polythene bag, laptop, phone, chargers and school certificates. I was allowed to jump down from the vehicle. Barely some minutes later, I heard a gun shot then a guy was thrown off the bus. He had been shot by the side. He hung on the back of the bus. I dont know why he did that though but It was at this point that RRS men chased the vehicle with bikes. The robbers shot several times in the air but the policemen went after them. The robbers on getting to mile 2, skedaddled from the vehicle, abandoning the bus. Whitney said she followed the bus and the police at a reasonable distance on a bike until the robbers stopped and ran. She was able to get her valuables and documents back except for her phone that the robbers took with them. It was after she was calm she realized that the man that had been shot and clung to the back of the bus was the driver. He was fighting for his bus which was his only source of livelihood. The driver passed away on Thursday, 23rd November after all efforts to revive him at the Critical Care Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja failed. He died of the gun-shot wound he sustained at the hands of the robbers. The Lagos State Police PRO, SP Chike Oti, while confirming this incident explained that investigations are on going to clamp down on the robbers. He however advised that people should not drag valuables with robbers especially when they are armed. The case has been transferred to SCID, Panti for further investigations. The National Executive Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will meet on Thursday, according to reports, they are to discuss issues being generated by the convention. It was gathered that some of the aspirants had met with Makarfi, asking why he had yet to name the convention committee members. Adedoja told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday that he believed that the convention committee members would be named this week. Also, Adeniran who was said to have visited Makarfi at his Kaduna home on Sunday, also expressed anxiety over the delay. The former minister of education, who spoke through the Director of his Media Campaign Organisation, Mr. Taiwo Akeju, confirmed that Adeniran was at Makarfis house on Sunday. He said the former governor of Kaduna State assured the team of his neutrality in the contest, adding that he also promised to get to the aspirants with a view to letting them have input in the membership of the committee. Akeju said that Makarfi also promised to release the names of the delegates to the contestants before the convention. Akeju said that Makarfi also informed the team that the much-awaited National Executive Committee meeting of the party would hold on Thursday in Abuja. He told us that NEC would hold in Abuja on Thursday where final decisions would be taken on the list of the convention members and other issues, Akeju said. Source: ( Punch Newspaper) Hospitals and business center are beginning to worry over the effects of the black out at the at Angwan Kanawa, a suburb of Kaduna State which has ended Monday businesses in the state. The only two medical facilities in the community are Al-Manaf Hospital and Shifa Hospital. While the former is owned by an individual, the latter is a charity-based outfit. It was learnt that the community was plunged into total darkness about a month ago when a substation transformer on Raba Road got burnt. Appeals by residents of the area to the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company to install another feeder equipment and restore electricity to the neighbourhood were said to have fallen on deaf ears. It was gathered that the electricity company had insisted on connecting them to a neighbouring community, which faced poor power supply. A doctor at Shifa Hospital, Dr Hamza Ahmed, said the facility did not have funds to run on a generator, adding that it relied on power supply for its operations. He said a 13-year-old girl, who needed oxygen was rushed into the hospital about two weeks ago, adding that she gave up the ghost because there was no power to generate the oxygen. He said, The situation is bad. We cannot perform surgeries because there is no electricity. There is no power to generate oxygen from the oxygen concentrator store room. There was a girl who died because the oxygen she needed was not available due to lack of electricity. We dont have a good generator. The hospital is charity-based; we are only trying to help the community. We charge little bills. The doctor urged the KEDC to restore electricity to the community to prevent further loss of lives. Ahmeds colleague at Al-Manaf Hospital, Dr Sayyid Igbunu, lamented that the blackout forced the hospital to operate at a high cost, saying the expenses were becoming unbearable. He said, The hospital has been operating at a high cost. With the current economic situation of the country, we cannot transmit the cost to patients, even though we are using a generator to run the oxygen, instead of power. They cannot afford the normal hospital bills. The outage is seriously affecting us. A salon operator in the community, Abdullahi Sanni, said his business and other trading activities in the area had been paralysed. We dont know whether the substation was burnt by some people or it burned on its own after a spark. It happened at night. For about one month now, we dont have electricity and the KEDC has not done anything about it. They wanted to connect us to another community which barely has power supply. Why would they connect us to such a community? It is as good as we dont have electricity. Business has been grounded. Most of the people that use electricity for their day-to-day activities have closed their shops. A resident, Emmanuel Adayehi, said the burning of the substation transformer was controversial as there was no remnant of the equipment at the spot. He said the company was demanding N1.3m from the community for the purchase and installation of new equipment. He said, Experts among us who went to the site of the equipment said it was a sabotage. The installation was removed and some tyres were set ablaze. The company probably removed the transformer to push us to another community, Angwa Shanu. A delegation was sent to the KEDC office and I was among them. We asked the company officials what the situation was. They accused our community of having confrontations with them over payment of bills. We told them that it was not possible because most houses are using prepaid meters. The community needs N1.3m for another installation. Water vendors have decided to hike the price of 10 jerrycans to N400, as against N250. We can no longer get water from tap and boreholes. Adayehi explained that the blackout had caused security threats with prevalent cases of theft and robbery in the neighbourhood. There has been a growing health concern on malaria fever, typhoid, meningitis and cholera as a result of bad water. Stealing of mobile phones, car batteries and car radios is on the rise, especially snatching of female hand bags. Nurses in the two hospitals in the community can no longer withstand the constant harassment and assault they receive at night and this has prompted the hospital management to review their duty roster to enable the female nurses to run afternoon until when electricity is restored, he added. The KEDC official in charge of the community, Dauda Saidu, dismissed the allegation that the installation was removed and directed our correspondent to the head of the community for more information. He said, I dont look at it as a problem. The community is in the best position to tell you why they dont have power supply. The equipment was set ablaze by unknown persons. We told them that since the equipment had been burnt, which was the only source of giving them electricity, they should let us connect them to another community. But they said they did not want that. What do we do? Source: ( Punch Newspaper) President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the payment of N164.8m for the second semester school fees of the freed 106 Chibok girls at the American University of Nigeria, Yola owned by Atiku Abubakar. This was confirmed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday. Shehu quoted Buhari as expressing delight at the progress made in the rehabilitation of the 106 girls now in AUN, owned by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar who on Friday resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress. He said the President made the approval for the payment of the school fees while reviewing the progress report submitted to him in line with his commitment to personally monitor the rehabilitation and reintegration of the freed Chibok girls into the society. In line with this, the President has approved the payment of the sum of N164,763,759 for the second semester school fees of the 106 Chibok girls at the American University of Nigeria, AUN in Yola, the statement read. Shehu said according to the progress report received by the President, the decision to pursue avenues in addition to military action to free the abducted girls was to protect the lives of all Nigerians, to end the insurgency in the North-East and to fulfill one of the campaign promises of the President. The presidential spokesman explained that it was in line with this that the Federal Government entered into negotiations with the Boko Haram sect for the release of the Chibok girls who were kidnapped from their school dormitory on the night of April 14, 2014. He recalled that two batches of 21 and 82 girls had been freed as a result of those negotiations while three additional girls were rescued by the armed forces, bringing the number of freed Chibok girls so far to 106. The statement added, As a result of their experiences while in captivity, the freed girls were severely traumatised and afflicted by various ailments and injuries. Hence, they were taken to secure medical centres for attention. They also went through debriefing and de-radicalisation by security operatives, after which the girls were handed over to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. It said the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development was assigned the main role in the supervision, rehabilitation and the reintegration of the girls back into the society. The statement said, Long before the girls were released, the Federal Government had established the Chibok Girls Desk in the ministry, responsible for acting on matters relating to the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, and serving as a channel of communication between relevant agencies and the parents and relatives of the abducted girls. The government, through the ministry of women affairs and, in collaboration with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, UNFPA, UN Women, and other donor agencies, embarked on programmes earmarked to facilitate the rehabilitation and reintegration of the Chibok girls with a nine-month time frame. A hostel in the National Centre for Women Development was converted into a suitable shelter, where the girls were kept for the nine-month period. The programme, which began in January 2017, ended in September 2017. During the period, the 106 girls were given lessons in English, Mathematics, Biology, Agriculture, and Civic Education. In addition, they were trained in ICT and vocational skills. Professionals were engaged to provide them with psycho-social therapy and one-on-one counselling to help them overcome post-traumatic stress disorder. They were also provided with religious instructions and comprehensive care by two in-house doctors and two nurses. Periodic visits from the girls parents to stimulate family support and reunion were sponsored and organised by the ministry. Shehu said having successfully achieved the desired goals of the rehabilitation and reintegration programme, with recorded significant improvement in the academic performance of the girls, a final send-off was organised in September for the 106 Chibok girls and they were subsequently moved to the AUN in Yola for their foundation studies and continuation of their education. He said the institution had successfully established a foundation school for 14 out of the 57 Chibok girls who escaped while the rest of their classmates were taken to the Sambisa Forest by Boko Haram. The absorption of the 106 girls into the school, he said, marked the beginning of their integration into the larger Nigerian society, thus fulfilling Buharis promise of providing the best education for them. He said although they had been officially handed over to their parents, the Federal Government would continue to be responsible for the payment of the Chibok girls school fees up to their graduation from the university. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi has called on Nigerians to continue to pray for his child President Muhammadu Buhari. According to him, all the current government needed from Nigerians now is prayer and constructive criticisms. He spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital on Monday during the opening of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council week themed Recession, Restructuring: The Way Forward. The royal father said, said Even President Buhari is my child, you must pray that your child is better than you. We pray that by their time they will do better than us. It is not about Christianity or Islam, because we dont have documented history. What we call Orisa today are heroes. People we know as hero for example Ogun is the god of iron, there was iron before Ogun but Ogun because Ogun made cutlass. I am not saying we should not celebrate Ogun but the day you become king, you dont worship any god anymore. We are not in the 1st century anymore, what is called witchcraft is poverty, it is negatively, you will not see Folorunsho Alakija as witchcraft. Osi lonje Aje, Aje lonje Osi (It is poverty that is called witchcraft, witchcraft is what is called poverty. When there is so much poverty, the people in poverty will think that everybody will come to their level. It is the myth that is killing African. We are all guilty, we have blood in our hands, when you see people looking for promotion, they will go to Alfa, Pastor, Babalawo. Unless we stop all these blood everywhere, we cant get it right in Nigeria. Blame yourself and the superstition, tell me what you were making before the white men came. He added that President Muhammadu Buhari has started war against corruption in government as he urged traditional rulers to begin the war in the traditional institution. He said Buhari has started the war on corruption in government, you need to start checking corruption in the traditional institutions. Eradicate secret society, do an enlightenment act. We are dying, is worse than Boko Haram, it is worse than disaster. A king should not belong to any secret society, I dont belong to one. The meaning of government is Alakoso (Administrator). And not a society of kings. Speaking further, the monarch said he would continue to challenge the status quo, stressing that most people who were in the habit of challenging the existing belief, are always termed controversial. He added, I must be controversial, when you are saying the truth, you must be controversial, things that will challenge the statusquo. I challenge the statusquo, that is why I remain controversial.. Source Dailypost President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to attend the 5th European Union-African Union Summit in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire. According to a statement on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the summit will hold on Tuesday and Wednesday. Adesina, in the statement made available to journalists in Abuja, said Buhari would participate in working sessions on the summits theme, Investing in the Youth for a Sustainable Development. He added that the President will, on the margins of the summit, meet with a number of African Heads of State and their EU counterparts. The presidential spokesman said Buhari would use the summit to reiterate Nigerias readiness to work with African and European countries to address the challenges affecting both continents, such as peace and security. The statement read in part, The Nigerian leader will attend the official luncheon to be hosted by the government of Cote dIvoire in honour of visiting Heads of State and Government and other delegations. According to the organisers, 83 Heads of State representing 55 African countries and 28 European countries are slated to attend this high-level meeting. Delegations from partner countries, the African Union Commission, the European Union Commission, regional and international organizations, will also participate at the Summit. The governors of Akwa Ibom and Bauchi States and some ministers are among the top government officials that will accompany President Buhari. Source: ( Punch Newspaper ) One of the buzzing actresses in the Yoruba sector of Nollywood, Ayoola Kikelomo has recently teased her followers about being a virgin. Popular Yoruba Nollywood actress, Ayoola kikelomo has set the internet on fire after she shared a meme about being a virgin. The aging and single actress who is having her best career in the movie industry posted the controversial image on her Instagram page thereby attracting interesting responses from her followers. Popular OAP, Vlogger and author, Toke Makinwa has dropped a cryptic message on her social media account just as rumours swell that she is having an illicit romance with an elderly business tycoon in Lagos State. Media personality, Toke Makinwa who has been accused of being in a romantic relationship with billionaire Festus Fadeyi by his children, has reacted. She reacted by replying to a Twitter user who said people were bashing the Lagos OAP out of pure jealousy. She also posted the cryptic message on her Instagram page. The Twitter user with the handle @officialRONR said Nigerians arent bashing @Tokstarr because of the rumours, they are bashing her because shes doing so well for herself. Pure Jealousy In response, the beleaguered Toke Makinwa replied; If I can take the good, I cant complain about the bad. Commotion took over the Federal Government College in Keffi, Nasarawa State after fire razed two female hostels in the institutions. Accordingt to The Nation, Fire has razed down a block of two female hostels at the Federal Government College (FGC ), Keffi, Nasarawa State. The fire, which started around 7.45 pm on Sunday and raged on to Monday morning, reduced the entire structure to ashes. The students were in the dining hall when the fire started. Books and properties of the students were all razed down, Nothing was removed, a senior staff of the school told our correspondent, craving anonymity. The source, however, said that no one was killed. One student, who did not go to the dining hall and was sleeping in one of the hostels, was almost affected. Immediately she sensed the smoke, she jumped through the window and sustained some slight injuries. No one else was affected, the staff said. The source described the incident as shocking and devastating, saying that it was the first in the history of the 18-year-old school. The Nation, which visited the school on Monday, saw smoke still billowing from the rubble of the burnt hostels, while fear-stricken staff and students watched from a distance. Teachers, staff and prefects were seen trying to pacify and calm the students, especially the distraught girls that lost everything in the inferno. A source said that the incident was particularly devastating to the unity school because first term examinations were expected to have started on Monday. The first term examination was scheduled to start today, but with this development, no one is sure of what to do next. We shall wait for further directives from the Federal Ministry of Education, he said. Efforts to contact the Acting Principal, Alhaji Babatundet Usuma, were not successful as he was said to have traveled to Kano for the annual meeting of Principals of unity secondary schools, while calls to his line kept ringing out. Mr Gideon Gutap, Vice Principal (Academic 2), however, disclosed via a telephone text message, that the school was yet to take a decision on the next like of action. Parents will be communicated in due course, Gutap stated. He said that no one was hurt, adding that a meeting was ongoing to consider the next line of action. We gather that officials of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) were invited for the emergency meeting chaired by Mr Ezekiel, Vice Principal (Academy 1). The Don Jazzy led Mavin Records, which is one of the leading music labels in Nigeria currently, celebrated their Boss as he turn 35 yesterday 26th November. The Nigerian label was founded by renowned record producer, Don Jazzy 5 years ago after his separation with Dbanj and the defunct Mohits records. To celebrate him, his record label Mavin made a cute one minute video to wish the celebrated music executive a happy birthday. Here is the video: source: Instagram We recently told you about two British protection and indemnity (P&I) clubs who have chosen Ireland as their European Union base, in response to the UKs decision to leave the Single Market. Now another club has revealed its plans, but it is setting sail in another direction.The UK P&I Club, managed by Thomas Miller, has picked the Netherlands. Thomas Miller P&I chief executive Hugo Wynn-Williams said the process of establishing its new European subsidiary is already underway.Although the precise future trading relationship between the UK and the EU remains uncertain, we are putting arrangements in place that will allow the UK Club to continue to provide cover for our members regardless of where their ships are registered, noted the CEO. The Club remains committed to doing business within Europe.Describing the Netherlands as the optimal jurisdiction for the subsidiary, Wynn-Williams cited the following attributes: convenient location with excellent transport links; proximity to major markets; stable business environment; use of English for business; and a regulatory system which he said provides the best fit for the mutual marine P&I organisations operational model.The new subsidiary will also be in a position to front for other Thomas Miller-managed clubs affected by Brexit, continued Wynn-Williams. As a result, this will enable costs to be shared, providing the most efficient solution to continuing operations in Europe.EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier previously stressed that Brexit means Brexit, everywhere , saying the UK is bound to lose the benefits of the Single Market. Where does a decade in one of the best-known commercials take you... THE GLOBAL environmental regulatory landscape is a patchwork quilt of complexities, from the EUs sweeping Environmental Liability Directive to the myriad legislations surrounding the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. For multinational businesses, operating in multiple countries is a balancing act that requires navigating an intimidating amount of legislation.From the multinational side, its incredibly important to make sure the policy is responding to local laws, says Glenn OHalloran, Chubb s environmental risk manager for the UK and Ireland. He says that at last count, there were around 17,000 different pieces of environmental legislation globally. So when businesses do have an event, its important to have a local contact point within the certain territory where these losses occurred and to ensure that the policy is structured appropriately for that territory.Regulation across various jurisdictions can be wildly different, says Neil Beresford, partner at Clyde & Co. Some markets, such as China, India and some countries in Europe, have compulsory insurance programs in certain areas, and its no coincidence that those jurisdictions tend to see the highest claims activity.Alongside this complex global landscape, there is an ever-increasing level of public scrutiny on companies meaning the stakes are high when it comes to potential reputational damage resulting from an environmental incident.Theres increased pressure in how [firms] operate and how they manage their environmental exposure, OHalloran says, explaining that this is driven in part by rising public awareness, as well as the ability of news to spread quickly in the digital age. Something that might have been a relatively benign issue can quickly become serious from a reputational damage perspective.But despite the weight of the risks, clients typically dont understand the extent of their environmental exposure, and among those that do, there is a common misconception that property and general liability policies will be enough to cover the majority of any losses.The market is in a very similar place to where D&O was, say, 15 years ago, or where cyber was five years ago, in that theres not sufficient understanding of the generality of the risk, Beresford says. While a great deal of work was done in the cyber market to help businesses understand that cyber exposures are not just limited to technology companies, he explains, there remains a lack of awareness in the environmental space.If you look at the claims data across industry sectors, youd be surprised at how many claims are accounted for by real estate businesses, retail businesses and construction businesses theyre all facing quite significant claims, Beresford says. So there needs to be a greater awareness that this is not just confined to manufacturing or oil and gas sectors it is everybody.One aspect in particular that is not well understood is that under some environmental legislation including theEUs Environmental Liability Directive the responsibility to remediate falls not just on the polluter, but the landowner too.About half the cases that we see are cases where a landowner has been required to remediate for something that someone else has done, Beresford says. Its the fact that the landowner is responsible for the acts of others that makes environmental risk of such general application.With such a complex landscape to navigate, how are clients especially those facing exposures in multiple territories best supported? OHalloran stresses that both brokers and insurers must recognize that the differing requirements in different territories create a need for local policies. Brokers should draw not only on multinational insurers knowledge of global environmental exposures, but also on their capabilities in providing local services to clients.The common theme here is that a multinational client must properly structure their environmental insurance policy to respond to unique risks in each territory, OHalloran says, and they must not rely upon a single master policy to appropriately insure their overseas exposure. For 29-year-old Ian Bell of the Socius Insurance Services , only two things separate successful insurance professionals from those who are barely getting by: knowledge and hard workLong before being named as the youngest senior vice president in Sociuss history, Bell spent most of his summers in Honolulu, where he had his first exposure to the insurance business. His aunt started her own brokerage on the island and Bell devoted his time to learning the ins and outs of the business.Shortly before college, his aunt managed to book him a trip to the United Kingdom for an internship at Lloyds of London, where he worked for BMS Group.Flash forward to today, Bell is one of the many successful insurance professionals at Socius where not only he serves as senior vice president but also as co-chair of the firms professional liability practice.Insurance Business reached out to Bell to find out more about his work philosophy and his insights about the insurance industry. He also discussed his hopes for the industry, particularly in terms of technology incorporation. Additionally, Bell shared how his aunts grit and persistence motivated him to chart his own course in the industry.Without a doubt, the most fulfilling aspect of my work is that I get to help retail brokers offer the best possible product to their insureds so they can compete and win. I truly believe that retail brokers are some of the hardest working people in this country and having the opportunity to contribute to their success using my product expertise and market knowledge gets me excited enough to be in the office every morning by 5:30am.Some of my recent achievements include being named as the youngest senior vice president in our companys history and also being asked to co-chair our professional liability practice. In addition, I also was asked to join our companys innovation committee which looks for ways that we can operate more efficiently.Id say that product knowledge and hard work are really what have given me the most success. When I first started in insurance, I wanted to learn everything I could as fast as I could and was able to complete my RPLU, CPCU and ARM in three years. Once I had that knowledge, I realized that a surprising number of the people who had been in the industry much longer than I had actually knew less about insurance than I did. They hadnt ever tried to learn the ins and outs of the coverages and instead just learned enough to get by it was the first time I realized that age and experience arent necessarily indicators of product knowledge.My other big contributor to success was simply working hard. There are obvious benefits to working hard such as getting more done, but I think a lot of people dont see all the fringe benefits that come along with it.For instance, if youre a broker that works hard and makes sure youre always on top of your accounts, underwriters recognize that and pay better attention to your submissions or are more willing to work with you on tough accounts. Nobody gets excited to work with somebody whos lazy and not passionate about what they do.In terms of the person who motivates me the most, Id have to say its the person who got me in the industry to begin with, my late aunt. Before she started her own agency, she worked at a top five national insurance brokerage - but after rising through the ranks she was told that women simply dont become brokers; shed hit the glass ceiling. Rather than accept it she took on an even greater challenge and started her own agency.Watching how hard she worked and how she was able to make her own success is what drives me to work hard every day. This might sound corny but I actually still carry her business card in my wallet as a reminder to keep working hard.As a wholesaler, we offer assistance and expertise to retail brokers in placing certain lines of coverage.Sometimes the accounts we handle might be outside of the admitted markets appetite but many times our retailers also ask us to handle their submissions that do fit the admitted markets. In that case the retailer utilizes our services to make sure their insured is getting the absolute best price in the market with the broadest coverage.Our company is different for two reasons, the first is our ability to collaborate and the second is our employee satisfaction and retention. I often hear stories about how other wholesalers will negotiate a suite of enhancement endorsements with carriers on an individual producer basis and will even ask that the carrier not share their requested enhancements with their fellow producers because they dont want to give their co-workers any advantage. To me, thats a bad side-effect of what happens when a culture becomes too sales-driven. In our organization the product heads negotiate a long list of enhancements that we ask the carrier to provide to every Socius broker on every quote.From there individual producers negotiate some additional enhancements based on the specific risk but the bulk of the work was already finished by the product head. Well also team up on more complicated accounts to ensure that were providing the best possible product and services to our retailer and insured.With some of our competitors the retailer is really only getting the knowledge of that one wholesale broker they work with, with Socius were able to offer the collective knowledge of our company. The second reason were different is our employee satisfaction - we have a long list of perks for all of our service staff with the goal of keeping them happy. If people arent happy theyre going to leave and a high turnover rate always leads to service issues for the retail broker. Being able to maintain an outstanding retention rate means that we can provide the best service possible.Swett is probably one of the best places you could start a career in wholesale insurance. Their 100-year legacy speaks for itself and I was lucky enough to be on a team that handled a diverse book of business which gave me the ability to learn a lot in a short amount of time. Ultimately, the culture and product focus on professional/management liability at Socius is what drew me over.Im not saying anything new here but technology needs to become better incorporated into the industry. With all of the advances in tech there are a lot of opportunities that people can utilize to operate more efficiently and get more done. Too often, people seem concerned that technology is looking to replace their job rather than viewing it as a tool they can use to accomplish more at their job.Id also like to see E&S carriers be less afraid to go after E&S business. With the legalization of marijuana, creation of online currencies and details of industries with toxic work environments filling up the media, theres more of a need for E&S carriers than ever before.Id probably have gone into investment banking. My father did investment banking for most of his career and when I was in college it seemed to be the career everyone wanted to get into. I was lucky enough to have people show me that in insurance you can really achieve whatever level of success youre after as long as you work hard and know what youre doing - that same ability is rare in most finance jobs.This is a tough one - admittedly Im still working on developing a hobby but I have an odd obsession with personal finance. Im constantly reading books and listening to podcasts on how people save and spend their money. Jeremy D. Morley concentrates on International Family Law. The firm works with clients around the world from its New York office, with a global network of local counsel. Mr Morley is the author of "International Family Law Practice", the leading treatise on international family law in the U.S., and "The Hague Abduction Convention", published by the American Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a former law professor. Top News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Mullen's (NASDAQ: MULN) 'Strikingly Different' EV Crossover Tour Heads to Texas After Completing a Successful Sold Out Stop in Las Vegas BREA, Calif. - November 15, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today that it has successfully completed the third stop of the Mullen FIVE Strikingly Different EV Crossover Tour in Las Vegas, Nevada. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea EV Companies on the Rise: (NASDAQ: MULN) (NASDAQ: TSLA) (NYSE: NIO) (NASDAQ: RIVN) Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 16, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investor Ideas Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering EV stocks releases a special report on the continued growth within the sector Top AI News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: FatBrain (OTCQB: LZGI) Acquires UK-based Forecasting Innovator Predictive Black To Help SMEs Optimize Cash Management NEW YORK, NY - November 15, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow (some call SMEs), has acquired Predictive Black Ltd, a UK-based innovator of real-time cash management, financial insights and business wellness for SMEs. Top Fashion News - Investor Idea New Fashion Designer Launches this Holiday Season in Kelowna and Online; Sweet Dees Creations Fun, Flirty and Affordable Kelowna B.C. - November 14, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) A local fashion designer is launching a new women's line at Kelowna markets and online this Holiday Season that will make heads turn with her whimsical and colourful choices Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire A Cork couple has pledged to bring the battle to quash the conviction they received at a lower court arising out of their teenage daughters non-attendance at secondary school to the Supreme Court after they today lost before the Court of Appeal, writes Ann O'Loughlin. The three-judge Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of Dan and Maureen Arnold and affirmed an earlier High Court decision to refuse the Fermoy couple leave to legally challenge the orders and convictions made by the District Court over two years ago. Dan and Maureen Arnold were convicted at Fermoy District Court in April 2015 of an offence contrary to the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, that they contravened a lawful requirement under a school attendance notice by failing to cause their daughter to attend Colaiste an Chraoibhin in Fermoy. Judge Aeneas McCarthy fined the Arnolds of Regina Pio, Bartlemy, Fermoy, Co Cork 300 each and imposed a sentence of three days imprisonment in default of payment. The Arnolds had denied the charge. They brought judicial review proceedings against the Child and Family Agency seeking to have the conviction, which they claim is unfair and in breach of their constitutional rights as a family, quashed. In the High Court, Mr Justice Donald Binchy dismissed all grounds of the action. From the evidence before the court, the judge said he was satisfied the couple had not made an arguable case that their application was likely to succeed at a full hearing. Today, the three-judge Court of Appeal affirmed that High Court decision. Outside court, Mr Dan Arnold said the couple will now apply to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal. He said his daughter was now attending college but the couple would attempt to bring their case to the Supreme Court. Giving the judgement of the Court of Appeal today, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan said it is not disputed the Arnolds did not pay the fine within the eight week period and it is accepted that as a result, both have the immediate prospect of serving a three-day prison sentence unless the convictions are quashed. Mr Justice Hogan said there was nothing at all to suggest the hearing before the District Court was procedurally deficient and it was clear from the summary of what transpired in the District Court the Arnolds' procedural rights were fully protected and had not been infringed. Mr Justice Hogan, who was sitting with Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan and Mr Justice Michael Peart also said the Arnolds had not established any arguable ground by reference to which the constitutionality of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 might be challenged by them. The issue of who pays the costs of the Court of Appeal one day hearing will be decided on December 13 next. Israel's health minister, who heads a powerful ultra-Orthodox political party in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, has resigned, saying he opposed continued maintenance work on the country's railways on the Sabbath. All labour is strictly prohibited by Jewish law on the Sabbath. Ultra-Orthodox parties have provided Mr Netanyahu with support to stabilise his coalition, while the government carves out large budgets for the minority community. They have traditionally acted as kingmakers in Israel's fractious coalition building and have in the past threatened to topple coalition governments by robbing them of their majority. The issue of desecration of the Sabbath has triggered crisis in the past and highlights the cultural chasm between Israel's ultra-Orthodox population and its secular majority. Much of Israel, including public transport, comes to a halt at sundown Friday for the Sabbath, but few Israelis strictly observe the day of rest. Many restaurants, cinemas, sporting events and national parks operate, and in secular bastions such as Tel Aviv even some corner stores and shopping centres are open. Yaakov Litzman's resignation today did not immediately threaten Mr Netanyahu's coalition, but it risked setting off a chain reaction that might. Later Sunday however, any crisis appeared to have been averted when Mr Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox coalition partners agreed to maintain the Sabbath status quo. Mr Litzman said the work conducted publicly on the railway prompted him to resign. He said "as a minister in Israel, I can't maintain the ministerial responsibility" of government-sanctioned Sabbath "desecration" that contradicts the "holy values of the Jewish people". While Mr Litzman said the weekend maintenance work on the railway was not warranted, Israel's railways authority says it must carry out work on Saturday so it does not disrupt transportation for thousands of Israelis during the work week. Railway and some other public works have occurred for years on the Sabbath. Mr Litzman's resignation could have exerted pressure on the other two ultra-Orthodox coalition partners to squeeze out concessions from Mr Netanyahu to prove to their constituents that they respect the Sabbath as much as the resigning health minister. Mr Netanyahu may be hesitant to offer anything perceived as being too generous for fear of alienating secular voters at a time when opposition party Yesh Atid, led by charismatic former journalist Yair Lapid, has been gaining traction in polls. Mr Netanyahu said later at a government meeting that he regrets Mr Litzman's decision, describing him as "an excellent health minister who did much for the health of Israel's citizens". He said his coalition would not dissolve over the issue. Mr Netanyahu stressed that the Sabbath is important to all Israelis, as is the need for "safe and continuous" transport, and added that he was convinced a solution can be found. - AP Update 1.42pm: A man has admitted installing a hidden camera in a Starbucks toilet after capturing himself on film. Antony Dines, 31, of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, pleaded guilty at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court to four counts of voyeurism. A camera was seized by police in a Starbucks in Vauxhall, south London, close to the headquarters of MI6, after a member of the public discovered it in a ceiling grate on November 22 2016. George Crivelli, prosecuting, said the coffee shop had one customer toilet, adding that Dines told police he had a "fetish for watching women urinating". Dines was charged with two counts of voyeurism in relation to the camera in Starbucks - installing equipment and recording a private act in order to obtain sexual gratification on or before November 22 2016. Mr Crivelli told the court that Dines filmed himself installing the camera. He was arrested last Wednesday after detectives appealed for help in identifying the man caught on the camera. Mr Crivelli said Dines installed the camera in February 2016, and the court heard the camera had captured up to 24 videos of people using the toilet. Mr Crivelli said a rucksack in Dines' possession, which he initially told police was not his, was found to contain small cameras, memory cards, a small screwdriver and nine pairs of women's underwear. Two of the four charges Dines pleaded guilty to relate to a camera in a ladies toilet at a place of work. Dines was granted bail on the condition that he should not be in possession of any recording device, and should not go to any public premises with a toilet which the public has access to. District Judge Karen Hammond indicated that a community order is a possible punishment for Dines, who has no previous convictions. Dines is expected to be sentenced at the same court on December 6. Ealier: A man suspected of installing a hidden camera in a Starbucks toilet in the UK has been charged with voyeurism after allegedly capturing himself on film, police said. Anthony Dines was arrested on Wednesday after detectives appealed for help in identifying a man caught on the camera. The 31-year-old from Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, was charged on Saturday with four counts of voyeurism, Scotland Yard said. A camera was seized by police in a Starbucks in Vauxhall, south London, close to the headquarters of MI6, after a member of the public discovered it in a ceiling grate. Police believe it had been in place for up to three to four weeks. Dines has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court on Monday. Freight trains have killed more than 100 reindeer on Norway's tracks in three days, a herder has said. Torstein Appfjell, a reindeer herder in Helgeland county, said on Sunday that the worst incident happened on Saturday when 65 animals were mown down. Update 12.45pm: Prince Harry declared he was "thrilled" as he and bride-to-be Meghan Markle made their first appearance in public since the announcement of their engagement. Harry and American actress Meghan Markle stepped out briefly in front of the cameras hand in hand at an open-air photocall in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace. Their long-anticipated engagement was announced by the Prince of Wales on Monday morning with a statement saying the couple, who have been dating for 16 months, will marry in the spring next year. A beaming Meghan, in a white belted coat, clutched Harry's hand with both of her hands as they posed briefly for the press, and showed off her diamond engagement ring. Meghan said she was "so very happy, thank you" to be engaged to Harry. The prince said he was "thrilled, over the moon" adding: "Very glad it's not raining as well." Photo by Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images The couple were smiling and giggling throughout their appearance. When Harry was asked how he proposed, Meghan replied "Save that", with Harry adding: "That will come later". The pair are giving a television interview to be broadcast on Monday evening Kensington Palace said the prince designed Meghan's engagement ring himself - using two stones which belonged to his late mother. The two outside stones are diamonds from the personal collection of Diana, Princess of Wales. At the centre is a diamond from Botswana, a country that holds special significance for Harry who has visited many times since he was a child. Photo by Chris Jackson/Chris Jackson/Getty Images It is also a place the couple has spent time together over the last year and a half, Kensington Palace said. The band is made of gold and the ring was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen. Harry revealed he knew Meghan was "the one" from the first moment they met. "When did I know she was the one? Very first time we met," the prince said. The couple braved the cold and answered a number of questions from the waiting press, before waving at the cameras and walking back through the garden arm in arm. The sunken garden is poignantly the site of the memorial garden created in memory of Harry's late mother Diana, Princess of Wales to mark the 20th anniversary of her death this year. It was one of the princess's favourite parts of the palace grounds. Harry and Meghan were separated from the media by several metres of water, standing on the other side of the large ornamental pond. Meghan's white coat was by Canadian brand Line the Label, and her dress by P.A.R.O.S.H. It appeared as if the Meghan Effect was already under way with Line the Label's website crashing because of the numbers of people trying to access its site. Meghan's shoes appeared to be strappy Aquazzura Matilde Crisscross Nude Suede Pumps Fifth in line to the throne Harry, 33, has been dating the 36-year-old star - who found fame in the US legal drama Suits - since the summer of 2016. Their 16-month whirlwind romance blossomed when they met through mutual friends in London, and the pair have been almost inseparable in recent months. The much-anticipated engagement news was confirmed by the Prince of Wales in a brief statement issued by Clarence House. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh said they were "delighted" for their grandson and his bride-to-be, and "wish them every happiness". The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said: "We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together." Ms Markle's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland wished their daughter and Harry "a lifetime of happiness", adding: "We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry." The pair became engaged in London earlier this month, and modern man Harry sought the blessing of both of Ms Markle's parents. Harry and Ms Markle will have a church wedding, with the Archbishop of Canterbury saying they had ''chosen to make their vows before God''. The couple are planning to make Harry's current base, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, their marital home. Meghan will become an HRH and a senior royal after marrying Harry and joining the Windsors. She is expected to become a duchess - just like Kate Middleton did when she became the Duchess of Cambridge after saying her vows in 2011. But unlike Kate, Meghan is not a future queen. With the arrival of the Cambridges' children, Harry is too far down the line of succession to have a realistic prospect of being monarch. She will most probably become HRH the Duchess of Sussex, if Harry is made the Duke of Sussex by the Queen on the morning of his wedding. The pair were secretly engaged earlier this month, and rumours a wedding was imminent stepped up a gear when Harry took Meghan to meet his grandmother the Queen for tea at Buckingham Palace. Update 12.45pm: Queen 'delighted' as Prince Harry announces engagement to Meghan Markle British Prince Harry is to marry to his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle, with the royal family flocking to congratulate the happy couple. The Queen and Prince Philip said they were "delighted" for their grandson and his bride-to-be, and "wish them every happiness". Kate Middleton and Prince William said: "We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together." Ms Markle's parents wished their daughter and Harry "a lifetime of happiness", adding: "We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. "Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents." The royal wedding will take place in the spring of next year, and Harry and Ms Markle will appear at a photocall at Kensington Palace on Monday afternoon to celebrate their engagement, and record a television broadcast, due to be screened this evening. Fifth in line to the throne Harry, 33, has been dating the 36-year-old star - who found fame in the US legal drama Suits - since the summer of 2016. Their 16-month whirlwind romance blossomed when they met through mutual friends in London, and the pair have been almost inseparable in recent months. The much-anticipated news was confirmed by the Prince of Wales in a brief statement issued by Clarence House. It read: "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms Meghan Markle." It revealed that the pair became engaged in London earlier this month. "Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty the Queen and other close members of his family. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms Markle's parents," the statement said. The couple will live together in Harry's current home, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace. Ms Markle will become an HRH and a senior royal after marrying Harry and joining the Windsors. She is expected to become a duchess - just like Kate Middleton did when she became the Duchess of Cambridge after saying her vows in 2011. But unlike Kate, Ms Markle is not a future queen. With the arrival of the Cambridges' children, Harry is too far down the line of succession to have a realistic prospect of being monarch. Ms Markle will most probably become HRH the Duchess of Sussex, if Harry is made the Duke of Sussex by the Queen on the morning of his wedding. The pair were secretly engaged earlier this month, and rumours a wedding was imminent stepped up a gear when Harry took Ms Markle to meet his grandmother the Queen for tea at Buckingham Palace. The prince had to obtain the monarch's permission to wed Ms Markle - thanks to the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, which requires the first six people in the line to the throne to seek the monarch's consent. Ms Markle is a divorcee. In 2011, she wed film producer Trevor Engelson after dating him for six years - but the pair split amicably less than two years later. Harry and Ms Markle made their first official public appearance together at the Invictus Games in Toronto - where the star is based - in September. They arrived hand-in-hand to watch the wheelchair tennis, and the tactile pair were clearly devoted to one another. At the closing ceremony a few days later, the prince was spotted kissing his girlfriend on the cheek as they watched the show from the VIP box, with Ms Markle's mother Doria Ragland. Ms Markle was also reported to be leaving Suits, where she played paralegal-turned-lawyer Rachel Zane, after finishing the filming of Season 7. When news of their relationship first broke in October 2016, smitten Harry was described as being happier than he had been in years. Theatre dates followed, along with romantic African holidays and expeditions to see the Northern Lights, and a shopping trip to buy a Christmas tree together for Harry's Kensington Palace pad. As a newly-engaged couple, Harry and his bride-to-be may be invited to spend Christmas with Queen and the rest of the royals at Sandringham this year. The pair share a strong bond through their philanthropy, with Harry supporting veterans and mental health organisations via his charity work, and Ms Markle pursuing her role as a humanitarian campaigner. Even in its early days, their union appeared to be a serious one. Six months in and just days after it became public they were dating, Harry took the unusual step of issuing a lengthy statement condemning media treatment of his girlfriend and criticising the "wave of abuse and harassment" she was facing. It was Ms Markle who offered the biggest insight into their affair when she was interviewed by Vanity Fair magazine in September 2017 and revealed they were in love. "We're two people who are really happy and in love," she said. She added: "I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time." The confirmation from the Palace has come a week on from the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's platinum wedding anniversary. Earlier: Prince Harry engaged to Meghan Markle Britain's Prince Harry is to marry his American actress girlfriend Meghan Markle, Clarence House has announced. The couple became engaged in London earlier this month. They will be married in Spring 2018. "His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle," a statement reads. "The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course. "His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. "Prince Harry has informed Her Majesty The Queen and other close members of his family. "Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle's parents. "The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace." The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh "are delighted for the couple and wish them every happiness", a Buckingham Palace spokesman said. Meghan's parents, Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland, say they are "incredibly happy" with the engagement. "We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. "Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person. To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents. "We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together." The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they are "excited" for the couple. "We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together." The British governments ambitions for Britains place in the world are based on a "fanciful belief" the UK is entitled to retain an empire and colonies, an SNP MP has said. Peter Grant, the partys Europe spokesman, also questioned the response from some on the Tory benches to statements from Irish ministers over Brexit in recent days. They have repeated warnings that Ireland is "resolute" about blocking a Brexit deal if Britain does not back down over the Irish border. Mr Grant said: "When I saw the timetable for the Budget debates, I looked at Monday, Global Britain, and I thought thats not going to take very long is it? "Because the fact is that even the Governments own misguided ambitions for Britains place in the world are ambitions which I believe are still based on the fanciful belief that somehow were entitled to retain an empire, that somehow were entitled to retain colonies. "Rather than simply acknowledging the fact that the world has moved on from the days when any nation could claim the right to colonise any other nation. "If you look at the response from some of the Conservative benches to statements from the sovereign, independent government of Ireland over the last couple of days, you have to wonder whether they recognise that the ministers of that country have not only the right, but an absolute responsibility to speak in the interests of their citizens." You know how they say the best friends are the ones who tell you what you need to hear even if you dont want to? Thats exactly what our friends in the Irish Government are now doing. https://t.co/DYM9GbBM8R Peter Grant MP (@PeterGrantMP) November 27, 2017 He also questioned whether Scotlands view on its place in the world was the same as the UK Governments. "When I think of where this Government appears to want to take Britain in the global world, Im sorry, I think of the ethnic cleansing of the Chagos Islands," said Mr Grant. "I think of 2 billion worth of arms sales to a country that is accused of over 150 counts of crimes against humanity in Yemen. "And I have to ask myself, are those two directions of travel reconcilable at all? "As they say in Fife, I ha my doubts about that one." Winner of this years High Potential Export Award from the Irish Exports Association, Broderick Brothers cakes in Dublin is achieving international growth with a brand image thats just a little bit wacky. Director Bernard Broderick says that sales of the companys products have grown by 30 % this year thanks to a focus on quality and a quirky approach to marketing. All product packaging carries a cartoon of a small caped figure with large glasses which Mr Broderick describes as his alter ego. Alongside this cartoon is one of a giant bearded head, which is said to be the alter ego of the other Broderick brother, and director, Barry. Products which include bizarre sounding Road Rocking Choc Choc Blocks, Caramentals and Gooey Oozy Chocolatey solid bricks are now selling in 29 countries including the UK, France, Germany and Holland and since this year to Saudi Arabia, the US and Korea. Brodericks is the retail division of Inas Handmade Desserts a company which was set up by Bernard and Barrys mother Ina in 1983 as a small family run bakery making cakes and desserts for the foodservice industry. Now employing a staff of 110 and achieving a turnover of 9.5m, the company is about to move in to a new 65,000 sq ft premises in Tallaght which is five times larger than its existing facility in Walkinstown. Developing the new muliti million facility , the company received funding from BDO Capital Finance and Enterprise Ireland. Bernard Broderick said the new facility will allow both the foodservice and the retail divisions to develop their export potential and also continue to develop new products. In 2018 we plan to develop sales of Brodericks in the US and Saudi Arabia, grow sales to supermarkets in Ireland and also expand in the UK where we see a lot of room for growth. The development of the Brodericks brand with its cake crusader packaging came about as a response to the recession. Up until then Inas had only supplied the foodservice industry and was a much smaller company employing a staff of around 18. In the recession hotels were closing and volumes had dropped - we assessed the business and decided to try something different, said Mr Broderick who joined his mother in the company in 2002, a few years after his brother Barry. We looked at the retail market and saw there was an opportunity to sell high quality flapjacks made with Belgian chocolate and high quality ingredients. Launching with brownies, tiffin bars, granola and rocky road under the Brodericks brand the brothers gave their products creative names and used quirky packaging. This was a point of difference and it was fun - we wanted to let people know this was a real business with real people. Initially it didnt go well Our packaging was cool but not clever for the food market but we fixed it, said Mr Broderick adding that exports to France began in 2010. He said in the last three years sales have taken off and that the Brodericks brand now accounts for half of all sales at Inas cakes. Exports account for 32% of the total business and 75% of Brodericks, he added. Brodericks sells in Ireland through Spar and Centra Ireland, Topaz and more recently to Dunnes while its export customers include specialty shops and large retailers including Costco and Carrefour. Inas Desserts sells its products to hotels, restaurants and coffee chains in Ireland and the UK, and customers include a large coffee chain with outlets across Europe. Wow, what a way to brighten a Monday afternoon in the office! Thanks @BernieBroderick and @barrybroderick! pic.twitter.com/YMDZko1E1T Kobas (@KOBASSoftware) November 16, 2015 The Brodericks brand now has 10 products available in 18 different formats which include mini bites, bars and a Brodericks bungalow with a variety of mini bites. For the American presidential visit in 2011 the company came up with Oberama Barocky Road and in 2015 it added a gluten free range. Currently Brodericks is planning the launch of three new retail products and to complete the updating of the packaging which it started earlier this year. The goal for 2018 is 30% growth for the Brodericks brand and 15% for the food service division. That was the message from Rainer Wieland, the vice president of the European Parliament and a member of Germanys Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, when speaking in the European Commission office in Dublin last week. We always included a special clause for Berlin in all our EU agreements when it was part of eastern Germany, he said saying he saw the North a similar position to Berlin in those years inside the EU but outside the old West Germany. Businesses in the North seem to be of the same opinion, with most surveys showing that companies have yet to experience any real fallout from the Brexit decision. In line with this, the majority indicated that they had adopted a wait-and- see approach, stating uncertainty makes it too difficult to plan. The picture is further supported by Invest NI, the government body responsible for inward investment to the North, attracting record numbers of new foreign investors in 2016 more than half of them since the Brexit referendum, according to the companys annual report. Foreign investors are particularly attracted by the Norths pool of human talent, according to Invest NI figures, with about 16,000 annual graduates and postgraduates coming out of Belfasts universities every year. Exports also have been rising this year, particularly sales into the Republic, assisted by weaker sterling. However, there is growing business frustration that the Northern assembly is still gripped in a political deadlock that is preventing the formation of a new devolved executive. Amid the current uncertainties, local investment promotion authorities and businesses are left alone in their efforts to weather the uncertainties of the Brexit storm. If Brexit has not affected the Norths current investment proposition, so far, it has indirectly delayed its development. The current political impasse is delaying devolution reform and the planned introduction of a long-promised 12.5% corporation tax rate , which may now become hostage to Brexit negotiations. Despite the deadlock in Belfast, the eyes of local businesses remain focused on the talks unfolding in Whitehall and Brussels. While the risk of a hard border is of wide concern, only big firms seem to be adjusting their strategies accordingly. Michael McKeown, head of Newrys chamber of commerce maintains the delays in corporation tax reform are a minor disappointment compared to the prospect of a hard border, saying everything comes down to this word: border. InterTradeIreland estimates that 91% of the Norths companies, its core of SMEs, are not preparing for any Brexit outcome that includes some sort of border. Michel Barnier, the chief EU Brexit negotiator, has also been trying to give some guidance to the UK government, suggesting the North could continue in the EU single market after Brexit. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, has been keeping his powder dry, ahead of next months Brexit summit, knowing that essentially he has a veto in this phase of talks as the Border is one of the three key issues that must be resolved before the Brexit negotiations can move on to trade. Keyboard consumers have been tapping away furiously as the hunt for Christmas bargains gets under way. Media reports suggest that in Britain alone 8bn (9bn)will be spent over a four day period from Friday last as the Black Friday hype gathered momentum. Much of the spending is taking place online at home rather than in major shopping streets and centres. In the US, brick is giving way to click. Credit Suisse has predicted that the number of outlet closures in 2017 will reach 8,640, this despite a rebound in the overall economy. Retail giant, Wal-Mart has cut 1,000 jobs at its head office in Arkansas. It reported an 8% fall in net income in late 2016. Amazon is gobbling the lunch boxes of a lot of its rivals. Last July, it posed a 60% rise in sales on its annual Prime Day. The inexorable rise of online retailing is only part of the picture. Forbes magazine reports rising sales in second hand stores as younger folk chase a more meaningful life experience. Then there is the Tiny House movement where millennials, in particular, try to cut down on their junk spend for the sake of their wallets and the future of the planet. Will manufacturers in Asia, in particular, suffer as people switch more of their spend towards experiences, including high-end holidays? Men are spending more on their clothes and activity in DIY stores is picking up as more people refurbish their houses. US retail expert Nikki Baird predicts yet more disruption in 2018 as retailers introduce augmented and virtual reality into their stores. Data gathering is becoming ever more sophisticated and the link between online and in-store activity is becoming better understood. American retailing is being buoyed by a 4% increase in personal income, says consultancy Deloitte, though some question its data. On the food front, new trends include a taste for Japanese street food. Some Millennials are also opting for a fourth meal to wrap up the day, though young people are boozing less, opting instead for high-end products like whiskey. The spend on make-up products is also on the increase. This is being described as the lipstick on the retail pig. The Irish economy is going well, though it remains to be seen whether the business train will be slowed, or even derailed, by a Brexit talks breakdown. According to digital marketing firm, Wolfgang Digital, the Irish online economy jumped by 45% in 2015 and by that again in 2016. Overall traffic to Irish e-commerce sites was up 17% last year. But Brexit is posing big challenges in the digital economy, with the UKs share of overseas Irish revenues plummeting from 36% to 19% in the wake of the referendum result. Achieving a European-wide digital economy is now a key EU goal. Ironically, a departing UK is well ahead on this front. Lobby group Retail Ireland has warned that too much revenue is now leaking out of our economy, through online purchases, with the value of retail sales here still 13% below pre-crisis levels. While 280,000 people are still employed in Irish retail, most of the 40,000 jobs lost have yet to be recovered. ChristmasShoppingGraftonStreet_large.jpg[/timcap] Retail Ireland is calling for an online investment support tax credit scheme so that indigenous firms can win back more of the three quarters of online sales revenue which currently leaves the country. However, Wolfgang Digital boss Alan Coleman insists that Irish firms are not lagging overseas competitors in the digital arena. The UK is the most advanced e-commerce market in the world. It is a healthy benchmark for us, he said. He believes that Irish people are tech savvy, and increasingly active online both as consumers and as suppliers. The 45% growth rate registered is, he said, being enjoyed by Irish-based firms which account for the bulk of his companys data set. Mr Coleman cites clients such as Ballybofey-based McElhinneys, a fashion retailer, and Sligo-based Voya, a maker of seaweed based beauty products, as examples of firms which have benefited greatly from an investment in digital marketing. In his view, firms should learn to live with Amazon, joining forces with the giant distributor. While margins may be lower, volumes should grow and the firms will be better able to figure out their unique selling propositions. Paradoxically, customers are more likely to show loyalty when buying online than when doing so, offline. Most deal with just three or four websites, once they have found companies they like dealing with and have overcome the initial obstacles. There are, it seems, huge opportunities out there, particularly for smaller suppliers and retailers operating away from large urban locations, without the resources for expensive conventional media campaigns in foreign markets. But are our State agencies doing enough to assist them in the task of transforming the way they do business and in making the necessary upfront investment commitment? Does the traditional method of export promotion, in which a Government Minister and top official leads a team of businesses to a far flung destination, need to be rethought, given the ongoing transformation in the way goods and services are bought and sold ? The two leaders met last night in Dublin for the second time in 24 hours. The meeting broke up last night without agreement but it looks likely that an apology from Ms Fitzgerald, along with radical reforms to the Department of Justice may be enough to avoid an election, according to sources. The Irish Examiner has confirmed that Mr Varadkar has agreed to break up the basket case department in a bid to end the political crisis. Despite the talks, several ministers said they believed this Government is effectively over and are working on the basis that the election will take place on Tuesday, December 19. Mr Martin has insisted on the resignation of Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald, while Mr Varadkar remains steadfast in his support of her. Micheal Martin, father of Nemo Rangers goalkeeper Micheal Aodh Martin, after the Munster Club SFC final at Pairc Ui Rinn. Picture: Oisin Keniry/Inpho It also emerged that ex-Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan telephoned a senior official in the department in May 2015 to inform them of her intended legal strategy at the OHiggins Commission in relation to whistleblower Maurice McCabe. The call is said to have occured at the time a similar email was received and read by Ms Fitzgerald. A spokeswoman for the Tanaiste told the Irish Examiner she was not aware of the call at the time. Sources have confirmed that three proposals were tabled, including the radical plans to overhaul the department during discusssions throughout the weekend. It is understood Mr Varadkar agreed to restructure the Department into clear Justice and Home Affairs portfolios and assign the redefined divisions to align with the new structure. It is recommended that Justice should include civil and criminal law reform, crime and security, and international policy; Home Affairs should include policing, prisons, courts, equality, and integration, it has been confirmed. A deputy Secretary General is to be appointed to take responsibility for the Home Affairs portfolio. A Government spokesman said: The talks are at a sensitive stage. There is no question of the Tanaiste being asked to resign. The Department of Justice has confirmed that a wider trawl of documents relating to the McCabe email saga produced confirmation of a phonecall from Ms OSullivan to an unnamed official which occured at the time Sgt McCabe was being cross-examined. The department has said the conversation occurred at the time of the legal dispute in the tribunal, but said they had no written record or otherwise and could say no more due to the upcoming Disclosures Tribunal. The revelation has been brought to light by RTEs This Week programme. A spokesman said: In the interests of clarity, we can state that, in the course of our wider trawl for records in recent days, we contacted a former senior official who stated that he recalled the former Garda Commissioner mentioning to him at the time that a legal dispute had arisen between Senior Counsel at the Tribunal, along the lines of what was set out in the email to the Ministers private secretary on 15 May 2015. Labour justice spokesman Alan Kelly has said it is hugely significant that there was a phone call between Ms OSullivan and the Department of Justice. He said it showed ongoing contact between senior gardai and the department at the time. Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar Ms Fitzgerald did not discuss a controversial email with the former Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan when the pair met a day after the mail was received. The Tanaiste and Ms OSullivan met at an official Garda event a day later but did not discuss the inquiry. Meanwhile, former Labour minister Joe Costello has said that he intends to go to the High Court tomorrow to prevent any dissolution of the Dail until planned constituency changes have taken place. Mr Costello said that, as a result of the last census and a Constituency Commission Report, the Oireachtas is supposed to pass legislation to increase Dail membership, and that failure to do so could lead to a constitutional challenge. Speaking at the Shannon Chamber of Commerces Presidents lunch at Dromoland Castle, Co Clare, Mr Walsh referred to Ryanairs recent flight cancellation troubles and said the bigger problem that Ryanair faced was a shortage of people with sufficient experience to be promoted to captain. There are lots of pilots in the market, he said. There arent many who have the qualifications to fly as a captain. IAG owns and operates Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia airlines and Mr Walsh described Ryanairs recent flight cancellation troubles as a blip. Mr Walsh said what happened to Ryanair he would not wish on anybody. Michael OLeary is an incredible competitor, very aggressive, he said. If anyone could fix it, he would fix it and he has done that. I dont buy into the belief that this was something structural. It was just a blip. Ryanair has fixed it and has moved on and they will be as strong as ever. Personally, I dont take any pleasure out of seeing someone else go through some difficulty and we wish Michael OLeary well. Under Mr Walshs leadership, IAG has increased its workforce from 57,000 employees in 2011 to 63,000 employees. However, Mr Walsh confirmed IAG does not have a human resources department. It is something I do slightly differently I refuse to have a HR department. He told the audience that outsourcing your management of people to a HR department is wrong. We all have a responsibility to the people that we work with and for, he said. It is fascinating to see how an organisation tries to create one and comes up with innovative names and as soon as spot them I get rid of them. Mr Walsh said his ambition for Aer Lingus is unlimited. Until we discover we have gone everywhere we can and there is no where left go to, I think there is huge opportunity for the company, he said. With the recently announced Dublin-Seattle route, Aer Lingus operates 13 routes to the US from Ireland compared to six when IAG first purchased the company in 2015. He said: It bemused my colleagues in London when they would read about the questions we were being asked and the challenges that were being levelled against us. We bought it because we wanted to grow it and we have already exceeded all of the commitments we gave. We wanted to purchase Aer Lingus because of its transatlantic network. We saw great opportunity there. Mr Walsh said the airline is to take delivery of eight 180 seat Airbus A321LR aircraft in 2019 for its transatlantic network which he believes will be a potential game changer for the airline. The demand came as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar tried to end the stand-off with Fianna Fail and avoid an election. Several Cabinet members told the Irish Examiner they believe there is no way back for the minority Government, even if Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald offers to resign. Fianna Fail putting down the motion of no confidence was the end of the confidence and supply, said one minister. They have marched up the hill, and so have we in terms of backing Frances. So positions are entrenched. We are going to the polls, end of. Ministers have made it clear they believe that, should the election be called in the coming days, their clear preference is for a short three-week campaign, with polling before Christmas. Even if Frances goes, the damage is done and it would be highly naive to think we go back to normal if that happened, the minister said. Meanwhile, the party was keen to lay the blame for the election squarely at the door of Fianna Fail. Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty said if an election is called it will be Fianna Fails fault. Ms Doherty said yesterday: Sinn Fein called Fianna Fails bluff; Fianna Fail called our bluff. She was adamant Fine Gael did not want an election and that the Government was going to do everything to find a resolution to the political brinkmanship between Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein. It would not be right for the Taoiseach to throw Frances Fitzgerald under the bus. Senator Jerry Buttimer says if Fine Gael does have to go to the polls, they are prepared for it, but it is not the outcome hes hoping for. I am always out canvassing personally; I was out canvassing yesterday, he said. Its what we do as politicians. If there is an election then its being called because of the opportunism of two political parties trying to outsmart one another, and thats the reality. I think its important now that we let the tribunal do its work. There is a process in place, established and voted for by the Oireachtas, and if we cant let that happen then there is no due process, there is no fairness in politics any more. Minister of state at the Department of Finance, Michael DArcy, said an election could be avoided but it would not be easy. On RTEs This Week programme, he also accused Sinn Fein of political terrorism because of its slash and burn attitude to this controversy. He said that, even if the Tanaiste had had full knowledge of the Garda legal strategy, she was disallowed from acting and had been told that by two Attorneys General. A spokesman for Mr Varadkar told the Irish Examiner: The Taoiseach is doing everything he can to avoid an election, and hopes it will be possible to reach agreement with Micheal Martin. The talks are at a sensitive stage. There is no question of the Tanaiste being asked to resign, he said. Several of the partys leading figures led the call for her to stand down in the national interest, as they no longer have confidence in her, given her mishandling of the Maurice McCabe email saga. Their calls come as party leader Micheal Martin travelled to Dublin last night to meet with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in a bid to stave off an election. The partys spending spokesman, Dara Calleary, told the Irish Examiner that the choice is one for Fine Gael and for Ms Fitzgerald to put the country first. He said the core issue at stake was that Frances Fitzgerald did not do her job right. The Mayo TD said the current stalemate between his party and Fine Gael is because parliamentary questions put down by Labours Mr Kelly were not answered. Mr Calleary said: The fact that were doing this trawl now after a tribunal was set up, after a tribunal demanded information, that the Government still arent confident that the tribunal has all the necessary information is exactly why were here. Meath East TD Thomas Byrne told RTE his party was expecting to receive all the documents uncovered by the trawl carried out in the Department of Justice over An Garda Siochanas legal strategy at the OHiggins commission. Mr Byrne said it is still the position of his party that the Tanaistes resignation would end the political crisis. That is our position, he said. When we put down a motion we do not do it willy nilly. This is about the lack of information given to the Dail in relation to this issue last week. This is not a motion in the Government, this is not a motion which causes a General Election. This is a matter for the Taoiseach to resolve. What my leader is doing is trying to work out some resolution which brings answers to the questions posed and also to the political crisis which is the threat of an election. The two leaders have the space to try and resolve this, but this is a serious matter. Mr Byrne called for the documents made available to Fianna Fail that had not been given under pain of law to the Disclosures Tribunal and said it is unbelievable that they were only found following a trawl of documents in the wake of the ongoing political crisis. The one thing ministers need to function is the confidence of the Dail. Frances Fitzgerald does not have the confidence of Dail Eireann and she should go, said Mr Byrne. Meanwhile, several Fianna Fail TDs have denied that they were part of a group of TDs who cheered a TV broadcast in the Dail bar during which justice spokesman Jim OCallaghan said they would not vote confidence in Ms Fitzgerald. Cork TD Billy Kelleher, Mayo TDs Dara Calleary and Lisa Chambers, Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte and Sligo TD Marc MacSharry have all denied cheering at the broadcast, despite being named as present in the bar at the time. He enjoys writing about fashion, but it was his work on mental health issues that started him blogging. I fell ill with some mental health issues three years ago, and after leaving retail work in early 2016, I had gotten in touch with some mental health charities to do some volunteer work, he said. Mental Health Ireland got in touch asking if I could add on to my story and have it published on their site. Thats where it all kicked off. The success of that online piece opened doors for Adam. Within a couple weeks my story had been published across various media platforms both online and print and I had gotten my first blogging gig for a fashion brand in London. Continuing to work from home, I decided after a few months it was time to venture out to my own blogging platform and ThisBoyKnows.com was born from there. Adam continues to act as a voice for mental health issues. I have also continued my mental health work by joining SeeChange.ie as an official Ambassador and I am also a part of ReachOut.coms Youth Network. Adam, who is from Limerick, enjoys writing about fashion and social issues. I have always had a huge interest in mens street fashion and of course my mental health work is what started it all. After trialling different ways, I decided to speak more from the heart on my website. My typical content will be a fashion shoot to keep that style element but the core content will be spoken on my mental health, general social issues, lifestyle topics and more. His blog gives Adam the opportunity to create original content that excites him. My highlights have definitely been the ability to just work creatively on a daily basis. Im very fortunate with my creative control and that I have the ability to try new things every single day. I love that no two days are the same and being able to work in such a creative field definitely makes things much more enjoyable. While many people struggle to find their way on social media, Adam embraces the challenge. I have this saying that social media is what you make it, and I truly stand by that. I often hear from various people that social media is toxic in our generation, but I believe it can only be toxic if we use it that way. Theres so many of us that have really taken it on board and turned it into an amazing way to not only connect with people but to inspire and create art. *** The story below was subject to the following clarification On 27th November 2017, we published an article in the print edition and online under the headline Should Frances Fitzgerald have queried Mc Cabe issue?. We would like to clarify that there was no suggestion or implication in the article that now retired Chief Superintendent Colm Rooney was part of a strategy to falsely present Maurice McCabe before the OHiggins Commission. We acknowledge that Chief Superintendent Rooney was never at any stage a party to such a strategy and indeed it was found by the Disclosures Tribunal that no such strategy existed. We are happy to acknowledge that Retired Chief Superintendent Rooney is a person of the highest personal and professional integrity. *** ELECTION or no election, a far more important process concerning the strength of our democracy is now scheduled to begin on January 8. This will be an inquiry at the Disclosures Tribunal into whether and to what extent the most powerful elements of the State were involved in attempts to destroy a citizen. And not just any citizen, but a garda who was engaged in doing a public service. Last Friday, the schedule for the tribunal changed. The next phase of inquiry was to be the media module, examining any smear campaign against Sergeant Maurice McCabe through the Garda Press Office. The element examining attempts to smear McCabe at the OHiggins Commission which is at the centre of the current political impasse was to follow. Now that schedule has been flipped. A statement from the tribunal on Friday noted: The order in which the tribunal proposes to pursue that work is to commence with the OHiggins Commission issue. Lawyers who have been assisting the tribunal were surprised at the change of schedule. That change was announced on the same day a political storm evolved into a full-blown crisis, following Fianna Fails decision to vote no confidence in Frances Fitzgerald. Frances Fitzgerald The statement also set out that the Oireachtas had noted that a public inquiry is the most appropriate way to investigate the matters of public disquiet. During an interview on RTEs Six-One news of Friday, the Taoiseach referenced the tribunal statement approvingly. The exact basis on which the chair of the tribunal, Judge Peter Charleton, decided to flip the schedule, and announce a commencement date for hearings, is unknown. But whatever the basis, the tribunal and its urgency to investigate the matter of what happened at the OHiggins commission has been constantly referenced by Government ministers since Friday. What it means is that, should an election be avoided, the hearings commencing on January 8 will be under intense scrutiny. But even if there is an election, the hearings should demand the full attention of anybody interested in how a democracy functions. So what is to be investigated? OHiggins was set up to examine McCabes complaints of malpractice in Cavan/Monaghan. The hearings behind closed doors commenced on May 14, 2015. The following day, two separate historic meetings which had nothing to do with the complaints of malpractice under investigation were introduced to the commission. They both harked back to a complaint made by a daughter of a colleague of McCabes in 2006. McCabe had reported the colleague over a disciplinary matter. Ten months later, the daughter known as Ms D made a complaint that eight years previously, McCabe had abused her in some way. The complaint was investigated and found to be lacking in any credibility. The local State solicitor said that if the incident had even happened, it amounted to horseplay. The DPPs office said there was no credible evidence that it had happened, and even if it had, it did not constitute a criminal offence. Despite that, elements within the force had tried for years to use the allegation to discredit McCabe. Nobody had dared publicise it, as that would have attracted a huge libel action. But it was spread like manure in vicious rumours to attempt to portray McCabe as harbouring a grudge against the force. At OHiggins, two meetings were cited as evidence that McCabe bore a grudge over the affair, despite being completely cleared. The first concerned a meeting between McCabe and the retired chief superintendent for Cavan/Monaghan, Colm Rooney, in 2007. Rooney claimed that McCabe was displeased at the meeting over the directions of the DPP on the allegation from Ms D. Independent TD Mick Wallace introduced this meeting to the Dail last week. Mick Wallace Chief superintendent Colm Rooney said Maurice was angry and vicious and wanted the DPP to overturn the directions from the Ms D file, not realising that Maurice had already seen them, agreed with them, and wouldnt be looking for them to be overturned, Wallace told the House. As Wallace pointed out, McCabe knew the directions at the time of that meeting and the directions couldnt have been more favourable to him. So why was he being portrayed as angry and vicious and wanting the directions changed? The second meeting occurred in Mullingar in 2008. The commission was told there would be evidence that McCabe expressed a grudge at this meeting over the handling of the DPP directions. Then he produced a recording of the meeting, which proved no grudge had been expressed. If McCabe had not had the resources to protect himself, a sworn inquiry would have operated on the basis that at two separate meetings, McCabe expressed anger or a grudge over the fall-out from the Ms D allegation. That would have called his motives into question. It would have portrayed him as duplicitous and scheming. The complaints he made would have been examined in a different light, most likely diluting the significance of the malpractice. Also, it would have introduced into the public domain the discredited allegation from 2006, allowing those opposed to him to wrap it in slime, smother the facts and falsely present him as somebody with questions to answer over an alleged grievous crime. If the scenarios, as originally laid out by the legal strategy, had been seen through, it could have destroyed a man, particularly one who had been under intense pressure since first making his complaints in 2008. The legal strategy pursuing this scenario was known to the then garda commissioner Noirin OSullivan, the chief state solicitors office, Attorney Generals office, the Department of Justice, and most likely the minister for justice of the day, Frances Fitzgerald. The tribunal must assess who knew what and when and how informed they were about the detail of what was going on. Frances Fitzgeralds dilemma back in May 2015 must be seen in the context of the range of forces of the State lined up against McCabe. As the elected person in Government, should she have had the courage and curiosity to at least question why a citizen whom she had publicly praised was being targeted in this manner? Everyone seemed to be a straight, white, conservative Catholic. To a disgruntled teenage misfit, it felt like a bubble from which the oxygen of self-expression had been sucked, and replaced by rules put in place by priests and old people. Like all the other disgruntled misfits, I legged it. Today, I live in another bubble. This bubble, however, is of my own choosing. I live in a town full of vegan yoga teachers; as a vegan who likes yoga, this works for me. Politically, the town is eco-lefty, welcomes refugees, has a significant LGBT demographic; as a lefty tree-hugging do-gooder who loves a shiny gay disco, I have no plans to move. Everyone I know thinks like I do. We are awfully nice people, and have the Go Fund Me pages to prove it. Youre in a bubble, my sister tells me. Shes an academic, and cant rant because its considered unprofessional. She has to be measured, even about Trump. (Id make a crap academic.) I am so much in a bubble, she says, that she uses me as an example when defining what being in a bubble is to her politics undergraduates. I like my bubble, I tell her. Nobody in my bubble voted for Brexit. Yet Brexit is happening, and Trump has happened. Perhaps remaining inside my bubble is as narrow minded as how I perceive those with whom I disagree politically the Brexiteers, the Trump supporters. They cant all be swivel-eyed racists, can they? My chap insists the only way to understand the Other Side is to engage with them; to stop shouting and start listening. I cant quite bring myself to do what he does to directly interact with people whose politics I find abhorrent because I am intolerant of muppets who voted for Brexit. But I can certainly seek out unheard voices and differing points of view, given how the mainstream media is mostly filled with the middle-class liberals (the kind who like yoga and tofu). Which had led me to the two most arresting books I have read all year Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance, and Poverty Safari by Darren McGarvey. While the first is an interesting account of how a clever boy from a deprived background made it to Yale, the second grabs you by the throat. McGarvey is a young working-class writer in a world dominated by middle-class writers. He has survived an early life that we the soyaccino-sippers could not comfortably imagine. He is left wing, but says the most radical act a person can undertake is to change themselves. McGarvey is all about bursting the bubble, and seeing beyond it. Poverty Safari is my book of the year. I urge you to read it now. MORE than 120 people have started work at the Island's new call centre to handle the Christmas rush. Ascensos has recruited 122 people, including 87 Isle of Wight College students, during the peak shopping period leading up to Christmas. Operations director Lyle McLean said the new recruits would gain valuable customer service experience handling phone, email and online queries for a range of big retailers. "It's great to be able to use this busy period as a platform to provide work experience and extra income to so many of the Island's students and other members of the community. It is fantastic to have established a working link with Isle of Wight College and create a pipeline of future employment opportunities." The Cowes call centre is the company's first UK operation outside Scotland and, once fully operational, will create up to 600 jobs, making Ascensos one of the Island's largest employers. The total number of staff currently, including the Christmas recruits, is 551. MEMBERS of the Island's Indian and Asian communities, as well as the Island's MP, Bob Seely, local councillors and public sector workers, celebrated the festival of Diwali in Ryde. The Diwali or festival of light, the Hindu equivalent of Christmas, was very well attended with about 260 guests. Mr Seely lit a torch to kick-start proceedings at The Balcony, Ryde which culminated in a firework display on the beach. There was a brilliant cultural programme with displays of beautiful Indian costumes specially designed and brought over from India. Dances were choreographed by Anupama Singh depicting Indian culture at large along with Bollywood dances and songs with a live Bollywood band. Both adults and children took part in the cultural programmes. Children's dances were performed by Nithya Akundi, Imran Rahman, Rohan Sesetti, Aryan Singh, Rhea Thakrar, Aashima Maheshwari, Amelia Rahman and Avi Sesetti. Delicious Indian food was also served by Swad Indian Cuisine from Sandown. A raffle with part of the proceedings going towards the aid of the Hampshire and IW Air Ambulance was held. The Diwali function has become very popular over the years and aims to keep alive the Indian traditions here on the Island. Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Center, Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan required candidates for the posts of Radiologist, ICU Physician, Medical Officers, Manager Medical Records, Assistant Manager Nursing, Librarian, Assistant Administrator, Technicians, Security Supervisor and Security Guards. For more jobs register with Jobz.pk . How to Apply on Civil Hospital Job Advertisement Apply as per details in job advertisement. Login to view further details of how to apply via https://www.jobz.pk online. Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us via contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted. https://www.johnnyfd.com/2017/11/las-palmas-gran-canaria-guide-to-canary.html If you've ever been to Gran Canaria, you may hear how it's like a smaller, cheaper version of Barcelona on an island with warm weather year round. You may have heard that second to Chiang Mai, it's the biggest digital nomad hot spot in the world, and that those who come here often decide to become residents and stay forever. The good news is that all of that is somewhat true, but before you go packing your bags, let me take the time to properly explain the pros and cons of living on Gran Canaria long term as an expat, digital nomad, or online entrepreneur. In this post i'll be talking about the costs of living, where to find apartments or accomidation, and review coworking spaces, the food, lifestyle, and give you all of the info you need before considering a move to Gran Canaria. How to Get to Gran Canaria: The good news for Europeans is the fact there are tons of cheap, direct flights from all over Europe including Dublin Ireland, Vienna, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, Zurich, Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Prague, Lisbon, Italy, and Spain. I flew here from Ukraine which currently doesn't have a direct flight which meant I had to stop over in Germany for a night first, but was still relatively easy and cheap. For my 2019 trip, I flew from Sri Lanka with an overnight stopover in Switzerland. From the U.S., Canada, Australia or Asia you'd have to first fly into one of the countries or cities above. The good news is that flights can be had for cheap, the only downside is that because it's Europe, even international planes are often small, which means it's not usually worth upgrading to business class since overnight flights with layflat seats aren't popular. That means, whether you fly the cheapest economy seats or business class, you'll be taking a lot of shorter flights and sitting upright most of the trip. Once you're at LPA airport in Gran Canaria however, it's super easy to get around and there's even a cheap and easy 45 minute airport bus that goes straight from LPA to where you'll be staying in Las Palmas. for just around $3. If you take a taxi from the airport, expect to pay around $33 for the same trip. However, the good news is that once you've in Las Palmas, it's relatively cheap to take taxi's locally, so an easy hack is to take the airport bus (#60) to San Telmo bus station in Las Palmas, then take a $5 taxi directly to your apartment or hotel. Map of Gran Canaria - LPA Airport and Las Palmas Introduction to LPA: I met a bunch of people who left Chiang Mai and the nomadic life and moved permanently to Gran Canaria recently and just spent the past 2.5 months checking out it for myself. It's technically part of Spain and the EU, but since it's located off the west coast of Africa, it's warm year round. It's an island with amazing beaches, surfing, and scuba diving, and has really good infrastructure and over a dozen co-working spaces. Best of all, the island actually welcomes digital nomads and encourages us to get permanent residencies. It's also cheaper than living in Barcelona or Berlin, while having all of the amenities like being able to order from Amazon, and having big stores where you can buy anything like Ikea, Decathlon, and a huge electronics store called Media Market. Even better there are multiple islands close by to explore, sand dunes, mountains, and even a rainforest just an hour away. Here's what a typical day in the life of a digital nomad or remote worker looks like living in Las Palmas. I met a bunch of people who left Chiang Mai and the nomadic life and moved permanently to Gran Canaria recently and just spent the past 2.5 months checking out it for myself. It's technically part of Spain and the EU, but since it's located off the west coast of Africa, it's warm year round. It's an island with amazing beaches, surfing, and scuba diving, and has really good infrastructure and over a dozen co-working spaces.Best of all, the island actually welcomes digital nomads and encourages us to get permanent residencies.It's also cheaper than living in Barcelona or Berlin, while having all of the amenities like being able to order from Amazon, and having big stores where you can buy anything like Ikea, Decathlon, and a huge electronics store called Media Market. Even better there are multiple islands close by to explore, sand dunes, mountains, and even a rainforest just an hour away. Here's what a typical day in the life of a digital nomad or remote worker looks like living in Las Palmas. Why Las Palmas? So you might be wondering why we chose to live on the north eastern tip of Gran Canaria in the capital city of Las Palmas when the south in Maspalomas is much more beautiful, has better weather year round, and has more things to do as a tourist. Well the answer is because even though the south of Gran Canaria is great for holiday makers on vacation, Las Palmas is a much better place to live year round and long term, or to live as a digital nomad or online entrepreneur. The problem with Las Palmas however, is that at first glance, it's a bit ugly. Don't get me wrong, I love it here and have came to appercaite it's beauty, but honestly, when I first arrived, my expectations were too high and I thought that my friends who told me about how amazing it is, was wrong. So here's the thing, Las Palmas isn't a high class, beautiful city with amazing architecture, ocean views and a resort like feeling. It looks and feels more like a small, low to mid-class, grungy city that to has a very city nice beach and happens to be on an island. Don't come here expecting it to look or feel like a tropical island resort, because it's not and like me, you'll be disappointed if you do. Las Palmas is strange for the fact that as soon as you are even a block and a half from the main beach boardwalk, you suddenly forget that you're near a beach or on an island at all. But that's actually the main reason why I love Las Palmas as much as I do, and that hundreds of other digital nomads and expats feel the same. It's the fact that you can have a normal city life, have the conveniences of everything you want from home, while being able to walk a few blocks or drive a few miles and be out in nature or in the sea. Hanging out with friends on Las Canteras Beach Las Canteras Beach If you watched my snorkeling video, depending on where else you've been in the world, or if you are comparing it to the freezing waters in the U.K. or the warm tropical waters of Thailand, you may be thinking, wow that sunset looks nice, or wow, that doesn't look that impressive, I've seen better. In both cases you'd be correct. But even though I've been snorkeling and scuba diving in Thailand, Australia, Bali, Indonesia, Borneo, California, Hawaii, and the Caribbean, I can honestly say that swimming and snorkeling off of Las Canteras Beach here in Las Palmas is my favorite place in the world and it's the place I do it most often. Even though there are nicer beaches and oceans else where in the world, none of them are as clean, convenient, and easily accessible as the one here in Las Palmas. In most places you need to drive to a beach, take a bus, or otherwise go out of your way to get there. But the way Las Canteras is situated, it's often faster and easier to walk along the beach when getting around the city as it's a straight line as opposed to zig-zags in the city center. Also since it's such a long beach, wherever you live in the city, you're just a short walk away, meaning it's possible that you'll pass it 3-5 times everyday just going to and front work, the gym, or to restaurants to meet friends. They clean the beach daily, so even though you can sometimes still find cigarette butts from inconsiderate smokers, in general the beach is very clean, and since this is Europe, locals don't throw trash in the ocean or dump garbage like they do in Indonesia and Malaysia, which means the water isn't polluted. Being a long beach, even though certain spots are often crowded, it never feels annoying as there aren't touts trying to sell you anything, and the beach chair rentals are limited to certain spots, it gives you plenty of room to lay out freely. It's also a great places to watch sunsets, tan topless, or leave your things while you go for a swim or a snorkel. Snorkeling in Las Palmas Quiksilver Pop up Shop on Las Canteras Beach My first AirBnb in Las Palmas came with Surf Boards! Nature in Gran Canaria Adventure in Gran Canaria Where to Stay in Las Palmas Even though the city of Las Palmas is relatively small at around 3.3km or 2 miles if you're walking from the very south of the beach near the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium to the very north of the beach near Isleta, it still takes 40 minutes which is fine to do once in awhile, but it's much easier to stay in the center and closer to the beach if you want to have easy access to everywhere you'll need to go on a day to day basis. Circled in Green is my favorite area in Las Palmas to stay as it's in the center of the beach where most things happen, most of the restaurants and bars are, where the popular Santa Catalina is, and where the best part of the beach is. Staying here means that you're usually a 15 minute or less walk from any coworking space, coffee shop, gym, meetup, yoga class, or bar. If you can't find an apartment in the green zone, you can stay anywhere within the blue zone which is still walkable, but be prepared to walk 30 minutes on average wherever you may go and up to 45 minutes. The problem with Las Palmas is the fact that because of all of the one way streets, dead ends and zig-zags, you'll never actually take a bus or a taxi to get around within the city meaning you should be prepared to walk wherever you go, and if you're going to walk anyways, you might as well do it along the beach, which is why I recomend staying there. But if you ask any locals, they'll say that anywhere pictured on this map below is still a fine area to be in as it's all considered the city center, but just like living in New York, there are more desireable areas than others. Not pictured on this map is the old city of Vegueta which is just 30 minutes sound of Las Palmas by bus or a $6 Taxi ride. It's also a nice place if you don't care to live by the beach. Apartments, Airbnb and Accommodations The message I used to negotiate this 2BR from $2,500 to $1,300 a month 2018 Update: It looks like it worked for my buddy AJ as well! The Siesta Lifestyle Typical Restaurant Hours: Closed Sunday/Monday, Closed for Breakfast and Lunch, then closed again for dinner. Taken at my friend Julie's apartment! Digital Nomads in Gran Canaria At the first Nomad Coffee Club in Las Palmas meetup! LPA Coworking Spaces At "The Roof" Co-Living Space with Nacho At the Nomad Coffee Club LPA Meetup! Internet and Data Internet Speed in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria Visas and Residency Citizen's of the Green can stay anywhere in the Dark Blue for 90 Days When to Visit Monthly Temperature in Gran Canaria Food in Gran Canaria But my favorite things aside from eating out in Las Palmas is probably visiting the fresh fruit and vegetable farmer's markets and cooking at home so make sure you visit Mercado Central, de Vegueta and del Puerto. A typical lunch will cost you around 8-10 euro and usually includes a soup and a main, plus a drink, coffee or dessert. For dinner you'll usually pay around 15 euro at most restaurants. But pinchos (little bread tapa things) and sandwiches are cheap as well as small plates at places like Pachichi, so it's possible to go out for a glass of wine or beer plus a snack for 4 or 5 euro which is a good deal. Tasca Galileo (great tapas and wine). For bars food and amazing value for cheap drinks, the winner is definitely Bodegon Pachichi and on thursdays the entire street in Vegeta that turns into $2.50 tapas and wine night. Outside of the capital, closer to the south of the island, there was also a super authentic restaurant with homemade cheese, bread, and on weekends even roast entire pigs. It's out of the way but worth checking out, Vaqueria Las Salinas if you ever rent a car and are passing by.But my favorite things aside from eating out in Las Palmas is probably visiting the fresh fruit and vegetable farmer's markets and cooking at home so make sure you visit Mercado Central, de Vegueta and del Puerto. A typical lunch will cost you around 8-10 euro and usually includes a soup and a main, plus a drink, coffee or dessert. For dinner you'll usually pay around 15 euro at most restaurants. But pinchos (little bread tapa things) and sandwiches are cheap as well as small plates at places like Pachichi, so it's possible to go out for a glass of wine or beer plus a snack for 4 or 5 euro which is a good deal. Traditional starters at Vaqueria Las Salinas. 5 euro a dish average. Flaming chorizo at Bodegon Pachichi + a 1 Euro beer My Overall Thoughts: In the sand dunes of Maspalomas in the South More from Las Palmas: Let me know what you think of Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands, and Las Palmas in the comments below. Feel free to ask me anything as well and I'm happy to add it to the FAQ! Warm Regards, Johnny FD Questions? Like this Post? Comment below! Let me know what you think of Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands, and Las Palmas in the comments below. Feel free to ask me anything as well and I'm happy to add it to the FAQ!Warm Regards, It's been an incredible two months here on Gran Canaria and it's a place that I could definitely see myself moving to as a permanent resident. I first heard of the Canary Islands and Las Palmas in general just months ago when a few digital nomad friends I met while traveling told me that they had given up their life of constant travel and have settled down on the island of Gran Canaria. I've heard of a lot of good destinations for nomads to become expats including Thailand, Bali, Columbia, Mexico, and Portugal, but Gran Canaria seemed to have an advantage over all of them and I had to see it for myself to find out first hand. This post has now been updated for 2019 during my second trip to Las Palmas.It's a bit strange to say that even though I've snorkeled with amazing fish life in other places around the world including sea turtles, sharks, and manta rays in crystal clear waters, snorkeling off of Las Palmas is actually my favorite. It's not the best snorkeling, and depending on the day and the tide, conditions can range from wavy, cloudy and terrible, to really good but still not very fishy. But the reason why I like it so much is the fact that it's super convenient to go everyday after work. If you go during low tide and swim out to the rock reef, you'll be surprised on how clear it can get and how much fish you can see. I've even seen a couple of hard to find species like octopus, flounders, crabs, and even a spotted snake-eel which was really cool especially since they are not poisonous and non-dangerous but look like they could be.The best place to snorkel off of Las Canteras is opposite CrossFit Las Canteras during low tide, if you swim all the way out to the rock reef. You don't need fins, and you can buy a cheap mask and snorkel at any of the local variety shops or at decathlon. I recomend buying the cheap $3 snorkel as those tend to work better than the fancy ones with the water purge/exhaust valves. As for masks, just find one that fits. Since the water temperatures are a brisk 22-24c most of the year, you don't need a wetsuit or even a rashguard. But if you get cold easily, you can invest in one if it prevents you from enjoying the ocean. You can also find rockier spots around the island that often have more fish life such as just in front of the Surf Hostel. I've also swam past the rock reef to check it out and it was gorgeous. But I wouldn't recomend it to most people as the current could take you out into the open ocean and is dangerous. Also it's too deep to snorkel and would be better with scuba gear. Luckily there is decent scuba diving on the island as well!However, the reason why I love snorkeling on Las Canteras as much as I do, isn't just because there are cool fish to see, it's the fact that it's protected by a natural rock reef which means that during low tide, you can safely swim long distances without worrying about currents, tides, boats, jet skis or any other dangers as there's nothing but you, a few other swimmers, and the occasional paddle boarder.If you want to bodyboard or surf, you can simply go to the south of Las Canteras, or the very north at La Confidential during the right tides and have that as well. You can rent a surfboard and a wetsuit for just 10 to 15 euro for two hours.Perhaps my favorite thing about the island of Gran Canaria is the fact that within a 1 hour drive, you have what feels like 7 different continents. You have the capital city of Las Palmas which feels like you're in a smaller Barcelona. You have the touristy beaches in the South as well as the sand dunes in Maspalomas which make it look like you're somewhere in Egypt. You mountains and peaks of Roque Nublo at 1,813m high and a nice trek. During some years it even snows above 1,000m. But at the same time you have what looks like an Arizona desert in La Confital, cactus in the center, all while an hour away you have small waterfalls and rainforest in laurisilva.On the same beach, depending on the tide, you can have volleyball, surfing, bodyboarding, snorkeling, and scuba diving. It's really amazing how much diversity there is on one relatively small island. The only problem is that most people never leave their area and go to to explore. But since buses run everywhere, and car rentals are relatively affordable, there isn't an excuse not to take weekend trips to go explore. You even have a Decathlon store which sells really good sporting equipment at fantastic prices, which means you can go buy yourself a decent pair of $12 hiking shoes and a $5 backpack, snorkel set, or whatever else you may need once you get here.The only problem is that aside from the one Meetup.com group that Erik, a Danish expat is currently hosting, there isn't an easy way to meet other people to go on hiking trips or nature exploration with. So if he's not currently in town, it's not always that easy to go out and see what the island has to offer. But even though it may not seem like they exist, if you ask around or look hard enough, especially if you search in Spanish, you'll find all sorts of cool things to do such as Hiking Groups or Acroyoga in Las Palmas. The fact that all the photos in this blog post are taking on the same island, and all within a 1 hour drive of each other is insane. I don't know of anywhere else in the world where you can do that with maybe the exception of San Diego, which is another city I love.For my 2019 trip, I did a few more adventure sports including zip lining, caving, repealing, rock climbing and paragliding for my first time ever, all with a great couple that runs Fly in Canarias. Here's a video I filmed on my buddy David Vu's GoPro that captured a bit of Gran Canaria from the sky and what it's like to fly over it on a paraglider for the first time!It's not cheap or easy to find housing in Las Palmas, but it's doable, you just need to follow my advice and be prepared to take some time doing so. Honestly, compared to places like Chiang Mai, Thailand where you can just show up and find a monthly rental for easy and cheap, here it's a lot more difficult. The good news is that it's possible, you just need to do some work arounds.Apartments aren't actually that expensive in Las Palmas or buy or to rent long term. You can find a great 1-bedroom apartment in the green zone for around $700 a month if you're staying long term. The problem is the fact that Airbnb rentals are overpriced in hopes that tourists who don't know any better will fall for the trap and pay the outrageous rate of $2,000-$3,500 a month for something that should be half the price. The good news is that after learning the trick, all you have to do is use google translate to craft a message into Spanish, and message every Airbnb that you are interested in with the same message asking for an additional 40-60% off the monthly price. In my experience over 80% of landlords replied and many of them were happy to discount the rental as they know what they were asking for was ridiculous.You can also find a coliving house like Restation or The Roof or any of the other ones that are popping up in Gran Canaria all of the time. If it's your first time using Airbnb, here's a $40 off coupon for Airbnb valid for your first trip. If you're staying for 6+ months, the best way to find housing is to book an airbnb for 1-2 weeks, then meet a local agent that will show you around.In most places you can show up and find an apartment within a few days, but in Gran Canaria, being part of Spain, things work slower here so be prepared. Luckily since we weren't in a rush and we had friends on the island already, we were able to figure things out within a few weeks, but it wasn't as quick and easy as we were expecting, mainly due to the siesta lifestyle. Many businesses don't open until 10 or 11am then close again from 1:30pm - 4:30pm, and almost everything is closed on Sundays. This means that if you want to get anything done, you'll need to time it right, get lucky or come back another day. An example would be trying to register for ByBike, the awesome free for 15 minutes at a time bike rentals. The way you register is go to the office, which is closed 70% of the time, they give you a website URL to register and tell you to wait for 2 days to get an email. You get that email, confirm it, which tells you to wait again. Then you print out that email and bring it back to that office to register...which you'll then realize is closed or the holiday/siesta or weekend. Some people get lucky and get it done within days, but things like this often take people weeks or months as it's easy to forget about and put off.It also means that if you're looking for a place to come relax, take it easy, and chill out, Gran Canaria is a great place to live long term, or even retire, as you'll see with a ton of older people here in thier 60's and 70's. However, if you're looking to hustle hard, eat low carb, paleo, or build a business, and network with other like minded entrepreneurs, you might be disappointed. But then again, it depends on your ideal schedule. For me, I enjoy waking up early, working until 4pm, going to exercise, then having dinner before 7pm and sleeping before 11pm. Here however, a lot of restaurants don't even open until 8pm, which means dinners are often late and start at 9pm, with drinks, tapas and bread until midnight.Things are just slower paced here, and if that's what you enjoy, or maybe need as a break from your normal routine, it's a great place to be. Personally, I can see myself coming here for 2-3 months a year to relax and go into business maintenance mode while enjoying tapas and wine a few nights a week. But even though there are plenty of coworking spaces, fast internet, and the infrastructure needed to go into growth mode and build a new online business, you may feel the lack of outside motivation as most others will be enjoying life nice and slow and easy, waking up late and drinking beer and wine at least a few nights a week. There are also a lot of holidays where everything is closed.The good news is that Gran Canaria is very open to attracting remote workers and digital nomads and wants to bring in jobs, knowledge, and infrastructure. Unlike places like Thailand where expats and digital nomads are simply tolerated, here in Las Palmas, we're actually welcome with open arms which is a refreshing change. There are a ton of coworking spaces in Las Palmas and there are a bunch of events here such as Nomad City and the Nomad Cruise . Seeing the photos from these events may make you think that Las Palmas is already a hot spot for digital nomads and it kind of is, if you know where to look or when to come.Las Palmas has the foundation to become the next Chiang Mai, but at least as of 2017, it still need a bit more promotion to really get it going. The problem is that even though there are plenty of digital nomads on the island, there aren't that many regular events which means it's hard to meet each other. You could pass through there for a week and aside from the handful of people you meet at a coworking space, you might not realize there are 50-100 other nomads in Las Palmas working from home or other places. I've tried to do my part by helping to set up Nomad Coffee Club Las Palmas with the help of Maria, Myriam and a few of the other coworking space owners in hopes that there will continue to be weekly or at least bi-weekly meetings over coffee where nomads can meet each other, network, make new friends, and share knowledge on how to be successful with their online businesses.When you come to Las Palmas, be sure to join the various facebook groups including the Nomad Coffee Club (Las Palmas) and Gran Canaria Digital Nomads When people say they are coworking in Gran Canaria, they typically mean the city of Las Palmas. But in terms of layout, comfort, natural light, and other things that make the best coworking space, GoCoworking is actually the best space on the island that I've seen. Read this blog post for the qualities I look for in an ideal coworking space . However, the biggest problem and the reason why I don't work from there is the fact that it's a 30 minute bus ride or a 1 hour walk away from Las Canteras Beach in Las Palmas which is where I choose to live. If you don't plan on using the beach often, then definitely check out GoCoworking as it's a great space.But for those who want to live in Las Palmas, don't worry, you have 9 other spaces to check out, and my best advice would be to go to all of them for a free trial day to check them out for yourself and see what you like the best. Before I came, I had heard from guys like Chris the Freelancer and others that Coworking C was the most popular digital nomad space so I was tempted to just go straight there, but as much as I liked it, I'm also glad that I took the time to look around and find one that suited me and my needs to best. For example, I really liked ReStation for it's live in community, and liked the layout of The SandBox. And I might have really liked CoCo or some of the others if I had lived more in that direction and if they had a community, but for me I ended up working out of Soppa De Azul because the location on the north end of the beach was a perfect excuse for me to walk on the sand for 20 minutes each direction to and from home everyday. I also liked the layout, community of artists, and the fact that it had a little kitchen area in the front where I could make a salad and keep my half a roast chicken in the fridge for the next day. They also had some spaces for me to record podcasts which is something I do twice a week that most other nomads probably don't need to.The best thing about coworking spaces on Gran Canaria is the surprising fact that all of the owners treat each other as friends and not competition which really makes it comfortable to bounce around. Nacho the owner of Coworking C, would invite me over to BBQ's at The Roof Living Space and Carlos the owner of The Sandbox would host monthly digital nomad meetups over Tapas. Maria the owner of Restation not only helped me start up the coffee club here, but would also have weekly mastermind meetups. For whatever reason, Las Palmas is way better setup in terms of coworking spaces than Chiang Mai, even though it's not yet as popular of a nomad hotspot.This year for 2019 I worked out of the new coworking space on Las Canteras called Work Labs mainly because it was close to where I was staying but also because my friends Louise and Ed were working out of there. The owner was super cool and had actually read my article about ideal coworking spaces and was super owner to suggestions. I also gave a talk at the Nomad Coffee Club LPA which was cool to go back to especially since it was a packed bar with over 40 local nomads and expats showing up!Once set up, the internet and mobile data on Gran Canaria is actually very good. The problem is that unless you are a resident of the EU and already have a post-paid data plan on your phone, in which you can now roam for free within the EU. For Americans and others there aren't any mobile phone shops in LPA airport or places that sell SIM cards aside from maybe the spar supermarket in the airport. That means that we had to ask a random taxi driver to call our airbnb host to come meet us and let us in, then try to find a local phone shop during their opening hours to get data.The good news is that once we set it up, you can renew online, and it is relatively cheap at around $15 a month for 4GB of high speed 4G internet. Coworking spaces here start from around 100 euro ($125 after tax) a month and have stable connections of 30mps down/25mps upload which is plenty fast enough. All of the Airbnb's I've stayed at also had decent wifi speeds, with my current one having a super fast speed of 100mps down/20mps up. The only problems is that every single house I've lived in has had thick walls which meant the wifi never reaches the bedrooms. A hack is to move the router into the hallway, but it doesn't always solve the problem. Aside from that, Spain and Portugal have gotten rid of net neutrality which means that even with 100mps down speeds, things like Netflix and Youtube are throttled making them sometimes outrageously slow to buffer.As for coffee shops and cafes, even though there are a few decent ones like Cafe Regina , there aren't that many good options to work from and some coffee shops don't have wifi at all, which boggles my mind in 2017. As for 2019, there's now a Starbucks on the beach which may be decent to work at but doesn't open until 9am.One of the big reasons why Gran Canaria has become so popular with a lot of nomads is the fact that it's relatively simple to come here as a tourist, then stay long term as a resident. Most nationalities including Americans get 90 days automatically and if you're part of the EU you can stay for up to 6 months at a time with no issues. Unfortunately for Americans, Canadians, Australians and anyone else in the green zones in the map below, once our 90 days are up anywhere in the schengen zone, which is most of the EU, highlighted by dark blue on the map, we then need to leave the entire zone for another 90 days. That means that digital nomads wanting to live in Gran Canaria, can't just make a visa run to Morocco or back to another country in Europe then come back after a few days or even a few weeks. We'd have to completely leave the EU/Schengen zone until our 90 days every 6 months completely resets. That means if we want to live in Gran Canaria for the full 3 months, we won't be able to visit Portugal, Germany, Poland, or anywhere else the Schengen this trip.If you want to stay longer, you'll need to become a resident. The good news is that it's actually possible unlike places like Thailand. Bad news is that it's a huge pain in the ass, especially for non EU citizens due to Spanish bureaucracy. If you're a citizen of the EU, you can just show up, get 6 months, fly home to visit, and come straight back without issues. But you'll still want to look into getting an NIE Number (below) once you get here to do things like rent apartments and get internet service in your name long term, as well as qualify for perks like 75% discounts on flights and ferries to other islands and to mainland Spain.I've had a few expat friends go through the process and even though they all eventually got it, they all said it was a huge pain in the ass because of Spanish business hours, language barriers, excess paperwork, unnecessary bureaucracy and getting the run around by government workers who often find it's easier to tell you go to somewhere else and hope that you give up or that someone else helps you instead. But as long as you are committed and are willing to spend a few weeks doing it (even though it technically should be able to be done in a day) you can follow the instructions here to get your NIE (ID number) and Residencia. One the best options for digital nomads and those working online is actually the Non-Lucrative Visa which is also known as the Non-Profit Visa or the Retirement Visa as it allows you to live here as long as you don't take local jobs and you can prove that you have either enough savings ($30,124) or online/investment income to support yourself. If you think $30k is an insane number that you'll never be able to save up, read my book Life Changes Quick to see how I went from almost zero to $30k in less than 2 years. You can read about it on this family's blog post about getting it. But basically, even though getting the visa is possible, it's a huge pain in the ass with a ton of paperwork, FBI background checks, background checks for any country you visited for more than 6 months in the past 5 years, English to Spanish translation requirements for every single piece of paperwork you submit, and a ton of other crazy bureaucratic paperwork. Another option if you want to invest half a million euros would be the golden visa and if you want start a business you can apply for a Spanish entrepreneur visa. For me, even though I really like Gran Canaria, because it's too much of a hassle to stay longer than 90 days at a time, I'd decided to just use it as a temporary place to hang out for a few months each year instead of a place to actually live long term. But since that only allows me to spend 3 months in any 6 month period here.By leaving the Schengen zone going to either Ukraine or Bulgaria, Croatia, or Romania for 3 months I could technically leave the Schengen zone and let my visa rest, while still staying in Europe to enjoy the summer months here. The only downside is the fact that even though Gran Canaria is known to have decent weather year round, and is one of the only places in Europe that doesn't snow or isn't otherwise freezing in the winter, it still gets cold here and drops down to 15c/59f degrees at night which is pretty chilly. The best news is that even if it's cold and cloudy here in Las Palmas, you can always drive an hour to the south and enough sunshine on the beaches there as it's always a few degrees warmer and sunnier in the south because of the mountains and microclimates.The best time to come to Gran Canaria is whenever it sucks somewhere else in the world as the weather here is decent year round which is a huge selling point of the Canary Islands in general. High season is Dec-Feb but mainly because it's freezing in other parts of Europe during those months. The weather in LPA is very good during summer months, but since it's also very good elsewhere in Europe, the island can be relatively quiet. Las Palmas has been voted along with San Diego as the most pleasant weather in the world year round, and having lived in both, I can vouch that both places are perfect shorts and t-shirt places with the occasional need for a long sleeve at night.Similar to Barcelona, restaurants in Las Palmas are really hit or miss. There are some really good places, and some really bad ones as well, especially if you just walk into a random restaurant without looking up reviews first. In general, the rule is, if you see a slot machine in restaurant, the food probably isn't very good but then I've had a decent menu of the day at these types of bar cafeterias. So really you'll usually end up eating at home most meals or end up just having a basic sandwich or a local dish like Ropa Vieja which is a nice mixture of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) peppers, and often a mixture of beef, pork, or chicken which is actually really good.My favorite restaurants in Las Palmas are, Maday Tasca which is really good Spanish Asian fusion food (even though I normally hate fusion restaurants), Basal Grill Beach (for the ribs) andIt took me a few weeks to really start appreciating Las Palmas, and Gran Canaria for what it is and all that it has to offer. It's hard not to have high expectations when you first arrive as people often make it sound like paradise which is why I'm trying to downplay it a bit in this blog post and in the videos. I want to manage your expectations before you arrive, because even though it's technically an island with good weather year round, nice beaches, a wide range of topography, good food, wine, decent costs of living, and sounds amazing on paper, the best thing you can do is come with low expectations and allow enough time to let it grow on you as it doesn't have the initial wow factor like other places do. Unlike some other places where I instantly thought, omg this is amazing, Gran Canaria is one of those places that the longer you're here, the most you get to know the locals, find good places to eat, figure out how to navigate the often overly complicated Spanish bureaucracy, take the bus or rent a car to drive around, the more you'll like it.It's not like Thailand, Mexico or Bali where it looks like paradise in photos. But also unlike tropical islands, Gran Canaria has a real city where locals live here year round, businesses run, and you really can have a normal, fully functional life. That being said, if I was European and had to either A. stay relatively close to home but wanted to escape the cold winters, or B. had to stay in this time zone, I would absolutely live and possibly move to Las Palmas full time. But as an American citizen, the visas and the bureaucracy doesn't make it easy for us to spend more than a couple months here at a time. It's far cheaper and easier for us to live in Thailand or places like Playa Del Carmen, Mexico as full time tourists than it is for us to become residents of Spain. So even though I like it here a lot and will miss my long walks on the beach and daily sunset snorkels, and even though I still think Gran Canaria is a great place to live, the longer I stay here, the more I like it, and I can see why so many people move here permanently, I won't be one of them, at least for now.I can definitely see myself coming back in future years as the island really does have a lot to offer. It's a great place especially if you enjoy speaking Spanish and want to learn it fluently as it really is required to live here long term. And if you can imagine yourself staying up late and going for tapas and wine a few nights a week while enjoying the occasional surf, snorkel, or hike on weekends. This island has great potential for digital nomads and is already perfect for Europeans wishing to get out of the cold while staying close by and in their time zone! Any other Republican president but Donald Trump might expect to get at least some credit for the mostly positive direction in which the country is headed. Unfortunately, the Trump-haters prefer to focus on his, shall I say, unusual personality, rather than results. So lets put personality aside and consider what has happened in his first 10 months in office. The liberal Los Angeles Times reported on a focus group conducted by Democratic pollster Peter Hart. Of those polled, Trump supporters and those who voted for Hillary Clinton expressed disappointment about the presidents behavior, but gave him positive marks on the economy. If its the economy stupid, as Bill Clinton strategist James Carville once said, and the economy is roaring, whats the problem? As the president has repeatedly said, the stock market continues to soar to new heights, which must delight retirees in Florida who see their IRA and 401K dividends rising most months. Unemployment figures are the lowest theyve been in 17 years. Even unemployment among blacks is down, as are the numbers of people on food assistance. ISIS has been ousted from its last stronghold in Syria. True, President Obama deserves the credit for beginning the process with heavy bombing of ISIS targets, but it is President Trump who lifted many of the rules of engagement that kept the U.S. military fighting a losing battle. North Korea is back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism where it belongs. The president has pushed tax reform, which hasnt been successfully addressed since 1986, to a point where it is on the verge of Senate approval, assuming a few recalcitrant Republicans can be persuaded to put taxpayers first, instead of the grievances they hold against the president (Im speaking of John McCain, Bob Corker and Jeff Flake). Goldman Sachs strategists are predicting not only a continued American economic recovery, but a concurrent worldwide lifting of many boats. One reason is the cash that has been sitting on the sidelines during the last recession is now making a beeline for stocks and mutual funds, causing the Standard and Poors Index to rise by a spectacular 20 percent so far this year. Thats more than triple its average annual increase over the last 20 years. Despite higher stock prices, Goldman Sachs analysts are recommending their clients buy now. Tech stocks are performing particularly well as companies re-invest profits to expand their firms. When the left gives grudging credit to a president it hates, you know he must be doing something right. Heres what Atlantic magazine said in its August 2 issue: With the Trump administrations chaos sucking up all the attention, its been able to move forward on a range of its priorities, which tend to be more focused on regulatory matters anyway. It is remaking the justice system, rewriting environmental rules, overhauling public-lands administration, and green lighting major infrastructure projects. It is appointing figures who will guarantee the triumph of its ideological vision for decades to come. That may be faint praise, but its praise. President Trump is appointing conservative judges to federal courts and has released a list of names to choose from should another vacancy occur on the Supreme Court. All appear to be conservative constitutionalists. Yes, his form could be better, but the substance is very good. Imagine what he could do if congressional Republicans got behind him as Democrats do with a president of their party and started backing him on legislation they promised to enact during their campaigns. So, even if you are not particularly enamored by the presidents style (and many continue to be), give him some credit, especially if you traveled this Thanksgiving, which is a sure sign that the economy and consumer optimism heading into the busy shopping season are on the increase. For that, all of us even Democrats should be thankful. CARL BALDUCCI, Winston-Salem The Pence rule Id like to say a word about the Mike Pence rule, our vice presidents determination to not dine alone with a woman other than his wife or attend events where alcohol is served without his wife by his side. Liberals have mocked Pence for his conviction, stating that if you need such a rule to keep from committing adultery, youre in more trouble than you know. Theyve also criticized it for serving as a barrier to women in the workplace, who would not receive the same opportunities that men would. These are valid criticisms to some extent. But there are ways to equal the playing field for women in the business world other than being alone with their bosses. No matter ones politics, its possible that temptations will arise. Im not trying to say that all men are lustful creatures looking for opportunities to cheat. But sometimes men and women (even liberals) find themselves in unexpected situations with unexpected feelings that are difficult to ignore. The best solution is to not be in a compromising position to begin with. There is also the appearance of impropriety, which in and of itself can be a hindrance. Life isnt always fair. Rumors sometimes have no basis, but they can still grow. Better to be known for being a prude than to be known for being a cheater. Imagine how much different todays political landscape might be if Bill Clinton had followed the Pence rule. *** RANDELL JONES, Winston-Salem Roy Thompsons writing Thank you for the reprise of Roy Thompsons 1960 column in your Nov. 22 Northwest Almanac, When John F. Kennedy visited the Triad. For many longtime Journal readers, Thompsons wit, insights and colorful writing made his columns a joy to read during his four decades with the paper. For those who want to read more of Roy Thompsons writing, his 1976 book, Before Liberty, is available for reading free, online at www.beforeliberty.com. This book is a compilation of his 52 feature articles published weekly from July 1975 to July 1976 in the Winston-Salem Journal to prepare its readers to celebrate Americas bicentennial. (And Americas 250th anniversary will soon be upon us.) During 2015, Roys widow, Arlene Edwards Thompson, gave away a few hundred left-over hardback copies of Before Liberty to social studies teachers across the state. For them, their students, and for us all, reading and remembering how North Carolina came to be one of Americas 13 original colonies and the first of them to declare its independence is always time well-spent. Thanks, Roy. *** DOROTHY MATHEWS, Rural Hall Cutting taxes The current top marginal income tax rate (the announced tax rate) for corporations is 39.6 percent. The average effective tax rate (the amount they actually pay) is 12.6 percent. The lowest personal income tax rate is 10 percent. For those who make more than $9,325 a year, the rate jumps to 15 percent. Tell me again, why do we need to cut corporate taxes? Former chief of staff Leandra English filed a suit [complaint] on Sunday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia [official website] against the Trump administration over the currently vacant director position at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) [official website], to which US President Donald Trump seeks to name budget director Mick Mulvaney as acting director. Former director Richard Cordray formally resigned on Friday and named English as his temporary replacement [press release]. Trump immediately sought to place Mulvaney as the director until he can confirm a permanent director through the Senate. The suit hinges on which law applies when filling a temporary leadership vacancy at a new regulatory agency. English argues that the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law [text], which created the agency, states that a deputy director temporarily acts as director when the former director departs until Senate confirms a permanent director. The Trump administration asserts [text, PDF] that the 1998 Federal Vacancies Reform Act [text] grants the president the power to temporarily fill agency positions, except when the agency has multi-member boards. According to the administration, this exception does not apply. English seeks a temporary restraining order to block Mulvaneys appointment as well as retain her new position. The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear [order list, PDF] an appeal from African-American attorney Carlos Moore who sought to have the Mississippi state flags Confederate battle emblem declared an unconstitutional relic of slavery. Moore filed suit [complaint, PDF] against Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant [official website] in February, 2016, arguing that the current official state flags confederate emblem encourages or incites private citizens to commit acts of racial violence in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The case was dismissed [opinion, PDF] in September 2016 [JURIST report] by the US District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi [official website], and further rejected on appeal. The Mississippi flag was adopted in 1894. Mississippians voted to keep it in 2001 via referendum, but the Mississippi population has since increasingly scrutinized it. In October 2015 The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) [university website] took the state flag down [WP report] because of the prominent Confederate emblem. The Supreme Court made no comment on its decision to not hear the case. The US Supreme Court stated on Monday that it would not review [order list, PDF] a lawsuit over a drone strike in Yemen that killed five people. Earlier this year, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia [official website] dismissed [decision, PDF] a lawsuit by the families of two Yemeni men allegedly killed by a US drone strike in 2012. The plaintiffs argued that two family members were victims of a signature strike, an attack where the US targets an unidentified person based on a pattern of suspicious behavior as identified through metadata. Further, the plaintiffs argued that the drone operators waited until the two men joined the other three men to strike, in direct violation of international law, partly because the operators had ample opportunity to strike when the men were not nearby. A unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel upheld a lower courts finding that the suit lacked the authority to question the governments decision over the missile strike because a court should not second-guess an Executives decision about the appropriate military response. The court went on to say that it is a congressional, rather judicial, power to check the executive branchs authority of military power. It urged the Executive and Congress to work together to establish a clear policy for drone strikes and precise avenues for accountability. Drone use [JURIST backgrounder] has been a controversial issue both in terms of small domestic drones and larger drones being used abroad by the US military. In October 2014 UN experts urged the international community to have greater accountability [JURIST report] and transparency when it comes to the use of drones. In August of 2014 the UN stated that if the US is to use drones they must comply [JURIST report] with international law. This December 21, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will close its doors. Never have so many crimes provoked so much investigative work. Never has a war been so documented, examined and analysed by judicial authorities since the Second World War. Now it is time to analyse the record of this first international criminal tribunal, its successes and failures. This is indispensable, if only to learn lessons for the future of international justice. What is most striking is the huge gap between judicial truth and the way it resonates in the societies most concerned. With courage, but also with sadness, the ICTY Prosecutor recognizes that those being glorified today are the war criminals and not their victims. This is what has happened again in the last few days with the judgment on Ratko Mladic, sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide but celebrated by some of his people. This is a terrible realization for a form of international justice which took place to the end away from the region concerned. This failure calls for deeper reflection on the challenge represented by an international courts capacity to get its message across in divided societies. What does this failure mean for 5,000 victims who have testified in the different ICTY trials, many of whom have risked their lives to remind people of past horrors? As a journalist who reported on the war, I remember the worn faces of men, women and children driven from their homes as they descended from buses, the bombs that rained daily on Sarajevo and accounts of torture. I remember the need for recognition and dignity of those who were dispossessed, and the promise of justice that was made to them much too lightly. I remember how General Mladic and Radovan Karadzic were received at the UN in Geneva for the peace conference on former Yugoslavia whilst they were at the same time orchestrating and carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing. Is justice in wartime possible? And when the guns are finally silent, does it resonate when societies remain deeply divided, every community scarred by past violence and obsessed with asserting its own identity because fearful of the future? International justice claims to work in the name of humanity, an ambition which deserves the highest praise. But universality remains an abstraction. What does the failure to stigmatize war criminals in former Yugoslavia mean for the populations of the Central African Republic (CAR), Syria, Yemen and elsewhere? What can they hope for today? In my life as a journalist and then supporting the mediation processes at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, I have for the last 25 years been hearing in former Yugoslavia, the Central African Republic, Afghanistan, Colombia and elsewhere the unquenchable thirst for justice of victims, their families and the majority of their societies. It is clear it takes time, often a long time, for a terribly imperfect justice to be rendered, and sometimes an even longer time before the record of these crimes is recognized, when the time for reconciliation comes. The words that touched me most on the act of testifying today in former Yugoslavia were those of Sanja Coric, because she expressed with uncommon force both the limits of justice and its necessity. She, like other women, was raped in 1993 in the Vojno camp, not far from Mostar. Despite constant threats and intimidation, insults from nationalists and fear in her heart, she testified openly. Sometimes I regret having testified, she said. Fear is always with the victims, not with the war criminals. I realized that a witness is like a dusting cloth. You use it to remove the dust and then, when it is no longer needed, you throw it away. But I tell myself that we were also right to testify. We overcame our fear and we have succeeded in erecting one of the greatest monuments. Our monument is not made of stone or of concrete. It is the judgment. This is the record that will remain for future generations. Jadranko Prlic, who hears an appeals verdict over his war crimes conviction this week, is an academic who became leader of a self-proclaimed statelet for Croats during Bosnia's bitter 1990s conflict. The one-time prime minister of the "Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna", Prlic was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2013 by UN judges at The Hague on charges of aiding and abetting the murder, deportation and harsh detention of Muslims. On Wednesday, the 58-year-old and five other wartime Bosnian Croat leaders will hear the verdict on their appeal case -- the last judgement to be handed down by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The bald and bespectacled Prlic, who vehemently denied the charges, told the court in March that his trial represented "a dark side of international justice". Along with Croatian nationalist leader Franjo Tudjman, Prlic took part in a "joint criminal enterprise" to drive out Muslims from parts of Bosnia with the aim of allying the statelet with Croatia, the court said in its original ruling. Bosnian Croats and Muslims, allies against Serbs during most of the war in ethnically diverse Bosnia, turned against each other in 1993, when the Croats' "republic" was declared. The statelet, backed by Tudjman's regime, was formally dismantled in 1996 as part of the peace deal that ended the 1992-1995 war, which left 100,000 people dead. Sead Avdic, a Bosnian Muslim politician, in 2002 described Prlic as "lucid, thoughtful, hypocritical". - 'Not a great extremist' - The "president" of Herceg-Bosna, Mate Boban, died in 1997 and Tudjman in 1999, leaving Prlic the highest-ranking official to face judgement for the crimes. "Who was in the most dangerous position during the war? Me. Because I am not a great extremist," Prlic told AFP in 1996. Prlic was born in the eastern Croatian town of Djakovo in 1959 and joined the League of Communists, Yugoslavia's ruling party, in the 1970s. He obtained a doctorate in Sarajevo in 1987 -- one of the youngest people in the federation to do so. The lecturer served as mayor of Mostar, the southern Bosnian city whose bridge would later be destroyed, becoming a symbol of the war. Although he became a visiting professor at universities in the United States, Britain, Italy, he turned down a full-time job in Washington as a young and promising economist. Prlic later explained that the "quality of life" in Mostar was "better than it could be anywhere in the US". He also served as deputy prime minister in Bosnia's last communist government. After the clashes between Muslims and Croats ended, Prlic held various high-level posts in the newly-formed Croat-Muslim entity in Bosnia. - 'Insecure' Croats - After the war, Prlic went on to become Bosnia's foreign minister from 1996 to 2001 and tried to present himself as a moderate, founding an unsuccessful pro-European party. The ICTY charged him and his co-defendants in 2004. They surrendered and their trial opened two years later. Prlic, who according to the charges had the authority to close Herceg-Bosna's prisons and concentration camps, argued that the statelet's only aim was to ensure Croats' rights in a "new Bosnia". "Steps undertaken by the Muslim side resulted in the insecurity of Croats in Bosnia," he told the tribunal. Prlic published several books on economics and politics and in prison wrote a 2,000-page tome on Herceg-Bosna. "I think I had a rich life... I would probably do some things differently, but in principle I believe I was always where I had to be," he said in 2002. Six leaders of a self-proclaimed statelet for Bosnian Croats, declared during the Balkan country's bloody 1990s conflict, hear a verdict Wednesday from UN judges on their appeal against war crimes convictions. Here are details about their breakaway "republic", which they eventually hoped to merge with neighbouring Croatia: - War breaks out - When war broke out in Bosnia in 1992 as Yugoslavia fell apart, the country's Catholic Croats fought alongside Bosniak Muslims against Orthodox Serbs in the ethnically diverse country. But the nationalist leaders of ethnic Croats, who made up about 17 percent of Bosnia's population of 4.4 million, gradually became more open about their desire to be part of a "Greater Croatia". The project, backed by the nationalist Croatian president Franjo Tudjman, strained ties with Bosnian Muslims. In May 1992, Bosnian Serb nationalist leader Radovan Karadzic and his Croat counterpart Mate Boban reached a deal that looked much like a partition of Bosnia at the expense of its Muslim people. Sporadic clashes between Croats and Muslims eventually grew into bitter fighting between the former allies in 1993. In August of that year, Boban proclaimed the "Croatian Republic of Herceg-Bosna". The "republic" had a parliament, a government and a 50,000-strong army as well as independent financial structures. It also adopted the currency of neighbouring Croatia. - Mostar bridge destroyed - Croat separatists chose the southern city of Mostar, once a symbol of a multi-ethnic Bosnia, as their "capital". Their forces controlled the west of the city and Bosnian Muslim forces controlled the east, nearly 80 percent of which was destroyed in the fighting. The destruction of Mostar's Ottoman-era bridge by Croats in November 1993 became a symbol of the savagery of the war. The Old Bridge, a World Heritage site, has been rebuilt since the war thanks to international financial assistance, including from Croatia. In March 1994 a ceasefire agreement was reached in Washington between Croat and Muslim leaders, who founded the Muslim-Croat Federation. This semi-independent entity still exists in Bosnia today, alongside the Serb-run Republika Srpska. - War crimes charges - Six leaders of the Bosnian Croat statelet -- which was formally dissolved in 1996 under international pressure -- were convicted in 2013 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). They were found guilty of taking part in a scheme to remove Bosnian Muslims "permanently and create a Croatian territory" during the war, in which 100,000 people died. Their sentences ranged from 10 to 25 years in jail. The most senior among the group is Jadranko Prlic, 58, who served as prime minister of Hercog-Bosna. Boban died in 1997. - Statelet's legacy - Dreams of more autonomy are still a live among Bosnian Croats. In March 2001 they proclaimed a "temporary Croat autonomy", but the bid failed and the international community immediately sacked Bosnian Croat leader Ante Jelavic as a member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency. After Catalonia recently proclaimed independence, graffiti appeared in Mostar, which remains deeply divided along ethnic lines, announcing that "Herceg-Bosna" will be the next to make the move. Today Bosnian Croats seek to get their own federal unit, arguing that the country's Serbs have their own entity while Muslims dominate the federation. The current Croat member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Dragan Covic, said recently that if Herceg-Bosna had not existed "it is hard to think that there would be Croat people" remaining in Bosnia. A rights organisation has called on the International Criminal Court to investigate allegations of war crimes in Yemen by the United Arab Emirates, the group's lawyer told AFP on Monday. The Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK accuses the UAE government, part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting Huthi rebels in Yemen, of "indiscriminate attacks against civilians", lawyer Joseph Breham said. The London-based AOHR further charges that the UAE has used banned cluster bombs and hired mercenaries to carry out torture and executions. ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will have to decide whether or not to open a preliminary probe. Yemen and the UAE are not signatories to the Rome Statute which underpins the court in The Hague, so Bensouda would only have jurisdiction if nationals from another country were involved. "Our complaint targets acts perpetrated on Yemeni territory by the United Arab Emirates which does not recognise the ICC," said Paris-based Breham. But he added: "The perpetrators of these crimes are mercenaries employed by the Emirates and coming from Colombia, Panama, El Salvador, South Africa or Australia -- countries that recognise the ICC." It would therefore be possible for the court to launch an investigation, Breham said, accusing Emirati forces of "air strikes targeting civilian homes, hospitals and schools". Since the court opened in 2002, the prosecutor's office has received about 10,000 requests from individuals, groups or countries to investigate alleged crimes. This year alone, activists from Mexico, Venezuela, the Philippines and the Palestinian territories have all sought to secure or broaden ICC probes. There are currently 10 preliminary ICC examinations and 11 full investigations under way. Most existing probes have so far focused on African nations. - Torture claims - The AOHR accuses Emirati forces of using mercenaries to torture prisoners in Yemeni government-held jails and carrying out executions. In June, Human Rights Watch accused the UAE of running at least two "informal detention facilities" in Yemen and said it had reportedly transferred detainees to a base in Eritrea. The UAE rejected the allegations as "totally unfounded", saying its forces "respect international conventions on armed conflicts". The UAE has been supporting Riyadh-backed Yemeni government forces since March 2015 in their conflict against the rebels, who are backed by Saudi Arabia's regional arch-rival Iran. The UN's Human Rights Council agreed in September to send war crimes investigators to Yemen, overcoming resistance from Saudi Arabia, which fought to head off an independent international probe. The UAE has played a key role in the Saudi-led campaign, which was launched in March 2015 to roll back gains by Huthi rebels, who had taken the capital Sanaa and other northern and central areas of one of the Arab world's poorest nations. UN officials say Yemen could face the world's largest famine in decades unless the Saudi-led coalition's crippling blockade on ports and airports is lifted. UN children's fund UNICEF warned Sunday that more than 11 million Yemeni children are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. The devastating war has since killed some 8,600 people, while a further 2,000 have died of cholera. burs-sde-kjl/pg Seoul is ready for direct negotiations with Pyongyang if North Korea continues to refrain from nuclear missile tests, said South Korean President's special envoy Yong-gil Son, RIA Novosti reports. November 27, 2017, 15:30 South Korea names conditions for direct negotiations with North Korea STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 27, ARTSAKHPRESS:Since September 15, North Korea has stopped nuclear missile tests. But, we do not know why they stopped their provocations: due to technical problems or under the pressure of the US, China and Russia. In any case, this is a good sign, and if this tendency continues, then we are ready for direct negotiations with North Korea, said Young-gil Son during the conference of the Valdai club in Seoul. Yong-gil Son added that it seems to him that the main reason why the launches were suspended is technical problems, highlighting that this is his personal opinion. SYRACUSE At a roundtable discussion Monday, a group of central New York business leaders explained to U.S. Rep. John Katko how tax reform would benefit them and their employees. The meeting, held at Progressive Expert Consulting in Syracuse, featured 20 business leaders from the Syracuse area. Two panelists were from Cayuga County: Joanne Cross, owner of Cross Filtration in Moravia, and Drew Wilcox, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel in Auburn. Cross believes tax reform will help her company, which produces wet filtration press cloths for manufacturers, mining operations and water treatment systems. She said the tax plan would allow Cross Filtration to continue to pay for employees' health insurance coverage and increase wages for her employees. "This is a good way to put more money in their pockets and keep our workforce happy," she said. While Nucor Steel is a larger company than Cross Filtration, Wilcox sees similar benefits for his business and workforce. Nucor, he said, has invested more than $7 billion since 2009 despite economic challenges for the steel industry. If tax reform is adopted, he said it would allow Nucor to continue investing in its plants, including the mill in Auburn. What separates Nucor from some companies represented at Katko's roundtable is it is a major player in the global market. Wilcox noted one way the tax plan would help is by lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent. "All we ask for is a level playing field," he said. "To have a similar tax rate as a lot of these other companies that we are competing with it just gives us a chance to keep our people working and busy and making a good wage." Steve Wells, co-founder of American Food & Vending Corp., a company based in Liverpool, said tax reform would benefit his employees because the food service industry tends to pay low wages. With the possibility that many in the working class will receive a tax cut, Wells said it would be "great" for his business and staff. "In every way, this tax plan advances the economy as a whole and in particular, upstate New York," he said. The comments at the roundtable echo statements Katko, R-Camillus, has heard at similar events. He cited business support for the proposal when he decided to support the House GOP tax reform plan earlier this month. The House passed its tax reform measure and now it awaits action by the Senate on its own plan. It's unclear when the Senate will vote on its bill, which is still working its way through the committee process. If the Senate passes its bill, a conference committee will be formed to reach an agreement on a final tax reform plan. There's a possibility that the final bill could be different than the proposal Katko supported. But based on the House plan, he said a vast majority of his constituents will pay a lower tax bill. He also believes that it would benefit businesses in his district, including the companies represented at the roundtable. "It's going to unlock manufacturers' and businesses' potential to not only stay here but to flourish and maybe bring jobs back," he said. Nostalgia is a welcome remedy for many of us thinking back to a gentler family-centered holiday. While most of us never really had the Norman Rockwell Freedom from Want Thanksgiving, it seemed like a worthwhile goal or obtainable fantasy. Some of my favorite memories center on Pilgrim Thanksgivings, the most memorable when the Greenhouse children joined all the Pilgrim family. My Kukum (Cree for grandmother) was an occasional babysitter for them and this holiday we were all blessed. Their mom had absolved us from the kosher kitchen rules and we just welcomed two new kids! The kitchen in Port Byron had been busy for days with pie-making, crumbling bread for stuffing, grinding up the cranberries and oranges, making place cards for each assembled relative and removing everyday clutter. The kids' table that year was two card tables to make room for all of us! My great-grandmothers maple table had all the leaves for the big folks. We had every possible chair, bench and piano stool for seats. The tiniest were allowed at the big table; as I remember my sister Laraine and cousin David DeCirce and the rest of us gloried in our special place Faith, me, Peggy, Joe, Suanne, Debbie, Andrea, and Nan and Ron Greenhouse. Yes, many of us put the black olives on our fingertips before eating them, sucked the pimentos out of the green olives, took "no thank you" helpings of squash and loaded our plates with gravy and stuffing, and although we werent allowed to dish out our own whipped cream, we spread it lavishly over our pumpkin pie. We always used my Grandpa Pilgrims grace and held hands around the table: For what we are about to receive, may we be truly thankful. Amen. In later years, I learned Lincoln customs. Mom (Marian) Lincoln often included a tamale dish in honor of the time the Gutchess family spent in California and of course her cottage cheese/Jell-O/fruit concoction. Wonderful, heartwarming memories. Taking down the tree: After 32 years, Conquest Christmas tree farm closes For the past three decades, Bill and Sharon Forbes have tended thousands of trees in the sma A recent tradition of Christmas trees in Conquest, the Emerson Tree and Wreath Farm, has closed. Hundreds of folks will have to find a new source for their family tree. What marvelous memories from family and customers! The first Christmas tree "industry" in Conquest was run by Walt and Elaine Rubenau and their family. Elaine had purchased a "Grow Your Own Christmas Tree" book and convinced Walt to try it! Walt and Elaine moved to Conquest in 1957. The first planting was in 1958, first sales in 1966 and last sales were around 1980. Thousands of trees later, she muses on the experience: We had no idea what we were getting into it was a lot of work all year round. Shaping and trimming the branches in the summertime employed many local teens. We didnt have to worry too much about marketing once people saw the quality of our trees they just kept coming back. We kept prices low and made it a real family activity. One of my favorite Rubenau stories was from our Port Byron pharmacist, Bob Blake. The Port Byron Boy Scouts always sold Christmas trees at the Town Triangle and of course Bob supported them but he gave that tree away and he and his family came out to Conquest to cut their own! We will have an opportunity to re-live many Rubenau Christmas memories at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, at the CIViC Heritage Building on Route 34 just south of Cato village. Elaine and her son Bryan have assembled photos and memorabilia (including the infamous "Grow Your Own Christmas Tree" book) and will share them. The history center will still be decorated with our Festival of Trees. We hope to see many of you! Reminder: There is a Community Cupboard at Countryside Church on Duck Lake Road in Springlake. This small structure stands just under the portico. It is a borrowing and lending opportunity for all. When you live seven or so miles from a grocery store or have limited gas or limited dollars you may run out of stuff. We hope to be that "port in a storm" and also invite folks who have bit extra to leave it for the next person a kind of "pay it forward" in goods. Canned goods will be available until zero weather but cleaning products and other non-perishable food will be all year long. Other holiday opportunities abound. The Port Byron Ecumenical Ministries Christmas Cantata And It Came to Pass, Emmanuel, will be presented at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at Countryside Church, 10511 Duck Lake Road in Springlake. A soup luncheon will be served beginning at noon. The cantata will also be presented at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Port Byron Federated Church, Tex Pultz Parkway in Port Byron, followed by fellowship and refreshments. Glorious music to celebrate a glorious event! Port Byron "elves" will be ringing bells and collecting Dec. 15-16. This ecumenical ministry has helped in dozens of local emergencies, please be as generous as you can. KEARNEY For the second time in two weeks, a staff member at Kearneys Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center has been assaulted by a teen. At about 8 a.m. Tuesday, a female staffer allegedly was assaulted by a teen in a living unit. The woman was transported to a medical facility where she was treated, released and returned to YRTC, said Mark LaBouchardiere, administrator of the Office of Juvenile Services, which oversees Kearneys YRTC and the YRTC for girls in Geneva The teen was returned to YRTC and placed in the Dickson security unit. The woman is a youth program specialist in charge of direct care of the teens. LaBouchardiere declined to name which living unit the assault took place in or the extent of the womans injuries. The teen is at least the second to be sent to the security unit this month because of an alleged assault on staff. On Nov. 5, a teen allegedly hit a male staffer with a sock filled with dominoes. The injured staffer and the teen were transported to a Kearney hospital. The teen, a state ward, was returned to YRTC and placed in Dickson. The staffer, LaBouchardiere said, is a youth program specialist II who provides direct care and supervision to the youths, and has returned to work. To reduce staff assaults, LaBouchardiere said, YRTC officials have changed employee hours and tripled the staff presence in the living units. State Patrol reports on both incidents will be forwarded to the Buffalo County Attorneys Office for possible prosecution. Late this morning, no formal charges had been filed against either teen. @HubChic The Ricketts administration is keeping the faith with Nebraska voters who in 2016 strongly supported reviving the death penalty. The Department of Correctional Services announced recently that it plans to use a new combination of four drugs to carry out the next execution. The previous, three-drug protocol was replaced because the state could not legally obtain the drugs. Jose Sandoval, considered the ring leader of the 2002 Norfolk bank robbery murders, would be the first person executed using these drugs: diazepam, fentanyl citrate, cisatracurium besylate and potassium chloride. The states next step is for Attorney General Doug Peterson to request a death warrant. Its been a while. Nebraska last carried out the death penalty in 1997, when it executed murderer and rapist Robert E. Williams. Some members of the Legislature highlighted the delays in carrying out the death penalty as a key reason for repealing it in 2015. They had watched the state struggle to obtain the necessary drugs for lethal injection, and the courts had already outlawed using Nebraskas previous method, the electric chair. A referendum revived capital punishment. Now voters frustrated with the pace of the states latest implementation of the death penalty will need to practice patience. This new drug protocol, like others before it, will face legal challenges. The appeals process exists to reduce the likelihood of an innocent person being executed. Death penalty opponents say they plan to question the unproven protocol, although that might be an uphill legal battle. Opponents also continue to appeal the legality of involving a three-judge panel in Nebraskas sentencing process for capital cases. The incremental nature of the process was to be expected. The wheels of justice typically turn slowly in capital cases. But they are turning again, as sought by 61 percent of the Nebraskans who voted to restore the death penalty. Omaha World-Herald We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Fang Liu, secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization, speaks in Montreal, Monday, Nov.27, 2017. Liu says the global industry has to do a better job attracting enough workers to meet the sector's growing employment needs. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-ICAO MANDATORY CREDIT First lady Melania Trump visits with children in the Red Room working on holiday treats among the 2017 holiday decorations with the theme "Time-Honored Traditions" at the White House in Washington, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. The First Lady honored 200 years of holiday traditions at the White House. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Education Images/UIG via Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Hawaii is reinstating a statewide nuclear attack warning signal in December to prepare for a potential attack from North Korea. The alarm, which has not been used since the Cold War will be reinstated on Dec. 1 as part of a ballistic missile preparedness program, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA). Residents are instructed to immediately Get inside, stay inside, and stay tuned when they hear the siren. Alerts will be sent to resident's phones and broadcast on television and radio. "When [HI-EMA] started this campaign there were concerns we would scare the public. What we are putting out is information based on the best science that we have on what would happen if that weapon hit Honolulu or the assumed targets," said HI-EMA Administrator Vern Miyagi during an emergency preparedness presentation. Since the launch to impact warning time for Hawaii is only fifteen minutes or less, residents are advised to have a designated place to go for shelter. "There will be no time to call our loved ones, pick up our kids, and find a designated shelter. We should all prepare and exercise a plan ahead of time so we can take some comfort in knowing what our loved ones are doing," said Miyagi in an interview for the Honolulu Star Advertiser. Although the US has conducted successful missile interception tests, there is no guarantee that the Navy will successfully detect and intercept a target, HI-EMA warns. Kim Jong Un has not directly threatened Hawaii, but missile test launches over Japan and increased tension between North Korea and the United States prompted officials to address the issue of preparedness. An HI-EMA FAQ sheet explains that based on the estimated size of North Korean missile technology, there could be anywhere from 50,000 to 120,000 burn casualties and nearly 18,000 fatalities if an attack were to occur. After the blast, residents would have to stay sheltered in place until the HI-EMA has fully assessed the radiation and fallout, which could take a few hours or as long as fourteen days, the agency says on its website. State officials have been holding town halls to address questions from residents. Hawaii currently has an alert warning signal for natural threats, like hurricanes and tsunamis. Both this signal and the nuclear threat alert will be tested on the first business day of each month. Copyright 2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Nov. 27, 1997 AUBURN Only in their early 20s, Tim and Migdalia Lavenbein have already found their place in life. With a shared belief in God, the couple is looking forward to serving the needy through their posts as lieutenants for the local corps of the Salvation Army. "To be this type of minister. It really has to be a calling. You can't see it as an occupation or a career," said 24-year-old Migdalia. "It really has to be a calling from God. It's a covenant you make between yourself and God." After two years at the Salvation Army's training college in Suffern, New York, the couple started working in Auburn this July. Migdalia is from Lowell, Massachusetts, and Tim is from New Haven, Connecticut. One of their main missions is preaching the gospel. Each is an ordained minister. The army's weekly church services give the two ordained ministers a chance to flex their spiritual muscles. British Columbia is creating a police squad to pursue gun trafficking after a task force report found more than half of the illegal firearms seized in the province over three years originated from inside Canada. Mike Farnworth, British Columbia's Minister of Public Safety, speaks to media with federal and provincial ministers after their meeting to discuss wildfire response in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday September 5, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ben Nelms Cuddy Financial Services is celebrating their 25th Anniversary serving Auburn and the surrounding area, so his staff, along with myself, thought it was a good time to surprise Dan Cuddy and honor him as the local Legend of Auburn that he is! The following is a little bio about Dan, followed by some personal thoughts from his dedicated team of employees: Dan Cuddy has been serving clients and our community for over 30 years. His knowledge, compassion and dedication have allowed him to grow Cuddy Financial Services into one of the areas premier financial services firms. Serving others was something that was instilled in Dan at an early age. His father was a career United States Marine who served his country for over 20 years, including three tours in Vietnam. Dans mother grew up the daughter of restaurateurs. After raising five children, she purchased a bakery, carrying on the family tradition of service. Her devotion and dedication to providing quality baked goods showed her passion for bringing joy to others. As a teenager, Dan learned the importance of providing personalized service to enhance the customers experience while working in the family restaurant. In addition to learning the significance of providing quality service, Dan was able to save enough money to pay for his own college education. After graduating from Cayuga Community College and SUNY Albany, Dan began his career in a regional accounting firm in Syracuse. He obtained his certified public accounting license in 1987 and returned to his hometown of Auburn in 1988. In 1992 Dans passion for serving others led him to establish his own accounting practice. The following year Dan became a Certified Financial Planner progression, which allowed him to further help his clients pursue their financial goals. Also in 1993, Dan became a registered representative of HD Vest Investment Services, and later an advisory representative of HDVest Advisory Services. He partnered with HD Vest because of their commitment to helping tax professionals implement wealth management services into their practice. HD Vest is a leading independent broker-dealer with over 30 years of helping advisors and clients pursue a comprehensive approach to financial well-being. In order to stay current with ever-changing tax and financial environment, Dan regularly attends conferences throughout the country. Doing so allows Dan to continue to offer his clients the most comprehensive and most up to date strategies to minimize risk, costs and taxes while maximizing returns and value. In addition to serving his clients, Dan serves the Cayuga County community through his service to, and support of, many local not-for-profit organizations, continuing his familys long tradition of giving back and helping others. Some of the awards Dan and his firm have won: Recognized by HD Vest Financial Services as a Premier Advisor and as a Pacesetter. The Premier Advisor program recognizes HD Vests top 75 performing advisors from across the country. Pacesetters is a program designed to recognize HD Vest advisors at various stages of their investment planning practices for their commitment to providing clients with investment-planning tools and strategies that will help them work toward a brighter financial future. Voted 2005 Small Business Person of the Year by the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce. Voted one of Auburns Best Accountants in the The Citizens Annual Best of the Region contest for over 15 consecutive years. The following are some special thoughts about Dan from his dedicated team, and summarized here for us by Kim Emperato: Mark Carr, who has been with Dan on and off part time since the beginning, says he finally committed to making CFS his full time career five years ago, because he wanted to transition back to public accounting for the long haul and knew Dan was the person to do it with. He recounted the number of times that he's been summoned to Dan's office for a closed door meeting, and the meeting ends up consisting of the viewing of funny YouTube videos while Dan thinks the rest of the office cannot hear their hysterical laughter. Rose McIntosh and I have both been with Dan for 16-plus years. We like to tease Dan about his commitment and insistence on having a system for everything, including taking out the trash, yet being the first one not to follow it. Our favorite memories are when Dans father, Ray, was working with us as our OIC of SLJ. Neither one of them could get through a joke without cracking their own self up halfway through it. It was always so obvious to us where Dan got his boisterous laugh and great sense of humor, as well as his generosity and desire to serve others. Susan Michaels has been working for Cuddy Financial since 2006. She says that she enjoys working with Dan so much that she has retired twice and returned within months. Two of our younger staff members, Andrew Sanders and Emily Alexander, had the pleasure of traveling to/from a conference with Dan recently. Dan decided he needed to play them some of his favorite songs, including "Radar Love," "Rollin Down the Highway" and "Some Kind of Wonderful." They hadn't ever heard of any of these songs, but really enjoyed hearing Dan perform his own renditions of them all! Our operations manager, Michelle Ericson, joined us recently, and says that her only complaint here is that Dans laugh is so infectious that you just cant help but join in. The general consensus among all of our staff members is that Dan maintains a great sense of humor, even in the most stressful of situations. Dan really keeps us on our toes with his desire to stay on top of all of the latest technology and products, so much so that a common moniker on our team is the Cuddy edge. While Dan can be very demanding he is also understanding of our mistakes, frequently reminding us that I made a mistake once, when I thought I made a mistake. One of our long time clients (who wishes to remain anonymous) told me that when it comes to financial expertise, I look no further than Dan Cuddy. He and his staff offer superior service with integrity that is beyond reproach. I cant properly put into words all that they mean to me. I have had the pleasure of being one of Dans first customers way back 25 years ago when he was located on South Street, and you cant buy a better man than Dan Cuddys Financial Services. Years later in 2002 when we held the first and only Y-Field Reunion since it was built in 1898, we had 300 former Y-Fielders show-up. When it was over, we had raised $12,000, which was distributed to six Auburn charities, each getting $2,000. Dan played a huge role in our success at that event, thanks to a great deal of Dans planning along with our committee. Dan was presented with a cartoon drawing by Auburns Marty Stanton that he cherishes as a reminder of that success. Thanks, Dan! An elephant is used to demolish a house during an eviction drive inside Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Gauhati, Assam, India, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017. Indian police on Monday took the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in the protected forest area in the country's remote northeast. Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016 file photo, Chechnya's regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov smiles while visiting the Chechen State University in Chechnya's provincial capital Grozny, Russia. Kadyrov said in a rare interview aired Monday Nov. 27, 2017, that it is his "dream" to step down because he finds the responsibility of leading the Russian region to be too heavy. (AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev, file) A corrections officer at a central New York prison has been arrested for allegedly attempting to bring drugs into the facility. Ryan M. Santos, 27, of Rome, was arrested Saturday and charged with first-degree attempted promoting prison contraband, a class E felony. The charges against Santos, a corrections officer at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Oneida County, stem from an investigation conducted by the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's Office of Special Investigations. Santos was arraigned at Oneida County Central Arraignment and released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear Nov. 28 in Marcy town court. The investigation is ongoing and further charges are pending, according to state police. After nearly a year of threats, the Trump administration made its most aggressive move to date against a familiar target of its ire: California and its immigration policies. Late Tuesday evening the department filed a federal lawsuit against the state and its top officials to stop a cluster of so-called "sanctuary state" bills -- a move that puts the administration on offense but is nonetheless likely to generate heated litigation over the boundaries of immigration authority. The lawsuit is the latest broadside from the Trump administration against so-called "sanctuary cities" -- a broad term referring to localities that abide by some measure of non-cooperation with federal law enforcement -- and amid an already heightened level of tension with California. Trump administration officials have repeatedly attacked sanctuary jurisdictions and local officials as harboring dangerous criminals. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is expected to announce the case on Wednesday in California's capital, Sacramento, during an event with a state law enforcement association. "The Department of Justice and the Trump administration are going to fight these unjust, unfair, and unconstitutional policies that have been imposed on you," Sessions will tell law enforcement officers at the California Peace Officers Association gathering on Wednesday, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. "We are fighting to make your jobs safer and to help you reduce crime in America. And I believe that we are going to win." California Governor Edmund G. Brown and Attorney General Xavier Becerra, both named defendants in the lawsuit, sharply condemned it as a meritless. "At a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Jeff Sessions has come to California to further divide and polarize America," Brown said in a statement. "Jeff, these political stunts may be the norm in Washington, but they don't work here. SAD!!!" "No matter what happens in Washington, #California will stay the course and enforce all our laws and protect all our people," Becerra tweeted. The California laws at issue limit state and local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities in a variety of ways. One prohibits private employers from voluntarily cooperating with federal immigration law enforcement and requires that employers give workers a heads up about potential worksite inspections, a second restricts local law enforcement from sharing information about the release of criminal immigrants to federal agents and prohibits their transfer to federal custody, and a third allows the state to inspect federal and Department of Homeland Security documents, which DOJ considers off limits to local authorities. "The provisions of state law at issue have the purpose and effect of making it more difficult for federal immigration officers to carry out their responsibilities in California," Justice Department lawyers argue in the suit, further calling the laws an "obstacle to the United States' enforcement of the immigration laws and discriminating against federal immigration enforcement." California passed the laws last year in what officials hailed as a rebuke of President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement agenda. Test for states The suit will test how much leeway states have to shield immigrants from detection. The Justice Department says that the federal power to determine immigration policy is well settled and California's laws conflict with those federal prerogatives in novel ways. But the legal thrust of the case also puts the Trump administration in the delicate position of relying on a 2012 Supreme Court decision that effectively blocked some of Arizona's sweeping attempts aimed at lessening the number of undocumented immigrants on the grounds that the state could not pursue policies that undermined federal law -- known as "preemption." The justices delivered a split decision, however, and declined to block the most hotly debated provision, requiring state police officers to demand the papers of anyone suspected of being in the country illegally. In addition to the ongoing litigation over sanctuary cities, the mayor of Oakland, California, recently drew sharp rebuke from federal officials when she announced in advance that Immigration and Customs Enforcement were preparing to hold enforcement operations in her city, which officials said allowed some priority targets to evade capture. "We will continue to exercise our legal right to exist as a sanctuary city," Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement on Tuesday's lawsuit. "We will continue to inform all residents about their Constitutional rights, and we will continue to support California's sanctuary status." States and cities say their policies are protecting the best interest of their citizens. States say they should not have to spend their limited resources on a federal responsibility and a perception the local law enforcement works with immigration officials hurts community relations. The Justice Department has struggled in federal courts to pressure localities on sanctuary policies. Federal courts have blocked the Trump administration from taking away funds on grounds that jurisdictions don't cooperate on immigration enforcement, aside from a small piece of federal law that requires local authorities to share information on an individual's citizenship and nationality "status." Kilkenny is to get 290,565 for local improvement works on smaller, rural roads, according to Fine Gael junior minister John Paul Phelan. The announcement is part of a nationwide scheme announced by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, which sees a further 7.4 million in funding for local authorities under the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) to support the improvement of non-public rural roads. The LIS is about improving small roads and laneways in rural Ireland which are not maintained by the local authorities. "I cannot overstate how important these roads are to people in rural areas. They enable them to access their homes and farms but many have fallen into disrepair," said the Carlow-Kilkenny TD. This investment brings to 17.4 million, the amount invested by the Government in non-public rural lanes, boreens and access roads this year. Im delighted that Kilkenny is to get 290,565 for works and Carlow will receive 190,460. These roads provide vital access to homes and farms as well as amenities such as lakes and rivers. The Department of Rural and Community Development will provide up to 90% of the funding through the Local Authorities, with the remaining contribution coming from local residents, or local authorities in the case of roads leading to public amenities." Three students from Kilkenny will this week take part in the annual 24-hour charity broadcast at Dublin City University. Third-year media student Brian Rudkins, second-year communications student Jack Ormond, and third year multimedia student Cian Ferguson will be taking part in DCUs Media Production Societys annual event. The award-winning broadcast takes place every December in DCU, with this being its eighth consecutive year. Students commit to staying on campus in the School of Communications building for 24 hours, producing a live-streamed broadcast all in aid of charity. For Christmas 2017, the Media Production Society has decided to hold the event in aid of SOSAD, an Irish suicide prevention and bereavement support charity. The charity was suggested by committee member Carmel Kenny, who like many others, has been directly affected by suicide. I lost my Dad to suicide when I was two years old and Ive grown up without him in my life, she says. Ive seen first hand how it affects everyone left behind. Last year the broadcast was in aid of the Peter McVerry Trust. Although the target was 5,000, the society succeeded in raising over 15,300 through fundraising and donations on the night. This year, the target is 7,000. Brian, Jack and Cian will be contributing to the broadcast in many ways. There is something for everyone to get involved in, be it filming, producing, presenting, editing, creating behind the scenes content and promoting the broadcast on social media or a little bit of everything. The broadcast is supported by a huge variety of sponsors, including Bank of Ireland who sponsor the event each year. DCUtv and Bank of Ireland 24 Hour Broadcast in aid of SOSAD runs from 9pm on Friday to Saturday, December 1 - 2. To donate and to watch Brian, Jack and Cian go o to www.dcumps.com. You can get involved with the broadcast on social media using the hashtag #DCUtv24. Enterprise Ireland has launched a new fast-track Agile Innovation Fund, to give companies rapid access to innovation funding. Offering fast-track approval and a streamlined online application process, Enterprise Ireland's new Agile Innovation Fund will allow companies to access up to 50% in support for product, process or service development projects with a total cost of up to 300,000. A previous recipient of Enterprise Ireland R&D funding, Kilkennys Cartoon Saloon has formed a joint venture, Lighthouse Studios, with Canadas Mercury Filmworks to do third-party service work which may involve animations for big hitters such as Amazon and Disney. In about 12 months, Lighthouse could be as big as Cartoon Saloon, says Gerry Shirren, Managing Director, Cartoon Saloon. That means Kilkenny could have two animation studios with perhaps 100 employees each, making the city a magnet for talent. An animated fairy tale provided an unexpected twist in the story of Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon. The companys 2009 film, The Secret of Kells, in which the unfinished Book of Kells is imperilled by Viking invaders and entrusted to the hands of a young hero, was nominated for an Academy Award a remarkable achievement for the studios first production. Cartoon Saloon has always innovated, creatively and technically. We moved really quickly to digital delivery about five years ago when broadcasters were still looking for physical delivery. Now digital is the norm, explains Shirren. Early on, the company received Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) grant assistance from Enterprise Ireland to evaluate and implement a digital management pipeline. This proved essential for efficient production. We were looking at customizable software which needed to be heavily modified for our own processes, says Shirren. The funding brought us into the realm of digital management systems which we hadnt used before. It was another step on the path to a more professional, streamlined production process. When funds are in short supply, that sort of support makes a difference. I dont think we would have got through the implementation of the visual system without it, adds Shirren. More recently, the studio received a grant from Enterprise Ireland to embark on a small feasibility study, a sort of voyage into the unknown. We wanted to find out whether we could port over to a virtual reality environment, explains Shirren. A showcase piece was created, based on a virtual reality world inspired by Song of the Sea, and is now available for VR and the Gear VR mobile platform, both free to download from the Oculus Store. It was a speculative project and we couldnt have done it without support, Shirren continues. We learnt an awful lot from the process. Anyone who has an Oculus Rift headset can now experience the studios creation. The Agile Innovation Fund has been introduced by Enterprise Ireland for companies to respond more quickly to market opportunities and challenges, including those posed by Brexit. Responding to the export challenges and opportunities presented to companies, the new fund is designed to help companies develop new products, processes and services for new market opportunities, enabling exporters to respond quickly and maximise export performance. Investment in innovation by Irish companies has been found to be a key factor in driving their global performance. A survey of 2,000 Enterprise Ireland clients in 2016 found that those who availed of innovation supports (specifically capability, funding and collaboration support) reported on average a 67% growth in global sales. City Donald T. Smith, 47, 37 Blauvelt Drive, Mentz, was picked up Nov. 21 on a bench warrant. Nicholas R. Demperio, 32, 61 Chapman Ave., Auburn, was picked up Nov. 21 on a bench warrant. Donald L. Harvey Jr., 49, 297 Seymour St., Auburn, was charged Nov. 22 with petit larceny. Steven T. Short, 36, 280 Wheat St., Cayuga, was charged Nov. 22 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Brandy L. Harvey, 36, 54 Van Anden St. Apt. 4, Auburn, was charged Nov. 22 with first-degree robbery, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree criminal contempt. Erica R. Fisher, 35, 46 Chase St., Auburn, was charged Nov. 22 with petit larceny. Edward I. Vest, 36, 53 Barber St., Auburn, was charged Nov. 22 with third-degree robbery. Tyrell M. Mahon, 32, Baltimore, Maryland, was charged Nov. 22 with first-degree driving while ability impaired drugs. Joshua L. Patterson, 33, 32 Wilbur Ave., Auburn, was charged Nov. 22 with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Tobias A. More, 33, 206 Wheat St., Cayuga, was charged Nov. 23 with driving while intoxicated and second-degree obstructing governmental administration. Brandon C. Nanney, 32, 20 N. Beaver St., Jordan, was charged Nov. 25 with aggravated driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated. Brittany M. Tarry, 28, 20 Logan St. Apt. B, Auburn, was charged Nov. 26 with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. State Supreme R. Hines, 23, Auburn, was charged Nov. 21 with fourth-degree grand larceny. Frank D. Wieczorek, 49, Auburn, was charged Nov. 21 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device. Frederick C. Evans, 29, Elbridge, was charged Nov. 22 with making a terroristic threat, fourth-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest. Courtney E. Chadderdon, 31, Auburn, was charged Nov. 22 with third-degree grand larceny and first-degree identity theft. Brian A. Cummings, 26, Locke, was charged Nov. 23 with felony driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction in 10 years and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent. Shannon C. Leone-McCarthy, 21, Sennett, was charged Nov. 25 with driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent. James E. Kilmer, 29, Auburn, was charged Nov. 26 with first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, felony driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction within 10 years and felony operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .08 of 1 percent. Nov 27 (Reuters) - Australian shares are likely to open steady on Monday as gains in materials and energy stocks on stronger commodities prices could be offset by a weakness in financials, with a draft bill aiming to put pressure on the government to probe banks. Iron ore prices in China on Friday posted their biggest weekly increase in nearly five months as stronger steel prices spurred gains in the raw material. U.S. oil prices hit their highest levels in more than two years on Friday. Meanwhile, a rebel member of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's coalition government is circulating a draft bill to step up pressure for an official inquiry into the country's scandal-hit banks. The local share price index futures fell 1 point to 5,993, a 10.4-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark fell 0.06 percent on Friday. New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.02 percent or 1.800 points to 8,128.490 in early trade. (Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison Williams) (Kitco News) - Real caution is advised when it comes to Australias latest gold rush, according to Melbourne-based gold mining consultants, which say that only time will tell if any of the new ventures pan out. It is good to see such interest in gold exploration locally but real caution is needed, Sandra Close, managing director of Surbiton Associates, said in a release published on Sunday. It is very early days and despite the publicity, there is a great difference between an exploration play and a successful mining venture. Exploration is a risky and expensive business, Close noted. All the hype around the gold rush in Western Australias Pilbara region is understandable as more than 25 publicly listed companies are scouring the region for gold, the media release pointed out. The target is gold that occurs in conglomerates sedimentary rocks composed of rounded pebbles in a finer grained matrix. Rocks of a similar type and age in the Witwatersrand basin host the major gold deposits which have been the source of much of South Africas wealth for more than 100 years, Close explained. Important to keep in mind is that Pilbara was already tested for similar deposits in the late 1970s and the first half of the 1980s by one of Australias distinguished mineral explorers, Mark Creasy, who found that the overall grades were too low to support economic development. Despite the parallels, the latest search in the Pilbara should be kept in perspective These types of occurrences involve one of the classic challenges of sampling, the problem of the nugget effect, Close said. The nugget effect refers to assumptions made by explorers when sampling an area finding or not finding a nugget in the sample sometimes leads experts to a wrong conclusion about the actual mineral composition of the land. Dealing with the nugget effect is an expensive and time consuming business, Close pointed out. Such exploration involves collecting and processing a large number of large samples in order to obtain reliable results. Overall, gold production in Australia remained relatively steady in Q3, totaling 74.1 tonnes, which is 1.4% less than in the previous quarter. It was the usual case of swings and roundabouts, Close said. Surbiton Associates also discussed Western Australias failure to introduce a 50% increase in gold royalty for the second time, noting that there is a lack of understanding around the effects of cost increases. I am all in favor of a fair return to the community for the minerals they own, Close said. But it makes little sense to increase the royalty so that the economic cut-off grade rises and gold is left in the ground that was previously economic to mine. HANOI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0404 GMT. November 27 USD/VND mid-point 22,431 USD/VND interbank 22,722/22,725 USD/VND unofficial 22,750/22,765 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.41/36.63 Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.5-1.3 1 week 0.8-1.6 1 month 1.5-2.6 3 months 4.2-5.2 NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016, the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources. One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co. For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on . For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips) By Takahiro Okamoto TOKYO, Nov 27 (IFR) - The Republic of Turkey has begun official marketing of a two-tranche Samurai bond offering via a private placement. A tranche of 10-year bonds, with the principal to carry a guarantee from Japan Bank for International Cooperation , is being marketed at a fixed price to yield 0.53 percent. The other, without a JBIC guarantee, comprises three-year notes at 170-180 basis points over yen offer-side swaps. During last week's sounding-out period, the indicative prices were around 0.53 percent for the 10-year and a range of 170bp-190bp area for the three-year. Daiwa, Mizuho and SMBC Nikko are joint lead managers on the issue, which is expected to price on Friday. (Reporting by Takahiro Okamoto; Editing by Steve Garton and Daniel Stanton) Nov 27 (Reuters) - Australian miner South32 Ltd said on Monday that its South Africa Energy Coal (SAEC) business would be run on a stand-alone basis and that it would also look to widen SAEC's ownership, possibly listing it on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The company added in a statement that it would invest 4.3 billion rand ($305.14 million) in SAEC's Klipspruit Life Extension project (KPSX). ($1 = 14.0921 rand) (Reporting by Aaron Saldanha in Bengaluru; Editing by Joseph Radford) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. * Secures extra C$78 million in funding * Expects planning approval to take two years * Says mine would create 350 jobs and hundreds more indirectly LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Canadian miner Dalradian Resources has filed a planning application and secured a new tranche of funds to build Northern Ireland's first major underground gold mine, with the potential to create hundreds of jobs. Mining has largely died out in Britain, but the sector sees the potential for a revival as the government pushes an industrial strategy to reboot an economy overshadowed by the decision to leave the European Union. It is also seeking to create jobs beyond the most affluent London area. Dalradian, which is listed in Toronto and on London's AIM, acquired mineral rights in 2009 to more than 80,000 hectares of land in Northern Ireland, including the Curraghinalt gold deposit. Since then it has carried out exploratory drilling at Curraghinalt and compiled a planning application running to 10,000 pages, which it expects to take about two years to process, including a public enquiry. On Monday it announced that it had submitted the planning application and secured an extra 78.25 million Canadian dollars ($61.6 million) in funding from Orion Mine Finance and Osisko Gold Royalties, two big North American mine finance companies. "We have transformed the project from a small early-stage deposit to one of the best gold projects on the planet," CEO Patrick Anderson said. Anderson is not worried about any issues involving the Northern Irish border or Brexit negotiations more generally, he said, adding that he believes engagement with local people had overcome opposition, including from environmental campaigners. The application is for Dalradian to run the proposed mine for an initial 20 years, though the company says it has the potential to produce gold for decades longer. It is already employing 100 people on the project and the number would rise to 350 direct jobs once the mine is operating, plus hundreds more indirect jobs, including those in supply chains. Northern Ireland has one producing gold mine in Omagh, owned and operated by Galantas Gold Corporation , listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and on AIM. Galantas, which is also ramping up underground operations after the open-pit site was exhausted, has said it expects to produce about 8,000 ounces next year. Dalradian said its Curraghinalt project has the potential for output more than 10 times the Galantas mine's current production. ($1 = 1.2702 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Barbara Lewis; Editing by David Goodman) TORONTO, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index turned lower in early trade on Monday, with heavyweight energy stocks weighing as U.S. crude oil prices came off two-year highs. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index was down 16.62 points, or 0.1 percent, at 16,091.47 shortly after the open. Its energy group retreated 1.1 percent. (Reporting by Alastair Sharp) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. Shanghai(Gasgoo)-Recently, Volkswagen Group China launched an all-new intelligent mobility service brand ezia and also signed a memorandum of understanding with China Mobile Internet of Things. Based on cross-industry strategic cooperation and a unique operating system, ezia, positioned as a consumer-facing mobility brand for Chinese market and consumers, will provide a wide range of intelligent mobility services, such as on demand mobility, intelligent charging and voice-activated artificial intelligence-based assistants, through a highly-integrated dual ecosystem. According to Weiming Soh, Executive Vice President, Volkswagen AG, Member of the Board of Management and Executive Vice President of Volkswagen Group China, the auto industry is no longer facing a "car consumer" but a "mobility service consumer". In the future, ezia will provide seamless and integrated intelligent mobility service through one ID and interface for Chinese customers. With voice-activated AI interaction, ezia will allow customers to book a table in a restaurant, arrange parking and car-detailing and control lights and air conditioning in the home. More strikingly, both Volkswagen and China Mobile Internet of Things, an Internet of Things and telematics service platform leader in China, will collaborate in intelligent mobility and lifestyle-related connected devices and services under their memorandum of understanding. It is said that Volkswagen will realize fully connected in 2019. (Corrects pct move in table for Thai index to -0.01 pct from -0.07 pct) By Aaron Saldanha Nov 27 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets ended lower on Monday amid concerns of a regulatory crackdown in China, while Vietnam shares closed near a decade high led by real estate and utility stocks. Chinese shares fell as sentiment took a hit from rising bond yields after Beijing stepped up a crackdown on shadow banking and other riskier forms of financing, with higher borrowing costs threatening to squeeze corporate profits. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose early in the session tracking Wall Street gains on Friday, but was last down 0.9 percent, slipping further from a 10-year peak scaled on Thursday. Meanwhile, Shanghai shares fell 0.9 percent to a three-month low. Vietnam shares recorded their highest close since Dec. 2007, helped by gains in Vingroup JSC , up 2 percent, and Petrovietnam Gas Joint Stock Corp , up 1.1 percent. The Philippine index recovered part losses to end marginally lower as gains in real estate and energy stocks were outweighed by losses in the consumer discretionary and staples. "It is more of a continuation of last week's profit-taking," said Fio Dejesus, an equity research analyst at RCBC Securities in Manila. Heavyweights SM Investments Corp and Ayala Land Inc ended 1.4 percent and 1.1 percent lower, respectively, as investors cashed in after last week's gains. SM Investments climbed 1.9 percent last week while Ayala Land gained 4.1 percent. "Most of our covered stocks are already priced in, with the exception of consumer stocks which still have quite a bit of upside in our view," added RCBC's Dejesus. Singapore's benchmark index fell 0.2 percent on Monday as lenders DBS Group Holdings and United Overseas Bank Ltd , each lost about 0.7 percent. On the other hand, Malaysian shares added 0.2 percent, helped by gains in telecom and utilities stocks. Electric utility Tenaga Nasional , up 1.2 percent, was the biggest contributor to index gains. Indonesia's index of its 45 most liquid stocks recovered from an early decline to end the day 0.1 percent higher. A government divestment roadshow in Singapore for brewer Sabeco piqued investor interest though the stock fell 5 percent ahead of the government revealing plans to divest its 90 percent stake. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS: CHANGE ON DAY Change on the day Market Current previous close Pct Move Singapore 3436.36 3442.15 -0.17 Bangkok 1695.67 1695.84 -0.01 Manila 8361.69 8365.11 -0.04 Jakarta 6064.589 6067.142 -0.04 Kuala Lumpur 1719.86 1717.23 0.15 Ho Chi Minh 938.61 935.57 0.32 Change so far this year Market Current End 2016 Pct Move Singapore 3436.36 2880.76 19.29 Bangkok 1694.63 1542.94 9.83 Manila 8361.69 6840.64 22.24 Jakarta 6064.589 5296.711 14.50 Kuala Lumpur 1719.86 1641.73 4.76 Ho Chi Minh 938.61 664.87 41.17 (Reporting by Aaron Saldanha in Bengaluru; Editing by Vyas Mohan) NEW DELHI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - India's Jindal Steel and Power Ltd told a government committee this month that it could supply up to 600,000 tonnes of rails per year to the Indian Railways if needed, according to a government document seen by Reuters on Monday. The committee on domestically manufactured iron and steel products for government projects told the Ministry of Railways that local companies had the capacity to supply 717,000 tonnes of rails as sought by the ministry in a recent global tender. (Reporting by Neha Dasgupta Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Tommy Wilkes) By Andrew Torchia DUBAI, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Qatar's imports rose from a year earlier in October for the first time since other Arab states imposed sanctions on Doha in June, official data showed on Monday, suggesting damage done to the Qatari economy by the sanctions is fading. Monthly imports plunged by as much as 40.0 percent year-on-year after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of backing terrorism, which Doha denies. The boycott disrupted Qatar's shipping routes through the Gulf and blocked imports across its land border with Saudi Arabia. Much of its perishable food products as well as construction materials came across that border. But Qatar, the world's largest liquefied natural gas exporter, responded by developing its port facilities and establishing new shipping routes via Oman and the Indian subcontinent, and October's data indicated that Doha's ability to import most goods had returned to normal. Imports jumped 11.2 percent from a year ago to 12.3 billion riyals ($3.4 billion); they increased 52.9 percent from the previous month. Auto imports remained 27.0 percent below year-earlier levels in October because Qatar can no longer buy car parts from Dubai, the region's trans-shipment centre for parts, but most other imports were at normal levels. The sanctions have accelerated a sharp downturn in Qatar's real estate market and slashed prices in the stock market. Banks have come under financial pressure as depositors from the four Gulf states have pulled out their money. But the sanctions have not significantly disrupted Qatar's exports, which jumped 11.9 percent from a year ago to 21.0 billion riyals in October. Its trade surplus expanded 12.9 percent to 8.7 billion riyals. Official data released last week showed Qatar's industrial production grew 7.4 percent from a year earlier in September. That was partly because of 8.3 percent growth in the natural gas and petroleum sector, but manufacturing rose 3.2 percent. Food manufacturing jumped 23.5 percent as the government responded to the sanctions by encouraging companies to make Qatar more self-sufficient in food. (Reporting by Andrew Torchia, editing by Ed Osmond) (Repeats item issued earlier. The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) * GRAPHIC: China's imports of U.S. crude vs. Brent premium over WTI: By Clyde Russell LAUNCESTON, Australia, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The shifting dynamics of China's crude oil imports show the scale of the challenges facing the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies ahead of a decision on whether to continue with production cuts. The detailed Chinese customs data for October illustrates trends that should give pause for thought to the leaders of OPEC and its allies, particularly major exporter Russia, ahead of the meeting in Vienna on Nov. 30. Market share is the big issue for shippers to China, the world's largest crude importer, and there are two strands to the problem. The first is that the import data shows how China has been able to develop new relationships with oil exporters fairly rapidly, reducing reliance on some traditional suppliers from OPEC. The second is that it appears that the burden of reducing exports, at least as far as China is concerned, isn't being shared remotely equally by members of OPEC and their partners in output cuts. This imbalance raises the chance that an extension to the overall output cuts first agreed a year ago will prove ineffective as some parties to the deal are tempted to export more in a bid to retain, or expand, market share. U.S. EXPORT SURGE China's imports from the United States neatly encapsulate the dilemma that OPEC and its allies have in dealing with the challenge of rising U.S. exports on the back of the boom in shale oil. China imported about 206,900 barrels per day (bpd) from the United States in October, the second-highest monthly amount on record since this trade flow started late last year. Granted, that level of shipments doesn't seem to present much of a threat to top suppliers Russia and Saudi Arabia, whose exports to China in October stood at 1.09 million bpd and 1.08 million bpd respectively. But it represents a huge increase in less than a year, with China's imports from the United States going from virtually zero in 2016 to a monthly average of some 135,000 bpd in the first 10 months of the year. It also seems that U.S. exports are going to keep increasing in coming months, and quite strongly, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecasts. The shipping data show that China's November U.S. imports should be around 242,000 bpd, based on six cargoes that have already been discharged at Chinese ports. In December, they may rise to 379,000 bpd as the vessel-tracking data shows six cargoes already underway, all of them Very Large Crude Carriers with around 2 million barrels per ship. FROM NON-ENTITY TO SERIOUS PLAYER At a figure getting fairly close to 400,000 bpd, the United States would likely become China's seventh largest supplier of crude, something that becomes much more than just a nuisance as far as the big guns of Saudi Arabia, Russia, Angola, Iran and Iraq are concerned. The rise of non-traditional crude exporters to China such as the United States, Brazil and even Great Britain may also cause some of those countries trying to re-balance the market through output cuts to think more about preserving market share. Producers such as Russia and Saudi Arabia ship to numerous countries, but the China data shows that as far as exports there are concerned, some OPEC countries and their partners appear to be doing more than others. China imported 1.04 million bpd from Saudi Arabia in the first 10 months of the year, an increase of just 1 percent from the same period last year. Over the same period China bought 1.19 million bpd from Russia, up 16 percent, and 1.04 million bpd from Angola, a jump of almost 18 percent. Those two countries have overtaken Saudi Arabia as the top suppliers to China so far this year. While Russia and Angola may be cutting exports to other buyers, they have certainly worked to boost market share in China, with both achieving growth rates above China's overall 11.8 percent increase in crude imports in the first 10 months. The other major Middle East exporters have, similar to the Saudis, been more restrained in exporting to China, with imports from Iran up 2.2 percent and Iraq by 1.6 percent. If OPEC and its allies are going to extend their output cuts of 1.8 million bpd beyond the current March expiry, the key to success will be ensuring compliance. If some exporters are complying more enthusiastically than others, the deal risks gradually falling apart. Put another way, how happy will Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq be at seeing their allies Russia and Angola exporting more to China, as well as watching emerging rivals like the United States and others chip away their share of the China crude market? (Editing by Richard Pullin) (Repeats story first published on Friday) By Huw Jones LONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Banks on mainland Europe have cut their exposures to Britain since the Brexit vote last year and are concerned about the legality of cross-border deals once the UK leaves, the European Union's banking watchdog said on Friday. The European Banking Authority (EBA) said banks in the EU's 27 member countries have cut exposures in terms of assets from just over 1.9 trillion euros in June 2016 when the referendum took place, to just under 1.6 trillion euros by June 2017. Liabilities fell from just under 1.7 trillion euros ($2.03 trillion) to just over 1.3 trillion euros over the same period. The drop mainly reflects a sharp pullback in derivative deals, which could become a worry for London which competes with New York in this global sector. EBA said in a regular risk assessment report that banks are worried about a "cliff-edge" if Britain, the bloc's most important financial market, leaves the EU without an agreement on trading terms. "The Brexit negotiations continue to be a source of political risk for the EU financial market as a cliff-edge scenario could lead to substantial disturbances for the European banking sector," EBA said. In one of the starkest warnings yet from a European regulator, it said a major worry for banks is continuity of financial contracts or ability to fulfil obligations that have been entered into once Britain is no longer part of the EU legal system. Consumers and companies in the EU27 could face cancellation, amendment or renegotiation of contracts, loss of protection, disruption and financial losses, EBA said. "It is important that banks and their counterparties, as well as consumers and public authorities, consider appropriate mitigating actions and contingency plans to address these concerns," it said. Britain hopes for a breakthrough in EU divorce talks next month that will lead to transition arrangements and an outline of new trading terms to avoid a cliff edge, which would help to dispel doubts about derivatives and other financial contracts. Banks in the EU27 may also not be able to clear derivatives transactions in London, leaving companies and households unable to access wholesale and retail financial services in Britain. Deutsche Boerse has already launched a push to lure clearing to Frankfurt from London. "A disruption of financial flows ... coupled with diminishing confidence of market participants, could lead to the drying up of market liquidity ... affecting financial stability in the EU banking system," EBA said. The EBA report backs arguments made by the City of London financial district and others that mainland Europe has as much to lose as Britain from failure to at least agree on a transitional deal. The watchdog also said that the EU's banks are still improving their resilience to shocks and whittling away at their 893 billion euro mountain of bad loans. While profitability has improved, the average return on equity is 7 percent, its highest level since 2014, but still typically below the cost of capital, EBA said. It remains unclear if poor profitability is due to current market conditions or the sector's structure. ($1 = 0.8377 euros) (Reporting by Huw Jones. Editing by Jane Merriman) NEW YORK, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Speculators' net short dollar bets rose in the latest week after seven straight weeks of declines, according to calculations by Reuters and Commodity Futures Trading Commission data released on Monday. The value of the net short dollar positions, derived from net positions of International Monetary Market speculators in the yen, euro, British pound, Swiss franc and Canadian and Australian dollars, was $3.15 billion, in the week to Nov. 21. That compares with a net short position of $643 million the previous week and marks the 19th straight week that speculators have had a net short position on the greenback. To be short a currency means traders believe it will fall in value. Meanwhile, the net short position in the Swiss franc grew to the largest since June 2012, the data showed. (Reporting by Saqib Iqbal Ahmed; Editing by Tom Brown) ZURICH, Nov 27 (Reuters) - The Swiss blue-chip SMI was seen opening 0.1 percent lower at 9,315 points on Monday, according to premarket indications by bank Julius Baer . The following are some of the main factors expected to affect Swiss stocks. JULIUS BAER The Swiss private bank scrambled over the weekend to pick a replacement for Chief Executive Boris Collardi, who surprised its leaders by suddenly resigning to take a new role at Pictet Group in Geneva. The shares were seen falling more than 4 percent in pre-market indicators. For more click GATEGROUP Chinese conglomerate HNA, under scrutiny at home and abroad over a debt-fuelled acquisition spree, gave partially untrue or incomplete information during the takeover of Swiss airline catering firm Gategroup last year, the Swiss Takeover Board said. UBS The Swiss bank formed a strategic team to look into buying parts of German lender Commerzbank , Neue Zuercher Zeitung reported on Sunday. NESTLE French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Saturday he was particularly "shocked" by Nestle's NESN.S plans to cut up to 450 jobs at its Galderma skin-health research plant in the south of France as the plant benefited from a research tax credit. For more click